As the Aquabats frontman, MC Bat Commander wears a stretchy blue superhero costume and battles the likes of Space Monster M all in the name of fun. But back when he was just a wee lad, he dreamed of screaming "Utini" in a Burger King commercial.

"My sister got cast in a commercial for Burger King and the Star Wars glasses campaign," MC Bat Commander recalls. "She got to be a Jawa! I was bummed it wasn't me, but I got to meet R2-D2 and C-3PO and Chewie, which isn't too bad for a six year-old!"

Even though he couldn't make his acting debut as a Jawa, he did dress accordingly for Halloween. "I had a Ben Cooper Han Solo costume when I was a kid," MC Bat Commander says. "Later, I got a legit stormtrooper helmet but no armor so I just wore a white T-shirt and brown gardening gloves. I still dress up. In fact, you could say part of my job is to dress up."

Dressing up is putting it mildly. As the lead singer for the theatrical ska-punk sensation the Aquabats, MC Bat Commander and his sidekicks Eagle "Bones" Falconhawk, Crash McLarson, Jimmy the Robot and Ricky Fitness entertain the musical masses by wearing impressive superhero costumes, battling evil villains such as Powdered Milk Man on stage, and encouraging youngsters to master their first stage dives. At any given Aquabats show fans will see snippets of retro skateboard movies, Saturday morning cartoons and pop culture commercials projected on a big screen behind the band (which at one point was 14 members strong) as they sing about everything from magic chickens to Martian girls. Their infectious surf-punk tunes aren't the only highlight. The band's extensive costumed characters also have epic comic-book style stories explained in their various album liner notes.

"We have kind of a Star Wars-like universe within our own band's lore," MC Bat Commander says. "With a main bad guy -- Space Monster M -- his generals and us battling them to save our world in a parallel hyper-reality. We are very sarcastic and satirical but definitely owe much to Star Wars."

Since the band's formation in 1994 in Huntington Beach, CA., fans of all ages swarm to their shows dressed in makeshift DIY costumes and name themselves different characters such as Churro Man, Exact Change Man, and Chicken Bat, just to name a few. Audience participation such as spontaneous marshmallow fights and choreographed high-fives makes the Aquabats even more of a fun spectacle to witness live. Yet even though they happen to be grown men jumping up and down singing "Super Rad" while wearing Spandex suits, the Aquabats are fine with the nerd-core moniker. Just don't call them losers for having such a great time on stage.

"There's a difference between nerds and losers," MC Bat Commander states in the Aquabats official bio. "All these people whining about how they are losers and nobodies, 'cuz they feel sorry for themselves or something. It's such a cop-out. Nerds are different, they believe in something. They believe in themselves, regardless of what they've accomplished. So, if that makes me a 'nerd,' sign me up."

As predicted, the Aquabats even pay homage to their beloved Star Wars action figures. "The lyrics to 'Playdoh' are all about how I use to ride my bike to Thrifty's drugstore and ogle the Star Wars figures," MC Bat Commander says. "I was the kid who in later years just set them up and looked at them...for hours. My first Star Wars toy was actually the Cantina play set that you could order from the Sears Catalog. All my friends had been getting figures here and there but my mom said I had to wait for Christmas. I finally got that Cantina set and it came with the little blue Snaggletooth that was exclusive to that set so I was very excited. That really opened the flood gates after that."

Unfortunately, his collecting days were cut short when his mom sold his Star Wars toys thinking he might have outgrown the Force, hence the inspiration for their hit song. "My mom, without my knowledge, gave away most of my Star Wars toys when I got into junior high and got really into skateboarding and girls," MC Bat Commander says. "I was super bitter about that for a long time so I tried in vain to buy back all that was lost but it was just too much. After the Aquabats wrote the song 'Playdoh,' which is about losing all my toys mysteriously, my mom copped to it and bought me some old figures as a 'sorry about that' gesture. I have since given most of them to my son, who is four and very pleased to play with them."

The Star Wars films' positive messages continue to resonate with MC Bat Commander and influence the band. "The films to me then were about capturing your imagination and putting you right in there with the Rebels fighting the Empire," MC Bat Commander explains. "The underdogs can win. To me now, they are a testament to believing in something good, pursuing your vision and against all odds, achieving a total victory. That is the message of the movies and pretty much what George Lucas has accomplished."

"Films like Star Wars help us to imagine, and imagination is the foundation of progress," MC Bat Commander continues. "With no vision of what could be or what may come ...well...it is quite obvious that nothing would happen. I also think that setting things in a different reality can provide interesting allegories for our own reality. It can help us look at what we are doing in a different way and maybe teach us important things that we may not yet realize. In the Aquabats we use sci-fi and fantasy to satirize and expose things we deal with in our world."

As the saga celebrates 30 years of entertaining fans, it's clear that MC Bat Commander is proud to be part of the Star Wars generation. "Star Wars will always be cool to me because it has brought such a positive 'Force' into the world for millions of people and I was there to witness it first hand," MC Bat Commander says. "It was so positive at that time for the world and it has changed so many things since. It is like a pretty big thing to witness in history -- a positive thing. And that is what makes me proud to be a fan of something great. It changed things on its own terms and George Lucas showed us a great example of sticking to your guns."

To find out more about MC Bat Commander and his intergalactic cohorts, visit the official Aquabats site here. Also check out the Aquabats on MySpace to listen to music tracks.

Stay tuned to Star Wars Rocks for more interviews from some of your favorite bands and celebrities.