User:Vegantics/SpookyPinballSandbox
| Industry | Pinball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Charlie Emery |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | Pinball machines |
Number of employees | 40 (2024) |
| Website | www |
Spooky Pinball is an American pinball manufacturing company, founded in Wisconsin in 2016. Their first machine was America's Most Haunted and they have since released a total of thirteen machines.[1]
History
[edit]Charlie Emery officially founded Spooky Pinball in 2013 in Benton, Wisconsin, but his work with pinball began a few years prior.[2] In 2010, Emery began a pinball podcast called Spooky Pinball with his wife Kayte and children Morgan and Corwin "Bug". At the time, Emery had been working at a screen printing and decal company in Galena, Illinois for 20 years and wanted to create a podcast about his two interests: "spooky" monster movies and pinball.[3] Emery combined his printing skills and pinball experience, working on a project with Bug to create a new custom Godzilla machine built off a 1983 Firepower II machine.[4][5] They brought the game to the 2011 Midwest Gaming Classic, where they received positive feedback and met Benjamin "Ben Heck" Heckendorn, who encouraged Emery to expand his hobby into a business.[3] Emery initially worked with his employer to develop direct printing for Ben Heck's custom Lost pinball playfield and later the cabinets[6][7] of early Jersey Jack Pinball The Wizard of Oz machines.[8][9]
In 2012, Emery opted to leave his job and start his own pinball manufacturing company. With $35,000 in savings and a loan from the Benton State Bank, Emery leased an 1,800 square foot room in the Benton Business Incubator in 2013.[3][10] The company's printing equipment served a second role, allowing Spooky to also operate as a commercial sign shop and Kayte Emery came on as the first employee.[4][11] The first design that Emery began working on was called Pinball Zombies From Beyond the Grave.[4][12] However, their first machine released was America's Most Haunted in 2014. Ben Heck had begun designing a game, originally called Ghost Squad, in 2012 but did not have the facilities to produce a run of machines.[13] With feedback from Dennis Nordmann, Heck built a prototype and coded the rules of the game.[5] The electronics were created by Parker Dillmann from the Houston business MacroFab while pinball components came from Chicago-based Pinball Life and plastic components were 3D printed.[8][6] Their first run of America's Most Haunted was 150 units, which took almost two years to sell.[3][14] The first machine ever made was purchased by the Benton State Bank for the local Lawrence Pub and Eatery while the first game ever sold was bought by Joe Newhart from PinballSTAR Amusements.[6]
Spooky Pinball's second effort was Rob Zombie's Spookshow International, released in early 2016. Emery revisited his Pinball Zombies From Beyond the Grave draft and adapted it to create the game.[15] It included ten songs licensed from Zombie and his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie and Sid Haig provided voices for the game.[16] A run of 300 units was announced, which sold out before production began.[15] That same year, Spooky also released Domino's Spectacular Pinball Adventure. Adam Gacek, Vice President and General Counsel at Domino's approached the company about building a themed game to raise funds for their charity, the Domino's Partner Foundation.[6] Gacek helped with the design, which incorporated The Noid, and the first of 150 units was revealed at Domino's World Wide Rally in Las Vegas.[17][6] That year, they company also expanded to a separate building.[6]
2017 saw the release of three pinball machines, Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle, Total Nuclear Annihilation, and The Jetsons.
interview about Alice Cooper[18]
- As of 2024, 40 person staff[19] Morgan is CFO, Bug is creative director.[11]
- Ben Heck doing coding 2022[20]
- Machine awards[21]
Location and Facilities
[edit]- Located in Benton, Wisconsin. Have a warehouse with assembly line.[11]
- 26 3D printers to create parts[19] Also had laser cutting unit and sign shop for printing decals.[4]
- As of 2024, constructing a 12,000 square foot building across from current facility to expand. Aim to complete in 2025 and use existing building for storage.[19]
Production
[edit]- Games take 18 months to develop.[3]
- Estimate that it takes them about 40 hours to build a machine, assembly line style. Makes and sells more that 1,000 units each year, costing roughly $10,000.[11] Other estimate is 20 hours to build.[19]
- Works with studios for licensing agreements.[11]
- Machines available in three versions[22]
- Some machines same build with different themes (Halloween and Ultraman)[5]
- in 2024 made just under 2,000 machines[19][23]
- As of 2023, machines retail between $7.7 and $9.8k[3]
- "The only things not made in Benton are the electronics, which are designed and engineered by Parker Dillmann from MacroFab in Houston and Ben Heckendorn"[6]
- "Common pinball parts come from Pinball Life in Chicago but all the unique pieces, all the cabinets, everything else is engineered in house. Emery’s daughter Morgan, who is only 16, makes all the wiring harnesses."[6]
- Production run numbers[21] "Experienced designer Nordman will even lend a hand in designing PinHeck, the software under which the new manufacturer’s first pinball machines will run"[5] (manufactured in TX).
- Introduced family mode with Rob Zombie[16]
Games
[edit]| Year | Title | Designer | Comments | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | America's Most Haunted | Benjamin Heckendorn | [5] | |
| 2016 | Rob Zombie's Spookshow International | Charlie Emery | [16] | |
| Domino's Spectacular Pinball Adventure | Charlie Emery and Adam Gacek | Designed and manufactured for Domino's | [6] | |
| 2017 | Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle | [24] | ||
| Total Nuclear Annihilation | [25] | |||
| The Jetsons | Dan Goett and Nathan Goett | Designed and manufactured for The Pinball Company | [26] | |
| 2020 | Rick and Morty | [2] | ||
| 2021 | Halloween | [27] | ||
| Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble! | [28] | |||
| 2023 | Looney Tunes | [29] | ||
| The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | [29] | |||
| Scooby-Doo | [30] | |||
| 2024 | Evil Dead | "Spooky Luke" Peters and Corwin "Bug" Emery | [31] |
Other notes
[edit]-"catering to customers who want machines in their homes."[3]
-"Scott Danesi’s Total Nuclear Annihilation,"[32]
"innovative features, such as the PinHeck system and co-op gameplay modes,"[32]
Other sources: https://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/news/local/wisconsin/2023/03/13/spooky-pinball-thriving-business-giving-throwback-game-21st-century-makeover/11465993002/, https://web.archive.org/web/20250306170737/https://madison.com/business/spooky-pinball-makes-its-mark-in-a-tiny-town/article_ea6f0383-212f-5cab-9ab6-f0e5c367a0d2.html,
References
[edit]- ^ "List of Spooky Pinball Machines, Mods & Toppers". www.kineticist.com. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
- ^ a b Harding, Matt (2019-12-13). "Indie Pinball Manufacturer Releasing Rick and Morty Game". RePlay Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g Glauber, Bill (2023-03-14). "Wisconsin's pinball wizard: Small-town entrepreneur's Spooky Pinball turns an old-school hobby into a thriving business". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ a b c d "Business Spotlight: Spooky Pinball" (PDF). Village of Benton. 2014-04-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ a b c d e "Spooky Pinball, pinball machine manufacturer since 2013". Pinball Mag. 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnes, Kayla (2016-07-15). "Spooky Pinball of Benton scaring up popularity". www.swnews4u.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ Levin, Josh (2013-01-09). "Pinball Is Dying. Can This Man Bring It Back to Life?". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ a b "Texas Pinball Festival 2015: Charlie Emery & Benjamin Heckendorn - The 'Haunted Wisconsin Texas Style' Spooky Pinball Seminar". Pinball News. 2015-03-29. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
43 minute mark
- ^ "The Wizard of Oz: In-Depth Review Part 1". Pinball News. 2013-12-25. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ Adams, Barry (2014-10-12). "Spooky Pinball makes its mark in a tiny town". Wisconsin State Journal. Archived from the original on 2025-03-06. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b c d e Elliott, Tim (2024-10-31). ""Spooky Pinball" in Benton scares up big business from all over the world". WMTV15. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ Greatwich, John. "Pinball Profiles: Charlie Emery". Pinball News. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
- ^ Heckendorn, Benjamin J. "America's Most Haunted – Making Of". Benjamin J Heckendorn. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ Banfi, Ryan (2022-11-01). "Toward a Study of Pinball". Games and Culture. 17 (7–8): 931–953. doi:10.1177/15554120211058315. ISSN 1555-4120.
- ^ a b "Rob Zombie's Spookshow International". Pinball News. 2015-12-11. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b c "Spooky Pinballs Rob Zombie Flipper Game Ships In February". Vending Times. 2015-12-16. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ Baetens, Melody. "The Noid is back in Domino's Pizza commercials". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ "Interview with Ben Heck: Leaving Spooky, Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle Preview, What is Next for Ben Heck | Kineticist". www.kineticist.com. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b c d e Nieland, Grace (2023-01-14). "With industry 'booming,' SW Wisconsin pinball company to double building space". TelegraphHerald.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ Jason (2022-07-13). "Ben Heck to Begin Coding Spooky Pinball's Next Next Game This Week". Knapp Arcade. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b Roznik, Sharon. "Pinball wizards are on rise in Wisconsin as the iconic game makes a comeback". The Reporter. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ Weintraub, Steven (2021-07-05). "The 'Halloween' Pinball Is a Love Letter to John Carpenter's Movie". Collider. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ Jason, Knapp (2022-07-31). "Happy Birthday to George Jetson! A Look at the Rare Jetsons Pinball Machine". Knapp Arcade. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ Giles, Jeff (2017-03-31). "Alice Cooper Pinball Machine Coming Later This Year". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ "Total Nuclear Annihilation (2017) Pinball Machine by Spooky Pinball LLC". www.kineticist.co. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ Jason, Knapp (2022-07-31). "Happy Birthday to George Jetson! A Look at the Rare Jetsons Pinball Machine". Knapp Arcade. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "Halloween (2021) Pinball Machine by Spooky Pinball LLC". www.kineticist.co. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "Spooky Pinball Announces Two New Games: Halloween & Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble!". July 5, 2021.
- ^ a b "Spooky Pinball Teases a New Dual-Theme Pin: Texas Chainsaw Massacre Pinball & Looney Tunes". December 6, 2023.
- ^ "Scooby Doo (2023) Pinball Machine by Spooky Pinball LLC". www.kineticist.co. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ "Evil Dead Revealed". Pinball News. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Charlie Emery Pinball Machine Maker (Design)". www.kineticist.com. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
External links
[edit]Categories: Category:Pinball manufacturers Category:Manufacturing companies established in 2016 Category:American companies established in 2016 Category:Electronics companies established in 2016 Category:Privately held companies based in Wisconsin Category:Manufacturing companies based in Wisconsin