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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.

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 70’s 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 Abess Family. 

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… 

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 and Mr. Pinball!

Let travel together down under this month with a massive correction from our last episode (whoops), some fun Aussie themes, learning about Cricket, fun themes and the craziness of Australian licensing.    

Episode Summary

Our topic this week, nicknamed The King of Flow, the bestselling pinball designer of all time, my favorite designer, and the reason why you know or will know what Meniere’s Disease is: Steve Ritchie.

This episode reviews the early life of Steve Ritchie until his first break from pinball in 1982 which includes his early life, how he became a designer, his first years in the industry at Atari Pinball, moving to Williams and designing some of the biggest modern sellers and most innovative pinball machine in this history of the hobby.

Episode Summary

Before Stern Pinball Inc., which dominates the pinball landscape today, there was Stern Electronics, our second episode’s topic. We cover where Stern Electronics came from, Sam and Gary Stern’s early years, Dave mispronouncing names, the change from electro-mechanical pinball to solid state, the sketchiness around that transition, legendary designer Steve Kirk, Stern’s wild art, and the death of Stern Electronics.

Episode Summary

Our Previous episodes have all been from the early solid-state era. The last 70’s and early 80’s was where the industry went though some of its largest shifts, we call that ‘disruption’ now-a-days. The exit of electro-mechanical pinball and the entrance of solid-state was a watershed moment in the hobby.

Some companies excelled in the new market and some fell almost immediately. Gottlieb well… they became zombies, just refusing to die and walking on and on and on… hanging in there… Somehow…

Today we’re going to review their final years of Gottlieb in the System 3 era.

Episode Summary

Python Anghelo was an eccentric, passionate, charming, classically educated,
combative, spiteful, and caring individual. He gave his all for pinball. Python is a
guy who added social commentary to his back-glass art, added Easter eggs to his work, drank a lot, fought with leadership over creating unique worlds under glass.
Python burned bridges, tossed insults, and pulled no punches along his life’s journey. He was a nut for sure.

Join us this month as we discuss Python’s upbringing, joining the coin-op industry,
getting into verbal fights with co workers, drinking on boats, Steve Kordek, cows,
more butchering of names, a poll joke and Python’s legacy.

Episode Summary

Gottlieb was a giant in the pinball industry. Some would say that they created some of the most fun in the Electro-Mechanical era than all the other manufacturers combined. When the sea change of the Solid-State Era appeared on the horizon, Gottlieb the industry giant began stepping on rakes and never fully recovered.

Come hang out with a slightly bitter Dave and an always chipper Ron as they chat about Gottlieb’s EM dominance, the industry transition to solid-state, what each companies technology was like, their favourite System 1 machines, vari-targets and the industry’s worst piece of garbage spinner!

Episode Summary

Join David and Ron this week as they ride on a dirt bike made of quarters and fueled with pinball players’ tears with Steve Ritchie. Through this awesome time in pinball, the bestselling designer ever, continued to build his legacy and as you’ll see in this episode, redefined pinball as the industry struggled to survive.

Come listen about Steve’s iconic Williams System 11 and WPC machines. There is high praise for Larry DeMar, the alternate theme for Rollergames, Dave and Ron fan boying about T2 and Star Trek: TNG, and Steve Richie being cooler than Dave.