Skill Shot #14

chickenwithpenis@yahoo.com
myspace.com/skillshott
PO Box 20204
Seattle, WA
98192, USA
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Reading this zine is like looking through a window into a subculture I know nothing about: pinball. I honestly couldn’t even tell you the last time I played a pinball machine, but reading the “news and gossip” about Seattle pinball, finding out the different weird tournaments that are held (blindfolded?!), and discovering that not only is there a Vancouver Regional Pinball Association, but they have rules for their tournaments is all weirdly fascinating.

The zine is full of people talking about new machines, high scores to beat, old machines that people are trying to get better scores on, a massive list of every (?) pinball machine in Seattle, and descriptions of loads of different types of tournaments (one handed!).

I just realized something. The way that pinball is talked about here kind of makes me think about classic car aficionados or something. What techniques do you use to get more out of that machine (best score/top speed)? How can we fix this broken machine? It’s kind of bizarre when you look at it like that. But at the same time kind of sweet. I wish more subcultures made zines like this.