Silverball Chronicles: A Pinball History Podcast

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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.

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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

Want to Support the Show?

Visit our Patreon at www.patreon.com/silverballchronicles

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Episode Summary:

We've fought long and hard to avoid giving Roger Sharpe yet another ego-building podcast to spin his narrative and propaganda… but, here we are. Roger wrote about pinball. Played pinball. Promoted and evangelized pinball. 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 beginning, looking to buy a pinball machine, a thing that happened in a Court Room in the late 1970s, his pinball designs, the birth of tournament pinball, and his friendship with Steve Epstein.

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.

Shalhoub, Michael. The Pinball Compendium.

Internet Pinball Database. IPDB.org Joe Balcer Game List. Here.

YouTube. Modern Pinball NYC Closing. Here.

YouTube. Broadway Arcade Commercial. 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:

Last month, we learned about Capcom, the video game company that wanted to get into the pinball industry and ride the wave of popularity, just like Data East! It didn't go well.

Even after Capcom disappeared, the lure of what could have been remained. That's when we stumble upon a crazy collector and dreamer who ruined himself. Join us this month while we discover what happened to Capcom's assets, tooling and making new parts vs. selling existing parts, more lawsuits, being a terrible business person or being a great guy, and a second crash and burn.

Sources:

TopCast Episode 42 – Python Angelo Episode 56 – Ward Pemberton Episode 52 – Stan Fukuoka Episode 49 – Mark Ritchie Episode 47 – Chris Granner Episode 43 – Jeff Powell Episode 11 – Gene Cunningham

Youtube. Gene Cunningham. Northwest Pinball Show. Here.

2017. Polygon. When pigs flew: The strange history of Capcom's Big Bang Bar. Here.

2004. Pinball News. More Bang for the Bucks. Here.

2000. Pinball News. Gene Therapy. Here.

Pinside. Artifacts of Gene Cunningham/Illinois Pinball. Here.

Shalhoub, Michael. The Pinball Compendium.

Flower, G. Pinball: The Lure of the Silver Ball Hardcover. Here.

Internet Pinball Database. IPDB.org The Capcom Game List. 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

Topic starts at 8:27

Episode Summary:

Capcom was a video game company that wanted to get into the pinball industry and ride a wave of popularity, just like Data East! Sadly, they were a victim of the wrong place, wrong time. Add to that a bunch of mismanagement, Python Angelo, various lawsuits, and well... you end up like Capcom Pinball.

Even after Capcom disappeared, the lure of what could have been remained, especially as we stumble upon a crazy collector and dreamer who ruined himself… but we will get into that in Part 2.

Join us this month while we discover why Capcom wanted to join pinball, who they bought to table to build machines, poaching talent from Williams, the lawsuits, and ultimately, the crash and burn.

Sources:

TopCast: Episode 42 – Python Angelo Episode 56 – Ward Pemberton Episode 52 – Stan Fukuoka Episode 49 – Mark Ritchie Episode 47 – Chris Granner Episode 43 – Jeff Powell

Shalhoub, Michael. The Pinball Compendium.

Flower, G. Pinball: The Lure of the Silver Ball Hardcover. Here.

Internet Pinball Database. IPDB.org The Capcom Game List. 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

Topic starts at 9:10

Episode Summary:

Joe Balcer is a name that some people know and some people don't. Joe spent his early beginnings at Sega Pinball, then Stern Pinball, and he basically helped start Jersey Jack Pinball. He then started up another company called American Pinball. Joe has been around; he's worked for many bosses in many companies, and he's made some memorable layouts. Joe's not necessarily known as a 'high flow, quick ball movement' kind of guy. His designs tend to be more stop and go or, as some people like to call him, The King Of Clunk.

Source:

Pinball Profile. Episode 163: Joe Balcer, a career retrospective. Podcast. Here.

Head 2 Head Pinball. Ep 48 – Josh Kulger from American Pinball.

Super Awesome Pinball Show. Ep 8. Joe Balcer and Team.

This Week in Pinball. The Desire to Create – Interview with Joe Balcer, Playfield

Designer for Houdini Pinball. Here.

Replay Magazine. Roll out the Barrel. Here.

Shalhoub, Michael. The Pinball Compendium.

Internet Pinball Database. IPDB.org Joe Balcer Game List. Here.