Date: 20th April, 2016 Dennis Nordman’s and Greg Freres’s joint-venture company, WhizBang Pinball, shot to prominence in October 2009 when the first title created by the duo was first announced at Pinball Expo. The backglass sketch for the game Whoa Nellie! Sweet Juicy Melons was originally intended to be a short run of hand-built custom conversions of the game Continental Cafe, but as ‘Sweet Juicy Melons‘ became ‘Big Juicy Melons‘, the potential for the game also grew. Dennis and Greg at Pinball Expo 2009 In 2015 Stern Pinball began producing the game for the mass market. The now fully electronic game was cosmetically very similar to the original look of the prototype, but was fully lit by LEDs and used Stern’s new SPIKE control system. The Stern-produced Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons Dennis and Greg had recently said they had no plans yet for a follow-up to the game, but Stern Pinball have now announced that the pair is to create a game in conjunction with Stern in 2017. Dennis and Greg No details of the theme, whether it will be licensed or not, or the style of game have been announced, but Stern Pinball say it will be designed “in the fun, campy style for which the Whizbang team is known”. Greg currently heads up the art department at Stern, while Dennis is working on a number of projects at home while also assisting the Silver Castle Pinball team with their Timeshock! game. Here’s what Stern Pinball had to say when announcing the collaboration: Greg Freres and Dennis Nordman Set To Create Another Pinball Classic ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL – April 19, 2016 – Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball machines, announced today that it is working with Whizbang Pinball founders Greg Freres and Dennis Nordman to bring a new pinball game to the market in 2017. Following up on the successful collaboration that brought Whoa Nellie Big Juicy Melons to the market, the new project will present a modern pinball game created in the fun, campy style for which the Whizbang team is known. “We are thrilled to be doing a brand new game with Dennis and Greg. The Whizbang team brings a unique energy and feel to their games that resonates with pinball players around the world,” said Gary Stern, CEO of Stern Pinball, Inc. More details will be announced in the future as the project progresses. About Stern Pinball, Inc. Stern Pinball, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago, Illinois, is the oldest and largest producer of arcade-quality pinball games in the world. Stern’s highly talented creative and technical teams design, engineer and manufacture a full line of popular pinball games, merchandise and accessories. Recent Stern titles include Ghostbusters, Spider-Man Vault, Game of Thrones, KISS, WWE WrestleMania, The Walking Dead, Mustang, Star Trek, Metallica, The Avengers, X-Men, AC/DC, Tron, Transformers, Avatar, Iron Man, Batman, and many more! All of Stern’s pinball games are crafted by hand and assembled by Stern’s expert team. A broad range of players enjoy Stern’s games from professional pinball players that compete in high-stakes international competitions around the globe to novice players who are discovering the allure of the silver ball for the first time. To join the fun and learn more, please visit http://www.sternpinball.com.
