We did a poll question back in 2020 asking what people's favorite overall special was, but I thought it would be a fun idea to narrow it down to just the direct-to-video ones that came out with various DVD compilations during 2012 through 2015!

The Scrappy VHS tapes are one of the most nostalgic things in the franchise for me. As you may remember, we did already did a poll with just the main episodes at the end of 2023, so I was really interested to see how the results would change with people voting for both episodes. Last time, "The Nutcracker Scoob" was our winner, but with it being paired with a Scrappy short, it was bumped back to third place. That means we have a new winner  for last week's poll!

What is your favorite pair of episodes from the Cartoon Network Scrappy-Doo VHS tapes?
Wedding Bell Boos / To Switch a Witch - 19
A Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle / The Tar Monster - 10
The Nutcracker Scoob / Alaskan King Coward - 8
The Ghoul, The Bat and the Ugly - 6

Update: Both the Bobble Bank and all the trading cards have now sold out!

Some exciting news for collectors! Scott Neely, who I did an interview with back in March, just shared with me that he is selling a rare Scooby-Doo collectible item. The item is a Funko Scooby-Doo Wacky Wobbler Bobble Bank, which was released in 2006. The banks have sat unopened in its original box in Scott's studio for the last 19 years, and are still double boxed. Scott is selling these banks for $250 each, plus shipping. The bank features Scooby in his classic sitting pose (seen above). These are super rare, and Scott is currently the only one on eBay with these for sale. It looks like a couple people have already added this to their watchlist, so if you're a big collector and are interested in purchasing this item, you'll definitely want to do so quickly before they all sell out! If interested, you can purchase the item directly from Scott on eBay. 

Scott has also posted eight Scooby sketch cards on eBay from the upcoming 2025 Fleer Scooby-Doo trading cards deck mentioned in previous posts. These are one-of-a-kind hand-drawn sketches that Scott drew when making the Fleer cards. Scott was also generous enough to offer a special deal to visitors of the blog! They are posted on eBay for $75 each. However, if you enter "ScoobySnax" in the "make an offer field" with $50, Scott will give you a $25 discount off of the $75 list price! Scott also wrote up a behind the scenes post about the process of making these sketch cards that you can check out on his blog!

A huge thank you to Scott for offering this special discount! 

Three of the villains that appear in the beginning of Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire are references to monsters from Scooby clone shows. The Marsh Monster and sea serpent are villains from The Funky Phantom episodes "Heir Scare" and "We Saw a Sea Serpent." The ghost captain is Captain Ahab from the Goober and the Ghost Chasers episode, "Assignment: Ahab Apparition."

It may also be worth noting that The Ghost Jean Lafitte from The Funky Phantom appears in Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries #9.

​Thanks to Scoobyfan4ever for coming up with this week's fun fact!

In the summer and fall of 1996, four VHS tapes featuring two Scrappy-Doo episodes each were released by Cartoon Network. In this week's poll, you'll be voting for your favorite pair of Scrappy-Doo episodes from those VHS tapes! This is the last compilation set I'm planning to do a poll on, but I do have an idea for another poll series involving Scooby home media coming up in the next couple weeks!

Here are the results for last week's poll:
What is your favorite Classic Scooby-Doo VHS pair?
Haunted House Hang-Up / A Night of Fright Is No Delight - 15
A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts / Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Werewolf - 10
Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too! / What a Night for a Knight - 5
Foul Play in Funland / Bedlam in the Big Top - 4
Mystery Mask Mix-Up / What the Hex Is Going On? - 4
Which Witch Is Which? / Nowhere to Hyde - 2
That's Snow Ghost / Go Away Ghost Ship - 2
Mine Your Own Business / Decoy for a Dognapper - 0

Back on May 19, it was announced that The Hex Girls: A Rogue Thorn would have a special surprise in store for people who pre-ordered the book. Yesterday on Instagram, the book's author Lily Meade revealed what this surprise will be. Anyone who pre-orders a copy of the book will receive an exclusive virtual invite to an event of Lily's, titled From Fandom to Fans of Your Own. This presentation will talk about the history of fanfiction, the skills writing fanfiction teaches, and how you can use those skills to improve your own writing. Pre-order receipts can be submitted at lily.la/preorder to get a ticket to this virtual event.

In addition, anybody who pre-orders the book from Lily's local independent bookstore, Grit City Books, will come signed by Lily herself. In addition, any book ordered from that store will come with an exclusive art print of Thorn drawn by @nicole.deal.art on Instagram.

As previously announced, the book will be released on August 26.

One of the side characters from "Be Cold, Scooby-Doo!" (Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!) is named Eric. Eric is voiced by Will Friedle, and the character was named this after his iconic role as Cory's older brother Eric on the ABC sitcom Boy Meets World.

IGN's YouTube channel has just uploaded a trailer for a brand new Scooby-Doo game! The game comes from Frozen District, and is a sequel to the game House Flipper. According to GamesRadar, the game is planned to be released on PlayStation 5, X-Box Series X, and PC sometime during Scoobtober, but the exact date seems to be a surprise for now! The DLC (downloadable content) game will feature six haunted house locations, each of which will be based around a Scooby-Doo villain from the series. The trailer reveals that one of those villains will be Dracula from "A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts." Each house will provide clues to the overarching mystery that will link each new location. The game will also include a "multitude of references" to the franchise. Check out the official trailer above!

Thanks to Drakosleuth for sharing the link to the trailer!

In the 1990s, a series of VHS sets titled "Classic Scooby-Doo" was released, featuring two Where Are You episodes per VHS tape. Since the sets were just named after whatever the first episode on the tape was, just the episode names are included here.

It was a bit of a nail-biter for last week's poll! Several of the volumes were super close to each other in votes, but volume 3 pulls off the win by four votes!

What is your favorite What's New, Scooby-Doo volume set?
Vol. 3: Halloween Boos and Clues - 13
Vol. 1: Space Ape at the Cape - 9
​Vol. 8: Zoinks, Camera, Action - 9
Vol. 2: Safari So Goodi! - 8
Vol. 5: Sports Spooktacular - 7
Vol. 4: Merry Scary Holiday - 6
Vol. 6: Monster Matinee - 3
Vol. 9: Route Scary Six - 2
Vol. 10: Monstrous Tails - 2
Vol. 7: Ghosts on the Go - 1

Back in summer 2022, I published an article titled Is Fred a Jock? about how stereotypes have informed the reception of Fred's character. I've mentioned before that some of the more research-based articles I've published here are amongst my favorites, so I thought it might be fun to publish an article that serves as a companion to that previous article. Arguably, Daphne has evolved the most out of any of the gang members. Similar to Fred being labeled as a jock, Daphne being "danger-prone" is one of the character attributes that have stuck the most for her. But with all of the evolution her character has seen over the five decades of the franchise, has being "danger-prone" actually been a consistent attribute for her character? This article will explore that, as well as discussing the societal and cultural changes that have informed parts of her character's evolution over the years.

There's no better place to start than with the series that began it all, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?. This series establishes Daphne as being very interested in fashion, and self-conscious about the way she looks. She is considered to be the good-looking, cheerleader type. She is sometimes shown to be perhaps a bit vain, an example of this being in "Foul Play in Funland" when she remarks "he'll pay for what he did to my hair!" when she is forced into a situation that gets her hair wet. Besides being good-looking and interested in fashion, perhaps the most prominently remembered attribute of her character is that she is "danger prone." In addition to her clumsiness, she is kidnapped more than any other character in the original series. 

Because of this, she is frequently seen as being a helpless "damsel in distress." Despite this, she is shown to be resourceful and quite capable of defending herself; an example of this being when she holds a vase over her head in "Hassle in the Castle" to protect herself from what she believes is the ghost. Another episode, "A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts," sees her finding a major clue when she is trapped in the dungeon by Frankenstein's Monster.

The first time the phrase "danger prone Daphne" is used is in "Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too!" It is said by Fred, after she accidentally turns on a buzz saw. Throughout the first few series, the phrase is typically used by another member of the gang when they are annoyed with Daphne making a mistake or getting them into trouble, rather than an in-joke or a playful jest. It's also worth noting that Shaggy and Scooby also frequently mess up and get the gang into shenanigans; however, them being "danger-prone" is never highlighted or emphasized like it is for Daphne's character.

My best guess is that the writers intended to characterize Daphne as being sheltered, since it was a common stereotype back in the 1960s and 1970s that pretty girls were sheltered, helpless, and/or damsels in distress. While I did see a few other articles of this type accuse the writers of being blatantly sexist, I personally think that Daphne's characterization was more a product of its time, because people didn't engage with the world or others around them as three-dimensionally as many do now. People were often pigeon-holed into being two-dimensional archetypes, which were often gendered. Another reason I don't believe Daphne's characterization was overt sexism on the writers' part was that Velma is characterized as a smart, independent woman, and is not shown to have the same damsel-like qualities.

Throughout The New Scooby-Doo Movies and The Scooby-Doo Show, Daphne's propensity to be kidnapped by the villain continued to be shown. However, it was much less frequent than in Where Are You. She is only kidnapped once in The New Scooby-Doo Movies, and three times in The Scooby-Doo Show. Briefly, in the second season of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, her characterization seemed to shift to become more easily frightened similar to Shaggy and Scooby. This shift is particularly prevalent in "The Mystery on Haunted Island," "The Haunted Showboat," and "The Exterminator." However, this personality trait was quickly dropped, and her characterization remained mostly the same in The Scooby-Doo Show. In The Scooby-Doo Show, she's noticably less vain, and her self-consciousness about her looks isn't as prevalent either.

After her character was written out of the show during the Scrappy short years, she would return in The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show in 1983. Throughout the next three years, Daphne's character is shown to be significantly more confident. This is in part to fill the hole left by Fred and Velma being out of the picture. In this series, she partially absorbs Fred's leadership traits, and a bit of Velma's intelligence when it comes to piecing together the mystery. Arguably, the second wave of feminism and the women's liberation movement in the 1970s could have also been an influence for this, as it was becoming more universally common for men and women to be treated equally in society and the workplace. Daphne is still kidnapped a few times throughout this series along with Scrappy; however, it isn't focused on as heavily as it was in the first few series, and she's also not referred to as "danger-prone."

In A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Daphne's character saw significant changes. The vainness of Daphne's character from Where Are You is brought back and amplified. Daphne is also shown to be bossy and uppity. In this series, Daphne is characterized as a rich, sheltered girl who comes from money, which is a plot point that's carried over from The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show episode "No Thanks, Masked Manx." She is repulsed by anything dirty, and has a butler named Jenkins to do the tasks that she believes that are beneath her. Despite this, her aversion to getting her hands dirty isn't framed as her being a damsel in this series. She's also only kidnapped once in the series, in "Horror of the Haunted Hairpiece," and she's only targeted because her family is the owner of the arcade being haunted.

In the mid-1990s, the third wave of feminism had just started, which led to a push for empowering female representation in media. Shows and films with strong female leads such as Tomb Raider, Clarissa Explains It All, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, exploded in popularity. The Scooby-Doo franchise also began to shift Daphne's character to reflect these cultural changes.

In Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Daphne is characterized as much more mature. She is the host of the television show Coast to Coast with Daphne Blake. In this movie, Daphne is shown to be very put-together and self reliant, even at one point telling Fred "I can handle myself!" when Fred attempts to save her from a zombie. She is also quite good at defending herself, as shown when flipping a zombie over her shoulder. She is also quite warm and compassionate in these films, and is no longer as focused on her looks. In doing research for this article, I found a video that highlighted a moment in Cyber Chase that directly acknowledges this plot point. When she is with her younger cyber self in a haunted house, the two come across a mirror. Cyber Daphne is horrified when a mirror makes her look like she gained weight. Older Daphne is quick to console her, assuring her that there is nothing to worry about. This moment could be interpreted as Older Daphne recognizing the struggles Daphne faced with being so self-conscious about her looks, and assuring her that she doesn't need to worry so much about her looks. Prior to seeing this video, I'd never thought that deeply about what the scene meant, but it's actually quite sweet.

Beginning in 2002 with the live-action film, there seemed to be a push to directly subvert the narrative of Daphne being a "damsel in distress." The lead actress for the aforementioned Buffy the Vampire Slayer was cast as Daphne in the first live-action movie. The narrative of Daphne being danger-prone is directly confronted, when Daphne tells the gang she is tired of being a damsel in distress, and that she has "turned her body into a lethal weapon." Daphne's character arc in the film involves making a concerted effort to be independent and self-reliant. At the end of the film, she ends up fighting a villain in a high-stakes action scene.

With a few exceptions, beginning with What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Daphne's character was shown to be empowered in a way that was a bit less direct than having her possess physical fighting skills. To an extent, this reflects how the "action girl" phase began to die down a bit around this time, as writers began to realize that extreme physical strength was not necessarily the only way to show female characters as being strong. In What's New, Daphne is shown to have a strong interest in fashion, although she's characterized as being a fashionista rather than being overly conscious about her looks. Daphne is quite resourceful in this series, often pulling out fashion accessories from her purse. She is often very forward-thinking about what the gang might need during the mystery. Although Daphne is kidnapped a few times throughout the series, it arguably isn't focused on as heavily as it was in the original series.

In Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Daphne's main focus as a character seems to be discovering herself. A major plot point in the series is her tumultuous relationship with Fred, who is trap-obsessed and struggles to be open about his feelings. She's only kidnapped three times, and all of those times lead to turning points with Fred's feelings for her. Beginning with this series, the push to empower her character through directly subverting the "damsel in distress" label is not focused on anymore like it was in the 2000s. Rather than subverting this label, her past characterization of being "danger prone" is simply not focused on as much, and she's given other attributes. 

The film Daphne & Velma presents a unique spin on Daphne's character. In this film, Daphne is quite sheltered by her parents, to the point of her dad physically rigging up inventions so that she will have a "perfect" life. Mid-way through the film, Daphne discovers this and is frustrated, but at the same time, feels temporarily unsure of how to be self-sufficient. As the movie progresses, Daphne learns how to be independent and take care of herself, while solidifying her sense of self. I've always appreciated this unique take on Daphne, because it pulls from so many different iterations of the franchise, and ties them together in a unique way.

​Similarly, in Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, Daphne is shown to be extremely quirky, to the point of being an eccentric nonconformist. She has a new quirk every mystery, and is often unpredictable. Despite the overt wackiness of her characterization, she is also shown to be extremely kind and compassionate. She is often the cheerleader of the gang when they feel dejected or stuck on how to move forward with a mystery. This series is perhaps the best example of Daphne's character being represented as strong in a non-physical way. Her quirkier side is also shown in Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! and Scooby-Doo! The Sword and the Scoob. Trick or Treat, Scooby-Doo! also addresses her being the gang's morale booster, when Fred remarks that he's always viewed Daphne is the leader of the gang. The broader message here seems to be that leaders are not always somebody who organizes others and tells them what to do; rather, a leader can also be someone who provides moral support and takes on a mentor-like role.

So, is Daphne a damsel in distress? In my opinion, this is an attribute of her character in the early series, but to say it has been a constant throughout the entire franchise is an oversimplification of her character, similar to the "jock" label for Fred. At times, Daphne is a bit clumsy, but it certainly isn't the most prominent piece of her personality. Besides being clumsy, Daphne is also compassionate, resourceful, unique, kind, and a fashionista. If we're viewing the franchise as being in one connected timeline, it seems Daphne struggled with being self-conscious about her looks as a teenager, as many girls do at that age. As she matured, she grew a better understanding of who she was and what was important to her. In the later series, she seems to realize that she doesn't have to care as much about how she looks, and subverts her view of fashion into a hobby, rather than an obsession with looking good in the eyes of others. Perhaps she was a bit clumsy as a teenager, but she also seems to have grown out of that phase as she got older. Throughout the course of the franchise, Daphne being "danger prone" was not focused on nearly as much, as the writers began to emphasize other personality traits and attributes.

Thank you for reading this article! Throughout the research process, I checked out quite a few articles and videos, but I want to specifically credit Kartsie's video A History of Daphne Blake, Scooby-Doo and Cultural Movements for sparking a few ideas in this article. While I didn't necessarily agree with every single point she made, I really enjoyed watching this video, and found it to be very well presented and researched. I definitely would recommend checking it out! (Note that the video is rated PG-13.) I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I did researching it!

"Hassle in the Castle" is the episode that has been released across the most amount of home media formats. The episode has been released on VHS, DVD, mini-DVD, Blu-Ray, and VideoNow. In the UK only, it was also released on Super 8.

If we're just looking at US releases, "What a Night for a Knight," "Go Away Ghost Ship" and "A Night of Fright Is No Delight" would be tied with five formats each. All three episodes have been released on VHS, DVD, mini-DVD and Blu-Ray. "What a Night for a Knight" has also been released on laserdisc, whereas the latter two episodes have gotten a VideoNow release.