After a slow start in the early 1970s, New York glam-metal band KISS rose to stardom after adopting their signature makeup and stage personas.

The Starchild, Demon, Catman, and Space Ace achieved massive commercial success not only through their albums and concerts but through their characters, which they licensed to comic books, costumes, toys, board games and other merchandise.

In the spring of 1980, just after the release of their eighth studio album Unmasked, bassist and lead vocalist Gene Simmons visited a cramped New York studio in full Demon garb, axe in hand, for a photo shoot with a narrow backdrop and a very patient makeup artist.