The Real Ghostbusters (comics)

The Real Ghostbusters
Issue 1 of NOW Comics The Real Ghostbusters
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel UK NOW Comics
Schedule	Marvel UK: Weekly/Monthly NOW: Monthly
Format	Ongoing series
Publication date(s)	Marvel UK: March 1988 - March 1992 NOW: August 1988 - December 1990 October 1991 - December 1992
No. of issues	Marvel UK: 193 NOW: 28/4
Main character(s)	Ghostbusters
Creative team
Written by	Dan Abnett Andy Lanning John Freeman John Carnell James Van Hise
Artist(s)	Anthony Williams Brian Williamson John Tobias Evan Dorkin Phillip Hester
Collected editions
A Hard Day's Fright	ISBN
Who You Gonna Call?	ISBN
Which Witch Is Which?	ISBN
This Ghost Is Toast!	ISBN

The Real Ghostbusters is a comic series spun off from the The Real Ghostbusters animated series. Versions were published by Marvel UK and NOW Comics. Publication of the series began on March 28, 1988.

NOW Comics began publishing the series in August 1988. The series ran for two volumes, two annuals and one special. The first volume ran for twenty-eight issues. The series was primarily written by James Van Hise, with the exceptions being issue 4 by La Morris Richmond and issue 21 which featured Marvel UK reprints due to production delays. John Tobias, Phillip Hester, Evan Dorkin and Howard Bender were among the pencilers for the series.

The series went on hiatus for a time due to the publisher's financial difficulties, but was subsequently re-launched. The second volume ran for four issues, one special (The Real Ghostbusters Spectacular 3-D Special) and two annuals (one regular and one 3-D). The series had a main story that ran from the 3-D Special through issue 4, followed by back-up stories reprinted from the Marvel UK run. They also contained game pages and health tips for kids and parents. Several issues of volume 1 and the main issues of volume 2 used covers taken from the Marvel UK run.

NOW Comics also published a three issue miniseries in 1989 called Real Ghostbusters Starring in Ghostbusters II that was collected as a trade paperback.

Marvel UK published a magazine-sized comic for 193 issues that also spawned 4 annuals and 10 specials. The series started its run on March 28, 1988. Each issue contained three to four comic stories, a prose story alternating from a regular tale to one narrated by Winston Zeddemore, a prose entry of Egon Spengler’s Spirit Guide typically discussing the entities in the comic, a bio of a character or ghost that appeared in the series, and a short Slimer strip. The comics featured a rotating line-up of creators, including John Carnell, Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Brian Williamson, Anthony Williams, Stuart Place, Richard Starkings, and Helen Stone.