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Shaggy Rogers

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Norville "Shaggy" Rogers
Scooby-Doo character
First appearanceScooby-Doo, Where Are You! Season 1 Episode 1 "What a Night for a Knight" (1969)
Portrayed by
Voiced by
In-universe information
Family

Norville "Shaggy" Rogers is a fictional character in the Scooby-Doo franchise. He is a cowardly slacker and the long-time best friend and owner of his cowardly Great Dane Scooby-Doo. Shaggy is more interested in eating than solving mysteries. He and Scooby are the only characters to appear in all iterations of the franchise.

Character description

Shaggy has a characteristic speech pattern, marked by his frequent use of the filler word "like" and, when startled, his exclamations of "Zoinks!". His nickname derives from the shaggy style of his sandy-blond hair. He also sports a rough goatee. His distinctive clothing consists of a green v-neck T-shirt and brownish red bell-bottom pants. In The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo and early made-for-TV movies, he wore a red v-neck and blue bell-bottoms.

Both Scooby and Shaggy are readily bribed with Scooby Snacks due to their mutual big appetites. Both display tendencies toward loafing and cowardice. Both justify their hunger by insisting that "Being in a constant state of terror makes us constantly hungry!" in Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. Shaggy's favorite dish is "extra cheese pizza with pickles" (as revealed in the TV movie Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo). In "Bedlam in the Big Top", he says he used to be in track and in "What a Night for a Knight", that he was a gymnast - both of which hint at his uncanny skills in quickly evading villains and the reason he is invariably assigned the role of bait in Freddy's traps. Due to being in track he has shown, in some instances, to be able to run even faster than Scooby, even when the latter is running on all fours. An early episode "A Clue for Scooby-Doo" (from the inaugural series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!) reveals that his taste for unlikely food combinations (chocolate-covered hot dogs and liverwurst "a la mode", for example) is a consequence of an infant Shaggy receiving a garbage disposal unit for his first toy. In Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico, Fred states that the reason Shaggy eats so much is his "high metabolism". Shaggy has shown himself capable of impressive feats of athleticism through fear alone; however, these abilities are invariably of a comic nature, with Shaggy only seeming capable of such feats when panicked. In Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare, in frustration at being trapped, he shakes the iron bars of an old-fashioned jail cell so hard they collapse.

Shaggy's typical immediate reaction to experiences or perceptions of supposed supernatural occurrences is terror-struck cowardice. This was explained in the Legend of the Phantosaur as a possible type of panic disorder; in this instance he was temporarily cured with hypnotherapy.

Development

The four teenage lead characters of Scooby-Doo were inspired by four of the main characters from the 1959-63 American sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, with Shaggy having been derived from the character Maynard G. Krebs, as played by Bob Denver.[1] Maynard's beatnik-style goatee, general appearance, and use of the word "like" as a form of punctuation all found their way into the character of Shaggy, with the base personality of the character updated to make him a hippie rather than a beatnik.[2]

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 portray Fred Jones, and Frank Welker had wanted to portray Shaggy. Instead, the CBS network assigned Kasem to Shaggy and Welker to Fred.[3] Unsure of what the voice of a hippie would sound like, Kasem based his vocal style and mannerisms for Shaggy on those of Richard Crenna's character Walter Denton from the radio/television sitcom Our Miss Brooks.[4]

Kasem stated that as he continued to voice Shaggy, the character evolved. Kasem explained that the "voice dynamics" improved and that his laughs increasingly gained quality. Kasem added that Shaggy in 2002 is "more frightened today than he was at the beginning."[3] Kasem convinced the producers that Shaggy should be a vegetarian, like himself, in 2002.[5][6]

Actors

Matthew Lillard, seen here in character in the 2002 film, portrayed Shaggy in two films and has provided Shaggy's voice since 2009.
Nick Palatas as Shaggy in Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster.

Radio disc-jockey, comedian, and actor Casey Kasem created the character's voice. Kasem voiced Shaggy for 28 years, from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! in 1969 until the Bravo Dooby Doo episode of Johnny Bravo in 1997. Starting with What's New, Scooby-Doo? in 2002 and Looney Tunes: Back in Action in 2003, Kasem resumed the role, and continued to do so until his retirement in 2009. Billy West voiced him in the film Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998). Scott Innes (who has also voiced Scooby and Scrappy-Doo) voiced Shaggy in the 1999-2001 direct-to-video films, and in video games until 2009. Innes reprised Shaggy in Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, and a DirecTV commercial featuring the Scooby gang in 2008. Scott Menville voiced Shaggy in Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!. As of 2010, Matthew Lillard, who also played Shaggy in the 2002 and 2004 live-action films, took over the voice of Shaggy. Lillard also played Shaggy in Robot Chicken and MAD. Nick Palatas played Shaggy in the 2009 and 2010 live-action films.

Voiced By:

Portrayed By:

Relatives

Relatives of Shaggy shown during the series include:

  • Samuel Chastain Rogers and Wendy Rogers ("Mom and Pops"): Shaggy's parents. Shaggy's father is a police officer in most incarnations, except for Mystery Incorporated. At one point, Shaggy's parents lived in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Mystery Incorporated, however, Shaggy's parents are named Colton and Paula Rogers. Casey Kasem (using his natural, American Top 40 voice) voiced "Pops" from The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show through to Mystery Incorporated. Grey DeLisle voices "Mom" in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated.
  • Maggie "Sugie" Rogers: Shaggy's younger sister. Seen in A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
  • Wilfred: Maggie's husband, and Shaggy's brother-in-law.
  • Gaggy Rogers: Shaggy's uncle, who likes to play practical jokes.
  • Uncle Shagworthy: Shaggy's rich uncle. Not only does he look like his nephew — he has the same appetite and cowardice. He keeps his most precious possession, food, in a secret refrigerator with valuable jewels. Voiced by Casey Kasem.
  • Great Uncle Nat (Nathaniel): Shaggy's great-uncle. Voiced by Lennie Weinrib.
  • Uncle Beauregard: Shaggy's late uncle, who left his entire fortune and his Southern mansion and plantation to Shaggy in his will. He was referred to in Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers, although he never made an appearance when he was living. He appeared as a ghost and was one of the villains in the movie.
  • Fearless Shagaford: Shaggy's uncle, who owns the Fearless Detective Agency (see Fearless Fosdick)
  • Uncle Albert Shaggleford: Shaggy's rich uncle, an inventor who has only appeared in Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!. Voiced by Casey Kasem.
  • McBaggy Rogers: Shaggy's ancestor. Founder of the Rogers household and settled in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts. He is the owner of Scooby's ancestor, Yankee-Doodle Doo. Made an appearance in The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show episode Wedding Bell Boos. Appears to be a Pilgrim.
  • Betty Lou: Shaggy's Southern cousin.

Background

In some of the Scooby-Doo series, Shaggy is born in Coolsville. When he was old enough to go to school he adopted Scooby Doo from the Knittingham Puppy Farm. Later on, he met Fred Jones, Daphne Blake and Velma Dinkley. They became friends and they decided to be a team named Mystery Inc. (short for Mystery Incorporated).

In Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, he is born in and is a citizen of Crystal Cove. His parents' names are Colton and Paula Rogers. He is a member of the new Mystery Incorporated.

Shaggy and Scooby make a cameo appearance in the 2003 live-action/animated film Looney Tunes: Back in Action, where they berate Matthew Lillard over his portrayal of Shaggy in the 2002 live-action film.

Other appearances

Shaggy appears as a playable character, along with Scooby, in the crossover video game Lego Dimensions. Shaggy's character includes the Mystery Machine. Matthew Lillard reprises his role for the game.

Reception

Some viewers[who?] of the original Scooby-Doo believed that Shaggy smoked marijuana due to his antics and constant hunger. In a Newsweek 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 "guess it's because, I don't know, it was a wholesome show from beginning to end" and was not aware of the fan viewpoint until the interviewer brought it up.[3] Parodying the subtext, the makers of Scooby-Doo film shot several scenes referring to Shaggy's supposed drug use, but few of those scenes were included in the final film product.[3] Matthew Lillard, the actor who portrays Shaggy in the film, does not think Shaggy 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."[7]

In addition, in an online radio interview with host Stu Shostak, series creators Joe Ruby and Ken Spears recalled that they never intended for Shaggy to be a smoker of marijuana, and "took umbrage" to the inclusion of allusions to such in the 2002 Scooby-Doo live-action feature film.[2]

References

  1. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara (2006-05-22). "Scooby-Doo, What is You?". Urban Legends Reference Pages. Snopes.com. Retrieved 2006-10-31.
  2. ^ a b Shostak, Stu (05-02-2012). "Interview with Joe Ruby and Ken Spears". Stu's Show. Retrieved 03-18-2013.
  3. ^ a b c d Sigesmund, B.J. "The Inside Dope." Newsweek. June 14, 2002. Available at Lexis-Nexis.
  4. ^ http://www.ncbuy.com/news/20030121/0-richard-crenna-shaggy-inspiration.html
  5. ^ Barnes, Mike (2014-06-15). "Casey Kasem, Iconic Radio Host, Dies at 82". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  6. ^ Legum, Judd (2014-06-15). "Casey Kasem's Secret Legacy: How He Used Scooby-Doo To Advance His Values". Thinkprogress.org. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  7. ^ Breznican, Anthony. "Are hidden meanings present in the 'Scooby-Doo'movie?, Filmmakers and cast members say some hints are there, but won't be understood by children." Philadelphia Inquirer. June 20, 2002. D10 Features Magazine. Retrieved on December 12, 2010. Alternate: "Scooby-Doo keeps it wholesome." Published in The Age. June 17, 2002.
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