​The history of the Martian Rocket we built for our Chuck Jones Center for Creativity installations

Inspired by the Looney Tunes Classic Cartoon,  Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century, we just had to create Marvin's Magnificent Maggot - or something real close.

​After an extensive search for blueprints and parts from ACME, we discovered absolutely nothing was available so we would need to build this cartoon rocket from scratch.

THE BUILD

The Backyard Experience Production
​With a great deal of Imagination and Creativity, our small crew of
Looney Tunes Fans; Jayne, Jamie, Al, Ben, Craig, Andy & George,
set out on a 3 week adventure to recreate a cartoon rocket ship into
a real world experience for kids of all ages, to dream of space travel.

​The rocket was constructed to withstand continuous use and rough play. 
​
​Literally thousands of kids played in, on and around this amazing cartoon rocket for countless hours.

• A red light shines out the rear "jet engine" with a fan blowing out through the rocket's rear grill.
• The cockpit has two child seats, moving levers and dials, blinking lights, and action buttons.
  • Engine On & Off, Nose Cone illumination "mock" ray gun, and blinking "energy crystal" tubes
  • A throttle handle that moves forward and back, pressure meter, and a rotating fuel valve.
  • And of course, unlimited sound effects created in the imagination of the fearless crew!
• The assembled rocket is 17'-6" in length and 36" in wide at the cockpit.

MARVIN'S TOUR & ADVENTURES

The history of the Martian Rocket we built for our Chuck Jones Center for Creativity installations.

• Schaumburg Boomers Big Draw - Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (the inspiration)
  • June 22, 2019 - Rocket in main concourse.
  • Setup for family photos, and for kids to imagine flying to Planet X 

• Schaumburg Township Library - Summer of Creativity Reading Program
  • June 01 through August 30, 2019 - Rocket in Children's Area
  • Setup with full Chuck Jones Smithsonian & Looney Tunes Installation 

• Windy City Bulls - Chuck Jones Basketball Big Draw
  • January 4, 2020 - Rocket in main concourse
  •   Setup for family photos, and for kids to imagine flying to Planet X   

• Gail Borden Library, Elgin - Looney Tunes Installation
  • January 07 through March 01, 2020 - Rocket in Children's Area
  • Setup with full Chuck Jones Smithsonian & Looney Tunes Installation

THE MARTIAN ROCKET HAS A NEW HOME

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At every installation we've sat for hours watching the kids imagine flying the rocket, taking off, landing, making imaginary repairs, communicating with Mission Control, fighting aliens, loading supplies, and taking spacewalks!  We hoped to see our Marvin The Martian's Rocket find a new friendly "spaceport" for more kids to imagine and create their adventures.

As of Sunday, November 21st, 2021,
we are delighted to announce that our special imagination machine has landed at a
​New Spaceport in Des Plaines Illinois!