Charlie Emery is the co-founder and co-owner of Spooky Pinball, a Wisconsin-based pinball machine manufacturer established in 2013. He transitioned from podcast hosting to leading one of the industry's most successful independent manufacturers, known for making bold licensing decisions based on personal preferences (Rob Zombie, Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Beetlejuice). Though he stepped back from day-to-day operations in recent years, allowing his son Bug and Don Garrison to take more prominent roles, Emery remains a co-owner and is recognized throughout the industry for his warm personality, ethical business practices, and significant influence on Spooky Pinball's brand and company culture.
No aliases
Charlie Emery directly called George Gomez at Stern Pinball to ask if Stern was making a Walking Dead pinball game before committing to Pinball Zombies as a commercial product
Charlie Emery (of Spooky Pinball) facilitated the sale of his father's house to Don to enable relocation
Charlie Emery (Bug's father) started the company with no savings or financial backing
Father/co-founder of Spooky Pinball; Spooky Luke is his son-in-law
Co-owner and founder of Spooky Pinball, main guest on this episode, discussing company growth and upcoming game
Pinball industry figure; previously on Final Round Podcast discussing Rick and Morty production numbers
Designer at Spooky Pinball; interviewed on Head to Head Pinball Podcast about Alice Cooper and other licensing
Bug's father; co-founder/co-owner of Spooky Pinball (referenced via sibling comparison)
Founder of Spooky Pinball who transferred company ownership to his children rather than selling during a potential sale period.
No linked glossary terms
Charlie Emery quit his job with zero savings to start Spooky Pinball and ate ramen noodles daily for the first 12 months.
Charlie Emery founded Spooky Pinball in 2013
Charlie Emery designed the neon Spooky Pinball ghost sign over three years during nursing home arts and crafts sessions at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays
Charlie Emery (Luke's father and Spooky founder) previously worked at a pizza place
Charlie Emery agreed to appear on Triple Drain Podcast but requested to wait until after official game reveal
Spooky Pinball and Chicago Gaming Company are collaborating on a Ben Heck design
Horror and science fiction are essentially cousins or brothers in terms of thematic appeal
Spooky has maintained honest business practices and transparency as the key to success
Spooky plans to increase production numbers again for their next game after the upcoming release
Spooky Pinball sold 750 Rick and Morty units in four hours
Spooky's new building is more than double the size of their previous 60x90 shop
Rick and Morty's success provided 18 months of guaranteed work and employment
The upcoming Spooky game was designed by a complete team effort, not a single lead designer
Warner Brothers requires approval of all Rick and Morty pinball content elements
The upcoming Spooky game will launch in spring or summer of this year
Using a hot wire sculpting tool or drywall saw to distress foam edges is more effective and natural-looking than careful planning
COVID and shipping constraints made it impossible to commission and receive a professional prop from Plot 13 Studios
The mannequin came pre-equipped with a 'weird bondage mask' from the eBay seller
Charlie used drywall mud mixed with acrylic latex paint (called 'monster mud') to texture and color the sarcophagus base
Boiling muslin fabric in coffee and tea stains and distresses it effectively for aged mummy wrapping
The wrapping technique studied from Jack Pierce photos and original 1932 film shows which areas were wrapped first (groin, armpits, neck)
Gorilla glue with water creates a permanent bond strong enough to support the weight of a mummy head via arm attachment
Spooky Pinball is planning TNA 2.0 with improvements beyond layout changes
Charlie Emery performed voice acting for an undisclosed spooky character in Rick and Morty pinball
Spooky was completely unprepared for the sales velocity and demand level
Rick and Morty sold out 750 units in under four hours
Every audio and video clip in Rick and Morty requires approval from Adult Swim/Warner Brothers
Rick and Morty script required 40-47 pages of dialogue, comparable to Alice Cooper's 700+ speech calls
Spooky's business model differs fundamentally from JJP and Stern in production scale and licensing strategy
Spooky's podcast reached 15,000 downloads with Elvira episode
Spooky has produced 70-80 Rick and Morty units to date during pandemic
Alice Cooper directed the game to be family-friendly, excluding cursing and nudity for his grandchildren
Spooky's animations are comparable to or better than all competitors
Charlie Emery plans to design one more game before stepping back from design roles
The pinball market is approaching saturation point
Eric has proven programming capability through work on Cactus Canyon Continued
Alice Cooper's stage show was revamped to feature the Spooky pinball game without Spooky's prior knowledge
Matt Scott's second game will launch around Christmas 2018, same timeframe as Alice Cooper production wrap
Spooky Pinball currently has three games in development
Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle is limited to exactly 500 units with no additional production planned
Spooky Pinball has delivered over 1,500 pinball machines to date
Charlie Emery's design has significantly improved compared to America's Most Haunted and Rob Zombie's Spookshow International
Charlie Emery's design credentials are now comparable to legendary designers like John Borg, Zach Sharpe, and Joe Balser
Charlie Emery is the CEO and President of Spooky Pinball and designed Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle
Spooky intentionally delayed Alice Cooper code refinement for quality
Ben Heck constantly quitting and threatening to quit, then finally really did quit
Charlie Emery offered Ben Heck half ownership of Spooky Pinball during the America's Most Haunted era
The Evil Dead pinball license deal fell through due to licensor asking for more money than Spooky could afford
2019 will see the most pinball game announcements in a single year ever
Scott Danesi's second game will be better than his first
Spooky Pinball has produced over 1,000 machines since founding on February 1, 2013
Total Nuclear Annihilation is Spooky Pinball's biggest-selling game ever
Secondary market speculation and FOMO purchasing harm the pinball community's authentic enjoyment of games
Total Nuclear Annihilation will be available in Standard and Premium editions at Texas Pinball Festival
Spooky Pinball will have more than 75 units shipped before end of year with some locations receiving machines early
TNA is available at San Francisco Alamo Drafthouse location
The Domino's machine will ship very soon at a price of $5,299 per unit.
A portion of the Domino's pinball machine proceeds goes to the Domino's Partners Foundation, which provides assistance to Domino's employees in need.
The Domino's machine is Spooky Pinball's third production game (not counting the Godzilla one-off).
Hand screwdrivers are recommended over power drills for installing the tiny screws
Lucas has performed dozens of robot servo installations
The game automatically centers the servo forward when powered on after initial installation
Some Rob Zombie's Spookshow International units ship with the robot slightly off-center
The robot servo installation requires installing the servo twice due to the assembly design
Servo binding (mechanical binding against plastic or metal) will damage new servos if not corrected
Servo fine-tuning can be performed through the Servo Default menu adjustment feature without requiring code changes
Servos in Spooky games do not require mechanical end-of-travel switches; the CPU directs them to specific positions
All servo replacement and control information is available on Spooky Pinball's website and in the America's Most Haunted switch matrix documentation
Spooky Pinball's design will blend early '80s originality with '90s gameplay
Spooky Pinball will handle all manufacturing in-house including printing, art, metal fabrication, plastics, cabinets, playfields, and programming
Spooky Pinball will self-fund all development and manufacturing with no pre-orders or crowdfunding
The first Spooky Pinball game will be an original zombie theme with modern aesthetic, no LCD, and classic pinball design focus
Spooky Pinball will manufacture games in small batches of 25 units with 50% deposit at order and 60-day shipping
Spooky Pinball will offer games at a price point the average pinball enthusiast can manage
Associated with Spooky Pinball; Kaneda recommends Chris Turner work with him on Spinball Fast Balls
Describes as 'most kind of lost guy in pinball' and 'screams the aura of nice guy'; associated with Spooky Pinball's positive reception despite shortcomings
Leadership at Spooky Pinball; responsible for Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle stream and messaging
Owner and founder of Spooky Pinball; publicly expressed disappointment about losing Godzilla license to Stern; claimed to have previously deferred licensing deals to Stern 'for the right thing'
Game designer at Spooky Pinball; working toward lead designer title; predicts record game announcements in 2019
Spooky Pinball representative; discussed release timing strategy and acknowledged Alice Cooper rollout challenges
Co-owner/creative director of Spooky Pinball; attended G-Fest to discuss Alice Cooper stage production
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (referenced in context of Fang Club pricing strategy)
Associated with Spooky Pinball operations, described as 'nice to the point where he's almost Canadian'
Bug's father; also co-owner of Spooky Pinball; mentioned as good at naming things in a 'goofy way' (Fang Club)
Co-founder/owner of Spooky Pinball; Bug's father; designer of the neon Spooky Pinball ghost sign; resides in nursing home with arts/crafts program.
Associated with Spooky Pinball; works with Dave Van Ness on creative projects
Founder of Spooky Pinball; established original business formula that Luke credits with company's success
Owner of Spooky Pinball; deflected Dr. John's questions about Scooby-Doo license in 2021 beach towel incident
Founder of Spooky Pinball; co-owner
Founder of Spooky Pinball; credited with building company transparently, avoiding overpromising, and maintaining goodwill; stepped aside to allow children to run company
Associated with Spooky Pinball; made decision to produce Ultraman (initial target allegedly 250, doubled to 500)
CEO/founder of Spooky Pinball (referenced indirectly via company context)
CEO of Spooky Pinball; defended company's investments and cited 'overnight growth' excuse that Kaneda rejects
CEO/leader of Spooky Pinball, designer of brain-in-jar topper for Alice Cooper
CEO and co-founder of Spooky Pinball, lead designer on Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle and previous titles, discussing company vision and market outlook
CEO of Spooky Pinball; praised for strategic announcement policy of only revealing games near shipping; mentioned as industry best practice model
CEO of Spooky Pinball; described as good business owner who prioritizes employee welfare; defended against accusations of greed-driven pricing
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (mentioned in knowledge base, not explicitly in this content but contextually relevant)
CEO of Spooky Pinball (referenced as company leadership, presence implied in office environment)
CEO of Spooky Pinball; presents and narrates the servo replacement tutorial
Mentioned as appearing on Super Awesome Pinball Show; associated with Spooky Pinball
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball; interviewed by hosts; made key decisions on Fang Club membership program and commitment to single-tier pricing model
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball; co-hosts stream with Bug per KB context
CEO/co-founder of Spooky Pinball, primary builder of the Karloff mummy prop, demonstrates model-making and foam construction skills
Luke's father, founder of Spooky Pinball, previously worked at a pizza place early in career
Co-owner and creative director of Spooky Pinball (identified as Bug in video)
CEO/founder of Spooky Pinball, providing technical tutorial content for machine owners
CEO of Spooky Pinball; approved providing artwork and assets to Virtual Pinball Workshop for TNA VPX on condition of non-high-DPI protection
Podcast host who discussed Total Nuclear Annihilation ramp costs; appears to be industry commentator
Likely designer/CEO of Spooky Pinball (as referenced during design discussion); commended for unique center ramp innovation on Rob Zombie's Spookshow International
Designer of Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle and CEO/President of Spooky Pinball; previously received criticism for earlier designs (America's Most Haunted, Rob Zombie's Spookshow International)
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (referenced in KB as based in Benton, Wisconsin)
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball; subject of documentary 'Things That Go Bump in the Night'; praised for entrepreneurial dedication and humility
Presumed CEO of Spooky Pinball; mentioned in context of Spooky's boutique business strategy
CEO/founder of Spooky Pinball; described as having 'put a few million in his pocket' and living the American Pinball Dream; now at strategic crossroads regarding talent acquisition
Associated with Spooky Pinball (referenced as speaking with hosts about Alice Cooper)
Spooky Pinball CEO; presented Best Website award
CEO of Spooky Pinball; oversaw Evil Dead project direction with Jon Hey; father of Bug
Co-founder of Spooky Pinball; met Ben Heck at Midwest Gaming Classic; worked with Ben on production optimization for games
Spooky Pinball staff; discussed production improvements between prototype and production Alice Cooper machines
Co-owner and creative director of Spooky Pinball; guest appearance on stream
Representative from Spooky Pinball who appears as guest during stream
Spooky Pinball co-founder; present on stream during gameplay demonstration
Spooky Pinball founder/co-owner; father-in-law to Spooky Luke; mentioned as 'they' in company decisions
Owner of Spooky Pinball; mentioned as 'Charlie' throughout stream; confirms it's their third production machine.
Spooky Pinball co-owner; referenced as present during event ('Charlie. Welcome to the future')
Co-owner/creative director of Spooky Pinball, mentioned as potentially unaware of Ben Heckler's hidden super code in America's Most Haunted
Associated with Spooky Pinball; Jack mentions Charlie 'wouldn't mind getting it on screen' regarding America's Most Haunted
Spooky Pinball co-owner/representative; appeared on Super Awesome Pinball Shows podcast discussing Halloween design details
Spooky Pinball co-owner; took Halloween game to horror movie convention
Co-owner and operator of Spooky Pinball LLC alongside wife Katie; manages manufacturing, team, sourcing, and production logistics for TNA and other Spooky titles
Founder/operator of Spooky Pinball, known for prioritizing affordable pricing over aggressive growth
Mentioned by Mueller as person he connected with regarding pinball; appeared to discuss potential Deep Root involvement (plans didn't materialize)
Spooky Pinball host for the facility tour
CEO of Spooky Pinball; appeared on Super Awesome Pinball Show discussing Halloween flow characteristics
Spooky Pinball staff member; hosts Don during factory tour
Spooky Pinball co-owner who defended Alice Cooper's flat delivery as characteristic of the musician's vocal style
Former head of Spooky Pinball; tenure appears to have transitioned; referenced in speculation about ownership/creative direction changes
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball; reportedly stepped back from day-to-day operations to focus on licensing; subject of listener inquiry about his current role
Owner of Spooky Pinball; responded on Pinside regarding playfield replacement solution for Total Nuclear Annihilation clearcoat issues
Owner of Spooky Pinball; responded publicly to Ben Heck's criticism; offered Ben ownership stake which was declined
Co-founder of Spooky Pinball, father of Bug Emery
Co-owner and creative director of Spooky Pinball; confirmed TNA 2.0 plans in Super Awesome Pinball Show interview
Co-founder/creative director of Spooky Pinball; encountered in parking lot during visit
Founder of Spooky Pinball, transitioning from podcast host to pinball manufacturer
Day One Pinball team member; playfield and translite printing
Spooky Pinball representative who explained game features and platform changes in official reveal video
Spooky Pinball representative; co-presented with Scott Danesi on homebrew and upcoming titles
Spooky Pinball representative who narrated presentation about game development and working with Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper
Head of Spooky Pinball; developing Rob Zombie's Spookshow International
Co-owner/creative director of Spooky Pinball, presented Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle at Texas Pinball Festival
Founder of Spooky Pinball
Founder/leader of Spooky Pinball; started with printing background; small business incubator origin story
Co-owner/creative director at Spooky Pinball; didn't see Rick and Morty game until whitewood stage; approved pop bumper design
Founder of Spooky Pinball, father of Bug; now in advisory/consulting role after stepping back from public-facing operations but maintains design review involvement
Industry figure interviewed twice during show's first year
Spooky Pinball co-owner; informed Franchi about podcast ending and YouTube transition
Co-founder and grand poobah of Spooky Pinball; third appearance on Super Awesome Pinball Show; makes game licensing and strategic decisions for the company
Co-owner/creative director of Spooky Pinball, guest on episode, involved in voice acting for Rick and Morty pinball
Founder/operator of Spooky Pinball, 10+ year podcast host, discussed Rick and Morty project leadership and manufacturing expansion
Founder of Spooky Pinball in 2013; family business operator
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (implied co-host/co-creator throughout conversation)
Spooky Pinball staff member present during factory visit and stream gameplay
Founder/leader of Spooky Pinball; was emotional when announcing Bowen Cairns joining the company
Spooky Pinball co-founder, announced production strategy for Total Nuclear Annihilation/Alice Cooper on Spooky podcast
Leadership at Spooky Pinball; sat down with Scott to discuss Rick and Morty design decisions including the pop bumper replacement
Co-founder/co-owner of Spooky Pinball; Luke is son-in-law
Founder and creative director of Spooky Pinball. Instrumental in inviting Don to relocate and collaborate. His father (Mr. Emery) sold his house to Don.
Co-founder/creative director of Spooky Pinball; met Van Ness at TPF while Van Ness was wearing a horror shirt
Founder and original head of Spooky Pinball who started the Spooky Pinball podcast around 2010 while working in printing. Made bold decision to launch company in 2013 with no business experience. Father of Bug's co-founder and father-in-law of Spooky Luke.
Spooky Pinball owner/operator; clarified Scooby-Doo blanket was personal dog bedding, not product tease
Spooky Pinball co-founder and management; mentioned in context of previous CGC collaboration decisions possibly from earlier leadership era
Spooky Pinball owner; attempted to deflect Dr. John's beach towel Easter egg question at Texas Pinball Festival 2021
Founder and boss of Spooky Pinball; hires staff (Luke was hired via grandmother's recommendation); makes strategic business decisions; recognizes team contributions
Founder/creative lead at Spooky Pinball; interviewed about Halloween design; showed strong emotion when Evil Dead 2 was dismissed
Spooky Pinball staff/leadership; posting teaser content for upcoming unreleased game
Spooky Pinball leadership; interviewed about clear coat processes, TNA 2.0 possibilities, playfield quality; discussed new designer announcement timeline
Co-owner/creative director of Spooky Pinball; released YouTube video detailing next game specifications
Associated with Spooky Pinball; announced facility expansion in Benton, Wisconsin
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball; mentioned discussing Alice Cooper code alongside Bug
Spooky Pinball founder; agreed to appear on Triple Drain podcast but requested to wait until after game reveal
Spooky Pinball leader; nervous but emotional during Alice Cooper reveal; receives credit for game quality
Spooky Pinball co-founder, guest on Final Round Podcast, discussed licensing with Warner Brothers for Rick and Morty pinball
Spooky Pinball representative, discussing Alice Cooper game production and development philosophy
Representative of Spooky Pinball who worked with Alice Cooper on the pinball machine, sent call-out scripts
Founder of Spooky Pinball. Started company with zero savings in 1999-2000. Managed all aspects (design, code, licensing, tech support, shows) until around 2015-2016 (Rick and Morty Christmas build). Now semi-retired, stepped back from daily operations.
Founder/head of Spooky Pinball; referenced as 'Charlie and his whole family work there' in family business context
Owner/founder of Spooky Pinball; released Halloween and Ultraman in 2021; ranked #2
Founder of Spooky Pinball, father of Bug; advised Haggis founder Damien with manufacturing wisdom; built Spooky from humble beginnings to industry-standard quality
Founder of Spooky Pinball; met by David Peck; praised for starting small and growing ethically, similar to David's own business journey.
Founder of Spooky Pinball; hosted podcast where Jack made historic JJP announcement; long-time customer of Jack's Pinball Sales business
Bug's father; co-founder of Spooky Pinball
Founder/leader of Spooky Pinball; recognized for building successful family pinball business
Father of Bug and co-founder of Spooky Pinball; observed during launch with 'look of pride'
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (referenced as co-running with Bug and sharing Tim Burton appreciation)
Co-owner/runs Spooky Pinball with Bug
Founded Spooky Pinball in 2013, made early licensing decisions (Rob Zombie, Ultraman), known for choosing themes based on personal preferences
Co-owns Spooky Pinball; anecdote about wanting magnet on Friday the 13th game that George Gomez used on Alice Cooper
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (based on domain context)
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball; one of the 'friends' who invited Don to move to Benton
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (mentioned indirectly as working with Don on playfield)
Co-founder/co-owner of Spooky Pinball
Spooky Pinball owner; mentioned as part of leadership team maintaining company culture and hands-on approach
Founder of Spooky Pinball; created company and first game that started business development complex
Spooky Pinball co-owner (implied); house used for midnight release party
Co-owner of Spooky Pinball (mentioned implicitly as leadership)
Owner/operator of Spooky Pinball, mentioned as present during Don's factory visits
Owner/founder of Spooky Pinball; made surprise appearance at the Emery house during recording; took all his pinball machines when leaving
Co-founder/operator of Spooky Pinball; confirmed Alice Cooper sales milestone
Spooky Pinball founder; publicly responded to Ben Heck's criticisms; offered Ben Heck partnership during AMH development; paid for incomplete Evil Dead design
Spooky Pinball founder/representative
Associated with Spooky Pinball (referenced as part of design team)
Co-founder/operator of Spooky Pinball; praised for passion and business acumen alongside family
Co-founder and operator of Spooky Pinball; transitioned from podcast host to pinball manufacturer
Head of Spooky Pinball; stated he's 'thrown everything at' Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle
Spooky Pinball owner; credited for thoughtful company culture and community engagement
Spooky Pinball leadership (implied from glossary; not explicitly mentioned in content)
Operators of Spooky Pinball (mentioned via reference); posted Beetlejuice response during Winchester reveal
Run Spooky Pinball (mentioned as 'Charlie and Bug')
Spooky Pinball leadership mentioned in context of company evolution
Founder/former public face of Spooky Pinball; stepped back from operational role; described as warm/endearing personality who influenced company brand perception
Spooky Pinball co-founder (mentioned as part of team in glossary context)
Implied founder/leader of Spooky Pinball ('I'm going to give Spooky a call')
Founder/operator of Spooky Pinball in Benton, Wisconsin
Co-owner/founder of Spooky Pinball; sold house to Don Garrison