Scooby Doo and the Death of our Childhoods

So, apparently this promotional image for DC’s new Scooby Doo series has fans in a tizzy.

2016

To be sure, it is attention-grabbing. Tribal tattoos? Twirled mustaches? BUG EYE GLASSES? POUCHES? I’ll, uh, be back in a sec. I need to redesign my entire wardrobe.

But I’ve heard the phrases, “ruining Scooby Doo” and “ruining [my] childhood” thrown around, and…No.

First of all, it’s a promotional image. There’s no way of knowing what the actual comic will look like.

Second, which version of Scooby Doo, and therefore your childhood, is it ruining?

Scooby Doo, Where Are You? (1969)

New Scooby-Doo Movies, 1972

Laff-A-Lympics, 1977

Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979)

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo (1985) SIDE NOTE: Matthew Lillard stars in the 2001 remake of William Castle’s 13 Ghosts (1960) and took over the voice of Shaggy after playing him in the live action movie (2002).

Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers (1987)

A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988)

Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

What’s New, Scooby-Doo? (2002)

Scooby-Doo (2002)

Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)

Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue (2006)

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009) (Yes, that’s Robbie Amell)

Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010)

Be Cool Scooby-Doo! (2015)

Oh, were you maybe thinking of the comics? I mean, the cartoon came first so technically (by your logic) the comics RUINED THE SHOW, but okay. I’m not going to showcase the entire run and all the artists and writers who have worked on it, because I am not getting paid for this. But here is a selection.

Which of these ruined Scooby Doo for you? Oh, it’s just the new one? Yeeeaaaaaaah. Okay.

Here’s the thing: the version that you love? It still exists. No one is taking it away. My favorite is Mystery Incorporated. It lives on in my heart forever, and on Netflix indefinitely.

Stop whining.