Question for Fritz

[Miss Janine]

I posted this instead of pmimg it because there might be others out there who are curious...what was the first gb fanfic you wrote, and what made you do it? *adjusts reporter's hat*

[Fritz]

(In Bill Clinton voice) "I guess that depends on your definition of 'first'..."

The very first Ghostbuster story I ever did was back in my junior year of high school--1988 (pauses as most members' heads explode). It was done in comic book format, and featured the Ghostbusters going to Mexico, and dealing with Quetzalcoatl's attempt to invade.

(Remember, this was three years before "Treasure of the Sierra Tamale" and the official Quetzalcoatl)

It included Egon and Janine on a date (she's kidnapped to be the sacrifice to summon the Aztec god) and the hiring of Liz Hawthorne as temp help...

Er, anyway, the oldest story that's made it online is Clinically Insane. I wrote that one in late 2002, just after I got back into GB fandom, as my own little thought experiment and statement on all the bullsh*t that Ramis had introduced into Egon and Janine's relationship. I didn't really intend it to be continuity at first, but it was so well recieved when it was posted on GBN I figured, in the words of Doc Brown, "What the hell."

The first story that anyone online ever saw, however, was Fateful Encounter, a little whimsical piece I put together in early 2003 expressly for the purpose of making a good, short first submission to GBN. You can see the GBN version here:
archive.ghostbusters.net/fanfictiondetail/480/

[Miss Janine]

Cool...and look what it led to...

[Silent Seraphim]

admin said:

(In Bill Clinton voice) The very first Ghostbuster story I ever did was back in my junior year of high school--1988 (pauses as most members' heads explode). It was done in comic book format, and featured the Ghostbusters going to Mexico, and dealing with Quetzalcoatl's attempt to invade.

(Remember, this was three years before "Treasure of the Sierra Tamale" and the official Quetzalcoatl)

It included Egon and Janine on a date (she's kidnapped to be the sacrifice to summon the Aztec god) and the hiring of Liz Hawthorne as temp help...

Ooh, sounds interesting. Is there any chance we'll get to see this early version of yours?

[Fritz]

Like I said, it's in comic book format...note paper pages stapled together...and my artwork was even worse sixteen years ago than it is now.

Plus they're quite buried in my closet.

[Kingpin]

Then make a new version of it, The Director's Cut.

[Dr. Simeon Spengler]

I haev a question now: What is it with Ray's wife? Who is it? The stories tend to miss Hawthorne. Butwhothe****isit?

[Fritz]

It hasn't been officially established in a story yet. There are a variety of reasons...

For a long time, we weren't even sure who it would be. EGB Fan'd established Venkman and Dana getting married, Brian Reilly'd defined Winston's wife, and I'd hogged up all the big revelations (other than those in official canon) of Egon and Janine, so for a long time we wanted to leave this area open for someone else to possibly create something.

Well, at one time there were three candidates. Elaine Fuhrman, an RGB character who appeared in "Look Homeward, Ray". Liz Hawthorne, a fan character who appeared in "Shadow of the Inquisitors", "Zodiac Imperative", and made a cameo in "Forever"; and another fan character from a writer on the Omnibus board, but she stopped posting soon after and her character was removed from consideration.


With the two characters left, we wanted some time to get fan reaction. One was a canon character, after all, but she only appeared in one early episode and there was no on-screen hints that she and Ray kept dating. The other was a fanmade character, and that's something that had to be carefully considered.

To top it off, Kingpin had claim to writing the story which revealed who Mrs. Stantz was, which would've been their 1995 wedding. But he's been swamped with GBUK stories and Real Life Stuff, and a few months ago gave me permission to reveal Mrs. Stantz's identity in "Chronicles of Gozer". Which is what will happen, assuming I can ever finish the jogressing thing.

[SuperStantzio]

Oh I was about to ask the same thing as seeing that someone already beat me to it. LOL I'm a bit nervous of who Mrs. Stantz is. And I'm willing to help out with the story if you need the help on it. I have been waiting for a long to find outwho Ray's wife is.

[EGBFan]

Ah - news at last. No one told me, but as it happens I've considering bringing the issue up for a short time (it was really a case of wondering who to approach first and what to say). I happen to think the romance/wedding story should still be written - and I don't mind volunteering.

I'm currently sitting on something short-ish until I think I've given my betas a long enough break from me (they recently had two stories in quick succession), and I am also working on something altogether longer, broader and deeper - but I'm on fire with that one, at this rate it'll be done in a matter of weeks. After that, no plans (well, plenty of plans, but no fanfic plans).

I was thinking about suggesting a collaboration - it isn't always a good idea to let me loose on wedding stories, but I do know that Kingpin had some ideas of how it would go, so if I were to write it I'd take on board absolutely everything that people who know these characters better have to say (and I'd write it with far better sentences than that one). So in other words, it wouldn't be another jeans and City Hall affair - one day I'm going to prove that I can write - ahem - traditional weddings as well, but anyway -

I know Fritz has rather overloaded himself on Ghostbuster weddings, but I'm sure Ben and I between us are full of fresh ideas - so, Fritz, let me know your responses to any of this and don't worry about offending me with a no.

[SuperStantzio]

I agree with that, too. I also have some ideas, too. Like I said before if you need help I'm willing to give a hand, too.

[Dr. Simeon Spengler]

Have I missed something? Or have I really tipped the stone over the edge to start a lawine?

[Fritz]

simeon said:

Have I missed something? Or have I really tipped the stone over the edge to start a lawine?

Don't be ashamed--you may have just jumpstarted something that could fill one of the remaining holes in our continuity.

I'm certainly available for advice and assistance. A few things we do know from continuity:

--Venkman turns 41 in October 1995. His wife Dana turns 40 that same month. Oscar turns 7 in March 1995; his sister Jessica turns 2 in April. If asked, Venkman would definitely be there.

--Winston turns 42 in May 1995. His daughter Charlene turns 3 in December 1995. Kaila's age has not been established, though I'd have to assume she's a couple years younger than Winston--but probably not younger than Janine. I also believe that, if asked, Winston would be at the wedding.

--Egon will turn 38 in November 1995, but he will not be at the wedding. It is our established continuity that he has no contact with the other Ghostbusters from September 1991 through the beginning of EGB (Janine) and "Back In The Saddle" (the other 3) in 1997. Janine turns 37 in October 1995; 1995, it should be noted, is the year the last of her pre-"As Dreams Fade" memories return, and her marriage to Louis begins to completely fall apart.

(Hm...maybe this event and Ray's wedding could be connected? Except the danger of upstaging Ray and the Mrs. of course...)

--Louis, meanwhile, turned 38 in April 1995. At this moment, I have no strong opinion on whether Janine and/or Louis would attend.

Ray's relatives:

--Aunt Lois is still around in 1995. She attends the Spengler wedding in 1998.

--(Second) Cousin Samantha

--Ray does have an older brother Carl, in the Air Force, and a younger sister Jean who, at least in 1993, was leading a rather...freespirited life style. He has two nephews from Carl and one niece from Jean born before 1983. I don't think I've written anything to suggest any sort of Stantz family reconciliation (though it'd have to be after 1991), but I'm not sure we've written anything to totally contradict it either.

[ghostdiva]

Oh Oh Oh!!! I have a little Ray ficlet that would be perfect for an opening to this story, Kingpin has already seen it, but I can't seem to get anywhere with it so anyone who wants to write the story may have it to disect and use as they wish.

If you really wanted to tick people off write the whole story without mentioning the name until end, that would be fun.

ghostdiva

[SuperStantzio]

I don't mind writing it all. So may I have permisson ghostdiva?