March 19, 2020
Silverball Chronicles w/ David Dennis and Ron Hallett
Episode 2: Stern Electronics… No, Not That Stern
Before Stern Pinball Inc., which dominates the pinball landscape today, there was Stern Electronics, our second episode’s topic. We cover where Stern Electronics came from, Sam and Gary Stern’s early years, Dave mispronouncing names, the change from electro-mechanical pinball to solid state, the sketchiness around that transition, legendary designer Steve Kirk, Stern’s wild art, and the death of Stern Electronics.
As always we love to hear from you. We can always be reached at silverballchronicles@gmail.com
Sources:
Dennis Kriesel’s Atari Article from Pinball News. Here
Stern Internet Pinball Database. Here
Pinside at pinside.com
Wikipedia:
- Chicago Coin. Here
- Stern Electronics. Here
- Stern Electronics, Inc. v. Kaufman. Here
Encyclopedia of Pinball Volume 2 (1934-1936). Bueschel, Richard M. Silverball Amusements.
Shalhoub, Michael (2004). The Pinball compendium: 1970 – 1981. Schiffer Publishing, Lt. Here
Stern Pinball. Website. Here
Play Meter Magazine: September 15, 1978. Here
Patterson, Jeff (2008). Around the Playfield with Gary Stern. This Week in Pinball. Here
Ford, Anne (2013). The Chicago Reader. This Week’s Chicagoan: Gary Stern, Founder and CEO, Stern Pinball. Here
Author Unknown. Play Meter Magazine, 1978 and 1985. PDF Here
Flower, Gary. Remembering Steve Kirk. Pingame Journal. December 2006. PDF Here
Cianchetti, Matt. A Friend Remembers Steve Kirk. Pingame Journal. March 2007. PDF Here
Head to Head Pinball Podcas. #50 Hereand #68 Here
Gizmonic Stern Collection Tour. Here,Hereand Here
Heavy Metal Comic Book Art. Here
