Chuck E. Cheese (character)

Charles Entertainment Cheese
Chuck E. Cheese character
The design used from 1997 to 2012
First appearanceMay 17, 1977
Created byNolan Bushnell
Voiced by
  • John Widelock (1977–1984)
  • Scott Wilson (1984–1993)
  • Lonny Wilder (June 1986)
  • Jeff Cosco (1995-1996; singing voice)
  • Jeremy Blaido (1997-1998)
  • Duncan Brannan (1994–2012)
  • Jaret Reddick (2012–present)
In-universe information
Full nameCharles Entertainment Cheese
Species
  • Rat (1977–1993)
  • Mouse (1993–present)
GenderMale
Occupation
  • Restaurateur
  • Guitarist
  • Vocalist
NationalityAmerican

Charles Entertainment Cheese, or Chuck E. Cheese for short, is the mascot of CEC Entertainment Concepts L.P.'s Chuck E. Cheese chain of family entertainment centers (FECs)[1][2] From 1977 to 1992 he was an anthropomorphic rat, changing to a mouse in 1993.[3][4][5][6] In 2012, he was rebranded into a slimmer, Rockstar-themed version as a remedy to decreases in sales beginning in 2011.[7]

  1. ^ Shamisan, Jacob (June 9, 2017). "The surprising and horrifying backstory behind Charles Entertainment Cheese". Insider.
  2. ^ Chuck E's Middle Name, retrieved February 9, 2023
  3. ^ Mace, Scott (December 21, 1981). "Rat dishes up pizza, computerized entertainment". Infoworld. p. 8.
  4. ^ Sheff, David (1999). Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World. GamePress. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-9669617-0-6. Above the receptionist's desk was the smiling face of Chuck E. Cheese, the company's mascot—a rat.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Kent, Steven L. (2000). The First Quarter: A 25-Year History of Video Games. BWD Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-9704755-0-3. Bushnell called his new venture Pizza Time Theaters. He named his restaurants Chuck E. Cheese after the robotic rat mascot.
  7. ^ 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.