KISS & Tell

Who are these masked men? Although you might be hard pressed to identify all the members of the 1970s rock group KISS by name, we'd be willing to bet that their heavily made-up features strike a chord of recognition--or is it fear?--within you. If not, prepare for a refresher course: Hot on the heels of its triumphant reunion tour, KISS is blazing a trail into retail stores in the form of action figures.

Produced by McFarlane Toys in Plymouth, Michigan, the 6-and-a-half-inch-tall figures of Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley don't even remotely resemble action figure stalwarts such as G.I. Joe. Instead, these extravagantly detailed likenesses come complete with missile-firing guitars and spear-launching drums. Would you expect anything less from the group that wanted to "rock and roll all night and party every day"?

We thought not. At any rate, KISS' re-emergence speaks volumes about the continuing appeal of 1970s showmanship. Just go easy on the pyrotechnics, fellas.

This article was originally published in the June 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: KISS & Tell.