Chuck E. Cheese
From The Character Database
| Chuck E. Cheese | ||||||
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| Vital statistics | ||||||
| Names | Charles Entertainment Cheese, Chuck E. Cheese, Rick Rat, Big C, Bingley,Chuckster Chuckerooni | |||||
| Gender | Male | |||||
| Race | Mouse | |||||
| Occupation | Musician | |||||
| Origin | Chuck E Cheese Restaurants | |||||
| Alignment | Good | |||||
| Age | 25 | |||||
| Created By | Bob Flemate, Nolan Bushnell | |||||
| Height | 1.75m (5ft 9in) | |||||
| Weight | 45 kg (100 lbs) | |||||
Chuck E. Cheese (full name: Charles Entertainment Cheese) is the main character and mascot of the Chuck E. Cheese restaurant chain. He is an outgoing mouse who loves to entertain guests and serves as the lead singer and guitarist (previously a saxophonist) for Munch's Make Believe Band.
Appearance[edit | edit source]
Chuck E. Cheese's outfits have evolved with each incarnation of the character, reflecting the changing times and the image the brand aimed to project.
- PTT Chuck: Initially depicted as a gray rat with a pink snout, tail, and toes. He wore a red vest with a sleeveless yellow undershirt, a black bowtie, and a red derby hat with a yellow brim. This version of Chuck E. Cheese did not wear pants in official artwork. PTT Chuck was designed by Atari artist Bob Flemate, and his vest's design varied before being settled as solid red for consistency.
- Tux Chuck: A more formal version, Tux Chuck was also gray-furred but shifted to a mouse appearance. He wore a black tailcoat with gold lapels, a white dress shirt, a red bow tie, long black pants, white gloves, and black loafers with white spats. This version introduced more outfit variety, such as an athletic outfit with a yellow shirt and red shorts. His rat-like whiskers were removed by 1994.
- Coach Chuck: Introduced in the 90s, this design featured a red and blue cap with a yellow star, a red and yellow sweater with a yellow oval in place of the "C," and blue sweatpants. On some logos, the sweater was yellow with green stripes, and the hat was fully red.
- Cool Chuck: Cool Chuck sported a red baseball cap with a yellow "C," a blue shirt with red and yellow stripes, and khaki shorts. A variation included a yellow cap, red shirt, and blue jeans. He also had outfits like a purple shirt with "CHUCK" printed on it, and sometimes blue or red caps with "C" and "EST 1977" printed on them.
- Avenger Chuck: This incarnation introduced a six-foot-tall, gray-furred mouse with tan skin, often depicted with blue eyes in walkarounds and animatronics. He wore a purple and green t-shirt with a green-and-yellow "C," black skater gloves, green shorts with a confetti pattern, and black-and-white sneakers with red laces. In some animations, he wore arm pads, and in walkarounds, Chuck E. had longer green sleeves and sometimes different sneakers.
- Rockstar Chuck: The smallest version of Chuck E., Rockstar Chuck was depicted closer in size to an actual rat until 2016. He had gray fur, green eyes, and wore a short-sleeved purple shirt with a large "C," green stripes, blue jeans, and red and white shoes. His tail and whiskers were reintroduced, though his tail was black instead of pink. The walkaround version had longer green sleeves. Rockstar Chuck's original concept featured a yellow shirt with red stripes, brown pants, red shoes, and a guitar. A tuxedo version of Rockstar Chuck also appeared, resembling Tux Chuck but with updated white buttons and a glittery gold trim on the lapels and cummerbund.
Rockstar Chuck was designed by character artist Chris Ayers, modeled by Doug Woods, and animated by Reel FX, Little Zoo Studio, and BREED.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Origins and Pizza Time Theatre (1977-1989)[edit | edit source]
The character Chuck E. Cheese was originally created as the mascot for a restaurant concept by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, in 1977. Bushnell had intended to open a restaurant called Coyote Pizza, after purchasing what he thought was a coyote costume at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) conference in Orlando. Upon delivery, he discovered that the costume was actually a rat, leading him to rename the restaurant Rick Rat's Pizza.
However, the planners argued that naming a restaurant after a rat might not be appealing, so the name was changed to Chuck E. Cheese, and the restaurant became Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre. The first location opened that same year in San Jose, California, at 370 South Winchester Boulevard.
Chuck E. was initially intended to be called "Rick Rat," but the idea was rejected by Atari's team for being too mature for children. The name "Chuck E. Cheese" was chosen for its alliteration with Disney's Mickey Mouse and its appeal as a "three-smile name." Early on, Chuck E. had a different persona, modeled after the character "Muggs McGinnis," portraying a tough, cigar-smoking rat who made fun of other characters on stage. This rough persona was softened over time, especially after 1980 when he stopped smoking as part of The Great American Smoke Out. Chuck E.'s trademarks included a New Jersey accent, his jokes and insults, a red derby, and a big smile. Despite his harshness, he showed he cared for his onstage friends. By 1984, his personality became gentler.
He was known as "Big C" by the other Pizza Time Players and briefly as "Bingley," though the name was dropped due to pronunciation issues. Chuck E. was a host and vocalist at Pizza Time Theatre, holding a microphone rather than playing an instrument, and was fond of celebrating birthdays.
Tux/Coach Chuck (1989-1999)[edit | edit source]
In 1989, when Showbiz Pizza Time, the owner of both Showbiz Pizza Place and Chuck E. Cheese's, split from Rock-afire Explosion creator Aaron Fechter, they decided to fully adopt the Chuck E. Cheese brand. By 1992, all Showbiz Pizza Place locations were rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese's. A redesign of Chuck E. Cheese was commissioned, dressing him in a tuxedo and softening his appearance to be more cartoony while still retaining his derby hat. Voice actor Scott Wilson continued as Chuck E. until Duncan Brannan replaced him in 1994.
In 1994, Chuck E. was redesigned again to compete with Discovery Zone, alternating between his tuxedo and a "Coach Chuck" look. His face became less rat-like as he officially transitioned into a mouse. These designs overlapped until "Cool Chuck" replaced them in 1999, though some elements of the earlier designs remained in restaurant decor and costumes until the mid-2000s. A 1994 trademark pamphlet listed Tux Chuck as approximately 25 years old.
Cool Chuck (1992-2004)[edit | edit source]
Cool Chuck debuted in 1992 as a younger and more "cool" version of the character, replacing Tux Chuck's formal look with a blue shirt featuring a yellow "C," blue jeans, red sneakers, and a backwards red baseball cap. This more casual, hip look appealed to kids in the mid- to late-90s, gradually phasing out Tux Chuck. Though Coach Chuck still appeared in marketing, Cool Chuck became the primary image in stores, appearing on signage, in animatronic costumes, and as a walkaround character. By 1999, Coach Chuck was fully retired, marking the end of the tuxedo era.
At the same time, a character called Avenger Chuck appeared in advertisements. Similar to Cool Chuck, Avenger Chuck was a youthful, hip mouse who skateboarded and played guitar. From 1997 to 2004, Avenger Chuck became more prominent, eventually replacing Cool Chuck entirely.
Avenger Chuck (1997-2012)[edit | edit source]
Avenger Chuck, introduced in 1997 and exclusive to commercials, was portrayed as a younger, hip skater-type character who appealed to the youth of the 90s and 2000s. Like his predecessor, Avenger Chuck loved to entertain guests and keep things under control, continuing the spirit of Tux Chuck. He also played the saxophone and sometimes the electric guitar in showtapes and commercials.
In 1997, the company introduced "Studio C," a new look for the restaurants, where Avenger Chuck's personality further developed. Jeremy Blaido voiced Chuck E. Cheese during this period, with Duncan Brannan returning to the role in 1998 and continuing until 2012.
Rockstar Chuck (2012-Present)[edit | edit source]
In the early 2010s, with declining sales, Chuck E. Cheese was redesigned to appeal to 21st-century kids. In June 2012, the new "Rockstar Chuck" was revealed, featuring a new ad campaign called “Say Cheese, It's Funner!” This was the first CGI portrayal of Chuck E. Cheese, replacing the hand-drawn style of the Avenger era. The redesign, which gave Chuck E. a rockstar persona, was met with backlash from fans and regular customers, who found the change too drastic and linked it to the company’s financial troubles.
Rockstar Chuck's personality is more energetic and rebellious, often trying to do things his way, though this is downplayed in recent years. He plays and carries an electric guitar and takes birthdays very seriously. Jaret Reddick, lead singer of the band Bowling for Soup, became the new voice for Chuck E., which led to some controversy. Duncan Brannan, the previous voice actor, was replaced without being notified, sparking media attention. Despite the controversy, CEC Entertainment denied Brannan was fired, stating he was still under contract to provide entertainment at the restaurants.
The Rockstar version of Chuck E. is more energetic and hardcore than earlier incarnations, speaking in a louder tone and emphasizing a radical image.
Songs[edit | edit source]
Commercials[edit | edit source]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- PTT Chuck is the only version with a confirmed birthday; other versions have unknown birthdays, and Rockstar Chuck never knew his due to being an orphan.
- Chuck E. was the only character portrayed by Widelock throughout the pre-bankruptcy era.
- His early voice resembled a carnival barker but later shifted to a New Jersey accent, which was dropped when he sang.
- Chuck E. has sung the most songs, both solo and with his band, and has appeared in the most shows and merchandise.
- Tux Chuck was the first to frequently change outfits, wear pants, shoes, and hold the title "Ambassador of Fun." His outfits and accessories varied, like an updated cane and sports shirts with seasonal sleeve lengths.
- Cool Chuck and Avenger Chuck both had unique outfits and accessories, with Avenger Chuck being the first to wear a purple shirt with a "C."
- Avenger Chuck also had a pet dog named Pepperoni, wore braces in early show tapes, and transitioned to fingerless gloves around 2004.
- Rockstar Chuck owns a pet cat named Copernicus and is the only version without a hat. His design is owned by the Dallas-based ad agency TRG.
- The character's ear design evolved, with the tragus (a small bump) disappearing completely by the Rockstar relaunch.
