# GREG FRERES RETIRES **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2024-07-11 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2024/07/11/greg-freres-retires --- ## Analysis Greg Freres, legendary pinball artist and Stern Pinball's Art Director for nearly 12 years, has retired after a four-decade career spanning Bally, Williams, Jersey Jack Pinball, and Stern. He is succeeded by Sebastian Napoli, who was trained under Freres and brings 15+ years of creative design experience from advertising agencies Popskull and Havas. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Greg Freres served as Art Director at Stern Pinball for nearly twelve years until his recent retirement — _Official Stern Pinball announcement dated July 10, 2024_ - [HIGH] Greg Freres was inducted into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame in 2004 — _Direct statement in article with reference to Hall of Fame ceremony_ - [HIGH] Greg Freres created artwork for iconic games including the Elvira trilogy, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and No Fear: Dangerous Sports — _Detailed career history in article_ - [HIGH] Sebastian Napoli has been trained under Greg Freres at Stern Pinball and previously served as Creative Director at Popskull and Havas — _Official Stern announcement_ - [HIGH] Greg Freres worked at Bally under Paul Faris and created artwork for Harlem Globetrotters, Rolling Stones, Fathom, Strange Science, and Elvira games — _Career history section of article_ ### Notable Quotes > "It has been an incredible journey filled with creativity and camaraderie. I am immensely thankful for the opportunities I've had to bring joy to so many through my artwork." > — **Greg Freres**, July 10, 2024 announcement > _Official retirement statement reflecting on his career legacy and gratitude_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Greg Freres | person | Legendary pinball artist, Stern Pinball Art Director for ~12 years, inducted into Pinball Expo Hall of Fame 2004, retired July 2024 | | Sebastian Napoli | person | New Stern Pinball Art Director, trained under Greg Freres, former Creative Director at Popskull and Havas, educated at The Art Institutes | | Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer where Greg Freres served as Art Director | | Bally | company | Classic pinball manufacturer where Greg Freres began his pinball career under Paul Faris | | Williams | company | Acquired Bally; Greg Freres continued work there until pinball division closure in 1999 | | Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Greg Freres did freelance work and created artwork for their first title, The Wizard of Oz | | Dennis Nordman | person | Game designer who collaborated with Greg Freres on Elvira games, Dr. Dude, The Party Zone, and Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons | | Jean-Paul de Win | person | Dutch artist interned under Greg Freres at Williams; went on to art direct Jersey Jack Pinball titles and work with Dutch Pinball | | Steve Ritchie | person | Legendary pinball designer who inducted Greg Freres into Pinball Expo Hall of Fame; collaborated with him on Star Trek: The Next Generation and No Fear | | Paul Faris | person | Supervisor at Bally who led the in-house design team where Greg Freres started | | Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons | game | Retheme of Continental Café created by Greg Freres and Dennis Nordman under WhizBang Pinball; later manufactured by Stern Pinball | | Wizard of Oz | game | Jersey Jack Pinball's first title for which Greg Freres did artwork | | Pinball Expo Hall of Fame | organization | Inducted Greg Freres in 2004 | | Popskull | company | Chicago advertising agency where Sebastian Napoli served as Creative Director | | Havas | company | Advertising agency where Sebastian Napoli served as Creative Director | ### Topics - **Primary:** Personnel transitions at Stern Pinball, Greg Freres' legacy in pinball art and design, Art direction and creative leadership in pinball manufacturing - **Secondary:** Pinball industry history and veteran talent, Succession planning at major manufacturers ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Respectful and celebratory tone honoring Greg Freres' long career and legacy; positive framing of succession with qualified successor. No negative elements present. ### Signals - **[personnel_signal]** Sebastian Napoli successor trained directly under retiring Art Director Greg Freres, bringing advertising/creative agency background to role (confidence: high) — Stern announcement explicitly states Napoli worked 'under the direct tutelage of Greg' and lists prior creative director roles at Popskull and Havas - **[personnel_signal]** Greg Freres retires from Stern Pinball after ~12 years as Art Director; Sebastian Napoli appointed successor (confidence: high) — Official Stern Pinball announcement July 10, 2024 with direct quotes and biographical confirmation --- ## Transcript Stern Pinball’s Art Director and famed pinball artist in his own right, Greg Freres, has announced his retirement. [![Greg Freres](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/01-greg-freres-retires-1024x658.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/01-greg-freres-retires.jpg) Greg Freres After gaining a degree in Fine Art, Greg started work in the advertising industry, creating point-of-purchase product displays. After two years there he jumped at the opportunity to join Bally as part of their in-house design team under Paul Faris, utilising his experience of creating designs which quickly grabbed the attention of passers-by. While with Bally he created many iconic game artwork packages, starting with *Harlem Globetrotters* and *Rolling Stones*, followed by *Fathom*, *Strange Science* and the first of the three Elvira-themed games created together with game designer, Dennis Nordman. As Williams effectively took over Bally, Greg stayed with the merged company to produce two more celebrated Dennis collaborations, with *Dr. Dude And His Excellent Ray* and *The Party Zone*. He stayed there until the pinball division closed at the end of 1999, after which he worked in a management role at the company’s video game division, Midway. At the very end of William’s pinball days, Greg brought over a young artist from the Netherlands to intern at the company and study pinball art. Sadly, the closure meant it was a short-lived trip, but it inspired [the young Jean-Paul Jean-Paul de Win](https://www.pinballnews.com/games/wizardofoz/index13.html) who went on the create the art and then art direct for all Jersey Jack Pinball’s titles, as well as work with Dutch Pinball on their *The Big Lebowski*. Greg’s canon of work was honoured with his induction into the [Pinball Expo Hall of Fame in 2004](https://www.pinballnews.com/shows/expo2004/banquet.html), where he was inducted by game designer, Steve Ritchie, with whom he worked on the games *Star Trek: The Next Generation* and *No Fear: Dangerous Sports*. [![Greg being inducted into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame in 2004](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/02-greg-freres-retires-1024x695.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/02-greg-freres-retires.jpg) Greg being inducted into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame in 2004 Keen to return to the world of pinball design, Greg reunited with Dennis to create their *Whoa Nellie! Big Juicy Melons* retheme of the *Continental Café* game under their WhizBang Pinball brand. Originally just a small run for private buyers, the game was [subsequently manufactured in collaboration with Stern Pinball](https://www.pinballnews.com/news/nellie.html) where the design went on to form the basis of the *Pabst Can Crusher* and *Primus* games. [![Dennis Nordman and Greg Freres](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/03-greg-freres-retires-1024x663.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/03-greg-freres-retires.jpg) Dennis Nordman and Greg Freres Greg also did some freelance work on other titles for Stern Pinball before working on new start-up Jersey Jack Pinball’s first title, *The Wizard of Oz*. In 2012 Greg was [appointed as a Game Designer at Stern](https://www.pinballnews.com/news/freres.html), but soon became Art Director there, a position he held for nearly twelve years until his recently-announced retirement. [![picture: Stern Pinball](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/04-greg-freres-retires-781x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/04-greg-freres-retires.jpg) Greg Freres at his retirement party at Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village (picture: Stern Pinball) Greg is succeeded as Stern’s Art Director by Sebastian Napoli who has been working at Stern under Greg’s tutelage, having formerly been Creative Director at advertising agencies [Popskull](https://popskullchicago.com/) and [Havas](https://www.havas.com/). ![Stern Pinball's new Art Director, Sebastian Napoli](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/greg-freres-retires/05-greg-freres-retires-849x1024.jpg) Stern Pinball’s new Art Director, Sebastian Napoli (picture: Stern Pinball) Here’s how Stern Pinball announced Greg’s retirement and Sebastian’s appointment: | | | --- | | ***Greg Freres retires; Sebastian Napoli appointed Art Director*** **CHICAGO, IL – July 10, 2024** – Stern Pinball, Inc. (SPI) announced the official retirement of its long tenured and iconic pinball artist, Art Director, Greg Freres. Renowned for his pioneering contributions to the pinball industry, Greg’s storied career spanned nearly four decades with his artistic vision leaving an indelible mark on pinball enthusiasts worldwide. Greg’s legacy was cemented well before his induction into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame back in 2004. Perhaps best known for his iconic artwork on the Elvira pinball trilogy, Greg’s work continues to be celebrated for its innovation, humor, and meticulous attention to detail. Reflecting on his decision to retire, Greg expressed gratitude for the support of his colleagues, family, and the passionate pinball community throughout his career. “It has been an incredible journey filled with creativity and camaraderie,” Freres remarked. “I am immensely thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to bring joy to so many through my artwork.” Under the direct tutelage of Greg, Stern Pinball announced the appointment of Sebastian Napoli as Art Director. Sebastian brings over 15 years of experience working in creative design, most recently serving as the Creative Director for Popskull and Havas. Through his education from The Art Institutes, Sebastian will contribute and lead a fresh perspective and energy to help continue creating the most beautiful pinball machines in the world. | | | _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 9d63ce88-d4a5-4296-9246-5a98ec19434e*