Filmation's Ghostbusters voice artists

[Xerus]

XERUS'S VOICE ARTIST FOCUS:

Since Halloween's coming up and I received the DVDs in the mail, today's V/A focus is the 80's cartoon, Ghostbusters. Not the Ghostbusters based on the movie, but the original live action Saturday morning TV series from the 70's, where two guys and a smart gorilla battle an organization of evil ghosts. I always thought this cartoon was one of the best things Filmation ever came out with. Great stories, a memorable cast of heroes and regular villains, and it had a lot of my favorite voice artists in this series.

PAT FRALEY: Jake Kong Jr, Jake Kong Sr, Ghostbuggy, Scared Stiff
PETER CULLEN: Eddie Spencer Jr, Eddie Spencer Sr, Bratarat, Haunter, Floatzart
LOU SCHEIMER(alias ERIK GUNDEN): Tracy the Gorilla, Skelevision, Ansabone, Wizard Fuddy, Sir Transalot, Fib Face
ALAN OPPENHEIMER: Prime Evil, Fangster, Long John Scarechrome, Airhead
SUSAN BLU: Belfry, Jessica Wray, Futura
LINDA GARY: Madame Why, Misteria, Apparitia
ERIKA SCHEIMER: Corky, Skelevator, Shock Clock, Timehopper

You can check out the opening theme here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0hCwHTg4mY

 

[The Count]

You know... Twas thinking of this series earlier today. There are a few names I don't recognize, even though I agree with your observations as I was a fan of the series. Even had the Jake Kong and Eddie Spencer Jr. figures at one time.

You're missing the female version of Bratarat, Prime Evil's sister and nephew, Prime Evil's predecessor and rival, the monster mobile and the two vampires from an episode in Futura's home world.
Other than that, rully liked this trip down memory lane. Thanks X-Man.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

My costume this year is Tracy the Gorilla, mixing the cartoon and the live action TV series which I just got on DVD. Both were well done. The cartoon versions of Kong and Spencer were way off character-wise, but every bit of Filmation you'd expect!

The live action show was more fun than the cartoon--if you can get it, get it!

 

[The Count]

Wait... Wha huh? There was a live series of Filmation's Ghostbusters? Sorry, but my memories and happy ones at that stem from the animated series.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4-Io8xMHL4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp1UisCnud0

 

[Drtooth]

Wait... Wha huh? There was a live series of Filmation's Ghostbusters? Sorry, but my memories and happy ones at that stem from the animated series.

Well, that's where the story gets complicated. In 1975, Filmation made a live action series called "Ghostbusters" That featured Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker from F Troop as the Ghost Busters. I do not know much info about this than what I heard and read second hand. Apparently, they actually fought monsters, not really "ghosts."

So, time went by and sometime in the 80's Dan Akroyd wrote a screenplay called "Ghost Grabbers" (or something to that extent). The screenplay was tweaked (after the death of John Belushi, who was to be Akroyd's co-star) by Harold Ramis (Egon), and it became "Ghostbusters."

Now, considering that Filmation held the name's copyright, they didn't demand Columbia change the name of the movie (which is what they should have done). but by taking advantage of that fact, they used the same name, a coincidental copyright, to make a Ghost Busters cartoon that premired the same time the DIC/Columbia animated series of the same name (both in 1986). This time, the main characters were the sons of the duo from the first series.

However, due to this fact, that is why they're called the "Real Ghostbusters"

And I also think that the Filmation version is 2 words "Ghost Busters, " while the Columbia movie, "Ghostbusters" was a compound word.

BTW, I saw some copies of the Filmation animated series volume 1 at KB Toys for 10 bucks each. I might just pick one up. I remember sort of liking it, but Gimme Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz, and Wisnton Zeddermore anyday.

 

[Xerus]

My costume this year is Tracy the Gorilla, mixing the cartoon and the live action TV series which I just got on DVD. Both were well done. The cartoon versions of Kong and Spencer were way off character-wise, but every bit of Filmation you'd expect!

The live action show was more fun than the cartoon--if you can get it, get it!

I heard that the Ghostbusters DVD special features has a couple of the original live action Ghostbusters episodes. I haven't gotten to that part of the DVD yet, but I can't wait to see them. And good luck with your Tracy costume.

 

[Xerus]

You're missing the female version of Bratarat, Prime Evil's sister and nephew, Prime Evil's predecessor and rival, the monster mobile and the two vampires from an episode in Futura's home world.
Other than that, rully liked this trip down memory lane. Thanks X-Man.[/QUOTE]

Your welcome.

I don't know who does the voices for those characters you mentioned. Mainly because they were all only one time characters and I mostly focus on the regular characters.

I really liked Prime Evil's gang of ghosts. He had a whole bunch of them too. You never knew which ghosts he would send to Earth to cause trouble in each episode. And I liked how the Ghostbusters' Dematerializer would zap ghosts causing them to dissolve and become nothing but a pair of eyes. And they needed to go back to Prime Evil to get restored.

 

[Xerus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4-Io8xMHL4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp1UisCnud0

Those were neat clips. They sure looked and dressed a lot like the Dads in the Ghostbusters cartoon. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Xerus]

Well, that's where the story gets complicated. In 1975, Filmation made a live action series called "Ghostbusters" That featured Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker from F Troop as the Ghost Busters. I do not know much info about this than what I heard and read second hand. Apparently, they actually fought monsters, not really "ghosts."

So, time went by and sometime in the 80's Dan Akroyd wrote a screenplay called "Ghost Grabbers" (or something to that extent). The screenplay was tweaked (after the death of John Belushi, who was to be Akroyd's co-star) by Harold Ramis (Egon), and it became "Ghostbusters."

Now, considering that Filmation held the name's copyright, they didn't demand Columbia change the name of the movie (which is what they should have done). but by taking advantage of that fact, they used the same name, a coincidental copyright, to make a Ghost Busters cartoon that premired the same time the DIC/Columbia animated series of the same name (both in 1986). This time, the main characters were the sons of the duo from the first series.

However, due to this fact, that is why they're called the "Real Ghostbusters"

And I also think that the Filmation version is 2 words "Ghost Busters, " while the Columbia movie, "Ghostbusters" was a compound word.

BTW, I saw some copies of the Filmation animated series volume 1 at KB Toys for 10 bucks each. I might just pick one up. I remember sort of liking it, but Gimme Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman, Ray Stanz, and Wisnton Zeddermore anyday.

When I first saw Filmation's Ghostbusters, I was pretty confused. I wondered if these guys were the sons of the Columbia's Ghostbusters. But as I watched more episodes and saw how Filmation's Ghostbusters used equipment different from the Columbia ones, I realized this was a completely different show. And I started to like it.

While the Columbia version has the Ghostbusters just capturing ghosts that appear out of nowhere and locking them up in a containment unit. The Filmation version has them battling an actual ghost organization and using weapons that causes the ghosts to dissolve.