Christian Jacobs

Christian Richards Jacobs (born January 11, 1972) is an American musician, television producer, and actor. He is perhaps most recognized as the co-creator of the award-winning Nick Jr. 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 for the Orange County rock band The Aquabats, which he co-founded in 1994. In addition to his musical work with the band, Jacobs also portrayed the character of the Bat Commander on the live-action comedy television series The Aquabats! Super Show!, which he also co-created and produced, from 2012 to 2014.

Biography

Early life Jacobs was born in Rexburg, Idaho in 1972, the second of five children. Following his family's relocation to Los Angeles at the age of 4, Jacobs and his siblings, namely his older sister Rachel and younger brothers Parker and Tyler, began working as child actors. Throughout the course of his childhood and into his late teens, Jacobs appeared in numerous productions, most prominently playing the role of Joey Stivic in the short-lived All in the Family spin-off Gloria, but primarily playing small roles 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.

While working on Gleaming the Cube, Jacobs befriended a number of well known and highly influential skateboarders and artists. During this time, Jacobs was also active producing skateboarding videos with his friend and creative partner Scott Schultz. In 1999, Jacobs anonymously performed with other members of The Aquabats in the side project The Sandfleas, playing drums under the stage name "Fang". In 2018, the band did a live show with popular drummer Travis Barker, for their 20-year reunion show, and at the "Back to the Beach" festival the same year with other old members.

As of 2022, The Aquabats continue to tour and record, and the band's sixth studio album, Kooky Spooky...In Stereo was released in August 2020. 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. Despite accumulating six Daytime Emmy nominations over the course of two seasons, winning one for stunt coordination, The Hub declined to pick Super Show! up for a third season, effectively cancelling the series. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2018, Super Show! was retooled as a bi-weekly YouTube series which began airing in late 2019.

Yo Gabba Gabba! In 1999, Jacobs and Schultz formed a production company which was later formalized as "The Magic Store" with the goal of creating family-oriented television entertainment. Together, the two independently created, wrote and directed two pilot episodes in 2005 for a preschooler-targeted children's television series called Yo Gabba Gabba!. The series was picked up by ViacomCBSs Nickelodeon channel in 2007, eventually becoming an international success and winning numerous television awards. Yo Gabba Gabba! has since completed four seasons. The pilot started in 1999.

Personal life

Jacobs lives in Huntington Beach, California, with his wife and four children.

Discography

The Aquabats The Return of The Aquabats (1996) - 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 The Aquabats! Super Show! Television Soundtrack: Volume One (2019) - vocals Kooky Spooky...In Stereo (2020) - vocals Finally! (2024) - vocals, guitar

Collaborations "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) ”The Final Parade” from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ album When God Was Great (2021)

Filmography

Film 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 MC Bat Commander

Television Year Title Role Notes 1982 Cassie & Co. Caleb Merritt Episode: "Dark Side of the Moon" 1982 The Love Boat B.J. Episode: "The Best of Friends/Too Many Dads/Love Will Find a Way" S6 E7 1982–1983 Gloria Joey Stivic Series regular 1984 Second Sight: A Love Story Bruce Television film 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 Television film The Canterville Ghost Rob Television film Berrenger's Bob Episode: "Dangerous Ground" V Billy Episode: "Breakout" Adventures of the Gummi Bears Cavin Voice, season 1 1986 The History of White People in America: Volume II Tommy Harrison Television film 1987 In Love and War Jimmy (age 14) Television film Convicted: A Mother's Story Television film 1988 Portrait of a White Marriage Tommy Harrison Television film Out of This World Derek Rogers Episode: "Broadway Danny Derek" Just the Ten of Us Club Leader / Todd 2 episodes 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 Television film Major Dad Private LaBonte Episode: "Infant-ry" 1999 The Aquabats in Color! Bat Commander Television pilot; also co-creator, writer and director. 2007–2015 Yo Gabba Gabba! Plex Voice; also co-creator, writer and director. 2008, 2012–2014 The Aquabats! Super Show! MC Bat Commander Also co-creator and writer2012The Fresh Beat BandPlexVoice, episode: "Yo! Fresh Beats Go Gabba Gabba!" 2013 Big Time Rush Security Guard, Plex Voice, episode: "Big Time Cameo"

Music Videos Year Title Role 1996 Reel Big Fish - Everything Sucks Co-directed with Jeff Gordon 1997 Chopper One - Touch My Fuzz Sammy Boujelias

Awards The following list is of awards Christian Jacobs has been personally nominated for: 1983 Young Artist Award Best Young Actor in a New Television Series (Gloria) 1986 Young Artist Award Outstanding Young Actor - Animation Voice Over (Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears) 2008 Daytime Emmy Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling (Yo Gabba Gabba!) 2009 Daytime Emmy Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling (Yo Gabba Gabba!)

Daytime Emmy Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design (Yo Gabba Gabba!) Daytime Emmy Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series (Yo Gabba Gabba!)

Daytime Emmy Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling (Yo Gabba Gabba!) Daytime Emmy Outstanding Pre-School Children's Series (Yo Gabba Gabba!) 2013 Daytime Emmy Outstanding Children's Series (The Aquabats! Super Show!) 2014 Daytime Emmy Outstanding Writing for a Children's Series (The Aquabats! Super Show!)