Looney Bird (Animatronic)

The Looney Bird Animatronic (Also the Pizzacam Animatronic) was one of the main Rock-afire Explosion animatronics produced by Creative Engineering Inc. The animatronic would first be developed in April of 1980, before debuting at the Jacksonville, FL (9820 Atlantic Blvd) on August 14th of that year.

History

Looney Bird animatronics would continue to be produced up until 1983. The January batch would be the last used inside Showbiz Pizza restaurants, and would be kept and stored for future openings, while Creative Engineering would continue to produce bots until June. Now with a surplus of bots, these would need to be sold to other family entertainment centers.

Throughout 1989 to 1992, the Rock-afire Explosion would become Munch's Make-Believe Band, or more commonly known as the 3-Stage, through Concept Unification. This was a process to rebrand the Rock-afire Characters as their Chuck E. Cheese counterparts due to the expiration of the Rock-afire license for Showbiz Pizza, now Showbiz Pizza Time, Inc. Looney Bird would now become Pizzacam, a talking camera who popped up for backing vocals. The only mechanical change was the lowering of air pressure for his movements, and later diagnostic changes to the air flow in the cylinders. Another process which some stores would also choose not to go forward with. In April of 2001 a major change would come for all 3-Stage bots in stores. Their previously latex masks would now be changed out for furred plastic ones, to reduce costs for the rapidly deteriorating latex. Around this time stores would also be offered the ability to purchase new eyes for their 3-Stage characters, now with smaller pupils and more detailed irises. Store owners were also encouraged to repaint the eyelids with Rust-Oleum Painters Touch spray paint. Several Pizzacams would be removed on 3-Stages throughout the 2000s and 2010s, being destroyed or used for parts.

Design

The bot is a red bird head with a green plant growing out of his head. His skin is usually a dark brown, and the fur around his eyes and face is white.

Mechanical Structure

Movements

The bot features 7 movements in total. Including two lift mechanisms, one for his body and one for his (later installed) arms, as well as his eyes and eyelids.