[mrmichaelt]

Another egg

Page 18, panel 4, orange sign above Janine's head in the background - ad for Madame LaFarge's Wondrous and Amazing Traveling Sideshow from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Drool the Dog Faced Goblin"

Page 21 - Luis' 15 easter egg is hidden in a flame just above Kylie's second word balloon

This Post Contains Spoilers

And if you're in Vancouver this weekend, Dan Schoening will be at Fan Expo at P24 in East Building Halls B&C. Map here. He might even have some WIPs of pages from upcoming issues to show. So butter him up if you're going.

[Razorgeist]

Another great issue I love what you're doing with the characters. I particularly like how you had Kylie tell off the Doctor while investigating Janosz. She's got a bit more spunk than her EGB counterpart (I hate spunk...eh never mind) . Dan's artwork also really ads to her spunk. Speaking of which Dan once again you outdid yourself. I loved the little Caddyshack cameos. Here's lookin to next week.

[vigo_the_butch]

Just finished the last few issues, and Ive gotta say what an amazing job the team has done for the ghostbusters franchise. It has totally amped up my love for GB, and i didn't think that was possible. I hope this series goes on for years.

They really should look at branching off into different science fiction series, I think they could pull off a back to the future story. I would be happy with a short lived mini series taking place after the BTTF game.

[Kingpin]

Well, another month gone and another issue of The New Ghostbusters.

Janine's barely had time to stop and mull over the viking ghost's dire prophecy when she, Ortiz and Ron are drawn to Times Square for what looks like a routine bust... but ends up getting a lot more serious very quickly when the Viking's warning comes to effect.

The dust has barely had time to settle when an explosion between dimensions brings the Ghostbusters back to New York, and with more developments waiting in the not-too-distant-future.


All in all, another great installment of the series. I've enjoyed Janine and Mel taking charge of the Ghostbusters, with Kylie providing much needed support and supernatural expertese... meanwhile blocking every move Ron's made to implant himself as the team leader, instead relegating him to lab geek (a role that would actually do far more damage if he screwed up... yet he seems to have embraced with enthusiasm even if not willingly).

It'll be interesting to see where things go now that the real Ghostbusters are back... certainly from the looks of one of the upcoming comics, Kylie is going to be inducted as a part timer in the field... whether Mel carries on and decides to put the FBI behind her will remain to be seen. Whilst I think the guys being in another dimension could've been carried for one more issue, I think it would've been difficult for Erik to make the pocket universe side of the storyline flow as well without it feeling unneccesarily padded... so all in all I feel Erik made the decision that best reflected the storytelling.

Now of course, I wonder what's going to happen with Ron... Egon's not going to want him in the lab, and Peter won't want him in the Firehouse, the likely outcome will see Ron shoved out the door unceremoniously... but will he have hidden some important bits of gear under his blue and pink jumpsuit?


Rounding off this issue is part three of In the Box..., and it looks like Samhain's been hiding someone very familiar away... we'll find out in one month's time.

Special notes: I love Peter, Ray and Winston's dialogue regarding persons from parallel dimensions and Mel's reference of the Swedish Chef.


As always my esteemed colleague has managed to identify most of the easter eggs, here's a few I've noticed:

Page 7
* The clear cannister resembles the main component of Egon's dimensional portal from Egon on the Rampage
* The interior of the PKE Meter features a photograph of the innards of the real prop.

Page 9
* The Granny's store in Times Square replaced the real world Hershey's store at Broadway and West 43rd Street.

Page 11
* There's a Pequods beneath the billboards on 2 Times Square, replacing the real world Olive Garden.

Page 13
* The Bijou Theatre is located on West 45th Street, just off of 7th Avenue, replacing the real world Minskoff Theatre.

Page 15
* The Ghost Trap's front indicator and pedal are based on the ones from the Mattel Ghost Trap replica.

Page 17
* ABS Studio replaces the frontage of MTV Studios at 1515 Broadway (One Astor Place).

This Post Contains Spoilers

[mrmichaelt]

Well, another month gone and another issue of The New Ghostbusters.

As always my esteemed colleague has managed to identify most of the easter eggs, here's a few I've noticed:

Page 7
* The clear cannister resembles the main component of Egon's dimensional portal from Egon on the Rampage
* The interior of the PKE Meter features a photograph of the innards of the real prop.

Page 9
* The Granny's store in Times Square replaced the real world Hershey's store at Broadway and West 43rd Street.

Page 11
* There's a Pequods beneath the billboards on 2 Times Square, replacing the real world Olive Garden.

Page 13
* The Bijou Theatre is located on West 45th Street, just off of 7th Avenue, replacing the real world Minskoff Theatre.

Page 15
* The Ghost Trap's front indicator and pedal are based on the ones from the Mattel Ghost Trap replica.

Page 17
* ABS Studio replaces the frontage of MTV Studios at 1515 Broadway (One Astor Place).

This Post Contains Spoilers

You are 100x better than me at New York geography trivia.

[Kingpin]

You are 100x better than me at New York geography trivia.

Heh, I'm just an obsessive.


Seriously though, I'm very impressed that Dan's been making a concious effort to depict real New York locations whenever he can. Nobody would've held it against him for making most of it up... but he's gone that extra mile to make it all feel authentic, and that rocks.

[Erik Burnham]

Having fun looking up ghosts for the next arc. Thought about a scandinavian ghost... that's totally corporeal. But that's closer to a zombie or vampire (or, in some respects, to Laura Parr) so I nixed that.

There were a couple of others I was looking at. Maybe I'll go back to voodoo.

[Razorgeist]

Having fun looking up ghosts for the next arc. Thought about a scandinavian ghost... that's totally corporeal. But that's closer to a zombie or vampire (or, in some respects, to Laura Parr) so I nixed that.

There were a couple of others I was looking at. Maybe I'll go back to voodoo.

Maybe some slavic spooks would work.

[robbritton]

it doesn't add much to say, but still feel I ought to congratulate you guys on maintaining such a high level of quality! The latest issue is fantastic, and the series remains one of the highlights of every month! Cheers!

[mrmichaelt]

Having fun looking up ghosts for the next arc. Thought about a scandinavian ghost... that's totally corporeal. But that's closer to a zombie or vampire (or, in some respects, to Laura Parr) so I nixed that.

There were a couple of others I was looking at. Maybe I'll go back to voodoo.

Just my two cents, how about some Asian or Australian lore for the next one?

[Erik Burnham]

Maybe. I don't want to say too much about the stuff I've found and like, you guys are too sharp, you'll catch on!

I was also looking into African lore (working back from some of the Voodoo stuff.) Also: south american (which I nixed because Scarlet Spider is playing with that mythology!) (:

[Razorgeist]

Looks like Dan will be able to give the undying one a cameo.

[mrmichaelt]

Maybe. I don't want to say too much about the stuff I've found and like, you guys are too sharp, you'll catch on!

I was also looking into African lore (working back from some of the Voodoo stuff.) Also: south american (which I nixed because Scarlet Spider is playing with that mythology!) (:

That's cool.

Perhaps just a modest suggestion: the Bunyip. Plus it sounds funny when you say it out loud. You want to.

Looks like Dan will be able to give the undying one a cameo.

What, you didn't like his cameo in #11? j/k But idk, I'm actually kind of leery of having too many lifts from the cartoons. It sorta saps creativity in a way (i.e. Eh, lemme just use that guy from that episode in season 3 instead of doing a new pseduo-mythology). Not that I'm saying that's what's happening right now on the book, it's a happy balance right now.

[zeta otaku]

ok, this may sound REALLY stupid, but what year is the book currently in? I remember vaguely it being stated that it took place in 1993. The second volume opens up in late fall/winter with the cold weather in NYC, then the boys go missing for a few hours/months (depending on the point of view), and with the girls running around in shorts, I can only assume it was warm enough for them to be doing so which leads me to believe it's spring or summer., which, assuming the first series took place within the second half of 93, leads the second volume to be in 94.

[mrmichaelt]

ok, this may sound REALLY stupid, but what year is the book currently in? I remember vaguely it being stated that it took place in 1993. The second volume opens up in late fall/winter with the cold weather in NYC, then the boys go missing for a few hours/months (depending on the point of view), and with the girls running around in shorts, I can only assume it was warm enough for them to be doing so which leads me to believe it's spring or summer., which, assuming the first series took place within the second half of 93, leads the second volume to be in 94.

Well, historically Erik and co. hates pinning the series to a year and Tristan joked 1994 (but it turned out to work really well for me when I was typing up a timeline so I ran with it). From my interpretation - Ghostbusters: Infestation is late 1993, Ongoing Series Volume One takes place from Spring 1994 to December 1994 (before Christmas), and Volume Two starts around Valentine's Day 1995 and skips three months to May 1995. Officially - a vague, contemporary present, and +1 years have passed. Unofficially, from one guy late 1993 to May 1995 so far.

[Kingpin]

Another item that helps cite the timeline are the telephones, obviously mid-90s models rather than iPhones and tablets.

[zeta otaku]

Lol yeah. Knew it was the 90s just didn't know how far into the 90s we've gotten. So we're mid 95ish now. Good to know. Thanks guys.

[Erik Burnham]

Well, we've seen what the guys use for cellphones. We also know Ray juiced those up. Someone in the background on their latest smartphone may wonder why the GBs are using such old models (not knowing that the old suckers are jacked up practically to free sat-phone level!)

As far as you know, anyway. (;

[Erik Burnham]

But really, the relative timelessness of the first film is something I love. The second film said "five years later," and if it had left it at that, it would have been fine. But putting specific dates in it hurt it a little.

The stories are meant to be taking place "now." (Only the video game was a period piece.) The first movie works best for that. You can always point out specific things that date it, but they're easily glossed over and it holds up.

[John Stevens 87]

I'm loving the NEW Ghostbusters,but i love all of the little (Easter-eggs) you guys put in the comics.It's amazing how you all keep the characters fresh & strong.No criticism from me...the only bad thing is after i've done reading i'm always left wanting more

[Carnacki]

But really, the relative timelessness of the first film is something I love. The second film said "five years later," and if it had left it at that, it would have been fine. But putting specific dates in it hurt it a little.

The stories are meant to be taking place "now." (Only the video game was a period piece.) The first movie works best for that. You can always point out specific things that date it, but they're easily glossed over and it holds up.

While I agree with you that the first movie has a timelessness to it, there is no denying the decade its events take place in. Same with Ghostbusters II and the video game. I always felt that if you took the Ghostbusters out of their time and placed them in the present day, you disconnect them from the continuity that has been set up with the movies and game. So if there are smart phones and Blu-Ray players in the comic book while the guys are (relatively) the same age in the first two movies, and a third movie is eventually released (god I hope!!), it would be hard to link the comic books back to the films. I always feel that you can make it timeless while still adhering to a *general* year range (like 1994-1996 or so).

Of course, this is with all due respect, Mr. Burnham, as I am enjoying your writing IMMENSELY. I cannot stop raving about your and Dan's work on this. I look forward to next month's issue!

[Erik Burnham]

Like I said, it was taking place now. But now is now then, not now, which will also be then... and soon. (To paraphrase a moment from another movie I dig.)

The best way to make it timeless is to ignore the year, and suggest it could be just as easily be an always now (like Spider-Man, Superman, and all of the superheroes have done it.) Digital cameras and DVD players and more have seeped into the panels, after all! (Accidents, but still.)

Just because it's an always "now," though, doesn't mean we need to push the issue (like making sure all the technology is strictly up to date. Just because I said a guy a block away might be fiddling with a smartphone - as far as you know - doesn't mean it needs to be explicitly pointed out!)

Strict timelines fuss with the ability to do things like holiday stories, for example, without people asking "another year's gone by now -- why aren't they getting older? Or why aren't they reacting to THIS?"

The actors will age, the characters won't -- otherwise, there are only so many stories that can be told before you either have to start over or say "this is the end of their adventures."

We don't show the WTC. Is it post 2001, or is it respect? Or maybe we were asked not to? (We weren't, before anyone jumps on that, I'm just throwing out a hypothetical.) (:

At the end of the day, don't get stuck on the year. The ONLY WAY it would EVER MATTER is if they do a third movie, at which point we would either be fully be a period piece, or be relegated to an alternate universe created when Ray blew something up.

It's all good. (:

[philmorgan81]

Erik, I just love the statement you made. "The Actors will age, The Characters won't." That sums up the way I feel. I personally feel that the stories you guys are telling are more important than when it's supposed to take place. Like you said the characters are timeless and that's the feeling I get from this book. I really enjoy the stories and I love how well both the new and old characters are represented. I always look forward to every new issue. Thank you guys so much for your incredible work.

[Erik Burnham]

Thanks!

I don't want to totally sound like I'm dismissing folks who want a fixed date out of hand, either. If Sony decides this is all canon, then it would likely be set in the early 90s.

Being canon would also mean a whole lot more things would wind up on the "never gonna happen" list, I reckon, too. (:

[Fritz]

Fritz Babbles About Ghostbusters #3 (or #19 if you've really been paying attention)

I guess the joke I'm surprised I haven't made yet, inspired by this month's cover: Whelp, I guess we can say Janine finally got into Egon's pants, right?

Not the way she (or a bunch of us fans) wanted her too, but still...

So, you know the old saying about "When it rains it pours"? Yeah, that's kinda happening at GBCentral right now. Bad enough it's been raining (the real Ghostbusters are missing, Jack Hardemeyer is making the New Ghostbusters' lives difficult, Ron "And You're Not" Alexander...just being Ron Alexander, ect) then it just has to pour a seven foot glowy Viking who wants to talk with Janine.

I like to think if Egon was there, Mr. Glowy Viking's initial stern cryptic non-English statements would have been met with a reply in a similarly Gothic font, but Egon isn't there and of course that's part of the aforementioned rain above.

So, after switching to English Mr. Glowy Viking says Janine is of his bloodline, and has to pass a test that will involve her being attacked at midnight by Grendel, which as we all know is a 1980's independent comic created by Matt Wagner. Oh, and it was also the monster in the epic poem (and movie) Beowulf, too, which is probably what the Glowy Viking meant.

Hardemeyer is told part of the story, and of course wants to use it as an event to sell Yummynummy Snack Cakes ("You all eat them you know" he says. Of course, the guy who ate most of them has been missing for the last few months, but hey, can't have everything). Janine wisely lies and tells Hardemeyer they have no idea when Grendel is coming, which means she doesn't get to have a camera crew follow her around; Hardemeyer tells Ron to whip up some fancy new gadgets, no doubt so the toy company (being the Nineties, it would still be Kenner) would have new product to sell.

Kylie, meanwhile, is at Parkview, dealing with Dr. Cleese and Dr. Poha, one of which is a sexist jerk and the other is, of course, possessed. She's actually waving around the EGB version of the PKE Meter (Also seen on her cover of #1) and wearing the helmet Ray and Egon devised to see invisible poltergeists in "Cry Uncle". She gets called by Janine as she's dealing with Poha, who's floating and also speaking in photonegative Gothic font--turns out Janine did have like a Swedish great uncle or something. Kylie says it should be a piece of cake, and hangs up because she's got a situation of her own right now.

(Fan speculation suggests Janine is of Jewish extraction, which just happens to also give her common ground with Egon, who's also suggested to have come from a Jewish background--the latter being derived from Harold Ramis's background. I personally suggested her maternal grandmother was Irish, to explain the bright red hair, but of course that's totally fanon. Suffice it to say, it's easy to stick some Swedes in there somewhere.)

Ron has whipped up a couple of arm-mounted proton throwers, one the "normal" version, the other an enhanced "Boson dart"; Janine isn't real happy about it, but the bell rings and 3/4 of the New Ghostbusters team is off and running...well, actually, they're probably driving in the ECTO-1, but you know what I mean.

They arrive at Times Square and...well, what do you know, it's Grendel, and he's early...except as Ortiz points out it IS midnight in Sweden. Ooops.

Just to make Janine's already bad day worse, Grendel seems to be proton proof--Ron and Ortiz blast it, but it ignores it and knocks them around like they were puny humans and it was a ten foot tall glowing green monkey...which is of course exactly what it is, so that works. All Janine can do is run.

Finally, tired of running, she follows Kylie's advice and stands up to Grendel. That turns out to work--the monster just stands there dumbstruck, and she traps it easily. The Glowy Viking shows up and congratulates her on her victory, and expresses pride in her bravery, right?

No, actually, Mr. Glowy Viking is pissed. She broke the rules that he didn't even tell her about by getting help from others! "There will be consequences for this!" he says.

Another monster coming, maybe? Maybe it'll be Grendel's Mom. Oooh yeah...Angelina Jolie wearing nothing but some gold body paint...I could go for that idea...

But then Mr. Glowy Viking seems to blow up, and out of the chaos comes four shadowy shapes and voices that sound (in my head at least) like Arsenio Hall, Lorenzo Music, and Maurice LaMarche...

The universe isn't gone! The real Ghostbusters are back! (Ray's there too, but Frank Welker didn't get any lines before the big reveal)

And then Janine grabs Egon and kisses him, which as we all know is an infuriating turn of events as Harold Ramis has declared that Louis Tully is her true love and how dare...

(phg)

(glrgl)



...Gah...even writing that sarcastically makes me want to barf all over my keyboard...

Considering that Egon's been gone for months and might have been dead for all they knew, and Janine's had plenty of time to consider the implications of the argument they had in #14, I foresee a sticky situation about to get a lot stickier.

The other Ghostbusters get lesser shocks, as they discover that they've been gone for months instead of hours; Venkman is (understandably) not pleased to see Ron out of jail; Ron, for his part, is the only New Ghostbuster not happy the originals are back--because he knows his gravy train is now in jeopardy. Winston, of course, is freaking out about how Tiyah's been holding up.

Janine had tried to give Winston her phone, but Venkman intercepts--according to him, it'd be better to wait and tell Tiyah in person. Yeah, we all know Venkman has a sterling track record on long-term romantic relationships to draw upon here. Anyway, the phone rings, and it's Kylie--the situation with Poha is betting a LOT worse. "Could you maybe put Professor Spengler on the line now, mkay?"

Like I said, it rains, it pours...

In our backup feature, Sam and Ralph are still in the Containment Unit, and Sam talks about all the fear floating around...so much fear...and then he starts to change...

This Post Contains Spoilers

See everybody next month.

[mrmichaelt]

We don't show the WTC. Is it post 2001, or is it respect? Or maybe we were asked not to? (We weren't, before anyone jumps on that, I'm just throwing out a hypothetical.) (:

What you said is all good but this one line made me wonder if you are honoring or ignoring a small piece from The Video Game (the Realistic Versions), the WTC 'vanished' between 1990 and 1991 and is related to an off-screen bust that led to the guys getting a third Key to the City. Since I remember you cherry pick what you want from TVG (all versions).

[Erik Burnham]

I'd completely forgotten that part of the game, to be honest!

[mrmichaelt]

Ghostbusters Volume 2, Issue #1 second printing on sale this week!

I'd completely forgotten that part of the game, to be honest!

Well, it was a minute thing that skankerzero revealed (I think) here. Just the fact in the opening cut scene, the WTC is missing so fans naturally questioned it. And it was revealed something like the 9/11 PC-ness overruled the crew even though the story was set in 1991, so skanker threw in that third Key to the City to create an in-universe explanation.

[vigo_the_butch]

Is there a preview of next month's cover? I didn't see one online anywhere.

[mrmichaelt]

Is there a preview of next month's cover? I didn't see one online anywhere.

For this month's Issue #4? Here they are: Regular Cover and Cover RI. Or do you mean Issue #5 in June? Here: Cover A and Cover RI.