KISSOnline reports:

The KISS legend licks his chops over the band's new comic book line, his reality show and what he 'completely stole' from Jack Kirby.

By Danny Spiegel

Gene Simmons knows comics. Long before KISS’ charismatic, long-tongued “Demon” became a rock ’n’ roll icon, he was writing and “publishing” a slew of fanzines for industrious teens like himself. Thus, when Marvel released the first KISS comics (Marvel Comics Super Special #1 and #5) in 1977 and ’78, Simmons was beside himself with fanboy glee. “To fall in love with Marvel books,” says Simmons, “and then to finally become a Marvel superhero and see myself battling Dr. Doom in the very first KISS comic book...”

Other KISS-related comics followed throughout the years including KISS: The Psycho Circus (1997-2000) from Image and Dark Horse’s KISS (2002-03). And now, Simmons has teamed up with Platinum Studios to form the KISS Comics Group, which will release KISS 4K (written by Richard Sprague) in May as well as KISS Girls, a female-driven spin-off, next summer.

Instead of not-so-subtly “ignoring” the previous incarnations, 4K will allow the foursome to actually travel between the universes first seen in the earlier Marvel, Dark Horse and Image versions. Platinum will launch this new venture with a special $50 “Destroyer Edition” of the book which will be a massive, non-bathroom-reading 30-by-18 inches. (Check out KISScomicsgroup.com for availability.)

From his home in California, the star of A&E;’s “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” which returns March 25th for a second season, spoke with Wizard about all things comic, the status of KISS today and whether he’s ever turned down sex to read a comic.

Q: Is it safe to say that the name “KISS Comics Group” is a nod to Marvel’s former moniker, “Marvel Comics Group”?

A: "Absolutely. Marvel changed the landscape. I was an immigrant who came to America [from Israel] and could barely speak English, and through Marvel Comics, television and a few other things, my imagination just soared. The magic of Marvel is to see the tragedy and heartbreak of being a superhero. You can be Spider-Man and have pimples and be hunted by the cops and the bad guys, be alone living in your [aunt’s] house and not even be getting laid. I mean, for a short time I taught sixth grade in Spanish Harlem [in 1972] and I brought in Spider-Man as required reading."

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