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Topic begins at 7:35

Episode Summary:

In the third part of our Pinball Downunder series, we look at Homepin.  Homepin was established in 2013 and was born from the hobby business of Mike Kalinowski. It seems like a really smart idea to set up manufacturing in the world's largest manufacturing country, China, but it turns out to be a mixed bag.

Ron and Dave play it as straight as the possibility can from a manufacturer who struggled out of the gate, overcame some very difficult situations, knows a theme is a must, understands costs are king, and whose owner went on a podcast charm offensive, which was more offensive than charming for the pinball community.

Correction: In a previous version, Taiwan was mentioned as a semi-autonomous state in the same context as Hong Kong. The episode has been edited to have this reference removed to remain politically neutral. You can read more about Taiwan here: https://tinyurl.com/b7x69hbp 

Sources:

HomePin Games List. Here

The Aussie Pinball Podcast, Ep 16 – Mike from Homepin

YouTube. Mike Kalinowski. Here

HomePin Facebook Page. Here

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Episode Begins at 16:52  

Episode Summary:

Ron and Dave Return to the Gottliebs, one of the best-known names in pinball. But did you know about Michael Gottlieb and the company he started with his father Alvin? Let’s chat about Gottlieb’s sale (again), the changes at the company and why they happened, Cheater the Gottlieb delivery driver, how Michael Gottlieb ended up in pinball following his family's exit, his famous pinball last name, Alvin G. & Co, when did Clowns becoming creepy, and finally what he does now!

Sources:

Expo Speech – Here

The Gottlieb Name Change (Mylstar)- Here

The Gottlieb’s Picture - Here

Alvin Gottlieb Obituary – Here

AAMA Induction Video - Here

Alvin Gottlieb Game List - here

Youtube

·        Pistol Poker Video - here

·        Richard  (Dick) M. Bueschel - The Pinball Historian. Pinball Expo 1985 Seminar. Here

TopCast, Ep 13 Michael and Alvin Gottlieb.

Pinball News. Expo 2006 Recap. Here.

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Episode Begins at 10:10  

Episode Summary:

Join us this month where Dave says ‘Swing on Over’ like 40 times in the preamble, Ron spoils JJPs next game with the help of Jersey Jack himself, reviews of 70s style, Jack’s business building and evolving that business over and over, pinball needing to move to the home consumer market, stripped down Sterns,  building a company from scratch, their first game Wizard of Oz and how it changes pinball forever, and the Abass Family. 

Sources:

Jersey Jack Pinball. Here and Here.

Jersey Jack Pinball Podcast Ep 1 – Brett Abass

2011, Pinball News. New Pinball Manufacturer. Here

2013, Huffington Post. Jersey Jack Pinball CEO Explains How He's Making The Beloved Arcade Game Cool Again. Here

2013. Pinside. Early Review of Wizard of Oz. Here

2015, Pinball News – Jersey Jack  Pinball Gets New Investors. Here

2017, Modern Magazine. Nature and Nurture by Beth Dunlop. Here

 Brett Abess LinkedIn. Here

Jersey Jack Pinball Game List. Here

2013, Slate Magazine. Can This Man Save Pinball? Here

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Episode Begins at 18:08

Episode Summary:

Have you ever heard the saying, “pinball is hard?” Well, the team at Barrels of Fun hasn’t, and they decided to smash on ahead and impress pretty much everyone. It’s been over 24 months since they launched their company and their first licensed game… and (as of this recording) they’ve manufactured all the games they said they would.

Join us as we chat about the loving relationship between two pinball fellas, building a new company from nothing, Transformers, art, ramps, picking the bones of Deeproot Pinball, and Dave’s unhealthy love for David Bowie in tight pants. 

Sources:

Pinball Profile Ep 378 - Labyrinth-pinball-from-Barrels-of-Fun

The Aussie Pinball Podcast Ep 18 -  David Van Es

Australian YouTube:

-         Sherbet, Howzat. Here

-         VB Victoria Bitter (Australian ad) 1988. Here

-         "C'mon Aussie C'mon" Aust. Cricket TV Ad Original 1979. Here

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Episode begins at 13:15 

Episode Summary: 

Do you find yourself craving? Do you ever hanker for a special little thing? Well, we have had multiple people email and inquire about Hankin, you might say they had a craving for another Australian-based episode. Let’s go down under again with Part 2: Hankerin’ for Hankin.   

Sources:

Hankin Game List. Here

The Aussie Pinball Podcast, Ep 5 – Wayne Gillard

The Rare Pinball Files: a Deep Dive on Hankin's Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Kineticist, 2023.  Here

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Episode Summary: 

The Gottlieb Family is an important part of pinball. David Gottlieb and Alvin Gottlieb made pinball what it is today. David’s vision and spirit and Alvin’s excitement and drive built the Gottlieb name into what it is today, and it will always live on.

Join Dave and Ron this month as we talk about the beginnings of David Gottlieb, wide west dangers, his life and family-changing opportunity, being highly focused vs. doing all things, not taking risks, Alvin Gottlieb joining the company, and the exit of the Gottlieb family from D. Gottlieb & Co.    

Sources:

Punch Boards - Here

Expo Speech – Here

The Gottlieb Name Change (Mylstar)- Here

The Gottlieb’s Picture - Here

Alvin Gottlieb Obituary – Here

AAMA Induction Video - Here

Youtube 

·                Pistol Poker Video - here

·                 Richard  (Dick) M. Bueschel - The Pinball Historian. Pinball Expo 1985 Seminar.          Here

TopCast, Ep 13 Michael and Alvin Gottlieb.

Pinball News. Expo 2006 Recap. Here.

Want to Support the Show?

Visit our Patreon at www.patreon.com/silverballchronicles 

Or pick up a tee shirt at https://tinyurl.com/kz5xt4hc

Episode Summary: 

Manufacturing is hard. Pinball is hard, and when you’re starting on the other side of the world from all the suppliers and skilled labour, it’s that much harder. COVID-19 did not help Haggis Pinball is the latest cautionary tale of a pinball start-up that promised big and initially delivered but ultimately succumbed to the pressures of the industry. 

Join us this month while we talk about an IT guy who started a manufacturing company, what the heck is a celt, is innovation worth it, remaking old Ballys, COVID-19 production, red flags, and no, we won’t be doing Australian accents and barbie jokes.  

Sources:

The Aussie Pinball Podcast, Ep 16 – Mike from Homepin

The Aussie Pinball Podcast, Ep 5 – Wayne Gillard

Pinball Profile, Ep 304 – Fathom Revisited from Haggis Pinball

Pinball Profile, Ep 243 – Haggis Pinball Celts Update

2019, Austetrogamer – Made in Australia: Haggis Pinball. Here

2024, Pinball News – Haggis Liquidation. Here

2024, Kineticist. A Detailed Timeline of the Haggis Pinball Collapse. Here

2024, YouTube, Cary Hardy. My Interview with Haggis Pinball. Here

2024, YouTube, Cary Hardy. Unboxing the TRUTH on Haggis Pinball. Here

2024, Knapp Arcade. Haggis Pinball, The Aftermath Here

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Episode Summary: 

Multimorphic, Inc. manufactures the P3 Pinball Platform, a modern, physical-digital, multi-game pinball machine, as well as pinball machine control system products, such as the P-ROC and P3-ROC. Since 2009, Gerry Stellenberg and his crack team of engineers and software developers have created the first off-the-shelf pinball controller board for making your homebrew pinball machines, and changed the image of a multi-use pinball machine with the P3 Platform.  

Sources: 

Multimorphic, Inc Website. Here

YouTube. P-ROC & pyprocgame at Pinball Expo 2010 Seminar. Here

Pinball Innovators & Makers Podcast Ep 18: Gerry Stellenberg

For Amusement Only Podcast Ep 450 – Interview with Gerry Stellenberg

Internet Pinball Database. IPDB.org 

Pinside. Pinside.com

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Topic Begins at 12:12

Episode Summary: 

Bingo just isn’t the game you can play at a country fair or a sketchy gambling establishment. Bingo is also the big brother to today’s modern pinball. You’ll remember we spoke about Bingo machines and the issues they had in our Brief History of Pinball episode, but we figured Bingo needed its own episode. I mean, Roger Sharpe got two episodes.

Ron and Dave (mostly Dave) crack out their 1920’s voices as they dive into the world of one-balls, bingo, and 5-balls flipper games! We discuss Bingo vs. Bingo, touch on names you should know like the geniuses Lyn Durant and Don Hooker, Miami Beach’s risqué flyer, what is so attractive about Bingo, why are there no Gottlieb Bingos, and more!

Huge thanks to Nick Baldridge and the For Amusement Only Podcast for the content of this episode. 

Sources: 

Baldridge, Nick. A Beginner’s Guide to Bingo Pinball. Here.

Flippers.be. Bingo Machines: What Are They and How to Repair Them. Here.

McCaffrey, James D. Bingo Pinball Machines. Word Press. Here.

Baldridge, Nick. For Amusement Only Podcast. Here.

Pacific Pinball Museum Interview with Wayne Neyenes

The Johnson Act of 1951 – Here

Don Hooker’s Games List – Here

Lyn Durant Games List – Here

Shalhoub, Michael. The Pinball Compendium.

Internet Pinball Database. IPDB.org 

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Episode Summary: 

Roger Sharpe is hailed as the Man Who Saved the Game from our previous episode, but he did so much more! Roger has been involved in the birth of tournaments, the second rise of licensing, and mainstream journalism. He also has had a great film based on him and his relationship with his wife, Ellen.

Join us as we talk about Roger’s last pinball machine, Cyclopes, his stumble into becoming the Williams 1990s Licensing guru, his friendship with Steve Epstein, and his very good film!

Sources:

TopCast Episode – 17 – Roger Sharpe

Teolis, Jeff. Pinball Profile. Here.

Barracora Inspiration. Li I, 1974 by Swiss artist H.R. Giger. Here and Here. Pinball Magazine. 12-

Aug-2015. Interview: Roger Sharpe. Here.

Pinball News.19-Jun-2020. Steve Epstein Dies. Here.

YouTube. Pinball History: 1990 Today Show 1990 with Roger Sharpe. Here.

YouTube. Interview with Roger Sharpe for ‘Pinball – The man who saved the game’. Here.

YouTube. Turbografx7. Cyclopes with Roger Sharpe. Here.

YouTube. Modern Pinball NYC Closing. Here.

YouTube. Broadway Arcade Commercial. Here.

Shalhoub, Michael. The Pinball Compendium.

Internet Pinball Database. IPDB.org