#source: scooby-doo where are you?

[overheard-at-hogwarts]

Harry: This is tied for the most terrifying day of my life.

Ron: Tied with what?

Harry: Every other freaking day of my life!

[scooby-doobert]

[witchpuppies]

(via GIPHY)

[flags-planes-and-fire]

Footage of the Old Christians Rugby team <3

(video credit here)

[incorrectclassicbookquotes]

The gang walks through a dark tunnel

Aouda: It's sure dark in here.

Phileas Fogg: We could use some light.

Jean Passepartout: Hey, I found some candles. *Lights the "candles" with a match*

Inspector Fix: Passepartout, that's dynamite!

*Passepartout tries desperately to blow out the dynamite before giving up and throwing it far away from everyone*

[derschwarzeengel]

Damon, deadpan: If there's one thing I can't stand, it's taking a bath in a haunted house.

[unexplained-events]

The Scooby-Doo Project (1999)

The Scooby-Doo Project is a Halloween special that aired in commercial segments during Cartoon Network's Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! marathon on October 31, 1999.

Each "commercial" was a mix of live action handheld footage with traditional hand drawn animations which parodied its source material, The Blair Witch Project (1999), very well. You can watch the 20 min youtube video (linked above) which pieces all of the segments together.

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

Obituary for Dee (Scoob and Shag)

I am crying and screaming and thrashinging and maybe throwing up a little. My girl LOST! AND TO A COP! I DEMAND ALL OF YOU GET REVENGE ON HER BY LEARNING ABOUT BRAVE POLICE J-DECKER!

Now that that's out of the way let me try to convince you all that Dee is so good and special and you should read the source material.

I'll actually start by selling you on said souce, for context. Dee is from a webcomic called "Scoob and Shag" (you can read it here on webtoon or here on their site). The general premise is that it starts as a silly goofy nonsense comic, with simplistic art but evolves over time. For a bit it's a horror comic, but it's final form that it maintains for most of it's current run is an action, shonen style comic. And a REALLY GOOD ONE.

Not only does it just have some really good writing and art* but it is also hands down the best derivative work I have ever seen. As you may have guessed by the title, the main duo are based off Scooby Doo and Shaggy, and most of the rest of the cast is also based off recognizable cartoons, such as Bugs Bunny, Popeye the Sailor, and Mickey Mouse. Part of this is to add wackness, but the writing also actively uses your expectations of each character to it's advantage. For example the story doesn't need to spend as much time doing the heavy lifting of establishing a bond between it's leads, cause they're Scooby and Shaggy. You already know they're friends. So the writing can build off that out the gate.

But the best part that that its doesn't just turn into "what if cartoon character's were edgy?" But it stays just the right amount of stupid, where it knows when to take itself seriously, and it knows when to have a character tell Garfield to not kill the president.

Oh and that * above next to word art? That's cause the art is really freakin good! Here's a taste:

Ok now onto Dee herself. DEE! She is based on Dee Dee from Dexter's lab, and she is actually one of the best examples of the comic using your expectations of the characters well, cause in Dexter's lab Dexter is a genius, and in this comic the equivalent, Dex, is also a genius. And they build off this to have it to where Dex is the far more successful and powerful of the two, and more importantly he can help out his allies. And this gives Dee an inferiority complex since she thinks she can't be of help to anyone, and her whole character arc so far is about growing past that and finding strength in her own abilities.

Now one last thing: look at Dee. She is great. You love her. You want to read Scoob and Shag in order to meet her.

Thank you for reading all this. I am SO MAD she lost. She is probably top 3 favorite characters out of all the ones on this bracket.

(Also spoilers: she is gifted powers by the god of girlboss)

[tomoleary]

Alvaro Arce “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” Concept Drawing and Painting (Hanna-Barbera, 1969) Source

[vaniloqu3nce]

I know everyone hates Velma show for obvious and valid reasons but you have to give credit where credit is due! While the writers clearly don’t care about the original source material at all, you have to admit the animators put in a lot of work and heart for such a shit show. Some of those scenes are animated so well done and smooth. Animations is incredibly difficult, I can hardly draw stick figures.

Can you imagine working so hard on something knowing the internet is going to hate it? Like I hope they’re getting paid enough for this 😭

I think Alex Meyers made some amazing points about the animations in his video that I whole heartedly agree with and wish people talked more about! I know the show shits on EVERYTHING we adore about Scooby Doo, but I feel bad for the animators man. Some of this stuff is just downright beautiful and this talent is being literally wasted by people who do not care. It’s gotta suck.

Alex shows a scene of the show that look genuinely visually amazing in his video covering it. Can you imagine if these animators were given good material? Missed opportunity for sure, we NEED more good animated shows with the way streaming services are treating our poor animators.

[nemmet]

i want to break my only-art-posts rule on here for just a moment, to talk about about fred jones as a canon autistic character and what he's meant to me personally.

my childhood love of scooby doo suddenly reawaked back in november of 2021, which just so happened to be around the time i was seriously questioning that i may be autistic. the realisation put so much into perspective, but i was equally afraid and uneasy about it all. therefore, i began to rewatch mystery incorporated as a source of comfort.

and just... there was a character who was a good leader, a loyal friend, a desirable romantic partner. there was a character who represented this unshakeable force of good in a town otherwise founded upon cynicism and spite. there was a character who, yes, was treated as the butt of the joke from time to time. but even despite that, was a surprisingly thoughtful representation of how an autistic teenager might navigate emotions, relationships, and the world at large.

the more i watched of this version of fred, the more i doubted that his sheer amount of autistic traits were purely a coincidence. and sure enough, i discovered that mitch watson (sdmi showrunner) confirmed on the unmasked history of scooby doo podcast that fred was indeed written with autism in mind.

(more beneath the cut!)

for a while, this was knowledge that i celebrated quietly. i told a couple of people who were interested, but that was about it. what mattered most to me was that it was canon, and that this character i had loved since i was a child was just like me. talking too much about his interests, missing social cues, being confused by big emotions... the list went on. it sounds silly to say about a cartoon character, but identifying with fred's portrayal in sdmi (and subsequent scooby media influenced by it) genuinely helped me to accept and even love myself as an autistic person, in a time when i was feeling hopeless for realising what had made me so different all my life.

as i continued to fall down the scooby rabbit hole, i encountered fred moments new and old that would always cheer me up. i decided to compile them into a short youtube video, mostly just for my own self-indulgence. i had absolutely no idea what i was getting myself into (/pos).

over a year on, most notably following the release of the hbo velma series, my video absolutely blew up. to the point where it currently stands at 825k views, which is utterly unfathomable to me. thousands of people who cared about this character like i did flooded the comments, expressing anger at his most recent portrayal and genuine love for his portrayals in past media.

however, the comments that especially made my day were those like: "how did i not realise that fred has a special interest in nets?", "he's autistic, let him infodump!", and those of a similar wording. in that comments section, as well as on tumblr, canonically autistic fred seemed to have become widespread, accepted and celebrated, showcased in comments with hundreds of likes and posts with hundreds of notes. it absolutely floored me, and i was delighted to have contributed to it.

i haven't made this post to pat myself on the back for throwing some clips together and getting a lot of views, nor to say "i knew it first!" about fred being autistic. i am simply looking back in retrospective, and getting incredibly misty-eyed over the fact that people are newly appreciating this character that has helped me through so much and been instrumental in leading me to my official autism diagnosis. you can see the sappy post i made about it on my old scooby sideblog here.

in summary, this is yet another story about how representation matters! even if it comes in the form of a historically overlooked teenage mystery solver from a 50+ year old cartoon franchise. what matters most is that it was more than just a headcanon, and has changed my life for the better.

if you're still reading, thank you so much! if you are also neurodivergent, i would love to hear your thoughts on fred, and if you've also identified with him in some way. he's... a tréasure :)

[scooby-doobert]

[witchpuppies]

(via GIPHY) Shaggy Rogers (Scooby Doo Where Are You)

[fluentmoviequoter]

Scooby-sidious

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Fic-tober Masterlist

Summary: You and Dalton watch Scooby-Doo and find yourselves in the episode, offering to help solve the mystery.

Warnings: spoilers for Scooby-Doo, Where are You? episode "Spooky Space Kook" (1x15), fluff, slight jealousy, brief mentions of the events of The Red Door (2023). 2.6k+ words

A/N: This is inspired by my love of Scooby-Doo, and the Supernatural crossover episode "Scoobynatural" (13x16)! I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think! Happy Halloweekend! :)

You’ve been begging Dalton to watch Scooby-Doo with you for weeks. It’s a Halloween must, but he keeps telling you he’ll do it later.

“It’s Scoob-tober, Dalton!” you exclaim as you collapse onto the bed.

He stares at you before shaking his head and dropping his shoulders. “Fine. Which episode are we watching?” he asks as he sits beside you, tossing an arm over your shoulders.

You squeal excitedly and grab the remote before leaning against his chest and answering, “Spooky Space Kook, A Night of Fright is No Delight, or Mine Your Own Business. Those episodes have the best villains, but you have to pick.”

Dalton looks down at you with furrowed brows as he asks, “Umm, Space Kook?”

“Excellent choice,” you say, nodding as you find the episode and press play.

As you settle into Dalton’s side, your head resting above his heart, he’s glad you convinced him. Even if he watches you instead of Scooby-Doo.

Just after the Space Kook lands the first time, red sparks light across the screen.

You lean forward as Dalton says, “Please tell me you see those too.”

Before you can answer, the TV turns off, and you fall to the ground.

➣➣➣➣➣

You hit the ground with a painful thud and turn to check on Dalton, shocked to see him in cartoon form before a cartoon background.

“Dalton, you’re a cartoon,” you say nervously, standing and wiping the dirt from your pants.

“You’re a cartoon,” Dalton parrots as he points at you.

“What just happened?”

“We were watching the show and then those sparks showed up,” Dalton answers.

“The red sparks. Do you think this is a Further thing?”

“No, we closed the door.”

A car sputters somewhere behind you, and you stop speaking, turning to follow Dalton��s hand as he points to a farmhouse in the distance.

You gasp as you see the source of the sputtering noise, hitting Dalton’s shoulder as you squeal, “That’s the Mystery Machine! We’re not just cartoons, we’re in Scooby-Doo!”

➣➣➣➣➣

You and Dalton approach the farmhouse from the same direction as Mystery Inc., listening to their conversation as you wait beside a tree, invisible to Scooby and the gang.

“Like, nobody home,” Shaggy says after their knock goes unanswered.

You point to the side of the porch just before the farmer appears with a shotgun and bellows, “Get off of my property! I’m sick of you reporters pestering me night and day! Now, get!”

Dalton pushes you slightly behind him as you watch the ordeal from the yard.

“Reporters? We’re not reporters,” Fred responds.

“No, uh-huh,” Scooby agrees.

“We just want to buy some gasoline,” Daphne says.

“Gas, huh? I don’t believe you. Now, get on out of here, the lot of you!” the farmer yells. “You two in the yard, too!”

Dalton steps back, pushing you with him. Your eyes are still on the gang as Fred glances over to see who the farmer is talking to. His eyes catch yours, and he smiles before turning to the farmer as Velma speaks.

“Excuse me, sir, but why would reporters want to bother you?” she asks.

“They’ve been running me ragged ever since it showed up.”

“It? What’s it?” Fred adds.

“A ghostly craft from another world moving across the sky like an evil spirit.”

Dalton tenses, and you raise your hand to press between his shoulder blades. It’s your silent way of reminding him that you’re with him and he’s not alone.

“Evil spirit?” Scooby repeats before swallowing harshly.

“You mean, like a haunted flying saucer?” Daphne questions.

“Right, but that’s not all. Something’s been creeping ‘round here ever since it showed up.”

“Then it must’ve just crept by,” Velma announces, “Look over there!”

She points to the footprints, which go right behind you and Dalton. Dalton looks at the tracks and then back to you.

“We need to get out of here,” Dalton whispers harshly.

“Footprints,” Fred says.

“Zoinks!” Shaggy exclaims.

Your eyes widen, and you tap Dalton’s back excitedly at the firsthand experience of hearing Shaggy say, ‘Zoinks.’

“I’ve never seen footprints like those before,” Daphne says.

“Neither have I,” Dalton agrees.

 “They’re boots dipped in phosphorous,” you tell him.

Dalton turns to look at you with raised brows, and you shrug and say, “What? I love this episode.”

“I see ‘em all the time,” the farmer informs.

“They sure are strange-shaped tracks,” Velma says, leaning over to inspect them.

“Let’s us make tracks the other way,” Shaggy implores.

“He gets it; let’s listen to Shaggy,” Dalton mutters to himself.

“I’m with you!” Scooby agrees.

“Hold it!” Fred demands as the footprints fade. “They’re gone!”

“Hmm,” Velma begins, “Ghostly flying objects, strange tracks that glow in the dark…”

“And something creepy creeping around in the night,” Daphne finishes.

Dalton cocks his head as he watches Scooby get his tail bitten by a chicken before jumping toward Shaggy. Scooby overshoots his goal and lands in Dalton’s arm as he exclaims, “He rot me! He rot me! Oh, help, he rot me!”

Shaggy walks over to Scooby and Dalton, and he says, “Aw, you big chicken. It was only a chicken. Get down.”

Shaggy pushes Scooby from Dalton’s arms, and Dalton sighs with relief. Scooby chuckles as he hits the ground, and you kneel to pat his head as you listen to Fred.

“Well, those footprints weren’t made by a chicken. It looks like we’ve found ourselves a mystery,” he announces.

“Um, excuse me,” you call as you stand, laying your hand on Scooby’s head. “I’m a huge fan of Mystery Inc., and this is Dalton. We have some experiences with creatures like this. Any chance we could help solve this one?”

“Sure!” Fred agrees. “Sounds swell.”

You silently cheer and stick your hand into your pocket, surprised to see a Scooby Snack in your hand when you pull it out.

“Scooby,” you whisper, passing it to him as you and Dalton walk to the Mystery Machine.

“Mmm, rank rou,” Scooby says as he licks his lips.

Fred says your name, and when you look up, he smiles and asks, “Want to sit in the front with me?”

Dalton’s jaw clenches beside you as he waits for you to answer.

“I can sit in the back with Dalton and Scooby,” you respond. “But thanks!”

➣➣➣➣➣

“Sure was nice of the farmer to give us some gas,” Daphne says as Fred drives down the road.

“Yeah, now we can go look for that ghost craft,” Fred agrees before a high-pitched pulsing cuts him off.

“Well, we don’t have to look any further. There it is,” Velma points out.

“Zoinks! What a creepy-looking crate,” Shaggy yells.

“We’re in luck. It landed behind that hill,” Fred says, turning to follow it.

“Yeah, we’re in luck, and, like, it’s all bad,” Shaggy adds.

Dalton looks at you over Scooby’s head and nods his agreement.

➣➣➣➣➣

“It looked like it landed somewhere around here,” Velma says as everyone exits the van.

“What is this place, anyway?” Daphne asks.

“Looks like an abandoned airfield. Hasn’t been used in years,” Dalton answers.

Fred agrees with Dalton before smiling at you, causing Dalton to step closer to you.

“I’m for abandoning it, too. It’s, like, got the creeps!” Shaggy adds.

“Uh-oh!” Daphne calls. “Do you guys see what I see?”

“It’s those spooky glowing tracks again,” Shaggy says.

“Oh, no!” Scooby exclaims, jumping behind Shaggy’s legs.

“It’s our first clue, let’s follow them,” Fred says before walking alongside the footprints.

“Let’s don’t and say we did,” Shaggy suggests.

“But the gate’s locked. How will we get in?” Daphne points out.

The gate opens on its own, and Dalton turns to roll his eyes at you before flinching and smiling when you elbow him in the ribs.

“This is awesome,” you whisper as you step closer to him when Scooby jumps between you and Shaggy.

“Ghosts!” Scooby yells.

“You mean wind. The gate wasn’t locked. Come on!” Fred says.

➣➣➣➣➣

Fred calls you over and asks you to help him follow the tracks. Dalton stays right beside you as everyone heads toward a shed. The prints vanish into the shed, and Scooby jumps up to look in the window, surprised to see himself.

“What’s in there?” someone asks.

“Scooby!” Scooby answers.

Fred steps closer to you as you look into the window beside Scooby.

“It’s his reflection,” you say as you stand up.

“Window’s dirty,” Scooby adds.

As you step away from the window, you hear a humming sound from the other side of the door. Daphne asks what the sound is, and Fred expresses his confusion about how to get inside.

“May I?” Dalton asks before kicking the door and opening it.

“Wow!” Daphne expresses, grabbing Dalton’s bicep as she walks by, “You’re so strong, Dalton!”

Dalton looks at you, and you smile before asking, “We’re even?”

“Not even close,” he whispers as you walk in front of him.

You stop when you reach the generator, and Dalton’s hands land on your waist as he waits behind you.

“It’s the generator,” you announce, pointing to the device.

“Why would an abandoned airfield need a generator?” Daphne asks.

“And, like, why is it on?” Shaggy adds.

You turn your head at a strange sound and see the spaceship land in the field. Dalton turns to and alerts the gang.

“Let’s split up, gang, and find this space creature!” Fred commands. He invites you to come with him and Velma, but Dalton’s hand on your lower back feels like a better invitation.

“I think Dalton and I should go alone, we can cover more ground that way,” you suggest.

Fred agrees, and everyone goes their separate ways to find the Space Kook.

➣➣➣➣➣

“Do you know what’s happening right now?” you ask Dalton as you walk toward the radio tower.

“Fred is developing more of a crush on you?” Dalton suggests.

You bump your shoulder against him and laugh. “No, Fred just got stuck in a hoist, Scooby and Shaggy got caught up in sheets and think the other is a ghost.”

“You really do love this show.”

“Yeah. We do you think I tried so hard to get you to watch it with me?”

Dalton stops, wrapping his fingers around your wrist to make you stop. 

“I’m sorry if you thought I didn’t want to watch it with you. I- just- I was trying not to spend time with you because I didn’t want to have to walk away if you didn’t feel the same way.”

You twist your hand to hold Dalton’s and step closer as you brush some of his hair out of his eyes.

“I do feel the same way, if it’s the way that makes you want to spend time with me.”

Dalton raises his hand to your neck, pulling you against his chest and tilting your chin toward his.

“I really want to kiss you,” he whispers.

“While I’m a cartoon?”

“You’re a very pretty cartoon.”

You shake your head and hear Scooby yell. Smiling at Dalton, you keep your hand in his and gesture with your head to where the gang is meeting.

“You still missed the entire episode,” you point out as you turn the last corner and see Scooby and Mystery Inc.

“We can watch it as many times as you want when we get back,” Dalton says.

“Will you actually watch it or just try to kiss me?”

Dalton simply looks at you as you join the group. Mystery Inc. expresses that no one found any clues.

“It seems to me that this ghost is using this airfield for something else besides haunting,” Velma says.

“Gas,” Scooby announces, pointing to the exhaust pipe of an old Jeep with flat tires.

Dalton looks under the car with Fred, telling the girls about the extra set of usable wheels. As they stand, the car drives away, and an entire army of Space Kooks appears. Scooby and Shaggy retreat to the radio tower as Fred, Velma, and Daphne run the other way.

Shaggy uses the radio speakers to call the gang to the tower, expressing that he found something, but you remain still.

“Should we go?” Dalton asks.

You shake your head and answer, “Space Kook beats them there and Shag and Scoob parachute down. We’ll wait for the sheriff.”

Dalton wraps an arm around your shoulders, content to wait with you. When Scooby returns, you give him more Scooby Snacks and kneel to pet him.

“How did you know to come, Sheriff?” Velma asks.

“I called. I saw your van was still here and got worried,” the farmer answers as he approaches.

Space Kook appears behind you, and when he sees the sheriff, he runs into a building labeled ‘Research Lab.’ Fred is waiting by a panel and presses a button after Space Kook runs by, turning on the wind tunnel. As the wind picks up, the helmet comes off, and the phosphorous on his boots illuminates.

“Well, I don’t believe it,” the farmer exclaims. “It’s Henry Bascomb, my next door neighbor.”

“But what about those weird noises and the flying thing?” Daphne asks.

“C’mon, I’ll show you!” Shaggy announces before leading them to the radio tower.

“It was a very clever plan. Here’s our ghost craft,” Fred says before turning on a projector.

“But what about those odd voices?” Daphne asks.

“It was just a speeded-up soundtrack…” Fred begins.

“Played over the loudspeaker,” Shaggy finishes.

“But we did see a whole bunch of those creepies over by the motor pool,” Daphne points out.

“Stuffed dummies, if I had to bet,” Dalton suggests.

“And I’d bet that crazy jeep was run by remote control!” Shaggy agrees.

“The last remaining puzzle in my mind is ‘why?’” Fred says.

“I can answer that. This Bascomb fella got wind that the Air Force was planning to open the field again and would be needing more land for jets,” the sheriff explains.

“Aha! So that’s it! He wanted to scare us off so he could pick up the land cheap,” the farmer concludes.

“And I’d have done it, too, if you kids hadn’t come along,” Bascomb yells.

“Weren’t you kids scared like the rest of us?” the farmer asks.

“Oh, no. Solving mysteries is our hobby. It takes a lot to scare us,” Shaggy answers.

Fred turns on the Space Kook laugh soundtrack, causing Scooby to jump into Shaggy’s arms and Shaggy to jump into Dalton’s.

➣➣➣➣➣

“So, where are you going now? We’re on the hunt for another mystery if you’d like to come,” Fred offers as Daphne talks to Dalton.

You look at Dalton and smile. “We have to get home. Thank you so much, Fred, this was a dream come true. Working with you was everything I dreamed of.”

“No problem,” he says, hugging you. “It would be an honor to have you back sometime.”

You smile, and he climbs into the Mystery Machine, followed by Velma and Daphne, who wave at you while Dalton returns to your side. Scooby stops before you, and you kneel, petting him as you feed him Scooby Snacks.

“Can I have a hug, Scooby?” you ask, smiling as he indulges you and lets you hug him.

“Like, thanks for everything,” Shaggy says before opening the door for Scooby. “See ya around!”

You watch the Mystery Machine drive away and turn back to Dalton. He pulls you into a hug and brushes his hand over your hair.

“Thank you,” you whisper against his chest.

“Of course. Now let’s get home so I can kiss real you.”

“Scooby Dooby Doooooo,” you howl. 

When your voice fades, you look expectantly at Dalton. He sighs before copying you, and everything fades to black.

➣➣➣➣➣

You open your eyes and find yourself on the couch, wrapped in Dalton’s arms again.

“Start the episode over,” Dalton says, slipping his hands onto your cheeks.

“We’re not going to watch it, are we?” you ask as you press play again.

“Does Scooby-Doo like Scooby Snacks?” Dalton responds, smiling against your lips as he kisses you.

[the-sage-libriomancer]

i try not to overthink the worldbuilding in Scoob and Shag because it's a thin premise that can't withstand much scrutiny (especially stuff relating to Toone), but i did have some thoughts that don't blow up the story's logic, so.

-first of all, the concept of "cartoon characters = actors" is inherently fascinating. especially since a lot of the actors seem to be government workers as well, implying the government used their own staff along with professional actors (like Yoge). what was the criteria? did they just have to look human? did Toone write show premises around whatever "characters" they had available? maybe that would explain some illogical plots and clunky lines in saturday morning cartoons - the actors didn't have much acting experience, and for all we know the writers were entry-level accountants.

-ballyhoo is also fascinating. it's basically a living metaphor for how an audience can influence their media: a toon's ballyhoo is directly empowered by how much love the human population gives them, just like how enough love of a fictional character makes them popular enough to keep appearing in media. it increases their strength (bc they have influence over the world) and extends their lifespan (bc they don't "die" until people stop caring about them), and all the ballyhoos are named after tv/movie terms like Picture in Picture or Jump Cut, implying that using tv/movie screens as a medium influences what sort of abilities they can get.

-the fact that too much ballyhoo causes you to instinctively, uncontrollably break the fourth wall is super fun and super fascinating and (as Bugs demonstrates) super horrifying. too much energy from meta sources causes the confines of your narrative to break down, leaving you in a weird spot in-between your world and a world you can't see.

-i can't stop thinking about The Inspector's backstory. it's just so tragic. born an android, given a literal soulmate shortly after creation, constantly looked down upon for not having a ballyhoo, losing his soulmate to old age, then losing his home to a war caused by the very thing you were devalued for not having. Bugs said that a toon's ballyhoo can extend their lifespan (likely bc a character who's beloved by fans doesn't really die), so the fact that Penny got old and died means she wasn't popular enough with the humans, which makes sense - Inspector Gadget is the iconic one after all. he's the one who everyone loved and remembered, and it was completely useless to him because he didn't have ballyhoo. no wonder he never smiles.

-i just realized that the Inspector was forced to leave Penny's grave behind when he escaped Toone. he can never visit her again :(

-speaking of screen partners, i love thinking about how the dynamics in cartoon series translate into real life and vice versa. it's a chicken and egg question: did certain characters land roles together because they were friends, or did they become friends because they worked together as actors? were Spongebob and Patrick actually buddies? did Felix the Cat work with Mick back in the beginning days of sending broadcasts? what's Scooby's professional opinion on Scrappy-Doo?

-(i wonder if you could justify the short period in Scooby-Doo history where Shaggy and Scooby were the only members of the gang regularly appearing in shows as "the government needed a way to keep the dangerous terrorists busy so they literally Could Not let those two stop appearing in things" asjhshbjahsjahsja)

-i I love that all the commanders are cartoon characters who were so popular/beloved that they seeped into (usamerican) popular culture: Mickey Mouse, Homer Simpson, Bugs Bunny, etc. They were the most powerful because their cartoons became the powerhouses of their respective eras - you can't get more loved than them.

-i wonder if the Simpsons were basically an ageless family back on Toone because they're still popular even after 40+ years, halting their aging. actually, i bet a lot of toons stopped aging after ballyhoo became commonplace. if your lifespan was defined by how loved you were by a fickle human audience, how do you think that affected relationships? it must've been hard if you had a tangible, literally life-affecting gauge of how popular you are according to alien beings you've never met.

-i was thinking about why Kermit is included as an mc when he's a muppet and the other toons are strictly western animation characters. the doylist explanation is that the author hadn't decided to limit the media used (similar to how Mario and Goku appear in early episodes), but i have a watsonian theory. i think Kermit is from the old Muppet Babies saturday morning cartoon, all grown up. he might've been a child actor who stayed with the government even after aging out, possibly explaining why there aren't any other muppets: they left the business and probably didn't escape Toone as a result.

-relatedly: my headcanon is that traditional (i.e. not toon-led) animation IS possible in this universe, and any animated project not usamerican is created that way. so anime is to the toons as a cg character is to humans, and the Goku pic is the equivalent of...i dunno, a photo of Avatarized Jake Sully lol.

-the fact that anime characters apparently didn't exist on Toone is probably for the best. can you imagine how powerful characters like Sasuke and Bakugo would be lmao.

-lastly, i was thinking about the old gods (or whatever they are). i'm pretty sure they're beings who exist behind the fourth wall. when Dee is pulled into the purple one's domain, she at first sees it as a wide open area in space, but then she starts processing it as more of a glass cube, with one huge window screen, large tubes, and wires running through the floating spheres - not unlike being held inside a tv. the purple god even says that staying too long will cause her mind to "shatter under the weight of reality" which...i think discovering you're actually a fictional character in a webcomic would do that to you. so the gods "interfering" is them going against the story's narrative to give the characters a boost. (this might tie into who Bugs is talking to when he/she addresses the camera - it's not technically us, it's the gods behind the wall.)

i have other thoughts but uh. this post is probably long enough.

[derschwarzeengel]

Damon: "Like, I've found a clue."

Darklighter!Leo: "Groovy. What is it?"

Damon: "Him." *points behind him to the demon-of-the-week with his hand on Damon's shoulder*

@ikeptlosingyou