1972 · Gottlieb
King Rock / King Kool
Known for KING, In-line flippers and Center bullseye. Flat teal-blue sky broken by scalloped cloud shapes in green, pink, orange and yellow, wavy horizontal rainbow bands along the top edge, green foliage or cloud bank behind the figures and striped black-and-white radiating shape behind the right-hand figures.
- Year
- 1972
- Maker
- Gottlieb
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
Known for
- lanes and targets
KING
- extra flippers
In-line flippers
- standup target
Center bullseye
2 games under this title
On the playfield
Bumpers 2
- Outer bumpers
- Center bumper
Target 1
- Center bullseye standup target
Lanes 2
- KING lanes and targets
- Upper side lanes
Flipper 1
- In-line flippers extra flippers
On the backglass
Who and what
- other Jester/king at far left: enormous open-mouthed grin with visible teeth, tall blue-and-white vertically striped conical hat with orange ball tips and green pom-pom base, orange collar, blue-and-white striped sleeve, grey gloved hand on the neck of a dark green electric guitar with white pickguard, cream body
- other Tall crowned figure centre-left, only upper body visible behind the others: white pointed crown, long nose, black-and-white striped robe with orange trim and orange circular medallion, arm raised holding an orange-tipped sceptre
- other Small grinning crowned figure centre: orange spiral side curls, small gold crown, wide toothy smile, black-and-white striped robe, both grey-gloved hands on a striped drum whose cream head is printed with red tilt
- woman Blonde woman right of centre: long pale-blonde hair, small orange crown, pink strapless bodice, short pink-and-white striped tutu skirt, pink tights, pink shoes, one hand on hip, other arm raised, mouth open in a singing/smiling expression, flesh-pink skin
- other Grey-skinned crowned figure at far right: grey-blue face with dark wide eyes and open mouth, tall pink-and-green striped conical hat, white and grey robe, grey-gloved hands on a dark green double-necked guitar with two sets of tuning pegs and three white pickups
- other Small pink-hatted jester head peeking over the top edge centre-right, with a gloved hand raised beside it
Setting
- Flat teal-blue sky broken by scalloped cloud shapes in green, pink, orange and yellow
- Wavy horizontal rainbow bands along the top edge
- Green foliage or cloud bank behind the figures
- Striped black-and-white radiating shape behind the right-hand figures
Text on it
- BALL IN PLAY
- IT'S MORE FUN TO COMPETE
- 1
- 2
- 52,590
- 00,000
- Gottlieb
- 2 PLAYER
- KING KOOL
- A GAME OF
- SKILL!
- PLAYERS
- 1 or 2
- CAN PLAY AT THE SAME TIME!
- GAME OVER
- TILT
- P. Guccione
How it plays
-
Awards 1
- Double Bonus
Made by
- Design
- Ed Krynski
- Art
- Gordon Morison
Reference
Linked terms
- KING also called King letters also called KING letters
- In-line flippers also called Paired in-line flippers also called upper flippers also called lower flippers
- Center bullseye also called Center standup target
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield King Kool
- red
- cream
- teal
- yellow
Fingerprint: King: Row of cream medallions spelling KING across top, three large red-and-cream star-motif targets with domed chrome center, grinning jester head in striped hat buried in starburst, curved 1000 POINTS AND ADVANCE BONUS banner repeated, carnival fruit-machine symmetrical layout
The most memorable feature is the row of oversized cream medallions spelling KING in bold black capitals across the top of the playfield, set above three giant red-and-cream star-motif round targets with a domed chrome centre. A second strong signature is the grinning jester head in a striped cone hat, buried in a red-and-cream starburst just above the centre of the board. The curved black 1000 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS banner arcs across the very top and is repeated on two white shield panels midway down, giving the machine a distinctive three-times-repeated slogan.
Setting
- Painted carnival backdrop of radiating red, cream and teal sunburst rays
- Cream and red starburst medallions behind the centre targets
- Cream instruction apron panel across the bottom
- Chrome side rails and wooden lockdown bar framing the board
Symbols
- Four-pointed stars
- Diamonds
- Round cream letter medallions
- Triangular arrow inserts
- Concentric red-and-cream target rings
- Cream oval scoring markers
- Black triangular arrow pointers
- Round bonus multiplier discs
Notable shapes
- Concentric circular target wells with chrome rims
- Three star-motif circular bumpers
- Central clear dome
- Cream shield-shaped instruction panels
- Large radiating sunburst
- Ring of round letter medallions
- Chain of printed oval score markers forming a vertical spine
Art motifs
- Radiating sunburst rays
- Red and cream concentric rings
- Star-and-diamond repeating tile pattern
- Striped conical clown hats
- Symmetrical mirrored left/right layout
Themes
- Carnival
- Circus clown
- Jackpot
- Slot machine reels
- Fruit machine
- Number ladder scoring
Title on it
- King
Text on it
- 1000 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS
- 1000 POINTS
- ADVANCE BONUS
- K
- I
- N
- G
- MILLS
- 10000
- 9000
- 8000
- 7000
- 6000
- 5000
- 4000
- 3000
- 2000
- 1000
- OPENS GATE
- SPECIAL
- BONUS
- 500 POINTS
- TILT
- FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 37,000 POINTS
- INSERT COIN
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | A single stylised grinning jester/clown head in the centre of the playfield: pale cream face, wide toothy grin, dark outlined eyes, rosy cheeks, framed by a striped cone hat in blue, yellow and red, set inside a red-and-cream pointed starburst |
| Other | Small repeated clown/jester faces painted in profile at the upper left and upper right corners of the playfield, wearing matching striped cone hats and grinning |
Full-length overhead photograph of a complete electro-mechanical playfield seen through its glass, with chrome side rails, wooden lockdown bar and a cream-coloured instruction apron at the foot. The layout is strongly symmetrical and dominated by a carnival / fruit-machine look. At the top a curved black banner reads 1000 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS, beneath which a row of round cream-and-yellow letter medallions spells KING. Below that sit three large round targets/drums painted cream with red rims and red four-pointed star-and-diamond motifs, the middle one raised inside a chrome-rimmed circular well with a clear plastic dome. Flanking the centre are two white shield-shaped panels, each printed 1000 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS. In the middle of the playfield a stylised grinning jester head with a striped cone hat sits inside a red-and-cream starburst, above a small window reading MILLS with a visible number. A vertical scoring ladder of cream ovals with red numerals runs down the centre line. The lower half is packed with curved ball guides, triangular cream and red inserts, two round bonus multipliers and two flippers at the base. Dominant colours: red, cream/ivory, teal-green and yellow.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass King Kool
- teal
- orange
- pink
- yellow
Fingerprint: KING KOOL logo with cream oval and chunky red-yellow letters, grinning jester in tall blue-white vertically striped conical hat playing dark green electric guitar, small crowned figure drumming striped drum marked TILT, blonde woman in pink tutu hand-on-hip, grey crowned figure holding double-necked guitar
A grinning, wide-mouthed jester in a tall blue-and-white striped conical hat playing a dark green electric guitar, flanked by a tiny crowned figure drumming a TILT drum. Beside them a blonde woman in a pink tutu and pink bodice poses hand-on-hip with her mouth open, next to a grey-faced crowned figure holding a double-necked guitar. Two large cream reel score windows read 52,590 and 00,000. The word TILT printed in red on a drum head is an unusually literal in-art instruction.
Setting
- Flat teal-blue sky broken by scalloped cloud shapes in green, pink, orange and yellow
- Wavy horizontal rainbow bands along the top edge
- Green foliage or cloud bank behind the figures
- Striped black-and-white radiating shape behind the right-hand figures
Symbols
- Two inverted triangular player markers numbered 1 and 2
- Crowns on three figures
- Electric guitar with white pickguard
- Double-necked electric guitar
- Striped drum labelled tilt
- Sceptre with orange tip
- Jester conical hats with ball tips
- Green stars on the blue-and-white striped robe
- Pink ribbon banner
- Scalloped cloud shapes
- Striped radiating fan shape
- Musical notes on the teal lower band
- Playing-card pip shapes in the top border decoration
Lettering
- Chunky rounded sans-serif capitals with heavy outlines; title in slanted red letters with a yellow inner bevel on a cream oval; small white ribbon banners carry black capitals; the slogan top right is curved black and white serif capitals
Themes
- Jester
- King
- Court
- Musicians
- Band
- Guitar
- Drum
- Singing
- Competition
Title on it
- King kool
Text on it
- BALL IN PLAY
- IT'S MORE FUN TO COMPETE
- 1
- 2
- 52,590
- 00,000
- Gottlieb
- 2 PLAYER
- KING KOOL
- A GAME OF
- SKILL!
- PLAYERS
- 1 or 2
- CAN PLAY AT THE SAME TIME!
- GAME OVER
- TILT
- P. Guccione
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Jester/king at far left: enormous open-mouthed grin with visible teeth, tall blue-and-white vertically striped conical hat with orange ball tips and green pom-pom base, orange collar, blue-and-white striped sleeve, grey gloved hand on the neck of a dark green electric guitar with white pickguard, cream body |
| Other | Tall crowned figure centre-left, only upper body visible behind the others: white pointed crown, long nose, black-and-white striped robe with orange trim and orange circular medallion, arm raised holding an orange-tipped sceptre |
| Other | Small grinning crowned figure centre: orange spiral side curls, small gold crown, wide toothy smile, black-and-white striped robe, both grey-gloved hands on a striped drum whose cream head is printed with red tilt |
| Woman | Blonde woman right of centre: long pale-blonde hair, small orange crown, pink strapless bodice, short pink-and-white striped tutu skirt, pink tights, pink shoes, one hand on hip, other arm raised, mouth open in a singing/smiling expression, flesh-pink skin |
| Other | Grey-skinned crowned figure at far right: grey-blue face with dark wide eyes and open mouth, tall pink-and-green striped conical hat, white and grey robe, grey-gloved hands on a dark green double-necked guitar with two sets of tuning pegs and three white pickups |
| Other | Small pink-hatted jester head peeking over the top edge centre-right, with a gloved hand raised beside it |
A landscape backglass of flat, brightly coloured cartoon art on a teal-blue ground of scalloped cloud shapes, with wavy pink, orange, yellow and green bands along the top. Two cream-bezelled mechanical score windows sit high left and right, each with an inverted red-on-cream triangle numbered 1 and 2 above it. Below and between them, five jester and king-like figures in striped court dress: at far left a grinning jester in a tall blue-and-white striped conical hat with orange ball tips plays a dark green electric guitar with a white pickguard; centre-left a small grinning crowned figure with orange spiral curls stands behind a striped drum marked TILT; behind them looms a tall crowned figure in a black, white and orange striped robe holding an orange-tipped sceptre; right of centre a blonde woman with a small crown, pink bodice, pink tutu and pink tights stands hand-on-hip, mouth open as if singing; far right a grey-skinned crowned figure with wide eyes holds a dark green double-necked guitar. The main logo is a big cream oval with KING KOOL in chunky red-and-yellow letters, a pink ribbon beside it, and GAME OVER on a white banner.
Backglass King Rock
- red
- yellow
- blue
- pink
Fingerprint: KING ROCK — four cartoon musicians in striped stage costumes playing across yellow cloud burst, screaming guitarist huge open mouth, grinning curly drummer, pink-legged singer at microphone, white-bearded bassist, one with crown, grey mechanical elephant head with crown looming above, pink poodle beside top-right slogan, grinning jester from clouds, heavy black outlines
Four cartoon rock musicians in striped stage costumes playing across a yellow cloud burst: a screaming guitarist with a huge open mouth, a grinning curly-haired drummer, a pink-legged singer at a microphone and a white-bearded bassist, one of whom has a crown on his head. A grey mechanical elephant head wearing a crown looms above the band. A pink poodle stands beside the top-right slogan, and a grinning jester head peeks out of the clouds at top left.
Setting
- Yellow and orange cloud/explosion burst filling the centre
- Pale blue-green banded backdrop at top and bottom edges
- Red outer border framing the whole glass
- Four card-window rectangles with black surrounds
Symbols
- Playing-card suits and card windows
- Black triangular number tabs 1 2 3 4
- Musical eighth notes
- Saw blades in the lower border
- Crowns
- Microphone stand
- Drum kit with cymbals
- Electric guitars and bass
- Paint drips and spatters
Lettering
- Bold hand-lettered cartoon lettering; main title in large red block capitals with a yellow/white outline and drop shadow on a yellow circular medallion, 'a game of skill!' in smaller black capitals beneath; slogan top right in white mixed-case script with 'compete' in larger capitals
Themes
- Rock band
- Musical performers
- Competition between players
- Playing cards
- Jester and crowns
- Circus royalty parody
Title on it
- King rock
Text on it
- It's more fun to COMPETE
- BALL IN PLAY
- Challengers
- 4-PLAYER
- KING ROCK
- A GAME OF SKILL!
- PLAYERS
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- CAN PLAY at the SAME TIME!
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Far left guitarist, long white hair and big white moustache, mouth wide open singing, wearing a blue/red/yellow striped jacket and crown-like headdress, holding a green-bodied guitar |
| Man | Centre-left drummer, round grinning face with curly yellow hair, small red crown above his head, seated behind a drum kit with cymbals |
| Man | Centre singer, shaggy white hair, red sleeveless top, pink tights and pink boots, leaning forward singing into a microphone on a stand, one hand on hip |
| Man | Right bassist, white beard and hair, yellow and red striped costume, holding a black-and-white bass guitar angled up to the right |
| Creature | Grey mechanical elephant-like head with trunk, tusks and a yellow-and-blue crown, floating above the band |
| Animal | Small pink poodle standing on the clouds at top right, facing left |
| Other | Grinning jester head in a blue ruffled cap and red collar peeking out of the clouds at top left |
A rectangular painted backglass with a bright red outer border and four horizontal windows (two upper, two lower) with black surrounds showing white card faces; black triangular number tabs read 1, 2, 3 and 4 at the upper-left, upper-right, lower-left and lower-right of each pair. The background is a mottled yellow-and-orange cloud or explosion shape. Four cartoon rock-band figures perform across the middle: at far left a long-haired white-moustached guitarist in a red, blue and yellow striped outfit with a crown-like headdress, mouth wide open singing; centre-left a grinning curly-haired drummer with a small red crown behind a drum kit; centre a white-haired singer in a red top, pink tights and pink boots leaning into a microphone stand; at right a white-bearded bassist in a yellow-and-red striped costume holding a black-and-white bass. Above them sits a grey elephant-like mechanical head wearing a yellow-and-blue crown, and near the top a grinning jester head in a blue ruffled cap peeks out of the clouds. A pink poodle stands on the clouds top right beside the slogan. Musical notes, saws and paint drips decorate the lower border. Cartoon comic art, heavy black outlines, saturated primaries.
Backglass King Kool
- red
- teal
- cream
- yellow
Fingerprint: king kool - enormous symmetrical red-and-teal zigzag starburst arrow filling whole backglass point aimed upward through stack of value panels, grinning clown in striped conical jester hat sitting dead center just below three bumpers with two more clown faces flanking it, five round yellow lamps across top physically spelling K I N G above 1000 POINTS, green horseshoe of round lights straddling yellow 10000 disc
The most memorable element is the enormous symmetrical red-and-teal zigzag starburst arrow filling the whole backglass, its point aimed upward through a stack of value panels. Second, a grinning clown in a striped conical jester hat sits dead centre just below the three bumpers, with two more clown faces flanking it. Third, five round yellow lamps across the top physically spell K I N G above '1000 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS'. Also striking: a green horseshoe of round lights straddling a yellow '10000' disc, and a red hexagon at the bottom announcing 'FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET'.
Setting
- Flat cream/off-white painted background
- Large symmetrical red starburst arrow graphic with black and teal outlines
- Concentric red and black rings forming a bullseye behind the upper bumpers
- Reflective glass surface with visible screws and chrome cabinet framing
Symbols
- Three red diamond suit pips inside each white bumper circle
- Red downward arrow chevrons above the three bumpers
- Green horseshoe of round lights
- Yellow diagonal arrow labelled king
- Circular arrow symbol after the letter g at the top
- Large blue left and right arrows around the flipper-buttons hexagon
- Red shield-shaped bonus plaque
- Ornate red and gold scrollwork flourishes
- Red parallelogram value windows for scores
- Red and white striped triangular fan shapes flanking the 500 points plaque
Lettering
- Bold condensed sans-serif capitals in black on cream plaques for the rules text, yellow round letterforms inside black-outlined circles for the k i n g row, small black capitals on cream lozenges for the bonus multipliers, and a tall condensed display face for the king kool instructions heading.
Themes
- Playing-card suits
- Bullseye target
- Clown
- Scoring ladder
- Bonus multiplier
Title on it
- King kool
Text on it
- 1000 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS
- K
- I
- N
- G
- 1500 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS
- OPENS GATE when lit
- SPECIAL when lit
- 500 POINTS
- KING
- 10000
- BONUS multiplier
- 2X
- 3X
- BONUS
- FLIPPER BUTTONS
- ON SIDE OF CABINET
- KING KOOL
- INSTRUCTIONS
- ONE or TWO PLAYERS - 2 BALLS PER PLAYER
- INSERT COIN ONLY WHEN COIN ENTRANCE IS LIT
- TILT
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Central grinning clown or jester head, pale cream face, wide toothy smile, dark outlined eyes, framed by a red, yellow and white horizontally striped conical hat with a yellow band; sits directly beneath the three bumpers. |
| Other | Two smaller cream clown faces with red hats and open smiling mouths, one on each side of the central figure, tucked into the red-and-gold scrollwork flanking the '1500 points and advance bonus' plaques. |
A tall, portrait-format backlit backglass dominated by a huge symmetrical red-and-teal starburst/zigzag arrow running from the bottom edge up to the middle, all on a cream painted background. At the top, a cream banner reads '1000 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS' above five round yellow target lamps lettered K, I, N, G and a circular arrow symbol; below them three round bumpers with white faces ringed in red and marked with red arrow-and-diamond pips. A red-and-black concentric-ring bullseye sits behind a metal ball-guide cup. In the centre a grinning clown in a red, yellow and white striped conical hat, with two flanking cream clown faces beside '1500 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS' plaques and ornate red-and-gold scrollwork. Two white arrow panels read 'OPENS GATE when lit' and 'SPECIAL when lit' above a '500 POINTS' disc. Lower down: a green horseshoe of round lights over a yellow '10000' disc, a diagonal yellow KING arrow on the left, roundels reading '1500 POINTS and ADVANCE BONUS' on both sides, a vertical ladder of '1000' ovals, cream lozenges reading 'BONUS multiplier 2X' and 'BONUS multiplier 3X', and a small red shield marked BONUS at the base. The cream lower apron carries a red hexagon reading 'FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET' between blue arrows, a 'KING KOOL INSTRUCTIONS' card and a TILT badge.
Backglass King Kool
- yellow
- red
- purple
- white
Fingerprint: KING KOOL green egg-shaped logo in red outlined capitals with jester's cap and drumsticks, five cartoon musicians: jester with striped robe and red-white stringed instrument, small court figure with red crown at orange drum, king with tall striped crown and white beard raising mace, woman in red top singing, old king with double-necked instrument, primary bright colours.
The most memorable element is the bright green egg- or shield-shaped logo reading KING KOOL in chunky red outlined capitals, framed by a jester's cap and drumsticks. Behind it a five-strong band of cartoon kings, jesters and a belly-dancer-like singer in striped royal robes pose with guitars, a drum and a mace against a flat yellow sky. Two mechanical reel windows with triangular 1 and 2 player markers run across the top, with a red balloon slogan about competing at the upper right. A cluster of floating musical notes on a white ribbon fills the bottom strip, and the whole thing is rendered in flat, saturated, comic-strip primary colour.
Setting
- Flat yellow sky
- Puffy red and blue clouds
- Rainbow arc at lower left
- White ribbon banner of musical notes
Symbols
- Playing stringed instruments
- Drum and drumsticks
- Mace
- Crowns
- Musical notes on a ribbon
- Rainbow arc
- Jester's cap
- Speech balloon
- Triangular player-number markers
Lettering
- Chunky red sans-serif capitals with white and black outline on a green shield for the title; smaller black and red mixed-case banners for instructions; retro hand-lettered look
Themes
- Jester
- Royal court
- Kings and queens
- Band
- Competition between two players
- Carnival
- Game of skill
Title on it
- King kool
Text on it
- 1
- 2
- It's more fun to COMPETE
- BALL IN PLAY
- PLAYERS
- 1 or 2
- CAN PLAY at the SAME TIME!
- Jupiter's
- 2 Player
- KING KOOL
- A GAME OF SKILL!
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Far left: white-faced grinning jester or king in a red-and-white striped robe and striped conical hat, mouth wide open, playing an angular red, white and black stringed instrument held diagonally |
| Other | Left of centre: smaller white-faced grinning court figure with a red pointed crown with coloured balls, yellow ruff collar and jewelled collar, seated behind a small orange bass drum |
| Man | Upper centre: king with tall red, yellow and green striped crown, long white hair and full white beard, lavender robe with gold trim, raising a mace in his right hand |
| Woman | Right of centre: orange-haired woman in a red top, pink polka-dot tutu skirt and pale green tights, singing with both arms raised and fingers spread |
| Man | Far right: elderly grey-bearded king in a red-and-white crown and dark plum robe, playing a dark red double-necked stringed instrument |
A vividly coloured cartoon backglass set in a flat yellow sky filled with puffy red and blue clouds and a rainbow arc along the lower left. Two white mechanical score reels sit in black-framed windows across the top, the left one preceded by a black triangle marker containing 1 and the right by a matching marker containing 2; a red balloon at top right carries the slogan. Five costumed musical figures crowd the centre: at far left a white-faced jester in a red-and-white striped robe and striped conical hat, mouth open, playing an angular red, white and black stringed instrument; beside him a smaller grinning court figure with a red pointed crown, yellow ruff collar and white face, seated at a small orange drum; above centre a king with a tall red, yellow and green striped crown, long white hair and beard, and a lavender robe with gold trim, raising a mace; to his right a woman with orange hair, a red top, pink polka-dot tutu and pale green tights, singing with arms lifted; at far right a grey-bearded old king in a red-and-white crown and dark plum robe strumming a dark red double-necked stringed instrument. Musical notes float on a white ribbon banner. Lower left text reads PLAYERS 1 or 2, CAN PLAY at the SAME TIME! A green egg-shaped logo with red lettering sits at bottom centre.