Hi Pinside,

As some of you may know, my name is Ryan Claytor. I'm a professor at Michigan State University, comics artist, and pinball enthusiast. I'm proud to announce that my good buddy, Nick Baldridge (For Amusement Only Podcast Host and Multi-Bingo Creator), and I have teamed-up on a new publication project titled,

Coin-Op Carnival: Electrifying Tales of Mechanical Contraptions

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Coin-Op Carnival, a new 64-page print publication, is the only source for illustrated content about electro-mechanical coin-operated devices. Each issue includes an interview with a game designer, in-depth game reviews, technical information, product reviews, comics, and more. The entire publication features new full-color illustrations on each page from me and the articles are co-written by Nick and me.

Nick and I conceived of this project over two years ago. Since that time we’ve been dedicating a tremendous amount of time and research to this important historical document that we hope will be interesting and accessible to both pinball aficionados and newcomers to this rich and fascinating industry. Here's and advanced look at some of our articles:

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Coin-Op Carnival #1 will debut at the 2019 Texas Pinball Festival where Nick and I will conduct a seminar about our new publishing venture. Here are the details:

Coin-Op Carnival Grand Release Seminar
2019 Texas Pinball Festival
Friday, March 22nd, at 8pm

We will be joined by in the seminar by noted Pinball Historian, Gordon Hasse, who will contextualize our upcoming publication release within the broader framework of pinball publications that have preceded our own. Needless to say, we would love to see you in the audience of our Friday night seminar.

For the release of the first issue, Nick and I are also embarking on a 10 state, 16 stop, book signing tour to promote Coin-Op Carnival's release. As I mentioned, the first stop is the Texas Pinball Festival in Frisco, Texas, with fifteen stops across America to follow.

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Copies of issue #1 will be available for purchase online starting March 22nd, 2019. Cover price of issue #1 is $15. Additional volumes will follow roughly every other year.

To learn more about Coin-Op Carnival, visit www.coinopcarnival.com.

Thanks for your interest and if you have any questions, we're happy to answer them here.

Sincerely,
Ryan Claytor
Coin-Op Carnival - Artist, Co-Writer and Co-Founder
Web: www.CoinOpCarnival.com
Email: ryan~at~coinopcarnival~dot~com
Twitter: @CoinOpCarnival
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/coinopcarnival

First and foremost, thank you so much for everyone's words of support. It means the world to us.

Nick, thanks for chiming in here (on a number of occasions) more quickly than I was able. You're an incredible friend and project partner, my man.

You reminded me of something, too. These books were delivered to me less than a week ago now. Last Wednesday, as a matter of fact, the carrier truck arrived at my home:

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...the books were unloaded:

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...the palette was dropped in my garage:

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...and promptly unloaded into my mudroom:

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...then eventually they migrated to my temperature controlled basement storage. But not before taking a good long look through the books themselves:

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The following day, Thursday of last week, I took our bouncing baby books to a professional photography session for their glamour shots:

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...which lead to the picture that started this thread:

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This is sort of a long winded way of saying that Nick and I are both keenly aware of the current pinball release climate, both in terms of pinball books and pinball machines, and we were both adamant about not asking for pre-orders, kickstarting funds, or any hint of money-before-product. So when we see comments like this:

It's just our way of saying that both Nick and I are awfully determined to make this a "buy-it-and-get-it" experience, regardless of whether the purchase is made in person or on our website, and we'd like it to all line-up upon release.

The books are here. They are real. This is not vaporware. ...and we are ITCHING to share this with everyone. It's been really difficult to sit on this product idea for over two years and not be able to share it. But again, we'd much rather have it ready to go upon announcement than to announce and then need to push back a publicly announced deadline. We're cognizant of that trend, too.

Alright, enough serious stuff. COMMENTS!!!

Pecos, in my eyes, you've been such a backbone of Pinside. From your project pinball thread to your astute and personal comments which assisted me through my first E.M. restoration (can you believe that wet-behind-the-ears experience has turned into this?), it's always such a joy to see you pop up in a thread I'm following. Now, especially, this one. Thanks for all your support.

A man of fine taste, that is clear.

Nick and I got to know this game pretty darn well over the course of preparing that particular article. You're a lucky owner, Shapeshifter!

Thanks, Cdemuro! We'll be doing a pretty unique tour stop in Houston this August at the Burke Baker Planetarium. Looks like it's in your neck of the woods. Perhaps we'll get a chance to meet in person.

So, I know this comment was meant as flippant and fun, but I have nothing against DMD's. Nick and I both have era-spanning collections. Mine has examples from 1940 flipperless games to Stern's 2007 Spider-man, and Nick's collection event includes another decade in either direction on that spectrum. All that to say, we want this to be a positive place, one free of judgement and in-fighting. So let's leave words like "snobs" at the door.

With all that said, our hope for this publication is essentially what your post described. We made a near impossible goal with this project; to appeal to multiple audiences, both those familiar with electro-mechanical era pinball and those who aren't. The latter category could be relative newcomers to the hobby who are interested in more modern games, or even folks who aren't familiar with pinball at all. When the book is released we'll see whether or not we were able to accomplish this tall task, but I have a hunch this will be a widely accessible publication with a little something for everyone.

Thanks for chiming in, Cdemuro, and for listening to some alternate thoughts here.

Jonathan! You've certainly set a high water mark for pinball publications. The Pinball Magazine tomes occupy a place of pride on my bookshelf:

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...so it's nice to have you chime in here. Can't wait to hear your thoughts about our first issue.

Thanks a bunch. We really appreciate the support!

Thank you for the offer, Mark. While we'd love to reach out to you, and also a number of pinball historians we really respect, Nick and I have outlined this 4-issue series pretty tightly. And if I have a hope of staying on this proposed, approximately every-other-year release schedule, we need to stick to this plan. So, sincerely, thank you for your offer and for your interest in our publication. Please swing by our booth or seminar at TPF this month. It'd be great to put a face with your Pinside handle.

Hi Pinballflare, thanks for your enthusiasm and kind words! We really appreciate it. Neither Nick nor I will be at ReplayFX/Pinburgh this year. We know it's a great show, but it just didn't fit into the schedule of our lives this year. However, we're doing our best to give the community ample opportunities to connect, whether that's online or in person. Sorry. Maybe in a future year(?). *fingers crossed*

We'll be there!

Hi Tom,

Good to see you around here, and thanks for your support. We will be charging shipping, which will be based on where you are in relation to us. So, it's hard to give you a definitive answer, but the shipping calculator will work it's magic upon check-out (once that goes live on March 22nd, 2019).

Hi Chris!

By this point in the thread, you know when you can order them. Ha-ha! Also, I just shot you a line at that email address you listed. Looking forward to chatting.

Also...

...thanks a bunch for your flattering words. Truly.

Thank you, Kipsie! We appreciate you saving our site and checking back in a couple weeks or so!

Woo! Thanks, 1stpinballdave.

Psst...thanks for the explanation, Alex.

Gerry, that means a lot coming from you. Nick and I have both been long-time admirers of the P3 platform and games. I'm also happy to say that I'm completely jealous and happy for my homey @bingopodcast , who recently purchased and received his own P3(!!?!??!). SOOO COOL!!! Can't wait to see what you have in store for us at TPF this year and what sort of changes you've made to CCR since last TPF.

PINSIDE ROBIN!!!

What you've created with this pinball enthusiast portal is SO inspiring and nothing short of a labor of love. I've met a number of great friends across the country and around the world I'd have never connected with if it wasn't for you building this site. So, thank you, both for your efforts with pinside, and for your thoughts about reading through an early copy of this book. All I can say is, it's even more polished than when you saw it. Can't wait for you to see it at TPF. Safe travels!!!

Finally we get to meet in person. Thanks for your help in pinball over the years, Ken!

Ha! Thanks, pacmanretro. We really do appreciate you prepping for our release date. Means a lot!

Yaaas!!!

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Thank you!

Thanks, again, all! You're all making this release an incredibly gratifying experience. Thank you.

Thanks for your support, Cait!

You're too kind, JeffC. Looking forward to your thoughts about the publication upon its release!

Thanks, ForceFlow! That's precisely the kind of open-minded interest we're hoping to foster with this publication. Hope you enjoy the first issue!

Hey Jady! Thanks for all your support over the years. It's great to see you pop in here.

You can rest assured we will be shipping overseas. You'll be able to order the same day as everyone else when we show-up at TPF and simultaneously open our webshop on March 22nd, 2019. ...although, as an Aussie, I think you might be about a day ahead of us? Might have to adjust those release hours a little. Regardless, we'll get it to ya!

Thank YOU, Blake!

Really appreciate it, Spartan Greg! Although I must admit, I don't much keep up with the spectation of the sport-ball. Good luck to us, though! Ha-ha! (Are we doing well? ...I honestly have no idea.)

March 22nd! That's my March Madness.

Oh...oh, wait...uhm...well this is surprising, but...uh...what is this thing...that I just found right here (that will also be at the Texas Pinball Festival):

Love ya, Yancy!

Hi Robert,

It will not be available at Arcade Expo, sorry. Arcade Expo happens before our release date of March 22nd, 2019. If you won't be at Texas, or any of the other tour stops, you're welcome to access our webshop ( http://coinopcarnival.com/store/ ) when it goes live on our release date.

Thanks for your interest!

Thanks, Lint. ...hey, I recognize that avatar!

Ha-ha! Thanks, Matesamo. Now, if that sentiment spreads, we'll have a wonderful problem to work through. With our powers combined, we'll see if we can push this publication into reprint status. LOL

In all seriousness, we really appreciate your interest and enthusiasm.

I just wanted to make mention of some great press we've received since announcing our little publication venture and thank some folks for helping us extend our broadcast range:

Pinball News: https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2019/03/07/coin-op-carnival/
Big thanks to Martin Ayub for maintaining such a wonderful resource for so many years. It's an honor to be mentioned on it.

This Flippin' Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-707700754/coin-op-carnival?fbclid=IwAR1MHoGCMnkurPalC3jffgiIcP3UK3dbl2HKOYJN1wJxBFNxGvUoo8ZbrPM
Thanks to Taylor Reese (and Tommy Skinner in spirit) for a great interview and breaking the news of Coin-Op Carnival on their 83rd episode.

Gaming on 10 Minutes a Week Podcast: https://gamingontenminutesaweek.libsyn.com/episode-36-coin-op-carnival-superbeat-spectacular?fbclid=IwAR3rApAAnckFzRhoPIHtfOafXLHvu0kxdbXMjbb3QORCrhoBgaLOsDA7mQ8
Thanks to Don Walton Jr, former co-host of The Pinball Podcast, for chatting with us and highlighting Coin-Op Carnival on episode 36!

The Pinball Podcast: http://www.thepinballpodcast.com/2019/03/07/episode-129-we-are-idiot/?fbclid=IwAR2QfWmGxtQqlc33MFKfSRedyZkJeEC2nRRfp-tWaIYavCsJ0sjpt1lJWXo
Thank you Jeff Rivera and Jessica Lea DeNardo for the awfully kind mention of Coin-Op Carnival on Episode 129 of The Pinball Podcast (around the 48:30 mark)

We've also been seeing some nice response on our twitter account (https://twitter.com/coinopcarnival):
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...and facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/coinopcarnival/)
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We owe a huge thanks to the community for being so supportive even before our product is out of the gate. Can't thank you enough for all your interest and enthusiasm. This product couldn't be successful without you. Here's hoping we can put some faces to names on our tour!

Sincerely,
Ryan and Nick

Another Coin-Op Carnival mention on This Week in Pinball PODCAST #38 (around the 23:40 mark):

https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/this-week-in-pinball-podcast-episode-38-with-ken-cromwell/

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Thanks to This Week in Pinball for mentioning Coin-Op Carnival (and our Friday, March 22nd 8pm Texas Pinball Festival seminar) in today's #1 post. It's about things to watch for at the Texas Pinball Festival. See you this coming weekend for our grand reveal!!!

https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/this-week-in-pinball-march-18th-2019/

...and of course on their podcast as well:

https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/this-week-in-pinball-podcast-episode-39-with-greg-bone/

Also...

...not soon enough.

Awesome to hear! Thanks to Dennis for having Nick on. Really wish I could have been a part of it but my schedule did not allow. NEXT TIME!!!

Really appreciate your kind words, FatPanda.

You are a man of great restraint!

Hard to beat!

Those were both points of discussion, Mistermoberg. Alas, we can't make 'em all this year. We're doing our best to hit many corners of the US, though! We've got North, South, East, West, Midwest...

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...and if those don't work for you, as you mentioned, our online store will go live in less than a week (official launch date: March 22nd, 2019).

http://www.coinopcarnival.com/store/

Thanks for your continued interest and words of support, everyone! We really appreciate it and can't wait to share this new publication with everyone!!!

Sincerely,
Ryan and Nick

Another wee update:

We're getting ready for the 2019 Texas Pinball Festival reveal of Coin-op Carnival's inaugural issue and the first stop on our North American Tour! Postcards just arrived...

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...complete with spot UV coating, rounded corners, and related fanciness:

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Okay, now for the important stuff...

Joe...wow! That's quite the offer, as I KNOW how slammed you are at shows. I was at York in October 2018 and couldn't believe the line-up you had! Jersey Jack games, Multimorphic's P3, Chicago Gaming Remakes, The Mafia, Thunderbirds, and Spooky games! Not to mention all the totes and shirts of your own! So, believe me, I know this offer doesn't come lightly and really means a lot to Nick and I. As Nick mentioned...

So, we'll see how that shakes out first. Hope to see you this coming weekend in Texas, though! Will you be vending there?

Texas Pinball Festival! Comic-Con International!! Chicago Pinball Expo!!! ...and...the Book Loft?

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*LOL* Solvang is my hometown bookstore. They've been incredibly supportive of me over the years and I'll be visiting family, so it just made sense to do a hometown stop. Looking forward to meeting you there, PismoArcade!

Thanks, Nick.

I think I'm ready...I've been practicing signing my name for the past 30-some-odd years. Here's hoping I don't freeze-up during game time.

Awesome! I'll be behind a table all three days. Please come introduce yourself, Wolvie!

Nick and I both love York. Such an incredible diversity of games, from Bingos, to Woodrails, to E.M.s, early solid state, DMD's, and the most modern of games (see the Pinball Star list I mentioned in this post!!!). I will not be at York this year, but Nick will be. ...which was a really tough decision for me, but we both thought it best if I opted for the Chicago Pinball Expo and a comic shop signing up in Wisconsin, rather than having us both double-up at York in 2019. You know...extending our promotional reach and all that. Anyhow, you'll have to make me jealous with stories of games you got to play at York this year!

I guess we're about to find out this weekend! ...hard to believe it's almost here!

We would love to visit Cal Extreme. Neither Nick nor I have ever been (despite me growing up in California). While it didn't work out for our packed 2019 schedule, you never know in the future.

Thanks, again, for all the support! We are SO READY to put this publication out into the world this coming weekend!!! Can't wait to hear what you all think once it's in your hands.

Humbled,
Ryan and Nick

Welp, it’s getting pretty close!

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My bags are packed with books, pins, postcards, shirts, stickers, original artwork, retractable banners and more, all in preparation for our new book release at the Texas Pinball Festival this coming weekend! I fly out in about 36 hours, however, Nick is already on the road...DRIVING FROM VIRGINIA (!??!):

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In addition to that box o' books you see, he's also got his incredible Multi-Bingo machine packed up, which will be available to play in our Coin-Op Carnival booth the entire weekend. If you've not seen this single-build machine before, make it a priority. Here's what it looks like when it's not wrapped in moving blankets:

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The dedication and craftsmanship Nick devoted to this project cannot be overstated. And don't be intimidated if you've never played a bingo pinball before, Nick will be happy to give you a tutorial.

So, as you're likely aware by this point in the thread, March 22nd, 2019 marks the release date of Coin-Op Carnival #1, the new series we’ll be working on for the next few years. This will be a four-issue limited series with subsequent issues released roughly every other year.

Copies will be available in-person this weekend at the Texas Pinball Festival or online at the dedicated Coin-Op Carnival webshop:

http://coinopcarnival.com/store/

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We are SO excited to finally release this work and share it with you! Also, we cannot thank you enough for your overwhelming support during these few weeks leading up to the release. Can't wait to meet a number of you in Texas!!!

For anyone unable to attend the Texas Pinball Festival, it looks like they will be liveStreaming the seminars:

https://m.twitch.tv/texas_pinball_seminar/profile

Tune in at 8pm CDT this Friday, March 22, 2019 to catch our Coin-Op Carnival presentation.

We are in a little alcove right behind Spooky Pinball. If you see those two Alice Coopers, we're directly behind them. You can see our banner and the Multi-Bingo peaking out on the right side of this picture below:

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Wow!!! What a whirlwind weekend and an extremely warm welcome from the pinball community at the 2019 Texas Pinball Festival for the launch of our Coin-Op Carnival series.

Here's our booth:

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...and a closer look at our table:

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We conducted a seminar on Friday night...

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...with special guest and noted pinball historian, Gordon Hasse:

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who introduced us with a historical overview of pinball publications that have come before Coin-Op Carnival:

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As we mentioned, the Texas Pinball Festival was...

...which have now been archived here (fast forward this clip to the 09:30 mark for the start of our presentation):

https://m.twitch.tv/videos/399663052

We had a lot of great reactions to the publication over the weekend, including this one from Pinside Founder, Robin van Mourik:

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As you saw from the booth image above, Nick also brought his wonder of modern/retro mash-up technology, the Multi-Bingo machine. Nick was offering bingo pinball tutorials all weekend long to a healthy line-up of interested players:

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At the tail end of the weekend, we attended the awards presentation:

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Where Nick's Multi-Bingo earned the top spot for custom game of the 2019 Texas Pinball Festival!

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1st PRIZE!!! Congratulations, Nick!!! SO well deserved!!!

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It's hard to put into words what all this means to Nick and I, but suffice it to say, we're taken-aback and humbled by the response to all of our efforts. So...thank you...to everyone we chat with in Texas, everyone who has chimed in on the thread here, and everyone who will be keeping Nick busy upon his return to Virginia. He's still on the road as we speak, but once he arrives home, Nick has a mountain of mail order to fulfill thanks to YOU!!!

Many more thanks,
Ryan and Nick

Hey All,

Thanks, HookedonPinonics! We really appreciate the sentiments. For anyone who missed it, our seminar is archived here (starting around the 09:30 mark):

https://m.twitch.tv/videos/399663052

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Also, we have some more announcements; I am gearing-up for our 2nd tour stop.

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This stop will be a solo-Ryan gig on Sunday, April 14th, 2019 at 6pm, and I think it's gonna be a doozy. I've been working on this presentation for almost a year, actually, and it'll be held at the Abrams Planetarium on the campus of Michigan State University where I teach. Here's a little preview:

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Back in May of 2018, I visited Wayne Neyens (the most prolific pinball designer in history and the interview subject for Coin-Op Carnival #1) and took a 360 degree camera with me. I filmed Wayne with his last remaining pinball machine (which he has a great story about) and also filmed another short interview in his home office, where he has a wall of memorabilia and he describes the significance of those pieces. This footage is really immersive and with the 360 dome presentation, it really feels like you're in Wayne's home as he tells these stories. I've been hard at work editing this video to include high resolution photographs of Wayne's memorabilia, inset video of the pinball machine in action as Wayne takes it through its paces, as well as manually subtitling the entire video. In addition to that, I'll be talking about the publication and the process it took to get our publication to where it is today. After the presentation we'll have a book signing party in the lobby of the planetarium, where we'll have a handful of Wayne Neyens designed games on free play for all to enjoy. On top of all that, admission is free, but space is limited so I'd suggest arriving early if you'd like to secure a seat.

The planetarium even set up a facebook event for it:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1087064594814351/

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In other logistics:

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...we (read: mainly Nick) have been shipping our little hearts out. So much that we ran out of shipping supplies(!??!). I handed Nick A BUNCH of supplies and books at Texas last weekend and was aghast to hear that all shipping materials have been used. All that to say, Nick and his very understanding wife packed and shipped the majority of the book orders we received since our launch, however there are still a number in the queue that are on hold until we receive said shipping supplies. We want to make sure this arrives to you safely, so thank you in advance for your patience. We'll update this thread when the supplies arrive. Just trying to be as transparent as possible here.

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Finally...

...we really can't thank you enough for all your support. It's make the past 2+ years of work feel justified.

Our sincerest gratitude,
Ryan

In case you missed it, folks are talkin'.

The Drop Target Zine (Alec Longstreth and Jon Chad) had some awfully nice things to say. We're currently on the front page of their website, but here's a perma-link:
http://droptargetzine.blogspot.com/2019/03/coin-op-carnival-1.html

Then, we chat with the Dungeon Master himself, James Willing, near the beginning of the 109th episode of the Spooky Pinball Podcast...er...Bug-cast. This episode also features a CHANCE TO WIN A FREE ISSUE!!! ...and stick around because Nick gets a solo interview with Charlie and Bug about his masterfully produced Multi-Bingo:
https://www.spookypinball.com/http:/spookypinball.com/spooky-pinball-podcast-show-109/

Also, the Martin Ayub and Jonathan Joosten of the Pinball News/Pinball Magazine podcast mention Coin-Op Carnival on their most recent 'cast (around the 58 minute mark):
http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/march-2019-pinball-industry-news-recap_142952

Finally, we shipped a copy of Coin-Op Carnival #1 to Gary Flower of the upcoming Midwest Gaming Classic. That will be available as part of their charity auction. Here's hoping it goes for way more than cover price.

Thanks for the continued support, everyone!

Hey all,

The buzz continues to roll in, this time from a comic book review site. Thought you might find this of interest:

http://www.yourchickenenemy.com/2019/04/pinball-panoply-justin-giampaoli.html

Thanks for your support, Jady! Can't wait to hear what you think!

Ha-ha! Thanks for the confirmation, Ben1981! Fingers crossed for quick customs clearance!

...and thanks to you both for the international orders!

Joe Newhart (of Pinball Star) is a HARD-workin' fellow and a good-hearted one to boot (as you saw from his offer earlier in this thread). We chat with Joe at TPF a couple weeks back and I think we managed to convince him our publication wouldn't be worth his time at Allentown, despite his generous proposition. Ha-ha! All that to say, Coin-Op Carnival will not be offered at Allentown. Our apologies.

RESPONSES

Thanks, Jady! We appreciate the confirmation and feedback!

Speaking of feedback:

Wow! This was incredible! Thank you so much, BallyCrazy!!! I had my multi-lingual wife translate it for me. ...sounds like we need to raise our price! #notGoingToHappen

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MORE BUZZ

Ironically, I'm probably the last one to see this (been a little busy lately), but Steve Young posted some nice words over on the Pinball Resource news page back on our launch date:

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"I am delighted to announce we are offering a new publication (book 1 of a promised 4 book offering) called COIN-OP CARNIVAL co-authored by Ryan Claytor and Nick Baldridge.

This is a delightful presentation done in cartoon format of everything electromechanical:

-interview with Wayne Neyens
-Mystic Marvel (pinball) review
-Space Pilot (arcade) review
-E/M relays explained
-and more!

The presentation is really engaging and informative. 3 more books are promised at a later date....due to the immense amount of art-work needed to be created by hand, it is expected that this may take several years for each [hopefully just a couple -Ryan ]....but well worth the wait. I know all this stuff, but still read it from cover-to-cover and enjoyed it!

The announcement of this is currently on Pinball News where you can see some sample pages to get a better feel of the product.

Book is 5-1/2” x 7-1/2 [ actually...8-1/2" -Ryan ]”. 64 pages, quality paper and presentation.

PBR part number is BK-COC-1 and price is $15. per copy.

Steve"

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Those are some pretty high words of praise! Thanks, Steve Young!

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SHIPPING

In addition to that, today marks 12 days since shipping commenced. I wanted to address a minor issue in an effort to be completely transparent. First, as Nick has mentioned, he has been fulfilling book purchases in sequential order, first ordered will have the first shipped, and so on. We're also incredibly fortunate to have such overwhelming support from the pinball community. We don't say that lightly, either. In fact, the support was so overwhelming that Nick blew through all our shipping supplies. Naturally, the supplies we're using aren't available locally. Then when that situation was remedied, all of Nick's stock of books were shipped before I had a chance to sign another 100 and ship them his way. Those hundred books should have arrived to Nick yesterday, but there's a situation with the US post office. We just received a shipping status of "Dead Mail / Sent to Mail Recovery Center" which we're pretty sure means that those 100 books are completely destroyed or there was a mistake in entry. So there's the bad news.

The good news is that we WILL sort this out. I have more books, so even if those 100 were somehow destroyed, we're okay and will take care of it. My plan is to start signing another 100 tonight and send them to Nick asap.

Why don't I send them out? Well, if it comes down to it, I might. However, in our publication partnership, Nick has agreed to take on shipping duties to allow me to focus on other Coin-Op Carnival tasks, like drawing the next issue. All this to say, we've received a letter or two inquiring about the status of the shipments. I'm hoping this public statement will alleviate some of the uncertainty of where your order might be. We have it, it's in the queue, and I have the utmost confidence you will receive it. However, if you feel unsure about any of my statements in this section, we're more than happy to refund purchase orders if that would make you more happy than to wait for your package to arrive. Ultimately, this is a passion project of ours that we hope will provide others with the same joy and enthusiasm for this innovative era of games that Nick and I feel. If that ever becomes a different case for you, please let us know. We promise you we'll make it right via order fulfillment as soon as we possibly can, or a full refund.

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NEXT TOUR STOP

Alright, back to the fun stuff! I've been working hard at solidifying the many logistics for our second tour stop, which takes place on the campus of Michigan State University this coming weekend at the Abrams Planetarium:

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As I mentioned previously, in addition to a Coin-Op Carnival presentation, a book signing to follow, and the first ever public showing of the full-dome 360degree video featuring the most prolific pinball designer in all of history, Wayne Neyens...

Well, I've got a list to share with you.

1956 Gottlieb "Score-Board"
1968 Gottlieb "Paul Bunyan" (Wayne's last pinball machine he designed)
1959 Gottlieb "Around the World" (Huge thanks to Pinsider: @paddlepaw )
1954 Gottlieb "Mystic Marvel" (Huge thanks to Pinsider: @Scottflips )
1968 Williams' "Space Pilot" (Huge thanks to Pinsider: @Dayhuff )

...for Michigan locals, none of these pinball machines are in a publicly accessible location, even @cfh 's impressive, era-spanning, VFW collection. And for you out-of-towners, this will be the only tour stop were you can play both featured E.M. games from Coin-Op Carnival #1 (Mystic Marvel and Space Pilot).

All this to say, I hope to see you there. Admission is free, but space is limited so I'd suggest arriving early if you'd like to secure a seat.

The planetarium even set up a facebook event with some additional information:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1087064594814351/

Take care, all, and our sincere thanks for your interest in our project!
-Ryan Claytor

***Transparency Alert***

Nick managed to get in touch with the post office this evening, but we know about as much now as we did prior to talking with them, which isn't much. He tried asking if our box o' books was really dead, what we should do, etc. Was told we can file a claim after 30 days or so to get back some pittance maybe. There's also the possibility the books will just show up. They had no clue.

SO!

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I made it through over 100 signatures tonight. I should finish packing them tomorrow at some point and have these sent out to Nick in the next day or two.

***MOAR Transparency***

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I packed over 100 signed books last night and this morning, took 'em to the post office and insured them this time. Ha-ha! Maybe that will make a difference(he says with naive hope)? Anyhow, we'll update when they arrive safely and order fulfillment resumes. Thanks for your patience, everyone.

In other news, I ran through my planetarium presentation a couple times today in preparation for Coin-Op Carnival's second tour stop:

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And the local media outlets are starting to take notice. Here are a couple of articles:

East Lansing Info with an article written by Sarah Spohn:
https://eastlansinginfo.org/content/coin-op-carnival-event-could-be-jackpot-nostalgic-gamers

A Lansing CityPulse article from Skyler Ashley:
https://lansingcitypulse.com/stories/msu-comic-art-professor-digs-into-pinball,12535

...and tomorrow morning I'll be on WLNZ radio chatting about the event:
https://www.lcc.edu/radio/coffeebreak/

Can't wait to share this evening with everyone!

Geez, what a wonderful night that was! Thank you to the Michigan State University Abrams Planetarium for providing a tremendous venue for the second Coin-Op Carnival tour stop and to everyone who attended last evening, despite the miserable weather. Still basking in the afterglow today. Extra special thanks to pinsiders paddlepaw , Scottflips , and Dayhuff for bringing games from their personal collections for all to enjoy! IMG_20190415_095017_825 (resized).jpgIMG_20190415_095106_545 (resized).jpgIMG_20190415_095027_334 (resized).jpgIMG_20190415_095039_361 (resized).jpgIMG_20190415_095049_338 (resized).jpgIMG_20190415_095115_305 (resized).jpgIMG_20190414_212745121 (resized).jpg

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Hi Eric,

Thanks for chiming in here! So great to hear from the recipient of that charity auction issue. While we couldn't be at MGC in person, we wanted to at least be there in spirit. We really appreciate you taking the time to stop in here and let us know YOU WON!!!

PECOS!!!

Always great seeing you around Pinside, especially on the few threads I follow. Thank you for your generous offer. I must say, I've gotta agree with pacmanretro...

Nick and I are truly humbled by your sentiments, but, Pecos (and anyone else), we are doing just fine and please please please DO NOT send us extra cash. We only mentioned the post office debacle to let folks know why there might be a minor delay in shipping. But again, we're just fine.

The pinball community has been plenty generous enough, to the point we're already looking into the possibility of reprinting the first issue. So, please, put your extra cash toward that great Tucson route you're developing! We'd rather see the extra dough put toward perfecting your public games than lining our pockets.

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There's also a double tour stop coming up this weekend!

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The first part of the weekend, I’ll be featuring Coin-Op Carnival at Michigan’s Pinball at the Zoo event in Kalamazoo. Then, on Sunday, I’ll exhibit my work at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E.) in Columbus, OH, where I’ll also deliver an artist lecture about Coin-Op Carnival. Because I’m splitting my time that weekend, I’ll only be able to exhibit on Sunday of S.P.A.C.E. (a Saturday and Sunday show). Anyhow, here some information about each event:

Pinball at the Zoo
(Thu-Sat) April 25-27th, 2019
Open Hours
Kalamazoo County Expo Center
2900 Lake Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Official Website: http://pinballatthezoo.com/

~and~

Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (S.P.A.C.E.)
Sunday ONLY – April 28, 2019
Sun: 10am – 5pm
Artist Lecture: 1pm
Northland Performing Arts Center
4411 Tamarack Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43229
Official Website: http://backporchcomics.com/space.htm

Hope to see you this weekend!

P.S. TWO HUNDRED POSTS!!!
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You are the best, Pecos. Thanks for all your support and help with pinball (and coin-op) evangelism.

Ha-ha! Fantastic! Post of picture of those bright displays once installed!

Wow. This post made my day. Very cool to hear, and thanks for posting, Coindork.

Thank you! ...and expect your shirt soon! I sent it out yesterday (Nick was out of your size).

SAME!!! Thanks for your help in Ottawa this coming summer, Caitlyn! For those unaware, Caitlyn is helping us with some Coin-Op Carnival distribution at a couple of shows in Canada:

- Hawkesbury Pinball Flea Fair (June ‘19)
- Ottawa Pinball Gameroom Show (September ‘19)

Finally, I'll just leave this buried lead right here:
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/the-claytorian-basement-remodel

Thanks for all your support and interest in our work, everyone! Such a cool group here.

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Packed up and ready for the...

...THIS WEEKEND!!!

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Hope to meet some pinsiders in Michigan or Ohio! Please stop by and say hello!

Man, I love Pinball at the Zoo. Such a great, relaxed, hometown show. I set up yesterday and will be here the duration of the show.

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...and you may have noticed a little something beyond my T-shirt tree:

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...a glorious cluster of woodrails:

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...as well as a number of EMs and even Rockola's World Series purely mechanical pin:

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This serendipitous conglomeration of titles is thanks to my exhibitor neighbors, Scott, Dave, and Matt.

Speaking of tremendous vendors, Dave and Leann of Ulek Store presented me with a surprise gift:

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...A MUG WITH THE WRAP-AROUND COVER IMAGE FROM COIN-OP CARNIVAL #1!!!

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MAH GAWD!!! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! Make sure you stop by the Ulek booth to say hello! They're wonderful folks with wonderful custom products and always willing to talk about new possibilities.

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Pinball at the Zoo was fantastic! Just pulled into Columbus after a rainy 4+ hour drive. Feeling lucky to be able to share this new publication with so many people and looking forward to presenting a seminar at the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo tomorrow! Thanks for everyone's continued support. I'll leave you with a couple pictures of some pinball ambassadors I met at PatZ.

Good night!

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Thought I'd post a brief wrap-up from S.P.A.C.E. (The Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo) in Columbus, OH, yesterday.

I arrived at the Northland Performing Art Center early Sunday morning...

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...and got my table set-up:

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Before settling in at my table, I made some rounds and chat with a number of other comics exhibitors I've met over the years. I bought a bunch of comics and was pretty proud to show-off the new book that Nick and I recently finished. Later that day, at 1pm, I was scheduled to deliver a presentation.

I want to take a moment here to give a big shout-out and thank you to fellow pinsider, @violinsteve , who made it a point to come out to S.P.A.C.E. specifically to see me deliver a presentation on Coin-Op Carnival. Way cool. Plus, he took these next three pictures you're about to see.

So, here's that presentation I mentioned...

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...and one of the 200+ slides:

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After the presentation, it was back to the table where I got to have a nice chat with Steve. Real good dude.

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At the end of the day, I packed up and drove the 4 hours back home to Michigan...

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...exhausted and elated from the experiences over the past few days.

Then, this morning I woke up to this...

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...and as SirScott mentioned, you can also find it online:

Thanks, Scott!!!

...however, in the online version, it's hard to tell that I beat out Pat Sajak for top billing:

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Aw yeah.

Thanks for all the support this past weekend, guys and gals! Nick and I both really appreciate it.

See you next weekend at the VFW show in Ann Arbor, MI:

CCtourScheduleVFW (resized).jpg

Thanks, Meeg! Can't wait for you to see it in person. We're so gosh darned proud of these things.

Hi Pmoore66. Since you and I chat at PatZ, Nick and I had a deeper discussion about our ability to manage the many arms of this project and we both came to a consensus that while a subscription would be great for readers (I'm part of a subscription service or two, and I love 'em), when we took a good, hard, honest look at our schedules, we just don't have the bandwidth to track that right now. Sorry.

An alternative we've been mentioning to folks who are interested in being notified about future issues is to sign-up for my personal comics update list. I self-publish my books under the moniker "Elephant Eater Comics" ( www.ElephantEater.com ), so the email would come from there. However, this is THE project I'm working on for the foreseeable future, so essentially the roughly-quarterly (sometimes it's not that frequent) updates will be talking primarily about Coin-Op Carnival, as well as appearances and other things I might be doing related to comics.

If that is something that interests you, Pmoore, (or anyone else, for that matter), please send an email to info at coinopcarnival dot com and we'll make sure you get added to that email update list.

Hope this helps!

So awesome!!! Thanks a bunch for the kind feedback.

Ha-ha! I swear it wasn't our intention to sell more books based on the back-to-back printing of those papercraft models. If someone wants to make a laserjet color copy of the papercraft model from their purchased book, I certainly wouldn't fault them for that. In fact, I'd relish a photograph or two of someone who actually completed them. Ha-ha!

Actually, I'm working on mine right now!

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WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO FINISH!??!

In other news, yesterday Nick and I were interviewed on NPR for the Michigan program called "Stateside."

https://www.michiganradio.org/programs/stateside-cynthia-canty

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It was a fascinating effort of logistics, as the host, Nick, and I were each in different cities! Regardless, I think the conversation went pretty well, but we'll all see for sure once it airs. At this moment, we're not certain of its inaugural airdate, but it will likely be today or tomorrow. The show airs at 3pm and again at 10pm (EST) weekdays. It will also be archived after the fact if you're not able to tune in upon initial airing. We'll be sure to update when we know anything new.

I feel like I've said this before, but it becomes no less true each time it's said, Nick and I can't thank you all enough for the support you've all shown us. This has been such an amazing experience releasing this first issue. Thank you.

Looking forward to meeting some more folks at the VFW Show this weekend!

Hello All,

The promotional interviews continue to trickle in, as Jeff Teolis uploaded a massive, multi-interview, episode from his many travels in the past month. Nick and I are interviewed about Coin-Op Carnival and Nick's tremendous Multi-Bingo around the 25 minute mark:

http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/ep-195-mega-episode_144408

I'm also fresh off my weekend exhibiting at...

...near Ann Arbor, MI...

CCtourScheduleVFW (resized).jpg

...which was a right dandy time.

My Friday began with a sip of tea from my...

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...before taking my son to school and dashing off to the "E.M. World Championships" at the start of the showcase weekend. I believe there were about 64 people competing ( j_m_ are my numbers correct?) and when I got knocked out there were 6 people remaining in the competition. So, I don't think I earned any bragging rights from my 7th place showing, but I always have a great time at that tournament. 1 on 1 competitions throughout the day with time to meet and converse with your partner as you're playing. Great fun.

After getting knocked-out, I set up my booth behind the bar at the back of the main hall:

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I've said it before and I'll say it again, cfh 's collection of 400+ machines is the best kept, widest era spanning, assembly of games I've ever laid eyes on.

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The collection of neon is almost as extensive as the games themselves, like this little gem behind the bar where I was exhibiting:

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Pretty awesome to have access to this assortment of so many rarely seen titles. New additions to this year's roster were a handful of pre-war games scattered about. Here are just a couple examples (can't believe I didn't get pictures of the others):

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I managed a pretty decent game on Bally's "Air Way", sinking 8 out of 10 balls:

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Then, of course, there was the drool-inducing collection of woodrails:

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Oh, and did I neglect to mention the line-up of upright and skill-roll games?

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I could continue, but I was there to let people know about our book. Many of which were purchased. And it was so delightful to connect with people over this passion project of ours! The unfortunate part of these updates is that it's hard to photograph and make visual these experiences and relationships. I've really come to value these conversations, repeated meetings, and developed friendships over the years of exhibiting at shows like this. Moreover, I feel odd singling out any particular meeting because I won't be able to mention all of them, nor would I do them any justice with a short recount, so I'll just take this opportunity to lapse into a brief parade of pictures from the weekend:

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...and my 3-day view from behind the bar:

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On Sunday, the final day of the show, I completed a puzzle with my son before leaving home for the day:

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A great number of folks in the Michigan Pinball community approached me over the weekend to ask about my fine son and recounted memories of him as a wee fellow being worn on my chest at various events. Our big little dude is a little too big for that these days.

Anyhow, on this last day of the VFW Show, I tried getting out from behind the table every once in a while to sample the majority of the woodrails.

I've heard Gottlieb game designer, Wayne Neyens, mention his (and his family's) fondness for Niagara, and after playing it I can see why his kids were upset when Wayne traded it away for a set of encyclopedias. Very fun game with that characteristically pitch-perfect Neyens thresholding built into a gaggle of ways to win replays. Add to that the accomplished, whimsical, and intricate artwork by Roy Parker, and I can see why this title is in high demand:

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Thumbs up, indeed!

Next, I was really drawn to the theme (CROQUET!??!) of Green Pastures , but found the gameplay pretty difficult. The layout of the bumper sequence was actually quite inventive and daring, as it was layed-out in the configuration of a croquet field. Unfortunately, it felt too challenging to accomplish, with the second half of the number sequence ascending up the playfield and posts drilled into the middle of the playing surface obstructing desirable ball paths off the flippers. And while there were still a number of different ways to win replays, this game seemed to have those replay thresholds set way too high. I didn't even come close to achieving any of them. When I walked up to the game, based on theme and artwork I thought this would instantly rocket to the top of my short list. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I felt quite the contrary as I walked away:

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Thumbs downy.

Perhaps I just need some more time on this game to appreciate it. I wish I did because of the theme and artwork, but perhaps I'm just saving myself the pain of trying to find one, as it's a pretty low production run game.

Anyhow, this one seems to be a mainstay of the VFW, but a new addition I spotted in a separate annex was 1950's "Rose Bowl":

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This title is thematically reminiscent of the designer's (Wayne Neyens, again) first game, College Daze, which was released just a couple of years prior. Rose-Bowl , however, has an interesting feature in which the game provides a random score for the visiting team at the start of the game and your job, as the home team, is to beat their score by the end of 5 balls. However, much like "Green Pastures", this was another instance where I felt like the replay thresholds were set impossibly high, making the game much less fun when the possibility of winning feels too far away. But again, that was merely a first impression and perhaps I just got a couple of high visiting scores to beat.

Nevertheless, I was thankful for the opportunity to play a number of these rare games I'd not had the chance to prior to this past weekend.

More importantly, I'm glad to have connected with a great number of readers, which has me jazzed for the next tour stop in Fort Wayne, IN at Summit Sports, Comics, and Games!

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This particular date lands on a Wednesday, which also happens to be new comic book day (the day each week that new comics are released). So come on out to Summit in Fort Wayne on Wednesday, May 15th, 2019 for your chance to take a look at our new book in person.

Thank you for your continued support of our project! ...and coming soon, we'll have an unexpected announcement to share with you.

We did not, but I'd be curious who did! Very cool, regardless.

...and THANK YOU for helping to spread the word!

Perhaps, but I think also a bit l-o-n-g-e-r?

Anyhow...

- --- ----- N-E-W-S ----- --- -

Do you remember about 5 days ago when...

Well, here's an excerpt from an email we just received:

- --- --- -
The conversation you recorded with Cynthia Canty about Coin-Op Carnival will air today on our show.

Stateside airs from 3-4 p.m. and again from 10-11 p.m. on Michigan Radio:
91.7 FM – Ann Arbor/Detroit
91.1 FM – Flint
104.1 FM – West Michigan
MichiganRadio.org – online streaming

You'll also be able to find the full audio of your segment around 5 p.m. today on the Stateside page of our website, MichiganRadio.org.
- --- --- -

Let's see how this turned out and if they honored my request NOT to play The Who's "Pinball Wizard."

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So, as I was saying...

Well, that aired, and now it's archived here:

https://www.michiganradio.org/post/stateside-state-senate-passes-auto-insurance-reform-pinball-history-comic-book-new-west-mi

^^^ ...just scroll about 1/2 - 2/3 down that page to find our isolated segment.

Enjoy,
Ryan

Send us a picture here when you put 'em together!

I know, Cait...I know... *sighs*

- --- ----- --- -

In other news, do you all remember when I mentioned...

Well, this whole book release/tour/online sales/etc THING has exceeded our wildest expectations. Please allow me to spin you a brief yarn...

We initially printed 1,100 copies of Coin-Op Carnival #1. I expected this would keep us stocked for 2, 3, maybe 4 years or so. Which is just fine, because we're in this for the long haul (a 4 issue series with a release roughly every other year). However, about a month after the release, we were only about 4 or 5 tour stops in, and our stock was down to about 2-300 copies. At this rate, we were pretty certain we would not have enough copies to sell at the remaining tour stops. A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE, to be sure. With all that said, I've been making some minor changes to the illustration/book files for the past week-ish, and...our GRAND ANNOUNCEMENT IS:

WE'RE REPRINTING COIN-OP CARNIVAL #1 ONLY A MONTH AND A HALF AFTER ITS RELEASE!!!

So, on Tuesday, I sent said illustration/book files off to a local printer here in Lansing, MI, and today I picked up the proofs:

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This afternoon, I'll hand the proofs back to the printer for approval and tomorrow morning I'll be on site for press check as they begin printing the covers and interiors!

Nick and I both wanted to send out our sincerest thanks to everyone who has made this passion project venture of ours such an overwhelming success. I know we've said things in the past, like...

...and sometimes I feel like our gratitude, sincere as it is, might get mistaken for platitudes. However, we hope that this transparent and quantitative data helps to put into sharp perspective how grateful we are for the pinball community's support from the moment this project was released. We are absolutely bowled-over by all this and it completely lights our fire to continue this project for years to come. ...and, expect some press-check pictures tomorrow.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Most sincerely,
Ryan and Nick

Happy tomorrow! So, I went in for press check at 8am this morning. The printers were running our book on their two big presses, one for the covers and one for the interiors. Here's the start with the paper being fed on the right side:

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After making its way through each of the four (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) drums, it ends up on this side:

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Kinda like this:

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I took a close look for color accuracy and density.

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Everything looked fantastic, so it got my signature of approval. Once the stack for that particular signature is complete, the giant brick of paper is set aside to dry before printing on the other side.

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As I mentioned, covers were being printed on another giant press. Here they are being spit-out in rapid succession:

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Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, the grand and glorious bar code for our book (located on the inside-front cover) wasn't printing appropriately. I created the file so that the barcode was completely thresholded and essentially printing in binary, either black or nothing. Translated, that means it was set up to have SUPER sharp edges, but it was printing with halftoned edges (a bunch of little dots on all edges of the bar code). I had a copy of the first printing handy and showed them that the identical file printed with nice crisp edges on the bar code. To make a long and boring story short, the pre-press fellow worked it out, created a new black plate, replaced that new black plate on the press that was printing the covers, printed a few new copies, and the new plate had the covers looking fabulous!

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...which warranted another signature of approval:

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All this to say, if it's at all possible, I like to be present when the books are running off the line. First of all, it's nice to be available to intercept any issues, like the bar code I mentioned above, or color inconsistencies, of which there were none. But it's also just a complete charge to see all the activity...

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...and the sheer mechanical wonder of these machines at work in concert with the people that orchestrate them:

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Naturally, it's also a huge high seeing 2+ years of work finally stack-up in a tangible way:

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The process of printing Coin-Op Carnival #1 (...the second printing) should be done by the end of today. Collating, perforating, folding, saddle-stitching, and trimming, should all happen early next week. I'll update again when there's something new to report. In the meantime, I'm quite happy with the way things were progressing today. Can't wait to pick-up another 1,000 copies so that we're sure to make it though this tour with books in hand.

Thank you, again, for making this all possible. Without your voracious support, this, quite literally, would not be happening. Glad to share this experience with each of you.

Sincerely,
Ryan and Nick

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Ha-ha! You sly-devil, Jim. I swear this is not the same printer, though.

Glad to hear this sort of process update is appreciated. It's not a quick post to craft, but I, too, am a sucker for a process outline. Those animated gifs were all created from short videos I took at the factory last week. If you look closely, you should be able to see the pages from CC#1 zooming by.

Regardless, thanks for the kind words, Pac and Pec!

Wait, what? Do you work at a print shop?

Yes? I guess the value will depend on what the market is willing to pay for it. Right now I hope they're not paying more than $15, because we've still got a couple hundred first printings available for that price. We just wanted to be sure we weren't in a rush to print more near the end of the tour. Right now I'm on summer break from teaching, so things are a little slower in my life, making it a good time to handle all these logistics and not get ourselves in a potentially sticky situation (tour stops with no books).

Funny you should mention that...

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...guess what will be decorating my office walls in the new academic year.

- --- ----- --- -

RE-PRINT UPDATE

Regarding this week's update, yesterday I was taking care of credit card info, resale license, and other titillating payment logistics with the printer. Today, I was told that the books just got off the folder and should be ready for pick-up by Thursday. We're not in a rush on this, as we still have a number of first printings. ...but it's awfully nice not to be sweating a deadline. Woo!

- --- ----- --- -

IN THE NEWS

Finally, I wanted to mention some more great pieces of recognition:

1) Yesterday,

Coin-Op Carnivalwas mentioned on the "This Week in Pinball Podcast" (episode #46 around the 70:30 mark - https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/this-week-in-pinball-podcast-episode-46-with-dennis-kriesel/ ) and new regular co-host, Dennis Kriesel, had some awfully nice things to say. Here's a highlight:

"Hard take from me; I think this will be in the top 3, for sure, of favorite pinball publications of 2019. And I think it seriously has a very good chance of winning."

Wow! Dennis DennisK Kriesel, thanks for the preemptive vote of confidence! Sincerely, after spending as much time as we have on this passion project publication, that means A LOTto us. Thank you.

2) Then, today, a mention on the TWIP website itself appeared:

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https://www.thisweekinpinball.com/twip-tuesday-may-7th-2019-2/

^^^ If you scroll about half-way down that page, you'll see the nice mention and the call to action from TWIP Founder, Jeff pin2d Patterson.

Many thanks for all the positive reactions and support! We really appreciate it. And while we might not post daily here, we do check our email quite frequently and typically respond within 24 hours. So, if you ever run into any difficulties, we're happy to hear from you, too!

Until some more books roll off the line, we hope this finds everyone well!

Wha--

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ERMERGERD!!! *Friend-Fail*

*hangs head*

...see you tomorrow, John. *sigh*

At Summit Sports, Comics and Games in Fort Wayne, IN for the next couple hours as part of the 2019 Coin-Op Carnival Release Tour!IMG_20190515_094433723_HDR (resized).jpgIMG_20190515_095446427 (resized).jpg

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The signing at...

...last week went well. I've never been to this store's Indiana location (they have a second location in Lansing, MI...where I live) and I was pretty taken aback upon walking in:

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The location was HUGE with product piled floor to very high ceiling, making it a fun place to explore. I arrived shortly before their opening bell and they already had a table set up for me in a main aisle of their store:

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I set up our product and was ready to go by the time doors opened:

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Because it was...

...I chat with a number of folks who, while interested in comics, pinball and coin-op was completely off their radar. Which was perfectly fine! The goal of this book is to reach multiple audiences: coin-op/pinball enthusiasts as well as those who haven't thought about pinball in a number of years. I had several conversations with curious parties about the state of the pinball industry and where this book is situated in the history of this rich hobby. Not all of them were interested enough to give it a try, but several of them were! The store itself also purchased a number of copies before I left, so if you're in the Fort Wayne, IN area and you'd like to take a look through the book in-person before purchasing, head over to:

Summit Sports, Comics and Games
4240 W. Jefferson Blvd, #8
Fort Wayne, IN 46804

...and ask to see Coin-Op Carnival. Many thanks to Summit for their commitment to us and their support of the 2019 Coin-Op Carnival Tour!

The tour stop lasted a couple hours and ended around noon. After packing my bags and grabbing a burrito for the road, I started the couple hour trek back to Michigan. Before crossing back into my home state, I spotted an Indiana Antique Store off the highway and back a little dirt road:

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...and decided to stop:

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They didn't have anything in the way of coin-op. The closest I found was this carny target:

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...but for that price:

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...I took a hard pass.

They also had a...uh...

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...uhm...an...old...dried-up...corn...post?

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Oh, a Cob Tree. That's what I said.

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Anyhow, I did run across a couple books of interest, like this one on tin cans...

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...that had some gorgeous design examples inside:

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...and this other book on vintage radio repair:

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Eventually, I got back on the road and continued my trip home, during which I got a call from a delivery company. If you recall, the reprints of our...

...however, it seems as though they were ready a day early (this being Wednesday) and the delivery truck was already at my doorstep. I told him I was expecting a call to schedule the delivery prior to the books showing up at my home. That didn't make much difference as the books were in a truck at my house. I told the delivery fellow it would be another couple of hours before I arrived home, but that he could go ahead and leave them on the front step. I trust my neighbors and didn't think much of it...until this pleasant, blue-skied, drive...

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...began to cloud over...

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...and get progressively darker...

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...the closer I got to my home.

At this point I felt like I was in a race against weather in an effort to remove our books from the elements before an unanticipated rainstorm ruined them.

Thankfully, I arrived prior to any precipitation and found all the books safely stacked outside:

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To make a long story short, the books have now been moved safely inside, stored, and we're ready to complete our tour without the fear of running short on books.

Speaking of tour stops, the next one is quickly approaching, in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS(!??!) This time I'll be out west in Pacific Time Zone at the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, NV:

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Here's some copy-and-pastable information:

Coin Op Carnival Tour Stop
Pinball Hall of Fame
1610 E. Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Sunday, June 2, 2019
11AM-1PM

I'd love to meet any pinsiders out there and if you know of anyone in Vegas you think might be interested, we'd love your help spreading the word.

Thanks for your continued support,
Ryan and Nick

LIONCAN!!!

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P.S. Incoming PM, Herm.

Thanks, Shane, that means a lot to us. Sincerely.

- --- ------ --- -

Speaking of opportunities to see the book, this...

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...Coin-Op Carnival will be at the...

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...in Las Vegas Nevada:

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Here's the deets in glorious text-format:

Coin Op Carnival Tour Stop
Pinball Hall of Fame
1610 E. Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Sunday, June 2, 2019
11AM-1PM

Hope to see you there!

- --- ------ --- -

Then, the FOLLOWING...

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...Nick will hold a presentation and book signing on the opposite end of the country at the...

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...in Richomond, VA:

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Textual deeters:

Richmond Pinball Collective
9550 Midlothian Turnpike, #112
Richmond, VA 23235
Sunday, June 9, 2019
11AM-1PM

- --- ------ --- -

Thanks for making these tour stops so darned enjoyable for us. We really appreciate your continued support and look forward to meeting more folks out on the road this year!

So awesome. Thanks for chiming in here, Cait, and for being an ambassador of our book. Hope you sell out of your copies!

Here 'til 1pm!

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It seemed to be shoved in the back storage area this time.

Ha-ha! So cool!!! Thanks for relaying the message. We love to hear about the book getting into people's hands!

Can't wait to hear about your first solo signing, my bro! Just chat with your better half to make sure there will be some pictures of this exciting event:

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Speaking of the event, it's only 4 days away and you can even sign up on the Facespace event that's been lovingly created by the RPC:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1286439174855307/

Wish I could be there!!! I'd love to hear some reports back here. MAKE ME JEALOUS!!!

Ha-ha! So cool!!! Thanks a bunch for your support, Pecos! We really appreciate it.

Nice work in Virginia, my dude! Looked like a great stop. Wish I could have been there!

- --- ----- --- -

Speaking of tour stops, there's another couple coming up next month, both in California.

First, I'll be at my hometown brick and mortar book shop, The Book Loft, in Solvang, CA!

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The Santa Ynez Valley (in which Solvang is located) is a picturesque little paradise where I grew up. This book-signing takes place at the venerable Book Loft in Solvang, CA.

Coin-Op Carnival Tour Stop
July 3rd, 2019 from 2-3pm
The Book Loft
1680 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463

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There’s also a facebook event for this one: https://www.facebook.com/events/1176271165891558/

...and if you're not familiar with the Danish capital of America, it's even been highlighted on an episode of the Simpsons:

- --- ----- --- -

Following up the July 3rd signing, Coin-Op Carnival will be featured in San Diego, CA at the largest comics and pop culture event in North America, Comic-Con International!

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I’ll be behind table P-16 in the Small Press Pavilion, which doesn’t make any sense if you try to find it by way of the gigantic hanging aisle markers. However, if you head to the back of the 1800 aisle, you should find me at the start of the Small Press tables. Here’s a map to assist you in the search:

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…and here’s some more information to help you on your way:

July 17-21, 2019
Comic-Con International
San Diego Convention Center
111 W. Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101

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Best of luck securing your tickets!

- --- ----- --- -

So there you have it! A couple more stops on the 2019 Coin-Op Carnival Tour! Hope to see you on the West Coast!

Next Wednesday is quickly approaching, and the local papers are starting to take notice:

https://syvnews.com/entertainment/comics/reviving-the-past-comic-illustrator-pinball-expert-former-santa-ynez/article_6bff9ba2-5a7a-5293-86bc-a00bbf545661.html#tracking-source=home-the-latest

Hope to see you there!

In case you haven't subscribed to the Brokentoken Podcast (and really, why wouldn't you), we wanted to make you aware of their latest episode (#81) which features Nick and a bunch of talk about Coin-Op Carnival!

https://www.brokentoken.com/podcast-episodes/81-the-name-dropper/

Touched down in California today and rolled into my old hometown of Santa Ynez, CA. When I stopped to pick up my parents' mail, I got a surprise on the front page of the B section:

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...with a little spill-over:

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I thought this story was gonna reside online, so this was a welcome surprise leading into tomorrow's tour stop.

See ya at 2pm!

Happy 4th of July, Coin-Op Carnival Crew!

Yesterday's signing went GREAT! My hometown crowd came out for a tremendous showing. In fact, thanks to the Solvang tour stop, we are now COMPLETELY out of T-shirts!

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So, for today only, we'll have a pre-order list of interest. Here's how it will work:

Email [email protected] with your desired size(s) you'd like to purchase and we'll include them in our re-order of shirts.

That's it.

This will be your only chance to GUARANTEE that you get the size you want. Outside of this pre-order, we'll only have the typical unisex sizes in limited quantities. Right now, you can let us know if you'd like a Unisex XS-3XL or a Ladies cut (which typically run a little smaller than unisex and have more of an hourglass cut) in XS-2XL. Shirts will be the same price they've always been ($20 +tax/shipping).

On July 5th, the pre-order will end and we'll place our order.

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support of our passion project! We're so grateful for the overwhelming reception.

Sincerely,
Ryan and Nick

Rocket launches: Yes, my parents live on a hill in the SYV, so I've seen a couple. Pretty neat!

Anderson Pea Soup: Yeah, but overhyped. I'd rather have my mom's crock pot pea soup any day of the week.

MJ's ranch: Visited the gate a few times years ago. Never been past.

"Another attendee" has already messaged me , but good touching base, Gir! Looking forward to seeing you in a couple weeks!

Hey, all! I mentioned our next tour stop at Comic-Con International, which is quickly approaching, but what I didn't mention is that I'll be conducting a presentation on Friday of the big weekend...

Pinball and Comics!
Day: Friday, July 19th, 2019
Time: 10:00a.m. – 11:00a.m.
Room: Grand 12, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina (the hotel immediately West of the convention center)
Description: Michigan State University professor and award-winning comics creator, Ryan Claytor, outlines Coin-Op Carnival, a new 64-page print publication. Coin-Op Carnival is the only source for full-color, completely illustrated content documenting the history and stories surrounding electro-mechanical coin-operated amusement devices (pinball and pre-video arcade games manufactured prior to 1978). Each issue includes an interview with a game designer, in-depth game reviews, E.M. tech explained, product spotlights, comics, and more. Every page of the publication features new full-color illustrations and comics from Ryan Claytor, with articles written by both Claytor and Nick Baldridge, host of “For Amusement Only, the E.M. and Bingo Pinball Podcast” and creator of the custom-built “Multi-Bingo” pinball machine.

Would love to see you out there!

*duplicate post*

Awesome! Really appreciate your support Gir. It's off-site at the Marriot next door, so I guess we'll all figure where this Room: Grand 12" is together.

Thanks, in advance for any help you all can lend with amplifying this event. Our buddy, Jack Danger, already gave it the Dead Flip bump over on Facebook.

Hope to see you there!

Thanks to everyone who attended my presentation this morning about our new publication, Coin-Op Carnival, that bingopodcast and I put together. I'm behind table P-16 (back of the 1800 aisle) throughout the weekend. Special thanks to girloveswaffles for keeping this thread active during this busy weekend!IMG_20190719_123149_01 (resized).jpgIMG_20190719_104621352 (resized).jpgelephanteatertablelocation2017 (resized).jpg
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So...wow. The Comic-Con International tour stop happened and, I've gotta say...mercy me.

EVERY.

SINGLE.

COPY...

...of Coin-Op Carnival that I brought to California was sold. (Don't fret, we still have more available on our website.) By Saturday (day 4 of a 5 day convention), I was sold-out. Kinda bitter sweet, really. Wish I would have brought more, but BOY HOWDY, was that ever a good problem to have. Many thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and/or pick-up a book. This year has been quite the experience.

- --- ----- --- -

In some minor news, that T-shirt re-order we placed arrived just in time for Comic-Con...

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...and perhaps more exciting, the Coin-Op Carnival shirts are once again available on our website.

- --- ----- --- -

Finally, I'd like to mention our next signing. This is a big one, and I'll tell you why after the details here:

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Burke Baker Planetarium
5555 Hermann Dr, Houston, TX 77030
August 3, 2019 - 6:30PM
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/509648466444521/

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Okay, so first of all, you may have noticed that we're at a planetarium. Why? Because during the process of interviewing Wayne Neyens for this issue, I took a trip down to see him and hauled a 360 degree camera with me to record a couple of short interviews (about 10 minutes a piece). These videos show Wayne with his last remaining pinball machine Spirit of 76 in his garage, then we head into his home office where he discusses a number of pieces of pinball memorabilia hanging around the walls. Not only are these videos presented as a full-dome immersive experience (so you feel as though you're IN Wayne's garage or IN Wayne's home office), but over the course of the following year, I worked with a local planetarium tech to edit the video with high resolution images (that zoom into PLANETARIUM SIZE images, so you can see exactly what Wayne is talking about), additional superimposed video (so you can see Wayne run the table as he plays a game on his @spirit-of-76 ), subtitles, and more. This has only been shown publicly once before (tour stop number 2) and we don't have plans to air it again anytime soon.

On top of all that, this will be the second of only two tour stops where Nick and I will both be present (the other one was the launch of the book at TPF in March). We do not offer mail-order autographed books anymore (it was a giant hassle with the two of us so far apart) so this will be a rare opportunity to have your book signed by BOTH authors at once.

Finally, we'll be presenting a behind-the-scenes look at how this publication was conceived and pull back the curtain to show you some process images documenting how the book was created through illustrated images and copious research.

We're really looking forward to this one and hope a few pinsiders might be in the audience. If you are, please be sure to introduce yourself.

See you August 3rd!