Kiss Collectibles

Written by a leading collector and dealer of collectibles based on the rock band KISS, this comprehensive sourcebook contains extensive listings and prices for highly desirable KISS merchandise from around the world. 400+ photos. 8-page full-color insert.

Features 2000 listings and 500 colour photos of the band's merchandise and is a must-have for buyers, sellers and collectors of Kiss memorabilia and music. The book offers detailed listings for every US recording, as well as foreign releases. There are also detailed listings of more than 250 licensed products produced from 1974--1988, from action figures, Beanies and die-cast cars, to Halloween costumes, posters and videos.

The self-proclaimed "Hottest Band in the World," KISS is one of the most popular groups in the history of rock, having sold more than 100 million albums during their more than 40-year reign. With more gold albums than any other American band, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. KISS influenced a generation of musicians, from Garth Brooks and Motley Crue to Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The original leather-clad, makeup-wearing line-up--Ace "Spaceman" Frehley, Gene "Demon" Simmons, Paul "Starchild" Stanley and Peter "Catman" Criss--and their classic hits "Beth" and "Rock and Roll All Nite" are forever etched in pop culture consciousness. This encyclopedia of all things KISS provides detailed information on their songs, albums, tours, television and movie appearances, merchandise, solo work and much more, including replacement members Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Bruce Kulick, Mark St. John, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.

KISS FAQ: EVERYTHING LEFT TO KNOW ABOUT THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE LAND

Born into a regular Bronx family, and inspired by the likes of Hendrix, Led Zepellin, and the Kinks, Ace Frehley first picked up his brother's guitar at the age of 12. He had already performed in a number of bands when, in January 1973, he auditioned for an ad that read: "Guitarist wanted with flash and balls." Within a week he was invited to join - the band was KISS. Frehley explains how the band developed their style in the early days, making their own clothes, wearing make-up and platform shoes. Ace himself even designed the band's double lightning bolt logo. Before long his persona "the Spaceman" was born and the familiar KISS look established - almost overnight they left behind 1,500 seater theatres in the Midwest and were playing sold-out stadiums around the world. Life in KISS was a whirlwind of accidents, overdoses and excess. Ace partied with the likes of John Belushi and Nic Nolte and enjoyed the seemingly endless supply of fringe benefits that came from being in one of the most successful bands in the history of rock 'n' roll. But soon problems with substance abuse would lead to his leaving the band in 1982, before returning for a second tenure in 1996. Ace in the Hole is the story of KISS but much more than that - it's the story of a kid from the Bronx who found purpose and salvation through music and rose to the top. It's the story of a guy who lived life to the fullest and almost forfeited his life as a result. And ultimately it's a survival story - Ace is alive and kicking, still making music and influencing a new generation of guitarists.

Using a unique combination of cultural studies research, neo-pragmatist philosophy, and psychoanalytic theory, the author sheds light on the formation of a social identity and the important role that mass media play in this process. Case studies covering a range of media and communities provide a model for developing a truly explanatory as well as descriptive account of self-media interaction that bridges the two opposing sides of the media audience debate and provides a significant new dimension to notions of 'passive' and 'active' media audiences.

Under one cover the first six issues of this horror-laden series brings all the strange and captivating stories of this circus of the damned.