Covers
Cover A
Cover B
Incentive Cover
Development
On November 6, 2011, Nick Runge blogged about Cover B. It is an homage to AC/DC's classic album "Highway to Hell" (their sixth studio album, released in July 1979).2
On November 23, 2011, the Cover RI (the first retailer incentive variant, by artist Casey Maloney) was revealed. It depicts the Ghostbusters on the Statue of Liberty.
On December 7, 2011, writer Erik Burnham noted that Peter "gets some solo spotlight in #7."
On December 19, 2011, Burnham tweeted that work on the current script had led to Peter Venkman thinking a horrible pun about psychology.
On December 23, 2011, Burnham tweeted that he was finishing up the script for #7.
On December 27, 2011, Burnham noted that #7 was a hard script to write, and praised colorist Luis Delgado's ideas for coloring a particular set of scenes.
On January 18, 2012, Burnham posted Cover A.
On January 24, 2012, Dan Schoening blogged that he was currently penciling Issue #7.
On January 27, 2012, Tristan Jones tweeted that "Part of Ghostbusters #7 is drawn on a napkin."
On January 31, 2012, Jones teased "something very cool" with what appeared to be a schematic, invoice, and photograph, relating to the P.C.O.C. Ecto-2 material.
On February 1, 2012, Burnham tweeted that he "deliberately left a line in GB #7 for folks who hate my writing to latch on to."
On March 3, 2012, in a prerecorded interview, Burnham revealed Dan Schoening had finished penciling Issue #7.
On March 19, 2012, a preview of the cover, credit page, and first seven pages was released.
On March 21, 2012 (release day), Jones tweeted that the P.C.O.C. pages contain a tease for the Haunted America arc (Issues #9-12). Colorist Luis Delgado also released unlettered versions of pages 13 and 15.
On July 14, 2013, Dan Schoening posted rough sketches of unused cover concepts for Issue #7.
Trivia
The issue is unusually dense with callbacks to The Real Ghostbusters animated series. Nearly every crowd scene and background element references a specific RGB episode character or location:
Page 1: Lyta from the episode "No One Comes to Lupusville," Zeke and Maude from "Poultrygeist," Len Wolfman from "Captain Steel Saves the Day," and Kenny Fenderman and the Bogeymen couple Megan and Kenny Carter from "Masquerade" and "The Boogieman Cometh" respectively all appear among the Manitou's victims. DyTyllio from "Ragnarok and Roll" is also in the crowd.
Page 2: The Cheap Thrills Amusement Park sign from the RGB episode "Rollerghoster" and the Big Apple Amusement Park entrance from "The Bogeyman Is Back" appear in the background. Madame Lefarge from "Drool, the Dog Faced Goblin" and Willie Bradford from "Masquerade" are in the crowd.
Page 4: Peter confronts the Manitou in a recreation of the Paranormal Studies Laboratory of Weaver Hall from the first film. The Manitou is dressed as Peter was in the Lincoln Center scene from Ghostbusters (1984) and holds up the ESP cards Peter used at the film's opening. Peter makes references to the New York Knicks and the infield fly rule.
Page 5: The Umpire from the RGB episode "Night Game" is conjured by the Manitou and throws a baseball. Winston saves Alec Meredith (from "The Grundel") from the line of fire. The Pillar of New York from "Beneath These Streets" appears again.
Page 6: Peter refers to the Manitou as a Bogeyman and mentions Woodstock and hippies, recalling its prior appearance in RGB. Luis Delgado's "15 easter egg" appears on a soccer player's shorts in a portrait. Below the soccer player is a box of dirty uniforms, referencing the Spectral Ghostbusters from "Citizen Ghost."
Page 7: The mink coat from Ghostbusters II appears as Winston leads hostages out. In panel 3, the man in the red shirt on the far right is visually based on Ghostbusters fan Justin Brushett.
Page 8: Ray, Egon, and Winston battle Ricky Roach, George Gopher, Ronald Rooster, and Sinclair Squirrel from the RGB episode "Who're You Calling Two-Dimensional?"
Page 9: The Manitou conjures a veiled image of Dana Barrett playing her cello.
Page 13: The Insect Trapper from the Ghostbusters Sega game appears.
Page 14: Peter's nickname alludes to Carl Jung and the 1949 film "Mighty Joe Young."
Page 19 (hospital room): A "Stay Puft The Musical" sign stands on a rooftop near the hospital. Janine wears the white suit and skirt ensemble seen in several RGB episodes including "Doctor, Doctor." Peter has a get-well card from Dean Yeager quoting his famous termination speech from the first film. A card from Jennifer references the 8 o'clock appointment Peter made before going to the library with Ray. A miniature refrigerator tagged "From Dad" references Jim Venkman selling refrigerators to Eskimos in "Venkman's Ghost Repellers." The makeshift shield was used by Doctor Gould in "Doctor, Doctor." A model yellow luxury car from Peter's dream in "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream" sits in miniature on the table. Janine carries a Stacy's shopping bag (a stand-in for Macy's from "Killerwatt"). Peter's hospital wristband shows the partial birthdate 11/21, which is also the birthdate of Harold Ramis.3
Page 20: Dan Schoening added his own "15 easter egg" in the check-in station panel. The nurses and Doctor Gould from "Doctor, Doctor" appear at the check-in station.
Page 22 (P.C.O.C.): Below the Ecto-2 schematic is a map marked "Haunted America" with Seattle circled, a teaser for the arc beginning in Issue #9.
Page 23 (P.C.O.C.): A post-it note reads "call Geoff," referencing Geoff, the driver from the Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime video game.
Later continuity callbacks: Peter's possession by the Hungry Manitou is referenced on page 15 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1. On page 5 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #2, the Bruce doll Janine delivered on Ray's behalf at the end of this issue appears next to Peter. In Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #6, Janine mentions the team's capture of the Manitou (page 1), the Manitou alludes to its mistake of trying to consume Peter's soul and being trapped (page 2), and Peter recalls exorcising it from his body in Issue #7 (page 9).
Comic
