Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball Spiral-Bound | April 5, 2022

For fans of Brian "Box" Brown's Tetris and the cult-hit documentary King of Kong, Jon Chad illustrates the little-known story of pinball—how it works and why it all matters in an age of special effects and on-screen gaming.

In 1976, champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom. He was there to challenge the citywide ban on pinball by proving this was a game of skill, not chance. Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released, and the fate of this industry and artform hung in the balance.

Thus opens Jon Chad’s comprehensive graphic guide to the history of the captivating, capricious—and at times infuriating!—game of pinball. Tracing pinball’s roots back to the Court of King Louis XIV and right up to the present day, Chad captures not just the history of the game but also the artistry, cultural significance, and even the physics.