Chuck E. Cheese (character)

Charles Entertainment "Chuck E." Cheese[1] is the anthropomorphic rat mascot of the Chuck E. Cheese chain of family entertainment centers.[2][3][4][5] In 2012, the mascot was rebranded into a much smaller, and “hipper” mouse version of the character in attempt to increase sales.[6]

Chuck E. Cheese
CEC Entertainment character
The latest revision of the Chuck E. Cheese mascot.
First appearance1977
Created byNolan Bushnell
Voiced by
  • John Widelock (1977–1983)
  • Scott Wilson (1983–1993)
  • Duncan Brannan (1993–2012)
  • Jeremy Blaido (1997 Diagnostics, May 1998)
  • Jaret Reddick (2012–present)
In-universe information
Full nameCharles Entertainment Cheese
AliasThe Big C
NicknameChuck E.
Species
  • Rat (1977–1992)
  • Mouse (1993–present)
GenderMale
OccupationRestaurateur, Guitarist, Vocalist
NationalityAmerican

Pizza Time Theatre era

The character was originally created as the mascot for a restaurant proposed by Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari) in 1977.[7] Bushnell attended the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) conference in Orlando and saw walk-around character costumes for sale. Among them, Bushnell spotted a costume that looked like a coyote, so he bought it for his planned Coyote Pizza restaurant. When the costume arrived at Atari, it was discovered that the costume was actually a rat, with a long pink rat tail. Bushnell decided to change the restaurant's name to Rick Rat's Pizza. However, Bushnell's group of planners believed that a rat for the name of a restaurant would not be appropriate. Finally, Bushnell's group of planners decided on the name Chuck E. Cheese for the mascot and changed the restaurant's name to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre.[8][9] The first Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre opened in San Jose, California, in the same year Chuck E. Cheese was proposed, 1977.

Chuck E. Cheese's era: 1995-present

In 1995, the mascot was given a more child-friendly makeover, with a wider cheek structure, a less pointy, shorter snout, longer eyes and smaller ears. This version started appearing in the restaurants in 2001.

In July 2012, the mascot was changed into a much smaller version of the character, who played electric guitar. Voice actor Duncan Brannan, who for 19 years had characterized Chuck E. Cheese as a wise-cracking mouse from New Jersey, was replaced with Jaret Reddick, the frontman and guitarist for the pop punk band Bowling for Soup.[6]

gollark: Well, why not play the Soviet national anthem REALLY QUIETLY in the background just in case anyone can't see the video?
gollark: ~\🇭
gollark: I'm not, I am using the crab command.
gollark: ~\🦀
gollark: ~🦀

References
  1. Shamisan, Jacob (Jun 9, 2017). "The surprising and horrifying backstory behind Charles Entertainment Cheese". Insider.
  2. Mace, Scott (December 21, 1981). "Rat dishes up pizza, computerized entertainment". Infoworld. p. 8.
  3. Sheff, David (1999). Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World. GamePress. p. 115. ISBN 9780966961706. Above the receptionist's desk was the smiling face of Chuck E. Cheese, the company's mascot—a rat.
  4. Taub, Stephen (November 30, 1983). "A Noisy Decline". Financial World. Vol. 152. pp. 40–43. The star of the show is a feisty-looking rat named Chuck E. Cheese, who Bushnell hopes will become as big a celebrity as Mickey Mouse.
  5. Kent, Steven L. (2000). The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games. BWD Press. p. 97. ISBN 9780970475503. Bushnell called his new venture Pizza Time Theaters. He named his restaurants Chuck E. Cheese after the robotic rat mascot.
  6. Candice Choi (July 3, 2012). "Chuck E. Cheese being replaced with hipper image". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  7. Chuck E. Cheese - Chuck E. Cheese's Characters, archived from the original on 2019-09-08, retrieved 2019-09-07
  8. Madrigal, Alexis C. (2013-07-17). "Chuck E. Cheese's, Silicon Valley Startup: The Origins of the Best Pizza Chain Ever". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
  9. Evolution of Chuck E Cheese! | Chuck E Cheese Character History, archived from the original on 2019-10-21, retrieved 2019-12-15
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