I've written about a possible Stern Pinball Jaws pinball machine on this site for years (see links below). From Jersey Jack Pinball's Jack Guarneri strongly hinting in an interview last year that Stern Pinball has the Jaws license - without a lot of the film's assets, to renowned artist Randy Martinez (who did the art for Stern's Mandalorian and Star Wars Comic Art pins) sharing his rendition of Jaws in a poster for last year's San Diego Comic-Con to a trademark for the use of Jaws in a pinball machine that was filed in March of 2022. There's a lot of smoke there.
Well, we may have just received another clue that Jaws is indeed coming from Stern Pinball...in 2024. A little while ago, a friend shared a social media post with me that the aforementioned artist made earlier today. Here's an excerpt from it:
"I have a ton of new paintings that I'm working on for SD Comic Con, Commissions, and a HUGE project that I cannot tell you about! Let's just say you will be seeing it next year, all over, and (concerning the art) we are doing something that has never been done before!"
OK, so here's where I make some massive leaps and assumptions that are probably wrong. So IF Randy Martinez is working on a Jaws pinball machine for Stern, it is due out in 2024 and it contains something that has never been done before with the art. What could that possibly be? Well, I'm going to guess that the art is at least partially in 3D! Stern has already experimented with hidden blacklight features on the Stranger Things playfield, so why not play around with 3D? Universal released Jaws 3-D aka Jaws 3 in theatres back in 1983 so there's a big history with the theme and this medium there. Plus, according to his bio, "Randy [Martinez] has been creating cartoons, caricatures, illustrations, paintings, and 3D art for Lucasfilm since 1999."
Going with a less popular version of the franchise like Jaws 3 might enable Stern to be able to get around the licensing issues that Jaws 1 has, or just using the Jaws music and shark assets in a cool never been done before 3D pin might enable buyers to over look the lack of assets from the first film.
So that's my somewhat educated guess folks, Keith Elwin and Randy Martinez on Stern Pinball's Jaws 3-D coming to homes and arcades near you in 2024. Is this accurate? Probably not, but it sure is fun to talk about. How would it work? I have absolutely no idea, but I envision it having a cool campy Creature from the Black Lagoon pinball vibe. Heck, maybe even video under a window in the middle of the playfield like Creature had. Maybe the LCD screen in the backbox has the option to look at animations in 3D that can be turned off in arcades where not everyone has glasses? Maybe there's stuff on the playfield and cabinet that look 3D with glasses on but fine without them? I don't know, but someone needs to make 3D pinball.
Remember this is just a semi-educated guess. I have no idea whether this is really happening, but if I was a betting man, I would bet on at least the Jaws part.
Evidence that a Jaws Pinball Machine is in the Works?
Confirmation that Stern Pinball Has Jaws, but Not All the Assets?
A Sneak Peek At What Stern Pinball Jaws Art Might Look Like
