Plot
Psychokinetic energy is on the rise in New York City, and business is booming for the Ghostbusters. Ray Stantz is troubled by what could be a prophetic dream involving Gozer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. The team takes a case at a Manhattan apartment building, where a young boy named Alan Crendall and his superintendent are dealing with a haunting. Meanwhile, at City Hall, city officials convene with Walter Peck to discuss oversight of paranormal investigation and elimination groups, addressing the ongoing financial fallout and containment concerns stemming from prior Ghostbusters operations. The meeting lays the groundwork for the Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission (P.C.O.C.), which forms the subject of the issue's backup story. A backup file by Tristan Jones supplements the main narrative with additional P.C.O.C. documentation.1
Cast
Equipment
Locations
Development
Pre-release development for Issue #1 was documented through a series of creator posts and announcements in the months leading up to publication.
On May 20, 2011, Tristan Jones posted a teaser for the P.C.O.C. backup story. On May 23, Chris Ryall, IDW Publishing's Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, announced that variant covers for the series would pay homage to classic album art. Issue #1's variant cover would be based on KISS's fourth album, "Destroyer." Jones also posted a photograph teaser of an entity appearing in the backup.
On May 25, Nick Runge blogged about his variant cover, noting that he used photo references provided by Lisa Stevens. The Ghostbusters depicted on that cover were based on four real-world fan community members: Patrick Creel (Real Tampa Bay Ghostbusters), Ben Bond, Rob Pearson (Tampa Bay), and Ben King (UK GB).
On June 2, Jones posted a teaser featuring Walter Peck, and on June 3 revealed he would be contributing supplemental P.C.O.C. material for each story in the series.
On June 17, Tom Waltz hinted at a "special guest" in the first issue and released the first issue synopsis, four covers, and a supplemental teaser. The issue was confirmed to retail for $3.99 at 32 pages. Pages 18 and 19 (without lettering) were previewed.
On June 18, it was revealed that one variant cover would be a glow-in-the-dark version. The retailer incentive cover was introduced: stores that ordered 500 or more copies of Issue #1 could receive an exclusive cover featuring up to four personalized Ghostbusters of their own choosing (the "Be a Ghostbuster" promotion).
On June 24, IDW released an official announcement for Issue #1 with full details on the retailer exclusive promotion.
On July 3, Jones posted a teaser featuring Slimer. On July 8, he posted a teaser featuring Peter Venkman and Slimer in the Paranormal Containment Research Tank. On July 18, Erik Burnham confirmed the issue would include a backup story, character design commentary, and fan art in addition to the main story. On July 30, Burnham teased a surprise appearance and confirmed it would not be Vigo.
On August 14, Burnham tweeted that Issue #1 would hit stands on September 21, 2011. On August 17, a preview was posted online including Cover A, Cover B, Cover RI A, a sample of the retailer exclusive cover, the staff credits page, seven pages of the main story, and pre-order details. On August 25, Burnham confirmed the release date had been pushed back one week to September 28.
On September 21, Luis Delgado posted an unlettered version of page 20, revealing a character appearance in the issue.
On October 27, IDW announced a second printing scheduled for November 23, 2011.
Covers
Issue #1 was published with 15 covers across its first and second printings.
- Cover A by Dan Schoening
- Cover B by Nick Runge (KISS "Destroyer" album art homage)
- Destroyer Variant
- Cover RI A by Dan Schoening
- Who You Gonna Call? Variant
- Cover RI B (Glow-in-the-Dark variant) by Dan Schoening
- Cover RE (Retailer Exclusive) by Alan Robinson
- Nine total retailer exclusive personalized covers (see Retailer Exclusive Covers below)
- Second Printing Cover (uses the RI A cover; the Ghostbusters II logo replaces the standard logo to distinguish the printing)
- Cover RI B Second Printing (a new wave of the glow-in-the-dark cover was planned due to the original printing failing to glow properly)
The Diamond order code for the first printing is JUL11 0130. The second printing order code is AUG118203.
Retailer Exclusive Covers
Nine comic book stores participated in the "Be a Ghostbuster" promotion. The back cover of each retailer exclusive features an untitled version of Cover A with the participating store's information stamped in the bottom left corner. Each store's cover depicted a custom Ghostbuster chosen by the retailer.
| Store |
Featured Ghostbuster |
Location |
| Austin Books & Comics |
Austin Books-Man |
Austin, Texas |
| Challengers Comics + Conversation |
Jimmy PS Hayes |
Chicago, Illinois |
| Clem's Collectibles |
Ryan White, Assistant Manager |
Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Comickaze |
Robert Scott (store owner) |
San Diego, California |
| Curious Comics, Books, & Games |
D.J.H. (Daniel Hansen, customer who won the store's contest) |
British Columbia, Canada |
| Matt's Cavalcade of Comics Cards & Collectibles |
Ten-year-old son of store owner Matt Ashland |
Corvallis, Oregon |
| Past Present Future |
Dr. Matthew Melnyk, West Palm Beach Branch of Ghostbusters Inc. |
West Palm Beach, Florida |
| The Lair |
Seven-year-old son of store owner Jorge Rodriguez |
Bronx, New York |
| Third Eye Comics |
Third Eye Steve |
Annapolis and Prince Frederick, Maryland |
Cover Images
Cover A
by Dan Schoening
Cover B
by Nick Runge
Incentive Cover A
by Dan Schoening
Incentive Cover B
by Dan Schoening
Retailer Exclusive Cover
by Alan Robinson
Second Printing Cover
by Dan Schoening
Trivia
- The Diamond order code for the first printing is JUL11 0130.
- Page 1: Winston Zeddemore does not have a doctorate. This is the first instance in the ongoing series establishing it exists in a continuity separate from the films and Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
- Page 1: Janine Melnitz mentions the Mass Sponge Migration that Ray Stantz referenced to Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters.
- Page 2: Dyb Devlin from "The Devil to Pay" appears as the stage manager.
- Page 3: In the audience are Buster from "Buster the Ghost" and Shanna, in human form, from "Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie?" Luis Antonio Delgado is depicted sitting in front of Buster. Gozer asks Ray if he is a god, echoing the scene from Ghostbusters.
- Page 5: The Blues Brothers' Bluesmobile is parked in front of Ray Puft's left foot. Ray Puft rampages near 2 Columbus Circle.
- Page 6: Ray's spirit guide is based on Jake Blues, played by the late John Belushi of The Blues Brothers. Belushi was the original choice for the role of Peter Venkman. To the left of Ray's bed are Stay Puft Marshmallows on the nightstand. To the right is the "Ghost Buster of the Year" edition of Spooks Illustrated from the ending of "Ghostbuster of the Year." Ray's stuffed animal is a version of Dopey Dog from "The Boogieman Cometh."
- Page 7: On a shelf near Ray is the Particle Thrower with scope used by Winston in "Take Two." Luis Delgado's #15 Easter egg appears on the striped billiard ball near Peter.
- Page 8: The mask above Jim Silver is from the African Fetish Ghost in "Deadcon 1."
- Page 9: Silver mentions the Zombies from Infestation. The object by the door is the costume Slimer wore in "Look Homeward, Ray." The painting depicts Sir Bruce from "Hard Knight's Day." The toilet resembles the Fearsome Flush from the Kenner The Real Ghostbusters toy line. The hands are reminiscent of Zuul attacking Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters. The crown is from "Look Homeward, Ray."
- Page 10: The lamp from "Janine's Genie" is present atop the file cabinet. Janine has a book titled "Learn Squash and Racquetball in a Weekend," referencing her racquetball hobby conversation with Egon in Ghostbusters. Winston's T-shirt bears the symbol of the force of good from "Night Game" in the color scheme of his animated counterpart's jumpsuit. The boy shown is a younger version of Alan Crendall from Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime.
- Page 11: Alan mentions his Uncle Janosz, i.e., Janosz Poha from Ghostbusters II and Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime. Winston references Vigo as "dead Moldavian dictator."
- Page 12: Winston mentions events from Ghostbusters II: New Year's, the Statue of Liberty, and the Manhattan Museum of Art. An Imp from "Janine's Day Off" appears by Janine's computer. Janine imitates Janosz's "Upper Vest Side" line from Ghostbusters II.
- Page 13: A taxi cab next to Ecto-1a carries an outdated advertisement for "Ride of the Valkyries," an opera seen by Peter and Egon in "A Fright at the Opera."
- Page 14: Peter deduces Winston took on a pro bono case for a child, echoing similar busts in episodes such as "The Boogieman Cometh" and "The Grundel." Peter uses the Ghost Sniffer from Ghostbusters.
- Page 15: The superintendent resembles Slug, in human form, from "Ghosts R Us."
- Page 16: Peter bemoans stairs, referencing the stairwell climb from Ghostbusters. Peter mentions golfing, a sport taken up by Bill Murray.
- Page 17: The ghost sprite on the P.K.E. Meter matches the design from the Kenner Proton Pack toy.
- Page 18: Next to the ectoplasm-covered bookcase is the SCEP-TECH from "The Treasure of Sierra Tamale."
- Page 19: Peter mentions a score to settle; he was slimed twice, in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Winston examines a mirror based on one from the first magic trick in "The Cabinet of Calamari." The Megazoid from "Take Two" is tossed upward as Peter crashes through the wall.
- Page 21: A city official mentions Jock Mulligan, the mayor during the events of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. One photo shows Slimer. An official raises the possibility that the Ghostbusters have failed to properly contain what they have caught, the exact problem presented by the Poltergeists in Ghostbusters: Infestation 1 and Ghostbusters: Infestation 2. The increasing paranormal activity alluded to at the end of Ghostbusters: Infestation 2 is mentioned. The insurance payouts from Ghostbusters: The Video Game are also referenced. Ecto-1 schematics from "Making Ghostbusters" appear in a file. A photo of the Firehouse uses the design from Extreme Ghostbusters. An official alludes to other Paranormal Investigation and Elimination Groups, one of which is referenced by Artie Lester in "What in Samhain Just Happened?!"
- Page 22: A photo of Peter shows Slimer in the Paranormal Containment Research Tank from Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Peck infers he was possessed and witnessed the Ghostbusters' battle against Ivo Shandor in Ghostbusters: The Video Game. The Paranormal Contracts Oversight Commission was led by Peck in that game.
- Page 23: Photos show the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and the necrotic cat from Ghostbusters: Infestation 1.
- A copy of Cover A appears in the "Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective" featurette on the Ghostbusters 1 & 2 Gift Set (2014) Blu-ray, at the 5:04 mark.
- In Ghostbusters: Deviations, the "What Really Happened" page opens with a close-up of Gozer taken from page 3, panel 5 of this issue.
- On page 8 of Ghostbusters 101 #3, panel 3, boxes by Kevin Tanaka reference Volume 1, Issue #1.
- The front cover of Ghostbusters: Spectral Shenanigans Volume 1 reuses Issue #1's Cover RI A / RI B / Second Printing artwork.
