Gary Stern

What made more money than the entire American movie industry through the 50s and 60s? Pinball. Special When Lit rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon. A product of the mechanical and electrical age, the American invention swept the world and defined cool. Now it is relegated to a nostalgic footnote deserving a better fate. Joining the fans, collectors, designers and champion players from across the globe who share a world many of us didn't know still existed.

In an era of digital, streaming, cloud-based, and electronic entertainment, pinball is a paradox. With most forms of modern entertainment downloadable to the palm of your hand, how does a 300-pound box of wires and lights survive, and continue to thrive?