Letters

A childhood dream comes ALIVE! Since I was a little kid, I've been dressing up as Gene Simmons of KISS. I remember using sheets of poster board, black tape, duct tape, cardboard, spray paint, and magic markers to build them. My dad cut out 2x4's in the shape of his old work boots, so I could make platform boots. Dad also cut me out an Axe guitar from plywood. My mom would sew me bodysuits, and I would cut out fabric wings. I would have lip sync concerts with my friends, and charge our family members to come. I would dress up for Halloween, or just because I felt like it. When I attended college at Marshall University, I entered lip-sync contests as Gene and made quite a bit of cash. I dressed as Gene and attended several of their concerts and fan expos. Over a year ago, I reached out to Gene's actual costume maker and asked him to make me a real Gene Simmons costume. He had the actual molds and knew exactly how to build them. I gave him a full page of my measurements and waited. His shop kept getting shut down because of Covid. He also had a hard time getting materials because of the Pandemic. Then, a few weeks ago, after over a year of waiting it arrived, and the little kid in me came ALIVE again! I want to thank David Tognoli Pea and his talented team at KISS Replicas for making my dream come true. Some guys restore old cars, collect guns, or buy ATVs. We are all basically grown kids who can now afford their own toys. This is mine. -Bill France