Take a Look Back at Chuck E. Cheese's Beloved Animatronic Bands Through the Years, Before They Disappear

Chuck E. and Munch's Make Believe Band have changed a lot over the decades: look back on them now before they disappear for good

<p>CEC Entertainment</p> Chuck E. Cheese

CEC Entertainment

Chuck E. Cheese's animatronic band

Earlier this year, Chuck E. Cheese announced that it would phase out the animatronic characters that have been delighting kids since the late ’70s at all but five of its 400 U.S. locations.

That was a dark day for Travis Schafer, who has run fan site ShowBizPizza.com since 1999. The site, which takes its name from the Chuck E. Cheese competitor that ultimately took over the company in the ’80s, has become a “de facto hub” for superfans of the once ubiquitous children’s entertainment chain, with Schafer maintaining an archive of information about Chuck E. Cheese’s history and photos of its beloved characters.

As Chuck E., Helen Henny and the rest of the members of Munch’s Make Believe Band head for retirement, take a look back at the evolution of the brand’s animatronic stage shows over the decades, with Schafer as your guide.

The Shelf or Portrait Show

<p>CEC Entertainment</p> Early versions of Chuck E. Cheese's animatronic characters

CEC Entertainment

Early versions of Chuck E. Cheese's animatronic characters

The first incarnation of the Chuck E. Cheese animatronic house band debuted when the chain’s very first location opened in San José, California, in 1977. Inspired by Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room, the characters initially existed in framed portraits on the walls encircling the main dining area. This set-up came to be known as “The Shelf” show, a reference to a shelf that lined the room’s walls between the characters, and amongst fans as “The Portrait Show.”

The Balcony Stage

<p>CEC Entertainment</p> Chuck E. Cheese's Balcony Stage set-up

CEC Entertainment

Chuck E. Cheese's Balcony Stage set-up

In the ’80s, Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre band evolved into a proper stage show, placing five characters onstage behind mini “balconies” — think Statler and Waldorf on The Muppet Show.

Chuck E.'s House

<p>CEC Entertainment</p> The Chuck E.'s House stage

CEC Entertainment

The Chuck E.'s House stage

In 1987, the characters and their stage got another big revamp, replacing the balconies with a house façade. For the first time, this set-up featured three full-body animatronic characters center stage on the house’s porch, while two half-body characters appeared in windows to the left and right.

The C-Stage

<p>CEC Entertainment</p> A smaller scale version of the Chuck E.'s House set

CEC Entertainment

A smaller scale version of the Chuck E.'s House set

Around the same time, many existing Chuck E. Cheese locations revamped their balcony stage set-ups to match a smaller-scale version of the Chuck E.’s House sets. Unlike the larger versions, these sets didn’t include full-body animatronics.

The Rock-afire Explosion

<p>engineeringcreative</p> The Rock-afire Explosion animatronic band

engineeringcreative

The Rock-afire Explosion animatronic band

Competitor ShowBiz Pizza Place gave Chuck E. Cheese a run for its money in the ’80s with its own distinctive animatronic stage show, The Rock-afire Explosion. But after Chuck E. Cheese filed for bankruptcy (for the first time) in 1984, ShowBiz Pizza’s owners bought the company and the two brands merged.

However, ShowBiz Pizza merely licensed the Rock-afire characters from original creator Aaron Fechter's Creative Engineering Inc. So, as the company gradually rebranded all ShowBiz Pizza locations as Chuck E. Cheese between 1989 and 1994, they also converted the Rock-afire Explosion animatronics into Chuck E. Cheese characters.

The 3-Stage Set

<p>Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com</p> Chuck E. Cheese's 3-Stage set

Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com

Chuck E. Cheese's 3-Stage set

ShowBiz Pizza’s Rock-afire Explosion sets featured a central stage and two smaller ones to the left and right. When the company rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese, its animatronics were gradually redressed as Chuck E. Cheese characters, forming Munch's Make Believe Band but retaining the three-stage set-up.

Schafer photographed this Fort Collins, Colorado, set in 2015. The Chuck E. Cheese locations in Pineville, North Carolina, and Springfield, Illinois, will reportedly retain their three-stage set-ups.

The Road Stage

<p>Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com</p> Chuck E. Cheese's Road Stage set

Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com

Chuck E. Cheese's Road Stage set

According to Schafer, this version of Munch's Make Believe Band was an attempt to emulate the look of the newer three-stage sets at Chuck E. Cheese locations that previously featured the smaller Balcony and C-Stage sets using primarily half-body animatronics. These became known as the "Road Stage" because the characters were meant to appear to be on a "road" against a cityscape backdrop.

Schafer photographed this version of the Road Stage in Norwalk, California, last year. He says the last remaining Road Stage was recently removed from a Chuck E. Cheese location in Canada.

The Existing Stage

<p>CEC Entertainment</p> Chuck E. Cheese's Existing Stage set

CEC Entertainment

Chuck E. Cheese's Existing Stage set

Chuck E. Cheese locations continued to upgrade their stages, combining elements of both the three-stage set-ups and "Road Stage" style, but with full body animatronics. Schafer says these became known as "Existing Stages" because the characters were built from previously existing animatronics.

The Existing Stage

<p>Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com</p> Chuck E. Cheese's Existing Stage set

Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com

Chuck E. Cheese's Existing Stage set

Some versions of the "Existing Stage" set included a separate stage or curtain for the Chuck E. character, which could be lowered when a costumed employee roamed the location. Schafer snapped this photo of an Existing Stage in Northridge, California, last November.

Studio C

<p>CEC Entertainment</p> Another variation of Chuck E. Cheese's Studio C set

CEC Entertainment

Another variation of Chuck E. Cheese's Studio C set

Around 1998, many Chuck E. Cheese locations introduced what is known as the "Studio C" set. These feature only the Chuck E. animatronic character, with other characters appearing as puppets on a TV screen. According to a Chuck E. Cheese rep, this set up will remain at the location in Nanuet, New York.

Studio C

<p>Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com</p> Chuck E. Cheese's Studio C set

Travis Schafer / ShowBizPizza.com

Chuck E. Cheese's Studio C set

While Schafer says all Studio C sets featured a full-body animatronic, some — like this one photographed in North Richland Hills, Texas, in 2022 — included a desk obscuring the character's legs.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.