Review:
This graphic novel follows the history of pinball, from Bagatelle to early pinball that had no flippers (1920s and 1930s) and beyond. There was a "think of the children" reaction in the 1940s, and another legal challenge in 1976 (people didn't like pinball's possible links to gambling and delinquency). Eventually, people chilled out, and the rest of the book is about pinball technological innovations, storytelling and design innovations, coexistence with arcade video games, and the near death of pinball in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
I did not realize there was so much to the history of pinball. Honestly, a bit more than I was ready for.
Anyway, the one thing I noticed was never mentioned: pinball video games. I imagine the author doesn't view those as real pinball because there's no true physicality to it.
The author's love for pinball shines through. There's so much here, including a glossary, pinball machine anatomy, tips, sources, and a website designed to help you find the nearest place to play pinball (pinballmap.com). This ends in a way that makes pinball's future sound assured - that said, reading this left me with the realization that it's been literal decades since I've seen a pinball machine in person.
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