The Rock-afire Explosion (RAE) is an

animatronic An animatronic is a puppet controlled electronically to move in a fluent way. Animatronics are the modern adaptation of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, video games and in theme park attractions. Anim ...

character band designed and manufactured by Creative Engineering, Inc. (CEI) for use in

ShowBiz Pizza Place ShowBiz Pizza Place, or simply ShowBiz Pizza, was an American family entertainment center and pizza chain founded in 1980 by Robert L. Brock and Creative Engineering (CEI). It emerged after a separation between Brock and owners of the Chuck E. ...

restaurants in the 1980s and early 1990s. The band's characters are various

anthropomorphized Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

animals, including a

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...

, a

grey wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

and a

silverback gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five subspeci ...

. They perform medleys of

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

, and country music, as well as original compositions and comedic skits. CEI was founded by inventor

Aaron Fechter Aaron Fechter (born December 22, 1953) is an American mechanical engineer and entrepreneur who owns and operates Creative Engineering, Inc. (CEI). He is best known as the creator of , an animatronic show featuring a variety of characters created ...

, who oversaw production of the animatronics and provided several of the characters' voices. The band was replaced by Chuck E. Cheese characters and renamed

Munch's Make Believe Band Chuck E. Cheese (formerly known as Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza, and simply Chuck E. Cheese's) is an American entertainment restaurant chain founded in May 1977. As relations with ShowBiz deteriorated, CEI began selling The Rock-afire Explosion to other restaurants and entertainment centers around the world, including Circus Pizza, Pistol Pete's Pizza, and

Billy Bob's Wonderland Billy Bob's Wonderland is a family entertainment center located in Barboursville, West Virginia, near the Huntington Mall. It is notable for having one of the last complete Rock-afire Explosion animatronic bands, as well as being one of few Sh ...

. The show was considered pioneering in the animatronic industry, featuring life-sized characters capable of advanced movement and facial expression. At the end of the show's tenure, former Chuck E. Cheese marketing director Jul Kamen credited Rock-afire with being largely responsible for ShowBiz’s early financial success.

Production

Production of the show's programming and audio was done in-house by Creative Engineering, Inc. (CEI) in Orlando, Florida. Nearly all Rock-afire shows were produced completely in-house, with CEI employees writing and performing songs and comedic skits. When ShowBiz began assuming control over programming, they used Songcode, a system inherited from their acquisition of Chuck E. Cheese (CEC).

Technical specifications

The Rock-afire Explosion uses four recorded tracks, two for audio and two for data. The data tracks are encoded using

Biphase mark code Biphase or Bi-phase may refer to: * Biphase modulation, or binary phase-shift keying * Differential Manchester encoding, also known as Aiken biphase or biphase mark code * Harvard biphase, used to encode data onto magnetic tape * Mu-Tron Bi-Pha ...

produced during a programming process involving two computers. The circuitry of the RAE was originally purchased by CEI from Superscope, the makers of Pianocorder. In the years following the separation from CEI, there was a need to upgrade the aging Songcode inherited from CEC, which was used following CEI's departure. As technology evolved and ShowBiz became more involved in programming, they switched to a new programming system called APS (Animation Programming System), designed by Dave Philipsen. Video playback capabilities were added with the implementation of a new controller, Cyberstar, designed by Bill Synhorst of Triad Productions. It allowed direct communication with existing driver boards, eliminating the need for the Pianocorder playback board.

Band members

* Billy Bob Brockali – Bass / Vocals. He is a

from

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

who wears yellow and red overalls and plays a wooden

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

. He was the mascot for ShowBiz Pizza Place throughout its existence, and his image was on most of the chain's merchandise. Preceded by Billy Wilbur from the Hard Luck Bears and Bear Country Jubilee. Sweet and naive, Billy Bob is usually a mediator to the band's minor on-stage squabbles. Voice: Aaron Fechter * Looney Bird – Vocals. Looney Bird shares Billy Bob's stage, as he is Billy Bob’s best friend. His head is the only thing ever seen, the rest of him hiding in an oil drum. Some shows featured a segment where Looney Bird would answer

fan mail Fan mail is mail sent to a public figure, especially a celebrity, by their admirers or "fan (person), fans". In return for a fan's support and admiration, public figures may send an autographed poster, photo, reply letter, or note thanking the ...

. For this, the robot was retrofitted to include a pair of hands that held a piece of paper for him to read. Looney Bird was originally portrayed as having the personality of an

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

and frequently huffed gas to calm himself down. In the mid 1980s, his personality underwent a drastic change and he would be portrayed as an

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

and scientific genius. Preceded by Gooney Bird from the Hard Luck Bears and Bear Country Jubilee. Voice: Aaron Fechter * Dook LaRue – Drums / Vocals. He is a

mongrel A mongrel, mutt, or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed, including those that result from intentional breeding. Although the term ''mixed-breed dog'' is sometimes preferred, many mongrels have no kn ...

with a smooth singing voice who aspires space travel and wears a space themed suit. Slightly dimwitted, Dook often loses focus during shows and misses his cues. Preceded by Dingo Starr from the Wolf Pack Five. Voice: Duke Chauppetta (1980–1997, 2016–present) * Fatz Geronimo – Keyboards / Vocals. He is a

. He is a parody of real-life entertainers

Fats Domino Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...

and

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

. Unofficial band front man, Fatz has a tendency to ramble. He introduces the most shows and orders other band members around, leading him and Rolfe DeWolfe into many arguments. Preceded by Fats from the Wolf Pack Five. Voice: Burt Wilson (1980–2006, 2020-2023), Aaron Fechter (2006–2020),

Shooter Jennings Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American musician and Grammy award winning record producer. He is the son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. In a career spanning three decades, Jennings has explore ...

(2024-present) * Beach Bear – Guitar / Vocals. He is a wisecracking surfer

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can Hybrid (biology), interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear ...

with a laid-back attitude and a smooth singing voice. He originally had a crazy personality. Beach Bear was carried over from the Wolf Pack Five. Voice: Aaron Fechter (1980–1982), Rick Bailey (1982–present) * Mitzi Mozzarella – Vocals. She is a

mouse A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus'' ...

and a

cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ent ...

. A conventional teenager, Mitzi is considered "loose" by the rest of the Rock-afire Explosion, and is obsessed with gossip, boyfriends, pop music, and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

. Preceded by Queenie Fox and Mini Mozzarella from the Wolf Pack Five. Voice: Aaron Fechter (1980–1982), Monique Danielle (1982), Shalisa James (1982–present) * Rolfe DeWolfe and Earl Schmerle – A

ventriloquist Ventriloquism or ventriloquy is an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) speaks in such a way that it seems like their voice is coming from a different location, usually through a puppet known as a "dummy". The act of ventrilo ...

/comedy act. Nominally a stand-up comedy act performed in between musical sets; Rolfe is a

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

, and Earl is his sentient ventriloquist puppet. Rolfe is portrayed as arrogant with a tendency to be incredibly rude to both the band and the employees that work at Showbiz. He has a fondness for

disco music Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightlife, particularly in African-American, Italian-American, Gay and Latino communities. Its sound features four-on-the-floor ...

Kmart Kmart ( ), formerly legally registered as Kmart Corporation, now operated by Transformco, is a department-store chain and online retailer in the United States and Territories of the United States, its territories. It operates four remaining Kma ...

, and the works of

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

. Earl is there to "set him straight" by calling his behaviors out, and by turning Rolfe into a joke. Rolfe was preceded by the Wolfman from the Wolf Pack Five, while Earl is an original character. Voice: Aaron Fechter (for both Rolfe and Earl) The show also consists of several smaller prop characters, many of which do not have speaking roles. These include an animated Sun and Moon that provide background vocals from time to time, a birthday spider called Antioch who speaks in gibberish, and a bear cub known as Choo-Choo, who hides in a small tree stump in front of Dook's drums and dances to the band's music. One of the more notable prop characters is Birthday Bird, who is perched on the neck of Billy Bob's guitar. Additionally, thirty stores were outfitted with "Uncle Klunk" (voice: Jeff Howell), a human character who replaced Rolfe and hosted talk-show segments with his bird sidekick, Click. The Klunk animatronics also served to be retrofitted into

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

shows during the holidays.

Later years at ShowBiz and Concept Unification

ShowBiz Pizza Place was similar to (and competed with) Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, another animatronic restaurant chain that was popular in the United States. In the mid-1980s, both venues began to suffer financial difficulties, partially due to the

video game crash of 1983 The video game crash of 1983 (known in Japan as the Atari shock) was a large-scale recession in the video game industry that occurred from 1983 to 1985 in the United States. The crash was attributed to several factors, including market saturatio ...

and also due to both companies having opened more restaurants than they could afford to maintain. When Pizza Time Theatre filed for

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

in 1984, ShowBiz bought the company, hoping that new talent and merchandising opportunities could save both companies.''The Rock-afire Explosion''. Dir. Brett Whitcomb. Connell Creations, 2008. By 1985, Richard M. Frank had joined the company as CEO and chairman. The corporation maintained the two restaurant chains simultaneously for several years. Each continued its own stage shows and sold different merchandise. However, in the latter part of the decade, relations between Creative Engineering and ShowBiz began to sour. Aaron Fechter, the founder of Creative Engineering and creator of the Rock-afire Explosion, claimed that the fallout between his company and ShowBiz arose when ShowBiz asked him to sign away the licensing and copyrights to the Rock-afire Explosion, which would have allowed ShowBiz to cut production costs on the show, such as manufacture of future shows and royalty payments to Creative Engineering. Fechter refused, on the grounds that ShowBiz offered no monetary compensation for the rights. ShowBiz began toying with the idea of adding licensed characters such as

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...

Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis (cartoonist), Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976 (later changed to ''Garfield'' in 1977), then in nationwide Print syndication, syndication from 1978, it chro ...

to the Rock-afire show, and three ShowBiz locations actually replaced Billy Bob and Looney Bird with

Yogi Bear Yogi Bear is an anthropomorphic animal character who has appeared in numerous comic books, animated television shows, and films. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. He was created by Hanna- ...

and Boo Boo animatronics in 1987. Ideas to retrofit the Rock-afire into completely original characters were also proposed at the time by Creative Presentations Inc, a now-defunct animatronic company based in

Schaumburg, Illinois Schaumburg ( ) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook and DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 78,723, making Schaumburg the most populou ...

, that already provided ShowBiz with new showtapes and replacement cosmetics for Rock-afire shows. An experiment of Paul Linden and Dave Philipsen using JVC BR-7000 VHS Hi-Fi tape decks which integrated two stereo audio tracks, two longitudinal data tracks, and video led to a system in 1988 where television screens were installed above the Rock-afire stage as the company introduced their new Cyberstar TV screen system. During showtime, the characters were finally shown performing in video, as reel-to-reel formatted tapes began to be used less often. A reel-to-reel version of Cyberstar called "Cybervision" was tested at two restaurants in Austin, TX; Cybervision can be distinguished from Cyberstar by the fact that they only feature the animatronics, and no graphics or walkaround characters. Cyberstar was also implemented at Pizza Time Theatre, and remains in use at all Chuck E. Cheese's locations, albeit using DVDs rather than VHS tapes. The changes to the Rock-afire stage were very minor, as the company later decided to enact a process called "Concept Unification," in which all ShowBiz Pizza locations would be remodeled into Chuck E. Cheese's. The remodel included the elimination of all Rock-afire characters from merchandise and advertising, and retrofitting/reprogramming the Rock-afire Explosion animatronics into a show called Munch's Make Believe Band, featuring the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre characters. Dook was moved to Billy Bob's place and became Pasqually P. Pieplate, Looney Bird became Pizzacam, Beach Bear became Jasper T. Jowls, Fatz became Mr. Munch, Mitzi was moved to Dook's place and became Helen Henny, The Sun became The Building, Choo-Choo became Munch Junior, and Rolfe became Chuck E. Cheese; The Moon was the only character carried over unchanged, and Antioch's computer and air lines were reused for The Wink, an animated Chuck E. Cheese head over the stage that would wink at the end of each segment. Unused animatronics (which included Billy Bob, Earl, and Antioch) and props were either sold off, used for parts or destroyed. After ties between Creative Engineering and ShowBiz were completely severed, "Concept Unification" was announced in November 1989 and locations were gradually converted throughout the early 1990s. As Concept Unification began at each location, the right and center stages of the Rock-afire show were shut down, leaving only the Rolfe and Earl characters operational. The two performed "The Rolfe and Earle Show" (Earl's name was unintentionally misspelled), featuring the voices of Showbiz employees imitating Fechter's voice; the two ran a highlight reel of old Rock-afire Cyberstar segments and wondered aloud what the band would do now, and hinted at the coming Chuck E. Cheese-themed show. "The Rolfe and Earle Show" was the final Rock-afire show produced for Showbiz.

Later years

As troubles began between CEI and Showbiz, the RAE was marketed to other restaurants and amusement parks around the world. In the 1990s, an update to the band, known as "The New Rock-afire Explosion", was created, using new, smaller animatronics known as "mijjins", as well as other features such as revolving stages and dance choreography. However, relatively few customers purchased the show. Odyssey Fun World, an indoor amusement park located in

Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...

, and

Tinley Park, Illinois Tinley Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 55,971 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a suburb in the Chicago metropolitan ar ...

, operated the New Rock-afire show in its restaurants. Fechter terminated all of his employees over several years through 2003. In the mid 2000s, spurred by the growing online Rock-afire fan community, Fechter reunited some of the Rock-afire performers and began to program shows set to fan-requested songs. Videos of the performances—posted to his YouTube upon completion—are credited with helping to further revive interest in the group and ShowBiz Pizza, and spurred individuals who owned their own Rock-afire bands to begin programming new shows themselves. The band and its setting inspired the 2010s video game horror series ''

Five Nights at Freddy's ''Five Nights at Freddy's'' (''FNaF'') is a video game series and media franchise created by Scott Cawthon that includes video games, novels, graphic novels, and films. The story arcs typically follow a night guard or other character trying t ...

'', in which the player is a pizza restaurant security guard monitoring rogue animatronic characters.

Independent shows in the United States

Aaron Fechter maintains his own Rock-afire show, which has been used to program new shows and perform for private guests. The Volo Museum received a Rock-afire Explosion show slated for installation in 2020, however licensing issues with Aaron Fechter prevented it from operating publicly. However, as of 2024, Volo Museum and Fechter came to an agreement and the show is now operational. Animatronics Warehouse, run by Jack Turner, is located in St. Joseph, Missouri and features a fully functioning Rock-afire Explosion. The show is available for private tours. The Rock-afire Explosion show at

Barboursville, West Virginia Barboursville is a village in Cabell County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 4,456 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area. History Barboursville was platted in 181 ...

, remains operational and was restored in 2021 after decades of disrepair. Smitty's Super Service Station, a museum, has a fully functional show in Sandy Hook, Mississippi. John Zerwas purchased a Rock-afire Explosion from Chimpy's Pizza Safari, a restaurant, in 2005. His show is installed in his home in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. David Ferguson of

Pendleton, Indiana Pendleton is a town in Fall Creek Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,717 at the 2020 census, up from 4,253 in 2010. History Pendleton was platted in 1830, and incorporated as a town in 1854. It was named for ...

, has a Rock-afire installed in his barn, dubbed "Goofy Gas Fillin' Station".

Independent public shows internationally

The Dreamfactory & World of Wonders in Degersheim, Switzerland has had a show since 1987, however it only became operational in 2021. This show features a turntable that swaps between Rolfe's stage and Uncle Klunk. It can be visited during the museum's operating hours. The Hard Luck Bears Jamboree is a retrofitted Rock-afire Explosion show located in the

Gulliver's World Gulliver's World is a theme park located in Warrington, England, loosely based on the world of Lilliput from Gulliver's Travels. It consists of the themed areas Land, Gully Town, and Safari Kingdom. The park's attractions were designed for child ...

Gulliver's Land Gulliver's Land is a children's theme park in Milton Keynes, England. It opened in March 1999 and is the third park to be opened by Gulliver's. (The other two parks are Gulliver's World and Gulliver's Kingdom). The park has been designed espe ...

, and

Gulliver's Kingdom Gulliver's Kingdom (also known as Gulliver's Matlock Bath) is a theme park aimed at children aged 3-13 in the Derbyshire town of Matlock Bath, England. The park was founded in 1978 by Ray and Hilary Phillips as a model village, before later ex ...

theme parks. All characters with the exception of Looney Bird and Earl are bears, but retain their original names. The show has been criticized for its programming, voice acting, and poor condition as a result of Gulliver's standards. As of 2025, however, the shows are being restored and programmed to original Rock-afire showtapes.

Documentary

''The Rock-afire Explosion'', a

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

about Chris Thrash, Aaron Fechter and the remaining Rock-afire Explosion fan base, was released at

film festivals A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent date and depe ...

and special screenings around the United States starting on September 27, 2008. It was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

on September 29, 2009. In 2011, it was released on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

. On May 14, 2015, a Kickstarter tier for the film ''A Life in Waves'', which was directed by the same team as the documentary, featured a limited 75 copies on

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

. On February 1, 2024, the film was released on

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

by the American Genre Film Archive with a limited 2,000 copies.https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/all-partner-label-releases/products/the-rock-afire-explosion

Discography

Studio albums

References

External links

Official documentary film site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock-afire Explosion Fictional musical groups Animated musical groups Animatronic robots