The last time I experienced a milestone in age was when I turned 40 years old. To celebrate the occasion I jetted to Las Vegas with both my partner and my best friend from high school. On one of our days in the city we walked through downtown on Fremont Street. Street performers and costumed…
I hate driving to work. People drive like assholes. They cut you off, speed up on-purpose when you want to get over and don’t turn their headlights on when it’s raining or foggy. In-between the honking of horns and mean looks are extended moments of boredom. Even though it can be slower, I take different…
When I was 20 years old Gene Simmons called me at my house. OK, it was actually my grandparents’ house (I was living there during college) and it was KISS‘ tour manager Tommy Thayer who called, with Gene next to him. “Hi Cyrus, this is Tommy Thayer, KISS’ tour manager. I also have Gene here…
One of the greatest sci-fi/horror flicks of all time is John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” The movie has everything going for it: A great story that’s superbly written, ground-breaking special effects (pre-CGI), talented actors and even a solid soundtrack (composed by Mr. Carpenter himself). If you haven’t seen it, treat yourself. I’m such a fan of…
In 1987 I was a 13 year old fat nerd. I met every criteria: 1.) I was fat (and 13) 2.) I spent all of my paper route money ($134 dollars a month) buying comic books 3.) I only had 1.5 friends (the .5 pretending he wasn’t my friend at school) Hoping I’d get less insults and/or punches…
You may not know the name Jim Fitzpatrick, but you know his art. His infamous Che Guevara 2-tone print is recognized around the world. I’d seen it many times before, on t-shirts, posters and websites; but never knew the creator. It wasn’t until I got into the ‘70s Irish rock band “Thin Lizzy” that I…
When I first started my fanzine, I looked forward to the fun part: Writing stories about KISS for KISS fans. I dove into it head first, not thinking about what else might be involved. The Washington State KISS Konnection was published on a quarterly basis and had paid subscribers. I didn’t make any money off…
When I was in high school, my life was KISS. Sure, I had friends and family, but those people were victims of my endless rants about how KISS was the greatest-damn-band-in-the-world and why-they-should-be-listening-to-them. On Halloween I’d go to school in KISS make-up. If there was a talent show at school, I’d appear in KISS make-up…
Originally published in the May 15, 1992 issue of my high school newspaper, The Capital High School “Outlook”. On April 3 and May 1, 1992, I interviewed Chris Novoselic, bassist for the rock band Nirvana. Both interviews were for my television program, ”CYRUS… the t.v. show.” [episode 10 features the entirety of this interview]. The…
When I was 16, I thumbed (actually fingered, but that sounds wrong, so I’ll stick with thumbed) through my Aunt Jackie’s collection of Stones, ZZ Top, and Average White Band LPs to discover an album of mystery. I pulled it out of the mix. The album artwork was unique and beautiful. It was designed to look…
Disney has Mickey. Pillsbury has the Doughboy. For British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, it’s Eddie. Also known as Edward T. Head or Eddie The Head, Eddie – a macabre, skinless, zombie-esque figure – has been the band’s merchandising icon for more than three decades. In that time, Eddie has become synonymous with the band,…
Cyrus Aman 