With Ghostbusters set for a 2016 reboot, the original film’s ‘no ghost’ symbol has been all over social media recently, but will it return for another outing, such is its standing as one of the most recognisable logos in the movies? Amid these observations, the fact that a logo was to become so firmly embedded in the fabric of a comedy about a team of parapsychologists might sound insignificant, yet, in film terms, the ‘no ghost’ symbol went way beyond the contraints of the storyline. With the newly-formed special effects house Boss Film Studios on board, Gross approached one of its artists, Brent Boates, who was working as a creature design consultant on the film, for some variations “of a ghost coming through the ‘no’ symbol’.
This design, featuring a smiling Mooglie who holds up two fingers to indicate a sequel, wouldn’t exist in the Ghostbusters world itself and so loses its diagetic quality. This curiosity is lost in the choice of logo for the Ghostbusters II movie. With additional input from Brent Boates, an artist working on visual concepts for the movie, the legendary logo was born. The ghost (given the name Mooglie during the making of the movie) has a mischievous rather than overtly menacing look.
- However, I do have some issues with the Ghostbusters II logo.
- The Ghostbusters logo was initially only going to be used on the eponymous team’s uniforms and on the Ectomobile.
- The No-Ghost Sign has been used for the franchise in one form or another since its initial appearance with the first film in 1984.
- When it was released in 1984, Ghostbusters was a remarkable film for several reasons.
- The Ghostbusters logo made its first appearance in the original 1984 film and immediately became iconic.
- This is where the concept of a ghost inside a ‘no’ sign is thought to have first appeared.
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And this comic element is reflected perfectly in the logo. But this is brilliantly offset by the movie’s deft wit and playfulness. We all know that the ghouls that terrorise the citizens of New York in Ghostbusters are at times downright terrifying. The magic of the No-Ghost sign is in the tone it sets.
Alternative versions
Since the original Ghostbusters logo proved to be so memorable, it made sense to use it again but to tweak it enough to make it clear that a sequel was on the way. Other than that addition, the only changes were to adjust the logotype to better suite an animated series, with 'Ghostbusters' split over two lines and a spooky blue glow added around the serif font. Within two years of the feature film release, Columbia launched an animated spin off for television with DIC Enterprises. In some European and Japanese posters, a mirrored version was used. For the Ghostbusters logo, it was decided that the diagonal line should runs in the opposite direction, from bottom left to top right…
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The symbol would be required for sets, props and costumes, Gross explains, so needed pinning down right away. When it was released in 1984, Ghostbusters was a remarkable film for several reasons. The ice could be crystals formed on the Ectomobile itself, but Mooglie's classic surprised look just happens to work perfectly with the idea of being frozen still. This referenced the film's relocation of the main story from New York to a mining town in Oklahoma, and also the now rusting Ecto-1. But most of all, why include it in the film itself?
The logo we know today was only developed after Columbia Pictures realised it wasn't going to obtain the rights to the name Ghostbusters in time for early teasers. The result was an iconic logo that remains recognisable today, although it's had some tweak. It was when Columbia Pictures realised it also needed a design for marketing that more serious attention was given to the matter. And why the no-ghost icon led to legal action. The art direction and final design was done by Michael C. Gross.
Even viewed in isolation, with the movie title nowhere in sight, this classic insignia, with its cartoon ghost trapped behind but reaching through a bold red ‘no’ sign, is instantly recognisable. Before Ghostbusters had even opened in cinemas, the ‘no ghost’ had been established as the logo of the film itself. Ecto-1, sporting the ‘no ghost’ symbol, from fatmovieguy.com This fun but not excessively cute figure, with the strong graphic impact of the red circle and slash of the ‘no’ symbol, makes for a playful and thoroughly memorable design. As for what happens to the Ghostbusters logo in 2016, when the film returns with an all-female ghostbusting team, a recent graphic from Sony Pictures’ Twitter showed little sign of a new version as yet.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire logo
Interestingly, as the film’s end credits roll, members of the huge cheering crowd assembled outside the building where the final scenes take place can be seen holding up T-shirts sporting the logo. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. Again, the logo was a tweak on the original, with a more edgy, distressed look that sees the red circle of the no ghosts icon take the form of a metal door studded with rivets. That meant it needed a strong design that could stand in for the film's name, becoming synonymous with the film itself. One early logo design that never saw the light of day shows what appears to be Thing from the Adams Family in handcuffs. Originally, the script described a logo on the Ghostbusters' uniforms, and designers hadn't put a lot of work into it.
- Again, the logo was a tweak on the original, with a more edgy, distressed look that sees the red circle of the no ghosts icon take the form of a metal door studded with rivets.
- This form of the logo was mostly used in Europe, where the use of the ‘no’ sign is more familiar in daily life.
- One early logo design that never saw the light of day shows what appears to be Thing from the Adams Family in handcuffs.
- Which is probably just as well, as no-one wants a repeat of what emerged when the Ghostbusters came back for a second time in 1989.
- “Danny Aykroyd had it written on the page, that the boys came in with this logo on their shirt, or on the side of the Ectomobile, of a ghost trapped in the ‘no’ symbol.
- The symbol would be required for sets, props and costumes, Gross explains, so needed pinning down right away.
A post shared by Stuart Reeves (@stuartreevesdesign) The logo was a fun way to make the message clear in teasers and trailers, but it doesn't make much sense on the side of the Ectomobile or as the sign on their fire house headquarters. The solution is as simple and literal as the original design.
The racing red circle with a diagonal line through it is based on the international prohibition sign designed by The International Organization for Standardization and used for things such as no smoking signs. Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors. Harvey Comics sued Columbia on the ground that the ghost in the logo looked similar to Fatso from Casper. Illustrator Michael Gross, famous for his work on National Lampoon magazine, came up with the solution of the famous no ghosts icon that we know.
Gross explains that this ‘correct’ version of the symbol (ISO , signage buffs), with the crossbar running top left to bottom right, was then only used in Europe where the ‘no’ sign was more familiar than in the US. “Danny Aykroyd had it written on the page, that the boys came in with this logo on their shirt, or on the side of the Ectomobile, of a ghost trapped in the ‘no’ symbol. The original logo design became iconic after the first Ghostbusters film in 1984, but it almost never was. The animated logo seen in the first chapter of the film shows it having both legs, which wasn't quite the same as the design used later in the film which had the ghost not showing its right leg at all. The classic No-Ghost logo is firmly cemented as an essential piece of film history.
Last week, we highlighted his cartoonish IN-ANIMATES toy line, which transformed iconic Ghostbusters gear and props into expressive, character-filled figures, and his GURU vinyl concept, which reimagined Mooglie with six arms, pack-in accessories, and ectoplasmic companion ghosts. Nearly a decade ago, CHOGRIN pitched the idea to Ghost Corps, envisioning a book that would winorio casino registration showcase the history, cultural impact, and countless artistic spins on the classic Mooglie logo. Creative director Scott Jones reflects on refreshing the Janis Joplin brand for a modern audience and what designers working with legacy artists can learn from their subjects
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