Hi Belles,

Despite the snowy roads, eight of us braved the weather for a night of pinball at Aftershock last Wednesday! We welcomed one new player and played through seven rounds, leading up to a Monster Bash showdown for the finals.

Winners’ Circle

Donelle took 1st place

Cora snagged 2nd

Tiffany landed in 3rd

Jacque rounded out 4th

We had a sweet prize table, but we want to highlight two special items from Black women creators in Wisconsin:

Lou won a Sweethearts Tote from Chase My Creations (IG: chasemycreations) based in Milwaukee (peep Tiffany’s sweater for another item in her shop), and Brooke won a Growing Pains Metallic Mug in Gold from B.Denae Artistry (IG: b.denae_artistry), who works out of Madison. You might have even seen some of her work at local markets or admired one of her murals in Beaver Dam. If you’re not already following these two talented ladies, check them out and support them by shopping at their online stores! (Don’t miss next month as we have more items from Black ladies in Wisconsin)

We also had a split flipper side quest on Doctor Who, where Cora & Brooke teamed up for the win earning themselves a PB&J plush, one half for each of them!

A huge thank you to Aftershock staff for keeping our glasses full and treating us to coupons, pretzels, pickles, and top-notch bartending!

Black History Month Factoid: Muriel Tramis

While not directly pinball-related, it’s important to recognize Muriel Tramis, a true pioneer in gaming. She is widely considered the first Black woman to work as a game designer. For years, searching for the first Black woman in game design would misleadingly bring up Carol Shaw, a white woman, highlighting just how overlooked Tramis’ contributions were.

One of her most notable works was Freedom (1988), a game about enslaved people fighting their slaves. It challenged culture and history on multiple levels. Her impact on gaming history was finally recognized when she became the second-ever game designer awarded the Legion of Honor in France, one of the country’s highest distinctions for military or civil service. And just this month, USC Games honored her with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for her groundbreaker contributions to the gaming industry. 

Learn more about her here which includes an embedded YouTube video of a micro-documentary.

Save The Date

Mark your calendar for our next events:

March 12: The Kickback Bar – We are collaborating with ladies in the beer industry!

March 23: The Kickback Bar for our Dungeons & Dragons Launch Party

IFPA’s Special Announcement

On February 7, the IFPA made an important post about inclusivity in competitive pinball, reaffirming its support for women’s pinball, non-binary players competing in women’s events, and making it clear that transwomen are women and belong in women’s pinball. It also emphasized that transmen are men, and that homophobia, transphobia, or any form of discrimination will not be tolerated.

We reiterated this message on Facebook the same day—if you missed it, we encourage you to give it a read. More importantly, we want to remind everyone in Belles that we all have a responsibility to uphold these values. That means holding ourselves and each other accountable. If someone says something that doesn’t sit right with you, call them in. If someone is being hateful, call them out. The organizers will do our best to lead by example, but it takes all! 

See you at The Kickback!

You’re flipping cool,

The Belles & Chimes Madison Planning Team