The Rock-Afire Explosion (TV Series)

The Rock-Afire Explosion is a 1992 animated musical fantasy comedy television series directed and produced in collaboration with the cast and crew of CEI (Creative Engineering Incorporated) and DIC Entertainment. The series is a television adaptation of the Rock-Afire Explosion band of animatronics originally installed at Showbiz Pizza Place and was intended to be used as primary funding for the New Rock-Afire Explosion instalment that was currently in development during this time and continued to be in production to advertise fans to visit the new route of the band.
== SYNOPSIS ==
An animated television adaptation of CEI’s work centred around CEI and Showbiz Pizza’s Place signature animatronic band The Rock-Afire Explosion. The TV series revolves around the 8 members of the band and their adventures trying to run their music group and facing different band related problems whilst at the same time dealing with many wacky, adventurous, supernatural and even magical situations. The show is primarily set in Florida (A reference to the first Rock-Afire animatronics installed in Jacksonville, Florida); Home to the Rock-Afire Explosion’s studio and hangout place Showbiz Star Sounds (A reference to Showbiz Pizza Place).
== CAST AND CHARACTERS ==
Billy Bob (Voiced By: Aaron Fechter): The bassist of the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from Jackson, Tennessee. Being born in the south, Billy Bob is a country bear at heart. He is described as the kindest and sweetest member of the music group who shows care for all of his friends and is very active in helping them get along and resolve their problems, providing them comfort when they are down. Even though he’s sometimes deemed a pushover due to his habit of helping others, he still knows when to assert himself. He works a part-time job at Smitty’s Super Service Station as a mechanic and even has decent cooking experience. His birthday is July 4th (Cancer), his favourite colour is orange, his favourite genre of music is country and his MBTI is ESFJ (9w1).
Dook LaRue (Voiced By: Duke Chauppetta): The drummer of the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from Shreveport, Louisiana. Dook is a quiet, ditzy and air-headed mongrel dog that usually has his head in the clouds. Despite this and his habit of not reading the room, Dook is an imaginative, unique and charming band member with a curious disposition and a lot of talent, which can especially be discovered with his remarkable singing voice. His primary hobby outside of the band is his love of Sci-Fi, space and the supernatural which is exhibited by his spacey and futuristic fashion sense and fondness for space-related aesthetics and media. His birthday is April 10th (Aries), his favourite colour is purple, his favourite genre of music is 1960s soul and his MBTI is ISFP (4w5).
Beach Bear (Voiced By: Rick Bailey): The guitarist of the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from Miami, Florida. Laidback and carefree, Beach Bear fits his surfer personality perfectly with his cool, snarky and easy-going attitude, even if it means he has a slight sense of laziness. He is also one of the most experienced singers in the band, having got his start playing surf rock with his tropical friends. But lying under this chill and playful exterior is an outspoken bear with a sharp focus on the social issues of today, especially with nature and the whole of the world’s environment. When he’s not hanging out on the beach and surfing, he’s spending time with his secret hobby of being an author and poet, gifted from his remarkable English Major; Writing all kinds of fantastical and sophisticated stories. His birthday is August 13th (Leo), his favourite colour is light blue, his favourite genre of music is psychedelic rock and his MBTI is INFJ (9w8).
Fatz Geronimo (Voiced By: Burt Wilson): The keyboardist of the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. Being the oldest member of the Rock-Afire Explosion, Fatz is a natural born leader gorilla with a sense of spunk who can serve as a mentor figure for the rest of the group and keeps them all in order. He may be a band member who can be perceived as too bossy and stern for his own good, but deep down he cherishes the band as the family he never had; Which also another reason behind his protective and mature demeanour. Being born and raised in New Orleans, Fatz is very proud of his heritage which is shown for his love of vintage swing music from his time at a well-acclaimed music school. His birthday is February 26th (Pisces), his favourite colour is yellow, his favourite genre of music is jazz and his MBTI is ESTP (8w9).
Mitzi Mozzarella (Voiced By: Shalisa James): The lead singer of the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from Atlanta, Georgia as well as the only female member of the group. Mitzi’s personality is that of a majority of teenagers her age who stand out as being recruited for the band due to her large amount of talent. She is a social, cheerful and energetic mouse that loves keeping up with the latest trends and is always dreaming of becoming a star when she grows up. She is also very caring towards her band and is finding ways to get their hopes up when they’re down. As the youngest band member however, she can be quite clumsy, immature and rebellious when she feels she’s not listened to or is not allowed to do things that she feels she can do herself anyway. Despite only being in high school, Mitzi has already found her calling as a cheerleader, musical theatre club legend and student council president. Her birthday is January 1st (Capricorn), her favourite colour is green, her favourite genre of music is 80s pop and her MBTI is ESFP (2w3).
Rolfe DeWolfe (Voiced By: Aaron Fechter): The designated comedian of the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from Kansas City, Missouri as well as the self-proclaimed manager. A perfectionist wolf who is particular about the band (And his own) appearance and talents, Rolfe has always had an arrogant and vain view of himself to the point where he believes he is the creator of the Rock-Afire Explosion (Which is not the case). He also has habits of being quite insensitive to the rest of his friends. But in reality, Rolfe is a dorky sheep in wolf’s clothing that genuinely cares for his friends; Caring for their safety, showing remorse for his actions and being charitable without any reward. Comedy is Rolfe’s speciality (even if he doesn’t have the best of luck with it) and has a love for the retro aesthetic and has a secret talent for playing the trumpet. His birthday is September 8th (Virgo), his favourite colour is red, his favourite genre of music is disco and his MBTI is ENTJ (3w4).
Earl Schmerle (Voiced By: Aaron Fechter): Rolfe’s puppet, comedic partner and a backup singer for the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from Kansas City, Missouri. Despite being a hand-puppet, Earl can have a mind of his own and even doesn’t need to be operated by Rolfe at all. He is described as having a short-temper who is openly critical and sarcastic of others, mostly Rolfe. But like Rolfe, Earl also deeply cares for the band and his friends; Even having a sense of courage. Despite being skilled at comedy, Earl has inner dreams of being a famous rockstar, even having both the voice and attitude to pull it off. His birthday is November 30th (Sagittarius), his favourite colour is dark blue, his favourite genre of music is punk rock and his MBTI is ESTJ (8w9).
Looney Bird (Voiced By: Aaron Fechter): Billy Bob’s sidekick, the visual effects designer and a backup singer for the Rock-Afire Explosion originally from Memphis, Tennessee. Looney Bird may be an eccentric and slightly mischievous bird, but he is also an eccentric genius. He is one of the most intelligent members of the band; Using his resourcefulness and innovative (Albeit wacky) ideas to get the band out of trouble. Looney is a scientist who is usually called by his friends a “Tech-nerd bird” because of his deep knowledge of gadgets and technology, which he usually programs and invents himself in his lab. His birthday is October 15th (Libra), his favourite colour is pink, his favourite genre of music is new wave and his MBTI is INFP (7w8).
Choo-Choo (Voiced By: Cree Summer - Child/Peter Linz - Teen): Billy Bob's young cousin originally from Jackson, Tennessee and a recurring character. Choo-Choo is bear cub usually looked after by the band at the studio, who he sees as older cousins and siblings. Just like many young children, he is an energetic, loveable and naive character whose always curious of the world around him and even has big dreams of being a rockstar just like his friends. He can also act very sensitive and has a stubborn side. His birthday is January 21st (Aquarius) and his MBTI is ENFP (6w7).
== EPISODES ==
=== SEASON 1 ===
* Episode 1: Cashing In (Airdate: October 24th 1992)
PLOT: The band’s forced out of their studio after a severe termite infestation and they only have 2 days to pay off the funding to get rid of the termites or else Showbiz Star Sounds is shut down. When Billy Bob offers them a temporary job at Smitty’s Service Station and its newly opened cafe, things spiral when there’s a sudden lack of cooperation. In big trouble, the Rock-Afire Explosion must work together like they always have in order to save their studio.
SONG: Hit The Gas (Vocals: Billy Bob/Dook LaRue/Beach Bear/Fatz Geronimo/Mitzi Mozzarella/Rolfe DeWolfe/Earl Schmerle/Looney Bird)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Music Goes Round
* Episode 2: A Rock-Afire Fright Night! (Airdate: October 31st 1992)
PLOT: To celebrate Halloween, the band all decide to go trick or treating. Things go smoothly until Looney Bird has an unwise idea to dare the others to go inside an abandoned house before the night is over, despite it being closed off due to its hazardous condition. When it becomes clear that the house is not only a hazard but haunted as well, Looney Bird realizes that dares should not involve danger just for fun and gets ready to help his friends escape.
SONG: Haunted Hustle (Vocals: Looney Bird/Billy Bob/Dook LaRue/Beach Bear/Fatz Geronimo/Mitzi Mozzarella/Rolfe DeWolfe/Earl Schmerle)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Guitarzan
* Episode 3: Too Much Mozzarella (Airdate: November 7th 1992)
PLOT: Due to bad weather, Mitzi Mozzarella’s annual high school football championship finals are postponed 2 days in advance; The same day of the Rock-Afire Explosion’s next concert, leaving Mitzi a nervous wreck. To get her out of this dilemma, she gets Looney Bird to build a robotic replica of herself that can take her place at one of the events. But Mitzi soon realises that no one can successfully be in two places at once when the robot malfunctions and goes haywire.
SONG: Double Trouble (Vocals: Mitzi Mozzarella)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Mickey
* Episode 4: Holding Out For A Hound (Airdate: November 14th 1992)
PLOT: When Dook LaRue begins longing to be of great value to the band after seeing all his friends show off their many strengths, he tries to find his own strength by becoming a superhero who saves people from danger. But when Dook doesn’t believe both the band’s and his own inner reassurance that he does have lots of strengths, he overthinks the superhero dream by acting like other superheroes which only finds himself in more trouble. Eventually Dook finds his own strengths again and that anyone can be of great value (Whether it be a true bandmate or a true superhero) as he is forced to face a real supervillain threatening to harm not just his friends but his home.
SONG: That’s My Super Strength (Vocals: Dook LaRue)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Heartaches
* Episode 5: Oil, Sweat And Tears (Airdate: November 21st 1992)
PLOT: Billy Bob finds a very wealthy couple stranded near Smitty’s Service Station after a failed road trip and offers to provide them with anything they need while he gets their vehicle fixed. But what at first seems to be a case of spoiled rich people that demand the absolute best turns into a case of taking advantage of Billy Bob’s tireless kindness when they blackmail him with his strict “Customers Come First” moral that prevents him from refusing service. When the rich couple still won’t stop even after the vehicle is repaired, It’s up to Billy Bob and his friends to tell the couple off and get rid of the two before they take hold of both the Station and the Band.
SONG: 24/7 (Vocals: Billy Bob/Looney Bird)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Baseball
* Episode 6: Babysitting Blackout (Airdate: November 28th 1992)
PLOT: The band is in charge of babysitting Billy Bob’s little cousin Choo-Choo for the day, to which Fatz isn’t too keen on because of it happening at the wrong time. With a recording deadline he has to make for his song in the next Rock-Afire Explosion album, Fatz feels he doesn’t have time to play with Choo-Choo since that’s how he won’t get much work done which leaves the latter disappointed. But when the studio loses electricity and goes into a blackout at the height of Fatz stress, he must take a break to babysit until the power is back on; Where he’ll need to learn to control his emotions and stress levels while also remembering the importance of being a good caregiver.
SONG: Babysitter Boogie (Vocals: Fatz Geronimo)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: School Days
* Episode 7: Earl Takes Off (Airdate: December 5th 1992)
PLOT: After Rolfe chews out Earl for unintentionally wrecking the set for the band’s latest music video, Earl believes that he’s no longer wanted in the Rock-Afire Explosion and runs away; Angry and heartbroken. Eventually, he finds himself joining a rebel gang under the guise that they are an underground rock band. In reality however, the gang is actually a group of thieves who are plotting to manipulate Earl into helping them steal the Rock-Afire Explosion’s equipment. When Earl finds out the truth, he has to do everything he can to stop the thieves before it’s too late. Meanwhile, the band searches for Earl’s whereabouts as Rolfe is devastated about what he said and wants to apologise.
SONG: I’m Hopeless Without You (Vocals: Earl Schmerle/Rolfe DeWolfe)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Get Together
* Episode 8: Neck And Neck (Airdate: December 12th 1992)
PLOT: When Beach Bear volunteers to clean up the city beach for the Rock-Afire Explosion’s next concert, he insists that he can do it without anyone else’s help. But the job proves to be easier said than done when strange occurrences involving reappearing piles of trash on the shore begin to happen. Without any other way to get rid of the trash, Beach Bear needs help from his friends if he wants the beach to be ready for the concert and figure out why the trash keeps showing up.
SONG: Fling Troubles High (Vocals: Beach Bear)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Born To Run
* Episode 9: Performer Pressure (Airdate: December 19th 1992)
PLOT: The band’s next big gig has a well acclaimed music reporter invited as a special guest to review the Rock-Afire Explosion’s skills and professionalism, while at the same time having Dook play a starring solo role for the concert. To make sure that the show goes flawlessly, Rolfe decides to become Dook’s temporary singing coach. But Rolfe’s high expectations for perfection and heavy pressure has Dook’s day and night practice result in him getting laryngitis a day before the show. Now, Rolfe has to undo his mistakes and help his friends find a remedy for Dook’s lost voice before the big night.
SONG: Out Of This World (Vocals: Dook LaRue/Billy Bob/Beach Bear/Fatz Geronimo/Mitzi Mozzarella/Rolfe DeWolfe)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Pretty Woman
* Episode 10: Dispassion For Fashion (Airdate: December 26th 1992)
PLOT: Mitzi and Rolfe’s favourite fashion designer Miss Vague is invited to collaborate with the Rock-Afire Explosion on a new set of costumes for their performances, which quickly become the latest city trend. But the problem is that Miss Vague’s fashions are too elaborate and outrageous to the point that they are difficult to perform in, which causes the band to have trouble with their shows. Even though they’re conflicted because of what everyone else says about Miss Vague’s designs (including at first Mitzi and Rolfe), it quickly becomes clear that not just their shows, but the city will become a disaster zone if the trend doesn’t die down. So the band will need to find a way to voice their opinions and reason with the designer about trends and how too much of something isn’t always a good thing.
SONG: Glamorous (Vocals: Miss Vague/Mitzi Mozzarella/Rolfe DeWolfe)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
* Episode 11: While We're Young (Airdate: January 2nd 1993)
PLOT: Choo-Choo grows frustrated that he can't do the "Cooler" things the Rock-Afire Explosion can do and accidentally causes trouble because of his young age and wishes that he was grown up like the rest of the band. Soon enough, he believes his wish has been granted when he finds a new invention made by Looney Bird in his lab that can turn old items back to brand new ones and the other way around. But as Looney Bird let's Choo-Choo test out the machine, Choo-Choo gets so excited that he doesn't listen carefully on how to use it and accidentally breaks the invention. This results in Choo-Choo becoming a teenager like he wanted, but at the cost of the rest of the band aging down to kindergarten kids. As Choo-Choo slowly learns that being older isn't easier than being young and growing up needs to come naturally, he and the band need to fix the machine and reverse the experiment.
SONG: Part Of The Band (Vocals: Choo-Choo)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Young At Heart 
* Episode 12: Sax Geronimo (Airdate: January 9th 1993)
PLOT: After a wild and overly-passionate band rehearsal, Fatz's Tune Machine keyboard breaks while overheating and has to be repaired; Which leaves him without an instrument. Fortunately in the meantime, he is given a saxophone from the music room that he can use in shows and recordings until his Tune Machine is fixed. But quickly enough, Fatz starts to have trouble playing the saxophone and seems to be making mistake after mistake. This is only further shown by his loss of self-esteem due to the struggle of adapting to change and doing something different. With the help of his friends, Fatz will need to show some patience to change and embrace his mistakes for his practice to pay off and get his confidence back.
SONG: Long, Long Day (Vocals: Fatz Geronimo/Billy Bob/Mitzi Mozzarella)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Down In New Orleans
* Episode 13: Cheater, Cheater, Gadget Reeker (Airdate: January 16th 1993)
PLOT: An envious and bitter saboteur at the Florida Gadget Gizmo Expo-tition wrecks Looney Bird's reputation by devising a rule-breaking scheme that gets Looney Bird falsely accused of cheating and at risk of being disqualified from the contest. With Looney Bird slowly losing the whole expo's trust, the Rock-Afire Explosion must play detective and find the culprit behind the ploy if Looney Bird's innocence is to be proven and for the expo to lift his disqualification before the results are announced. But it won't be easy when the saboteur begins plotting other tricks to ensure that Looney Bird not only permanently loses the entire expo's trust, but also loses the band's trust as well.
SONG: Watch Out Or We'll Have No Clue (Vocals: Looney Bird/Billy Bob/Dook LaRue/Beach Bear/Fatz Geronimo/Mitzi Mozzarella/Rolfe DeWolfe/Earl Schmerle)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: I Will
* Episode 14: Family Matters (Airdate: January 23rd 1993)
PLOT: The Rock-Afire Explosion are invited all the way to Billy Bob's hometown Jackson, Tennessee for a Hard Luck Bears family reunion and jamboree. At the reunion the band meets all of the extended bear family and learns lots about their history and lives whilst the jamboree rages on. But what begins as a fun reunion party with the family overjoyed to see their relative and his friends again, turns complicated when tension arises between Billy Bob and his mother Mama Grandbags due to unreconciled feelings regarding the long separation. With help and advice from family and friends, the pair may have a way to resolve whatever loose ends they have with each other and finally put the past behind them so the reunion is a success. 
SONG: The Hard Luck Bears Motto (Vocals: Billy Bob/Hard Luck Bears)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Roast Beef Sandwich
* Episode 15: A Star Is Reborn (Airdate: January 30th 1993)
PLOT: A familiar talent scout takes a shine to Mitzi's performance after seeing the Rock-Afire Explosion perform on a TV talent show and offers her a chance to have her very own solo career. While this opportunity seems like a dream come true for Mitzi at first, she starts to have second thoughts when the scout turned manager tries to turn her into something she's not all for the fame and fortune; From her appearance, to her performance style; Causing her to miss her old friends and life. When Mitzi learns that by permanently moving to Los Angeles, California her popularity will skyrocket, she must follow her true heart and make a choice whether she will go and become a pop star or quit and return to the band. Meanwhile, the Rock-Afire Explosion catches on that Mitzi is unhappy with her solo pursuit and sees if they can get her back. 
SONG: A Rock-Afire Star (Vocals: Mitzi Mozzarella/Dook LaRue/Beach Bear/Fatz Geronimo) 
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Fire 
* Episode 16: Bad Luck Beach Bear (Airdate: February 6th 1993)
PLOT: Beach Bear begins to experience a series of non-stop unfortunate events that not only causes trouble for himself but for the band as well. This results in Beach Bear growing more distressed and becoming out of character, but insists on pretending that everything's fine to not worry his friends causing him to bottle up his emotions rather than being open about them. When this case of bad luck only gets worse and creates an awkward environment for everyone, Beach Bear has to admit things are not okay and release his emotions so that he can turn the day around for the better. Meanwhile, Dook LaRue and Looney Bird do their own investigation on what's causing this string of bad luck and how to end it.
SONG: Bad Luck Ballad (Vocals: Beach Bear/Dook LaRue/Looney Bird)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Framed
* Episode 17: Video Crash 2085: Starring Dook LaRue (Airdate: February 13th 1993)
PLOT: Dook LaRue uses his money to buy one of the most exciting RPG video games of the year "Starship Quest 2085". But Dook is so invested with the game that he becomes addicted to it and starts to play the game day and night; Resulting in him losing energy, focus and important practice time. The Rock-Afire Explosion seemed to have successfully gotten him to stop with the daily gaming until the band is teleported inside the game when they try to unplug the console. Realising the importance of video game moderation, it's up to Dook LaRue to take the lead and help the band win the game if they want to get back to the studio.
SONG: Energise (Vocals: Dook LaRue/Billy Bob/Beach Bear/Fatz Geronimo/Mitzi Mozzarella/Rolfe DeWolfe/Earl Schmerle/Looney Bird)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: 867-5309
* Episode 18: Critic-EARL (Airdate: February 20th 1993)
PLOT: Earl takes up the director role as well as Rolfe's place as self proclaimed "Manager" when Rolfe can't show up for a rock music video production due to a high fever and develops a bad habit of becoming too overly-critical about the band and their performances, to the point where he begins to unintentionally hurt some of his friends feelings. Losing production time and fed up with Earl's condemning attitude, the Rock-Afire Explosion decides to teach him a lesson about using criticism tactfully and show the same treatment when it's his time to be in the music video.
SONG: Show Some Respect (Vocals: Earl Schmerle/Billy Bob/Dook LaRue/Beach Bear/Fatz Geronimo/Mitzi Mozzarella)
RTV MUSIC VIDEO: Secret Agent Man
=== SEASON 2 ===
=== SEASON 3 ===
=== SEASON 4 ===
=== SPECIALS ===
== DEVELOPMENT/RELEASE ==
Early into the production of the New Rock-Afire Explosion concept, CEI agreed to make plans to advertise the new route of the animatronic band by partnering with DIC Entertainment to create a 25 minute long animated series to air via syndication as long as the CEI team were cooperative with the DIC writing and producing team. In return, CEI would be granted an equal amount of control on the series. All of the voices for the Rock-Afire Explosion would reprise their roles and work frequently on scripts, stories and music alongside the newly featured voices, writers and composers. The series premiered via syndication on October 24th 1992, with each episode containing 22 minutes of animated content as well as an extra 3 minute interstitial at the end of each episode called “RTV”, featuring the live animatronic version of the band performing a music video.
The popularity of the series was enough to spawn 4 seasons of 80 episodes and 2 hour long television specials as well as a variety of merchandise and promotional material. This included home videos, books and paperback items, albums, and a toy line from Hasbro; Made up of plush toys, articular mini figurines, articular fashion and gimmick dolls and play sets for both larger scale dolls and mini figurines. Despite the popularity however, it only pushed audiences to be interested in the old animatronics rather than the New Rock-Afire Explosion. The series would be completed in December 1995 and fully cease production in January 1996. Re-runs would continue before being taken off air in 2001, whilst merchandise would still be on sale until 1998.
== TOYLINE ==
=== YEAR 1 (1992) ===
* The first line of Rock-Afire Explosion fashion dolls titled “The Rock-Afire Explosion” was released in November 1992 with all 8 band members being produced and sold on store shelves. Each doll was fully articulated and included 2 fashions, 3 additional accessories, a hairbrush, a foldable cardboard backdrop, a CD of one of the band’s songs and a pamphlet with the song’s lyrics and the doll’s character bio. 
* Plush toys of all 8 band members were released in December 1992, each of them also including a character bio card.
=== YEAR 2 (1993) ===
Category:1992
Category:TV Series
Category:Animated Series
Category:Animated comedy television series
Category:Animated fantasy television series
Category:Animated Musical
Category:Musical
Category:Fantasy
Category:Comedy
Category:Animatronics
Category:DIC Entertainment
Category:American animated television series
Category:Canadian animated television series