Post Content
Author: silverballchronicles_m7yfl5
Want to Support the Show? Visit Our Patreon at www.patreon.com/silverballchronicles or pick up a tee shirt at
https://silverballswag.com/collections/silverball-chronicles
Segasa or Sega S.A. Sonic (or was it just Sonic?) Pinball was Spain’s major contribution to the golden age of pinball. Its products evolved from licensed electro-mechanical arcade designs to original solid-state pinball machines under the “Sonic” brand.
Established 1968, Segasa (later Sega S.A. SONIC) initially, imported and distributed American amusement machines before transitioning to local manufacturing due to import restrictions.
Production ceased in 1986, marking the end of Spain’s efforts for world domination and it’s pinball adventure…
Sources:
SEGA-SONIC, una historia entre el éxito y la nostalgia (Spanish) – Here
1937 Hollywood movie Way Out West. Here
Segasa/Sonic Games list. Here and Here
Easy Paella Recipe. Here
Want to Support the Show? Visit Our Patreon at or pick up a tee shirt at Silverball Swag
Check out Flip N Out Pinball for all your pinball needs!
Topic begins at 12:28
Episode Summary:
Pinball has had a dramatic change since the end of the modern DMD era at Stern. The designers we all know and love from the 80s and 90s have begun to retire, slow down, or leave the industry. A new wave of designers has started to slide in and learn from the masters… The first major new designer to come along was the tournament player Keith Elwin.
Some say Keith Elwin is the second coming of our lord and saviour Steve Ritchie. Others say ‘in Elwin we trust’… but is that all hype? Has Keith Elwin changed the pinball designer game as much as some believe?
Join us this month as we chat about the second coming golden age of pinball, Keith’s dominance of tournament pinball, his deep understanding of repair, play, code, and design, his first pin, and his second smash hit follow-up!
Sources:
Kineticist Keith Elwin Profile
Head2Head Pinball Podcast Ep. 45 – Iron Maiden
Head2Head Pinball Podcast Ep. 106 – Jurassic Park
Just Another Pinball Podcast – Godzilla
Flip N Out Podcast with Joel E – Jaws
Loser Kid Podcast – King Kong
Pinside Keith Elwin Designer Profile
Want to Support the Show? Visit Our Patreon at or pick up a tee shirt at Silverball Swag
Check out Flip N Out Pinball for all your pinball needs!
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.
Sources:
HomePin Games List. Here
The Aussie Pinball Podcast, Ep 16 – Mike from Homepin
YouTube. Mike Kalinowski. Here
HomePin Facebook Page. Here
Want to Support the Show? Visit our Patreon at www.patreon.com/silverballchronicles or pick up a t-shirt at https://silverballswag.com/collections/silverball-chronicles
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
David and Ron are here again this month to use an audio medium to talk about visual art… will it work?
Art sells Pinball machines. There was no better team ever in pinball as the Art Team at Bally. From 1975 until Bally was sold to Midway in 1983 an eclectic, creative and dedicated team of artists made some of the best art pinball had ever seen.
Come listen to Ron and Dave chat about Dave Christensen, his strange art choices, why was it so cold at Bally in the 1970s, hear Dave consistently miss pronounce more names, the amazing Paul Faris Bally art team, orbit spinners and Gene Simmons’s package.
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.