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Janosz Poha (also known as Dr. Janosz Poha)[1][2] was the head of the Restoration department of the Manhattan Museum of Art. He was Dana Barrett's boss and had an unrequited crush on her. He was also made into a servant of Vigo under his mind control, until the Ghostbusters freed him.

History[]

Primary Canon History[]

Ghostbusters II[]

Janosz supervised Dana's work at the Manhattan Museum of Art. She was the only restorer whom he did not berate for shoddy work, due to his crush on her. He was routinely turned down when he asked her out. He never gave up and considered having her assist him in more important restorations. He was surprised to learn Dana was planning to resign from the museum and return to the orchestra. Janosz had the portrait of Vigo the Carpathian moved under in arch in the Restoration department. While Janosz worked on the restoration of a portrait of Vigo for a Romantic exhibit one evening, the spirit of Vigo appeared to him from within the painting. He was about to apply a touch up on an eyelid when Vigo fired orange hued lightning bolts at him. Janosz screamed in shock and fell off the step ladder. He exclaimed he was "stinging." On the floor, Janosz tried swatting his arm to repel the bolt. The painting shifted in appearance to a chamber filled with the Psychomagnotheric ectoplasm. Vigo reappeared as a giant floating head. He ordered Janosz to listen to him. Janosz was naturally surprised to hear a voice. Vigo identified himself as "Vigo, the Scourge of Carpathia, the Sorrow of Moldavia." Janosz implored Vigo to command him. Vigo monologued, "On a mountain of skulls in the castle of pain, I sat on a throne of blood. What was, will be. What is, will be no more! Now is the season of evil." Janosz keyed on "evil." Vigo ordered him to find a child to inhabit so he could live again. The painting's image transitioned back to normal. Janosz processed what was just said. He questioned the child part. The painting fired lighting bolts directly into Janosz's eyes. He patted his chest then his face. Janosz calmly stated "a child." Janosz, now Vigo's servant, decided that Dana's baby would be a suitable vessel.

During the city-wide blackout, he paid a visit to Dana's apartment. Dana heard a knock on her front door. She asked who it was. Janosz answered. Dana griped silently. She greeted Janosz and slightly opened her door. She noted his visit was a surprise. Janosz revealed he happened to be in the neighborhood, and I decided to stop by her apartment to check on her after the blackout happened. Dana stated they were fine and thanked him. Janosz asked how Oscar was. She replied he was okay. Janosz peeked in and vocalized. Dana informed him he was sleeping. Janosz covered his mouth with a hand in embarrassment. She told him it was okay. He asked her if she needed anything or wanted him to come in. She politely declined both offers. Janosz reiterated he was just checking and quoted the "don't let the bedbugs bite" part of the old nursery rhyme. She wished him good night then closed the door and applied the various locks. Light beams projected out of Janosz's eyes and he walked down the hall.

Like Louis Tully, Janosz was jealous when Peter Venkman came to visit Dana at work. Janosz asked to be introduced. Dana presented Janosz to Peter and emphasized he was the head of the Restoration department as more of a warning. Instead of shaking Peter's hand, Janosz touched it. Peter looked at Dana and slowly wiped his hand across his sweater. Janosz admitted he saw Peter on TV and enjoyed his exploits. He joked he hoped Peter was not there on business. Peter wiped his hand on his sweater again. Peter quipped his reasons were top-secret. He saw the Vigo painting and went over to it, remarking he had a Gauguin, too. Janosz informed Peter he was preparing the portrait for the new Romantic exhibition and it was of Prince Vigo, the ruler of Carpathian and Moldavia. Peter imitated Vigo's pose, to Dana's amusement. Janosz went up on the step ladder. Peter remarked Vigo was a bit of a sissy. Janosz stated he was a very powerful magician and a genius in many ways. Dana added he was also a lunatic and a genocidal madman. She hated the painting and felt uncomfortable ever since it came up from storage. Peter theorized she was probably feeling what Vigo was: Carpathian kitten loss. He missed his kitten. Dana smiled while Peter grabbed some paint and pretended to add one by the castle. Janosz stood between Peter and Vigo. He was naturally put off by the suggestion of altering valuable artwork and believed it was time for him to go. He declared the joyfulness was over. Dana tried to tell him Peter was just kidding around. Peter noted he was not going to get a green card with that attitude. Peter walked away and turned to Dana. He jested she was sweet on the hunky stud. Dana admitted every now and then, she got the feeling that the painting was watching her and even smiling at her. They noticed Janosz talking to Vigo and gesturing to them. They exchanged looks of concern.

Janosz tried to do the same when the rest of the Ghostbusters came and told them leave, but was less than successful. Peter sicced Ray Stantz on him. Ray engaged Janosz politely, introducing himself, complimenting the work space, and stating they were doing a routine spook check. Peter handed Janosz his coat. Janosz informed Peter that Dana was not present. Peter knew that. Janosz asked why he came. Peter told him they got a report there was a major creep in the area, so they checked their list and he was right on the top. He asked Janosz where in the hell he was from anyway. Janosz replied he came from the Upper West Side. Egon informed Peter the whole room was extremely hot. Winston noticed the Vigo painting and thought he was one ugly dude. Peter snapped photographs like a fashion photographer. Janosz pleaded with Peter to stop and was ignored. Janosz stood in front of the painting and stated no photographs were allowed but slides were available in the gift shop. Winston took him aside. Janosz wailed.

On New Year's Eve, Janosz venerated Vigo from the middle of a circles of candles laid out on the floor. Vigo's giant head appeared in the painting and stated, "I, Vigo, the Scourge of Carpathia..." Janosz noted he heard the introduction before. Vigo continued, "--the sorrow of Moldavia..." Janosz got impatient. Vigo commanded him. Janosz asked Vigo to command him. Vigo stated the season of evil began with the birth of a new year. Janosz was pleased. Vigo told him to bring a child so he could live again. Janosz made a pitch for getting to have Dana after he brought Oscar. He touched the flame on one of the candles then quickly pulled back. Vigo obliged the request and declared she would be theirs, a wife to Janosz and his new mother. Janosz hopped up and spun around in elation then thanked him. Supernaturally powered, Janosz then kidnapped Oscar from the ledge outside the bedroom of Peter's apartment. Louis Tully thought at first a nanny ghost with a carriage kidnapped Oscar, but Dana knew she saw Janosz's face on the ghost.

After Dana went to the museum in search of Oscar, the building was encased in Psychomagnotheric Slime. Janosz revealed his presence and confessed he knew she would come. Dana warned him to stay away from them. Janosz promised her not to worry about Oscar being harmed. He revealed Oscar was chosen to be the vessel of the spirit of Vigo and she would be the mother of the ruler of the world. He asked if that sounded nice. Dana thought it sounded ludicrous and again warned him to stay away. Dana backed out of the circle of candles. Janosz mused they did not have a choice. He joked the painting in the room was not Gainsborough's "Blue Boy," he was Vigo. Dana refused to give up Oscar. She was telekinetically flung backwards and sealed out of the room, essentially in a prison cell. Oscar floated back to the altar. Janosz attempted to convince Dana to marry him and help raise Vigo as their son. He suggested she make the best of their relationship. Dana bluntly stated they had no relationship. Janosz exclaimed he knew that. He told her to marry him and they would raise Vigo as their son. He tried to illustrate the perks of being the mother to a living god like a magnificent apartment, a car, and free parking. Janosz opened the gate and allowed her back into the main space. He mused many marriages started with a certain amount of distance and suggested they could maybe learn to love each other. Dana played along and agreed. She slowly stepped out. They wore New Year's Eve party hats.

Janosz noted it was four minutes until midnight. Dana worried about Oscar. A pinkish red ray shined from Vigo onto Oscar. Vigo's face started to overlay onto Oscar. Janosz was amazed. They heard a creak and looked up to see the Statue of Liberty above the skylight dome. Janosz shouted at it to go away. Dana grabbed Oscar off the altar. Vigo groaned and vanished. The Statue of Liberty smashed the skylight with its torch. Janosz Poha screamed. The Ghostbusters rappelled down into the museum. Janosz was still confident in Vigo and ordered them to go away. Peter wished him a Happy New Year. Janosz proclaimed they were like the buzzing of flies to Vigo. He realized Vigo was absent from the painting. He was without words. Peter informed him he backed the wrong horse and cued Ray and Winston. They thoroughly hosed Janosz down with positively charged Psychomagnotheric Slime. He eventually slipped, fell, and passed out. Dana asked if Janosz was dead. Ray informed her their slime was positively charged and Janosz was going to wake up feeling like a million bucks. After Vigo was defeated, Janosz indeed woke up "feeling like a million bucks" and sang. Ray helped him up. Egon asked him if he was all right. Janosz asked why he was dripping with goo. Egon explained he had a violent prolonged transformative psychic episode. Janosz had no idea what Egon just said. Ray "translated" for Egon and told him they had to hose him down because he was kind of out of control. Ray, who was also blasted with slime, told him he loved him and Janosz felt the same way. They hugged.

Secondary Canon History[]

New Ghostbusters II Game[]

Janosz is the penultimate boss. He replicates himself and the Ghostbusters defeat him by capturing his clones.

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime[]

Following the Ghostbusters' triumph over Vigo, Janosz Poha is committed to Parkview Psychiatric Hospital still covered in mood slime. Janosz is assigned to the same room as Ismael McEnthol. He empathizes with Ismael and the two become fast friends. Over the years, Ismael makes Janosz a part of his plan to revive Dumazu. After being discharged from Parkview, Janosz uses his credentials to get a job at the American Museum of Natural History, where a shard of the Relic of Nilhe is on display. Janosz steals it and returns to Parkview. Ismael takes it and goes back on his deal with Janosz, if he delivered the shard, Dumazu would give him Dana Barrett.

Janosz approaches the Ghostbusters and recounts what happened to the senior and junior teams. It is revealed that Janosz is the brother of Alan Crendall's mother and the family disowned Janosz after the Vigo incident. Alan holds nothing but disdain for Janosz but after Dumazu is defeated, he decides to forgive his uncle and make amends. Janosz is pleased and announces he has finally found the solution to his love woes, online dating.

IDW Comics[]

Some years after the Vigo incident, Janosz is still committed to Parkview Psychiatric Hospital. He finally made a breakthrough of sorts and began painting again. However, he painted a depiction of "The Last Supper" ; where every figure had the visage of Ray Stantz. While speaking to the Psychiatric Doctor, Janosz "expressed" his feelings about Peter and Ray. The doctor decided it was for the best to double Janosz' dosage of Thorazine.

Before Christmas, Janosz was approached by Idulnas, who demanded his service. Janosz refused and watched as Vigo appeared on his depiction of Gainsborough's Blue Boy. Janosz saw through the ruse and Idulnas reiterated Janosz was needed because he was uniquely qualified for a summoning. Janosz repeatedly refused. Idulnas taunted him that he wanted to meddle with the "darkness" again and touch real power. Janosz refused again. Idulnas then threatened to flay the flesh from his bones then murder his sister and nephew Alan. Janosz capitulated and allowed Idulnas to possess him. A few hours later, Janosz/Idulnas wrecked his room and painted letters from the Gozerian Alphabet on the wall in order to cast a spell to summon The Collectors and have them kidnap the Ghostbusters. Janosz was restrained and staff believed he had a full-fledged break just as he was close to becoming a productive member of society again.

Months later, Dr. Cleese visited Janosz and asked about the design on the wall. After Cleese revealed it kept coming back after staff painted over it, Janosz went into an insane rant about damning four to save two. Cleese called the Ghostbusters for a consultation. Kylie Griffin answered and scheduled a consult for the next day in the afternoon. When Kylie questioned Janosz about the painting, he only answered, "They are paying" then Idulnas took over. When the other Ghostbusters arrived at the hospital, Janosz attempted to warn Kylie they shouldn't enter but Idulnas stopped him and took control. Once Kylie realized Idulnas exploited a loophole and was controlling the Collectors, she appealed to Janosz. Janosz took back control of his body in refusal to be used as a patsy by a supernatural being again. He beckoned Kylie to bring him some paint. Janosz altered the summoning spell and redirected the Collectors to capture Idulnas. Janosz survived the violent extraction but his mind was visibly damaged from the experience.

Personality[]

Even after Vigo transforms him into his minion, Janosz is pretty much the same artsy, somewhat pretentious egomaniac who is obsessed with winning the affections of Dana Barrett.

Subtlety is not one of Janosz' attributes. He has been seen in public openly talking to and even arguing and pleading with the painting of Vigo, apparently oblivious as to how crazy he appears to others.

Janosz has a flair for the melodramatic, as after being empowered by Vigo, he takes the form of a red eyed, spectral Nanny with a baby carriage when he abducts little Oscar Barrett. He even shows a protective side to him by making the baby comfortable and even attempting to make barricades to "protect" him from the Ghostbusters.

In an interview in Starlog magazine, Peter MacNicol himself described Janosz as not an evil guy, just very lonely and so desperate for Dana's affections that he was easily manipulated by Vigo. [citation needed]

Behind the Scenes[]

Around September 23 to November 1, 1988, the character went by the name "Justin."[3][4] Dustin Hoffman was pursued for the role of Justin Locke, the father of the infant, then named Mikey, and an art historian possessed by Vigo.[5] Peter MacNicol was sent a script. When he first read a draft, his character was a nondescript art curator named Jason. MacNicol didn't see himself in the role and instructed his agent to turn it down. After a night of contemplation, he took another look at the script because he was at a point where he couldn't reject everything that was sent to him.[6] He started to envision Jason as European and even Carpathian then thought of Euro malapropisms and a thick accent. MacNicol met with Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis. He asked if he could take some liberties with his character and demonstrated. Reitman changed the character's name to Janosz Poha.[7][8] MacNicol visited a Romanian tourist agency and pretended he was planning on a trip to Bucharest so he could study the agent's voice but his accent turned out to be too refined. He also used the accent of a Czech friend.[9][10][11][12] MacNicol once made up the national flag of Carpathia, a snake stepping on a man, invented a national motto with all consonants because the nation was too poor to afford vowels, and based the economy on firewood.[13]

The blackout scene at Dana's apartment was shot on a set. First, Peter MacNicol was filmed walking down a dimly lit walkway. As he walked, MacNicol moved his head side to side. To create the look of real light being illuminated, another pass was filmed. In it, Michael Chapman held a 2K at MacNicol's height then walked down the hall, panning the light from side to side. After a few takes done fast and slow, the scenes were edited together and both Chapman and the light were matted out. Pat Meyers helped defined the light beams by placing shards and particulate matter so it looked like real beams. Meyers lined up the beams so they tracked from MacNicol's eyebrows to the puddles of light on the walls.[14]

For the scene when Janosz kidnaps Oscar, Peter MacNicol was dressed in drag and photographed in front of a bluescreen. The arm stretch was achieved through a piece of tubing covered with costume fabric and rigged to slide down a pole. For the wider shots, a miniature rod puppet and buggy were photographed in front of a bluescreen and manipulated by character performers Bob Cooper and David Allen.[15]

Trivia[]

Ghostbusters II Trivia[]

  • In the September 29, 1988 draft, Jason Locke is the name the precursor to Janosz until he appears in later scripts.
    • On page 21 to 23, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has just closed and the last of the visitors and employees are leaving. Jason Locke continues work on Vigo while Rudy the Museum Guard does his rounds. He reminds Jason to sign out when he leaves. Jason is mesmerized by Vigo. Vigo says a variant of his 'what was will be, what is will be no more' line and tells Jason to present the child. Jason states there is no child. Bolts of red hot energy shoot out from Vigo's eyes into Jason's eyes. Rudy sees him run out the museum. Rudy remarks he knew he would forget to sign out.
    • On page 29, during the blackout, Lane Walker gets a phone call from Jason Locke. He asks her if she needs anything and wants him to come in. She tells him 'No, everything's fine' than after she is staring into candlelight, alone and afraid.
    • On page 30, Jason is lying on his bed looking at a photo of Lane and her infant son Mikey.
    • On page 61, Jason arrives at the museum, slightly winded as if he was summoned by Vigo.
    • On page 62, Peter meets Jason Locke. Jason notes he has seen him on television.
    • On page 63, Peter remarks Vigo could have smiled for his portrait and suggests he needs a 'Mona Lisa job' but Jason tells him you don't go around altering valuable paintings. After Peter leaves, Jason offers to help babysit Mikey.
    • On page 93, Jason Locke scowls at a young couple asking for directions to Second Avenue. He makes the woman's skirt fly up repeatedly.
    • On page 97, Peter goes out on the ledge and tells Mikey he has his whole life ahead of him. A nanny ghost materializes and its face looks like Jason's.
    • On page 98, Peter grabs Mikey just in time but the nanny ghost beats Peter with an umbrella then they get into a tug of war over it. Eventually, Peter lets go. The ghost's stretched arms smacks himself. He charged Peter.
    • On page 99, the pram slams into Peter and he drops Mikey who lands in the pram.
    • On page 106, Jason Locke paints symbols on Mikey that are identical to ones seen in the Vigo painting. Jason uses paint from the canvas.
    • On page 107, sunlight shines through the museum skylight and moves up the Vigo painting. Jason holds up Mikey and he glows.
    • On page 108, Jason Locke transforms into a monstrous creature 12 feet tall with pterodactyl wings, clawed tentacles, and long fangs. The Ghostbusters hose him with pink slime. Jason dissolves into a smoking harmless puddle. Vigo screams as the painting melts.
  • In the November 27, 1988 and February 27, 1989 drafts:
    • On page 12, Janosz stares longingly at Dana as he works on the Vigo painting.
    • On page 13, Dana works on restoring a Turner, a 19th century landscape painting. Dana apologizes for being late and promises to have the Turner done by the end of the day. Janosz assures her it's okay because it's a 150 year old painting.
    • On page 14, after Dana leaves, Janosz switches on an English language tape and starts practicing phrases he thinks are working.
    • On page 28 to 29, the Manhattan Museum of Art has just closed and the last of the visitors and employees are leaving. Janosz continues work on Vigo while Rudy the Museum Guard does his rounds. He reminds Janosz to sign out when he leaves. A current from Vigo shocks Janosz then Vigo introduces himself with a longer speech where he says "twenty thousand corpses swing from my walls and parapets and the rivers ran with tears" and "by the power of the Book of Gombotz, what was will be, what is will be no more. Past and future, now and ever, my time is near." Janosz is blasted again but directly into his eyes and he screams and falls to the floor. Rudy sees him run out the museum. Rudy remarks he knew he would forget to sign out.
    • On page 56, Peter is introduced to Janosz. Peter jokes he's not trying to unload all his Picassos.
    • On page 57, Janosz says the Vigo painting is for the new Byzantine exhibition and it is a self-portrait, boasting he was a skilled painter. Peter jokes it's not something you'd want to hang in the rec room and reckons it needs a fluffy little white kitten in the corner. Janosz grabs his arm. Peter advises him to make an exception. Dana looks at him with disapproval.
    • On page 58, Peter teases her she has a crush on Janosz. Dana calls him a very sick man.
    • On page 74, Rudy tells the Ghostbusters that Janosz said not to let them in anymore. Ray tells him the museum has an Ecto-paritic subfusionary flux in the building. Rudy is scared and follows his instructions to take cover.
    • On page 116, Oscar hovers in mid-air in front of the Vigo painting while it weeps onto Janosz's brush which he then uses to paint mystical symbols on Oscar.
    • On page 117, Dana tries to take Oscar but an unseen force pushes her back onto her chair.
    • On page 120, Janosz references Gainsborough's Blue Boy after Dana objects to Janosz saying Vigo will rule the world.
    • On page 121, after Janosz suggests marriage, Dana tells him she'd rather not think about it.
    • On page 124, after Janosz steps in front of the painting, Egon tells him to feel free to try something stupid.
  • The shot of the Statue of Liberty breaching the slime shell was a combination of the restoration room interior set at the Burbank Studios
  • In the February 27, 1989 draft:
    • On page 76, Janosz tries to cover things up as chemical fumes.
  • There is a general misconception that Janosz' answer "the Upper West Side" in response to Peter's question "Johnny, where in the hell are you from, anyway?", implies that he was actually born in New York. This is, however, merely a joke playing on Janosz' misunderstanding of Peter's question (Peter is referring to Janosz' nationality, where as Janosz thinks he is referring to his residence). This is backed up by Peter's earlier taunt: "Well, you ain't gonna get a Green Card with that attitude pal".
  • At one point, Janosz Poha was not the one to kidnap Oscar. A two headed dragon, creatures from a hellish world, a phantom taxicab, a giant pigeon, a face on the Moon, a vapor rising from the street, billboard figures, gargoyles come to life, and a horrible Santa Claus were pitched.[16][17]
  • Thom Enriquez pitched an early version of the kidnapping scene that involved clocks stopping in the bedroom, toys coming to life, faces on buildings, and a flying clown entity arriving outside the infant's window.[18]
  • Thom Enriquez storyboarded an early version of the scene. It involved Slimer trying to warn Louis Tully that Oscar was on the ledge but he was trying to make out with Janine. Louis looks over her shoulder and sees Slimer making a bunch of gestures. Peter and Dana return home and see the baby was missing. They look out the window and see the baby on the ledge with a monster. Peter goes onto the ledge and grabs the baby. Dana hands him a baseball bat and he swings at the monster.[19]
  • When Dana goes to the museum to rescue Oscar, Janosz references Gainsborough's The Blue Boy, a full-length portrait in oil by Thomas Gainsborough in 1770.
  • Janosz is the second Ghostbusters antagonist to get coated in goo at the end of a movie. The first being Walter Peck. He also shares a similarity to Louis Tully in the Dana obsessed nebbish turned villainous henchman regard.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Trivia[]

  • The game creators wanted to use Janosz Poha but abandoned the idea after they could not get Peter MacNicol to reprise the role.[20]

Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime Trivia[]

  • On January 2, 2011, it was revealed Janosz was the incidental villain of the game and is related to one of the new rookies.[21]

IDW Comics Trivia[]

Appearances[]

Primary Canon Appearances[]


Expanded Universe

Secondary Canon Appearances[]



References[]

  1. Dana Barrett (1999). Ghostbusters II, Chapter 3: Dr. Janosz Poha (1989) (DVD ts. 12:32-12:33). Columbia Pictures. Dana Barrett says: "Well, thank you, Dr. Poha--"
  2. Janosz Poha (1999). Ghostbusters II, Chapter 3: Dr. Janosz Poha (1989) (DVD ts. 12:34). Columbia Pictures. Janosz Poha says: "Janosz."
  3. Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History, p. 136. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108. Line reads: "Vigo discards Justin."
  4. Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History, p. 153. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108. Revised FX Breakdown reads: "Figure of Vigo comes to life, turns towards Justin and gestures dramatically at him; he speaks in a commanding voice."
  5. Greene, James, Jr., (2022). A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever, p. 106-107. Lyons Press, Essex, CT USA, ISBN 9781493048243. Line reads: "Dana, Peter, and the other Ghostbusters would be protecting Dana's infant son Mikey from his father Justin Locke, an art historian who becomes possessed by Vigo the Carpathian after working with a painting of the centuries-old madman. For Justin, the filmmakers talked about trying to get Murray's pal Dustin Hoffman. They definitely envisioned the character as dark-haired with foreboding energy. That changed when they saw jittery redhead Peter MacNicol guest starring on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd."
  6. Warren, Bill (1989). "ha-ha-Horror Star" Fangoria #150, page 77-78. Fangoria Publishing, Atlanta, USA. Peter MacNicol says: "I was sent the script, but I didn't even want to audition for it, because it was one more generic villain that could literally have been played by anyone from George Arliss to Robert Culp. It was so broadly, pallidly drawn that there was not the slightest bit of interest in it for me. But I had just come back out [to California]; I was alone in Granada Hills-my wife was back east. I was sent here like an army ant, foraging for food. I couldn't just reject everything that was sent my way."
  7. Warren, Bill (1989). "ha-ha-Horror Star" Fangoria #150, page 78. Fangoria Publishing, Atlanta, USA. Peter MacNicol says: "I met Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis, and asked if anything would go. They said, 'Why? What do you have in mind?' and I said, 'Just let me do it.' So I did this scene, as this guy. And there was a kind of pall over the room when I finished. I felt that in trying to read their faces, the reactions would stretch from 'Let's give him a callback' to 'Call security immediately.' Happily for me, it was the former reaction that won out."
  8. Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History, p. 125. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108. Peter MacNicol says: "When I first read the script my character was named Jason, and he amounted to no more than a nondescript mind slave to Vigo. There was nothing the least bit foreign about Jason; he could have been played by most of the Screen Actors Guild. I happened to be in Los Angeles trying to get some film work. I had placed an ultimatum on myself that I couldn't return to New York until I got a job. Happily, I got the Ghostbusters II call within two days. I greedily read the script but couldn't find myself at all. At some point in that second reading it occurred to me that Jason, as an art curator, might be a little fussy. As for Jason's attachment to the painting of Vigo, my imagination began to provide him a missing connection. What if Jason was a middle European, and what if he and Vigo were fellow countrymen? In the space of minutes, I became a fussy Carpathian. I began to supply Jason with Euro malapropisms, and I laid on an accent [that] got thicker as the character took hold. I went in and met Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis. They were affable when we shook hands, and only slightly worried when I asked them if they would mind my taking some liberties with the part. I let loose with this character that Ivan would later denominate as Janosz Poha."
  9. Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History, p. 125. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108. Peter MacNicol says: "I stopped by the Romanian tourist agency and pretended I was planning to holiday in Bucharest. I carefully studied the agent's voice, but his accent was too good, too refined-too unfunny. Instead I simply let Janosz have his way with me, and the result is all there on camera."
  10. Warren, Bill (1989). "ha-ha-Horror Star" Fangoria #150, page 78. Fangoria Publishing, Atlanta, USA. Peter MacNicol says: "I had known this man at the Romanian tourist authority, because I had always wanted to go to Transylvania. So I would go in there and talk to this man; I remember his accent and worked it up, adding just a dash more paprika."
  11. Bernard, Jami (1989). "Who? Me a Villain?" Starlog #148, page 31. Starlog Group, Inc, USA. Line reads: "He swears the language is not a direct copy of an existing one, but he did spend time with a Czech friend and loafed near a Rumanian tourist board on Manhattan's Lower East Side."
  12. Bernard, Jami (1989). "Who? Me a Villain?" Starlog #148, page 31. Starlog Group, Inc, USA. Peter MacNicol says: "What I did was have a marriage of the most abrasive elements of both these languages. It's a language no country would embrace."
  13. Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History, p. 125. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108. Peter MacNicol says: "During my alone time in the trailer I filled in the world of Mr. Poha by designing the national flag of Carpathia. I had a different take on the 'Don't Tread on Me' motif-my Carpathian flag featured a snake stepping on a man. Our national motto was all consonants, since we were too poor a nation to afford vowels. And our economy was entirely based on the sale of firewood."
  14. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 10. Cinefex, USA. Mark Vargo says: "First we shot the scene with Peter MacNicol walking down the dimly lit hallway. As he did so, he moved his head from side to side. Then to create the look of real light illuminating patches on the walls, we turned off all the lights on the set and did another pass. Michael Chapman held a 2K at roughly MacNicol's head height and walked down the darkened hallway, panning the light from one side to the other. We did a couple of takes like that--fast and slow--and then we did a couple more where we held the light on the right side of the wall and walked along and then did the same on the left side, just in case we had to pick up little pieces. With the lights turned out, you could not see Michael Chapman, and any evidence of the 2K light itself we just garbage-matted out later. All we were interested in were the puddles of light on the wall. Lining up the patches was achieved by editorially sliding the selected light passes to roughly correspond with Janosz' action. This aspect of the shot was less difficult than one might imagine because interactive light elements were next turned over to the animation department where the actual beams could be created. "Pat Myers on the motion control animation camera did a tremendous job defining the beams. He put in shards and a little bit of particulate matter so that they looked like real beams, and he lined the beams up so they tracked from MacNicol's eyebrows to the puddles of light on the walls."
  15. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 26 footnote. Cinefex, USA. Line reads: "For identifiably close shots, Peter MacNicol was dressed in drag and photographed in front of a bluescreen. The arm stretch was a simple illusion employing a piece of tubing covered with costume fabric and rigged to slide down a pole. For wider shots, a miniature rod puppet and buggy were similarly photographed against blue. Character performers Bob Cooper and David Allen choreograph one of the miniature shots."
  16. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Dennis Muren says: "The ghost nanny sequence is another prime example of how things evolve and got better.The way this process of change would usually happen was that Ivan would send us a script. Three days later we would fly down for a meeting. Maybe Harold and Danny would be there, and the producers would be there and Chuck Gaspar--and we would all sort of hear the script through Ivan for the first time. During one of these meetings, he got to the two-headed flying dragon and he asked, 'Is this any good?' I said: 'I don't think so. We've seen it before and it doesn't really fit into this film. He said: 'Great, I agree. So come up with something else.' From there it was up to us to do just that."
  17. Eisenberg, Adam (November 1989). Ghostbusters Revisited, Cinefex magazine #40, page 29. Cinefex, USA. Harley Jessup says: "We did dozens of concept drawings, working with key elements in the story--baby, ledge, New York, New Year's Eve--we presented a variety of solutions to the problem. It was really a chance to find something that would work ten stories up in Manhattan and to think of how it would get up there. Some of the ideas involved creatures from a hellish world, while others were more down-to-earth. We had a phantom taxicab that would fly up, transform and take the baby away. We had a giant pigeon and a face that would appear in the moon and a vapor that came up out of the street. Other concepts involved billboard figures and building gargoyles coming to life. We even thought of a horrible Santa Claus. In retrospect, some of the ideas seem a little screwy, but we were trying to be one of the scariest moments of the film."
  18. Greene, James, Jr., (2022). A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever, p. 111. Lyons Press, Essex, CT USA, ISBN 9781493048243. Line reads: "My idea was, what if the baby wakes up because the clock stops ticking and all the toys in the baby's room come to life? The baby's eyes open, he looks left and right, and then a stuffed rabbit and a stuffed bunny come to life. They're animated. Then the baby starts moving towards the window because something's happening outside. The buildings have faces and there's a flying clown, all these happy things."
  19. Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History, p. 141, 144. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108. Thom Enriquez says: "In the version I storyboarded, Slimer was involved a lot more, so I had Slimer warn Louis that the baby was out on the ledge. Louis is trying to make out with Janine and he looks over her shoulder, and you see Slimer using all these gestures. The sequence was longer. When Bill Murray shows up with Dana and they find out the baby is missing, they look out the window and see the baby on the ledge with a monster, and there's a physical struggle. Bill goes out there, Dana hands him a baseball bat, and he's swinging at this creature."
  20. Greene, James, Jr., (2022). A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever, p. 176. Lyons Press, Essex, CT USA, ISBN 9781493048243. John Zuur Platten says: "We wanted to use Janosz from Ghostbusters II, but we knew we wouldn't be able to get Peter MacNicol."
  21. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-01-ghostbusters-sanctum-of-slime-interview?page=3
  22. Peter Venkman (2015). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters: Get Real Issue #3" (2015) (Comic p.7). Peter says: "Well, hey there, Ray. "Why are you drippings with goo?""
  23. Louis Tully (2022). Ghostbusters Ultimate Edition (2022), Ghostbusters II, You're My Cousin (1989) (Blu-ray ts. 00:50-00:56). Columbia Pictures. Louis Tully says: "We're gonna be in real big trouble if we don't move fast. That ghost guy came in and took that little baby away. It was just a scared little baby."
  24. Alan Crendall (2011). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Issue #1" (2011) (Comic p.11). Alan says: "Um... I think something is after us because of Uncle Janosz."
  25. Winston Zeddemore (2011). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Issue #1" (2011) (Comic p.12). Winston says: "He was the little foreign dude from the museum that the city dumped all the blame on."
  26. 50-S Memo (2018). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #6" (2018) (Comic p.21). 50-S reads: "Alan Crendall; nephew of Janosz Poha, a former thrall of Vigo the Carpathian."
  27. Narrator (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters IDW 20/20" (2019) (Comic dramatis personae page). Narrator says: "As a kid, he wanted to work in a museum, like his uncle, Janosz Poha."
  28. Vigo of Dimension 50-S (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters IDW 20/20" (2019) (Comic p.24). Vigo says: "Your bloodline failed me."
  29. Alan Crendall of Dimension 50-S (2019). IDW Comics- "Ghostbusters IDW 20/20" (2019) (Comic p.25). Alan Crendall of Dimension 50-S says: "After all you put my Uncle Janosz through, all you're gonna have is a face full of protons!"
  30. Narrator (2016). Insight Editions- "Tobin's Spirit Guide" (2016) (Book p.46). Paragraph reads: "Further investigation revealed that the Collectors had been sent after us by Janosz Poha (see entry on Vigo the Carpathian on page 64), who had been possessed by the demon Idulnas."
  31. Narrator (2016). Insight Editions- "Tobin's Spirit Guide" (2016) (Book p.64). Paragraph reads: "Using the weak-willed head of restorations, Dr. Janosz Poha, as his puppet, Vigo prepared for his return to the physical realm, feeding off the negative emotions stored in the mood slime to augment his own power."

Gallery[]

Primary Canon Images[]

Secondary Canon Images[]

NOW Comics images provided by Ectocontainment (Fan Site) and NOW Comics Deleted pages image provided by Alex Newborn (Original Source: James Van Hise).

Behind the Scenes Images[]

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