Skip to content
Pinball Profile
Pinball Profile
200 episodes tracked since 2020 about →
Copied!

Episode 372: Pintastic 2023 recap

PodcastAnalysis updated 3d ago30 min listen
From the creator

A new location...bigger and better for this New England show and Stern Pro Circuit event. Hear from some of the participants including: - Howard Levine for Project Pinball - Mrs & Dr. Pin...Sarah...

Listen on Pinball Profile

Highlights

  • Pintastic is moving from September to April starting next year (2024) to better accommodate hotel scheduling and avoid conflicts with other shows
  • The new Pintastic venue in Marlborough, MA has multiple rooms with games, at least 100 machines in free play, and significantly improved air conditioning compared to previous location
  • Stern Pro Circuit has tournaments scheduled on the same weekend at different locations (Pintastic and Northwest Championships), which is a scheduling conflict that won't repeat after April move
  • Eric Stone is a two-time major tournament winner (won Pintastic in 2017 and 2018) and has a competitive rating around 2,100 IFPA
  • Drew Robichaud recently set a world record playing Stranger Things for 62 hours, breaking Wayne Tedder's previous 48-hour record set on Beatles pinball
  • Ted Takvorian is sponsoring Eric Stone's tournament travel (flights, hotels, meals) and running a game show format with non-pinball trivia winners competing against Eric for prize money
  • Friday Flip Frenzy at District Eaton Play (free, one-hour pinball format) averages 40-45 players, mostly kids
  • Christopher Franchi deliberately practices versatility in art styles rather than developing a single signature style, influenced by artists like Drew Struzan, Mike Mignola, and Charles Burns but not mimicking their work directly

Notable quotes

“This charity is nothing without the community's support. So as a pinball community, you know, we are caring people and we recognize the need for what Project Pinball does, putting pinball machines donated to kids' hospitals and Ronald McDonald houses.”
Howard Levine (Project Pinball)
“The best part about doing this is seeing people playing your games, you know, once it's done and complete and up and running.”
Christopher Franchi
“If you don't develop a style, but you can mimic other styles, or I shouldn't say mimic, like rip somebody off, but do a variety of looks, you're more desirable to be hired.”
Christopher Franchi
“This is what it's come down to, Jeff. This is competitive pinball. This is why people want to watch it on stream.”
Joe Lemaire
“I want to be able to do is we want to open up the Batcave for people to see the night before free play so they can check out all the great machines he's got.”
Eric Stone
“I noticed the same people at every tournament. And I was like, this cannot be self-sustaining. There's no way. We need to get new people into it.”
Ted Takvorian
“When I see you're a weatherman there for many years, but you really promote pinball, and I appreciate that, and so does the community.”
Jeff Teolis

Entities

  • Northwest Championships· event
  • Pintastic· event
  • Beatles (pinball machine)· game
  • Centaur (pinball machine)· game
  • Galactic Tank Force· game
  • Godfather (pinball machine)· game
  • Stranger Things (pinball machine)· game
  • Slam Tilt Podcast· media
  • Batcave Pinball· organization
  • District Eaton Play· organization
  • IFPA· organization
  • Project Pinball· organization
  • Stern Pro Circuit· organization
  • Christopher Franchi· person
  • Derek Kamenian· person
  • Drew Robichaud· person
  • Eric Stone· person
  • Howard Levine· person
  • Jeff Teolis· person
  • Joe Lemaire· person
  • Mrs. Pin and Dr. Pin (Christian Line)· person
  • Ted Takvorian· person
  • Wayne Tedder· person
  • Zach· person

More from Pinball Profile

→ All content from Pinball Profile
Pinball ProfilePodcast1w ago

Episode 439: Emily Reilhan

30 min listen

Talk about a banner year…and it’s only June! Emily has won everything under the sun so far in 2026 as you’ll hear, including the Women’s World Championship, the WNACS, the first ever Women’s...

Contact us about this coverage