TORONTO -- Jason Levine and James McCollum, members of Toronto band The Philosopher Kings, say taking their cartoon-fronted side project Prozzak on the road has gone better than expected.

"It's been going amazing," says Levine, who voices Prozzak's British-accented, lovelorn character Simon.

"It's funny, because we have this intro where Simon just pops up on the screen and the kids go insane. That, to me, is so much more satisfying than actually going out on stage and hearing screaming 13-year-old girls. It's much more satisfying to have people cheering for some concept that was in your brain."

Prozzak's highly technical, elaborate and expensive stage setup, which pulls into the Warehouse tonight as part of Canadian Music Week's premier concert series, involves the following: Levine and McCollum performing on massive, movable props (earlier reviews say they're actually large heads of their Prozzak characters, Simon and Milo); a video screen showing their cartoon alter-egos in animated action; and a laser show, pyrotechnics, and an accompanying drummer (Philosopher Kings skinsman Denton Whited) and DJ-vocalist Ms. Felecia.

"It's a very complex show compared to just going out there, a bunch of musicians, and doing their thing," says McCollum, who voices the teutonic blond Milo. "It's definitely like a play. Like the live show, I would perceive it more like a theatrical production than just a rock show. It's so technical on top of the musical element. Things that I never would have thought of like, 'Don't stare into the laser now. Watch your back, the pyro's coming.'

"Actually, we are inspired by KISS, I think, in their love of theatre of the absurd. We are actually trying to make KISS look like Sharon, Lois and Bram with this show."

No wonder it required several months of rehearsals before Prozzak finally began a cross-Canada tour in Vancouver in mid-February.

In fact, neither Levine nor McCollum can believe how big their side project -- the characters began as an inside joke on the Philosopher Kings' tour bus -- has become.

"Originally, when we wrote (first song) Europa, we thought we were going to shop it to Aqua or something," Levine says. "We sat down with our A&R person at Sony and he was just like, 'You know, it sounds really good with this accent and this character.' Then James and I just got together one night and started to think about the potential of the whole thing."

Prozzak released their debut album, Hot Show, back in 1998. It has since gone on to sell 300,000 copies in Canada and led to four Juno nominations, including best album and best single for Sucks To Be You. They are also scheduled to open the Junos show at the SkyDome one week from tomorrow.

Coming up next is a TV series and a feature film with both Canadian and U.S. companies interested.

"We're all counting on it getting bigger," says McCollum, who would like to do a series in the vein of The Simpsons "maybe within a year or two, but it's definitely in the works."

There also are plans for a U.S. tour and another Prozzak album -- they apparently have enough material for four records -- which they plan to start almost right away.

"The story's going to take a little twist, which I can't really tell you," Levine says. "All I can say is Simon's going to be going through a dark period. More dark than he is now, in a different way, a little bit of a deviant way."

The question remains, then, as Prozzak gets bigger, do The Philsopher Kings, who last played Massey Hall in December, become less of a priority?

"Everyone in the Kings right now is tied up doing other things," McCollum says. "When it's time, we'll come back, which should be within the year."