03/05/2012
KISS NAVY TATTOO
Kiss News
03/05/2012
REMEMBERING OUR FRIEND TONY WHITFIELD
03/05/2012
TOMMY AT CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
03/04/2012
REMEMBERING OUR FRIEND RONNIE MONTROSE
Ronnie Montrose, a great guitarist and friend of the band has lost his battle with cancer and has sadly passed away. His first band album "Montrose" remains a classic and his influence can be heard in numerous contemporary guitarists. We will miss him and send our condolences to his family.
The following is from the Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, Bay Area guitar legend, dies at 64
By Jim Harrington / Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, who reigned as one of the Bay Area's great guitar gods for decades, died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. The Millbrae resident -- perhaps best known for leading Montrose, the band that introduced Sammy Hagar to rock fans in the early '70s -- was 64.
The news spread quickly once a posting was made on Montrose's website (www.ronniemontrose.com) on Saturday. The post provided few details about his death, saying that Montrose had "battled cancer and staved off old age for long enough," but it also provided some insight to the rock legend's mood in his final months.
"A few months ago, we held a surprise party for Ronnie Montrose's 64th birthday," the post read. "He gave an impromptu speech, and told us that after a long life, filled with joy and hardship, he didn't take any of our love for granted."
Memorial plans have not yet been announced.Ronnie Montrose, a great guitarist and friend of the band has lost his battle with cancer and has sadly passed away. His first band album "Montrose" remains a classic and his influence can be heard in numerous contemporary guitarists. We will miss him and send our condolences to his family.
The following is from the Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, Bay Area guitar legend, dies at 64
By Jim Harrington / Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, who reigned as one of the Bay Area's great guitar gods for decades, died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. The Millbrae resident -- perhaps best known for leading Montrose, the band that introduced Sammy Hagar to rock fans in the early '70s -- was 64.
The news spread quickly once a posting was made on Montrose's website (www.ronniemontrose.com) on Saturday. The post provided few details about his death, saying that Montrose had "battled cancer and staved off old age for long enough," but it also provided some insight to the rock legend's mood in his final months.
"A few months ago, we held a surprise party for Ronnie Montrose's 64th birthday," the post read. "He gave an impromptu speech, and told us that after a long life, filled with joy and hardship, he didn't take any of our love for granted."
Memorial plans have not yet been announced.
Born in San Francisco, Montrose grew up in Denver but returned to the Bay Area, where he got his first big break in the music business, when Van Morrison hired the promising young gun to play on 1971's "Tupelo Honey" and 1972's "Saint Dominic's Preview." Both albums were recorded in San Francisco and are considered among Morrison's finest efforts.
His reputation as an A-list sideman was further secured during stints with such titans as Herbie Hancock and Boz Scaggs. He joined the Edgar Winter Group for a brief spell in the early '70s -- basically just long enough to leave trademark percussive, blistering licks on classic rock staples "Frankenstein " and "Free Ride."
In 1973, Montrose formed his namesake band, which -- beyond serving as the first step on Hagar's stairway to stardom -- produced an incredible number of great rock songs. The band's eponymous debut is considered a stone-cold classic, having produced the FM radio staples "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Rock Candy." Hagar left the fold after
1974's "Paper Money," amid reports of tensions between the two burgeoning rock stars, and went on to great success as a solo artist and then later as a member of Van Halen. However, Montrose the band turned out two more studio albums before disbanding in 1976.
Two years later, Montrose formed his second best-known outfit, Gamma, which enjoyed much acclaim from hard-rock fans but never managed better than modest sales. The guitarist later put out a number of instrumental solo records that explored a variety of rock and jazz terrains, while continuing to stay involved in other projects. He also maintained a rigorous touring schedule -- he performed two shows at Pleasanton's Firehouse Arts Center in November -- and, at the time of his death, had upcoming dates set for Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Santa Rosa.
The following is from the Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, Bay Area guitar legend, dies at 64
By Jim Harrington / Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, who reigned as one of the Bay Area's great guitar gods for decades, died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. The Millbrae resident -- perhaps best known for leading Montrose, the band that introduced Sammy Hagar to rock fans in the early '70s -- was 64.
The news spread quickly once a posting was made on Montrose's website (www.ronniemontrose.com) on Saturday. The post provided few details about his death, saying that Montrose had "battled cancer and staved off old age for long enough," but it also provided some insight to the rock legend's mood in his final months.
"A few months ago, we held a surprise party for Ronnie Montrose's 64th birthday," the post read. "He gave an impromptu speech, and told us that after a long life, filled with joy and hardship, he didn't take any of our love for granted."
Memorial plans have not yet been announced.Ronnie Montrose, a great guitarist and friend of the band has lost his battle with cancer and has sadly passed away. His first band album "Montrose" remains a classic and his influence can be heard in numerous contemporary guitarists. We will miss him and send our condolences to his family.
The following is from the Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, Bay Area guitar legend, dies at 64
By Jim Harrington / Oakland Tribune
Ronnie Montrose, who reigned as one of the Bay Area's great guitar gods for decades, died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. The Millbrae resident -- perhaps best known for leading Montrose, the band that introduced Sammy Hagar to rock fans in the early '70s -- was 64.
The news spread quickly once a posting was made on Montrose's website (www.ronniemontrose.com) on Saturday. The post provided few details about his death, saying that Montrose had "battled cancer and staved off old age for long enough," but it also provided some insight to the rock legend's mood in his final months.
"A few months ago, we held a surprise party for Ronnie Montrose's 64th birthday," the post read. "He gave an impromptu speech, and told us that after a long life, filled with joy and hardship, he didn't take any of our love for granted."
Memorial plans have not yet been announced.
Born in San Francisco, Montrose grew up in Denver but returned to the Bay Area, where he got his first big break in the music business, when Van Morrison hired the promising young gun to play on 1971's "Tupelo Honey" and 1972's "Saint Dominic's Preview." Both albums were recorded in San Francisco and are considered among Morrison's finest efforts.
His reputation as an A-list sideman was further secured during stints with such titans as Herbie Hancock and Boz Scaggs. He joined the Edgar Winter Group for a brief spell in the early '70s -- basically just long enough to leave trademark percussive, blistering licks on classic rock staples "Frankenstein " and "Free Ride."
In 1973, Montrose formed his namesake band, which -- beyond serving as the first step on Hagar's stairway to stardom -- produced an incredible number of great rock songs. The band's eponymous debut is considered a stone-cold classic, having produced the FM radio staples "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Rock Candy." Hagar left the fold after
1974's "Paper Money," amid reports of tensions between the two burgeoning rock stars, and went on to great success as a solo artist and then later as a member of Van Halen. However, Montrose the band turned out two more studio albums before disbanding in 1976.
Two years later, Montrose formed his second best-known outfit, Gamma, which enjoyed much acclaim from hard-rock fans but never managed better than modest sales. The guitarist later put out a number of instrumental solo records that explored a variety of rock and jazz terrains, while continuing to stay involved in other projects. He also maintained a rigorous touring schedule -- he performed two shows at Pleasanton's Firehouse Arts Center in November -- and, at the time of his death, had upcoming dates set for Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Santa Rosa.
03/04/2012
LATEST KISS TATTOOS
03/04/2012
KISS GIRLS PHOTO SHOOT
03/03/2012
KISS HOPES FOR NEW HIT IN LAS VEGAS
03/03/2012
'KISS' IDW COMICS WRITERS TALK NEW SERIES
By Eric Shirey, Yahoo! Contributor Network
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Tom Waltz and Senior Staff Writer Chris Ryall announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman. Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS on when the book hits shelves.
KISS has been the subject of several comic book series with several different publishers. Why did IDW pick the group to work with?
Chris Ryall: It pretty much follows the way we choose to pursue any license: we're fans of the material. Both Tom Waltz and I are lifelong KISS fans; and add to that the fact that we produced a line of Simmons Comic Group releases with Gene Simmons a few years back and it's just been something we've always wanted to do. Some of my earliest comic-reading moments are of enjoying the KISS Super Specials that Marvel produced in the '70s, and it's a personal thrill to not only be able to carry on with Kiss comics but to now write them myself, too.
By Eric Shirey, Yahoo! Contributor Network
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Tom Waltz and Senior Staff Writer Chris Ryall announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman. Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS on when the book hits shelves.
KISS has been the subject of several comic book series with several different publishers. Why did IDW pick the group to work with?
Chris Ryall: It pretty much follows the way we choose to pursue any license: we're fans of the material. Both Tom Waltz and I are lifelong KISS fans; and add to that the fact that we produced a line of Simmons Comic Group releases with Gene Simmons a few years back and it's just been something we've always wanted to do. Some of my earliest comic-reading moments are of enjoying the KISS Super Specials that Marvel produced in the '70s, and it's a personal thrill to not only be able to carry on with Kiss comics but to now write them myself, too.
Tom Waltz: As Chris states, we tend not to pursue any license at IDW that won't have an editor behind it who is a fan and willing to champion it through the long process of getting it approved and into print. In the case of KISS, Chris and I are not only champions of the license, we're uber-fans of the band and their music, not to mention the KISS comics from various other publishers in the past. Like Chris, I ate up those Marvel KISS comics and to now be able to be a part of the ongoing adventures of our hard-rockin', kabuki-wearin' heroes is a real highlight of my career as a writer/editor.
Are you a KISS fan? If so how does that influence your writing of the book? If not, how does that affect the writing of the book?
Ryall: We really are, and that's going to be evident on just about every page of our comics. The first storyline I'm writing is called "Dressed to Kill" and used that record cover's imagery as the basis for our story (which is set in 1920s Chicago). And in addition to telling a more human story that hearkens back to those 1970s Marvel KISS comics, we're also bringing in many familiar KISS characters and moments: the overall story involves a battle between two cosmic entities, the Elder and the Destroyer; and in issue one, one of the villains is named "Wicked" Lester, an enigmatic woman named She shows up, and there are some demon-dogs called Parasites in there, too, just for starters. We've really tried hard to make this comic something longtime KISS fans, even if they're not regular comic readers, will enjoy right alongside comic-book fans.
Waltz: A fan? Oh, man, you don't even know. I remember going to my best buddy's house many a time when I was a kid and we'd sit and listen to the "KISS Alive II" album over and over, mesmerized by the album cover that opened up to show the band on-stage in all their blood-soaked, explosive glory. KISS, with their make-up and carnival-like theatrics, was (and is) one of those bands that's larger than life and ripe for urban legends (was Gene Simmons' tongue real or did he have a cow tongue attached? My favorite!). These off- and on-stage elements, along with their many cool songs, really do set the foundation for fun comic book storytelling, both in words and pictures. And Chris and I plan to take full advantage of the medium to tell KISS stories that we hope will both entertain and surprise.
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Tom Waltz and Senior Staff Writer Chris Ryall announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman. Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS on when the book hits shelves.
KISS has been the subject of several comic book series with several different publishers. Why did IDW pick the group to work with?
Chris Ryall: It pretty much follows the way we choose to pursue any license: we're fans of the material. Both Tom Waltz and I are lifelong KISS fans; and add to that the fact that we produced a line of Simmons Comic Group releases with Gene Simmons a few years back and it's just been something we've always wanted to do. Some of my earliest comic-reading moments are of enjoying the KISS Super Specials that Marvel produced in the '70s, and it's a personal thrill to not only be able to carry on with Kiss comics but to now write them myself, too.
By Eric Shirey, Yahoo! Contributor Network
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Tom Waltz and Senior Staff Writer Chris Ryall announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman. Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS on when the book hits shelves.
KISS has been the subject of several comic book series with several different publishers. Why did IDW pick the group to work with?
Chris Ryall: It pretty much follows the way we choose to pursue any license: we're fans of the material. Both Tom Waltz and I are lifelong KISS fans; and add to that the fact that we produced a line of Simmons Comic Group releases with Gene Simmons a few years back and it's just been something we've always wanted to do. Some of my earliest comic-reading moments are of enjoying the KISS Super Specials that Marvel produced in the '70s, and it's a personal thrill to not only be able to carry on with Kiss comics but to now write them myself, too.
Tom Waltz: As Chris states, we tend not to pursue any license at IDW that won't have an editor behind it who is a fan and willing to champion it through the long process of getting it approved and into print. In the case of KISS, Chris and I are not only champions of the license, we're uber-fans of the band and their music, not to mention the KISS comics from various other publishers in the past. Like Chris, I ate up those Marvel KISS comics and to now be able to be a part of the ongoing adventures of our hard-rockin', kabuki-wearin' heroes is a real highlight of my career as a writer/editor.
Are you a KISS fan? If so how does that influence your writing of the book? If not, how does that affect the writing of the book?
Ryall: We really are, and that's going to be evident on just about every page of our comics. The first storyline I'm writing is called "Dressed to Kill" and used that record cover's imagery as the basis for our story (which is set in 1920s Chicago). And in addition to telling a more human story that hearkens back to those 1970s Marvel KISS comics, we're also bringing in many familiar KISS characters and moments: the overall story involves a battle between two cosmic entities, the Elder and the Destroyer; and in issue one, one of the villains is named "Wicked" Lester, an enigmatic woman named She shows up, and there are some demon-dogs called Parasites in there, too, just for starters. We've really tried hard to make this comic something longtime KISS fans, even if they're not regular comic readers, will enjoy right alongside comic-book fans.
Waltz: A fan? Oh, man, you don't even know. I remember going to my best buddy's house many a time when I was a kid and we'd sit and listen to the "KISS Alive II" album over and over, mesmerized by the album cover that opened up to show the band on-stage in all their blood-soaked, explosive glory. KISS, with their make-up and carnival-like theatrics, was (and is) one of those bands that's larger than life and ripe for urban legends (was Gene Simmons' tongue real or did he have a cow tongue attached? My favorite!). These off- and on-stage elements, along with their many cool songs, really do set the foundation for fun comic book storytelling, both in words and pictures. And Chris and I plan to take full advantage of the medium to tell KISS stories that we hope will both entertain and surprise.
03/03/2012
'KISS' IDW COMICS WRITERS REVEAL CONCEPTS
BY Eric Shirey, Yahoo! Contributor Network
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall and Senior Staff Writer Tom Waltz announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman.
Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS when the book hits shelves.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of what the new KISS comic book series will be about?
Chris Ryall: Essentially, there are two cosmic deities, the Elder (a force for good) and the Destroyer (bad), who have this shaky co-existence. When the Destroyer finds berth into our universe, he sends his forces down to lay waste to our world. But that's really all the backdrop for the stories which focus more directly on the humans who inherit the KISS mantle. The stories will span eons: the first two issues are set in the 1920s, and then we jump to the Dark Ages, back to present day, and beyond. Every two issues will be a new setting inspired by a classic KISS album.By Eric Shirey, Yahoo! Contributor Network
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall and Senior Staff Writer Tom Waltz announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman.
Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS when the book hits shelves.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of what the new KISS comic book series will be about?
Chris Ryall: Essentially, there are two cosmic deities, the Elder (a force for good) and the Destroyer (bad), who have this shaky co-existence. When the Destroyer finds berth into our universe, he sends his forces down to lay waste to our world. But that's really all the backdrop for the stories which focus more directly on the humans who inherit the KISS mantle. The stories will span eons: the first two issues are set in the 1920s, and then we jump to the Dark Ages, back to present day, and beyond. Every two issues will be a new setting inspired by a classic KISS album.
Tom Waltz: Sure -- it's gonna rock 'n' roll all nite and party every day!
Who is the entire creative team behind the new KISS book and what have they worked on in the past?
Ryall: I'm writing the first two issues, and then back again for issues 5-6. My daily role is that of IDW's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief, but I've also written dozens and dozens of comics, anything from my own creations like "Zombies vs. Robots" and "Groom Lake" to projects done in tandem with Stephen King/Joe Hill ("Road Rage"), Clive Barker ("The Great and Secret Show"), "Transformers," and many others. I also released a prose book about comics, "Comic Books 101," that featured childhood comic-book recollections from esteemed comic folks, Gene Simmons among them.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall and Senior Staff Writer Tom Waltz announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman.
Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS when the book hits shelves.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of what the new KISS comic book series will be about?
Chris Ryall: Essentially, there are two cosmic deities, the Elder (a force for good) and the Destroyer (bad), who have this shaky co-existence. When the Destroyer finds berth into our universe, he sends his forces down to lay waste to our world. But that's really all the backdrop for the stories which focus more directly on the humans who inherit the KISS mantle. The stories will span eons: the first two issues are set in the 1920s, and then we jump to the Dark Ages, back to present day, and beyond. Every two issues will be a new setting inspired by a classic KISS album.By Eric Shirey, Yahoo! Contributor Network
IDW Publishing's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall and Senior Staff Writer Tom Waltz announced at Comic-Con last July that they are publishing a new comic book series for the iconic rock group KISS. Being a big fan of the band, I was immediately intrigued to find out what they had planned for the Starchild, the Demon, the Catman, and the Spaceman.
Waltz and Ryall shared with me exclusively what sort of adventures fans can expect to accompany KISS when the book hits shelves.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of what the new KISS comic book series will be about?
Chris Ryall: Essentially, there are two cosmic deities, the Elder (a force for good) and the Destroyer (bad), who have this shaky co-existence. When the Destroyer finds berth into our universe, he sends his forces down to lay waste to our world. But that's really all the backdrop for the stories which focus more directly on the humans who inherit the KISS mantle. The stories will span eons: the first two issues are set in the 1920s, and then we jump to the Dark Ages, back to present day, and beyond. Every two issues will be a new setting inspired by a classic KISS album.
Tom Waltz: Sure -- it's gonna rock 'n' roll all nite and party every day!
Who is the entire creative team behind the new KISS book and what have they worked on in the past?
Ryall: I'm writing the first two issues, and then back again for issues 5-6. My daily role is that of IDW's Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief, but I've also written dozens and dozens of comics, anything from my own creations like "Zombies vs. Robots" and "Groom Lake" to projects done in tandem with Stephen King/Joe Hill ("Road Rage"), Clive Barker ("The Great and Secret Show"), "Transformers," and many others. I also released a prose book about comics, "Comic Books 101," that featured childhood comic-book recollections from esteemed comic folks, Gene Simmons among them.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY
03/03/2012
KISS GUITAR PICK ARTWORK
