Unmasking the most underrated monsters from the ’60s-’00s
The Scooby-Doo Show" To Switch A Witch (TV Episode 1978)
Unmasking a forgotten fright: The Witch of Salem
SERIES: The New Scooby-Doo Movies
EPISODE: “To switch a witch” (1978)
PREMISE: The gang visits friend Arlene Wilcox in Salem on Halloween, where the ghost of an ancestor — the Witch of Salem (Milissa Wilcox) — appears. Strange hexes, spooky vanishings, and classic New England atmosphere follow.
Why it stands out: it leans into colonial-gothic vibes more than most Scooby episodes — Salem fog, old family grudges, and a ghostly show of power that’s all mood and menace.
First Impressions of the Witch
The witch’s on-screen presence is memorable because of simple, effective choices:
Pale,(iconic purple!) tattered gown and pointy hat — classic witch silhouette.
A yellow/greenish glow that makes her feel otherworldly.
Long, wild hair and exaggerated facial features when she reveals herself.
Slow, floating movement and a cackling, echoing voice.
She isn’t flashy in design, but her shape, glow, and the Salem backdrop combine into a proper spooky moment.
The Lore Behind the Mask
This episode draws on Salem witch-trial iconography: a burned-at-the-stake backstory, ancestral curses, and small-town superstition. The witch’s haunting isn’t just theatrical — it’s framed as a generational grievance, which is what makes the setting feel authentic and creepy.
The Unmasking — Who Was She?
Spoiler: The spirit of Milissa Wilcox is connected to Arlene Wilcox — the episode centres on mistaken identities and family secrets, the face behind the mask was Arlene’s twin sister, but the real motive behind the haunting is tied to more terrestrial greed and deception (classic Scooby logic: someone used the legend to cover up a criminal scheme.)
Why This Episode Deserves a Rewatch
It’s one of the better Salem-themed Scooby tales, leaning into a haunting mood rather than jump scares.
The production choices (glow effects, fog, music cues) create a charmingly vintage, spooky vibe.
It’s a neat example of how Scooby blends folklore with small-town mystery and, yes, a dash of dapper robbery.
If you’ve not watched it in years, give it a rewatch — you might find yourself appreciating the gothic flavour you missed as a kid.
Final Thoughts
To Switch a Witch is vintage Scooby: atmospheric, slightly eerie, and ultimately grounded in a human motive that reveals itself beneath the spook. It’s the kind of episode where the setting — Salem, fog, and all — becomes a character of its own.
Unmasking a forgotten fright: Gramps the vamp.
SERIES: The Scooby-Doo Show
EPISODE: Vampire bats and scaredy cats.
PREMISE: The gang visits Daphne’s friend Lisa for her birthday at an ancient hotel that Lisa will inherit the day after her eighteenth birthday. Velma says there are believed to be vampires on the island, but she thinks it is nonsense. But when a real vampire shows up and Lisa is turned into a vampire herself, the vampire legend becomes very believable.
Why it stands out:
This episode leans HARD into traditional monster horror — witches, vampires, curses — all wrapped in that unmistakable late-60s Scooby atmosphere.
First impressions of Gramps
From his very first appearance, Gramps commits to the bit:
Pale blue-grey skin
Sharp yellow eyes
Long pointed ears
Dramatic widow’s peak
Red-lined purple cape
Bow tie and formal suit (because even vampires must dress well)
He doesn’t just look like a vampire — he looks like a classic gothic cartoon vampire, straight out of a 1930s horror poster. His expressions are exaggerated, his movements theatrical, and his presence commands attention every time he’s on screen.
Is he realistic? No.
Is he perfect? Absolutely.
The lore behind the mask
Gramps the Vamp taps directly into old-school vampire imagery. Aristocratic menace, Heavy Eastern European-inspired styling, A mix of charm and cruelty, Strong “haunting the countryside” energy
Unlike subtler Scooby villains, Gramps wants to be seen. He thrives on fear, drama, and intimidation — which makes the episode feel closer to a classic monster movie than a standard mystery.
This is Scooby-Doo playing dress-up with Universal Horror, and it works beautifully.
The unmasking- was it satisfying?
The big reveal reveals Leonard Keeler, a human culprit who uses the vampire persona to scare people away and protect his criminal interests.
Classic Scooby-Doo logic applies: create a terrifying legend, convince everyone it’s supernatural, and use fear to keep witnesses away.
Does the unmasking explain everything?
Mostly.
Does it fully justify how convincingly vampiric Gramps looked?
Not really — but that’s part of the fun.
Why Gramps the Vamp Deserves More Love
He’s one of Scooby-Doo’s purest monster designs
The animation leans fully into gothic exaggeration
His design is instantly recognisable
He perfectly represents Scooby’s love for classic horror tropes
He’s campy without being silly
Gramps isn’t forgotten because he’s bad — he’s forgotten because Scooby-Doo has so many iconic monsters. But revisiting him reminds you just how stylish and fun those early villains were.
Final Thoughts
Gramps the Vamp is Scooby-Doo at its most theatrical: dramatic cape flips, sinister stares, and old-school monster energy. He’s spooky, stylish, and completely unashamed of it.
If you love your Scooby villains classic, gothic, and gloriously dramatic, Gramps deserves a permanent place in your spooky nostalgia lineup.
Did he scare you as a kid — or were you too busy admiring the cape?
Unmasking a Forgotten Fright: Dr Coffin
SERIES: The Scooby-Doo Show
EPISODE: “The Harum-scarum sanitarium”
PREMISE: On vacation in Niagara Falls, the gang ends up at a mental asylum haunted by a former doctor ghost, Dr Coffin. When the kids notice ambulances coming and going with no patients, they decide to find out what they are really carrying.
Why it stands out:
This episode plays with misdirection, making viewers question which threat is real—and which is an elaborate disguise.
First Impressions of Dr Coffin
From the moment Dr Coffin enters the story, something feels… off.
Pale, stern face
Sharp features and sunken eyes
Formal black clothing
Cold, clipped speech
A total lack of warmth or humour
Unlike the cartoonish monsters around him, Dr Coffin feels too real — the kind of character who doesn’t need a mask to be unsettling. He blends into the setting just enough to avoid suspicion… at first.
The Lore Behind the Persona
Dr Coffin represents a classic Scooby trope:
The authority figure is hiding something sinister.
While other villains rely on folklore, Dr Coffin weaponises trust. He positions himself as a logical, educated presence amid superstition, which makes it easier for him to manipulate events behind the scenes.
He doesn’t need glowing eyes or fog machines.
He needs people to believe him.
The Unmasking — Was It Satisfying?
The reveal confirms what attentive viewers already suspected:
Dr Coffin is one of the criminals orchestrating the scares, using the supernatural chaos as cover for illegal activity.
His motive is classic Scooby logic:
Create confusion
Exploit fear
Stay hidden behind respectability
It’s not the most dramatic unmasking — but it is one of the most believable.
Why Dr Coffin Deserves More Love
He proves Scooby villains don’t need costumes to be creepy
His calm demeanour contrasts brilliantly with the episode’s monsters
He represents a more grounded kind of threat
He adds depth to an episode already packed with villains
Dr Coffin is often forgotten because he isn’t flashy — but that subtlety is precisely what makes him effective.
Final Thoughts
Dr Coffin is a reminder that Scooby-Doo’s smartest scares aren’t always the loudest. Sometimes, the creepiest villain is the one who blends in, speaks softly, and smiles just a little too late.
If you love Scooby mysteries that reward close watching and quiet suspicion, Dr Coffin is absolutely worth revisiting.
Unmasking a Forgotten Fright: The Ghost of Elias Kingston
SERIES: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
EPISODE: “What the Hex Going On?” (1969)
PREMISE: The gang arrives at the crumbling Kingston estate, where the ghost of Elias Kingston is said to haunt the halls, guarding his fortune and terrorising anyone who dares step inside. With secret passages, flickering lights, and a suspicious family dynamic, this episode is pure early-Scooby gothic mystery.
Why it stands out:
It leans heavily into haunted-inheritance horror, a trope Scooby-Doo executed flawlessly in its earliest episodes.
First Impressions of Elias Kingston
Elias Kingston doesn’t burst onto the screen — he emerges.
Tall, skeletal frame
Pale blue, semi-transparent glow
Hollow eyes and sunken features
Long, flowing robes
Slow, drifting movement with no footsteps
He feels less like a costumed villain and more like a presence — the kind of ghost that watches from the end of a hallway rather than sprinting after you.
This is Scooby-Doo doing quiet horror, and it works beautifully.
The Lore Behind the Ghost
Elias Kingston’s story taps into classic gothic themes:
A wealthy, reclusive ancestor
A cursed estate
Greedy heirs circling a fortune
A ghost bound to unfinished business
The idea that Elias still guards his wealth from beyond the grave lends the story a haunting emotional weight — even before the truth is revealed. The mansion itself feels alive with secrets, reinforcing the sense that something is deeply wrong within its walls.
The Unmasking — Was It Satisfying?
The ghost is revealed to be Stuart Wetherby, a relative attempting to scare others away so he can claim the Kingston inheritance for himself.
It’s a classic Scooby reveal:
Greed disguised as a haunting
Fear used as a weapon
Superstition exploited for profit
Does it fully explain how convincing Elias’s ghostly appearance was?
Not entirely — but that’s part of the charm.
Why Elias Kingston Deserves More Love
One of the most gothic Scooby ghosts
The haunted mansion setting is peak 1969 Scooby
His design is eerie without being exaggerated
The episode rewards slow, attentive watching
He represents Scooby’s roots in classic ghost stories
Elias Kingston doesn’t rely on spectacle — he relies on mood, and that’s why he lingers in memory.
Final Thoughts
The Ghost of Elias Kingston is Scooby-Doo at its most atmospheric: dim hallways, whispered legends, and a ghost that feels genuinely tied to the space it haunts.
If you love Scooby episodes that feel like old Gothic novels brought to life, this one is essential viewing.
Closing the Case: Why These Villains Still Matter
Scooby-Doo has given us hundreds of monsters, ghosts, and creeps over the decades — but the ones that linger aren’t always the loudest or the most famous.
The Salem Witch, Gramps the Vamp, Dr Coffin, and the Ghost of Elias Kingston all share something special: atmosphere.
They rely on mood over mayhem, on quiet dread rather than spectacle, and on storytelling that trusted viewers to feel unsettled without being overwhelmed.
These villains come from an era when Scooby-Doo leaned into gothic settings, fog-filled halls, inheritance plots, and the idea that fear often grows best in silence. Whether it was a glowing witch on Halloween night, a dramatic vampire prowling the countryside, a doctor hiding behind respectability, or a ghost bound to his crumbling estate, each one reflected a different shade of classic mystery.
And that’s why revisiting them matters.
These stories remind us that Scooby-Doo wasn’t just about punchlines and pratfalls — it was about mystery, aesthetics, and the thrill of unmasking something that felt real, even when it wasn’t. They shaped how many of us first understood spooky storytelling, and they still hold up decades later.
If you grew up loving the quiet chills, the old houses, the dramatic villains, and the unspoken tension — these are the episodes that built that love.
The masks may come off in the end, but the atmosphere stays with you.
Stay groovy — and keep unmasking.
