The Rock-afire Explosion Show (Johnsonverse)

The Rock-afire Explosion Show is an animated comedy musical television series developed by Aaron Fechter, Burt Wilson, and Tim Johnson, based on the eponymous band by Fechter Creative Engineering, which plays at almost all ShowBiz Pizza Place locations worldwide with the exception of the Japanese states, as well as Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band from the Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant chain, and characters from the K-On! manga. All of the bands' voice actors reprise their roles.
Development began in April 2014 after the success of a series of animated specials released annually since 2003, though Fechter had floated the idea of an animated series based on the band in the late 1980s. It was officially announced at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con, alongside the first pieces of concept art for the show, and the first teaser was released in June 2016. The first season was released on Netflix on December 16, 2016.
The series has garnered praise for its animation, its voice acting and writing, and its songs. It has been renewed to a ninth season in 2024, and has been nominated for a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in 2018, 2019, and 2020, winning an award in 2019; it has also won an Annie for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children that year as well. Reruns of the series have aired on The Hub's daily schedule since 2018. The eighth season was released on December 20, 2023.
==Synopsis==
The Rock-afire Explosion goes on various adventures, sometimes with Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band and/or Ho-kago Tea Time, as well as other characters.
Each episode consists of one, two, or three segments: one starring the Rock-afire Explosion, and the other segments focusing on any of the other bands or specific characters, many of whom were created for the series. Between each segment is a short animated segment, some of which feature either the Rock-afire Explosion and/or other characters performing a brief song, or a fake commercial.
==Characters==
=== The Rock-afire Explosion ===
The core band of the series. The band hangs out in a house in the forest, and work at the ShowBiz Pizza Place next to it. They previously worked for ShowBiz from 1980 to 1992, when they refused to sell themselves to ShowBiz (who replaced them with Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band in response) and have returned since 2011, as well as the Looney Bird's chain from 1990 to 2012 and other restaurants such as Pistol Pete's Pizza and Billy Bob's Wonderland. Smitty's Super Service Station is right next to the house.
* Billy Bob Brockali (Aaron Fechter) - Billy Bob is the RAE's emcee. He is a kind, naïve bear clad in red and yellow overalls who owns a gas station known as Smitty's Super Service Station, in which he created a new, cheaper, consumable form of gas known as "Gasahol" to solve an energy crisis in the early 1980s, though drinking too much will result in inebriation.
* Looney Bird (Aaron Fechter) - Looney Bird is Billy Bob's sidekick who lives in an oil barrel; he is sometimes drunk on Gasahol and has a love of technology, working on machines in his barrel whenever he's not inebriated, such as a computer programming language that kids can understand and use.
* Fatz Geronimo (Burt Wilson from seasons 1 to 8, Jackson Bridges since season 9) - Fatz is the band's pianist, and a silverback gorilla. He is outspoken, commanding, and boisterous, but is shown to have a softer side as well.
* Beach Bear (Rick Bailey) - The band's guitarist. Beach Bear is a polar bear who is usually calm and laid back, as well as sarcastic. Oftentimes, he is the only sane person in the group along with Crusty and Jasper in Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band and Mio in Ho-kago Tea Time.
* Dook LaRue (Duke Chauppetta) - The band's drummer. Dook is a brown mongrel dog with astronaut aspirations who is normally very slow-witted (to the point where he once managed to burn a glass of water he poured), is often the butt of jokes, and tends to lose focus during the shows, causing him to miss his cues. He is fond of his cub friend Choo-Choo and his nameless pet owl, as well as a ceramic Dalmatian named Dolly (which he treats as a living being) that he purchased from a former Wheel of Fortune contestant.
* Uncle Klunk (Jeff Howell) - The only human member, Uncle Klunk is the primary backup singer and a recurring guest during their performances. He is goofy and eccentric, but well-meaning. He often warns people not to smoke Crayolas.
* Mitzi Mozzarella Jr. (Sarah Locke) - The daughter of former vocalist Mitzi Mozzarella, Mitzi Jr., though wearing a similar (but not identical) wardrobe to that of her mother, is more independent, and can also play guitar when she wants to. In addition, much as her mother was obsessed with Michael Jackson music in the 1980s, Mitzi Jr. is obsessed with Steam Powered Giraffe, which has made a guest appearance on the series in a few episodes, as well as in ShowBiz Pizza Place locations in the Japanese States. She is also the only character, aside from her mother, who regularly ages; she's 15 at the beginning of the series.
* Mitzi Mozzarella Sr. (Shalisa Sloan James) - Mitzi Jr.'s mother, and the original Mitzi from the 1980s. A retired member of the band who has had a successful solo career, Mitzi Sr. is the only other character who regularly ages, being 45 at the beginning of the series. She occasionally joins in with the band during their songs.
* Rolfe DeWolfe (Aaron Fechter) - Rolfe DeWolfe is the resident comedian wolf and the band's unofficial manager who is a clueless, greedy, and arrogant jerk to almost any character, to the point where he is the only character Fatz threatened to break the neck of, and Ho-Kago Tea Time barely tolerates him, but beneath that, Rolfe is a geek with a fondness for disco, unaware that disco is no longer in vogue. He is also an aspiring impressionist, though his Fatz voice is considered subpar at best.
* Earl Schmerle (Aaron Fechter) - Earl is Rolfe's sentient ventriloquist dummy. He is always Rolfe's biggest critic, leading to spats between the duo. He would much rather be with his other partner, Ui Hirasawa.
*Fernando Fox (Shawn Fernandez) - A fox who serves as another backup singer and was added in 2015. He is named after his voice actor, Shawn Fernandez.
* Sun (Burt Wilson from seasons 1 to 8, Jackson Bridges since season 9) - The Sun is a backup singer, along with the Moon, with a mellow, peace-keeper attitude. He can change his voice at will.
** Singing voices for Sun: Aaron Fechter, Burt Wilson (seasons 1 to 8), Jackson Bridges (since season 9)
* Moon (Burt Wilson in the Rock-afire Explosion from seasons 1 to 8, Jackson Bridges in the Rock-afire Explosion since season 9, Chris Hill in Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band) - The Moon is a backup singer, along with the Sun; he is depicted as snippy and obsessed with propriety. He can also change his voice at will. The Moon is also a member of Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band.
** Singing voices for Moon: Jeff Howell, Shawn Fernandez, Rick Bailey, Burt Wilson
* Antioch (Burt Wilson) - Fatz's pet spider who loves birthday parties and cakes, and was named after the former Antioch Center in Kansas City, Missouri, which housed the first ShowBiz Pizza Place location. He often speaks in garbles.
* Click (Burt Wilson from seasons 1 to 8, Jackson Bridges since season 9) - Klunk's bird sidekick.
* J-Fatz (short for Jordan Fatz) (Burt Wilson from seasons 1 to 8, Jackson Bridges since season 9) - Fatz's monkey cousin who appears in several episodes.
* The Owl, Choo-Choo, Frog, Bad Frog, and Birthday Bird - All silent characters who participate in the band's performances. The Owl is Dook's pet owl who resides in a stump. Choo-Choo is a bear cub who lives in a stump; his purpose is to dance to the band's music. Frog is a frog who sits on Beach Bear's surfboard, in front of him. Bad Frog is Frog's evil brother who is chained into a "Used and Abused Tars" sign next to Smitty's Super Service Station. Birthday Bird is Billy Bob's pet bird who is perched on his banjo guitar and loves listening to Billy Bob's music.
* Fake Uncle Klunks (Bill Farmer and Shawn Fernandez) - Klunk's imposters who replaced him in ShowBiz locations. The first one was recast with Bill Farmer, as Klunk's voice actor in the used showtape is unknown.
* Hannah Banana (Beki Russo) - A Welsh monkey.
=== Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band ===
Originally known as the Pizza Time Players from 1977 to 1991 and Munch's Make-Believe Band from 1989 to 2013, Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band plays at Chuck E. Cheese's locations. They have a friendly rivalry with the Rock-afire Explosion.
* Chuck E. Cheese (Duncan Brannan) - The frontman. Chuck E. is a friendly and energetic rat from New Jersey who loves entertaining children.
* Crusty T. Cat (Jaret Reddick) - The lead guitarist and manager, as well as Chuck E.'s foil. Crusty has a no-nonsense attitude and a dry sense of humor, to the point where many of his sentences are some sort of snarky comment.
* Helen Henny (Karlisa Burleson) - The bassist. Helen is a spunky Broadway actress interested in fashion and romance, and is in a relationship with Chuck E.; she was a cheerleader in high school. Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band: The Movie reveals that she is also an expert in Japanese martial arts, much to her friends' surprise.
* Mr. Munch (John Bowen) - The keyboardist (and frontman in the Munch's Make-Believe Band days). Mr. Munch is an alien from Planet Purple who is slow and dim-witted, but is well-meaning and has a good heart. His favorite food is pizza, and Munch can be seen eating leftover pizza slices from the trash in several scenes. He once even ate a slice of pizza off the ground after Ritsu and Mio discovered he had mistaken an electrical box for a crisper.
* Jasper T. Jowls (Jeremy Blaido) - The banjo player. Jasper is a sarcastic dog from Tennessee who is best friends with Chuck E.
* Pasqually P. Pieplate (Earl Fisher) - The band's accordion player. Pasqually is an Italian chef who also owns Pasqually's Pizza, a restaurant in New York City. He is a high-class man with a preference for opera, but is also an aspiring comedian who is somehow even worse than Rolfe, to the point where Rolfe himself calls out Pasqually for this in the episode "America's Unfunniest Hacks", and defeated him in an impromptu comedy contest in the Concept Division Premiere showtape.
* Harmony Howlette (Annagrey Wiechman) - The drummer. Harmony is a confident, assertive, tomboyish coyote from Texas. She is a sheriff and rodeo star who isn't afraid to make sassy remarks, and tends to howl during songs and when she's excited. She is also great at fighting and lifting heavy objects.
* Tati Truong (Gabby Hoeng) - The tambourine player. Tati is a Vietnamese-American monkey who joined who joined the band at the beginning of 2018 and thus made her series debut in the third season. She is friendly, shy, and sensitive, but can get assertive, and loves baking and engineering.
*Bella B. Conejita (Jessica Puente) - The saxophone player. Bella (who often goes by Bella B.) is a young, wheelchair-bound Paraguayan rabbit who joined the band at the beginning of 2018 and thus made her series debut in the third season. She was introduced to Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band by Helen and Harmony, and was officially invited into the band after they were impressed by her musical and singing skills. She tends to burn herself out easily due to overworking herself with school, studying, and performing, and is slightly neurotic and confrontational. She also doesn't like it when Munch eats her paintings, ruining her hard work.
*Building (Stephanie Nadolny) - A talking skyscraper.
* Munch Jr. (John Bowen) - Munch's little brother.
*The Warblettes (Wendy, Whitney and Wilma) (Kate Bristol as Wendy, Tia Ballard as Whitney, and Taylor Fono as Wilma) - The Warblettes are a trio of birds who sing backup. Wendy is egotistical (though she has moments of kindness), Whitney is kind and sensitive, and Wilma is ditzy and klutzy.
*The Mopsey Sisters (Mary, Melody, and Miley) (Stephanie Sheh as Mary, Kira Buckland as Melody, and Clarine Harp as Miley) - The Mopsey Sisters are a trio of antropormorphic mops who also sing backup.
*The Singing Flowers (Karen, Sharen, Brooklyn, Susan, Teryn, Jordyn, Fallon, and Angela) (Kate Bristol) - The Singing Flowers are a group of flowers who also sing backup.
* Artie Antlers (Mike Pollock) - A piano-playing moose with a deep, soulful voice.
* Sally Sashay (Cree Summer) - A disco-singing skunk who hates when people make jokes about her "perfume". She is painfully behind the times, as disco has long been dead, but she still believes it to be in style. As a result, her only fan is Rolfe, and Ritsu has taken to calling her "Disco Sue" (after the Simpsons character Disco Stu).
* B.B. Bubbles (Jeannie Elias) - A pink circus elephant who is always prone to giggling.
* Foxy Colleen (Jade Yourell) - A sweet, soft-spoken Irish fox who leads a marching band.
* Madame Oink (Shannon Emerick) - A sultry French pig and fashion designer who often snorts whenever someone tells a joke.
* Josie Jaguar (Carolina Ravassa) - A Colombian jaguar who is an energetic rocker. She is the leader of the Wild J's, a rock band that also consists of Jamie (a caracal, on drums), Jeffrey (a leopard, on bass), and Jimmy (a lynx, on keyboard).
* Zora Zhang (Stephanie Sheh) - A Chinese sable who reads poetry.
* Alli Amaki (Janice Kawaye) - A macaque from the Japanese isles who is a successful J-pop singer.
* Haven Henny (Caroline Taylor) - Helen's younger sister. She is much more tomboyish than Helen and is interested in video games and rock music. As a child, Haven often played with action figures instead of "silly" dolls. Haven is based on a proposed redesign of Helen that was pitched in 2014, to update her for a modern audience by making her a tomboyish gamer, before Harmony was added as a permanent member.
* Steve Waters (Ryan Hollingsworth) - Pasqually’s vocal coach. Steve acts and dresses like a stereotypical hippie or surfer. His catchphrase is an elongated "BLUE!".
* Simon Stoat (Bryan James) - A young, autistic stoat with aspirations of becoming a magician.
* Bobby Bear (Dave Walser) - A man in a bear suit.
*Wolfman Zapp (Matt Daniel) - The hammy and overdramatic but good-natured stage manager and mascot of a long-gone adult-oriented chain founded by Pizza Time Theatre in the early 1980s.
*Larry the Technician (Duncan Brannan) - Larry is a bumbling technician who works backstage for Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band. He is Jewish.
*Treggie Twang (Stephanie Nadolny) - Treggie is a tarantula who handles the sound effects and special effects for Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band. She has the ability to produce sounds with her mouth similarly to Michael Winslow.
*Dr. Dux (Duncan Brannan) - The resident scientist, who has built a number of machines.
*Pepperoni (Frank Welker) - Chuck E.'s (non-anthropomorphic) pet dog.
* Copernicus (Frank Welker) - Chuck E.'s (non-anthropomorphic) pet cat.
* Pizzacam (Christopher Sabat) - A camera who inhabits a speakerbox. Looney Bird thinks he's copying his style (referencing how Looney's animatronic was retrofitted as Pizzacam during Concept Unification), and is his (one-sided) arch-nemesis.
*Reggie Bird (Earl Fisher) - Chuck E.'s parrot who is perched on top of a speakerbox.
=== Ho-kago Tea Time ===
Founded in 2009 as the Light Music Club at Sakuragaoka High School, an all-girls school in the Tokyo area, Ho-kago Tea Time (or HTT for short) is the oddball among the three main bands, in that they are all humans and relatively "normal". They frequently play a "Straight Man" role to the insanity around them, by which they are unfazed unless one of them is causing the insanity; they are even immune to slapstick, an example being an anvil dropped by Sappy Fox harmlessly falling off Mio's head as if it were a pillow; despite this, they are not immune to any slapstick inflicted on each other. They also have the ability to change their voices at will to sound like anyone past and present, an ability that Looney Bird has been investigating but never found an answer for. Looney Bird is also investigating the fact they haven't seemed to age since they graduated high school, again being unable to find an answer beyond some of the energy given off by the Project Hercules process leaking over from the Detective Jenny universe, and the girls don't seem to notice.
* Yui Hirasawa (Stephanie Sheh) - The lead guitarist and vocalist of the band. Yui is somewhat air-headed and lazy, but anyone be hard-pressed to find a nicer person. Her very presence can defuse an argument, as she's too innocent for anyone to want to harm her. On the rare occasion she does get genuinely angry, everyone cowers in fear. She also has an unusually high metabolism, as she can eat vast quantities of junk food and still walk away effortlessly. Despite her air-headedness, she is an excellent guitarist, able to play Slash's solo from Sweet Child O' Mine flawlessly.
* Ritsu Tainaka (Cassandra Lee Morris) - The band's drummer and self-appointed president of the Light Music Club. She is the source of fun and encouragement in her band. She also finds herself constantly reminding people that the "t" in her name is silent.
* Mio Akiyama (Cristina Valenzuela) - The band's bassist and second vocalist, Mio is mature but cowardly, is very shy, and can be a tsundere towards Ritsu often, but in truth, is madly in love with her.
* Tsumugi "Mugi" Kotobuki (Shelby Lindley) - The keyboardist. Mugi is wealthy and gentle, and serves as the "team mom" to the group. Despite her soft exterior, Mugi is actually very strong, once beating Fatz at arm-wrestling with absolutely no effort and ending Tina Tiger's winning streak, developing a friendly rivalry with the latter in the process.
* Azusa Nakano (Christine Marie Cabanos) - The rhythm guitarist of the band. Despite being modest and having no self-esteem, she is superior to her senior Yui at playing guitar, or so she thought until hearing Yui play Slash's solo from Sweet Child O' Mine flawlessly.
* Ui Hirasawa (Xanthe Huynh) - Yui's younger sister (they're so identical that both Beach Bear and Jasper think they're twins, and Ui is lying about her birthday). She is a more skilled and mature version of her sister, though she's often more seen doing comedy acts with Earl (all based on a single scene in a first season episode of K-On!); he much prefers performing with Ui over Rolfe, mainly because Ui isn't an idiotic jerk, to the point he usually calls her "Good Rolfe".
* Jun Suzuki (Michelle Ann Dunphy) - Azusa and Ui's classmate. She is generally playful and easygoing, but can be rude without realizing it.
* Nodoka Manabe (Laura Bailey) - Yui's childhood friend, Nodoka is a member of the Sakuragaoka High School's student council. She is polite and smart for her age.
*Sumire Saitō (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) - 
* Nao Okuda (Michelle Ruff) -
=== The Moonrockers ===
An alien rock band that lives on the moon, as their name suggests, and works at an advanced rocket ship there. They attempted to make it big in the late 1980s as clients of Fechter Creative Engineering, but were unsuccessful. They currently play at Moon Rockin' Pizza.
* Admiral Orc (Burt "Sal" Wilson) - The band's keyboardist and frontman, and the alien version of Fatz. Like Fatz, Orc is boisterous with a commanding presence, but has a softer side as well.
* Ozone (Duke Chauppetta) - The band's drummer, and the alien version of Dook. Like Dook, Ozone is slow and dim-witted.
* Quasar (Max) - The laser guitar player, and the alien version of Beach Bear. Like Beach Bear, Quasar is laid-back and loves surfing. His favorite food is lizards.
* Princess Hayley (BJ) - The band's vocalist, and the alien version of Mitzi Sr. Like Mitzi Sr. in the 1980s, Hayley is obsessed with gossip, boyfriends, and music.
*Keswek (Aaron Fechter) - The band's emcee, and the alien version of Billy Bob.
*Abaden (Aaron Fechter) - Keswek's sidekick, and the alien version of Looney Bird.
*Dober and Dobard (Aaron Fechter) - The alien versions of Rolfe and Earl; Dobard is Dober's right hand.
* Molgama and Sismis - Silent characters who are the alien versions of Choo-Choo and Antioch, respectively. Molgama is a rock baby who lives in a crater and dances to the Moonrockers' music, and Sismis is Orc's pet bat.
=== Rockers' Zoo ===
A rival band to the Rock-afire Explosion.
* Chuck Buffy (Arif Zahir) - The guitar-playing frontman, and a buffalo parody of Chuck Berry.
* Bering Holiday (Jenny Yokobori) - A stoat who is the female vocalist and a parody of Bertha Holiday.
* Bingo Sloth (Jess Harnell) - A sloth who is the drummer and a parody of Ringo Starr.
* Johnny Quokson (Tom Kenny) - A quokka comedian and the band's emcee who is a parody of Johnny Carson.
* Ann Pangolini (Lacey Chabert) - A pangolin magician. Her rabbit is named Harry Hare.
* Harry Hare (Tom Kenny) - A rabbit who heckles Pangolini.
=== Rick Rat and his Party Time Group ===
A knockoff of Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band. They are extremely arrogant and believe themselves to be superior to Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band, even though they're all horrible musicians and even worse singers who get by on lip-syncing to pre-existing CEPTB material (they tried defending the latter by saying Ho-kago Tea Time also lip-syncs, only to quickly be proven wrong). Because of this, they were frequently hired by Mike Wolf when Ducky Cheese and Justin Beaver were either busy or recovering in the hospital after getting beaten up by Fatz or Harmony.
* Rick Rat (Duncan Brannan) is the frontman, and is Chuck E.'s knockoff.
* Crosby Catterson (Jaret Reddick) is the band's lead guitarist and Crusty's knockoff.
* Chicky Dee (Annagrey Wiechman) is the band's bassist and Helen's knockoff.
* Sir McEater (John Bowen) is the band's keyboardist and Munch's knockoff.
* Austin T. (Texas) Barker (Jeremy Blaido) is the band's banjo player and Jasper's knockoff.
* Patrizio P. Pizzapie (Earl Fisher) is the band's accordion player and Pasqually's knockoff.
* Connie Ote (Kira Vincent-Davis) is the band's drummer and Harmony's knockoff.
* Teresa Tang (Gabby Hoeng) is the band's tambourinist and Tati's knockoff.
* Bertha Bunny (Jessica Puente) is the band's saxophone player and Bella's knockoff.
=== The Hard Luck Bears ===
A band of bears who preceded the Rock-afire Explosion, founded in 1978. The band was one of Creative's early talents.
* Billy Wilbur, Billy Bill, Billy Boy, Billy Bob, Pete and Repeat Thornsberry, Mama Granbags, and Gooney Bird (Aaron Fechter) - Billy Wilbur is Billy Bob's long-lost half-brother. He is the guitarist for the band. Billy Bill is the band's pianist. Billy Bob (not related to the bear on The Rock-afire Explosion) is the washtub bassist. Pete and Repeat Thornsberry are brothers who formerly worked at Smitty's Super Service Station until it was sold to Billy Bob in 1980. Mama Granbags is the mother of Billy Wilbur, Billy Bill, Billy Boy and Billy Bob. Gooney Bird is Looney's brother.
===The Florida Critters===
An early Creative band, formerly known as the Confederate Critter Show. Once a cult favorite, they were forced to play in obscure, run-down clubs after the backlash against the Confederate flag in 2015, and were forced to rebrand (and ditch their Confederate uniforms) to keep playing.
* Mosby Greyhound III (Aaron Fechter) - The piano player. Greyhound is Friendly Freddy's identical twin brother.
*Cornelius Bearpatch (Aaron Fechter) - The guitar player.
* Stonewall J. Fox (Aaron Fechter) - The banjo player.
===Wolf Pack 5===
The Rock-afire Explosion's predecessor, the Wolf Pack 5 played at the first ShowBiz Pizza Place location in the Antioch Shopping Center in March 1980, as The Rock-afire Explosion wasn't ready yet, though Billy Bob was allowed to interact with customers despite not being allowed on stage. Beach Bear was the only member carried over to The Rock-afire Explosion.
* Fats Gorilla (Burt "Sal" Wilson) - Fats was the band's pianist. He was replaced by his cousin Fatz Geronimo when it was retooled into the current band.
* Queenie Fox Sr. (Shalisa Sloan James) - Queenie was another Wolf Pack 5 member, and the female vocalist. She later married the Wolfman, and had a son named Rolfe, as well as a daughter (also named Queenie) who wears a schoolgirl dress.
* Queenie Fox Jr. (Shalisa Sloan James) - Queenie II replaced her mother when the latter became the head chef of the first ShowBiz Pizza Place. One day, after the executives of ShowBiz decided they wanted a mouse in the band to compete with Pizza Time Theatre, she was reluctantly laid off.
* The Wolfman (Aaron Fechter) - The Wolfman was another member of the Wolf Pack 5; he was replaced by his half-brother Rolfe and his ventriloquist dummy Earl in the Rock-afire Explosion.
* Dingo Starr (Duke Chaupetta) - Dingo was another member of the Wolf Pack 5, and was the band's drummer. He was replaced by his cousin Dook LaRue. His name comes from the fact he does a mediocre impersonation of Ringo Starr, even when not performing.
* Mini Mozzarella (Aaron Fechter) - Mitzi Sr.'s older sister who was a member of the Wolf Pack 5, briefly replacing Queenie Jr., before falling ill; her sister was initially a stand-in during early rehearsals for the Rock-afire Explosion, before Mini decided to let her sister permanently replace her after seeing Mitzi Sr.'s talents as better than her own, though she always cheers Mitzi Sr. and her niece Mitzi Jr. on.
=== Bowling for Fish ===
A rock band that Crusty is also the frontman of, Bowling for Fish is a parody of Bowling for Soup (which Crusty's voice actor, Jaret Reddick, is a member of).
* Syl (Chris Burney) - The guitarist. He is named after the Looney Tunes character Sylvester.
* Heath (Gary Wiseman) - The drummer/percussionist. Heath is named after the comic strip character Heathcliff.
* Lorenzo (Rob Felicetti) - The current bassist who replaced Cliff in 2019. He is named after Garfield's voice actor, Lorenzo Music.
* Cliff (Erik Chandler) - The former bassist until his 2019 departure. Like Heath, Cliff is also named after Heathcliff.
=== Banjo Billy's Band ===
A group of ex-Pizza Time Theatre performers hired by Mike Wolf to plagiarize the Rock-afire Explosion's names and material.
* Banjo Billy (Jeremy Blaido)
* Mitzi the Bunny (Annagrey Wiechman)
* Fatz the Bull (John Bowen)
* Beach Bird (Duncan Brannan)
* Dook the Elephant (Earl Fisher)
==== The Beagles ====
A parody of the Beatles formed in 1960. They were popular in the mid-1960s during "Beaglemania".
* John Leashon (Jess Harnell) - The founder, rhythm guitarist, and co-lead vocalist, and a parody of John Lennon.
* Paul McBarkney (Quinton Flynn) - The bassist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist, and a parody of Paul McCartney.
* George Hairison (Cam Clarke) - The lead guitarist, and a parody of George Harrison.
* Dingo Starr (Jess Harnell) - The drummer and sometime lead vocalist, and a parody of Ringo Starr who also moonlighted with the Wolf Pack 5.
=== The Beach Bowzers ===
A parody of the Beach Boys formed in 1961. Their egotistical frontman Mike Pug and their bassist Boston Wilson wrote many classic surf songs such as "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfin' USA".
* Mike Pug (TBA) - The band's frontman, and a parody of Mike Love. Mike is talentless and egotistical, relying on Boston and the other members to make his band work; this characterization is a jab at Love.
* Boston Wilson (Tim Johnson) - The band's bassist and keyboardist, and a parody of Brian Wilson.
* Al Jindo (TBA) - The band's rhythm guitarist, and a parody of Al Jardine.
* Cairn Wilson (TBA) - The band's lead guitarist, and a parody of Carl Wilson.
* Dachshund Wilson (TBA) - The band's drummer and backing vocalist, and a parody of Dennis Wilson.
*Basenji Johnston (TBA) - Joining late into their original run, Johnston is the bassist and keyboardist. He was uncredited on the first few albums he appeared on beacause he was (at the time) signed to a rival record label. He is a parody of Bruce Johnston.
*David Malchi (Tom Kenny) - Childhood friend of the Wilson brothers, David Malchi was the band's rhythm guitarist until Al Jindo replaced him in 1963 due to Malchi having falling out with the band's original manager. He is a parody of David Marks.
*Mastiff Wilson (TBA) - The band's original manager who was the band's manager from 1961-1965. He was fired in 1965 due to him being the Wilson Brothers' abusive father, who also has a glass eye. The Wilson Brothers disowned him as their father during their audition for Pizza Time Theatre in 1985 (twenty years after they fired Mastiff). They disowned him because they couldn't accept the fact that Mastiff gave the band most of their early success. He is a parody of The Beach Boys' real life former manager and the Wilson Brothers' real life abusive father, Murray Wilson.
=== The Fake Beach Bowsers ===
Bad soundalikes who replaced the real Beach Bowzers for their second showtape in 1991.
* Fake Mike Pug (TBA)
* Fake Boston Wilson (TBA)
* Fake Al Jindo (TBA)
* Fake Cairn Wilson (TBA)
* Fake Dachshund Wilson (TBA)
=== The Monkeys ===
A parody of The Monkees formed in 1966 as a parody of The Beagles. The Monkeys starred in a TV show from 1966-1967.
* Macaque Nesmith (Duncan Brannan) - The band's frontman and lead guitarist, and the John Leashon parody of the Monkeys. In real life, he is a parody of Michael Nesmith.
* Marmoset Dolenz (Earl Fisher) - The band's keyboardist and drummer and The Monkeys' Paul McBarkney parody. In real life, he is a parody of Mickey Dolenz.
* David Jones (TBA) - The band's tambourine player and rhythm guitarist and The Monkeys' parody of George Hairison. In real life, he is a parody of Davy Jones.
* Proboscis Tork (TBA) - The band's keyboardist and Dingo Starr parody. In real life, he is a parody of Peter Tork.
=== The Four Little Shavers ===
* Nolan (Dave Willis)
* O'Nolan (Dana Snyder)
* Curly (Carey Means)
* McNolan (Matt Maiellaro)
=== Fake-afire Explosion ===
Talentless look-alikes for the RAE hired by ShowBiz Pizza Time in the 1980s to play at stores during tensions between the RAE and ShowBiz. While they look just like the RAE, their impressions of the regular performers are subpar at best, and some of their personalities (such as Rolfe and Earl's) are wrong; they are also very idiotic, seemingly living in their own reality where nothing bad ever happens, and when something bad does happen, it's usually because of their own stupidity, and they blame a nonexistent villain whose name is constantly changing. Fake Rolfe and Fake Earl would later perform in place of the real ones during Concept Unification as the stage was prepared for Munch's Make-Believe Band.
* Fake Billy Bob Brockali (Bob West)
* Fake Looney Bird (Tom Kenny)
* Fake Fatz Geronimo (Kevin Michael Richardson)
* Fake Dook LaRue (Tom Kenny)
* Fake Beach Bear (Keith Ferguson)
* Fake Mitzi Mozzarella (Grey Griffin)
* Fake Rolfe DeWolfe (Joe Conti)
* Fake Earl Schmerle (Tom Kenny)
=== The Fazbear Band ===
Freddy Fazbear's band from the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise that appears in certain episodes (mainly Halloween or horror-themed episodes). Unlike their video game counterparts, they're much friendlier and more fleshed-out. Their animatronics also appear in the horror-themed episodes, with the real Freddy and his band openly terrified by them.
* Freddy Fazbear (Xander Mobus) is the frontman.
* Bonnie (AJ Pinkerton) is the band's guitarist.
* Chica (Sarah Anne Williams) is the backup singer.
* Foxy (David King) is a stereotypical pirate.
===Other characters===
*Charlie (Aaron Fechter) - Larry's counterpart at ShowBiz Pizza Place. Unlike Larry, Charlie is never seen, his voice is always muffled, and he is much more competent.
*Mr. Cheese (Scott Wilson) - Chuck E.'s father.
*Mrs. Cheese (Patty Wirtz) - Chuck E.'s mother.
*The King (Jeff Bennett) - The King is a lion parody of Elvis Presley.
*Michael Katzon (Phil LaMarr) - Michael Katzon is a lion parody of Michael Jackson, and The King's twin brother. He is often nicknamed "King Kat".
*Glen Camel (Maurice LaMarche) - Glen Camel is a camel parody of Glen Campbell.
*Artie Antlers (Mike Pollock) - Artie is a classical rock piano-playing moose.
*Elkton John (Rob Paulsen) - Elkton John is an elk parody of Elton John.
*Dolli Dimples (Kimberly Brooks) - Dolli is a Mae West-esque hippo who plays the piano and often makes double entendres.
* Hugo Hamster (Frank Welker) - Hugo is a ditzy hamster who is surprisingly knowledgeable on cheese, having memorized various different types and regions.
*Ronaldo "Ronnie" Sagittarian (Earl Fisher) - Ronnie is an interdimensional unicorn and Nigel's roommate. An egotistical, borderline narcissistic jerk who constantly insults nicer characters (though the one time he insulted Yui, he made her cry, and was savagely beaten by Mugi in retaliation), Ronnie is talented at tap dancing.
*Dino Summer (Frank Welker, stock vocal effects) - Dino is a disco-singing dinosaur. Unfortunately, she can only speak in roars, making her unintelligible to anyone who isn't another dinosaur. Her roars are stock vocal effects of Rexy from Jurassic Park.
* Betty (Jeremy Blaido) - Betty is the fast-talking host of a cooking show, Baking with Betty.
* Hard Hat Hank (Matt Daniel) - A handyman.
* Zoey (Ryan Hollingsworth) - Hank's assistant.
*Nigel the Sasquatch (Matt Daniel) - Nigel is a sasquatch who lives with Ronnie in an apartment. His girlfriend is Nessie, the "Loch Ness Monster".
*Nessie (Stephanie Nadolny) - Nessie is Nigel's girlfriend and the legendary "Loch Ness Monster".
*Phil (Eric Neal) - Phil is a giant armadillo Pasqually is friends with. Like Pasqually, Phil has an interest in opera.
*Marvin the Technology Guru (Matt Daniel) - Marvin is a technology expert for Chuck E. and friends.
*Charlie Rockit (Jeremy Blaido) - Charlie is a guitar-playing, cheerful 12-year-old boy who lives in a farm.
*Mike Wolf (Fred Tatasciore, speaking voice; Jim Cummings, singing voice) - Mike Wolf is Justin Beaver and Ducky Cheese's manager, and the main antagonist of the series in the first five seasons. He made a powerful enemy in Ho-kago Tea Time when he impersonated Rolfe and set off the "Magic Night Incident" by insulting Mio during her emotional breakdown following the playing of "Puff the Magic Dragon", and to this day, the normally sweet-natured girls harbor a collective psychotic loathing for him and his associates. He was defeated by Ritsu in the movie and brought before the international courts in The Hague when his plot to take over the world and exterminate all humans was discovered.
*Justin Beaver (Earl Fisher) - Justin is a beaver parody of Justin Bieber and one of Mike's former clients. His shrill, grating voice and egotistical demeanor earns him the scorn of others, with Crusty and Jasper nicknaming him "Just-Ain't Beaver" and Ritsu exclusively referring to him as "Jerkface" or "Jerky McJerkface" (and noting that she's barred from calling him much more profane names due to the series being family-friendly).
*Ducky Cheese (Duncan Brannan) - Ducky is the other of Mike's clients. He can't speak English, only speaking in quacks that no one except Looney Bird can understand (and even then, Looney Bird mistranslates his quacks to screw with Mike), leading many to question his appeal. Unlike Justin Beaver, who is egotistical and self-centered, Ducky bears no ill will towards Chuck E.; because of this, the Ho-kago Tea Time members don't show as much hatred for him as Mike and Justin and actually respect him, and it's implied that Ducky was forced to work for Mike in the first place.
* Dr. Destructenheimer (Dan Green) - Dr. Destructenheimer is a mad scientist who first appeared in intermissions in 2016 as a secondary antagonist to Mike. After Mike's defeat in the movie, he took over as the main antagonist for the sixth season, seeking to open a portal in space and time and unleash the villains of other Johnson timelines, completely unaware of the Pandora's Box he would unleash by having the combined forces of Teto Kasane, Black Scorpion, and the Decepticons (to name a few) in his timeline (though Nodoka theorizes that these factions would have clashing goals and fight each other).
*Mike Manley (Jeremy Blaido) - Mike is a news reporter for CEC TV News.
*Wick Ladderback (Duncan Brannan) - Wick is Mike's co-host. He never actually seems to hear Mike and often has no clue that he's in a news broadcast.
*Happy Fox (Joe Alaskey) - Happy is a trickster fox who is a send-up to Bugs Bunny and other "wacky trickster" characters of the Golden Age of Animation.
* Sappy Fox (Jeff Bergman) - Sappy is Happy's foil. Unlike the fun-loving Happy, Sappy is sullen and deadpan, and is a send-up to Daffy Duck.
* Darvin Thomas (Dan Castellaneta) - Darvin is a self-proclaimed "evil genius for hire".
*Esmeralda Jones (Cat Ridgeway) - Esmeralda is Fatz' longtime girlfriend. Often mentioned in past Rock-afire Explosion shows, she made her first physical appearance in the third season episode "Esmeralda", in which she is revealed to be a monkey.
* Sammy Squirrel (Tom Kenny) - Sammy is a guitar-playing squirrel who tries besting Chuck E.... only to constantly get hindered by his very high-pitched voice (which Crusty says makes Alvin and the Chipmunks sound like the Terminator by comparison) and equally high-pitched guitar noises.
*Tina Tiger (Stephanie Lemelin) - Tina is a brash tiger and cunning fighter. She was notably defeated by Mugi as part of a bet in one episode.
*Jason Jaws (Gilbert Gottfried from Seasons 1 to 6, Rob Paulsen since Season 7) is a short-tempered, obnoxious dwarf from New York.
* Caesar (Atticus Shaffer) - Caesar is a sarcastic winged lion who is the Prince of the Giggly Forest.
* Barney Bearing (Patton Oswalt) - Barney is a fan of the Rock-afire Explosion and a self-admitted geek.
* Uncle Pappy (Duncan Brannan) - Uncle Pappy is an elderly man who teaches life lessons in the form of songs.
* Friendly Freddy (Aaron Fechter) - Freddy is a black bear who plays a guitar. He was one of Creative's earliest talents.
* Santa Claus (Burt "Sal" Wilson) - Santa Claus is a guest member in Christmas episodes. He bears an uncanny resemblance to Uncle Klunk, referencing the fact that Klunk's animatronic is retrofitted into Santa for the holidays (Klunk himself has washed his hands of any resemblance between them).
* Jack Cracker III (Anthony Anderson) - Jack is the owner of Crackerjack Field who appears in the season 4 episode "Batter Up!" and a few other episodes.
* Peter and Ivan (Duncan Brannan) - Two actors who played the X-Pilots in Chuck E. Cheese in the Galaxy 5000. Unlike their depiction in said film, they're friends with Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band.
===Guest stars===
* Steven Seagull (Will Sasso) - Steven is an obese seagull and a washed-up action movie star who, among other things, sits around a lot in his movies and never does any of his own stunts. He is a parody of actor Steven Seagal, and his voice actor (Will Sasso) previously portrayed Seagal on MadTV.
* Edward Peters (Seth MacFarlane) - Edward is a club singer and Rolfe's rival. Unlike the egotistical Rolfe, Edward is nice and laid-back.
* Texas Tom (Norm Macdonald) - Texas Tom is an actor from Texas who is based heavily on Burt Reynolds. Norm Macdonald voiced the character as a nod to his portrayal of Reynolds on the Celebrity Jeopardy! sketches from Saturday Night Live. Tom was relegated to a background character after the sixth season due to Macdonald's 2021 death.
* Phantom Man (Adam West) - Phantom Man is an elderly superhero who serves as a parody of Batman. His grasp on reality is tenuous. He was relegated to non-speaking roles after the second season due to the death of his voice actor, Adam West, with his sidekick Luna Boy doing all the talking with Phantom Man's vocal effects being provided by other uncredited voice actors.
*Luna Boy (Burt Ward) - Luna Boy is Phantom Man's sidekick who serves as a parody of Robin.
*Doctor Boom (Mark Hamill) - Doctor Boom is Phantom Man's arch-nemesis.
*Jimmy Tamelli (Michael Imperioli) - Jimmy is the Don of the notorious Tamelli Crime Family (whose activities include playing childish pranks such as ding-dong-ditching).
* Old Betsy (Betty White) - Old Betsy is an elderly woman who runs a pottery shop, but also isn't afraid to put up a fight. She was retired after the fifth season due to the death of her voice actress, Betty White, on December 31, 2021.
* King Zeus (William Shatner) - The father of Caesar, King Zeus is the King of the Giggly Forest. He is dignified, serious, and strict, but fair to his subjects.
*Judge Carlton Owens (Mills Lane) - Carlton is a brash, sarcastic judge.
*Joan Jett (herself) - Jett appeared in one episode.
*Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) - Kermit appeared in a Season 4 skit, interacting with the RAE.
*Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (Robert Smigel) - Triumph appeared in another skit in the sixth season, starting a rivalry with Rolfe.
* Alex Trebek (himself) - Trebek appeared in the Season 4 episode "Quiz Troubles" as the host of a Jeopardy! episode Nodoka, Texas Tom, and returning champion Happy Fox all participate in; he is exasperated by Texas Tom and Happy Fox's antics, serving as a nod to Saturday Night Live's "Celebrity Jeopardy!" skits.
* Johnny Gilbert (himself) - Gilbert's voice was also heard in the Season 4 episode "Quiz Troubles", in which he introduces the contestants and Trebek on Jeopardy!. He also appears physically at the end of the segment.
* Burt Reynolds (himself) - Reynolds appeared in the Season 3 episode "The Tale of Two Toms", in which he meets Texas Tom and duels him on the street.
* Nolan Bushnell (himself) - Bushnell appeared in the Season 2 episode "Pong Championship", in which he plays a Pong tournament with the bands, and loses to Helen; Bushnell hands her a golden Pong arcade cabinet.
* Dale Earnhardt (himself) - Earnhardt appeared in the Season 5 episode "The Chuck E. 500", in which he challenges Chuck E. to a one-on-one race. His trademark black #3 Chevrolet is used as his racing vehicle in the episode.
* Patrick Stewart (himself) - Stewart appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Jonathan Frakes (himself) - Frakes appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Brent Spiner (himself) - Spiner appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Wil Wheaton (himself) - Wheaton appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* LeVar Burton (himself) - Burton appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Michael Dorn (himself) - Dorn appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Gates McFadden (himself) - McFadden appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* John de Lancie (himself) - De Lancie appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets him and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Denise Crosby (herself) - Crosby appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets her and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Marina Sirtis (herself) - Sirtis appeared in the Season 6 episode "Dook Trek", in which Dook meets her and the other cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
* Joe Buck (himself) - Buck appears in the season 4 episode "Batter Up!" as a bored Fox Sports baseball broadcaster who openly hates his job and only took it for money.
*Norman Lear (himself) - Lear appears in a season 7 episode.
* Paul McCartney (himself) - McCartney appeared in the Season 5 episode "Earl is Dead (to Me)", in which he performs with the Rock-afire Explosion, and convinces Rolfe (who idolizes him) to reconcile with Earl after a falling-out between the two.
* Eddie Russo (Orson Bean) - Eddie is a washed-up celebrity, with the Rock-afire Explosion helping him get his career back on track. He was retired after the death of his voice actor, Orson Bean, in February 2020.
* Yogi Bear (Greg Burson) - Yogi appears in the episode "Bear Reunion".
* Boo-Boo Bear (Eric Bauza) -Boo-Boo appears in the episode "Bear Reunion", in which he helps Yogi get to know the real Rock-afire.
* Rabbit (Isabella Bennett) - Rabbit, as with the rest of the band, appears in one episode each season: "Rabbit's Misadventures" in Season 1, "Return of the Robots" in Season 2, "The Spine, Zer0, and the Dinosaur" in Season 3, "Upgrade and the Quest for Pogs" in Season 4, and "Looney Bird vs. The Robotic Idiots" in Season 5. As with her portrayal in the band, Rabbit is the glitchiest of the robots, and is very ditzy.
* The Spine (David Bennett) - The Spine is a futuristic dieselpunk robot who serves as the straight man to the robots' antics, but sometimes joins in on them.
* Zer0 (Bryan Barbarin) - Zer0 is a musical automation built by Peter Peter Walter I in 1896.
* Hatchworth (Sam Luke) - Hatchworth is a brass automation with a mustache.
* The Jon (Jon Sprague) - The Jon is an art deco-style brass robot powered by soda, mainly Crystal Pepsi.
* Upgrade (Erin Burke) - Upgrade is a pink stylized robot. She daydreams of growing up and becoming a princess or a hover tank. Despite her name, she was last upgraded in the 1990s (and still thinks pogs are in vogue though viewing them as a delicacy).
* Tim Johnson (himself) - Johnson appears in the Season 3 episode "The Johnsons Cometh!", in which he and Chloe check in on the band, only to find them missing. He is also heard on the phone in the movie threatening to use the Johnson Paramilitary to destroy New York City unless the police dropped all charges against the heroes.
* Chloe Johnson (herself) - Johnson appears in the Season 3 episode "The Johnsons Cometh!", in which she and Tim check in on the band, only to find them missing.
==Production==
===Development===
The idea of a Rock-afire Explosion cartoon was first floated in the late 1980s, and was one of the reasons Fechter refused to sign over the rights for the characters to ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc., in addition to the company's arrogant assumption that Fechter would do so for little-to-no cost; he would cut all ties with the company in September 1990, feeling that the band would be prepared for film, television, and record deals, which never happened, and Concept Unification occurred.
The series was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2015 by Johnson and Fechter, along with a showing of the first concepts for the show. The first teaser, showing Billy Bob and Looney Bird introducing themselves to the viewers, was posted on February 22, 2016, along with a full cast list. The announcement was met with praise, both on social media and on various fan sites such as Retro Pizza Zone and the K-On! subreddit. By the time the series premiered, the second season was mostly completed, and development was underway for a third season, which was released in 2018, along with additional episode scripts. It was also announced that the series would air on Netflix, with reruns airing on The Hub beginning in 2018.
===Casting===
All of the voice actors for the Rock-afire Explosion, Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band, and Ho-Kago Tea Time reprise their roles for the series. The Rock-afire Explosion's voice actors record at the Fechter Creative Engineering headquarters in Orlando, Florida, Chuck E.'s Pizza Time Band's voice actors record in Texas, and Ho-Kago Tea Time's voice actors record at 4K Studiopolis in Los Angeles, California.
Other cast members are based in either California, New York, or Vancouver, Canada, and in many cases, guest stars record separately from the other actors, mainly at the Johnson Recording Studios building in San Jose, California. Former Saturday Night Live cast member Norm Macdonald voices Texas Tom (using the voice he famously used for his impression of the late Burt Reynolds in the series' Celebrity Jeopardy! sketches).
===Writing===
The writing team consists of Johnson, Fechter, Wilson, regular Johnson writers Robby Victors and Jennifer Tennville, Rachel Ramras, former Sesame Street writer Sonia Manzano (who also voices the character Verónica de Francisco), Animaniacs writers Sherri Stoner and Paul Rugg, former Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder, former SpongeBob SquarePants writers Merriwether Williams, Aaron Springer, Dani Michaeli, Kent Osborne, Zeus Cervas, Richard Pursel, and Paul Tibbitt, and Rock-afire Explosion fan Colin Gorman, while Springer also serves as the story editor. Some episodes use guest writers as well.
===Music===
All music is composed by Michael Tavera in association with Fechter Creative Engineering, Inc., with songs typically being written by Fechter, Wilson, Reddick, and/or Johnson, though other writers have written songs as well. 99% of the incidental music, meanwhile, is stock music from American Production Music (APM), much of which has also been used in SpongeBob SquarePants, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and multiple other comedic Johnson productions.
===Animation===
The animation is produced by Johnson Television Animation and Film Roman, with Korean services handled by Rough Draft Studios; with a budget of $150 million per season, this is one of the highest-budgeted productions from the studio. The characters have realistic shading, and have slight drop shadows behind them to emulate cel animation, with their outlines even being made to resemble brush strokes. The Rock-afire Explosion's character designs are based on Fechter designer Dave Thomas' artstyle, using squash-and-stretch animation inspired by Warner Bros. cartoons from the 1950s (Ho-kago Tea Time is an exception, as they are considered to be on a separate plane). The K-On! characters are animated separately by Kyoto Animation using their original artstyle, with Naoko Yamada directing the K-On! characters' animation. Almost all vehicles are hand-drawn as well, with some complex vehicles being live-action models designed by Detective Jenny vehicle designer John Kirkland.
Before production began, many artstyles were proposed and/or tested (the artstyle for the K-On! characters remained consistent throughout the process, as they were conceived as "outsiders in a world of wackiness"); Thomas' 1980 designs were chosen, though with fewer details and slightly different proportions. The artstyle for guest band Steam Powered Giraffe is noticeably different than the one on The Steam Powered Giraffe Show, as this series predates the latter; once The Steam Powered Giraffe Show began airing, the new artstyle was implemented in Season 5, the change being cryptically explained as "blame it on Rabbit".
==Seasons==
Season	Release date 	Episode count
1 	December 16, 2016	13
2 	December 8, 2017 	13
3 	December 21, 2018	13
4 	December 13, 2019	13
5 	December 4, 2020 	13
6 	December 1, 2021 	13
7 	December 14, 2022	13
8 	December 20, 2023	13
==Reception==
===Critical response===
Before release, the first teaser trailer and all subsequent trailers and previews received positive reception from critics and fans.
The series has been critically acclaimed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a score of 100%, and on Metacritic, it has a perfect 100 as well. Entertainment Weekly called it "one of the best things to come out of the ShowBiz Pizza Place resurrection", while also stating that "with a great team of writers and animators, (The Rock-afire Explosion Show) is positioned for future success". In addition, it has also seen positive reception from fans of the band and the ShowBiz and Chuck E. Cheese chains, along with fans of the K-On! anime.
===Viewership===
==Accolades==
The series has been nominated for Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program in 2018, 2019, and 2020, winning in 2019 for the episode "The Avenger Strikes Back", and won an Annie Award for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children in 2019, while Goldberg won another Annie for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production in 2020, as did Locke for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production.
Organization	Year	Category 	Nominee(s) 	Result
Emmy Award 	2018	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program 	Tim JohnsonAaron Fechter	Nominated
Emmy Award 	2019	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program 	Tim JohnsonAaron Fechter	Won
Emmy Award 	2020	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program 	Tim JohnsonAaron Fechter	Nominated
Emmy Award 	2021	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance 	Aaron Fechter 	Nominated
Annie Award 	2019	Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children in 2019 	Tim JohnsonAaron Fechter	Won
Annie Award 	2020	Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production 	Eric Goldberg 	Won
Annie Award 	2020	Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production	Sarah Locke 	Won
Annie Award 	2021	Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production	Cristina Valenzuela 	Won
==Soundtracks==
Various soundtrack albums, containing songs written specifically for the series, were released. Many are sold at ShowBiz gift shops.
==Home media==
The first four seasons have been released on DVD, Blu-ray, and USD, with a variety of bonus features. Commentaries from Fechter, Johnson, and other cast members both in and out of character are included, in addition to deleted scenes, footage from voice acting sessions, and storyboards. The fifth season will be released on home video on March 1, 2021. Like the CDs, the home video releases are also commonly sold at ShowBiz gift shops.
Category:Johnsonverse
Category:ShowBiz Pizza Time, Inc. (Johnsonverse)