the Rock-afire Explosion

File:Child speaking with Billy Bob at Showbiz Pizza in Fayetteville, Arkansas.jpg.]]

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).

{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2024}}

The Rock-afire Explosion uses four recorded tracks, two for audio and two for data. The data tracks are encoded using Biphase mark code produced during a programming process involving two {{No wrap|Apple IIe}} 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.

• Billy Bob Brockali – Bass / Vocals.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19841015&id=VlZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pRMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4521,4510116 |first=Gina |last=White |title=Animation sparks Rock-afire Explosion |newspaper=Star-News |date=15 October 1984}} He's a brown bear from Tennessee who wears yellow and red overalls and plays a wooden bass. 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{{Cite web|title=Billy Bob - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=http://showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/billybob.html|access-date=2021-02-10|website=showbizpizza.com}}
• 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. 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 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 and scientific genius. Preceded by Gooney Bird from the Hard Luck Bears and Bear Country Jubilee. Voice: Aaron Fechter{{Cite web|title=Looney Bird- The Rock-afire Explosion|url=http://showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/looneybird.html|access-date=2021-02-10|website=showbizpizza.com}}
• Dook LaRue – Drums / Vocals. He is a mongrel 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){{Cite web|title=Dook LaRue - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=http://showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/dook.html|access-date=2021-02-10|website=showbizpizza.com}}
• Fatz Geronimo – Keyboards / Vocals. He is a silverback gorilla. He is a parody of real-life entertainers Fats Domino and Ray Charles. 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{{cite web|url=https://hausanew.com.ng/tellio/2023/12/28/bubba-whoopass-wilson-obituary-death-news-renowned-singer-and-songwriter-bubba-whoopass-wilson-passes-away/|title=Bubba Whoopass Wilson Obituary-Death News; Renowned Singer And Songwriter, Bubba Whoopass Wilson Passes Away|date=31 December 2023 }}),{{Cite web|title=Fatz Geronimo - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=http://showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/fatz.html|access-date=2021-02-10|website=showbizpizza.com}} Aaron Fechter (2006–2020),{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=June 9, 2008|title=Hips Don't Lie- Shakira- The Rock-afire Explosion|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SeSavNd9_c|access-date=February 10, 2021|website=YouTube}} Shooter Jennings (2024-present){{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU-7w-xcBx0 | title=Preview of Premium Channel * Aaron Plays "Yesterday" * Me and Michael Rock-afire Performance | website=YouTube | date=11 August 2024 }}
• Beach Bear – Guitar / Vocals. He is a wisecracking surfer polar 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){{Cite web|title=Beach Bear - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=https://www.showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/beachbear.html|access-date=2021-02-11|website=www.showbizpizza.com}}
• Mitzi Mozzarella – Vocals. She is a mouse and a cheerleader. 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. Preceded by Queenie Fox and Mini Mozzarella from the Wolf Pack Five. Voice: Aaron Fechter (1980–1982), Monique Danielle (1982), Shalisa James (1982–present){{Cite web|title=Mitzi Mozzarella - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=http://showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/mitzi.html|access-date=2021-02-10|website=showbizpizza.com}}
• Rolfe DeWolfe and Earl Schmerle – A ventriloquist/comedy act. Nominally a stand-up comedy act performed in between musical sets; Rolfe is a wolf, 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, Kmart, and the works of Frank Sinatra. 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{{cite web|title= Rolfe DeWolfe & Earl Schmerle - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=http://showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/rolfe.html|access-date=2021-02-11|website=showbizpizza.com}} (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{{Cite web|title=Uncle Klunk - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=http://showbizpizza.com/rae/characters/klunk.html|access-date=2021-02-11|website=showbizpizza.com}}), 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 shows during the holidays.

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 and also due to both companies having opened more restaurants than they could afford to maintain. When Pizza Time Theatre filed for bankruptcy 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 or Garfield to the Rock-afire show, and three ShowBiz locations actually replaced Billy Bob and Looney Bird with Yogi Bear 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, that already provided ShowBiz with new showtapes and replacement cosmetics for Rock-afire shows.{{Cite web |title=Attraction Development Program - SPT Corporate Research Binder |url=http://www.showbizpizza.com/info/documents/spt/spt_adp-binder.pdf}}

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.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024|reason=Need a source that specifically states "early 1990s" or comes close to that phrasing.}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.showbizpizza.com/review/rae/cyberstar_rolfe.html |title=The Rolfe and Earle Show (Cyberstar) Show Tape Review |website=showbizpizza.com}}

As troubles began between CEI and Showbiz, the RAE was marketed to other restaurants and amusement parks around the world.[https://www.showbizpizza.com/info/promo/cei/cei_87promo.pdf Rock-Afire Brochure] showbizpizza.com 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.{{Cite web|title=The New Rock-afire Explosion Stage - The Rock-afire Explosion|url=https://www.showbizpizza.com/rae/stages/newrae_stage.html|access-date=2021-03-19|website=www.showbizpizza.com}}

Odyssey Fun World, an indoor amusement park located in Naperville, Illinois, and Tinley Park, Illinois, operated the New Rock-afire show in its restaurants.{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2007/09/23/rock-afire-robot-bands-regroup-so-to-speak-for-20-30-year-olds/|title=Some find it odd, others see re-creating mechanical band as a way to tap into happy childhood memories|last=Schmadeke|first=Steve|date=23 September 2007|newspaper=Chicago Tribune}}

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{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2008/08/showbiz-pizzas/|title=Animatronic Band Moves from Pizza Parlors to YouTube|last=Wortham|first=Jenna|date=10 August 2008|magazine=Wired}} 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.

Aaron Fechter maintains his own Rock-afire show,[https://youtube.com/XQsLX7r2XJ8 YouTube video] {{dead link|date=March 2024}} which has been used to program new shows and perform for private guests.{{cite web | url=https://creativeengineering.bigcartel.com/product/creative-engineering-tour-orlando-fl | title=2 Hour Creative Engineering Tour and Show - Orlando, FL}}

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.{{Cite web|title="More Chuck E. Cheese animatronic characters finding new life at Volo Auto Museum"|url=https://www.volocars.com/blog/More-Chuck-E-Cheese-animatronic-characters-finding-new-life-at-Volo-Auto-Museum%20|website=Volocars}} However, as of 2024, Volo Museum and Fechter came to an agreement and the show is now operational.Brian Grams, Director, Volo Museum.

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. {{cite web | url=https://www.kq2.com/news/top-stories/five-nights-at-jacks-local-man-inspired-by-fnaf-brings-rock-afire-explosion-back-to/article_c4a4e0a6-7766-11ee-ada3-57c1c990f4a8.html | title=Local Man Inspired By FNAF Brings Rock-afire Explosion Back To Life }}

The Rock-afire Explosion show at Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville, West Virginia, remains operational and was restored in 2021 after decades of disrepair.{{Cite web|url=http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features_entertainment/rock-afire-explosion-gets-makeover-at-billy-bob-s/article_d03da611-d00f-53b7-9c2e-e950f6d1b759.html | title=Rock-Afire Explosion gets a makeover at Billy Bob's |last=Sebert |first=Paul |date=25 March 2015 |newspaper=Herald Dispatch}}

Smitty's Super Service Station, a museum, has a fully functional show in Sandy Hook, Mississippi.{{Cite web| url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/meet_the_dude_who_perfectly_recreated_an_80s_showbiz_pizza_in_rural_mississ| title=MEET THE DUDE WHO PERFECTLY RECREATED AN '80S 'SHOWBIZ PIZZA' IN RURAL MISSISSIPPI | last=Jones|first=Doug |date=8 March 2017|website=Dangerousminds }}

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.{{cite web | url=https://www.showbizpizza.com/videos/rae/fans/index.html | title=Fan-Owned Rock-afire Explosion Videos - Video Archive }}

David Ferguson of Pendleton, Indiana, has a Rock-afire installed in his barn, dubbed "Goofy Gas Fillin' Station".[https://youtube.com/T-t52oSDCyk?si=Dlv0kyhh5qCuedxq YouTube video]

The Rock-afire Explosion performed at Rock-afire, an arcade bar in Kansas City, Missouri.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/article211262534.html | title=It's true: The ShowBiz Pizza robot band is back, at a retro arcade bar | last=Gish|first=Sarah |date=22 May 2018|newspaper=The Kansas City Star}} However, the bar closed in February 2019 after an attempt to veer from the Rock-afire theme, due to licensing issues with Fechter.{{Cite web| url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2019/03/13/retro-arcade-bar-closes-in-kc.html| title=Retro arcade bar closes in KC |date=13 March 2019|website=The Business Journal }}

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.[https://m.facebook.com/Dreamfactory.ch/photos/thanks-to-xan_rock_afire_fan-our-rock-afire-explosion-band-is-looking-great-agai/2897322440367951/ Facebook post] {{better source needed|date=May 2023}}

The Hard Luck Bears Jamboree is a retrofitted Rock-afire Explosion show located in the Gulliver's World, Gulliver's Land, and Gulliver's Kingdom 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. {{cite web | url=https://www.showbizpizza.com/photos/rae/gulliversworld/index.html | title=Gulliver's Theme Park - Photo Gallery }} As of 2023, however, the shows are being restored and programmed to original Rock-afire showtapes.{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/xan_rock_afire_fan/?hl=en | title=GuitarXan (@xan_rock_afire_fan) • Instagram photos and videos }}{{better source needed|date=May 2023}}

The Rock-afire Explosion, a documentary about Chris Thrash, Aaron Fechter and the remaining Rock-afire Explosion fan base, was released at film festivals and special screenings around the United States starting on September 27, 2008. It was released on DVD on September 29, 2009. In 2011, it was released on iTunes.{{Cite news|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2009/11/rock-afire-explosion-best-movie-ive-seen-all-year-really/1#.VBI7O-dLE8p|first=Whitney|last=Matheson|title='Rock-afire Explosion': Best movie I've seen all year. Really.|newspaper=USA Today|date=November 13, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091116143246/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2009/11/rock-afire-explosion-best-movie-ive-seen-all-year-really/1|archive-date=November 16, 2009}} 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. On February 1, 2024, the film was released on Blu-ray 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 list|Name=Gee, Our First Album|Released=1982|Format=LP, Cassette|Label=Creative Records}}

{{Discography list|Name=Homely For Christmas|Released=1987|Format=Cassette|Label=Creative Records}}

{{Discography list|Name=Original Dreams: Songs From Showbiz|Released=April 12, 2025|Format=LP, Cassette, CD|Label=Terror Vision}}

Billy Bob Brockali is referenced in the song "Good Friday" by the American band Why?, with the lyric, "My fear of the bear at ShowBiz Pizza when I was six was overwhelming and not dissimilar to this".Wolf, Yoni. "Good Friday," Alopecia, Anticon, 2008. Genius.com. https://genius.com/Why-good-friday-lyrics

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.rockafiremovie.com/ Official documentary film site]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock-afire Explosion}}

Category:Fictional musical groups

Category:Animated musical groups

Category:Animatronic robots