Circa 2002 ø Late 2002 ø Summer 2003 ø Late Summer 2003 ø Fall 2003 ø 2004 ø Spring 2005 ø Summer-Winter 2005 ø Winter-Spring 2006 ø Summer 2006 ø What's To Come

 

This timeline was written to look back at where Ghostbusters International® as a club started, showing how we’ve grown, and will conclude in what we have planned as future goals and updates. This look back is based on my recollection of events and memories. If you think something needs to be added, please let me know and I’ll take it into consideration.

Before 2002 there were “franchises” in the US, Canada, Great Britain, and at least Sydney. “Field agents” weren’t accounted for. Franchises were official by having a web site, usually meeting the basic requirements for membership. Of course there were exceptions. To this day I can still think of some of these former franchises. No “company” web site or separate message board for Ghostbusters International® existed. A small handful of Ghostbusters web sites which weren’t apart of Ghostbusters International® would list franchise links (some still do) on there sites.

Going back to at least 2002 franchises could “talk shop” in the Ghostbusters International forum at Chad’s Ghostbusters Central web site. It was just one section among many other sections or forums at The Ghostbusters Message Board. In 2002 “Louis Tully” would recruit new franchises, keeping records, and handle all questions concerning Ghostbusters International. Anyone remember the newsletter he would send out on occasion? From his experience and using that section of the message board, Ghostbusters International had its first organized structure. Eventually I would help Louis in assisting franchises and answering other Ghostbusters International questions when I could. I was honored to be apart of the “team,” little did I know then how involved I would become.

 

On October 17, 2002 Ghostbusters International’s franchises learned that Ghostbusters International was working on a web site. I was probably surprised at times that Ghostbusters International didn’t have one already. As the first 6 months went by in 2003, “Louis” didn’t have a lot of news concerning the site. In the meantime, Ghostbusters International was growing, not precisely how “Louis” envisioned. Their were disagreements about how ghostheads on “the other side of the fan base” could participate in Ghostbusters International. Should it just be prop based with no room for fan fic (now we're all case oriented franchises) franchises? The other side of the fan base was becoming divided.

 

I didn’t get involved right away with the debates on the board. I kinda went about my “business” with my then franchise (the defunct JerZey Ghostbusters) and was more concerned with the very much delayed Ghostbusters International web site. Once I found out part of the reason the site wasn’t up, I offered to host it. All I had to do was create an account on my ISP and get the files from “Louis.” Unfortunately for the time I couldn’t just upload the site. I would have to create separate files. I also did this because the original site (version 1.0) didn’t leave room for news updates. This is around the time when I received the title of GBI Executive. While I was designing version 1.0.1 I created the first ever Ghostbusters International® message board, through the old userboard nation community.

While I was concentrating on the new board and site, Ghostbusters International and Ghostbusters Inc. had already split at the seams. I didn’t know yet that “Louis’” feelings and attitude would lead him to leaving Ghostbusters International all together. Around this time I think I started participating in the discussions about Ghostbusters International and Ghostbusters Inc. I had even talked to “Louis,” away from the boards where we had our own “difference of opinions.”

 

It was clear that I and many ghostheads didn’t see eye-to-eye with “Louis” about the direction Ghostbusters International as a whole was to take. I didn’t know things would get so bad that he would walk away. With his sorta unofficial retirement I was concerned the concepts and ideas of Ghostbusters International would become chaotic or just die. I really didn’t want to see any of that happen. And I stepped up to “run” Ghostbusters International. Personally it made sense since this was where my interest in Ghostbusters was at. How many times can I discuss the same topics when I had been apart of the fan base for about 8 years? I knew the commitment I was making. I also knew that I would never run the site or club alone.

In early September 2003 on Labor Day in The United States version 1.0.1 of Ghostbusters International® went live! My early duties were to assist franchises and be the web master for the club.

 

Between Sept-November I and others within the club created designs to be used on t-shirts, other apparel, house wares, and more. In late November around Thanksgiving in the United States, our store, 1984 through Cafe Press launched. In early 2004 Ghostbusters International® would get a more professional url, gbiweb.net. It was an inexpensive way to redirect visitors and remember the url without having to worry about Comcast and where the ~ went.

 

In the early part of 2004 Ghostbusters International® planned the first (and only so far) Big Apple Franchise Gathering in NYC. Where Ghostbusters International® members visited the shooting locations all over New York City. Through out the rest of the summer, leading up to the weekend before Halloween, multiple franchises were involved in the Baccardio “case file”, one of the biggest story arcs Ghostbusters-NJ and Ghostbusters International® was apart of. I’m proud to have been a significant part of it, actually traveling to Pennsylvania to end the “case file” with my friend Bill. Or did we? Early October 2004, Ghostbusters International® would take the final step the club would need by getting a very professional domain name and server space. By now this is also when I adopted a new title, thought up by my friend Bill Malkin. The title of GBI Executive became obselete and I was known as the "Director Of Ghostbusting Ops." Before the outcome Ghostbusters International® and Ghostbusters-NJ would meet Ernie Hudson at the October Chiller Theater in East Rutherford NJ. Meeting Mr. Hudson was significant because its the first time we believe someone from Ghostbusters actually learned about Ghostbusters International®. I gave Mr. Hudson a business card and briefly explained what we’re about. Halloween 2004 was also the first year Ghostbusters International® held our Halloween Spooktacular, an area of our site dedicated to showing off pictures of our members suited up at the end of the busy season.

 

In 2005 Ghostbusters International® was involved with the “Save The Firehouse” campaign. This fundraiser sent letters and collected donations so the decommissioned Engine 23 in Los Angeles could be turned into a community center. In May 2005, Ghostbusters International® member “Dr.” Greg Justis bought space at the Motor City Comic Con. Greg was able to collect money for the “Save The Firehouse” fundraiser while promoting Ghostbusters International®. There were also promotional appearances by franchise members on Free Comic Book Day. One of the most memorable appearances was by Dr. Kyle Peterson and took place in Johnson City, TN.

 

Leading up to Gen Con: Indy, multiple franchises and field agents planned a big gathering of there own. Ernie Hudson would be a guest at the convention. The goals were to meet Mr. Hudson as a group and promote Ghostbusters International®. Both goals were met and as a result of big gathering Ghostbusters International® welcomed a new Indiana franchise. Going into the Fall, Ghostbusters International® was somewhat involved (personal circumstances prevented some of us from doing more) with The American Heart Association. This wasn’t the first charity Ghostbusters International® had supported, one of the first we had talked about and promoted. By December other Ghostbusters International® members were involved in other charities. Such as St. Judes Children's Research Hospital and Child’s Play. In November 2005, Ghostbusters International® upgraded its hosting plan so we could install our own message board. We “moved” our message board right away.

 

Early in 2006, Ghostbusters International® and Ghostbusters-NJ attended its first convention of the year when we attended Chiller Theater’s “Dead of Winter” convention in Secaucus, NJ. One of our goals besides promoting the club was to hand out a limited number of our Ghostbusters’ fan film, Leeds' Curse. Where we also gave a copy to Ernie Hudson, who was a guest in January. He told us that he would watch it in his hotel room later on. In early March Ghostbusters International® member Ben King designed the “name patch” font. We decided on March 9-10th to use this new font to make minor design changes to ghostbustersinternational.com. On March 18th Ghostbusters International® brought back saturday mornings as we remembered them when we began to host episodes of our hit cartoon series, The Real Ghostbusters. On May 18th, Ghostbusters International® began working on the layout for our upcoming on-line store, Slimes Square™. May 28th we updated Ghostbusters International® with an all “new” training manual which is used to inspire future franchises and field agents as well as promote the club.

 

On 6/6/06 separate, but related “case files” would begin when “ extraterrestrial PKE” entered Earth’s atmosphere. Some of these multi franchise case files are still continuing. A little over a week later, multiple franchises became “vampire slayers,” wrapping up an ongoing case file from earlier in the year. Days later Ghostbusters International® began its biggest “promotion” when the company “teamed” up with Apple. A press conference was “held” on June 19th at Apple’s 5th Ave. store. Our Apple Inside™ campaign was an all day and night event. And the “partnership” between the “company” and Apple is ongoing. On June 26th, Ghostbusters International® decided to make more “minor design changes.” For the first time in 3 years most of the site reflected these new changes. Ghostbusters International® as a club would also revise its policy. To help visitors better understand what we’re about.

The first weekend of July marked another milestone for Ghostbusters International®. Our Brazilian franchise, Paranormal Labs attended there first promoted convention. True, the upcoming Dutch Ghostbusters Society had attended a convention a few months earlier. They weren’t a franchise yet. We know, its a technicality. On July 7th Ghostbusters International® finally found a theme for our message board that fit more into the layout of our site. It was truly customized with graphics created by staff advisor, Kevin Kemarly. The following day Ghostbusters International® picked up an old project, a huge task to put Making Ghostbusters on-line. While we were working on it somewhat in an old fashion way, Ghostbusters International® member, Bryan Fear worked and completed another “book report” for us. On July 17th, we updated ghostbustersinternational.com with Tobin’s Spirit Guide.

The weekend of August 12th, our franchises and field agents would once again meet up at Gen Con: Indy for a franchise gathering. Its also the first time Ghostbusters have ever “teamed” up with Mythbusters. Four days later would mark another milestone for Ghostbusters International® when we approved our first franchise in The Netherlands, run by CEO Dr. Robert Knippels. August 23rd Ghostbusters International® would get “extreme” when we began offering episodes from our second cartoon series, Extreme Ghostbusters.

 

As we begin our third year, Ghostbusters International® franchises and field agents attended Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA. Some of these members were also in Dragon*Con’s 5th annual parade. As we go into the "busy season," there will be more conventions, events, and the conclusions to the ongoing "case files". Ghostbusters International® will be involved in more charities. We also hope to be able to screen Ghostbusters in the Northern NJ/NYC area.

Future updates to the site include opening up our "Case Files" area, adding a section for charities we're involved in, an area for links/credits, more media files, adding more articles, adding more reading material, opening our on-line store, Slimes Square™, and working on other new projects for Ghostbusters International®.

Long term Ghostbusters International® would like to rent space at more conventions, have our second Big Apple Franchise Gathering, and plan/attend more events.

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