As the co-founder with Rob Berk of the Pinball Expo 34 years ago, I attended my first Expo since 1986 last month. In some ways, it was like seeing, for the first time in decades, a child that I had given up for adoption decades ago. I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. The show has grown in ways that I never could have imagined years ago. I couldn't believe the enthusiasm that I saw from attendees. It was heartwarming to see players lined up and waiting patiently (or sometimes not so patiently) to play the newest pins. I'd read about the tension that was in the air during the last few Expos, but it certainly seemed like everyone was having a great time at this show -- at least everyone that I saw was having a great time. I'd like to publicly commend Rob Berk for giving the show a fresh start. When we envisioned the idea of a pinball "convention" back in 1984, Rob and I had thought that we were looking at a one-time show. We tried to pull out all the stops for that first show, primarily because we never expected a follow-up show to materialize. We weren't sure how many people would even show up to support the Expo. But here we are, 34 Expos later, with a living and breathing show, one that has added video and arcade games to the offerings and dropped the banquet (among numerous other changes) in response to the evolving tastes and demands of attendees. No, the Pinball Expo is not the same show that Rob and I created all those years ago. But I, for one, was very impressed with this new Expo "reboot," and I'm proud, very proud, to have been there with Rob at the inception of the first Pinball Expo. Bill Kurtz (co-founder of the Pinball Expo, and author of Pinball The Lure of the Silver Ball, Slot Machines & Coin-Op Games, Arcade Treasures, and The Encyclopedia of Arcade Video Games)