Project Re-theme :D

[spacies]

Man I have been waiting to do this for a LOOONNGGG time!

I have had a couple of candidates for this project but couldn't bring myself to ruin a good machine. After talking with  Yee last week he gave me a phone number of someone who may be selling a pinball that could be suitable.  Its a 1977 Gottlieb Quick Draw. It kinda works. It has trouble coining up and once it does go the score reel gets stuck and then no more points register.

So the deal was done and I have the machine back here. I just took some pics:




















So you can see it need some love. There is some wear around the pops and some of the paint is splitting on the lower part of the playfield. The plastics in the centre strip have also sunken a bit so I will need to remove those and reseat them. I will need to do some reading and ask some experts on that one. One thing I am dissapointed about is that there is no slings. Oh well, can't get it right first time I guess?!

So on to the theme, Monster Hot Rods. I have had this theme in my head for about 2 years now and started on the art design about 18 months ago. I have gathered art and ideas and hand drawn a ton of art and probably have enough to do 5 or 6 pins since I only used a small fraction on this machine. More on that later. With my love for V8's, my own drag racing cars and working on Hot Rods and Rat Rods it wasn't too hard in the end to get inspiration and ideas. Also another thing was the original bubblegum cards in the 70's and 80's and the fact that I absolutely love the art by Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth, Johnny Ace and Kali Vera. I have purchased several books by those artists and even one called 'How to Draw Monster Hot Rods Like the Pro's!', lol.

So its all happened pretty quick since the pinball arrived a couple of days ago. I searched the web and was lucky enough to find someone who had a NOS (not installed) playfield and I got him to take several high res images so I could get a feel for the layout. He sent the images through, I stitched them together in photoshop and then moved the image to Illustrator. Once in there I measured my playfield and transformed the image to the correct size. Now I have a very close (within a couple of mm's) background to work with.

So first thing to do was to draw the location of the inserts, lane guides, plastics, drop targets etc etc. After a short time I ended up with this image:



I think a couple of things are out (hard to judge by photos) but hey, once I acutally pull the playfied down to strip it and start preparing it I will get the scanner and tape measure out and get it 99.9% spot on.

So there you go Its underway.

Right at this point I have just about finished the design and will post it up later.

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoy doing it!

PS, I don't have an actual name yet so if you have ideas, fire away!

[spacies]

So I have almost done the playfield art and this is how it looks right now:



 

[ajlaird]

Should be an interesting project! We will watch this one with interest.

[Wotto]

Spacies - I will watch this with great interest also - what a fantastic idea.
I always love your artwork and only wish I could draw to that level 
Very keen to see you design cabinet art, backglass and playfield plastics.

The eyeballs, monsters, hot rods, and goofy style spooky lettering looks fantastic.
I am not sure about the bumper spots but - to me doesnt seem to 'fit' 

If you kept the hot rod theme going on the cab art and/ or plastics you could name the game something like ...
Freewheelin Freaks
Rockin Roadkill 



Also - Is there any way you can add sound other than chimes to these old games guys?
With todays technology?

[Strangeways]

Thats simply AWESOME !

"Playfield design in an afternoon 101" - New Tech thread 

I agree with Wotto - The pops don't suit the game. How about a pop with the faces of the characters that are in the bottom of the playfield ?

 

[spacies]

Spacies - I will watch this with great interest also - what a fantastic idea.
I always love your artwork and only wish I could draw to that level 
Very keen to see you design cabinet art, backglass and playfield plastics.

The eyeballs, monsters, hot rods, and goofy style spooky lettering looks fantastic.
I am not sure about the bumper spots but - to me doesnt seem to 'fit' 

If you kept the hot rod theme going on the cab art and/ or plastics you could name the game something like ...
Freewheelin Freaks
Rockin Roadkill 



Also - Is there any way you can add sound other than chimes to these old games guys?
With todays technology?

Thanks mate.

Plastics are done. They are in the pic

As for the cabinet art I think I will go simple stencils to keep within the EM era. Not sure yet. So that just leaves the backglass

Yeah not so sure about the Maltese crosses either and was thinking about some clear or green translucent illuminated pops. Are these available to suit EMs?

Also yeah I am looking in to adding some sounds mate. Got any ideas?

Again, thanks.

Thats simply AWESOME !

"Playfield design in an afternoon 101" - New Tech thread 

I agree with Wotto - The pops don't suit the game. How about a pop with the faces of the characters that are in the bottom of the playfield ?

 

heh, pretty sweet huh. Man I love it (<biased). Took me a while to come up with the colour scheme but i am happy with it now.
As above about the crosses. They will go mate.

Cheers.

[v8racefan]

Cool theme spacies , I too will be watching this project with interest, I too like v8's and hot rods, and the ratfink artwork
awesome theme, well done so far on the interest.

[Strangeways]

Spacies - any ideas on the target art ?

Maybe a hot rod - or a hot rod monster per drop target ?

[spacies]

Cool theme spacies , I too will be watching this project with interest, I too like v8's and hot rods, and the ratfink artwork
awesome theme, well done so far on the interest.

Thanks me fellow petrolhead

Spacies - any ideas on the target art ?

Maybe a hot rod - or a hot rod monster per drop target ?

Unsure yet boss. Yeah maybe but it a pretty small area mate. Although there is a cowboy on them now and its pretty visible. I think I may just go with bloodshot eyes for targets 1,2,4 and 5 and maybe a complete machine in the middle. Someone did mention maybe to build up a car so perhaps some tyres, chassis, bodywork and engine and the centre the complete machine? That sounds ok.

I have an idea for the name and backglass. Its pretty boring but it fits. RACE?



This is a classic Ed Roth image.

Hmmm, not so sure now, lol.

[pinball god]

I remember collecting stickers with these hotrod themes. They came out like footy cards one year in the 60's. I still had them about 10 years ago and chucked them. Wish I could have given them to you for design purposes. Think the pf is great btw

[Strangeways]

I remember collecting stickers with these hotrod themes. They came out like footy cards one year in the 60's. I still had them about 10 years ago and chucked them. Wish I could have given them to you for design purposes. Think the pf is great btw

Would have been the 70's too mate - I remember the artwork !

[spacies]

I liked the bubblegum more than the cards. Nah, jokes. I used to collect them but don't know what happened to them.

My mate has a stack of them and there are some scans on a couple of sites to browse through. Some are very cool

[v8racefan]

Hey spacies do yo remember this arcade game!!

DEATH RACE

[spacies]

Nah mate. I don't remember that but it sure does look cool!

Maybe I could use that but change the colours? Hmmm.

Thanks for that pic

[MartyJ]

Very cool idea indeed.

Artwork is looking great and love the theme.  Certainly has that lead-sled / rat rod them going for it!

Cab would look sweet flat matt black, with gold pinstriping on it.!