If you missed You Know Who to Call Part 1,click here.
The heyday of the Ghostbusters failed as a voluminous movie franchise.
But thanks to licensing, the Ghostbusters have survived.
More so more recently.
No need to just collect spores, molds and fungus.
The Ecto-1 is running and puttering, so lets stay on this road of memory lane after the jump.
Very cheerful, my parents didnt believe in toys .
We had part of a Slinky.
But I straightened it.
And like 88MPH Studios, their quality was of perfection.
The figures included Gozer, Slimer, the Terror Dogs known as Vinz Clortho and Zuul.
The bobble heads consisted of Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
The two Head Knockers are some of the best bobble heads ever made with pristine sculpts and priceless paintwork.
Its only a shame their price has increased so much with the rarity experienced over the years.
Well, a shame for those who didnt get it at first at least.
But as with 88MPH Studios, the line was hampered from going further.
The difficulty in licensing the men in jumpsuits just proved too much.
The ordeal was especially tough considered the status of NECA.
Where 88MPH Studios goal was valiant, NECAs position was valid in the marketplace.
Mattel made a big splash in the headlines in 2009 when it acquired the license to produceGhostbustersaction figures.
I havent been the biggest fan of Mattels work in the for-collectors category as a whole.
It hasnt been so much quality.
Its been the offering for the price, which at times has been too pricey.
When it has come to Mattels Movie Masters, some series have left much to be desired.
The figures fromThe Dark Knight Risesthat year were disappointing.
They were awkward with poses that stood for nothing.
TheMan Of Steelfigures this year have been plain and lacking any accessories.
But the start of the 6-inchGhostbustersfigures from Mattel was superb when the company launched itsGhostbusterslineup.
Mattel designed a series based on the original movies with great bundling within in each single package.
Its a bit shameful to have stalled before getting to the Terror Dogs though.
Even the nameless Rookie that you played in the 2009 video game was molded into a 6-inch figure.
Mattels 6-inch offerings arent cheap, but not entirely ridiculous in the collectors market.
Theyre pricey, but are they overpriced?
Its conflicted and so Id have to say they are a tad.
In fact, the figures seemed like realistic interpretations of the cartoony figures based onThe Real Ghostbusters.
They could mingle with your old collectible, but were the figures too junior-like nonetheless?
Thats up to an individuals taste.
Paying shipping and handling over and over again can get annoying.
The Retro-Action series based onThe Real Ghostbustersfelt like a poor legacy of the originalGI Joeline.
Otherwise, the Retro-Action falls short in comparison to what was done in a smaller scale.
The 12-inchGhostbustersfigures were the genuine legacy of the originalGI Joeline.
It was flimsy-short and I think too short to safely operate according to the Ghostbusters handbook.
At around $60, these came in at just the right price.
Each replica came packaged in colorful crate-like cardboard boxes with humorous warnings wrapped all over.
It actually shook to simulate when a ghost was trapped inside.
Whoever thought up that replica was a madman.
This PKE Meters sound element differs a bit from the original movie.
Its tone is more of a beeping than a buzzing.
Dont laugh, thats enough to destroy some people.
For $70; not too shabby.
Because if the 1:43 is between $50 and $100, guess what a 1:18 would cost.
Better yet, guess what a vehicle scaled to Mattels 6-inch figures would cost you.
Ill tell you: a whopping $215.
Did you notice I mentioned only a possibility of that product happening?
Thats because fans can only currently pre-order the Ecto-1 from MattyCollector.com.
But you do get a prize for your faith and loyalty.
An exclusive pre-order bonus poster of the Ecto-1 schematic will arrive for you if the vehicle is made.
Dont forget shipping and handling.
GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME
2009 was a year of resurgence forGhostbusters.
It may as well have been a third movie although it relied heavily on the source material (i.e.
I doubt Stay Puft would have ever or will ever make an appearance in another sequel).
Many of the principal cast members from the films were involved in the game’s production.
But eventually, the game got published through Atari and available on all major platforms.
IDW PUBLISHING
Also in 2009, IDW Publishing celebrated its first full year ofGhostbustersat its disposal.
In 2008, it had done what 88MPH Studios did four years prior; makeGhostbusterscontemporary.
Then a few months later, the 4-issueGhostbusters: Displaced Aggressionran from September to December of the same year.
The likeness of characters to one another proved a bit of a distraction.
It really felt like these new renderings were just different versions of oneGhostbusterstemplate.
!andGhostbusters: Haunted Holidays.
From miniseries to one-shot, everyone was getting teased of a possible full-length series.
Sure enough, thats what 2011 brought.
Then February 2013: IDW begins its ongoing series entitledThe New Ghostbusters.
Yes, IDW Publishing threw its hat into a sequel to the original story.
Theres no independence to the extent of mutual exclusivity.
Heck, Kylie Griffin is part of the New team.
Melanie Ortiz and Ron Alexander are familiar faces to IDW-readers.
And why was Janine Melnitz chosen?
Maybe because she had Proton-Packing experience fromThe Real Ghostbusters.
This updated series is a nice mix of comic canon and cartoon lore.
The only complaint I will muster of theNewseries is the simplification of Kylie Griffin.
I know you gotta start somewhere, but did it have to be there?
That is, their products are narrow in basically figures and props.
Theyve just brought great depth to those categories.
Diamond Select Toys allures through the variability in the wide net of products.
At $35, the license plates were appropriately priced.
The paint job is pristine and it genuinely looks screen-accurate right out of the 1980s.
It may not be doing you any favors, but its also not ripping you off.
Its about 12 across and 15 high with the base.
This is a nice and manageable set of dimensions.
I think the average person will find the tray for ice cubes more-often used.
The design forms shockingly well in ice.
The face is reliably frozen every time.
Im surprised how well the features come out without meticulous chiseling.
The only disappointment comes when the ice melts.
Originally created by Art Asylum, the companys Minimates property was eventually acquired.
Its quite a wide range and not overwhelming enough to break the bank of parents.
The beauty is kids can expand their Minimates shelves with the many franchises Diamond Select Toys invests in.
Coin banks are another cornerstone of what Diamond Select Toys regularly makes based on franchises.
These are about $20 and appropriately enough dont force you to break the bank to get them.
The sculpt, casting and paint job on the 8-inch Slimer are beyond fantastic.
The characters roundness doesnt deter from stability with the flattened portion beneath to place on a surface.
you’re able to put it on the shelf and itll look like an affluently-priced collectible figurine.
It would be if it wasnt for the slot on the back to deposit coins.
Its a pillow-white finish with faint-blue outlining rolls of chubbiness and prominent features.
Its the clean-cut and large size that grabs your attention.
Both are one of, if not the best, depictions of their respective characters in the marketplace.
Slimer easily doubles as a statue.
The 11-inch Stay Puft Marshmallow Man easily mellows alongside any action figures if coin collecting isnt your thing.
Across the board, expect to shell out about $70 for each.
No, if you want statues, go for Slimer and the Terror Dog.
Photos do not do the line justice.
But whatever, I got mailed to me a promotional Slimer statue: #199 of 1,984.
I thought, My Lord, its far heavier than I expected.
The mold and transparent green are gorgeous in person.
Though the green is one-tint, the mouth shares the similar staining of the coin bank.
The translucent green glistens when the lights inside turn on.
I will say that maybe the mouth could have been given some translucency to come alive at night.
But its a trade-off.
But even with the vast price difference, I still cant recommend one over the other.
Im not sure which one it was specifically based on, but lets not get too picky.
The light-up features cant be ignored as a very unique offering.
Neither is to be neglected in appreciation or mocked in terms of quality though.
I think theyve done all that can excitingly be done with their single-productGhostbustersneon sign category.
Id love to see more quirky replicas from them beyond the license plate.
Id also love to see more statues.
A new one comes out later this year of the firehouse, aka Ghostbusters HQ.
Thats thinking outside the box, most definitely, and I want to see more.
I challenge them to get some more characters out.
Wouldnt Gozer look great beside the Terror Dog all lit-up after all?
Who doesnt know the answer to, Who you gonna call?
Even its home video Blu-ray catalog has only included the first movie in a plain-Jane case.
The studio hasnt taken much responsibility.
Was Caputo Publishing the end all and be all?
No, but they had the right idea.
It starts from the other end of the line and thats just how it is.
So will it be?
Some have gotten people charged.
I do share concern about what direction the Ghostbusters would take in a third film.
Would new minds completely change the franchise and have it take itself a little too seriously?
Next years the 30thanniversary of the first film.
And then, yes, did I just hear that?
Was that… Was that the firehouse bell?
