The following is an email I sent to Tom this morning.
Hi Tom,
Really exciting to see all those cover variants for the upcoming Ghostbusters 101 mini-series you’ve been posting in light of that recent string of zany release date changes for Annual 2017. Hope despite that, everything is going smoothly with your work on GB, TMNT, and your other projects. In seeing that image of the combined covers by Dan Schoening and Luis Delgado, I noticed Kevin’s prosthetic leg and it reminded me of Tristan Jones’ take on Garrett from Extreme Ghostbusters for some fan art many years ago used that same running blade. A funny coincidence. But it got me all nostalgic about Tristan being on the comic. Looking at his work on the recent Alien comic and his latest GB fan art got me thinking again what it would be like to see Tristan work on a GB comic again.
I would definitely get a kick out seeing Tristan get to use on of those pitches he’s talked about online such as the Tobin story about the Grundel or the witchcraft one. Erik, Dan, and Luis are still killing it on the comic after 5 going on 6 years. I can understand it’s tough to schedule Tristan for when Dan is going to take a break. But I’d very much like to see Tristan contribute again, perhaps in the next annual in 2018 if there is one. The annual format is definitely a great compromise for writer/artists that want in on the Ghostbusters comic and it’s also good for those stand alone stories. Tristan’s pitches look like they can function very well in this amazing continuity that’s been established without conflicting with you and Erik’s ideas going forward. I like to think of it as comparable to the way Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, and the Netflix series like Daredevil and Jessica Jones have proved to be powerhouse fan favorites and still operate in and expand the movie continuity that started with Iron Man.
Sure, a slot on the next annual would be awesome but I would love and prefer to see Tristan helm a Ghostbusters mini-series alongside the core series Erik and Dan work on, for example when and if a Volume Four of the ongoing series begins. With the material Tristan has worked on after Ghostbusters like Silent Hill or Aliens, he has really shown his growth in his drawing and story telling skills. And I see when I bring him up in Ghostbusters Fans, other fans are also still really interested in seeing Tristan get to tell another story. With the Tobin format we saw in Volume 1 Issue #8 and the Grundel pitch he talked a little about, I think Tristan has hit on a unique, different, and entertaining way to further contribute to the canon. After these 30+ years, we still don’t really know that much about John Tobin even though he’s had such a big influence on the Ghostbusters in the various franchises. Tristan keying on the idea of visiting the past, fleshing out Tobin, and providing a connective link with a not the end of the world present day case of the week for the Ghostbusters would really be a hit with the fans. I’ve read he’s finished work on Aliens, and it would be a fortuitous time to pull him back into the fold. He’s gotten a lot of love from fans over the years for his Ghostbusters fan art, the Tobin and Laura Parr back stories, the PCOC files, and the variant covers he’s contributed in the past. I think he’d likewise get a lot of love for a mini-series and/or story in an annual issue. On a related note, the fan response to and success of Insight Edition’s Tobin’s Spirit Guide proved there’s a fervent interest in the Tobin character.
In closing, I would love to see Tristan Jones back contributing to the Ghostbusters comic. A spot on the next annual and a companion mini-series would be a boon to the brand. I look forward to hearing back from you, Tom, and reading your thoughts about these ideas.
Sincerely,
Michael
It’s solely up to fan demand by asking the editor Tom Waltz . Please take a few seconds to go to his social media accounts and ask him to see more of Tristan in Ghostbusters: