[Commlist] Call for Papers: Ghostbusters – A Companion

https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2021/11/17/ghostbusters-%E2%80%93-a-companion 
<https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2021/11/17/ghostbusters-%E2%80%93-a-companion>

The release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the fourth installment coming 
almost 40 years after the original Ghostbusters film, prompts inquiry 
into this beloved and oftentimes fraught film franchise. While the 
original and (and its sequel) was a paean to academics becoming the 
working class heroes who act as the ghost janitors of New York City, the 
third and fourth films, reimagined with new casts, have become a 
battleground for who ‘owns’ nostalgia, and have acted as 
meta-commentaries on the question. As Charles Bramesco wrote in his 
Guardian review of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, “Perhaps it’s appropriate 
and telling that the 2021 incarnation of an 80s artifact would be imbued 
with all the issues most endemic to the current studio release. Here, we 
can find a damning summary of modern Hollywood’s default mode – a 
nostalgia object, drained of personality and fitted into a dully 
palatable mold, custom-made for a fandom that worships everything and 
respects nothing.”
We are asking for essays of 2,500 words that frame a theoretical aspect 
of the cultural role Ghostbusters plays by centering on one text, 
whether literary or cinematic, to use as a lens to look at the wider 
topic. The essays themselves should be accessible but address the big 
ideas, placing Ghostbusters into cultural and historical context.
We are specifically interested in the intersections of gender, race, 
class, disability and LGBT+ concerns with the franchise, its tie-ins and 
extended universe. We are particularly interested in hearing from 
scholars from marginalised groups. We prioritise Own Voices and 
encourage you to self-identify in your bio for this purpose.
The proposed Companion will be divided into several sections. The topics 
in each section may include but are not limited to the following, with 
understanding there is room for crossover:
Films
Ghostbusters (1984)
Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Plus:
All soundtracks, trailers, deleted scenes, directors’ commentaries, and 
tie-in shorts related to the theatrical and home video release of all 
four films.
Extended Universe
Animated series
Comics and graphic novel adaptations and new series
Multimedia tie-ins
Gaming: board games, video games, handhelds, card games, role playing
Fan fiction: film, art, music
Fandom
Live meetups and regional fan groups
Cosplay, costume and prop makers
Model builders and automobile restoration enthusiasts
Small business tie-ins
Ghost hunters
Merchandising/licensing
Food tie-ins and merchandising
Vintage toy collectors
Licensing
Pin Trading
Ghostbusters cameos/callbacks/references in other media
Please send 300 word abstracts and a 50-word bio to editor Cathleen 
Allyn Conway ((conwaycat /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(conwaycat /at/ gmail.com)>) by 28 
February 2022 for consideration in the collection, which will be part of 
the Peter Lang, Oxford Genre, Literature and Film Companion Series.


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