The Real Ghostbusters is a cartoon series based on the hit movie Ghostbusters. It ran from 1986 to 1992. The events of the series take place between the events of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.

In one episode of The Real Ghostbusters, the "boys" (Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore) have just finished destroying the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man at the climax of the film. Several episodes later, they are supervising the production of a film based on that incident, lending credence to the story that the animated series shows the "real" Ghostbusters, and the film is an adaptation. The gluttonous green ghost from the film (called Onionhead by the film crew and "the ghost of John Belushi" by Dan Aykroyd) is given an actual name in the series: Slimer. The series also included the secretary Janine Melnitz, who developed an attraction to Egon, and a handful of cameos from lawyer Louis Tully.

In 1989, the series was retitled Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters. This new series presented a much more "cartoonesque" approach and was frequently more focused on Slimer than on the Ghostbusters. The horror and dark themes were also toned down, probably to be less scary and hit younger audiences.

The show was given the Real adjective to distinguish it from a Filmation cartoon based on a live-action series called Ghostbusters.

A more recent, however short lived, incarnation was Extreme Ghostbusters, which featured four younger Ghostbusters led by former Ghostbuster Egon and Janine.

Quotes from the series

Winston: (reading the cast list for the movie based on their adventure) Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis. Sounds like a law firm.

Egon: I have a plan.
Winston: No electric shock, Egon.
Egon: I have another plan.