Tag Archives: Misc.

Ghostbusters II VHS Insert

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ecto1agb2vhsinsert

I was 12 when my uncle and aunt took me and my almost four year old cousin (who back in the day loved all things Ghostbusters, I’m sure because of me) to see Ghostbusters II on November 3, 1989. Unless it was always a misconception to me, Ghostbusters II was not playing in northeast New Jersey that past June 16. Pre-internet I followed Ghostbusters II debuting in nearby theaters as close as possible. I had this sticker/scrap book where as far as the “scrap booking” aspect went I’d cut out Ghostbusters II printed material (mainly from our state newspaper) and place it in this once keepsake I’m pretty sure I no longer have. As November 3, 1989 got closer the countdown (daily the paper’s ad would read something like four days until…) was on until the movie premiered, at least in Nutley, NJ.

If you’ve read any number of my Kenner The Real Ghostbusters pages you already knew I was moving beyond the toy lines. As my then young cousin had some Kenner toys I didn’t have (ie: Police Academy) and Ecto-1A I could enjoy them when we’d go to there house. As we inch closer to the 25 anniversary of Ghostbusters II their are a handful of related items I can share through Ectocontainment. Continue reading →

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Unofficial Ghostbusters T-Shirts Opinion

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Normally I don’t talk about unofficial and unlicensed Ghostbusters t-shirts that exist on apparel sites which sell unlicensed t-shirts for 24 hours to avoid “quick” lawsuits. I could imagine for Sony (and other studios) it’s a waste of resources and perhaps finances to C&D all these unofficial and unlicensed t-shirts (or prints) that go away in a short period of time. Of course for the studios profiting off the logos and trademarks is well within their rights.

It can be a double edge sword for fans and artists. If the apparel companies who have the licenses (honestly without checking, I don’t know what company holds the license for Ghostbusters™ t-shirts, still Mad Engine?) would actually get creative with the designs, ghostheads may not feel the need to support talented artists by purchasing these unlicensed works. I’m sure many of the artists are fans themselves.

I don’t know any of the legalities to what I’m about to say. I wonder if Sony or the official licensee could buy the better (sorta like a commission) designs to use for t-shirts and prints. As Sony owns pretty much everything anyway they could just “take” the designs. Which would bring up other legal issues. This is why companies don’t take submissions to avoid so called copyright issues in the first place.

I understand too with the unofficial and unlicensed designs why the average artist and fan throws a design together and hopefully makes quick money with it. Some designs tie together multiple properties. The costs to get permission and multiple licenses would probably be astronomical. Which is unlikely to happen unless maybe, just maybe two corporate companies were working together on something. Then they would just make their own designs anyway.

I’m not apart of these quick retail sites, I have made my own unofficial designs through the years. Just because you design a t-shirt doesn’t mean you’re going to profit off it. I’ve known that first hand since high school. For a project in Commercial Arts, I made a t-shirt (sports wear, it was a different time) and my family did a run. We never did sell them all.

Custom Figures: Ghostbustin Mutagen Ooze

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I knew once Playmates released its Mutagen Ooze figure line it’d only be a matter of time before creative ghostheads would transforms Ghostbusters inspired Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles into ectoplasm fighting machines! A Raph Mutagen Ooze figure was customized by ghosthead Slaysghosts.

leo04

Ghosthead Derrico13 took a Mutagen Ooze Leo (pictured at top obviously) and modeled it more on Ghostbusters then The Real Ghostbusters, replacing Leonardo’s swords for a certified (it was right?) proton pack. Derrico even customized a Mouser to look like a ghost. Good or bad it reminds me of Slimer.

More pictures can be seen in Derrico13’s auction.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turt…Busters?

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It isn’t a secret that the ooze (you had to go their Rich) changed 4 pet turtles and their rat master into “lean, green fighting machines.” Their exact origins vary depending if you’re going by the original comic, cartoon, or 1990 movie that didn’t have a popular ninja rap. Not surprising as a child of the ‘80s I think of the cartoon first. Then their first words, “pizza.” Ahh.

Ghostbusters, The Real Ghostbusters, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be forever linked by the period they were around, how both shaped impressionable minds, which franchise’s toy lines would ultimately spend more of our parents hard earned money, the debate that TMNT was a factor in RGBs ending, and now a current toy line that sorta emulates our beloved ghostbusting heros.

Playmates who have the rights to TMNT toys have been making them since I was about 9 years old. Is this important to this entry? Sometimes their turtle variants were strange and out there. Same could be said of Kenner’s RGB figure lines. What we didn’t know then was that more figures made respective toy companies a lot of money. Hit cartoon series and marketing with the best toy commercials made us want a lot of the “out there” figures.

I doubt Playmates would have dared to make “heroes on a half shell” figures that looked like they were ready to team up with The Real Ghostbusters. TMNT has been enjoying a renascence (smooth) in the twenty teens. With a serious lack of Ghostbusters figures at this time Playmates released their Mutagen Ooze figure line. Why didn’t they just call it Mutagen Ooze blower?

Two out of the four figures wear flight suit type outfits and all 4 mutant turtles have “back packs” that can be filled with ooze. Need more proof someone at Playmates was thinking of Ghostbusters? A prototype Leonardo even included a name tag.