Kurt Andersen
Kurt Andersen is a noted artist and animator who made significant contributions to the pinball industry from the early 1990s through the early 2000s, primarily at Data East, Sega Pinball, and Stern Pinball. His work focused on dot-matrix display (DMD) animations and game artwork, beginning when pinball manufacturers transitioned from static score displays to DMDs that could show more dynamic visual content. Andersen’s animations appeared in titles such as Jurassic Park (1993), Tales from the Crypt (1993), The Who’s Tommy Pinball Wizard (1994), Batman Forever (1995), Apollo 13 (1995), and The Lord of the Rings (2003). By collaborating closely with designers and programmers, he helped integrate visual storytelling into gameplay, contributing to the thematic depth and commercial success of each machine.
Andersen’s efforts were emblematic of broader industry shifts toward more immersive and licensed pinball games during a time of technological change and growing competition from video games. His work influenced hardware decisions—for instance, Sega’s use of larger DMDs in games like Baywatch and Batman Forever—and helped establish narrative conventions that continue to shape modern pinball. After leaving full-time pinball production in the 2000s, Andersen applied his multimedia skills to other fields, but his animations and art remain visible in many popular machines and continue to inform current approaches to pinball display design.
