A Thread Named Scooby Doo (Now w/ WWE!)

[DerLanghaarige]

I thought that The Zone needs an official Scooby Doo thread.
Why, you ask? Well, after 40 years and more than one questionable "reboot" ("New Scooby Doo Movies", "13 Ghosts Of Scooby Doo", "Shaggy & Scooby Doo Get A Clue", to name the three worst offenders [that I've seen]), Scooby is still relevant. It has a huge fanbase, the merchandising is still selling incredibly well and they are still producing new episodes (in form of DTV movies or new shows). From what I've heard, today is even starting another new Scooby show on Cartoon Network, so I hereby declare this thread to be the official Scooby Doo thread.
Feel free to talk about everything Doo-related here, but if you wanna make fun of it, please come up with better jokes than "Shaggy is a pothead", "Fred & Daphne are fucking as soon as when the gang splits up" or "Velma is a lesbian". These were already old and tired before Adult Swim repeated them in all of their shows.

[TheButcher]

Scrappy must die!!

[RogueScribner]

I'm pretty sure Fred is gay.

[DerLanghaarige]

Scrappy must die!!

He already did. (Or did you see him since the 80's?)

I'm pretty sure Fred is gay.

Everybody knows that Daphne is just his "alibi".

Anyway, did anybody see that new show "Mystery Inc." on Cartoon Network yesterday? I'm still waiting to get my hands on it. The fans seem to like it, although these were the same people who hated prefer "13 Ghosts" over "What's New", so I'm curbing my enthusiasm.

[papalazeru]

I caught the new revamped TV show a short while back. Ummmmm....no.

I really hate the way all the chase scenes are done with some faux indie band music, and it seems to be missing a lot of the charm from the original.

The movies sucked, even with Gellar. Matthew Lillard was great as Shaggy though.

Although, Scooby did give us this...

[Peven]

[papalazeru]

Word!

So says Prince Lobster.

[Pacino86845]

Scooby Doo in the Venture Bros. was friggin' hilarious.

[Seppuku]

Weird. I broke out into a Scooby Doo theme crimp with my little brother this morning.

[DerLanghaarige]

Are you hating the new "Mystery Incorporated" show, that premiered yesterday, or "What's New Scooby Doo" from a few years ago?

[Maui]

A Scooby Doo enthusiast thread. Right on. Loved this show.

[TheButcher]

From Newsarama:
Getting Animated: ABRACADABRA-DOO by Dini, Burnett, Lee

In the inaugural Getting Animated column, Troy Brownfield takes a look at Paul Dini's new Scooby Doo Movie.

[DerLanghaarige]

I like Abracadabra-Doo. Or as I wrote in my movie journal:

#00049Scooby Doo: Abra-Cadabra-Doo (DVD/1st time viewing)

One of the better Scooby Doo DTV movies. The mystery took a few twists and turns and the writers did a good job to make its solution not too obvious. Pretty much everytime they found a clue which made you go "Oh, so it was done, he/she must be behind it all", a few seconds later an explaination followed, why it must be someone else. Okay, that the real solution turns out to be a little bit too illogical is a slight bummer, but come on, that's one of the core elements of Scooby Doo, so it's not that it would ruin the movie. Visually the film is stunning! They changed the look of the characters back to the original designs, but of course with modern, fluid animation. Think "Scooby Doo On Zombie Island", without the obvious japanese touch. They also used a wonderful, atmospheric colour pattern, that gives the foggy nights in the woods around the old castle a seriously spooly feeling. The only real bummer is that Casey Kasem isn't the voice of Shaggy. To my own surprise they let Matthew Lillard reprise the role, but he is a much better Shaggy than whoever voiced him in "Get A Clue". He's still no Casey Kasem. All in all it was an entertaining Scooby Doo Mystery. Very old-school, without any real ghosts, and very entertaining, if you don't mind the old formula. I hope they bring back Velma's sister one day. I like her.
7,5/10

[DerLanghaarige]

Okay, I was now able to get my hands on that preview episode of "Mystery Incorporated" and I got no idea if I like (Note: not love!) or hate it.

To sum it up, it's a kinda entertaining fanfiction, accompanied by some ugly fanart with awesome backgrounds. (See the pics at the bottom of this post)
I just hate, hate, hate the character design of the show. It looks like a mix beetween the ugly "Get A Clue" characters and the slightly weird looking anime-fication of "Zombie Island". And I just hate what they did to Velma. Not just design wise (although I think that it says a lot that her design in "Get A Clue" looked better than her design in "Mystery Incorporated"), but also what they did to her character. Let's just say, she acts way too cranky. The writers of "What's New" gave her already a sense for sarcasm, but it was Velma-worthy light-hearted sarcasm, not the mean spirited kind that we get from her here.
I already called the show a fanfiction and the reason why I think so is because it makes the typical fanfic mistakes. Like "Hey, let's show everybody's parents, because we never saw them before." Or "Hey, let's make it darker and spookier". Or "Hey, let's fill it with references to other episodes"! (They even had a man who looked like Don Knotts!) And of course the always popular"Hey, let's make all the shipping that was only hinted at in the show real!" The episodes are even called chapters! And the episode ends with a cliffhanger, that seems to be the beginning of a story arc. Let me say, I'm not a fan of story arcs. Not many series can handle them well and often they are just there to impress the easily impressable. (Also the 90's burned me a lot, when because of the success of The X-Files suddenly every show had a story arc, that grew more and more ridiculous and/or was never solved before the show was cancelled.) I give them the benefit of the doubt FOR NOW! We only saw one episode so far, so they can still impress me. But please be aware that I don't wanna encourage this behaviour.
What I liked so far was that despite it's spookier and more "real" approach, "Mystery Incorporated" didn't feel too grown up for some good ol'crossdressing fun. Yes, the slapstick (and imo overall humor) level was slightly muted, but that was no excuse for not putting Shaggy and Scooby in drag.
They also didn't fall into the trap of several other Doo-incarnations, where the ghosts turned out to be real. In the end it was another man in a mask and for me it's a good thing. Call me old fashioned, but I think real supernatural creatures don't belong to Scooby Doo.
And while I have lots of problems with the writing, I also gotta admit that the story unfolded in a very professional way. It felt like the writers were not trying to make "just another kids cartoon", but a real pilot episode for a new hit show.
And the voice acting was of course good as always. Casey Kasem came back from retirement for a small cameo as Shaggy's dad. I think the new Shaggy is Matthew Lillard, who played him in the two theatrical live action movies and reprised this role already in the last animated DTV production "Abracadabra-Doo", but I'm not sure. I heard he is taking over in Season 2, but it already sounded like him. Also Patrick Warburton is the voice of the local sherrif and as usual he is hilarious.
Oh, and they even had a short hommage to "The Warriors", but it was not one of the usual suspects, so a.) many people won't get it and b.) I'm not even sure if it really was what I think it was.

But all in all the first episode of "Mystery Incorporated" felt surprisingly flat. Maybe it will grow on my and I won't give it up already, but it just didn't click with me. It was not a travesty like "The 13 Ghosts" or "Get A Clue", but although it was Scooby Doo, it left me surprisingly cold.

And here are some pictures:

[ReynardCity]

I was in a student production of Scooby Doo- The Musical. That was fun. But yeah, it never really recovered from Scrappy. The cliches don't matter, ie repeating background, it's always the second person you meet, giant sandwiches, they were part of the fun. A bit like the A-team and their inability to shoot things.
But yeah, why a cross between a child and Joe Pesci was a good idea I'll never know. Then they added that yokel dog in the hat.

[DerLanghaarige]

I think Scooby Dum came before Scrappy. That doesn't make him any better,though. And holy shit, I would love to see that musical!

[ReynardCity]

It was a lot of fun. I played the chaplain's assitant. There was one gag in particular where I was underneath his robe and came out polishing a candle (yeah, student humour!)

[buster00]

Bring this back:

[DerLanghaarige]

Scoobyfan.net posted an official press release about "Mystery Incorporated".

The Scooby Gang is Back with More Spooky Mysteries to Solve.

Scooby-Doo is back in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Monday, July 12, at 7 p.m. (ET, PT)

Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their talking dog Scooby-Doo are back, solving mysteries in the spooky town of Crystal Cove in the animated Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated premiering Monday, July 12 at 7 p.m. (ET, PT). Crystal Cove is a sleepy coastal village that boasts a long history of ghostly sightings, werewolves and glowing deep sea divers. Because of all the mystery, Crystal Cove has become a tourist hotspot, taking in major profits and the townspeople don’t appreciate the meddling of the renowned sleuthing team.

In Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, the curious gang investigates every circumstance with a questioning mindset. Ghosts and monsters may exist, but extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof and the gang will stop at nothing to learn the truth of Crystal Cove. Plus, the drama won’t be limited to paranormal activities � the gang will be portrayed as real teens with real problems, dealing with situations that arise in their families and personal relationships within the group.

From Warner Bros. Animation, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated features the voices of Frank Welker (What’s New, Scooby-Doo?) as Fred/Scooby-Doo, Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life) as Velma, Grey DeLisle (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) as Daphne and Matthew Lillard (the Scooby-Doo films) as Shaggy. Sam Register (Teen Titans, Ben 10, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) is the executive producer. Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone (both Duck Dodgers, Back at the Barnyard, Space Jam) are the supervising producers.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

The part that gives me a huge headache is " the gang will be portrayed as real teens with real problems, dealing with situations that arise in their families and personal relationships within the group", which sounds exactly like the kind of fanfiction bullshit that I talked about in my review of the first episode, but well, maybe it isn't that bad. Let's wait and see.

[Peven]

Bring this back:

replace the X-Games with it....

[DerLanghaarige]

Y'know what? With episode 2 "Mystery Incorporated" established itself as the visually most breathtaking cartoon show on TV right now! (Minus the ugly character design, of course)
Too bad the writing is still so-so and smells like a bad fanfiction, although I was overall more satisfied with this episode than the pilot. But still: too much teenie-lovey-dovey-drama, Fred is still almost as dumb as in "A Pup Named Scooby Doo" (I seriously expected him to accuse Red Harring to be behind the Gator people at one point), the mystery was so dumb that I now seriously expect the writers to HATE the concept of the show that they are writing for (Only three suspects and the monsters even look exactly like them? WTF?) and a story arc that feels even at this early point so weirdly out of place, that I don't believe it will lead to anything interesting.
I know, the kids will love the show, because it uses every cheap trick to get them these days ("Wow, it's dark!" "Wow, it's realistic [which means its hangs a lampshade wherever it finds a place for it]!" "Wow, it has a story arc!"], but I'm still not really sold on it.
But on the other hand, I'm also not really against it, so let's see what next week's episode has to offer!
P.S.: LOVED the Nugget Nose cameo

[DerLanghaarige]

Okay, episode 3, what can I say? Although Fred is now so dumb that the writers aknowledge that by calling him "a vegetable", I was seriously less annoyed by this episode than the last two. It felt so much more natural. Not as forced, show-offy and gimmicky like what came before. Even Velma wasn't as mean-spirited or pushy as in the last episodes, except for one seriously out of character remark about sticking something into someone's somewhere. Unfortunately I seriously cringed when Mr. E's letter appeared. I totally forgot about him, that's how good that episode felt! And although his message didn't really ruin anything, it just proved how useless and unnecessary this subplot is. (Not to mention that I prefer when the gang solves mysteries alone.)
What I found interesting is that the show apparently gave up its dark and realistic (as realistic as Scooby Doo can be) style very quick. I mean, what was up with the shark? And Scooby's tattoed tongue is even by "13 Ghosts" or "Get A Clue" standards one of the most bizarre jokes that I've ever seen within the franchise!
Anyway, so far this was the most satisfiying episode for me.

[TheButcher]

io9 Exclusive:
Learn how Superman, Wonder Woman and Scooby Doo will appear on Batman: The Brave and the Bold!

[The Vicar]

Best. Velma. Picture. EVAR.

[minstrel]

Best. Velma. Picture. EVAR.

This may or may not be true, but you hang around some odd websites, don't you?

[The Vicar]

This is news?

[DerLanghaarige]

I prefer my avatar by far, mostly because it's not some generic wannabe-anime fanart, but a REAL screencap from the new DTV movie Camp Scare! (Which is btw all kinds of awesome and doesn't shit all over the franchise, like Mystery Incorporated does.)

[The Vicar]

I prefer my avatar by far, mostly because it's not some generic wannabe-anime fanart, but a REAL screencap from the new DTV movie Camp Scare! (Which is btw all kinds of awesome and doesn't shit all over the franchise, like Mystery Incorporated does.)

And its good...Velma is working it.

[buster00]

Bikini Velma For The Win!

[The Vicar]

Bikini Velma For The Win!

Hard to argue with that.
Talk about WIn-Win.

[DerLanghaarige]

I love that Google has today a Scooby theme

[The Vicar]

This may or may not be true, but you hang around some odd websites, don't you?

Jillian is getting into The Doo, so I did a quick Google search for some wallpaper and BANG!!
I had no frakking idea that there was an entire internet sub-genre devoted to pornographic Velma images.
A shitload of them. Some of them downright scary.

[TheButcher]

Scooby Doo, Where Are You! Mystery Machine DVD Set

Warner Bros Home Entertainment have just announced a fantastic looking complete series set for Scooby Doo, Where Are You!, due to be released on November 9, 2010. All 41 episodes of the series are included on 7 DVDs. An eighth DVD includes new bonus features. If you’re a Scooby Doo fan (and really, who isn’t) the Mystery Machine packaging should be enough to seal the deal. Check out another image of the packaging below. We’ll have more details when they are released.

AMAZON LINK

[DerLanghaarige]

And in the good ol' tradition of the gang meeting real life celebrities, the new animated DTV movie will take place at Wrestlemania and feature lots of guest appereance by WWE stars!

Via Coming Soon:

In what's likely to be the strangest announcement of the day (if not of the year), it's just been reported that Warner Bros. and WWE Studios will team-up to make a new Scooby-Doo animated feature together, which will involve Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at WrestleMania.

That setting would allow WWE Studios to set-up a number of top wrestlers to appear in animated form and provide their voices including Triple H, John Cena, Kane, The Miz, Brodus Clay, Santino Marella, Sin Cara, AJ, and WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon.

The movie will probably not get a theatrical release as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment plans on releasing it on DVD and Blu-ray as well as via VOD and digital download sometime in 2014, although this venture will allow WWE to bring its wrestling superstars into another medium that could get kids interested in wrestling and their wrestlers at an earlier age.

This wouldn't be the first time Scooby-Doo and the gang investigated spooky doings in a wrestling setting as Fred himself entered a wrestling competition in the "What's New Scooby Doo?" episode "Wrestle Maniacs" in 2005.

Below is the official press release from WWE Studios:

Warner Bros. and WWE Studios announced they will co-produce a Scooby-Doo animated feature that will find Scooby and the gang solving a mystery atWrestleMania®. The announcement was made today by Jeff Brown, Executive Vice President and General Manager, TV, Family & Animation, Warner Home Video and Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios.

WWE Superstars and Divas including Triple H®, John Cena®, Kane, The Miz®, Brodus Clay™, Santino Marella®, Sin Cara™ and AJ™ will appear in animated form and lend their voices to the project. WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon® will also lend his voice and appear in animated form.

“We are excited to partner with Warner Bros. on this wonderful animated film,” said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi. “Kids and adults are going to enjoy seeing their favorite WWE Superstars in animated form join forces with an icon like Scooby-Doo to solve a mystery at the biggest pop-culture event of the year – WrestleMania.”

“Warner Bros. is thrilled to get into the ring with WWE Studios to bring fans an unprecedented animated adventure,” said Jeff Brown, Executive Vice President and General Manager, TV, Warner Home Video. “We’re excited to leverage the WWE’s family-friendly brand and passionate fan base and integrate some of the most popular WWE Superstars and Divas within the Scooby-Doo gang.”

When Shaggy and Scooby win tickets to WrestleMania, the entire gang travels in the Mystery Machine to WWE City to attend the epic event. However, when a mysterious ghostly bear appears and threatens to ruin the show, Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred work with WWE Superstars to solve the case.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will handle worldwide distribution on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download. The film will be produced by Warner Bros. Animation. WWE will utilize its extensive global reach through its television, digital media and print assets to market the release of the film.

Bradley Buchanan, VP of Business and Legal Affairs negotiated on behalf of WWE Studios.

[SilentBobX]

Two shitty entertainment properties that shit great together.



Mahalo

[Bloo]

is it wrong I want to know what WWE City looks like?

[DerLanghaarige]

is it wrong I want to know what WWE City looks like?

Something tells me that it might look a lot like your signature.

[Bloo]

is it wrong I want to know what WWE City looks like?

Something tells me that it might look a lot like your signature.

so in other words, awesome

[Hermanator X]

Uggghhhhh my son is of the age to watch a bit of scooby doo now. Jesus its a terrible cartoon. Dont know if its the nostalgia thing, but im sure it was better when I was a lad.
Seems to be on every time we switch the box on for him. Thankfully he only watches about 10 mins of tv with a bit of fruit, to calm him down before bed. The real tragedy is that they stopped showing the Aardman Timmy Time show, which is AWESOME.

[SilentBobX]

In all sincerity, the first Scooby Doo wasn't that bad, and the second version was fairly decent, with some good monsters(my personal favorite being the walking shark-monster). After that, it went off the rails with Scooby Dumb, Scrappy Doo, Scooby Dee(don't ask) and of course, 13 ghosts of Scooby Doo with of all people, Vincent Price. Oh Vince, did you need the money THAT BAD? I wept for him and still do.


Mahalo

[Bloo]

I have fond memories of 13 Ghosts, mainly because between that and Thriller I was introduced to Vincent Price

And I kind of liked Flim Flam. I dig that in Mystery Inc, Scooby and Shag watch Vincent Price's TV show

[DerLanghaarige]

Vincent Price is pretty much the only redeeming quality of 13 GHOSTS. Am I the only one who noticed that the show is even worse animated than the original from the 60's? But many 80's cartoons are.

[SilentBobX]

What shocks me is how terribly animated some later interpretations were of classic characters. Look at the Popeye cartoons from the 30s and look at the 80s version(ditto with Tom and Jerry the filmation years). The problem was of course, MONEY. Whereas the first Scooby Doo was at least creepy with its atmosphere and backgrounds, it tried. But that's where it ends as far as cartoons being bad in the 80s. In the 80s, we saw an end to superheroes for the most part as we knew them and got something new that was exciting. Transformers, GIJoe, Sectaurs, Inhumanoids(that toon is and will always be fucked up), Centurions, Thundercats, etc. All of these cartoons broke new ground. You saw characters get hurt, villains get punched, some more serious themes, and of course, hotter chicks.

Were they toy commercials? DUH. But they were cool and we loved them. And let's face some reality here. Every hero and superhero from the beginning has had its share of marketing. Kids wanted toys associated with their heroes. From Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger to Superman to TMNT and today. This started long before most of us were born, and will continue after we're gone. It's called commerce. Making money. And whether we like it or don't like it, it's what greases the machine of entertainment. Yes we get shit and gold almost in equal measure, but them's the breaks.

Peace Out



Mahalo

[Al Shut]

To hell with me if I'd be able to tell the various incarnations apart, I seem to remember hating some little kid wearing yellow.

By chance I watched a relatively new Scooby Doo movie just yesterday and while it looked pretty good afterall it was still Scooby Doo, i.e. not very exciting. One of those things I have no idea why I liked it back in the days.

[Bloo]

To hell with me if I'd be able to tell the various incarnations apart, I seem to remember hating some little kid wearing yellow.

Oh Flim Flam you are the worst character in the Scooby Doo verse ever

[Al Shut]

And I kind of liked Flim Flam.

I seem to remember hating some little kid wearing yellow.

Oh Flim Flam you are the worst character in the Scooby Doo verse ever

I had no idea I'm that persuasive


That kid was named Flim Flam? Sounds more like a dragon (maybe only to Germans)

[Bloo]

And I kind of liked Flim Flam.

I seem to remember hating some little kid wearing yellow.

Oh Flim Flam you are the worst character in the Scooby Doo verse ever

I had no idea I'm that persuasive


That kid was named Flim Flam? Sounds more like a dragon (maybe only to Germans)

I liked Flim flam as a kid, but I also liked Scrappy Doo. I'm not above admiting that I liked them but they are also two of the worst characters in history of animation. LOL See I should go into Politics

"Mr. Bloo, you are waffling on the issues" "No, you see, I'm not I'm both recognizing that as a kid I liked htis but I also recognize that it was horrible" "guilty! Go Directly to jail"

yes the character's name was Flim Flam because he was a pint sized con artist (thus a "Flim Flam" artist) kind of like when the named the Riddler they called him Edward Nigma (get it E. Nigma...eh never mind)

[DerLanghaarige]

Actually Scrappy wasn't that bad (and even was a hit with auiences, when he was introduced!!!), but the problems started when he took over the franchise. (First Velma, Daphne and Fred disappeared, than even Shaggy and Scooby became more supporting players.)

[DerLanghaarige]

Pogo made a Scooby remix (Or whatever you wanna call what Pogo does)

[TheButcher]

From CA:
The Awesomely Creepy Background Art Of 'Scooby-Doo'

50 SCOOBY-DOO BACKGROUND PAINTINGS