The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: Horror Scope Scoob (1985)

 

Luckily the last episode of this wonderful series is a gem. Unfortunately it doesn't finish the show's storyline. 

 In this episode, our heroes are asked to appear on Boris Kreepoff's TV show, where they will talk about their ghost chasing adventures. Zimbulu, one of the 13 ghosts hires Weerd and Bogel to steal the Chest of Demons. However someody steals thw chest before he can. Our heroes must find who stole the chest before Zimbulu.

This is a really fun episode that combines a classic-style Scooby mystery with real ghosts and monsters. The mystery is a pretty good one that keeps the viewer engaged and there is a pretty good twist towards the end. Zimbulu is a wonderful villain, who is delightfully creepy looking and has a wonderfully intimidating voice. This episode also does a wonderful job of creating a really spooky atmosphere and the background art is once again wonderful. Some zombies appear briefly and I love their creepy designs. While this may not be one of the show's funniest episodes, it does have some really good gags that I simply loved. 

The problem with this episode is that it is the last one and that not all the ghosts have been captured. I simply wish that the show could have done a couple more episodes to finish its storyline. It is unfortunate that the first Scooby-Doo show with an overarching storyline, can't finish its own story. Much later there would be a direct to video movie, that would attempt to finish the storyline called, Scooby-Doo! and The Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019). Unfortunately this movie's continuity with this series was very loose and it would go against what made this series stand out among other Scooby-Doo! shows. 

This would mark the last appearance of Scrappy in a Scooby-Doo! episode, though he would later play a major role in the made for TV movies, Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988), Scooby-Doo! and the Ghoul School (1988) and Scooby-Doo! Meets the Boo Brothers (1987). 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: The Ghouliest Show on Earth (1985)

 

A wonderfully creepy episode. 

In this episode the gang heads to Dooville to visit Scooby's parents. When they get there no one is there to meet them. Instead they are all at a traveling circus where everything is free. The gang is having the time of their lives there, but Scooby and Shaggy discover there is something much more sinister going on and Flim Flam may be in extreme danger. 

There is something about a circus setting that always brings out the creepiest side to the Scooby franchise and this episode is no exception. While most Scooby adventures have villains that look and outwardly act creepy, this episode does the exact opposite. The main villain looks like a normal person and pretends to be a good guy. This is honestly quite a bit creepier, because it gives one the feeling that no one can be trusted and makes us realize that if this as real, we could easily fall into the same trap. There is something creepy about something sinister hiding underneath something that seems so pleasant and innocent as a free circus. This episode understands that and does a wonderful job of building up the suspense and creating an uncomfortable feeling in its audience. Even with the darker edge, this episode still has some really good humor, I especially love the bizarre reoccurring joke involving the man married to a cow. Even for this series that is an incredibly surreal and off-beat joke, and that just makes it all the funnier.  

The only complaint, I have aout this episode is that when the true nature of the circus is reveled the designs aren't as creepy as they should be. However this is a small complaint for such a good episode. 

 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: Coast-to-Ghost (1985)

 

A delightfully spooky episode. 

In thi episode, the gang faces off against Rankor, one of the 13 Ghosts. Rankor tricks Vincent Van Ghoul to look into the eye of a jewel that begins turning him to tone. Our heroes team up with Weerd and Bogel (who are using the gang to get to the chest of demons) to save the day. 

This is a truly delightful episode. Rankor is a great villain he is incredibly powerful and a huge threat to our heroes. He also a wonderfully creepy design. Yet at the same time there is a fun childish side to his personality (as is evidenced by his less than creepy voice). His goal is simply to impress an elite group of spooks, so he can be a member of this gang. This gives us a wonderful combination of the creepy and the silly, which is just what I love about Scooby-Doo! Adding to the fun is the delightfully creepy designs of the group of ghosts our main villain wants to join. These characters are pretty darn creepy but never too much so to take away from the silliness of much of this episode. Speaking of silliness, Weerd and Bogel are shown to great advantage in this episode and get some truly great gags. This episode also has a great atomspheric feel to it that is simply a lot of fun. 

If I were to make any complaints about this episode, it would be about the cops that are here for comedy relief but are never that funny. 

All in all this episode is a lot of fun.   

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: Scooby in Kwackyland

 

An episode that seems tailor fitted to me.

In this episode Demondo, one of the 13 Ghosts traps our heroes in the newspaper comics page. 

For pretty much my whole life I have loved newspaper comics and to have an episode of Scooby-Doo! that is a tribute to this wonderful artform is something that really appeals to me. I love that the comic strips that the characters visit are loosely based off real comic strips. They have their basis in these real comic strips but are not simply parodies or copies of the famous comic strips. Instead they are their own thing. Also to see these characters interact in a completely different type of environment (and one that is so dear to me) is something that was a lot of fun. The artwork here really takes advantage of this unique environment for Scooby and it is just as delightful to look at as your typical Scooby artwork. There is also quite a bit of good humor in this episode and the scene with Weerd and Bogel impersonating Shaggy and Daphne was simply delightful.

If I had one complaint it would be that Demondo's design is not all that creepy or memorable. 

This is a really fun episode. 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: It's A Wonderful Scoob (1985)

 

One of my favorite Scooby-Doo! episodes ever. 

In this episode, the gang faces off against Time Slime, one of the 13 Ghosts who has gotten the power to control time. Time Slime gets ahold of Scooby-Doo personally and scares him further than even he has been scared before. This causes Scooby to actually quit the gang. Without Scooby's help the gang hires a new dog to take his place. Unfortunately this dog proves to be completely useless to the gang and quite boring for the viewers at home. Kids everywhere not only stop watching the show, but they won't eat, go to school or anything until Scooby comes back on his show. This gets so dire, even President Ronald Reagan gets involved. However this isn't the worst of it. Without the help of Scooby, the gang loses and Time Slime takes over the world. Vincent Van Ghoul then takes Scooby to the future where he can see what happens to the world with Time Slime in charge. 

This is a perfect episode and I love everything about it. While there is a lot of humor, seeing what happens to the gang without Scooby has some very dark undertones that help make this one of the best written stories of the series. In fact this whole episode does an amazing job of balancing the humor, the creepiness and the story. It is also great to see how much more Scooby means to the gang than being a comedy relief cowardly dog. Time Slime is a wonderful villain and definitely one of the greatest threats the gang has been up against thus far. Yet the humor here is some of the best Scooby humor ever. The fourth wall breaking humor here is fantastic and cracks me up every time, especially the scene with Ronald Reagan. 

I can not praise this episode enough. 

 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: When You Witch Upon a Star (1985)

 

A delightful Scooby episode.

In this episode Marcella, one of the 13 Ghosts gives three inept witches a powerful book of spells, so thet can release her from the Zone of Eternal Evil, where she has been trapped. The gang goes to get the book of spells away from the three witches, while Vincent Van Ghoul, goes to the Zone of Eternal Evil to stop Marcella in person. 

This is a very fun episode. The humor works especially well here. The three witches are based on The Three Stooges. While as a huge Three Stooges fan, I know nothing can top the actual Stooges, these are really fun takes on the classic funny men of the movies. After seeing the gang take on some of the most powerful ghosts in the world, it is a nice change of pace to see them face off against three silly and fun characters as these. Yet we still get the spookiness and major threat with Marcella, who is delightfully creepy and whose magic is even a major threat to the great Vincent Van Ghoul. The story itself moves at a fast pace and is never dull for a moment. Yet despite this fast pace, it also never feels rushed. All the members of the gang get time to shine here and none of them are ever pushed to the background. This episode also benefits from the wonderful background art that so many of us Scooby fans love. 

I love a little in-joke here, where Scooby changes the channel on Vincent's crystal ball and finds a re-run of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You?

All in all this is a very fun episode.  

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: A Spooky Little Ghoul Like You (1985)

 

An excellent Scooby episode. 

Vincent Van Ghoul is the winner of this year's Warlock of the Year Award. The gang travels to New Orleans to watch him win one of the awards. Unfortunately they are not the only ones in attendance. One of the 13 Ghosts is there as well. This ghost is the demon, Nekara. On the Friday the 13th, she gains the power to make any warlock to fall in love with her. Then with one kiss she can drain them of all their power and gain the power for herself. Unfortunately she sets her sights on Vincent Van Ghoul. It's up to our heroes to save their friend.

This is a completely delightful episode. Nekara is a wonderful villain. She is incredibly powerful and feels like a major threat to our heroes. While she isn't scary per-say, she is very intimidating, and her design perfectly fits her seductive personality perfectly. She does still get one great spooky moment (a scene in a graveyard), that is delightfully creepy. It is also great to get an episode that centers around Vincent Van Ghoul, who does a wonderful job headlining his own episode.  Yet the gang also gets some great moments to shine, especially Scooby and Shaggy's scenes with the gargoyles. Though this episode is more story driven then comedy driven, some of the jokes do land very well. I especially like the joke involving the gang pretending to be Vincent's kids. 

On the downside, I don't think this episode takes enough advantage of its New Orleans atmosphere, but this is a small complaint. 

All in all this is a delightful episode. 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: Ship of Ghouls (1985)

 

One of the best episodes of this series.

After so many encounters with real ghosts Scooby is left traumatized. The gang decides that Scooby could use a vacation to calm his nerves. So the gang goes on a cruise. Unfortunately for Scooby the two ghosts, Weerd and Bogel follow them and scare Scooby at every turn. This makes Scooby's nerves even more shot. Flim-Flam decides to hypnotize Scooby to laugh at danger instead being scared. However when the gang turns out to be in real danger, this turns out not to have been the best idea. 

I love everything about this episode. Though it is heavily played for laughs, the idea of Scooby being pushed too far after too many ghost encounters is a great one. The fact that this series would explore such an idea shows why I love it so much. I also have how creepy this episode is. There is a real eeriness here that works fantastically. Some of the twists and villain designs are delightfully creepy. Speaking of twists and turns, this episode has some great ones and each one makes the episode more creepy, suspenseful and exciting. What makes this all the more impressive is that the episode accomplishes all this so well, while still being a very comedy heavy episode. The comedy itself is quite funny and at the same time never distracts from the great storyline. 

This to me is a near perfect episode.  

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: That's Monstertainment (1985)

 

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A wonderful Scooby adventure. 

In this episode our heroes sit down to watch an old horror movie on TV. Unfortantly the creepy ghoul hosting the movie happens to be on the 13 ghosts and ends up trapping our heroes within the film in an attempt to get the chest of demons before the gang can trap them in it. 

This is a Scooby episode that focuses heavily on the comedy and it succeds very well. Probally much of this is due to the fact that one of the writers is Tom Ruegger, who would go on to create Animaniacs. There is a lot of playful parodying of the classic Universal horror films. This paordying shows great respect for the movies it is parodying and should delight my fellow fans of those films. The episode even does a great job capturing the look and espically the lighting of those classic horror films. This gives the episode a very unique feel among Scooby episodes. The episode not only parodies those classic horror films but also the classic Popeye cartoons in one of the most delightful homages to those classic shorts. Zomba is also a wonderful villain. While she isn't too scary, she has a wonderful and unique design among Scooby villains. I also love her voice. She also proves to be a major threat to our heroes.

This is a very unique and delightful episode.

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: Reflections in a Ghoulish Eye (1985)

 

A really fun Scooby adventure.

In this episode the gang travels to Morrocco after receiving a telegram supposedly from Vincent Van Ghoul telling them to go to a paranormal convention there. Unfortunately that telegram was not actually sent by Vincent but rather one of the 13 ghosts, a mirror demon called the Reflector Specter. He hopes to suck them into a mirror dimension where he can control everything. 

The Reflector Spector is a wonderful Scooby villain. His design and his voice are wonderfully creepy and his power to suck our heroes into another dimension makes him a major threat to our heroes. The first scene where he appears is fantastic, as we seem him sucking in a completely innocent victim, who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This scene already sets him up as quite creepy and a real threat to our heroes. 

The episode also benefits from the Moroccan setting. This gives the episode a unique atmosphere and feel that sets it apart from other episodes in the series. The background art is also as wonderful as ever and the detail and effort put into it really shows. The mirror dimension is also wonderfully designed.

Unfortantly the humor here is not as good as in the previous episodes. There are no real laugh out loud moments here, though there are a few jokes that do raise a smile. Too much of this humor revolves around the one time character Sandy. Sandy is a takeoff of Martin Short's Ed Grimley character, a character I always found more annoying than funny. This takeoff of him to me is just as annoying and unfunny and I feel this episode would have been quite a bit better if it didn't have him.

While Sandy brings this episode down a little, this is still a delightful Scooby adventure.  

 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: Me And My Shadow Demon (1985)

 

A really fun Scooby adventure.

As this episode begins a shadow demon breaks Vincent Van Ghoul's crystal ball and steals the Chest of Demons. The gang follows the demon to Befuddle Manor, where they run into one of the 13 ghosts, Queen Morbidia and an army of real monsters she has gathered. 

This episode is a lot of fun. Once again the humor hits wonderfully. There is another delightful sing-along that is even funnier than the last one. There is also a wonderful bit of self parody, where Flim-Flam leads the others through a maze, resubliming the in and out of doors scenes in Scooby-Doo! Where Are You. The scene where Shaggy and Scooby sing Me and My Shadow is probably one of my favorite distracting the villain gags in this whole franchise. This episode also has the gang interact quite a bit with Vincent Van Ghoul and these interactions are wonderful, especially the ones involving Flim Flam. The Shadow Demon is also a wonderful character, with a wonderfully creepy and fun design. There is also a great twist involving this character that is very well thought out and executed.

Unfortunately Queen Morbidia is a rather weak villain, who never feels as creepy or memorable as she should be. 

This may not be my favorite episode of the series but it is still a lot of fun. 

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo!: Scoobra Kadoobra (1985)

 

A wonderful second episode to my favorite Scooby-Doo! show. 

As this episode begins our heroes are driving through a forest when Vincent Van ghoul, warns them that they are approaching one of the 13 ghosts. This ghost is Maldor, a ghost with great magical powers. Maldor proves to be a great threat even before the gang meets him. He knows the gang is coming and uses his powers to turn trees into monsters and a rabbit into a dragon. Maldor soon captures our heroes and locks them up in his castle. There they find a wizard, who Maldor has locked up. He explains that Maldor is looking for his magic wand, that if in the right hands could make everything beautiful and in the wrong hands make everything into a living nightmare. They escape from being locked up but the ghost once again captures Daphne and curses her to an eternal sleep. Our heroes must save their friend and put the ghost back in the chest. 

The gang's first real encounter with one of the 13 ghosts, is excellent. The ghost is a wonderful villain who is delightfully creepy and feels like a huge threat to our heroes. His design and voice are wonderful (even if it looks like he could have wondered off from a He-Man episode). The fact that he already has a dangerous and powerful presence before the gang even meets him only adds to this. While there is nothing new about the settings, creepy castles and forests are always great settings for a Scooby adventure and this is no exception. These settings are just as wonderfully atmospheric as one could hope and the fact that the spooks are real adds a new edge to these familiar settings. This episode also continues to make this show feel bigger than any previous Scooby show. This is especially true when Daphane is captured. While Daphne was captured quite often in Scooby-Doo! Where Are You that show had Velma and Fred in it. Here the remaining members of the gang include two young kids (Flim-Flam and Scrappy) and two members who are terrified of ghosts (Scooby and Shaggy). This certainly creates a greater sense of suspense. It also allows for these characters to have to take on roles, that are new and uncomfortable for them to save the day. This creates a whole new dynamic that creates a fresh spin on a familiar situation. 

I stated in my review of the last episode that the humor in that episode was not as good as it would soon become. Well in the second episode the humor has fully found its groove. This show would often take a wackier and sillier sense of humor than the previous Scooby series. In this show it would be common for characters to break the fourth wall and talk directly to the audience or even reference the fact that they are in a cartoon. This humor is a major reason why I love this show so much. This episode has some especially great wacky gags. One of my favorites involves a complete break in the action as Scrappy talks to a woman who complains that the use of fire in this show might be harmful to children. This is a great bit of satire taking aim at how ridiculously over the top complaints from censors and parent groups could be over cartoons. I also love the gang leading us in an impromptu sing-along version of Row Your Boat. Even the standard Scooby gags of characters dressing up in costumes to confuse and distract the villain are especially great here. The scene with Scrappy and Flim-Flam pretending to be lawyers in an effort to free Scooby from the villain's clutches is especially delightful. 

All in all this is a wonderful episode.      

The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo: To All the Ghouls I've Loved Before (1985)

 

Note: The review will contain spoilers as this episode sets up the entire premise of the series. 

A delightful beginning to one of my favorite Scooby series. 

As this episode begins, we see two ghosts, these two ghosts wish to open a chest full of the 13 most powerful and evil ghosts to ever exist. They feel that if they open it, the ghost will consider them heroes and reward them greatly. However the chest can only be opened by the living. When they sense that some mortals who they could trick into opening the chest are coming, they decide that this is just what they need. When then see Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne and Scrappy aboard their plane, The Mystery Flying Machine. The ghosts cause the plane to crash in a nearby town in the Himalayas. We then see a young con-man kid named Flim-Flam (subtle name isn't it). The townspeople have had enough of this little con artist and try to run him out of town. When the plane runs by Flim Flam grabs ahold of it and gets away. A police officer comes by and arrests our heroes. When they see the judge, he demands they leave town before sunset. Flim-Flam suggests that the gang visits his friend the mystic Vincent Van Ghoul (based off of and voiced by the one and only Vincent Price). Vincent warns the gang that this town has a terrible secret, after moon fall, the townsfolk become werewolves. The townsfolk learning that the gang knows their secret decides they can't leave and tries to keep them there. They even turn Daphne into a werewolf. Luckily the gang escapes and Flim-Flam's Lottsa Luck Joy Juice actually works and turn Daphne back into herself. The gang runs to an old, abandoned temple where the ghosts are keeping their plane. The townsfolk follow them there. Flim Flam turns them back to normal with his tonic and they tell Daphne, Scrappy and Flim-Flam how they trapped the 13 ghosts in the chest but before it was locked the 13 ghosts put a curse on the town. However Daphne realizes that Scooby and Shaggy aren't with them. They try to catch them before the duo is tricked into opening the chest, but they are too late. Scooby has opened the chest and the ghosts are now free. Vincent tells the gang that only the ones who opened the chest can put the ghosts back in it. So the gang (with the help of Flim-Flam) have to search for and capture the ghosts themselves.

This episode may in many ways be just set-up (for the first Scooby series with an overarching storyline), but it is excellent set-up. This episode perfectly establishes what will be the overarching story. Though we don't get to see any of the individual ghosts, this episode sets up that these are huge threats to our heroes and something much more serious than the bad guys in costumes they had gone after in previous series. Though some may not like the idea of the gang going after real ghosts, I think it is important for a franchise to always try out new things and this series is a delightful change of pace. This episode also a wonderful creepy atmosphere and a sense of real dread. The franchise has not been this effectively creepy since the best episodes of Scooby-Doo! Where Are You! The design of Daphne as a werewolf is especially delightfully creepy. This episode also has a lot of story and characters. Yet the story never feels rushed, even in a half hour episode, and the main characters each get their chance to shine. 

I will admit the humor in this episode is not as great as it will be in future episodes. Because of the amount of story that needs to be told, there are not that many good laughs here. Though the jokes that are here aren't bad, they pale in comparison to the great humor that will be in future episodes of this show.  

This is one of my favorite Scooby shows and I am so excited to re-watch and review it. This episode is certainly a great start.