Whack-A-Mole

Whac-A-Mole is a popular arcade redemption game invented in 1971 by Aaron Fechter of Creative Engineering, Inc. Fechter designed the first Whac-a-Mole and sold it to a carnival operator who sold it to Bob's Space Racers. Fechter was a young inventor who didn't realize the value of his invention and therefore did not protect it with a patent. Bob's Space Racers even took molds off the pieces Fechter sculpted of the first Whac-A-Mole creatures. At the time Bob Cassada bought the game Fechter had built from the carnival operator, Bob Cassada, founder of Bob's Space Racers invited Fechter to his facility and quizzed him about how the machine worked. Fechter refused to give up the electronic secrets that gave the game its timing sequence, but that was fairly easy for Cassada to get around, although with some loss of effectiveness. Fechter went on to start the entertainment pizza chain Showbiz Pizza Place with a Kansas businessman named Bob Brock. Their new company bought more Whac-a-Moles than any other single customer.

Segments Alluded To

 * Gavel Wacking