CURRENT NEWS

April 4, 2008--GREETINGS to all former, present and future PGJ Subscribers. One purpose of this edition of the PGJ Newsletter is to report on the progress of the next issue of the PinGame Journal (#126). It’s progressing. As periodically is the case, silly things like work and family matters have, of late, taken my attention away from the serious business of pinball. Work is still a challenge, but I find myself getting back into pinball so an issue can’t be far behind. I’m hoping for the issue to hit the printer by mid-month and then be in the mail soon after that. As with the last two issues, I’m also hoping to get another issue (#127) done very soon after this one. If this all happens (a lot of hoping) that will be four issues by the end of June which will keep me on track with the discussion in the last newsletter explaining a workable number of issues per year, for me, is eight. Time will tell.

BREAKING NEWS! Just a few days ago, Fox Business News visited the Stern Pinball factory and filmed a segment on the new Indiana Jones machine and its designer John Borg. Go to the PGJ web site at http://www.pingamejournal.com/breaking and click the link to see the video. Also recently, the History Channel’s Modern Marvels crew spent a day at Stern for an upcoming segment.

While not exactly breaking news, another recent video has come to our attention chronicling a visit to High End Pins and its one man team, Chris Hutchins. You’ll find a link to that video at the PGJ site also. If you are not in a hurry for any of the above videos, they are all slated to be included in PGJ Media Clips, Vol. 3 which should be available by fall.

WOODRAILS and woodlegs too! While there is plenty of stuff in the PGJ “publication pouch” and on its way to me for publication, one subject that could always be covered more is woodrail era games.

SEND WOODRAIL ARTICLES. Bob Herbison has been fantastic in this area but it isn’t fair to ask him to do it alone. I know we have readers who think a classic game is Black Knight 2000 and that’s fine. But there are plenty more who long for the simpler times of the woodrail or at least EM games, so stories about them would be very welcome. Contact me and we’ll talk.

Ok, so what’s in the next issue so far? At the moment, there is the final part of the Solar Fire restoration by Phoebe Smith. She also throws in some comments about Pinball Expo and her experience giving a seminar on restoration. We have letters from readers and one from a game show host. Well, not actually FROM a game show host but a reader who is acquainted with WOF host Pat Sajak and asked him some questions relating to pinball. Other areas are still a bit fuzzy, but in the mix are show reports, product reviews, the latest from the Pinball Company and Illinois Pinball and more.

The issue will end with a lengthy discussion with Lyman Sheats, Jr. For those who don’t know, Lyman is a collector, player and programmer who is currently working at Stern and has spent the last few years designing Stern’s new pinball operating system. While the operating system will be the subject of a future article, this time we start to focus on his first full programming assignment in a long time, Spider-Man. But we got a little off the subject and into some interesting detail about life at Stern and game design philosophy. Lyman and I have been working on this for almost a year and most of it is stuff you have not read, or heard, any place else. Don’t miss it.

That should do it for now and I’ve got to get back to work. If you are not a subscriber, please help support the effort and become one. “Thank You” to all who do or will support the magazine: It wouldn’t happen without you! JIM

January, 2008--Greetings all PinGame Journal supporters and well-wishers. The BIG news, at least for me, is that the January, 2008 Issue, #124, is in the mail and working it’s way across the country and to points beyond. It’s always of interest to me how it can get to say Texas or even California, from its southern Illinois mailing point, BEFORE getting to me, in Michigan, only one state away! A while back I asked you all to let me know when an issue got to you and many, many responded. It was great. EXCEPT, that I felt obligated to try to answer you all individually and there were hundreds. So, I’m not asking that this time. I will ask that you all give our poor US Postal Service time to get the PGJ to you all.

Just because you hear of someone in Florida who got theirs (or even in Austrailia), it doesn’t mean you were left out if didn’t get yours in Ohio yet. Rest assured that I probably don’t have mine! On the other hand, please feel free to check with us if you really do think your issue has gone AWOL. Or if it comes damaged. We’re happy to send out replacements when needed.

You would think (I would) that given the three or four months that have past since the last issue, I’d be able to get an issue out without mistakes. You’d be wrong. Proof reader, among other things, Gary Flower headed off a number of them, but at least one got through that was down to me. It is a date that should have been January 18th, but I printed January 19. The subject is the pinball segment set to air as part of ABC’s Good Morning America this Friday (January 18th …). Stern produced a one off GMA model that was to be shown in the January issue of the PGJ, but that was when the segment was scheduled for last month. It has been moved to this Friday, the 18th and will feature a number of Stern games as well as an appearance by Zach and Josh Sharpe to talk about the state of pinball. If you don’t catch it this Friday, January 18th, there will be a report in the PGJ and I’m pretty sure the segment will find its way into the soon to be released PGJ Media Clips Vol. 3. But if you are or know a Nielson family, make sure you or they watch the show to let the network execs know how much pinball can affect the ratings. January 18th, this Friday, ABC.

PGJ Fundraiser. It wasn’t easy. Not at all. But friend, collector, contributor and Expo speaker, Mark Bakula got tired of hearing me whine about how costs to produce the PGJ are going up while ways to off set those costs are limited. Mark knew I had collected a quantity of Williams game posters and suggested we sell some on Ebay and give the entire proceeds to the PGJ. Arranging that was a generous offer by Mark but he also knows I don’t give up stuff easily. I never really thought of selling anything given to me, as most stuff was to everyone, at no cost. But Mark finally convinced me this would be a win/win/win situation as it would support the PGJ, clean out a bit of my basement and those who bought them would be helping out the PGJ and enjoying their new poster. But that’s not all! Mark also suggested that since we were about to go to Pinball Expo I should ask the people who made the games to sign the posters and increase the appeal. I was skeptical and I really didn’t want to bother these guys. But, I made some calls and everyone asked said they’d be glad to help. I was amazed how nice everyone was. Thanks guys. More about this when the items are available.

And miracles of miracles, I’m actually working on the next issue now. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to try to get more issues out, hopefully eight. I’ve come to realize that eight is a number I probably can manage, especially if the great help from coming from contributors keeps up. Just look at the current and future issues to see who they are. Contributing writers, advertisers and subscribers all move things along and will help us keep the PGJ coming! Thanks to you all and that’s all till next time. JIM

May, 2006--Pingame Newsletter—Greetings to ALL ... All current subscribers should have their issue 115 by now and I know you’ve enjoyed it. Those who’s subscription is at an end … RENEW NOW!!

May marks the 15th Anniversary for the Pingame Journal. I was hoping to have a May, 2006 issue, but that’s not gonna happen and so it goes. I often tell people that much of the reason I haven’t burned out or gone insane after 15 years is due to our “casually monthly” publication schedule so why change now.

Speaking of May, I hope all of you who have the 2006 Pinball Calendar from Alex Fuchs realize the featured game is my 1948 Genco Triple Action which appeared on the cover of PGJ Issue #1. It’s the first game designed by Steve Kordek, Genco’s first game with flippers and the first game ever to have only two flippers at the bottom where they’ve been ever since. The photos in the calendar are special due to the digital edition of playfield scores and wording that have faded from this and every other example of this game I’ve ever seen. The stamping left indents in the wood which I followed to reproduce the graphics digitally, but have not yet restored the actual playfield. Thanks to Alex for letting me celebrate the PGJ’s 15th in this way and present the Triple Action playfield in its completed form.

As you may have read on the back cover of PGJ Issue #115, Mike Minchew led the effort to convert a few No Good Gofers pinballs into Mega Ball Frenzy games connected to EDS’s sponsorship of the Byron Nelson Championship this weekend. The games will be auctioned off and the proceeds given to charity. No need to go into detail here, there will be more in future Pingame Journals as well as more right now at the EDS/Byron Nelson/pinball site:

http://www.eds.com/news/events/byronnelson/pinball

Don’t miss the EDS Minute video about the creation of the games. Also check out and bid on the custom game, signed by many of the greats of golf on ebay at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/2006-EDS-BYRON-NELSON-CHAMPIONSHIP-Pinball-Machine_W0QQitemZ6276935003QQcategoryZ13725QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

ALSO—watch your next PGJ for some very special items. Mike, with the blessing of EDS, had special flyers and plastics, including a stand-up, made for the game. The PGJ will be sending a flyer and plastics to every subscriber. The stand-ups are very rare and we have a few that will be available to the lucky subscribers who get a voucher in their envelope for one of these beauties. I’ll have NO control over this, so don’t ask.

There’s lots of cool stuff going on all the time and the PGJ will get you in on the ground floor. All you have to do is subscribe and get others to do the same. It’s the main thing we need to help this all keep moving. Subscribers.

On the other hand, we could use a few more writers. People to cover shows, clubs and events. People to tell about the cool game they just got and why it’s so cool. People to write about anything as long as it concerns pinball. This really is your magazine, I just put it together.

Thanks to you all for your support and help with the PGJ. “Doing” this for 15 years is not really something that would drive me crazy but, instead, something to keep me sane with all the insanity that surrounds me. JIM

(3/6/04) Issue #103 should be in the mail Wednesday! Check out the unusual cover at our web site. (no secrets revealed!) Of course the BIG news is that it will disclose two of the biggest secrets in pinball history: How to play the "brick game" in Star Trek The Next Generation and the meaning of DOHO! I kind of went a little wild with the cover in their honor, but I like it. There's lots of other stuff there too, from a Norm's Nest game room to a bingo story, to Pinball On Record, to some interesting letters, to a few show reports, to part 4 of the History of Pinball and, believe it or not, even MORE! Don't miss out, subscribe or renew NOW! Help support PINBALL!

Also, the PGJ has be selected as the EXCLUSIVE US distributor for the new book by Federico Croci called Pinball Machines for Italy. This book describes the classic Gottlieb games that were produced in versions specifically for the Italian market. Contact the PinGame Journal for details.

(6/28/03) Issue #99 is at the printer and should be in the mail by Wednesday. The PGJ has reprinted two of its most popular T-shirts --- No Fear and Scared Stiff. The PGJ video tape project is done and explained in #99 as well. See details in the issue on both of these very interesting and long anticipated items! Issue 100 is just around the corner and we have lots of cool pinball surprises in store for readers of that issue and the next 100. Don't miss them, subscribe today!

(2/5/03) #97 has gone to press. We are getting more and more digital and this issue was placed on a ftp site and the printer got it that way ... no human contact. Not really always the best, but it is pretty convenient! This issue will be mailed with a Simpsons flyer as well as the flyer for the new ToPS tournament system from Stern. #97, among a ton of stuff, features a detailed article on this feature.