The four teenage lead characters ofScooby-Doo were inspired by four of the main characters from the 1959–63 American sitcomThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, with Shaggy having been derived from the characterMaynard G. Krebs, as played byBob Denver.[7] Maynard'sbeatnik-stylegoatee, general appearance, and use of the word "like" all found their way into the character of Shaggy, with the base personality of the character updated to make him ahippie rather than a beatnik.[8]
Shaggy is typically depicted as having a large appetite and a love for food. He and Scooby justify their hunger by insisting that "Being in a constant state of terror makes us constantly hungry!" inScooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Shaggy supposedly maintains a slender physique because of his highmetabolism and habitualvegetarianism. Various episodes have mentioned that he was atrack and field athlete and agymnast in his younger years, explaining how he evades villains by simply outrunning them.
Casey Kasem (pictured in 1989), Shaggy's original voice actor
Shaggy has a characteristic speech pattern marked by his frequent use of thefiller word "like" and a pubescent voice that often cracks. Hiscatchphrase is the nonsense word "Zoinks!", used to express surprise or alarm. In the show, he is the only protagonist with facial hair, which consists of a rough goatee. His signature attire consists of a baggy green V-neck T-shirt, loose maroon or brownbell-bottom pants, and black shoes. InThe 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo and early made-for-TV films, he wears a red V-neck andblue jeans.
Like his dog Scooby, Shaggy is characterized as being able to be bribed withScooby Snacks due to his large appetite and love for food. Shaggy's favorite meal is an "extra cheese pizza with pickles", as revealed in the TV filmScooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo. InScooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico, it is revealed byFred that the reason Shaggy eats so much (while maintaining his slender physique) is his "highmetabolism". However, inScooby-Doo: Behind the Scenes, it is stated by Fred that the real reason Shaggy is so skinny is because he is avegetarian (a reference toCasey Kasem'sveganism). The episode "A Clue for Scooby-Doo" from his debut seriesScooby-Doo, Where Are You! revealed that his taste for unlikely foods (such as chocolate-covered hot dogs andliverwurst "a la mode") is a consequence of a young Shaggy receiving a garbage disposal unit for his first toy.
In the episode "Bedlam in the Big Top", he says he is a track runner, and in the pilot episode "What a Night for a Knight" Daphne states that he is the best gymnast in their school – both of which explain his uncanny skills in quickly evading villains. He has been shown, in some instances, to be able to run even faster than Scooby, even when the dog is running on all fours. Shaggy is capable of impressive feats of athleticism when he is scared; however, these abilities are usually only used for comedy, with Shaggy only being capable of such feats when panicked. For example, after being scared inScooby-Doo! Camp Scare, he shakes the iron bars of an old-fashioned jail cell so hard that they collapse.
Normally, Shaggy becomes extremely scared when faced withmonsters or other frightening situations, usually displaying cowardice to a much greater degree than any other character except for Scooby. This was explained in theLegend of the Phantosaur as a possible type of panic disorder. However, on occasion, he shows courage when his friends are in serious danger.
In the earliest produced episodes, Shaggy was actually a bit intelligent and at times was capable of solving mysteries and even capturing the villains. For example in the episode "A Clue for Scooby-Doo", he correctly deduced that the ghost of Captain Cutler was actually Cutler himself by using some seaweed to imitate his beard to prove his point. In the episode "Never Ape an Ape Man", he spotted the Ape-Man without his mask and tricked him into having his picture taken with a camera. Also, in the episode "Bedlam in the Big Top", Shaggy concocted a brilliant plan to capture the Ghost Clown by way of tricking him into hypnotizing himself by holding up mirrors.
The four teenage lead characters ofScooby-Doo were inspired by four of the main characters from the 1959–63 American sitcomThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, with Shaggy having been derived from the characterMaynard G. Krebs, as played byBob Denver.[9] Maynard'sbeatnik-stylegoatee, general appearance, and use of the word "like" all found their way into the character of Shaggy, with the base personality of the character updated to make him ahippie rather than a beatnik.[8]
Casey Kasem, the first voice actor for Shaggy, said that he originally felt uncomfortable after being assigned to Shaggy. Kasem stated that while he was "hip to what hippies were about", he had never before portrayed a hippie character. Kasem had wanted to voice act forFred Jones, andFrank Welker had wanted to voice act for Shaggy. Instead, theCBS network assigned Kasem to Shaggy and Welker to Fred.[10] Unsure what the voice of a hippie would sound like, Kasem based his vocal style and mannerisms for Shaggy on those ofDick Crenna's character Walter Denton from theradio/televisionsitcomOur Miss Brooks.[11]
Kasem stated that as he continued to voice Shaggy, the character evolved. Kasem said that the "voice dynamics" improved and that his laughs increasingly gained quality. He added that Shaggy in 2002 is "more frightened today than he was at the beginning."[10] Kasem convinced the producers that Shaggy should be a vegetarian, like himself, in 2002.[12][13]
Marc Silk (1998, 2004–2009, 2011, 2013, 2015–present;Radio 1 Breakfast,Cartoon Network UK and Ireland bumpers, Boomerang UK and Ireland bumpers,CITV UK and Ireland bumpers,Adidas commercial,Scooby-Doo! and the Pirate Ghost - Live on Stage commercial,Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mansion with Goo Turret commercial,Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mates Mansion Playset and Figures commercial,Lego Scooby-Doo! commercial,Scooby-Doo! Rumble & Roll Mystery Machine commercial)[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]
In most cases, Shaggy is from the fictional town of Coolsville, Ohio. When he is old enough to go to school, he adopts Scooby–Doo from the Knittingham Puppy Farm. Later on, he meetsFred Jones,Daphne Blake, andVelma Dinkley. They become friends and decide to formMystery Incorporated. According toScooby-Doo: Behind the Scenes, Shaggy is the one who bought the Mystery Machine and gave it its paint job.
According toScooby-Doo: Behind the Scenes, Shaggy's old nickname was Buzz (apparently for hisbuzz cut), until his tenth birthday. Fred says that, contrary to what people believe, Shaggy is not skinny because Scooby is always stealing his food, but rather because he is a vegetarian. But as healthy as Shaggy tries to stay, he has battled unhealthy habits such as the time he developed an addiction for Scooby Snacks for a few months. At one point, Velma calculated that he had eaten exactly 45% of his body weight. This led to him starting a new hobby: collecting decorator belt buckles. Shaggy claims to have the largest collection of decorator belt buckles in the world and currently owns 653. He also states that he wears a different belt buckle for every mystery if one pays attention, the joke being that his baggy shirt always hides them.
InScooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, he is from Crystal Cove along with the other members of Mystery Incorporated. His parents' names are Colton and Paula Rogers and appear to be quite well off, living in a mansion. He datesVelma for a short period during the first season.
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo made a non-speaking cameo inTeen Titans Go! episode entitled "I See You" whenCyborg andBeast Boy were rapping. Shaggy later appears in thecrossover episode "Cartoon Feud" along with The Scooby Gang, whereControl Freak forces them to compete inFamily Feud withMatthew Lillard reprising the role of Shaggy.
Shaggy, along with the other 4 members of Mystery Inc., made an appearance throughout the 16th episode of the 13th season ofSupernatural entitled "Scoobynatural" when the two lead protagonists,Sam Winchester and his brotherDean Winchester, and their accomplice,Castiel, are transported into an episode of Scooby Doo; the Supernatural episode itself is acrossover between the two franchises.Matthew Lillard voices Shaggy in the episode.
Shaggy and the Mystery Inc. Gang made appearance inJellystone! in the episode "Frankenhooky" where they stopThe Ghost Chasers from attackingYogi Bear andBoo-Boo at an abandoned cheese theme park.Matthew Lillard briefly reprising the role of Shaggy.
Outside ofScooby-Doo video games, Shaggy appears as a playable character, along with Scooby, in the crossover video gameLego Dimensions. Shaggy's character includes the Mystery Machine.Matthew Lillard reprises his role for the game.[68][69] Lillard also reprises his role in the platform fighting gameMultiVersus, in which Shaggy is a playable character. Shaggy appears inFortnite during 2025'sFortnitemares.[70]
Some viewers of the originalScooby-Doo believed that Shaggy smokedmarijuana due to his hippie behavior andconstant hunger. In aNewsweek article,Casey Kasem was asked if he had ever observed that subtext in the series, and Kasem responded that "there wasn't anything like that at all", explaining, "[I] guess it's because, I don't know, it was a wholesome show from beginning to end." Kasem was not aware of the fan viewpoint until the interviewer brought it up.[10] The makers of the 2002Scooby-Doo film shot several scenes referencing Shaggy's supposed drug use, but few of those scenes were included in the final film.[10] One scene which made it into the film has a minor character introduce herself to Shaggy as "Mary Jane" (aslang term for marijuana), and he responds, "Like, that is my favorite name."Matthew Lillard, the current voice of Shaggy, does not think he smokes marijuana: "He just seems like that. He acts a little goofy and high, he's lovable and scared – and just happens to have the munchies."[78]
In an online radio interview with host Stu Shostak, series creatorsJoe Ruby andKen Spears recalled that they never intended for Shaggy to be a marijuana smoker, and "took umbrage" at the jokes in the 2002 film.[8] In reference to thisurban legend, the 2002first seasonHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Lawepisode "Shaggy Busted" revolves around Shaggy andScooby-Doo being mistaken forrecreational drug users and arrested while they are en-route to the rest of the gang, withFred Jones hiringHarvey Birdman to successfully defend the duo, with "the [opposing] prosecutor bring[ing] up questionable clips from oldScooby-Doo episodes that show the characters running through smoky rooms and pausing mid-blink so it looks like their eyelids are drooping" ahead of their innocence being proven.[79]
InVelma, "Norville Rogers" is introduced in the first season as Velma's half-African American best friend who frequently brings up how much he hates drugs.[80]
^"Man of many voices knows how to make an impression". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived fromthe original on April 28, 2021. RetrievedApril 25, 2021.For the Cartoon Network and Boomerang, a subsidiary that runs mostly cartoons of the 1960s and '70s, he's supplied the voices of Barney Rubble, Fred Flintstone, Elroy Jetson, Yogi and Boo-Boo Bear and Shaggy on "Scooby-Doo."
^"Scooby-Doo Burger King commercial". YouTube. May 29, 2019.Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. RetrievedApril 25, 2021.Actually, you can hear an snippet of this commercial in Tom Kenny's animation demo.
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