My name is Adrian Ruehl and this is my own KISS birth announcement that my mom drew herself when I was born in 1983. Notice Vinnie running up because he just joined? Everyone I show loves this so I thought I'd share it with the KISS Army!

-KISS fan since 1983

Adrian Ruehl

LETTERS

Thanks to Brett for sending KISSonline these pictures from the KISS celebration night held in Brisbane, Australia last Saturday.

LATEST IN KISS MERCHANDISE

Here's the new KISS black leather embossed guitar pick binder from KISSPICKWORLD.com.

The 1" thick binder holds 8 1/2" x 11" sheets, has two inside pockets, and features a silver stamp embossed KISS logo on the front cover.

Now you have something special to store your guitar pick collection in with class!

Thirty years ago, a young kid from Canberra Australia was allowed to go to Sydney with some friends and one of their parents to see KISS at the Sydney show grounds.

The excitement in the air was intense. Every day for the past week KISS had been on the front page of the newspaper as their tour progressed around Australia. On their first tour the country was gripped by KISSTERIA!!

We arrived at the front gate of the show grounds before lunch to find a sea of people in makeup and KISS t-shirts singing along with a loud boom box out the front.

Early afternoon the band could be heard behind the walls doing a sound check. This totally raised the vibe in the air. Shortly after the gates opened and the race was on, we ran as fast as we could to the front of stage, got somewhere around the 3rd row and stayed in the crush for hours waiting for the "Hottest Band in the World" to come on stage.

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Check out these fans representing KISS in the recent James Cunningham Seawall Run in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Thanks to Jacquie Iverson for sending us this picture!

Eric Singer talks watches in the December issue of WatchTime Magazine.

TIMECAT

Rock 'n' roll drummer Eric Singer - the "Cat" in the legendary band KISS - has a passion for watch collecting that nearly matches his love of music.

Deck the halls, the walls, and yourself with KISS this holiday season. Decorate a whole tree with new limited edition KISSMAS ornaments or give them away to your favorite KISS fans - plus, you get free shipping on orders of $50 or more now through December 5th on any items in the KISS Shop.

Enter KISSFREESHIP at checkout.

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KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Here's Marcello Chirico, an Italian journalist, wearing Paul's makeup during a recent newscast.

Thanks to our friend Luca from Switzerland for sending us this image!

As you celebrate Thanksgiving today, please take a moment to think of all you can be thankful for. We can all stop and count our blessings, let those we love know our feelings and make a commitment to help those less fortunate.

Hello KISS Army,

Meet Tom Turkey. The idea behind this picture comes from my son's Matthew, Pre-K classroom. Every kid in the classroom had to come up with a way to disguise Tom Turkey and help him avoid, become Thanksgiving dinner. Well, with a help from Dad and his sister, we decided to put Gene's make up and disguise him as the Demon. We named him Turkey Simmons and armed him with a real Axe. Hope you like it and Happy Thanksgiving to the Kiss Army!

God Bless,
Rick Grossman, Buford, GA.

LETTERS

By Phill Marder

My first glimpse of Kiss came on a TV special. I believe it was a concert on PBS, of all places, but it's been so long ago I can't remember. So if any of you can fill in that missing blank, please do.

Obviously, it fried my mind...in a positive way, though. I remember thinking that here, finally, was a band capable of reaching Beatlesque popularity. What a great show!

The concert featured most of the material on their debut album, which I purchased soon after and began wearing out immediately. From the opening riff of "Strutter" to the last pounding chord of a fading "Black Diamond" this wax was - and remains - one of my favorite albums, each cut a classic.

That Kiss never came close to duplicating that musical effort doesn't matter. What the group did do has made it one of the most popular bands in the history of Rock & Roll. Popular with the masses, but, evidently, not with those who decide who should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. For Kiss has been all but ignored, though eligible since 1999.

Sadly, today is the 19th anniversary of the death of our beloved friend Eric Carr.

We all miss and remember Eric for his devotion to his fans and his dedication and belief in KISS. He was a ferocious drummer with a gentle spirit. We all lost him way too soon.

Hey KISS Army!

Come and spend the night celebrating 'THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD!' It's been 30 years since KISS invaded Australian shores for the first time. So now is the perfect time for the biggest KISS party you've ever experienced!

We'll be playing KISS & KISS related music all night! Face painting, Prizes for best costume & Giveaways throughout the night! Come and ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NITE, because The Tank Hotel is gonna get Hotter Than Hell! FREE ENTRY ALL NIGHT!!

Saturday, November 27 - The Tank Hotel 371 Queen Street Brisbane, Australia

Thanks,
Brett Bartlett

LETTERS

These guitars are 1/4 scale miniature replicaS. As you can see, these miniature are highly detailed. The thickness of the body, the screws on the pickups, the pickguard, the strings... I sculpt, mold, cast, sand, paint, glue all the different parts of each guitar. I try to make every part as accurate as possible.

I made all the Gibson Flying V guitars used by Paul between 1974 to 1978 and one from the Reunion tour in 1996. For the full Rhinestone Flying V, I had to glue more than 830 little rhinestones one by one... at the end, it looks really great.

About the two Kramer Axe basses used by Gene, it's just the beginning of the complete collection of 17 different Axe Basses that Gene used since 1979, for promotional photos, TV appearances or during the KISS tours. I hope to finish it until the end of the year.

After these Axes, I will make the other Flying V guitars used by Paul (Lobue, Hamer, Washburn) and the Les Pauls used by Tommy (I don't forget the Sparkle Explorer).

I wish to make all the guitars used by the different members of KISS, 300 instruments and 36 Drum sets, make a book and exhibitions through the world. For that huge work, I'm looking for funds...

22 years ago, I made the model kit of Eric Carr drum set from the Crazy Nights tour and some guitars that I offered to Paul, Gene, Ace, Vinnie and Bruce.

Best,
Thierry

LETTERS

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

On last night's episode of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," Robin (Cobie Smulders) donned Paul Stanley's makeup for several scenes of the show!