Is There Something Strange in Your Neighborhood?

Call Cherryland Ghostbusters — proud geeks with generous hearts

By Ross Boissoneau | Oct. 23, 2021

If your nonprofit group is hosting an event, and you want to drum up some attention to your cause, who you gonna call?

Your local Ghostbusters group, of course. Yes, northern Michigan has one, and it stands ready to aid your fundraising efforts — no spirit-raising, unfortunately. Unlike the famed film characters they play, these Ghostbusters aren’t interested in tracking or trapping ghosts, poltergeists, or phantasms. They’re simply available for a good time.

RAISING SPIRITS
How did such a group come to be? Member Karl Bielman says it started with his son, who wanted to dress up as a Ghostbuster one Halloween a few years back. Saying yes was a no-brainer for Bielman, who had loved the movie since its release in 1984, when he was just a kid at Cherryland Middle School in Elk Rapids. Bielman not only constructed a costume for his son, he created one for himself.  The two were so pleased with their costumes, they wore them to attend that year’s Cherry Capital Comic Con.

As fate would have it, fellow fan Nathan Dean and his friend Jason Maltese were also in attendance dressed as Ghostbusters. This was nothing new. The fan duo had gone to other such conventions in Ghostbusters garb, and for good reason. Whether in Michigan, elsewhere in the Midwest, or even in Florida, the response they receive was much the same, says Dean: “Within ten seconds, kids run up to us asking for autographs.” 

Eventually, Bielman and Dean and his friends joined forces, adding to the network of ghostbusters in Michigan. That’s right, it turns out there are several other similar cosplaying Ghostbusters groups throughout the state. 

DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Looking for something to do to utilize their burgeoning notoriety beyond simply attending conventions and making occasional theater appearances, Dean says they began to join parades, libraries, fundraising walks, and other local events from Alpena to Cheboygan to help bring some extra attention and excitement.

“That’s totally Nathan,” says Bielman. “He wanted to give something. It’s like a geekier version of social clubs like the Lions Club. We want to do good and have fun.”

According to Dean, the group has nearly 15 members, and more are always welcome.

There’s just one caveat: “We’re usually nerds,” Dean says. “Sometimes we’re not the most sociable. But put the gear on, and you feel different.”

Bielman’s gear, which Dean speaks highly of, includes a proton pack. (He also designed the group’s logo, a takeoff on the original Ghostbusters emblem. “I have an art background,” he explains.)  The group also has their very own version of an Ectomobile, which will be on display at Grand Traverse Resort during the Cherry Capital Comic Con.

“IT’S A BIG NERD PARTY”
“The Comic Con is great. We get to meet other people, other fans. We have props that people like to touch and see what they can do,” says Bielman.

“It’s a big nerd party,” adds Dean. “We’ll be there with a booth of stuff. We’ll walk the floor, pretend to chase ghosts. It’s one of the things people see. We’ll say hi, make it fun. We’ll be selling various items, some interactive items. We’ll raise money for Project Feed the Kids [a fundraiser J&S Hamburg on South Airport Rd. in Traverse City leads].”

The crew is also looking forward to future appearances at theaters around the area to coincide with the release of the upcoming movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Dean says the group plans to be at the AMC Classic Cherry Blossom 14 on Nov. 19 and the Petoskey Cinema on Nov. 20.

“We’ll be collaborating with other theaters,” says Dean. “A new Ghostbusters film is like the Super Bowl for us.”