What, No New Ghostbusters Comic? (Yet, anyway…)

By John Freeman on December 18, 2015

There’s a new Ghostbusters arriving in cinemas in July 2016 and the licensing campaign is picking up “extraordinary momentum”, according to the company handling branding deals, with no less than 23 partners on board – but, as yet, it doesn’t look like a UK comic.

By now, you’d hope some publisher might be hoping to echo at least some of the success of the 1980s Marvel UK Real Ghostbusters title which featured the work of the likes of Dan Abnett, John Carnell, Glen Dakin, Andy Lanning, Bambos Georgiou and many more. Who’s holding out on us?

Ghostbusters 2016 Promotional Image

The new film, intended to reboot the 1980s film franchise, is directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy) and movie site Screenrant reports four different websites – EW, Time, InStyle, and People – feature new Ghostbusters character posters.

Feig has provided those same sites with short descriptions of the film’s main, all female characters, who are Erin Gilbert (played by Kristen Wiig), a particle physicist, academic firebrand, spectral warrior; Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), a paranormal researcher, supernatural scientist, entity trapper; Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones): “Ghost tracker, municipal historian, metaphysical commando; and Jillian Holtzman (Kate McKinnon), a nuclear engineer, munitions expert, proton wrangler.

Sony Pictures hasn’t released any trailers for the film yet, although they might just push one out this Christmas, which sees the Christmas Day 2015 release of another Sony film, Concussion – or in January, which sees the release of the young adult SF novel adaptation, The 5th Wave.

Rocket Licensing, which also handles licensing for the “Classic Ghostbusters” films, says it has seen “accelerated growth” in the number of UK licensees signing for the property, with Centum Books for publishing (publishers of the official Jurassic World and Minions annuals earlier this year); Brand Alliance for t-shirts and sweatshirts; BC International and Poetic Gem for nightwear, underwear and loungewear, Branded Distribution for 3D lights, Danilo for calendars, Hancocks and Kinnerton for confectionery, Finsbury Foods for cakes, toys from Mattel and dress up items from Rubie’s.

“The confirmed signing of a big roster of best in-class licensees well before the end of 2015 shows the extraordinary momentum behind a brand that is as popular today as it was over 30 years ago,” said Rob Wijeratna, joint managing director, Rocket Licensing.

“It’s about to enjoy an even higher profile as the great new Sony film comes to screens worldwide.”

• Ghostbusters launches in UK cinemas on 16th July 2016. The official Ghostbusters website is at www.ghostbusters.com

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.