I've now played three out of the four and am very pleased. We put a few games on Wishing Well last night and it is just as brutal as any but very fun. New rubbers should give it some bounce. From what you guys are saying I am saving the best for last. Looking forward to those legs showing up so I can give Teachers Pet a whirl.

Teacher's Pet yet another game by the mystery artist
from early 60s BLY/WMS games
that are not Stenholm or Molentin

Every early 60s Williams I have except Palooka seems to be a mystery artist. Maybe there was more than one.

more early 60s EM WMS mystery artist possibilities
21
Viking
Jungle
Magic Clock
Skill Ball
Trade Winds
Friendship "7"
Valiant
King Pin
Mardi Gras
Vagabond
Big Deal
Skill Pool
Big Daddy
Soccer

Somebody has to know who did these.

Time to ask this guy. Shine the hot lamp on him and maybe he will talk.

mrboney2.gif

I'm going to disagree on a couple of those. Jungle and Magic Clock without question in my mind are Molentin. Or at the very least the same artist that most of his work is credited too. He has very simple but elegant line work and the women are drawn in his typical style. There are a couple others that I would suspect are him as well but drawn with enough variation to warrant being questioned.

The trouble with commercial art is the artist were not in it to be famous or gain recognition. It was just a job that paid the bills generally. So unfortunately we'll probably never know definitively on some of these. As O-din states I would suspect there is more than a couple mystery artists in the works mentioned.

ebay.com link: itm

pretty good price ( as of 10am) on a good game, looks like it will clean up nice

Also some of the time, they might have been told to emulate a previous artists style.
So that is why some of the games look like they were done by (say) Molentin,
but for some reason they look just a bit off or not up to that artist's normal standard.

Still would like to know for sure, as time is running out, as more and more of people that might know
are now dead or too old to remember with clarity.
Also the fact that some of those studios that produced the art for pinball burned down and probably any records lost with the fire.
Though when watching antique roadshow,
it seems their experts seem to know a lot about all these esoteric "unknown" artists
from the previous centuries.

That's very true. Look at an artist like Marche who's style varied greatly. Without someone documenting his works it could be near impossible to tell that some were his. As far as looking a bit off, I again agree. But you have to consider these guys were cranking out a couple games a month. Seems like a lot of pressure to consistently make every one a masterpiece. To have a couple that aren't in line with their best work doesn't necessarily mean another artist did it. It just opens up a lot of speculation.

It would be nice to find someone that worked with these guys that may have some insight. There has to be some old timer still around that worked there. Even that though may not get you accurate info. I bet if you asked some of the artists themselves they may not remember who specifically did what works.

I believe a lot is still to discover. Take gotllieb Word fair, the IPDB states its a Roy Parker glass. But when I look a the style an lines of the artwork I am convinced Art stenholm is the artist. And I always thought it was strange that someone that could make that wonderful artwork on Square Head would do such a lousy job on Rack-a-Ball.

The mystery man got nervous, an' he fidget around a bit...

skeleton-dance-o.gif

That marionette skeleton dancing is a wonderful video from a few years ago. This man has talent!

I can see some Stenholm in there, but i am pretty sure it is Parker,
though the 2 belly dancers look nothing like typical Parker girls.
The people on the PF plastics are definitely Parker.

There's some debate on several backglasses, most notably Gottlieb "North Star". Parker is credited with the work, but it has many elements that make it look like a Stenholm work. "Kings & Queens" is another one, but that is most certainly
Parker's work. Look at Williams "Eager Beaver" backglass. It's done by Stenholm, but it has a definite "Parkeresque" quality.
My theory is that perhaps Stenholm was somewhat of an understudy to Parker. Not much is known about Art Stenholm, but I've heard that he also did illustrations for some major gasoline companies such as you'd see on road maps, and in magazine ads.

That is a game i bought just for the BG.
Actually had to buy it twice, as the first one i got,
had the backglass shattered in transport from back east.
Fortunately another one cropped up for good price
and this time it made it complete & unharmed.

broken+Eager+Beaver+Backglass.jpg

puzzle+pieces+of+eager+beaver.jpg

At least it makes a good jigsaw puzzle.

Sample Slick Chick with different cabinet colors!
ebay.com link: 1963 Gottlieb Slick Chick SAMPLE Pinball Machine

Probably different colors due to it being a sample game (serial number is 01055 S).

A friend has a sample Slick Chick with the same colors.

Okay I scratch everything I said about the pitch being 3.5%. 4.0 pitch is where it is at. After playing at 3.5% for the past week I was wondering why my scores were reaching 60-70k and the ball seemed floaty around the flipper bats (especially on multiball) I put it back to 4.0 and played about 5 games just now. Wow what a difference! The game is back to kicking my ass and me scoring 20-30k

Wish I had more pinball money for this...

ebay.com link: 1965 GOTTLIEB TWO PLAYER HI DOLLY PINBALL MACHINE

I had one of these once. Not much of a player really. Sold it off at one of the Allentown shows.

ebay.com link: 1964 WILLIAMS PALOOKA PINBALL MACHINE ADD A BALL AAB BOXING THEME

Don't know what kind of repro backglass it has, but I don't think it's ever been rescreened by Shay or Ron Webb.
Nice otherwise though.

ebay.com link: Gottlieb Sure Shot Pinball Machine 1976 Pool Table Theme

Very nice low played game.

Or one from a "known" source:

ebay.com link: itm

https://pinside.com/pinball/market/ad/20812

Yeah, but I can drive to Massachusetts!

Can't tell from the pic, but looks like it might be a printed scan.

Webb did do a repro BG for Palooka about 5-6 yrs ago, as i got one for my game.

That's right, I forgot. He did do that glass. I needed one and I asked him if he had any leftover ones. I would have even taken a blem. But that glass doesn't look like a silk screened glass. I think stashy is right, it looks like paper.

The boxer in the Palooka backglass has black hair and Joe Palooka had blonde hair.

This is good to know.

ebay.com link: Bally Old Chicago

I have heard this one is boring to play but I really love the theme,

ebay.com link: 1971 Bally Vampire EM Pinball Machine RARE only 799 produced

ebay.com link: Vintage 1967 Williams Magic Town Pinball Machine Estate Fresh to Market

This one looks cool!

ebay.com link: 1958 Williams Turf Champ pinball machine

ebay.com link: pinball Williams Grand Prix EM

ebay.com link: 1975 Williams BIG BEN Pinball Arcade Machine All Original Good 750

Odin's Surfer from last month?

ebay.com link: 1976 Gottlieb Surfer Pinball Machine Ready to Play Surf Champ 2 player version

ebay.com link: Gottlieb pinball machine

Not a bad machine if you know how to repaint to the right specs.

ebay.com link: Vintage North Star Pinball Machine Gottlieb CO

Definitely a cool weird theme and interesting artwork,
but like you state, not very fun to play, the few times that i have played it.
Though did not stop me from buying one.
Now part of the PPM collection.

I wish there was a "Frankenstein" EM pinball machine named after the 1931 horror classic. I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Close but no cigar
as a pitch&bat.
http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=1648&picno=33742&zoom=1

mystery score.jpg

Maybe Odin wants this one.

ebay.com link: 1975 Bally Old Chicago Pinball Machine

More mustache men.

ebay.com link: 1974 Bally Bon Voyage Pinball Machine

Cool theme but it looks like the artist was on acid!

I will admit it! All this current talk about Bally Old Chicago in the multiplayer forum has me curious. I haven't played on since 1998 and I don't remember if I liked it or not because I only put a few games on it.

Cool. I just picked up a decent project old Chicago for $130, less back glass..... rumor has CPR coming out with a glass for this shortly, as Stu needs one for his game....

After buying games for 1500+ It is time for some games for 1000 and under.

Old Chicago is currently on my buy list.

(insert Jaws title theme)

Nick they pop up like worts on a troll. We should both have one before the year is up.