# Joe Kaminkow Elected to Coin-Op Hall of Fame; Hint About a "Future" Stern Pinball Title? **Source:** Knapp Arcade **Type:** article **Published:** 2023-04-19 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/joe-kaminkow-elected-to-coin-op-hall-of-fame-hint-about-a-future-stern-pinball-title --- ## Analysis Joe Kaminkow was elected to the inaugural Coin-Op Hall of Fame. A mural in Kaminkow's garage by artist Christopher Franchi features three movies: two (Batman 66 and James Bond) have already become pinball machines, and the third is speculated to be Back to the Future, potentially a 2025 Stern Pinball title to coincide with the film's 40th anniversary. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Joe Kaminkow was elected to the first-ever class of the Coin-Op Hall of Fame — _Direct statement in article; sourced from Replay Magazine article_ - [HIGH] A mural by Christopher Franchi in Joe Kaminkow's garage features three main movie themes — _Picture referenced in article; author describes mural contents_ - [HIGH] Two themes from the mural (Batman 66 and James Bond) have been turned into pinball machines — _Direct statement; both games are confirmed released titles_ - [MEDIUM] The third movie theme on the mural is speculated to be Back to the Future — _Author states 'Most recently, there has been talk' and 'Much speculation has surrounded a third movie'; not officially confirmed_ - [MEDIUM] Stern Pinball (or Stern with Kapow) may be working on a Back to the Future pinball for 2025, marking the film's 40th anniversary — _Author presents this as speculation: 'If Stern manufactures Back to the Future (more likely when than if)'_ ### Notable Quotes > "If Stern manufactures Back to the Future (more likely when than if), it seems logical that Christopher Franchi would do the art for the game." > — **Knapp Arcade author** > _Shows author confidence in the likelihood of BTTF pinball happening, while positioning Franchi as the probable artist based on his existing connection to the project_ > "Most recently, there has been talk that either Stern Pinball or Stern in conjunction with Joe Kaminkow's brand Kapow is working on bringing a Back to the Future pinball machine to the market for the year 2025, which happens to be the 40th anniversary of the 1985 movie." > — **Knapp Arcade author** > _Summarizes the rumor and connects it to a specific timeline (2025 anniversary), indicating why this particular year makes strategic sense for the release_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Joe Kaminkow | person | Long-time industry veteran; founder of Kapow brand; elected to first Coin-Op Hall of Fame class; known for licensing major IP properties for pinball games | | Christopher Franchi | person | Renowned pinball artist; created mural in Joe Kaminkow's garage; artist on Batman 66 and James Bond pinball machines | | Stern Pinball | company | Potential manufacturer of rumored Back to the Future pinball; manufacturer of Batman 66 and James Bond pinball machines | | Kapow | company | Brand owned by Joe Kaminkow; possibly working in conjunction with Stern on future pinball titles | | Batman 66 | game | Pinball machine produced by Kapow and Stern Pinball; featured on Christopher Franchi's mural; one of two confirmed machine adaptations from the mural | | James Bond | game | Recently released pinball machine; featured on Christopher Franchi's mural; one of two confirmed machine adaptations from the mural | | Back to the Future | game | Third movie theme speculated to be on Franchi's mural; subject of ongoing rumor about potential 2025 Stern Pinball release to coincide with film's 40th anniversary | | Coin-Op Hall of Fame | organization | Industry honor; inaugural class; Joe Kaminkow was elected in first class | ### Topics - **Primary:** Back to the Future pinball speculation, Joe Kaminkow Hall of Fame election, Stern Pinball future releases - **Secondary:** Christopher Franchi's role in pinball design/art, IP licensing for pinball machines ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.78) — Article is celebratory of Kaminkow's achievement and enthusiastic about the speculative BTTF connection. Tone is optimistic ('more likely when than if') without being overly negative about any party involved. ### Signals - **[leak_detection]** Mural in Joe Kaminkow's garage may contain hint about unannounced Stern pinball title (confidence: medium) — Author notes mural features three main themes; two already adapted to pinball; third speculated to be BTTF based on pattern recognition and existing community rumor - **[community_signal]** Christopher Franchi's continued involvement in high-profile IP adaptations (Batman 66, James Bond) positions him as key artist for future major licenses (confidence: high) — Franchi created mural and was artist on two confirmed pinball adaptations; author suggests he would logically be artist for BTTF if it materializes - **[rumor_hype]** Back to the Future pinball rumored as potential 2025 Stern title to mark 40th anniversary of 1985 film (confidence: medium) — Author references existing speculation and connects mural artwork pattern (two confirmed adaptations) to suggest third is BTTF; timing to 2025 anniversary adds credibility - **[licensing_signal]** Back to the Future IP potentially being licensed by Stern/Kapow for 2025 pinball release (confidence: medium) — Speculation based on mural pattern and timing to 40th anniversary; no official confirmation --- ## Transcript Here's a little more smoke for the potential Back to the Future pinball machine rumor fire... From time to time I share random pictures of pinball and arcade machines that I've found in real estate ads or articles about mansions here on the Knapp Arcade website. Well, this isn't an article about a mansion, but it sure does contain a picture of one heck of an amazing garage...that may hold a hint about a "future" Stern Pinball title. First and foremost, congratulations to the long-time industry veteran Joe Kaminkow for his election to the first ever class of the Coin-Op Hall of Fame. Joe's connections have enabled him to license some of the greatest properties in the world for games over the years, such as Batman 66 pinball machine that was produced by Kapow and Stern Pinball several years ago. In the picture of Joe's absolutely amazing garage, you'll notice a mural by the renowned pinball artist Christopher Franchi on the wall. Two of the main themes in the mural have already been turned into pinball machines, the aforementioned Batman 66 and more recently James Bond. Much speculation has surrounded a third movie that is shown on the wall over the past several years. Most recently, there has been talk that either Stern Pinball or Stern in conjunction with Joe Kaminkow's brand Kapow is working on bringing a Back to the Future pinball machine to the market for the year 2025, which happens to be the 40th anniversary of the 1985 movie. If Stern manufacturers Back to the Future (more likely when than if), it seems logical that Christopher Franchi would do the art for the game. Joe Kaminkow in First Coin-Op Hall of Fame Class https://www.replaymag.com/joe-kaminkow-in-first-coin-op-hall-of-fame-class/ _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 0a0597c4-13dc-4618-96b6-89e7a580bedf*