Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

In 1976, champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom. He was there to challenge the citywide ban on pinball by proving this was a game of skill, not chance. Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released, and the fate of this industry and artform hung in the balance. Thus opens Jon Chad's comprehensive graphic guide to the history of the captivating, capricious-and at times infuriating!-game of pinball. Tracing pinball's roots back to the Court of King Louis XIV and right up to the present day, Chad captures not just the history of the game but also the artistry, cultural significance, and even the physics.

Reviews

"In this nonfiction work, Chad tells the improbably exciting story of the development of the pinball machine, including the fact the game was outlawed for nearly 30 years for its connection to gambling and the mob." --New York Times

"Beautifully drawn color graphics loaded with informed historical text, here's the story of why pinball is popular and a focus of today's video-game arcade rooms." --New York Public Library, from their Best Books of 2022 list

"The author successfully packages the minutiae of pinball's existence with dynamic art and vivid coloring assisted by Luke Healy. Cracking this one open evokes the delight of snapping back the launcher in the arcade." --Publisher's Weekly, starred review

"This is a vibrant, colorful love letter to pinball that will leave readers longing for the sounds of the arcade... Perfect for both fans of microhistories and the history of gaming." --Booklist

Author Bio

Jon Chad is the author of the Leo Geo series and Science Comics: Volcanoes, the illustrator of Science Comics: Solar System, and the creator of the multi-format immersion narrative BAD MASK. He also drew the art package for The Jetsons pinball machine for The Pinball Company and Spooky Pinball.