The complete illustrated history of pinball and why it still matters.
In this dynamic nonfiction graphic novel, Jon Chad explores the little known history of pinball, explaining how the game works and why it continues to matter in an age dominated by digital entertainment. Blending illustration with storytelling, the book examines pinball as both a mechanical art form and a cultural phenomenon.
The story opens in 1976, when champion player Roger Sharpe appeared in a Manhattan courtroom as New York City considered lifting its decades long ban on pinball. Outlawed since 1942 due to its perceived ties to gambling and organized crime, pinball’s future rested on Sharpe’s ability to prove it was a game of skill rather than chance. By calling his shot and successfully launching the ball into the center lane, Sharpe helped change the fate of the entire industry.
From that pivotal moment, Chad traces pinball’s origins back to the court of King Louis XIV, through the immigrant communities of early twentieth century America, the postwar boom and collapse, and into the modern era. Along the way, the book captures not only the history of pinball, but also its artistry, cultural impact, and the physics that make the game endlessly challenging and compelling.