Ed Krynski
Edward Paul Krynski | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | November 15, 2004 (aged 77) |
| Occupation(s) | Pinball game creator, engineer |
| Years active | 1959–1984 |
| Known for | Designing over 200 pinball machines; pioneering pinball features; inducted into the Pinball Hall of Fame |
Edward Paul Krynski (September 12, 1927 – November 15, 2004) was a distinguished pinball game creator and pioneer who worked at Gottlieb between 1965 and 1984. Throughout his career, he developed more than 200 pinball machines and was responsible for groundbreaking features such as flipper lane designs, carousel targets, vari-target mechanisms, multiple drop targets, and the introduction of the first solid-state pinball machine featuring a speaker housed in the backbox. Krynski has been honored with induction into the Pinball Hall of Fame.
His inaugural design, Hi Straight, was released in December 1959, while his final creation was El Dorado City of Gold, launched in October 1984.
According to the Internet Pinball Machine Database, Krynski is credited with designing 225 machines. Among his most renowned works are "300", 2001, 4 Square, The Amazing Spider-Man, Genie, Spirit of 76, Central Park, Royal Flush, Big Shot, and Sing Along.
Notably, Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man and a prominent figure in Marvel Comics, owned one of Krynski's early 1980 models of The Amazing Spider-Man pinball machine. Lee displayed this machine in his Marvel office before later auctioning it as part of his memorabilia collection. He commented on the game's difficulty and its appeal among his colleagues.
In addition to his contributions to pinball design, Krynski served in the United States Navy during World War II.
Sources
- The Pinball Compendium by Michael Shalhoub