 Happy Friday everyone!
Today with us we have Claire, otherwise known as Bananagoose! Claire is a fanfiction writer who has written the amazing Scooby-Doo fanfic “The Gang”. If you've ever wanted to see a more mature Scooby-Doo TV show someday, this fanfic is a must-read. Claire does a perfect job getting down the characters and tone to feel a bit darker and more mature. She also does fan art and is an active poster of the ScoobyAddicts forum. Check out her fan profile below: 1. What is your name? My name is Claire, but on Tumblr and Archive of Our Own I go by bananagoose, feel free to give me a follow on either! 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? I grew up with the movies and the franchise as a kid, and I was always a huge fan of mysteries. I also enjoyed the familiar characters and became attached over time to the gang and their adventures. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? My favorite episode is probably the Escape From Mystery Manor episode from Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated. A really interesting concept was introduced in that episode about the gang and the history of mystery solvers coming before them, and it was a really exciting and fun episode that also furthered the plot of the show overall. My favorite movie is a tough one; I would say it’s probably the Alien Invaders. It’s fun, it’s a good mystery, and it combines reality with whimsy in an amazing way. Also, the groovy song is enough in and of itself to put it at the top of my list! 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? I am working on a Scooby Doo fanfiction on Archive of Our Own called “The Gang”. It’s about 20k right now but I have a plot all planned out, I just need to find time to update it! I also do lots of artwork, but I don’t post as much as I would like to. Other than that, I’m part of forums like scoobyaddicts.com and follow lots of fan pages on tumblr. There’s also a podcast I recommend called “That Groovy Scoobcast” that covers all things Scooby-Doo! 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? I think that the late 90s to early 2000s were great in terms of movies. Basically from the end of Casey Kasem voicing Shaggy to the beginning of Matthew Lillard voicing him. The movies were engaging in silly and in mysterious ways. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? I think a sequel to Zombie Island would be interesting just because they built such a robust world that Lena and Simone came from. I would love to see more about the curse and the area that was affected by it. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I would like to see a franchise more aimed at a slightly older crowd. I often simplify it by saying “like Riverdale but with Scooby Doo”. I think that a real life iteration of the gang would be interesting, especially if it wasn’t trying to emulate the cartoon perfectly, like some of the other live action movies did. Just finding more depth in the characters we have and exploring their lives in a world full of mysteries that need solving. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? I do have a soft spot for Shaggy because he has the most personality, in my opinion. I really appreciate Velma as well because she is a backbone of the gang in that she is on top of everything and moves the mystery along. Fred and Daphne change a lot depending on what they’re in, and Scooby is a classic character who provides much needed optimism and comic relief. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? My favorite villains are Ranger Knudsen and Baby Face Boretti from Camp Scare. They best embody the old-school villains in that they use crazy disguises and really commit to their personas just to get their hands on some treasure. I mean honestly, how could I not respect a fully grown man who pretends to be a camper and recruits a police officer to sonar the lake every day? 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? I love Mrs. Dinkley. She is eccentric and fun but also grounded and helps out when the gang is stuck. I also love her affinity for the supernatural in Mystery Incorporated. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I do have a small collection. Some do my favorite things I have are a bunch of Scooby-Doo t-shirts, a life size Scooby-Doo plush, some crew length socks with Scooby faces, and an original piece of artwork by Tom Cook, and autographed by him and Ron Campbell, previous cartoonists for the show. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? I think that the franchise is so strong because it has a simple and adaptable premise with solid characters that can appeal to almost anyone. The mysteries can be silly, serious, confusing, or simple. The stencil is very easy to adapt into really any kind of story you want, which is why I don’t think the franchise is going anywhere any time soon. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I’m a technical theatre major! I mostly specialize in costume design and construction, but I also dabble in lighting, sound, and carpentry! I’ve been involved in theatre since I was 5 years old, and have loved every second of it, so if there’s ever a Scooby Doo musical, you can bet I’ll be excited! Thanks so much to Claire for her detailed responses! Be sure to check back tomorrow for another fan profile!
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 Today’s fan spotlight is Scoobyfan4ever, who is a very frequent commenter on my blog. Scoobyfan4ever is a Scooby super fan who has a special and very rare item in his personal Scooby collection. It’s also Scoobyfan4ever’s birthday today, so everyone wish him a big happy birthday!
Check out his fan profile below! 1. What is your name? Scoobyfan4ever 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? I remember watching reruns of Scooby-Doo on Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and KidsWB when I was very small and have been a fan since forever. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? I have a list of favorite episodes. Hassle in the Castle, Jeepers It’s the Creeper, The Backstage Rage, Vampire Bats and Scaredy Cats, High Rise Hair Raiser, The Lochness Ness, Guess Who’s Knott Coming to Dinner. Just to name a few but there are tons more. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? I frequent the Scoobypedia web page and ScoobySnax page quite a bit. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? My favorite series is of course Scooby-Doo Where Are You! and the classic golden era in general is the best. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? Make a sequel to Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold and a Laff a Lympics revival. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? Tbh this might be an unpopular opinion but I really don’t want the franchise to go on much longer (maybe another 10 years at the most) because I feel like the quality is going to drop lower and lower. If the franchise does keep going on decades from now, I would like them to bring in Scooby Dum. I wish they'd show Scrappy more respect in the future, and include him as well. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Scooby and Shaggy of course. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? I have several villains I really like....The Creeper, The Puppet Master, Green Ghosts, Redbeard, Tar Monster, 10,000 Volt Ghost, Diabolical Disc Demon etc.... 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? Vincent Van Ghoul and the Hex Girls. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I’ve collected several Scooby-Doo toys, books, DVDs, video games, and various other items over the years but my most prized possession is my framed Scooby-Doo poster titled Strangers in the Night signed by Iwao Takamoto. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? The characters and the structure of the show. After all, everyone loves a good mystery. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? My least favorite series is Be Cool Scooby-Doo, my least favorite animated movie is Curse of the 13th Ghost and my least favorite live action movie is Scooby-Doo (2002). I also dislike Kate Micucci's Velma and (on a more positive note) I also have a younger cousin named Lily, who became a huge Scooby fan because of me! Thanks so much again to Scoobyfan4ever for his answers, and hope he has an awesome birthday! :)  Hi super Scooby fans!
Today, the spotlight is on Angela, who has been a Scooby fan so long that she doesn’t even remember when she started watching! You may also know Angela better as ilovescoobydoo from the ScoobyAddicts forum. Check out Angela’s profile below: 1. What is your name? Angela (ilovescoobydoo from ScoobyAddicts) 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? I have been a Scooby fan for as long as I can remember, so I don't remember how I got into watching it. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? I have many favorites from different series, and many favorite movies as well. It's impossible for me to choose just one. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? Talking with other fans and posting when I see any new merchandise. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? Scooby-Doo Where Are You. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? Scooby-Doo Where Are You. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I would like to see more merchandise, and for them to stay true to the real Scooby. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Scooby, he is just so lovable. I do love the whole gang, it's just not the same when they cut them out. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? I have a number of favorites of them as well, I think they each shine in their own right. 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? I really enjoy seeing The Hex Girls. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I have DVDs, VHS tapes, computer games, video games, board games, playing cards, action figures, stuffed animals, hot wheels, Mystery Machines, shirts, pjs, shoes, wall boarder, wall decals/wall art, curtains, bedding, legos, comic books, books, coloring books, stickers, backpacks, lunchboxes, tote bags, tin boxes, puzzles, storage drawers, organizer, pencil box, pencils, pen, kids meal toys, basketball, soccer ball, bouncy ball, dishes, race track, clocks, and many more items. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? It's a classic. There is a certain charm that classic shows have. It also appeals to all age groups. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I'm trying to learn Italian. 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! I have met Matthew Lillard. I went to see the outside of the building where Hanna Barbera studios was. My drawing was featured in a comic book. One year for my birthday, my Dad surprised me with a painting that he did of Scooby and me with The Mystery Machine in the background. Thanks so much to Angela for doing this! Feel free to leave her a comment in the section below, and check back for tomorrow's fan spotlight.  Today, our fan spotlight is Russ. Russ has been a longtime fan of Scooby, and is an active member on the ScoobyAddicts forum. He also is an artist who has commissioned many different pieces of Scooby-Doo fan art on DeviantArt.
Check out Russ’s profile below: 1. What is your name? Russ 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? Being born in 1968 I watched it as I grew up along with all the other cartoons from the 70's and 80's that were shown in the UK. Roll forward many (many) years and it was when watching cartoons with #2 child (a.k.a. ‘the small screaming one’) that I got back into the franchise. The prime thing behind this was Where's My Mummy which at the time #2 thought was the scariest film ever. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? Not sure if I have a favourite episode as there are good episodes scattered all over the place but they are often let down by other issues. For example most SD:MI episodes are marred by the relationship 'drama' and the gangs dysfunction characters. BCSD has its share of issues which affect most episodes. Others (WNSD, WAY etc) are fun but mostly forgettable in that none stick out above the other. Despite what I've said about BCSD it would probably be from there I would pick the best episode from as when JCB et al nailed it, they nailed it - Greece is the Word or Scroogy Doo probably are tops with Vote Velma as an honourable mention for the concept and the martial law quip at the end. As for films that's a harder question, I can give you a top few but can't pick one. So Abracadabra Doo, Big Top, Cyber Chase and Camp Scare would gravitate towards the top. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? My first involvement with the online fandom was via the now moribund velmadinkly.net and its Yahoo forum. Next came fanfiction.net (and through that I developed my 'allergy' to Shaphne fans), then ScoobyAddicts, DeviantArt and Tumblr. I've commissioned various bits of art over the years as well, mostly via DeviantArt, with one physical piece by one of the artists of Archie fame - Fernando Ruiz (commissioned via the most recent Die Kitty Die Kickstarter campaign). 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? You always want to say the next one but the current output is frankly a bit meh with mostly lackluster crossovers couple with a loss of who the members of the gang are and why they have stuck together. They never were well developed but there's no subtly or sign of care for the characters in the recent output. And the comics suck as well (IMO). So unless WB can get their act together (SCOOB sounds like a hot mess and Guess Who is an unknown quantity but has guest stars and that has rarely worked well over time) so the glory days might be behind us. Having seen the trailer I’m more optimistic about Guess Who than I was but the jury is still out. Until then I’ll go for WNSD. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? None of them as in reality they’d just mess it up with their current creative/editorial problems. WIth caveats I would probably plump for SD:MI. The caveats being without the dumpster fire that was the gang’s relationships and their characters. I would want them to avoid the romantic pairing within the gang as it is just too divisive with the sole exception of Velma/HDW. Failing that an animated version of Scooby Apocalypse. Or Abracadabra Doo, I’d love to see Madelyn back again. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? Give the franchise lock, stock and two smoking Scooby Snacks to DC or Archie or get WB out of the mix and give HB the creative freedom they need. Another thing that probably won't happen, but needs to, is higher production values and a focus on storytelling via the whole gang and their interactions. Guest stars, set-pieces and slapstick should be the means to the end of storytelling not the end in itself. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Velma, cause she’s smart, awesome and sexy. Velma as Red Sonja. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? SD:MI had the better villains by far, I suppose Professor Pericles has to be the Emperor Palpitine of Scooby villains but George Avocados had the better hair. 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? There's not that many who do recur but Marcie Fleach (HDW) from SD:MI I think would fit the bill. Everyone else will say the Hex Girls I expect. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? Mostly DVDs, a few figures (mostly Velma), some Scooby toys, a couple of t-shirts, a waifu pillow case of Velma, travel pass holder, a huge pile of mostly Velma centric images downloaded from the internet*, 4 Scooby related DeviantArt favourite folders, downloaded digital commissioned art and some physical art with some of the latter even framed. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? Its prime purpose is to entertain children which it does well. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I know <redacted> and <redacted>, been next to the safe that’s used to contain <redacted> and so on but that's the curse of having signed the Official Secrets Act all those years ago. 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! Woohoo! Open mic time! If I had control of the Scooby franchise: For Characters I’d set up some rules that had to be followed for all media unless there was a good reason, and ‘drama’ wouldn’t be one of them. The gang is supposed to be friends, friends since early childhood even, but recently you wouldn’t know that from how they’ve been written. There’s meant to be chemistry between them, but not the sort where your reach for fume hood and safety goggles. This would be the template for all creative work going forward. For comics
For Films… I would stop producing them for a year or so, try to get some writers from outside the current pool, writers who respect the franchise and the characters but may have fresher ideas. I’d look to bring Madelyn Dinkley as well as Crystal and Amber (from Alien Invaders) back, and I think we could have some Hex Girls fun. A mixture of darker films (a little bit Lovecraft perhaps) with more light hearted offerings. For TV As with films, give people a break. I’d go for a 50/50 split between comedy and suspense/danger. I’d pick up the focus on characters from BCSD and the multi-episode arcs and darker tone from SD:MI. *I know what you’re thinking, so stop it right now. I must say, Russ has so far had the best answer of anyone that’s done this for question 13 haha. Thanks again to Russ for participating in my little project! You’re welcome to leave Russ any comments or questions you may have in the comments section below.  Hi! Hope you all are having a wonderful Monday!
I’d like to welcome Ethan as the fan spotlight for today! Ethan is an active member of the ScoobyAddicts forum, and is also in the beginning stages of working on his very own Scooby-Doo website! Check out Ethan’s profile below: 1. What is your name? Ethan! 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? When I was in kindergarten, my great aunt was in the hospital for long periods of time and decided to record a tape of cartoons that aired on TBS' "Disaster Area" for my family. A major part of their line-up was Scooby Doo- my sister and I were thrilled! 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? The Creeper episode is one of my favorites. Not only does it have a fun song, the intro is a little darker than usual Scooby. 'Boo Brothers' is creative genius mixed with just plain fun. There are more pop culture references than I ever knew as a kid, from the title referencing a 1980 film about two brothers trying to save an orphanage, to obscure details such as the sheriff shooting above him, only to have something fall on top of him, a fun trope used just the year previous in John Carpenter's 'Big Trouble in Little China'. There's a lot going on in 'Boo Brothers', and somehow it all comes together in a really fun presentation. Just recently there was an article in Reader's Digest about how a real treasure has been hidden near New Mexico by an old man, valued at over a million dollars and maybe someday I'll find the chance to decipher the riddle and hunt for treasure as well. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? Having recently moved out to a very rural area with no internet, I haven't been very active recently. In the past though, I've been active on Scooby Facebook Groups, ScoobyAddicts, Scoobypedia, and occasionally Discord. I made a modded version of the card game 'Love Letter' with all Scooby characters and wrote the synopsis for 'Ghoul School' on Scoobypedia. I'm also working on a website called LostScooby.tk, which focuses on collecting links to old Scooby stuff. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? '70s Scooby will always be the original, but I must say I love just about everything from the late '80s. The films, the way Scrappy matured, the reflection of the '80s themselves, etc. I love it. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? Honestly, I don't want any more sequels unless they do a part two of 'Reluctant Werewolf' and bring back Googie and Scrappy for the film. That would be neat. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I'd like to see new takes which are specifically not canon. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Scrappy gets a bad rep but I like seeing how he goes from annoying to helpful over time. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? 10k Volt Ghost. He just looks and sounds badass. Definitely one of the more creative ones. 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? Del is a neat guy and fit so well he came back for a second film. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? Oh gosh, I have a lot of Scooby stuff. Funkos, lunch box, huge DVD binder, Mashems, a stuffed Scooby, card games, gumballs, and more! 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? I love that Scooby is a little more intelligent than your average cartoon. It's not as philosophical as say, Disney's Recess, but even Carl Sagan praised Scooby for its way of promoting critical thinking. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I collect miniature figures and dice. Definitely have some Scooby ones of both! 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! It's a pleasure to have done this interview. Thanks! Thanks so much to Ethan for participating in my fan spotlight project! Feel free to leave him a comment below.  Today we’re spotlighting a fan named Dan, otherwise known as Wileyk209, who is an active poster on the ScoobyAddicts forum, a fanfiction writer (you can check out two of his fanfics, “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge, and The Drive-In of Doom on the fanfiction page of this site!), and a professional cosplayer!
Here’s Dan’s profile: 1. What is your name? You can call me Dan. 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? When I was six or seven years old I discovered Cartoon Network and fell in love with the channel; this was back in the mid-90s when they still ran many old Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Warner Bros. cartoons. Then one evening I saw the 1976 "Scooby-Doo Show" episode "A Frightened Hound Meets Demons Underground." At the time I was into classic spooky monsters and such, and I enjoyed the idea of dressing up and pretending to be them, which is just what the villains on Scooby-Doo did, but they did it for bad purposes, but it still got me into the show, along with the amusing antics of Scooby and Shaggy. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? Some of my favorite episodes and films include "The Backstage Rage" (great creepy villain, and I also love puppetry) "Never Ape an Ape Man" (another fun villain, and I also love the movie set stuff and antics), "A Frightened Hound Meets Demons Underground" (again, this was the very first Scooby-Doo I ever saw), "The Chiller Diller Movie Thriller" (another fun movie set story, and also featuring Scooby-Dee), "Make a Beeline Away from That Feline" (a great creepy mystery and villain taking place in New York City), "Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School" (it was fun seeing Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy helping out the daughters of famous monsters, and again the villain was awesome) "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost" (the Hex Girls are really cool and also enjoy the New England in autumn setting) "Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" (a fun homage to the classic shows, complete with the old surviving voice actors) and "Mask of the Blue Falcon" (another fun homage, albeit to the Hanna-Barbera universe in general.) 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? Besides my cosplaying as Scooby-Doo (among the other characters I often cosplay as), I've written a few fun fanfics, reviewed episodes and movies online, and I've also done a few of those "YouTube Poop" mashup videos involving Scooby in some way. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? Definitely 1969-1978, which covers "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?", "The New Scooby-Doo Movies" and "The Scooby-Doo Show" episodes. But I also enjoy "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" and "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated." 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? I would have to say "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo," revived as an animated direct-to-video movie or a fourth season to the original show. It was such a fun and comic take on the franchise, and you could really see the elements of "Tiny Toon Adventures" taking shape in its first season (due to sharing some of the same staff members.) That "Mystery Map" puppet movie was fun, but it was missing a few of the elements from the show (especially Red Herring!) 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? Hmmm, I'm not sure. Anything that doesn't use the "spooky" or "mystery" formula usually isn't good. I didn't really like the 1980-1982 episodes where it was just Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy, and I also hated "Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue," both of which strayed away from the typical formula and did not feature the whole gang. And the less said about that 90s "Arabian Nights" movie, the better. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Definitely Scooby-Doo; I love funny animal characters, and Scooby is definitely one of them. He's a funny, cartoony kind of Great Dane with an appealing design and funny voice, and can do so many things! My favorite human member of the gang is Shaggy, as he and I seem to have quite a bit in common in terms of humor, appetite and sense in dressing up (though I'm much less cowardly as Shaggy, though!) 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? That's a hard one to pick! I do have a few favorites, like the Puppet Master (again, I'm into puppetry, and he had a great creepy costume and laugh), the Ape Man (he wasn't afraid to mess with the gang, like sending a dummy of himself towards Shaggy or disguising himself as Scooby), Big Bob Oakley (how he disguised as Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Wolfman AND a gypsy fortune teller in the same episode!), the Cat Creature (he had a pretty sneaky plan to make it look like Daphne's aunt was changing into the creature), the Chameleon (a very hammy master of disguise with his Achilles' Heel being his strong dislike of Worcestershire sauce), Stinkweed (he used the monster he hated playing in movies to commit crimes in hopes of making the monster unpopular) and Nasty-Doo (a fun werewolf-like Scooby relative.) 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? Probably Sheriff Stone from "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated." The franchise has had many sheriffs, but this one was more comical and had more of a personality, along with Patrick Warburton's distinctive voice. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I don't have much of a dedicated collection, but I do have quite a bit of merchandise that I've included with my collections of certain things. My DVD/Blu-Ray library includes several pre-1990s Scooby-Doo titles (and a few of the newer ones) among the many animation DVDs and Blu-Rays I own. I also have a few of the Peter Pan Records Scooby-Doo titles in my vinyl record library, and a few different Scooby-related plushies and figures I display in my room (including Funko Pop figures of Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Dum). My library of comics and other books includes several Scooby-Doo titles, mostly assorted comics from the 70s to the present, along with that new "Scooby-Doo Encyclopedia" and a behind-the-scenes book of the 2002 movie. I also have a couple of Scooby-Doo T-shirts I enjoy wearing, and of course I also have my Scooby-Doo cosplay gear, including the Rubies deluxe adult hooded Scooby suit, their Scooby hoodie shirt, a plush Scooby maskimal, the Rubies/Mask Illusions latex Scooby mask and their Dr. Coffin and Ghost Clown latex masks (I hope to collect all the villain masks they make!) 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? I think it would have to be because there is something for everyone. Male and female leads to appeal to both genders, a comedic talking animal character, the fact that they travel around and solve spooky mysteries, along with how the villains wearing ghost and monster disguises can be used to teach small children that ghosts and monsters are only make-believe. With that said, several of the shows can have things that appeal to all ages, though some might be better-suited for older children, teens and adults, like some of the direct-to-video movies (especially the early ones) or "Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated." There's also the basic mystery formula that people seem to enjoy seeing, and may want to try and figure out the villain's true identity on their own before the reveal (I find that's gotten easier with much of the newer stuff, IMO.) 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? As I mentioned, I love old cartoons, and I'm really into cosplay, including cartoon characters. I'm also what you'd call a "furry," but not like any of that stupid stereotypical sexual stuff you may have heard. (You can read more about how being a furry isn’t necessarily a sexual thing here: https://wile-e2005.livejournal.com/235463.html) Besides Scooby, I also enjoy cosplaying as Wile E. Coyote and Disney's Big Bad Wolf, and I am also working on a fursuit of an original toon wolf character of mine. 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! If you want to check out my YouTube channel to get to know me a little more, it's www.youtube.com/user/wileyk209zback Thanks so much to Dan for his answers!  Happy day-after-Scooby’s anniversary! Today, the spotlight is on Mr. Spinner, a Scooby-Doo fanfiction writer who has written the fangtastic “The Wolfman of Grimwood” story on Fanfiction.net. I met Mr. Spinner after writing my own Ghoul School fanfiction, Fangs for the Memories. We got to talking a bit, and began reading over each other’s work for feedback. Today, the tradition still continues, and we’re still always the first person to read each other’s Ghoul School themed fanfiction chapters before they are published live!
Here’s Mr. Spinner’s profile: 1. What is your name? Mr. Spinner 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? I had a DVD of Reluctant Werewolf and some of the shorts when I was a kid. I got into Ghoul School in my 2nd grade class. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? A Night of Fright is No Delight and Zombie Island. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? Just fanfiction. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? The 90's films (Zombie Island - Cyber Chase) with the original series as a close second. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? Ghoul School, full stop. It's why I wrote my fanfic, The Wolfman of Grimwood. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? More real supernatural threats or hijinx (like the 80's and 90's) 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Either Shaggy as the most relatable or Velma as the smart one. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? The Phantom of the Castle/Bluestone the Great. Mostly because he's really amicable about being caught. 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? Nope. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it's still going strong after 50 years? For better or worse, continued tweaking and reinvention for further generations. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I'd been imagining a crossover between Werewolf Shaggy and the Ghoul School girls for years. It only occurred to me to write it about five years after I discovered fanfiction, when I couldn't find any good writings for it. Thank so much to Mr. Spinner for doing this fan profile, as well as his continued friendship and support with my fanfic over the years!  I’m so excited to say that today is the 50th anniversary of Scooby-Doo! Scooby has been on the air for a full 50 years as of 10:30am EST today. “What a Night for A Knight” aired on September 13, 1969 on CBS. 50 years later, Scooby has acquired an amazing fandom that is still going strong even today.
So, I’ll admit the end of yesterday’s fan profile was a bit of a joke. Today, the fan spotlight is none other than…me! I had initially contacted 30 people to be fan spotlights, but one of them unfortunately didn’t end up responding. I thought about it a little bit, and I figured some people who may not know me as well may want to know a little more about me, and how I became a Scooby fan. I also didn’t want anyone to feel jealous that I chose them to go on Scooby’s anniversary, so I thought I’d put myself on that day just to make sure I was being fair to everyone. (Cue the "I'm sooo jealous!" jokes, which I've heard from at least 3 of the fan spotlights I had told about this before posting my profile live) My answers may not be as cool and insightful as I joked they were yesterday, but nonetheless I hope you enjoy reading them! 1. What is your name? WildwindVampire 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? When I was 6, my parents recorded some Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? episodes on VHS, back when they were airing on the USA Network in the ‘90s. The very first episode I watched was “A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts.” I remember loving everything about the show, especially the mystery aspect of it, and I’ve kept watching ever since. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? Since I was a kid, I’ve always been fond of “The Loch Ness Mess” from The New Scooby-Doo Movies. I’ve always had an odd appreciation for history of the American Revolution, and the ghosts are genuinely really creepy! It was also one of the first episodes I ever saw as a kid, so I’m sure the combination of the aforementioned things and nostalgia have caused my love for that episode to continue being so strong. I always bounce back and forth between Boo Brothers and Ghoul School for my favorite movie, but I think I’m going to have to go with Ghoul School. The girl ghouls are just so darn adorable (especially Sybella - how could you not love her?) and the dark-yet-whimsical tone of the film is just spot-on. Scrappy was also more toned down in this film, and I loved all the villains, and just the setting of the film in general. Honestly, there’s nothing I don’t like about this film! 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? I run my own Scooby site and blog, ScoobySnax.com, which posts the latest Scooby news, as well as other editorial and opinion articles on the franchise. I also do a weekly Fun Fact of the Week blog series on here, which has been going strong for an amazing 259 weeks in a row currently. I’m also one of the admins on the ScoobyAddicts forum, and make a lot of posts on there. It’s so fun getting to meet a wide variety Scooby fans and chat about the franchise with them. Scooby fans are the best! I’ve also written my own Scooby-Doo fanfiction, “Coast to Coast with Daphne Blake” (a post-Zombie Island fanfic about Daphne’s famous television show) and “Fangs for the Memories” (a spinoff of Ghoul School focusing on solely the girl ghouls in their high school years). I used to be quite active writing Scooby-Doo quizzes on Funtrivia.com (I believe I wrote around 150 or so), but in the past few years I’ve lost interest in that. I also will often chat with various fans via email and to a lesser extent social media. 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? The 1998-2001 era (especially Zombie Island), hands down. This era has a much darker and mature tone, yet doesn’t completely alienate younger viewers. The stakes are much more real, and I liked that it was left uncertain if the monsters would be real or fake in each film. The three-dimensionality of the characters was also excellent, and the gang seemed much more mature and relatable to an older audience. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? This is a really tough one, because of course it begs the question of “would it actually live up to the original?” Presuming the sequel would live up to the original, I would pick Witch’s Ghost. Given we already got a Zombie Island sequel this year, I would love to see a sequel in Oakhaven, maybe showing the aftermath of what happened, or having another mystery take place in that town. Who knows, maybe even the Hex Girls could show up! 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? Going off of my answer for question 5, I would love to see the series return to the tone of the Zombie Island era films. Honestly, I don’t know any fans who hate these films, so I think the franchise would be best served in picking something that appeals to both adult fans and younger fans. This era had the perfect level of maturity without going over the heads of the younger viewers. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Gonna have to go with a classic and say Scooby! Because he’s sooo cute, how can you not love him? 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? The Ghost of Uncle Beauregard from Boo Brothers is my favorite, to be honest. His design is super creepy, especially the yellow eyes. The raspy voice brought his spookiness factor full circle, in my opinion. I also love the ambiguity of if he was actually real or not at the end of the film. 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? The Hex Girls for sure! I love strong, empowered women characters, and these three are definitely pretty badass. I also love the environment, so them being eco-goths is a big plus in my book. And of course, their music is amazing! It’s also been cool to learn over the years about how much they’re a part of the real-life goth culture, to the extent that some people became goths because of watching the Hex Girls as a kid! 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? My collection is admittedly small, though I have a very large collection of Scooby DVDs and action figures. Also have some misc Scooby merchandise I’ve picked up over the years. My collection may be small, but I’m still trying to grow it more and more! 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? The plethora of incarnations over the years has no doubt played a factor in how popular it’s become. Between the series that are dark and gritty, or silly and whimsical, there’s something for everyone. Additionally, I’m going to pick on yesterday’s fan profile, Tore, a little bit here. Her college entrance essay about how Scooby taught her courage, confidence, integrity, friendship, and perseverance really gets at the core of why Scooby is so popular I think. The ghosts and monsters can be metaphors for one’s real life issues, whether as a kid or an adult. At the end of most episodes, the monsters are shown for what they truly are, and it just turns out to be a not-so-scary guy in a mask. The format of Scooby is interesting for kids, and can even arguably help them boost their self confidence by teaching them to face their fears. 13. What are five fun facts people might not know about you? I’ve been doing one for everyone else, but I’m going to cheat and do five for myself just because I’m having fun writing these haha. 1. I pretty much hate all emojis. The only ones I can stand are the ones on ScoobyAddicts, otherwise they just all look very exaggerated and unappealing to me. Which is why you'll still see me using the old fashioned ":)"- type emoticons... 2. I really enjoy traveling, both in and out of the United States. It's lovely to experience other ways of life and different cultures, and it can really help expand your worldview. 3. I'm a very avid reader...give me a good book and I'll definitely cuddle up and read it! 4. My natural hair color is darkish brown. 5. You know those people that are like “don’t touch me”? That’s definitely not me. Hugs are quite possibly one of my favorite things in the world. All of you are free to give me a virtual hug whenever you want :) Thanks again to me for doing this fan profile! It was so generous of me to agree to do this, and I really appreciate my continued friendship over the years! Check back tomorrow for an awesome new fan spotlight, who is most certainly not me this time lol.  I can’t believe we’re just a single day away from Scooby being on TV for 50 years now! Today we have another very special fan spotlight, who's such a big fan of Scooby that it got her into college. A few years ago now, I did an interview with Tore, a woman who wrote her college entrance essay about how Scooby impacted her life, and taught her several important life skills such as friendship, integrity, and perseverance. (You can read her amazing essay here!) Tore’s essay got her into three different colleges, and still works in a museum that is rumored to be haunted! I’m super excited to introduce Tore Anderson once again as today’s fan spotlight! 1. What is your name? Tore Anderson 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? Scooby Doo is the first television show I really remember watching. My mom would watch it with me, as it was her favorite growing up. Then it became my favorite! I would wear out my Scooby Doo, Where Are You! VHS tapes, and would always watch it on Cartoon Network after school. I haven't stopped watching since! 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? My favorite episode hands down is from season one of Scooby Doo, Where Are You!, "Which Witch is Which?" It was one of the first episodes I watched, and I absolutely loved the witch and the swamp setting. It definitely started my interest in the history of witches and voodoo (I really blame Scooby Doo for all my interests in the supernatural), and remains my favorite episode. My favorite film, as you can probably guess, is Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost. It has everything I've ever wanted in a Scooby movie: Tim Curry, a real witch, and the Hex Girls! 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? I follow a variety of Scooby twitter pages, consult Scoobypedia if I'm ever stumped on anything, and find myself purchasing way too many Scooby Doo items through various online shops! 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? While I don't think you'll ever recreate the magic that is Scooby Doo, Where Are You!, I've really found myself loving Be Cool, Scooby Doo! Not only is it really well written, but it's a great continuation of the characters I know and love with fun callbacks to Scooby Doo, Where Are You! as well as other genres (like the twins in The Shining in Where There's a Will, There's a Wraith for example). 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? I'd be really interested in seeing some more of Be Cool, Scooby Doo! 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? I really like the development that's been happening in some of the newer series like Mystery Incorporated and Be Cool, and I also remember really enjoying the style of Scooby Doo! Frankencreepy. We'll see how this new live action movie goes... but I would like to see more shows/movies that keep in mind their adult audiences. I like my Scooby with integrity, and even though Scooby is ultimately "for children," I think there's definitely a way to entertain kids while also providing the inside jokes and style for adults to enjoy too! 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Scooby Doo hands down! Scooby embraces his fears, but never truly lets them get in the way of solving the mysteries! He is a loyal friend and never forgets his family either. Behind him is Daphne. Another loyal friend, whose clumsiness I relate to on a deep level. But Danger-Prone Daphne in every series proves her worth to the gang! I especially love the development of her quirkier side in Be Cool, Scooby Doo! instead of the more stereotypical portrayal. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? I really loved Ben Ravencroft from Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost or the Cat People from Scooby Doo on Zombie Island. Not only were they dealing with real evil supernatural forces, but they had the gang fooled for a great portion of their movies! 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? Scrappy Doo! I hated what the first live action movie did to Scrappy!!! Justice for Scrappy!! He loved his Uncle Scooby, and I loved watching them solve mysteries together! 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? Of course! Besides Funko Pops and other various toys, I still have a looooooot of Scooby Doo VHS tapes in my collection. My favorite is A Nutcracker Scoob, mainly because I've accidentally called it "A Nut-Crapper Scoob" many times, and that always gets a good laugh! 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? The themes of Scooby Doo are universal and timeless: friendship, courage, perseverance, integrity, and even fear! We relate to the characters more and more over time, and the lessons they teach us from "solving the mystery." 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? Starting at age eight, I worked in my family's burger restaurant until I graduated high school. My childhood was much more like Bob's Burgers than Scooby Doo! 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! I'm so grateful to be surrounded by friends and family that love my Scooby Doo fandom. For those that aren't so accepted by their friends, families, or coworkers for "never growing out" of Scooby Doo, and I'm so thankful there are sites like yours and this community to welcome anyone and everyone to the gang :) A huge thanks to Tore for sharing her detailed perspectives on the real-life lessons Scooby can teach us! There’s no doubt she has some super insightful views about the franchise, and I wish more people would take a deeper look into the messages in Scooby-Doo the way that she does! Be sure to check back here for tomorrow’s fan spotlight, because for the 50th anniversary tomorrow, we have a real amazing fan spotlight! Seriously, your life will be changed forever by how cool and insightful this person’s answers are! But while you wait, here's a super cute picture of Tore at one of her (many) Scooby-themed birthday parties when she was a kid!   Why hello there fellow Scooby fan, and thanks for reading this post! We’re eleven days into our month of fan spotlight, and today ScoobySnax.com is spotlighting Shannon, an awesome Scooby fan who I know from the ScoobyAddicts forum!
Check out Shannon’s profile below: 1. What is your name? Shannon 2. How did you get into Scooby-Doo? I used to love watching cartoons when I was younger. As a 90's kid, really in the heart of some of the best animation in my opinion, cartoons were in abundance and not just new ones either. Reruns of classics were on all the time and Cartoon Network was one of my favorite channels to watch cartoons on. For some reason in a sea of Nicktoons and the things CN and Disney Channel were trying to do with animation Scooby reruns were always my favorite. It didn't matter if it was the original, the Scooby Show, the New Scooby-Doo Movies or 13 Ghosts, I was drawn to all things Scooby. 3. What is your favorite Scooby-Doo episode and film? Why? My favorite episode of the original Scooby-Doo Where Are You? series is a hard choice for me. I honestly love all of them but if I were to pick it would either be What a Night for a Knight, The Backstage Rage or Hassle in the Castle. The Black Knight is of course a classic as he's the guy who started everything but I have to say that the puppeteer and the phantom were truly frightening for a young-me sitting in her living room floor binge watching Scooby on Saturday morning. (I do have to add, however, that Season 2's bubblegum chase scene music was classic for me and I love those episodes dearly these are just the ones that really stick out in my mind when I think about Scooby.) As for my favorite movie, that would have to be Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Zombie Island is definitely peak Scooby and I think it brought Scooby to a new generation of kids and it put an amazing spin on a classic that didn't seem forced. It still fit into the Scooby universe while bringing Scooby up to date in a way that I don't think had really been tried before. 4. What ways are you involved in the Scooby fandom online? Sadly the Scooby Addicts board is the only way I've been able to be tied into Scooby online and lately I haven't really been able to do that. I did use to write Scooby fanfiction and I currently have an unfinished fic on fanfiction.net but I don't ever see myself having the time to finish that one. (Which is honestly a shame because I loved writing the Scooby characters.) 5. In your opinion, what is the best series or era of Scooby? As much as I love the 80's Scooby era what with Reluctant Werewolf, Ghoul School and 13 Ghosts, I have to say that I think the WB movie era (ZI, WG, AI and CC) was one of the best. Mainly because of how they were, in a sense, trying to continue with what the 80's had started in terms of real monsters and it had a lot of promise. Unfortunately that didn't continue and the franchise went off in another direction, a direction that was a little less mature and catered more to younger children than older Scooby viewers. Still I don't think what the WB movie era accomplished with those movies and how it really brought Scooby back to the mainstream can be overlooked. For once in my lifetime, it was cool to watch Scooby-Doo and more people were hopping on the train and that was amazing to see as a fan. 6. If they could make a sequel to one Scooby-Doo series or film, what would it be? I honestly don't think sequels should be made, especially to older Scooby media and mainly for the reasons I stated above. If they tried to go back and recreate something I'm almost a hundred percent positive it wouldn't have the same feel or magic to it because the era they would be trying to remake has long passed. The only recent Scooby media I wish had a sequel, or had lasted longer I should say, would be Be Cool Scooby-Doo. I honestly enjoyed this series so much more than I thought I was going to! It was a little more mature humor wise, making it an interesting watch for someone of my age unlike Mystery Inc, and I was quite heartbroken when I heard that it had been cancelled. 7. What direction would you like to see the franchise go in the future? My main wish for Scooby media is for it to be a bit more mature in terms of humor. I'm starting to feel like a broken record by saying that but it's so true. As a 28 year old who still loves and watches cartoons, I'd love to see that quirky sarcastic humor from Be Cool come back. I want Scooby and its characters to stop being dumbed down for a generation that frankly doesn't care about the show because there's so many more options. I want Scooby to stop being a teenage soap opera centered around pairing up the gang romantically and get back to solving mysteries. I think Be Cool did that in a way that fleshed the characters out and gave them personalities but didn't create unnecessary drama for no reason. Mysteries, sarcasm and originality; that's what I want for Scooby's future. 8. Who is your favorite member of the gang and why? Scooby, of course! Shaggy and Daphne come in as close seconds but Scooby has always been my favorite. He's the center of the show, he's honestly what I feel keeps these characters together and he and Shaggy are the best comic relief team! And I mean, he's a talking dog. 9. What is your favorite villain? Why? My favorite villain would probably have to be Bluestone the Great from Hassle in the Castle. Bluestone was the first villain/monster that the gang was like "dude is this guy for real?" He could walk through walls for goodness sake! I feel like he's the only one who truly "would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for those meddling kids and their dog." 10. In your opinion, who is the best recurring (non-gang) character in the franchise? I'm not sure if he counts as "recurring" since he only recurred in 13 Ghosts but I would have to say Vincent Van Ghoul. I can't express how awesome it still is to me as a hardcore fan that they were able to get Vincent Price, classic horror movie royalty, to agree to be in a Scooby-Doo series! His character just fit and he was like their dictionary into the occult for that series. 11. Do you have a Scooby-Doo collection? If so, what’s in it? I do have a Scooby collection, it's not very large and I'll try to make sure I get everything. It consists of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? seasons 1 and 2, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo complete series, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost, Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders, Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase, Scooby-Doo the Mystery Begins (which I was pleasantly surprised by), Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf, Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School and Scooby-Doo Night of 100 Frights for ps2. As for other Scooby items I have Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred and Velma Pop Vinyl figurines, I have a Scooby-Doo body pillow that's shaped like Scooby's entire body, a Scooby-Doo pillow case, I have 3 Scooby plush dolls - one is a large magician Scooby that I got at Putt-Putt as a prize in the 90's/early 00's and a smaller magician Scooby I got at the state fair as well as another state fair Scooby in a purple Mystery Inc hoodie. It used to honestly be a lot bigger when I was younger. I had those "first chapter books" I guess you could call them that had pictures at the beginning of every chapter and detailed a Scooby mystery that I had scored at a Scholastic book fair when I was younger along with a "Where's Waldo" type Scooby-Doo book. I had also collected Scooby-Doo party favors from a birthday part when I was younger, a tin Scooby-Doo bank in the shape of the Mystery Machine and had a multitude of Scooby-Doo shirts from when I was a girl as well. 12. What do you think has made the franchise so popular that it’s still going strong after 50 years? I honestly think it comes down to something very simple: Everyone loves mysteries. I mean think about how many Scooby-like shows there were in the late 60's/early 70's. Josie and the Pussycats, the Chan Clan, Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, etc. And that doesn't even cover the live action mystery shows going on at that time and even now. I think Scooby in itself has fared better than the previously mentioned for another simple reason: Everyone loves dogs. You had a show that married two things almost everyone has a love and affection for, mysteries and dogs, and then they went and got a real all star voice cast to work on it what with Don Messick, Casey Kasem and Frank Welker. Scooby had no choice but to be amazing. 13. What is one fun fact about you in real life? I have four tattoos and, surprisingly, none of them are Scooby related...yet. ;) 14. Please feel free to share anything else you’d like to here! Thank you for reaching out and allowing me to take part in this project! It's been a pleasure. A big thanks to Shannon for participating in this project! Feel free to leave her a comment below, and check back for tomorrow’s fan profile! |
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