Ruh Roh! September 13th is a pretty special day for our canine pals: it’s Scooby Doo Day! The beloved cartoon dog has become a fixture in American pop culture. Along with his friends Daphne, Velma, Fred, and Shaggy, Scooby has been exposing the nefarious dealings of malevolent, mask-wearing schemers since the late 1960’s. A veterinarian discusses the iconic animated pooch below.
Starting Out
Scooby Doo, Where Are You? wasn’t exactly an immediate success. In an early version, titled Mysteries Five, the now-famous pup was portrayed as, well, more of a dog and less of a sleuth. In fact, the show was originally planned as a horror/mystery, but execs thought it may be too scary for children, and made it a comedy. The rest, as you know, is history. Or, as Scooby himself would put it, ‘Ristory.’
Name
It’s hard to imagine Scooby Doo with any other name. The pup’s moniker was inspired by the ‘Doo-be-doo-be-doo’ line in Frank Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night. There were also fictional characters named Skooby Doo in the 1953 film Swingin Together and, in another animation tie-in, the Archies’ song Feelin’ So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.-D.O.O.)
Cameos
Scooby Doo has also done cameos or guest roles on many different films and TV shows, including Looney Tunes: Back In Action, Johnny Bravo, and Space Jam II.
Scrappy-Dappy Doooo
We can’t forget about Scooby’s adorable nephew, the aptly-named Scrappy Doo. The feisty little puppy soon became famous in his own right, and starred with his uncle for several years in spinoff series The Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show. Puppy Power! As it turns out, Scrappy isn’t Scooby’s only relative. Cousins Scooby-Dee and Scooby Dum have also lent the gang a helping paw in solving cases.
Voices
Scooby Doo has been voiced by dozens of different actors over the years. One of the more iconic voices behind the adorable pup was Don Messick. Ironically, Messick also spoke for the Jetsons’ beloved cartoon pup, Astro. He gave up voicing Scooby soon after quitting smoking, as his voice lost its iconic rasp. Many stars were happy also happy to spend time with the gang and do guest roles. Some of the celebrities that made guest appearances include Don Knotts, Dick Van Dyke, Phyllis Diller, Mama Cass Elliot, Sonny and Cher, and the Harlem Globetrotters!
Do you have a Great Dane with a love for Scooby Snacks? Contact us, your local animal clinic, today!
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