 | THE SCORE ON THE DOOR |
In 1977, Gottlieb changed the coin door design to a larger squarer format. For the first time, circular decals or stickers were applied to the new door skins as branding. Over the next few years, the design of these decals changed almost yearly. It was a turbulent time for Gottlieb. Their reputation was suffering, they were taken over by Columbia Pictures, then sold off again, and pinball was having it's market share eaten away by Pac-Man and countless other video-games. This page is a guide to the progression of these door stickers. |
 | This design first appeared on electro-mechanical games in 1977, the year after the company was sold to Columbia Pictures. The D.Gottlieb & Co. script blankets the world, reflecting the dominant position of the company up to this time. Examples: Centigrade 37, Bronco, Target Alpha, Golden Arrow, Sinbad, Joker Poker, Cleopatra, Close Encounters  Columbia Pictures had already promoted their ownership on playfields and backglasses. In 1978, the tagline "A Columbia Pictures Industries Company" was added to the D.Gottlieb & Co. script, together with Columbia's "sunburst" logo. Columbia only used the sunburst logo from 1978-81, after which they reverted back to the lady in the clouds. Examples: Charlie's Angels, Totem, Buck Rogers, Pinball Pool, Roller Disco  Perhaps the thinking behind the next design philosophy was to emphasise that it was an American product through the use of the stars and stripes? The significance, if there is any, of the arch of 13 rings can only be wondered at: trying to take some value from the Olympic rings perhaps? The "A Columbia Pictures Industries Company" tagline remained but without the "sunburst" logo. Examples: Genie, Incredible Hulk, Torch, Amazing Spider-man, Panthera, Circus, Counterforce, Star Race  For this design, the Gottlieb script was secondary to the dominant Star Series 80 logo, putting product range before the brand name. The "sunburst" logo in miniature returned above the "A Columbia Pictures Industries Company" tagline. Examples: James Bond 007, Time Line, Force II, Pink Panther, Mars god of war, Volcano  With Columbia Pictures out of the picture, it was time for a new, bolder, more modern-looking logo that emphasised the famous Gottlieb name as Gottlieb Amusement Games. Gottlieb were no longer just a pinball maker, but producing video-games too. Examples: Black Hole, Haunted House, Devil's Dare, Caveman, Rocky, Spirit, Punk!, Striker, Q*bert's Quest |
