The End of KISS Comix

Kiss Comix started in 1991 and THE GIRL was serialized in the first thirteen issues. The spanish publication was the first to publish my work outside the United States and over the years, they printed a lot of my work, including covers and trade editions of my books MODEL BY DAY and THE GIRL. They also published the first two volumes of GIRL: The Second Coming. They may have continued publishing my books, but in 2005 we had a difference of opinion at the comics salon in Barcelona, and that was the last time I saw or dealt with them. It's a long story that I may write about one day, but not today. I could give my opinions why I think the magazine has tanked, but I'll save that for another day also. But, you can read the publisher's reasoning below. (For those of you fluent in spanish, here's a link to the original text, because the Google translation is a piece of shit.)

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/revista/agosto/final/sexo/dibujado/elpten/20110827elpepirdv_3/Tes

Here's a fun game to play: My work helped launch Kiss Comix across Spain and helped with it's success in the states. In the following article, note how many times my name is mentioned. It's great!

The end of the drawn sex

Shut 'Kiss', the dean of the comic magazine erotic in Spain - In his 20 years, published 239 numbers

DIEGO A. MANRIQUE - Madrid - 27/08/2011

Times are bad (business) to the comic. Flourish graphic novel publishers, except that the magazine made ​​in Spain, those monthly conquered a place in the stands after the death of Franco. August has seen the closure by surprise Comix Kiss Comix, the son of the late feverish the Viper, legendary head of Editions La Cupola.
In 20 years, Kiss released 239 albums and abundant numbers. Is dismissed without much fuss, with a brief text of Reuben Lardín: "No drama, eh. Here the party is over but surely there are other on the floor above. The festivities usually end when they leave them, but this time we retired before us, weary. "
José María Berenguer, responsible for the Dome, said humorously that "they" are the figures: "Kiss reported sales of 30,000 copies and had editions in other languages, but now had fallen to 6,000 copies. As we attracted no outside advertising, accounts not come. Some journal, as Eros Comix, cartoons and repeats published but we owe a respect for readers. "
The reasons for the collapse seem obvious: "It is only now there is so much free porn on the Internet, even our journals can be read there, pirate download sites. We made an attempt to stop him shy but that was a puzzle, with shell companies in which country and not servers on another continent. Even lawyers advised us to let it go. "
The effect the Internet has changed the publishing maxim that says "sex sells". In the Dome already suspected: "In the last years of the Viper, the covers have a sexy tone but that was not enough. A mistake? do not know, this is not a business that allows you to commission market research. And they were covers technically superb. "
For Berenguer, the end of Kiss is a personal disappointment: "We bet from number one by a joyful sexuality without guilt, without humiliation for women. In fact, the more enjoyable was receiving letters and emails from readers who encouraged us, who confessed that they used to read with boyfriends or husbands. I'm not saying we were always up to our principles: we bought very strong material such as the Chilean foreign teachers Ferocius, Erich von Gotha English or Argentine Francisco Solano López, who died few days. "
The authors have worse local Berenguer added: "We do not pretend throw us flowers discoverers of talent but it is true that many Spanish cartoonists drew attention by Kiss and then ended up in other media. I think Paco Roca, National Comic Award, or Rubén del Rincón. Kiss offered a platform for narrative experimentation and also we paid. fanzines I always will be more difficult but more professional. It is a tragedy in a country where there has always been a large pool of artists. "
There was no stigma to publish cartoons erotic Berenguer said: "It's for Monica and Bea, who was supposed to be autobiographical adventures had as little vices. But the whole scene knew they were aliases of Jose Antonio Calvo as a draftsman and Santiago Segura as a writer. In fact, they continued working together in the saga Torrente ".
The Dome holds the line graphic novel for adults. For fall, announced the release of Dirty laundry, this collaboration of Robert Crumb and his wife, Aline Kominsky, with input from their daughter, Sophie. Berenguer recommended especially stark translation Paying for it, Chester Brown, Canadian artist explains where his experience with prostitutes, having renounced romantic love.