Day 4 of Christmas: A Ghostbuster's Holiday

, by Unknown

Submitted by Luke Crisalli

Every year since 2004, I've been shooting my own Christmas cards, and these are absurdly off the wall hilarious, because I myself am absurdly hilarious. These cards are well regarded by my friends and family, and some actually keep them up year round. The cards have involved everything from Elf Crime Scenes to Santa having to be rescued from my chimney by the FDNY.

Since I'm also a huuuuge Ghostbusters fan I wanted to do a Ghostbusters themed card. In 2010, I had just started getting back into my geek life after some time off. I had finally started getting my Ghostbusters cosplay underway as well so the stars began to align. I had the uniform, with custom patches but I didn't have the Proton Pack, due both to lack of time and money. (mainly money)

Cue my friend Ronnie, from the Long Island Ghostbusters. Like the Star Wars costuming guild, "The 501st", Ghostbusters fans have set up divisions world-wide as well. After meeting Ronnie and the rest of the L.I.G.B.'s, they offered to be of assistance with my crazy photo shoot ideas. What I wanted to do was do a shoot which involved us "busting the ghost of Christmas past" in front of the Ghostbusters firehouse, FDNY's Ladder Co.8, in TriBeCa. Ronnie would provide his pack and also act as the second buster.

So, in late Novemeber, we put the whole idea together while my friend and fellow photographer Don would be the photographer. After a short trip on the 1 train, we got to the firehouse, and I began to gear up. To say it was cold would have been and understatement. It was Hoth-like as we waited for Ronnie to make the trip in on the LIRR. 

He finally made it in after sunset and we began to set up. As he put that pack on me, it was the epitome of a geek-dream coming true. I finally felt like I belonged back in my geek world, and finally got to wear something I'd wanted to wear since I was a kid. The shoot? It went amazing. Not only did we get the shots we wanted, but everyone walking nearby got a total kick out of us, and posed for photos with us. It was for sure one of those rare New York City moments.

After we finished the shoot, the three of us went to a nearby restaurant to chow down where we caused quite the commotion. I suppose its not everyday two Ghostbusters walk into a restaurant. Ronnies pack was so big that it needed it's own chair. So there we sat, full uniform with Santa hats on, sipping hot chocolate and eating sandwiches. Don summed it up best, "I'm sitting in a restaurant having dinner with two Ghostbusters, life is surreal and good."

A few days later, we did the edits needed on the card, adding in an early 1900's dancer as the "ghost of Christmas past." The cards were mailed out a day later to over 85 of my friends and family, and received more praise then I had ever gotten for a card. To this day it remains one of my favorites. 


Thanks for the submission Luke! You can find more of his work at LC Photowrex or on his Tumblr.

If you'd like to submit your own Christmas story, please feel free to email me at zgulliksen@gmail.com Happy Holidays!

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