It’s no secret that KISS bassist Gene Simmons grew up as a fan of comic books.
In his early days, Gene devoured comics, buying, selling and trading them, launching his own fanzine and even producing a few of his own series.
The most famous KISS comic venture was the 1977 Marvel comics issue where the band members contributed blood for the cause, mixing it in with the red ink that produced the issue (a second Marvel issue was published in 1979).
Fast forward to 2011, and Simmons’ passion for comics continues, eventually leading to him to 'cold call' Archie comics to inquire about a possible co-venture.
That call led to a 4-part series called “Archie Meets KISS,” featuring the kids from Riverdale and the band, as they team up to prevent mindless zombies from overtaking their town.
Featuring words by Alex Segura and art by Dan Parent, the debut edition is Archie #627 and is available now.
Simmons and KISS co-founder Paul Stanley recently sat down for a session with Jonah Weiland of ComicBookResources.com to discuss the series, the band’s history with comics and, especially, Gene’s intricate knowledge of the art form.
"This KISS thing of ours has grown by leaps and bounds, and we like teaming up and co-branding with iconic brands that have existed throughout the ages," explained Simmons. "Archie has been around for over 50 years. And if you're going to point at something iconic that goes at a slightly different audience, you've got to respect something that stands the test of time. And it's a wacky idea — KISS and Archie?"
Archie Meets KISS – trailer (2011)
See also:
KISS Kruise 2012 announced
KISS remember Eric Carr
KISS: Archie Meets KISS comic book signing announced