Ectozone.com News Archive

I apologize for the lack of updates lately. Things in Real Life haven't been optimal, and I've been struggling with the next story I intend to have out ("Flip Side War, part 6") for pretty much the same reasons I had problems with Gozer--it's the part with all the big "action movie" pay off that I consider my weak spot.

Anyway...

As part of the project to integrate some part of the Video Game into the GBOT universe, thanks to the advice and consultation of the members of the Ectozone forum, I've made the first semi-significant retcon: Mayor Jock Mulligan is now GBOT canon from 1990-1993, replacing Ghostbusters: The Return Mayor Arnie Lapinski.

The following stories have been altered, mostly simply to mention Jock: Parts 3 and 4 of "Pandora's Box", "Back In The Saddle?" (the newspaper article), and "Twenty Five Years Later". Arnie is still mentioned as the Republican candidate for Mayor in 1989, but in the revised continuity he loses to Mulligan (of the New York State Independant Party, making the events have a slightly different nod to The Return)

More to come ~~soon~~ hopefully before too long.

--Fritz V. Baugh

It's been a couple of months now since Ghostbusters: The Video Game hit the shelves; we've now had time to process it, and see what it could mean to the Ectozone's fan fiction canon (summarized, as usual, right here.)

First and foremost, it's impossible to take every little utterance and visual and make it fit when, for our purposes, the next eighteen years (or more, if you remember the GB202x stories) has already been plotted out. Probably the biggest example of this is whether or not the "real" Gozer appears in the game--an issue of debate on the GBCentral and GBFans boards. I think it's fairly safe to say that, in GBOT terms, Gozer does not appear in 1991. Gozer is fated to make it's "real" return thirteen years later in "Chronicles of Gozer"

But for now, the following item has been definitely added to the GBI/Ectozone timeline, in 1991 between "Zodiac Imperative" and "As Dreams Fade":

Gozer cultist Ivo Shandor's spirit manifests; having sensed the ectosphere's depletion, he makes a last, desperate attempt to summon Gozer and destroy the world. Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn, one of his biological descendants, is part of his plan. He is stopped by the Ghostbusters. [GBVG]

There's also a couple of citations of Dr. Selwyn's backstory in the 1960's, taken from the promotional .pdf

Many other things, though, are still up in the air. I'm going to be opening some discussions on the subjects on the Ectozone message board, and as soon as some of these issues are definitively hammered out, any necessary changes will be made.

--Fritz V. Baugh

Artwork inspired by Atari and Ectofiend

Well, okay, for the first time in five years I've put up a new splash picture. Just as the last one was an animated-style version of the Ghostbusters: Legion#1 cover, this one is inspired by both the cover of the upcoming Video Game from Atari, and the "fix" to it posted on GBFans by Ectofiend (In the real cover art, Ray's the one next to Venkman holding the PKE Meter, and Egon's off to the side firing a proton pack. Like Ectofiend, I think switching Ray and Egon puts both of them more in character).

Anyway...

As any Ghosthead not living under a rock is aware, June 8, 2009 is exactly twenty-five years after the June 8, 1984 release of a certain movie starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, ect. called...oh, yeah, Ghostbusters. As has been noted at length here in the past, the movie was a comedic masterpiece, a blockbuster hit, and led to a smash hit cartoon series, a sequel, a less successful cartoon, comic books, an upcoming video game, and piles of crummy fan fiction. (For example...)

When Ghostbusters turned 5 years and eight days, Ghostbusters 2 came out, and this also means that in short order, on June 16, 2009, it will be celebrating it's twentieth birthday. Grife, I'm feeling old again.

The tenth anniversary was in 1994, and not much happened. The cartoon was still being run on USA.

The fifteenth anniversary in 1999 was slightly more eventful: the DVD release of the two movies, and the rumors about a possible third movie peaked.

2004, the twentieth anniversary, saw the first official GB product in seven years, a good but hideously delayed comic book mini-series. Those guys who wrote crummy fan fiction also put out Chronicles of Gozer, which was also hideously delayed, but did beat out the Ghostbusters: Legion hardcover.

And now, it's the silver anniversary. The video game is just days away from release. The possibility of a third movie is the greatest it's ever been. And here at the Ectozone, we have our own little twenty-fifth anniversary morsel: Ghostbusters: Twenty-Five Years Later... A quarter century after the famous movie, we take a look at the GBOT version of Ghostbusters International's past and present, with a few hints of the future, in the mock newes format I haven't used for a while.

Happy Birthday, Ghostbusters. And thanks for making the last twenty-five years so damn cool.

--Fritz V. Baugh

Well, it's the sixth anniversary of the Ectozone, but no big announcements this year. No makeovers, no changes to the page file types. Well, okay, there's The Eye of Aretpo, Part 4, with the next generation of Ghostbusters to be. Eric's secret is revealed, and the maniacal Zoraldo presents the team with an impossible choice. Plus there's some jokes and stuff.

Anyway, with the Video Game upon us, I want to apologize to everyone for my "freak out" (as Jen Spengler put it).

I'm not going to lie to you--there's still a lot of things in this game that, if they work out the way that it sounds, I'm just simply not going to use or acknowledge. If you've been reading my stories, and enjoy the take on the backstory I've built grounded on The Real Ghostbusters, Extreme Ghostbusters, the Now Comics, Ghostbusters: Legion, and the work of brilliant fan writers like Rosey Collins, Vincent Belmont, and Ben King, it's not going to change. If you're disappointed that I'm not going to put in Ilyssa Selwyn or The Rookie or Gozer in 1991 or Vigo somehow back in a painting, well, I respect your disagreement, but try to understand my point of view: It's just not feasible to uproot eighteen years of continuity for this.

Play the game. Enjoy it. I'm over the Asshole Fan phase where I resented that idea. I completely understand your excitement even if I don't share it: twenty years ago, when the hype machine was in overdrive over Ghostbusters 2, it was everywhere. If you're too young to remember it, soak it in--it's something a lot of us never expected to happen again.

That being said, some changes to the Timelines are in the works, which I hope to have ready for June 8th. Nothing in the Timeline as it stands right now is going to change...but at the same time, the Video Game, and the possible Ghostbusters 3 that may follow it, need some acknowledgement. I hope everyone will be satisfied with what I have in mind.

--Fritz V. Baugh

I saw it on SPT first:

Mattel Set to Launch Collectible Line for Classic Comedy Blockbuster “Ghostbusters”

Sony Pictures Consumer Products and Mattel, Inc. announced today the development of a new collectible line of toys based on the world’s favorite poltergeist fighting team, the Ghostbusters, including an extensive cast of ghosts and ghostbusters – celebrating the 25th anniversary of the frightfully funny classic film “Ghostbusters.”

Mattel’s “Ghostbusters” collectible line debuts with 12-inch figures in June 2009, and will be available exclusively at MattyCollector.com. Each figure will feature window box packaging and include authentic Ghostbuster equipment unique to each character. For the first time, Mattel’s line will include talent likeness of Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddemore. Select prototype figures will be on display February 6-8 at New York Comic Con and February 15 at Mattel’s New York Toy Fair Collector Preview Night (by invitation only).

“Ghostbusters” collectors can also look forward to 6-inch figures, with one debuting at San Diego Comic Con in July 2009. Sculpted by Four Horsemen Studios, the team currently working on Mattel’s popular DC Universe™ Classics and Masters of the Universe® Classics collectible lines, the 6-inch line will come complete with authentic “Ghostbusters” equipment and ghost.

I admit, being apparently the only GB fan in the universe who doesn't have a burning desire to have a little plastic Venkman that looks like Bill Murray, I pretty much shrugged. I've got seven Venkmans in my closet that look like the guy I watched on TV for six years plus, and just can't drum up any enthusiasm for...

Whoa. Wait a sec. What was the last line of that article?

Mattel will also create characters and ghosts from the classic animated series, “The Real Ghostbusters,” to go along with the classic “Ghostbusters” film.

Oh, now we're talking.

Keep track of the usual suspects (Proton Charging, GBFans) for updates as they come.

--Fritz V. Baugh

Last year at this time I promised that Chronicles of Gozer would be finished soon. It took until July, but it happened, and I still think it was possibly the best story I've been involved in.

But enough about the past. What's up for 2009?

George W. Bush, baring some last minute fake excuse to declare martial law, will no longer be President as of January 20th. If I have to explain to you why this is a good thing, you've either been comatose or only watching Fox Noise for the last eight years.

The Real Ghostbusters On DVD As of this writing, it hasn't arrived at my house yet, but this will be the coolest Ghostbusters thing since, well, I was able to walk into a K-Mart and buy a Slimed Hero Egon Spengler figure.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Well, the buyout by Sierra by Activision, and the transfer of the GBVG property to Atari, delayed it until June 2009, just in time for the 25th anniversary of the movie's release. And frankly, I still don't care very much. But it means I didn't have to post my Fan Fic Suicide Note for a little longer, right?

Ghostbusters 3? There's a script being worked on by the guys who make The Office. I snidely half hope it contradicts the hell out of GBVG so I can say "Welcome to my world, kids. I've been dealing with stuff contradicting earlier stuff for the last several years." But of course first it's gotta come out, and that won't happen until 2010. But it will be out in 2010, because imdb says so and imdb is never ever wrong. [/sarcasm]

Eye of Aretpo and Flip Side War. These are big stories that are close to my heart, so I do hope to get them concluded before New Years 2010. At this writing I just finished the scene where John Spengler and TJ Anderson meet for the first time--I hope it's going to amuse everyone else as much as I amused myself with it.

Something Else. It may not be sheer laziness that keeps my fan fics from being slower than they used to in coming out. There's something non-fan fiction related I'm collaborating on that could be very very big; I promise as soon as there's anything to say, and I'm allowed to say it, I'll let all of you know.

Everybody have a good 2009.

--Fritz V. Baugh