Click pictures to enlarge.

Most of these pictures are of the Wonderland Arcade in Kansas City in December of 1943.  The US was deeply involved in World War II by this time, which is why you see so many soldiers in the pics, either on-leave or about to be deployed.

Most of the games were not new, since pinball manufacturing resources were put to work for the war effort.

To read the original LIFE article, click here.

NSFW

This clip comes from a Hong Kong film so you already know it’s going to be weird.  Semi-NSFW.

I was playing some TRON after work today.  A woman was on Apollo 13.  I noticed there were three PPM post cards on the glass right above the lock down bar on her game.  I figured maybe the staff had put them there for people to take, but they were very noticeably blocking the flippers from view.

Being a freakin’ Dudley-do-right, I mentioned to her that it was fine to move them out of the way, thinking maybe she didn’t know. “You know if those are in your way…”

Then it got weird.

Without looking up she said, “You’re TALKING to me while I’m playing?” in a wildly angry and incredulous tone of voice. My hair stood on end and my pulse flew.

It was the sort of voice where if it had come from Idi Amin, or some other third-world crackpot merciless despot, a military officer in khaki uniform with sweat-glistened brow and lifeless stare would have immediately and quietly moved right behind me with a pistol leveled at the back of my head.  I’d hear a hammer being cocked and then BLAM my brains on the adjacent game.  Meanwhile she’d chuckle and collect a Super Jackpot.

“I wasn’t trying to distract you…” I attempted.

“DON’T TALK TO ME!  GO AWAY! NOW!”

“Okay, okay, fine.”

“YOU MADE ME LOSE MY BALL. YOU WERE THE CAUSE!”

I reached into my pocket.  “Look, let me get your next game.”

“GO AWAY.”

“Fine, fine!”  I started walking back to TRON, but decided to put another game’s distance between us, and went to Transformers instead.

As I was moving away she dismissed me with this: “Go play some game… with some of your other lost souls…”

This week’s league night was held at Walter’s house.  Walter has an all-star line-up of games:

• Big Bang Bar
• Attack from Mars
• Monster Bash
• Medieval Madness
• Indiana Jones
• Tales of the Arabian Nights
• Tron Limited Edition
• Terminator 3
• Spider Man
• Centaur
• Who Dunnit

Above: Walter collects pinball gun handles and above is his pinball gun coat rack!

A highlight of the evening was when reigning PAPA World Champion Andrei Massenkoff got Rule the Universe on Attack from Mars during his league game.  Keep in mind in league games you’re not allowed to play extra balls either!  He ended his game with about 35 Billion points.  And that was after his 170M+ game on Tron LE.  And that was after David Joud’s 170M+ game on Medieval Madness.  Lucky me was playing in this group.  It’s like I was in the Kentucky Derby riding Mister Ed.

Zoe Vrabel picked up a few new trophies and some cash down in sunny Las Vegas at the Pin Pin Tourney.

She’s a veteran of the competitive Portland scene and moved down to the Bay Area to pursue her education, but she’s quickly made an impact, both in the standings and running events.  Way to go!!

What?  You’re not following Zoe on Twitter?  Click here and subscribe!

Just posted to the Tilt Warning blog, here’s Game 3 of Andrei’s quarter-finals group.  Andrei had 3 points going into this game and really needed a win to have a good chance of advancing.  The game is set up so tough that each player really only gets good flipper time on one ball apiece.

Hat-tip: Crazy Flipper Fingers

Play AC/DC at Vitus in Oakland.

Pinball Wizard is one of the most-covered, karaoke’d-to-hell songs in rock history.  Some are good, some are great, some are awful.  Some are just a bit disturbing.

On one of those unwatchable prime time talent competition shows, the Dartmouth Aires really sang the shit out of it with odd, almost angry punctuation.  Their soaring finale set neighborhood dogs to barking, as if the singers’ collective balls were being slowly squeezed in a pair of pliers.  And check out the lead singer after it ends.  He has this look on his face like, “Yeah, motherfucker.”

Want more?

Jaw-dropping Pinball Wizard Covers part 1

Leave while you still can

July 16th – 20th

“Kids will become a true pinball wizard as they learn about the art, science, history and inner workings of pinball then dive deep into the visual side of this art form…”

For more information, click here, or contact Melissa Harmon at the Pacific Pinball Museum (510.205.6959 – info@pacificpinball.org)