If I were to ask you who your favorite cartoon Great Dane was, there would be only a few answers. Astro from ‘The Jetsons’ or Marmaduke from the newspaper comics. Although, I think the main answer would have to be Scooby-Doo.

‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?’ debuted in 1969 and there have been thirteen full incarnations of television shows and another one premiering this year. There have also been forty-four films, a few of those being direct-to-video movies. Why would people keep making movies if it was just for kids?

I have watched plenty of thoses movies because I love Scooby-Doo. I know plenty of people my age that would watch cartoons they watched as a kid now. It combines the simplistic nature of child-directed animation and the excitement of mystery.

It started out on CBS and with a clear and solid plot plan. They would run into a mystery, try and solve it, Scooby and Shaggy would mess up the plan and inevitably catch the perpetrator. As the series continued, it started to use more slapstick comedy in the formula, but still had the same overall plot line. It is a classic cartoon that all who watched it can appeal to.

Later series would continue on with this template and so would most of the movies. Though, the movies would have more detail and a little bit more shenanigans. The movies also take the Scooby Gang all over the world.

The next series, ‘The New Scooby-Doo Movies’ featured many guests stars, including the Harlem Globetrotters, Batman and Robin, and even the Three Stooges. There were only two seasons and twenty-four episodes. After this series, the show moved to ABC.

In the next few series, they invited on some of Scooby’s relatives. Scrappy and Scooby-Dum were regular visitors. Most know Scrappy better than the others. He is a spunky, know-it-all, troublesome pup and always instigates things. He is Scooby’s nephew.

After these series, the animation started to change. It started to go more modern and there were some changes in the plot line. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, there was a series called ‘A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.’ This series shows the gang as children. It still has the same plot line, but it involves a little bit more humor. A difference from the other series is a red herring plot device. Fred would accuse a boy named Red Herring and they would have that laugh, then move on.

‘What’s New, Scooby-Doo?’ is the next series. It used even more differences and the 2000’s style of animation. It used digital sounds and effects along with modern ideas and technology. It is also in the 2000’s when most of the movies came into publication.

These movies take place all over the world and even into the cyber world. They covered aliens, magic, myths, legends, and even wrestling. Many of them have strange plots and not a lot of people, including myself, understand why anyone would produce those films in particular.

Although I may not like those films, many younger people enjoy them. I am a traditionalist when in comes to cartoons. I think the original cartoons and some of the sequals are the best, but that’s just my opinion.

Even though people say you have to grow up doesn’t mean we have to live without simple joys. Cartoons aren’t just for children. Grown-ups are just older children, even though many wish to deny it. People cannot live without simple things. So no, Scooby-Doo is not just for kids, it’s for everyone who has enjoyed it over the years and will enjoy it years from now.