When Ghostbusters debuted in 1984, it featured some of the best effects of the time combined with some of the biggest names in comedy. Some really remarkable sequence were created thanks to some cutting edge effects (for the time). One notable creature was Slimer, who was discovered haunting a fancy hotel until he got all ‘busted. In this film he is never actually referred to as Slimer - he was never given a name. You may remember Bill Murray attempting the tablecloth trick in the dining room where they finally corner him. He also slimes Bill Murray (probably where the name came from, afterwards he utters “I’ve been slimed.”). In fact, I’d recommend rewatching Ghostbusters as soon as possible. So he gets trapped, the trap lights up, and we’re good. Or so we think. Late in the film, the EPA forces the Ghostbusters to release all ghosts in containment, and Slimer is back on the prowl. Thats where we are left off when the first movie ends at least. Popular hollywood mythology states that John Belushi was originally intended to star in the film, and Slimer is an homage to him.

Somewhere between that film and The Real Ghostbusters (note: actually not the real Ghostbusters, the cartoon featured characters similar to their on-screen counterparts, but dissimilar enough to not have to pay the actors. Egon had blonde hair. Somewhere between Ghostbusters and The Real Ghostbusters, Slimer transformed into a wise assed, talking sidekick for the Ghostbusters. According to the cartoon, he helped the Ghostbusters defeat evil ghost versions of themselves (I’m sorry, but I have to say…these aren’t the REAL Ghostbusters). The crew decided to keep Slimer as a pet and perform scientific studies with him (again, the plausibility of all this is highly suspect.) This cartoon appearance skyrocketed Slimer’s appeal with kids, where he also appeared representing the Ghostbusters in the Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue - a anti-drug special introduced by the creepy George and Barbara Bush.

At peak popularity, Slimer made it to the front of Ecto Cooler, a moderately nasty flavor of Hi-C (I liked it too, at the time, but citrus Hi-C? I would guess its nasty.) Obviously, like all branded products, the drink tasted infinitely better because it was sporting Slimer on the cover.

So what does the future hold for Slimer? Don’t be so quick to write him off. This fall, a new game featuring the Ghostbusters will be making its way to the Xbox360 and Playstation 3 (and a different, crappy version for the Wii). The game features a script and voices by the original Ghostbusters (note: note the Real Ghostbusters), and is said to be a natural continuation of the series. I don’t have any proof that Slimer will appear in the game, but if you head to the game’s official website, after you select your language, the loading screen features Slimer flying around. So I think its safe to say that Slimer will be making a comeback once again this fall.