Get Ready for 40 Years of Ghostbusters

As Stay-Puft followers put together to have fun the 40^th anniversary of Ghostbusters in 2024, now’s a superb time to have a look at the important thing comics on this enduring franchise.

The Real Ghostbusters

The first comedian related to Ghostbusters was based mostly on the Real Ghostbusters cartoon. The Real Ghostbusters #1 was printed by Marvel UK in March 1988. Unfortunately, there’s no information on graded copies however uncooked copies are presently out there on eBay within the $60 to $100 vary, relying on situation.

Based on these costs for uncooked copies, it’s extremely really useful that you just ship a duplicate in for grading should you personal one.

The first U.S. Ghostbusters comedian was The Real Ghostbusters #1 printed by Now Comics in August 1988. There are 267 graded copies within the CGC census. A 9.8 copy final bought in a May 7 eBay public sale for $361. That’s down a bunch from the $1,000 fastened worth eBay sale on January 20.

The solely earlier sale was for $399 in June 2020. That makes that January 20 sale very a lot an outlier, and the true worth of a 9.8 is probably going in that $350 to $400 vary.

At this level, chances are you’ll be asking your self why the comics and the cartoon had been known as The Real Ghostbusters? Filmation had produced a live-action TV present known as The Ghost Busters in 1975. In reality, Columbia Pictures needed to get hold of the rights to make use of the title Ghostbusters for their movie from Filmation.

Seeking to capitalize on the success of the movie, Filmation launched its personal cartoon present known as Ghostbusters in 1986. Unable to acquire the naming rights for their cartoon, Columbia selected to title the present The Real Ghostbusters. The cartoon sequence lasted for seven seasons and was prolonged to an hour and retitled Slimer and The Real Ghostbusters starting with the fourth season to permit for solo Slimer tales to be instructed.

Ghostbusters: Legion

In 2004, a Canadian outfit by the title of 88 MPH Studios obtained the comedian publishing rights to Ghostbusters and printed the four-issue mini-series Ghostbusters: Legion. The sequence was tormented by delays and the corporate folded shortly thereafter as a consequence of monetary difficulties. There are not any graded copies of the first cowl model of Ghostbusters: Legion #1 within the CGC census.

There are, nonetheless, 21 graded copies of the 2004 San Diego ComicCon unique variant of the primary concern within the CGC census. This model is titled as Ghostbusters #1. The solely sale of a 9.8 Universal copy was in a January 22 fixed-price eBay sale for $225.

Ghostbusters and IDW

Since 2011, comedian publishing rights for Ghostbusters have been within the arms of IDW. There are 11 graded copies of Ghostbusters #1 within the CGC census. The lone sale was a 9.8 going for a slashed $42 on February 19.

In 2014, IDW teamed the Ghostbusters with everybody’s favourite turtles in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters #1. There are 19 graded copies and the height worth paid was $175 for a 9.8 in a June 2022 eBay public sale.

IDW has printed a number of Ghostbusters mini-series and one-shots over the previous decade. Unfortunately, none have actually caught on with collectors. Overall, the output of comics based mostly on Ghostbusters has been far an excessive amount of based mostly on the cartoon The Real Ghostbusters and never sufficient on the qualities that made the movie franchise so wonderful.

Here’s hoping that IDW will get it proper going ahead – and simply in time for the fortieth anniversary.