Ectozone.com News Archive

Today, June 8, 2013, is the Ghostbusters' thirtieth anniversary.

Well, sorta...

The movie debuted on June 8, 1984, making today the twenty-ninth anniversary. But as readers of the Ghostbusters Omnibus Timeline (Classic) know, in-universe the movie came about a year after the team actually started up--June 8, 1983, marks the day Dana Barrett walked into Ghostbusters Central for the first time, putting her on a rocky collision course with destiny.

So, to celebrate the day, I'm doing a rare Saturday update to the Ectozone. There are a number of revisions implemented to the GBI Timeline and the GBNY sections bringing them up to date with the current day.

--Fritz V. Baugh

To repeat myself...

Oh how far I've come in ten years...

I created this site originally to showcase my Ghostbusters Omnibus Timeline, which in the intervening years has become three Timelines; the closing of Ghostbusters.net in July 2003 quickly caused the transition of the Ectozone into the main venue of inflicting my crap on the Internet.

This place (and it's most direct sister site, GBWC.net) have grown and changed as I got better with programming. I mean, I could barely use html tags when I started! In 2004 I discovered how to do tables and then in 2006 I improved the functionality with Javascript and CSS, which in turn led to the exodus from Angelfire to GoDaddy, and the availability of .php codes and, of course, my very own message board.

It's been a little rougher the last few years, I admit. I haven't been as active as I'd used to be. I still don't know when the GBWC story "Toy Soldiers" will continue. But I do have some new stuff to celebrate this significant anniversary:

If you haven't been reading IDW's Ghostbusters comics what the hell is wrong with you? Sure, it's got actor caricatures and technically the cartoons aren't in-continuity, but those little imperfections are nothing compared to the sheer awesomeness Erik Burnham, Dan Schoening, Luis Delgado, and Niel Uyitake bring to us ever month. It's chocked full of in-jokes and callbacks to aforementioned cartoons, and in the latest storyline EGB character Kylie Griffin has become a full-fledged Ghostbuster! It's awesome and you should read it!

And I'm not saying that just because they named a character after me...

While I can't really reconcile much of IDW's series with Ectozone/GBOT fanon, that doesn't stop me from putting my own spin on things introduced in the most recent storyline:

Fan Art: The New Ghostbusters

I freely admit Janine and Kylie are just recolors of my existing "stock" artwork, but Melanie Ortiz and Ron Alexander are all-new! Each character is depicted in three different color schemes: one is the flight suit they actually wore in the story (Janine and Melanie in tan/grey, Kylie in black, Ron in Egon's RGB colors), one in the RGB color corresponding to the uniform they actually wore (Janine in Egon's colors, Kylie in Ray's, Melanie in Venkman's), and a set with the colors they wore on the covers of New Ghostbusters #1 and the interiors of #2, albeit full flight suits instead of short shorts (Janine in Venkman's colors, Melanie in Winston's, Kylie in Ray's again but with her own name on the tag). As Ron technically only wore the Egon flight suit, I rounded his set out with the standard tan/grey (how I could see him wearing in a more RGB-esque universe) and one in Winston's colors to complete the "set" of borrowed flight suits.

But here's the one that will probably shock people:

Ghostbusters: The Monster That Is A Cookie
1984--Timeline Year Two
Ray's trying to eat the cookies his Aunt Lois sent. Then he gets more exposure to cookies that he could ever want--there's a monster at a cookie factory. So much for his diet, huh?

Yeah, that's right--a new story. I actually had most of that one sitting around for a long time; I started it just before I was slammed with some medical issues and a major bout with depression. I don't know how long this new burst of energy will last, but it got me over the finish line to getting something out for this notable anniversary.

I hope everybody enjoys it.

Once more, thanks everybody for ten great years.

--Fritz V. Baugh

So...some of you may remember how ever year I do this:

Joined: February 3, 2003

Grife on toast...that was ten years ago?!

Wow...how far I've come since then...

This place. GBWC.net. Gigs adminning or modding at Still Playing With Toys, Ghostbusters International, and GB Fans.

More importantly, tons and tons of friends I never would have met if not for four guys and one gal in snazzy flight suits and laser backpacks.

Photo by LinearRanger

Thanks everybody for ten great years.

--Fritz V. Baugh

If nothing else, 2013 should be a better year than 2012 because there's no sprocking election. I think I was sick of the parade of hypocrits, crazies, cranks, religious extremists, and greedy old bastards by this time last year. The fact that the election turned out the only good way helps, but the most important thing is that it's over.

IDW's Ghostbusters Vol.1 is wrapped up, and February will see the beginning of Vol.2. I'd originally hoped to have the New Timeline updated with all of the stuff from issues 9-16, but due to some family complications over the holidays that didn't happen. I'm now shooting for February 3 (Longtime Ectozone readers may find that date ringing a bell somewhere...)

I really can't promise much at this point on the fan fic front. I've been dealing with writer's block and fatigue for a while now, and it seems like every time I think the dam is starting to break something else comes up and I end up right back in neutral.

Hope you and yours have a safe and prosperous 2013!

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--Fritz V. Baugh