Ectozone.com News Archive

Tales From the Ectozone: Monsters
Late 2022--Timeline Year Forty
A Ghostbusters team in Paris recently met a werewolf. Back in New York, the Ghostbusters met a mummy with a terrible sense of humor, a zombie, and a magical cat. A mysterious meeting occurs somewhere in England, suggesting that these events may be related...

While it's not actually a chapter of "Sign of the Twins", I've been tinkering with this one for a while, waiting until I felt it was the right time to put it out.

That time, I think, is now.

--Fritz V. Baugh

August, so you know what that means...

(All photos without the Ectozone watermark came from Facebook)

Gen Con was held July 31st-August 3rd, and was, as usual, a blast.

Dammit...did they accidentally put Keymaster Games and Gatekeeper Dice too close to each other?!

Okay, the Circle City Ghostbusters were there, so problem solved.

Paizo, in addition to having this Seoni cosplay and a woman in a Skittermander costume who got way into character, debuted the new Starfinder Second Edition. I didn't buy it the first day like I did Pathfinder 2 in 2019, but I did buy it (proof below!)

Main RPG purchaese: Starfinder 2. the Advanced version of Horde Wars (We got the basic version from Pointy Hat Games at last year's Gen Con, and a copy of Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics, as they were selling them for only $10.

A Blokees Action Edition Optimus Prime, and while I didn't actually buy it at Gen Con, I'm counting The Real Ghostbusters: A Visual History because I bought it out of my Gen Con budget. But the biggest, "dumbest" purchase of the year was that little black box next to my badge.

I bought it from this guy:

A few years ago, I remember saying to myself "What happened to all the lightsaber merchants that used to be at Gen Con? They all seemed to vanish as soon as the technology started to get good enough to get decent stuff in a price range I could actually convince myself to afford". It's like somebody heard me.

So, I couldn't resist...

"It's over laundry basket! I have the high ground!!!"

It's not the top of the line with a Proffie board or Xenopixel blade, but for a $100 it's extremely workable--over thirty sound fonts, smooth swing, and color change--it's something six year old me watching A New Hope could only dream of.

Since it was a package deal, Ogre got one too:

Another great Gen Con, and now the long wait until July 30, 2026!

--Fritz V. Baugh

Just a quick Mondo update before I got to Gen Con tomorrow:

(All photos from Ghostbustersnews.com)

Janine Melnitz Joins Mondo’s The Real Ghostbusters Toyline

Following last night’s first look at Mondo’s Ray Stantz and Mr. Gash Collector’s Pack, another reveal has arrived as Mondo’s San Diego Comic-Con panel just wrapped, with attendees treated to a first look at yet another upcoming entry in The Real Ghostbusters 1:12 scale figure line: Janine Melnitz, making good on a previous tease.

Skipping her occasional ghostbusting gear, this version of Janine sticks to her signature receptionist attire from the animated series. Staying true to her on-screen personality, the figure includes a wide assortment of accessories that any sassy, no-nonsense receptionist would need. Included are a haunted desk setup, an office chair (with swappable lower torso for a seamless cross-legged pose), alternate heads and hands, and an exclusive Slimer designed to attach to Janine and appear mid-kiss, serving as a callback to the cartoon’s original intro sequence.

Goddamn it, am I gonna have to sell a kidney or something?!

Gen Con roundup should be August 12th. And hopefully something else that day too (no promises, though--that always bites me in the ass)

--Fritz V. Baugh

Three new Hasbro products announced this last weekend:

Hasbro Pulse Announces Ghostbusters Plasma Series Proton Pack ’84 Replica

(All photos from Ghostbustersnews.com)

As Ghostbusters Day 2025 continues to roll out surprises, Hasbro has officially announced the return of their full-scale Ghostbusters Plasma Series Proton Pack, this time based on the original 1984 film!

Priced at $299.99 and available now for pre-order via Hasbro Pulse, this screen-accurate roleplay collectible features premium detailing, movie-inspired sound effects, and electronic lights. Designed with input from the original film prop, the pack includes a removable cyclotron, 25 LEDs, USB-C power for continuous playback, and full compatibility with both Hasbro’s Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand and the Neutrona Wand (1984), each sold separately.

Super awesome for those who missed out on it the first time. But $300 is still too rich for my blood.

Hasbro Pulse Announces Ghostbusters Plasma Series Rooftop Showdown Four-Pack

Continuing their string of Ghostbusters Day reveals, Hasbro has officially announced the Ghostbusters Plasma Series Rooftop Showdown four-pack, capturing the unforgettable finale of the 1984 film in 6-inch scale form.

This collector’s set includes all four original Ghostbusters, Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Winston Zeddemore, each with premium detailing and updated likenesses, serving as Hasbro’s definitive take on the team. The figures come fully equipped with Proton Packs, Neutrona Wands, plasma streams, and essential accessories, including a Ghost Trap, P.K.E. Meter, and Ecto Goggles.

Hasbro Reveals Kenner Classics Real Ghostbusters ‘Ecto Glow’ Ecto-1

As this year’s Ghostbusters Day celebration wraps up outside New York City’s iconic Hook & Ladder 8, we’ve got one more Hasbro reveal to get to, as adding to the previously announced Kenner Classics The Real Ghostbusters Ecto Glow Heroes, fans can now look forward to a matching glow-in-the-dark Ecto-1!

While the four Ecto Glow Heroes, featuring neon, ghostly versions of Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston, are set to be offered exclusively in person at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con (with remaining stock to go live on HasbroPulse.com), the newly unveiled Ecto-1 will serve as an online exclusive. Available through Hasbro Pulse during SDCC, the vehicle features a slight makeover to better match the funky, retro-inspired aesthetic of the Ecto Glow lineup.

This, as far as I can tell, is the first "new" thing Hasbro has done with the RGB Classic line. Everything else has been a repop...I mean, this is a repop also, but it's a repop that Kenner never did. Also teased at the Hasbro booth was the full-fledged Ecto Glow Capsule Collection, which included silhouetted imagery hinting at future releases. Among them: Slimer, Stay Puft, Louis Tully, and the long-lost, never-released Ecto Glow Copter. These items are slated to launch between fall 2025 and sometime in 2026.

--Fritz V. Baugh

The Ectozone is now Twenty Two years old! If you want to take a look at how this site has grown and evolved over the years take a look at the Archive page HERE

And for the site's birthday, a new story!!!

The Real Ghostbusters 2024: The Sign Of The Twins, Part Five
June 20, 2024--Timeline Year Forty-Two
A day they'd feared has arrived--the Herald of Gozer has returned. Driven by her own tragedies and trauma, the Lady of the Steady Waters moves ahead with her own agenda, and there is no way that's good news for the Ghostbusters. Especially not the possible Child of Zodiac, John Spengler--or those dear to him.

Sorry this one took so long--I had really intended to get it out in April, as the previous few chapters had made it out about two months apart, but I kept finiding myself questioning the direction of the story, and how to get where I was wanting to go. So it took some time to hash all of this out in my head, and I think I'm pretty sure where I'm going now.

Thanks for your patience, and I hope you'll give it a look.

--Fritz V. Baugh

From GBFans: Hasbro brings back the Ecto-Glow Heroes for SDCC

Following a few teases/leaks in the past week or so, toy company Hasbro has revealed that it's next offering in the Ghostbusters Kenner Classics range will be a re-release of the Ecto-Glow Hero figures, as reported by Toy News International.

Originally released in 1991, the Ecto-Glow Heroes represented the final run of Real Ghostbusters figures from the original Kenner run, and featured the four Ghostbusters and Louis Tully in special glow-in-the-dark uniforms (including glowing mask accessories of their own heads), packaged with glowing ghosts and proton packs.

The 2025 versions of the Ecto-Glow Heroes (minus Louis)...

WHOO-HOO! This sounds awesome so far!!!

...are currently set to be an exclusive collectable at this year's San Diego Comic Con.

Final renders and further details, such as the retail price are expected to be released in the near future, however for comparison, the first wave of Kenner Classics figures retailed for around $14.99 each.

woo-hoo. This sucks.

This line was rather spottily distributed; I personally didn't even know they existed until I saw a guy at a comic show selling them for a big markup, around 1993 or so. I bought his Egon and Venkman, but he didn't come to the next show and I could never get Winston and Ray (or even Louis) back in the day.

Ah well, guess I can't complain too much about something I never had anyway, right?

--Fritz V. Baugh

Illustration by John Tobias, Rich Rankin, and Suzanne Dechnik

Gregorian: Wednesday, 1 January 2025
Mayan: Long count = 13.0.12.3.14; tzolkin = 4 Ix; haab = 17 Kankin
French: 12 Nivôse an 233 de la Révolution
Islamic: 1 Rajab 1446
Hebrew: 1 Teveth 5785
Julian: 19 December 2025
ISO: Day 1 of week 1 of 2025
Persian: 12 Dey 1403
Ethiopic: 23 Takhsas 2017
Coptic: 23 Kiyahk 1741
Chinese: Cycle 78, year 41 (Jia-Chen), month 12 (Ding-Chou), day 2 (Geng-Wu)
Julian day: 2460677
Day of year: Day 1 of 2025; 364 days remaining in the year
Discordian: Sweetmorn, Chaos 1, Year of Our Lady of Discord 3191
Order of Hermes: XII Day of Capricorn, XXXIV Age of Aquarius

So I want to wish everyone a Happy N...

Goddamn it, this year is going to suck with teeth, isn't it?

Speaking of things that suck, I have a new story to inflict upon you!!!

The Real Ghostbusters 2024: The Sign Of The Twins, Part Three
June 20, 2024--Timeline Year Forty-Two
As Eric, Marie, and TJ go on a bust, John has a meeting with the Dean of the Sons of Ether, a man who seems to have some surprsing knowledge of John's situation with the mysterious Children of Zodiac.

Have as safe and happy a Thirty Fifth Year of the Age of Aquarius as you can.

--Fritz V. Baugh