Ghostbusters Fact List: Winston Zeddemore

Winston Ramsey Zeddemore was born on May 2, 1953 to Construction Worker Edward "Big Ed" Zeddemore and his wife Lucille.

F/N Date again is established through Fritz' and Dr. Riddle's work. Edward Zeddemore established by "The Brooklyn Triangle" Lucille comes from the Richard Mueller novelization of the first movie (thanks to EgonsBabe for pointing that out). In the 2004 novel "The Return", Winston's mother's name is Evangelean. Middle name "Ramsey" established by IDW's Ghostbusters Vol.2 #13, and is a nod to Winston's name in an early draft of the first movie.

C/N Thanks for the info guys!

Both parents are alive; mother lives in New Jersey. Has a sister who lives outside of the state of New York. Father is Edward "Big Ed" Zeddemore, a construction worker. Ed is the boss/employer of the other construction workers. Has an employee named Charlie who was Winston's co-worker (When Winston used to work in construction.). He doesn't think Ghostbusting is a real job, and thinks the Ghostbusters are crazy. Thinks chasing ghosts and shooting them with "lasers" is a video game. He doesn't "need any mumbo jumbo Ghostbusters bailing him out". He now has a positive attitude toward the Ghostbusters and their business, since they saved him from the Land of Lost Things. (Back In The Saddle Pt. II, The Brooklyn Triangle, The Ghostbusters In Paris)

Family origins are of Africa, the Caribbean, and Puerto Rico. His grandmother used to tell him the old tales of voodoo. She also told him tales of his direct ancestor (On Winston's Grandfather Zeddemore's side.), Shima Buku, the greatest chieftain of the Ibandi Empire, the region now known as Tangalla. Six thousand years ago, Shima Buku's people were ruled by an immortal demon known as the Undying One. There was a war between the gods and they turned on the Undying One. The Undying One defeated them, but was totally exhausted. Shima Buku seized the opportunity and bound the demon in the Moaning Stones of Tangalla. The Moaning Stones of Tangalla were created together, but Shima Buku deliberately separated them into three pieces, and buried them to keep them safe from all harm. There was an inscription that told of the Undying One and warned against uniting the three stones. If the three stones were ever combined, then the Undying One would be loose upon the Earth again. The demon can only be controlled by the soul of the man who bounded him. Winston never believed any of this stuff, but later found out that he was the reincarnation of Shima Buku. He now holds the third stone, the headpiece, which he uses as a paperweight. Had half of the golden "key", otherwise believed to be a family heirloom that has been in the Zeddemore family for 100 centuries. His father possessed the other half. The two halves of the golden key form a "T" when joined together. Ancestors came to Charleston, SC on a slave ship from Africa. (Moaning Stones, The Brooklyn Triangle, Ghostbusters II)

F/N Dr. Riddle has searched most reference material but cannot back up the proper existence of Winston's surname, "Zeddemore" as a real name, and that there is no way to track if it's linked to his ancestry, although it probably is. However, "Zedd" is a legitimate surname.

Has lived in New York all his life and never visited the Statue of Liberty, until the Ghostbusters used it to help defeat Vigo. (Ghostbusters II)

Interested in Biblical studies. Believes in God and loves Jesus' style. (Ghostbusters)

Gets seasick and can't swim. (Ghostbusters II)

Fears rats (Subway rats in particular. They're as big as beavers.). Doesn't like cockroaches, either. (Ghostbusters II)

Can roller-skate, but not very well. (Slimer, Is That you?)

Used to ride carnival rides until he got sick as a kid (The Old College Spirit)

Liked monster movies as a kid, but couldn't stand them for a while after becoming a Ghostbusters--his life was "too full of special effects as it is". He eventually relented and started going to them again to "pick up pointers". Loves revival theatres. (RGB #1, #23)

Reads tabloids; Favorite headline: "I Married Bigfoot". (RGB #13)

Could never really pull a bluff. (Don't Forget The Motor City)

Believes in team work/effort. (Ghostbuster Of The Year)

Likes puns, possibly because of Ray. (Mr. Sandman, Dream Me A Dream)

Can cook, at least well enough to work in a hotel kitchen. Knows how to make cheese puffs (Possibly has pastry chef training.). (Deadcon 1)

Favorite cake is Blueberry Fudge. Likes pizza. Hates Jell-O(Slimer, Come Home; Ghostbusters 2)

Used to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. (Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II)

Can punch through standard dry wood walls/old mansion walls. (The Hole In The Wall Gang)

Learned to open a truck door using a pocketknife given to him by his father. Also has a penknife. (The Brooklyn Triangle, Sea Fright)

Has memorized the words of the unusual poem, the Jabberwocky. (The Grundel)

Is a big Baseball fan; his favorite team is the Jersey Jaguars. He owns one of their baseball caps and one of their baseball jerseys. Played Basketball as a kid; he used to like it, but he doesn't anymore. Played Football. Supposedly played Pinball. (Night Game, Ghost Fight At The OK Corral, The Hole In The Wall Gang, Slime Streak)

Prodigious reader. Reads Melville, Dickens, Conan-Doyle and other classics. Also reads Agatha Grisley. Is very good at figuring out mystery stories; so good that the others tie him up while watching mysteries to prevent him from blurting out the solution. Helped complete Agatha Grisley's last novel and was given a dedication along with the rest of the team by the ghostly author. (Elementary, My Dear Winston, Boo Dunit)

Used to watch cartoons by Walt Fleischman; he grew up on them. In 1928, Walt Fleishman released his first cartoon starring Ricky Roach, leading to a dynasty of animated characters, including Dopey Dog, Ronald Rooster, Foxy, Felicia Feline, Sinclair Squirrel, and George Gopher. Walt Fleischman was a genius and his cartoons were ahead of his time. His studios made the best cartoons around, and no one could duplicate them. No other cartoons moved or seemed as alive as Fleischman's. Dopey Dog was his biggest star. Dopey Dog said that if you ever needed him, all you ever have to do is call, "Dopey Dog, Dopey Dog flying through the air! Dopey Dog, Dopey Dog flying everywhere! Come on boy, we need you! Don't let us down. Dopey Dog, Dopey Dog, we need you!". Later on, Fleischman created two new bad guys: Winchester Wolf and Conqueror Duck. They were both evil and downright unfriendly. They were too dangerous and too powerful for Fleischman to control. In 1944 Walt Fleischman disappeared. It wouldn't be learned until years later that he was sucked into a pocket realm ruled by his evil creation Winchester Wolf, and tortured for the next forty years. (Who're You Calling Two-Dimensional?)

Likes Star Trek. Has dreamed of being a space commander, like a certain bald-headed Captain (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), complete with android officer (Lt. Comdr. Data). Spent 10 days on a Space Station after winning a contest. (Spacebusters)

Loves game shows. (The Devil To Pay)

Interests include music. Likes Alan Parsons Project and loves Aretha Franklin. Can sing; performed the song Touching Old Magic during a history of Halloween session at a High School in New York. Can't play any musical instruments, not even a kazoo. (The Devil To Pay, Don't Forget The Motor City, The Halloween Door, Play Them Ragtime Boos)

Shares an interest with Peter in trains. (Slime Streak)

Plays Chess often; seen playing with Egon, Peter, Slimer, and a computer. Also plays Checkers. (Cabinet Of Calamari, Look Homeward Ray, When Halloween Was Forever)

His girlfriend is a museum curator. (RGB #19)

Likes to take his vacations as far away from crowds as he can. (RGB #18)

Had a rabbit's foot, which he gave to the ferryman over the River Styx. (Hanging by a Thread)

Has a very impressive resume; Entered Boot camp in 1971 or after, and fought in the Air Force in Vietnam. Electronic Countermeasures, Strategic Air Command, Black Belt in Karate, and small arms expert. Once drove a cab and worked as a gas pump attendant. Can fly ECTO-2 and standard/military helicopters. (Ghostworld, Ghostbusters, Short Stuff, Adventures In Slime And Space, Ghost-Busted)

C/N The above fact about Vietnam is simply conjecture. It is popular belief that Winston fought in the Air Force.

Never thought he'd become a hood ornament. (Killerwatt)

Along with Egon and Ray, can understand techno-babble/science talk/nautical terms; loves it when Egon talks like "that". Has also been noted to say his hatred of "it" happening whenever Egon verbally alerts them of something bad about to happen. On occasion has had a "bad feeling", which has nearly over-ridden his sense of helping people. (Future Tense, The Spirit Of Aunt Lois, The Hole In The Wall Gang)

Has been known to call Egon "Homeboy" and Peter "Flyboy" on occasion.

On occasions has been involved and has hand a hand in Ray's pranks.

People like Dr. Alfred Bassingham make him not want to get cable. (The Spirit Of Aunt Lois)

Became the custodian of ECTO-1 after a few seasons. Takes ECTO-1 to car shows and is nearly obsessed with keeping her clean. Has crashed ECTO-1, though not exactly though his driving skills. Also has a car of his own, a Ford Mustang (Janine Melnitz, Ghostbuster, Big Trouble With Little Slimer, Follow That Hearse, Night Game)

C/N:Thanks to back of GBCentral for bringing the Ford Mustang to our attention!

Once performed a very dangerous stunt based on either Tarzan or old Pirate movies, where he leapt from the crow's nest or a galleon. (Sea Fright)

Has been called "Doctor Zeddemore" to help impress Egon's Uncle Cyrus Spengler. (Cry Uncle)

Was nearly killed by a gargoyle from Notre Dame. He defeated the gargoyles. (The Ghostbusters In Paris)

Posed as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Has posed as a road worker. Has impersonated a gym teacher to help locate the witch Kestrel. (X-Mas Marks The Spot, Mean Teen Green Machine, If I Were A Witch Man)

Landed on a chandelier after smashing through a window when the Ghostbusters were breaking into Tummel's building. (You Can't Take It With You)

Is the only living member of the team not to have a ghostly parody of himself in the Big Pumpkin, Boo York, (The Peoplebusters' universe.). (Flipside)

Performed at kids' parties with Ray. (Ghostbusters II)

Became a commercial jetliner pilot in Montana. (Back In The Saddle Pt. I)

Winston is estimated to be around 6'2" and around 230 lbs.

Ernie Hudson is estimated to be around 6'2".

F/N Above info gathered from the Real Ghostbusters Fan Fiction Recommendations and from GBN Member Van Damme.

MR. WINSTON ZEDDEMORE