Discuss all things Ghostbusters here, unless they would be better suited in one of the few forums below.
User avatar
By bworld
#4901719
Dang, it does look good. . what is the wand like close up? ? :D
By AmazonChitlin
#4901799
bworld wrote:Dang, it does look good. . what is the wand like close up? ? :D
Hey, sorry it took me a few days! The thrower isnt finished yet, but I'll show you what I've done!

A little off topic, has anyone else ran in to a bunch of problems with the dry rub transfers from gbfans?? They've given me a ton of problems. Does anyone know a separate source?

ImageImageImage
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User avatar
By Marcus B
#4901804
Did you use a real clippard or is that a sticker on the anovos one? And if you did use a real one, was it any trouble to install vs just using the included reproduction?
By AmazonChitlin
#4901805
Marcus B wrote:Did you use a real clippard or is that a sticker on the anovos one? And if you did use a real one, was it any trouble to install vs just using the included reproduction?
I used real Clippard's on my pack. The screws on the real Clippard's line up perfectly in the holes that are predrilled for the ones provided by Anovos! I did notice though that the real Clippard's screws weren't quite long enough to thread into the ones on the pack, so I glued it on. The Clippard on the thrower threaded without an issue
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User avatar
By Marcus B
#4901806
AmazonChitlin wrote:
Marcus B wrote:Did you use a real clippard or is that a sticker on the anovos one? And if you did use a real one, was it any trouble to install vs just using the included reproduction?
I used real Clippard's on my pack. The screws on the real Clippard's line up perfectly in the holes that are predrilled for the ones provided by Anovos! I did notice though that the real Clippard's screws weren't quite long enough to thread into the ones on the pack, so I glued it on. The Clippard on the thrower threaded without an issue
Awesome, thanks for the info! I was considering buying a real set for mine.. eventually.. once I get it.
#4901807
Marcus B wrote:
AmazonChitlin wrote:I used real Clippard's on my pack. The screws on the real Clippard's line up perfectly in the holes that are predrilled for the ones provided by Anovos! I did notice though that the real Clippard's screws weren't quite long enough to thread into the ones on the pack, so I glued it on. The Clippard on the thrower threaded without an issue
Awesome, thanks for the info! I was considering buying a real set for mine.. eventually.. once I get it.
I totally think its worth it! The ones that come with the kit are good, but the labels dont say Clippard, plus the knobs need to be glued on, so they don't turn. If you got aftermarket labels and don't care about the knobs being able to be turned though, they'd look fine!Image
User avatar
By Marcus B
#4901810
LOL. Miminatic? At the very least, I'm printing up a Clippard label, but I definitely want to get the real deal. I saw a mod somewhere where someone made theirs control the volume of the pack which I thought was neat.
User avatar
By Kingpin
#4901816
Marcus B wrote:LOL. Miminatic?
As Clippard is still in business, any specific wording on it is subject to copyright and trademarking... This, sadly, is the best way forward to offer something that's close to the real deal (and we never really see the Clippards close or clearly enough in either movie to the point where we can read the labels) without incurring a humongous licence fee.
By livewire008
#4901819
AmazonChitlin wrote:
Marcus B wrote:Did you use a real clippard or is that a sticker on the anovos one? And if you did use a real one, was it any trouble to install vs just using the included reproduction?
I used real Clippard's on my pack. The screws on the real Clippard's line up perfectly in the holes that are predrilled for the ones provided by Anovos! I did notice though that the real Clippard's screws weren't quite long enough to thread into the ones on the pack, so I glued it on. The Clippard on the thrower threaded without an issue
Not that it's a big deal, but I notice the screws on the real Clippards can be threaded out. I wonder if it's possible to use the Anovos included screws with the real deal so it doesn't have to be glued.

Still patiently waiting on Anovos to ship mine. Ordered October of 2016. Seeing people actually get theirs is exciting and I've been stalking my e-mail waiting for the day, haha.
User avatar
By Marcus B
#4901833
Kingpin wrote:
Marcus B wrote:LOL. Miminatic?
As Clippard is still in business, any specific wording on it is subject to copyright and trademarking... This, sadly, is the best way forward to offer something that's close to the real deal (and we never really see the Clippards close or clearly enough in either movie to the point where we can read the labels) without incurring a humongous licence fee.
Oh, I understand why it's done that way, and it's not a criticism of the Anovos pack at all. I just thought it was funny.
User avatar
By CreamPye
#4901884
Well, after waiting and researching for years, I’ve finally dropped my £££ on the Anovos ‘Spengler Legacy Proton Pack’ which was released for pre-order today (http://www.anovos.com/products/ghostbus ... -pre-order).

I wanted to begin with the most accurate commercially-available pack, as a base - and am ready and willing to replace individual components down the line, if they’re not quite up to standard.

Really interested to hear your views and opinions on this, now that it’s officially launched...

Did I make a good call? Could/should I have gone another route?

Oh yeah... I should mention, I’m going for GB1 configuration.

Cheers,

C
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By ccv66
#4901897
So you'll have bragging rights with the only confirmed cast off a hero shell. I don't think Anovos can deliver a well polished pack and nail the small details, something that is perfect from the box. I would expect you will have to do some fit and finish, some part upgrades and 2019 is a more realistic delivery date. I'm not sure about the value, you might be able buy a great pack for a less money that you won't have to work on/upgrade. However if your not in a rush, you're okay with putting a little extra time and money into it, it's probably going to be the best pack you can get.
By Styrofoam_Guy
#4901899
If I could afford it I would go for it.

Thankfully I have been building stuff all my life so I can make my own pack.

CreamPye wrote:Well, after waiting and researching for years, I’ve finally dropped my £££ on the Anovos ‘Spengler Legacy Proton Pack’ which was released for pre-order today (http://www.anovos.com/products/ghostbus ... -pre-order).

I wanted to begin with the most accurate commercially-available pack, as a base - and am ready and willing to replace individual components down the line, if they’re not quite up to standard.

Really interested to hear your views and opinions on this, now that it’s officially launched...

Did I make a good call? Could/should I have gone another route?

Oh yeah... I should mention, I’m going for GB1 configuration.

Cheers,

C
By AmazonChitlin
#4901900
CreamPye wrote:Well, after waiting and researching for years, I’ve finally dropped my £££ on the Anovos ‘Spengler Legacy Proton Pack’ which was released for pre-order today (http://www.anovos.com/products/ghostbus ... -pre-order).

I wanted to begin with the most accurate commercially-available pack, as a base - and am ready and willing to replace individual components down the line, if they’re not quite up to standard.

Really interested to hear your views and opinions on this, now that it’s officially launched...

Did I make a good call? Could/should I have gone another route?

Oh yeah... I should mention, I’m going for GB1 configuration.

Cheers,

C
It's a ton of money, but as long as you're not in a rush to get it I think you'll be happy! I doubt it will take a lot to get it to where you want!
User avatar
By Kingpin
#4901903
I felt the need to put some of my thoughts into words following some of the negative blowback on social media. This isn't an attempt to excuse some of the things with Anovos, such as the delays with ketting the kits out there, I am concerned there's more assumption than facts behind the negative remarks regarding the Legacy Kit.

***

There's been a lot of talk about Anovos and their "Spengler Legacy" Proton Pack. A part of the talk that's spun out of it has been the unhappy response from some fans at learning a screen-used Proton Pack was dismantled and cast to make the Legacy kits.

As a post-face before I get any further into my feelings on this matter, Sean and Vinny, the two people most publically associated with this project are people I consider friends. I've interacted with them as community members, and in the case of Vinny we were both once on the same forum moderation staff. I like to think I have a good idea of their character, but for the purposes of full-disclosure, I wll also acknowlege that I will have a certain degree of bias in favour of them.

So with that being said, let's get stuck in.

The Pack has not been destroyed

With both this announcement, and the original teaser announcement, there had been angry responses from fans, with choice remarks stating the screen-used Proton Pack had been "destroyed", "ripped-apart" or was "no longer the Spengler Pack".

The first two remarks are angered knee-jerks. Yes, the Pack in question was dismantled, it still exists (it was put back together after the parts were molded), it wasn't ripped-up like some house going through a remodel. Sean and Vinny have spent years building their own Proton Packs, so I am willing to believe they know how to take one apart and cause the least amount of loss to it.

It's also worth noting that a lot of the remarks are being made without a full understanding of the efforts that were undertaken to carefully dismantle the prop. Anovos/the guys who dismantled it have given their assurances that a museum-approach was taken, and while I can understand some of the angered fans being skeptical in the absense of photographic proof... That isn't permission to launch into hyperbolic claims of the prop being destroyed, or torn to pieces, when there's no proof of that.

I don't know how it was dismantled, so I'm not aware of what (if any) elements had to be cut or drilled in order to allow Anovos to reproduce them, but I feel some consideration needs to be applied to the various components of the prop. Were major elements lost, irreparably damaged or outright destroyed... I could then fully understand the anger, but let's take a moment to consider what may have been changed/removed/replaced? One post remarks that rivets and weld lines would have to have been removed, another remarked at the loss of some of the original paint on the prop.

Of the three, the one I would be most concerned about is the weld lines... But there isn't actually anything indicating any weld lines have been lost - so far that's only an assumption, without any proof to back it up.

As for small bits of paint and rivets, I don't consider these particularly significant. A rivet is a rivet, regardless of whether it's 10 or 30 years old. It also feels, disproportionate to get angry over some of the paint potentially being lost, considering how much paint has already been lost from the prop.

Context

Something to consider about this prop is that it's 33 years old, and this isn't the first time it's been taken apart.

By my estimation (and I'm certain I'm rounding down), the Spengler Super Hero has been partially (or completely) dismantled on three separate occasions.

It was dismantled 27/28 years ago so it could be retrofitted for the production of Ghostbusters II.

It was dismantled around 5 years ago, where the bumper was reproduced by a different member of the community, not affiliated with Anovos.

It was dismantled earlier this year so that it could provide the basis for the Spengler Legacy kit.

By 1989, the Super Hero Pack had already gone through some changes/modifications that meant it was no-longer identical to how it appeared in 1984 in the original Ghostbusters. In the 33 years since the original film, the Pack has been on display both at Planet Hollywood in New York and in Sony's corporate headquarters in Los Angeles (the latter location saw it displayed in direct sunlight).

When the Pack wasn't on display, it was in storage in the Sony archives... Which is likely where it has accumulated most of the scratches and damage the prop exhibits.

(Some fans were granted access to photograph it about 7 years ago, and even then the poor condition of the prop was clear to see. You may see for yourself in the photos they took:

http://www.gbfans.com/equipment/reference/33/
http://www.gbfans.com/equipment/reference/34/)

In 2010, the Super Hero Pack was missing paint in several spots, some of the labels were either badly damaged/worn, or missing completely. The clear plastic barrel tube, similar to the same element on another 1984-era screen-used Proton Pack, had a habit of falling loose. There's rust on some of the metal elements, and some of the screws/bolts holding the components in have been lost (though it should be noted, a number of them were replaced in 1989)

Whilst these props are beloved by the fans, to Sony that's still all they are: film props, studio assets - in some way it's a mixed blessing they've been held onto this long, rather than sold or destroyed (though it should be noted that some of the Proton Pack props have been auctioned off in previous years).

The Super Hero prop was in poor condition when Sean and Vinny were given access to it, and by the rationale of some of the angered fans, it had already lost its "unchanged" status decades ago.

Further Context

One of the reasons I feel the angered reaction is unfair and unjustified, is the fact that Anovos/Sean/Vinny were approached by Sony to reproduce the Pack. I'd prefer to be an idealist rather than cynnical in studying the motives of the people who've made the Legacy Kit, and that they didn't go into it with the intention of enriching themselves (Even at $3,000... After production/material costs and... I presume, paying something towards Sony - the studio won't be doing this without expecting some sort of cut - the Packs aren't going to sell in such quantities and earn such a revenue that they'll be able to retire from it.)

I honestly believe they produced the kit so that they could offer the best option out there. Considering there are fans in the prop replication community who do offer sub-standard kits/parts, and one notable one who presents the claim his kits are studio-sourced, when they aren't, the Anovos Legacy kit may help to take the wind out of the sails of the unscrupulous fans.

Whether we like it or not, as long as Sony owns the Ghostbusters property and film props, it can do what it likes with them. If, however, they grant the rare opportunity to well-respected, experienced fans to take a look into one of the screen-used props, and to reproduce that, shouldn't that be something to be excited about?

Are we unable to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they did a good job at taking the Pack apart, mold it, and put it back together again? What have they done in the past that would suggest they'd do anything but employ the most care and dedication?

Again, I appreciate I'm biased by my friendship.

I just don't feel the lack of faith in Sean and Vinny is justified.

Now, that's not to say the lack of faith in Anovos isn't justified... I can understand and sympathise with those who are frustrated and unhappy with how long they've been waiting for their kits, I've been in an identical position (I was also waiting on a Proton Pack kit) - however, I'm not here to defent Anovos' delays.

Conclusion - This wasn't meant to be an essay, sorry

I can understand the anger and upset to a degree, but I don't agree with it.
I feel a lot of it is misdirected, and misguided. There's been a lot of assumptions made without any real knowledge about the techniques and approach that was used to dismantle the pack.

We Ghostbusters fans are definitely a passionate group, but sometimes we do let our passions get the better of us - the last few years have been proof enough of that.

There's a lot of stuff we don't know.
What we do know is this:

•Sony approached Anovos with the idea of using one of the original Proton Packs from 1984, the prop that featured the most detailed electronics seen in the film, to produce a rule of officially-licenced Proton Pack replicas.

•Sean Bishop and Vincenzo330, who have a couple of decades of combined prop building experience - and noted participants in the Ghostbusters fan community, are brought on to spearhead the project.

•The Super Hero Pack is dismantled, and a majority of the components are molded so that resin copies can be made from them.

•The Super Hero Pack is reassembled and returned to Sony.

-There may be a few more things that can be said with certainty, but those are the most notable points.

TL:DR - Too long, didn't read

So to summarise:

•Sony approached Anovos to reproduce one of the original Proton Pack props - this process would require some degree of disassembly.

•The screen-used Proton Pack hasn't been "destroyed" or "torn apart", it was dismantled, molded, and then put back together again. Anovos and those involved with the project have given assurances a museum-like approach was used for the assembly/disassembly stages.

•The screen-used Proton Pack was already in a somewhat poor condition when it was loaned to Anovos, and had been dismantled to various degrees over the past 30 years.

•There's more assumptions than verified facts in a lot of the accusations/conclusions made against Anovos, and how it handled the screen-used prop.
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User avatar
By Marcus B
#4901908
I feel a bit bad as I posted a knee-jerk reaction of the pack on a Facebook post, and it probably seemed like I was piling on. I don't have $3000 to spend on a proton pack replica. I do have the money for the kit though, which I have on pre-order. Maybe I would change my mind if I did have the money, I don't know.

My issue with this new pack, and this is just my own personal opinion, is that I don't understand why you would spend $3000 on a reproduction of a pack that is NOT in screen used condition anymore. As you said, it's been disassembled before, was in poor condition when given to Anovos, and some parts are going to be different per the Anovos listing (an issue that is not exclusive to this pack of course). They say the pack will have dent for dent, scratch for scratch details. But really.. what's the point of that on a very aged prop? It can't possibly be "screen accurate" at this point in its life. Personally, I'd rather have an idealized pack for that kind of money that uses details from this prop, but also doesn't have some of the faults. No matter how many details they copy, it's still not going to be a screen-used prop anyway.

I don't see any issue with Anovos, or anyone Sony may have chosen tearing the pack down. Honestly, I think it's in the best interest of the prop and Ghostbusters franchise to have it done. Do these same people object to paintings being restored, remastering movies and albums from the original tapes and prints? Should we not open Egyptian tombs or dig up dinosaur bones? That prop could be destroyed, lost, whatever. Now we (well, Anovos and Sony) have accurate measurements, molds, photos etc to fully document it. And they said they may release the photos to everyone, which would be great. Despite my opinion on it not being screen accurate, it's the most in-tact pack we've seen at this detail at any time.
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User avatar
By Kingpin
#4901910
Lowberg wrote:Whos complaining about the pack being disassembled? lol
The sentiment is felt by some that the prop is no longer in it's original state. Some parts that are held on by pop-rivets for instant, would likely (though I can't say with any certainty or authority) have been drilled out to free the pieces for reproduction (the pop-rivets would subsequently be replaced by the fans working for Anovos on this project).
Marcus B wrote:I don't have $3000 to spend on a proton pack replica. I do have the money for the kit though, which I have on pre-order. Maybe I would change my mind if I did have the money, I don't know.
No need to explain, Marcus. :) The Anovos kit may be the highest the bar's ever been set, but there's no expectation that anyone has to buy it - they're free to buy it should they wish. Likewise nobody should see it as an indictment of themselves if they aren't able to afford it... I'd love to own one, but I'll never make that kind of money. :) The Anovos kit isn't intended to make the kits made by other sellers appear "lesser" (unless you're a recaster like Videobob :P)
Marcus B wrote:Do these same people object to paintings being restored, remastering movies and albums from the original tapes and prints?
Funny you should make that observation, I excised a section of my above post that made an analogy about the removal of varnish and less historical paint layers because I wasn't sure if it was a convincing point.
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User avatar
By Marcus B
#4901980
Kingpin wrote: Funny you should make that observation, I excised a section of my above post that made an analogy about the removal of varnish and less historical paint layers because I wasn't sure if it was a convincing point.

They just better not desecrate Ghostbusters by remastering it in 8k.. then 16k.. they're destroying it! /s
By livewire008
#4901992
@AmazonChitlin

Looking good, man! Curious how you'll choose to mount the aftermarket lights... I have the GB fans lights/sounds board myself and I'm about to have that "problem" myself. Personally, I'm looking to avoid hot glue wherever possible. My brother works on machines and tells me LED sockets are available, but considering they add bulk, I'm interested to know how those will work (or not) on the Anovos kit.
By AmazonChitlin
#4902019
Thanks for the compliments!!

I'm still working on that electronics. Actually, I keep putting them off, hahaha. I bought some risers for the boards. The leds themselves I think I'll hot glue into the sockets. I was considering mounting the boards to the motherboard with screws since they'll be covered by the frame anyway...i was also thinking of drilling some shallow holes into the inside of the pack so they they didnt go the whole way through, then epoxying the risers and screwing the board onto that.

I still need to flatten out the inside of the pack/make room for the powercell board, but I have no idea how I'm going to do it. How is everyone getting tools in there to flatten it out?? I have a flex shaft on my dremel and I still can't get the angles I need!

For the wand I'll probably epoxy on the board with some super short risers and hot glue the lights. I may glue in some styrene to block the lights from showing in other switches, etc. That'll be after it's all together though.


I tossed a little silver on the pack the other night to start the weathering. I think it adds a lot of depth!! I tossed a little more on after these photos were taken, but you can get the general idea. Im going to hold off any more until the electronics are installed. ImageImageImageImageImage
bworld, Kingpin, Marcus B liked this
User avatar
By Kingpin
#4902039
Huh, I never realised until now that the Anovos kit doesn't include the aluminium block that the male half of the V-hook attaches to.

Nice work on the assembly, the Pack's looking to be a real beaut. :)
By ccv66
#4902123
That sucks.. they were never in stock, just pre order. The flightsuits went from pre order, to interest list, to not available. I wonder if they're close to being in stock and going to do a price increase?
User avatar
By Marcus B
#4902124
iam8114 wrote:Just came into some money and went to anovos to drop some on the kit, and they're now unavailable as is the frame...
Oh no. I hope that doesn't spell trouble for my pre-order I placed in November.

Update:

I asked on their FB page why pre-orders were stopped and this was their response: "ANOVOS Hello Marcus: Right now, we've capped pre-orders on the kit. Should slots be available, we'll open them up as they become available."
User avatar
By echo419
#4902129
TimsGhost wrote:Just received the notification email that my Anovos Proton Pack Kit pre-order has SHIPPED!!! Should be here on Wednesday!!! :cool:
When did you order it?
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