# Episode 235: Lauren Gray, Backbox Pinball Podcast

**Source:** Pinball Profile  
**Type:** podcast_episode  
**Published:** 2019-12-03  
**Duration:** 16m 31s  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballprofile.com/episode-235-lauren-gray-backbox-pinball-podcast/

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## Analysis

Jeff Teolis interviews Lauren Gray, host of the Backbox Pinball Podcast, a show focused on featuring women pinballers and their stories. They discuss Lauren's podcast journey, her passion for pinball, her holy grail machines (BSD signed by Barry Oster, Jackbot, Night Moves), favorite games (Total Nuclear Annihilation, Fathom), and dream pinball machines (Princess Bride, Prince or Madonna themes). The conversation emphasizes community, inclusivity, and the diverse backgrounds of pinball enthusiasts united by their shared love of the game.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Lauren Gray hosts Backbox Pinball Podcast with a focus on women pinballers and their stories — _Lauren explicitly states she wanted to hear more stories about women pinballers and decided to create her own podcast_
- [HIGH] Lauren's holy grail machine is a BSD (Black Sheep Down/Dracula) signed by Barry Oster — _Lauren discusses acquiring the machine through Mike McKenna, who worked on Barry's machine, and states she will never sell it_
- [HIGH] Lauren's favorite game is Total Nuclear Annihilation (TNA) with soundtrack by Scott Denise — _Directly stated in 'Backbox questions' segment; notes it uses single level playfield like EMs_
- [HIGH] Lauren's least favorite game is Stargate — _Lauren states she hates Stargate and just played it, doesn't want to see it again despite acknowledging it's considered the best Gottlieb game_
- [HIGH] Lauren's favorite pinball art is Fathom — _Direct answer in Backbox questions segment; acknowledges it's a common choice_
- [HIGH] Deep Root (Barry Oster's company) is based in San Antonio — _Jeff mentions 'Barry is in San Antonio with Deep Root' in context of how Lauren acquired her machine_
- [HIGH] Lauren prefers New York style pizza to Chicago deep-dish — _Lauren discusses 'jumping ship' to 'foldable pizza land' and her family (from Chicago/Midwest) is upset about this preference_
- [HIGH] Daniele (from Italy) and Johannes Ostermeyer (from Germany) played in IFPA 16 Championships finals on BSD — _Lauren describes watching this as her 'all-time favorite holy grail pinball stream moment' with Ostermeyer winning_

### Notable Quotes

> "For me, if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. What are you doing? Why would you even be here?"
> — **Lauren Gray**, ~06:00
> _Encapsulates Lauren's philosophy on pinball and podcasting; emphasizes passion over content perfection_

> "I wanted to hear more of those stories, maybe I should just do my own podcast about women."
> — **Lauren Gray**, ~07:00
> _Explains motivation for creating Backbox Pinball Podcast; addresses gap in women-focused pinball content_

> "I'm going to be buried in it. I'm like not even like joking."
> — **Lauren Gray**, ~45:00
> _Expresses emotional attachment to her BSD holy grail machine_

> "I can never sell this machine. It's going to stay in my collection forever."
> — **Lauren Gray**, ~48:00
> _Reinforces sentiment about BSD machine's provenance and personal significance_

> "My number one is actually Roger Sharp, the OG. He's going to murder me in pinball. It's fine. But I've just always wanted to play him."
> — **Lauren Gray**, ~51:00
> _Identifies dream head-to-head opponent; shows respect for pinball pioneers despite intimidation factor_

> "Not too many shirts come with free hugs, but that's what Lauren Gray is all about."
> — **Lauren Gray**, ~62:00
> _Lauren's signature persona; emphasizes warmth and community engagement of Backbox brand_

> "There's a cross-section of people from different walks of life all across the globe, but we all love the same thing in pinball."
> — **Lauren Gray**, ~12:00
> _Articulates universal appeal of pinball community across demographics and backgrounds_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Lauren Gray | person | Host of Backbox Pinball Podcast; from San Antonio, Texas (raised in Texas, family from Chicago/Midwest); passionate about women in pinball; collector of vintage pinball machines |
| Backbox Pinball Podcast | organization | Pinball podcast hosted by Lauren Gray focused on featuring women pinballers and their stories; available on major podcatchers and at backboxpinballpodcast.fireside.fm |
| Barry Oster | person | Legendary pinball player and machine owner based in San Antonio; designed/owned Jackbot and Dracula (BSD); connected to Deep Root |
| Deep Root | company | Company founded by/associated with Barry Oster, based in San Antonio |
| Pinball Profile | organization | Podcast hosted by Jeff Teolis featuring interviews with pinball community figures |
| Jeff Teolis | person | Host of Pinball Profile podcast; interviewer in this episode |
| Mike McKenna | person | Pinball technician who works on Lauren's machines and facilitated her acquisition of the signed BSD |
| Marco Specialties | company | Pinball supply/vendor company; mentioned for booth presence at Houston show with enhanced marketing and visual presentation |
| Emoto | person | Marco Specialties marketing/event coordinator; praised for visual presentations and marketing strategy (Jurassic Park/Elvira themes at shows) |
| Crystal Gemnick | person | Staff member at Marco Specialties involved in show production |
| Ashley Ludwig | person | From Rochester, New York; pinball machine restorer featured on Marco Specialties show circuit; known for high-quality restoration work |
| Julie Dorsey | person | From London, Ontario; featured on Backbox Pinball Podcast; known for Wonder Woman re-themed Electronimo game |
| Daniele | person | Pinball player from Italy; finalist in IFPA 16 Championships on BSD machine |
| Johannes Ostermeyer | person | Pinball player from Germany; won IFPA 16 Championships finals against Daniele on BSD machine |
| Roger Sharp | person | Legendary/pioneer pinball player ('the OG'); Lauren's desired head-to-head opponent; described as kind person |
| Scott Denise | person | Composer of soundtrack for Total Nuclear Annihilation; signature music used as Backbox Pinball Podcast intro |
| Rob Reiner | person | Director of Princess Bride and This Is Spinal Tap; referenced in context of dream pinball machines |
| Total Nuclear Annihilation | game | Lauren's current favorite game; features single-level playfield with EM-style design; soundtrack by Scott Denise |
| Dracula / Black Sheep Down | game | Lauren's holy grail machine; BSD signed by Barry Oster; will never be sold; sacred to her collection |
| Fathom | game | Lauren's favorite pinball art; acknowledged as popular choice among enthusiasts |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Women in pinball, Pinball podcasting and content creation, Vintage/classic pinball machines and collecting, Pinball community and cross-demographic appeal
- **Secondary:** Dream/future pinball themes (Princess Bride, Prince, Madonna), Pinball tournament play and competitive scene (IFPA 16), Pinball art, sound, and design aesthetics
- **Mentioned:** Show/event production and community engagement

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.92) — Lauren and Jeff maintain consistently upbeat, warm, and enthusiastic tone throughout. Lauren's genuine passion for pinball, community, and people is evident. Minimal negativity expressed only toward specific games (Stargate). Strong emphasis on inclusivity, friendship, and joy in the hobby.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Marco Specialties elevating event presence and marketing strategy with enhanced booth experiences and talent recruitment (confidence: high) — Described as moving from basic metal/booth setup to immersive themed experiences (Jurassic Park jungle, Elvira presentation); recruiting show talent like Ashley Ludwig
- **[event_signal]** IFPA 16 Championships on BSD became a memorable, emotionally resonant spectacle in pinball community (confidence: high) — Lauren describes it as her 'all-time favorite holy grail pinball stream moment' with 'all the feels'
- **[sentiment_shift]** Strong positive sentiment around women's representation in pinball and women-focused content creation; community receptive to Backbox Pinball Podcast's mission (confidence: high) — Lauren created Backbox specifically to fill perceived gap in women pinballer stories; Jeff explicitly praises her show's quality and impact
- **[community_signal]** Pinball podcast ecosystem thriving with multiple successful shows covering different niches and audiences (confidence: high) — Lauren references multiple active podcasts (Jeff Teolis, Slap Save, others) and created Backbox to address specific gap in women-focused coverage
- **[market_signal]** Pop music pinball themes (Prince, Madonna, U2) emerging as next frontier after classic rock era games saturate market (confidence: medium) — Lauren and Jeff discuss that once Queen, Zeppelin, etc. are exhausted, market will shift to 80s/90s pop icons with strong catalogs
- **[market_signal]** Princess Bride pinball machine has significant community demand and cultural cache; referred to as 'dream machine' by multiple sources (confidence: medium) — Both Lauren and Julie Dorsey have discussed Princess Bride as desired pinball theme; Lauren selected it as her first dream machine
- **[community_signal]** Lauren's background in radio informing podcast production quality and interview approach; emphasis on making guests comfortable (confidence: high) — Lauren mentions radio background; both hosts discuss prerecording, editing, and techniques to put nervous guests at ease

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## Transcript

 it's time now for another pinball profile i'm your host jeff teals you can find our group on facebook we're also on twitter at pinball profile email us pinball profile at gmail.com please subscribe on your favorite podcatcher and check us out on instagram at pinball profile here in Texas. Hi, y'all. I'm with my, one of my new favorite podcasts, you know, Backbox Pinball Podcast. Lauren Gray from San Antonio is here. Hello. I love the hi, y'all. Hi, y'all. How you doing? There it is. That's what I love hearing. And boy, the episodes have been fantastic. The recent one was just the two young girls, Elizabeth and David's daughters. Yeah, Miette and Annabeth Dronay. They're adorable. So cute. So funny. And just not afraid. You and I both do the same thing. We do podcasts and we interview people. And I don't know what it's like for you, but I get some people like, oh, I'm going to be nervous. And I just say, oh, you know what? You're just talking like we're talking now. Do you ever come across people that were nervous, especially someone like kids? You know what? The kids are actually the most fun because there's no constraints. They don't get nervous. They're just going to speak their mind. The adults tend to overthink things and get a little freaked out by it. But I just tell them, you know what? It's all prerecorded. It's not live. If you mess up, it's okay. It's going to be fine. It's just us talking. And you and I know the truth. The ones who mess up the most are the hosts. It's actually true. It's so true. It's all done in the edit to make it sound just perfect. That's the trick, isn't it? Very much so. I have to say, what I like the most about your podcast, easily, hands down, the passion that you show in pinball. It comes out so easily. And you know, when there's drama in the world and drama in pinball, I just listen to your podcast. I think this is what it's meant to be. It's meant to be fun. And you bring that out in every episode. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that. For me, if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. What are you doing? What are you doing? I'm like, why would you even be here? And if I can make somebody's day a little brighter and share my love and my passion for the hobby and the sport, then I've done a good thing. So I don't know much about the background. I don't know two things. I'm not going to ask you how you got into pinball. What made you decide to do the podcast? Well, I am a podcast fan, and I have a radio background, and I had loved all the podcasts. I listened to yours. I was a big fan of Jeff Parsons. I like Slap Save and Special and Lit, and there's just so many. I haven't heard of any of those other ones. Anyway, go on. No, they're all great. But the thing I was missing is that I wanted to hear more story about women pinballers, women players, and not to take anything away from any other podcast, but I thought, well, if I want to hear more of those stories, maybe I should just do my own podcast about women. I think we have something in common there, certainly about that topic, but also too, just finding out more about people. And that's the great thing I found out in the last three years is just that there are all kinds of different people from different walks of life all across the globe, but we all love the same thing in pinball. It's so weird that we're all together in tournaments, in shows, in the community, in forums. it's just bizarre to me that people that could be on total polar opposites of certain aspects of life doesn't matter when it comes to pinball yeah definitely i think there's this just interesting cross-section of of people and backgrounds and just what we're interested in but we have one universal love which is pinball and to me i just love meeting all these new people i have all these new friends when i come to shows like this now it's like hey i haven't seen you in forever or hey, I stalk you on Facebook. How you doing? The hello y'all is certainly your trademark. I know you've got some swag, but hello y'all's got to be on the next round of shirts. I know. I really try hard actually to not make it too Texas-y, but yeah, I can't help the y'all. It's part of the thing. By the way, that's the thing that I laugh about because you're not even from Texas. You're from Chicago I am I did grow up in Texas but my entire family is from the Midwest and the Chicago area So they always make fun of me They like oh you the Texas you know kids It you know because we show up y And we love things like salsa and barbecue all kinds of good stuff But you have completely shed all your Chicago roots because I've heard you talk about another love that I have. Yes, pinball's up there, but pizza. And you have said you like New York style pizza over Chicago. did you have to give up like any Illinois any kind of information in the past they had to wipe you out of all the records because how dare you say that I know it is my secret shame I have to hang my head whenever I'm around my Chicago relatives because they just cannot believe that I have just totally you know jumped ship and gone to foldable pizza land yeah but I love it I love New York style pizza I can't eat pizza with a knife and fork I can't do it are you all in on everything pinball? Because I mean, certainly it's easy to see the big companies and what they're doing. But I mean, when something like American Girl doll pinball machine comes out, do you just lose your you know what? Yeah, no, I'm so I'm waiting for someone, my husband to buy that for me for Christmas. If he doesn't, I'm just gonna buy it for myself. Yeah, it slowly has become a thing. Now I'm spending all my money. Yeah, you buy that for yourself with the money you would have spent on his gift. I'm all for that. Lauren, go do that. I love that idea. And I also know from listening to your show. You are a huge, I will not say Trekkie, Trekker. There is a big difference. The Trekker is the next generation for those that don't know, correct? That is correct. I'm a huge Trekker. You know, Team John Luke, that is my jam. I love it. Make it so. Make it so, number one. Yeah, definitely. I always thought it would be great if he said, look, he's got to leave the captain's chair to go to the washroom. I'm going number two, number one. Never does. Oh my God, I love that. I've heard other episodes. I heard you fan girl out when you had a moto on who's fantastic and we saw what she's doing this weekend here in houston at marco specialties she's awesome i she's amazing she is just so she has so many gifts and so many just amazing talents like she has taken it to the next level with this marketing and the visual presentation that marco at the marco booth for this time around i'm used to just seeing like the metal and the basic booth i was a whole experience i felt like i was in the jungle i thought a t-rex would come after me that's right it's all bedazzled too with all the Jurassic Park and then of course the great Elvira stuff that they did that we saw at Expo. It was all here at Houston and Marco's really stepped up. There's a company that I like seeing them at shows because you know they're going to put on a great production. All the games that they bring you talked about the backdrop and everything else but two I mean they've got some great staff there. Crystal Gemnick's been doing a wonderful job. I see them bring Ashley Ludwig from Rochester, New York. She's now a big part of that kind of Marco show circuit thing so they're getting some good people there. They are. I'm seeing lots of new faces each time I come to a new show. I got to meet Ashley for the first time in person. Of course, I had to ask her to be on the show. Oh, you have to. I had to. I was like, oh my God, we have to meet and do the show. Have you seen the restorations that she does on games? Yes. And I was like, I have to talk to you about your restorations. I mean, they're absolutely beautiful. So excited to talk to her. Isn't that something as you and I do these podcasts, we can make lists of tons and tons of people that I got to get to that person. I got to get to that person. That's there's so many unique people. It's true. There's so many stories. And that's my favorite thing is just to meet these new people and learn their stories and share their stories with other people. And, you know, Ashley's just one of many women and men that I want to meet and learn how they came to pinball and how pinball has shaped their life. You had a very good friend of mine on a recent episode in Julie Dorsers. And boy, the two of you really hit it off. Julie from London, Ontario, and she of the Wonder Woman re-themed Electronimo game. That was a fun episode. That was super fun. You know, I had heard her on your show and I'm like, when we... You can do a better job, is what you said, Lauren. Be honest. No, I... Jeff totally crapped the bed on that. I'll show you how this is done. That's exactly what you said, Lauren. I bit it. No, I would never say that. Why are you winking? But, you know, we got to talking and just getting to know her and talk about, you know, her experiences in pinball. She is my sister from another mister for sure I loved her and we going to do the Hello Kitty machine It It gonna happen Oh boy That what she almost did with that Wonder Woman Wonder Woman bravo Yeah I can see honestly it not my style of game a Hello Kitty game, but I think it would do very well. I think it would be a fun homebrew. I don't think it would be a mass market appeal, but I think it would appeal to a very niche audience. But, you know, her and I were also on Team Princess Bride, and I think that one. I'm all in that. Why has that not been made? Why? has Rob Reiner could it be possible to make two perfect movies back to back when you're just starting out in your directing career I love Princess Bride 10 out of 10 for me my favorite all time movie his first movie do you know what it is? oh my god oh my gosh my all time favorite comedy is it this is Spinal Tap oh my god I can't believe I forgot it is such a masterpiece and it's just because I'm in the radio and when you talk to musicians rock stars and all that stuff and they talk about their Spinal Tap moments. It's painful for them to watch, but it's kind of funny for all of us on the outside. This one goes to 11. Exactly, Lauren. There you go. So, whether it's Princess Bride, whether it's a real Spinal Tap game, I know there's a homebrew version of it, but alright, my fingers are crossed on either one of those. Yeah, definitely. They would be both really awesome games. Okay, you put people under the microscope, you put the pressure on people when they come on Backbox. It's time to turn the tables here and go inside the pinball studio with Lauren Gray. Some of the questions you will hear on Backbox, you will hear right now on Pinball Profile. Lauren, what game do you love and what do you like about it? The game I love right now is Total Nuclear Annihilation. For me, I am a fan of EMs. So it has that single level play field. It just has everything I would ever want in a single level game. And it has the amazing soundtrack by Scott Danesi. That's the intro music to my show. I'm a huge fan of that game. I love it. Okay. Now this is going to be difficult for you because you are so positive, but it's one of the questions you hear on your show. What game do you hate? Oh my God. There's two. You know what? I just played it right now. Stargate. Hate that game. Hate it. I don't want to see that game ever again. I'm sorry for those of you who like it. The movie's great, but yeah, that game is terrible. It is considered the best Gottlieb game, but since that company's out of business, you know, you can make fun of them. Nobody's feelings are getting hurt there. So that's your number one hate game, Stargate. Okay. There's a lot of good ones to choose from, but what is your favorite pinball art package? Oh, that's really hard. I'm a huge art fan, but I'm probably going to have to go with Fathom, which is kind of a one that a lot of people choose, but I absolutely adore it. If I could get my hands on a Fathom, I would. Very good. I think I know the answer to this one because you might have just foreshadowed a little bit your favorite pinball sound. I do love the soundtrack and the sound package from TNA, but my favorite pinball sound in the whole wide world, and it's so cheesy and old-fashioned, but Harlem Globetrotters. When you turn it on and you hear Sweet Georgia Brown. Oh, nice. That is my favorite, and I love the spinner from that game also. Both of them? Yeah, they're both. Actually, there's three. A three-spinner game. That is a perfect game, too. I love that game. Good choice. Okay, I think we know the answer to this, and it's so funny that other people say this on your show, but let's just get it out there. Make it official. Your holy grail pinball machine. Does that include, by the way, when you ask this question, games that are already made or games that you'd like to see made? Holy Grail is something that's already out there. Okay, so I don't know the answer to this. Okay, so I have, because I really do have my Holy Grail. I talk about it all the time. My BSD that was once owned by Barry Ousler. Wow. Yeah, I have it. It was signed by him. I love it. It's my baby. I'm going to be buried in it. I'm like not even like joking. But my second one. That gives a whole new meaning to cough and multiball, but okay. Is that Lauren's head? So second up, like the two I would like to get a hold of is either Jackbot, huge fan of Jackbot, obviously another Barry Oster game, and then I really like Night Moves, which is a little cocktail table that I, it's so cheesy, I just love it. I know the game, yeah. Yeah I a huge fan of that Rip the spinner if you get that thing lit that the whole game Now Barry is in San Antonio with Deep Root Is that how you got the game from him in San Antonio How did this come about Well no the gentleman that works on my games Mike McKenna he had worked on Barry's machine and he was like, hey, I have a line on a Dracula because he knew that was my grail. And then he sold it to me and then he told me the providence behind him. I'm like, what? I was like, oh my God. I'm like, I can never sell this machine. It's going to stay in my collection forever. Tell me you saw my all-time favorite, holy grail, if you will, pinball stream moment on BSD. You did. You're nodding your head. The IFPA 16 Championships. How was that? That was amazing. I was just like, I had all the feels, everything. I was like every emotion. I'm like, oh my God, this is the most epic thing I've ever seen. I loved it. It's a shame someone had to lose because they were both great games. And we're talking about Daniele from Italy. And of course, Johannes Ostermeyer, who wound up winning that from Germany. Okay. A couple more questions. Who would you like to play pinball with head to head? I've mentioned this a few times And there's a lot of great women that I want to play that I haven't played yet. But my number one is actually Roger Sharp, the OG. You know, that's the guy I've always wanted to have a pinball. He's going to murder me in pinball. It's fine. But I've just always wanted to play him. Isn't it bizarre how he is such a wonderful, sweet man, yet rotten, disgusting children? Like, I don't, it doesn't make sense. What went wrong with Roger? Too much focus on pinball, perhaps? It could be. You know, I just feel so terrible for him. He's such a kind man. I don't know what happened. Yeah. I guess it's the yin-yang, right? He does so much for pinball, and yet he has to deal with those brats of children. Anyway, I digress. So again, all right, you get two choices, because I think I know your dream machine. Princess Bride. We just had it made. Poof, it's done. There you go. Now you get to make another one. That's made. What's your second dream machine? That's really hard. I'm a huge music fan, and for me, it would either be a Prince or a Madonna machine. I would like to see either one of those. I'm a huge Prince fan. I think that would sell pretty well. It's just something different. I mean, I like classic rock, but I'd kind of like to see them kind of stretch the envelope on that. I think that is the next wave in the next few years. Once they get Queen and Zeppelin and all these other bands that haven't done, I think you're right. There's certainly a big void in that. And the catalog of Madonna, of Prince, of some of these other huge pop stars, my goodness, there certainly could be a lot of that. but Prince and Madonna for sure are great ideas. We'll see if those are made. I bet they are in our lifetime. I definitely think so. And another band I think would make a perfect pinball machine is U2. They have such a huge catalog and this universal appeal. There's just so many bands. I think you're right. Like once we kind of get past this kind of 70s rock era that we're in, we're going to be pushing into the 80s and a lot of bands that are now becoming classic rock, which just makes me sad. It's not classic rock to me. Lauren, I hope everyone listening to this podcast right now subscribes to Backbox because it's a joy to listen to you're a pleasant person, I'm so glad to meet you this weekend and for those, I can't believe it's possible if there are any of them if they haven't found Backbox, where should they go? You can find us on your podcatcher of choice we're on Apple and Stitcher and all those places or you can go to backboxpinballpodcast.fireside.fm And what about getting some swag? Oh, yes. If you go to the website and you click on the swag button, I have an official t-shirt, which is super awesome. And you can just, you know, as soon as I see you, I will run up to you and hug you just so you know. Not too many shirts come with free hugs, but that's what Lauren Gray is all about. Backbox Pinball, a pleasure to talk to you. I've enjoyed this weekend. Thank you so much. It was so great meeting you. I was so excited. I ran up and I was like, Jeff! So again, it was a pleasure. Thank you so much. We'll have to do it again. Yes, definitely. All right. Thanks very much. This has been your Pinball Profile. you can find our group on Facebook. We're also on Twitter at pinball profile, emails, pinball profile at gmail.com. Please subscribe on your favorite pod catcher, just like you would for backbox. And don't forget to find us on Instagram at pinball profile. I'm Jeff. Teal.

_(Acquisition: groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 851a830b-0fda-4fc1-acea-aacc4bc957c5*