Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball
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- Create Date：2022-03-31 09:51:42
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jon Chad
- ISBN：125024921X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
in this dynamic， nonfiction graphic novel， Jon Chad illustrates the little-known story of pinball—how it works and why it all matters in an age of special effects and on-screen gaming。
In 1976， champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom。 The New York City Council had convened to consider lifting the city’s ban on pinball—a game that had been outlawed since 1942 for its supposed connections to gambling and organized crime。 Sharpe was there to prove that， unlike a slot machine， pinball wasn’t a game of chance designed to fleece its players—it was a game of skill that required a measure of patience， coordination， and control。 To prove his point， he proclaimed that he would launch his ball into the center lane at the far end of the playfield—much like Babe Ruth famously pointing to the fences。 Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released， and the fate of this industry and art form hung in the balance。
Thus opens Jon Chad’s comprehensive graphic novel 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， through the immigrant experience of early 20th century America， the post-War boom and bust， right up to the present day， Chad charmingly ushers readers through the myriad facets of this most American of pursuits—capturing not just the history but also the artistry， cultural significance， and even the physics of the game。
In 1976， champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom。 The New York City Council had convened to consider lifting the city’s ban on pinball—a game that had been outlawed since 1942 for its supposed connections to gambling and organized crime。 Sharpe was there to prove that， unlike a slot machine， pinball wasn’t a game of chance designed to fleece its players—it was a game of skill that required a measure of patience， coordination， and control。 To prove his point， he proclaimed that he would launch his ball into the center lane at the far end of the playfield—much like Babe Ruth famously pointing to the fences。 Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released， and the fate of this industry and art form hung in the balance。
Thus opens Jon Chad’s comprehensive graphic novel 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， through the immigrant experience of early 20th century America， the post-War boom and bust， right up to the present day， Chad charmingly ushers readers through the myriad facets of this most American of pursuits—capturing not just the history but also the artistry， cultural significance， and even the physics of the game。
Reviews
Liz
，
A perfect combo of history， technical description， gameplay explanation， and LOVE。 All of the intangible elements of pinball are artfully explained （pun intended， because the cartooning in this book is incredible）， and I hope it finds its way into the hands of non-players， so they can become inspired to seek out pins and find out first hand what all the bells and chimes are about。
Alec Longstreth
，
Heads up: I consider my opinion of this book to be biased but also informed （I co-created seven issues of a pinball zine with Jon Chad from 2010-2015， and have read lots of pinball books， own a pinball machine， etc）。 This is a five-star pinball book。 A three-star pinball book would merely walk you through the history of pinball， and talk about some of the innovations that were introduced to various machines over the years。 This book does cover that information， but what makes it special is that Heads up: I consider my opinion of this book to be biased but also informed （I co-created seven issues of a pinball zine with Jon Chad from 2010-2015， and have read lots of pinball books， own a pinball machine， etc）。 This is a five-star pinball book。 A three-star pinball book would merely walk you through the history of pinball， and talk about some of the innovations that were introduced to various machines over the years。 This book does cover that information， but what makes it special is that Jon Chad delves much deeper into SOUL of pinball - he tries to uncover what actually makes it such a magical immersive experience to play。Using masterful cartooning， Jon explores the alchemical combination of experiences that are used to create a game of pinball: illustration， lighting， sounds， animation， physics， coding， rulesets， and more！ If， like me， you're someone who loves pinball， but have never been able to fully express WHY you love it - this book does an amazing job of unpacking everything that happens as you play pinball， and how it affects the player。 I plan on buying multiple copies to share with people in my life that have never really understood my obsession with pinball。If you've never played pinball， you're in luck！ In addition to the engaging historical narrative， the back of the book features tips for how play， a vast glossary of pinball terms， and a list of other pinball books and movies to continue your learning。I give this book my highest recommendation！ I read the whole thing in one sitting， and long afterwards I was still thinking about some of the ideas it explored， and even individual panels and pages which were so brilliantly illustrated with Jon's nib。 You'll never find a better book about pinball！ 。。。more
Jaclyn Hillis
，
Pinball wasn’t my favorite arcade game growing up — I was more of a skeeball or air hockey fan， and those are still my go to arcade games on the rare occurrence I step foot in an arcade。 But this book was fascinating， and made me very nostalgic for those childhood arcade days。 Growing up， my dad used to always take us to the local Tasty Freeze for ice cream and I remember them having a pinball machine in the lobby。 So that’s where this book took me back to。 All the bells and whistles， and differ Pinball wasn’t my favorite arcade game growing up — I was more of a skeeball or air hockey fan， and those are still my go to arcade games on the rare occurrence I step foot in an arcade。 But this book was fascinating， and made me very nostalgic for those childhood arcade days。 Growing up， my dad used to always take us to the local Tasty Freeze for ice cream and I remember them having a pinball machine in the lobby。 So that’s where this book took me back to。 All the bells and whistles， and different versions， of pinball was so interesting to learn about。 And the art made you feel like you were right there playing the game too。 。。。more
Sadie-Jane Alexis Nunis
，
You can always count on publisher First Second to publish the most interesting stories。I have played pinball before and the prospect of reading a graphic novel published by First Second about its rich history intrigued me。And， I was absolutely blown away by the story。Great research by the author Jon Chad and so brilliantly illustrated and told。
Jessica Samuelson
，
This book is an illustrated history of pinball。 It traces pinball’s early origins from a table-top version of a lawn game called Bagetelle in the court of King Louis XIV to more portable versions brought to the U。S。 by immigrants to the invention of the flipper to the incorporation of electricity to the modern version of pinball we see today。FUN FACT: Pinball was illegal in New York for years because it was considered a game of chance。A comic book about the history of pinball？ Yes， please！ I’ve This book is an illustrated history of pinball。 It traces pinball’s early origins from a table-top version of a lawn game called Bagetelle in the court of King Louis XIV to more portable versions brought to the U。S。 by immigrants to the invention of the flipper to the incorporation of electricity to the modern version of pinball we see today。FUN FACT: Pinball was illegal in New York for years because it was considered a game of chance。A comic book about the history of pinball？ Yes， please！ I’ve never been much of a gamer myself， but when my siblings or friends dragged me to an arcade growing up， I usually ended up in front of either Ms。 Pacman or a pinball machine。 I liked the “Rube Goldberg machine” feeling of the game。 Pinball was more tangible than some of the other games because it involved a physical ball rolling through a real playing field rather than a simulated character moving around on a screen。 The book is both visually interesting and highly informative。 The back of the book includes tips for actually playing the game like flipper skills， basic pinball field layouts， a glossary， and a list of additional resources。 If you have any interest in gaming or microhistories， I recommend giving it a try。 。。。more
Jordan Starks
，
Never did I think I would be so fascinated by pinball and yet here I am。 Going into this graphic novel I didn’t have much if any knowledge of pinball。 I knew it was the preface to the arcade， and I knew the lyrics to the song， but that’s where my knowledge ended and now I feel like a pinball wizard myself。 This is an incredibly well-researched and engaging memoir about pinball as it is analyzed not only as a technological marvel but as a cultural superpower as well。 With striking art reminiscent Never did I think I would be so fascinated by pinball and yet here I am。 Going into this graphic novel I didn’t have much if any knowledge of pinball。 I knew it was the preface to the arcade， and I knew the lyrics to the song， but that’s where my knowledge ended and now I feel like a pinball wizard myself。 This is an incredibly well-researched and engaging memoir about pinball as it is analyzed not only as a technological marvel but as a cultural superpower as well。 With striking art reminiscent of the iconic silver ball games themselves and writing that’s able to both educate and entertain。 This is a love letter to pinball， and whether it be you’re a die-hard fan， new to the hobby， or just fascinated by pop culture， there’s something to enjoy and appreciate in here for everyone。 。。。more
Sarah
，
I've been to a pinball bar and had a great time playing a few games， but I didn't know anything about the history of pinball。 This was an engaging read with fantastic art that goes through the history and evolution of the game。 It was particularly interesting to learn about the history of the games I've played。 I also love that the end of the book is dedicated to tips and a glossary for pinball novices like me。 I've been to a pinball bar and had a great time playing a few games， but I didn't know anything about the history of pinball。 This was an engaging read with fantastic art that goes through the history and evolution of the game。 It was particularly interesting to learn about the history of the games I've played。 I also love that the end of the book is dedicated to tips and a glossary for pinball novices like me。 。。。more
Rae Krosky
，
I came into this never having played pinball， however， now I want to find the nearest machine and give it a go。 The choice to make this a graphic novel was well made， as the bright colors and imagery held my attention， even when I felt that there was an overwhelming amount of information on pinball。 Because of this， I probably would not recommend this to a general audience， but more towards people who already have an interest in pinball and gaming。 As usual， I felt that this book would have bene I came into this never having played pinball， however， now I want to find the nearest machine and give it a go。 The choice to make this a graphic novel was well made， as the bright colors and imagery held my attention， even when I felt that there was an overwhelming amount of information on pinball。 Because of this， I probably would not recommend this to a general audience， but more towards people who already have an interest in pinball and gaming。 As usual， I felt that this book would have benefited from staying more chronological， as it bounces back and forth occasionally， but overall this was a very comprehensive history of pinball and I feel much more knowledgeable about the subject coming away from this。 。。。more
TheNextGenLibrarian
，
I liked the colors， the font and how the panels were organized。 Great information about pinball that I didn't know before。 I liked the colors， the font and how the panels were organized。 Great information about pinball that I didn't know before。 。。。more
Randi
，
-- Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review --Wow， what an incredible love letter to pinball！ Growing up in the 80's I've played a lot of pinball， and thus I got excited when I spotted this title on NetGalley。 I was quite amused， but it also became a bit too technical for me， and my interest faded during some of the more explanatory passages。 However， I still enjoyed this graphic novel and I'm amazed and happy to learn that the popularity of pinball is rising yet agai -- Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review --Wow， what an incredible love letter to pinball！ Growing up in the 80's I've played a lot of pinball， and thus I got excited when I spotted this title on NetGalley。 I was quite amused， but it also became a bit too technical for me， and my interest faded during some of the more explanatory passages。 However， I still enjoyed this graphic novel and I'm amazed and happy to learn that the popularity of pinball is rising yet again。 Good artwork too and nice build-up。 Would definitely recommend it to anyone with a love for pinball。 。。。more
Baylee Miller
，
No matter what， there is always something new to learn。 Did I ever think I would read a whole book just about Pinball？ Nope。 But here I am， with another bubble of *probably* useless knowledge tucked in my brain。 Overall， I enjoyed it。 It's always fun learning new things， and as someone terrible at socializing， I'll use some of the information from this book as conversation starters （Is this a good idea？ Probably not， but it's who I am）。 That said， the book was slow and long， and I feel like ther No matter what， there is always something new to learn。 Did I ever think I would read a whole book just about Pinball？ Nope。 But here I am， with another bubble of *probably* useless knowledge tucked in my brain。 Overall， I enjoyed it。 It's always fun learning new things， and as someone terrible at socializing， I'll use some of the information from this book as conversation starters （Is this a good idea？ Probably not， but it's who I am）。 That said， the book was slow and long， and I feel like there was a lot of information that I didn't really need and won't retain。 However， it did leave me wanting to play the game， and the guide at the back of the book is fun for anyone who becomes inspired to learn to play after reading。 。。。more
Jamie
，
• A copy of this book was given by NetGalley in return for an honest review •Rating: 4 StarsThe ReviewPinball is a great graphic novel that covers the history of the game from its roots in bagatelle to its heyday during the Great Depression to its dwindling popularity and subsequent revival。 Utilizing the graphic novel format with dynamic art perfect for the topic at hand， it’s an easy yet comprehensive read that keeps your interest the whole way through。I finished it in two sittings， quickly de • A copy of this book was given by NetGalley in return for an honest review •Rating: 4 StarsThe ReviewPinball is a great graphic novel that covers the history of the game from its roots in bagatelle to its heyday during the Great Depression to its dwindling popularity and subsequent revival。 Utilizing the graphic novel format with dynamic art perfect for the topic at hand， it’s an easy yet comprehensive read that keeps your interest the whole way through。I finished it in two sittings， quickly devouring the colors， art， and well-conveyed information。 There’s a genuine and infectious love for the silver ball that has gone into this book。 It speaks of a passion for the art and nuances of what most， I think， see as a wild， unpredictable game， while at the same time opening a door to those new to it without overloading them with jargon。 With easy-to-understand analogies， beginner tips visualized with art， and a glossary at the end， anyone new to the game will get to know it better through this book （and fall in love with it too）。 I know I’ll be looking for pinball machines to put what I learn to use。I genuinely appreciate books like these that give me insight into a topic I previously knew little about。 And as a graphic novel， it makes it all the better for me who learns visually。 。。。more
Colleen
，
I initially picked this book up in hopes it would be a exploration of the pinball's impact on society， similar to Box Brown's Tertris graphic novel， but I found this to be so dry and technical my eyes glazed over。 That being said， I liked the art work and I hope folks in the pinball community enjoy this book as a whole。 I initially picked this book up in hopes it would be a exploration of the pinball's impact on society， similar to Box Brown's Tertris graphic novel， but I found this to be so dry and technical my eyes glazed over。 That being said， I liked the art work and I hope folks in the pinball community enjoy this book as a whole。 。。。more
Ashley （Red-Haired Ash Reads）
，
Rating:4 stars - It was really goodAs a fan of pinball， I knew this would be an interesting comic。 This is a wonderfully illustrated history of the pinball machine from ancient Greece to modern day。 I never knew how resilient this machine was but I am glad it has made it to the modern day because it's my favorite thing to play when I go to arcades。 Overall， this is a detailed and beautifully illustrated look at one of the world's most iconic games and I highly recommend it， especially if you are Rating:4 stars - It was really goodAs a fan of pinball， I knew this would be an interesting comic。 This is a wonderfully illustrated history of the pinball machine from ancient Greece to modern day。 I never knew how resilient this machine was but I am glad it has made it to the modern day because it's my favorite thing to play when I go to arcades。 Overall， this is a detailed and beautifully illustrated look at one of the world's most iconic games and I highly recommend it， especially if you are a pinball fan。 *ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review。*You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads。 。。。more
Laura
，
When I was in Junior High School， back when such things still existed， one of my favorite things to do was to take the bus down to Santa Monica boardwalk and play on the pinball machines。 I was no great player， and realized I may not even have gotten the point of the game， when I used to play， but I loved doing it。 This was before video games were available in the home， and before arcades were just about everywhere。So， although I was never a great player， I was quite interested to read this very When I was in Junior High School， back when such things still existed， one of my favorite things to do was to take the bus down to Santa Monica boardwalk and play on the pinball machines。 I was no great player， and realized I may not even have gotten the point of the game， when I used to play， but I loved doing it。 This was before video games were available in the home， and before arcades were just about everywhere。So， although I was never a great player， I was quite interested to read this very thorough history of pinballs from their humble beginnings， pre-electricity， to their explosion in the Depression， and on into today。Even if you are interested， or think you aren't interested， you will learning things about Pinball that you didn't know， such as that flippers weren't even invented until 1947。 Hard to think of playing without those。Good for a good time。 And hopefully you won't get "Pinball Wizard" stuck in your head。Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review。 。。。more
Geoff
，
This book explores pinball as a gaming technology and a cultural force and follows its rise and fall and recent internet-fueled renaissance。 I found the art to be really well done - sometimes graphic non-fiction finds it difficult to balance the words and pictures， but here the specific pieces of pinball technology or game design were illustrated superbly and were much easier to understand than if this was just a normal nonfiction book。 The history lesson was also really well structured。 The oth This book explores pinball as a gaming technology and a cultural force and follows its rise and fall and recent internet-fueled renaissance。 I found the art to be really well done - sometimes graphic non-fiction finds it difficult to balance the words and pictures， but here the specific pieces of pinball technology or game design were illustrated superbly and were much easier to understand than if this was just a normal nonfiction book。 The history lesson was also really well structured。 The other very interesting part of this book was its triumphalism about the recent rise and rebirth of pinball culture。 I had *no idea* that pinball was having a internet-fueled renaissance！ This is a reminder of the promise of the internet， when communities could use the internet to find each other an organically share and grow their passions。 **Thanks to the artist， publisher， and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Matthew Noe
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Booklist review pending
Samantha
，
I can’t claim to have any prior academic interest in Pinball and have never been more than a very casual and infrequent enthusiast for playing the game， but this nonfiction graphic novel was loads of fun to read even for this pinball naïf。This illustrated history， packed with information at close to 200 pages， is probably more than anyone needs to know about pinball。 And yet while reading it， I wanted to know all of it anyway。 Chad gives us an interesting and well-balanced to blend of the game’s I can’t claim to have any prior academic interest in Pinball and have never been more than a very casual and infrequent enthusiast for playing the game， but this nonfiction graphic novel was loads of fun to read even for this pinball naïf。This illustrated history， packed with information at close to 200 pages， is probably more than anyone needs to know about pinball。 And yet while reading it， I wanted to know all of it anyway。 Chad gives us an interesting and well-balanced to blend of the game’s history and the nuts and bolts （literally， at times） of how pinball works。There are some interesting psychological observations as well about how our brains process the game and other games like it。 This and the evolution of the game from Bagatelle in Louis XIV’s France through many iterations into what the game looks like today were my favorite components of the book。But the real standout is the art， which is truly outstanding。 It’s visually reminiscent of pinball itself， a riotous cacophony of detail and color， cleverly and beautifully rendered to represent the subject。 *I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Heather Jennings
，
This book is a true love letter to pinball。 It covers the history of the overall game and the evolutions of the components as well as the market’s ups and downs。 The artwork is gorgeous and colorful， just like the backboards we are used to seeing。 For casual pinball players， some of the language of the book may come across as hyperbole or lofty， but hard-core fans will likely see a fellow enthusiast。 The back of the text has a glossary and gaming tips。 This text is part of a newer trend of non-f This book is a true love letter to pinball。 It covers the history of the overall game and the evolutions of the components as well as the market’s ups and downs。 The artwork is gorgeous and colorful， just like the backboards we are used to seeing。 For casual pinball players， some of the language of the book may come across as hyperbole or lofty， but hard-core fans will likely see a fellow enthusiast。 The back of the text has a glossary and gaming tips。 This text is part of a newer trend of non-fiction graphic novels。 While the subject is not on the top of my list， I still learned something and appreciate this trend of dispelling graphic novels as a somehow lesser-than mode of storytelling。 。。。more
Maria Rowe
，
I like playing pinball， despite being terrible at it。 I’m not an enthusiast but I really enjoyed reading about the history of the game。 The illustrations are superb and really helped make the story clearer。Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。
Patrick
，
I really love it when the graphic novel medium is used for non-fiction。 It’s such an interesting melding of concepts and PINBALL is no different。 I’m not necessarily a pinball enthusiast， but I really enjoyed going through its history in this book—especially through its art。 It had me searching up where I can find local pinball machines by the end。 Thank you to First Second Books for providing me with an ARC for a fair review。
Lindsey
，
Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review This graphic novel was a lot of fun and so informative！ The history of pinball is long and complex and Jon Chad made it very entertaining。 I'm not a pinball enthusiast by any means but at one point I could have considered myself a casual player so when I could read about the history in such an easy and engaging format， why not？ And I learned so much and was so jazzed about pinball that I found a lo Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review This graphic novel was a lot of fun and so informative！ The history of pinball is long and complex and Jon Chad made it very entertaining。 I'm not a pinball enthusiast by any means but at one point I could have considered myself a casual player so when I could read about the history in such an easy and engaging format， why not？ And I learned so much and was so jazzed about pinball that I found a local place to go play！I recommend that you read this book and then you will certainly want to find a place to play！ If you're a novice player like me， be sure to check out the tips in the back of the book about different flipper techniques！ 。。。more
Alex Nagler
，
I am not a Pinball Wizard。 I enjoy the game when I see it at bars， but I've never been "good" at it。 Jon Chad's "Pinball" discuses the history， adversity， several near death experiences， and future of the the game in a vivid format， taking inspiration from the machines themselves to discuss how the game has evolved and continues to progress。 I would have appreciated a brief tangent on the pre-installed Windows version that we all know and some of us love， but I understand that this was about the I am not a Pinball Wizard。 I enjoy the game when I see it at bars， but I've never been "good" at it。 Jon Chad's "Pinball" discuses the history， adversity， several near death experiences， and future of the the game in a vivid format， taking inspiration from the machines themselves to discuss how the game has evolved and continues to progress。 I would have appreciated a brief tangent on the pre-installed Windows version that we all know and some of us love， but I understand that this was about the physical game， not the computerized versions （which you cannot jostle） 。。。more
Andréa
，