Since The Walt Disney Company produced the first ever audio-animatronic character, Abraham Lincoln, automated beings have been a staple of the modern entertainment industry. Used in theme parks, films, and much more, this interesting form of technology has grown both more advanced and more widespread with an incredible pace.
One of the key players in the medium's popularization came in the form of the Pizza Time Theater restaurants (now known as Chuck E. Cheese's). Backed by electronics powerhouse Atari, this chain of eateries combined arcades, pizza parlors, and small-scale amusement parks into one exciting package.
Immediately, entrepreneurs saw the genius of the concept; leading to the creation of imitators such as Showbiz Pizza Place, Circus World Pizza, Major Magic's All-Star Pizza Revue, Bullwinkle's Restaurant, and too many others to possibly list. Thanks to a mix of nostalgia and appreciation for each storefront's unique creativity, a fan following has recently sprung up, celebrating the retro fun of these locales.
Within this fanbase, one smaller-name entertainment center has newly popped back into relevance; Tex Critter's Pizza Jamboree. Collectors have acquired original animatronics from the stores, and fans have swooned over their cutesy designs. However, beyond this admiration, there seems to be a loss concerning information about the pizza parlor. With the help of the Retro Pizza Zone forums, fandom superstar CavitySam, fellow fan Masterpj555, and a trusty search engine, I've compiled all I could find into covering the rise and fall of Tex.
Tex Critter's was a joint production between Castle Entertainment Inc. and AVG Technologies, not unlike the well-known pairing of Corporate Showbiz Pizza and Creative Engineering. Castle, though seemingly having mostly disappeared to time, was a highly ambitious family fun center company, owning various mini-golf locations, arcades, and more. AVG's previous and future works spanned anything from other Pizza centers (such as the aforementioned Circus World Pizza and Bullwinkle's Restaurant), to full-on amusement park dark rides, to feature films.
The Tex cast - Skeeter the Rattlesnake, Country Cal, Foxy Roxy, and of course, Tex - was designed by Disney Imagineers Larry Nikolai and Rolly Crump, giving the crew a traditional cartoon feel. Each character, to varying degrees, served as a homage to the genre of Country music; deliberately distinguishing the show from similar electronic cabaret acts of the time, which focused moreso upon familiar or generally upbeat tunes rather than one consistent music choice.
Tex's was also one of the first entertainment centers to limit it's guests to families only, avoiding the grimy hangout atmosphere found in similar places.

theater featuring 3-D films, computers running fun programs, and even an occasional special spotlight on local events (playing recordings of parades, ceremonies, and more of the such on screens through the store). Castle was impressively ambitious, and though little is known whether or not these features were implemented into each location, it's undeniable that they certainly put this chain far
above the comparatively simple ventures of competitors.


Castle Park was a popular attraction in El Paso, Texas, covering CE's various professions (including, of course, a state-of-the-art arcade facility and a large mini-golf area). It is believed that the above footage originates from this location.
By the time of Castle Park's closing, Tex and company were purchased and moved to similar (though not CE owned) attraction Castle/Magic Landing, which opened that year. The locale displayed their set in a familiar location - the pizza parlor. As CE no longer existed, there was no other Tex advertising nor merchandise around the park, isolating the trio. CL existed until 1988, when it closed due to both a lack of funds and a variety of controversies.
The majority of Tex animatronics were sold off in auctions and the such, or perhaps dismantled in hopes of scrap money. Many still exist, albeit in highly decomposed forms - though few have seen as much wear and tear as those given to Landing.

Tex and the gang, twenty-three years old in the accompanying picture, were sadly not spared. They spent seventeen of those years in disregard, and many more afterward. Melting, broken, and soulless, it's a sad sight to see the characters once so full of life now in this terrible (yet, perhaps even more morbidly, recognizable) condition. Even sadder, Landing's corpse was finally levelled in 2013, presumably taking what may have been the first complete Tex stage with it. A work of art, lost to history.
Luckily, it is believed most of the in-store Tex sets were sold off via auction (along with the rest of each location's assets). Designed for years of use, many are still popping up in the oddest of places (and oddest of conditions) to this day.



Yes, despite Tex's long-ignored past, it seems he and his friends do have a future. New information is speedily reaching those invested, discoveries are springing up left and right, and new fans of the show certainly prove it's charm beyond it's limited exposure. The Tex Critter story - despite it's trials and tribulations - has yet to end. New information is old; which naturally means the various questions can, and hopefully, will be answered.
As information is still being uprooted, naturally, there will be periodic updates. I plan to add to the history through new articles. Though I intend to preserve this one as-is, any conflicting updates will be resolved.
With that, here's to the new life that been been breathed into Skeeter, Cal, Tex and Roxy.
I am masterpj555 you posted about. More fog is about to be cleared when I fly to LA.. the showtapes are also now public: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXVtjWm1UwA
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say: Well done on the article
ReplyDeletewhos facebook? one of the artists? any link? id love to see some of the techniques used in this one of a kind show
ReplyDeleteYou’d be happy with what new things will be coming to the Critters to help gain them an audience. I have plans of incorporating Country Cal, Skeeter, and Foxy Roxy into my Kooky Trails ride. This is due to the connection of Rolly Crump whose design influenced the ride. And of another project he did known as Knott’s Bear-y Tales. Another attraction that features his same charming animal designs. Kooky Trails pays tribute to the work of Rolly with its original characters and designs. Which includes the cameos from a bit of his work, mainly Bear-y Tales and Tex Critters.
ReplyDeleteI had enough tickets to buy the life size Tex critter in Gallup, NM. The day I went to redeem them, the restaurant was closed! Needless to say, I was one sad 9 year old kid! All those hours of skeet ball for nothing! Lol!
ReplyDeleteThere was a Tex Critters in the Muncie Mall here where I live in Indiana. I remember it well!
ReplyDeleteI was the General Manager of the Tex Critters that opened in Cedar Rapids Iowa in 1983 or 1984. As I remember, there were 12 in total were quickly built and opened. The operation was very simple and the pizza wasnt bad. Castle Entertainment spent HUGE sums of money opening and marketing these, but had no upper management follow up. I would be glad to share any info that you might need.
ReplyDeleteYou can contact me direct at bigdogdave55@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThere was a Tex Critter's Pizza Jamboree in Moline, Illinois. It was located next to SouthPark Mall ... and it was in a castle! It was so cool. I remember the pizza was actually decent, like Dave mentioned. The castle building stood for a long time after it closed. Nothing else ever went into it, which was a shame. I kept wishing something would. I remember my mom saying she wished we could buy it. :) I remember there weren't any windows, really, and there was a drawbridge that crossed over nothing.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching the animatronics show. And walking through one of the hallways. It seems like it was pretty dark inside. I wasn't a country music fan, but I did like it there a lot.
Aside from that, we had a Razz-Ma-Tazz in Milan, Illinois, that featured a fox. The place was in a huge building and everything was really spread out. It was located next to the multiplex movie theater. And I think the drive-in movies were still there. Two screens.
Across the river (our area is across the Mississippi River from Iowa) there was was a Showbiz Pizza Place that was eventually changed over to Chuck E. Cheese's. Chuck E. Cheese is still open. In darker news, last weekend a woman fatally shot another woman ... over a gift card. So much for the place "where a kid can be a kid."
Thank you for posting this! I'm so thrilled to see so much information about these stores. :)
I grew up in the quad cities. Looking back we had quit the animatronic hook up. We lived in Bettendorf, so we went to showbiz mostly. Not sure we ever went to razz ma tazz. We moved to Charlotte following a rising sport NASCAR in 1985.
DeleteThe diabetic food pyramid is much like the more recognizable regular food pyramid with the primary difference being it helps diabetics avoid eating excess sugar. Because it is directed for use by those with diabetes it is fully supported by the American Dietetic Association and the American Diabetes Association. how many carbs are in a little caesars thin crust pizza
ReplyDelete