The Complicated Legacy of John Trudeau
The pinball industry is like a mirror to society. Pinball is not immune to scandal or terrible people. Case in point, John Trudeau. One of pinballs most creative and wacky designers, but also the worst person in pinball. Can you separate the art from the artist or should you? Join us this month as we review how John was introduced to pinball, his early career, working at the shoe string budget years of Gottlieb and then the boom in Williams. We also review why John is a considered a piece of garbage and how he destroyed the legacy of his games. Topcast Podcast - Ep 10 – John Trudeau - Ep 17 – Roger Sharpe - Ep 37 – Joe Kaminkow TNT Amusements Youtube - Caribbean Cruise. Here Pinball News. John Trudeau Charges. Here
Kineticist’s take
Silverball Chronicles explores John Trudeau complicated design legacy and the ethics of separating art from artist in pinball.
Synopsis
In this Silverball Chronicles episode, hosts David Dennis and Ron Hallett discuss John Trudeau legacy as a prolific and creatively unconventional pinball designer across multiple manufacturers (Gameplan, Gottlieb, Mylstar, Premier) from 1979 onwards. The episode traces Trudeau's unusual entry into pinball (as an offset pressman seeking creative fulfillment rather than a childhood enthusiast), his design philosophy of constraint-driven creativity, and his most notable games including Rocky, Spirit, Alien Star, and Raven. The hosts grapple with the central tension of Trudeau's legacy: his significant contributions to pinball design history versus his documented personal misconduct that has made him 'widely considered to be the worst person in pinball.'
Entities
- Flip N Out Pinball· company
- Game Plan Inc.· company
- Gottlieb· company
- Mystic Star· company
- Premier· company
- Stern Pinball· company
- Alien Star· game
- Attila the Hun· game
- Genesis· game
- Hollywood Heat· game
- Ice Fever· game
- Raven· game
- Rocky· game
- Spirit· game
- Tag-Team Pinball· game
- David Dennis· person
- David Moore· person
- Ed Krynski· person
- George Gomez· person
- John Borg· person
- John Trudeau· person
- Ron Hallett· person
- Steve Ritchie· person
- Terry Doerzaph· person