I’ve been thinking about a post like this for some time. I want to try and keep some level headiness with it, so I ask that we try to keep the conversation somewhat pleasant. I know that it can be difficult, but it is about time some of our members understood what it was to be a Ghosthead years ago.
I entered the online community at a tender age of ten years old back in 1997 when it was still the Ghostbusters Homepage on Emkow’s website. It was a classic forum style of the time where there was no real forums or sub forums. There was one big open ended list of topics then often 404rd before some people could see them. I stumbled across the community as there had been rumors circulating that a third Ghostbusters movie would be going into production that or the following year.
Up to that point the only Ghostbusters merchandise we had was anything from the original Kenner Ghostbusters line or archaic memorabilia that we could find from Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II. We had no comic books, no hot wheels and certainly no replica props coming out at any time. In fact, the only thing we had at the time was a small line of Hot Wheel’s style cars being released by Johnny Lightning. At the time they were a treasure trove that I always went out of my way to find, however the first one I ever picked up was silver. I thought nothing of it, sure it was a strange color, but all of the Johnny Lightning Ecto-1A’s at the time were.
Many collectors were ecstatic about the release and quickly lapped them up, it was not cheap. They were well done mini replicas that added new product to our then archaic collections. The most accurate proton packs on the market were made from the kit bash styled plans of Norm Gagnon, we still relished non-accurate proton pack builds. Seriously, who cared? It looked like a proton pack, accuracy be damned everyone wanted a proton pack. Be it child or adult they were the coolest thing since light sabers for many of us.
For years nothing came of the Ghostbusters license, sometimes a wild hairspun story of Ghostbusters III coming out. But for the most part it was dead quiet, and all we could do is fantasize about what kinds of toys and trinkets may lie in our future. Then it happened, as if all at once. “It’s Coming.”
Around the same time the ill-fated Comic book made by 88MPH was announced and released NECA released a line of super detailed movie accurate Ghosts from the first Ghostbusters movie. Sure the terror dogs where of the same sculpt, and only the horns were different but look it’s eye lit up to our beheld glory! We even got a couple of silly bobble heads and Ghostbusters style string lights, even a release of the films on DVD. Hot Topic even carried several articles of Ghostbusters clothing, and it was all the rage within the community. We thought we had struck gold within the community. And then… Nothing.
For the better part of a decade we got nothing, our knowledge in props had improved vastly. Though, for the matter of official products… Not so much as a chirp.
Within the past two or three years Ghostbusters has once again become a thriving franchise. Every month new Ghostbusters products and memorabilia is brought to us, and for some reason all many people can do is bitch?
I don’t get it.
I’m not saying that everything that comes out with the No-Ghost logo needs it’s dick sucked, but all I have seen is a constant stream of absolutes and snobbish nose ups from a great many of the community. When did we suddenly become self entitled morons and forget how the world is? Are so many of you so disillusioned from the comfort of your computer chairs that you think you deserve the best of the best each and every time?
Did we suddenly forget that we at one point considered ourselves a more level headed geek community, that we would never falter to the ridiculousness of Star Trek or Star Wars nerds? And yet, here we are. Nit picking and raping every cool toy or product that comes out way as if it should be catered to our every need.
What ever happened to if you don’t like it, don’t buy it? Yet, the bitchers continue to buy up every product, only to turn around and turn their nose up at it as if it were a stinky pile of dung. Why are you even here? How do you even enjoy this franchise if you enjoy nothing it produces?
I for one have been nothing but ecstatic about the plethora of delectable Ghostbusters goods being offered to us. Each item being as if they plucked a palatable memory from my child hood, read all my letters to Santa about the Ghostbusters stuffs I’d like, and then made them. No longer am I relegated to a handful of odds and ends every few years.
This year alone I’ve gotten over eight brand new Ghostbusters Action figures, two new Hot Wheels Ecto-1s, Piggy Banks, posters, comic books, clothing and so on. Is it so hard to really be satisfied with what we now have? Is it really so hard to fathom that what we have is actually good? Or must we continue to hold things to an impossibly degree of arrogance, demanding every point of criteria of every product be to our insurmountable standards and price ranges?
Personally, I don’t get it. And nerds will continue to be the socially inept nerds they are. And I guess that is good for them, but I doubt it will be good for us in the long run. Sony has been so gracious with our community letting us continue to build and sell prop parts, and run afar with our booming sector of good willed “franchises.”
I guess this changes nothing, as for me?
Fuck it, I’m gonna go enjoy a hot cup of cocoa and my Peter Venkman action figure, patiently anticipating my brand new PKE Meter that I’ve wanted since I was a wee mite of a child, but never being able to entirely grasp due to money.
For me, this Christmas is going to be a Ghostbusters Christmas. And I haven’t had one of those in almost twenty years.
