Fans of both rock gods KISS and reality TV are most likely aware of Gene Simmons.
The tongue wagging, fire belching, bassist/merchandiser is iconic for his dirty mind, rocking ways and, with his hit A&E show Family Jewels, his rather charming brood.
Along with mom (Canadian actress Shannon Tweed) and sister Sophie, said brood also includes son Nick, who by all appearances seems to be as obsessed with rock and roll (he fronts the L.A. band Hands of God) and pulp fiction as his famous papa.
This August, Nick Simmons proves the latter passion with Incarnate, a gruesome graphic novel series from Radical Comics that the talented prodigy created, wrote and penciled. Charting the adventures of an ageless, undead, flesh-eating teenager, the Japanese manga-styled book exemplifies many influences, something its creator believes is mandatory for every successful comic book.
“I always think a (comic) series has more or less failed unless there is more than one genre at work in it,” Simmons says.
And although Incarnate bears the macabre mark that his father cemented with KISS’s stage strutting, blood dripping Demon character, the younger Simmons is adamant that his muse remains exclusively personal.
“Dad’s interests and mine are either coincidental or the result of genetics,” he says. “My main interests are profoundly nerdy, I admit, and that has made me a bit of an outsider, especially here in L.A.”
Incarnate is adult fare and gory with pages of fantasy-based violence. But it’s something Simmons justifies, believing it to be normal and even somewhat socially responsible.
Incarnate
For more information on Incarnate, which is on shelves in August, go to www.radicalcomics.com.
