Classic Toys from a Madman's Youth: Advent 2019 Day 2

Let's just get it out in the open from the start. When it came to choosing toys to be a fan of as a kid, I didn't have a very good track record. Yes, I loved Star Wars and He-Man and GI Joe. But as an oft-bullied, always overweight youth, I would follow my own path sometimes. Sadly, some of my choices were in favor of franchises that failed to become instant classics.

Today's featuring toy is a prime example of going the against the grain. Here is the complicated history of the Ghost Busters!

In 1975, Filmation, the company behind animated classics such as Fat Albert and She-Ra, put out a live-action sitcom called The Ghost Busters. It was about a pair of bumbling paranormal detectives who solve mysteries involving ghosts with their gorilla Tracy. The show was popular, running for 15 episodes. But the expense of Filmation's other live-action venue, The Shazam/Isis Hour, lead to it's early cancellation. 

Jump to 1984-85. Columbia Pictures released to theaters a live-action vehicle called Ghostbusters. It starred Saturday Night Live alums Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd and Caddyshack's Harold Ramis as a trio of scientists who go into the paranormal investigation business. 

I really wanted to see the movie in theaters. But my parents made me wait until it came out on video to watch it. Unlike today when movies can be found for household release merely days after debuting on screens nationwide, in the 80s you might have to wait a year or more for a movie to come out at your local video rental store. So in 1985, ever-so-anxious to get to watch Ghostbusters, I was treated with a different version of spirit hunters when the local TV station out of Fayetteville, NC WKFT 40 started airing the episodes of Ghost Busters. 

Having not seen the Murray/Ackroyd picture, I didn't know really what I missing out on with the Filmation show. I did however, know that Slimer the Ghost was in the movie and thought it was weird that the series had a man in a gorilla suit instead of a green spook. But none-the-less, I feel in love with the TV show. So imagine my excitement when in 1986, Filmation revived the 1975 show as a cartoon called Filmation's Ghostbusters.

In the cartoon, it's the sons of the original busters who take over the business. Along with Tracy, these new guys had a talking car called the Ghost Buggy and were assisted by a Ghost Buster from the future called Futura. They constantly battled a ghastly wizard called Prime Evil who would summon monsters such as werewolves, Dracula and my favorite, Scared Stiff, a robotic skeleton who could fall apart and be put back together in weird positions. There was an entire toy line and I wanted it all!

At the exact time, Columbia Pictures worked with DIC and Coca-Cola to come out with their own animated series. To avoid the confusion of the reboot, Columbia called their show The Real Ghostbusters. The Real Ghostbusters also had their own toy line and I wanted it all!

So when Christmas of '86 rolled by, I wanted all of the Ghostbusters. But my parents told me that Santa would only give me one version. So I had to pick. Naturally, I picked the wrong ones. 

By the next year, the Filmation series was cancelled and the toys disappeared. The Real Ghostbusters was a hit for ABC running for many years. Their toy line went on to spawn several waves of action figures and playsets. Anything with Egon, Ray, and Slimer is worth big bucks. The Ghostbusters I put my support behind. Well, you could go online and buy the entire set of 18 figures for a total of about $70. Oh well...

Unfortunately, my version never made a Christmas episode. But they did make a Christmas issue of their short-lived comic book series from First Publishing! (See the cover above!)
Again while my Ghostbusters didn't get festive on TV, you can be sure that the more popular version did. Thus, as my Advent present for you, I present you with a holiday haunt starring the Real Ghostbusters and some ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. 

Just Follow the Link and ENJOY!