# KINGS & QUEENS: PINBALL, IMAGISTS & CHICAGO

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2017-03-01  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2017/03/01/kings-queens-pinball-iimagists-chicago

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## Analysis

Pinball News covers the Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago exhibition at Elmhurst Art Museum (Feb 25 – May 7, 2017), exploring the intersection of pinball machines, Chicago Imagist art, and Chicago's role as pinball's cultural center. The exhibition features 16 playable classic machines from the 1960s-1980s alongside original artwork by Chicago Imagist artists Ed Paschke and Constantino Mitchell, who collaborated on pinball backglass designs. The article contextualizes Chicago's dominance in pinball manufacturing (Bally, Williams, Gottlieb, Stern) and its connections to graphic arts, carnivals, and the mob-era gambling stigma that shaped pinball's cultural identity.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Elmhurst was the spiritual 'home' of D. Gottlieb and Co., who in the 1960s-1970s produced pinball machines considered to be the 'Cadillac' of pinball games — _Pinball News factual statement about manufacturer history and Elmhurst location_
- [HIGH] Ed Paschke's original oil on canvas Blackout proposal (1980) was deemed too 'far out' by Williams executives and was adjusted in collaboration with Constantino Mitchell — _Exhibition documentation showing both original and modified backglass artwork with curator notes_
- [MEDIUM] Stern Pinball, probably the largest pinball company in the world, designs and produces new games in Chicago to this day — _Pinball News statement from 2017 perspective; qualifier 'probably' indicates some uncertainty_
- [HIGH] Bally, Williams, Gottlieb, Data East, and Chicago Coin were all based in Chicago — _Pinball News historical documentation of manufacturer locations_
- [MEDIUM] Former New York mayor LaGuardia labeled pinball as a 'tool from the devil' — _Pinball News historical reference; common pinball lore but specific attribution unverified in article_
- [HIGH] The exhibition features 16 classic games loaned by Jim Schelberg, Logan Arcade, Scott Sheridan, Mark Weyna, Sharon Paschke, Vince Giovannone and Steven Malach — _Exhibition documentation with named lenders_

### Notable Quotes

> "Is Pinball a Legitimate Art Form?"
> — **Exhibition title question**, Article title
> _Central curatorial thesis framing the entire exhibition_

> "If pinball wasn't invented in Chicago, the so called 'second city' has become pinball's center of gravity and where it has achieved its pop culture status"
> — **Pinball News author**, Chicago section
> _Summarizes Chicago's cultural and manufacturing dominance in pinball history_

> "Likely because of pinball's ties to the mob, mayors of cities such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles came to the conclusion that pinball was a form of gambling rather than an entertaining game of skill"
> — **Pinball News author**, Chicago section
> _Explains regulatory backlash and cultural stigma against pinball in major US cities_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago | event | Art museum exhibition at Elmhurst Art Museum, Feb 25 – May 7, 2017; explores intersection of pinball, Chicago Imagist art, and Chicago history |
| Elmhurst Art Museum | organization | Museum hosting exhibition; located at 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126 |
| Dan Nadel | person | New York-based exhibition curator; studied Hairy Who; co-editor of The Comics Journal; published in Washington Post, Frieze, Bookforum |
| Ed Paschke | person | Chicago Imagist artist; designed original Blackout backglass oil painting (1980); featured in Playboy and Carson, Pirie, Scott department store windows |
| Constantino Mitchell | person | Pinball backglass artist; frequent collaborator with Ed Paschke; contributed to Blackout, Thunderball, Robo-War, Bad Girls backglasses |
| Hairy Who | organization | Chicago Imagist artist collective; many works featured in exhibition |
| Gottlieb | company | Classic pinball manufacturer headquartered in Elmhurst; produced Kings and Queens, Atlantis, Sheriff, Duotron, Expressway, Bad Girls |
| Bally | company | Classic pinball manufacturer based in Chicago; produced Fireball, Old Chicago, Nip-It |
| Williams | company | Classic pinball manufacturer based in Chicago; produced Apollo, Black Knight, Black Knight 2000, Blackout, Time Warp, Firepower, Gorgar, Spanish Eyes |
| Stern Pinball | company | Contemporary pinball manufacturer based in Chicago; described as 'probably the largest pinball company in the world' (as of 2017) |
| Roger C. Sharpe | person | Pinball author-historian; formerly based in Chicago |
| Greg Freres | person | Pinball artist; formerly based in Chicago |
| Jim Shird | person | Pinball engineer; formerly based in Chicago |
| Barbara Rossi | person | Chicago Imagist artist with works in exhibition |
| Christina Ramberg | person | Chicago Imagist artist with works in exhibition |
| Ed Flood | person | Chicago Imagist artist; Silver Crown artwork displayed in exhibition |
| Gladys Nilsson | person | Chicago Imagist artist with works in exhibition |
| Jim Nutt | person | Chicago Imagist artist; Officer Doodit (1968) featured in exhibition |
| Karl Wirsum | person | Chicago Imagist artist; Click (1971) and Zing Zing Zip Zip featured in exhibition |
| Roger Brown | person | Chicago Imagist artist with works in exhibition |
| Ray Yoshida | person | Chicago Imagist artist with works in exhibition |
| Suellen Rocca | person | Chicago Imagist artist; Curator and Director of Exhibitions at Elmhurst College; leading exhibition tours and talks |
| Pinball News | organization | Independent pinball media outlet publishing exhibition review |
| Illinois State Museum | organization | Hosting modified version of Kings & Queens exhibition from May 19 – August 21, 2017 |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Pinball as legitimate art form, Chicago Imagist art movement, Pinball backglass artwork and design, Chicago's role in pinball manufacturing history
- **Secondary:** Pinball and organized crime / gambling stigma, Classic pinball machines (1960s-1980s), Museum exhibitions and curatorship

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.82) — Article celebrates pinball's artistic legitimacy and Chicago's cultural significance in pinball history. Tone is enthusiastic about exhibition quality and comprehensiveness. Praise for 'high marks' from Elmhurst Art Museum and curator Dan Nadel's expertise. Light humor about brewery sponsorship. No criticism or negative sentiment present.

### Signals

- **[event_signal]** Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago exhibition at Elmhurst Art Museum bringing together 16 classic playable machines and Chicago Imagist artwork in museum setting (confidence: high) — Exhibition runs Feb 25 – May 7, 2017; supplemented by artist talks, film screenings, and curated tours with Suellen Rocca
- **[design_philosophy]** Pinball backglass artwork as legitimate artistic medium; Ed Paschke's original vision deemed too avant-garde, requiring modification toward mainstream aesthetics (confidence: high) — Exhibition documents Paschke's original oil painting Blackout (1980) versus modified version used on actual game; shows tension between artistic ambition and commercial constraints
- **[historical_signal]** Chicago's dominance as pinball manufacturing and cultural center from 1930s onward; home to Gottlieb, Bally, Williams, Data East, Chicago Coin, and contemporary Stern Pinball (confidence: high) — Article details manufacturer locations and notes Elmhurst as Gottlieb's historic home; cites graphic arts community and art institutions as contributing factors

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## Transcript

Date: 1st March, 2017 Location: Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 S. Cottage Hill Ave., Elmhurst, IL 60126, USA Exhibition: 25th February - 7th May, 2017 An exhibition that begs the question ‘Is Pinball a Legitimate Art Form?’ In recent years, there have been several art exhibitions in the greater Chicago area that have attempted to tell the story of how pinball, art and Chicago are interwoven. I feel none have done as complete and easily-absorbed presentation as the current showing of Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago at the Elmhurst Art Museum. The exhibit’s Curator, New York’s Dan Nadel, has studied and written books and articles on the Hairy Who Chicago Imagist artist’s collective which have many works displayed in this exhibition. Dan is also the co-editor of The Comics Journal and has published essays and critiques in such publications as The Washington Post, Frieze and Bookforum. Dan has curated past exhibitions presenting psychedelic and alternative art collections for museums in New York, Los Angeles and Lucerne, Switzerland. Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago has three elements of interest for the Pinball News reader. Pinball The exhibition has sixteen classic games loaned to the museum by Jim Schelberg, Logan Arcade, Scott Sheridan, Mark Weyna, Sharon Paschke, Vince Giovannone and Steven Malach. These games are intended to not only be viewed as works of ‘visual’ art, but also played as ‘interactive’ art that flashes, makes sounds and captures the visitor’s imagination. ![Five of the sixteen games at the exhibition](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens15.jpg) Five of the sixteen games at the exhibition Games from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are represented; Gottlieb’s Kings and Queens, Atlantis, Sheriff, Duotron and Expressway ![Gottlieb's Sheriff heads this block of machines](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens5.jpg) Gottlieb’s Sheriff heads this block of machines Bally’s Fireball, Old Chicago and Nip-It ![Bally's Nip-It](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens1.jpg) Bally’s Nip-It ![Bally's Nip-It](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens7.jpg) Bally’s Nip-It Williams’ Apollo, Black Knight, Black Knight 2000, Blackout, Time Warp, Firepower, Gorgar and Spanish Eyes ![Williams' Gorgar, Black Knight 2000 and Apollo](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens18.jpg) Williams’ Gorgar, Black Knight 2000 and Apollo ![Atlantis, Fireball and Black Knight](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens2.jpg) Atlantis, Fireball and Black Knight ![The exhibition's title game](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens23.jpg) The exhibition’s title game It is worth noting that Elmhurst was the spiritual ‘home’ of D. Gottlieb and Co. who in the 1960s-1970s produced pinball machines considered to be the ‘Cadillac’ of pinball games. Imagists (Art) In the main exhibition gallery alongside the Williams Blackout game is the original oil on canvas Blackout (1980) proposal for the game’s backglass, designed and painted by Ed Paschke who, of course, was well-known in the Chicago Imagist art scene and had his works featured in Playboy magazine and, for a number of years, in the first floor windows of the Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company department store. ![The Blackout game and proposed backglass artwork](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens16.jpg) The Blackout game and proposed backglass artwork Ed’s proposal for Blackout was deemed to be too ‘far out’ by Williams executives and it was adjusted in collaboration with frequent collaborator Constantino Mitchell to bring it a little closer to a normal pinball style of artwork. ![Ed Paschke Blackout artwork](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens19.jpg) Ed Paschke Blackout artwork ![The backglass artwork used in the game](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens20.jpg) The backglass artwork used in the game The exhibition shows a number of Paschke’s works such as Cobmaster, Chicaucus, Hairy Shoes, and Green Ava. Mitchell is also represented in the exhibition with his acrylics Deadly Weapon, Female Thunderball, Robo-War backglass and Thunderball backglass. ![Constantino Mitchell's Thunderball](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens9.jpg) Constantino Mitchell’s Thunderball ![Another Thunderball](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens10.jpg) Another Thunderball ![Robo War is a featured artwork](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens12.jpg) Constantino Mitchell’s Robo-War is a featured artwork The last pinball collaboration by Paschke and Mitchell would be the backglass for Gottlieb’s Bad Girls (1988). Any exhibition of Chicago Imagist art would be incomplete without at least some of the works of Barbara Rossi, Christina Ramberg, Ed Flood, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Karl Wirsum, Roger Brown, Ray Yoshida and Suellen Rocca. ![Karl Wirsum's Zing Zing Zip Zip](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens8.jpg) Karl Wirsum’s Zing Zing Zip Zip ![More Chicago Imagists works](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens11.jpg) More Chicago Imagists works ![More Chicago Imagists works](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens13.jpg) More Chicago Imagists works ![Another Chicago Imagist piece](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens14.jpg) Another Chicago Imagist piece ![Ed Flood's Silver Crown](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens21.jpg) Ed Flood’s Silver Crown Elmhurst Art Museum comes through with high marks by showing some of the most iconic works from these artists including Wirsum’s Click (1971) and Nutt’s Officer Doodit (1968) which have become larger than life examples of the Chicago Imagist style. Chicago If pinball wasn’t invented in Chicago, the so called ‘second city’ has become pinball’s center of gravity and where it has achieved its pop culture status. An impressive number of pinball’s classic manufacturers such as Bally, Williams, Gottlieb, Data East, and Chicago Coin as well as many of pinball’s best recognized personalities such as engineer Jim Shird, author-historian Roger C. Sharpe and artist Greg Freres have at one time called Chicago their home city. Stern Pinball, probably the largest pinball company in the world, designs and produces new games in Chicago to this day. Many reasons exist for this, such as the large graphic arts community found in Chicago’s advertising agencies and the Chicago art collectives such as the Hairy Who and and other self-described artistic outsiders drawing (no pun intended!) inspiration from comic books, carnivals and arcades. The presence of such incubators as the School of the Chicago Art Institute, Northwestern University, The Chicago Cultural Center, and the Whitney Museum of American Art (to name but a few) each made significant contributions to the pinball-friendly climate in Chicago. During the early 1930s when pinball was beginning to become popular in America, Chicago was becoming known as a capitol of ‘adult’ entertainment. This rubbed off on pinball possibly in error and possibly not. Many pinball games in Chicago were in fact owned and operated by ‘gangsters’; as many cash-based businesses were in those days. Likely because of pinball’s ties to the mob, mayors of cities such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles came to the conclusion that pinball was a form of gambling rather than an entertaining game of skill. Former New York mayor LaGuardia even went so far as to label pinball as a ‘tool from the devil’. Coda Elmhurst Art Museum’s Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago blends and ferments these three elements into a brew worthy of the latest frothy yellow refreshment from Two Brothers Brewing in Warrenville, IL. By coincidence or design, Two Brothers Brewing supplied samples of their new craft brewed American Pale Ale Pinball for the opening night of Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago on February 24th. I’m sure that you are thinking that Martin sent me to cover the exhibition because there was beer, and you’d be half right. ![The launch party for the exhibition](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-imagists-and-chicago/kingsandqueens17.jpg) The launch party for the exhibition In addition to the exhibition itself, Elmhurst Art Museum has planned these events as an enhancement and extension of it: 18th March at 1:30pm – Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago and Elmhurst College collection highlights tour with Suellen Rocca. 31st March at 6pm – Documentary film screening of Hairy Who and the Chicago Imagists at Elmhurst College 21st April at 6pm – Talk with Suellen Rocca, Curator and Director of Exhibitions at Elmhurst College 29th April at 12pm – Tilt Roger Brown eyeballs popular culture. Works from 1970-1997 presented and discussed 29th April Rocca Kings & Queens: Pinball, Imagists and Chicago runs until 7th May, 2017 at the Elmhurst Art Museum, after which a modified version will run from 19th May to 21st August, 2017 at the Illinois State Museum.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 3a4896f4-01d3-404c-abf5-e88fd882e2f4*