Spooky Pinball
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pinball manufacturing |
| Founded | 2013 in Benton, Wisconsin, United States |
| Founder | Charlie Emery |
| Headquarters | Benton , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Charlie Emery (Founder), Kayte Emery (First employee), Morgan Emery (CFO) |
| Products | Pinball machines |
Number of employees | 9 (2016), ~40 (projected 2024) |
Spooky Pinball is a U.S.-based pinball manufacturing company established in Wisconsin in 2013 by Charlie Emery. Their debut pinball machine, America's Most Haunted, was introduced in 2014, and since then, the company has produced a total of thirteen distinct machines.
History
After accumulating extensive experience blending his expertise in screen printing with pinball design, Charlie Emery founded Spooky Pinball. In 2010, he launched a pinball podcast involving his family and created a custom Godzilla-themed prototype that received favorable reactions at the 2011 Midwest Gaming Classic. With encouragement from Benjamin "Ben Heck" Heckendorn, Emery shifted from enthusiast to business owner, initially contributing to direct printing processes for early Jersey Jack Pinball projects.
In 2013, Emery resigned from his previous employment, gathered $35,000 in personal savings supplemented by a loan, and leased space within the Benton Business Incubator. His wife Kayte became the company's first employee. While Emery initially focused on developing Pinball Zombies From Beyond the Grave, their first commercial product was America's Most Haunted. This machine was designed with collaboration from Ben Heck and Dennis Nordmann and assembled using parts sourced from MacroFab and Pinball Life. The initial batch of 150 units took nearly two years to sell out, with the very first machine purchased by Benton State Bank for a local tavern.
The company’s second release, Rob Zombie's Spookshow International (2016), incorporated licensed music tracks and voice contributions from Rob Zombie and his team. This model introduced a "family mode" feature to censor explicit content, and its production run of 300 units sold out prior to manufacturing. Additionally, 2016 saw the launch of Domino's Spectacular Pinball Adventure, created in partnership with Domino’s VP Adam Gacek to support charitable causes; 150 units were produced. During this period, Spooky expanded into a separate building to accommodate growth.
In 2017, Spooky unveiled three new machines: Total Nuclear Annihilation, independently developed by Scott Danesi; The Jetsons, produced by The Pinball Company; and Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle, designed by Ben Heck before his temporary exit from the company.
The announcement of a Rick and Morty pinball machine in 2019 led to a production run of 750 units in 2020, which sold out before manufacturing began. In 2021, Spooky achieved its largest production volumes with 1,250 units of Halloween and 500 units of Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble!, which shared identical playfield layouts but presented different themes. Early preorder opportunities were made available through $45 fan memberships.
In 2023, three machines were released including licensed titles from Warner Bros.: their first widebody game featuring original voice acting, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, along with two games sharing playfield designs—Looney Tunes and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. CFO Morgan Emery described the latter as among the darkest themes ever produced in pinball.
The latest release in 2024 is a widebody machine inspired by the first two Evil Dead films. This edition had a limited production quantity capped at 888 units.
Location and facilities
Spooky Pinball operates out of Benton, a small community located in southwestern Wisconsin with an approximate population of 1,000 residents. The company started in 2013 by leasing an 1,800-square-foot area within the Benton Business Incubator. Initially, their printing machinery also supported operations for a commercial sign business. By 2016, Spooky expanded into a larger 5,000-square-foot facility to boost manufacturing capabilities and had grown its staff to nine employees.
By 2023, driven by increased demand during the pandemic period, Spooky planned another relocation aiming to double its operational space. A new production center spanning 12,000 square feet was announced directly across from their current location; the existing building was designated for storage purposes. This expansion was intended to accommodate a workforce of approximately 40 employees and was projected to open in 2024.
Production
By 2025, Spooky Pinball had created a total of 13 distinct pinball machines. The development cycle for each unit spans roughly 18 months, encompassing everything from initial concept design to final production, including securing licensing deals with various studios. All manufacturing processes are conducted at their Benton facility, where they blend in-house component fabrication with parts obtained from Pinball Life located in Chicago. The earliest models utilized PinHeck software, crafted by Ben Heck with design contributions from Dennis Nordman and electronic engineering by Parker Dillmann at MacroFab.
Since the launch of their first machine, Spooky has incorporated 3D printing technology into their production workflow. Their setup includes 26 printers, complemented by laser cutters and large-format decal printers. Building each machine on the assembly line requires between 20 and 40 hours. Starting in 2021, the company optimized its manufacturing by introducing paired games that share core designs but feature distinct themes. They also offer multiple editions of their products, including premium versions with enhanced features sold at elevated price points.
Annually, Spooky produces and distributes between 1,000 and 2,000 units, with retail prices ranging from $7,700 to $9,800 as reported in 2023.
Games
| Year | Title | Designer | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | America's Most Haunted | Benjamin Heckendorn | |
| 2016 | Rob Zombie's Spookshow International | Charlie Emery | |
| Domino's Spectacular Pinball Adventure | Charlie Emery and Adam Gacek | Created and produced specifically for Domino's | |
| 2017 | Alice Cooper's Nightmare Castle | ||
| Total Nuclear Annihilation | Scott Danesi | ||
| The Jetsons | Dan Goett and Nathan Goett | Commissioned and built for The Pinball Company | |
| 2020 | Rick and Morty | Scott Danesi | |
| 2021 | Halloween | ||
| Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble! | |||
| 2023 | Looney Tunes | ||
| The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | |||
| Scooby-Doo | |||
| 2024 | Evil Dead | "Spooky Luke" Peters and Corwin "Bug" Emery |