A dog is a man’s best friend, but when one of the dogs is Scooby-Doo and the other is Courage the Cowardly Dog, then you are in for a treat.

If ever there was a competition held for ‘the world’s most frightened dog’, these two will give others a run for their money. As they do in the aptly titled animated adventure Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog.

Scooby-Doo is not new to crossovers; from Batman and Robin to Blue Falcon and Dynomutt, he has been in the ‘been there, done that’ mode for over 50 years. However, whenever he has appeared in a crossover, his partner has been somebody who is brave, smart and fearless — until now when Scooby-Doo is joined by Courage the Cowardly Dog! It happens when the gang featuring Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo visit Nowhere and meet Courage, a nervous dog (more nervous than Scooby-Doo), and stumble upon a mystery.

Those who have seen Courage The Cowardly Dog series know that he lives with Muriel and Eustace Baggs in Nowhere, the infamous place where ‘creepy and freaky stuff happens’. However, in this adventure featuring Courage and Scooby-Doo, the viewers get to meet a mayor who was not elected; and his spine-chilling house help, with a touch of hypnotism and loads of cicadas.

Then there are the many recurring villains from Courage’s universe, including the notorious feline Katz, and the French con-duck Le Quack, besides General and Lieutenant.

Both the dogs do exactly what they have been doing for their viewers, with the help of the passengers of Mystery Inc. and a couple of funny songs. Don’t miss the new Mystery Machine with special features including a mobile application to overcome fear for its two fearful riders. It goes without saying that in the end, Scooby-Doo and Gang, obviously with the help of Courage the Cowardly Dog, solve a mystery that has been there for a long time.

All the regular voice actors reprise their characters for the crossover flick. The message is simple; the opposite of fear is courage. Whatever one fears, they have to be looked into and one must muster the courage to subdue them. It is a must-watch for kids, and for mystery lovers.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 23rd, 2021