[AJ Quick]

The guys at Proptopia have created a unique movie accurate Proton Pack specially for buster Ernie Hudson. After many weekends of work four super fans, Bryan Fear, Sean Bishop, J Ryan, Eric & Jose, greeted Ernie on Mothers Day who came down to their workshop to pick it up. He hung out, had some lunch and told stories of his time as a Ghostbuster.

The pack itself was a long time in the making and it took several very dedicated prop builders to make it come into fruition. Kudos to all of you for taking your time, money and talents to put together this truely amazing Proton Pack for one seriously awesome Ghostbuster.

We've got more pictures from the day here: http://www.gbfans.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=5711

[AJ Quick]

Since Proptopia is a closed site, many users will not be able to get access to see more pictures. So I am including them here:







































Images are by Jose (aka Got Maul).

If you are on Proptopia.. you can view the thread where it is being discussed: http://www.proptopia.com/viewtopic.php?t=5680

[Donkey8012]

This is such a great story. What a great way to give back to one of the guys that gave us our favorite movie ever. Kudos to all of you guys. By the way, Hudson looks like he's in really good shape for his age.

[maglavagna]

Ernie is a genuinly great guy. Looks like you guys had a great day!

[maglavagna]

Well, it's now 2008 and the pack still looks good on him. Just shows me that even though he's that bit older he wouldn't at all look out of place in a third Ghostbusters film.

[Occhi nella notte]

Congratulations to all of you.
We Italians fans we have perhaps never able to meet him.
We are, however, very pleased the same for your wonderful work.
You keep, as we do, always alive the passion for ghostbusters...

[Hasford1978]

Great stuff guys well done & congrats to u on building a fantastic looking Pack

I have never met Ernie but one day im going to make sure i do, i have heard so many good things about him here on Ghostbusters Fans with the way he talks to the fans! He has hardly changed since the second movie just a little greyer but thats it, he is still bulky & toned & looks remarkably well for his age, how old would Ernie be now?? I know Dan was the youngest out of the GB cast & im sure Ernie was the oldest

[winston18]

Actually Harold is the oldest at age 63 and then Ernie who is 62. Bill is 57 and Dan is 55.

This was a great idea it's nice to see Ernie wearing the proton pack again and I'm sure he appreciates it. I'm so jealous you guys got to hang out with him as you can probably tell from my username Winston is my favorite GB. Good work

[SolidGoldCaddy]

Very, very cool guys. Good work and it sounds like it couldnt have been a better day for you all. Congrats.

[Fifthrider]

You're kidding me?!?! He's 62?!?! Holy crap. I had no idea. His arms are bigger than my LEGS!!! I'd like to say "I hope I look that good at 62" but honestly, I was never in that good of shape at 22.

[Daecrist]

That's insane. He doesn't look anywhere close to 62, though I suppose the math is about right now that I think about it.

[venkman71]

Thanks for putting this up here AJ. I was just coming over to post something about it and to my happy surprise, it was already on your front page.

Way cool, man. I appreciate it.

Thanks for the kind words, guys. It was quite a thing to have him up at my shop. We were all really psyched and he's an amazingly cool cat.

Best Ghostbuster ever.

[Occhi nella notte]

Venkman71 you are the best!

[Mr. No-Ghost]

It's that closeup picture of his arms where we see him gripping the shaft of the neutrona wand/positron collider that comes off as so iconic. I've always been a fan of Hudson and Winston as my favorite Ghostbuster. I said this in another post, but he really does remind me of my uncle, as they favor each other in looks. Great work on that pack and I've never seen Ernie look happier. He is certainly a man in his element.

[venkman71]

I'm still sort of marveling at his graciousness and kindness. He is truly a classy guy, a consummate gentleman and respectful to the fans across the board.

again,...best Ghostbuster ever.

[gbrob]

Holy crap that's awesome. Beautiful work on the pack guys.

Ernie does seem like a great guy. Does he attend SDCC? Just wondering as I'm pretty sure I'll be going with my pack.

[Fifthrider]

It's that closeup picture of his arms where we see him gripping the shaft of the neutrona wand/positron collider that comes off as so iconic.

Yeah, that was a weird moment. I handed him the gun and was standing in front of him when he took it. He held it and looked at it for a bit like.... I don't know how to describe it. I thought "Aw, he's just trying to be appreciative, he's not really all into it like we are." but then it became obvious. No, he really WAS moved by it all. I remember him saying "I haven't actually held one of these for about 20 years." You could tell he was really impressed by holding the cold metal barrel and squeezing that grip.

For the record, Stantz and Zeddemore were always a tie for my favs.

Ernie does seem like a great guy. Does he attend SDCC? Just wondering as I'm pretty sure I'll be going with my pack.

Maybe. He said he hadn't been invited yet but then again, these things usually take until the last 30 days before Con before someone calls and says "Quick, we need you to be at Con to...." I suspect he'll be there in one form or another but can't confirm it.

(ahem) Just thought I'd take this opportunity to remind everyone going to Comic-Con 2008 that we're planning Thursday to be the big Ghostbuster day. If you've got the tools and the talent, but can only gear up for just one day, Thursday would be that day. Big group picture at 12 noon and then we have reservations for about 50+ at Joe's Crab Shack at 1pm. ( So far, only 20 people are confirmed so plenty of seats avail, just come join us. )

[stephensj]

That's just great guys! Congrats to you and your work done for the GB community. Ernie is a really nice guy, down to earth and everything you'd expect. AND he's gotten bigger since GB. He would so return for a third, no questions. Keep up the amazing work! Maybe next should be Murray?? haha

[loly2kn2]

Great work!! He looks like such a nice guy!! nice looking pack! So who contacted who?

Lawrence

[bradboss12]

This is such a great story. What a great way to give back to one of the guys that gave us our favorite movie ever. Kudos to all of you guys. By the way, Hudson looks like he's in really good shape for his age.

yeah, he looks fantastic! I think I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I met him at the Pittsburgh Comicon a few years back. I was on Staff with the Anime room, and my buddy Dave and i got on the elevator at about 9:30AM. Ernie Hudson come on the elevator, with a GB T-shirt. He said hi, and he said we could come back to his booth if we wanted to. As the regular folks were lining up outside for the 10:00 entrance, I was talking with Ernie for a half an hour! We got pics signed by him, and I dropped another 20 and got a pic with him. He wrote "Who ya gonna call?" on mine and "Tell him about the Twinkie" on Dave's photo. : ) James Doohan (Scotty from Star Trek) was another guy who really connected with the fans (got his autograph, too). There are Hollywood types who are full of themselves, and guys like Ernie Hudson who are just really, really, super. I mean, the guy just got off the elevator. He could have said, "come back and see me in 15 min" but we went back with him and chatted like he was a long lost uncle or something. Proptopia, nice job guys!! He deserves whatever niceness comes his way. : )

[Spengler56]

Wow. That's amazing. I don't think I've ever heard of any actor showing up to a fan's house like this. If he comes back you gotta get him in the Ecto. lol

[Ecto-san]

I'm looking forward to getting a picture with Ernie this year at AdventureCon. He was also awesome in Oz, and seems like a genuinely nice guy. I've always thought he was the most underrated Ghostbuster. He's like the bass player in a band; you feel him more than you hear him, but he's a crucial part of the glue holding it all together.

Great work by the guys at Proptopia. Thank you for letting Ernie know how much he is appreciated by the fans.

[ROBOrob77]

wow...so very cool...just, um, ya, ...wow...very cool!

[LordVego]

This is an oddly uplifting story. It's like giving back to the community, only the community is a hero of ours and it's like giving him something back that he gave us. Like this is actually really f****g cool.

[Fifthrider]

Great work!! He looks like such a nice guy!! nice looking pack! So who contacted who?

Lawrence

We contacted him. How? You see that pic above where Ernie's wearing a Ghostbusters T-shirt? We gave that to him back in 2004. We met him at GenCon in Anaheim, CA. He mentioned that he could never find a good GB t-shirt and I told him I had some that were fairly accurate copies of the original 1984 design, not those slightly off-center ones I keep finding on eBay. We talked a bit and found out that both he and I worked in law enforcement. Suddenly we weren't "actor and fan" but two old ex-cops talking shop. We've stayed in touch ever since. We sent him some shirts the next week and I think I've seen him wearing them in every convention pic ever since.

[Kingpin]

Ernie used to be a cop? I can totally see it now you mentioned it.

[Fifthrider]

The last I heard, he's been with the San Bernardino Sherrif's office for 14+ years. He might still be with them. I haven't asked.

[AJ Quick]

Hell yeah.

Ernie Hudson has training to be credible as police officer
By BRIDGET BYRNE, For The Associated Press

Ernie Hudson pulls a badge from his tan sheriff's uniform. He's in costume for ABC's new police drama "10-8," but the badge is real.
Hudson, who plays Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy John Henry Barnes on the series, which debuts Sunday at 8 p.m., is a reserve San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputy.
Some 14 years ago, the actor was brought down by a group of police officers as he entered a hotel garage following a speaking engagement in Pasadena.
"A case of mistaken identity, I guess," says Hudson, none too convincingly. When one of the officers recognized Hudson from the popular "Ghostbusters" movies, attitudes changed.
"They kind of picked me up, dusted me off, told me how much their kids loved me, and asked if I would sign autographs," says Hudson, who nonetheless was humiliated and upset.
As an antidote, a friend suggested Hudson take some police training. He did, and has served as a reserve deputy ever since.
"It gave me a real strong sense of what they go through, which I had never had before," says Hudson. "Coming out of the black community, police weren't the first people I'd turn to, but it really gave me a good sense of both sides."
A similar sensibility underscores Hudson's choice to play Barnes, the tough but fair training officer for rookie Rico Amonte (Danny Nucci), a former New York City street tough trying to turn his life around.
"It's nice to show officers who are doing what they do -- obviously dealing with some potentially very violent situations, but, for the most part, trying to protect and serve," says Hudson. ("10-8" is the radio code deputies use to indicate they're "in service and ready to respond.")
Creator Jorge Zamacona says Hudson was his first choice for Barnes, whom he describes as "a seasoned cop who has seen a lot of bad stuff and will see more in the future," but has kept his integrity.
"When I wrote the part, it was his voice in my head," Zamacona says, noting "There is probably no nicer gentleman with a SAG card than Ernie."
The actor, in turn, is very pleased with his role as Barnes.
"One of the most difficult things for me as a black actor is getting characters that are well rounded," he says, adding that it's great to be "one of the guys who is chasing the bad guy down, rather than just the guy in the suit, sitting in an office, always angry and yelling."
Zamacona says he'd prefer a later time slot, but "I'll take eight o'clock as opposed to not being on the air." He says the network has allowed him "to keep an edge" and tackle complex issues.
Hudson, who played warden Leo Glynn on HBO's violently explicit prison drama "Oz," says, "I did 'Oz,' and loved doing that show, but it was a little hard to show my kids."
The father of four sons, Hudson says "it's nice to have family shows ... still be an eight o'clock show, but still be incredibly honest and funny about these guys who are the first to show up at the scene of the crime."
The 57-year-old Hudson, whose film credits also include "The Main Event," "The Jazz Singer," "Penitentiary II" and "Going Berserk," has dropped 25 pounds since filming the pilot.
He got winded during the pilot's action sequences, "but I couldn't complain because I didn't want them thinking I'm too old for the job," he said with a laugh. So he cut the carbs and can now "run full out."
On this day of filming, the cast and crew move swiftly among a number of locations in a gang-infested neighborhood just west of downtown.
Barnes and Amonte drive their black-and-white down a street full of potholes. Then, on a nearby boulevard -- where the pedestrians are impossible to tell from the hired extras -- the patrol car gets a flat tire. Barnes is not amused that Amonte hadn't checked to make sure there was a spare in the trunk. Now they'll have to wait for a tow truck.
"We're on Crenshaw with a flat. What does that make us?" Barnes barks.
"Vulnerable, sir," the rookie responds.

[gbmatt]

i had read he was a reserve deputy years ago when i did a report on him during black history month...infact i did mine on him 2 years in a row lol......i forgot about it until bryan had reminded me a while back....

[J Ryan]

It was an awesome day... he is definitely a gentleman.

My favorite was eating pizza and talking about cars. Working in the industry, I meet all sorts of people and I very, VERY rarely get star struck... But, when he asked if he could try the pack on and Bryan handed him the wand... Man... something about seeing that image in person... I had to run to get my camera like the freak fanboy of all fanboys. It was awesome.

God Bless Ernie Hudson. He's all class.