What felt like a plastic dream a couple of Comic Cons ago has become an unbelievable reality – the MONDO Real Ghostbusters team is complete, with Ray and Mr. Ghash being arguably the best of the bunch. Action figure dreams really do come true.
I love this hobby and find enjoyment in it everyday. That said, the absolute unabashed joy this brings is rare, and I don’t really have a good way to describe it. The Real Ghostbusters was one of my absolute favorite cartoons and toy lines from my youth, and damn if that isn’t the same for now. All things considered, this was a giant leap with some baked in risk for MONDO, but they have absolutely delivered in giving us the four Ghostbusters and and some of the most iconic ghosts, so the rest is just going to be icing on the cake.
I still vividly remember when MONDO sculptor (and all-around GREAT human) Alex Brewer posted his fan creation of what a modern RGB line would like, and now we are here. Venkman. Spengler. Zeddemore. Stantz. All perfectly lifted from the cels, and now on the shelf. For me, and a lot of others, this is a huge deal – a bastion of youth now rendered in modern aesthetics and ingenuity, but still wonderfully classic. Few properties are afforded such esteem.
With Ray being the final piece of the main crew, anticipation was already riding high. But in smart fashion, as an action figure, he has taken the lessons of those that came before him and has become the best of the bunch. I could, of course, make an argument for Egon (and possibly Winston) for that title, but everything works so well with this figure that I really don’t have any issues or notes. The articulation and engineering of the joints have hit the level of being strong with a great range of movement, but also buttery smooth and useful. When it comes to articulation, that is what I really want.
The sculpting work is, of course, pretty much perfect, and the paint is squeaky clean this time, with no bleed or other issues to note. I love that Ray is actually given his accurate body type from the show here – that was a huge whiff with a previous modern attempt. Ray probably has the most drab of the four in terms of his jumpsuit, but it offsets the more colorful palettes of Egon and Winston.
Ray also got a ton of fun accessories that are useful for standard-issue GB fare, but also character-specific fun. Like the other ‘Busters, there are swappable glove hands and cuffs, and alternate portrait, Proton Pack, trap with interchangeable inserts (one featuring a defeated Mr. Ghash), Proton stream, and figure stand. There is also the bunny hood, Ecto Goggles (yes!), and Mr. Staypuft doll to provide some things that are specifically “Ray.” Oh, and Drool the Dog-Faced Goblin makes for an awesome pack-in ghost.
Now, as awesome as Ray is, for me, this release has always been about Mr. Ghash. He might not be *quite* as iconic as Samhain, the Boogyman, and Sandman, but he has been my most anticipated ghost by far, even with the fear of having such an accurate facsimile of him in my house. Seriously, this guy caused some real and lasting trauma for both me an my brother, and he remains on of the most frightening characters from my childhood.
The “Slimer Come Home” episode of RGB has such a dark story and images that it really remains pure nightmare fuel. Mr. Ghash’s look is instantly predatory, and the fact that he did not speak clearly made his tempting of the other ghosts so scary. Slimer was mentally manipulated to being devoured by his stomach mouth(!!!), and then tries to escape by pushing through the walls of his gross giant abdomen. Horrifying. Plain and simple. But man, did the writers and animators at Dic really really knew how to rattle the psyches of impressionable children.
This figure brings ALL of that, from the sinister expression to the nauseating stomach mouth, to the swappable stomach piece with all of the ghosts becoming “one” with Mr. Ghash to increase his power. It’s frightening, and completely awesome. The stomach pieces are easily swappable, held in place with a strong magnet. I like the tongue out portrait with the ghost stomach, and vice-a-versa for the other pieces – it helps keep a balance. He has grip hands as well though I like the open ones much more, and I am not sure what he would hold. I know the other big ghosts get a lot of love, and they are impressive (especially the Boogyman), but I think Mr. Ghash is the best from top to bottom. He’s just a really impressive piece.
Friends, this doesn’t happen every day in our hobby. Adding Ray to Peter, Winston, and Egon gives us the definitive Real Ghostbusters team we have always wanted, and they are really amazing. The large ghosts are realizations even I never dreamed would happen, and the culmination with Mr. Ghash is the perfectly horrifying crescendo. Everything after this will just be the sweetest icing on the cake, and we know it is already coming soon. So, cherish the collection, but look forward to Janine, Louis, The Grundel, and everything else they can send our way. What a time, GB fans, what a time.
About the Author
