PACIFIC PINBALL MUSEUM’S ‘SHOOT THE MOON’ 2016 EXPOSITION

After a four year hiatus, during which time efforts were focused on operations and expansion, the Pacific Pinball Museum resumed its highly successful series of PPM Expositions on November 11th, 12th and 13th, preceded by a special VIP early bird preview sale and party on the 10th.

Exposition 2016, the museum’s seventh, adopted the theme Shoot the Moon, borrowing the name and the George Molentin graphics from Williams’ 1951 pinball machine of the same name, which greeted visitors at the entrance to the show.

Shoot the Moon proved to be an all-together fitting title for the 2016 show reflecting the PPM’s cosmic accomplishments since their last Exposition. In the four year interim since the last show the museum space has increased significantly, the collection has continued to grow at a rapid pace and important progress has been made toward the funding required to relocate the PPM to the former Carnegie Library across from Alameda’s City Hall.

Most recently, the on-going issue of adequate storage was successfully addressed. Until July the PPM was faced with severe overcrowding in their former storage and restoration facility.

Even the narrow paths that separated aisles of games from one another had become impassable, requiring dozens, even hundreds of games, to be moved in order to unearth any given machine.

Having determined that more space was not just desirable but necessary, the PPM Board of Directors decided to move the museum’s entire inventory of games, except for those in the museum proper, into a huge new commercial space. PPM Exposition 7 was staged to celebrate the importance of that move, showcase the museum’s greatly expanded collection and share with the public what the PPM has recently accomplished and what lies ahead.

The gala event was held in the new Pacific Pinball Museum Annex at 1680 Viking Street in Alameda, California. The new Annex is just minutes away from the PPM Museum’s 1510 Webster Street location, which is open to the public 6 days a week, featuring a rotating line-up of 100-110 games set up on free play.

The new, 45,000 square foot PPM Annex provided the perfect venue to introduce visitors to nearly 500 pinball machines from the museum’s more than 1,300 game collection.

Games were arranged in back-to-back “islands” with extra-wide aisles between them allowing visitors plenty of room to play and the unique opportunity to walk, chronologically, year-by-year, through the development of pinball from 1947 through the present.

The time and effort required to successfully stage and manage such a pinball extravaganza could not have been achieved without the tireless efforts of an exceptional group of dedicated volunteers, some who began work as early as June to meet the November 10th deadline.

The thousands of hours required to prepare and mount the show were managed and coordinated by key members of the PPM team.

David Volansky, PPM’s newest Board member, was instrumental in the layout and engineering of the show and served as Floor Manager.

As Volunteer Coordinator, Brad Grant did an excellent job managing and scheduling the tasks of more than sixty hard-working volunteers.

PPM Assistant Director d’Arci Bruno served as Facilities Manager capably assisted by Lynn Gustafson.

PPM Curator Melissa Harmon’s artistic and managerial skills were constantly called upon as she multi-tasked throughout the four-day show.

All-important security and parking facilities were managed by Jim Strehlow and Jem Gruber.

Ron Chan was responsible for developing the full color Shoot the Moon program guide with generous funding provided by exhibitor Marco Specialties.

Of the games on display, 440 were available for free play throughout the weekend, maintained by a cadre of pinball tech volunteers who kept the games in good working order with a bare minimum of down time.

Among the show’s highlights were the presence of 132 working woodrail pins from Gottlieb’s 1947 Flying Trapeze (their last pre-flipper game) to Flipper (their first add-a-ball) and a choice selection of Gottlieb wedgeheads.

A sampling of the rare and highly desirable woodrail and wedgehead games from pinball’s ‘Golden Age’ on the show floor included:

WOODRAILS

• Gottlieb 1949 College Daze – Wayne Neyen’s 1st design
• Gottlieb 1950 Knock Out
• Gottlieb 1951 Mermaid, Minstrel Man and Niagara
• Williams 1951 Shoot the Moon
• Chicago Coin 1951 Thing
• Williams 1952 Paratrooper as well as their Majorettes and Olympics, both with Roy Parker art!
• Genco 1952 Springtime featuring both a vertical and a horizontal playfield!
• Gottlieb 1953 Grand Slam, the quintessential non-pitch & bat baseball-themed pinball game
• Gottlieb 1954 double-coin Daisy May, Diamond Lill, Dragonette, Hawaiian Beauty and Mystic Marvel
• Williams 1953 Screamo (based on Chicago’s Riverview Park) as well as the futuristic Skyway designed by Harry Williams
• Gottlieb Sluggin’ Champ and Twin Bill from 1955
• Genco 1957 Show Boat
• Gottlieb 1958 Sittin’ Pretty and Rocket Ship
• Bally 1960 ‘one balls’ Beach Queens and Beauty Contest

WEDGEHEADS

• Gottlieb 1962 Flipper Cowboy
• Gottlieb 1963 Slick Chick and Sweethearts
• Gottlieb 1964 Majorettes and North Star
• Gottlieb 1965 Cow Poke, Ice Revue and Kings & Queens
• Gottlieb 1966 Cross Town
• Gottlieb 1971 2001 and 4 Square
• Gottlieb 1972 Pop-A-Card
• Gottlieb 1975 El Dorado

While all but a handful of games at the show were gifted to the museum by a host of generous donors, special mention should be made of the 240 working woodrails and wedgeheads on the show floor contributed by Larry Zartarian, President and Treasurer of the PPM Board of Directors.

In addition to the woodrails available for play, there were 119 games from the 1960s, 129 from the 1970s, 28 from the 1980s, 31 from the 1990s, 3 from the 2000s and 5 from the 2010s.

It seems safe to say that there have never before been as many woodrails or wedgeheads available for play in a single venue, even in the most heavily populated arcades of the 1950s and 1960s!

MECHANICAL MARVELS

In addition, a special treat was in store for attendees thanks to Dan Miller who made his pristine collection of the three finest pinball machines from the mechanical age available for both viewing and play.

The trio, all made by David Rockola, included his 1933 World’s Fair Jigsaw as well as Army & Navy and World’s Series both from 1934.

It was amazing to observe the number of attendees who played these games repeatedly, captivated by the ingenuity and exceptional play value of these more than 80-year-old, entirely mechanical marvels!

 
WORKING GAMES ON THE SHOW FLOOR

1933 World’s Fair Jigsaw, Rockola 1934 Army & Navy, Rockola 1934 World’s Series, Rockola 1947 Flying Trapeze, Gottlieb 1948 Ali-Baba, Gottlieb 1948 Barnacle Bill, Gottlieb 1948 Cinderella, Gottlieb 1949 De-Icer, Williams 1949 Basketball, Gottlieb 1949 Bowling Champ, Gottlieb 1949 College Daze, Gottlieb 1949 Double-Shuffle, Gottlieb 1949 K.C. Jones, Gottlieb 1949 King Arthur & His Round Table, Gottlieb 1949 Old Faithful, Gottlieb 1949 Telecard, Gottlieb 1949 Three Musketeers, Gottlieb 1950 Lucky Inning, Williams 1950 Bank-A-Ball, Gottlieb 1950 Buffalo Bill, Gottlieb 1950 Canasta, Genco 1950 Double-Feature, Gottlieb 1950 Just 21, Gottlieb 1950 Knock Out, Gottlieb 1950 Madison Square Gardens, Gottlieb 1950 Rockettes, Gottlieb 1950 Select-A-Card, Gottlieb 1950 Spot Bowler, Gottlieb 1950 The 4 Horsemen, Gottlieb 1950 Triplets, Gottlieb 1951 Arcade, Williams 1951 Control Tower, Williams 1951 Cyclone, Gottlieb 1951 Globe Trotter, Gottlieb 1951 Happy-Go-Lucky, Gottlieb 1951 Mermaid, Gottlieb 1951 Minstrel Man, Gottlieb 1951 Niagara, Gottlieb 1951 Rose-Bowl, Gottlieb 1951 Shoot The Moon, Williams 1951 Thing, Chicago Coin 1951 Watch My Line, Gottlieb 1951 Wild West, Gottlieb 1952 All-Star Basketball, Gottlieb 1952 Caravan, Williams 1952 Chinatown, Gottlieb 1952 Coronation, Gottlieb 1952 Crossroads, Gottlieb 1952 Four Corners, Williams 1952 Four Stars, Gottlieb 1952 Happy Days, Gottlieb 1952 Hit ‘N’ Run, Gottlieb 1952 Majorettes, Williams 1952 Olympics, Williams 1952 Paratrooper, Williams 1952 Quartette, Gottlieb 1952 Skill-Pool, Gottlieb 1952 Springtime, Genco 1953 Arabian Knights, Gottlieb 1953 Flying High, Gottlieb 1953 Grand Champion, Williams 1953 Grand Slam, Gottlieb 1953 Guys Dolls, Gottlieb 1953 Pin Wheel, Gottlieb 1953 Poker Face, Gottlieb 1953 Quintette, Gottlieb 1953 Shindig, Gottlieb 1953 Times Square, Williams 1954 4-Belles, Gottlieb 1954 Big Ben, Williams 1954 Daisy May, Gottlieb 1954 Diamond Lill, Gottlieb 1954 Dragonette, Gottlieb 1954 Green Pastures, Gottlieb 1954 Jockey Club, Gottlieb 1954 Lady Luck, Gottlieb 1954 Lovely Lucy, Gottlieb 1954 Mystic Marvel, Gottlieb 1954 Screamo, Williams 1954 Skyway, Williams 1954 Stage Coach, Gottlieb 1955 Duette, Gottlieb 1955 Duette Deluxe, Gottlieb 1955 Easy Aces, Gottlieb 1955 Frontiersman, Gottlieb 1955 Gypsy Queen, Gottlieb 1955 Sluggin’ Champ, Gottlieb 1955 Southern Belle, Gottlieb 1955 Sweet Add-A-Line, Gottlieb 1955 Tournament, Gottlieb 1955 Twin Bill, Gottlieb 1955 Wishing Well, Gottlieb 1955 Wonderland, Williams 1956 Auto Race, Gottlieb 1956 Classy Bowler, Gottlieb 1956 Derby Day, Gottlieb 1956 Fair Lady, Gottlieb 1956 Gladiator, Gottlieb 1956 Harbor Lites, Gottlieb 1956 Rainbow, Gottlieb 1956 Score-Board, Gottlieb 1957 Continental Café, Gottlieb 1957 Falstaff, Gottlieb 1957 Show Boat, Genco 1957 Silver, Gottlieb 1957 Whirl-Wind, Gottlieb 1957 World Champ, Gottlieb 1958 Contest, Gottlieb 1958 Criss Cross, Gottlieb 1958 Double Action, Gottlieb 1958 Gondolier, Gottlieb 1958 Rocket Ship, Gottlieb 1958 Roto Pool, Gottlieb 1958 Sittin’ Pretty, Gottlieb 1958 Sunshine, Gottlieb 1958 Turf Champ, Williams 1959 Hi-Diver, Gottlieb 1959 Lightning Ball, Gottlieb 1959 Miss Annabelle, Gottlieb 1959 Queen Of Diamonds, Gottlieb 1959 Straight Shooter, Gottlieb 1959 Sweet Sioux, Gottlieb 1959 Universe, Gottlieb 1959 World Beauties, Gottlieb 1960 Beach Queens, Bally 1960 Beauty Contest, Bally 1960 Captain Kidd, Gottlieb 1960 Dancing Dolls, Gottlieb 1960 Flipper, Gottlieb 1960 Jungle, Williams 1960 Melody Lane, Gottlieb 1960 Merry-Go-Round, Gottlieb 1960 Spot-A-Card, Gottlieb 1960 Wagon Train, Gottlieb 1961 Add-A-Ball, Williams 1961 Aloha, Gottlieb 1961 Big Casino, Gottlieb 1961 Bo Bo, Williams 1961 Corral, Gottlieb 1961 Double Barrel, Williams 1961 Egg Head, Gottlieb 1961 Flipper Fair, Gottlieb 1961 Flipper Parade, Gottlieb 1961 Flying Circus, Gottlieb 1961 Highways, Williams 1961 Lancers, Gottlieb 1961 Oklahoma, Gottlieb 1961 Show Boat, Gottlieb 1961 Space Ship, Williams 1961 Ten Spot, Williams 1962 4 Roses, Williams 1962 Arrowhead, Keeney 1962 Cover Girl, Gottlieb 1962 Fashion Show, Gottlieb 1962 Flipper Clown, Gottlieb 1962 Flipper Cowboy, Gottlieb 1962 Liberty Belle, Gottlieb 1962 Olympics, Gottlieb 1962 Preview, Gottlieb 1962 Rack-A-Ball, Gottlieb 1962 Sunset, Gottlieb 1962 Target Gallery, Midway 1962 Tropic Isle, Gottlieb 1963 Big Daddy, Williams 1963 Gaucho, Gottlieb 1963 Gigi, Gottlieb 1963 Jumpin’ Jacks, Williams 1963 Merry Widow, Williams 1963 Moon Shot, Bally 1963 Slick Chick, Gottlieb 1963 Square Head, Gottlieb 1963 Sweet Hearts, Gottlieb 1963 Swing-Along, Gottlieb 1963 Tom Tom, Williams 1964 Big Top, Gottlieb 1964 Bonanza, Gottlieb 1964 Bowling Queen, Gottlieb 1964 Happy Clown, Gottlieb 1964 Mad World, Bally 1964 Majorettes, Gottlieb 1964 Monte Carlo, Bally 1964 North Star, Gottlieb 1964 Ship-Mates, Gottlieb 1964 Stop ‘N’ Go, Williams 1964 World Fair, Gottlieb 1965 Band Wagon, Bally 1965 Bank-A-Ball, Gottlieb 1965 Cow Poke, Gottlieb 1965 Flipper Pool, Gottlieb 1965 Hi Dolly, Gottlieb 1965 Ice-Revue, Gottlieb 1965 Kings & Queens, Gottlieb 1965 Magic Circle, Bally 1965 Moulin Rouge, Williams 1965 Paradise, Gottlieb 1965 Pot ‘O’ Gold, Williams 1965 Sky-Line, Gottlieb 1965 Teacher’s Pet, Williams 1965 Thoro-Bred, Gottlieb 1965 Trio, Bally 1966 Campus Queen, Gottlieb 1966 Capersville, Bally 1966 Central Park, Gottlieb 1966 Cross Town, Gottlieb 1966 Full House, Williams 1966 Hot Line, Williams 1966 Hurdy Gurdy, Gottlieb 1966 Ice Show, Gottlieb 1966 Masquerade, Gottlieb 1966 Mayfair, Gottlieb 1966 Subway, Gottlieb 1967 Beat Time, Williams 1967 Diamond Jack, Gottlieb 1967 Dixieland, Bally 1967 Melody, Gottlieb 1967 Rocket III, Bally 1967 Shangri-La, Williams 1967 Super Score, Gottlieb 1967 West Club, Rally (France) 1968 Ding Dong, Williams 1968 Domino, Gottlieb 1968 Doozie, Williams 1968 Fun Land, Gottlieb 1968 Lady Luck, Williams 1968 Minizag, Bally 1968 Palace Guard, Gottlieb 1968 Paul Bunyan, Gottlieb 1968 Playmates, Gottlieb 1968 Playtime, Chicago Coin 1968 Royal Guard, Gottlieb 1968 Spin Wheel, Gottlieb 1969 Action, Chicago Coin 1969 Expo, Williams 1969 Hearts & Spades, Gottlieb 1969 Joust, Bally 1969 King Tut, Bally 1969 Mibs, Gottlieb 1969 Mini Pool, Gottlieb 1969 Miss-O, Williams 1969 Moon Shot, Chicago Coin 1969 On Beam, Bally 1969 Paddock, Williams 1969 Road Race, Gottlieb 1969 Skipper, Gottlieb 1969 Spin-A-Card, Gottlieb 1969 Target Pool, Gottlieb 1969 Wild Wild West, Gottlieb 1970 4 Queens, Bally 1970 Aquarius, Gottlieb 1970 Baseball, Gottlieb 1970 Batter Up, Gottlieb 1970 Big Valley, Bally 1970 Bowl-O, Bally 1970 Crescendo, Gottlieb 1970 Double-Up, Bally 1970 Flip-A-Card, Gottlieb 1970 Galahad, Bally 1970 Polo, Gottlieb 1970 Rock ‘N’ Roll, Williams 1970 Scuba, Gottlieb 1970 Zip-A-Doo, Bally 1971 2001, Gottlieb 1971 4 Square, Gottlieb 1971 Abra Ca Dabra, Gottlieb 1971 Astro, Gottlieb 1971 Bristol Hills!, Gottlieb 1971 Doodle Bug, Williams 1971 Drop-A-Card, Gottlieb 1971 Roller Coaster, Gottlieb 1971 Stardust, Williams 1972 El Toro, Bally 1972 Fan-Tas-Tic, Williams 1972 Fireball, Bally 1972 Flying Carpet, Gottlieb 1972 Jungle, Gottlieb 1972 King Kool, Gottlieb 1972 Outer Space, Gottlieb 1972 Pop-A-Card, Gottlieb 1972 Super Star, Williams 1972 Swinger, Williams 1973 Gulfstream, Williams 1973 Hot Shot, Gottlieb 1973 Jack In The Box, Gottlieb 1973 Jungle King, Gottlieb 1973 King Pin, Gottlieb 1973 Nip-It, Bally 1973 OXO, Williams 1973 Pro-Football, Gottlieb 1973 Time Zone, Bally 1973 Upper Deck, Williams 1974 Amigo, Bally 1974 Big Brave, Gottlieb 1974 Champ, Bally 1974 Dealer’s Choice, Williams 1974 Duotron, Gottlieb 1974 Gin, Chicago Coin 1974 Sky Jump, Gottlieb 1974 Sky Kings, Bally 1974 Skylab, Williams 1974 Star Pool, Williams 1974 Super-Flite, Williams 1974 Top Card, Gottlieb 1975 Big Ben, Williams 1975 Bow & Arrow, Bally 1975 El Dorado, Gottlieb 1975 Knockout, Bally 1975 Pat Hand, Williams 1975 Top Score, Gottlieb 1975 Top Speed, Recel (Spain) 1975 Wizard!, Bally 1976 Aladdin’s Castle, Bally 1976 Blue Chip, Williams 1976 Buccaneer, Gottlieb 1976 Card Whiz, Gottlieb 1976 Hang Glider, Bally 1976 Hokus Pokus, Bally 1976 Lady Luck, Recel (Spain) 1976 Moon Flight, Zaccaria (Italy) 1976 Old Chicago (2), Bally 1976 Royal Flush, Gottlieb 1976 Sound Stage, Chicago Coin 1976 Space Odyssey, Williams 1976 Sure Shot, Gottlieb 1976 Surf Champ, Gottlieb 1976 Target Alpha, Gottlieb 1976 Underwater, Recel (Spain) 1977 Bronco, Gottlieb 1977 Butterfly, Sonic (Spain) 1977 Captain Fantastic, Bally 1977 Cleopatra, Gottlieb 1977 Combat, Zaccaria (Italy) 1977 Dragon, Interflip (Spain) 1977 Eight Ball, Bally 1977 Evel Knievel, Bally 1977 Icarus, Recel (Spain) 1977 Jacks Open, Gottlieb 1977 Jet Spin, Gottlieb 1977 Jungle Princess, Gottlieb 1977 Liberty Bell, Williams 1977 Mars Trek, Sonic (Spain) 1977 Monaco, Segasa (Spain) 1977 Nautilus, Zaccaria (Italy) 1977 Night Rider, Bally 1977 Rawhide, Stern 1977 Stampede, Stern 1977 Stingray, Stern 1977 Super Straight, Sonic (Spain) 1977 Team One, Gottlieb 1977 Wild Card, Williams 1978 Chance, Playmatic (Spain) 1978 Charlie’s Angels, Gottlieb 1978 Close Encounters Of The 3rd Kind, Gottlieb 1978 Disco Fever, Williams 1978 Hit The Deck, Gottlieb 1978 Lucky Seven, Williams 1978 Mata Hari, Bally 1978 Playboy, Bally 1978 Power Play, Bally 1978 Stars, Stern 1979 Count-Down, Gottlieb 1979 Dracula, Stern 1979 Flash, Williams 1979 Genie, Gottlieb 1979 Harlem Globetrotters, Bally 1979 Laser Ball, Williams 1979 Magic, Stern 1979 Meteor, Stern 1979 Solar Ride, Gottlieb 1979 Superman, Atari 1979 Tri Zone, Williams 1980 Buck Rogers, Gottlieb 1980 Circus, Gottlieb 1980 Firepower, Williams 1980 Galaxy, Stern 1980 Nine Ball, Stern 1980 Star Race, Gottlieb 1980 Xenon, Bally 1981 Embryon, Bally 1981 Fathom, Bally 1981 Fireball II, Bally 1981 Flash Gordon, Bally 1981 Jungle Lord, Williams 1982 Rapid Fire, Bally 1982 Striker, Gottlieb 1983 Farfalla, Zaccaria (Italy) 1983 Super Orbit, Gottlieb 1984 Black Pyramid, Bally/Midway 1985 Beat The Clock, Bally/Midway 1985 Fireball Classic, Ballymidway 1986 Motordome, Bally/Midway 1986 Road Kings, Williams 1987 F-14 Tomcat, Williams 1987 Space Station, Williams 1988 Blackwater 100, Bally/Midway 1989 Black Knight, Williams 1989 Earthshaker!, Williams 1989 Robocop, Data East 1990 Dr. Dude, Bally/Midway 1990 Funhouse, Williams 1990 The Simpsons, Data East 1990 Whirlwind, Williams 1991 Cactus Jack’s, Gottlieb 1991 Checkpoint, Data East 1991 Gilligan’s Island, Bally/Midway 1991 Hurricane, Williams 1991 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Data East 1991 Terminator 2, Williams 1992 Black Rose, Bally/Midway 1992 The Addams Family (3), Bally/Midway 1992 The Getaway High Speed 2 (2), Williams 1993 Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Williams 1993 Twilight Zone, Bally/Midway 1993 Whitewater (2), Williams 1994 Popeye Saves The Earth, Bally/Midway 1994 Red & Ted’s Road Show, Williams 1994 Rescue 911, Gottlieb 1994 World Cup Soccer, Bally/Midway 1995 Attack From Mars (2), Bally/Midway 1995 Theatre Of Magic, Bally/Midway 1996 Flipper Football, Capcom 1997 Medieval Madness, Williams 1998 Cactus Canyon, Bally/Midway 2003 Terminator 3, Stern 2008 The Hellacopters Air Raid Serenades, re-themed from a 1973 Gottlieb King Pin by Wade Krause & Donny Gillies (aka ‘Dirty Donny’) 2013 Metallica (Premium), Stern 2013 Star Trek (Starfleet Pro), Stern 2016 Ghostbusters (Pro), Stern

In summary there were working games from 21 different makers on the floor of PPM Expo 7.

Excluding the games used for the tournaments and the pre-flipper view-only historical games the counts were as follows:

Manufacturer	Number of Games	Percentage of Total
Atari Bally Bally/Midway Capcom Chicago Coin Data East Dirty Donny/Wade Krauss Genco Gottlieb Interflip Keeney Midway Playmatic Rally Recel Rockola Segasa Sonic Stern Williams Zaccaria	1 49 15 1 6 4 1 3 244 1 1 1 1 1 4 3 1 3 13 83 4	0.23 11.2 3.41 0.23 1.36 0.90 0.23 0.68 55.8 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.23 0.90 0.68 0.23 0.68 2.95 18.9 0.90
21 manufacturers	440	100

Despite the mind-boggling selection of games available for play at Shoot the Moon, a few attendees managed to find fault. In answer to grumbling from one of the younger attendees about the limited number of games from the current century I overheard a PPM board member patiently explain why:

PPM BOARD MEMBER: “Far fewer machines have come to market since Bally, Williams and Gottlieb’s successors closed their pinball operations at the end of the last century. And, since the PPM is a museum, not an arcade, our focus is on acquiring older, more historic games while they’re still available.

“Besides, many of the games made from 2000 on are in the hands of collectors. And since we rely most heavily upon donations, we don’t expect to receive many games from that era for quite a while.”

SHOOT THE MOON VISITOR: “So why not just buy some newer games?”

PPM BOARD MEMBER:  “From time to time we do. But purchasing large numbers of new games for the PPM collection is cost prohibitive. And, if your main interest is in playing newer games, there are plenty of them available on location, at traditional pinball shows and in individual collections.”

PRE-FLIPPER RARITIES

Another Expo highlight was the display of 34 additional games from the pre-flipper era. Set up for viewing-only they ranged from proto-pinballs and the 1931 origin games Baffle Ball and Bingo, through wartime conversions like the politically incorrect Victory Games’ Smack the Japs to 1947’s Coed, one of Exhibit Supply’s (ESCO’s) last pre-flipper pinballs.

The complete list follows:

1871, Montague Redgrave, Parlor Bagatelle (proto-pinball) 1920, Mills Novelty Company, Target Shooter (proto-pinball) 1931, Bingo Novelty Manufacturing Company, Bingo 1931, Gottlieb, Baffle Ball 1932, Pace Manufacturing Company, Lucky Strike 1932, Mills Novelty Company, Official Pin Table 1932, Skilgames, Inc., Whirlpool 1934, Daval Manufacturing Company, American Beauty 1934, Pacific Amusement Manufacturing Company (PAMCO), Contact 1934, PAMCO, Major League 1934, Rockola, World’s Series 1937, Bally, Ballyhoo 1938, Mills, One-Two-Three 1938, Stoner Manufacturing Company, Ritz 1938, Bally, Rocket 1939, Exhibit Supply Company (ESCO), Sky-Rocket 1940, Bally, Beauty 1940, Bally, Glamour 1941, Gottlieb, Horoscope 1941, Genco, Jungle 1941, Genco, Metro 1942, Victory Games, Slap the Japs (a conversion of Chicago Coin’s 1940 Strat-O-Liner) 1945, Gottlieb, Cover Girl 1947, Bally, Ballyhoo 1947, Exhibit, Coed 1947, Marvel, Lightning 1947, United, Singapore 1947, Exhibit, Treasure Chest 1948, Keeney, Band Leader 1948, Exhibit, Banjo 1948, Williams, Gizmo 1948, United, Serenade 1948, Chicago Coin, Shanghai 1948, Williams, Speedway 1949, Genco, Rip Snorter 1950, Exhibit, Be-Bop

SHOW HIGHLIGHT TOURS

Each day during the three days of the show PPM docents Larry Zartarian and Dan Miller conducted guided tours of the games on the show floor.

The tours provided an opportunity for attendees to learn about pinball’s evolution, the special significance of landmark games and to ask questions of the PPM’s knowledgeable tour guides. Four floor “highlight” tours were scheduled each day and all were well attended.

INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS

PPM’s ingenuity and commitment to teaching through pinball employing STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) was evident in the several interactive exhibits at Shoot the Moon. On display for viewing and play, the Visible Pinball Machine, developed by PPM Founder and Director Michael Schiess and master screen printer, craftsman, inventor and pinball artist Wade Krause, attracted many awed viewers and players!

In addition to the Visible Pinball, which allows viewers to observe all the internal workings of a 1976 Gottlieb Surf Champ, the following exhibits were available to help attendees understand the design and functioning of many of the most important components of pinball games:

Fun with Pinball’s Mark Gibson and his wife drove all the way from Colorado to share eighteen of his unique ‘Small Board’ and 3 of his ‘Game’ displays demonstrating electromechanical pinball functions. The three ‘Small Boards’ shown below demonstrate the operation of electromagnets, roto-target units and the Gottlieb score motor in EM games.

Mark’s ‘Baseball Game’ showed the operation of the classic Williams horizontal man-running unit, while his ‘Horseracing Game’ revealed the workings of Williams’ very popular chain-driven mechanism used to advance miniature horses, seahorses, speedboats and jalopies across the length of a variety of backbox race courses.

Australian Lucas Abela, an experimental musician, performance artist, inventor and founder of Dual Plover Records brought his spectacular sub-bass Bassballs musical instrument/pinball hybrid to Shoot the Moon for all to marvel at and to play!

MAGNIFICENT MURALS

Adding to the tangible sense of excitement that permeated Shoot the Moon were the spectacular displays of pinball backglass murals by local artists that hung from the ceiling of the PPM Annex.

Since the PPM’s inception the museum has sought to celebrate and promote pinball art as a uniquely American genre. This commitment has resulted in thirty beautifully rendered, oversized canvases by local artists that recreate iconic pinball backglass art. These magnificent tribute murals range in size from 6,794 square inches to a truly enormous 14,400 (120 x 120 inches) square inches. That’s ten feet by ten feet!

The following twelve oversized backglass murals were on display to engage attendee interest and promote their appreciation of pinball graphics:

1950, Gottlieb, Joker 1951, Gottlieb, Mermaid 1955, Williams, Wonderland 1961, Gottlieb, Corral 1961, Williams, Double Barrel 1964, Gottlieb, Majorettes 1970, Gottlieb, Scuba 1971, Bally, Sea Ray 1971, Gottlieb, 2001 1971, Bally, Double-Up 1975, Gottlieb, El Dorado 1976, Gottlieb, Card Whiz

Many of these murals are now in the hands of private collectors but some remain available for sale by the artists, who generously share the sale proceeds with the PPM. The complete list of Pacific Pinball Museum tribute murals, listed alphabetically by artist, appears below:

THE ARTISTS & THEIR WORK

d’Arci Bruno

1970, Bally, Sea Ray 1974, Gottlieb, Out of Sight 1975, Gottlieb, El Dorado 1976, Gottlieb, Card Whiz 1977, Gottlieb, Jungle Princess 1979, Gottlieb, Genie

 

Ed Cassel

1950, Gottlieb, Joker 1952, Williams, Domino 1955, Williams, Wonderland 1961, Williams, Double Barrel 1961, Williams, Space Ship 1971, Gottlieb, 2001 1971, Bally, Double Up 1971, Bally, Fireball 1971, Gottlieb, Scuba

Dan Fontes

1939, Exhibit, Golden 1939, Exhibit, Zip 1951, Gottlieb, Mermaid 1952, Gottlieb, Queen of Hearts 1954, Williams, Skyway 1958, United, Sky Raiders (rifle game) 1960, Gottlieb, Flipper 1961, Gottlieb, Corral 1963, Bally, Star Jet 1964, Gottlieb, Majorettes

 

Eric Kos

1974, Gottlieb, Out of Sight 1975, Gottlieb, El Dorado 1976, Gottlieb, Card Whiz 1977, Gottlieb, Jungle Princess 1979, Gottlieb, Genie

Multi-Artist Cooperative Effort

The large mural that covers the wall in the Pacific Pinball Museum’s ‘Vintage Room’

LIL’ JU JU TRAVELING PINBALL MUSEUM

Another treat, especially for first-time PPM Exposition visitors, was the presence on the show floor of the converted Spartan Manor trailer, the PPM’s traveling exhibit known fondly as the Lil’ Ju Ju.

Tucked inside were the following five Gottlieb pinball machines available for play: Aquarius, Big Brave, Jacks Open, Jungle Princess and 2001. Not to mention the well-stocked, 1969 Seeburg Golden Jet jukebox to set the proper nostalgic mood!

The Lil’ Ju Ju enables the PPM’s growing outreach to individuals, schools and other institutions and communities unable to visit the PPM proper. Like the time-honored book mobiles, the PPM’s traveling museum makes its periodic rounds to neighborhoods and events where it can spread the PPM’s message of pinball art, history, science and unrivalled entertainment.

SEMINARS

In a continuing effort to inform and educate about as many aspects of pinball as possible Shoot the Moon also featured a diverse agenda of seminars and video presentations.

Master pinball mechanic Chris Kuntz, owner of pinball repair and sales company Pinball Pirate, delivered his ‘how-to’ seminar My EM Doesn’t Work! What Now? once each day during the Expo, sharing tips and shortcuts drawn from years of experience as a pinball troubleshooter and repair expert.

During Saturday’s show, author and publisher Bernard “Bear” Kamoroff provided pinball owners and wannabees with invaluable advice on How to Buy and Maintain a Pinball Machine. The 3rd Edition of his best-selling book Pinball Machine Care and Maintenance, published by the Pacific Pinball Museum, sold briskly at the PPM table.

PPM Founder and Director Michael Schiess and PPM Treasurer and Board President Larry Zartarian gave a daily presentation Everything You Wanted to Know About the Pacific Pinball Museum covering the history, growth and ambitious future plans for the PPM.

In addition to restating their resolve to become the “Smithsonian of pinball”, they shared the progress made toward occupying Alameda’s 1902 Carnegie Library building as the PPM’s permanent home, as well as plans to launch two major pinball events each year in their expansive PPM Annex.

Mike and Larry revealed that, for the first time, the PPM was able to set up, on a permanent basis, a significant portion of their entire collection in the new PPM Annex. In addition to being able to display more than 500 working and restored games at any point in time, the 45,000 square foot Annex provides ample room for a workshop and restoration area as well as organized storage for the remainder of the museum’s rapidly expanding collection.

In addition to their plan to host two major pinball shows each year, the PPM envisions renting the Annex to individuals celebrating special occasions and to companies seeking a unique and engaging venue for parties, team-building, mixers, receptions and other corporate events.

 

Appealing to those with an interest in the ‘Golden Age’ of pinball as well as the merely curious, each day of the Expo Gordo presented the graphic seminar The Crest of Pinball’s Golden Age: 1954 and the Games of D. Gottlieb. The presentation explored the impact of popular culture on pinball theme development and a detailed discussion of Roy Parker’s artwork on four exceptional D. Gottlieb games released that year.

The presentation was a preview of Gordo’s about-to-be published book on all thirteen Gottlieb games from that memorable year. If you’re interested in knowing when it will be available drop him an e-mail at [email protected].

A video tribute, An Interview with Pinball Designer Wayne Neyens, was screened for attendees each evening. The interview format hosted by PPM Board President Larry Zartarian proved to be an ideal approach revealing fascinating details of pinball’s most prolific and successful designer’s experiences during his more than 50 year career.

Almost solely responsible for 177 Gottlieb pinball designs from 1949 through 1976, during the decade of the 1950s Neyens produced an unending string of popular and profitable games at the astonishing rate of roughly one game per month! This classic video, a Will White production, is part of the PPM’s ongoing, archival Pioneers of Pinball series.

VENDORS

A number of vendors set up at the show offering a wide array of products and merchandise.

• Jonathan Joosten’s Pinball Magazine
• Marco Specialties – Everything Pinball™
• Pacific Pinball Museum
• Rob Anthony’s Lock When Lit
• Rob Hawkins & Don Mueting’s Pinball Collectors Resource

In addition there were approximately a dozen pinball machines for sale at the show by various individuals.

AUCTIONS

PPM patrons and local area merchants generously contributed many unique items to be auctioned off during the course of the show.

A 1975 Bally Wizard! crossed the block at $3,000. A Panic City neon sign donated by Rhino Records founder Richard Foos: a large, revolving Lone Star Beer ‘Monkey Display’ and many ‘baskets of cheer’ found new homes at the end of a separate silent auction.

RAFFLE

PPM Board Member Jim Strehlow donated a brand new Stern Ghostbusters to be raffled off during the show!

Jim’s generous gift resulted in the sale of more than $10,000 worth of tickets and the lucky winner was John Mayo, shown here with his new GHOSTBUSTERS.

PINBALL A LA CARTE

Show attendees enjoyed catered specialties from Chef Rutilio ‘Rudy’ Fanetti-Durance’s C’Era Una Volta – Ristorante Italiano. In addition, a broad selection of local wines and craft beers gave visitors the opportunity to enjoy some of the best of the Bay Area’s local fare.

TOURNAMENTS

Three different tournaments took place during the show. The tournament games shown below, reflected the design challenges of three distinct eras. All tournament entries were free with admission to the show!

Tournament Machines

1947, Williams, Torchy 1954, Gottlieb, 4-Belles 1961, Gottlieb, Egg Head 1976, Gottlieb, Royal Flush 1980, Stern, Galaxy 1991, Williams, Terminator 2 2001, Stern, High Roller Casino 2016, Stern, Ghostbusters Pro

A different tournament was held each day directed by Echa Schneider, under the auspices of the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA).

The woodrail tournament took place on Friday, November 11 and the winners were:

Woodrail Tournament

1 2 3= 3= 3= Dan Dempsey, Walnut Creek, CA Eric Finke Andrei Massenkoff, San Francisco, CA Masha Dare Jared Garvey, Berkeley, CA

The 1960s and later electro-mechanical tournament took place on Saturday, November 12th and the winners were:

1960s Tournament

1 2 3 Karl Lind, Portland, Oregon Jack Slovacek Alex Lambert, Roseville, CA

The Solid State & DMD tournament took place on Sunday, November 13th and the winners were:

1960s Tournament

1 2 3 Damien Charléty, Chambéry, France Per Schwarzenberger, San Francisco, CA Robin Lassonde, Berkeley, CA (currently ranked #1 qualifier for the IFPA California State Championship)

Solid State & DMD Tournament Winners Per Schwartzenberger, Damien Charléty and Robin Lassonde

 
VISITOR RESPONSES

Follow-up surveys with Shoot the Moon attendees found that 99% of those polled who visited the show would come to the next PPM Exposition event.

Of those who took the guided show tours, 85% reported that they exceeded their expectations and, among seminar attendees, 65% reported that the sessions they attended exceeded their expectations.

Given the limited advance notice of the show the overwhelming majority of the more than 1,000 attendees came from the local San Francisco Bay Area.

An encouraging 52 attendees offered to serve as volunteers at the next PPM Expo.

Perhaps most interesting of all, 57% of those polled did NOT own a pinball machine! This surprising statistic served to validate that interest in the multiple objectives of the PPM and its variety of activities reaches well beyond the ‘pinhead’ community!

From the perspective of the PPM’s Board of Directors, this was a most satisfying and successful show, providing the impetus for even more exciting events in the future.

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

Given the success of Shoot the Moon, the PPM Board of Directors has tentatively planned for two PPM Expos each year from this point on.

The new Annex provides them with requisite space for individuals and companies to stage parties, celebrations, corporate and team-building events – any function seeking lots of fun and lots of space!

Revenues from these and other PPM-sponsored events will go toward the carrying and operating costs of the Annex and the continuing Carnegie Library fund-raising effort.

The new Annex provides ample space for an accelerated restoration program allowing more rare and desirable games to be made ready for play on a timely basis. Former problems of space for games, parts, and restoration tools and equipment have now been eliminated!

The Annex also permits the PPM to expand their STEM-based educational programs using pinball as a vehicle to teach art, history and science.

Those interested in becoming involved with the Pacific Pinball Museum as a donor, volunteer, or local point-of-contact in your area can email founder & Director Michael Schiess at [email protected]

For more information regarding the Pacific Pinball Museum and its many initiatives visit: www.pacificpinball.org