Shaggy mentions falling asleep to a Vincent Van Ghoul movie. Van Ghoul will later appear in “The Legend of Alice May,” “In Fear of the Phantom,” “Nightfright,” “A Haunting in Crystal Cove,” “Web of the Dreamweaver!,” “The Gathering Gloom” and “Theater of Doom.”
Vincent Van Ghou is not only an expy of Vincent Price, but said actor voiced the character in his original incarnation. Here, Vincent Von Ghoul is just a washed out actor instead of wielding any kind of magical powers.
One of the tourists following Velma resembles Don Knotts though with blonde hair. He later appears in “The Secret of the Ghost Rig,” “Battle of the Humungonauts” and “The Secret Serum.”
In the teaser, the family and their station wagon that stops in Gatorsburg for gasoline is based on the Griswolds. They will also appear in “Night Terrors” and in “Stand and Deliver.”
When the Mystery Machine jumps over the ramp, it makes the same sound as the Mach 5.
The vampire waitress working at vampire-themed restaurant “The Bloody Stake” resembles Abby Scento. The character also appears in “Where Walks Aphrodite,” “In Fear of the Phantom,” “Nightfright” and “The Siren’s Song.”
After the gang is startled in the cave, Scooby covers his eyes, Shaggy covers his ears and Velma covers her mouth in the “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil◊” position.
The names of the young couple at the beginning are Brenda and Dylan. Brenda will appear again in “In Fear of the Phantom,” “Menace of the Manticore,” “Attack of the Headless Horror,” “Grim Judgment” and “Come Undone.” Dylan makes an appearance in “Menace of the Manticore” and “Grim Judgment.”
Teenage Pebbles Flintstone and Bam-Bam Rubble appear in the first scene after the opening theme. The Pebbles lookalike appears again at the Fighting Urchins soccer game in “Where Walks Aphrodite.”
A character that looks like Suzie Chan is seen playing volleyball at the Trickells Trickquid’s tournament. This character appears again in “The Legend of Alice May,” “Where Walks Aphrodite” and “Mystery Solvers Club State Finals.”
Skipper Shelton’s story of losing his nose to a sea creature and having a vendetta against it is similar to the animated Captain Squint who lost his nose to a sea monster.
The way Shaggy is dragged off into the dark by the spookified children calls to the final scenes of [REC] and Quarantine.
Episode 6: “The Legend of Alice May”
Alice May shares the same appearance as Gwen Stacey.
Two dancers at the prom looks like Coilman (short and tubby with blonde Beatle-cut hair) and Multiman (tall with a mop of orange hair covering his eyes) of The Impossibles in civilian clothes.
When Scooby goes to the kitchen to grab a sandwich, there’s a signed picture of Vincent Van Ghoul.
When the gang looks at the yearbook page with the original Mystery Incorporated, the group shot◊ looks just like the one in the opening from the original cartoon◊.
Episode 7: “In Fear of the Phantom”
The plot of The Phantom controlling a theatre, causing accidents and kidnapping a young female singer is a nod to The Phantom of the Opera.
Since Fantzee Pantz’s real name is Daniel (Prezette), the identity of the Phantom, it makes a subtle reference to Danny Phantom.
Stage name Fantzee Pantz is similar to another fallen musician using the name Sparky Pants. Coincidentally, both shows were created by Butch Hartman.
Daphne’s Hex Girl costume is a reminiscent of Starfire’s outfit.
The line “. . . class four noncoporeal phantom . . .” refers to spirit classifications from The Real Ghostbusters.
The name of the place for musical performances is called “Terrorpheum,” a composite of “terror” and “Orpheum.”
The fact Shaggy having an old ventriloquist dummy (named Harry) can allude back to the series that started it all where Shaggy was known to throw his voice in order to fool the villain.
Episode 8: “The Grasp of the Gnome”
The paramedics taking the frozen pirates to the theatre looks suspiciously like John Gage and Roy DeSoto, if not actors Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe who play them.
One of the knights coming into The Royal Knights Fair seems to be dressed as Dirk the Daring.
Angie Dinkley's book, ‘I'm Okay, You're a Scary Gnome’ parodies the famous psychological self-help book I'm Okay, You're Okay by Thomas A. Harris.
The Crystal Cove’s movie theater is called “Mermaid Theatre,” the name of a stage performing theater in London.
Episode 9: “Battle of the Humungonauts”
The episode plays tribute to War Of The Gargantuas completed with “‘Stuck In My Throat’” song by Devo though, in the episode, an unnamed female character sings it.
There are two “humongonauts,” one green and one red, stated to be caused by gamma radiation.
Building contractor Rusty Gnales is a pun on the term “rusty nails.”
The name Jason Wyatt is likely a reference to the show's lead character designer Derrick Wyatt.* The name Jason Wyatt is likely a reference to the show's lead character designer Derrick Wyatt.
There's an actual Jason Wyatt who was the associate producer of this very episode.
The Crystal Cove Animal Asylum for the Criminally Insane is based on Arkham Asylum and the building design bears visual concept of the place in The Batman.
The main guard holding a grudge against a snapping turtle that bit his finger parallels Aaron Cash, who holds a grudge against Killer Croc for biting his hand off.
When Officer Johnson calls up Sheriff Stone stating all animal inmates have been rounded up, one of the inmates being wheeled in at the time resembles Yogi Bear though drawn more brusquely.
1) The robotic dog (Fright Hound) plays the role of the T-800.
2) The Fright Hound survives the flames of an exploding car similar to how T-800 survived the flames of an exploding fuel truck.
3) The Fright Hound’s disguise is burnt off at the police station, showing its endoskeleton underneath, which happens later in the movie.
4) The climax takes place in a factory, even managing to bust down a factory door and after the robot is believed to been destroyed, it makes one final attempt before being crushed to death at the very end.
5) The police station scenes.
6) Even the music is alluded to.
The machine Scooby uses in order to destroy the Fright Hound is very similar in design to the battle suit worn by Ripley to kill the Alien Queen in Aliens.
Episode 11: “The Secret Serum”
A character that looks like Cass Elliot appears in teaser amongst the audience at the auction. The same character appears again in the audience and the Dusk lecture in “Pawn of Shadows” and in “Dance of the Undead,” during the first mob dance scene at the right.
The restaurant the gang visits in order to find a rare wine is called ‘Crab Net of Doctor Calimen.’ The oddly tilted windows are even a tribute to the movie’s setting.
Angie also mentions they having more vampire literature than anywhere “this of the Carpathian Mountains*
The name of Dracula’s home at the beginning
.”
Where the gang suspects Daphne’s mother being a vampire is similar to an episode of Scooby-Doo & Scrappy-Doo called “I Left My Neck in San Franscisco” where the gang suspected Daphne might be a vampire when she keeps disappearing every time the vampire appeared.
The cursed ruby on display at Darrow University Museum of Oddities is called “the Devil’s Eye.”
Episode 12: “The Shrieking Madness”
Darrow University student Howard E. Roberts is a play on Robert E. Howard, who was one of the ten original writers corresponding with one another, including Lovecraft and used elements of the mythos in their writings.
At the beginning of the episode, Fred and his father are in the car:
Hatecraft’s voice actor, Jeffrey Combs, is best known for appearing in Lovecraft’s Re-Animator and From Beyond film adaptation as well as playing as Lovecraft in Necronomicon.
The leader Ernesto, who makes another appearance in “The Siren’s Song,” is based and modeled after Ernesto Che Guebara, the Argentine Marxist born Cuban revolutionist.
At the beginning of the episode, just before Char Gar Gothakon appears for the first time, there is an air freshener hanging from a rear view mirror shaped like Tweety Bird.
Numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 is written on a piece of paper inside the chest Mr. E sent the gang.
New management turning burger place “Burger Campus” into a Vegan restaurant is a nod to Casey Kasem, the original Shaggy, becoming vegetarian during the Scooby-Doo franchise run in the eighties.
Further evidence that the title is a reference is one of the main "mysteries" in Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is where characters are driven insane. An example is one of the main protagonists, Rena the most notable character, investigates the disappearances and murders of people occurs on the same day in the past four years, figuring out all the disappearances and murders only happened to people who supported or worked on a discontinued dam project that would flood the small town they live in. These cases were also thought by the townspeople to be caused by the demon who apparently didn’t like the idea of the dam supposedly haunting the town. Along the way, Rena starts falling into insanity and at two points, starts shouting about there being maggots in her blood, frantically scratches and claws at her skin to get the "maggots" out
.
Biologist Dr. Rick Yants bears a striking resemblance to Ben Ravencroft.
The runaway train’s locomotive plunging off a dead end trestle and exploding on impact is taken from Back to the Future: Part III.
Not to mention when the runaway locomotive is uncoupled and then graphically explodes after being derailed off a broken bridge is very similar to what happens in Anastasia.
Leader of the Wild Brood gang Odnarb talks like Marlon Brando, in fact, “Odnarb” is backwards for “Brando.”
With the mask, Odnarb bears a resemblance to Thrall
The Swordfish game console bears a design quite similar to Microsoft’s X-Box 360 game console.
Shaggy calling said game console “shiny” not only means it is literally shiny but in another show, “shiny” means “cool.”
Chen, the owner of internet café and teahouse who will have a promenade role in “The Dragon’s Secret,” sounds like Chi Fu, Mr. Ping, Professor Chang and Mandarin.
The teaser makes references to Gremlins where the pawn shop bears a strong resemblance to the antique store where Gizmo was bought and when Mai Le steals the ring, it has a creature that bears a strong resemblance to the pre-mutated Gremlins, specifically Gizmo, the original and only benevolent Gremlin.
The battle between the Red Wizard and the White Wizard in downtown Crystal Cove mirrors some aspects of the final battle between Neo and Agent Smith.
The devices the White Wizard uses in order to fight and shoot lightning bolts out of his hands are very similar in design and function to the retro thrusts jets in Iron Man’s Mark III.
The masks in the entrance of Van Ghoul Castle are exact copies from masks of characters and monsters portrayed by Vincent Price.** The masks in the entrance of Van Ghoul Castle are exact copies from masks of characters and monsters portrayed by Vincent Price.
A small part of this episode’s plot is similar to Halloween Resurrection, more specifically the part where the teens win the opportunity of showing up on an Internet reality show.
In the entrance of Castle Van Ghoul, on the top of a table, near the staircase, is the mystical globe Vincent Van Ghoul used to contact Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, Scrappy-Doo and Flim Flam.
Ernesto's statement "We have to destroy the environment in order to save it" is an echo of the famous Vietnam-era quote, "We have to destroy the village in order to save it."
The name of Marcy “Hot Dog Water” Fleach’s father is Winslow Fleach, a parody of Winslow Leach.
Angel’s black cat-suit is very similar in design to the spy suits Sam, Alex and Clover wear when on missions.
Mr. E’s lair beneath Destroido HQ is very similar in design and appearance to Vector’s house.
When Angel first goes talk with Mr. E, he is seated in a chair, watching several monitors to see what goes on, making it impossible for Angel and the audience to see who he is, is how Mr. Claw was portrayed.
Spartan also has a quasi-resemblance to Bruce the Australian poacher.
Episode 23: “A Haunting in Crystal Cove”
Not only does Angie Dinkley’s medium friend’s name is “Lady Marmalade,” the same title of classic song but the character quotes a lyric ‘Mocha chocolate, yaya,’ which she incorporated it as one of the coffee drinks.
The fact Angie Dinkley gets her medium friend to scope out the haunting at Fred’s house.
After a disguised Velma rescues Fred from Crybaby Clown:
Velma: (using a voice modulator) Nice furbib.
Fred: Wait . . . dry sense of humor, tense of disdain and superiority . . . Velma!?
Velma: (takes off hat and the cloth covering lower half of her face) Who were you expecting? Rorschach?
Not to mention Velma’s actions and throwaway line toward Mayor Nettles at the beginning of the episode are similar to those of aforementioned hero.
Scooby’s introduced bouncing a ball off the wall where the farmer confined him is how American POW Steve McQueen passes time while in solitary confinement after too many escape attempts.
After raking his nails across a chalkboard, episode’s villain makes a speech at the town hall meeting parodies the scene in which shark hunter Quint makes his first appearance:
Crybaby Clown' You all know me. You all know how I make a living. I'm a bad clown! Stopping me won't be easy . . . there's no string in the net to capture me as Mano Tiki Tia or Redbeard'sGhost! This Crybaby Clown swallowed your whole town, hahahahaha! You want your tourism back, you're going to pay me five million dollars! For that, you'll get the pacifier, the rattle, the whole darn clown! So, what's it going to be? Me or Mystery Incorporated?!
Fictional brand of pants promoted by Baylor Hotner is “Green Jeans,” the name probably coming from fictional character Mr. Green Jeans.
The name of the fake bakery devised by Fred as part of the trap to capture Crybaby Clown is called ‘Dawn ofthe Doughnuts.’
Episode 28: “The House of the Nightmare Witch”
House of the Baba Yaga Witch coming to life and attacking people can allude to titular Monster House.
Episode 29: “The Night the Clown Cried II: Tears of Doom”
One of the background characters at the beginning as well as in the flashback toward the end looks like an aged up Sari Sumdac.
Brad and Judy’s Cocker spaniel Nova not only strongly looks like Lady, She and Scooby even share a kiss while eating string cheese during the Blake’s welcome home party, all the while a violinist plays for them!
When the Hodag attacks the party and starts to grab people and drag them away, one of the guests tries to get away after being caught by crawling away but is only dragged back again into the shadows like how reporter Angela Vidal is dragged out of sight.
The Hodag being a freaky creature is based on cryptids from The Secret Saturdays.
Traveling Cabinet of Curiosities owner’s name, Gene Shepard, is based on Eugene Simeon Shepard, the original discoverer of the Hodag in Wisconsin.
Inside the Cabinet of Curiosities, Jason Voorhees’s hockey mask is seen.
Not only does Sheriff Stone accidentally solves a Lament configuration puzzle box, which clicks open and rearranges in a similar manner, but (after hearing a knock on the door) opening the door to his office to hear a disembodied voice manifestation which is a parody of the Cenobite leader Pinhead, before slamming the door and calling it a weirdo.
The disembodied voice saying “OH SUCH SIGHTS!” is like “We have such sights to show you!”
Band “Sunday Around Noonish” and members Butch Firbanks and Eeko are a homage if not parody of The Velvet Underground along former members Lou Reed and Nico respectively.
Inversion of the usual standards for handsomeness suggests Twilight Zone episode “The Eye of the Beholder.”
The hillbillies from Scorpion Wells are based on the villainous clans of deformed cannibals from The Hills Have Eyes and its sequels as well as its remakes.
The crystal sarcophagus filled with black pears the Conquistadors found and later say is cursed is an allusion to the cursed Chest of Cortez in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and the fact the sarcophagus is filled with black pearls alludes to the titular ship.
When the gang finds the soccer team’s lucky soccer ball, Boron had a hand print with a smiley face painted on it like Wilson the volleyball.
The title of Brad and Judy’s semiautobiographical television series is called ‘Sternum to Sternum’ as well as parodying its opening theme.
In the yearbook, one student’s picture is named Scott Jeralds, a comic book artist responsible for drawing many Scooby-Doo comic books while another name appears is Vic Cook, the name of one of the show’s producers.
The costume Scooby wears while he and Shaggy are spying on Ethan at the soccer field is similar to of another Disney princess: Princess Ariel.
This episode parodies Friday the 13th franchise, especially main villain preying on those who committed immoral actions.
Episode 36: “Night Terrors”
The girl with her parents at the beginning of the episode resembles Avatar Aang’s granddaughter Jinora.
Mr. Peaches yelling out “Mr. Pe-Pe-Pe-Pe-Peaches” is like Brusier yelling out “Ba-Ba-Ba-Ba-Bananas” whenever he gets all excited.
When Scooby and the gang enter the main hall of Burlington Library, Dan Fluunk tells them the builder and owner of the mansion where they stand had a fascination with groups of four people and an animal who solved mysteries through the ages alludes to how in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, groups of different people that are real and fictional unite themselves in order to save the world throughout the ages.
When the gang finally find Abigail Gluck in her underwater robot factory, they turn the chair she’s sitting in only to find her corpse sitting there.
Tom, Tub and Scooby the Seal are from another Hanna Barbera show called Moby Dick and Mighty Mightor, though unlike here where Moby Dick is a submarine shaped whale, he was an actual whale in the show.
Daphne mentions Tom and Tub’s parents are Dr. Paul Williams and Captain Michael Murphy, characters from another Hanna Barbera show Sealab 2020.
Angel
now using her real name Cassidy Williams
staying behind in order to keep the valves opened long enough for Moby Dick to get out of the underwater base is quite similar to Mitch Wilkinson stays behind in order to let Ben Gates and the rest of his group exit the cave in National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
Sheriff Stone quips that he looks like a smelly old wizard from Center Earth, a common joke to Middle Earth.
The old abandoned haunted doll factory in which Scooby and the gang catch Krampus is most likely a hint to Scooby Doo where the gang catches the Luna Ghost in a similar location.
The elevator leading to Mr. E’s vault bears a strong resemblance to the elevator used by Gru.
Blue Falcon is depicted in the artistic style of Frank Miller’s Batman, even some lines of his dialogue are either direct quotes or homages owing to that work, such as the line about seventeen ways to incapacitate people, all of which hurt.
Even Dr. Zin, Jenny and their henchman Bobo also functions as Batman’s enemy Ra’s al Ghul, his daughter Talia al Ghul and Ubu, Ra’s al Ghul’s chief henchman.
The origins of Dynomutt becoming a cyborg because of a medical emergency is similar to those of Steve Austin and Jaime Sommers.
Not only do Race Bannon and Dr. Quest from the Quest team appear but so does Dr. Quest’s enemy, Dr. Zin.
Velma’s primitive recorder resembles the speak-n-spell phone-home transmitter used by titular E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Episode 41: "Theater of Doom"
Vincent Van Ghoul’s introduction to the theater production of Crystal Cove’s history is in the same tone of Vincent Price’s rap in Michael Jackson’s “‘Thriller’” video.
The Fraternitas Mysterium are not only four monks, but amateur sleuths that solve mysteries just like Brother Cadfael, though unlike the latter, the former had a pet donkey.
On a wall of Angie Dinkley’s office is a poster with an UFO and the letters saying “Believe It,” similar to what FBI Agent Fox Maulder has though with the words “I Want to Believe.”
The Space Kook costume is stolen from the Crystal Cove Spook Museum.
Episode 43: “The Horrible Herd”
“Farmers Barrel of Crackerness,” a bar for famers, is based on “Cracker Barrel,” a famous chain of restaurants with a store attached.
The scene of Nova losing Scooby’s grip and falling from the helicopter and into the skull cattle’s stampede of the skull cattle is animated in a similar fashion to the scene from The Lion King where Scar pushed Mufasa off the cliff, into the path of wildebeests’ stampede, both victims mortally wounded. The only difference being Scooby tries to save Nova.
A villain’s scheme involving a mutated heard of cattle occurred in the predecessor series starring Scooby and the gang*
and by gang, we mean Shaggy. Velma, Daphne and Fred only had two to three appearances
during the episode “Scooby Dudes.”
Episode 44: “Dance of the Undead”
The full first name used repeatedly by Scooby’s parents is revealed over the hospital’s intercom:
Shaggy: Will Dr. Scoobert Dooby Doo please report to the ICU?
When Scooby and Shaggy ask Thorn, Dusk and Luna, to help them break the spell from Rude Boys and the Ska-Tastics, the Hex Girls are each wearing their original outfits from their first appeared. Also, their song “‘Who Do Voodoo?’” is also featured.
The “HB” in HB News is an obvious allusion to the creators of the Scooby-Doo franchise among other shows.
The battle between the Hex Girls and the zombiefied Rude Boy and the Ska-Tastics where the music from their bands generates monsters that start fighting one another is reminiscent of a scene in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, down to the victorious monster winning the music competition.
Professor Pericles says he managed to attach a mutated snake into Mr. E’s spine, thus making him more vulnerable mirroring a scene where Alex Krycek infects FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner with some king of nanotechnology, making it impossible for his blood to receive oxygen when activated.
Not only do a big size Scooby and a big size Shaggy fighting the Gluten Demon is similar to Super Duper Sumos but is in a fashionable sumo wrestling style.
Episode 46: "Stand and Deliver"
The part where Scooby wakes up from the nightmare where he and Nova are attacked by Kriegstaffebots only to find himself in another disturbing dream before fully waking up is based on a similar dream sequence in An American Werewolf in London and Ghost.
Title of the episode is a reference to Adam and the Ants’ number one song in the United Kingdom about a “Dandy Highwayman,” which happens to be the villain of the episode, who’s a homage to a homage to lead singer and chief songwriter Adam Ant.
Could be an actor allusion since he and Shaggy’s father Colton are the only members that worked from that show.
Real Fred and an old Daphne (Judy Reeves) are attacked by skeletons in post-apocalyptical Crystal Cove.
This conversation between Fake Fred (Brad Chiles) and Scooby in the Mystery Machine after leaving the electronics store with Shaggy behind the wheel and the girls in the back:
Brad: (Scooby rests his head next to Fake Fred) Does the dog need walking?
Scooby: I walk myself Fred.
Brad: Perhaps you would enjoy a Canine Crumpet.
Scooby: Mm, that is not a Scooby Snack Fred. Hmph!
Brad: What difference does it make? I’m sure they all taste the same.
Scooby: (goes to back and rests head on Velma’s lap) You eat it then.
The episode’s clips changing from post-apocalyptical version of Crystal Cove and the true Crystal Cove is similar how in Fringe they change the action from one Earth to another.
Episode 48: “Nightmare in Red”
The Alianza Misterio, a group of four Mexican mystery solving sleuths and their pet skunk, all wear Zorro masks.
The gang never waking up if trapped in their dreams is similar to Freddy Krueger’s victims being killed off for real if they’re killed in his or her dreams.
Not only does the red room from the previous two episodes make its last appearance, but the “dancing midget” is revealed to be Horatio Kharon, a tenured professor at Miskatonic University.
Episode 49: “Dark Night of the Hunters”
According to Shaggy, he and Scooby had been best friends since Scooby was a pup.
The Mystery Machine’s destruction is very similar to the Enterprise’s destruction down to the dialogue between Daphne and Fred being a near perfect recreation.
The underground attacker that attacks those by sound is how grabods attack victims who make noises.
After the denizens of Crystal defeat the Kriegstaffebots:
Stone: (to Mayor Nettles next to him) It’s not over yet, we have to get these people to safety! (stands on top the broken pile of bots) Listen up everybody! Follow me to FREEEDOOOOMM! (Crowd cheers) And will somebody please bring that sweet little dog in a coma? Thank you.
Episode 51: “Through the Curtain”
Not only are the four gate keys (the Primero Llave
