Creative Engineering Inc. (partially lost audio of animatronic character's showtapes; 1970s-1980s)

The Rockafire Explosion.

Status: Partially Lost

Creative Engineering Inc. is an animatronic company founded in the early 1970s. They are most recognized for producing the Rock-afire Explosion band that operated in Showbiz Pizza Place food chains in the 1980s. Other than the Rock-afire, Creative Engineering manufactured several other animatronic bands/retrofits for their own shows. Many showtapes/segments of showtapes have never surfaced online or have since disappeared.

The Rock-afire Explosion

Debuting on August 14th, 1980, the Rock-afire Explosion animatronic show was Showbiz Pizza's primary distinction from other arcades at the time. In 1989, however, Showbiz Pizza made the decision to remove the Rock-afire entertainment from their restaurants via a process known as "Concept Unification." This involved them retrofitting the existing stages with cosmetics to make the show appear as if it were "Munch's Make Believe Band," which was also owned by Showbiz Pizza. Despite being Creative Engineering's most successful product, many Rock-afire showtapes have gone missing.

Happy B-day Liberty

Showtape title	Release Dates	Status	Notes
ShowBiz Pizza Place Tape #1	August 14, 1980	Found
ShowBiz Pizza '82 Tape	Early 1982	Found
Spring Shows '82	Spring 1982	Found
Best of Rock-afire Explosion	July 1982	Found	An early compilation tape featuring some of the Rock-afire's best hits of the time. This showtape was also used for a consumer study on how CEI can improve the show.
Tribute to Abbey Road	October 1982	Found	Often considered one of the best Rock-afire showtapes of all time and a monumental turning point for the RAE. It's also know for being Shalisa Sloan first show as Mitzi and Aaron Fechter's finale full show as Beach Bear. Also Rick Bailey's first show. (But not as Beach Bear)
Christmas '82	November - December 1982	Found (Rick Bailey's first show as Beach Bear)	Rick Bailey's first show as Beach Bear.
New Years '82	December 1982	Found
Crazy Colander Head Night	February - March 1983	Found	Produced as part of Rock-a-Fire's "Crazy Colander Head Night" event, which encouraged guests to wear colanders adorned with various decorations.
Best of the Rock-afire Explosion 1983 Part 2	March 1983	Found	Another compilation tape with most segments recycled from Tribute to Abbey Road)
Country 1	June 1983	Found
Beatles White Album	September 1983	Found	Considered one of Rock-afire's greatest showtapes of all time.
Christmas 1983	November - December 1983	Found	This showtape was used for many years during the holiday season.
Fatz Showtape aka 'Klunk Installation'	1983-1984	Found	This showtape was used at locations that got Uncle Klunk. This tapes was for the other 2 stages while Klunk and the rest of his setup was being installed on Rolfe and Earl's Stage.
Uncle Klunk (Jeff Howell version)	1983	Found	A demo tape CEI made for the executives at Showbiz to get a good idea of Uncle Klunk with Jeff Howell performing the voice of Klunk and Burt Wilson (Fatz's Voice Actor) performing the voice of Klunk's pet bird Click and everybody calling in on his talk show. Sadly for some reason the executives running Showbiz were disappointed with the demo and ask CEI to hire a professional company to make the audio for the show.
Uncle Klunk Show	1983-1984	Found	Released to accompany the then-new Uncle Klunk animatronic, who replaced the Rolfe and Earl animatronic briefly. While the audio not made by Creative Engineering they still did the programming for this showtape.
Uncle Santa Showtape	November - December 1983 & November - December 1984	Found	Accompanied a retrofit of Uncle Klunk as Santa Clause.
Magic Night	February 1984	Found	Often considered the best Rock-afire Explosion showtape ever made.
Senior Citizens	March 1984 - April 1984	Found	Contains the theme for the 1984 World's Fair written by the voice actor for Fatz, Burt "Sal" Wilson.
Trivia Night	July 1984	Found
Country II	October 1984 - November 1984	Found	AKA The No Theme showtape
Country Klunk	1984	Found	A special showtape of country-themed songs for the Uncle Klunk animatronic.
Top Ten Hits of 1985	February 1985	Found	The only showtape released in 1985
Time Machine / Hits 1	March 1986	Found	First showtape made by Showbiz instead of CEI. Often called not only the worst showtape made for The Rock-afire Explosion, but the worst showtape ever recorded for any animatronic show.
June 1986 - July 1986	Found	Made for 100th anniversary of The Statue of Liberty. It not only includes a Rolfe's animatronics retrofited into the Statue of Liberty, but also includes two seperate versions of the Statue of Liberty show. One made by CEI and another made by SPP.
Circus / Monkees	July 1986	Found	Contines two new shows (Tribute to the Circus and The Curly Shuffle) made by CEI (A rarity during the time this show was released) and a reused show (Monkees Medley from the Beatles White Album showtape)
Westerns / Movies / R&R	February 1987	Found	Made by Showbiz Pizza
	Homely for Christmas	1987	Found	Contains a variety of covers.
New Years '88	1988	Found	The longest Rock-a-Fire show tape, recorded in one continuous take. This showtape was created to emulate the feeling of a true "live concert" from the Rock-afire Explosion.
Cyberstar Segments	1988-1990	Found	The first Rock-a-Fire shows to feature video playing alongside the animatronics. Programming was done by Showbiz Pizza Time and had several programming erros (mainly characters singing with the wrong voices), while audio was done by Creative Engineering.
Show Selector Shows / Voice Clips	1990's	Partially LostTape 1Tape 2	These were used with the "Show Selector" to allow customers to pick from different showtapes. Only some of them have resurfaced.
Showbiz Pizza Fiesta Shows	1980's	Found	Featured at "Showbiz Pizza Place" and "Showbiz Pizza Fiesta" in Mexico. Various advertisements have also surfaced on YouTube.
Talking Billy Bob Walk-Around Shows	Unknown	Partially Found	These showtapes were created to work with Creative Engineering's new talking walk-around (costumed characters) technology. Only a Billy Bob walkaround was produced, with another one (suspected to be Mitzi) having been in the works, but scrapped during it's construction. There exists a small sample of the show in action on showbizpizza.com, in which a performer in a talking Billy Bob costumer acts out a humorous skit with a standard Fatz Geronimo animatronic.
Yogi Bear Showtape	1987	Found	This show saw the Rolfe DeWolfe (his puppet, Earl, was removed) and Looney Bird animatonics retrofitted cosmetically to become Yogi Bear and Boo Boo respectively. This showtape was made and produced by Showbiz Pizza Time Inc and had nothing to do with Creative Engineering, and featured the same unidentified voice actors for the Center Stage characters, while Daws Butler and Don Messick reprised their respective roles as Yogi and Boo Boo. On August 15th, 2020, the full audio was posted to YouTube by fan website ShowbizPizza.com as a part of their "Rock-a-Palooza 2020" event for the Rock-afire Explosion's 40th anniversary. The audio was preserved on a cassette by co-producer and scriptwriter Steve White and is complete with only a few seconds missing from the song "Every Breath You Take". The tape was created as a test to replace the Rock-afire Explosion characters with other licensed characters after Aaron Fechter, founder of Creative Engineering, refused to hand over the rights for the characters after Showbiz corporate tried forcing him to do so for free.
The Rolfe and Earle Show	1990-1992	Found	This show was the final ever produced for the Rock-afire Explosion at Showbiz Pizza Place, and was used during Concept Unification, when the band was converted into Munch's Make-Believe Band and the Showbiz and Pizza Time Theater brands phased out in favor of the modern Chuck E. Cheese's as it stands today (the company was still known as Showbiz Pizza Time Inc. until 1998). The quickly slapped-together tape only used Rolfe and Earl as they announced the band's replacement and played Creative Engineering-made Cyberstar shows. The pair had the same voice actors as the 1986-87 corporate tapes. This is universally considered the worst Rock-afire Explosion tape ever, especially by fans who see it as an insult to the band and demonstrated Showbiz's utter contempt for anything they couldn't own.

Looney Bird's and New Rock-afire Explosion Showtapes

Looney Bird's was a different restaurant to Showbiz Pizza Place. However, they largely featured the same entertainment, and are therefore included in this page.

Title	Released	Status	Notes
Looney Bird's Tapes	Unknown	Lost	These were produced specifically for the Looney Bird's chain of restaurants.
New Rock-a-Fire Explosion Misc. Tapes	Mid-Late 1990's	Lost	Very little information is known about the showtapes from these shows.
Golden Showtape Collection/1990's Show Audio	1990s	Partially Found	Some shows, such as "Life is Highway" and "Runaround" have resurfaced. However, many others are still missing.
International 1990's Rock-afire Explosion Showtapes	1990s	Partially Found	Many of the 1990s showtapes were programmed in different languages for international audiences. "The Twist" and "Para Madura" have resurfaced in full. A clip from "Que Pasa" has also resurfaced in the 1994 Rock-a-Fire promo video. Many other shows are still missing.

Wolf Pack 5:

Created in 1978, the Wolf Pack 5 was one of Creative Engineering's first animatronic bands. In 1980, Bob Brock approached Creative Engineering about installing their entertainment into the then-unnamed Showbiz Pizza Place. Later that year, the Wolf Pack 5 was installed in the first Showbiz Pizza location. Later, in 1981, the Wolf Pack 5 was removed from Showbiz Pizza Place, as the Rock-afire Explosion animatronic band had debuted earlier that year, and took over as the primary entertainment.

Title	Released	Status	Notes
IAAPA Showtape	1978	Found	This was the demonstration tape for the Wolf Pack 5. Unlike the fully-released Showbiz Pizza tape, this one is described as having more on-stage interaction between the characters. The tape is also noted for featuring a narrator who has the same voice as Rolfe DeWolfe, a character in the Wolf Pack 5's successor, the Rock-afire Explosion.
Showbiz Pizza Segments	1980	Found	This was an edited version of the IAAPA Showtapes made for Showbiz Pizza Place. It was split into six parts and added an intro and outro jingles, as well as an announcer.
Misc Wolfpack 5 Shows	Late 1970's - Early 1980's	Lost	The Wolfpack 5 is known to have been sold to Amusement Parks and Theme Parks. Little information exists for the content of the shows.
Beto Carrero World Introductions	Unknown	Lost	The Wolfpack 5 is known to have been present at the Beto Carrero World theme park in Brazil. They are known to have sung a sped-up version of "Sing A Simple Song" and talked about the stores inside the tent at the park.

Hard Luck Bears:

Creative Engineering's second animatronic band, these characters were installed in a wide variety of venues, primarily theme parks, but also having permanent residence in other venues.

Showtape title	Release Dates	Status
Original Creative Engineering Showtape	1979	Found	This was the most widely heard show from this animatronic band. The tape contains their most well-remembered personalities.
Rockin' Billy and the Bearcats	Early 1990's	Found	This showtape was produced for the Knoebel's Theme Park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania.
Show De Osos	Unknown	Partially Found	This was a custom set of Spanish showtapes used at locations in Chile. Some footage exists online, but very little clean audio has surfaced.
Blackpool Beach Park Tape	Unknown	Lost	The Hard Luck Bears were briefly installed at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. A single showtape was produced. On February 25th, 2017, A worker at the Blackpool theme park has been stated to have the show in its original quality. He said it included a quick and rushed character introduction, but with deeper voices than the CEI original promo tape. They sang a song called "Feet Nailed to the Floor" and included the same Pete/Repete gag from the promo tape, many other songs from the CEI show were featured in this tape as well. It is known they would sing "Mama don't allow no guitar playing in here" and another song called "The Blackpool Belle" Thanks to Lukas for this new information!
Honey's Bear Show	Unknown	Lost	This was a retrofit of the Hard Luck Bears into a fully female band with lipstick and new outfits. The contents of the show are largely unknown.

Hard Luck Bears (Rock-afire Retrofit):

This was one of the many Rock-afire retrofits to have been produced over the years and was installed in the 3 Gulliver's themed parks. The characters in this show have all been retrofitted to appear more country-esque, and very little of the show remains unchanged.

Title	Released	Status	Notes
Show 1	Unknown	Lost	This show contains primarily country covers with some character dialogue. It is known for sluggish and lazy programming.
Show 2	Unknown	Found	This show primarily contains country covers. It is considered to have poor programming and lazy voice acting.

Misc. Creative Engineering Shows:

Title	Released	Status	Notes
The Moon Rockers	1985	Partially Found	This was a retrofit of the Rock-afire Explosion. It is unknown how much of the show has been uncovered, but numerous clips of it exist on the physical releases of the Rock-afire Explosion Documentary (2008). It has been said that the show aimed to promote world peace, and was prompted by the rise of Cold-War tensions in the mid-late 1980s.
"Creepy Clown" Animatronic	1983	Unknown	This obscure animatronic was only seen for a fraction of a second in a 1990s Creative Engineering demo tape. Although many believed that the showtape was completely destroyed, sources who have worked with CEI have confirmed that the tape is not corrupted. Due to this, the current status of this showtape is unknown; Although it has been found, further testing must be done by those at CEI to confirm that the tape can still be played.
Reginald J. Flootsnoot	1983	Existence Unconfirmed	This character was completed and featured in at least one Creative Engineering demo tape, but it is unknown whether he was ever given a showtape.
Castle Dracula Dark Ride Audio	Late 1970's	Found	This was one of CEI's first animatronic shows, as well as their first Dark Ride. The audio was freely released online by CEI.
Wizard of Oz Show	1983	Partially Found	This was Creative Engineering's second dark ride. It was featured in the 1992 Creative Engineering demo tape. The Scarecrow is known to sing part of "If I Only Had a Brain", and the Tin Man is known to sing part of "You Gotta Have Heart". It is not known how many characters were programmed, although CEI still holds animatronics for Scarecrow, Tin Man, and a few Talking Trees. The Tin Man was featured at the Orlando Looney Birds location.
Bubba the Shakespearean Gorilla	1981	Partially Found	This animatronic was praised for his variety of sophisticated movements, as well as a charming concept. Two pieces of footage have surfaced online. However, it is unknown whether a full showtape was produced.
Dook and Mitzi 2.0 Prototype Shows	1983	Existence Unconfirmed	Prototypes of these characters were produced and are recognized as being significant upgrades to their predecessors (with Dook being able to play a full drum kit, and Mitzi sporting new hip movements that drastically increased her range of motion. Footage of these characters showing off rudimentary movement has surfaced, but it is unknown if these characters were ever put to practical use. These characters are still in the Creative Engineering building but have not been used for a long time.
Talking Head Shows	Unknown	Existence Unconfirmed	These were one of Creative Engineering's earliest projects, featuring talking heads. Virtually no information exists, and it is unknown whether any showtapes were produced.
Lazlo the Fortune Teller	Unknown	Lost	Lazlo the Fortune Teller was one of Creative Engineering's earlier works. It is believed to have used a showtape, but it has not resurfaced.
The Mijjins IAAPA Tape	1992	Partially Found	The Mijjins were a line of animatronics rolled out by Creative Engineering that were featured in various locations. Creative Engineering's 1990 highlight reel features clips of the animatronics performing covers, but it is unknown how much of the show has been discovered.
The Jungle Juke Band	1983	Non-existent	Pictures of the Jungle Juke Band, which contained a monkey, tiger, and hippopotamus were featured in a 1983 CEI Promo brochure. It was confirmed by a Creative Engineering employee that it, along with the Cosmic Combo, never materialized. It should be noted, though, that a mask for the hippopotamus character was prototyped.
The Cosmic Combo	Unknown	Non-existent	This show was advertised as having five alien creatures. However, like the Jungle Juke Band, this show never got beyond a conceptual stage.
The Hannah Banana Shows	late 2000s	Partially Found	This was a retrofit animatronic produced in the late 2000s for the "Hannah Banana" chain of restaurants in the UK. Only some of the shows, including a Christmas show, have resurfaced.
Mini-Billy Bob Showtapes	early 1980s	Existence Unconfirmed	This animatronic was advertised in the early 1980s as being a forerunner to a full-scale mini Rock-afire Explosion. There exist a few clips of the animatronic in action, but all of them were shows that were already produced for the Rock-afire Explosion. It is unknown if any shows were produced solely for the animatronic.
The Confederate Critter Show	1970s	Partially Found	The Confederate Critter show was produced by CEI in the 1970s. Not much information is known about the content of this show, save for one video clip and a few photos.
Willy Wabbit	1976	Lost	Willy Wabbit was the second character produced by CEI. He is known to have stood at the Orlando airport singing songs for the visitors and advertising the "Mystery Fun House", a place where other Creative Engineering Animatronics were in use. Very little information exists on the show content.
Friendly Freddy	1970s	Lost	This guitar-playing bear was the very first character that CEI built in the 1970s. He was last seen in New York in 2008 but has not resurfaced since. The content of his show is unknown.
Gaslight Jamboree	Unknown	Lost	This show features Wolfman and Fats Geronimo from the Wolfpack 5 and Friendly Freddy in a 3 character band. Only a few photos of the show exist, with no video or audio resurfacing.

External Links

• A fan site dedicated to Showbiz Pizza and Creative Engineering Inc. Characters.
• https://www.showbizpizza.com/review/rae/index.html
• http://www.showbizpizza.com/radio/archive.html
• Information on the CEI character Uncle Klunk. Retrieved 9 Mar '20
• Information on the Jeff Howell Uncle Klunk Showtapes. Retrieved 9 Mar '20
• Information on the revised Uncle Klunk Showtapes. Retrieved 9 Mar '20
• A Google Drive link containing showtapes for The Wolf Pack Five.Retrieved 09 Mar '20
• Information on the Rockafire Explosion showtapes produced by CEI. Retrieved 09 Mar '20
• A Dropbox link containing showtapes for The Hard Luck Bears. Retrieved 09 Mar '20
• A Dropbox link containing showtapes for The Wolfpack 5. Retrieved 09 Mar '20
• Information on The Yogi Bear Stage Show. Retrieved 09 Mar '20