Velma Dinkley

Velma Dace Dinkley
Scooby-Doo character
File:Velma.jpg
In-universe information
Species	Human
Gender	Female

Velma Dace Dinkley is a fictional character in the American television animated series Scooby-Doo. She is prone to losing her glasses. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange sweater, short pleated skirt, knee socks, and Mary Janes.

Character description

Despite differing writers and which particular incarnation of series one is referring to, Velma is usually portrayed as a highly intelligent young woman with various interests ranging from highly specified sciences (which in the "Scooby and Scrappy Doo" series leads her to pursue a career as a NASA research scientist) or merely being very well read on various and sometimes obscure information, such as ancient Viking writings (as in the third Scooby Doo series "The New Scooby Doo Mysteries").

It is due to this intelligent focus that Velma is usually the one to figure out the mystery, sometimes with the help of Fred Jones.

In the first series, notably "Where are you!" and "New Movies", a running gag of the series is Velma's trouble with keeping her glasses on her face (usually from being accidentally knocked off her face while being chased by the villain). Velma is usually depicted as having very limited vision without her glasses. Despite this gag originating from the late 1960s in the original series and being highly intelligent and aware of more effective vision correction devices including contact lenses, Velma continues to wear ill fitting glasses and use this gag.

When Scooby is too afraid to volunteer to help with a mission, Velma often offers him a dog treat called a "Scooby Snack" as a bribe.

Velma is generally dressed in a pleated brown miniskirt, orange sweater, and glasses. When the gang splits up, Velma either goes off with Fred Jones and Daphne Blake or sometimes goes with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy Rogers and on occasion, even by herself. Her catchphrases are: "Jinkies!", "My glasses! I can't see without my glasses!", and "You wouldn't hit someone wearing glasses, would you?".

Character background

Like all of the Scooby Doo gang, later labelled as Mystery Incorporated members, Velma has differing personal backgrounds and histories depending on which incarnation series one is referring to.

In the original "Where are you!" series, Velma went to the same high school with all of her Mystery Incorporated partners as stated in the original series "Where are you?" episode "A Knight for a night" where she states she attended the same high school gym class as does Shaggy. This is retconned in the second series "New Scooby Doo Movies" where Velma is stated now to have attended and graduated from a completely separate high school from her friends (as reported in episode "Spirited Spooked Sports Show" with guest voice star, comedian Tim Conway).

In the current series, unlike the other members of Mystery Inc., Velma is stated to be a native of Ohio. But on one occasion, she mentioned she's from Texas.

In Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo, Velma is described by her younger sister Madelyn as being "born with a mystery book in her hand".

Shaggy

In the 2010 series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Velma and Shaggy have begun dating. In this new series, Velma is pushing Shaggy to be more intimate. Shaggy, however, is hesitant due to him wanting to hide the relationship from Scooby until such a time when he feels confident enough to tell him. This caused some tension between Shaggy and Velma. On top of that, Velma became very controlling - telling Shaggy what to eat, what to wear, even what to say. As per advice from Daphne, she increased this behavior for a brief period; she toned it down by Shaggy's request. Eventually, Scooby became aware that they were dating. Scooby's initial reaction was exactly what Shaggy had feared: anger, jealousy, and a sense of betrayal. There appeared to be some mild animosity between Scooby and Velma due to this subject. This animosity had even elevated to insults (a stark contrast from previous incarnations of characters). In the end, they gave Shaggy an ultimatum: he had to choose between them. It can be assumed that Shaggy was desperate to avoid making such a decision. Ultimately, Shaggy chose Scooby and broke up with Velma, leaving her heartbroken and humiliated. Despite bitter feelings over the breakup, Velma admitted to Scooby that she still has feelings for Shaggy. It is unclear where things will go from this point. As it is right now, Velma is not on good terms with either Shaggy or Scooby.

In Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, Shaggy becomes smitten with Velma very early on in the film. From that point on, he follows Velma around, slowly working up the courage to ask her out on a date. Velma is oblivious to all this (partly due to being possessed by Wanda Grubwort) until Shaggy eventually does ask her out; she reluctantly agrees. Scooby (once again jealous of this new, budding relationship) attempts to sabotage the date. Velma leaves early after getting the moonstone Shaggy was planning to give to her later. To Shaggy, it appeared that date did not go well. Later, it is revealed to the gang that Velma is possessed. Shaggy is able to save her by complimenting her and singing "By the Light of the Silvery Moon". When Velma comes to, she asks Shaggy if he meant the things he said; he confirms that he meant every word. Goaded on by Fred and Daphne, they kiss each other only to come to the conclusion that there is no chemistry between them. They agree to stay friends, and Scooby gives a sigh of relief.

Other allusions to the Shaggy/Velma relationship can be seen in a number of Scooby Doo series since Scooby Doo, Where are You! Examples include the fact that Velma was often paired with Shaggy when the gang looks for clues, In the episode "Backstage Rage", Velma clings to Shaggy when she is scared, in the episode "A Night of Fright is no Delight", Velma holds Shaggy's hand while they look for clues in the caves under the mansion. In the episode "A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts", Shaggy has Velma's spare glasses, in the episode What a "Night for a Knight", Velma carries Shaggy's medicine. In the film "Chill Out Scooby Doo", when Fred and Velma find Shaggy and Scooby in the mountains Shaggy jumps into Velma's arms.

Relatives

Relatives of Velma shown during the series' run include:

Dale and Angie Dinkley

Velma's parents.

Madelyn Dinkley

Velma's younger sister voiced by Danica McKellar. She seems like 17 or 18 and she somewhat resembles her older sister in appearance & personality. Ironically Velma herself refers to Madelyn as a nerd and doesn't seem to realize how much alike they really are. Unlike her sister Velma, Madelyn wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to do for a living and had previously attended clown college (to quote Madelyn "Yeah so I've done some soul-searching, Not everyone is born with a mystery book in her hand, Velma."), until she discovered a fondness for stage magic (as Madelyn put it, "I've always been fascinated by how it's done. Just as Velma loves to solve mysteries, I love to uncover the secret of magic!") and enrolls in a school for stage magicians. Madelyn has a huge crush on Shaggy Rogers (as a result of her crush on him, Shaggy refers to Madelyn as "Dow-eyed Dinkley" or by the nickname "Madds"). She plays an important Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo, when the magic school she's enrolled in is being terrorized by a giant griffin. Alerted to trouble at the school by Mrs. Dinkley (Velma & Madelyn's mom) via cell phone, Velma and the gang head to the magic school to check on Madelyn and to investigate the resent griffin sightings. After the Griffin scares off most of Madelyn's teachers & classmates, Velma, Madelyn, and the gang decide to stay and learn stage magic hoping it will help them in unraveling the mystery of the Griffin. After Madelyn is kidnapped by the Griffin & taken to its tower, Velma, Fred, Daphne, Scooby, & Shaggy (dressed in a suit of armor) head to the tower to save Madelyn. They are attacked by the Griffin along the way and Shaggy & Scooby become separated from the others after the tower's center bridge breaks. Shaggy & Scooby locate where Madelyn is being held and manage to rescue her before being attacked by the Griffin who grab the "long scarf" they were going to use to escape via a nearby window. They are carried by the Griffin out of the tower and manage to escape while it is flying close to the ground. Eventually the Griffin crashes & the mystery is solved, with Madelyn becomes an apprentice magician. She is later shown giving her first on-stage performance with Daphne as her assistant.

Chloe Dinkley

Velma's 13 year old sister.

Aunt Meg and Uncle Evan

Velma's aunt and uncle, who live in a small town called Banning Junction which features in a Halloween episode of What's New Scooby-Doo?.

Marcy

Velma's cousin, the daughter of Meg and Evan. She studies mechanical engineering in college, but unlike Velma she is attractive and fashionable, like Daphne (this along with Marcy's interest in Fred has made her Daphne's rival of sorts). She was born on Halloween which over time lead to her hatred of the holiday as it usually upstaged her birthday (even her parents forgot due to the holiday). She used local legend and her background in engineering to create "Mechanical Scarecrow Monsters" to terrorize the town. To throw off her cousin (and a jealous Daphne), she created an alibi (security camera footage) for herself. However Velma manages to see through her cousins plot (possibly remembering it was her birthday) proving Daphne was right.

Other Relatives

• Aunt Thelma:works with dolphins at a marine institute.
• Dave Walton: Velma's uncle.
• Uncle John: an archaeologist.
• Uncle Cosmo: another archaeologist.
• Uncle Elmo: a doctor.
• Uncle Ted: another archeologist

Portrayals

Velma, as portrayed by Linda Cardellini in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

Velma has been voiced by several actresses. From 1969 to 1974, Nicole Jaffe voiced Velma; from 1976 to 1979, Pat Stevens voiced the character. From 1979 to 1980, Marla Frumkin provided her voice. Velma did not speak in the Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo final episode, "The Ransom of Scooby Chief". After the character's absence from 1980 to 1983 series, Marla Frumkin continued voicing Velma as a guest star in The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries. Velma was absent again until A Pup Named Scooby-Doo when Christina Lange took over the role. B.J. Ward voiced Velma in a Johnny Bravo crossover episode. From the animated movie, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, B.J. Ward reprised her role continually as Velma though the animated movie Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase. Nicole Jaffe continued voicing Velma in the movies, Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire and Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico. In the latest three Scooby series, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Velma is voiced by Mindy Cohn.

In the 2002 and 2004 live-action movies, Velma is played by Linda Cardellini. Velma is portrayed by Hayley Kiyoko in the 2009 live-action movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins and its live-action sequel Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster.

Reception

Members of the fanbase of the original Scooby-Doo speculated that Velma was a lesbian. The original Scooby-Doo series did not directly refer to homosexuality. James Gunn, the screenwriter of the Scooby-Doo film, said that he was "pretty sure she's gay." Linda Cardellini, the actress who portrayed Velma in the film, said "There were a few scenes where Velma comes out of her shell. I wouldn't say she comes out of the closet." Cardellini added, "I thought more along the lines that maybe her sexuality is a little ambiguous." Jeffrey P. Dennis, author of "The Same Thing We Do Every Night: Signifying Same-Sex Desire in Television Cartoons," argued that the romantic connection between Velma and Daphne is "mostly wishful thinking" because Velma and Daphne "barely acknowledge each other's existence." The makers of the film script inserted a reference to the rumor, where Velma ogles Daphne, in a draft script; the writers later intended for Velma to kiss Daphne. The scenes were not present in the final film.

References

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