{"product_id":"pinball-a-graphic-history-of-the-silver-ball-9781250249210","title":"Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ein this dynamic, nonfiction graphic novel, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJon 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.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1976, champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom. The New York City Council had convened to consider lifting the city's ban on pinball--a game that had been outlawed since 1942 for its supposed connections to gambling and organized crime. Sharpe was there to prove that, unlike a slot machine, pinball wasn't a game of chance designed to fleece its players--it was a game of skill that required a measure of patience, coordination, and control. To prove his point, he proclaimed that he would launch his ball into the center lane at the far end of the playfield--much like Babe Ruth famously pointing to the fences. Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released, and the fate of this industry and art form hung in the balance. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThus opens Jon Chad's comprehensive graphic novel 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, through the immigrant experience of early 20th century America, the post-War boom and bust, right up to the present day, Chad charmingly ushers readers through the myriad facets of this most American of pursuits--capturing not just the history but also the artistry, cultural significance, and even the physics of the game.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJon Chad\u003c\/b\u003e is obsessed with giant robots, screen-printing, and bookmaking. Chad has been commissioned by Cartoon Network to make artist books based on shows like \u003ci\u003eAdventure Time \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Amazing World of Gumball\u003c\/i\u003e. He is the author of\u003ci\u003e Leo Geo\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eScience Comics: Volcanoes\u003c\/i\u003e, the illustrator of \u003ci\u003eScience Comics: Solar System\u003c\/i\u003e, and the creator of the multi-format immersion narrative \u003ci\u003eBAD MASK\u003c\/i\u003e. He also drew the art package for The Jetsons pinball machine for The Pinball Company and Spooky Pinball.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"First Second","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50611027607826,"sku":"9781250249210","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_3dc3fa06-b35d-42be-8b97-3eda9a10240d.jpg?v=1732355217","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/pinball-a-graphic-history-of-the-silver-ball-9781250249210","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}