Creative Engineering, Inc. or CEI is a company most famous for creating the animatronic characters featured at Showbiz Pizza Place and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, the most popular being The Rock-afire Explosion. They are also known for creating the Whac-A-Mole game in 1976. The company was founded by Aaron Fechter. The Rock-afire Explosion is an animatronic robot band that played in Showbiz Pizza
Place from 1980 to 1990, and in various Showbiz Pizza locations between 1990 and 1992 as Showbiz rebranded and the band was steadily replaced by Chuck E. Cheese characters. The show was pioneering in many respects to other animatronics shows of the early 1980s, featuring life-sized characters capable of facial expression; some were even programmed in such a way that they could actually play simple melodies on musical instruments. The show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters. Following the completion of rebranding, the show was sold to other restaurants and entertainment centers, such as Circus Pizza, Pistol Pete's Pizza, and Billy Bob's Wonderland. The characters in The Rock-afire Explosion were various animals ranging from a dog to a gorilla. They would perform medleys of classic rock, pop, and country music, as well as original compositions. In 2008, original Rock-afire Explosion creator and technical engineer Aaron Fechter reintroduced the ensemble as a cover band for a variety of pop, rock, and hip-hop groups, including acts ranging from the mid 20th century to the present. Reprogramming the tried and true Rock-afire characters to lay down new beats and vocals, Fechter reached new and younger audiences and also re-connected with the older audience the band had originally entertained in Showbiz Pizza restaurants nationwide.
