A new piece of fan art recreates the iconic 1930 painting American Gothic with Ghostbusters’ Slimer and Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Director Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters (1984) resonated with critics and audiences alike, spawning a multi-billion dollar franchise that’s set to continue with the upcoming fall release of Jason Reitman’s sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Several actors from the original films are set to reprise their roles including Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman, Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz, Ernie Hudson as Dr. Winston Zeddmore, Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett, and Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife follows a single mother of two, Callie (Carrie Coon), daughter of the late Harold Ramis’ Egon Spengler, who moves to Summerville, Oklahoma to live in a farmhouse left to her by her father. Callie’s children, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) ultimately stumble upcoming their grandfather’s Ghostbusting gear, including proton packs and the famous Etco-1. After fixing up the hearse, the film’s trailers show Trevor and Phoebe sporting Ghostbusters garb and chasing “Muncher,” a blue ghost vaguely resembling Slimer from the first movie. Promotional material has also teased the return of the god of destruction, Gozer Gozerian, and, of course, the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, the mascot for the fictional Marshmallow corporation.
Artist Butcher Billy on Instagram recently shared some art imagining Grant Wood’s American Gothic from the Art Institute of Chicago with Slimer and Stay-Puft as its subjects. This new piece is dubbed American Ghostic. Check it out below:
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It’s not a stretch to say that Slimer and Stay-Puft are not only memorable parts of the original movie but staples of the Ghostbusters universe. However, while the innocent-looking marshmallow man became the giant, physical manifestation of Gozer during the climax of Ghostbusters, Slimer is the first ghost ever captured by the Ghostbusters, who eventually becomes a sort of pet (at least in the animated series). The latest trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife showed Paul Rudd’s character in a grocery store witnessing Mini-Puft Marshmallow coming to life and emerging from packages. Thankfully, these little marshmallows appear much friendly than the one that tried to destroy New York City.
Wood’s painting was inspired by the American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa, and its subjects by the farmer and his daughter (who is often mistaken as his wife) he imagined would live in the house. While it's been interpreted as symbolizing the repression associated with rural life, Wood has asserted it reflects his appreciation for the people of Iowa. While the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife doesn’t take place in Iowa, it also doesn’t take place in New York City, which has become synonymous with the Ghostbusters franchise. By switching locations and altering its tone, Jason Reitman looks to honor the work of his father—art that’s already enshrined at the Library of Congress.
Source: Butcher Billy
