The LEGO Velma minifigure from 2015 was the only figure to be included in just one set. Because the rest of the gang was released in multiple different sets, it has created a shortage of Velma figures, and has raised the price of the individual used figures considerably. While many of the individual figures of the rest of the gang (and even the villains) are selling for anywhere between 5-20 euros, the Velma minifigures are selling around a shocking 80 euros per figure according to BrickLink.

Even on Amazon in the US, while Shaggy is available individually for $28, the only listing for the individual Velma figure is currently selling it for a shocking $250, and it's selling for around $175 on eBay.

​Thanks to Mr. Neither for suggesting this week's fun fact! Hope everyone has a happy new year, and here's hoping 2025 is a great year for Scooby!

This marks the halfway point in our globetrotting poll series! I'm looking forward to continuing part 2 of this poll series next year with Europe, Africa and Asia. Since I know a lot of people are traveling and not checking the Internet as much during this period of the holidays, this seemed like a good week to do the smallest remaining continent poll.

Here are the results for last week's poll:
What is your favorite episode with a snowman as the villain?
A Scooby-Doo Christmas - 27
Chill Out, Scooby-Doo! - 14
Be Cold, Scooby-Doo! - 10
Haunted Holidays - 9
Snow Job Too Small - 2
Kitchen Frightmare - 2

The voice of young Velma in Scoob!, Ariana Greenblatt, also played a major role in last year's live-action Barbie film as Sasha. I wanted to share this as I had no idea that she was the same actress that played young Velma until recently, and I've written previous fun facts about Iain Armitage and Mckenna Grace receiving their first big roles in Young Sheldon.

Happy holidays to all who are celebrating this week! I hope everyone has a wonderful time celebrating the holiday season!

Looks like our final results ended up the same even with the extra day, so "A Scary Night with a Snow Beast Fright" officially will move to the final round of this poll series!

What is your favorite episode not on a continent?
A Scary Night with a Snow Beast Fright - 23
Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy - 18
Cher, Scooby and the Sargasso Sea! - 7
North Pole and Tahiti - 5
A Creepy Tangle in the Bermuda Triangle - 4
Ship of Ghouls - 3

There's no denying was a very unconventional year for Scooby. Since Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? ended in 2021 and the WB merger happened in 2022, the amount of Scooby content we've gotten has been relatively sparse. This year was perhaps the most unconventional we've gotten in a long time, as it's the first time in 26 years that there has been no Scooby film. In terms of Scooby series, all we got was the final season of the controversial adult Scooby-Doo show, Velma.

At the end of every year, I always do a year-end post recapping all of the biggest things that happened in the franchise, and giving my personal rankings of what I enjoyed the most. Considering the only show or movie we got this year was Velma, I debated not doing a year-end post for 2024 since the list of things to discuss is pretty slim pickings. After some thought, I decided to still write one up, but with a bit of a different format. I typically don't include announcements for content that hasn't happened yet as being a part of these year-end posts. Since I still want to keep up the tradition of doing a year-end post, I'm just going to give my brief thoughts on the biggest things that happened this year in the franchise, rather than doing rankings.

The biggest thing that happened this year that wasn't an announcement for future content was Velma season 2. After strongly disliking season 1, I didn't check out season 2 for several months and wasn't sure if I was going to at all. When a Halloween special was announced for released in October, I had subscribed to Max for a single month for another piece of unreleased content (which we'll get to later), so I decided to watch season 2 and the Halloween special. I did think it was a bit of an improvement from season 1, in the sense that the show seemed to have a better grasp on what it wanted to be, rather than being all over the place. Unfortunately, what the show wanted to be was one that heavily relied on troll humor, which still wasn't something that I enjoyed.

Besides that improvement, the show still doubled down on being edgy. While I'm not necessarily offended by the edgy humor, the show was often so caught up in asserting its edginess that the development of the plot suffered as a result. Season 2 also validated what I'd felt about the characters being unlikeable in season 1. Instead of character development, the show consistently gave us character regression. The characterization was so outlandishly bad that it was difficult to root for the characters or care about their struggles. Similarly, the writing was all based in troll logic, so there was nothing to ground the show.

On October 9, Warner Brothers put out a statement that the Halloween special was the series finale. While I wanted to give this show a chance, after watching the full series, I can say that it's by far my least favorite Scooby-Doo series, and I am happy that we're moving on to new content.

Speaking of new content, on April 29, we got an announcement for a live-action Scooby-Doo series. While very few details were provided, it was shared that the series would be released on Netflix. The idea of a live-action Scooby-Doo show has been pitched since the 1970s, and we've had a number of live-action films, so I'm excited that we are finally getting a full live-action series. To be honest, it does worry me a little that the show is being produced by Berlanti Productions, since that's the same production company that made Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to very mixed reviews. Berlanti Productions has made some decent shows though (I enjoyed Dead Boy Detectives from earlier this year), so I am choosing to remain cautiously optimistic about the new show. My only hope is that if it's an adult show, the mistakes of Velma aren't repeated, and that the show doesn't feel the need to consistently use shock humor to assert an edgy identity.

On June 12, we got another Scooby-Doo series announcement for the first-ever Scooby-Doo anime, which will air on the Max streaming service. The plot of Go-Go Mystery Machine will center around Shaggy and Scooby releasing hundreds of mythical monsters into Japan. They enlist the help of Scooby's uncle Daisuke-Doo, as well as his friends Toshiro and Etsuko. Like with the live-action series, we know no info about release date. I am really excited for this series! It sounds like it's going to have 13 Ghosts vibes, which I think will be really interesting to see! With Guess Who and the recent DTVs sticking closely to the classic formula, I'm happy that WB is still open to experimenting with fresh takes on the franchise.

We also got the fun surprise of the first seven Scooby-Doo films, and Return to Zombie Island, being released on Blu-Ray for the first time ever this year. This includes Scooby Goes Hollywood, the Superstars 10 films, Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost, and Alien Invaders. In an interview with A Podcast Named Scooby-Doo, head of Warner Archive George Feltenstein provided us with some insight into how this came to be. He shared that WB simply hadn't been focused on releasing these on Blu-Ray before Feltenstein asked for them to be released. He also promised fans that there would be more Scooby-Doo content coming from them in the future.

It was really interesting to hear the backstory about the lack of physical releases, and that the recent dry spell of physical media is simply because WB is focusing their efforts on streaming. While this strategy definitely makes sense given the explosion of streaming, it was exciting to hear that George is working to ensure that fans will continue to receive Scooby-Doo physical media releases if possible. I hope this means that some of the unreleased episodes will be released on DVD, and that we'll continue to get more content on Blu-Ray.

While I didn't keep up the comics this year, we got a decent mix released. We had six of the usual Where Are You comics, 12 new issues of Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries, and six issues of the MultiVersus comics that feature Shaggy and Scooby to a limited extent. (This is in addition to a few trade paperbacks that bundle previously released comics into a volume) It seems like 2025 might be a bit leaner on comics, now that Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries and the MultiVersus comic series have both concluded. Currently, we're just left with the bimonthly Where Are You comics.

Another unofficial "announcement" we got this year was an image of a script cover for a Scooby-Doo/Gremlins crossover, titled Scooby-Doo! Gremlins Getaway. There was no official confirmation of this film from WB, and it's unclear whether this film was one that was written off for taxes like a few others were with the WB merger. Considering the Instagram account that shared this posted a ton of other official production materials, it can be assumed that the account was reliable. The Gremlins franchise has never made a huge impression on me, but I think it could fit well with Scooby, and am really curious to see what they'll do with it if the crossover is still happening.

We also got the usual range of merch released, including action figures, books Crocs, and Puma shoes, not to mention the relaunch of MultiVersus. Scooby also began airing regularly on a brand new channel, MeTV Toons. There were a number of exciting little things we got as fans this year, but one particularly notable thing I want to highlight is a unique project from folklorist Mark Norman. This fall, he released Zoinks! The Spooky Folklore of Scooby-Doo, a project that delves into the folklore behind the Scooby-Doo monsters and tropes. I bought the eBook in October and throughly enjoyed my read. I thought Mark did an excellent job of creating a tone that was engaging to Scooby fans of all intensities, and also struck a good balance discussing folklore from an academic perspective, while still being engaging to Scooby fans in a way that wasn't overly dense. Mark was also kind enough to do an interview for this blog, as well as a few other Scooby content creators, which I thought was awesome of him to take the time to do. This was a really cool project that I'd definitely recommend checking out if you have the chance! You can check out my full review of the book here if you're interested.

Typically, I conclude these posts by sharing what I'm hoping for next year. In truth, this year, the only thing that comes to mind is that I'm looking forward to these two new shows! While I am cautiously optimistic about the live-action series due to Velma, I want to keep an open mind about the new series. I hope that they've used the generally negative reaction to Velma to take things in a different direction and create something great.

These past three years since the WB merger have been a weird period in the franchise, between the controversial Velma and (hopefully) temporary end to the tradition of getting two films per year. I really have no idea if this odd transitional time will continue into 2025, but I'm eager to see WB take the franchise in a fresh direction with these two new series and potentially a new era of DTVs under the merger.

I've shared on here many times about how fond I am of Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! The zany, absurdist humor style is right up my alley, and I love how character-driven the show is. Our recent countries/continents poll series have inspired me to start a new fanfic, which I just published the first chapter of today!

​The story (titled The Last Week of Summer) centers around the gang traveling to Sydney, Australia to visit Daphne's Aunt Kylie on their final week before starting college. The gang inadvertently finds the first clue to solving an age-old treasure hunt is in her backyard. Their search for the treasure of famed adventurer Alabama Brown (a shameless parody of Indiana Jones) leads them on a scavenger hunt around the world. They soon find themselves deep in a mystery when they discover a group of monsters is also searching for the treasure.

The series uses the original premise of Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, which involved the gang having one last summer of solving mysteries before college. I also found inspiration in rewatching "Ghosts of the Ancient Astronauts" from The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries. While I don't have as strong of a love for that episode as some others, I really admire it as being one of the most unique episodes of the franchise. The gang having one last big adventure before a major life event felt like the perfect framework for an epic Indiana Jones type mystery, which is arguably what that episode was trying to be.

The first chapter of this story is now available on AO3. Like Be Cool, Scooby-Doo, the story is appropriate for all audiences. Those who have been following my fics for while will know I've typically published a new chapter each Friday. This was something I started in fall 2020 during the pandemic, as an incentive to use the extra time I had to publish more frequently. As life has gotten busier, I am planning to return to what I used to do way back in my early days of writing fanfiction, which is to just publish chapters as I've finished them. I don't have any sort of schedule of when or how often I'll publish, but I do enjoy writing, so I don't anticipate it's going to huge half-year gaps between chapters or anything like that. I'm currently planning on there being seven chapters to this fic, although that may change. 

I had a lot of fun experimenting with the zany Be Cool humor style, and am looking forward to writing this fic. Should you choose to check this fanfic out, I hope you enjoy it! 

In The Scooby-Doo Show episode "Watch Out! The Willawaw!", the villain's name likely derives from the meteorology term "williwaw." The term is defined as being a sudden blast of wind around coastal mountains. A williwaw is the result of dense, cold air in high latitudes.

Locations the gang visit that aren't on a continent include the Sargasso Sea, and fittingly for Christmas coming up, the North Pole. And speaking of the holidays coming up, we'll be taking a brief break from this poll series next week to do a winter-themed poll.

Taking a look at our North America poll for last week, "The Harum Scarum Sanitarium" wins and will advance to the final round to represent North America! Speaking of which, the winner from this round will advance as well, even though it's not a continent.
What is your favorite episode in North America?
The Harum Scarum Sanitarium - 26
Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico - 14
3-D Struction - 6
Shiver and Shake, That Demon's a Snake! - 5
Dark Night of the Hunters - 4

Scooby was not the only franchise to go in a creative direction that emphasized comedy in 1980. The Flintstones also debuted The Flintstone Comedy Show that year, which was a one-hour block of six different shorts. Like The Richie Rich / Scooby-Doo Hour, the plots of the Flintstones shorts heavily featured antics-based plots. Unlike Scooby though, each of the six shorts was its own mini-show.

The first segment was Bedrock Cops, which featured Fred and Barney as policemen with The Shmoo, a character from a different cartoon who crossed over with The Flintstones for these segments. Another segment was Captain Caveman, which was styled as a Superman parody where Cavey worked in a newspaper office under a secret identity alongside Wilma and Betty (who are unaware that he is Captain Caveman). The third segment was The Frankenstones, which involved an Addams Family-like neighbor moving in next door to the Flintstones. Fred hates Frank Frankenstone, because he finds him to be weird and jerkish, and Frank hates Fred in return. The plot of these shorts are essentially Fred and Frank playing pranks on each other.

The fourth segment is Dino and Cavemouse, which involves Dino chasing a mouse around the house. The fifth segment parodies Scooby-Doo, and involves Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm and Dino solving "monster in a mask" mysteries. I wrote a blog post with a full review of the series during the pandemic, which you can check out here. It is simply titled Pebbles, Dino and Bamm-Bamm. The final segment is titled The Flintstone Family Adventures, which mirrors the tone of more classic Flintstones episodes, albeit truncated and with the focus remaining on antics. On a personal note, similarly to the Scrappy shorts, I'm not really a huge fan of any of these shorts. Pebbles, Dino and Bamm-Bamm and The Flintstone Family Adventures are the most watchable for me, but they're still not something I have a desire to return to often.

It also is worth noting than in 1972 and 1973, a spin-off titled The Flintstone Comedy Hour aired (note the slight title difference, as the 1980s series is titled 'Comedy Show' rather than 'Hour'). While these weren't as antics-heavy, the series was 11-minute shorts that featured a heavier emphasis on comedy. Considering The New Scooby-Doo Movies, which aired at the same time, focused a bit more on comedy and dry humor as well, both the 1972 and 1980 series are likely indicative of the general creative mindset that Hanna-Barbera had during those periods when writing shows.

The Flintstones also mirrored A Pup Named Scooby-Doo a bit ahead of the curve. The Flintstone Kids aired from 1986-1988, which was directly before Pup began airing. This wasn't exclusive to the Flintstones or Scooby, and there were a few other shows from Hanna-Barbera around that time that featured the characters as young kids.

Sorry this poll is a little late! Weebly (the domain that hosts this site and blog) was down for maintenance this morning, so I wasn't able to publish this post earlier.

Since we already did the Mexico poll back in May, we're already to the Winner's Circle round for the non-US episodes in North America. While they didn't win any polls, "Shiver and Shake, That Demon's a Snake" and "Dark Night of the Hunters" get spots here automatically because the gang visits Haiti and the Yucatan Penninsula. While I could have had them face off against each other, I thought it would make for a more interesting poll to have them all get a spot in the Winner's Circle round, given there aren't many options here.

Last week's poll was a nail-biter until the end, but one option just barely won by two votes! Here are the results for last week:
What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode in Canada?
The Harum Scarum Sanitarium - 23
Simple Plan and the Invisible Madman - 21
The Beast Is Awake in Bottomless Lake - 9
Canada and Warsaw - 8