Filmation's Ghostbusters: The Other Ghostbusting Team We Grew Up With

If you were a kid in the 80s, you probably remember the moment you first discovered that there were two Ghostbusters cartoons. One was the familiar crew from the blockbuster movie, the one with proton packs, Slimer, and a theme song that still gets stuck in our heads. The other was something stranger, louder, and wonderfully weirder. That one was Filmation Ghostbusters.

Stumbling onto Filmation’s version felt like finding a parallel universe. It had ghosts, gadgets, and a team of busters, but everything looked different. Instead of Venkman, Ray, Egon, and Winston, the heroes were Jake Kong Jr., Eddie Spencer Jr., and a talking gorilla named Tracy. Instead of proton packs, the team used ghost dematerializers, spell books, and a transforming ghost‑busting vehicle called the Ghost Buggy. It wasn’t trying to be the movie. It was proudly its own thing.

Filmation’s Ghostbusters actually had roots that went back to the 70s. The cartoon was based on a live‑action kids show called The Ghost Busters, which starred two bumbling detectives and a gorilla sidekick. Filmation revived the concept in animated form in 1986, right when the world was hungry for anything ghost‑related. The timing created confusion for kids, but it also created one of the most unique Saturday morning experiences of the decade.

The show had that unmistakable Filmation look. Bold outlines, expressive faces, and backgrounds painted with Halloween colors. The ghosts were wild, exaggerated, and full of personality. Prime Evil, the show’s main villain, was a cackling, cape‑wearing skeleton who lived in a giant haunted tower and spent every episode trying to take over the world. His minions were a parade of goofy monsters who looked like they’d escaped from a haunted funhouse.

Check out Filmation’s Ghostbusters on DVD

Every episode followed a familiar rhythm. Prime Evil cooked up a plan, the Ghostbusters got alerted by their magical talking telephone, and the team raced off in the Ghost Buggy to stop whatever supernatural chaos was unfolding. Tracy used his strength and inventions, Eddie panicked and complained, and Jake tried to keep everything together. It was silly, energetic, and full of that Filmation charm that made shows like He‑Man, She‑Ra, and BraveStarr so memorable.

The show had a special kind of appeal. It wasn’t trying to be cool. It wasn’t trying to be edgy. It was pure Saturday morning fun. The ghosts were colorful, the jokes were broad, and the action was just spooky enough to feel exciting without ever being too scary. It was the kind of cartoon you watched with a bowl of cereal while the sun came through the curtains and the world felt simple.

One of the most memorable parts of the show was the Ghost Buggy. It wasn’t just a car. It talked, it transformed, it complained, and it had a personality that made it feel like a fourth member of the team. Filmation loved giving vehicles character, and the Ghost Buggy was one of their best. It could fly, stretch, and turn into whatever the story needed. It was a toy commercial waiting to happen, even though the toy line never reached the heights of other Filmation properties.

The show also leaned into moral lessons, something Filmation was famous for. Episodes often ended with a short message about honesty, bravery, or teamwork. It was a gentle touch that made the show feel comforting, especially for younger viewers. Even when ghosts were causing trouble, the world of Filmation Ghostbusters felt safe.

Looking back, the cartoon sits in a fascinating place in retro pop culture. It wasn’t as famous as The Real Ghostbusters, but it carved out its own identity. It was bold, strange, and full of personality. It gave us characters we still remember, like Prime Evil, Scared Stiff, Haunter, and Fangster. It gave us catchphrases, gadgets, and a theme song that had its own charm. And it gave us a version of ghostbusting that felt like a Halloween carnival brought to life.

Revisiting Filmation’s Ghostbusters is a treat. It’s a reminder of how diverse Saturday mornings used to be. It’s a reminder that not every cartoon had to follow the same formula. And it’s a reminder of how much creativity Filmation poured into its shows, even when they were working with concepts that seemed a little offbeat.

Filmation Ghostbusters may not have been the Ghostbusters everyone expected, but it was the Ghostbusters a lot of us loved. It was weird, colorful, and full of heart. It was part of the fabric of childhood, tucked between cereal commercials and toy ads, waiting every weekend. And that makes it worth celebrating.

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