Scooby Doo Vs Barnabas Collins: Round 2

Barnabas Collins made a return appearance to SCOOBY DOO when I wasn't paying attention.

Kinda.

The ghost of Elias Kingston, introduced more than 40 years ago during the first season of SCOOBY DOO, WHERE ARE YOU, showed his familiar face on the first episode of the new series, BE COOL, SCOOBY DOO. If the "ghost" looks a little like Barnabas Collins, it's not a coincidence. Kingston made his debut in a 1969 episode (titled "What the Hex Going On") that was absolutely lousy with references to DARK SHADOWS.

Below are a few images illustrating the episode's many homages to the gothic soap.

BE COOL, SCOOBY DOO should put to bed any doubts that Elias Kingston was based on actor Jonathan Frid. Not only does his return in the new series look more like Frid than ever, the character is significantly more fangy that before. See for yourself at the top of this post.

Here's an episode summary:

In the series premiere episode, Velma’s got an interview at the prestigious Kingston University, the most selective school in the country. The only catch? The dean wants her and the rest of the Scooby gang to figure out why the ghost of Elias Kingston, the school’s founder, is haunting Kingston’s book-filled halls!

The episode (titled "Mystery 101") was broadcast on Oct. 15 on the Cartoon Network, which has graciously made the entire episode available for viewing online. You can watch a clip from the episode below, or catch the entire thing online HERE.


Via: Cartoon Network