KISS/MEGO

## KISS

Throughout the 1970's to 1990's, KISS-Mania was a huge deal as almost everyone around the globe was listening to the music and consuming products based on the pyrotechnical glamour band. MEGO got into the "Rock n' Roll" scene like other toy manufacturers did and did four action figures based on each member of the band that were best known for their gnarly make-up and outfits, though there were also prototypes for other products of theirs they produced, yet were not ready for loving by the masses.

## **Summary**

One of the most famous rock and roll groups of all time is the 1970’s glamour band named KISS: consisting of Gene Simmons “The Demon,” Paul Stanley “The Starchild,” Eric Singer “The Catman” (originally played by Peter Criss), and Tommy Thayer “The Spaceman/Space Ace” (formerly played by Ace Frehley) along with former members like Eric Carr “The Fox,” Vinnie Vincent “The Ankh Warrior,” and backup singer/guitarists Mark St. John and Bruce Howard Kulick. It’s no secret that they’ve had tons of merchandise over the years, thanks to their dazzling facepaint and outfits, elaborate pyrotechnic effects, and their gnarly attitude. T-shirts, action figures, lunchboxes, shoes, drinking cups, posters, and of all things on Earth; a Marvel crossover which was top-selling at the time, believe it or not!

In 1978, MEGO was in charge of producing the first ever action figures for the KISS band and they produced two versions of the original four members (Demon, Starchild, Catman, Spaceman): one was produced with the stock standard "skinny" bodies while the other was released with muscular, more superhero-like physiques. Each figure was packaged separately in a box that had the label "America's #1 Rock Group," were dressed in costumes similar to the ones form the Love Gun Era, complete with high ankle boots; and came with a cardboard cutout of their respective instrument.  The KISS license was a real coup for MEGO and the presumed cost they paid to get it made them cut corners on some aspects like the aforementioned instruments. Even though they got the likeness approval, Gene Simmons has told stories of MEGO not wanting to do his figure with his trademark tongue sticking out; thinking it had to do with sexual connotations. He also stated that the prototypes had the same heads except for Gene, which had the tongue sculpted on it. He realized that for economical reasons. MEGO wanted to do things very cheaply and use the same head for all four members that were painted accordingly. KISS vetoed on the "generic head" idea and sent MEGO back to the drawing board where they came up with individual heads for each member that got approved. However, only one member got a recycled head in the finished product and it was Paul Stanley; whose was originally made for the Daryl Dragon figure that was released in MEGO's Captain & Tennille line which bombed horribly. While there isn't any source to regard this claim, its been said that the band wanted to have printed or painted chest hair on the figures, though was vetoed due to likeness approval only covering the head. Its worth noting that Peter Criss is the most rare out of the four figures that were released, due to an unofficial rumor that he was leaving the band; resulting in shorter runs despite him staying with the band until 1980, when production on the toys had long been stopped. Its been said that certain toy shops/dealers placed the KISS dolls beside MEGO's Diana Ross and Cher dolls to capitalize on Gene Simmons' romantic involvement with women.

## **Cancelled Products**

Action figures weren't the only thing that MEGO wanted to contribute to KISS-hysteria as they all sorts of other products on the go. Further information on these items are very scarce, though here's what I've been able to find from the lovely folks at MEGO Museum:

* KISS Kommunicators
* KISS Camping Gear
* KISS Bend and Flex

Anyone reading this that grew up in the 1970's knows that that handheld communicators like CB radio and walkie talkies were a huge deal, thanks to stuff like *Smokey & the Bandit* and *The Dukes of Hazzard*. So its no surprise that MEGO tried to get in on the craze by slapping some KISS stickers onto it like Kenner attempted to with their *Star Wars* communicators. But while MEGO's *Star Trek* communicator and *Batman* batcoders went on to become released items, the KISS Kommunicators did not.

MEGO never sold any sort of outdoor camping kits prior to obtaining the KISS license, though this prototype would've been a first with the company as it appears to have been built for their action figure line with a zip-up tent, a spare red guitar for one of the members to sing campfire songs, a kayak boat with two oars, and four sleeping bags for each member as identified by their first name on the cover sheets.

Similar to other "Bend and Flex" figures that MEGO produced for other toylines, these would've been slimmed down versions of their taller KISS figures; only marketed at a much more affordable price and made from one piece of plastic with articulation only in the arms and legs via bendy wires. The carding shows that each of the four members would be manufactured and while three of them are present, Gene is missing from the photo despite being the bandleader.

## **Final Verdict**

As sought after as the KISS figures are, it seems that the other products MEGO pitched to broaden out their license deal did not catch on with marketers and were sequentially cancelled. As for the prototypes of the KISS action figures that were made prior to the "likenesses" getting appealed, its likely they were taken apart to begin work on the improved figures and were taken years later to be destroyed in an incinerator; whether it was before or after MEGO went bankrupt: **LOST**.

MEGO never got to do any action figures for KISS members that joined the band after the company's bankruptcy like Eric Carr or Vinnie Vincent, though at least one dealer sells custom MEGO dolls of those performers using pre-existing molds: Carr is made from the Stanley figures while Vincent is based on the Ace model. When MEGO was "revived" in the late 2010's, they produced some remake figures of the original four KISS members that were released in a smaller scale and now packaged in blister cards, though had instrument accessories that cut a little less corners as they were now plastic instead of cardboard.

## **References**

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss\_(band)
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiss\_action\_figures#Mego
3. ↑ http://www.megomuseum.com/galleries/kiss/
4. ↑ http://www.megomuseum.com/galleries/kiss-prototypes/
5. ↑ https://megofigures.com/product/the-starchild-kiss/