Unreleased Kenner The Real Ghostbusters Toys

Josh Blake (a Kenner memorabilia collector) has provided to Ghostbusters Wiki a bunch of scans from the "Kenner 1991: Hot, Hot, Hot" retailer catalog. This book contains promotional images and descriptions of several items in The Real Ghostbusters toy line that were never released since the toy line was phased out around this time due to the waning popularity of the animated series, which ended during the 1991-1992 television season. With permission from Josh and the guys from Ghostbusters Wiki, I am proud to share some of those photos with all of you, along with some information on the unreleased toys. Click on the images to go to the relevant pages on Ghostbusters Wiki where you will find a lot more photos, specifically of the Egon's Lab playset (Josh sent in lots of photos he took of the prototype he owns), and a lot more information. Also check out The Ghostbusters Toy Archive's Unreleased Real Ghostbusters Toys page, which covers most of the items listed here, but with a few more pictures.

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS EGON'S LAB PLAYSET

With the new EGON'S LAB, kids can fully analyze and store all sorts of ghosts! First, examine a captured ghost with the three probes. Next, smash him into the containment unit! Look out, though, the captured ghosts can haunt the equipment and cause THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS Heroes to rise into the air! Comes with companion ghost.

Considered by Josh to be "the Holy Grail of any diehard Kenner Real Ghostbuster fan", this is probably the most well-known of the unreleased Real Ghostbusters toys. The prototype shown above is what the final toy would have probably looked like, while The Ghostbusters Toy Archive has photos of two previous designs. This playset was also featured in Tomart's Action Figure Digest #92, in the article pertaining to "Unproduced Ghostbusters Toys". Only a few prototypes of this playset were ever produced, with two of them being auctioned off on eBay back in 2002 and 2005.

According to Josh, this toy almost never went into any sort of production at all, as it was continually passed over by management every time the designers brought the concept to them. In an attempt to pass approval once and for all, Mike Katauskas created a mock up of the playset to demonstrate the playability and overall look. The presentation finally convinced management to approve the project for preliminary design and development, where David Griffin directed the project through several alterations. Although internal Kenner photography (seen above) suggests that these playsets are in production ready form, they are in reality early hand-assembled models consisting of in-house injection molded parts - some handmade and some ordered by oversea vendors. To date, all that is known to remain of this project are 2 early mock up presentation examples and 3 fully functional hand-painted models, two of which are fully decorated with hand-cut photo printed decals.

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS BACKPACK HEROES

Even the equipment for THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS isn't safe from ghosts! Each Backpack Hero comes with a companion ghost which can be captured and placed into the figure's "containment unit" backpack. Watch out! You can make the captured ghost rise out of the pack and grab and scare the hero! Only another of THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS can help by ejecting the ghost out of the pack! Ghosts can also be placed on the end of the weapon and fired off.

This would have possibly been the eighth line of ghostbuster heroes, which would have consisted of the four ghostbusters: Winston, Egon, Ray, and Peter. All of the figures have the same design for the proton gun, but differently designed "Containment Unit Backpacks". They each come with a different ghost which can be launched from backpack.

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS FIRE FRIGHTER VEHICLE

It's a four-alarm ghost alert and THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS are on the scene in the new FIRE FRIGHTER! Capture ghosts with the grabber claw and crane arm! Store them by dropping them into the portable containment unit! Cab of truck sits any two of THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS action figures side by side!

This vehicle would have been a tie-in to the Slimed Heroes line as it was promoted with the Ray figure and ghosts from that line. A Ghostbusters fire truck is, thematically, a nice addition to the firehouse headquarters.

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS GLOW COPTER VEHICLE

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS will light up the sky in the new GLOW COPTER vehicle! Attach ghosts to the propeller blades and spin 'em silly! This glow-in-the-dark vehicle also comes with a detachable stun bomb which can be dropped on unsuspecting ghosts! Figures sold separately.

This vehicle would have been a tie-in to the Ecto-Glow line, as it was promoted with the Peter figure from that line, and appears on the back of the card for the Ecto-Glow Heroes figures. It would have been the first vehicle to actually tie-in with a figure series. This item was probably the closest to being released; there are unconfirmed rumors that a small number were shipped to stores before the toy line was officially cancelled. It's also worth noted that Kenner's Police Academy toy series was planning on also releasing the "Crime Mulcher" vehicle, which used the same mold as the Glow Copter, but ultimately also went unreleased.

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS GHOST BLASTER ACCESSORY

Capture ten ghosts at once with the new GHOST BLASTER! By repeatedly pulling the trigger, kids can rapidly launch ten soft plastic disks which fly for 10 feet! Guaranteed to handle the fiercest ghosts in your neighborhood.

Not much is known other than the photo and description shown in the "Kenner 1991: Hot, Hot, Hot" retailer catalog. This weapon accessory was not shown in Tomart's Action Figure Digest #92, in the article pertaining to "Unproduced Ghostbusters Toys", though none of the weapon accessories were in the magazine.

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS SLIMERIZER ACCESSORY

Ghosts won't have a chance against the new SLIMERIZER! By pumping the handle, kids can shoot three foam slime projectiles over 20 feet! Slime balls can also be mounted on handle when not in use!

Not much is known other than the photo and description shown in the "Kenner 1991: Hot, Hot, Hot" retailer catalog. This weapon accessory was not shown in Tomart's Action Figure Digest #92, in the article pertaining to "Unproduced Ghostbusters Toys", though none of the weapon accessories were in the magazine.