Contributed by
Rob Hudson



Source: www.imdb.com License: All Rights Reserved. The logo, as seen in a vintage TV advertisement
ShowBiz Pizza Place was a chain of family-oriented pizza restaurants that opened its first locations in 1980, and—similar to Chuck E. Cheese, their one-time competitor which they eventually acquired—featured an animatronic band show and arcade games.
The original logo was set in Frankfurter Bold. The logo of their animatronic "house band", The Rock-afire Explosion, was based on a Bookman, with a generous use of swashes and alternates.
ShowBiz Pizza acquired their competitor Chuck E. Cheese in 1984, and in the early 1990s gradually phased out all ShowBiz Pizza theming in favor of Chuck E. Cheese. The restaurant and, in particular, the band have become something of a cult favorite, and The Rock-afire Explosion was even the subject of a 2008 documentary.
Source: wbkr.com License: All Rights Reserved. Restaurant signage
Source: www.pinterest.com License: All Rights Reserved. Plastic sign with the band logo
Source: www.facebook.com License: All Rights Reserved. The members of ShowBiz Pizza’s animatronic band, The Rock-afire Explosion
Source: www.worthpoint.com License: All Rights Reserved. A set of five vintage Rock-afire Explosion dolls
Source: www.reddit.com License: All Rights Reserved. The Bloomingdale, IL, Showbiz Pizza Place, opened in 1981 and closed circa 1988. The sign above the door uses ITC Korinna with faux small caps.
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