Scooby-Doo Turns Fifty Years Old Today

Happy fiftieth anniversary, Scooby! We’ve loved seeing you sniff the ground for clues, nibble on Scooby Snacks, and set traps for villains. You’ve been a loyal Great Dane, and a memorable big eater.

It feels wonderfully delightful to partake in a franchise that has existed for half a century. Normally we’d have this talk about how capitalism is exploiting our taste for nostalgia. The thing is that mysteries are timeless. So is a comedy, when cartoon dogs are involved. We know Scooby-Doo was made just for the money. At the same time, we get a load of stories that make them wonderful.

From Saturday Morning Cartoons to Scooby-Doo Movies

The best part about Scooby-Doo is that there is a piece of fiction for any taste you’d like. If you prefer the campy popcorn of the 1950s, reboots like What’s New Scooby-Doo? provide it along with stunning animation. If you want even campier material, the live-action movies with Sarah Michelle Gellar exist. But what if you prefer the darker implications? You have Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, a good portion of the direct-to-video movies, and even a crossover with Supernatural. No, we are not kidding about that last part.