Pophouse – the company producing the Kiss avatars – pretty much owns the band now. Pophouse has announced they've bought the rights to Kiss' master recordings and publishing, name, logo, image, and everything else to do with the band for a cool $300 million (according to Fortune).
"Kiss the touring band is over — we’ve stopped touring after 50 years," said Kiss' Gene Simmons to Fortune. "What Pophouse will do with our images, our music and our personas is unlike anything anyone has ever seen."
Johan Lagerlöf, head of investment at Pophouse, said: "Kiss is one of the most recognized and iconic bands in the history of music. They redefined the concept of rock shows and have always taken their artistry to new uncharted territories.
"The band has consistently been able to appeal to new generations of fans and our mission is to fulfill the band's vision to become immortal, and to let new generations discover and be part of the Kiss journey and carry it forward. With the help of the fans' energy, the band, our expertise, and creativity we will make that vision happen."
Per Sundin, CEO at Pophouse Entertainment, added: "Kiss has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and has throughout their 50-year career continued to push the boundaries in popular culture. The band's enigmatic personas, unparalleled band attributes, and iconic imagery have made them a cultural force and a legendary act with multigenerational appeal.
"We will safeguard and enrich this legacy through future global endeavors, by breathing new life into their characters and personas while also leveraging and elevating the visual world of Kiss."
Kiss (or their avatars) is planning on doing their first avatar shows in 2027. Fortune further points out that Kiss recently flew down to Walt Disney Co.'s Industrial Light & Magic to do motion capture and film for the avatars, so it seems that the show is well underway. That, or Kiss really wanted a Disney trip.
