This week, Philly GB Leader and founder Nate Paro steps in to ask the questions of Paul Poole!

Nate: Welcome once again to installment number nine of  “Getting To Know Your Ghostbusters.”  This week we sit down with our esteemed guest Mr. Paul Poole.  Paul, welcome to “getting to know your Ghostbusters.  So, you too have a theory about the end of the world?

Sorry about that.  Just a little Ghostbusters 2 humor.  Tell us a bit about yourself Paul.  Who are you? Are you a god? What do you do besides tearing up the streets with the PGB and do you have any other hobbies?

Paul: Hello! I’m 33 and I work in a grocery store. I’m in charge of specialty cheeses. So although I’ve heard this joke a thousand times already, it IS true…I cut the cheese for a living. I’m married to my beautiful wife and fellow Philly Ghostbuster Dawn.
As for other hobbies? Well before the Ghostbustin’ thing became sorta full time, I worked on making and collecting other superhero and movie related props, as well as the occasional collecting of toys, especially my massive collection of Minimates.

Nate: So rumor has it that you have a museum like collection of movie memorabilia.  What are some your more prized pieces of your collection?

Paul: Wow…yeah much like the Addams’ Family’s “..there house is a museum, where people come to see ‘em..” our house can be overwhelming upon first visits. My favorite pieces would have to be my Rocketeer helmet, full sized Vigo The Carpathian on canvas, Proton Pack of course, 1940’s Flash helmet, Green Lantern Power Battery, and 60’s Batman Catwoman costume (on a mannequin of course!)

Nate: One of the corner stones of your collection has to be your high end incredibly detailed action figures.  What were some of your favorite toys growing up?

Paul: Believe it or not….NOT Ghostbusters. I was never too impressed with the toys. I WAS however a huge fan of  Transformers, G.I. Joe, Remco Monsters, Smurfs, Star Wars, C.O.P.S. and Super Powers.

Nate: Through out the years you have met a number of celebrities that have added to your collection.  What has been your favorite interaction thus far?

Paul: Easy. Hands down..Dan Aykroyd. I was lucky enough to have met him twice. Both meetings were great. The first was when I had just put my uniform and pack together. I wasn’t part of the group yet, and there weren’t many GB’s there at all. I was the first in the line and people treated me like a rock star. It was very overwhelming. Then meeting Dan and his great reaction to me. All memories I’ll keep with me always. This was also the beginning of my seeming inability to escape the press. I ended up on TMZ with Dan telling me how accurate my pack was.
The second meeting was as a member of our group and getting to experience it all as a team.
I also have to mention Ernie Hudson. We drove to Pittsburgh to meet him, and he stayed down the hall from us at our hotel. We ran into each other in the hallway the night before the convention and he was just a very warm and funny guy.
Beyond that I can’t say enough enough kind words about Dee Wallace (everyone’s favorite 80’s mom). She’s all you could hope for in meeting an actor.

Nate: So you made your gear before joining or even knowing about the group.  What was your inspiration for taking on the task of building a UNA (unlicensed nuclear accelerator)?

Paul: Well once my wife and I decided to get married on Halloween and in costumes, the hunt was on for a truly epic costume. I’m known for throwing huge Halloween parties and wearing elaborate costumes. I decided since not only was it Halloween..but my wedding, that I needed to truly outdo my previous costumes. Once I hit on Ghostbusters..the rest was history!

Nate: You have some unique items in your Ghostbusters prop collection.  You have really taken a couple steps away from the standard equipment.  What are some of your favorites?

Paul: Well my full size Vigo The Carpathian would be my crown jewel next to the Proton Pack. There’s nothing quite like coming out of the upstairs bathroom and coming face to face with an 8 foot tall “Sorrow Of Moldavia”. Creepy at 3 a.m.!

Nate: Out of all the props you have in your collection there are still a few that you have yet to get your hands on?  What is circled in the folded over pages of your Ghostbusting Wishbook?

Paul: The P.K.E. meter would be an obvious one, but I think the highest on my want list would be a Giga Meter from Ghostbusters 2!

Nate: How exactly did you become a member of the Philadelphia Ghostbusters franchise?

Paul: Well, once I had finished putting my uniform and pack together, I travelled to Maryland with Dawn and some friends to meet Dan Aykroyd. While there I met Del. He suggested I contact you guys. I did, but I was so busy with wedding planning that it was a couple of months until I could go to an event. I met Matt, Tony, Rose, Jack and TJ at Steel City Con. Then I was hooked. I think my first official event as a member was a South Street fundraiser!

Nate: Is it true that you are one of driving forces behind the PGB’s ever-popular Facebook page?  What was your role in putting this together and why Facebook?

Paul: Yes this IS true. Soon after joining I would hear people saying that the pics they were taking with us at various locations were “going up on Facebook”. It only made sense to me that we have a fast way to interact with the people we meet, share our photos, and get news out there. Facebook made the most sense. I began badgering you and Matt. After a month or so you said I should set that up. I think it was mostly to shut me up..but I think it’s been an overwhelming success!

Nate: But Facebook is only one of the hits on your PGB wrap sheet.  Aren’t you also the originator of this very segment?  What’s it like being in the hot seat for a change?

Paul: Haha! The secret’s out. It’s me that usually asks the questions each week. As for being in the “hot seat”, I don’t mind. Your questions are putting mine to shame tho!

Nate: What has been your favorite event in your outings with the PGB?

Paul: Well it would be easy to say meeting Dan Aykroyd twice or Ernie Hudson, but the truth is my favorite events are always South Street fundraisers. I have the most fun there, and we generally get our most enthusiastic responses! My favorite South Street trip was Free Comic Book day with you and Dawn. It was our smallest outing, but the most fun I’ve had.

Nate: Over the past few weeks we have heard some interesting stories about fan interactions.  Which fan memories stick out for you?

Paul: Easy. There was this young guy named Bob I think. He “fanned” us on Facebook. Anyways it was free comic book day and he had someone dressed up as Batman sign his chest. When he saw us he insisted one of us sign his chest. No one else wanted to, so there’s photographic evidence on Facebook of me signing around Bob’s nipple. Bizarre…but funny!

Nate: You happen to be one of the few team members to have a significant other in the group.  What’s it like having a loved one involved in your hobby?

Paul: It’s one of the best parts about it. I love that my wife loves doing this crazy stuff with me. I never get the “Stay home with me” stuff. I mean she’s right out there in the uniform with me and it’s great!

Nate: Haven’t you also opened up the world of Ghostbusters to others in your family?

Paul: Well I try to brainwash any of the kids in my family as much as I can. Dawn’s niece and nephew have a Proton Pack and Slime Blower that I made for them!

Nate: So how was Ghostbusters introduced to you?  What has been its role in your life?

Paul: Well you can ask my mom…it was the first movie we recorded the first day we got a VCR. I watched it every day after school and pretty much wore the movie out. It’s a great movie in that every so many years you get something entirely new from it!

Nate: Let’s mix things up a bit this week.  Who is your favorite non Ghostbuster character in the films?

Paul: Easy! Walter Peck! Forget Gozer, Peck is the true villain of Ghostbusters, however the older I get, the more I somewhat sympathize with him. I mean if this happened in the real world and a bunch of failed academics were running around with nuclear backpacks supposedly catching “Ghosts” you’d want them investigated. Venkman can be a total dick… you start to kinda understand Peck.

Nate: Do you have a favorite line from either movie?

Paul: A favorite? Wow…probably, “I’ve seen shit that’d turn you white!” from Winston.

Nate: There are many villains within the greater Ghostbusters entertainment from the dead, to the human, and even the gelatinous.  Who or what would you pick as the best (or would it be worst) villain?

Paul: Again..Walter Peck. It’s been said the best villains are the ones who view themselves as the hero.

Nate: Lastly.  How do you see your future with the PGB?  How long do you plan on bustin with us and feeling good?

Paul: I’ll be doing this as long as I can wear a pack and have friends to wear it with. I love wearing the gear, I love seeing the great reactions, I love talking about the movies with the public and I love that I’ve finally found a way to make a positive impact on society. Doing good for others and charitable works is a great natural high. There’s not much else like it!

Nate: I would like to thank you very much for taking a moment to sit on the other side of the interrogation table Paul.  Tune in next week as we hear a tale from Rose Ward!