On being a Ghostbuster

There are two ways to become a Ghostbuster, either you have been obsessed with Ghostbusters since birth, or you start dating a Ghostbuster. Either way, you soon learn that there are others like you . . . many others. There are Ghostbuster chapters all over the US and even some in other countries. One of the biggest mouths in GB fandom on the internet is GBmax Massimo of Ghostbusters divisione Nord Italia in Italy. As far as I understand he heads an online website called Ghostbusters Mania and he and his group built a GB basement containment unit replica. Crazy, I know, but this is a rare hobby in which more people than you think are involved. And it's EXPENSIVE! (More on this in later posts.)

Basically you have the suit and the proton pack, but a lot of GB's go even further and make/buy the slime blower from Ghostbusters 2, the Ecto goggles, ghost trap, PKE meters, etc. Matty Collector is where everyone goes at first to get the extras such as the PKE meter and ghost trap, but these usually sell out FAST and once they're gone, they're gone. Many buy more than one and, once Matty Collector sells out, they go on eBay and sell their extras at an inflated price. So, people with talent and access to the proper supplies tend to build their own props. I'm lucky enough to have a friend or two who are so crazy about Ghostbusters that they had already perfected the building of the proton pack before I was intrigued enough to ask for one. Proton packs are big. REALLY big. Too big for my 5'6" self to lug around for more than a few minutes. So, my super sweet boyfriend decided to scratch build me a 3/4 scale proton pack. It took months, but now I have one.

My 75% scale Proton Pack

If you would like a 3/4 scale proton pack he sells them via GB Fans. Click here for the BUILD thread and here for the SALE thread. There are also WAY better and more photos on these threads. He also goes into detail of how much time and effort is needed to produce something like this. We talk a lot about how lucky we are that we live in Los Angeles and the supplies needed to build props such as proton packs, ghost traps, and the like, are easily accessible.  

Most people buy proton pack kits online and build them up themselves. It's not building the whole thing by yourself, but it gives you more of an appreciation for the hobby and you can still tell people you built it without it being a lie.  ;)

Now that you have the main prop you'll need the costume. eBay always has Nomex flight suits for sale. The sizes are your chest measurement and then a legnth. S = short, R = regular, and L = long. If you're super anal and need a screen accurate costume check out the flight suit page on GBfans.com. Once you obtain the suit you'll need the 'No Ghost' logo patch and your name tag patch. Lucky for you I sell the best 'No Ghost' logo patches available online via my Etsy site, 8-Bit Spock. I'm hoping to have a Ghostbusters 2 patch soon.

Buy at 8-Bit Spock Etsy shop!

Soon after completion the Ghostbusteriness seeps deep into your brain and you begin to produce EVERYTHING Ghostbuster. Within a year I found myself sewing a skirt made from an old The Real Ghostbusters cartoon bed sheet, making my own cookie cutters so that I could bake Ghostbuster themed cookies, and even a GB flight suit/costume for my friend's baby nephew. (pics of some of my Ghostbuster randomness below.) 

What fandoms have you become completely obsessed with?

How do you cope? lol
What creative outlets do you use?
TELL MEEEEEEEE!!!!

 

I found a really well maintained Real Ghostbusters cartoon bed sheet online and turned it into this freaking adorkable circle skirt which I totally wear to work.

Ghostbuster "No Ghost" logo and Slimer shapes made using this DIY
 using these supplies.

Whether they turn out good-looking or not is completely up to your pastry decorating skills . . . . . . mine suck.

More yummies. Stay Puft cupcakes made with marshmallow frosting!! The cake part is green, which you can't really see from the picture, but simply add green food coloring to your vanilla cake mix before baking.

THIS was more of a pain to make than it looks. That onsie was white to begin with, bought it on amazon.com because we needed long sleeves an feet. Made the belt and elbow pads with soft grey fabric and fabric paint and velcro. The GB arm patch was ironed on using dark fabric print out iron-ons from Staples. The chest detail and name tag were machine sewn. Finally, the feet were chopped off, taken apart, a pattern was made using the piece, then re-sewn using soft black fabric. We used the padded bottoms of the original foot part, only we dyed it black before attaching. Baaahhh!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                     

                 ALSO, I make Ecto Cooler for our GB nerd friend gatherings. Thanks to Ghostbusters: Chicago Division and their exhausting trial and error experiments WE HAVE ECTO COOLER!!!       

                           

                 Click up there for the recipe. I had to dilute it more than what they said because it was WAY too sweet and thick-ish. Also, note that the color isn't bright neon green like the original was, instead it's a dark sludge gross green, but EVERYONE swears it tastes EXACTLY like the real thing. It's fun to bring to a party an gives everyone a fun blast from the past taste. Also goes well with vodka and rum, just sayin'.

Corbin Nash is Bringing Vampires Back from Glitter Hell

I think we can all agree that vampires used to be cool: Interview With The Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nosferatu . . . well, maybe not Nosferatu. but that version of Dracula with Keanu Reeves was actually entertaining as f*ck; silly though it may be. #90sKids

But lately vampires seem to be lanky, eternally pubescent, sissies who juje their hair and sparkle in the sun. *facepalm* I'm not saying Twilight ruined one of, if not the most interesting and influential classic story monsters of all time, but Twilight ruined one of, if not the most interesting and influential classic story monsters of all time. This is a huge problem with Hollywood, but you know if it earns hand-over-fist who cares if it destroys a generation of girl's perception of love? I mean, Gen Y had the golden age of Disney princesses and movies like Titanic and we survived. Well, most of us survived . . .

But I'm blogging today because there are things on the media horizon that promise to bring vampires back from the, uh, dead? Not only is Ann Rice releasing a new book soon, (yes, it's about vampires!) and the band Vampire Weekend, (who are these guys?) are topping the charts with their totally non-un-dead tunes, but there are films in the works that will hopfully vanquish the idea that vampires really just want to find true love, are high school jail bait mean girls, or adorable CG characters. Allow me to introduce Corbin Nash, a bad ass vampire seeking revenge. 
 

Remember those true to life-ish, all-in-a-day movies like Empire Records and Clerks where the whole story took place during 1 day? Corbin Nash is much like those, in the course of one night two film students are taken for a ride with a vigilante vampire through the dark streets of Los Angeles where they learn that vampires are real . . . and hella violent.

Without giving too much away, the story is that Corbin became a vampire and is now tracking down the ones who ruined his life, (in more ways than one.) I feel cold-blooded pointy baseball bat murder is completely justified here. The two polar opposite film students react to a number of thrilling escapades while filming every minute, because pics or it didn't happen. Nothing this interesting ever happened to me while I was in film school. The best student docs we got were interviews with hobos.

So, check out the trailer below and track the film's production via Enhance Entertainment's (and StarTree Productions,) website and ALL your favorite social media outlets! Facebook, Twitter (@CorbinNashMovie), and IMDB. Once physical production begins I'll see about an Instagram because I know your Millennials hate to read.  ;D  

SEE THE TRAILER HERE!!!