Rachel Bess is a prominent figure in the pinball community, serving as co-founder and operator of Electric Bat Arcade and co-founder of ZapCon arcade convention. Beyond pinball, she is recognized as a world-famous oil painter. She is an active content creator and community personality who participates in pinball panels, including seminars on Women in Pinball, and engages with industry events like Pinball Expo.
No facts recorded
Approximately 75% of new pinball machines require setup or repairs out of the box
Operating an arcade venue requires 60+ hours per week when also running bar operations and events
Electric Bat's social media and podcasting efforts drove explosive growth in Arizona pinball community
Electric Bat submits 110-125 unique players per 6-week IFPA series out of ~200 total unique players during that period
Co-owner/operator of Electric Bat Arcade in Tempe, Arizona; podcast host; professional artist; arcade operations expert
Described as one of the 'two greatest techs in the world'; works at Electric Bat arcade
Co-host of Pinball Party Podcast, characterized similarly to Kale as whiny, known for drawing (referenced as 'anybody who draws a bunch of dicks')
Co-operator of Electric Bat Arcade with Kale; discovered ball-tracking bug on Galactic Tank Force; recovering from Expo travel
Co-owner of Electric Bat Arcade with Kale; podcast content creator; attended factory tour
Owner-operator of Electric Bat Arcade (Tempe and Flagstaff locations), painter, rail-maker, tournament organizer, co-founder of ZapCon
No contradictions detected
No linked glossary terms
Electric Bat generates more than 50% of revenue from pinball/arcade games
Rachel Bess has been playing pinball since her early teenage years
Women-in-Pinball panel being preceded by pinup celebration panel created awkward optics regarding female participation encouragement
Electric Bat Arcade hosts the largest single-location pinball league in the world with 120 players every Tuesday night
Creating non-asshole community spaces is the primary factor in retaining women in pinball
Liquor sourcing faces 6+ month delays for certain imports like mezcal due to border issues
The limiting factor for arcade growth is availability of skilled technicians, not demand for machines
Tournament play and special events are responsible for approximately 40% of Electric Bat's income through indirect effects
Tuesday League nights at Electric Bat generate approximately 15% of monthly arcade income
Chrome steel pinballs cannot be replicated by buffing standard carbon steel balls due to fundamental material composition differences
Electric Bat Arcade has not taken a Tuesday League night off since COVID began
Rachel handles 100% of the administrative work for Electric Bat Arcade
Jake Danzig's Dukes of Hazzard custom pin outperforms commercial machines like Galactic Tank Force in reliability
Electric Bat Arcade uses machine audits rather than manual token counting for monthly revenue tracking
Godzilla was released in 2021 and continues to earn exceptionally well for a machine of its age
Godfather is the second-highest earner at Electric Bat Arcade despite Foo Fighters being priced slightly cheaper
Foo Fighters Pro is now the #1 earner at Electric Bat Arcade, surpassing Toy Story's previous record by ~15%
Pricing psychology (3-for-2 play option) may be a factor in Foo Fighters outearning Godfather despite similar quality
Toy Story dropped approximately 50% in earnings after the first 2-3 months on location
Humidity above 70% causes lacquer to 'bloom' or turn milky when applied to pinball rails
Phoenix pinball scene has approximately 40 different locations where you can play pinball
Most Phoenix arcade operators are former hobbyists who transitioned specifically because they had too many machines for home storage
Rachel's rail-making business was closed for six months due to material sourcing constraints and humidity conditions during COVID
LED Zeppelin is the first game to surpass Rick and Morty in Coindrop earnings at Electric Bat since Rick and Morty's release
Electric Bat's Tuesday night league had 45 people participate at last meeting
Theme is the primary driver for casual/new players at location venues; mechanical depth matters far less to first-time or intoxicated players
IFPA participation dipped during its inactivity period but is recovering in anticipation of August restart
Co-operator/curator of Electric Bat Arcade in Phoenix with Kale Hernandez; runs tournaments and maintains collection
Operator/designer at Electro Arcade; recently interviewed on This Flippin' Podcast; described as 'extremely talented'
Guest from Straight Down the Middle podcast; operator/owner of Electric Bat Arcade; started/manages ZapCon; attended event with Kale
Owner/founder of Electric Bat Arcade; pinball operator and collector; provides location earnings data and game preference insights
Owner of Electric Bat Arcade with husband Kale; operates largest single-location pinball league (120 players Tuesday nights); handles arcade tech and operations; podcaster
Electric Bat Arcade representative; panelist on 'Pinball Behind The Scenes' roundtable discussion
Co-host of Electric Bat Cast; co-owner of Electric Bat Arcade; handles financial/operational data, inventory management, revenue analytics for arcade
Co-host of Electric Bat Cast; primary administrator of Electric Bat Arcade; handles all financial/operational admin
Co-host of Electric Bat Cast podcast; co-operator of Electric Bat Arcade; pinball player and venue business operator focused on game selection and community engagement
Co-founder and operator of Electric Bat Arcade; pinball aficionado and long-time player since teenage years; formerly worked at Marco Specialties; organized pinball tournaments; passionate about expanding pinball participation
Co-founder and operator of Electric Bat Arcade; full-time oil painter (rachelbess.com); one of founders of ZapCon arcade convention; married to Kale; instrumental in arcade business development
Roundtable panelist, conducted Women in Pinball seminar at Expo, actively seeking Winchester units from distributors
Pinball content creator, panel participant on Women in Pinball, Expo attendee with NDA knowledge of Winchester
Co-founder/operator of Electric Bat Arcade, world-famous oil painter, co-founder of ZapCon arcade convention, pinball community personality
Operating Electric Bat Arcade in Arizona; participating in 'Women of Pinball' seminar at Expo 2025
New Patreon member; co-host of Electric Bat Arcade Pincast; co-runs The Pin Pals podcast with Kale Hernandez
Friend of Christopher Franchi; appears as Easter egg character in Beatles game (fan with 'I love Paul' banner)
Co-founder and operator of Electric Bat Arcade. Founded Zapcon (Arizona's premier pinball/arcade convention) 10-12 years before arcade opening. Previously worked at Marco Specialties as graphic designer and customer service. Manages bar operations and arcade direction.