KungFu Rick was formed in 1996 with founding members John Mendola (guitar), Bryan Margner (vocals), Ryan Durkin (vocals), John Biehl (drums), and Eric Kline (bass), who attended high school together in Elmhurst, IL, a suburb of Chicago. The name was created by Mendola during high school after brainstorming names and thought of "Kung Fu Grip", which later turned into a more randomized version of KungFu Rick. It was intentionally misspelled and remained that way for the majority of the band's releases. The band was a vital part of the local DuPage County Music Scene, one that the successful bands, Rise Against and The Plain White T's, emerged from.