Drinks with Jack* (Featuring Rebecca Hinsdale and Jody Dankberg) - Ep 9 Jeremy "Zombie Yeti" Packer

Stern Pinball·video·7m 18s·analyzed·Nov 10, 2022

Analysis

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TL;DR

Zombie Yeti recounts his path from failed game projects to becoming Stern's most prolific artist, emphasizing perfectionism and creative depth.

Summary

Jeremy "Zombie Yeti" Packer discusses his career trajectory into pinball art, beginning with early work on unreleased titles with John Papaduke around 2011, his introduction to Stern through Dennis Nordman and Greg Ferris, and his evolution into a prolific artist creating approximately 21 art packages (counting Pro/Premium/LE variants) across major titles including Ghostbusters, Iron Maiden, Deadpool, Avengers, TMNT, and Godzilla. He reflects on his artistic philosophy emphasizing deep, focused work over constant sketching, perfectionism that sometimes exceeds production schedules, and the influence of UI design thinking on his playfield approach.

Key Claims

Packer worked on approximately 7-8 game titles with John Papaduke that never came to fruition
high confidence · Direct statement from Zombie Yeti: 'I technically worked on probably about seven or eight different titles' in early career work around 2011
Packer has created approximately 21 art packages (counting Pro/Premium/LE variants) at Stern
high confidence · Direct quote: 'It's like closer to 21 if you want. That's counting Pro, Premium, LE.'
Packer has worked with every design team currently at Stern
high confidence · Direct statement: 'I've worked with every team as of right now that's at Stern, I think.'
On Godzilla Pro, Packer scrapped his initial coloring work and started over despite schedule pressure
high confidence · Packer: 'I colored it. I hated it and I scrapped it and started over. I didn't have the time to do that by the way, based on the schedule, but I did it anyway because it was the right thing to do.'
Packer learned UI design principles during the dot-com boom era that influenced his approach to playfield design
high confidence · Packer explains: 'I learned a lot about user interface...I found in pinball when I came back to it was the playfield is user interface.'

Notable Quotes

“People don't know is when you're a freelance illustrator, you're only as good as the last thing you did.”
Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) @ mid-interview — Explains his perfectionist philosophy and pressure to maintain quality standards
“I don't have times. So I have a different approach uh than a lot of my friends who do art who literally are constantly just in sketchbooks. When I go into a project, I stay in it and I go deep for a long period of time because I don't want to disappoint people.”
Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) @ mid-interview — Core description of his artistic process and methodology
“I kind of assume I'm always going to disappoint everyone.”
Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) @ mid-interview — Reveals perfectionist mindset and self-doubt despite critical acclaim
“The Godzilla Pro. I colored it. I hated it and I scrapped it and started over. I didn't have the time to do that by the way, based on the schedule, but I did it anyway because it was the right thing to do.”
Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) @ mid-interview — Concrete example of his willingness to exceed schedule commitments for quality
“The playfield is user interface. And so by knowing the user interface, I was able to kind of break it a little bit and try to push things a little further.”
Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) @ late-interview — Articulates his design philosophy connecting UI principles to playfield art

Entities

Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti)person Greg Ferrisperson Dennis Nordmanperson John PapadukepersonStern PinballcompanyGhostbustersgame Iron Maidengame Deadpoolgame

Signals

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design_philosophy: Zombie Yeti employs perfectionist approach with deep immersion in projects, willing to exceed schedule constraints for quality; applies UI design principles to playfield art
high · Packer: 'I don't have times...I stay in it and I go deep for a long period of time' and 'The playfield is user interface'
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community_signal: Zombie Yeti's artistic process differs from sketch-based workflow; emphasizes deep focus on single projects over extended periods
high · Packer: 'I have a different approach uh than a lot of my friends who do art who literally are constantly just in sketchbooks'
?
personnel_signal: Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) confirmed as head of Stern Pinball art department with involvement across all current design teams
high · Packer states 'I've worked with every team as of right now that's at Stern' and hosts reference that 'your art is everywhere in this room and we all love it'
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product_concern: Zombie Yeti scrapped initial Godzilla Pro coloring despite schedule pressure, indicating potential production timeline pressures that require creative sacrifices
medium · Packer: 'I didn't have the time to do that by the way, based on the schedule, but I did it anyway because it was the right thing to do'

Topics

Zombie Yeti's career history and early failed projectsprimaryZombie Yeti's artistic philosophy and processprimaryStern Pinball art department operations and personnelprimaryPinball game art packages and visual designprimaryPerfectionism in creative work and quality standardssecondaryUI design principles applied to playfield artsecondaryGreg Ferris's role in artist development at Sternsecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.78)— Packer is self-deprecating and expresses perfectionist anxiety, but the overall tone is warm, appreciative, and celebratory of his contributions. Hosts express admiration for his work. Mix of humor and genuine reflection creates generally positive atmosphere.

Transcript

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I don't know if you know this or not I'm different than most kids I liked cartoons as a kid most kids don't yeah kids don't usually like cartoons yeah they don't like cartoons they're so weird I know let's just jump right into it how did you get involved in pinball art or specifically how did you get involved with Stern Pinball uh when it comes to pinball um My Story begins in 2011 is anyone young enough to remember 2011. those are the before basically I worked with a gentleman by the name of John Popadiuk uh on a bunch of games that never came to fruition oh no how many how many how many of those games well I technically worked on probably about seven or eight different titles you know what I have I yeah you know what I'm gonna congratulate you because today I saw one of those titles yeah like 15 years later congratulations not really all those projects failed miserably uh famously failed but sometimes you have to fail to move forward and so you met Greg frerish through some of these projects well because of Dennis Nordman Dennis Nordman reached out to me and I worked on two projects with him and and then he goes uh hey uh I need to introduce you to this uh Guy Greg Frey Paris and I go did you just have a stroke and he goes no his name's Ferris don't you mean Ferris I'm looking at Greg by the way he's over there yeah and uh right here he's and I believe yeah Greg I believe I went I met him at Stern Greg laughed at like a few of my jokes and I go this guy's good I like him and then uh over time we emailed back and forth and then one day Greg goes uh he like emails me and he goes hey I might have something of Interest what what was that a game called Ghostbusters Ghostbusters I don't know anybody heard of the Ghostbusters I don't know if you've heard of this but uh it involved uh some fellas busting ghosts some busting busting makes me feel these guys were busting they were busting because you know why and they don't feel good it did it I recall that that they did feel good about it now and then uh and pretty much from there I kept going hey Greg uh can I do more and he goes uh he goes I don't know and I go please and then he goes well you didn't say please and so he's let me do other stuff you now worked for stern I saw some the other day you posted you've made like 50 art packages no no it's like closer to 21 if you want that's counting Pro premium Le we said we had Ghostbusters Ghostbusters Iron Maiden dead Deadpool we did Avengers Avengers Ninja Turtles Ninja Turtles uh Godzilla that's a pretty good group of games and it sounds like you've worked with almost every design team on the roster yes I've worked with every team as of right now that's at Stern I think can you tell us the most challenging project you you worked on um no I won't say that but okay well only because I don't like to kiss and tell okay I'm a gentleman okay so they've all been wonderful no and super well I think well we've talked about this before sometimes the ones with less constraints are harder so here's the thing so Greg Freres he actually is really good at um helping facilitate my strengths and my strengths are working when you have a little bit of time to make something creative for yourself what what is that what does that look like it doesn't Okay so I don't have times so I have a different approach uh than a lot of my friends who do art who literally are constantly just in sketchbooks when I go into a project I stay in it and I go deep for a long period of time because I don't want to disappoint people first and foremost my friends at Stern but then greater than that the community and like I kind of assume I'm always going to disappoint everyone super super depressing it's repressing he's a tortured artist it's super depressed that's what pushes them forward very high standards for yourself and foreign the public in thinking that we would be disappointed in what you provide for us well when your art has is everywhere in this room and we all love it so I'll give you I'll give you just one uh example and that is Godzilla the Godzilla Pro I colored I hated it and I scrapped it and started over I didn't have the time to do that by the way based on the schedule but I did it anyway because it was the right thing to do and what came out is better name on it so oh my listen listen here's the thing people don't know is when you're a freelance illustrator you're only as good as the last thing you did now some people can ride on on like their past successes like you know pinball designers uh I'm kidding I'm kidding let's go back in time what was it that got you into this field this art field and how did you start drawing I started drawing before I could form uh memories in my mind I don't know I've just always how do you know you started drawing if you can't remember because my grandmother kept drawings I did from when I was like two years old so there yeah I stand and I don't remember I don't remember any of them I look at them I go those are terrible why would anybody hire me awful artist baby artists I was like what what kind of kid like I would have gotten rid of that kid so were you one of those people that like went through school and all their formative years knowing that you wanted to be an artist uh yes and no like like yes it was the only thing I was good at so what would happen is I would be at school and uh I would draw things that I would rather have been doing than being in school and essentially everything I drew was based upon video games or cartoons set yourself up to be a pinball artist in a lot of ways that's actually kind of true in the most weird sense or when I got out of school the.com this is how old I am your.com thing was going on the big bubble boom thing was growing yeah whatever that it was before it busted I learned a lot about user interface and what I found in pinball when I came back to it was the Playfield is user interface and so by knowing the user interface I was able to kind of break it a little bit and try to push things a little further I don't know if it's successful in how I approach it but I enjoy trying you to do more so it must be someone for now for now for now as good as your last battle well Jeremy thank you so much for everything you've done for the arc Community for the pinball community