Crusty was one of the original Pizza Time Players and was present at the original store in San Jose, CA. He was described as the "Cat's Meow" in singing and joke telling, and was Chuck E. Cheese's straight man. He was dressed in a baseball uniform with the name "Wingers" and the number 13 on the front. His caricature in the
1977 Pizza Time Theatre Program also shows him wearing a baseball hat and mitt.
Early promotional material projected Crusty to be a high-profile character, even though he ultimately ended up as a footnote in the Pizza Time Players history. The 1977 PTT Program shows a special pizza on the menu titled "Crusty's Vegetarian Delight". Early newspaper advertisements produced for the grand opening of the 1st PTT feature often featured Crusty - and in some cases featured him solely. Early copyright records also mention a Crusty costume, leaving the possibility open that he might also have been a walkaround character.
In the end though, Crusty ended up being the first Pizza Time Player to face retirement, being replaced by
Mr. Munch. It is unknown how many showtapes featured Crusty, but it is commonly believed that he was removed within the first year of PTT's existence. If you have any additional information regarding Crusty - documentation, audio, video, photos, etc; please
contact us!