The Bloody Truth
It’s well known that the band ‘KISS’ created their characters based as much on comic book superheroes as from their music. So, it was only natural for them to one day star in their very own comic book. Not one to miss a lucrative money making opportunity, Marvel Comics issued the first ‘Super Special’ KISS comic book in 1977.
Excellent Marketing Opportunity
Seeing it as an excellent marketing opportunity, KISS was more than willing to go along with a gimmick created to promote first edition sales. Gene Simmons said, “As the KISS comic book project moved along, someone came up with the idea of putting real blood in the ink. It wasn’t me, maybe it was Bill Aucoin or Sean Delaney. We got into a DC-3, one of those big prop planes, and flew up to Buffalo to Marvel’s printing plant where they print comic books. A notary public actually witnessed our blood being drawn.”
Not only did KISS band members allow their blood to be drawn during a concert stop, they also flew up to New York to be photographed adding their vials of donated blood to a barrel of red ink. A notary public certified the authenticity of the process and the notarized document was released as the ‘KISS Comic Book Contract’.
Kiss Comic Book Contract
The contract stated: “This is to certify that KISS members, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss have each donated blood which is being collectively mixed with the red ink to be used for the first issue of the Marvel/KISS comics. The blood was extracted on February 21st, 1977 at Nassau Coliseum and has been under guarded refrigeration until this day, when it was delivered to the Borden Ink plant in Depew, New York.”
So, the answer to it being true or false that Kiss band members mixed their blood with red ink for the first edition of their comic book, is that it’s TRUE!
