KISS Pinball backboard art by Kevin O’Connor for Bally, 1979.
From 1975 to 1979, you could see rock band KISS everywhere except in Saturday morning cartoons. A KISS cartoon, like something that was supposed to exist, likethe BeatlesThere is a cartoon. likejackson 5, orOsmonds.Heck, KISS even has a Marvel comic book. You'd think they'd show up at least innew scooby doo movie, but the show ended before the band started.
With such an impact on pop culture, some might reasonably believe a cartoon has been made, but how close are they to making one? There seem to be multiple attempts, so let's take a look at what that might be, and what animation projects KISS actually came up with late in their careers.
Hannah Barbara
In the late '70s, Hanna-Barbera struck a deal to make a live-action film starring KISS. They are at the peak of their popularity and their wares can be found everywherestar warsand Evel Neville.KISS meets the Phantom of the ParkAired only once on NBC in October 1978, then disappeared completely until it was released on home video in the 80s. Another version, intended for an international audience, became a worldwide hit, but in the ensuing years the film embarrassed the band with its Scooby-Doo style.
The production of the film was the result of a series of meetings between KISS and Hanna-Barbera with the goal of culminating in an animated KISS project. In early 1978, Andy Heyward of Filmation tried to win the rights to a KISS cartoon from band manager Bill Aucoin. Heyward introduced Aucoin to his father, Louis M. “Deke” Heyward, their production supervisor. Realizing the strength of the band's success at the time, the Haywards met with Aucoin to negotiate the rights to produce KISS-related work.
Hanna-Barbera was trying to get into live-action movies at the time, and "Deke" Heyward's job as the executive in charge of production was to find projects that would fit the Hanna-Barbera brand. They had a deal with NBC to do several TV movies for them, which was presented to KISS as a possibility during the conference. Aucoin decided that making a live-action film at Hanna-Barbera was more appealing than making a cartoon at Filmation, so he chose Hanna-Barbera.
Ken Kelly's Destroyer album cover, 1976.
Joe Barbera, one of Hanna-Barbera's co-founders, was new to KISS. All he knew was that the kids loved them and that their records were a hit. Once the deal is done, Barbera will learn more about the weird, make-up rock band. They terrified him! He was really afraid of them, like he was afraid of clowns.
At one point, the band would come to the Hanna-Barbera Studios to discuss the film, and they'd already done makeup and costumes for a press photoshoot. Barbera saw them get out of the car from his office window, and he locked the door immediately. He then turned on the red light to let everyone know he couldn't be bothered. He refused to leave his office until KISS left the property, completely stunned that they dared to show up in his office in makeup and costumes. Hayward had to remind him that Hanna-Barbera had a costume role at their press conference, and it was no different. To be fair, Barbera didn't expect to do business with these costumed people.
Gene Simmons' iconic tongue in KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.
During filming, Barbera saw some footage and thought one of the band members was sick because his tongue was sticking out of his mouth. Hayward once again explained how Gene Simmons uses his prodigiously long tongue in his performances. Barbera almost lost it. He had an editorial team ready to figure out how to put Gene's tongue back in his mouth, probably the most expensive special effect in the film. Eventually, Barbera relented, and they agreed to have no more than four "tongue things" throughout the film. Compared to KISS Concerts, TV Shows and Reality ShowsGene Simmons Family Jewelry, a noticeable lack of tongue wagKISS meets the Phantom of the Park.
The film aired only once on American television after it was completedKISS meets the Phantom of the ParkIn 1978, re-edited and released in international theatersAttack of the Phantom1979. The film was a worldwide smash but a snub in the United States. KISS and Hanna-Barbera will no longer be continuing their working relationship, for better or for worse. Although a month laterphantom of the parkABC will air an episode after it airsscooby doo showknown asdiabolical record devilFeaturing the character Ace Decade, a musician dressed as a KISS-like phantom. The name Ace Decade is clearly a reference to Ace Frehley, as is the character's costume, while the makeup was inspired by Gene Simmons.
to shoot
As mentioned, Andy Heyward, who would go on to found animation studio DiC, worked at Filmation. Using Hayward's connection to Aucoin, Lou Scheimer allegedly purchased a KISS cartoon on a different network around 1980. The U.S. economy wasn't doing too well at the time, but the band's popularity was growing in Europe, Australia, and South America. An animated series to coincide with the band's international success would be as popular as the movie. It was decided to find an international co-producer to finance the series.
A West German TV station was in talks to co-produce the series with Filmation, but German executives backed off after an initial pitch meeting. They were offended when they saw the KISS logo, which has two prominent lightning symbols as an S. To Germans, it looks too similar to the emblem used by the SS during Nazi Germany. KISS actually made a logo specifically for the German market, but that logo wasn't part of the tone given at that meeting. The Germans kicked Filmation's representatives out of their offices, and Filmation's last chance to make a KISS cartoon was squashed.
KISS vs. Dracula concept art by Jack Kirby, 1980.
Ruby Spear
Back in January, cartoon researcher Jim Korkis published aAbout Jack Kirby's article on Ruby-SpearsFrom 1980 to 1986, he mentioned in passing an unproduced KISS project. 2020, websiteAnthony's Comic Book ArtA piece of Jack Kirby art is listed for sale: a copy of Kirby's concept art for the animated KISS project calledkiss with draculaThe artwork featured the band battling Dracula's army of killer robots, also in style for the time. Gene Simmons confirmed the projectin the tweet, but he claims the project will be produced by Hanna-Barbera. It's likely he was actually referring to Ruby-Spears, since that's where Kirby was working at the time. Oddly, the artwork depicts the band in their 1976 Destroyer outfits, not their 1979/1980 Dynasty/Unmasked outfits. A small nitpick for KISS nerds, but it's an important detail to understand that these are stand-alone projects, not one pitch that's been shopped around for years.
back to hanna barbera
Back to Hanna-Barbera, when Gene claims that Jack Kirby's art is from the Hanna-Barbera project, maybe he means something else? Well, it seems like something might have happened in the brief period afterphantom of the park. October 2020 KISS Expert (or KISStorian) Bob Nash Continues80's Ornate Metal CastingAnd talked about plans for a possible KISS anime series or anime special. He claims to have spoken to Gene Simmons about it, who told him it would be produced by Hanna-Barbera and that the band would be wearing their 1979 Dynasty costumes.
This distinction is important because it separates this project from the 1980 Jack Kirby project. Simmons also mentioned that there is art production, and he personally owns everything related to the project.
This is backed up by an internal memo from Aucoin Management which mentions a "special animation" in 1979. Reportedly, the project was canceled by the band's management because they didn't want to risk overexposure. Since Simmons owns the artwork made, it can be assumed that the artwork is for a KISS item:thisKISS Rub n' Playtoy set.No concrete proof, but it's the only product that features Dynasty clothing.
KISS saves Santa in this episode of 'Family Guy'
So, let's answer that question. Why no KISS cartoons?
There are two obvious answers, the first being that the band suffered from overexposure in 1979 as predicted. The album Dynasty was billed as The Return of KISS a year after the band stopped touring to film a film, but the album failed to attract fans. infamous interviewTom Snyder's Tomorrow ShowIt was revealed that the band had some issues that caused the two original members to leave. Any KISS cartoon made in 1980 has to pull onecoy and vanceAnd in the second season, two members were replaced, which was the style at that time again. By the time a cartoon could be made, the band's popularity in the US was gone forever, and the band's internal problems ensured that a cartoon would never be made.
KISS didn't finally appear in anime until 1998, at the height of the '70s nostalgia craze, and the original lineup reunited. Nickelodeon's Stop Motion Animation SeriesAction League Now!band featured in episode 2big rock baby.This leads to appearances in other shows such asFamily Guy, Scooby-Doo Latest News, andQuite OddParentsin the 2000s. Finally, in 2015, the fine folks at Warner Bros. Animation producedScooby-Doo and the KISS Rock Mystery, a direct-to-video film, as the spiritual successorKISS meets the Phantom of the Park, has no direct connection to it. While technically a Scooby-Doo movie, the movie focuses on KISS and their story.
The image speaks for itself.
what do you think? Should there be a KISS cartoon in the late 70s to cement their place in pop cultureharlem globetrottersandrobot puppet? will it echo earlierthe beatlescartoon, or more likesuper friends? Did you work at any of these studios at the time and have any interesting information? let me know. I'm fully expecting at least 200 comments saying "KISS sucks" as if that's something anyone is still arguing about in 2023.
Most of the information here comes from the bookConversation with PhantomA series of interviews by Ron Albanese with those directly involved in the productionKISS meets the Phantom of the ParkThe story about Filmation's KISS project comes from Albanese's recent Q&A session in Huntington, New York, where he told the story and explained details he learned while making the book. He backed up his claim with emails from Filmation producers. Jack Kirby artwork from Anthony'scomic book art, who acquired it directly from the Kirby family.
FAQs
Does kiss cartoon still exist? ›
What happened to Kisscartoon? After running for several years, KissCartoon abruptly shut down in 2017. But there are many sites available where you can watch cartoons online.
What happened to Kisscartoon? ›The site abruptly shut down in 2017. Due to copyright issues, the site got shut down. It was caught up by DMCA. It was known to have great audio and video quality but ultimately, it got shelved much to the fan's chagrin.
Is Kiss cartoon legal? ›So, what is the problem with this Kisscartoon? Let me explain this to you, this Kisscartoon site is not legal, yes, you read it correctly, it is not legal. Furthermore, most of the content that this site boasts of is also copied from various other sources, which means it is pirated.
Is Kisscartoon City safe? ›city. kisscartoon is a safe free online cartoon website with the new name kimcartoon, streaming videos of various genres.
Is it safe to use KissAnime? ›Additionally, KissAnime is known to display intrusive and potentially harmful ads that can expose users to malware, viruses, and other security threats. These ads may also be designed to collect users' personal information, which could be used for nefarious purposes such as identity theft or fraud.
What happened to CartoonCrazy? ›CartoonCrazy is mostly used by many cartoon fans due to the content blocking of Funimation and Crunchyroll in other parts of the world. However, much of its content was illegally obtained, forcing the crazy cartoon com to shut down officially.
Why KissAnime is not banned? ›It can't be taken down due to several reasons: It is hosted on multiple computers, making it very hard to take down. It also has cloudfare protection (dunno how that helps though) All episodes are hosted on google videos, not kissanime.
Is Kim cartoon safe? ›Malicious behavior. The domain kimcartoon.li is a free streaming website for cartoons. This service is abused to spread scams, host phishing, PUPs, and malware.
Is it illegal to use cartoon characters? ›Merchandising of the characters can be considered as legal, if done by the owner or any authorized person, but the same will be held as illegal, if done by any other person. Producer is the copyright owner of every act in a film, cartoon or any program and hence the producer has the exclusive rights.
Is it legal to watch cartoons online free? ›- SuperCartoons. SuperCartoons is another legal platform that lets you watch animated features for free. ...
- Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon is among the most well-known entertainment platforms. ...
- Cartoon Network. ...
- Boomerang. ...
- WB Kids. ...
- DC Kids. ...
- SpongeBob SquarePants Official.
Is WCO stream legal? ›
The WCOForever website is totally legal to watch cartoons and anime, it's just that some of the shows and movies can't be watched in your region due to copyright issues. So you need to use a VPN to change your IP address to a country where the show is available.
Why did HBO remove all cartoons? ›The licensing agreement expired at the end of 2022 and WBD chose to withhold the cartoons from itself. Are the films coming back? Per a report in Variety that quoted an insider with knowledge of the service, the shorts will not be returning to HBO Max.
Why did old cartoons get Cancelled? ›Because animation is so expensive, animated shows, no matter how popular or loved, tend to get the axe more often than live-action shows. The budget is just too much of a gamble and things like low toy sales or low ratings can cause an animated series to get tossed out the window after only a season.
What replaced Kissanime? ›- 9Anime.
- 2. Anime-Planet.
- AnimeFreak.
- Chia-Anime.
- Crunchyroll.
- GoGoAnime.
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disseminating infringing content on a MASSIVE scale, for profit." In 2018 the site was blocked in Australia. It was also blocked in India in 2020, along with other pirate streaming and torrent websites, after a decision by the Delhi High Court in favour of the plaintiff, Disney India.
Is KissAnime legal in USA? ›As a fan, if you go to a website like Kissanime, and stream it, the act of “streaming” isn't illegal on your behalf (I doubt many countries are too different with this). But it's illegal for the website to “host” it for FREE. Because it's the equivalent of stealing someone's music and profiting off it.
Did KissAnime come back? ›KissManga and KissAnime will be closed forever. Thank you for your supports ☹. Thank you for those years.” It is shocking news for many anime fans.
What happened to Shut Up cartoons? ›Shut Up! Cartoons launched on April 30, 2012, with Do's and Don'ts and ended with the termination of the series Smosh Babies on June 23, 2017. Pressalike, Inc.
Who took over Cartoon Network? ›Cartoon Network Studios is an American animation studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Why did Cartoon Network change? ›Cartoon Network is undergoing some changes due to the recent Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Warner Bros. Television CEO Channing Dungey shared a memo stating that the company is “implementing a new streamlined structure in which the development and main production teams will now work across both Warner Bros.
What was the most banned anime? ›
Most countries, including Japan, have outlawed an anime film called Shoujo Tsubaki. As detailed on Anime Dork, Shoujo Tsubaki tells the story of a 14-year-old girl named Midori that undergoes extreme emotional and sexual trauma at the hands of a group of deranged circus performers.
What is similar to KissManga? ›kissmanga.com's top 5 competitors in April 2023 are: mangareader.net, tenmanga.com, mangastream.com, goodmanga.net, and more.
Is it illegal to have anime sites? ›BREAKING: All Anime streaming 'illegal' sites and torrent sites to be blocked in India soon. The list includes Kissanime, Gogoanime, 9anime, Nyaa Torrents, Horrible subs, Kimcartoon and many more! Update on Sept. 1, 2020.
Is Kim Possible 90s cartoon? ›The series premiered on June 7, 2002, and ended on September 7, 2007, after 87 episodes and four seasons. Kim Possible received critical acclaim, becoming one of Disney's top-rated and most popular series.
Is Cartoon Network appropriate for kids? ›About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a kid's channel delivering the best comedy and adventure shows. It's filled with universal humor and fun, promoting the value of friendship and stimulating imagination of its core audience - boys and girls aged 6-12.
It centers on Osmosis "Ozzy" Jones, a cheeky-chappy white blood cell, and Drix, a level-headed cold pill, who battle germs and viruses inside the body of teenage boy Hector Cruz.
Is it illegal to draw Mickey Mouse? ›No. Copyright law has a number of “Fair Use" exceptions. If you are making the drawing for personal, educational (your own education, not as part of the education of others), or for the purposes of parody or satire, you're not infringing.
Is it disrespectful to call anime a cartoon? ›No matter how you look at it, an anime is a cartoon. The main difference is that an anime is considered a Japanese style of cartoons in the West. Many English-language dictionaries define anime as "a Japanese style of motion-picture animation" or as "a style of animation developed in Japan."
Is Tom and Jerry copyrighted? ›Today, animation historians refer to the original Tom and Jerry characters as Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry. Today, all of these cartoons are in the public domain.
What cartoons are out of copyright? ›- South Pole Flight (1928)
- Bull-Oney (1928)
- Africa (1930)
- The Bandmaster (1931)
- Mechanical Man (1932)
- Making Good (1932)
- The Plumber (1933)
- The Quail Hunt (1935)
Can adults still watch cartoons? ›
Cartoons are for everyone, irrespective of their age and gender. Read on to learn about the best reasons adults, including you and I, watch cartoons and why more adults should indulge in watching cartoons and improving their outlook on life.
Why is Cartoon Network not free anymore? ›The cable company cited rising programming costs as a reason for the move. The cable company cited rising programming costs as a reason for the move. Comcast is moving the Cartoon Network from its Digital Economy and Digital Starter pay TV packages to the more-expensive Digital Preferred package.
Is it illegal to watch anime for free? ›Answer: It depends on the website. There are websites that hold official licenses to stream anime shows online legally and provide their audiences the pleasure to watch them for free. However, there are also sites that do not have the licenses to stream these shows on their platform.
Is it illegal to stream movies for free? ›Again, as long as you are not downloading the movie, you are not violating any laws. Although you are not breaking any laws when you watch a movie online, through a website that illegally provides the movie to you, you must be careful that you do not download the movie, or you could face a fine.
How to use cartoons without copyright? ›At its core, fair use allows others to use “brief excerpts” of copyrighted materials (including cartoons) without permission from or payment to copyright holders (the cartoonists) for the following purposes: News reporting. Research. Criticism and reviews.
What happens if you use illegal streaming sites? ›You also risk being exposed to dangerous malware and/or the risk of fraud and data theft. This risk increases significantly when you exchange credit or debit card information to view content on unregulated and pirate-run websites.
How safe are illegal streaming sites? ›Are illegal streaming sites safe? No. Illegal streaming sites can compromise users' security and safety in a variety of ways, including identity theft, bloatware, malware, invasive ads, viruses, phishing scams, and more. There's also always the potential for legal prosecution when using an illegal streaming site.
Do illegal streaming sites make money? ›Yes, these streaming websites make money. They make their revenue from two types of ads. The website ads are either already visible on the actual webpages, or they pop up in separate tabs when you click on certain features of the website that activate them.
Did the band Kiss have a cartoon? ›Gene Simmons confirmed that KISS almost had a cartoon in 1979: "The story is that Hanna-Barbera had the thing ready to go, but Bill Aucoin put the brakes on it. He didn't wan't the band to get overexposed in 1979.
How do I download from KissCartoon? ›In addition, not many people know that it's possible to download KissCartoon to MP4 without registration. Just switch to "Beta Server" and play the episode you want to download, then right click on the player and select "Save Video As" in the context menu.
Is watch cartoons online safe? ›
They keep all the data transfers protected by SSL encryption, which means no one can see what you are doing while you use Bitport. They also torrent the file for you on their server. They need to keep you safe from viruses.
Was KISS actually in Scooby-Doo? ›. (Classic Rock) KISS star Gene Simmons has explained the band's decision to appear alongside Scooby-Doo in the feature Rock And Roll Mystery. The band revealed in April that they voice themselves in the movie, which marks the second time they've guested with the cartoon dog and his friends.
Why did the band KISS paint their faces? ›“Getting up onstage was almost a holy place for us, like church, so being onstage looking like a bum wasn't my idea of respect. That's where the makeup and dressing up came in. It would have obviously been a lot easier to get up on stage in jeans and T-shirts and go, 'OK, here we are—we're the Ramones!
Why is KISS in Scooby-Doo? ›Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo travel to an amusement park called Kiss World to see Kiss at their big Halloween concert and solve a mystery, mostly because Daphne has a crush on Starchild (Paul Stanley), much to Fred's jealousy.
How do you get a cartoon version of you? ›The best app to cartoon yourself is PhotoDirector. This app works quickly, utilizing AI technology to transform your face into a cartoon character. You can also quickly erase the cartoon effect from other components of your image, allowing you to create the perfect finished product.
Where can I download old cartoon Network cartoons? ›- Cartoons On.
- Toonjet.
- WatchCartoonOnline.bz.
- KissCartoon.
- Cartoon Network.
- Disney Junior.
- WatchCartoon.Org.
- CartoonCrazy.net.
Online downloaders can also be used to download videos from Soap2day. For instance, TubeOffline is an online video downloader that can help you download movies from Soap2day quickly. The platform makes certain that its users are not compromised and offers 100% security. Also, it is free of use.
How can I watch all the old Cartoon Network shows? ›Stream Cartoon Network on HBO Max
Your family's favorite characters from the Cartoon Network Collection are streaming on HBO Max - the funny, the loveable, and the downright outrageous.
Hulu (Free Trial)
Is there a way to watch old Cartoon Network shows? ›WB Kids is also one of the best online sites to watch cartoons. You can enjoy many old cartoon network shows on this site for free. You can watch Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, and The Flintstones on this platform. Are you searching for the best KissCartoon alternatives?
Is it okay for adults to watch cartoons? ›
If you are an adult and like toons, you have nothing to worry about as you are not alone. Even if you are a die-hard fan of kids' cartoons, there is nothing wrong with you! I would rather say “Welcome to the Club”.