Filmation's Ghostbusters - The Animated Series, Vol. 1 [DVD]

Not to be confused with "The Real Ghostbusters," the animated series based on the 1984 hit film, Filmation's "Ghostbusters" was actually based on the 1975 live action Saturday morning series "The Ghost Busters" starring Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch [of "F Troop" fame] as ghost busters Jake Kong and Eddie Spenser respectively. Along with Tracy, their gorilla played by Bob Burns, Jake and Eddie fought the ghosts of historical villains. Both versions of the show were produced by Filmation.Filmation's 1986 animated Ghostbusters series featured Jake Kong Jr. and Eddie Spenser Jr., the sons of Jake and Eddie assisted by Tracy the gorilla, Jessica the reporter, Belfry the bat, and Futura the sorceress. From their Ghost Command headquarters, they battled ghosts and phantoms from fairy tales, present-day and future. Whether traveling through time and space in their transforming Ghost Buggy, or battling the evil spooks of Prime Evil at his Haunt-Quarters, the Ghostbusters would always answer the call to action with their battlecry "Let's Go Ghostbusters!" The battlecry much like He-Man's transformation scene, albeit to a lesser extent, was that scene in the show I always looked forward to, and never got tired of.I almost didn't bother to watch Filmation's Ghostbusters back in first-run because [at the time] I felt it was trying to steal The Real Ghostbusters' thunder--which it was, sort of. It's all relative however as neither animated series would've been produced if it weren't for the success of 1984's "Ghostbusters" film. Columbia Pictures (who owned the film and spin-off cartoon) settled a lawsuit with Filmation for an undisclosed sum in order to use the title in the film, but that didn't preclude Filmation's own animated attempt to capitalize on poltergeist popularity. With all of that in mind, I did watch both shows in first-run and had found there to be plenty of ghostbusting fun to be had from both shows.Hopefully, the folks at Sony who produced those infuriating Real Ghostbusters 4-episode volumes will take notes from BCI's Ink & Paint, and sometime soon package The Real Ghostbusters into a set as bountiful in episodes and extras as this Filmation Ghostbusters set.Filmation's Ghostbusters - Volume One is a 6-disc set featuring the show's first 32 [of 65] episodes in Full-Frame (1.33:1) video, plus the following Special Features:* Creator interviews with producer Lou Scheimer, writer Robby London and directors Tom Tataranowicz and Tom Sito* Ghostbusters anti-drug spot* Original 10 min. presentation of the promo pilot* Slideshow storyboard for episode 22 "Laser and Future Rock"* Image gallery of Ghostbusters heroes including the original model sheets and sketches* English & Spanish audio for all 32 episodes* Easter eggs and series trivia* Ink & Paint trailers* DVD-ROM material: the complete five-episode script for the Ghostbusters "origin story"* Bonus episode: "The Ghost Busters" live action series episode #1 - "The Maltese Monkey" featuring ghost busting trio Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch and Bob Burns "Yeah!"Episodes:1. I'll Be a Son of a Ghostbuster (Part 1)2. Frights of the Roundtable (Part 2)3. No Pharoah At All (Part 3)4. The Secret of Mastadon Valley (Part 4)5. The Ones Who Saved the Future (Part 5)6. Witch's Stew7. Mummy Dearest8. Wacky Wax Museum9. Statue of Liberty10. The Ransom of Eddie Spenser11. Eddie Takes Charge12. The Great Ghost Gorilla13. A Friend in Need14. No Mo Snow15. Prime Evil's Good Deed16. Cyman's Revenge17. The Headless Horseman Caper18. Banish the Banshee19. Rollerghoster20. He Went Brataway21. The Looking-Glass Warrior22. Laser and Future Rock23. Runaway Choo Choo24. Dynamite Dinosaurs25. Ghostbunglers26. My Present to the Future27. The Beastly Buggy28. Belfry Leads the Way29. The Battle for Ghost Command30. Going Ape31. The Haunting of Gizmo32. GhostnappersGhostbusters - Volume One:Feb. 27th!

Filmation's Ghostbusters was one of my favorite cartoons to watch when I was younger. While I also watched The "Real" Ghostbusters which ran in syndication and on ABC, I always preferred the Filmation Series over the Columbia Pictures version.Filmation's Ghostbusters is a spin-off from their 1975 live action series The Ghost Busters. Filmation's series follows the adventures of Jake Kong, Eddie Spenser and Tracy the super-smart-gorilla as they take on Prime Evil and his horde of ghosts who want to take over the world. These adventures take the Ghostbusters all over the world, into outer space and through time. There's humor, action and adventure in these stories and a good moral message at the end of each episode.I enjoyed watching all the episodes, but what really made me smile was the bonus material on the last disc. It was there that I learned about the history of the Filmation Studio and learned something about the great people who produced all the cartoons I used to watch as a kid. That disc showed how much heart and passion Lou Schiemer and his staff put into producing quality cartoons that shaped two generations of children's lives. I used to enjoy his work as a child, now as a writer I appreciate his contribution to the history of American animation and children's television.It was also great to learn about all the great people who came from Filmation and went on to produce a new generation of classics for a third generation of kids. People like Tom Tatarowicz, Paul Dini, David Wise, J. Michael Straczinski all started at the Filmation Studio and went on to produce shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: the Animated Series, Shrek, Babylon Five and countless other great programs.Ink and Paint do a wonderful job of transferring these cartoons for DVD release. I used to tape these shows on VHS back in the day and the video on these are as good as the day they aired in 1986. The cartoons and the bonus material together give the viewer a comprehensive look at the work on Filmation's Ghostbusters, the history of the Filmation studios and the process they utilized to make their cartoons. This is one of the best DVD boxsets I've ever had the experience of purchasing, I wish other studios would be as thorough in producing material for DVD collectors. Everything is here from character designs, scripts, and the series bible. The only thing missing were the commercials for the toys by Schaper!Filmation's Ghostbusters Volumes One and Two are great cartoons and a Shawn James Five Star Essential Video. I highly recommend everyone pick up these boxsets!