STERN APPOINTS NEW STUDIO ART DIRECTOR

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Apr 14, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.021

TL;DR

Stern appoints Zombie Yeti as Studio Art Director; King Kong reveal imminent.

Summary

Stern Pinball has appointed Jeremy Packer (aka Zombie Yeti) as Studio Art Director, a full-time position he takes after working as a contractor and project artist since 2016. Packer's appointment follows the brief tenure of Sebastian Napoli and comes one day before the reveal of King Kong: Myth of Terror Island, which features Packer's artwork. Packer has created art packages for numerous major Stern titles including Ghostbusters, Iron Maiden, Deadpool, TMNT, and Godzilla.

Key Claims

Jeremy Packer debuted with Stern in 2016 with Ghostbusters artwork
high confidence · Direct statement from Stern announcement; consistent with KB records showing Packer's long tenure
Packer became a full-time employee at Stern in February 2023 with title of Project Artist
high confidence · Pinball News article cites Stern's August 2023 announcement
Sebastian Napoli was appointed Art Director after Greg Freres' October 2024 retirement but departed after only a few months
high confidence · Direct statement in article with timeline provided
King Kong: Myth of Terror Island features a complete art package created by Jeremy Packer
high confidence · Stated in article; Packer's appointment announcement explicitly references this game
George Gomez stated Packer 'continues to provide the best artwork in the industry'
high confidence · Direct quote from official Stern announcement

Notable Quotes

“Jeremy continues to provide the best artwork in the industry with his work receiving numerous accolades. We're excited for him to lead the way with the entire art studio here at Stern Pinball and showcase his incredible art collaboration on the newly announced King Kong: Myth of Terror Island pinball machine.”
George Gomez, Chief Creative Officer of Stern Pinball @ April 14, 2025 announcement — Official endorsement of Packer's promotion and explicit positioning of King Kong as a flagship collaborative project
“Jeremy has cemented himself as a top-tier talent in the illustration business.”
Stern Pinball official announcement @ April 14, 2025 — Formal characterization of Packer's industry standing in official capacity
“His innovative approach to creating cohesive, story-driven artwork helped modernize pinball's aesthetics and reintroduce hand-drawn techniques to a market often reliant on photo-based or digital collage.”
Stern Pinball official announcement @ April 14, 2025 — Articulates Packer's strategic contribution to Stern's artistic direction and market positioning

Entities

Jeremy Packerperson Zombie YetipersonStern PinballcompanyGeorge Gomezperson Greg FrerespersonSebastian NapolipersonKing Kong: Myth of Terror Islandgame Ghostbusters

Signals

?
business_signal: Stern demonstrates confidence in Packer through promotion to leadership role, signaling that his artistic contributions are central to the company's product strategy
high · Promotion from contractor/project artist status to full-time leadership position; George Gomez's explicit endorsement of Packer's artistic contributions
?
design_philosophy: Stern officially endorsing Packer's artistic approach of hand-drawn, comic-inspired techniques as strategic modernization of pinball aesthetics
high · Stern statement: 'His innovative approach to creating cohesive, story-driven artwork helped modernize pinball's aesthetics and reintroduce hand-drawn techniques to a market often reliant on photo-based or digital collage'
?
event_signal: King Kong: Myth of Terror Island reveal scheduled for April 15, 2025, one day after Packer's appointment announcement, creating coordinated marketing messaging
high · Article states King Kong reveal is 'due to launch tomorrow, April 15th' and appointment announcement was April 14; George Gomez explicitly references the game in his endorsement
?
personnel_signal: Leadership gap in Stern art department filled after brief tenure of Sebastian Napoli; Packer's appointment restores continuity and direction to the studio
high · Article documents Sebastian Napoli's appointment after Greg Freres' retirement and his subsequent departure within months, with Packer's appointment filling the void
?
personnel_signal: Jeremy Packer promoted from Project Artist to Studio Art Director at Stern Pinball, representing internal advancement and confirmation of leadership confidence

Topics

Personnel changes at Stern PinballprimaryArtistic direction and visual design in pinballprimaryKing Kong: Myth of Terror Island announcementprimaryJeremy Packer/Zombie Yeti career progressionprimaryStern Pinball organizational structuresecondaryArt department leadership transitionssecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Announcement celebrates Packer's appointment and achievements; language is congratulatory and emphasizes his expertise and industry standing. No negative or critical elements present in the announcement.

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

[Stern Pinball](https://sternpinball.com/) today announced the appointment of Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) as their new Studio Art Director. [![Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti), Stern Pinball's new Studio Art Director](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/jeremy-packer-stern-art-director/01-jeremy-packer-stern-art-director-904x1024.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/jeremy-packer-stern-art-director/01-jeremy-packer-stern-art-director.jpg) Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti), Stern Pinball’s new Studio Art Director Jeremy, who also goes under the name Zombie Yeti, has worked on Stern Pinball titles since 2016 when he debuted with the art package for Ghostbusters. Despite creating the artwork for many more Stern titles as a contractor, including *Iron Maiden*, *Deadpool*, *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*, *The Avengers: Infinity Quest* and *Godzilla*, it wasn’t until February 2023 that he became a full-time employee at Stern, [taking on the title of Project Artist](https://sternpinball.com/2023/08/02/stern-pinball-welcomes-jeremy-packer-as-project-artist/). Many people thought Jeremy would be in the running to take over from Stern’s Art Director, Greg Freres, when Greg [retired from the company in October last year](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2024/07/11/greg-freres-retires/). However, Stern appointed Sebastian Napoli instead. Sebastian’s tenure only lasted a few months before he departed to work on alternate projects. He does still work with Stern on a contractual basis, but his departure left the art department without a head. The announcement of Jeremy’s appointment as Studio Art Director fills that void and comes one day before his latest work for the company is revealed. Stern’s *King Kong: Myth of Terror Island* is due to launch tomorrow, April 15th and it features a complete art package created by Jeremy. Here’s how Stern Pinball made the announcement of Jeremy’s appointment. | | | --- | | **Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) Appointed Studio Art Director** **CHICAGO, IL – April 14, 2025** – Stern Pinball, Inc. (SPI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeremy Packer (Zombie Yeti) (aka Zombie Yeti) as Studio Art Director. With his impeccable draftsmanship, innate sense of balanced composition and commendable attention to detail, Jeremy has cemented himself as a top-tier talent in the illustration business. His portfolio features a vast array of iconic Stern Pinball games, including Foo Fighters, Ghostbusters, Deadpool, Avengers: Infinity Quest, Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Iron Maiden, Venom and The Uncanny X-Men. Jeremy is an award winning illustrator who gained recognition in the pinball industry for his dynamic, comic-inspired art style. Early influences such as comic books, gig posters, and street-art culture shaped his bold use of colors, highly detailed character work, and playful visual narratives. His innovative approach to creating cohesive, story-driven artwork helped modernize pinball’s aesthetics and reintroduce hand-drawn techniques to a market often reliant on photo-based or digital collage. “*Jeremy continues to provide the best artwork in the industry with his work receiving numerous accolades. We’re excited for him to lead the way with the entire art studio here at Stern Pinball and showcase his incredible art collaboration on the newly announced King Kong: Myth of Terror Island pinball machine,*” said George Gomez, Chief Creative Officer of Stern Pinball, Inc. | | | Congratulations to Jeremy on his new position. Catch the reveal of *King Kong: Myth of Terror Island* here at Pinball News as soon as it is announced tomorrow.