Stern Electronics… No, Not That Stern

Want to Support the Show? Visit our Patreon at www.patreon.com/silverballchronicles  Or pick up a tee shirt at https://tinyurl.com/kz5xt4hc   Episode Summary    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.   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 Here and #68 Here Gizmonic Stern Collection Tour. Here, Here and Here Heavy Metal Comic Book Art. Here