{"product_id":"pinball-a-graphic-history-of-the-silver-ball","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.\r","brand":"Jon Chad","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44441262096620,"sku":"9781250249210","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0684\/1791\/3068\/files\/9781250249210.jpg?v=1708834604","url":"https:\/\/allstora.com\/products\/pinball-a-graphic-history-of-the-silver-ball","provider":"Allstora","version":"1.0","type":"link"}