McFarland Publishers has produced new cover for the book, Encyclopedia Of KISS: Music, Personnel, Events And Related Subjects. Written by pop culture authority Brett Weiss, it is the world’s first encyclopedia on the self-proclaimed "Hottest Band In The World."

The first cover to the book (below) was generic in appearance to avoid copyright violation. It featured an 80s-looking hair metal guitarist on the cover with a red background.

Now, the cover has been redesigned with a Gene Simmons-like silhouette, backed by colors inspired by Destroyer, one of KISS’s more critically acclaimed albums.

“I convinced the publisher to create a new, more KISS-like cover,” said author Brett Weiss. “People kept telling me the original cover was too generic. Some even said the figure on the cover looked like Dimebag Darrell.”

After Weiss petitioned McFarland Publishers for several weeks, they agreed to a cover re-design.

“They were very careful to avoid any copyright violations, so they refused to use a photo of the band or their famous logo,” Weiss said. “However, after several misfires, they comprised with a Gene Simmons lookalike silhouette and more elaborate coloring. It avoids copyright violation while at the same time evoking the spirit of the band. It actually looks like a KISS book now and will surely appeal to fans more.”

Encyclopedia Of KISS is a comprehensive reference guide to virtually everything in the KISS universe, featuring detailed information on the band’s songs, albums, games, toys, tours, television and movie appearances, family members, girlfriends, collectibles, comic books, solo work and much more, including replacement members Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Bruce Kulick, Mark St. John, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.

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.

You can read the first few pages of Encyclopedia Of KISS: Music, Personnel, Events And Related Subjects at this location.