Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Haunted House Hang-Up - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Haunted House Hang-Up

Premiered October 10, 1970

Season 2, Episode 5

Quickly

A headless specter tries to scare people away from an derelict mansion.

Too Much Detail Recap

The episode opens with a close up shot of an extremely detailed hand. It threw me off. It feels unlike anything that has appeared in the course of the series.

The gang is on their way to a rock festival. Fred has gotten them lost. They stop to find their bearings. Asa Shanks, a local, walks towards them. He advises them to leave for their own good. He directs them back to the highway. He tells them the road will come to a fork. The short way will take them to the headless specter, the long way won't. The girls want to go the short way, Shaggy and Scooby want them to go the long way. Fred decides to go the short way when he notices they are low on gas.

They're forced to pull over when the engine overheats. Shaggy and Scooby go to a well to get water for the engine and meet a phantom sheet. They don't believe Shaggy's story as if this doesn't happen to them constantly (I think I sprained my eyes rolling them). They go up to the mansion when they see a light is on. When they enter the mansion, they see the light is a candle. They are scared when the candle floats after them.

Shaggy and Scooby find a picture missing a head. Before they can show Fred, Velma and Daphne, the head reappears. While investigating, they find a box with a head but the head is just a dummy.

The gang splits up to follow two sets of footprints. Velma, Scooby and Shaggy follow the footprints into a dark room with strange knocking. What follows is about 20 seconds of the cheapest animation in the series up to this point with Scooby, Shaggy and Velma's eyes in an otherwise black frame. While in the dark room, they meet the headless specter. 

Cue Pop Song Chase scene.

The chase scene ends when Velma, Shaggy and Scooby fall in the well. The water saves them like they're in Minecraft. In the well, they find a door to a secret tunnel, again a bit like Minecraft (if you've ever built a straight down mineshaft).

Fred and Daphne find a journal with a nonsensical entry from 1822. They also find a trapdoor into an old fruit cellar. They reunite with Velma, Shaggy and Scooby. When Shaggy and Scooby try to eat the food in a canister, they discover the canister is filled with balloons. The balloons were used to make the ghost Scooby and Shaggy saw.

The riddle in the diary leads Scooby and Shaggy to search the greenhouse. In the greenhouse, they meet the headless man and they get into a chase on giant balloons (an RGB/Prisoner moment).

They accidentally capture the headless man. The headless specter is the great-great grandson of the owner of the mansion. He was trying to scare off people who might steal his family's treasure. They offer to help him find it. They hear the knocking and realize the knocking that has been plaguing them is a separate mystery. Fred announces he and Shaggy will go to investigate.

They discover a man in a sheet with an axe. It's less of a ghost sheet and more of a Jason Voorhees sackhead vibe. The man in the sheet is the neighbor they met on the road, Asa Shanks. They also find the treasure in a column in front of the house.

Rogue's Gallery

The Headless Specter and the Guy with the Sheet over his head.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Scooby's Night with a Frozen Fright - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Scooby's Night with a Frozen Fright

Premiered October 3, 1970

Season 2, Episode 4

Quickly

A frozen man is defrosted and resurrected.

Too Much Detail Recap

Okay, so here's my brain. Frozen Caveman...Link
from Encino Man...Link refrozen...and here we are

The gang is partying on the beach as they often do. Shaggy and Scooby are fishing. Shaggy's line wraps around a block of ice containing a caveman that was washed off a boat. They bring the giant block of ice to Oceanland. One of the scientists makes an offhand comment about bringing the caveman back to life.

The gang goes to the Malt Shop for a meal. They head back to Oceanland to pickup the rod and reel Shaggy left behind when they dropped off the iceman. They can't find the scientists. They find the door torn open. They also find torn clothing and the caveman missing from the block of ice. Shaggy tries to call the sheriff but the line is cut. 

They find footprints and follow them to Professor Ingstrom working with equipment and apparently communicating with a dolphin. They send Scooby to get a closer listen. Scooby is as covert as a truck. The Professor grabs his equipment and runs. They say he was acting suspiciously. I disagree with the assessment. He was conducting an experiment then he ran when he saw a tarp and buckets running at him. He was the least suspicious person in that moment.

They follow the professor into the shack. When they open the door, they come face to face with the caveman. The caveman chases them. Velma calls them out as chickens for running from the caveman but she ran too and he's trying to beat them like he's Bam Bam.

They find a map at Oceanland. Fred sends Shaggy, Scooby and Velma out n a row boat to investigate the ocean chart. They find a boat at the X on the map. They get on the boat to investigate. They get locked into a room on the boat with an ice maker. The ice maker is turned on. The room starts to fill up with giant blocks of ice. Scooby tries to ram the door with a block. The block hits the door and the ice is forced through the keyhole in the shape of a key. It doesn't make sense but it makes me smile because it is such an unnecessarily contrived moment.

When they get out of the room, they see their row boat was sunk. Velma comes up with a plan to use a block of ice to ride while rowing ashore.

They get to trap making time. Scooby and Shaggy dress up as a swordfish and a shark to bait the caveman into walking under a net. It doesn't make sense because the caveman has chased Shaggy and Scooby and it really doesn't make sense for them to have costumes that make it harder to run. But the costumes are cute. Daphne ruins the trap by knocking all of Fred and Daphne off the balcony and on top of Shaggy and Scooby.

Time for the pop music chase around Oceanland. I really enjoy that the chase scenes incorporate more settings and interesting gags. The Caveman is trapped in a giant clam. When they free him, they find out it's the other scientist and there never was a caveman. He was after Professor Ingstrom's marine life communicator (the experiment he was doing on the dock).

This is the first meddling kids! A landmark moment.

Rogue's Gallery

Caveman

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Jeepers, It's the Creeper - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Jeepers It's the Creeper

Premiere September 26, 1970

Season 2, Episode 3

Quickly

The Creeper stalks the gang while they are at a dance.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang are on their way to the school dance at an old barn when they come across a bank guard lying in the middle of the road. He regains consciousness long enough to give Fred a piece of paper and tell him that "The flame will tell the Creeper". They bring the guard to the bank president's house to recover.

At the barn dance, the Creeper ruins the party (attended by approximately 10 people and the gang by my count. They have a small class.). The Creeper shuts off the power to the barn. Fred has the idea to move the party to the Malt Shop. Scooby and Shaggy run into the Creeper while cleaning up after the dance.

Daphne reasons the Creeper wants the paper in a leap in logic. He doesn't actually say anything. He's a regular Pokemon with "Creeper! Creeper!" 

Daphne and Fred ditch Velma who's looking for her glasses to hide with Shaggy and Scooby. Velma follows them as soon as she finds her glasses.

Cue the chase scene...he's in love with an ostrich. This is the first episode I feel a little delirious watching. Mainly due to this song.

Shaggy and Scooby hide in a chicken coop. Scooby accidentally hatches an egg. The chick imprints on Scooby and the chick's barking is too adorable.

Velma, Fred and Daphne find a car with torn up negatives on the floor. Velma makes a snide comment about the idea of Shaggy and Scooby clues. Please! They often find clues and they always find the bad guy or the bad guy attacks them.

After the gang reunites, they follow the Creeper's footprints to a gorge. Fred has the bright idea to send Scooby across the ropes to unroll the bridge. Do they want to kill him?

Inside the cave, they find the hermit of the hills. He's welcoming and weird. The gang leaves him to his pot.

They are chased around the barn by the creeper before everyone falls into the haybaler. They are all baled by Scooby and the chick. Scooby unmasks the creeper to reveal the bank president.

The paper the guard gave them was a photo of the president robbing the bank as he did every night. 

Rogue's Gallery

The Creeper

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Mystery Mask Mix-Up - Toostalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Mystery Mask Mix-Up

Season 2, Episode 2

Premiered September 19, 1970

Quickly

Daphne buys a golden mask that makes the gang a target of a pair of ghost-zombie types.

Thoughts

There are racist stereotypes in this episode. The scene featuring Shaggy and Scooby pretending to be Chinese is very bad.

Too Much Detail Recap

I know that's a different mask. By my mom.

The gang is at a Chinese New Year's Parade. Shaggy can't see because Scooby is on top of him but I have no idea why Scooby is sitting on Shaggy because they're right at the street with no one standing in front of them.

They all decide to go to a curio shop. Daphne buys a gold mask. After the gang leaves, the shop is visited by two masked men looking for the mask. They track down the gang and demand the mask. Daphne refuses to give them her mask. Scooby goes into a laundromat and borrows a press. And based on the conversation in imitation Chinese, Scooby speaks Chinese. He uses the press to make a cloud of steam.

They go to A. Fong, an art dealer with an expertise in Asian art. He identifies the mask as the mask of the warlord Zen Tuo. He claims that Zen Tuo sent the two zombies after them to reclaim his mask. Daphne is determined to keep her mask. They notice the zombies following them in a black car. Cue pop song chase scene. A fairly intense car chase with significant property damage by the Mystery Machine.

The zombies steal the mask and kidnap Daphne. Okay, folks. It still annoys me. Why abduct her? They want the mask, they have the mask. They are just ensuring her friends and the police will eventually be involved. But I digress.

After the zombies disappear with Daphne, the gang finds a laundry ticket left behind by the zombies. Velma says it's not Chinese because she can't read it. Scooby sees the true message reflected in Velma's glasses. 

They head to the "temple in the hills" to find Daphne. Daphne is hidden in a secret room. Fred and Velma go into the room to rescue her and get trapped. The Ghost of Zen Tuo attacks Shaggy and Scooby. When the zombies corner Shaggy and Scooby, they...Chinese restaurant and I'm unhappy. Skipping ahead and back to the chase. Scooby and Shaggy are captured and put on a pile of fireworks. Shaggy manages to put out the fuse then accidentally land in a statue's arms and free Daphne, Fred and Velma.

Daphne leads them to cages holding carrier pigeons. I like the detail of Daphne snuggling the bird. Velma finds a message attached to one of the birds with a location and a time.

Fred creates a trap involving Shaggy's model train set from the Mystery Machine meaning either Shaggy just bought a trainset or more interestingly, Shaggy regularly carries a model trainset in the Mystery Machine.

The trap is set off before Scooby is able to finish laying down the track. Inspector Lu shows up to pick up A. Fong and his smuggling cohorts.

Rogue's Gallery

Zen Tuo and The Zombies of Zen Tuo

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Nowhere to Hyde - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Nowhere to Hyde

Season 2, Episode 1

Premiered September 12, 1970

Quickly

The Ghost of Mr. Hyde goes on a crime spree.

Too Much Detail Recap

The opening song and credits have changed. I like the first season song but I dig that the singer of the second season opening theme, Austin Robertson, kind of sounds like Davy Jones to me.

The episode opens with the ghost of Hyde stealing a necklace then hiding in the Mystery Machine. The gang is at the Malt Shop having sundaes after a magic show at the high school. They leave to head home in the Mystery Machine. Scooby uncovers Hyde under a blanket.

I love the Ghost of Hyde's look.

The gang follows Hyde through a marsh and into a house. When they attempt to enter through the back door,  they fall through a trap door into a laboratory. This is the first clue to who the bad guy is. Who has random trapdoors at their laboratory houses?

Dr. Jekyll walks in. He tells them he may be Mr. Hyde. He created a lifelong vitamin formula and tested it on himself in an improper clinical trial. After drinking the vitamins, he passed out. He was awoken by his housekeeper and discovered he had mud on his shoes. He admits he has the necklace they saw the ghost of Hyde carrying. Velma points out that while he does have mud on his shoes, it's dried and that doesn't make sense considering they just saw the ghost in the marsh.

Shaggy discovers trunks of costumes during the search. He speculates that someone might have been an actor. Shaggy and Scooby-Doo meet up with Helga, the housekeeper, during their search. She isn't happy about them being there and making a mess of the cobwebs.

Fred finds an half-burned article in the fireplace. The article describes Helga's human fly act. Scooby and Shaggy are chased by the ghost of Hyde who appears from behind a secret passage in the library. They slide down the stairs into the Velma and all three fall into the laundry room. They discover a feather duster and muddy shoes and clothing.

In Helga's room, the gang find phosphorus paint and knock out drops under the mattress. Before he can tell the gang what he found in a fruit bowl, Shaggy is abducted by the ghost of Hyde. Hyde straps Shaggy to a cot. He tells Shaggy he's going to transform him into a frog. Shaggy name drops the show when he calls for help. We get out first iconic hallway gag and a pop song for the chase sequence. The pop song is cute but it's has no thematic connection to the events.

Shaggy reveals he discovered suction cups in the fruit bowl. The key clue to the mystery.

Shaggy and Scooby lure Hyde to the trap. The gang dresses up as Hyde to scare him. They use the trapdoor to catch him on the mattress and wrap him up.

They're surprised to unmask Hyde as Dr. Jekyll. The suction cups were the key because Helga wouldn't have needed suction cups to get into the buildings to burgle them since she did a human fly act when she was with the circus.

Rogue's Gallery

The Ghost of Mr. Hyde

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - That's Snow Ghost - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - That's Snow Ghost

Season 1, Episode 17

Premiered January 17, 1970

Quickly

The ghost of a yeti tries to kill the gang while they're on a ski trip.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang is on a ski trip at Wolf's End Lodge. While they check in, Mr Leech, another guest, enters and asks Mr. Greenway, the owner, to store a suitcase for him. Both Mr. Leech and Mr. Greenway laugh creepily throughout. The old mystery movie vibes are palpable. I've seen too many Peter Lorre films not to giggle at the fake Peter Lorre.  Mr. Greenway shows the gang to their rooms and warns them to lock their door to keep out the Snow Ghost.

They lock up and see the Snow Ghost at that moment. They run away but run to where they saw the Snow Ghost. The gang goes after the Snow Ghost. 

It shouldn't bother me that none of them wear gloves but it just does. 

They find the Snow Ghost. He flies over head and disappears behind some trees. They instruct Scooby to go investigate a cave. These moments where the gang tells Scooby to go do the dangerous thing offend my nephew. He doesn't understand why they don't do it themselves.

The cave is filled with things from Tibet. They meet Fu Lan Chi, the man living in the cave. He tells them that the Snow Ghost is after him. He is also friends with a white timber wolf. Now, I do not understand why a man running from a Snow Ghost would live in a cave in a snowy mountain. Why not live in an apartment? He would be just as hidden. Caves don't offer a special shielding. He's not worried that the Snow Ghost will look him up in the phone book. If you are worried about being targeted for revenge by a Yeti, live in areas where Yetis would not reside. Same goes for Yeti ghosts because it's easier to flee down a paved road then through a dark snowy forest. This is a fact.

By my mom

They find footprints again. This set of footprints is covered with sawdust. The sawdust leads them to investigate a sawmill. While exploring the sawmill, Velma and Shaggy are abducted by the Snow Ghost. Velma is tied to a tree on a conveyer towards a saw. This is the most violent effort to kill the gang so far and the most magical Scooby's been. Normally, he can produce things out of nowhere but he literally transforms his teeth into beaver teeth and chews through wood to save Velma.

The Snow Ghost straps a bunch of TNT to a log and pushes it after the fleeing Scooby and Velma. He's been watching too much Looney Tunes and I write this as someone who watches Toon in With Me everyday. Then Scooby turns himself into a boat motor and gets their log away from the TNT log.

Shaggy reappears as a ghost. He falls into water and returns to normal. I don't know why all it takes to convince Shaggy he's a ghost and to get him to haunt is to paint him white but it's fine. Shaggy's just very suggestible.

While fleeing from the Snow Ghost, Daphne finds a hollow log filled with jewelry.

Fred comes up with a plan that doesn't require Scooby to be bait but Scooby's attacked and cornered by the Snow Ghost. The Snow Ghost tries to fully murder Scooby. Shaggy hits the Snow Ghost with a giant snowball. Then there is rolling, running and an unmasking.

Mr. Greenway was the Snow Ghost. Mr. Leech was his partner in a jewelry theft ring.

Rogue's Gallery

The Snow Ghost

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - A Night of Fright is No Delight - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - A Night of Fright is No Delight

Premiered January 10, 1970

Season 1, Episode 16

Quickly

A phantom tries to scare Scooby out of his inheritance.

Too Much Detail Recap

I couldn't stop thinking about Ghostface
while watching the episode.

The gang is in a boat on their way to the reading of Colonel Beauregard Sanders who named Scooby-Doo as a beneficiary. The Colonel was grateful to Scooby for saving him from drowning in a pond. They listen to a record will along with Cousin Simple, Nephew Norble, Cousin Maldahyde and Cousin Slicker. He lays out the terms of the will, whoever stays in the house all night will split the money, anyone who leaves is cut out of the will.

Everyone gets ready for bed. While bathing, Scooby is abducted by a green phantom. He quickly escapes and returns to the room. Somehow despite everything they've experienced, no one believes him at least until Cousin Simple vanishes and the Phantom Shadow leaves a threatening note on the mirror.

While they make arrangements to protect Scooby from the phantom using a dummy, Scooby and Shaggy hang outside the window on a drain pipe. Velma, Shaggy and Scooby fall from the drain pipe to a secret passage under the house. They find a set of recent footprints. They follow the footprints to the Colonel's Confederacy memorabilia. One of the uniforms attacks them. They discover it's just a duck in the jacket. They return to the house through a secret elevator. By the time they get back to the house, the relatives are all missing.

They hear the organ being played and find significant sheet music. The sheet music has a riddle written on the cover that leads Velma to discover secret stairs. The secret stairs lead to a crypt with five coffins, four for the relatives and one for Scooby-Doo. The coffins open to reveal the cousins. They also discover multiple green ghosts. A chase sequence ensues.

Shaggy and Scooby escape the green ghosts with the help of a rack of wine. After they all escape the ghosts, Shaggy notices green paint on his hands.

Fred creates a trap involving a fan, soap suds and a washing machine. It all goes wrong fast. Scooby's mistake turns the washer into a flying device. They trap the ghosts. 

The ghosts are Mr Creeps and Mr Crawls, the Colonel's lawyers. Scooby is left the only heir for a suitcase of a million dollars. The money is confederate and declared worthless although it could be worth up to possibly five times the face value now. If he played his cards right, he could make money off of it. In the end, the money isn't legal tender but it is antique.

Rogue's Gallery

Phantom Shadow

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Go Away Ghost Ship - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Go Away Ghost Ship

Season 1, Episode 14

Premiered December 13, 1969

Quickly

The Ghost of Redbeard the Pirate is hijacking cargo ships.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang reads in the newspaper about the ghost of Redbeard the Pirate raiding freights. They decide to help Mr. Magnus, the owner of the shipping line, by investigating the mystery. They drop in at his penthouse apartment but the butler denies them entry. They disguise themselves as room service and get in to see him. Mr. Magnus tells them that his family is cursed by Redbeard.

They take a boat out on the water to hunt down Redbeard's ghost. They use a recording of a foghorn and a fog bank as part of a plan to lure Redbeard. Their plan backfires when Redbeard's boat rams them. They are forced to climb onto his ship.

The gang is separated. Shaggy and Scooby are attacked by Redbeard's ghost then by a floating sword. Redbeard and his crew capture Shaggy and Scooby. He agrees to spare their life if they cook for him. They prepare ghost pirate stew with chains, ash, cobwebs, soap and seawater. Meanwhile, Velma, Fred and Daphne find tubs of dry ice.  

While escaping the pirates, Scooby and Shaggy fall off in a wooden tub. Unfortunately, Fred, Velma and Daphne are trapped on the boat.  The ship goes into a skull cave. Scooby and Shaggy follow closely behind. Redbeard chains Fred, Velma and Daphne in the cave. Fred is able to free them by getting the key with straws and gum. By the time they escape, Shaggy and Scooby have caught up.

They find tire tracks in the cave. The tracks lead them to a secret entrance. Behind the door, they find the stolen cargos. They also find Redbeard and his crew. They fight off the pirates. Shaggy and Scooby accidentally capture Redbeard.

They unmask Redbeard to reveal Mr. Magnus. He was hijacking his own ships to raise the money to save his shipping line. 

Rogue's Gallery

Redbeard the Ghost Pirate

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Spooky Space Kook - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Spooky Space Kook

Season 1, Episode 15

Premiered December 20, 1969

Quickly

An outer space ghost stalks the gang on an old air field.

Thoughts

The Spooky Space Kook is one of the best guys. The episode's fine aside from him but he makes it great.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang runs out of gas near an old farm house. They go to the farm house for help. The owner yells at them to get off his property. He threatens them with a shotgun. He thinks they are reporters investigating a ghostly craft that keeps appearing. They clarify that they just ran out of gas. He explains his situation. They quickly start finding clues including a set of glowing footprints.

The farmer gives them gas. They go to search for the ghost craft and spot it quickly. When they follow the craft, they come to a gate and glowing footprints leading to an abandon air field. They follow the tracks into a generator shack.

Shaggy and Scooby are having a snack when they are confronted by the outer space ghost. Velma, Fred and Daphne investigate a machine shop. The machine shop shows signs of recent activity. Fred is lifted into the air by a hook. Velma and Daphne get Shaggy and Scooby to help them get Fred down.

They ask Shaggy to describe the ghost and Velma says that his description was pretty vague. How could he be vague describing a space suit with a glowing laughing skull face? (I think this is a result of the character design process where the writers and voice actors might have not actually known) Before he can describe the ghost, they all see the ghost and flee.

Shaggy and Scooby find their way to the mess hall. Their scavenging pays off when Shaggy realizes it's strange for a space ghost to have chicken and ham. Velma, Fred and Daphne find a recent newspaper with glowing fingerprints.

Scooby smells gasoline on a wreck of a car. The gang take a closer look and see the car was carefully made to looked broken down. The outer space ghost reappears. Shaggy and Scooby flee into a control tower. They find equipment in the tower. The outer space ghost pursues them into the tower. Shaggy and Scooby parachute down.

The farmer and a police officer find them. The farmer called the police out of concern for them.

The outer space ghost flees into a wind tunnel. They turn it on. The ghost is revealed to be Henry Bascombe, the farmer's neighbor. He found out the Air Force would reopen the air field and was using the ghost to drive the farmer out so he could buy his land cheap.

Rogue's Gallery

The Outer Space Ghost

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Which Witch is Which? - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Which Witch is Which?

Premiered December 6, 1969

Season 1, Episode 13

Quickly

A witch and a zombie terrorize the gang in the middle of a swamp.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang is returning from a disappointing fishing trip. While taking a shortcut, they get lost in a swamp. They stop for directions but realize they're asking a zombie. 

They find help at a general store. The owner tells them about the zombie and the witch that brought the zombie to life (or unlife). He and his partner Zeb witnessed the creation of the zombie. Since then, the swamp had been abandoned by other residents.

Shaggy and Scooby go to Zeb's house to ask him about the witch and the zombie. Scooby has a positively odd interaction with a chipmunk. Shaggy finds a voodoo doll of Zeb in his bed.

They go into the swamp by boat to search for the witch and zombie. They find the witch's shack. Inside the witch's shack, they find a set of voodoo dolls modeled on them. The witch makes Daphne vanish. Velma notices Daphne's footprints slid down the rug. This leads them to a trapdoor to beneath the shack. Beneath the shack, they find footprints that lead them to an old riverboat and a smaller boat with a strange metal tipped pole.

I still don't understand why a criminal would kidnap someone when they're trying to scare people off. This wouldn't stop them from investigating, this would recommit them to the case. If their plan is to lure them in so they can pick the gang off one by one, then it makes sense but otherwise, what's the endgame? Although considering no one knew where the gang was, they were at risk of being disappeared. No cellphones in 1969. Many a horror movie has been built on this premise.

The gang searches the riverboat. Shaggy complains about being stuck with Scooby as his search partner. They come across the zombie then flee into the ship's old saloon. They hide by playing poker in the abandoned saloon (it makes sense in a cartoon).

Fred and Velma accidentally open a secret door. Inside the secret room, they find Daphne tied up and gagged. They also find a winch, power tools and a cutting torch. They are attacked by the witch and flee down a coal chute.

The zombie continues to pursue Shaggy and Scooby. He seems to enjoy teasing them. I heartily approve of that. Shaggy and Scooby try to fly on a broom and it's too dumb. Beneath the boat, they find an air boat. They also find a sheet and balloon painted to look like the witch. During their escape, they find an armored car in the swamp. 

The gang uses the money bags as bait for the bad guys and trap in the armored truck. They get the police to come and pickup the only two guys still in the swamp.

Rogue's Gallery

The Swamp Witch and the Zombie

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Scooby-Doo and a Mummy, Too

Premiered November 29. 1969

Season 1, Episode 12

Quickly 

A numismatist mummy chases the gang.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang are at the Department of Archeology seeing the Mummy of Anka. Dr Najib is responsible for bringing the mummy to the department for a replica of Anka's tomb. Dr. Najib tells them about a curse, Anka will turn anyone who removes him from his tomb into stone. 

While the gang is out at the Malt Shop getting hamburgers and liverwurst a la mode sandwiches, the Professor hears a commotion. When they return they find the professor petrified at his desk. Velma notices the glass on the broken door is broken in, not broken out which doesn't make sense if the mummy came to life and broke through the door to get out of the room.

During their search, Shaggy, Velma and Scooby find the mummy, he attacks them. When he corners them, he demands the coin. Velma quickly figures out he wants an Ancient Egyptian coin Shaggy accidentally pocketed.

Fred and Daphne find Dr. Najib petrified in his car. Velma, Scooby and Shaggy find a piece of the Mummy's wrappings. They take it to the school laboratory to test its age (Wow, that lab is well appointed). Scooby drinks a bunch of glasses of chemicals. This temporarily transforms his head into a frog's and magic exists in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! because that doesn't science). Shaggy and Velma trap the Mummy in the lab but accidentally trap Scooby with him. They get the door open and Scooby is missing.

They find a statue of Scooby outside. While Shaggy is sobbing over the petrified form of his best friend, Scooby digs his way out of a shed.

They research the coin in the Professor's office. Velma solves the purpose of the coin in seconds. She realizes the coin is a key in a puzzle. While fleeing from the mummy, the gang falls through the floor into the pool. Unfortunately, the mummy isn't far behind. Shaggy and Scooby flee. They find the equipment the mummy was using to make statues of everyone. They also find the Professor tied up in a bag. They leave the professor tied up in a bag and escape.

Scooby manages to trap the mummy in the basketball hoop. They unmask the mummy to find it's Dr. Najib (the only other person in the episode aside from the professor, the gang and the guy at the malt shop).

They use the coin to open the statue and reveal a diamond scarab.

Rogue's Gallery

Mummy of Anka

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts

Premiered November 22, 1969

Season 1, Episode 11

Quickly

Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula and a Werewolf terrorize the gang at a castle.

Thoughts

Shaggy's skill with ventriloquism makes another appearance.

Too Much Detail Recap

Franken Castle was moved from Transylvania. On their way to Franken Castle, the gang stops at a fortune teller. The fortune teller warns them to leave the mountain. She tells them the caretaker of Franken Castle fled in fear. They leave the fortune teller and continue to the castle.

Dracula warns them to leave and not return. The drawbridge to the castle raises. Daphne isn't able to get back across in time. Daphne is forced to flee into the castle from Frankenstein's Monster. Shaggy and Scooby swing across. Shaggy pulls the lock to lower the draw bridge. Then they're chased off by a werewolf.

Shaggy uses his ventriloquism to distract the werewolf. Scooby scares him with ivory piano keys as teeth. They drop a chandelier on the werewolf.

Fred and Velma get across to the castle. As they search for Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne, Dracula threatens them again. Velma loses her glasses. She blindly crawls through a secret passage. I both do and don't understand this. I have very poor sight without my glasses and I could imagine struggling to find them in a dark and unfamiliar place but not struggling as much as Velma. She crawls across the room and into another room.

Shaggy and Scooby search the kitchen for food. Scooby finds the Frankenstein's monster in the pantry. They narrowly escape. They fall into the old torture chamber, the same room where Velma wandered to. Scooby smells Scooby Snax and finds Velma. Shaggy gives Velma her spare glasses (a very sensible plan given Velma's habit of losing her glasses). They hear Daphne yelling and find her in a dungeon. Scooby sees Dracula creeping up on them. He ties Dracula's ankles and drags him to the hole they just rescued Daphne from. I love brave Scooby as much as I love competent Shaggy.

A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts - By my Mom

Daphne and Velma lose Shaggy and Scooby in a darkened hall but are reunited with Fred. Daphne reads the message she found on the wall in the dungeon. It's from a prisoner in 1668. He says he'll be as rich as "KING TUT" which is an impossible message unless it was written by a time traveler because King Tut's tomb wasn't found until 1922. 

Shaggy and Scooby play mad scientist in a laboratory. This is odd for a couple of teenagers in a castle fleeing monsters in the middle of the night. Anyway, they run into the monsters again and flee.

They go to the Franken family crypt to investigate Daphne's clue. They find Dracula in the 1668 stone coffin. 

Shaggy and Scooby throw a tapestry over him to trap him. But he runs right along with it and jumps back into the crypt. The crypt closes. By the time they open it, Dracula and the tapestry are gone. Fred finds a gold earring. Scooby finds a piece of bejeweled tapestry. They go back to the fortune teller. They find the tapestry with the fortune teller. 

The police office shows up and identifies the fortune teller as Big Bob Oakley, a master of disguise.

Rogue's Gallery

Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and the Werewolf

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Bedlam in the Big Top - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Bedlam in the Big Top

Premiered November 15, 1969

Season 1, Episode 10

Quickly

The gang is hypnotized by a Ghost Clown.

Too Much Detail Recap

I love this clown. This is the first villain so far that I just love.

The gang is driving when they see Sampson and Max crash their bike. They stop to see if they can help. Scooby-Doo catches Max when he falls out of a tree. Sam and Max (Okay, I can only think Sam and Max, Freelance Police now) explain that they just quit their jobs as circus performers because of a jinx on the circus.

Mr. Barnstorm, the ring master, tells them of a ghost clown haunting the circus. He plans to shutdown his circus. The gang leaves when he tells them to, which is just the weirdest thing they've ever done. Fred, Daphne and Velma would normally decide to search the fairgrounds even if he told them to leave. Instead, they just leave. Even weirder they don't notice Scooby isn't with them until they're driving away. 

They return to search for Scooby. By the time they return the clown has hypnotized Scooby into performing the high wire act. This is another bad guy who might have been fine if he had just ignored Mystery Inc until they left but he didn't. Also this is another bad guy that does his cardio because he covers some distance. 

The Ghost Clown tries to kill Scooby by taking him out of the trance while on the high wire. Fred and Daphne search a tent filled with costumes. He shoves Fred into a steamer trunk. Then the clown hypnotizes Daphne into performing a circus act. The trance isn't just like Scooby's because he also hypnotized her into changing into a costume and that is a distressing idea.

They follow Daphne into the animal tent where we see a very depressing image of three elephants with their ankles chained. Scooby enlists the help of one of the chained elephants to spray water onto Daphne to wake her from the trance.

Scooby-Doo and the Ghost Clown - By my Mom

Fred decides to trap the ghost clown in an animal cage. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are convinced by a giant sandwich Daphne makes appear as if from nowhere to lure the ghost clown. Shaggy's goatee is really off in this episode. It's just weird how the flesh color extends below his chin line. The clown hypnotizes Shaggy into performing the lion tamer act. Then he tries to get him killed by the lions. Scooby is able to bring Shaggy out of the trance before he's mauled.

Shaggy has a brainwave about the gold coin. Shaggy declares to Scooby they are going to search for the clown again. Shaggy solves the case and captures the clown by holding up a mirror and tricking the clown into hypnotizing himself to be a monkey. Shaggy solved the case and I appreciate that.

The ghost clown is unmasked as Harry the Hypnotist. A character they have not referenced throughout the episode. 

At the circus, Fred, Velma and Daphne get to see Scooby and Shaggy perform as Sampson's weights. There's also a boy with a Scooby-Doo balloon.

Rogue's Gallery

The Ghost Clown

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - The Backstage Rage - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - The Backstage Rage

Season 1, Episode 9

Premiered November 8, 1969

Quickly

The gang is trapped in a puppet theater while searching for a counterfeiter.

Too Much Detail Recap

Shaggy and Scooby are walking on a spooky night. They find a violin case filled with money. Shaggy goes to a telephone booth and calls the gang. The car that dropped the violin case returns. Scooby is distracted by a poodle with a hurt paw. When the rest of the gang arrives, the money is gone and they find a puppet control from Pietro's Puppets. Scooby reasons the other dog was a puppet. They speculate it's all related to counterfeiting.

At the theater, they meet a doorman working a puppet. Shaggy finds a brand new bill at the theater. They take it with them but Velma assesses the bill as real. Fred decides the bill was decoy to trick them into thinking nothing's going on. They immediately return to the theater and begin searching for evidence. A mysterious figure attempts to inflict an accident on the gang.

The mystery man must do his cardio because he's covering serious ground while messing with the gang. The bad guy should have just left them alone and focused on hiding the evidence. They had so little to go on. They find a bunch of empty violin cases under the stage. 

While on the stage, a bunch of crazy puppet types try to scare them away. Among the puppets is the poodle that teased Scooby. He attacks the puppet and find an engraving plate inside. I judge where this bad guy hides things. It's universally stupid to hide the damning evidence inside of a thing you're using to mock the people investigating you. 

They try to tell the door man what they've discovered but he's just a puppet. When they try to leave, they find out they're locked in (I'm unsure why he'd do that and how that works). The engraving plate is plucked from Velma's hands by a bird puppet.

They return to the basement to find a piece of evidence since every piece they've found so far has been stolen. They find a tunnel door behind a harp case and enter. They are trapped in the tunnel. They follow the tunnel to a ladder. The ladder lets them out onto the stage. Scooby-Doo goes to the catwalk to attack the phantom. Freddy unties the rope the phantom is hanging onto. He drops him into a drum. Shaggy puts a tuba on his head. It's a wonderful moment of teamwork for the guys. 

The only other human in the episode is the bad guy. The doorman.

Rogue's Gallery

The Puppetmaster

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Foul Play in Funland - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Foul Play in Funland

Season 1, Episode 8

Premiered November 1, 1969

Quickly

A robot run amuck.

Thoughts

I have no logical reason for feeling this way but I've always reviled that robot. I don't really like robots in general. No reason, I just don't like them.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang is clam digging on the beach near Funland, an amusement park that looks like the boardwalk in The Lost Boys. Funland is closed but they notice the lights turn on. They go to investigate.

Fred tests his aim on the milk bottles. He knocks them all down. Before he can reset the bottles, they are back in place and a little doll is sitting on the counter for him. Meanwhile, Scooby and Shaggy raid the concession stand. They notice a man walking through the park. They try to track him but Scooby can't pick up on a scent. 

The representation of Shaggy's goatee is back to looking a little like part of his face in some shots. Scooby and Shaggy go to investigate the man. This is a good balance of fear and courage. They're easily frightened but not living in a constant state of illogical terror and seem invested in the mystery.

Fred, Daphne and Velma see the robot then lose track of him. The lights go out in the park. They visit Mr. Jenkins and his sister, Sarah, the caretakers of the park. They disregard their claims.

The park comes back to life but everything starts going haywire. The carousel begins going backwards. Food and prizes start flying everywhere. They see the robot again. He destroys a boat their riding in the tunnel of love. When Scooby and Shaggy come across him, he pursues them while they flee. They are forced to do a few death defying stunts on the roller coaster to elude him. 

Fred is inspired to use an electric car to chase him. Velma shows some ridiculous illogical thinking when she isn't afraid of a train and says the train will need to look out for itself. I like overconfident Velma.

They create a trap to catch the strangers and after everything, it doesn't make sense for them to think they could trap him in a wood crate. He swan divided off the roller coaster and he was fine. We get a glimpse at what he would do to Scooby if he caught him when he shakes a wolf figure to apart.

Mr. Jenkins admits he built the robot. He enlists the kids to help him capture Charlie with an electromagnet. Sarah cuts the cord on the electromagnet. She admits she messed with Charlie because she didn't think robots should work with children.

Rogue Gallery

Charlie the Robot

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Never Ape an Ape Man - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Never Ape an Ape Man

Season 1, Episode 7

Premiered October 25, 1969

Quickly

An "Ape Man" terrorizes the set of a film.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang is on the set of The Ape Man of Forbidden Mountain visiting Daphne's Uncle John. He offered them jobs as extras. 

John Maxwell needs them to work on the film because local residents refuse to be involved with the film. They fear the legend of the real Ape Man. While shooting a stunt with the film's star, Candy Mint, the Ape Man begins tearing up the bridge Candy is standing on. Scooby rushes in and saves her. Afterwards, they search for Carl, the stunt man playing the Ape Man, and find him shut in a trunk. 

The whole gang decides to stay to stand guard. Only Scooby objects (despite fearlessly facing off with the Ape Man earlier). Even Shaggy is unafraid. Shaggy's constant terror is a later development in the series. In the earlier episodes, he and Scooby do flee from the people chasing them but they aren't much more fearful than Daphne, Shaggy and Velma. 

While searching for clues, Fred disappears through a secret passage. The Ape Man pulls the Groucho mirror routine on Scooby. He attacks Velma, Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby. Scooby drives the Ape Man back. While Scooby forces the Ape Man upstairs, Daphne tries to help by turning on a light and turns the stairs to a slide. The Ape Man escapes but another button reunites them with Fred.

Fred shows them to a set from the film for a scene where the Ape Man is captured in a net. They plan to use the net to capture the real Ape Man with the net. Scooby and Shaggy are enlisted to lure the Ape Man into the trap. Scooby's offered Scooby Snacks. Shaggy is offered a Shaggy Snack, a potpie with pizza crust and filled with anchovies, pepperoni, cherries and all in a thick chocolate sauce. Someone call Babish, that monstrosity deserves his scrutiny.

Scooby and Shaggy run into the Ape Man. Scooby in his panic runs into Velma's arms. He steams up Velma's glasses and impairs vision and she hits the wrong switch. After she finally hits the right switch, she traps Scooby. Scooby finds a tuft of fur stuck in a wine cask. The wine cask turns out to be the opening to a tunnel that leads them to the film trailers.

While searching/goofing around, Shaggy comes across a camera and uses it to snap a shot of the Ape Man. They lead the Ape Man to the house where Fred hits the switch to turn the stairs to a slide.

Carl the film's Ape Man is the "real" Ape Man. He was taking revenge on the director for refusing to cast him as the lead. This only leaves one question, who was playing the lead? What lead role wasn't he cast in? The only other actor we saw was Candy Mint. I would love to see an issue of the Scooby-Doo DC comic series tell the story of the movie.

Rogue Gallery

Ape Man

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - What the Hex is Going On? - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - What the Hex is Going On?

Season 1, Episode 6

Premiered October 18, 1969

Quickly

The gang faces off against a ghost demanding a family's fortune.

Thoughts

I haven't conducted a comprehensive study but the animators did a better job with Shaggy's goatee in this episode. His goatee is just one of a long history of me getting hung up on a stupid thing.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang is driving when they spot a man going into an old mansion. They reach their destination, Wetherby Mansion. They are visiting their friend Sharon. Sharon tells them her Uncle Stuart has gone missing. They tell her of the man they saw. Her father identifies the old mansion as the Kingston Mansion. They go to the Kingston Mansion to find Uncle Stuart. They find him and he's apparently become ancient. He describes a ghost demanding the Wetherby fortune be returned to him.

Sharon's father leaves to get the Sheriff. While he's gone, Uncle Stuart follows the voice again and Sharon is abducted by the ghost. They conduct another search of the Kingston Mansion. The first clue is the presence of a bulldog Scooby gets into a fight with over a bone. They also find a skeleton in Uncle Stuart's clothes and a ghost. The ghost appears to them and warns them anyone still in the Wetherby Mansion will age.

They follow the ghost to a mausoleum. Shaggy searches the mausoleum in exchange for four Scooby Snacks. Scooby was ready to take the deal but Shaggy grabbed them first. In the mausoleum, they find a book on Crystalomacy. Spelled Crystalomacy in the show but the proper spelling is Crystallomancy. The ghost locks them in the mausoleum. Scooby finds a secret passage out that leads to the Wetherby Mansion.

The gang goes to a "Swami" in town to follow up on the book they found in the mausoleum. They begin to look around the empty shop. It's so inappropriate to enter a closed shop and start digging around. While at the shop, the ghost appears in the crystal ball and the table begins to fly around the room. When the table crashes, they find a fan motor under the table. They also find a professional makeup kit and a camera that broadcasts to the crystal ball.

They find Sharon and set up their trap for the ghost. Shaggy and Scooby bring a chest to the ghost under the pretense of giving him the fortune. I struggle to imagine how he thought that would work. Did he think it was full of cash? Or do the Wetherby's keep their fortune in jewels? Anyway, the chest is a jack in the box. They use a magic camera to protect images of the ghost, Shaggy and a giant Scooby in the Kingston Mansion. He flees into the room he used to keep Sharon captive where they set up a skeleton to freak him out. When he flees, they drop a net on him. 

The ghost turned out to be Uncle Stuart behind all of it. We'll never know why.

Rogue's Gallery

The Ghost of Elias Kingston

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Decoy for a Dognapper - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Decoy for a Dognapper

Season 1, Episode 5

Premiere October 11, 1969

Quickly

Scooby is dognapped.

Thoughts

The $500 award Buck Masters offers for the capture of the "dognappers" possibly gives a clue to how the gang funds their frequent vacations.  

The episode features the villains using stereotyped images of indigenous people and other characters making racist comments. It's bad.

Way Too Much Detail Recap

Scooby attempts to get the attention of a poodle who is dognapped while Scooby is watching. Scooby finds the gang partying on the beach. He turns the radio to the report on the dognappings. The gang is on the case.

Buck Masters puts up the $500 ransom as a reward to anyone who catches the dognappers (a plot point possibly inspired by the 1956 movie Ransom!). They find out the best bet to win the dog show prize is Bob Miller's Great Dane. Fred and Daphne hit upon a plan to use Scooby as a decoy for the dognappers.

A van provides a smoke screen for a dognapper to snip the leash and take him. While Shaggy is chasing after Scooby on a borrowed scooter he sees an apparition of a stereotypical image of a Native American on horseback.

The dognappers instantly recognize Scooby as not being the show dog. Scooby tries to stay put to the point of digging his nails into the wood floor (Is he part cat?)  They put him on a hand cart and push him down the track. Shaggy jumps onto the hand cart. He's able to stop and reverse it in time to prevent them from getting crushed by a train.

The gang follows the tracks to cliff dwellings and prove that their plan to make people look elsewhere by putting Scooby in the box on the hand cart was nonsense. The Indian Witch Doctor threatens them. The gang is mostly undeterred.

They find and free the dogs. The dogs attack their abductor as a pack. Scooby unmasks the dognapper. It's Buck Masters who asks them why they didn't mind their own business (Um... he offered them $500 reward to catch him).

Rogue's Gallery

The Witch Doctor

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Mine Your Own Business - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Mine Your Own Business

Premiered October 4, 1969

Season 1, Episode 4

Quickly

A ghost scares the guests away from a ghost town.

Thoughts

This episode features two examples of Scooby's trouble with smaller wild animals. He steals the cheese from a mouse trap and gets a stern squeaking to. He also falls after putting his stilt into a gopher hold.

Way Too Much Detail Recap

The gang are in Gold City, an old Ghost Town. Somehow, Shaggy is surprised by this turn of events despite the fact that he is holding a map that says, "Ghost Towns" on the back. They go to the Gold City Ranch for rooms for the night. Big Ben welcomes them to his ranch as his only guests. 

Hank, the caretaker, shows them to their rooms. He tells them the Miner Forty-Niner has been scaring off the guests.

They start investigating the town. They struggle to find anything. The gang is almost ready to give up when the Miner Forty-Niner attacks Scooby-Doo. The gang doesn't see the miner but Scooby knocks over a racist statue known as a "Cigar Store Indian" and reveals a hidden map. The map has numbers that don't make sense as directions but do as a combination. They try the combination on the safe in the hotel basement. Scooby gives the audience a random evil look before opening the safe.

Inside the safe, they find a secret elevator. The elevator takes them into a mine. Shaggy lights a handful of dynamite. This is odd to me because dynamite is often sold separate from the detonating cords which means it would not be stored with attached detonating cords. The key to stopping dynanite pulling the cord out. There was no need for Shaggy to chuck the dynamite.

Scooby sees the miner again. Shaggy and Scooby flee. Meanwhile, Fred falls through a wooden floor and gets covered in flour. Fred has the nerve to call Daphne danger prone when he thinks she fell into a mineshaft.

Velma discovers a wire going to a speaker. They also discover a tape playing a ghostly moan. Near the tape player, they find jars of oil.

They trap the miner and unmask Hank. He was trying to ruin Big Ben's business so he could buy the land for cheap and get the oil. Big Ben says he would have partnered with Hank in the business if he'd known.

Rogue Gallery

The Miner Forty-Niner

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Hassle in the Castle - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Hassle in the Castle

Premiered September 27, 1969

Season 1, Episode 2

Quickly

The gang gets stuck on Haunted Isle and become the target of a phantom at the castle.

Thoughts

This isn't a "who done it". This episode is most like a supernatural show and least like a mystery. The story makes more sense if they're at a real haunted castle. There are things the Phantom does when they have their back turned that don't make sense if it's just a guy. Like popping out of a vase.

Bluestone wouldn't have gotten arrested if he had just ignored the kids. They only investigated because of the strange happenings. As in so many episodes of Barnaby Jones, they caught him on the coverup.

Too Much Detail Recap

The gang is out boating. They get their boat stuck on Haunted Isle. They go to the Vasquez Castle, an old pirate castle, for help. Did any real pirates have castles? Scooby stumbles across a map with a note telling them to leave. 

Daphne falls through a trapdoor. Shaggy is taunted with magic sandwich making. Shaggy finds Daphne. The Phantom of Haunted Island appears and warns them to leave.

Daphne finds a giant key in an old chest. The key refers to the second passage of the old bell. They go to the library to find a clue leading them to the old catacombs, the location of the giant lock. Fred tells Scooby to explore the catacombs while they stand guard. Lame Fred, just lame. He should go investigate. 

Scooby finds a magic top hat in the room. The further they look, the more magical equipment they turn up including the most quickly constructed dummy head in the history of ever. Either that or Bluestone had an assistant that looked like Shaggy.

Fred begins executing a plan to capture the Phantom with Scooby as bait (Lame Fred). The plan goes wrong until Scooby falls on the Phantom.

They unmask the Phantom and find Bluestone the Great (a character that wasn't introduced until the unmasking). Bluestone is arrested for outstanding warrants, I guess.

Rogue's Gallery

The Phantom

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - A Clue for Scooby-Doo - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - A Clue for Scooby-Doo

Season 1, Episode 3

Premiered September 20, 1969

Quickly

A glowing scuba diver steals ships.

Thoughts

Shaggy's goatee has variable execution from episode to episode and scene to scene. Sometimes it looks great, sometimes it looks like a flesh colored appendage. There are other animation errors but the goatee has the strangest effect.

Way Too Much Detail Recap

The gang is at Rocky Point Beach for a beach party when their party is disrupted by a glowing diving suit. 

The next day, the gang visits the Malt Shop. Fred reads an article about disappearing boats. They read that Ebenezer Shark blames the ghost of Captain Cutler. That night, they visit Ebenezer Shark. Ebenezer tells them that Cutler's boat sunk due to a boat hitting him and the disappearances are his revenge.

The gang splits up. Fred and Daphne stake out Ebenezer Shark while Velma, Shaggy and Scooby visit Captain Cutler's widow at the lighthouse. They enter the lighthouse without being invited and find strange accoutrement. Velma quickly realizes the Widow Cutler is a witch. I always loved how blasé Velma was about Widow Cutler being a witch. She claims to have brought him back with her witchcraft (I don't have that spell in my book). 

Velma, Shaggy and Scooby see what they think is Captain Cutler. It turns out to be phosphorescent seaweed. They learn the seaweed is only found in the Graveyard of Ships. The gang wetsuits up to explore. While on the way to their dive spot, they see a ship moving on its own. The ship disappears.

While underwater, Fred, Velma and Daphne are locked in a ship by Captain Cutler. Shaggy and Scooby are attacked. They do run but they also fight back. During their flight from the ghost, Scooby finds a clue. Shaggy and Scooby free the rest of the gang from where Captain Cutler locked them in the sunken ship. Scooby shares his clue, a bunch of scuba tanks.

Shaggy accidentally opens a secret underwater door and leads them to the missing ships that were dragged to a hidden cove with a minisub. The gang creates their first proper improbable trap. The trap triggers through the fault of Velma...I think. It seems like she turns on the pressure too high on a hose causing Fred and Daphne to drop it. But the trap still works out. Scooby accidentally captures him. 

They unmask the diver. It was Captain Cutler all along. He's just not dead.

Rogue's Gallery

Captain Cutler

Scooby-Doo Where Are You! - What a Night for a Knight - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - What a Night for a Knight

Season 1, Episode 1

Premiered September 13, 1969

Quickly

A possessed suit of armor abducts an archaeology professor.

Thoughts

Fred comments that they're up to their "armor plates in another mystery". This means it's not their first time.

The whole gang turns towards camera when they discover a clue at the library. Scooby-Doo winks at the audience.

I heard someone ask once, "Why do they run when they know it's not a real ghost?" In this episode, the knight is kind of trying to murder them. That is the only logical end game for the Professor given the circumstances.

Way Too Much Detail Recap

On HBOMax, the open credits for this offers to skip. I didn't because I like the song. But Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo doesn't have that option and that opening song is not good. It's just bad...well...I'm talking about that...at least not yet.

Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are walking home after seeing Star: Dog Ranger of the North Woods twice. They come upon an abandoned truck with a suit of armor in the front seat. They don't call the police, they call their pals. The gang brings the suit of Armor to the museum. Mr Wickles at the museum tells them Professor Jameson Hyde White, the name on the shipping label on the crate, has disappeared.

At the museum, Scooby finds a pair of unusual glasses and take them with him. The gang goes to the library to identify the glasses as magnifying glasses only made in England. Wow, their town has a good library. 

The gang returns to the museum to break-in and look for clues. Fred is somehow surprised they lock the door on the museum at closing. Fred gets an illogically long ladder from the van. The open door shows the Mystery Machine is very well equipped. Shaggy climbs then jumps the rest of the way using his gymnastic skills.

Velma and Shaggy, and Fred and Daphne search the museum while Scooby stands guard. Scooby quickly joins Shaggy and Velma's search party. When Shaggy wanders off, Velma and Scooby search without him. The Black Knight chases them and they elude him.

Shaggy notices a picture missing from the wall of the museum. The gang find fresh drips of paint. They follow the trail to a sarcophagus and find an entry to a secret art forger's room. Before they can leave to get the authorities, the Black Knight attacks them.

Shaggy uses his talent with ventriloquism to distract the knight. Scooby accidentally starts up a plane and nearly gets he and Shaggy killed. It's not clear to me why a museum display had fuel in the tank. They knock out the knight with the plane. Scooby unmasks their first bad guy. It's Mr Wickles. The only person in the episode besides the gang.

Scooby finds the missing Professor tied up in a display. Scooby did a lot of good work in this episode. He found clues, caught the villain (accidentally) and unmasked him. Mr Wickles might have been able to get away with it if he'd called the police on the gang when they broke in. Like so many bad guys on Barnaby Jones, he got caught on the cover up.

Rogue's Gallery

The Black Knight

How to make a Worry Doll

How I Make Worry Dolls

This is just one method.  I apologize for not having specific measurements for the things like string but I never use the same amount of string twice. The worry dolls are made from materials I have laying around the house. The only thing I bought for the project was a bottle of glue because I ran out after making a bunch. I tried other glues and nothing dried as clear or held as well as the Gorilla glue. Even other Gorilla glues failed me.

Supplies

Twist ties - Just save them when they turn up.

Glue - Gorilla School Glue works the best.

Embroidery floss - Any colors you have on hand but if you buy one color, I recommend white. If you buy many, every embroidery floss I've used has worked. The plastic or metallic ones can behave erratically and unsatisfactorily but they always do.

Optional - Paint, Markers

Steps

1. Fold the twist tie in half. Twist the folded end around two times to make a circle. Fold each end into thirds. The first fold makes the arm, the second fold makes the leg. So 2/3rds is the arm and 1/3 is the leg. The aim is a twist tie stick figure.

2. Optional, if adding hair, knot the embroidery thread around the head loop then knot a second time to secure it. Use as much length as you need to be able to handle it easily. You can give him a hair cut when he's finished.

3. Knot the end of a fairly long piece of embroidery thread around the head loop. You need as much as you need to be satisfied with his look.

4. Start by wrapping the thread around the head loop, then keep wrapping down the body. Use the glue liberally. Smooth it over the thread. You'll have to hold the thread in place until it's dry. I find that I add four or five dabs of glue then I add more if needed after the wrapping is completed.

5. Crossover the chest with the thread. Wrap over the arms to cover about 1/2 to 3/4s. You can go all the way if you're patient and careful but I personally find it frustrating and unnecessary. Wrap around the torso once and move onto the legs. Again, I don't worry about covering the tip. It's a worry doll, don't worry about it. Wrap the legs twice. Once going down and the second time going up. It's best to end the thread on the torso because it's easier to hide the end. Add some more glue and give it a little time to dry.

6. When the worry doll stays together on its own, cut off the excess and smooth the free end of the thread with glue.

7. Optional, paint the hands and feet with a corresponding color. This is a place where using white thread helps because it's easier to match.

8. Optional, add some details like eyes.

9. Optional, cut his hair.

How to make it Beetlejuice (Or anyone else)

I made him with some old ivory plastic thread, white thread and markers. I took cues from the Animated Beetlejuice. The key is picking a graphically unique character with specific colors that means something to you. Drop Dead Fred was one of my favorites to make (orange and green with a white thread base). Cookie monster was also fun. I used a fancy thread I had bought on a whim and two white beads with black paint.

Mystery Science Theater 3000's Missed Opportunity

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Robot Cartoon Shorts

In 2007, Mystery Science Theater launched a series of cartoon shorts featuring Tom and Crow and Gypsy. The characters were given new designs. This is appropriate given the change in medium. The only objection I have is they changed the silhouettes of the characters which only bugs me a tiny bit because Tom and Crows silhouettes are iconic because that is how they are most often scene. They're still recognizable. 

The animation is limited but limited animation can still be good and funny if the writing is good and funny. The writing was the biggest weakness.

Four shorts were released. Reel Fishin', Feels Like, Thanksgiving Clown, and Solitaire.

I watched the shorts when they came out and I remember not understanding wondering where the joke was. There was nothing there. They didn't tell a story. They are gags without the context of a movie. Thanksgiving Clown shows Tom dressed up as a clown and calmly insisting it has something to with Thanksgiving while Crow searches a book. That's it. There's no joke. He's not even insisting in a comic way. He's just dressed as a clown.

Proof that the concept could have worked came in a brief animation by Electronic Heroes on YouTube called "Tom + Crow Quicksketch". It's simple, the character designs are pretty good, and there's no dialogue. Tom steals Crow's popcorn. The ending might have gotten it rejected by some fans but the short manages way more comedy than any of the official shorts.

MTV Station IDs

I Love My MTV. 

Not the current MTV. I love MTV the way it lives inside my memory. It's idealized. The earliest memory I have of television is A-Ha's Take on Me while staring at the television on the counter in the kitchen. The counter that doesn't exist any longer in a kitchen that was gutted in a house I moved out of. I just remember the music video was love at first sight.

MTV launched in 1981 and demanded attention. Over the golden years, it carved out a unique identity. This included the station ids. Some are visual candy for the animated obsessed.

I recently revisited the station ids. I recognized quite a few. The one with the fries was very familiar. They're even better than I remember. This is art. Some feel like the work of an animator given carte blanche and going wild. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe they were born from focus groups. But I doubt a focus group came up with the dentist station id or the 1-900 station id (look them up).

Five of my Favorites

1. Guillotine

2. The fries one.

3. Multifaced creature

4. The man with the changing head.

5. The Pink Elephant

Special Mention: A black and white instructional video on how to make an MTV logo from a metal.

 

This all ended in my inspiration to try to create one. My attempt is my first attempt at stop motion. I had fun making an MTV with my nephews' playdoh.

Life with Loopy - Bargain Hunters from Beyond the Stars

Life with Loopy - Bargain Hunters from Beyond the Stars

KaBlam! S04E08 The KaBlair Witch Project

Premiered January 1, 2000

Quickly

Loopy accidentally sells her father to extraterrestrials.

Thoughts

The last one. This is the last one.

The detail of the bloodshot extraterrestrial eyes after listening to Loopy's father for hours is wonderful.

Way Too Much Detail

Loopy is shocked when she realizes she sold a recliner with her father in it at a yard sale. She tracks down the extraterrestrials that bought her father. They refuse to return him. But they offer her a deal, if she can find something to trade for him, they'll return him. Loopy searches for a trade to save her father. She fails to find anything. She returns to the ship with the intention of trading herself. By the time she returns, they are so sick of him that they beg her to take him. She makes a profitable deal. 

Life with Loopy - Down the Drain - Toonstalgia

Life with Loopy - Down the Drain

KaBlam! S04E07 Timeless!

Premiered December 18, 1999

Quickly

Loopy goes on an incredible voyage in the sewer.

Thoughts

Solid episode. Not the top of the best but a good episode with a simple story.

I love stop motion. I trace the start of my affection to the dollhouse store that used to be in my town. I had a tiny delivery bag filled with rolled newspapers. I like tiny things. I also like the tangibility of the animation. These are things that were there in the room.

The wiggly puppet eyes work against the principles of puppetry but they do add a little bit of character. The reason I think they work against the principles of puppetry is because the movement of the pupil doesn't have intent.

Way Too Much Detail

Loopy's dad can't clear a clog. Loopy helps by going to the sewer. She's inadvertently plungered into the sewer by the drain patrol. They discover a giant squid clogging the drain. Loopy tries to protect the giant squid from detonation by the drain patrol by convincing him to move. Loopy finds out the giant squid doesn't want to leave because it's warmer in Loopy's drain than the ocean. She has the Drain Patrol knit hair clogs into a squid warmer. The squid leaves.

Life with Loopy - Rock N Roll Loopy - Toonstalgia

Life with Loopy - Rock N Roll Loopy

KaBlam! S04E06 Now With More Flava

Premiered December 11, 1999

Quickly

Loopy teaches Bugsteak a lesson about how hard it is to be a kid.

Thoughts

The hotel is just a drawing and I love that.

Too Much Detail Recap

Larry wants to go to the Bugsteak concert but he can't afford the tickets. After sending an email to Bugsteak he gets a dismissive response. Loopy won't stand for anyone being mean to her brother. She goes to their hotel to talk to them. She dares them to sleepover so they remember what it's like to be a kid. They are overcome by the heinous dinner, chores, not getting to decide what's on television and being forced into haircuts they don't like. They repay Loopy for their enlightenment by giving Larry a private concert.

Life with Loopy - Good Food Gone Bad - Toonstalgia

Life with Loopy - Good Food Gone Bad

KaBlam! S04E05 A Nut in Every Bite!

Premiered December 4, 1999

Quickly

The milk goes bad.

Thoughts

KaBlam! wasn't just cartoons. It was also weird live action shorts like Race Rabbit. They never stuck with me in the same way Life with Loopy and The Off-Beats

This episode of Kablam! had a Jurassic Park spoof. It was a perfect spoof for the show. Everyone I knew saw it in the theater.

The tropey, theorist part of my brain wonders how the food works in Loopy's universe. Between the milk and the fish sauce, it's weird.

Too Much Detail Recap

Every member of the Cooper family has their own bedtime routine. Loopy likes a glass of milk every night. One night her routine is interrupted when the milk bad and she can't have her glass. When she can't sleep, she investigates a trail of milk away from the trash. She follows the trail to Salmonella Sal's. She finds out her milk has fallen in with a gang. She tries to convince him to come home. He won't because he's sour. She inspires the gang to find a new path to the cheese factory. Loopy now has a new bedtime routine, cheese.

Life with Loopy - I (Don't) Believe I Can Fly - Toonstalgia

Life with Loopy - I (Don't) Believe I Can Fly

KaBlam! S04E04 The Best of Both Worlds

Premiered November 20, 1999

Quickly

Loopy helps Mike, the flightless duck, learn to fly.

Thoughts and Details

Mike's species was changed from a Canadian Wingless Duck to a Canadian Flightless Duck.

This episode of KaBlam! features the Shizzagee in crude CG. I dislike it. The animation is limited by the limitations of the era but also likely the budget and the schedule. This premiered 4 years after Toy Story and I just think the people behind it bit off way more than they could chew. I personally prefer the traditional methods but that doesn't mean I eschew all digital and cg animation, I just like what I like. When a traditionally animated work is limited, it can still be artistic. Very poorly done CG doesn't have that. I'm okay the Shizzagee is extinct.

Way Too Much Detail

Mike, the Flightless/Wingless duck, crashes into the Cooper's backyard. He's learning to fly so he can return with the rest of the ducks to Canada. They try to make a sling shot from a clothesline and it fails. They try to make a jetpack out of a leaf blower and he crashes. They try inflating him with a bicycle pump but he deflates. Loopy builds him a plane. When Mike questions the safety of the hastily constructed plane, she storms off (or pretends to). She gets caught on a banner attached to a plane and dragged into the air. Mike takes off to save her. The plane falls apart but Mike flies. He saves Loopy. Mike says his goodbyes then takes flight to return home.