This is the group's original makeup kit, which Troy put together in 1977 or 1978. Over the years, many items were added to it. Eventually, Troy assembled a second, much larger kit containing supplies for projects beyond just dressing up as KISS. However, this smaller kit remained the group's primary makeup kit throughout their years together.

This is the original firehat used during the group's first two concerts on June 16 and December 10, 1978. Troy made the custom KISS Firehouse emblem displayed on the front.

After the concerts, the hat was packed away with other costume pieces and materials, where it remained for many years. It was brought out in 2026 and photographed to share here on the website.

Another example of Troy's outside-the-box thinking was the creation of his dragon boots in 1978. He needed something that would allow him to construct a dragon's face on the foot while extending the upper portion of the boot above his knees.

While browsing a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, Troy found an unlikely solution: a pair of fishing waders with attached boots.

He cut the waders to the height he needed, then cut along the inside of each leg and glued the material together to create a snugger fit. (First image)

Next, Troy shaped blocks of Styrofoam to create the platform heels. Using a remarkably strong glue provided by Jack's father, he attached the platforms directly to the rubber boots. It was an unconventional combination of materials that probably shouldn't have worked, but somehow it did!

Troy then sculpted the dragon faces using papier-mâché made from newspaper, finishing the surface with a layer of tissue paper. In later revisions, he incorporated gauze to strengthen the construction.

The original 1978 version featured teeth that were only slightly shaped into the Styrofoam and then painted to give them definition. (Second image)

A few years later, Troy redesigned the dragon faces, adding raised Styrofoam teeth and constructing new faces over the originals. The pieces resembling metal studs on the front of the boots were actually made from heavy poster board covered in aluminum foil and attached to fabric secured to the front of each boot. (Third image)

For the group's tenth-anniversary reunion in 1986, Troy painted the dragon faces entirely silver to complement his Destroyer costume. He also created separate leg coverings featuring a scale design that slipped over the upper portions of the boots. (Fourth image)

After the KISS Impersonators disbanded, Troy continued improving the boots. He constructed another set of dragon faces over the existing ones, finally achieving a design he was satisfied with and one that more closely resembled Gene Simmons' original boots.

He also replaced the decorative studs with new pieces made from chrome poster board. These were attached to fabric panels that fastened to the upper boots with Velcro.

This final version is shown in the fifth, sixth, and seventh photographs and represents how the boots look today.

Troy continued wearing them at Halloween parties and other events for years afterward, with their last appearance at the Freakers Ball in South Lake Tahoe in 2006.

The codpiece was made from half of a Styrofoam egg, covered with papier-mâché to create a smooth surface, and then painted black.

Once again, Troy looked at Gene Simmons' costume and thought, "I can do that." And with a little creativity and ingenuity, he did!

To construct the base, Troy shaped a piece of mat board and reinforced it with coat hanger wire, then lined the underside with black felt. He attached half of the vinyl play ball to the outside of the shell to create the rounded shape.

Next, he added pyramid-shaped spikes, making the larger ones from poster board and the smaller one from baker's dough. Caulking was applied around the bases of the spikes to give them the appearance of being welded to the surface.

Troy painted the ball and spikes silver but encountered a problem when the paint wouldn't dry properly on the vinyl, leaving the surface sticky. After some experimentation, he found a way to get the paint to dry without remaining tacky.

Once the paint had dried, he attached the imitation leather covering he had made. The completed shoulder piece was secured to his costume using a large piece of Velcro attached to the underside.

The rectangular studs on the bodysuit were actually made from pieces of Velcro, painted silver on the reverse side and sewn onto the costume to create the appearance of metal studs. This was Troy's solution because that particular style of stud was unavailable to him in 1978. The wristbands were made using the same technique.

The collar features actual square metal studs, along with a ring in the center where the chain on the front of the costume attaches.

Halloween 1982
Group Photo
Blurred Shot