# More Jersey Jack Inside Info...Willy Wonka Was Not the First Toy Story Game Reskinned & More

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2022-07-17  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/more-jersey-jack-inside-info-willy-wonka-was-not-the-first-toy-story-game-reskinned-more

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## Analysis

Jersey Jack Pinball founder Jack Guarnieri clarifies in a Super Awesome Pinball Show interview that Pat Lawlor's original Toy Story layout was NOT recycled into Willy Wonka, contrary to community rumors. JJP's next machine is targeted for Spring 2023 (within nine months), and the company holds 10+ licenses in its portfolio, with Jack hinting at potential new designer hires to accelerate development.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pat Lawlor's original Toy Story layout was NOT recycled into Willy Wonka — _Jack Guarnieri explicitly stated 'there is absolutely no truth to the rumor' in interview_
- [HIGH] JJP's next machine will be released within nine months (Spring 2023) — _Jack Guarnieri directly stated target timeline in interview_
- [HIGH] Jersey Jack holds 'probably more than 10' licenses waiting for game development — _Jack Guarnieri stated figure directly in interview_
- [MEDIUM] JJP may add another designer to work through its license backlog — _Jack said 'wouldn't be surprised if the Company added another designer'_
- [HIGH] Pat Lawlor is taking a break; no one pushed him out of the company — _Jack Guarnieri clarified in interview that departure was Lawlor's choice_
- [HIGH] Disney's Toy Story 4 was released after Willy Wonka shipped, prompting license pivot — _Article states JJP decided to focus new machine on TS4 after film release_

### Notable Quotes

> "there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Lawlor's original Toy Story layout was recycled and turned into what became Jersey Jack's Willy Wonka machine"
> — **Jack Guarnieri (Jersey Jack Pinball founder)**, interview segment
> _Direct denial of major community rumor; clarifies game development history_

> "It's up to Pat to decide what he wants to do. Nobody pushed him out of the company. Nobody told him not to make another game."
> — **Jack Guarnieri**, interview segment
> _Addresses speculation about Pat Lawlor's departure from JJP_

> "probably more than 10"
> — **Jack Guarnieri**, interview segment
> _Reveals substantial license portfolio; indicates strong pipeline potential_

> "he's like to see the company's next game released within the next nine months"
> — **Jack Guarnieri (paraphrased from article)**, interview segment
> _Sets official production timeline expectation for next JJP release_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Jack Guarnieri | person | Jersey Jack Pinball founder; interviewed on Super Awesome Pinball Show |
| Pat Lawlor | person | Legendary pinball designer; designed Toy Story and Willy Wonka for JJP; reportedly on hiatus |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Premium boutique pinball manufacturer; holds Toy Story and Willy Wonka licenses among 10+ others |
| Disney | company | License holder for Toy Story IP; partner with JJP |
| Super Awesome Pinball Show | organization | Pinball podcast/show featuring long-form interviews; interviewed Jack Guarnieri |
| Toy Story 4 | game | JJP pinball machine in development; focus shifted from TS1-3 after film release |
| Willy Wonka | game | Jersey Jack Pinball machine; designed by Pat Lawlor; subject of reskin rumors (denied) |
| Dialed In | game | Jersey Jack Pinball game released 2017; timeline marker for Toy Story development start |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Jersey Jack Pinball production roadmap and licensing portfolio, Pat Lawlor's status and departure from Jersey Jack, Community rumors and myth-busting (Toy Story/Wonka reskin)
- **Secondary:** Pinball designer capacity and potential new hires at JJP, Disney licensing evolution and IP management

### Sentiment

**Neutral** (0.5) — Article presents factual information from founder interview with balanced coverage of both positive signals (large license portfolio, near-term production) and personnel questions (Lawlor's status, need for additional designers)

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Jersey Jack Pinball holding substantial licensed IP portfolio (10+) but acknowledges not all will become games (confidence: high) — Jack stated 'probably more than 10' licenses and 'it's possible that not all 10 licenses will become games'
- **[licensing_signal]** Disney's Toy Story 4 film release triggered JJP to pivot Toy Story machine focus from TS1-3 to TS4 despite original license scope (confidence: high) — Article states 'Disney released Toy Story 4. The powers at Jersey Jack and their new contacts at Disney decided that the new Toy Story machine should focus on Toy Story 4'
- **[personnel_signal]** Pat Lawlor's departure from Jersey Jack Pinball; status transition from active designer to hiatus (confidence: high) — Jack clarified Lawlor is 'taking a little break' and will decide next steps independently; no official new projects announced
- **[product_strategy]** JJP missed 2022 game release target; next machine now targeted for Spring 2023 (within nine months from interview) (confidence: high) — Jack stated 'JJP will miss producing a second game in 2022, putting its next release sometime in the Spring of '23'
- **[product_strategy]** Jersey Jack Pinball maintains 10+ licensed IP titles in development pipeline; considering new designer hires to accelerate production (confidence: high) — Jack stated 'probably more than 10' licenses and 'wouldn't be surprised if the Company added another designer'
- **[rumor_hype]** Community rumor that Pat Lawlor's original Toy Story pinball layout was recycled/reskinned into Willy Wonka machine (confidence: high) — Jack Guarnieri explicitly denied the rumor in interview; article confirms it circulated in community

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## Transcript

Continuing the great Super Awesome Pinball show interview with Jersey Jack Pinball's founder Jack Guarnieri, we got some detail on the development of the company's current Toy Story 4 pinball machine.

When Jack secured the license for Toy Story from Disney many years ago, he had the license for Toy Story 1, 2 and 3. At the time, Toy Story 4 didn't even exist yet. Right after the game "Dialed In" came out in 2017, Jersey Jack's designer Pat Lawlor began initial work on a Toy Story pinball machine for the company. That work was quickly put on the back burner after JJP negotiated the Willy Wonka license. In the interview, Jack specifically stated that there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Lawlor's original Toy Story layout was recycled and turned into what became Jersey Jack's Willy Wonka machine.

After Wonka went on sale, Disney released Toy Story 4. The powers at Jersey Jack and their new contacts at Disney decided that the new Toy Story machine should focus on Toy Story 4, even though technically Jersey Jack's license still included assets from all four of the movies.

When asked about the future of Toy Story 4's designer, Pat Lawlor, Jack said "It's up to Pat to decide what he wants to do. Nobody pushed him out of the company. Nobody told him not to make another game. Right now I think that he's taking a little break and he'll decide what he wants to do. That will be his decision to make."

Regarding Jersey Jack Pinball's next machine, Jack said that he's like to see the company's next game released within the next nine months. That means that JJP will miss producing a second game in 2022, putting its next release sometime in the Spring of '23. Also of note, when asked how many licenses Jersey Jack has in its portfolio waiting for games to be developed at the moment, Jack said "probably more than 10." Whoa! Adding to that, Jack said that he wouldn't be surprised if the Company added another designer to help it work through that list. He also said that it's possible that not all 10 licenses will become games.

Here’s a link to the Super Awesome Pinball Show’s latest episode for those of you who want to check it out:

https://superawesomepinballshow.libsyn.com

Source: https://movies.disney.com/toy-story

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 33e817e6-a724-410e-82a4-99d1ae36099e*