View source for Kiss: Psycho Circus

{{Short description|Comic book series}}
{{About|the comic book|the album|Psycho Circus|the video game|Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child}}
{{Refimprove|date=April 2008}}
{{Infobox comic book title
<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
|schedule            = Monthly
|image = Kiss 01 cover.jpg
|caption = Cover of the first issue
|format              =
|limited             =
|ongoing             =
|1shot               =
|genre               = 
|publisher           = [[Image Comics]]
|date                = 1997–2000
|startmo             = August
|startyr             = 1997
|endmo               = June
|endyr               = 2000
|issues              = 31
|main_char_team      = [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]]
|writers             = [[Brian Holguin]]
|artists             =
|pencillers          = [[Angel Medina (artist)|Angel Medina]]
|inkers              = Kevin Conrad
|letterers           = Kiff Scholl, [[Richard Starkings]]
|colorists           = [[Brian Haberlin]], Dan Kemp, Andy Troy 
|editors             =
|creative_team_month =
|creative_team_year  =
|creators            =
|TPB                 =
|ISBN                =
|TPB#                =
|ISBN#               =
|subcat              =
|altcat              =
|sort                = Kiss: Psycho Circus
|addpubcat#          =
|nonUS               =
}}

'''''Kiss: Psycho Circus''''' is a comic book series published by American companies [[Image Comics]] and [[Todd McFarlane]] Productions. It was written by [[Brian Holguin]] and illustrated by various artists, including [[penciller]]s [[Angel Medina (artist)|Angel Medina]] and [[Clayton Crain]] with [[inker]] [https://kevinconradart.com/ Kevin Conrad]. It portrays the members of the rock band [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] as supernatural beings known as the Four-Who-Are-One or The Elder: the Demon ([[Gene Simmons]]), the Starbearer ([[Paul Stanley]]), the King of Beasts or Beastking ([[Peter Criss]]) and the Celestial ([[Ace Frehley]]).

==Background and creation==
For over two decades, comics featuring Kiss were published exclusively by [[Marvel Comics]]. Kiss decided to switch to Todd McFarlane Productions out of admiration for their series ''[[Spawn (comics)|Spawn]]''.<ref name="WizardLure">{{cite news | last = McLauchlin | first= Jim | date = August 1997 | title = Todd Lures KISS to McFarlane Productions | work = [[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]] | issue = 72 | page = 24}}</ref> [[Gene Simmons]] said that "The concept came from us. 'The Psycho Circus' is a tour theme we're working on, and we may even use the title for an album."<ref name="WizardLure"/>

Kiss were also involved in plotting the comic, according to Simmons: "I throw something to Todd, he throws it back. I'm always kept in the loop, but I leave Todd to his own devices when it comes to actual production and taking things the final step."<ref name="WizardLure"/>

==Characters==
The following descriptions are taken from the comic:

'''The Demon - Lord of the Wasteland''' - Creature of fire and shadow, blood and thunder. He embodies vengeance and terror, the darkest impulses of mortal souls, but also the purgative flames of rebirth, destruction that proceeds creation. His is the element of fire.

Host: Johnathon Blackwell the Ringmaster

'''The Starbearer - Prince of Hearts''' - He who draws from the deep wells of the soul and emotion, bringer of passion and pain. He can move a heart to tender love or murderous rage. His is the element of water.

Host: Fortunado L'Etoile the Jester

'''King of Beasts - Lord of the Hunt''' - Personifies the primal animal instinct, the rough
beast that stirs in each of us. Embracing instinct rather than intellect, he knows neither cruelty nor mercy. His is the element of earth.

Host: Tiberius MacLir the Animal Wrangler

'''The Celestial - Scion of the Cosmos''' - Represents the principles of universal balance, the
ultimate harmony of the cosmos. Observes situations dispassionately and sees all sides of a dilemma. His is the element of air.

Host: Matthew Stargrave the Stiltwalker

'''Adam Moon''' Adam Moon is a supporting character that's reappeared multiple times in the series, including in issue 1 and 2 and 29, 30, 31. He is a young boy whose dad beats him and hates his life and town. The Demon was the member of the Elder that reached out to him.

'''Kismet''' Kismet is a "disappearing girl" who's had weird dreams about running down a hall, putting on a mask and coming to a door with the Elder sigils on it. She reappears multiple times in the comics, but first appears in issue 4. She becomes a member of the circus.

'''Madam Raven''' A witch who is damned to the Psycho Circus. She is usually the first member of the circus to speak to any mortal character, and is a Fortune Teller at the circus. She appears in almost every issue, and is one of the biggest characters in the comics.

==Video game==
The comic book spawned the [[first-person shooter]] [[video game]] ''[[Kiss: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child]]'', which featured many characters from the comic book. It was released on PC and later ported to [[Dreamcast]]. It was very popular among Kiss fans but critically it sits with an average score of 71% for the PC version<ref>{{cite web |title=KISS: Psycho Circus - The Nightmare Child for PC - GameRankings |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/197733-kiss-psycho-circus-the-nightmare-child/index.html |work=gamerankings.com |publisher=[[GameRankings]] |access-date=30 July 2009}}</ref> and 52% on Dreamcast<ref>{{cite web |title=KISS: Psycho Circus for Dreamcast - GameRankings |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/dreamcast/340136-kiss-psycho-circus/index.html |work=gamerankings.com |publisher=[[GameRankings]] |access-date=30 July 2009}}</ref> according to [[GameRankings]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.geocities.com/area51/hollow/2648/home.htm |date=* |title=A ''Kiss: Psycho Circus'' site by Spacebass }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100208062732/http://spawn.com/comics/series.aspx?series_id=23 ''Kiss: Psycho Circus'' at spawn.com]
*[http://comicbookdb.com/title.php?ID=6234 Kiss @ comicbookdb]

{{Kiss}}

[[Category:Image Comics titles]]
[[Category:Comics based on musical groups]]
[[Category:Comics adapted into video games]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Kiss (band)]]