# Pinball Junk Drawer Episode 91 - Gotta Collect Em All, Pokemon Media Day Review

**Source:** Poor Man's Pinball Podcast  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2026-02-18  
**Duration:** 37m 40s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://poormanspinballpodcast.libsyn.com/pinball-junk-drawer-episode-91-gotta-collect-em-all-pokemon-media-day-review

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## Analysis

Foghorn Leghorn and Craft Brew Sally recount their visit to Stern Pinball's Pokemon Pinball media day event. They discuss the game's design philosophy emphasizing accessibility for new/younger players, Pokemon IP's strict licensing requirements, and their positive hands-on experience. They also report location performance data from Lumberjack Johnny's arcade.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pokemon franchise is worth $288 billion, more than Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, and Mario combined — _Stern presented this figure during the Pokemon Pinball media day presentation_
- [HIGH] Pokemon Pinball LE 750 sold out immediately, within seconds of release — _Foghorn Leghorn stated this directly during the podcast_
- [HIGH] First code release will include 182 collectible Pokemon, with many more to follow — _Stern presentation at media day; confirmed by both hosts_
- [HIGH] Pokemon IP holder required approval of even pixel-level details in artwork; no artistic license allowed — _Stern team explained licensing constraints during media day presentation_
- [MEDIUM] Lumberjack Johnny's location operator (Lumberjack Dave) predicted Pokemon would be top performer for 3-4 weeks — _Foghorn Leghorn recounted conversation with Dave from Lumberjack at media day_
- [MEDIUM] Atomic Nikki predicted Pokemon Pinball will be a top earner for approximately 20 years — _Foghorn Leghorn paraphrased Nikki's prediction; phrasing suggests interpretation_
- [MEDIUM] Pikachu statue interacts with ball play on Premium and LE models, but not Pro — _Hosts discussing machine features observed during hands-on time; not explicitly confirmed by Stern_
- [HIGH] Pokemon Pinball design is geared toward new/younger players, not competitive tournament players — _Foghorn Leghorn explicitly stated this design philosophy during analysis_

### Notable Quotes

> "They showed us a slide of like pokemon yeah 288 billion dollars... it is more than star wars marvel harry potter and mario combined"
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~13:30
> _Establishes Pokemon's dominance as an IP and justifies Stern's major commitment to the license_

> "The artwork was is is just from the pokemon company there they had no artistic license right they were not allowed to change anything"
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~17:00
> _Explains the strict IP control that many community members misinterpreted as 'phoned in' artwork_

> "They had to build in traps and they have to build in like stay aways to make sure that nothing peeks through the graphics underneath... they were even saying most of the stuff you're going to see says placeholder waiting for a licensor because they had to get final approval for everything"
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~19:30
> _Clarifies technical constraints of rigid IP licensing for community members unfamiliar with this process_

> "The LE 750 LE has sold out immediately, seconds into the run. This is going to be a month. This game is going to be insane."
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~32:00
> _Early indicator of market demand; sets expectations for Pokemon's commercial success_

> "If you put that in a lineup, Elton John, Star Wars, Deadpool, who cares, Metallica, it gets forgotten, and this is where theme matters... Pokemon, if it starts bringing in the younger groups, is going to destroy these things."
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~42:00
> _Analysis of how Pokemon's accessibility to younger demographics creates a market advantage_

> "When you walk away, you're like, I got to play more of this. I want to play more. Right. And I have no idea the Pokemon world at all... But then I saw, I mean, when you're watching the animations, you're like, oh, I get it."
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~48:00
> _Non-expert's positive reaction demonstrates design accessibility beyond core pinball/Pokemon fans_

> "It's not a reimagining done with a dark overtone and purples and blacks. It's supposed to be a fun, vibrant thing. This is the 30th anniversary of it."
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~53:00
> _Explains thematic authenticity and why the art direction was correct despite initial criticism_

> "I'm going to go down in history as saying this is the greatest game that will ever be in the history of the world. And that's, when aliens invade, that's what they're going to do. They're going to steal all of our Pokemon games and fly away laughing maniacally"
> — **Foghorn Leghorn**, ~65:00
> _Humorous but genuine endorsement of Pokemon Pinball's potential cultural impact_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Pokemon Pinball | game | Stern's newest pinball machine, officially announced and hands-on playable at media day; LE 750 sold out immediately |
| Stern Pinball | company | Manufacturer hosting media day event for Pokemon Pinball; discussed in context of factory tours, production, and IP licensing |
| Foghorn Leghorn | person | Host of Poor Man's Pinball Podcast / Pinball Junk Drawer; attended Pokemon media day |
| Craft Brew Sally | person | Co-host of Poor Man's Pinball Podcast / Pinball Junk Drawer; attended Pokemon media day with Foghorn |
| Kyle Spiteri | person | Stern Pinball tour director; described as 'super tall' and 'bar none' best tour guide by hosts |
| Jack Danger | person | Stern Pinball staff; met by hosts during media day; has drawn maps related to Stern games |
| Gary Stern | person | Stern Pinball leadership; hosts bought an infinity sign from Stern lobby and plan to have it signed |
| Zach Sharp | person | Stern Pinball staff; hosts enjoy seeing him at media day events |
| Joe Marchfield | person | Stern Pinball handler/coordinator; manages media day logistics and scheduling |
| Michael Grant | person | Senior manager of Stern Army; met hosts at Pokemon media day |
| Lumberjack Johnny's | organization | Arcade operator location in Appleton; provided performance data on pinball machines; planning booth at MGC with giveaway |
| Lumberjack Dave | person | Operator of Lumberjack Johnny's; predicted Pokemon would be top performer for 3-4 weeks |
| Atomic Nikki | person | Pinball community figure present at Pokemon media day; predicted longer-term success for Pokemon Pinball |
| Pokemon Company | company | IP holder with strict licensing control over Pokemon Pinball artwork and design elements |
| Pinball News | organization | Independent pinball media outlet; photographer/contributor attended Pokemon media day |
| King Kong Pro | game | #1 performer at Lumberjack Johnny's Appleton location this week |
| Harry Potter Pinball | game | #1 performer at Green Bay location; mentioned as benchmark title |
| Dune Pinball | game | Lowest performer at Green Bay location; hosts speculate about theme impact on popularity |
| Star Wars Pinball | game | #2 performer at Green Bay location; used for comparison to Pokemon's potential market reach |
| Elton John Pinball | game | Referenced as high-quality game that gets overlooked due to theme in mixed location lineups |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Pokemon Pinball design philosophy and accessibility, Strict IP licensing constraints from Pokemon Company, Market potential and revenue projections for Pokemon Pinball, Stern Pinball media day event details and experience
- **Secondary:** Collectible Pokemon feature and Insider Connect integration, Location performance data and competitive positioning, Community reception and criticism of Pokemon Pinball artwork, Theme appeal and target demographic strategy

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Hosts are enthusiastic about Pokemon Pinball's design, market potential, and accessibility. They defend the game against online criticism and express confidence in its success. Minor frustrations with community negativity and traffic on drive home, but overall tone is celebratory and optimistic.

### Signals

- **[event_signal]** Stern continues hosting media day events with limited notice to control narrative before community speculation dominates; invites both industry press and specialty influencers (confidence: medium) — Hosts noted Stern 'have to tell us kind of short notice' and invites mix of pinball influencers, Pokemon specialists, and media (Pinball News photographer present)
- **[sentiment_shift]** Online criticism of Pokemon artwork perceived as 'phoned in' is unfounded; reflects strict IP licensing constraints rather than designer negligence (confidence: high) — Foghorn stated he was 'reading these things online' and saw complaints about 'copy-paste, boring layout' and defended it as necessary compliance with IP holder requirements
- **[competitive_signal]** Pokemon Pinball's appeal to younger demographics expected to outperform existing games in location lineups due to theme recognition and accessibility (confidence: high) — Foghorn analyzed how Pokemon would 'destroy these things' compared to Elton John/Star Wars/Metallica in mixed lineups when targeting younger players; consensus that theme matters in casual settings
- **[licensing_signal]** Pokemon Company maintains extremely tight control over artwork approval, including pixel-level scrutiny; all design elements require licensor approval (confidence: high) — Stern team explained they were 'looking under looking at it under microscopes' and had to build in 'traps' and 'stay aways' for final approval; many elements still showed 'placeholder waiting for a licensor'
- **[manufacturing_signal]** Stern factory tour reveals testing infrastructure capable of running boards across multiple platforms (SAM, Spike); maintains archive of historical Williams boards (confidence: high) — Kyle showed hosts testing room with 'decks where you can hang' any board from SAM to Spike era; 'drawers of like all the Williams boards they had' indicating preservation practices
- **[market_signal]** Location operator predictions for Pokemon performance vary: Lumberjack Dave predicts 3-4 weeks as top earner; Atomic Nikki suggests much longer tenure (~20 years) (confidence: medium) — Foghorn recounted conversations with both operators at media day; phrasing suggests these are estimates/opinions rather than confirmed data
- **[market_signal]** Pokemon Pinball positioned as high-volume, mass-market game designed for younger/casual demographic rather than competitive players (confidence: high) — Foghorn explicitly discussed design philosophy targeting new players and younger generation; hosts noted theme appeal to demographic with 'still cartilage in their knees' vs older audiences
- **[market_signal]** Pokemon Pinball available in three-tier model (Pro/Premium/LE) with feature differentiation including Pikachu statue interaction and magnet on higher models (confidence: medium) — Hosts observed Pikachu interaction on Premium/LE but not Pro; mentioned magnet under center shot on LE/Premium models
- **[announcement]** Pokemon Pinball LE 750 units sold out immediately upon release; confirmation of official launch (confidence: high) — Foghorn stated 'The LE 750 LE has sold out immediately, seconds into the run'
- **[product_strategy]** Pokemon Pinball first code release includes 182 collectible Pokemon with 'many more' planned post-launch (confidence: high) — Stern presentation stated 'you're going to be able to collect 182 Pokemon' and 'then they said many more'

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## Transcript

 Now who's responsible for this unwarranted attack on my person? I say, I say, I say, pay attention now, boy. This is, of course, Foghorn Leghorn presents the Pinball Junk Drawer. You all asked for it. I say, you all asked for it now. You're gonna get it. Boy, oh boy, are you gonna get it. Go, I say, go away, boy, you bother me. And we are back. The only pinball podcast that's full of ideas with no follow through. This is the Pinball Junk Drawer. My name is Foghorn Leghorn. With me as always. Craft Brew Sally. And we are back from a whirlwind tour of Stern and Parts Unknown. But mostly just the road to and from Stern. Sometimes those are parts unknown. Parts of my car are unknown to other cars. this one was a fun trip but a very quick turn yes CERN invited us to the Media Day event which was always very appreciated we're always very humbled and thankful for that kind of a thing they have to tell us kind of short notice I don't think they want this kind of stuff floating around for too long because otherwise it just gets full of nonsense so we got it on a Friday and went in Monday and said, okay, can I have off these days? And it was like a week and a half later, basically. And we both work for fairly decent places that allow that kind of a thing. So we had the day off. We just took the Wednesday that was media day for, of course, Stern's newest, Pokemon Pinball. Went to work Tuesday, got out of work, drove straight down to Chicago. We're like all packed. Yeah. Everything's packed. Go bag. Cats are angry at us. the whole deal. So then we spent like 15 minutes saying goodbye to the cats before we left. Yeah. Oh, poor kittens. We're kittens. See ya, mom. And it got in the car. That's a sign you're a good son. You're a really, you're a good son or relative when you care more about the cats than the person that are watching the cats as you leave. Sorry. Anyway, as I was telling you, I was like, I like how I made more of a big deal about saying goodbye to my cat, Destructo, than I did about saying goodbye to my mom. That's just a bad son, really. But anyway, we got down there and we stayed at the same place. We always stay at the Wyndham. Wyndham? Wyndham? I think it's the Wyndham. Yeah. It's a nice place. Not super expensive, but not cheap. Not super high end, but not gross. Fun fact, I didn't know that there was a golf course right around there. Yes. So the President's Cup is going to be there. Yes. So I've already booked the same hotel for September for the President's Cup. I like how we spend our time as our youth making fun of our parents for doing the same things over and over again. Look in the mirror, everyone. Yeah. You're always like, they go to the same stupid Ascetic. Not Ascetic. Where'd you guys go? We always went to Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach. Same place, same hotel, same everything. Yeah. Now you feel their pain, don't you? Yeah. You stay in one crack-addled cockroach place. You're like, I'm going to find one place I trust and stay there. Exactly. Anyway, so we got up early. On the way out, I was going down to get that little dumb cart that you can't really control very well. If you hold it one way, it works great. If you hold it the other way, you're wrong. And I always, like 70% of the time, I'm the wrong way. But I don't remember the right way. Right. Anyway, and we ran into a guy that takes pictures and does stuff for Pinball News. Yes. I listen to Pinball News because that's one of those shows that you can just kind of gets down to it if you want to know what happened the month before without too much wackadoo commentary or posturing or whatever else, that's a good source so I said oh yeah listen you guys and he said something and I was like we're going to the same place and he's like well I have to make a stop in between he's going for breakfast and I said yeah we are too and he suggested a greek place yeah right around the corner rose rose garden maybe maybe rose something yeah it was it was really good serviceable food you know great we're looking at all these places and i'm like well burger king's right there it's like you don't go like let's go to an exotic land and we're gonna burger king that's no yeah no so anyway uh so that was good we had breakfast and we got there and um well this was our third our third one of these yeah we went to metallica not metallica yeah sure we were at no king kong star wars star wars and okay yeah i think i played a good game on metallica when i was there so now my brain swapped out whatever that event was every time for the event where i got in the top five percent of metallica on that machine in that awesome room of theirs so anyway so you know i don't know a lot about pokemon um i didn't know a lot about pokemon and i think the last show we did i had made mention to like that's the biggest ip and i said that maybe that's right or maybe it isn't right well that's completely right so right the first slide oh go ahead it was they showed us a slide of like pokemon yeah 288 billion dollars yeah that's like i don't know how if that's worth or net worth or what i don't know how they calculated that but it is more than star wars marvel harry potter and mario combined yeah can you imagine you believe that like i can't i still can't i know my head kind of exploded a little bit but i wanted to keep it together because you're at stern you don't want to you know kind of act like you've been there well we have been there anyway so it was a neat presentation um it it explained a lot they talked a lot about like how tight this this uh ip holder is which a lot of the very big ones are you know disney doesn't let you just do something right they're going to make sure they have to protect their interests and that's how you get to be a gigantic conglomerate or whatever you know that's how you make 288 billion dollars right because the artwork was is is just from the pokemon company there they had no artistic license right they were not allowed to change anything right so i like right away i saw a lot of people complaining that just phoned in artwork i was like nope no it isn't that is pokemon that's what they said you're gonna do and they said yes sir uh to the point where they said they were like looking under looking at it under microscopes and like kind of saying you know this is this pixel line is like a couple points too big i am in the graphics world and i have dealt often with this type of this type of of a licensor or ip holder it's normal uh the graphic artists get it they just go okie doke and because they'll i i'm sure they have to build in traps and they have to build in like stay aways to make sure that nothing peeks through the graphics underneath stuff moves when it gets printed. So you have to build in that and that's what they were addressing. That was interesting to hear because they were even saying most of the stuff you're going to see says placeholder waiting for a licensor because they had to get final approval for everything, which is also understandable. They want to get the hype train rolling. They want to get people hands on. They also want to get rid of some of this the nonsense, not fake, but just made up nonsense that swirls every release that people like will proclaim something that has no base in fact whatsoever you know so that was one of the things where i i kind of felt like when they bring in the distributors that's their business and when they bring in the media that's like to help get the the real narrative out there to some degree you know i mean like so it was cool um it was interesting to hear that it was nice of course to meet talk to them we always we get to see zach Jack Sharp, which we love to see, and Jack Danger. Kyle. Kyle. Super tall Kyle. Don't know his last name. Just super tall Kyle. He's the best tour director. Yes. Bar none, some might say. Well, I've never had another tour by anyone else, so I'm assuming he's the best. And, of course, Gary. We got to talk to Gary a little bit. Last time I saw him, he had a boot on his foot. And now he said, well, he has a snowboard that he has to have a different boot because of his foot still jacked up. And I was like, I don't know if you should be snowboarding, but who am I to say what you should do? Right. Hands on, I loved it. It was a super fun game. And this is something now, I'm kind of jumping around a little bit. I'm trying not to, but I am. We got a tour, and it was empty because they were doing the retooling for the upcoming, the new lines, Pokemon lines. So that was cool. It was really cool. We got to walk down the line where the employees usually are and look at some of the things up close that you don't normally see when you take the regular tour. Which is cool. Yeah, it was. I always love seeing the tour when they working because they really good at what they do You know you see those like that group that does the wiring and stuff like that And it's just going ka-choo, ka-choo, ka-choo. And they're really good at that, you know. So we got to do the tour. Then we got to play, you know, play some of the games. We didn't get to play Pokemon in the greatest room in the history of the world too much. Their barcade thing that has all of them. that was really tough to get a game on and we got one on but it was like whatever just that that kind of throwaway game and then we got our 25 30 minute time with the game and that's where you really got to play and feel like the like everything about it yeah so they like put you in this little room like it's just you and the machine and see which they had that unplugged This time, I almost turned it on, but I was like, don't. I used to play, every time I've been there, I played that Sea Witch that was in the corner just because I felt bad for Sea Witch, and I gave it some love. You felt bad about it being put in the corner. I felt bad about me not playing it, is what I meant to say. Oh, okay. So I didn't get to play Sea Witch this time, but we did play a Pokemon. now this I think the pinball world has to wrap its head around something that it some have and some have not at this point stern and I'm going to scot on the limb and say most manufacturers are very good at what they do yes whatever you know they are very good at everything not everything they're very good at most things they do and when they hear when I hear criticism about this is just a copy-paste, boring layout. Let me ask you something. Who do you think Pokemon Pinball is geared toward? New people. Do you think it's geared towards, you know, the top 1% that get a billion points on something when they look at it? Or do you think it's to say, hey, younger generation who might not play pinball. Now, when they step up, do they want it to be like the 90s where the game literally kicked you in your nether regions and took your money? Or do you think it would be better to have them have some fun shots and have fun and then walk away going, I should play that again because I want to get this one. I want to advance it. Collect Pokemon. So with the first code release, you're going to be able to collect 182 Pokemon. Yeah. Pokemon. Yep. And then they said many more. Yes. Which is awesome. Even the people that, because we were mixed in with Pokemon influencers as well as pinball influencers. And they were like, wow, I can't even name that many. So Pokemon is doing the right thing. They're giving what is needed for this to be a success. The LE 750 LE has sold out immediately, seconds into the run. This is going to be a month. This game is going to be insane. It is. I honestly think this is going to be one of the best revenue generators we have seen in a very, very long time. Yeah. And that's to the point where I was kind of like, should I try and get a route together? Like, I don't, I'm not prepared and I don't think it's going to happen. But in my brain, I'm like, if you get one or two of these out there, it's going to pay itself off. Maybe not immediately, but not, it's not going to take a whole lot of time, you know. Right. And that was one of the things, because Dave from Lumberjack was there. Or sorry, Lumberjack Dave was also there. And I asked him, I said, how many weeks do you think that this is going to be a top performer? And he said three to four. And then I saw Nikki. Atomic Nikki. Atomic Nikki. And Nikki thinks it's going to be more. Like 20 years. Now, because I was thinking more deeply about that. My statement saying that this is going to be one of the best, I don't want to say ever, but a very, very good earner. Look at what happened with Elton John. Yeah. Now, I love that Elton John pinball machine. It's a great shooter. It's a fun game. It is a fun game. If you put that in a lineup, Elton John, Star Wars, Deadpool, who cares, Metallica, it gets forgotten, and this is where theme matters. Like, if you just have it in the middle of a row, the average person going to drink some beer, throw some axes, and play pinball... Don't forget digging in the sand. Digging in the sand. doesn't have our over-the-top insane obsession with this, and they're going to go, oh, I remember Star Wars, $1 in. Not besmirching Elton John. No. His great music, I love that machine. Theme matters in that kind of a setting, and Pokemon, if it starts bringing in the younger groups, is going to destroy these things. ask anyone under ask anyone who still has cartilage in their knees Star Wars or Pokemon they're going to say Pokemon I love Star Wars, I love Metallica I love these themes but this is trying to skew even slightly younger you know yeah the theme might not be for you but I would suggest play it and if you like achievements you're going to like Pokemon right Because Insider Connect is going to have an area where all of the Pokemon are going to be. It will. And when you show somebody, or when Crafter Sally looks up and I have 27 and she has 22, guess what time it is? Time to go find a machine and catch up. Got to collect them all. I'm going to be at Lumberjack Johnny's for a while. Oh, man. But it's also fun. We were having a lot of fun playing it. I got to say that. It was that game where they say when you walk away, you're like, I got to play more of this. I want to play more. Right. And I have no idea the Pokemon world at all. Like, I don't. No. Nothing. Right. But then I saw, I mean, when you're watching the animations, you're like, oh, I get it. You know, I mean, I'm in the video game world to some degree. So I know of this entity. I just never did anything with it. Yeah. I think my favorite shot, though, is that center shot. Yeah. After you beat that really articulate, that articulating mouse or cat in the balloon kind of thing. Yeah, I can't remember his name. I don't know. The Team Rocket was the bad guy. No. And it's fun because you had to like, the way that thing moved was really cool. Yeah, it was. That's not getting enough love for what it does. We saw that mechanism outside of the machine on those lines. Yeah. I was like, whoa, this thing has a lot going on in it. So if the mechanism is up, there's a center shot. You shoot straight through, and then it comes out the side and comes back down, which I think is really neat. And it also has a bank on each side. And I think that's, again, I'm not sure. I'm almost positive that's how you start battles. That's how you start things. It has a magnet under there on the LE and the Premium. I think so. I don't think they have one on the Pro. Because, you know, they have to strip something out. It's the bomb. Well, in the Premium and the LE, I believe, Pikachu interacts while you're playing. Right. There's a statue and the ball. Pokeball. Pokeball does something. It was a lot of fun. And it fits the theme in that when you look at it, you're like, this is exactly what Pokemon's supposed to look like. It's not a reimagining done with a dark overtone and purples and blacks. It's supposed to be a fun, vibrant thing. This is the 30th anniversary of it. Yeah. It's crazy. That's why you're getting the artwork that you're getting. Yeah. I mean, and I know my, I will say my delivery today has been a bit preachy because I've been reading these things online. I'm like, oh my God, would you stop? Right. And that's, everyone's entitled to their opinion. Everyone's, you know, I get it. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but sometimes I'm like, can everyone lighten up? Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. Yeah. I mean. It had a lot of fun. And if you play it, I think you'll have a lot of fun too. It's crazy. I want to get the high score on this thing. I know. I want to play it so much. I'm like, oh my God. I want all the Pokemon. Yeah. It's going to be a very well-received machine, I believe, by the public. I think once this starts getting out there and once people start getting their hands on it, they're going to be like, wow, this is a little special. This is a special thing. This might really do a good thing for pinball in general. Right. I hope I'm not overstating it. It might not be, you know, we'll see. we'll see what happens no one gave Godzilla much of a shake and then now look at it now you know by all accounts possibly has surpassed Adam family for all the gross sales and stuff I could be wrong about that I don keep up with that kind of stuff very much Yep Anything else about Stern Thank you Stern They got more of our money We bought that damn infinity sign that we've been hemming and hawing about every time we visit. It's like you walk in. So you walk into the lobby, and you get checked in. You get a name badge. And then there's this glass door that you just have to stand there and look through and see all the machines you can't touch for like 30 minutes. Yes. But then once you walk through that door, right in front of you is the infinity sign. Yeah. And you're like, oh, I need to have that. Well, we've said it three times. Fourth time we got it. So there we go. We did spend some time on the Walking Dead remastered. Yes, we did. It's a good game. It is. I don't like that game. I don't like that theme. I don't like that theme in that I just don't care about it. But I played it and I was like, wow, this is really, it shoots great. It's an interesting game. I liked what they did with it. That was a fun shooter. I got to play the Star Wars with the C-3PO on it, which was cool. We bought some long-sleeve new tees and I got a tilty bobblehead, which is still in the box because I cannot believe for the life of me I did not ask Gary Stern to sign it. I didn't ask Jack Danger to sign it. So I'm going to take it back with a marker in hand and say, would you sign my tilty bobblehead? I guarantee Gary will. The other ones might be a bit tougher of a sell, but we'll see what we can get done. I bet you Jack would sign it. I'll just bring in booze. Hey, Jack, would you draw another map to some random thing in Stern? Because it'll go with that framed map we have that he drew to his flippy flipper game. Remember that one? Yes, that was awesome. So we'd have a match set if we did that. so that was a lot of fun I want that I want that so bad so just to the hot dog machine hey hey hey Jack sign the back and we'll have him make a map to the hot dog machine and then he autographs it I'll be like perfect that'd be awesome be the greatest thing ever but it was a great time we did get to see that Kyle took us in that testing room where they had oh yeah yeah where like it was kind of like in the back in the labyrinth yeah yeah you had to go fight a minotaur and we got by that And it was like where they like it had a whole bunch of those decks where you can hang. You can hook up any board from Sam to Spike to, you know, and it would it would like read and tell you what's wrong with it. And they can help help like detect how to fix it. And he showed us drawers of like all the Williams boards they had and stuff like that. They didn't they don't throw anything away, which is awesome. So that was a cool room. And it's Kyle Kyle Spiteri. Yes. that's what it is. Yes. Sorry. I can't remember his first name. I'm not going to remember. I'm not going to speak holy. I'm going to remember the guy from Vast Times at Ridgemont High. That's I'm sorry, Kyle. That was I'm sure he's heard that joke before. He's probably going to hit me across the room because he has the longest arms in the world. I'll be like, what's hitting me? And I'll be like, I'll have binoculars. I'll be like, oh, it's Kyle. He owed me that one anyway. It's okay. If he hits me, I'll be like, yeah, yeah. I owe you. I owe you one. So it was a lot of fun. And the drive home was terrible. But it was like a big pile up right into Chicago. And I was like, that's the Chicago I know. But we got home. We've been pretty lucky, though. I think that's the only time of the three trips that we got stuck in traffic. And it really wasn't like we were just sitting either. No, we were. It was a slow. Yeah, slow grind. And I was like, I might be driving right to work in the morning. You're so deflated. I had this awesome day because pinball, I could just live in that room. And I have to drive home, and I'm driving home to go to sleep to get up to work. My motivation was very low. Yeah, like the last two, we took off the day of and the day after. So that way we could stay until they kicked us out. And then we would go back to the hotel and sleep and then leisurely drive home. Right. It wasn't anything. So this was kind of a quick trip, which is okay. It was a lot of fun. Many thanks for them for starting to do this kind of thing. I think these media days do help in getting some different information out there, some different viewpoints out there, maybe reaching different audiences that they don't normally reach. The one guy was obviously the Pokemon professional. I don't know what you'd like. The market maven or the guy who knows everything about it. That was this guy. he knew to the level like I'm like oh my god I don't even understand what he's talking about like was this Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advanter yeah he was talking about the differences and you're like wow so like he you know I'm sure he had hands on because I even said hey did you like the game he's like yeah I liked it he said something I was like well that's you know now that market now they're hearing about it and they're going to hear it and they're going to see these things and they're going to be like wow that's cool they gotta go try it and maybe they'll have fun and maybe they'll be a new market for pinball which is always great and it's always appreciated that we're invited there you know and it's okay if even if you don't like a game it's all right to not like a game you know i don't i never mean that i don't mean like buying loyalty right but you got to give them credit for some stuff you know yeah some people don't seem to give credit to anybody like you know like they just hate and i'm like that's not why are you here why go to a dark room and just be angry just love every pinball game you play. I do. Yeah. Even the worst one, I walk around and go, that sucks. Eh, it's still pinball. I'm going to go play that again. It's like the worst pizza. You're still eating pizza. So I don't, you know, you're going to get over it. So I'm going to go down in history as saying this is the greatest game that will ever be in the history of the world. And that's, when aliens invade, that's what they're going to do. They're going to steal all of our Pokemon games and fly away laughing maniacally in a spaceship that looks like a hot air balloon as they twist their little alien mustache. There you go. Now we do have some exciting stuff coming up, as Monty Python might say, now for something completely different. We're launching something that's going to be completely out of left field, but I think you just might like it. We're going to give it a shot. We'll release more information on that in upcoming shows. I'm working diligently behind the scenes, and I'm actually working on stuff instead of talking about it, which is always a plus. Do you have any exciting news, any corrections? I think I saw Crafter Sally was feverishly typing into the fact checker over there. You got any corrections, some errors to correct? I looked at my notes from the day we were there, and one thing they said was, Discover, Catch, Train, Battle is a part of the theme. So, yes. And it is based on the animated series. and I looked it up and it is Team Rocket is Meow 2 that's the guy in the middle in the balloon so I was right with the Team Rocket yes you were Meow 2 D2 that's the space one from Star Wars remember that one? it was the little round one that was sassy but had ears on its head it was like Meow 2 D2 ok cool and uh now you also had gotten some names that we missed yes who so we we have to do a shout out for stern army but now do you have the name of the photographer guy no okay the photographer from from uh pinball news he gave us his card uh sorry i'm sorry he's from tennessee we'll get it sooner or later yes or i'll forget sorry but he was a nice guy i did like enjoy talking to him a lot And we met Michael Grant, who is the senior manager of the Stern Army. Oh, yeah. It was interesting meeting him, talking to him. Yeah. You talked to him, I think, more than I did. Yeah. So we would say make sure you are at least checking out the Stern Army information. He gave an email, but I guess just, you know, at this point, just type Stern Army and the contact information will come up. I think the website is sternpinball.com forward slash stern dash army. Or just do Google search. Yes. Do that. That's probably better. H-T-T-P colon backslash backslash stern underscore dot com forward slash army dot meow to D2 forward slash. No. Okay, stop. No. Okay, no. Go ahead. So, yay. Yeah, yay for that. And then we also, the Joe is Joe Marchfield. He's the handler guy. Oh, yeah. He's the guy. Every time he's been the one that's kind of like made sure things keep rolling. Yeah. He the one that kind of tells you when your spot is and comes to get you when it your turn in the magic room all by yourself with the machine totally whiff and go on this stern tour with Kyle instead of your time slot he helps you out and finds another time slot for you which he did Yes. Usually we're like last or second to last. Ronnie James Dio writes songs about where we're at when we're going to do it. Last hit line. And then, but this time he was second and was a rainbow in the dark, but he helped us out. He did. Okay. So what are, what are some, What are some Lumberjack Johnny, what are the numbers for this week? All right. So, Lumberjack Johnny's Appleton. All right. Number one. You mean the top producer? Tops. Tops. Yep. So, third is Jurassic Park Pro. Okay. Second, Evil Dead. That's understandable. Mm-hmm. I cannot get a good game on that to save myself. I love the game, but... Okay. Okay. And number one? King Kong Pro. King Kong. Yep. Wow, not Jaws. I was bracing for Jaws or Metallica. Nope. All right, so what do we got for the dullest axes in the throwing basket? So there's a tie for third last. Oh, my God. Foo Fighters, Ellie, and Iron Maiden. Huh. All right. Mm-hmm. Okay. Second lowest? Portal. Portal. And lowest? This one makes me kind of sad. Oh, no. Yeah. I don't know what it is before you say it. What is it? Bond. No. Oh. Dune. Dune? Yeah. Huh. I really like Dune. Dune's a good game. Uh-huh. Might have something to do with theme. I don't know. Maybe, but I didn't play it when we were there last time, so. Yeah, I didn't either. I even looked at it. I was like, eh, I'm going to play something with a booby-doop. No, I played James Bond. Had a really great game on the 60th. All right. Do you have other numbers? I do. Oh, wow. More numbers. So, this is Green Bay. and there are eight machines in Green Bay. Okay. So you're just going to read them like eight to one? Yeah, that's what they gave us this week. Nice. Coming in at number eight. John Wick Pro. Oh, poor John Wick. Number seven. Elvira Premium. Oh, that's sacrilege. I know, right? Number six. Deadpool LE. It's a good game, but it's been around a long time. That's one game I want to buy one day, I think. It's a lot of fun. All right. Number five. Godzilla. Oh, my God. All right. Number four. Jaws Premium. Okay. We're getting there. Number three. King Kong Premium. All right. Number two. Star Wars. And number one. Harry Potter. There you go. Mm-hmm. That's, yeah, those are, all eight of those are pretty damn awesome. Yeah, they are. Good job. All right. so now you have the numbers for this week exciting interesting stuff let's see what happens when Winchester and when Pokemon enter the arena for battle to see who will win but they would also like us to mention that they are going to have a booth at MGC oh yeah they're gonna like Whopper Chopper it's not gonna be it's not it's not Lumberjack Johnny's What is it called? Give me a moment. One moment. I will say if you sign up for the Whopper Choppers for Lumberjack Johnnies while you're at MGC, I think you get like free swag. They're going to, yeah. I don't know what yet, but there will be free swag. Yeah. We should give them a pile of our stickers and the free swag can be our sticker. Oh, we should. I don't know about that. We should. We have to change our sticker. It said it's a podcast. Now we have to say just like for your ears and your butt. Yeah. Silver Ball Cult will be having a booth at MGC. There it is. It was on the tip of my tongue. I know. I know. So make sure you say hi. Make sure you heard it on the show. Yeah, tell them. Yeah, go ahead. I don't know what it'll get you but nothing. He'll go, oh, cool. Yeah. My advertising is working. Yes. So is that it? I think it's time for everyone's favorite segment? Excellent. Oh, wait. I'm sorry. At the Whopper Chopper, they will be giving away a pinball machine. Holy crap. Like a pinball machine. It's going to be I'm not sure if Kingpin has given it, has donated it, but it will be probably a pro level. Still, wow. Yes. I can't you know we've thrown our hats in the ring and like some of these drawings and we always I can't imagine what it would be like to like just win a machine I know right I'd be like I'd be like I don't even know I'd be like oh my god I couldn't even believe it I don't think I was really hoping we were going to win the Pokemon from from Project Pinball and we donated to Project Pinball we did oh well alright I think it's time for everyone's favorite segment coming right up Craft Brew Selling Gonna have to put your journal down Crab Brew Sally Child You've been to all the breweries around You've been running all over the town Tell me what to drink until I fall on the ground Yeah That's right, people. And we're back. What time is it, Craft Brew Sally? It's Craft Brew Sally time. Okay. All right. So they always feed us when we go to the Stern events. They give us lunch. They give us dinner. But in the afternoon, they give us beer. They usually give us beer from Microphone Brewing, which is pretty close to there. It's an Uber right away. So this time I had peanut butter and jam juice. Oh, wow. Mm-hmm. Which is... Sorry. Yes, it's okay. Sorry, my notes are here. It's a peanut butter and jelly-inspired fruited sour with grape juice concentrate and peanuts. Nice. You like... I love peanut butter and jelly, too. Yeah. Now, would you drink one of those with that peanut butter and jelly burger that they make at Home Burger? I would. Okay. Yes. I would not. I have had a burger. Too many shenanigans for me. I'm a harumph, I would say. Yes, I've had that. I think one of my favorite burgers, though, was the donut burger. And I was like, what's your most plain cheeseburger, please? And they're like, that's a cheeseburger. I'll be like, I'll have one of those. and I'd like a side of harumph with the most dry fries you make. And I said, wow, you're boring. And I'd be like, yeah, well, she's the wacky one. I'm just here to ho harumph you kids with your wacky flavored foods. You liked when we went and got that Yingling burger. Harumph, I said. Oh, man. I'm kidding. Go ahead. So you said it was a very good beer. It was. It was more sweet than I thought it would be. Microphone. M-I-K-E-R phone give them some shout outs they're in Elk Grove Village they have a lot of the Stern machines there I think that was where the PTA meeting was yes I remember I still shiver a little bit when I hear that alright, got anything else for this show? I don't think so I mean you can always check out Project Pinball Ladies Flip Events Yep. Of course, our Lumberjack Johnnies. Yeah. The one and only. Thousand Chimes, Fox Cities. Yeah, sure. All that stuff. Yeah. And more. Yeah. And you can check out some of our other shows. No, I don't do any of that. No. All right. So that's going to do it. This has been a long one, but thank you very much. We will be back next probably a week or so. We're going to get back on a regular cadence, but actually the trip to Chicago kind of threw everything off. Yes. But that's okay. And we will be back with some more interesting insights. So we also, I've been digging deeper into newspapers.com and found a couple of very interesting articles I'm going to discuss from 1980. I'm going to take you back. I've been going year by year. When we had cartilage. Yeah, Pokemon fever. Oh, wait, what's that? Never mind. So, you know, I've been going year by year and I'm up to 1980. So got a couple interesting insights from newspapers.com on the world of pinball from 1980. And that'll be next week. so thank you one and all for listening and when they start hitting the streets I would suggest go put a couple bucks into your local Pokemon game you'll have a fun time and then you're going to be addicted and need to collect them all from what I understand and this was for your ears and your butt Shazbot Nanu Nanu that's it man game over man game over

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 17119c16-4324-48fa-9cf1-0b5135b7c81e*