PHANTOM OF THE PARK

KLICK TEE SHOP celebrates the 1978 made for TV movie, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, in all of its campy glory! This film is such a treasure trove of KISS fandom we couldn’t stop at just one design, so we had to make three! The Talisman, Phantom Wolfmen, Mr. Wolfman, and Devereaux’s Gun designs all pay homage to specific Phantom of the Park references that only true fans will recognize.

(Poster for the 1978 film)

In 1978, KISS was reaching new heights of fame and success. Their most recent release, Alive II, was their fourth platinum record in under two years. However, despite (or possibly because of) their success, tensions in the band were also reaching a boiling point. In the fall of 1978 all four members of KISS released a solo record on the same day. This was the first time in rock music history that something like this happened. Although solo records had been written into the bands record contract, many speculate this stunt was an attempt to give the members a break from each other and ease the escalating tensions. The band decided to do one more large promotional move before the year was up. This was the making of  Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.

It should be said that Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park is by no means a great film or an outstanding piece of cinema. But it has to be recognized as a classic piece of the band’s history. In an attempt to further establish KISS as larger than life super heroes (see KISS comic books), the film centers around the band defeating an evil inventor in order to save an amusement park. Attributing to the campy-style, the film was produced by cartoon legends Hanna-Barbera. Also taking into account the rushed production schedule and the bands lack of acting experience, it does not come as much surprise that the film was not considered for any Oscar nominations. The band members themselves were not even satisfied with the end product. They thought the film portrayed them as very cartoonish and silly, instead of legitimately scary or heroic. It took them years to get over their embarrassment and be able to look back on it with any fondness at all. Still after all these years, the movie holds a special place in many fan’s hearts. Including ours.

(The band on set)

KLICK TEE SHOP has taken inspiration from three different elements of the film for our designs. The first is The Talisman. In the film, there are four different talisman objects. Each is a unique symbol correlating to a specific member of the band. The talisman are what give the band its special superpowers. Ace’s gives him the ability to shoot lasers  and the power of teleportation. The Demon’s gives him super strength and the power to breath fire. The Starchild’s gives his eye the power to shoot lasers, overhear distant conversations, and control minds. Finally, the Catman’s provide him with incredible catlike agility and leaping power. Our Talisman design depicts these four magical objects. They come all together on our shirts, pillows, and mugs. Or you can get a specific talisman on a necklace, bracelet, or sticker. In the film, the band has to reclaim these talismans after they are stolen by the evil inventor Devereaux, the inspiration for our next design.

Abner Devereaux (played by Anthony Zerbe) is the theme parks resident evil genius. In the film he does not appreciate KISS’s concerts overshadowing his invention. Devereaux goes on to sabotage the band and the park, stealing the band’s talismans and super powers and imprisoning the band in the process using his special ray gun. In the film, Devereaux says “I will destroy you! All of you! And you, KISS, will be my instrument!” Those who possess the gun holds the power. Now you can hold the power too with our Devereaux’s Gun design. Available on our many high-quality products, including shirts, mugs, and towels, you can carry this piece of Phantom of the Park history with you everywhere you go. Devereaux’s Gun was not his only invention that inspired one of our designs.

(Abner Devereaux shooting his ray gun)

Our third Phantom of the Park design is the Phantom Wolfmen. Deployed by Devereaux to help him battle KISS, these white werewolf looking robotic creatures are iconic to anyone who has seen the film. We have immortalized these classic creatures so you can celebrate them everyday. On shirts, hoodies, clocks and more, this design is equally perfect for everything from the Halloween season to summer theme park fun.

(The band holding a head of one of the Robot Wolfmen)

We are proud to celebrate this iconic piece of cult-film history with fans all over the world. We want to give a big thank you to our friend Rick over at It’s All For You Demon for making a video highlighting our Phantom of the Park collection. We highly encourage you to go check out his page if you are a lover of all things KISS!