The movie group where anyone can be a Ghostbuster

The community visits comic con events across the region

Suited up with 15kg proton packs and personalised jumpsuits, the West Midlands Ghostbusters community is full of passion and free from judgement.

The group's 500 members on Facebook, drawn from right across the region, unite over their love for the franchise, whether cartoons or movies, and there is no entry exam to join.

Dean Reilly founded the group during lockdown in 2021 as he searched online for like-minded people to connect with and escape from the "real world".

"There can only be one Batman but pretty much anyone can be a Ghostbuster and adopt a fun persona," he said.

When the 49-year-old from Birmingham is not working his day job in digital marketing, he attends comic con events with the Ghostbusters crew and chats about the movie on a podcast.

"It's lovely to see friendships sprout up and a new tribe form, it's an unexpected side effect," he said.

Steve Robbins (left) and the Ghostbusters crew get stopped for selfies in their outfits

Steve Robbins, 39, was looking for a group of Ghostbusters to hand deliver a birthday cake to his daughter when he decided to get involved with the group.

Dressing up was not his thing but his movie obsession soon "spiralled out of control" and two years later, he now wears "all the gear".

"Prior to the group, I didn't feel comfortable in a social circle to let my hair down, but because nobody judges each other and everyone has a laugh, it's easy to relax," he said.

The 39-year-old from Rowley Regis continued by saying it was "incredible" to watch both of his daughters become "obsessed" with the movie and its recent releases.

"They're finding a love for it and it brings us together as a family, gives us the opportunity to geek out," he said.

Many Ghostbusters groups across the world have adapted the franchise's logo with a personalised twist.

"It's a part where people get their creativity on, people really localise the area," Mr Reilly said.

The West Midlands group regularly creates custom versions of their logo including one with the region's map and a microphone, paying tribute to musicians like Ozzy Osbourne.