The Pizza War.

The Pizza War never ends.

For a while in the 80’s, the dueling forces of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza waged a battle for the hearts of hungry children with A+ report cards everywhere. The two operated one of the most interesting theme restaurant concepts imaginable. What if you combined a pizza place with an arcade… with animatronics? As strange as that combination was, it proved to be a winner. But who would win? The mouse who was a rat who was originally supposed to be a coyote? Or that weird bear?

Ah, war is never easy. The bear won. Showbiz bought out the bankrupted Chuck E. Cheese. But victory is fleeting. You see, Showbiz didn’t own the characters to the Rock-Afire Explosion, and the owner wanted to retain the rights. Showbiz now owned Chuck E. Cheese characters, though. The solution was simple.

Kill Billy Bob Brockali.

And let the mouse reign supreme.

Anyone who every stepped in one of these hallowed halls of childhood remembers a peculiar trait beyond the singing robots and the money sucking arcade games.

They remember the parody posters. Here are a few selections that used to adorn the walls of Showbiz Pizza.