Characters
The issue features a notably large cast spanning multiple continuities.
IDW/Film continuity: Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, Egon Spengler, Janine Melnitz, Kylie Griffin, and Slimer.
The Real Ghostbusters (animated) counterparts: Animated versions of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, and Egon Spengler, along with animated Slimer.
Extreme Ghostbusters: Garrett Miller, Eduardo Rivera, Roland Jackson, and the animated version of Kylie Griffin.
Antagonists and entities: Proteus, Icon Ghost, Ghash (poltergeist), a Fairy Poltergeist, and the Cerberus Manifestation conjured by Proteus.
Minor/background: Alan Crendall, Bridget Gibbons, Samuel Hazer, and Gabriel Sitter from the junior team in Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime appear in the multiverse spread; also listed are Ghostbusters of Dimensions 35-N, 11-W, 68-M, and 68-Q.
The Multiversal Spread (Pages 15-16)
Pages 15 and 16 form a landmark two-page spread cataloging Ghostbusters teams across the multiverse, a highlight of the mini-series. Schoening originally planned original designs for alternate teams, but time constraints led him to use pre-existing designs from other media. The teams depicted include:
- The junior team from Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime (Alan Crendall, Bridget Gibbons, Samuel Hazer, Gabriel Sitter).
- Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler from the Ghostbusters Pachinko game by Fujimarukun Co.
- Venkman, Stantz, and "Ramsey" from Dan Aykroyd's original Ghost Smashers concept, visually inspired by Michael Keaton, Eddie Murphy, and John Belushi.
- The Ghostbusters as they appeared in the Sega Genesis Ghostbusters video game.
- The Ghostbusters and Slimer from the New Ghostbusters 2 NES game for Japan.
- The Ghostbusters as seen in the original pilot of The Real Ghostbusters.
- Winston, Egon, Ray, and Peter from the Stylized Versions of Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
- A team from the Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling episode "Ghost Wrestlers," featuring Captain Lou Albano, Wendi Richter, and Hulk Hogan.
- Jake, Tracy, and Eddie from Filmation's Ghostbusters animated series.
- Peter, Winston, Ray, and Egon from Tokyo ESP: Scene 03 Penguin and Girl.
- The Peoplebusters from The Real Ghostbusters episode "Flip Side."
- The Ghostbusters from Slimer!
Equipment
Both continuities contribute props. IDW/film-continuity equipment includes the Proton Pack, Particle Thrower, PKE Meter, Ghost Trap, Paranormal Containment Research Tank, Ron's Proton Pack, Proton Pistol, Aura Video-Analyzer, Camcorder, Bestiary, Proton Canister, Electrical Gloves, and Walkman (the latter from Ghostbusters II). Animated-continuity counterparts of the Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Particle Thrower, PKE Meter, and Trap also appear.
Several video game props appear as Firehouse set dressing: the Pin-Up Calendar of Doom, Summoner Bell, and Hohman's Black Low-Rise, all from the Realistic Versions of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The Aura Video-Analyzer monitor displays the city map from the DS version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
Covers
Regular Cover A by Dan Schoening and Luis Antonio Delgado: Features both Ray Stantzes alongside Slimer from The Real Ghostbusters. Animated Ray holds a bag of Stay Puft Marshmallows (the type seen in RGB episodes "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream" and "Apocalypse -- What, Now?") and a jar of Psychomagnotheric Slime from Ghostbusters II.
Subscription/Variant Cover by Evan Shaner: Inspired by EC Comics' Vault of Horror #25 (1952), penciled by Johnny Craig. Proteus appears under "Vengeful Gods!," Janine Melnitz under "Underpaid Staff!," and Louis Tully under "Hapless Bystanders." The two Egons, two Peters, and Slimer appear around the table.
Development
Erik Burnham first hinted at the variant cover artist, noting only that their first name starts with "E" and that Peter would appear on the cover, on March 18, 2015. On March 31, 2015, a teaser was revealed as part of IDW's July advertising campaign, themed around covers inspired by EC Comics' Vault of Horror. On April 5, 2015, Burnham confirmed Evan Shaner as the variant cover artist and previewed the image on April 6.
On April 7, 2015, Burnham teased that Issue #2 "gets pretty extreme." On April 8, he confirmed finishing the script and plotting a double-page spread; he also confirmed in a recorded interview that the subscription cover was directly based on Vault of Horror #25. On April 13, 2015, Burnham sent the first script draft to Tom Waltz.
Dan Schoening posted pencil thumbnails from the issue on May 16, 2015. He confirmed he was actively penciling on May 27, and on May 31 posted a work-in-progress of Ghostbusters from the Stylized Versions of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. On June 24, 2015, Burnham posted an uncolored teaser of Garrett Miller, while Schoening posted a WIP of Ghostbusters from the Sega Genesis game. On June 25, Schoening teased Kylie Griffin. On July 1, he teased Ray Stantz while wishing Dan Aykroyd a happy birthday. On July 24, Schoening posted a sneak peek of the Extreme Ghostbusters. On July 26, a cover, credits, and a five-page preview were released.
On August 3, 2015, in a post-release interview, Burnham revealed that he initially had a list of original alternate Ghostbusters dimensions planned, including: an all-female Ghostbusters team (unrelated to the Paul Feig film), a team with a white Winston and Black Peter/Ray/Egon, and a Steampunk Ghostbusters team. Schoening became too busy to design them from scratch and the team decided to use pre-existing designs instead.
On October 12, 2015, in an interview recorded at the Cherry Bomb Toy Show in Victoria, B.C. (October 4, 2015), Schoening revealed additional cut dimensions: LEGO versions, female versions of the guys, a ghost team (distinct from the Peoplebusters), a team of just Janine Melnitz and Louis Tully, and a team led by Special Agent Melanie Ortiz with some female members. For the collected Get Real trade paperback, some of the parallel dimensions shown in the spread were changed to incorporate other continuities.
Trivia
- Page 1: The Icon Ghost alludes to the Limbo seen at the end of the RGB episode "Janine Melnitz, Ghostbuster," and closes with the show's famous "We now return to The Real Ghostbusters" sign-off.
- Page 2: The Bronx Zoo's animated version appeared in RGB episodes "The Scaring of the Green" and "It's a Jungle Out There." The design of the Ecto-1 on this page is the first visual hint the story opens in the Extreme Ghostbusters era. The gorilla in the zoo panel is based on Tracy from Filmation's Ghostbusters; Tracy's hat and communicator are visible on the exhibit information board. The issue notes the Congo Gorilla Forest (the southwestern part of the Bronx Zoo), and Ernie Hudson appeared in the film Congo.
- Page 7: Kylie Griffin (IDW) finishes Kylie Griffin (animated)'s sentence. Janine Melnitz drinks from a Wally World mug, a reference to the Vacation film series. The firehouse chalkboard contains a reference to the Reitman film Cannibal Girls (also referenced in Ghostbusters II); a drawing of the Ghostbusters II Game Boy video game; a 9 a.m. appointment at Weaver Hall (Columbia University's Psychology department, from the first film); and the "No Smoking" lettering from the Sedgewick Hotel elevator. On the shelf behind Egon: The Real Ghostbusters board game by Triotoys and European VHS tapes of The Real Ghostbusters (Volume 6, "Sea Fright" and "Adventures in Slime and Space").
- Page 8: The tack board features the billboard for the Ghostbusters Spooktacular at Universal Studios, a nod to the New Ghostbusters II video game, an ad for Universal's "I Had a Paranormal Experience at Universal Studios Florida" show, and a Ray's Occult Books business card. Computer screens behind Egon display grabs from the Ghostbusters: Ghost Trap cell phone game. The Aura Video-Analyzer monitor shows the DS version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game's city map. Animated Peter references Vampires and Werewolves, both encountered in the RGB episode "No One Comes to Lupusville," and Cathulhu from "The Collect Call of Cathulhu." A Hardees Ghostbusters II lunchbox is visible on Egon's shelf.
- Page 9: Kylie Griffin (IDW) holds a copy of the Bestiary from the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "The Sphinx."
- Pages 15-16: The multiversal spread (detailed above). The skulls lining the pathways are those of Captain Jack Higgins and his crew from the RGB episode "Sea Fright."
- Page 17: Peter (animated) drinks B.B.B.B. soda, first seen in the RGB episode "Sea Fright." Behind animated Egon: an Ecto-Cooler can, a Real Ghostbusters Gift Set View-Master, and the Pin-Up Calendar of Doom from Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions). The woman in the pin-up is based on LunaxMars from The Ghostbusters of New Hampshire fan franchise, who did a picnic photo with Capitol Bombshell - Boudoir & Pinup Photography. Animated Ray is miscolored with Peter's jumpsuit colors, a deliberate nod to coloring errors that occasionally occurred in the original series. The box near Ray is a Toastmaster Toaster Model B700 from McGraw-Edison, a nod to the Animated Toaster from Ghostbusters II.
- Page 18: Above the bed is a frame of Jim Venkman's newspaper photograph from the RGB episode "Cold Cash and Hot Water." The rose bowling ball is a nod to Bill Murray's character "Big Ern" McCracken from Kingpin (1996). The Days Without Incident and Employee of the Month boards from Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) appear; of eight visible months on the board, Peter won them all (each month references a specific panel from a prior IDW comic or cover). The chalkboard in panel 3 shows Stephen Dane's final sketch of Ecto-1 from the first film, the phrase "Spooktacular June 7/90-Nov 9/96" (referencing the six-year run of the Ghostbusters Spooktacular at Universal Studios), and a chalk drawing of the Trap from The Real Ghostbusters.
- Page 19: The Walkman from Ghostbusters II appears on a table. Gozerian letters from Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) appear on the chalkboard in alphabetical order. The screen shows the Data East The Real Ghostbusters arcade game's introduction scene.
- Page 20: Luis Delgado's recurring "15" Easter egg appears on the Days Without Incident sign.
- Page 21: The Peters' argument about payment for the flow of ghosts from this issue is revisited on page 21 of Ghostbusters: Crossing Over #2. The 68-R dimension capture referenced there is the Fairy Poltergeist from this issue.
- Kylie (IDW) corrects Ray's math; Ray's recurring issues with math were first established in Ghostbusters: Infestation #1, the first Ghostbusters comic written by Burnham.
- The dialogue about occasional P.K.E. transference from the animated dimension was intended in part as a tongue-in-cheek explanation for Schoening's recurring Easter eggs in the IDW comics.
References
- IDW Publishing, Ghostbusters Get Real #2 (July 29, 2015). Written by Erik Burnham; art by Dan Schoening; colors by Luis Antonio Delgado; letters by Neil Uyetake; edited by Tom Waltz.
- IDW Publishing, Ghostbusters Get Real #1 (June 2015), for series background.
- IDW Publishing, Ghostbusters: Crossing Over #2, for the callback to events of this issue.
