New Officially Licensed Bally Williams Parts & Accessories Coming Soon; Zen Reveals XXXX for Pinball FX; Original Big Trouble in Little China Art For Sale & More
By knapparcade
First up today we have something that turned up in my regular pinball Trademark search. Melvin Williams, founder of Dutch Pinball Exclusive and a new partnership with Lior's Art of Pinball, has filed a joint Trademark application along with Planetary Pinball, the rightsholder for Bally Williams, for a new line of "pinball machine parts and accessories" called "Pinball Legends." I have no additional information on this right now, but expect to see some cool parts coming for these classic games later this year.
Speaking of Bally Williams, minutes ago, Zen Pinball revealed a new officially licensed table for its Pinball FX virtual pinball platform - the 1986 Williams Barry Oursler and Python Anghelo-designed Pin-Bot. Pin-Bot is the first of three new Bally Williams tables that Zen is rolling out "this Summer." Thank goodness. I've been hoping that we'd get some new digital remakes that I can chill on my couch and play on my Steam Deck. No word on pricing or the exact date of availability yet, but I will update everyone when I find out.
One of the rarest new pinball machines in the World is going to be available to play on location very soon. Dutch Pinball Exclusive's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland will be at 1up Arcade Bar's Westminster location in Colorado, courtesy of the distributor CoinTaker. Super Cool. I may actually be in Colorado in August. If I am, I definitely need to stop by and play. https://the1uparcadebar.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorc7v5UWow5TEihiN0NfPBwch3ARIKpqYXK9k_PNiQ3DCia7kJy
Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a picture of an interesting Easter Egg that showed up in the high scores table of his Jersey Jack Pinball Toy Story 4 pinball machine. The default high score initials for the "Rescue Forky Champ" in the game show up as "MJ Fox." Is this Back to the Future reference some sort of Easter Egg? Probably not, but you never know. It is a widely-accepted rumor at this point that Stern Pinball passed on the Back to the Future pinball license and that it was picked up by Dutch Pinball. There was some talk that Stern and Dutch might try to work together on a game, but that's not happening. Is JJP getting involved? Probably not, but it's interesting to speculate about :) . UPDATE: A man names Michael Fox is a Business Development Specialist at Jersey Jack Pinball. No word yet on if he has engaged in Time Travel.
The action figure maker Super 7 just teased a special line of Godzilla figures based on the art package for Stern Pinball's black & white 70th Anniversary pinball machine. Zombie Yeti, Stern's head artist, recently shared pictures of them on his Facebook page. They may be available at the Stern Pinball booth at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con.
The rumor that Stern Pinball has the license to make a pinball machine based on Super Mario Brothers has been floating around out there in the background for a while now. I personally have never heard it directly from anyone who I know would know, if you know what I mean, so I've always been a little skeptical of it. We'll see. I recently came across an advertisement for Gottlieb's Super Mario Bros. pin in when I was reading the July 1992 issue of Play Meter Magazine to do research for my Alvin G article the other day. I clipped it to share with everyone. I love old arcade and pinball ads.
Last up, I have something that's not directly pinball or arcade-related, but I thought that it was interesting nonetheless. Remember how I talked about the rumor that Barrels of Fun had and lost the license to build a pinball machine based on the 1986 John Carpenter film Big Trouble in Little China? Well, the actual art that was created for the movie poster for it is being auctioned off literally as I write this. The online portion of the auction just ended with a final bid of $66,666, which amounts to a whopping $83,333 with the auction's Buyer's Premium. I believe that in-person bidding for the item has now begun. "Big Trouble in Little China (TCF, 1986), One Sheet Poster Final Key Artwork By Drew Struzan. Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 cult classic directed by John Carpenter, blending martial arts, fantasy, and comedy in a unique East-meets-West adventure. The film follows truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) as he battles supernatural forces in San Francisco's Chinatown. Known for its eccentric characters and imaginative action sequences, the movie has developed a devoted fan base over the years and remains an iconic piece of 1980s cinema. The film's poster is one of Drew Struzan's most recognizable works and marked his second collaboration with Carpenter after 1982's The Thing. As Russell never strikes the exact pose depicted on the poster, the body is actually Struzan himself, wearing a muscle shirt that he drew the graphic onto himself (a friend of his stood in for Kim Cattrall). In The Art of Drew Struzan, the artists states: "Some people love the poster because they love the movie. Others love it because they love the art. I love it because it was good to me." Final key art for Struzan posters is exceedingly rare on the private market, particularly for a title as beloved as Big Trouble in Little China. There is little doubt that Struzan ranks amongst the most important movie poster artists of the modern era, and this spectacular painting is evidence of his mastery of the medium. Measures 30" x 40" (unlike many artists, Struzan's works were generally created full-size), matted to 23.5" x 35.5". Signed and dated at lower right. A few tiny, trivial blemishes but overall in excellent condition. Poster image is for reference only and is not included with lot. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions. https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/original-art/big-trouble-in-little-china-tcf-1986-one-sheet-poster-final-key-artwork-by-drew-struzan/a/7392-89583.s#
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