Well, the Ghostbusters busiest time of year is upon us again. It's been rather busy for me, too, but not for a few others who've chosen to honor the holiday in their own Ghostbusters-themed way.

"Dapper" Dan Schoening (if you don't know the name, you should know his work) posted a 13 Days of Hallowe'en series of thirteen new pieces of Ghostbusters artwork to his DeviantArt page. The new pieces include characters from the new video game (Azetlor, Ivo Shandor, Spider Witch, Snot Hag, Chef Sargossa), Ghostbusters II (Janosz Poha), The Real Ghostbusters (Boogaloo from "The Halloween Door:, Jack Higgins from "Sea Fright", and Watt from "Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood"), and his own version of the four undead Ghostbusters (not the Peoplebusters from RGB, but his own creations - complete with Winston, who didn't get a Peoplebuster version in RGB).

Shawn over on the Branded in the 80s blog has just concluded his 31 Days of Monsters series, in which he counted down thirty-one of his favorite monsters from The Real Ghostbusters by posting animation cels of them from his personal collection. Sure you'll see many familar monsters, but there's quite a lot that you probably won't remember at all.

The well-known band Hoobastank has just recorded a cover of "Ghostbusters", complete with a humorous music video, which features many nods to Ghostbusters and The Real Ghostbusters. The song and video isn't for any upcoming project, and appears to have been done solely for fun - just because they love Ghostbusters and their fans. That's cool.

Wrestling personality and pop culture icon Captain Lou Albano passed away this past Wednesday at age 76. If you grew up in the 1980s, you probably remember him from his trademark Hawaiian shirts, wiry goatee and rubber bands hung like piercings from his cheek. He was all over the pop culture landscape during that decade, appearing on World Wrestling Federation television programs, several Cyndi Lauper music videos (most notable as her scruffy, overbearing father in "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"), episodes of the TV series "Miami Vice" and "227", the 1986 movies "Body Slam" and "Wise Guys", and even an issue of Triad's "The Honeymooners" comic book.

He is also well-known for portraying, in voice and live-action, the video game icon Mario in "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show" from 1989 to 1991. One live-action segment of that series featured a Ghostbusting appearance by Ernie Hudson. In the segment entitled "Slime Busters", which aired on September 8, 1989, the Mario brothers suspect that a ghost is haunting their home. So who do they call? Ernie Hudson, that's who.


This isn't the Captain's only pop culture connection to Ghostbusters. The animated series "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling" (where his character/persona was voiced by George DiCenzo, but he played himself in some live-action segments) contains an episode entitled "Ghost Wrestlers" in which Hulk Hogan and his crew use Ghostbusters-style equipment to help an old wrestler rid his boarding house of ghosts. (The back of the SP-speed VHS incorrectly says it's a retirement home.) What's rather surprising is that the actual Ray Parker Jr. song is used, but only eight seconds from the instrumental intro portion of it (at 2:30 in Part 2 below). Even though his vocals aren't used, Ray is listed in the end credits: "Ghostbusters, performed by Ray Parker, Jr., Courtesy of Arista Records". The series was produced by DiC, who also produced The Real Ghostbusters. The episode is available by itself on SP-speed VHS and is included with "Superfly Express" on WWF's EP-speed "Vol. 4" VHS release.

MORE CAPTAIN LOU ALBANO LINKS
• IMDB
• Kevin Eck's Remembrance

I just purchased the newly-released Ghostbusters 1 & 2 DVD Limited Edition Gift Set. It should be noted that I didn't purchase it for the DVDs, which is the 2005 Double Feature Gift Set (complete with movie scrapbook). I bought it for the bundled Stay Puft statue and set of exclusive trading cards. Now this isn't going to be a complete unboxing, per se, but rather a short lead in to a new Limited Edition Gift Set details page I just created. With that in mind, here's the quick unboxing. Oh, yeah, you can click on the thumbnails to view the larger images.


The free $25 gift card included in the box is for use on select items on the Sideshow Collectibles website. The gift card expires on December 31, 2009, which is two and a half months from now. So if you want to make use of it, you shouldn't put off buying the gift set for too much longer. Sadly, the gift card is not as good of a deal as it seems. You can't buy any item on the site with the card; you're limited to a small selection of items. Of those items, most are well over $25. Also, the gift card will not cover shipping, only the item price. On the Sideshow Collectibles website you can check your giftcard value/balance, and see all of the gift card-eligible items (all of the tiny icons on the right). For your benefit, here's a list of every item currently on the list priced under $30:

$04.95 - Sideshow Collectibles 12 inch Figure Stand (might be good with Mattel's 12" GB figs)
$09.95 - Indiana Jones 2-Decks of Playing Cards in Collectors Tin
$10.00 - Sideshow Collectibles' Catalog Volume 10 (Hard Bound Book with $10 Gift Card inside)
$12.99 - The Dead T-Shirt
$12.99 - Indyfans and the Quest for Fortune and Glory DVD
$19.99 - Chucky Plush Doll (available in Europe only)
$29.95 - The Art & Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Book)
$29.99 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit Opening Title Porcelain Statue

[UPDATE - 10/20/2009]
I've found that there are a few items not listed on the Gift Card page that are probably eligible for purchase with the gift card:

$10.00 - Black Essential Gear T-Shirt- SSC.com Arched
$10.00 - Black Essential Gear T-Shirt - Collect for Life
$10.00 - Black Essential Gear T-Shirt - SSC.com Seal
$10.00 - Black Essential Gear T-Shirt - Skull and Crossbones [PERSONALLY CONFIRMED AS GIFT CARD ELIGIBLE]
$10.00 - Black Essential Gear T-Shirt - Robot Logo: Black
$10.00 - Youth Robot Logo Shirt: Blue
$10.00 - Youth Robot Logo Shirt: Red
$10.00 - Black Essentials Gear T-Shirt - Distressed Logo
$20.00 - Storm Sideline Polar Zip - SSC.com 'Skull' Logo
$25.00 - Black Ultimate Flex Polo - SSC.com Logo

It should also be noted that you're forced to create an account in order to make a purchase, and you're forced to give them your credit card number (they only accept credit cards) in order to get far enough in the checkout process to see your shipping fee. However, the shipping cost you see when you check out is just an estimate and is NOT A COMPLETELY ACCURATE AMOUNT. You won't know the actual shipping amount until you get the "final invoice" e-mail a day or two later. Even after you get the "final invoice" e-mail, the order details listed in your account on the website won't have been updated to reflect the new amount. I've been told by Sideshow customer support that the "shipping amount you are charged are exactly what it costs to ship the package, we can not offer an exact cost until a final invoice is generated."

Besides not being given the correct shipping amount until AFTER you've placed your order, there's something else that you need to be aware of. When they process your order, they will submit a pre-authorization to your credit card in the amount of the order and a shipping estimate which is generally higher than what the shipping will actually cost you. In my case, the pre-auth amount was $15.00, and the actual shipping cost I was charged was $8.56 (I paid nothing for the two items as the gift card covered them), even though during checkout I was quoted $7.86 for shipping ($0.70 less). I was enraged when I saw the $15 pre-auth, since that's double the amount I was quoted during checkout. As it is, I'm a little miffed that they billed me for more than I was quoted during checkout, but it's not worth making a big deal out of a mere seventy cents.

Now that I've used my gift card and went through all this trouble, you have the knowledge that I didn't have, which should help you decide (should you buy the set), if it's worth the hassle for you to use the gift card.

'Ghostbusters(TM): the Video Game' on PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) Systems (Including the PSP(R)go System) This November

- Bust Ghosts and Get Slimed...on the Go! -

NEW YORK, NY -- September 30, 2009 -- Atari, one of the world's most recognized video game publishers, announced today that after selling into retail more than one million units across North America in its first month, Ghostbusters: The Video Game will be coming to the PSP (PlayStationPortable) systems (including the PSPgo system) this November 2009. Fans of the summer blockbuster title can now grab their proton packs, blast and wrangle ghosts on a 16x9 widescreen while on the run! Ghostbusters: The Video Game was released on June 16, 2009 and quickly became one of the hottest video games of the year.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise, is penned by original Ghostbusters writers and stars Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites many of the original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humor and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation. In collaboration with Sony Pictures Consumer Products and acclaimed development studios Terminal Reality and RedFly Studios, Atari published this completely all-new chapter of the blockbuster Ghostbusters saga to advanced gaming platforms to coincide with the 25th Anniversary celebration of the film's original theatrical release.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game on the PSP systems offers the ability to switch between four equipment sets to access eight unique proton pack functions and use gadgets like the PKE Meter and Paragoggles to scan and analyze targets. Get pulled into the world of the paranormal, unleash your blast stream and tear it up on the go. Ghostbusters: The Video Game for PSP is rated E10 and will be available for the recommended retail price of $29.99.

In addition to the PSP systems, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is currently available at retailers across North America for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft ($59.99), Windows PC ($29.99), PlayStation3 computer entertainment system ($59.99), PlayStation2 computer entertainment system ($19.99), Wii(TM) ($39.99) and Nintendo DS(TM) ($29.99).

Set two years after Ghostbusters 2, with Manhattan once again overrun by ghosts and supernatural forces, the game also features performances from fan favorites such as William Atherton (Walter Peck), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz) and Brian Doyle-Murray (lending his voice as Mayor Jock Mulligan).

For more information, be sure to visit the official Ghostbusters(TM): The Video Game website located at: www.ghostbustersgame.com.

About the Game
When Manhattan is once again overrun by ghosts and other supernatural creatures, players will take on the role of a new recruit joining the famous Ghostbusters team. Developed by acclaimed studio Terminal Reality, Ghostbusters: The Video Game will make its debut on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version and the Wii version are being developed by Red Fly Studios, and the Nintendo DS™ version, in which the player takes the role of one of the Ghostbusters themselves, is developed by Zen Studios. The PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC versions of the game are developed using Terminal Reality's phenomenal proprietary Infernal Engine technology.

About the Film
Ghostbusters, released in 1984, is one of Columbia Pictures' highest grossing films, spawning a hit sequel in 1989 and three successful animated television shows. Ghostbusters and its sequel grossed over $500 million world-wide. Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, produced and directed by Ivan Reitman, starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson as ghost hunters for hire, cleaning up Manhattan's buildings of slime-spewing spooks.

About Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc.
Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. (SPCP) is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (SPE) based in Los Angeles which handles the merchandising and branding efforts for some of the most recognized properties in film and television.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Infogrames Entertainment and Atari
The Infogrames group, including the Atari brand and the massively multiplayer online game company Cryptic Studios, is a global producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and all interactive game platforms including consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, advanced smartphones, Personal Computers, web and online. Its games are sold in more than 60 countries through an international distribution network and direct to consumers via www.atari.com.

Atari's extensive catalogue of popular games is based on original franchises (Test Drive, Alone in the Dark, V-Rally, My Horse & Me, Backyard Sports franchise, Total Annihilation, Outcast etc.), Cryptic Studios titles (StarTrek Online, Champions Online), publishing properties (Ghostbusters, The Chronicles of Riddick, The Witcher, Race Pro etc.), international licenses (Dragon Ball Z, Dungeons & Dragons, Jamie Oliver etc.) and classic games covering the entire history of the video game industry (Pong, Missile Command, Asteroids etc).

© 2009 Atari Europe SASU. All rights reserved.
Atari word mark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc.

"GHOSTBUSTERS", The Video Game: © 2009 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. "GHOSTBUSTERS" with the "GHOST DESIGN" is a registered trademark of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. "GHOSTBUSTERS", and "GHOSTBUSTERS 2" movies: © 1984, © 1989 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Game Software excluding Columbia Pictures Elements: © 2009 Atari, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The PlayStation Network Logo is a service mark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

Windows and the Windows Vista start button are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from owner.

# # #

As previously mentioned here on Spook Central, the only unlockable "outfit" in the stylized version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game is the Gozerian Rookie Outfit. It's not really a new outfit, just a different colored version of your regular outfit and skin & hair. When it was first revealed that the Wii/PlayStation 2 version would have cartoony graphics, many fans had hoped that the developers would make the characters look like those in The Real Ghostbusters animated series. When that turned out not to be the case, they then hoped that the multi-colored outfits from the series would be unlockable in the game. Although that wasn't meant to be either, that didn't stop one fan from visualizing what that would look like.


The above image came from the Ghostbusters Italia website. I have no clue who actually made that fake, but it's a damn good job. It's fooled some people into thinking that the outfits are in the game. Of course, it didn't fool me because I knew instantly that it was a modified version of an official screenshot (below). If anyone knows where to the find the full-sized RGB mock-up image, please let me know.


[UPDATE - 8/31/2009]
Lanny D. Crepit has let me know that the picture was done by one of the more artistic members of GBFans, but that he doesn't remember which one. He did provide a link to a bigger version of the picture, which is linked to the smaller copy seen above. I did a little digging - okay, a quick Google search for the filename in Lanny's link - and I *think* that I found the artist. It appears that it's forum member JayM who originally posted the image here.

Frank Welker, the voice of Ray and Slimer in The Real Ghostbusters, is a god among voice artists. Although his filmography is filled with literally hundreds of vocal performances, he has done a few live-action roles. How few? Well if the filmography at IMDB is accurate, he's had live-action roles in six movies and on twelve television shows. That list includes a new role - his first live-action movie role in 37 YEARS! As reported by Doreen Mulman on The Frank Welker Homepage, Frank has a supporting role as Mr. Whitacre in the Steven Soderbergh comedy/thriller The Informant! with Matt Damon and Scott Bakula, in theatres September 18, 2009: "I am sneaky and I do love a good surprise. Yes, I am playing Matt's father in The Informant! It's not that I won't do an on camera part now and then, it's just that I'm not too keen on auditioning. This was offered to me and how could I pass it up. It is a very small part, so don't blink..." -Frank Welker (4/8/2009)

[UPDATE - Doreen has uploaded a gallery of screen shots of Mr. Welker's appearance in The Informant!. The film is available on DVD and Blu-Ray.]

Doreen also posted Frank's awesome interview from a recent issue of Toyfare Magazine. So go check that out.

For the record, I carefully went through Frank's IMDB filmography and weeded out all of his vocal roles. What appears below are all of his on-screen appearances. This isn't a complete list as I know he appeared as himself in a few featurettes on some of those Scooby-Doo animated movie DVDs that have come out nearly yearly over the past 10 year. I could swear he appeared as himself in some local New York/New Jersey talk show in the early 1990s that I think aired on WWOR. He also appears in an unlockable video in the Curious George video game, and I think the Transformers movies video games, too (I know him and Peter Cullen did interviews [1, 2, 3, 4], but I don't know if any of those are in the game itself). He was also on an episode of Dinah! in the 1970s as himself.

MOVIES

1. The Trouble with Girls (1969) .... Rutgers (video clip) (Buy DVD/Buy DVD)
2. The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) .... Henry (video clip [Frank from 2:34-3:10]) (Buy DVD/Buy DVD Double Feature)
3. How To Frame A Figg (1971) .... Prentiss Gates (Buy DVD)
4. Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972) .... Myles (Buy DVD)
5. Dirty Little Billy (1972) .... Young punk (Buy DVD)
6. The Informant! (2009) .... Mr. Whitacre (Buy DVD/Buy Blu-Ray)

TELEVISION

1. The Kowboys (1970) (TV) .... Clem
2. The Don Knotts Show (1970) TV series .... Regular
3. The Partridge Family: "My Heart Belongs to a Two Car Garage" (1972) TV episode .... Sioux (images and audio) (Buy DVD 2nd Season)
4. The Paul Lynde Show: "Springtime for Paul" (1973) TV episode .... Freddy
5. Catch-22 (1973) (TV Pilot) .... Lt. J.S. McWatt
6. The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour (1973) TV series .... Regular
7. Love, American Style: "Love and the Mind Reader/Love and the Mr. and Mrs./Love and the Soap Opera" (1973) TV episode .... Public Defender (segment "Love and the Mr. and Mrs.")
8. Love, American Style: "Love and the Fortunate Cookie/Love and the Lady Prisoner/Love and the Opera Singer/Love and the Weighty Problem" (1973) TV episode .... Nephew of Enrico Carisima (segment "Love and the Opera Singer") (picture - at bottom of page)
9. Laugh Trax (1982) TV series .... Sketch roles
10. The Duck Factory: "The Duck Stops Here" (1984) TV episode .... Everett
11. Simon & Simon: "Almost Completely Out of Circulation" (1984) TV episode .... Dubbing Actor (Buy DVD 4th Season)
12. Highway to Heaven: "Summit" (1986) TV episode .... President (Buy DVD 2nd Season)
13. Infidelity (1987) (TV) .... Freighter

SELF - TV

1. The Merv Griffin Show: Episode dated 7 March 1977 (1977) TV episode .... Himself
2. Slimer Won't Do That! The Making of 'The Real Ghostbusters' (1990) (TV) .... Himself (video clip, full show)
3. The Making of 'The Lion King' (1994) (TV) .... Himself
4. 10th Annual TV Academy Hall of Fame (1994) (TV) .... Himself
5. Movie Magic: "Sound for Animation: Animated Audio" (1994) TV episode .... Himself
6. Movie Magic: "Computer Animation: Fine-Tooning" (1996) TV episode .... Himself
7. Disney's One Saturday Morning: Episode dated 19 September 1998 (1998) TV episode .... Himself (segment "Manny The Uncanny") (video clip)
8. E! Entertainment Special: Who Let the Dog Out? (2002) (TV) .... Himself

SELF - VIDEO

1. Garfield Gets Real: Bloopers, the Voices in Our Heads (2007) (V) .... Himself (Buy DVD/Buy DVD Double Feature)
2. Garfield Gets Real: Legends Working Together (2007) (V) .... Himself (Buy DVD/Buy DVD Double Feature)
3. Garfield Gets Real: Finding Your Voice (2007) (V) .... Himself (Buy DVD/Buy DVD Double Feature)

Musical fans of The Real Ghostbusters have had to make due with just the Tahiti soundtrack album, as we didn't get a "score album" of the series' instrumental pieces by composers Haim Saban and Shuki Levy. I think it's safe to say that we never will get one. The Music & Effects tracks on selected episodes in Time Life's The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection DVD Box set are as good as it's ever going to get. A few fans have taken these tracks and used them to assemble their own score albums.

Ryan (aka "Stingray2501") has made a concerted effort to take those Music & Effects tracks and turn them into a score album. Here are a few words from him to explain more.

Basically I ripped the music/effects tracks from my Time Life set. And I've edited the majority of them into tracks selecting the best pieces. Eventually I want to edit more and narrow done more pieces. These Music Effects tracks are as good as it's ever going to get.

I just want to get the word out that this is happening, and see if anyone wants to help out.

I think what's in the zip is pretty good so far.

Would love to hear what you think. :)

August 19, 2009
Ryan/Stingray2501's RGB Score File - v2 with Covers (87.67 MB)
I had a couple hours to work on this again today. So here's a better copy, with track numbers, maximized volume and CD covers.

---

Another fellow named Chad originally posted the following message in the comments of this thread.

Hi all. I'm 28 years old and the Real Ghostbusters was a huge part of my childhood growing up. I love the score to the series and hearing the tracks always reminds me of the episode scenes.

I bought the DVD boxset when it came out a few years ago and made a set of mp3 rips of the scores for my own enjoyment a few years ago. I stumbled on to this website and thought I'd share. Some of these are better than others - I did my best to capture these from the DVDs. Some are spliced together as best possible to minimize the voices and sound effects. It's not perfect but I think it's pretty good.

I can't guarantee this is 100% exhaustive, but I know that when I was watching the DVDs for the first time I kept a running list of all the score pieces I heard, and tried to cover all of those when I started this project. You may not agree with all the names, but I had to call them something to keep them straight.

I'm not sure how this compares at all to what's already been posted, but maybe it has a few of the missing ones. I have about 100 tracks, and I see previous posts mention 50.

Anyway, let me know what you think!

Dec. 9, 2011
Chad's RGB Score Files (69.54 MB)

With this being the 25th anniversary of Ghostbusters, lots of companies are jumping on the licensing bandwagon and releasing new Ghostbusters merchandise. Some of it excellent, some good, some okay, and some pure crap. I thought that I'd spotlight a few items that I bought for myself, which I think are good or interesting enough to tell everyone about.

Released just in time for Summer at Hallmark Stores all across North America is this awesome Ecto-1 musical Christmas ornament. It's apparently the version seen at the beginning of Ghostbusters II (though not in decrepid condition), judging by the 1989 Liberty-style license plate. According to Alex Upton it's a pretty faithful recreation even though some of the colors aren't exactly movie accurate (I didn't do any comparisons, so I'll take his word for it). You put the three included disc batteries inside the compartment on the bottom (you need a small screwdriver to unscrew it), and push the little red button on top to play the Ray Parker Jr. theme tune. In that regard it seems like it's the "deluxe model" of the Ecto-1 keychain from the GBVG Wii Slimer bundle, except that one plays a siren sound effect. Since the wheels move, as noted in Hallmark's many pre-release ads, you could even use the ornament as a glorified Matchbox/Hot Wheels car! It retails for $18.50 USD and should be found in just about any Hallmark Store. It's listed on Hallmark.com, but they don't allow you to buy it - just add it to your wish list. Below is a small gallery of images I did: a photo of the car and box front, a scan of the box front, and a scan of the box back and bottom (and an additional image I found online). Below that is the text blurb on the back. Slimed84 has also taken his own photos; and if that's not enough for you, be sure to check out Alex Upton's video of the car with its audio playing.

Is there something strange in your neighborhood? If so, you may hear the unmistakable siren of the "ECTO-1" as it speeds the Ghostbusters to the "scene of the slime." In the hilarious 1984 comedy, this modified 1959 Cadillac became a common sight around New York City as ghost sightings sky-rocketed and the team of apparition apprehenders chased down everything from a green glob of goo to a skyscraper-sized marshmallow man. Whatever kind of ghosts you've got, the ECTO-1 can be on its way in a flash! Who you gonna call?

Ectoplasm Energy Drink
Do you miss Hi-C Ecto-Cooler and wish there were a new Ghostbusters beverage to take its place? Can you afford overpriced energy drinks? Then you're in luck...kinda. While it won't exactly replace the great Ecto-Cooler, Boston America's Ghostbusters Ectoplasm Energy Drink is its tangier, sweeter, clearer younger cousin. I'll admit, I don't partake in energy drinks, so I have nothing of its ilk to compare it to. Someone said that Ectoplasm is close in taste to AMP, but I can't say if that's true or not. The only energy drink I've ever had prior to this one was Red Bull Cola and it was absolutely horrible (maybe regular Red Bull is better, but I don't care to find out). Ectoplasm is better than that, most definitely. It is currently selling online for $2.99 a can + $4.99 for shipping ($7.98 total), which makes it a very pricey 8.4 fluid ounces. You can find a full size image of the actual can at Proton Charging, and below is a large scan of the can label (it's the best I can do considering it's hard to flatten down and my scanner likes to put glare marks on reflective objects - like plastic).

If you do opt to buy it, there is a way for you to drink the beverage while still keeping the can in as close to mint condition as possible. Instead of opening it up using the pull-tab at the top, carefully insert a pushpin into the bottom. Then remove the pushpin and immediately put a cup under the hole. As this is a carbonated beverage, try to do this after you've let the can settle for a while (it'll get shaken up during shipping). I've found that I actually had to "milk" the liquid out of the can by gently squeezing on the sides, as it wouldn't flow out of the pushpin hole on its own after the initial burst. After all of the liquid is out - or as much of it as you could possibly get out - wipe any liquid off the bottom of the can then put a small piece of adhesive tape over the hole to keep it dry and prevent it from attracting bugs. If you don't want the can, you can still keep the Ghostbusters design as the printing is on a sheet of plastic form-fitted to the can. After you finish the contents, using a razor blade (a box cutter or x-acto knife will do the trick), slice vertically at the seam above the "not for children" warning. Keep the plastic, then recycle the can.



Spanish Chips
Okay, this is something that I did not buy, because they don't sell them in the United States, but they're pretty cool and fit in the overall topic of this post, so I'll squeeze this in. Over in Spain, snack food manufacturer Risi is doing a Ghostbusters promotion with temporary tattoos in various bags of their snacks, and a contest in which Spanish residents can win PS3's, Blu-Ray's, etc. Daniel Colacicco just got back from Spain, and brought some bags of Risi snacks back with him. He was kind enough to take some photos and provide them to me, which you will find below. In addition to those photos, you can find a few more over at Proton Charging. Gotta love a bag of Cheesy Poofs with a LARGE No Ghost logo smack dab in the middle :-)

Ten years and two weeks ago today I spotted a pretty cool Ghostbusters reference on the August 9, 1999 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's flagship program Raw Is War. I promptly reported it to Chris at Proton Charging, and he posted the following two days later.

"LISTEN! YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN'?" 08/11/99 Pretty funny stuff. A fan at this weeks WWF RAW telecast was holding up a sign that said "SLIMER 3:16". A Ghostbustin' nod to the famous "AUSTIN 3:16" (as in Steve Austin. Fans often spoof the sign), which is itself a nod to the even more famous "JOHN 3:16" signs made part of popular culture by that guy who used to show up at sporting events with his sign and a rainbow fright wig. He has a name, I just can't remember it. Thanks to Paul at Spook Central for the use of the picture. Click on the picture or link to see Paul's much better and more complete screen grab. Copyright© 1999 Proton Charging

The original post is no longer online, but a new version does appear on the main Proton Charging site. Besides that, the link to the full size image no longer works, so it's a good thing I had a my back-up.

I did a whole bunch of multimedia from the PlayStation 2 version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. I am going to spotlight two of the galleries because I wanted to add some commentary to them. Sorry the screenshots aren't the best, but there aren't any CodeBreaker codes for "Player Is Invisible" and "Hud/Reticle Off" and maybe Zoom In/Out if possible (all would need to be toggleable on/off), all of which would help to make better screen shots. And I'm limited to 640x480 as that is the maximum resolution I can pull from an analog source (the PlayStation 2's composite outputs were connected directly to my computer's video capture card).

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