It’s officially the weekend, and that also means there’s only one weekend left until Scooby’s 51st anniversary! Today with us is Ashton, who runs the YouTube channel smASH and is a Super Scooby fan with an inspiring history of getting into the franchise.
Here’s Ashton’s profile: 1. What is your name? Ashton, some know me as smASH from my YouTube channel. 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? Funny story actually so here it goes. I was about 3, maybe 4, I don't remember any of this but it's what my parents have told me all my life. I was in the car with my dad as we were driving (who knows where) when we came across a farm that had caught on fire. My dad pulled over to see if he could help get the animals out at least. Neighbors had come out to see what was going on and my dad asked a lady if she could get me away from the smoke. After all that is said and done, they were able to get the fire under control and the lady brought me back to my dad, she told him that she had taken me to her house and turned on Scooby-Doo and I just sat and watched it. From that moment on Scooby and the gang became a part of my DNA, and to this day I wish we knew who the lady was because she has no idea what she did to my life. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? For a favorite episode I'll probably go with 'A Clue for Scooby-Doo' from the original series. It's one of the earliest episodes I remember watching and one of the first I ever owned to watch again and again. As for my favorite film, it has to go to Scooby-Doo 2 Monsters Unleashed. When it released I wanted to go see it so bad, I reminded my parents when it was coming out for months on end. Now I am the youngest of my three siblings, I have two sisters and one brother. My brother being the oldest, he surprised me and my siblings and his girlfriend at the time, one night with tickets to go see it. This was the first, and last, Scooby anything I saw on the big screen at a theater. I remember going in and seeing all the banners and promotional pieces for the film as we went to our seats. The movie wowed me, seeing these villains I had been watching for a few years now come alive right before me. It just felt so right. Although I love the movie to death and the story it tells, it's not the reason that it's my favorite. My brother as I said is the oldest in the family, we are the furthest apart in age. When I was super young he got addicted to drugs of all kinds, had to be put into rehab, and came home most nights yelling at my parents. I never got to see him, or ever make memories with him because he was never mentally there. As I got older I felt more and more like I never had a brother, and to this day I see my family as my two sisters and I. Going to see this film with him is one of the only memories I have with him, and actually him. He was there mentally, he was excited to surprise me with the tickets and take me, and made sure it was an experience I wouldn't forget. That is why it is my favorite movie, it's the closest thing I have to feeling like I have a brother when all these years I have never gotten to know mine. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? I try to get involved anywhere I can. I'm on many forums, listen to all the podcasts there are, and interact through social media. But I have my own YouTube channel called smASH which isn't exclusively Scooby-Doo related content, but it has leaned towards that more and more as I continue to grow, which I am not against of course. I also have made my own Scooby-Doo podcast called Scooby-Doo Legend of the Podcast. The purpose of my podcast is to dive into the continuity of the Scooby cinematic universe. There's this unspoken timeline of Scooby that I feel like everyone gets too scared or overwhelmed to figure out and that is what my podcast is doing, going through every episode and film to determine how everything connects as one cohesive timeline. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? This is hard because I love each series of Scooby for a different reason, but I have to say The Scooby-Doo Show. I feel like that is the series they figured out how to blend creepiness and comedy so well together. It's a series I often will put on for some 'Saturday Morning Cartoons' feelings. But I also feel like they figured that out within the early 2010 films as well. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? Oh boy I usually stray away from talking about sequels after so much hate was put on last year's two films (which I quite enjoyed actually) but there's actually two sequels I would actually like to see. The first one doesn't necessarily have to be a sequel but I have always wanted the return of Crystal and Amber from 'Aliens Invaders.' I feel like they were perfect for Shaggy and Scooby, and I would love for them to come back and ask for the gang's help. The other one is more of just me wanting an explanation for something that can be ignored, but the end credits scene of 'Camp Scare' reveals there is a real banshee, can we please get 'Camp Scare 2' and answer that mystery. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I would love some spin off series for the franchise. They don't have to be long at all, one season per side character, but I want to get to know The Hex Girls more, get a spin off series for them and see the band growing up and forming. I also would love a 'Mystery Incorporated,' spin off where either each episode or each season, we see the previous mystery solvers stories get told more in depth leading up to the events of the Mystery Inc. we know. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? My favorite member of the gang is Shaggy. He is always just laid back, goes with the flow, and who doesn't want to own a talking dog? Him and I look very similar, I always get told I look like him and I have just embraced it at this point. I say I am the red shirt Shaggy of this universe. I wouldn't say I am always hungry like him and Scooby, but I would always know there's going to be food about every hour if I ever roomed with him and Scoob. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? This is always a hard one, I love the villains! It's what I look forward to most about any new Scooby, but recently I kind of "rediscovered" a villain I loved. That is the Yowie Yahoo from 'Legend of the Vampire.' He is just so big and not what you think of as a vampire at all. I love that would appear, take care of business and leave. It never talks, and neither does any of its minions. It's this creature you hope to witness and yet when you do you never want to speak about it. I also really enjoyed the fact that at the end of that film there was an "end battle" of sorts between the gang and the vampire, something we don't often see I feel like. Plus Australia is my dream place to go. 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? Scooby-Dum! I miss him so much. I loved his story of wanting to become a police dog despite the fact that he was clumsy. I felt like he got to live out his dream whenever he was with the gang. He was so passionate about finding clues and didn't let any villain stop him from trying to figure it out. He's so cute and a character I think is long overdue for a return. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I have quite a few Scooby items, besides DVD's and VHS. I have a handful of the Funko Pop figures, one of which is the green flocked Scooby. I have a handful of fan arts I found at conventions, and a picture signed by Freddie Prinze Jr. Toys, rare VHS, coloring books, blankets, stuffed animals, it goes on and on. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? There are so many factors to Scooby-Doo that I don't think there is one in particular. I think a big part of it is that there is one of us in each member of the gang. We can relate to one of them and even pieces of each of them that make it feel like we are a part of the gang as well. They are that misfit group of kids that do what they love and don't care what others think. When we feel we don't have anywhere to fit in we can go right into the Mystery Machine with the gang and road trip with them anywhere. I also feel though that the spooky element has kept it resonating for years. It's not scary necessarily but a good introduction to the horror genre, enough to make your mind wander for a moment and then realize it's all fake in the end with the gang pulling off the mask. Yes there are a few where the beings are real, but they are taken down and proven to be not as big of a threat as we imagined in our minds. I think also there is just a Scooby for every generation, whether you grew up with the original, the early 2000's, there are levels of Scooby so you can watch as young or as old as you are and find enjoyment throughout the entire franchise. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? Not everyone knows this about me, but I was born with only half a heart. I have a condition called Congenital Heart Defect and I have a form called Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome which means I am missing the right side of my heart. My parents were told that I wouldn't be born alive or that I would only live for 24 hours. When I was born my family took "family pictures" before they were to believe I would be gone. I won't go into detail otherwise you will be here for hours, but I have had many surgeries throughout my life to help maintain my heart. I wasn't born with a pulmonary artery (which is the vein that pumps blood to the lungs from the heart) so a doctor made me one out of a cow's jugular vein when I was 13, so yes, I am part cow. I have gone into heart failure twice already in my life, the most recent being my junior year of high school. This isn't something that can be 'fixed' so I will have to always go to have surgeries to help maintain my heart and alter how I care for it. It has limited me in my physical activity, I have never been able to run. play sports, or even ride a bike because I don't have the energy to keep up. I was always told I wouldn't make it to adulthood but I am now 22, almost 23 and still going. Scooby-Doo has become a comfort for me, something to turn on whenever I was recovering from surgeries having my chest cut open and my heart played with. When I couldn't go out and play with my friends, I could have adventures with the gang and go wherever they did. Being in the hospital I have seen so many different patients and all their different struggles. It has helped make me be very open minded and accepting of others thoughts and trials. Within Scooby, it has made me very open minded and accepting of what is brought to the table with Scooby-Doo. Like I said earlier, I quite enjoyed last year’s two films, and the Be Cool Scooby-Doo series, and it makes me sad to see so much hate for those recent projects within the Scooby universe. It's not how you envisioned 'Return to Zombie Island,' but we shouldn't bash on it for being different. Now I am just rambling lol, but I hope that all makes sense. 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! I think that does it for me, I appreciate you thinking of me and reaching out. Thank you so much to Ashton for his thoughtful and inspiring responses. I really appreciate him participating and being so open to sharing his story! Be sure to check back tomorrow to meet another awesome Scooby-Doo fan!
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There are a lot of different ideas of what constitutes a "good" Scooby-Doo series out there. Many fans love Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! for its wit and strong three-dimensional characters, while somewhat disliking the latest series, Guess Who, for playing it too safe and nostalgic. Some fans love Guess Who for going back to the classic formula, and hate Be Cool for the animation style. Other fans love them both.
This discrepancy seems to be a common thread for any Scooby series - some fans love certain series, while others hate the very same series. This seems to be a struggle for WB as well, as they are clearly trying out different things to attempt to please the fans. So how can WB please the vast majority of fans? What is the perfect recipe for a successful Scooby-Doo series?
So these are my proposed ingredients for a good Scooby series, that weren't already obvious like "cool villains!", "all five characters," and "spooky chases!". Of course, you can never please every single person, because there's always going to be that one person who hates something. I argue, however, that these are the core ingredients for making a good Scooby series beloved by all, and this is the direction WB should be going with the franchise. This is purely my opinion, however, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the wishes of every person in the general fandom. Do you agree? Disagree? Have something to add? Let me know in the comments! Here are the results for yesterday's poll:
What is your favorite Scooby & Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour villain? Abominable Snowman - 8 Octopus Fiend - 3 Cat Lady - 3 Bigfoot - 3 Slime Boy - 2 Zarko - 1 Phantom - 1 Jasmine and Genie Poo - 1 Happy Friday! If you’ve known the last three fan spotlights, today is most certainly probably someone you haven’t met yet, but totally should...Sierra! Sierra is an avid Scooby fan that has been a fan of Scooby (and is also a huge Disney fan) for as long as she can remember! Today, the spotlight is on Sierra, so let’s get to know her a little bit better as a Scooby fan!
1. What is your name? Sierra! 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? I’m pretty sure I’ve been into Scooby Doo for as long as I’ve been alive, since I was a child. Scooby Doo and Disney movies were my favorites to watch and still are to this day. . 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? My favorite Scooby Doo film is Scooby Doo & The Witch’s Ghost, partly for the Hex Girls, mostly because it is a childhood favorite of mine. My favorite episode is either In Fear of the Phantom, from SDMI (with yes the Hex Girls) or Night Terrors, it’s just a really spooky episode to me and it’s one of my favorites. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? I didn’t even know there was a Scooby fandom, but I was in the fandom when I was younger, being a Hex Girls fanatic and all (my gay awakening). I’m not really part of any fandoms on Twitter, more on Tumblr. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? I would say the ones that I grew up with, the straight to video ones like Witch’s Ghost or Alien Invaders etc. Also, when Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated aired in 2010. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? Alien Invaders. Ever since the sequel to Zombie Island,I’ve always dreamed of a sequel to Witch’s Ghost, I don’t know how it would go but with the Hex Girls it would be perfect! 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I don’t really have a set direction, besides more Hex Girls obviously. I just really want more Scooby movies in the future to further evolve the story so more people can either remember their childhood, or just enjoy whatever his next adventure is! I grew up in the direct to DVD Scooby Doo era but it doesn’t matter which era you started or grew up in because you can still enjoy it all! 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Velma! I just feel like I relate to her more than anyone else. I love the whole gang, it’s just Velma is like the quiet yet nerdy smart girl (I’m not smart) but I just feel like I could easily fit in her shoes. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? BEN RAVENCROFT BEN RAVENCROFT BEN RAVENCROFT BEN RAVENCROFT Don’t ask me why I just adore him honestly, him and Sarah just because their dynamic is great, they worked together as villains (weren’t they siblings?) I just love everything about them plus they did the twist villain before Disney did which is just funny to me. 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? THE HEX GIRLS!! 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I have somewhat of a collection, it’s mostly like old Scooby Doo movies, some DVDs of What’s New Scooby Doo, even some of Mystery Incorporated! It’s not that big, just old DVDs I’ve had since I was little. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? Partly from nostalgia to me but as long as Scooby Doo has gone,it’s mostly been able to keep its charm and that’s why people go back to it, to see and remember the mysterious and adventures the gang went on and to feel like part of a team! With all the movies and shows that have come out there has to be something for everyone! A favorite character to join them, a favorite place (wait for them to go to Disneyland). It’s like watching Disney movies, it’s a new adventure every time you watch! 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I know this is weird, but in elementary school, kindergarten and third grade maybe, I broke both my arms. It was at the same time in the same play structure thing that has since been demolished as has the school. One was so bad I had to have surgery and a pin for a while! Thanks so much to Sierra for participating as today’s fan spotlight, and be sure to check back tomorrow to meet another amazing Scooby-Doo fan like her!
Happy 6th anniversary of ScoobySnax, everyone! Today with us is a good friend of mine, Luis. Luis is a huge Scooby fan that has a very interesting and insightful perspective on the usage of real monsters within Scooby, that admittedly changed the way I think about the franchise a bit, in terms of the perspective that real monsters disrupt the classic formula.
Here’s Luis’s fan profile: 1. What is your name? My name is Luis. 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? Funny story, I was 10 years old and I remember walking into my parents room and my mom was watching it. It was the “Which Witch is Witch” episode. I literally walked in as they did the unmasking. It surprised me that the monsters were fake and I asked my mom, “what it’s fake?” and she answered, “yeah it’s usually a man in a mask they solve mysteries”. Before that I just knew Scooby dealt with monsters but I never knew they were men in masks and that they solved mysteries. That whole premise intrigued me. After that my mom and I would watch Scooby episodes every Friday I was HOOKED. From then on I became a huge fan. My mom and I would try to guess who was behind the mask we made it a mini competition each episode. Great times haha 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? Wow! That’s a hard question I love so many haha. I would have to say one of my favorite episodes would have to be a tie between “Nowhere to Hyde” and “Scared A lot in the Camelot” they are just so classic, spooky, and truly capture the essence of Scooby-Doo. I love the chase scenes and the villains are so well drawn and scary looking. When it comes to film I would have to say “Abracadabra-Doo” I remember being BLOWN away at the change in animation. It was classic but with a modern HD filter on it. Loved that they went back to the flesh colored eyes and man in a mask film. This film proved that you can have a cinema worthy story while retaining the classic man in a mask formula. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve watched that film. Runner ups would be “Camp Scare” and “Legend of the Vampire” but again there’s just so many I love haha. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? I definitely check out your site I love how up to date you are on Scooby news and I appreciate how passionate you are about the show. I also frequent Scooby Addicts and have discussions while sharing my love for our favorite pooch Scooby-Doo. :) 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? Ohh another tough question haha I would say “The Scooby-Doo Show” is my all time favorite Scooby series because it takes the classic formula I know and love but kicks up the plot and story up a notch. The monsters such as the 1000 volt ghost, the ghost of the mad doctor, no face zombie, quarter back ghost, etc all classic Scooby villains that still hold their own to this day. A runner up would have to be “Be Cool Scooby-Doo” I LOVE that series and Jon Colton Barry is a genius. I really wish they would’ve made a third season. Oops I know you said just one but it’s hard to pick he he. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? I would like them to make a sequel to “The Scooby-Doo Show” I really want Scooby’s cousin Scooby-Dum to make a return. I’d also like them to really go back to those classic spooky mysteries of that series. When it comes to films I’d rather them not make film sequels as I’d rather each Scooby movie stand on its own. Like they can make references or pay homage to past movies but I’d rather each movie be original in its own right. :) 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I would love for them to go back to the tone of “Scooby-Doo Where Are You?” have the gorgeous horror aesthetic background and classic memorable monsters. I also love how the story was fleshed out in that series. I’d probably like them to make it a bit darker and suspenseful with lots of clues and suspects. However, I’d rather they keep the monsters fake. I like my Scooby with fake monsters as I feel it’s the true essence of what he represents. :) I know we have “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who” out there and while I LOVE that series it doesn’t quite capture the dark tone of “Scooby-Doo Where Are You?” so think Guess Who animation but with darker stories, animations, monsters, and more complex mysteries all while retaining the man in the mask formula we all know and love. :) 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? I would say a tie between Scooby and Fred. Scooby is self explanatory because he’s just AWESOME and who doesn’t love Scooby haha. I like Fred because I feel like I relate to him the most. I love sports, gym, and helping my friends. But I can occasionally kinda be a goofball like Fred too. I also really like his positive and kind attitude towards everyone. :) 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? My favorite villain would have to be the ghost of Dr. Coffin. Such a creative yet classic villain. I absolutely loved the design and the backstory and setting was the cherry on top! 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? Scooby-Dum! I loved that character and I really wish he would come back. It’s a shame he was only around for 4 episodes and the Laff A Lympics series. #JusticeforScoobyDum haha 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I do haha. I have almost all the movies, the James Gelsey books, comics, coloring books, and series collections on DVD. I’ve been collecting since I was a child. :) 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? I think the fact that it’s so timeless. I show the classic SDWAY shows to my little cousins and nephews and they LOVE it. I feel that it attracts adults because it has this spooky element but yet it being a man behind a mask reassures kids that there’s nothing to be afraid of. It teaches that sometimes the real monsters are people but in due time good people overcome that bad. I think that’s a timeless lesson. :) 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I was raised near the Everglades and I’ve eaten gator before it’s pretty tasty and one of my favorite foods. 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! Thank you for making this site. It feels great having a place we can discuss Scooby-Doo like a big happy family. :) Thank you so much to Luis for his detailed answers! If you have anything you want to share with Luis, or just want to say hi, feel free to drop him a comment below! Hi everyone!
So every year, on the site's anniversary, I like to write up a brief post about everything that's happened in the past year, almost like a journal of my thoughts that I'm publishing out to the world. And sure enough, six years ago today, the site went live for the very first time. I can't believe it's been this long already, nor all the cool things that happened this year! Perhaps the coolest is my collab with pop singer Lindsay Pagano on the 300th fun fact. Lindsay was so down-to-Earth and sweet! I'm always worried about potentially bothering people who've worked on the show when asking them to collaborate, but Lindsay seemed genuinely excited to contribute and it was so cool to get to meet her! She also posted it not once, but three times, on her Instagram story that day! (1, 2, 3) Some other really cool things I started this year include the weekly polls, which have been so fun to see what everyone's opinions on stuff is! I really enjoyed doing them as an experiment last September during Scooby's 50th anniversary month, and I knew I wanted to keep doing them! I also began writing monthly editorial articles, something I've been wanting to do now forever, and I finally lived up to my word this year haha. It only took a global pandemic to get me motivated lol! Another thing I'm super proud of is the comics page, which provides a listing of every Scooby-Doo comic series and all the individual titles within each issue. It was initially going to be a 2020 project, but I buckled down before decade's end, and two days before 2020 (December 30, 2019), I wrote it all up and published it! Lastly, I also redesigned all the site graphics, with the help of my wonderful friend Bradford N. Smith, who created all of these to help me out. I think they look amazing! On a related note, I actually don't think I've ever talked about this, but I also created some brand colors for the site, which is that blue and yellow. I really like the theme, honestly! Thank you so much to everyone for making this an amazing 6 years of ScoobySnax.com! I'm so lucky to have such kind, awesome people frequent my site, and it's really cool that this has become a community for Scooby fans. Here's to another great year of ScoobySnax.com! Here are the results for yesterday's poll:
Who is your favorite villain from The Scooby-Doo Show? 10,000 Volt Ghost - 5 Gator Ghoul - 5 Vampire - 4 Spectre - 2 No-Faced Zombie - 2 Iron Face - 2 Mamba Wamba - 2 Witch McCoy - 1 Zombie (Mamba Wamba and the Voodoo Hoodoo) - 1 Zombie (Ozark Switch Witch) - 1 Ice Cream Ghosts - 1 Phantom Racer - 1 Tar Monster - 1 Pterodactyl Ghost - 1 Ghostly Gondolier - 1 Headless Horseman - 1 Disc Demon - 1 Ghostly Medicine Man - 1 Thanks to Stephen Silver, an artist on Guess Who, we now know 7 additional guest stars that will be in season 2, as well as their designs! Liza Koshy, KISS, Alex Trebek, Joey Chesnut, Gigi Hadid, Tim Gunn, and Kristen Schaal will all be guest starring in the upcoming season, which begins October 18 in Canada. This finally solves the mystery of that random KISS Facebook post from 2017, which it was originally speculated there would be a sequel to the 2015 Scooby-Doo and KISS film. Here are the character design sheets for each of the guest stars:
For our second fan spotlight, we have a man of many names...but on here, you may know him as John Locke! John is a regular commenter on the blog and has been a Scooby fan for pretty much his entire life. Let’s get to know him a big better through this fan spotlight:
1. What is your name? I go by a few names, in real life I go by Kyle, online I use John Locke. 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? Honestly, I’ve been a fan of Scooby so long I don’t recall, it has always been a part of my life. I have a video tape that was recorded when I was 3 or 4 that has a Halloween block from USA (this was before Cartoon Network even existed) which had the Headless horseman episode from The Scooby-Doo Show, and Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf, among other things no one remembers like Rusty and Buttons. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? Episode: ‘Spooky Space Kook’ from the original series, I just remember always seeing it in the opening but the episode itself never seemed to be on the air, so it blew my little mind when I finally got to see it. Movie: Just have to go with Zombie Island, loved it since I first saw it and have watched it many times since, love the darkness of the plot (without going too dark), advancing the characters to adults, the stakes, the misdirection on who the villains are, the jokes, making Fred the skeptic for once, just about everything except Billy West as Shaggy, loved it at the time but now I just can’t not hear Matthew Lillard or Casey Kasem in the role. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? Well once I discovered your excellent guide for collecting episodes (Thank you for that it is incredibly useful) I climbed out of my hermit like existence and started chatting a bit. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? I’m not sure if this is controversial, but I don’t think there’s been a better time to be a Scooby fan than the past 10 years. We’ve gotten 2 fantastic shows (Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc & Be Cool, Scooby-Doo) which press the franchise in different ways, one taking it to a much darker and more referential place, and the other taking the characters and making them funnier than I have ever seen them. On top of this, we’ve gotten films like Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Daphne & Velma (Would love for a sequel), and Moon Monster Madness. Heck, we’ve even gotten new things in the comics with Scooby Apocalypse! We are getting near constant reinvention right now and while it has led to a few duds, on a whole I would say this is better than any time before it. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? I’d honestly like someone to take a second shot at Curse of the 13th Ghost, like it or hate it, it’s a show that deserves a proper ending, whether you enjoy there being real monsters in your Scooby or not, the show was built on the premise they were real and it should not have been handwaved. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I would like to see another take on the classic formula, decent mysteries, some comedy and a few less gimmicks. Doesn’t need to be as funny as Be Cool, but more like the original show. If not that, I’d like someone to do another A Pup Named type series, it was fun and I really like when they get meta with the comedy. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? It varies depending on adaptation, I loved Shaggy most as a kid and even tried to emulate him, now it varies, I love Fred most in BCSD as he balances wacky with still being in charge, Velma most in a Pup Named, as she’s just adorable, and Daphne most in What’s New, as I like her resourcefulness while still being rather girly. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? That’s a tough one! I mean I love the Space Kook because that design is just naturally creepy, and still rather unique. Most of the villains if I saw them coming at me in an alley I’d laugh, him… I’d high tail it out of there and probably not stop till I’m in the next state! 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? I will always have a weakness for Scooby-Dum as an episode with him was on that tape I mentioned, but other than that, I’d say I just love the Harlem Globetrotter episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, they’ve always been some of my favorites! 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I have a few items, most the DVDs, minus the 2-3 episode ones, a set of action figures of the gang, some pajamas and a mug that came out for Scoob!, and the Witch Doctor from the ‘A Tiki Scare is no Fair’ episode someone gave to me. I also have one of the hardbound books from when I was young, just called “Scooby-Doo.” 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? It’s a unique mixture of comedy and scary. Kids like spooky stuff, adults like spooky stuff (I love horror but never cared much for gore) so I feel it crosses lines and everyone can enjoy it. The Franchise has had infinite variety due to the mixture of the personalities and plots. They can make it more serious and referential; they can make it goofy; they can do comedy. They can split the gang up in different ways, they even had Daphne lead for a bit while they were figuring out Fred, but they never permanently got rid of one of the core 5 and they’ve always found ways to reinvent/improve the characters. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I called in to try to win that life-sized Lego Scooby-Doo statue during the Scooby-Doo Project airing. I didn’t win of course, don’t know where I’d even put the thing if I had! 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! May the next 50 years of Scooby be as good as the last. Thank you so much to John Locke for agreeing to be one of the fan spotlights, and for being such a loyal reader and commenter on the blog all these years. Feel free to share any questions or comments you may have for him in the comment section below, and be sure to check back tomorrow to meet another awesome Scooby fan! |
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