Egon/Janine

Picture
Egon Spengler and Janine Melnitz are based on what they looked like from the 1986 cartoon series. With Janine it's how she looked in the first 2 seasons. But I changed her glasses, there round (no, I'm not afraid of sharp objects). With Egon I didn't want to overdo the pompadour hairstyle since in the cartoon it's much bigger. I also gave him the enhanced proton pack from the video game. I guess the story to this picture is that Janine is kissing Egon who has just come back from busting ghost. I always try to give a story to a picture that I've done.


Comics
The series definitely had them as a couple and so did the comic books
The Real Ghostbusters (NOW Comics and Marvel UK)
Ghostbusters: Legion

The writers of the TV show and comics ignored what happen in Ghostbusters II when Janine for some strange idiotic reason got together with that other character (I'm not even going to waste my time with his name at this point) and I can't thank them enough for doing that, although the cartoon characters were not exactly like their movie counterparts in every single way. But nevertheless, there was no soap opera love triangle crap going on. In Extreme Ghostbusters the relationship continued as well, although it could have been better written… well the whole show could have been better written.


Janine Melnitz
When it comes to there characters in the TV show, through season 1 to 2, Janine is the tough working Queens/Brooklyn girl of the group who takes her job seriously, she's a nice goodhearted funny character that can Ghostbust with the best of them. She was pretty much a 5th Ghostbuster.

But by season 3 they changed her personality, voice actress and the way she looked. The network hired consultants, a group called Q5, that wanted her to be less abrasive, more nurturing to the others, more of a mother character and she needs to wear more dresses, not short skirts or pants. That pretty much killed her character, it took away her toughness and the spunk that she had. Unlike the guys, she wasn't anything like her movie counterpart at all at that point. It also meant we weren't going to see her be a "tough" Ghostbuster again because in episodes like
Janine's Genie
When the Genie tries to stop her she says
Janine: "Oh yeah! Out of the way creep!"
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-01-Episode-012-Janine-s-Genie?id=24640

Mr. Sandman, Dream Me A Dream
She was able to take control of her dream and gives a tough one-liner.
Janine: "Goodnight yourself buster!"
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-01-Episode-007-Mr-Sandman-Dream-Me-a-Dream?id=24635

Janine's Day Off
She says to Louis (a damsel in distress character)
Janine: "Louis! Come on, show a little backbone!"
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-001-Janine-s-Day-Off?id=24642

Janine Melnitz, Ghostbuster
Her apartment is hunted and with the guys being too busy, she decides to suit up and get rid of them herself because she ain't afraid of no ghost. But when the guys are in trouble, it's up to her to help them. Slimer is sent into the containment unit to find out if any of the other ghost knows where they were. When a few of them try to get out, she says
Janine: "Don't try it!"

When she finds where they are, a demon secretary says that no one sees Proteus without an appointment, but her answer is
Janine: "I got your appointment, right here!"

When she meets Proteus who changes into different images of animals she says
Janine: "Would you stop with the shape changing, your giving me a headache."
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-012-Janine-Melnitz-Ghostbuster?id=24653

Victor the Happy Ghost
Janine got to fly the Ecto-2 autogyro to help save the Ghostbusters from Victor by providing cover fire and throwing them spare Proton Packs.
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-024-Victor-the-Happy-Ghost?id=24665

Captain Steel Saves the Day
Dr. Destructo tries to be threading since he's based off a 1940s or 50s super villain, but Janine, an 80s tough female character, isn't intimidated by him at all. When she first meets him, she's eating a sandwich.
Janine: "May I help you?"
Destructo: "I am Dr. Destructo and you are my prisoner!"
She continues to eat her sandwich normally and speaks in a calm voice.
Janine: "Doctor Venkman won't like this, he hates to pay me overtime."

With a device called the Mental Neutralizer that will turn people into mindless zombies, he needs energy to power it. He tried to adapt the power grid that fed the energy to the Ghostbusters' Containment Unit. While he's doing so, Janine says
Janine: "Careful with that equipment bubby. You break it, you bought it."
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-004-Captain-Steel-Saves-The-Day?id=24645

She showed that she could kick @$$, take charge, be fearless, funny, and flirty. But when she was changed, she lost that edge, she didn't have it anymore, Janine became a submissive, weak, dull female character with the voice of a squirrel... she became the boring librarian of the Ghostbusters... she even ended up dating a rich evil jerk in episode Robo Buster.

The first Janine wouldn't have been that stupid, although the NOW and Marvel UK comics of The Real Ghostbusters ignored those changes completely and kept her the same, once again I have to thank those writers for doing that, they knew better. But for the cartoon it only got worst for her when they deiced to give her the hairstyle from Ghostbusters II......... they had something good with not only her, but the whole show... and they fracked it up.


Changes made to The Real Ghostbusters
They were not allowed to have the male characters look like the actors from the film but it was ok for them to give Janine that god awful hairstyle……… well… at least they still had her wanting to be with Egon, that was the only good thing that was left with her. I've noticed how a lot of Ghostbuster fans and Egon/Janine fans still writer and draw her the way she looked from season 1 to 2. That Janine is far more liked.
 
They tried to explain why Janine was different in episode Janine, You've Changed, the story is that a fairy godmother like demon was controlling and made her look different, although if that was the case then she should have returned back to the way she was in the first 2 seasons in her appearance, attitude, and voice actress. But nothing changed... they just gave a poor excuse as to why she was changed, ABC had no intension on putting her back to the way she was. Some people have said that she did, that it took time and that's what happen by the time of Extreme Ghostbusters... well that's not true, there's nothing to prove that. J. Michael Straczynski left the show because of such changes, the ratings on the show dropped when the consultants also wanted...
1.Adding in Jr. Ghostbusters
2.Focusing too much on Slimer
3.Winston just being the driver
4.The animation looking more cartoonish
5.The show being less and less dark than its first two seasons

The Real GB J. Michael Straczynski interview part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSZBoyY_tCQ

The Real GB J. Michael Straczynski interview part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiJD-kiidpM

The Real Ghostbusters: The Good Episodes - Phelous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z5Oc76joxo

The Real Ghostbusters: The Bad Episodes - Phelous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW51PDa_puE

All of that combined lead to its downfall, ABC finally went back to Straczynski and offered him his job back. He was forced to decline due to other commitments, but agreed to write a few episodes on the condition that he got to write the show the way it was during his tenure. But by that time it was already too late, the show had lost too many fans......... and all because of made-up crap that these consultants thought would make the show better...


Egon/Janine Episodes
When it comes to their moments in the series such as episode
Killerwatt
Janine compliments Egon
Janine: "Oh Egon, you're such a genius!"
Egon: "Yes, I know."
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-01-Episode-002-Killerwatt?id=24630

Cold Cash and Hot Water
Janine will only help if she’s given a few things from Peter
Janine: "I want a raise."
Peter: "Ok."
Janine: "And more time off."
Peter: "Oh, ok."
Janine: "And I want some privileged information, about Egon, I think he’s cute. Fair?"
Peter: "Fair, read on Egon."
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-019-Cold-Cash-and-Hot-Water?id=24660

Rollerghoster
She loves and appreciates the fact that he's intelligent. Where they spending time with each other she says
Janine: "Oh Egon, you're so smart."
When Egon is being thrown out of a carnival by two big thugs, Janine says to them
Janine: "You let go of him! He's a scientist and a very famous person!"
When they leave she says
Janine: "Egon you were wonderful."
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-008-Rollerghoster?id=24649

Ghost Busted
The Ghostbusters start catching criminals because of a lack of ghost, they end up getting the attention of a Mafia leader called the boss. Janine is kidnapped, when they rescue her, Egon and Janine hug each other.
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-029-Ghost-Busted?id=24670

Ragnarok and Roll
Spengler sometimes appeared to be unaware of Melnitz's romantic interest in him, but at times he displayed having similar feelings for her. When there was a good chance of the four Ghostbusters dying, Egon says her name with a slight tone of sorrow and regret
Egon: "… Janine."
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-003-Ragnarok-And-Roll?id=24644

Janine Melnitz, Ghostbuster
After Janine and Slimer save the group, Egon thanks her
Egon: "Janine, it was very brave of you to come after us."
Janine: "Thanks Egon."

Victor the Happy Ghost
Janine: "Egon probably left it there. I love that boy, but he'd forget his head if it wasn't welded to his collarbone."

Slimer, Is That You?
When Egon and Silmer end up switching places, she showed that she's the type that loves the smart thinking man.
Janine: "It's nothing, Egon. Just realizing it really is your mind I like."
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-03-Episode-003-Slimer-is-That-You?id=24708

Egon's Ghost
When Egon is accidentally zapped by one of his own inventions on a bust, he becomes a ghost. He fades into the underworld and the guys go to rescue him. When he comes back, Janine runs up to him and kisses him on the lips.
https://kimcartoon.to/Cartoon/The-Real-Ghost-Busters/Season-02-Episode-011-Egon-s-Ghost?id=24652

For Janine, she kissed him (at least 2 times) and they had a date but he finally told her that he loved her and wanted to spend more time with her.

In an Extreme Ghostbusters episode, Janine gets kidnapped by an insect demon to mutate and serve as his queen, Egon displays a notable level of ire in his voice by saying, "This time, it's personal!" He helps her regain her human feelings by telling her he loved her. But she should already know that because Egon told her that he loved her in the RGB series... 
 
Like I said the cartoon characters were not exactly like their movie counterparts in every single way, both Egon and Janine (season 1 and 2) were a lot tougher and there personalities were different in some ways, so I of course drew the cartoon version of them since the writers of The Real Ghostbusters really found a way to make the relationship work between them. Laura Summer (Janine's first voice) and Maurice LaMarche (the voice of Egon) are Egon/Janine fans and Annie Potts as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgFn-ZH2wPM


Will they or won't They?
Egon and Janine had this thing where they like each other but they don't really do anything or act on it (they only had one date), one writer after the other just continued that. There able to get to know each other so it doesn't just suddenly happen, but it just goes on and on, by the time they do get together, everybody is like "It's about time!" But even after they said, "I love you!" but by the next episode... nothing ever really came of it.


Ghostbusters II, the 2009 Video Game and the Comics
Since GBII has Janine carrying on with Louis and the filmmakers consider that the final word. It was bad enough that GBII was nearly a plot-point-by-plot-point repeat of the first film, the actors all look tired and bored. The music was terrible, Mood Slime was passed off as a joke, the main villain was weak, non-threatening, uninteresting and his master plan of putting his soul in a child and taking over the wolrd made no sense at all... but then they threw that nonsense in with Louis. It's funny that Harold Ramis derided his scenes in the first film with Annie Potts as mawkish, but her scene with Moranis in GBII was downright awkward, weird and a waste of time to watch. I swear Janine seemed like she was stoned in GBII, which would go a long way to explaining that scene and her bad hairstyle.

Although in the 2009 video game (the sequel to GBII) on the 2nd floor of the Firehouse, there's a massage on the answering machine that's for Janine
Caller: "Hi Janine, this is Mark. We meet the other night at the 'I have a crush on my boss but I'm afraid to tell him' seminar."

When you come back from the Lost Island mission, Janine runs up to Egon to tell him and the others that Ilyssa is gone and she just about throws herself into his arms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1B2qmMHb7Q
 
However... that really isn't much at all to base a relationship on which is why I support the cartoon version. The J/L relationship has been treated as either an a brief fling or it never happen by several canons like RGB, EGB, and the NOW/Marvel UK comics. However the iBooks novel used it and they then even did some possibly unintentional undermining. Sholly Fische in the 2004 "Ghostbusters: The Return" novel kept that going and the IDW comic puts her with a cartoon Egon clone... as if that makes it better or acceptable. But the RGB cartoon and comics put her with Egon quickly, and Louis isn't seen or even mentioned in EGB. He wasn't needed in GBII or in the cartoon at all, only in episode  Jailbusters did he serve a purpose. Just because he does there taxes, that's not a good reason for him to be anywhere near the Ghostbusters on a daily bases.


IDW Ghostbusters Comics
IDW can't seem to do anything with these two or the series itself, they ruined both Egon and Janine. They have it that she dates the cartoon version of Egon... except it's not really the cartoon Egon, he's a new character who just looks like him... being connected to Egon means a lot more story and characterization possibilities for Janine than her dating the doofus accountant or some newcomer, no matter who he looks like.

Once you've resorted to love-triangles... it ends up like a typical fan fiction or Soap Opera. It doesn't do anything for the characters or the storyline, it becomes a distraction, a waste of time and makes the character look incompetent as hell. What people see in that type of storytelling is beyond me. In Vol. 2, issue 3, Janine surprises him when she gives him a kiss when he comes back from another dimension, but she quickly apologizes for doing it and Egon doesn't say word about it. In the July 2013 issue, the only thing they admitted to was that they cared for each other... that's it......... talk about jerking E/J fans around with this. All these years and this is as far as they've come in the movie universe...

Now I'm not asking for Janine to be Egon's lover and nothing else, as if that would be her only defining trait as a character, the way she was written in the first two seasons of the RGB was perfect, but both Egon and Janine ended up spending more time with other people than with each other throughout the whole run of the IDW comic... the last issue came out in September of 2014 (good riddance!) and nothing else happen between the two... nothing...