Christian Jacobs
| Christian Jacobs | |
|---|---|
 Christian Jacobs |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christian Richards Jacobs |
| Also known as | The Caped Commander, The Bat Commander, MC Bat Commander |
| Born | January 11, 1972 Rexburg, Idaho, United States |
| Genres | Rock, pop punk, New Wave, synthpop, ska, punk |
| Occupations | Musician, television producer, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Associated acts | The Aquabats |
Christian Richards Jacobs (born January 11, 1972) is an American musician, television producer, voice actor and former child actor. He is perhaps most recognized as the co-creator of the award-winning Nick Jr. children's television series Yo Gabba Gabba!, on which he additionally serves as a writer, director, composer and voice actor.
Under the stage persona of The MC Bat Commander, Jacobs is also well-known for his work as lead singer of the successful Orange County rock band The Aquabats, which he co-founded in 1994. As of 2012, Jacobs portrays this role in The Hub original series The Aquabats! Super Show!, of which he also co-created and produces.
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Biography [edit]
Early life [edit]
Jacobs was born in Rexburg, Idaho in 1972,[1] the second of five children. Following his family's relocation to Los Angeles in 1976, Jacobs and his siblings, namely his older sister Rachel and younger brother Parker, began working as child actors. Throughout the course of his childhood and into his late teens, Jacobs appeared in numerous productions, primarily playing bit parts in teen films such as Pretty in Pink and Gleaming the Cube and episodes of sitcoms like Married... with Children and Roseanne, before retiring from acting in the early 1990s, citing a dislike of the competitive nature of the business.[2]
While working on Gleaming the Cube, Jacobs befriended a number of well known and highly influential skateboarders and artists.[2] In 1990, he worked alongside Mark Gonzales and Jason Lee on Blind Skateboards' Video Days, and as an artist, Jacobs designed board graphics for Tony Hawk's Birdhouse Skateboards and for the Jason Lee and Steve Berra pro models.
The great-grandson of prominent Mormon leader LeGrand Richards, Jacobs is a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[2] In 1991, he left the United States to serve as a missionary, living in and around Tōhoku, Japan for two years. Upon returning to California, he began working various jobs and moonlighting in bands.[2]
The Aquabats [edit]
In 1994, Jacobs co-founded the Huntington Beach-based superhero-themed band The Aquabats, in which he serves as the lead singer and primary songwriter under the stage name The MC Bat Commander (formerly "The Caped Commander" and "The Bat Commander"). Noted for their matching costumes and theatrical onstage fight scenes, the band initially formed as part of the Southern California third wave ska scene, though since 2000 have evolved into playing more punk and New Wave-influenced rock.
Though The Aquabats have had more cult success than commercial, the band experienced brief mainstream recognition in 1997 with their second album The Fury of The Aquabats!, which peaked at 172 on the Billboard 200.[3] The band toured full-time during the latter half of the 1990s, traveling internationally as part of the 1998 Vans Warped Tour. During this time, Jacobs was also active with his friend and creative partner Scott Schultz, producing a number of additional skateboarding and music videos.
As of 2013, The Aquabats continue to tour and record, and released their fifth studio album Hi-Five Soup! in January 2011 on Fearless Records. On March 3, 2012, The Aquabats! Super Show!, a live-action musical television series starring the band, premiered on cable channel The Hub, with Jacobs serving as co-creator, producer, writer and star. The first season finished on June 16, 2012, and the second season is scheduled for spring 2013.
Yo Gabba Gabba! [edit]
In 1999, Jacobs and Schultz formed the production company The Magic Store with the goal of creating family-oriented television entertainment. The duo independently filmed a pilot in 2005 for a preschooler-targeted children's television series called Yo Gabba Gabba!. The series was picked up by Viacom's Nick Jr. channel in 2007, eventually becoming an international success and winning numerous television awards. Yo Gabba Gabba! has since completed three seasons and has been renewed for a fourth.
Christian Jacobs is an avid surfer, skateboarder, Japanese toy collector and artist. He lives in Orange County, California, with his wife and four children.
Discography [edit]
The Aquabats [edit]
- The Return of The Aquabats (1995) - vocals
- The Fury of The Aquabats! (1997) - vocals
- The Aquabats vs. the Floating Eye of Death! (1999) - vocals
- Myths, Legends and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2 (2000) - vocals
- Yo! Check Out This Ride! EP (2004) - vocals
- Charge!! (2005) - vocals
- Radio Down! (2010) - vocals
- Hi-Five Soup! (2011) - vocals
Collaborations [edit]
- "Got Sumethin' (That You Ought to Know)" from Bad Credit's album Giving Back by Giving Up (2004)
- "This Gigantic Robot Kills" from MC Lars' album This Gigantic Robot Kills (2009)
Filmography [edit]
Film [edit]
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Pretty in Pink | Boy in record store |
| 1989 | Gleaming the Cube | Gremic |
| 1994 | There Goes My Baby | Jeff |
| 2008 | Punk Rock Holocaust 2 | The MC Bat Commander |
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Love Boat | B.J. | Episode: "The Best of Friends/Too Many Dads/Love Will Find a Way" |
| 1982–1983 | Gloria | Joey Stivic | Series regular |
| 1984 | Second Sight: A Love Story | Bruce | TV movie |
| Finder of Lost Loves | Scott Hargrove | Episode: "Maxwell, Ltd." (series pilot) | |
| Highway to Heaven | Danny | Episode: "Catch a Falling Star" | |
| ABC Weekend Special | Kurt Landry | Episode: "Henry Hamilton, Graduate Ghost" | |
| 1985 | The History of White People in America | Tommy Harrison | TV movie |
| The Canterville Ghost | Rob | TV movie | |
| Berrenger's | Bob | Episode: "Dangerous Ground" | |
| V | Billy | Episode: "Breakout" | |
| Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears | Cavin | voice only; series regular (season one) | |
| 1986 | The History of White People in America: Volume II | Tommy Harrison | TV movie |
| 1987 | In Love and War | Jimmy (age 14) | TV movie |
| Convicted: A Mother's Story | TV movie | ||
| 1988 | Portrait of a White Marriage | Tommy Harrison | TV movie |
| Out of This World | Derek Rogers | Episode: "Broadway Danny Derek" | |
| Just the Ten of Us | Club Leader / Todd | Episode: "Move It or Lose It" Episode: "The Unkindest Cut of All" |
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| 1989 | Married... with Children | Shep | Episode: "A Three Job, No Income Family" |
| Hard Time on Planet Earth | Mark Brady | Episode: "Rodeo Show" | |
| ABC Afterschool Special | Danny | Episode: "My Dad Can't Be Crazy...Can He?" | |
| Roseanne | Andrew | Episode: "Chicken Hearts" | |
| 1990 | Guns of Paradise | Henry | Episode: "The Gates of Paradise" |
| Exile | Derf | TV movie | |
| Major Dad | Private LaBonte | Episode: "Infant-ry" | |
| 1999 | The Aquabats in Color! | Bat Commander | TV pilot. Also co-creator, writer and director. |
| 2007–present | Yo Gabba Gabba! | Plex (voice only) | Also co-creator, writer and director. |
| 2008, 2012- | The Aquabats Super Show! | The MC Bat Commander | Also co-creator and writer |
References [edit]
- ^ "Christian Jacobs". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "MC Bat Commander's Head Explodes!". OC Weekly. March 1, 2012.
- ^ "The Aquabats > Charts & Awards". Allmusic.com. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Christian Jacobs |
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- 1972 births
- 20th-century Mormon missionaries
- American child actors
- American child models
- American Latter Day Saints
- American male singers
- American Mormon missionaries in Japan
- American punk rock singers
- American rock singers
- American television actors
- American television producers
- American television writers
- The Aquabats members
- Eagle Scouts
- Living people
- Musicians from California
- Musicians from Idaho
- People from Orange County, California
- People from Rexburg, Idaho
- Richards–Young family
