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Ghostbusters Wiki

The Canon Policy is a policy that covers the official position the wiki takes on content. This policy is to address what goes on the wiki and where it goes. Canon Policy is decided by the Admins of the wiki; however, suggestions can be raised on the Canon Policy Talk Page.

The nature of this page is to explain layout of headers and sub-headers on articles as presented on "Templates Collection". However more in-depth reads on different canons can be found "Ghostbusters Canon" and "Ghostbusters Timelines". However, both are deemed projects developed by the admins to further explain and expand on information on the wiki. Neither are considered policy.

Reasons for Canons

Mostly the system was put in place to make reading articles that cover more than one canon lineage easier. A build your own canon if you will. This also avoids conflicting continuities from being confused.

Continuities

Recognized early on at Ghostbusters Wiki, Ghostbusters has at times like any major franchise had more than one continuity at once. Be it, Prime and Animated, or Prime and 2016, it is clear at times these different continuities that do not intersect or relate to each other. Therefore to simplify things a bit for the reader, it was decided to split them up for easier reading.

Canon Levels

There are three levels that are used at Ghostbusters Wiki: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Canons. Primary must be deemed a supported concept such as a film or animated series, usually with spin-off print and video games. The content must also lineup with the last official content released. Secondary has at one point been considered a possible direction for the continuity, but seems to have been cut off or simply seems to be ignored. Tertiary is pretty much a dead-in canon or developed as a consumable media content.

The "Canonicity" Header

This header is devised to give out a guide to the different canons for the article. It gives directions for reading the information.

Articles Without Canon

Any content based on one or two media elements doesn't need all the canon notes other than separating with headings.

What is "Expanded Universe"

It is a different take on a story due to a format. Novelizations of content, storyboards, and scripts are all examples of it. Expanded Universe media sometimes names things left un-named in the content it is based on, along with going more in-depth on a element from the content.

Prime Continuity Articles

What is Primary Canon

Primary canon is canon that is assumed to be official lineage that the active creators of the franchise have deemed canon. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which was developed to follow the lineage of Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II was deemed so by Jason Reitman via his father Ivan Reitman.

What is Secondary Canon

Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) was considered primary canon up til the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The game had explained many loose threads in the prime canon for Ghostbusters II along with boarding up the franchise, including elements from the Ghostbusters Role-Playing Game. When Ghostbusters: Afterlife was released, it ignored the video story, treating it's Gozer experience to be the second and Ivo Shandor to have died and have his body and spirit kept in the Shandor Mine in Oklahoma. The video game had Shandor's spirit in New York and even having his skull as a artifact. Ultimately, fans still value it as a alternate prime continuity, therefore it's importance is still noted.

The IDW Comic Series is a catch all with the introduction of multiple dimensions, which are based on canon media content threads. The series ties in Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II having it as a continuation of the primary canon. However, it has not dealt with Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The Comic book series currently in indefinite hiatus.

What is Tertiary Canon

Recently released in 2021 for promotion of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, three known games that seem to be consumable media content, including: Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe, Ghostbusters: Afterlife in Dreams, and Ecto-1 Speed Trap.

Novelizations are also considered a form of tertiary canon, an stand-alone continuity based on major material. These includes: Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular (written by Richard Mueller), Ghostbusters: Novel (written by Larry Milne), Ghostbusters II: Novel (written by Ed Naha), and Ghostbusters II: Junior Novel (written by B. B. Hiller).

The following IDW comics are considered non-canon, which places them under Tertiary header: Times Scare, X-Files Conspiracy, Deviations, Funko Universe.

Order of Prime Continuity

Tertiary Canon is listed in reverse chronological order with the most recent media being first. Note that usually "The Real Ghostbusters Canon" and "2016 Canon" elements are not listed on Prime Canon articles, instead being noted right below the "Tertiary Canon" header with a brief paragraph and link to the full article for that respected canon version.

>Primary Canon
>>Ghostbusters (1984)
>>Ghostbusters II
>>Ghostbusters: Afterlife
>Secondary Canon
>>Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions)
>>IDW Comic Series
>>Dimension 50-S
>Tertiary Canon
>>Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe
>>Ghostbusters: Afterlife in Dreams
>>Ecto-1 Speed Trap
>>IDW Publishing (non-canonical to the prime continuity of IDW)
>>>Times Scare
>>>X-Files Conspiracy
>>>Deviations
>>>Funko Universe
>>Ghostbusters: The Board Game
>>Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
>>88MPH Comic Series
>>Ghostbusters II: Junior Novel
>>Ghostbusters II: Novel
>>Ghostbusters Role-Playing Game
>>Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular
>>Ghostbusters: Novel

Animated Continuity Articles

The Animated Continuity was developed as it's own thing in 1986, following the success of Ghostbusters, the 1984 film. A strong continuity within it's own right, The Real Ghostbusters series and its spin-offs and related materials. It treats the first film in a meta way in episode "Take Two" which while acknowledging it, suggests it was written "based" on the cartoon characters, and even is suggested to not be completely based on them. So in effect nothing is in fact totally confirmed. Therefore The Real Ghostbusters is not a spin-off or continuing of canon, but a alternate reality. Therefore nothing between the two have anything to do with each other unless expressly said like in episode "Partners in Slime," which confirms some of the events of Ghostbusters II happened, including a battle with Vigo and the use of Mood slime.

What is Primary Canon

Canon for Animated Continuity starts with The Real Ghostbusters, which in later seasons introduced Slimer! in a hour long block. At first seemingly different canons, the last two seasons of The Real Ghostbusters reintroduces Slimer! characters and treats elements as canon. Years later, Extreme Ghostbusters carries on as a continuation with new Ghostbusters, students of Egon's. It is assumed to be the final content of the Animated Continuity for primary canon.

What is Secondary Canon

What is Tertiary Canon

Order of Animated Continuity

>Primary Canon
>>The Real Ghostbusters
>>Slimer!
>>Extreme Ghostbusters
>Secondary Canon
>>IDW Comic Series
>>>68-R Dimension
>>>68-E Dimension
>>The Real Ghostbusters NOW Comics
>>The Real Ghostbusters Starring in Ghostbusters II (NOW Comics)
>>Slimer! NOW Comics
>Tertiary Canon
>>The Real Ghostbusters Marvel Comics
>>Slimer! Marvel Comics

2016 Continuity Articles

Ghostbusters (2016 Movie), also known as Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, is considered its own continuity independent of the original movie Continuity like a parallel universe.

What is Primary Canon

What is Secondary Canon

What is Tertiary Canon

Order of 2016 Continuity

>Primary Canon
>>Ghostbusters (2016 Movie)
>>Ghosts From Our Part (River Press Edition)
>Secondary Canon
>>IDW Comic Series
>>>80-C Dimension
>Tertiary Canon

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