Show Notes
We survived Pinball Expo 2026. Barely. The shoes are still sticky, the sore throat is filing a formal complaint, and the post-show brain fog is real. So this is the unfiltered debrief: who actually showed up and delivered, who made the biggest impression on the floor, and who stood us up. American Pinball stepped up in a big way under the new ownership. Cirqus Voltaire Reimagined was on the floor for the first public plays, the booth won Best Booth of the show, and the energy around that circus was hard to ignore. Homebrew Village was stacked ,Shaolin Flow with the punch-sensor flippers, that Attack on Titan whitewood that had people (including some industry names) stopping in their tracks, and a bunch of other prototypes that felt like real future careers rather than hobby projects. Steve Ritchie dropped the retirement announcement during the Jersey Jack Sonic seminar. Stern had Fallout and the AC/DC remaster presence, Barrels of Fun had Bon Jovi, and the usual mix of manufacturers, vendors, and content people were either bringing heat or… not. This isn’t a polite recap. It’s the zero-filter, middle-aged-dad version: the games that actually felt good, the booths that delivered, the people who made the trip worth it, and the empty spaces or missed expectations that left us standing around waiting. If you were there, you’ll recognize the moments. If you weren’t, you’ll still get the real story without the press-release filter. Plus the content-creator panel energy, the random hallway conversations that matter more than the seminars, and why I’m already half-dreading and half-counting-down to next year. Listen, then go play something. Or don’t. Your call. But the report card is in.
More from Grownup Adjacent Pinball Podcast
Part 2 of the Pinball Expo 2026 vendor report. The floor was massive, the Homebrew Village was chaotic, and my credit card is still in recovery. Some vendors were pure “take my money” energy. Others made me walk away wondering what I was even doing with my life.Here’s the short list of the ones that actually stood out (or that I spent real money on) while wandering the aisles:
Just got back from Pinball Expo 2026 and my credit card is still filing a restraining order. Between the Homebrew Village chaos, the Best Booth energy, and the parts/mod tables that actually delivered, some vendors made the trip worth it and others just made me question my life choices.
Tonight I’m interviewing the guy who draws pinball machines better than I play them and we pinky swore we would not talk AI. Brian Allen of Flyland Designs is here for Grownup Adjacent Pinball Podcast ep 3.0 and I already know my ability to stay on track for time is as reliable as my skill shots. Watch & Follow Now: https://linktr.ee/grownupadjacent Brian has been hand drawing those packed, wild backglasses and art packages that make old Williams games look brand new again. Funhouse remakes, TOTAN, Cirqus Voltaire, the whole colorful chaotic thing. Meanwhile my artistic contribution is usually a stick figure on the back of a receipt and a flipper that dies right when I need it. We will talk process, classic pinball nostalgia, why some remakes hit and some just drain, and how a normal middle aged dad ends up sitting across from the artist who actually knows what he is doing. Expect lots of chat, zero polished podcast energy, and me roasting my AI use while he explains how he makes the art look effortless. Drop a like, smash subscribe, hit the bell so you do not miss the next episode, and comment what guest or pinball machine we should drag in next. Tell me if you own any of his art and how badly it makes the rest of us look. See you in the live chat where I will pretend I followed every single thing he said! all art is copyright Flyland Designs and Brian Allen and used with written permission. All images and art used in this episode can be purchased at FlylandDesigns Chapters (though you really want to hear it all) 00:00 Meet Brian Allen 00:00 An Artist’s Evolving Career 02:29 Behind Flyland Designs 05:01 Pinball Expo Preview 07:55 Reimagining Tales of the Arabian Knights 10:46 Criticism, Craft, and Alternate Art 18:02 Tales vs. Circus Voltaire 21:56 Original Worlds and Creative Freedom 23:19 Beyond Pinball: Discs, Posters, and More 25:45 Designing Gritty 29:15 Homebrew Pinball and Creative Constraints 40:31 Finding the Right Fit for a Project 43:30 AI, Art, and the Creative Process 56:32 Living with AI: Careers and Community 01:30:50 Pinball Expo Booth and New Releases 01:35:46 Closing: Keeping Pinball Human
Who, What, Why and most importantly How to dive into Homebrew and the essential part FAST pinball plays. Aaron Davis builds the boards under the playfield and I still drain up the middle like the electronics personally offended me. Grownup Adjacent Podcast Ep. 02 is FAST Pinball, homebrew, and the slow realization that my garage is not a factory. Watch & Follow Now: https://linktr.ee/grownupadjacent This is the guy who makes the control system so other people can build a pinball machine without inventing electricity. I am the guy who has looked at a wiring diagram, nodded, and then done the opposite. We get into what actually changed so a normal person can get a ball to the flippers, the step that still kills a build, and the part where I pretend I understood all of it. Chat is open. High score attempts are fictional. Like, subscribe, smack the bell, and comment the next pinball machine we should abuse. If you have ever lifted a playfield and felt personally judged, pull up a chair. See you in the live chat, you beautiful drain machines. Hashtags: #Pinball #Arcade #retro #FASTPinball #AaronDavis #HomebrewPinball #PinballPodcast #LivePinball #PinballCommunity #GrownupAdjacent #PinballStream #ArcadeLife
I sat down with a legend who owns over a thousand pinball machines for episode one of the Pinball Podcast. A collector, curator, historian, and driving force and growing this amazing hobby we all enjoy... pinball.