Liz OhanesianSee more of Shannon Cottrell's photos in “Anaheim Comic Con 2011.”
Crewes Kime says he's been a fan of Ghostbusters “from birth.”
“I came out wearing a Ghostbusters uniform and have been wearing one ever since.”
We met the dedicated fan Saturday afternoon at Wizard World's Anaheim Comic Con, where the Orange County resident was working the booth for Southern California Ghostbusters, a local group of fans of the spooky comedy who make props and costumes and occasionally appear at events.
Southern California Ghostbusters member Crewes Kime shows us a proton pack.; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Situated in the fan club section of the exhibit all floor at Anaheim Convention Center, the booth gave passers-by a chance to check out an array of homemade ghostbusting devices. Like many others at the booth, Kime was wearing a uniform patterned after the ones featured in the Ghostbusters movies.
“It's military surplus,” Kime said of his outfit. “I bought that, dyed it to the right colors, found the patches, got a patch made with my name on it.”
He added, “The uniform itself didn't take much to make, but it's in the other props, the proton pack, the ghost traps, the PKE meters. Those are the props that we really make ourselves and put most of our effort into”
Southern California Ghostbusters at Anaheim Comic Con; Credit: Shannon Cottrell
Kime told us that there are many different ways that people can fashion their own proton packs. The one situated on Southern California Ghostbusters table was made of fiberglass. He described the group as being like a “network” with members helping each other out on various projects.
“We all pull together all of our resources.”
Kime said that he's a “sewer.”
“I sew costumes, like tailoring and alterations,” he explained. “We have guys who are visual effects artists, guys who are electricians, who specialize in a specific prop.”
Southern California Ghostbusters hasn't been together for that long, but Kime is quick to point out that the group is a product of longtime interests for many of the members.
“The group has been active for just over a year-and-a-half, but many of us have been into Ghostbusters and building props upwards of fifteen years,” he said. “Some of us, our whole lives.”
In the short time that they have been working as a group, the not-for-profit organization has made appearances at conventions and screenings the Vista and ArcLight theaters in Los Angeles. They've also turned up at local pop culture-themed art shows.
Southern California Ghostbusters isn't the only group dedicated to the film. There are several groups in the Southern California area, but Kime notes that Southern California Ghostbusters covers the widest geographical area. He also mentioned groups across the globe, including New Zealand, the U.K., Belgium and Germany.
“We're all over the place,” he said.
Follow @lizohanesian and @ShannonCottrell on Twitter.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.