Velma Is Fally Gay the New Soby-Doo Film - IGN

Contents:

• VELMA “SOBY-DOO” IS OFFICIALLY GAY AND FANS ARE ECSTATIC
• THE GAY HISTORY OF VELMA ‘SOBY-DOO’SAPPHIC SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?FANS HAVE REGNIZED THE INIC “SOBY-DOO” NERD’S QUEERNS FOREVER. IT JT TOOK UNTIL NOW FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO OPENLY EMBRACE —CLUDG THE ANCHISE SELF. ALANI VARGASFREELANCE WRERUPDATED JAN. 15, 2023 2:49AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 14, 2023 7:08PM EST ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTIMAGE A WORLD WHERE YOU’RE A LBIAN. NOW IMAGE YOU’RE THE ONLY LBIAN AT A FAY FUNCTN. AND SPE THE FACT THAT YOU DON’T HI YOUR LBIANISM, PEOPLE KEEP ASKG ABOUT A FUTURE BOYIEND OR FAIL TO REMEMBER WHO YOUR LONG-TERM GIRLIEND IS. FSTRATG, I KNOW. BUT THAT’S KD OF WHAT HAPPENED TO SOBY-DOO’S VELMA DKLEY. EXCEPT STEAD OF A FAY FUNCTN, ’S S OF TV AND MOVI, AND STEAD OF “FETFUL” FAY MEMBERS, VELMA HAD STUD EXECS DISTANCG THEMSELV OM THE FACT THAT SHE’S BEEN PURPOSELY QUEER-D FOR YEARS. SOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?PICTURELUX / THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE / ALAMY Y, VELMA IS A RTOON CHARACTER, WHOSE ROOTS DATE BACK TO 1969, THE ORIGAL HANNA-BARBERA SOBY-DOO SERI. BUT EVEN THE 1970S WERE NO MATCH FOR HER HERENT SAPPHIC NATURE, LIKE KNOWG WHAT DAPHNE’S MOANS SOUND LIKE. SUBTLE L LIKE THAT, OR THE FACT THAT VELMA NEVER REALLY HAD A LONG-LASTG LOVE TERT, ARE WHAT GOT—AND HAS KEPT—THE LBIAN HEADNONS ROLLG. IF WE N’T GET GAY REPRENTATN, WE’LL CREATE , AND THAT PECIALLY GO FOR LBIANS. BUT VELMA BEG GAY ISN’T JT SOMETHG QUEER PEOPLE’S MDS. IN ADDN TO HER FUNNY MENTS THE 1970S, CREATORS HAVE BEEN TRYG TO PORTRAY VELMA AS OPENLY GAY FOR S. TAKE THE H LIVE-ACTN SOBY-DOO MOVIE, FOR STANCE. RELEASE 2002, STARRED A STACKED ST OF ACTORS, CLUDG SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR AS DAPHNE, FREDDIE PRZE, JR., AS FRED, MATTHEW LILLARD AS SHAGGY, AND LDA CARLLI AS VELMA. JAM GUNN, WHO WROTE THE SCRIPT, HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE ORIGALLY WROTE THE MOVIE FOR ADULTS—AND THAT ONE KEY PART OF THE ORIGAL NCEPT CLUD VELMA BEG A LBIAN. WARNER BROS. IN 2020, A FAN ON TWTER URGED GUNN TO MAKE A THIRD SOBY-DOO MOVIE, THIS TIME FEATURG A QUEER VELMA. ACRDG TO INDIEWIRE, THE FILMMAKER TWEETED BACK THAT HE TRIED TO DO THIS ONCE BEFORE. “IN 2001 VELMA WAS EXPLICLY GAY MY IAL SCRIPT,” HE WROTE A NOW-LETED REPLY. “BUT THE STUD JT KEPT WATERG DOWN AND WATERG DOWN, BEG AMBIGUO (THE VERSN SHOT), THEN NOTHG (THE RELEASED VERSN), AND FALLY HAVG A BOYIEND (THE SEQUEL).”DPE STG SETH GREEN AS A LOVE TERT FOR CARLLI’S VELMA, 2004’S SOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED ALSO FEATURED A FATLY HOMOEROTIC ENERGY BETWEEN DAPHNE AND VELMA. IT WAS A TENSN THAT YOUNG SAPPHICS KNOW WELL: MON TEENAGE FEELGS FOR CLOSE FEMALE IENDS BEFORE REALIZG THEY’RE GAY. BUT GOG BACK TO THE FIRST MOVIE, YOU N STILL SPOT POSSIBLE HTS GUNN WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE SCRIPT (BUT NOT THE FAL CUT) TO VELMA’S QUEERNS. ONE LETED SCENE SHOWS VELMA “DNK” ON SOME NON-ALHOLIC DRKS AT A SPOOKY ISLAND BAR, SGG A RENDN OF “CAN'T TAKE MY EY OFF YOU” BY FRANKIE VALLI. HER MOMENT AS A BARET SGER STARTS WHEN SHE SPOTS DAPHNE G DOWN THE STAIRS. GRANTED, FRED WAS G DOWN AT THE SAME TIME TOO. BUT NSIRG GUNN TEND FOR VELMA TO BE “EXPLICLY GAY,” ’S EASY TO IMAGE THAT “DNK” VELMA WAS HER FEELS ABOUT AN UNREQUED CSH ON DAPHNE BLAKE. THAT WAS OVER 20 YEARS AGO, AND SCE THEN, WE’VE MET ANOTHER, EVEN GAYER ERATN OF VELMA. TONY CERVONE, THE -CREATOR OF THE 2010 RTOON SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATED, WROTE A JUNE 2020 POST THAT HIS TEAM WROTE VELMA AS GAY. “WE MA OUR TENTNS AS CLEAR AS WE ULD TEN YEARS AGO,” THE POST READS. SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATEDWARNER BROS. IN THIS SERI, VELMA HAS A CLOSE IEND NAMED MARCIE WHOM MANY FANS SHIPPED HER WH, EVEN THOUGH THEY WEREN’T OUTWARDLY TOGETHER ON THE SHOW. “MOST OF OUR FANS GOT ,” CERVONE WROTE. “TO THOSE THAT DIDN’T, I SUGGT YOU LOOK CLOSER. THERE’S NO NEW NEWS HERE.” AND ACRDG TO SCREENSHOTS OM OUT MAGAZE, BEFORE CERVONE TURNED HIS MENTS OFF, HE REPLIED TO A ER CLARIFYG THAT VELMA IS “NOT BI. SHE’S GAY.” THAT’S WHY SHE ULDN’T STA HER ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP WH SHAGGY, WHICH VELMA SAID ALWAYS FELT OFF TO HER THIS SERI. TRICK OR TREAT SOBY DOO!WARNER BROS. THAT WHOLE JOURNEY TOWARD OPEN QUEERNS CULMAT VELMA DKLEY BEG UNDOUBTEDLY GAY OCTOBER 2022’S TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!, A 75-MUTE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL. WHEN VELMA FIRST LOCKS EY ON CO DIABLO, SHE STUTTERS AND SHUTS DOWN, LEAVG ONLY BLHG CHEEKS AND FOGGED-UP GLASS HER WAKE. VELMA ADMS TO DAPHNE LATER ON THAT SHE’S “CSHG BIG TIME.” THERE’S NO QUEER-DG NEED HERE; THIS FILM, VELMA DKLEY IS A BIG OL’ LBIAN, WHICH IS ONLY SOLIDIFIED BY HER PARALYZG FEAR ABOUT WHAT TO DO WH A NEW CSH. THIS WASN’T SHOCKG TO THE MANY FANS WHO HAD LONG THOUGHT OF VELMA AS A LBIAN, ALTHOUGH WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND CELEBRATED. THAT IS PECIALLY TE FOR THE ACTRS WHO HAD THE CHANCE TO EMBODY VELMA RECENT YEARS. A MONTH AFTER THE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL’S RELEASE, LDA CARLLI PRAISED THE CHARACTER VELOPMENT AN ENTERTAMENT WEEKLY TERVIEW. IT WAS “GREAT THAT ’S FALLY OUT THERE,” SHE SAID, NOTG THAT VELMA’S LBIANISM HAD “BEEN HTED AT SO MANY TIM.”LBIAN J HERSELF, SGER/ACTRS HAYLEY KIYOKO, ALSO PRAISED VELMA’S OVERDUE G-OUT MOMENT. IN SEVERAL TWEETS, KIYOKO REMISCED ABOUT HER TIME VOICG VELMA, BACK 2009 AND 2010. “I REMEMBER BOOKG [THE VOICE ROLE OF] VELMA 2008. IT WAS MY FIRST BIG ROLE A MOVIE,” SHE TWEETED OCTOBER, RPONSE TO THE REVEAL THAT VELMA WAS NOW OUT. “I ALSO REMEMBER THKG ‘I WONR IF THEY KNOW THEY HIRED A LBIAN AS VELMA’ HERE WE ARE, 14 YEARS LATER…” KIYOKO ALSO WENT ON TO TWEET THAT “I FEEL ALIVE AND SEEN,” WHEN A FAN ASKED HOW SHE WAS DOG FOLLOWG VELMA’S OPEN LBIANISM. AND THAT, RIGHT THERE, IS PROBABLY THE BT AND MOST SUCCCT SCRIPTN OF WHY VELMA’S QUEERNS BEG NFIRMED IS SUCH A BIG AL. THE TOPIC OF WHY REPRENTATN MATTERS IS A ROUTE NVERSATN AT THIS POT. BUT MARGALIZED MUNI NTUE TO TALK ABOUT , BEE IS SUCH A VALIDATG EXPERIENCE TO SEE YOURSELF ON SCREEN. IT’S SIGNIFINT TO SEE YOUR SEXUALY, SPECIFILLY, PORTRAYED AS NORMAL AND SWEET BEE THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IS, JT LIKE STRAIGHT CSH ARE ON-SCREEN. VELMA REPRENTED THAT AWKWARD GIRL WHO DON’T F BUT NEVER TRI TOO HARD TO DO SO, EHER. OUTSI OF A FEW BIG EXCEPTNS (LIKE THE LEATHER ORANGE JUMPSU OM MONSTERS UNLEASHED THAT AWAKENED MANY PEOPLE’S SEXUALI), VELMA IS FE LIVG HER “WEIRDNS” OF BEG THE GIRL WH A NASALLY, NERDY VOICE, BIG SWEATER, AND GLASS. SHE NEVER FELT RIGHT DATG MEN, BUT SHE OF URSE CRAVED SOME LEVEL OF MALE VALIDATN; LBIANS OLD AND YOUNG STILL AL WH THAT TOO. BUT UNR ALL, SHE WAS JT A LBIAN WHO WASN’T GIVEN THE FOOTG SHE NEED TO E OUT. WH LBIANS AND QUEER PEOPLE CLGG ONTO VELMA’S QUEER-D CHARACTER FOR S, HER “G OUT” WAS A DREAM E TE FOR HEADNON-ERS EVERYWHERE.BUT VELMA’S SIGNIFINT, LONG-AWAED G OUT ME WH (UNSURPRISG) BACKLASH. THE LRA INGRAHAMS OF THE WORLD BLEW UP ABOUT VELMA’S QUEERNS “DISPTG… BELOVED CHARACTERS,” AS THE HOSTS OF THE YOUNG TURKS PODST PUT WELL A RECENT EPISO. APPARENTLY, THERE’S “NO NOCENCE” LEFT THE WORLD WH THIS NEWT CHECKMARK THE GAY “AGENDA;” WHAT ARE STUDS GOG TO “SEXUALIZE” NEXT? “BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY.” DPE THE OBV AND SAD FACT THAT NSERVATIVE MENTATORS ARE GETTG SEXUAL ORIENTATN NFED WH SEXUAL SIRE, ’S TERTG THAT A FICTNAL PERSON REVEALG THAT THEY’RE LBIAN OR QUEER IS HERENTLY SEXUAL TO THE TRACTORS. AND A LOT OF MEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND FAI HAS CLUD SEXUAL JOK OF THE STRAIGHT VARIETY (LOOKG AT YOU, SHREK AND SPONGEBOB). BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY. VELMAHBOMAX DPE THE PHBACK, HBO MAX’S NEW, ADULT-ORIENTED RTOON VELMA, VELMA’S SAPPHIC JOURNEY LIV ON. WHILE SOME FANS ARE UNRSTANDABLY ANNOYED THAT THIS NEW ERATN OF THE CHARACTER (VOICED BY MDY KALG) HAS A CSH ON FRED (GLENN HOWERTON), THE SERI DO MAKE A POT TO NOTE THAT SHE’S A HIGH SCHOOLER FIGURG OUT HER SEXUALY. OF URSE SHE HAS THE HOTS FOR THE NVENTNALLY ATTRACTIVE JOCK. BUT VELMA ALSO HAS A NEWFOUND CSH ON A LIFELONG FEMALE IEND. (YOU N GUS WHICH ONE.)HAVG VELMA E OUT ANOTHER PART OF THE SOBY-DOO UNIVERSE AND THEN SEEMGLY “ERASG” ANOTHER MIGHT BE DISAPPOTG. BUT THE SERI DO LEAN TO THE CHARACTER’S HISTORY AND QUEERNS, WHILE ALSO GIVG FANS A LTLE SOMETHG ELSE NON THAT THEY'VE WANTED FOR S.WH OR WHOUT THE HATERS, VELMA DKLEY IS A LBIAN. AND JT AS REAL-LIFE LBIANS ARE ED TO, SHE’S GOG TO NTUALLY HAVE HER SEXUALY DIMISHED OR “FOTTEN” BEE THE GREATER SOCIETY N’T POSSIBLY IMAGE A WORLD WHERE MALE VALIDATN AND SIRE AREN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT THGS A WOMAN’S LIFE. BUT AS SURE AS VELMA’S HAB FOR SAYG “JKI” OR NOT BEG ABLE TO SEE WHOUT HER GLASS, SHE’S A LBIAN AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN. ALANI VARGAS
• GAY VELMA HAS ALREADY BEEN RUED, HAS A CSH ON FRED IN HBO MAX SHOW
• SOBY-DOO PRODUCER NFIRMS VELMA IS GAY
• VELMA IS OFFICIALLY A LBIAN NEW ‘SOBY-DOO’ FILM, YEARS AFTER JAM GUNN AND MORE TRIED TO MAKE HER EXPLICLY GAY
• SOBY-DOO'S VELMA NFIRMED AS GAY AS SHE GETS FEMALE LOVE TERT NEW MOVIE
• VELMA IS FALLY GAY THE NEW SOBY-DOO FILM
• VELMA FALLY ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY WARNER BROS FILM ‘TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!’
• ‘SOBY-DOO’ FANS GET THE SNACK THEY’VE BEEN WAG FOR: VELMA IS GAY
• GAY AND RNCHY ‘VELMA’ SERI HILARLY REVENTS ‘SOBY-DOO’ FOR ADULTSJINKIES!HBO MAX’S HOTLY ANTICIPATED ORIG STORY OF THE BRAS BEHD MYSTERY INC. IS WELL WORTH THE WA, WH A PELLG MYSTERY AND EVEN FUNNIER PUNCHL. (AND Y, SHE IS QUEER!)COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JAN. 12, 2023 11:46AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 12, 2023 4:54AM EST HBOMAXA WISE WOMAN ONCE SAID, “VELMA-BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM MAKE HISTORY.” WA, THAT’S WRONG. “WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM MAKE JKI”? NO, THAT DON’T SEEM QUE RIGHT EHER. “VEL-BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM LOSE THEIR GLASS”? WHATEVER THE PHRASE MIGHT BE, ’S NEVER BEEN MORE TE THAN FOR A CERTA MEMBER OF MYSTERY INC. THE PREC GROUP OF SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY SOLVERS PRISED OF SHAGGY, DAPHNE, FRED, VELMA, AND THEIR BELOVED DOG SOBY-DOO HAVE BEEN GETTG TO TROUBLE FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST HALF-CENTURY—OR, AS SOME MIGHT CLASSIFY , “MEDDLG.”SCE 1969, THE MYSTERY INC. GANG HAS TASKED THEMSELV WH UNMASKG V CRIMALS DRSED AS GHOSTLY SPECTERS. THE SOBY-DOO ANCHISE HAS SPAWNED UNTLS TELEVISN AND FILM ERATNS OVER THE LAST 54 YEARS, BUT RARELY HAS CHANGED S RE FOC. THE ANCHISE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST NCERNED WH S TWO BIGGT STARS, SOBY AND SHAGGY, AND THEIR THREE WHE IENDS WHO FOLLOW THEM AROUND, YELLG AT THEM FOR EATG ILLY LARGE SANDWICH WHEN THERE ARE MYSTERI AFOOT.SO, WHEN VELMA DKLEY’S VOICEOVER TRODUC HER CHARACTER TO VIEWERS THE LATT ANCHISE ERATN, VELMA—STREAMG JAN. 12 ON HBO MAX—ANY TE SOBY FAN SHOULD REJOICE. FALLY, SOMEONE HAD THE BRILLIANT IA TO PH FOR A SERI FOCG ON MYSTERY INC.’S REAL RGLEAR, THE SMARTT AND MOST MEMEABLE OF THE ENTIRE BUNCH. NO DISRPECT TO SHAGGY AND SOBY, BUT THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY “RUH-ROH”S AND SOBY SNACK JOK ONE N TAKE BEFORE AN EYELID GO TO PERMA-TWCH.WHILE WE’RE ALL STUCK WH PREQUEL-IS THE DAYS, VELMA MANAG TO TRANSCEND THE HERENT EYE-ROLLS THAT E WH A REBOOT, LIVERG A H, WKGLY SILLY TAKE ON MYSTERY INC. THE SHOW IS FAST-PACED AND RIDICULO; EVEN WHEN DIPS WH A JOKE THAT WOULD’VE BEEN FUNNIER FIVE YEARS AGO, THERE’S ANOTHER RIGHT AROUND THE RNER. VELMA IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW BELOVED ANCHIS N—AND SHOULD—ADAPT THROUGH TIME. “MY NAME IS VELMA DKLEY, AND THIS IS MY ORIG STORY,” SAYS THE VOICE OF OUR FAVORE BPECTACLED HEROE, OPENG THE PREMIERE EPISO. AS IF ANTICIPATG THE GROANS OF FANBOYS CLGG ONTO THEIR FAVORE CHILDHOOD TELLECTUAL PROPERTY, VELMA QUICKLY SKEWERS HOW POP CULTURE TYPILLY TRODUC SPOFFS, PREQUELS, AND UNIVERSE EXPANSNS. “IF [ORIG STORI] ARE ABOUT GIRLS, ’S UALLY, LIKE, “WHAT MA THIS HOT CHICK GO CRAZY?’” (SHE’S GOT A PEARL-SIZED POT THERE!) “THIS IS MY STORY, TOLD MY WAY. AND STARTS WH A MURR, BCH.” HBOMAX IF WASN’T IMMEDIATELY CLEAR OM VELMA DOLG OUT EXPLETIV, THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDPA’S SOBY-DOO SHOW. OR YOUR DAD’S, OR YOUR BROTHER’S, OR YOURS. VELMA IS AN ADULT-ORIENTED SPOFF, PALIZG ON THE POPULARY OF HBO MAX’S ULTRA-VLENT, UBER-CRASS HARLEY QUN. THE SERI ALSO RESTS S CENTRAL CREW WH SOME MUCH-NEED DIVERSY. MDY KALG VOIC VELMA, NOW THE DGHTER OF TWO INDIAN PARENTS, ONE OF WHOM HAS GONE MISSG. AND SHAGGY (WHO NOW GO BY HIS BIRTH NAME, NORVILLE), IS A BIRACIAL NEWSPAPER NERD VOICED BY SAM RICHARDSON. VELMA HAS HUNG UP HER TURTLENECK WHEN TO SOLVG MYSTERI. HER MOTHER, DIYA, WENT MISSG TRYG TO DO THE EXACT SAME THG YEARS BEFORE, AND VELMA IS NOW HNTED BY PARALYZG HALLUCATNS EVERY TIME SHE SO MUCH AS THKS ABOUT A CLUE. BUT THE MURR OF ONE OF THE HOTTT GIRLS AT CRYSTAL COVE HIGH SCHOOL CHANG ALL THAT, AND VELMA’S CUR NATURE IS TEMPTED ONCE AGA. BIS, ’S NOT LIKE THE TOWN’S BUMBLG POLICE TECTIV (AN ASTOUNDGLY FUNNY VOICE PAIRG OF WANDA SYK AND JANE LYNCH)—WHO ALSO HAPPEN TO BE DAPHNE’S (CONSTANCE WU) ADOPTED MOMS—HAVE PROVEN THEMSELV THE MOST CRACK GUMSHO SCE DIYA’S DISAPPEARANCE. HBOMAX IN A TOWN LIKE CRYSTAL COVE, THE MURR OF A BTY MEGA-BABE IS ONT-PAGE NEWS. IT ULD MEAN THAT ALL OF THE CY’S HOTTT RINTS ARE DANGER, G FRED (GLENN HOWERTON) TO WORRY ABOUT HIS BELOVED DAPHNE’S SAFETY. THE SERIAL MURRS OF INSTAGRAM-PERFECT -EDS ARE THE TALYST FOR VELMA’S FUNNIT NNG JOKE, RCG S TULAR CHARACTER TO AN ABSOLUTE DUMPSTER OF A WOMAN WHO HAS TO WA THROUGH A SEA OF SEXPOTS TO BE HEARD. THE GAGS DOUBLE AS CUTTG JABS AT THE ANCHISE’S HISTORY, WHICH MORE OFTEN THAN NOT RCED VELMA TO A HOMELY, SEXLS BRAIAC A SHAPELS SWEATER AS A FOIL TO DAPHNE’S CURVY FIGURE AND BOMBSHELL RED LOCKS.AS THE STAR OF HER OWN STORY, VELMA FALLY GETS TO PULL RANK. SHE’S GOT SHAGGY OBSSED WH HER, AND FRED EVEN LOOKS AT HER WH HEART EY AFTER SHE TRICKS HIM TO READG THE FEME MYSTIQUE (A BOOK HE BELIEV WILL BE ABOUT WHETHER JENNIFER LAWRENCE OR REBEC ROMIJN WAS THE HOTTER X-MEN MUTANT). BUT VELMA IS REALLY TERTED HER CHILDHOOD BT IEND, DAPHNE, WHO SHE BEME TRANGED OM ONCE DAPHNE GOT HOT HIGH SCHOOL. Y, AFTER HTG AT ACROSS TWO SEASONS OF SOBY-DOO: MYSTERY INRPORATED AND GIVG VELMA A WOMAN TO CSH ON 2022’S TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!, VELMA FALLY GETS TO BE THE QUEER IN THAT LEGNS OF FANS HAVE ASSUMED HER TO BE FOR S.VELMA IS SO SURPRISGLY JAM-PACKED WH QUIPS AND SMALL STORY TAILS THAT IF YOU LOOK AWAY FOR TOO LONG, YOU’LL SURELY MISS SOMETHG. SOME PUNCHL PLETELY SNEAK UP ON YOU, LIKE VELMA ASSERTG, “THE ONLY OTHER PERSON WHO’S EVER FOUND ME IRREPLACEABLE IS THE PTA OF MY TUG-OF-WAR TEAM.” TWO EPISOS WILL AIR PER WEEK FOR FIVE STRAIGHT WEEKS, BUT THE SEASON WORKS BT AS A BGE, ALLOWG VIEWERS TO ADMIRE ALL OF S ECCENTRICI AND HUMOR WH THE MASSIVELY EXPANSIVE SOBY-DOO ANCHISE—NOT TO MENTN S DAZZLG ANIMATN STYLE. OTHER SOBY SERI HAVE HAD MORE SUCCS WH A WEEKLY FORMAT, AS THEIR CENTRAL MYSTERI WERE FAR MORE TENSE AND ENGAGG, BUT VELMA, THE SHOW’S OVERARCHG PUZZLE TAK A BACKSEAT TO S EDIC GAGS. HBOMAX VELMA NEVER GO THE FULL ARCHER ROUTE OF ADULT ANIMATN, AND MOSTLY REAS OM G THE WORD “FUCK,” LT KIDS GET AHOLD OF THE REMOTE. BUT THE SERI’ WRERS FD CLEVER (IF ANELY GOOFY) WAYS TO WORK AROUND THOSE NSTRATS, LIKE ONE EPISO THAT TAK PLACE AT CRYSTAL COVE’S FOG KG FTIVAL. GET ? FOG KG? KEEP GOG. VELMA CERTALY WON’T BE FOR EVERYONE, AND THOSE ALREADY AVERSE TO MDY KALG’S EDY STYLGS WON’T FD ANYTHG PARTICULARLY DIFFERENT HERE THAN THE SEX LIV OF COLLEGE GIRLS OR THE MDY PROJECT, WHICH VELMA’S -CREATOR AND PRIMARY WRER CHARLIE GRANDY ALSO WORKED ON. IT’S ALSO NOT THE STRONGT REIMAGG THE SOBY ANCHISE, WHICH STILL BELONGS TO MYSTERY INRPORATED’S FT BALANCE OF GENUELY CREEPY REFERENTIAL HORROR AND WHIP-SMART PLOTTG.BUT MORE THAN ANYTHG, VELMA IS PROOF OF THE POSSIBILI THAT N BE EXVATED OM ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ANCHIS OF ALL TIME. SOBY-DOO HAS ALWAYS FOCED ON A RE GROUP OF EXCEEDGLY STRONG CENTRAL CHARACTERS, AND VELMA IS THE BT PROOF YET THAT THE TULAR DOG HIMSELF DON’T NEED TO BE PRENT FOR A GOOD MYSTERY. NOW THAT WE’VE GOT OUR GLASS ON STRAIGHT, WE N DO WHAT WE SHOULD’VE BEEN DOG ALL ALONG: FOCG ON THE BRAS OF THE OPERATN.SIGN UP FOR OUR SEE SKIP NEWSLETTER HERE TO FD OUT WHICH NEW SHOWS AND MOVI ARE WORTH WATCHG, AND WHICH AREN’T. COLEMAN SPIL

VELMA “SOBY-DOO” IS OFFICIALLY GAY AND FANS ARE ECSTATIC

” have been makg the rounds on social media, wh folks g them to proclaim that the character is fally beg shown as gay. In 2020, director Jam Gunn said he tried to make the character “explicly gay” his script for the live-actn “Soby-Doo” movie. “In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script” (for 2002’s live-actn “Soby-Doo”), he tweeted at the time.

In the sequel, actor Seth Green played Velma’s boyiend and there was nothg the film to imply she was gay.

”In 2020, Soby-Doo and Soby-Doo 2 wrer Jam Gunn said on Twter that he “tried” to pict Velma (played then by Lda Carlli) as gay the earlier live-actn films. “In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script, ” he wrote, acrdg to CNN.

THE GAY HISTORY OF VELMA ‘SOBY-DOO’SAPPHIC SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?FANS HAVE REGNIZED THE INIC “SOBY-DOO” NERD’S QUEERNS FOREVER. IT JT TOOK UNTIL NOW FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO OPENLY EMBRACE —CLUDG THE ANCHISE SELF. ALANI VARGASFREELANCE WRERUPDATED JAN. 15, 2023 2:49AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 14, 2023 7:08PM EST ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTIMAGE A WORLD WHERE YOU’RE A LBIAN. NOW IMAGE YOU’RE THE ONLY LBIAN AT A FAY FUNCTN. AND SPE THE FACT THAT YOU DON’T HI YOUR LBIANISM, PEOPLE KEEP ASKG ABOUT A FUTURE BOYIEND OR FAIL TO REMEMBER WHO YOUR LONG-TERM GIRLIEND IS. FSTRATG, I KNOW. BUT THAT’S KD OF WHAT HAPPENED TO SOBY-DOO’S VELMA DKLEY. EXCEPT STEAD OF A FAY FUNCTN, ’S S OF TV AND MOVI, AND STEAD OF “FETFUL” FAY MEMBERS, VELMA HAD STUD EXECS DISTANCG THEMSELV OM THE FACT THAT SHE’S BEEN PURPOSELY QUEER-D FOR YEARS. SOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?PICTURELUX / THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE / ALAMY Y, VELMA IS A RTOON CHARACTER, WHOSE ROOTS DATE BACK TO 1969, THE ORIGAL HANNA-BARBERA SOBY-DOO SERI. BUT EVEN THE 1970S WERE NO MATCH FOR HER HERENT SAPPHIC NATURE, LIKE KNOWG WHAT DAPHNE’S MOANS SOUND LIKE. SUBTLE L LIKE THAT, OR THE FACT THAT VELMA NEVER REALLY HAD A LONG-LASTG LOVE TERT, ARE WHAT GOT—AND HAS KEPT—THE LBIAN HEADNONS ROLLG. IF WE N’T GET GAY REPRENTATN, WE’LL CREATE , AND THAT PECIALLY GO FOR LBIANS. BUT VELMA BEG GAY ISN’T JT SOMETHG QUEER PEOPLE’S MDS. IN ADDN TO HER FUNNY MENTS THE 1970S, CREATORS HAVE BEEN TRYG TO PORTRAY VELMA AS OPENLY GAY FOR S. TAKE THE H LIVE-ACTN SOBY-DOO MOVIE, FOR STANCE. RELEASE 2002, STARRED A STACKED ST OF ACTORS, CLUDG SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR AS DAPHNE, FREDDIE PRZE, JR., AS FRED, MATTHEW LILLARD AS SHAGGY, AND LDA CARLLI AS VELMA. JAM GUNN, WHO WROTE THE SCRIPT, HAS BEEN OPEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE ORIGALLY WROTE THE MOVIE FOR ADULTS—AND THAT ONE KEY PART OF THE ORIGAL NCEPT CLUD VELMA BEG A LBIAN. WARNER BROS. IN 2020, A FAN ON TWTER URGED GUNN TO MAKE A THIRD SOBY-DOO MOVIE, THIS TIME FEATURG A QUEER VELMA. ACRDG TO INDIEWIRE, THE FILMMAKER TWEETED BACK THAT HE TRIED TO DO THIS ONCE BEFORE. “IN 2001 VELMA WAS EXPLICLY GAY MY IAL SCRIPT,” HE WROTE A NOW-LETED REPLY. “BUT THE STUD JT KEPT WATERG DOWN AND WATERG DOWN, BEG AMBIGUO (THE VERSN SHOT), THEN NOTHG (THE RELEASED VERSN), AND FALLY HAVG A BOYIEND (THE SEQUEL).”DPE STG SETH GREEN AS A LOVE TERT FOR CARLLI’S VELMA, 2004’S SOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED ALSO FEATURED A FATLY HOMOEROTIC ENERGY BETWEEN DAPHNE AND VELMA. IT WAS A TENSN THAT YOUNG SAPPHICS KNOW WELL: MON TEENAGE FEELGS FOR CLOSE FEMALE IENDS BEFORE REALIZG THEY’RE GAY. BUT GOG BACK TO THE FIRST MOVIE, YOU N STILL SPOT POSSIBLE HTS GUNN WAS ABLE TO LEAVE THE SCRIPT (BUT NOT THE FAL CUT) TO VELMA’S QUEERNS. ONE LETED SCENE SHOWS VELMA “DNK” ON SOME NON-ALHOLIC DRKS AT A SPOOKY ISLAND BAR, SGG A RENDN OF “CAN'T TAKE MY EY OFF YOU” BY FRANKIE VALLI. HER MOMENT AS A BARET SGER STARTS WHEN SHE SPOTS DAPHNE G DOWN THE STAIRS. GRANTED, FRED WAS G DOWN AT THE SAME TIME TOO. BUT NSIRG GUNN TEND FOR VELMA TO BE “EXPLICLY GAY,” ’S EASY TO IMAGE THAT “DNK” VELMA WAS HER FEELS ABOUT AN UNREQUED CSH ON DAPHNE BLAKE. THAT WAS OVER 20 YEARS AGO, AND SCE THEN, WE’VE MET ANOTHER, EVEN GAYER ERATN OF VELMA. TONY CERVONE, THE -CREATOR OF THE 2010 RTOON SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATED, WROTE A JUNE 2020 POST THAT HIS TEAM WROTE VELMA AS GAY. “WE MA OUR TENTNS AS CLEAR AS WE ULD TEN YEARS AGO,” THE POST READS. SOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INRPORATEDWARNER BROS. IN THIS SERI, VELMA HAS A CLOSE IEND NAMED MARCIE WHOM MANY FANS SHIPPED HER WH, EVEN THOUGH THEY WEREN’T OUTWARDLY TOGETHER ON THE SHOW. “MOST OF OUR FANS GOT ,” CERVONE WROTE. “TO THOSE THAT DIDN’T, I SUGGT YOU LOOK CLOSER. THERE’S NO NEW NEWS HERE.” AND ACRDG TO SCREENSHOTS OM OUT MAGAZE, BEFORE CERVONE TURNED HIS MENTS OFF, HE REPLIED TO A ER CLARIFYG THAT VELMA IS “NOT BI. SHE’S GAY.” THAT’S WHY SHE ULDN’T STA HER ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP WH SHAGGY, WHICH VELMA SAID ALWAYS FELT OFF TO HER THIS SERI. TRICK OR TREAT SOBY DOO!WARNER BROS. THAT WHOLE JOURNEY TOWARD OPEN QUEERNS CULMAT VELMA DKLEY BEG UNDOUBTEDLY GAY OCTOBER 2022’S TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!, A 75-MUTE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL. WHEN VELMA FIRST LOCKS EY ON CO DIABLO, SHE STUTTERS AND SHUTS DOWN, LEAVG ONLY BLHG CHEEKS AND FOGGED-UP GLASS HER WAKE. VELMA ADMS TO DAPHNE LATER ON THAT SHE’S “CSHG BIG TIME.” THERE’S NO QUEER-DG NEED HERE; THIS FILM, VELMA DKLEY IS A BIG OL’ LBIAN, WHICH IS ONLY SOLIDIFIED BY HER PARALYZG FEAR ABOUT WHAT TO DO WH A NEW CSH. THIS WASN’T SHOCKG TO THE MANY FANS WHO HAD LONG THOUGHT OF VELMA AS A LBIAN, ALTHOUGH WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND CELEBRATED. THAT IS PECIALLY TE FOR THE ACTRS WHO HAD THE CHANCE TO EMBODY VELMA RECENT YEARS. A MONTH AFTER THE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL’S RELEASE, LDA CARLLI PRAISED THE CHARACTER VELOPMENT AN ENTERTAMENT WEEKLY TERVIEW. IT WAS “GREAT THAT ’S FALLY OUT THERE,” SHE SAID, NOTG THAT VELMA’S LBIANISM HAD “BEEN HTED AT SO MANY TIM.”LBIAN J HERSELF, SGER/ACTRS HAYLEY KIYOKO, ALSO PRAISED VELMA’S OVERDUE G-OUT MOMENT. IN SEVERAL TWEETS, KIYOKO REMISCED ABOUT HER TIME VOICG VELMA, BACK 2009 AND 2010. “I REMEMBER BOOKG [THE VOICE ROLE OF] VELMA 2008. IT WAS MY FIRST BIG ROLE A MOVIE,” SHE TWEETED OCTOBER, RPONSE TO THE REVEAL THAT VELMA WAS NOW OUT. “I ALSO REMEMBER THKG ‘I WONR IF THEY KNOW THEY HIRED A LBIAN AS VELMA’ HERE WE ARE, 14 YEARS LATER…” KIYOKO ALSO WENT ON TO TWEET THAT “I FEEL ALIVE AND SEEN,” WHEN A FAN ASKED HOW SHE WAS DOG FOLLOWG VELMA’S OPEN LBIANISM. AND THAT, RIGHT THERE, IS PROBABLY THE BT AND MOST SUCCCT SCRIPTN OF WHY VELMA’S QUEERNS BEG NFIRMED IS SUCH A BIG AL. THE TOPIC OF WHY REPRENTATN MATTERS IS A ROUTE NVERSATN AT THIS POT. BUT MARGALIZED MUNI NTUE TO TALK ABOUT , BEE IS SUCH A VALIDATG EXPERIENCE TO SEE YOURSELF ON SCREEN. IT’S SIGNIFINT TO SEE YOUR SEXUALY, SPECIFILLY, PORTRAYED AS NORMAL AND SWEET BEE THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IS, JT LIKE STRAIGHT CSH ARE ON-SCREEN. VELMA REPRENTED THAT AWKWARD GIRL WHO DON’T F BUT NEVER TRI TOO HARD TO DO SO, EHER. OUTSI OF A FEW BIG EXCEPTNS (LIKE THE LEATHER ORANGE JUMPSU OM MONSTERS UNLEASHED THAT AWAKENED MANY PEOPLE’S SEXUALI), VELMA IS FE LIVG HER “WEIRDNS” OF BEG THE GIRL WH A NASALLY, NERDY VOICE, BIG SWEATER, AND GLASS. SHE NEVER FELT RIGHT DATG MEN, BUT SHE OF URSE CRAVED SOME LEVEL OF MALE VALIDATN; LBIANS OLD AND YOUNG STILL AL WH THAT TOO. BUT UNR ALL, SHE WAS JT A LBIAN WHO WASN’T GIVEN THE FOOTG SHE NEED TO E OUT. WH LBIANS AND QUEER PEOPLE CLGG ONTO VELMA’S QUEER-D CHARACTER FOR S, HER “G OUT” WAS A DREAM E TE FOR HEADNON-ERS EVERYWHERE.BUT VELMA’S SIGNIFINT, LONG-AWAED G OUT ME WH (UNSURPRISG) BACKLASH. THE LRA INGRAHAMS OF THE WORLD BLEW UP ABOUT VELMA’S QUEERNS “DISPTG… BELOVED CHARACTERS,” AS THE HOSTS OF THE YOUNG TURKS PODST PUT WELL A RECENT EPISO. APPARENTLY, THERE’S “NO NOCENCE” LEFT THE WORLD WH THIS NEWT CHECKMARK THE GAY “AGENDA;” WHAT ARE STUDS GOG TO “SEXUALIZE” NEXT? “BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY.” DPE THE OBV AND SAD FACT THAT NSERVATIVE MENTATORS ARE GETTG SEXUAL ORIENTATN NFED WH SEXUAL SIRE, ’S TERTG THAT A FICTNAL PERSON REVEALG THAT THEY’RE LBIAN OR QUEER IS HERENTLY SEXUAL TO THE TRACTORS. AND A LOT OF MEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND FAI HAS CLUD SEXUAL JOK OF THE STRAIGHT VARIETY (LOOKG AT YOU, SHREK AND SPONGEBOB). BUT APPARENTLY, SEX SELLS UNTIL YOU MAKE GAY. VELMAHBOMAX DPE THE PHBACK, HBO MAX’S NEW, ADULT-ORIENTED RTOON VELMA, VELMA’S SAPPHIC JOURNEY LIV ON. WHILE SOME FANS ARE UNRSTANDABLY ANNOYED THAT THIS NEW ERATN OF THE CHARACTER (VOICED BY MDY KALG) HAS A CSH ON FRED (GLENN HOWERTON), THE SERI DO MAKE A POT TO NOTE THAT SHE’S A HIGH SCHOOLER FIGURG OUT HER SEXUALY. OF URSE SHE HAS THE HOTS FOR THE NVENTNALLY ATTRACTIVE JOCK. BUT VELMA ALSO HAS A NEWFOUND CSH ON A LIFELONG FEMALE IEND. (YOU N GUS WHICH ONE.)HAVG VELMA E OUT ANOTHER PART OF THE SOBY-DOO UNIVERSE AND THEN SEEMGLY “ERASG” ANOTHER MIGHT BE DISAPPOTG. BUT THE SERI DO LEAN TO THE CHARACTER’S HISTORY AND QUEERNS, WHILE ALSO GIVG FANS A LTLE SOMETHG ELSE NON THAT THEY'VE WANTED FOR S.WH OR WHOUT THE HATERS, VELMA DKLEY IS A LBIAN. AND JT AS REAL-LIFE LBIANS ARE ED TO, SHE’S GOG TO NTUALLY HAVE HER SEXUALY DIMISHED OR “FOTTEN” BEE THE GREATER SOCIETY N’T POSSIBLY IMAGE A WORLD WHERE MALE VALIDATN AND SIRE AREN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT THGS A WOMAN’S LIFE. BUT AS SURE AS VELMA’S HAB FOR SAYG “JKI” OR NOT BEG ABLE TO SEE WHOUT HER GLASS, SHE’S A LBIAN AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN. ALANI VARGAS

”The excement of Velma’s g out as gay has even rried over to Google.

“SCOOBY DOO GOES WOKE WHEN VELMA COMES OUT AS GAY, ” read a chyron on Fox News. Perpetually triggered right-wg pund Steven Crowr addrsed the issue on his podst, claimg he has no problem wh gay TV characters — there jt shouldn’t be so many of them. The show’s fandom largely unrstood her to be queer, and Jam Gunn 2020 even said he wanted to make Velma “explicly” gay his script for the live-actn Soby Doo movie,.

“In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script” (for 2002’s live-actn “Soby-Doo’), he wrote on Twter. If we n’t get gay reprentatn, we’ll create , and that pecially go for Velma beg gay isn’t jt somethg queer people’s mds.

GAY VELMA HAS ALREADY BEEN RUED, HAS A CSH ON FRED IN HBO MAX SHOW

In addn to her funny ments the 1970s, creators have been tryg to portray Velma as openly gay for s. “In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script, ” he wrote a now-leted reply. ”Dpe stg Seth Green as a love tert for Carlli’s Velma, 2004’s Soby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed also featured a fatly homoerotic energy between Daphne and Velma.

It was a tensn that young sapphics know well: mon teenage feelgs for close female iends before realizg they’re gay.

But nsirg Gunn tend for Velma to be “explicly gay, ” ’s easy to image that “dnk” Velma was her feels about an unrequed csh on Daphne was over 20 years ago, and sce then, we’ve met another, even gayer eratn of Velma.

SOBY-DOO PRODUCER NFIRMS VELMA IS GAY

Mystery Inrporated, wrote a June 2020 post that his team wrote Velma as gay.

She’s gay. That whole journey toward open queerns culmat Velma Dkley beg undoubtedly gay October 2022’s Trick or Treat Soby-Doo!, a 75-mute Halloween special.

Apparently, there’s “no nocence” left the world wh this newt checkmark the gay “agenda;” what are studs gog to “sexualize” next?

VELMA IS OFFICIALLY A LBIAN NEW ‘SOBY-DOO’ FILM, YEARS AFTER JAM GUNN AND MORE TRIED TO MAKE HER EXPLICLY GAY

“But apparently, sex sells until you make gay. But apparently, sex sells until you make gay. Earlier this week, was ma official: Velma is gay.

Like, actually gay. Jam Gunn, who wrote Soby-Doo: The Movie has also revealed that Velma was "explicly gay" the origal script. After years of speculatn and theori, 's now officially been nfirmed: Velma Dkley is gay.

Velma Dkley has always been a gay in. READ MORE: Matthew Lillard says not beg st as Shaggy new Soby Doo movie is a "bummer"However, turns out that Velma isn't jt a gay in; she's actually a lbian.

SOBY-DOO'S VELMA NFIRMED AS GAY AS SHE GETS FEMALE LOVE TERT NEW MOVIE

In other words, Velma is a gay, gay in!

VELMA IS FALLY GAY THE NEW SOBY-DOO FILM

Soby-Doo producer nfirms Velma is gay.

She's gay.

VELMA FALLY ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY WARNER BROS FILM ‘TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!’

Soby-Doo producer nfirms Velma is gay (2).

In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script. It’s long been an open secret among fans and “Soby-Doo” creativ that Velma is gay.

“In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script, ” he wrote. So when the marketg for HBO Max’s adult animated seri “Velma” didn’t dite that the tle character might be gay — and even revealed that she had a csh on Fred — there was backlash. ” Grandy says — but will never be homophobia that keeps them apart.

‘SOBY-DOO’ FANS GET THE SNACK THEY’VE BEEN WAG FOR: VELMA IS GAY

“We’ve seen a lot of really succsful shows where homophobia, or fear of that, has been the reason two characters n’t be together, but I feel like they have a lot of other differenc, ” Kalg says, expandg on Grandy’s pot. Jam Gunn Tweeted back 2020: "In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script, ” he wrote.

Two years after Jam Gunn said he had tried to make Velma nonilly gay the 2002 movie. Mystery Inrporated character Velma Dkley has fally been picted as gay the latt animated movie, Trick or Treat Soby-Doo!

— Pia ? (@soleildiddle) October 4, 2022 In another clip, Velma is shown beg plimentary towards Co as she prais her abily to make "brilliant observatns" durg a recent enunter that the group had together, right before Co rts her hand on Velma's shoulr, promptg a reactn om Velma who visibly stggl to hi her fatuatn for her newfound love celebrated the moment by showerg screens wh a s of animated nfetti and var LGBTQ+ flags when queri such as "Velma, " "Velma Dkley" and "Velma Soby-Doo" were typed to the search enge, wh the rults pag of the entri poppg up wh an optn to replay the animatn or share wh two years after Jam Gunn said he tried to make Velma nonilly gay the 2002 live-actn adaptatn of the Hanna-Barbera animatn, but that the stud "kept waterg down and waterg down" until beme "ambiguo (the versn shot), then nothg (the released versn) and fally havg a boyiend (the sequel). Why do matter that Velma is gay, and how is this different om late gay characters such as Dumbledore of "Harry Potter"?

GAY AND RNCHY ‘VELMA’ SERI HILARLY REVENTS ‘SOBY-DOO’ FOR ADULTSJINKIES!HBO MAX’S HOTLY ANTICIPATED ORIG STORY OF THE BRAS BEHD MYSTERY INC. IS WELL WORTH THE WA, WH A PELLG MYSTERY AND EVEN FUNNIER PUNCHL. (AND Y, SHE IS QUEER!)COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JAN. 12, 2023 11:46AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 12, 2023 4:54AM EST HBOMAXA WISE WOMAN ONCE SAID, “VELMA-BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM MAKE HISTORY.” WA, THAT’S WRONG. “WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM MAKE JKI”? NO, THAT DON’T SEEM QUE RIGHT EHER. “VEL-BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM LOSE THEIR GLASS”? WHATEVER THE PHRASE MIGHT BE, ’S NEVER BEEN MORE TE THAN FOR A CERTA MEMBER OF MYSTERY INC. THE PREC GROUP OF SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY SOLVERS PRISED OF SHAGGY, DAPHNE, FRED, VELMA, AND THEIR BELOVED DOG SOBY-DOO HAVE BEEN GETTG TO TROUBLE FOR THE BETTER PART OF THE LAST HALF-CENTURY—OR, AS SOME MIGHT CLASSIFY , “MEDDLG.”SCE 1969, THE MYSTERY INC. GANG HAS TASKED THEMSELV WH UNMASKG V CRIMALS DRSED AS GHOSTLY SPECTERS. THE SOBY-DOO ANCHISE HAS SPAWNED UNTLS TELEVISN AND FILM ERATNS OVER THE LAST 54 YEARS, BUT RARELY HAS CHANGED S RE FOC. THE ANCHISE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST NCERNED WH S TWO BIGGT STARS, SOBY AND SHAGGY, AND THEIR THREE WHE IENDS WHO FOLLOW THEM AROUND, YELLG AT THEM FOR EATG ILLY LARGE SANDWICH WHEN THERE ARE MYSTERI AFOOT.SO, WHEN VELMA DKLEY’S VOICEOVER TRODUC HER CHARACTER TO VIEWERS THE LATT ANCHISE ERATN, VELMA—STREAMG JAN. 12 ON HBO MAX—ANY TE SOBY FAN SHOULD REJOICE. FALLY, SOMEONE HAD THE BRILLIANT IA TO PH FOR A SERI FOCG ON MYSTERY INC.’S REAL RGLEAR, THE SMARTT AND MOST MEMEABLE OF THE ENTIRE BUNCH. NO DISRPECT TO SHAGGY AND SOBY, BUT THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY “RUH-ROH”S AND SOBY SNACK JOK ONE N TAKE BEFORE AN EYELID GO TO PERMA-TWCH.WHILE WE’RE ALL STUCK WH PREQUEL-IS THE DAYS, VELMA MANAG TO TRANSCEND THE HERENT EYE-ROLLS THAT E WH A REBOOT, LIVERG A H, WKGLY SILLY TAKE ON MYSTERY INC. THE SHOW IS FAST-PACED AND RIDICULO; EVEN WHEN DIPS WH A JOKE THAT WOULD’VE BEEN FUNNIER FIVE YEARS AGO, THERE’S ANOTHER RIGHT AROUND THE RNER. VELMA IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW BELOVED ANCHIS N—AND SHOULD—ADAPT THROUGH TIME. “MY NAME IS VELMA DKLEY, AND THIS IS MY ORIG STORY,” SAYS THE VOICE OF OUR FAVORE BPECTACLED HEROE, OPENG THE PREMIERE EPISO. AS IF ANTICIPATG THE GROANS OF FANBOYS CLGG ONTO THEIR FAVORE CHILDHOOD TELLECTUAL PROPERTY, VELMA QUICKLY SKEWERS HOW POP CULTURE TYPILLY TRODUC SPOFFS, PREQUELS, AND UNIVERSE EXPANSNS. “IF [ORIG STORI] ARE ABOUT GIRLS, ’S UALLY, LIKE, “WHAT MA THIS HOT CHICK GO CRAZY?’” (SHE’S GOT A PEARL-SIZED POT THERE!) “THIS IS MY STORY, TOLD MY WAY. AND STARTS WH A MURR, BCH.” HBOMAX IF WASN’T IMMEDIATELY CLEAR OM VELMA DOLG OUT EXPLETIV, THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDPA’S SOBY-DOO SHOW. OR YOUR DAD’S, OR YOUR BROTHER’S, OR YOURS. VELMA IS AN ADULT-ORIENTED SPOFF, PALIZG ON THE POPULARY OF HBO MAX’S ULTRA-VLENT, UBER-CRASS HARLEY QUN. THE SERI ALSO RESTS S CENTRAL CREW WH SOME MUCH-NEED DIVERSY. MDY KALG VOIC VELMA, NOW THE DGHTER OF TWO INDIAN PARENTS, ONE OF WHOM HAS GONE MISSG. AND SHAGGY (WHO NOW GO BY HIS BIRTH NAME, NORVILLE), IS A BIRACIAL NEWSPAPER NERD VOICED BY SAM RICHARDSON. VELMA HAS HUNG UP HER TURTLENECK WHEN TO SOLVG MYSTERI. HER MOTHER, DIYA, WENT MISSG TRYG TO DO THE EXACT SAME THG YEARS BEFORE, AND VELMA IS NOW HNTED BY PARALYZG HALLUCATNS EVERY TIME SHE SO MUCH AS THKS ABOUT A CLUE. BUT THE MURR OF ONE OF THE HOTTT GIRLS AT CRYSTAL COVE HIGH SCHOOL CHANG ALL THAT, AND VELMA’S CUR NATURE IS TEMPTED ONCE AGA. BIS, ’S NOT LIKE THE TOWN’S BUMBLG POLICE TECTIV (AN ASTOUNDGLY FUNNY VOICE PAIRG OF WANDA SYK AND JANE LYNCH)—WHO ALSO HAPPEN TO BE DAPHNE’S (CONSTANCE WU) ADOPTED MOMS—HAVE PROVEN THEMSELV THE MOST CRACK GUMSHO SCE DIYA’S DISAPPEARANCE. HBOMAX IN A TOWN LIKE CRYSTAL COVE, THE MURR OF A BTY MEGA-BABE IS ONT-PAGE NEWS. IT ULD MEAN THAT ALL OF THE CY’S HOTTT RINTS ARE DANGER, G FRED (GLENN HOWERTON) TO WORRY ABOUT HIS BELOVED DAPHNE’S SAFETY. THE SERIAL MURRS OF INSTAGRAM-PERFECT -EDS ARE THE TALYST FOR VELMA’S FUNNIT NNG JOKE, RCG S TULAR CHARACTER TO AN ABSOLUTE DUMPSTER OF A WOMAN WHO HAS TO WA THROUGH A SEA OF SEXPOTS TO BE HEARD. THE GAGS DOUBLE AS CUTTG JABS AT THE ANCHISE’S HISTORY, WHICH MORE OFTEN THAN NOT RCED VELMA TO A HOMELY, SEXLS BRAIAC A SHAPELS SWEATER AS A FOIL TO DAPHNE’S CURVY FIGURE AND BOMBSHELL RED LOCKS.AS THE STAR OF HER OWN STORY, VELMA FALLY GETS TO PULL RANK. SHE’S GOT SHAGGY OBSSED WH HER, AND FRED EVEN LOOKS AT HER WH HEART EY AFTER SHE TRICKS HIM TO READG THE FEME MYSTIQUE (A BOOK HE BELIEV WILL BE ABOUT WHETHER JENNIFER LAWRENCE OR REBEC ROMIJN WAS THE HOTTER X-MEN MUTANT). BUT VELMA IS REALLY TERTED HER CHILDHOOD BT IEND, DAPHNE, WHO SHE BEME TRANGED OM ONCE DAPHNE GOT HOT HIGH SCHOOL. Y, AFTER HTG AT ACROSS TWO SEASONS OF SOBY-DOO: MYSTERY INRPORATED AND GIVG VELMA A WOMAN TO CSH ON 2022’S TRICK OR TREAT SOBY-DOO!, VELMA FALLY GETS TO BE THE QUEER IN THAT LEGNS OF FANS HAVE ASSUMED HER TO BE FOR S.VELMA IS SO SURPRISGLY JAM-PACKED WH QUIPS AND SMALL STORY TAILS THAT IF YOU LOOK AWAY FOR TOO LONG, YOU’LL SURELY MISS SOMETHG. SOME PUNCHL PLETELY SNEAK UP ON YOU, LIKE VELMA ASSERTG, “THE ONLY OTHER PERSON WHO’S EVER FOUND ME IRREPLACEABLE IS THE PTA OF MY TUG-OF-WAR TEAM.” TWO EPISOS WILL AIR PER WEEK FOR FIVE STRAIGHT WEEKS, BUT THE SEASON WORKS BT AS A BGE, ALLOWG VIEWERS TO ADMIRE ALL OF S ECCENTRICI AND HUMOR WH THE MASSIVELY EXPANSIVE SOBY-DOO ANCHISE—NOT TO MENTN S DAZZLG ANIMATN STYLE. OTHER SOBY SERI HAVE HAD MORE SUCCS WH A WEEKLY FORMAT, AS THEIR CENTRAL MYSTERI WERE FAR MORE TENSE AND ENGAGG, BUT VELMA, THE SHOW’S OVERARCHG PUZZLE TAK A BACKSEAT TO S EDIC GAGS. HBOMAX VELMA NEVER GO THE FULL ARCHER ROUTE OF ADULT ANIMATN, AND MOSTLY REAS OM G THE WORD “FUCK,” LT KIDS GET AHOLD OF THE REMOTE. BUT THE SERI’ WRERS FD CLEVER (IF ANELY GOOFY) WAYS TO WORK AROUND THOSE NSTRATS, LIKE ONE EPISO THAT TAK PLACE AT CRYSTAL COVE’S FOG KG FTIVAL. GET ? FOG KG? KEEP GOG. VELMA CERTALY WON’T BE FOR EVERYONE, AND THOSE ALREADY AVERSE TO MDY KALG’S EDY STYLGS WON’T FD ANYTHG PARTICULARLY DIFFERENT HERE THAN THE SEX LIV OF COLLEGE GIRLS OR THE MDY PROJECT, WHICH VELMA’S -CREATOR AND PRIMARY WRER CHARLIE GRANDY ALSO WORKED ON. IT’S ALSO NOT THE STRONGT REIMAGG THE SOBY ANCHISE, WHICH STILL BELONGS TO MYSTERY INRPORATED’S FT BALANCE OF GENUELY CREEPY REFERENTIAL HORROR AND WHIP-SMART PLOTTG.BUT MORE THAN ANYTHG, VELMA IS PROOF OF THE POSSIBILI THAT N BE EXVATED OM ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ANCHIS OF ALL TIME. SOBY-DOO HAS ALWAYS FOCED ON A RE GROUP OF EXCEEDGLY STRONG CENTRAL CHARACTERS, AND VELMA IS THE BT PROOF YET THAT THE TULAR DOG HIMSELF DON’T NEED TO BE PRENT FOR A GOOD MYSTERY. NOW THAT WE’VE GOT OUR GLASS ON STRAIGHT, WE N DO WHAT WE SHOULD’VE BEEN DOG ALL ALONG: FOCG ON THE BRAS OF THE OPERATN.SIGN UP FOR OUR SEE SKIP NEWSLETTER HERE TO FD OUT WHICH NEW SHOWS AND MOVI ARE WORTH WATCHG, AND WHICH AREN’T. COLEMAN SPIL

She's the Paris Geller of unmaskg pirate ghosts, and as Variety wrote, "It's long been an open secret among fans and 'Soby-Doo' creativ that Velma is gay.

)Jam Gunn, the wrer of the 2002 "Soby-Doo" film and s 2004 sequel, rpond to a fan a now-leted Twter post, reported by Indiewire and others, "In 2001 Velma was explicly gay my ial script.

Rowlg famoly said, well after the publitn of the "Harry Potter" seri, that Dumbledore was gay? Over the years, Velma set gaydars buzzg wh her characterizatn. There isn't much evince of the wizard beg gay the actual texts themselv.