70s-80s Pinball backglass art

the earliest pinball machines date back to the late 1700s, but they really took off during the Depression-era 1930s, satisfying the public's need for cheap fun.  there wasn't any competition until video games like Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Asteroids took over the arcades all across the country in the late 70s/early 80s.  the pinball makers, unable to compete with video game graphics, needed to up their game and fought back with brilliant artwork to catch the eyes and imagination of teenagers with pockets full of change.  this was the golden age of pinball art. 

Marvel black light posters by Third Eye Inc 1971

in 1971, Third Eye Inc, a New York City-based poster company, released a series of Marvel Comics black light posters using art from Jack Kirby, Gene Colan, and John Romita among others.  24 of these designs were made as day-glo silk screened posters on heavy paper stock, and sold around the country (Third Eye also released a series of Marvel greeting cards as well).  i can only imagine how many teenage brains warped in their fogged out bedrooms to these posters back in the day.

images found from several different sources, notably Cool and Collected and  Nick Derrington's Flickr