Dirtypool Pinball - PODCAST - An Exploration Of The Pinball Industry

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep28 - Jason Zahler - The World’s Best Pinball Player

▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlisthttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJjI sit down with the highest ranked pinball player in the world, Jason Zahler, to get into what competitive pinball actually looks like at that level. We get into his early start, climbing to number one, how he approaches tournaments, what separates top players from everyone else, and how he keeps his edge when every event matters. What's it like inside the mind of a prodigy pinball player... Also does Zahler speak???🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch http://www.twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube http://www.youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook http://www.facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball00:00:00 - Intro and bringing on the world number one00:02:00 - Starting young and early competitive path00:04:00 - Early tournaments and realizing competitive potential00:06:00 - Talent vs work ethic and what actually matters00:08:00 - Building real skill rules knowledge vs raw play00:10:30 - Favorite games and why strategy depth matters00:12:30 - Classic games risk reward and scoring pressure00:15:00 - Keith Elwin design discussion and what makes his games different00:17:30 - Modern games and adapting to deeper rule sets00:20:00 - Practice habits and balancing school life00:22:30 - Playing less but staying sharp and efficient00:25:00 - Physical side of pinball and tournament endurance00:27:30 - Mental game and controlling tilt under pressure00:30:00 - Staying positive and avoiding bad mindset traps00:32:30 - Adjusting quickly to tournament machines00:35:00 - Risk management and avoiding costly mistakes00:37:00 - Recovering after bad balls and staying focused00:39:30 - Fatigue and surviving long multi day events00:42:00 - Finding the zone and playing at peak level00:44:30 - Advice for players with limited practice time00:47:00 - Choosing tournaments and managing travel schedule00:49:30 - Past grind years vs current selective approach00:52:00 - Abe Flips video and visual learning for pinball skills00:54:00 - Studying high level play to improve execution00:56:00 - Time commitment required to stay competitive00:58:00 - Advice for breaking into competitive pinball01:00:00 - Common mistakes newer players make01:02:00 - Growing pinball and exposure challenges01:04:30 - Streaming and visibility helping the scene01:07:00 - Why pinball clicks once people try it01:09:30 - Final thoughts on the community and future01:11:00 - Outro and Praise the Great Pyramid#pinball #pinballwizard #competitivepinball #pinballpodcast #dirtypoolpodcast #ifpa #pinballcommunity #arcadegames #flippercontrol #pinballlife #pinballplayers #pinballaddict #pinballculture #arcadeculture #retroarcade #gamingpodcast #silverball #tilt #nudging #pinballtips #highscore #tournamentplay #pinballstream #dirtypoolpinball #homearcade #pinballenthusiast #classicarcade #modernpinball

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep27 - Abe Flips - Mastering Pinball

▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlisthttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJjAbe Flips from AbeFlips.com joins the Dirty Pool Podcast to talk about his new instructional series Mastering Pinball and the state of modern pinball education. Abe has become one of the most respected teachers in the hobby through his clear breakdowns of real control techniques, helping players move beyond random flipping and actually understand how pinball works. His videos carry forward the instructional legacy of Keith Elwin and company’s classic Pinball 101 era, but updated for the modern generation of competitive and home players. We talk about how the series came together, why teaching pinball still matters, and how the community continues passing down knowledge one tutorial at a time.⚪ Mastering Pinball Contributors:Jeff Teolis : https://www.pinballprofile.com/Scott Danesi : http://www.scottdanesi.com/Robert Glashüttner : https://theballiswild.net/Simon Platzer : https://www.grainhouse.productions/🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch http://www.twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube http://www.youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram http://www.instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook http://www.facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball00:00:00 - Introducing Abe Flips and the rise of modern pinball tutorials00:01:20 - Pinball 101 and the early history of pinball training videos00:02:20 - The long wait for Mastering Pinball after the trailer00:03:30 - Filming massive slow motion footage for pinball techniques00:05:00 - Explaining flipper skills and visual teaching methods00:07:20 - Demonstrating drop catch mechanics in slow motion00:08:30 - Scott Danesi’s music and the Blu-ray release decision00:10:00 - Filming locations and access to many different machines00:12:30 - Planning shots and building repeatable ball feeds00:14:00 - Using extreme high-speed cameras for pinball physics00:16:00 - Advanced nudging to extend flipper reach00:17:10 - Virtual pinball machines and learning rules digitally00:18:30 - Moving from YouTube tutorials to a full film project00:20:20 - Balancing humor and serious instruction in the film00:22:00 - Using colored balls to reveal spin and ball behavior00:25:40 - Production timeline and unexpected licensing hurdles00:28:00 - Studying pro player footage to discover new techniques00:29:40 - Lighting setups and challenges filming high-speed video00:31:00 - The Mastering Pinball masterclass and community Discord00:33:00 - Stage flipping and how flipper hardware changes skills00:35:00 - How slow motion analysis improves real gameplay00:36:10 - Mechanical insights like flipper bushings and dead bounces00:38:00 - Stern catch, tip passes, and advanced control techniques00:41:00 - Community reactions and player improvement after watching00:44:00 - Advice for learning and practicing new pinball skills00:47:30 - Future plans and continuing pinball education content00:50:20 - Final thoughts on the impact of Mastering Pinball00:53:40 - Wrapping up the podcast and raid outro00:54:19 - Great Pyramid#pinball #pinballpodcast #abeflips #pinballtips #pinballtutorial #pinballstrategy #pinballskills #pinballtraining #pinballtechniques #competitivepinball #pinballcommunity #pinballplayers #pinballhowto #pinballlearning #pinballculture #pinballstream #dirtypoolpinball #pinballtalk #pinballfans #homepinball #pinballaddict #pinballwizard #pinballworld #modernpinball #pinballcoaching #pinballpractice #pinballgames #pinballlife

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep26 - Ron Richards of Scorbit The Online Pinball Ecosystem

🎧 Dirty Pool Podcast - Full Episode Archiveyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLCRon Richards joins to talk about the origin of Scorbit, the platform that lets pinball machines report their own scores. What started as a way to automatically capture game results became a hardware system that does much more.The Scorbitron reads score data from the game and sends it to the cloud, letting players track scores, compete on leaderboards, and check in with the app. The platform is now expanding into venue tools like digital payments and operator dashboards for arcades.🔵 Scorbit Links:📱 iOS App apps.apple.com/us/app/scorbit/id1505831174🤖 Android App play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scorbit🌐 Website scorbit.io🏟 Operator Platform scorbit.io/operators✉️ Contact contact@scorbit.io💬 Discord discord.gg/vySdvXXbrh📷 Instagram instagram.com/scorbitpinball📘 Facebook facebook.com/scorbitpinball🧵 Threads threads.com/@scorbitpinball🦋 BlueSky bsky.app/profile/scorbit.io🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball00:00:00 - Cold open and meeting Ron in person in LA00:02:30 - First impressions of early Scorbit streams and real time scoring00:04:45 - What Scorbit actually does inside a pinball machine00:07:30 - Traveling pinball players and using Scorbit on location00:10:15 - Choosing favorite machines and the data side of pinball00:13:40 - Evolution of the Scorbit app and new features00:16:20 - Selfie leagues and social pinball competition00:19:10 - Operator tools and location integration00:22:30 - The business model behind connected pinball00:25:15 - Tournaments, prizes, and competitive play potential00:28:05 - Future integrations and expanding the ecosystem00:31:00 - Connecting older machines like System 11 and Gorgar00:34:00 - Real world tournament testing and operator feedback00:37:00 - What the future of online pinball connectivity looks like00:39:35 - Final thoughts on Scorbit and the connected pinball ecosystem#pinball #scorbit #pinballpodcast #pinballmachine #pinballcommunity #arcade #arcadegames #barcade #pinballlife #pinballculture #pinballwizard #retroarcade #arcadeculture #sternpinball #jerseyjackpinball #spookypinball #turnerpinball #dutchpinball #modernpinball #connectedarcade #pinballtechnology #pinballstream #pinballstreamer #pinballtournament #arcadelife #dirtypoolpinball #pinballhistory #pinballinnovation

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep25 - DJ Warlock aka Cliff Albert on Pinball Culture

▶ Full Dirty Pool Podcast Playlisthttps://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS9lWVjGsygallsiz2_TJ_oxIlhl29fLC&si=iLC8oBnZfl_U7pJj▶ Previous Episodehttps://youtu.be/3yPvvL4yUYs?si=pw4ls-3WfSKiAJbaThis one isn’t about defining pinball culture. It’s about exploring what it means to different groups and why those meanings don’t always line up. Episode 25 of the Dirty Pool Podcast features Cliff Albert aka DJ Warlock, pinball DJ, punk rock lifer, location advocate, and longtime culture participant, for a wide-angle look at how different corners of the hobby see themselves.We talk about bar league regulars, tournament grinders, home collectors, operators, content creators, and casual players. What feels like “real pinball” to each group? Where do those perspectives overlap, and where do they quietly clash? Instead of criticizing, we step back and analyze the layers, the economics, the nostalgia, the accessibility, the DIY spirit, the streaming era, and the shift from quarters on glass to private game rooms.Cliff brings decades of experience from arcades and music scenes, and we approach the topic with curiosity rather than judgment. If you’ve ever wondered why pinball feels different depending on where you’re standing, this conversation will resonate.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔊 Discord – discord.gg/ySs5Wjb3Je00:00 Intro and guest welcome01:02 Framing the pinball culture conversation02:01 Discovering pinball through touring life03:10 Tournament era and Whopper chasing04:22 Early streaming and broken location games05:48 Punk identity meets pinball mythology07:07 Philly scene and diverse pinball community08:20 Inclusivity and Bells and Chimes discussion10:14 Lockdown streaming growth11:27 First major raid and community realization12:06 Streaming changes the culture13:02 Authenticity versus clout debate16:18 Defining authentic pinball content18:02 Podcasts then versus media day now20:21 Skill versus vibe discussion22:02 Expo stories and tournament energy24:47 Location magic and lost punk spaces26:36 Class tension and collection optics29:29 Does streaming grow the hobby31:32 Theme versus gameplay debate33:26 Pinball is personal34:02 Raven origin story36:04 Harlem Globetrotters fundamentals39:31 Collection stories and nostalgia43:12 Manufacturers players and responsibility49:40 Growing the hobby debate58:44 What authenticity really means01:02:15 Frustration versus love for pinball01:10:48 Different lanes in pinball culture01:20:18 Final reflections#DirtyPoolPodcast #DirtyPoolPinball #DJWarlock #CliffAlbert #PinballPodcast #PinballCulture #PinballCommunity #ArcadeCulture #LocationPinball #HomeArcade #CompetitivePinball #BarLeague #IFPA #PinballStreaming #PinballCollectors #SternPinball #JerseyJackPinball #SpookyPinball #DutchPinball #TurnerPinball #ArcadeHistory #ModernPinball #PinballEvents #PinballIndustry #PunkRock #FlipperLife #ArcadeScene #PinballDiscussion

Dirty Pool Podcast – Ep24 – Christopher Franchi (Spooky Pinball Art)

Pinball artist Christopher Franchi joins the show to talk about designing art for fast-moving, physical games where nothing stays still and everything has to read instantly. We get into how pinball’s mechanical constraints shape composition, how Spooky Pinball’s visual identity comes together, and why horror themes only work when restraint is part of the design. Franchi breaks down collaboration with designers and programmers, what gets lost between concept and production, and the small visual decisions most players never consciously notice—but always feel.@ZombieYetiStudios if you watch this you're so obviously not a pussy and I just really want you on my podcast!!!!!!🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔊 Discord discord.gg/ySs5Wjb3Je00:00:00 - Cold open chaos, wrong screen, and welcoming Franchi to the podcast00:01:10 - Running down Franchi’s pinball art history starting with Batman 6600:02:20 - Working with Lyman Sheets and understanding his legacy in pinball00:03:20 - Losing Lyman and what that meant to the pinball ecosystem00:03:55 - Jumping into newer games and starting the conversation with Beetlejuice00:04:35 - Color theory, restraint, and why Evil Dead’s palette actually works00:05:45 - Trial and error in Photoshop and knowing when colors fail00:06:40 - Widebody playfields and why they don’t feel bigger while designing00:07:55 - Designing around lower playfields and broken-up real estate00:08:45 - Viewer question about formal art training versus being self-taught00:09:20 - High school awards, scholarships, and getting kicked out at seventeen00:11:00 - Being forced to grow up fast and losing access to formal art education00:12:55 - How that moment delayed his career but shaped his work ethic00:13:45 - Finding satisfaction in independence and choosing projects carefully00:14:05 - Touring the collectibles room and revealing the Toys R Us wall00:15:30 - Adam West Batman obsession and meeting childhood heroes00:16:50 - When meeting heroes goes wrong and awkward fan moments00:18:10 - Pre-stream bonding and discovering the infamous fart audio library00:19:30 - Playing fart recordings live and naming them with chat00:21:15 - Why dumb humor still matters in creative spaces00:22:10 - Respecting sound design and physical audio performance00:23:50 - Returning to Beetlejuice and Tim Burton’s built-in color language00:24:45 - How Beetlejuice almost happened years earlier and finally landed at Spooky00:26:10 - Easter eggs, hidden jokes, and designing for obsessive fans00:27:05 - Accidental leaks, loose lips, and pinball rumor fallout00:28:40 - Comparing reactions to Beetlejuice colors versus King Kong backlash00:30:00 - Lighting challenges on Evil Dead and visibility concerns00:31:20 - Fighting for GI placement so the art can actually be seen00:32:15 - Playfield art as visual marketing for how the game should be played00:33:20 - Designing for players who ignore callouts and play visually00:34:40 - Walking through Beetlejuice shots and explaining visual guidance00:36:10 - Balancing theme clarity with visual density on modern games00:38:05 - How collaboration with Spooky evolved into a long-term relationship00:40:35 - Transitioning from contractor work into full Spooky projects00:41:45 - Why the people at Spooky mattered as much as the projects00:43:20 - Talking pay, jokes aside, and making pinball a sustainable career00:45:10 - Looking ahead at future work without leaking anything00:47:30 - Humor, reputation, and learning when to shut up publicly00:50:10 - What makes a playfield succeed beyond looking cool00:53:00 - Art as instruction, immersion, and subconscious guidance00:56:20 - Reflecting on where pinball art still has room to grow00:59:40 - Wrapping up, final thoughts, and mutual appreciation01:02:10 - BRB gag, frozen poses, and botched timing01:03:05 - Final sign-off, pyramid praise, and raid send-off#DirtyPoolPodcast #DirtyPoolPinball #ChristopherFranchi #SpookyPinball #PinballArt #PinballArtist #PlayfieldArt #CabinetArt #BackglassArt #PinballDesign #GameArt #Illustration #IndiePinball #ArcadeCulture #PinballCommunity #PinballIndustry #CultOfPinball #GreatPyramid

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep23 - Scott Danesi and Building Total Nuclear Annihilation Pinball

This episode traces Total Nuclear Annihilation from its earliest idea through to a finished production game. Scott Danesi walks through how TNA started as a very specific reaction to modern pinball, how the layout, rules, sound, and scoring all evolved together, and what had to change once it moved from a personal project into a real commercial product. We talk early prototypes, design compromises and manufacturing realities. It’s a full look at how one of the most influential modern games actually got made!a🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – http://twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – http://youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram – http://instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – http://facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔊 Discord – http://discord.gg/bSbXnA38Q800:00:00 - Summoning the Great Pyramid and opening ritual00:00:15 - Episode intro and welcoming Scott Danesi00:01:05 - RGB studios, StepManiacs, and music crossing mediums00:03:25 - Why this episode is fully about Total Nuclear Annihilation00:04:05 - Starting TNA as a homebrew with no production goal00:06:00 - Reactor core concept, dystopian lore, and accidental canon00:07:30 - RGB restraint, sound dynamics, and intentional impact00:09:00 - Single-level layout and modern System 11 philosophy00:10:40 - Designing in SolidWorks and committing to physical geometry00:12:30 - Difficulty, fairness, and rejecting fake ball-save solutions00:14:05 - One-minute crash course on how TNA actually plays00:15:45 - Cut features, star rollovers, and location reliability00:18:30 - Writing the code, abusing frameworks, and making it work00:21:30 - Seeing TNA and StepManiacs on location for the first time00:24:45 - Dance game culture, bar holders, and competitive absurdity00:27:30 - Rapid-fire Q&A begins and homebrew realities00:29:45 - Code updates, tournament balance, and fixing multiball abuse00:33:30 - Letting the game fight back and physical battle stories00:36:00 - Live performance plans and modular synth rabbit holes00:39:30 - Sound design philosophy and integrating live systems00:44:00 - Community questions, shows, and creative longevity00:49:30 - Staying involved with TNA years after release00:55:00 - Pinball as an evolving system, not a finished product01:01:00 - Reflections on difficulty, mastery, and player psychology01:07:30 - Future projects, collaborations, and saying no to burnout01:14:00 - Long-tail audience questions and deep nerd tangents01:21:30 - Closing thoughts on creation, ownership, and legacy01:30:45 - Final goodbyes and Great Pyramid sign-off#DirtyPoolPodcast #DirtyPoolPinball #TotalNuclearAnnihilation #ScottDanesi #PinballPodcast #PinballDesign #PinballDevelopment #ModernPinball #IndiePinball #PinballHistory #RulesDesign #PinballAudio #ArcadeCulture #PinballCommunity #GreatPyramid #CultOfPinball

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep22 - Mapping It Out - Pinball Map with Ryan

Ryan Gratzer from Pinball Map drops by to untangle how the world’s most obsessive pinball location tracker actually works and how your favorite arcades lineup changes the second you visit. This one digs into Ryan's pinball origins, community reporting, app evolution, and the odd psychology of people who will happily move a mountain to report a broken slingshot but won’t like, comment and subscribe. Also there's a lot of dog barking.Special shout out to the entire team that keeps Pinball Map running, Scott and Beth here in spirit.🔻 Pinball Map Links:🧭 Pinball Map – pinballmap.com🎧 Pinball Map Podcast – pod.pinballmap.com🛒 Store – pinballmap.com/store💖 Donate – pinballmap.com/donate🕊️ Bluesky – @pinballmap.com🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔊 Discord – https://discord.gg/bSbXnA38Q8Pinball images from www.pinside.com00:00:00 - Intro00:00:13 - In-person Dirty Pool Pinball intro (with dogs)00:00:31 - Meeting Ryan Gratzer and the Mapping Around podcast00:00:48 - What Pinball Map is and how the app and site work00:02:19 - Home locations, privacy, and “please don’t list your house”00:03:04 - Which locations have the most pinball machines00:03:34 - Ryan’s Paragon origin story and pinball at home00:04:54 - Moving to Portland and discovering a city full of pinball00:05:42 - Crazy Flipper Fingers and early Portland league days00:07:15 - Tracking games with custom Google Maps before Pinball Map00:08:06 - How the on-location pinball landscape has changed over 17 years00:09:21 - Why modern games are taking over older Williams and Stern titles00:10:34 - Remote locations, Maldives, Hawaii oddities, and under-mapped regions00:11:53 - Admins, bad actors, and keeping the map neutral and fair00:13:33 - From separate regional maps to one unified global Pinball Map00:14:50 - Tech history: Pearl Mason to Ruby on Rails and why it stuck00:18:02 - Gratification, community obsession, and why Pinball Map matters00:19:34 - Costs, donations, and keeping the project non-monetized00:21:41 - 8,500 edits a month and what that says about activity00:22:37 - Operator tools, comments, and spotting well-maintained locations00:23:32 - Filters, “number of machines” search, and operator-focused features00:24:26 - How many operators are tagged and how comment digests work00:25:16 - Broken games, first impressions, and shouting out good operators00:26:40 - Pinball people getting salty and channel-level sarcasm00:26:53 - Winding down the platform questions and interview main arc00:27:17 - Future app update: viewing all 12,000+ locations at once00:28:03 - Mapping Around podcast and what they cover in episodes00:28:27 - Coin pouches, tiny merch, and where to find the store00:28:55 - Praising the Great Pyramid with improvised hand pyramids00:29:25 - Call to action: update your local locations and help the map00:29:56 - League rivalry, finals nerves, and “top of B is where I belong”#DirtyPoolPinball #PinballPodcast #PinballMap #RyanGratzer #PinballCommunity #LocationPinball #ArcadeHunting #PinballTalk #PinballLife #PinballCulture #PinballNews #DataNerds #BehindTheScenesPinball #PinballPlayers #PinballJourney #ModernPinball #PinballStories #DirtyPoolPodcast #ArcadeLocator #PinballApps #PinballHistory #PinballChat #PinballObsessed #TechInPinball #OpenSourceProjects #PinballFinds #BarcadeLife #PinballEverywhere

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep21 - Beetlejuice Brains & Spooky Pinball Logic from Bug

Bug from Spooky Pinball joins to break down the creative chaos behind Beetlejuice, from shaping the theme into a playable world to the collaboration across design, code, art, and sound that gives the game its personality. We talk problem-solving during development, how rules evolve once players get their hands on the machine, and what it takes for a boutique studio to ship something this ambitious.It’s a grounded look at Spooky’s workflow, Bug’s role in steering the vision, and how Beetlejuice came together from early pitch to final polish.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – www.twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – www.youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram – www.instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – www.facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔊 Discord – www.discord.gg/KcwKeejb00:00:00 - Intro00:01:06 - Spooky Pinball’s Beginnings as a Podcast00:03:01 - Early Pinball Media and Community Roots00:05:00 - Shifting From Podcast to Pinball Manufacturer00:06:34 - Pinball Zombies and The Walking Dead Conflict00:07:52 - Choosing America’s Most Haunted as the First Title00:09:01 - Building AMH With Friends and Family Voices00:12:03 - Texas Pinball Festival Weekend That Changed Everything00:13:39 - Growing the Factory and Life as a Family Business00:16:00 - How Bug and Spooky Luke Split Game Design00:18:52 - Bug’s Approach to Rules and Theme Integration00:20:10 - Working With Licensors and Protecting Creative Vision00:22:03 - Tournament Settings and Player Feedback00:23:39 - Moving Spooky to Unity and Standardized Hardware00:25:31 - Beetlejuice Trailer Breakdown and Art Direction00:28:06 - Sandworm Design and Under Flipper Magnet Saves00:31:14 - Evolving the Waiting Room and Rising Mech Concepts00:34:10 - Upper Playfield Flow and Nontraditional Shot Paths00:36:00 - Prototyping, Metalwork and Fast Mechanical Iteration00:39:00 - What Makes a Modern Game Successful for Spooky00:43:00 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a Design Benchmark00:47:30 - Beetlejuice Code Depth and Update Philosophy00:50:00 - Dreams of Army of Darkness and Future Themes00:54:00 - Quality of Life Tech Like Voice-Controlled Service00:56:00 - Beetlejuice Launch Party and Community Energy00:58:00 - Toppers, Butter Cabinets and Long Term Support01:01:00 - Horror Inspirations and Movie Recommendations01:03:30 - Theme Integration and Dark Ride Style Design01:06:00 - Managing Demand and Production Expectations01:08:30 - Community Shoutouts and Tournament Players01:11:00 - Dream Licenses and Wild Theme Ideas01:14:00 - Internships, Learning and Life Inside Spooky01:17:00 - Long Term Updates for Spooky Titles01:20:00 - Big Player Scores and Gameplay Shoutouts01:23:00 - Home Collections, Wish List Games and Spooky Alley01:25:20 - Hardbody Callback and Final Thanks to Bug01:25:25 - The Raven Gag01:26:21 - Episode Outro #DirtyPoolPinball #PinballPodcast #SpookyPinball #BeetlejuicePinball #BugSpooky #PinballInterview #PinballDesign #PinballRules #PinballProduction #ModernPinball #BoutiquePinball #PinballCommunity #PinballTalk #ArcadeScene #BehindTheMachines #PinballCreators #PinballObsessed #Beetlejuice #PinballFans #PinballNerd #PinballCulture #RuleDesign #GameDevelopment #GreatPyramidApproved #PinballChat #ArcadeLife #DesignProcess #PinballDeepDive

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep20 - Counterflip Apparel

Counterflip absolutely makes the best pinball t-shirts... Shea sits down with us and we get into everything from his pinball favorites to why making a genuinely good T-shirt feels like a boss battle. We talk about how printing goes wrong, how his first business attempt at 15 tanked spectacularly, and how he rebuilt it into Counterflip by focusing on real quality instead of the disposable stuff most people print on.We dig into what it takes to find reliable sources, good blanks, and partners who don’t cut corners when you’re trying to build a brand identity through design. Shea also shares how working at Revenge Of shaped his love of pinball, how his history in bands and music artwork fed into his style, and why the pinball scene ended up being the perfect place to bring all of that together. A full mix of creative process, merch reality, and general pinball chaos. Join Us.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid:📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@dirtypoolpinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball🔺 Counterflip / Shea:🛒 counterflip.bigcartel.com📷 instagram.com/counterflip_apparel🛒 dispersehomemedia.bigcartel.com📷 instagram.com/disperse_homemedia🌐 revengeof.comEnjoy the subtle pyramid signal throughout. (by that I mean the battery pack noise... oops)00:00:00 - Intro00:00:02 - Settling into the in person setup and getting started00:01:15 - Opening the talk with Counterflip shirts on the table00:03:35 - Shea explaining early art roots and first encouragement00:04:40 - py▒ ΔΔ ▒d.join: “hol d st i l l”00:05:05 - Chicago basement shows and learning design through bands00:06:55 - J cards tapes and the cassette layout grind00:08:35 - Moving to LA and shifting from music into film00:10:15 - Whole Foods sign artist years and the Amazon wipeout00:12:05 - Making early bootleg movie shirts starting with The Lighthouse00:13:55 - The Fog vs The Mist and arguing coastal horror loyalty00:15:30 - Building the first small run of shirts and early experiments00:17:00 - How Counterflip designs are rebuilt pieces not traced assets00:18:20 - Digging through manuals flyers and archives to stay accurate00:20:00 - Discovering pinball through Revenge Of and falling in fast00:21:10 - Zoning out on world under glass and aesthetic obsession00:22:20 - Describing Revenge Of as a sci fi comic book bodega00:23:55 - Seeing branding blown up on walls booths and full spaces00:25:50 - Revenge Of keeping a mixed lineup not just Stern games00:27:20 - Indie vs major manufacturers and how variety helps pinball00:28:50 - Revenge Of championing boutique games and weirder designs00:30:05 - Building the Revenge Of identity with trust and loose direction00:31:55 - Opening the coffee shop and overlap with players and creatives00:32:34 - ╣ted… frame_Δ▒▒ d all.praise.00:33:05 - Games Shea would own someday and not forcing a collection00:34:30 - Vintage game picks turning into full Raven enthusiasm00:36:10 - The future of Counterflip balancing shirts films and freelance00:37:20 - Choosing which games become shirts and what artwork works00:38:50 - Xenon talk and wanting maximum tube energy on a shirt00:40:20 - Best sellers and why Counterflip Fishtails keeps moving00:41:55 - Holiday market plans and Counterflip showing up with both booths00:43:00 - Shirt sizes shipping and grabbing designs in person00:43:55 - Least played games and closing with praise of the pyramid#dirtypoolpinball #pinballpodcast #counterflip #pinballapparel #pinballcommunity #pinballfavorites #arcadeculture #pinballlifestyle #merchdesign #qualityapparel #indiedesigners #silverball #retrogaminglife #arcadestyle #creativecommunity #pinfam #pinballscene #designerlife #makercommunity #pinballart #bandartwork #musicdesign #independentcreators #pinballmerch #pinturnaments #behindtheflippers #arcadelife #podcastlife

Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep19 - Aaron Davis of FAST Pinball

What does it take to build the brain behind modern pinball? Aaron Davis, founder of FAST Pinball, joins the show to talk about designing the hardware that powers homebrews, boutique manufacturers, and the next generation of game coders. We dig into the origins of the FAST platform, how open hardware changed the indie landscape, and what it really means to make a control system reliable enough for production but flexible enough for experimentation.From garage prototypes to global adoption, Aaron walks through the philosophy that keeps FAST on the cutting edge — community-driven innovation, open documentation, and a steady respect for pinball’s analog soul.🔺 Praise the Great Pyramid📡 Twitch – twitch.tv/dirtypoolpinball📺 YouTube – youtube.com/@DirtyPoolPinball📷 Instagram – instagram.com/dirtypoolpinball📘 Facebook – facebook.com/dirtypoolpinball#DirtyPoolPodcast #FASTPinball #PinballHardware #PinballCommunity #PinballLife #PinballMachine #HomebrewPinball #ArcadeLife #RetroGaming #PinballAddict #GamingCommunity #PinballEnthusiast #ArcadeCulture #PinballWizard #ArcadeGames #GamingLovers #PinballDesign #TechTalk #GamingHistory #PinballInnovation #Electromechanical #PinballEngineering #MakerCommunity #GameDevelopment #PinballRestoration #BoutiquePinball #OpenSourcePinball #PinballTales00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:10 - Surprise Thursday episode, Homebrew Week, and the free sound effects kit with Imoto at Marco; chat might glitch.00:01:17 - Guest intro: Aaron Davis of FAST Pinball.00:02:23 - Why FAST started—platform-builder mindset and maker movement spark.00:03:31 - Pinball as “STEM in a box,” learning by building with partner Dave Beecher (totally not a robot).00:04:45 - Programming as creative choreography—logic tied to experience.00:06:45 - Homebrew freedom: no licensors, weird ideas that push the platform.00:08:50 - Early FAST nights soldering with Dave, the first boards coming alive.00:10:59 - Gen-one form factor stays similar; modular IO boards shown on camera.00:12:10 - Latency handled in hardware on the nodes—switches to coils without round-trips.00:13:30 - ARM choice and hardware abstraction—swap chips later but keep behavior.00:15:05 - Future-proofing for collectors, reliability focus, “Is Dave a robot?” gag.00:18:10 - Family tavern Royal Flush memory; Dad becomes a replacement ramp maker.00:20:00 - Quick shop tour setup, lineup includes Predator, Dune, and Labyrinth.00:23:30 - Three programming bays; friends and kids help with QC, ESD trays on baker’s racks.00:26:20 - Running from home spaces with low overhead, always on video calls.00:27:56 - What’s next: inductive switches, end-of-line test fixtures to save OEMs time.00:28:56 - Spooky question, door open to anyone; Pinball Brothers Predator port story.00:31:24 - Documentation philosophy: additive, not breaking; FAST serial is easy to target.00:32:58 - Favorite homebrew is the one in front of you.00:33:58 - Tariffs and parts availability, multi-site manufacturing to avoid blockers.00:36:50 - Stateside runs and the end-of-line “fort,” programming at the factory.00:38:10 - Fuse question: smart power filter board plus on-board polyfuses and keyed connectors.00:40:55 - Assembly mix: US, China, Italy. Tips for new homebrewers—make friends and add accountability.00:41:56 - Predator road trip route to Expo via Electric Bat.00:42:48 - RJ45 carries power and data, not standard PoE but similar expectations.00:43:59 - FAST origins timeline: side project turns serious pre-COVID.00:45:40 - IP and homebrew—market confusion risk, depends on the license holder.00:49:35 - Indie film analogy for smaller makers, “invention marketing” over time.00:52:40 - Future: smaller, interesting runs; friendly one-upmanship inspires better games.00:53:45 - Wiring kits and cable making, crimp/strip machines to ease new builders.