There’s an intriguing and brief story to share. Although the title’s use of “almost” may be a bit of a stretch, it was indeed a topic of discussion. Renowned pinball artist Christopher Franchi recently revealed that before becoming an exclusive artist for Spooky Pinball, he attempted to convince American Pinball to create a pinball machine based on Pee-Wee Herman.

Franchi allegedly went as far as meeting with the actor who portrayed Pee-Wee, Paul Reubens, to discuss the game prior to his passing. Unfortunately, the plan never materialized, and as you may know, American Pinball underwent significant changes thereafter. Here is a mockup of the potential artwork he envisioned for the game.

This story actually brings to mind a humorous incident I wrote about back in 2022:

“This morning, Pinball Expo shared images from the tours of the Jersey Jack Pinball factory on their Facebook page. It seemed like a fantastic experience. Jersey Jack Pinball even included a subtle joke for those who enjoy dissecting every factory photo for hints about upcoming games – a set of Pee-Wee Herman Pinball plans left outside the factory’s ‘forbidden room.’ Nicely played, Jersey Jack Pinball LOL.”

Would you be intrigued by a Pee-Wee pinball machine? Personally, I believe a game based on Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure from 1985 would be a great choice if one were to be created. However, the Pee-Wee Herman intellectual property carries some baggage in present times. Nonetheless, I could see such a machine selling quite well.