Zidware Pinball

Zidware, Inc. was a boutique pinball venture founded by designer John A. “Jpop” Popadiuk Jr. around 2011 in the Chicago area, after his success at Bally/Williams with popular 1990s machines like Theatre of Magic and Tales of the Arabian Nights. The company’s mission was to produce ultra-premium collector pinball games, taking an unconventional preorder-funding approach in which enthusiasts paid large deposits toward promises of highly advanced, artistically detailed titles including Magic Girl (initially announced 2011), Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland (RAZA), and Alice in Wonderland. However, development across all three games stalled amid rising costs, engineering complexities, and a lack of business infrastructure. Magic Girl eventually saw a limited production of around 19–22 units through a partnership with American Pinball in 2016–2017, but these machines were broadly unfinished, leaving many collectors disappointed despite finally receiving a physical product. Popadiuk faced significant criticism for his handling of Zidware, culminating in lawsuits and the company’s cessation of operations by around 2015.

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A separate firm, Deeproot Pinball, attempted to revive Popadiuk’s unfinished concepts starting in 2017, promising to complete RAZA, Alice in Wonderland, and to “make whole” preexisting Zidware customers. Though prototypes were shown, Deeproot collapsed in 2021 after its founder Robert J. Mueller was charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for alleged investment fraud. No mass-produced versions of RAZA or Alice ever reached the market, and John Popadiuk’s involvement in both Zidware and Deeproot ultimately tarnished his standing among enthusiasts who had initially been drawn to his visionary designs. Today, Zidware’s legacy serves as a cautionary tale in the pinball industry, highlighting the risks of crowdfunded boutique ventures and underscoring the need for robust planning and execution when creating complex, high-end machines.