October 31st is getting closer, and we’re gearing up with a Halloween staple: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island!
Nearing the franchise’s 30-year mark, Scooby-Doo had just finished the 6th iteration of its TV series, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. While the 90s initially saw a major decline in popularity for the Scooby-Doo franchise, interest in the series would soon be rapidly renewed due to the advent of cable television and the creation of Cartoon Network.
As the first channel dedicated to running animated programming 24/7, Cartoon Network acquired the rights to the franchise and used re-runs to fill up its slots. The subsequent increased demand for Scooby-centric content led parent company Time Warner to suggest a direct-to-video film—which became 1998’s Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island and spurred an entire series of other DTV Scooby films.
Zombie Island focuses on the gang’s reunion years after they’ve quit Mystery Inc. There’s a meta element to this premise, since the movie itself was the first time all of the original characters were together onscreen since 1984. And while the film follows many of the tropes from the original Scooby Doo cartoon, it notably features real supernatural monsters rather than people in costumes—a major departure from the typical Scooby structure. Zombie Island also teamed up with popular rock bands Skycycle and Third Eye Blind for a new take on the soundtrack. In the end, the film was critically acclaimed for its animation and story, successfully revitalizing the franchise and connecting it to a whole new generation.
This week, add.app artist Jared Otto put his own sonic spin on a scene from Zombie Island. Now we want to hear yours! Don’t know where to start? Download Jared’s project files as a starting point, then tweak his design in Audio Design Desk until you have something all your own. Don’t forget to email your sound pass to info@add.app or tag us on socials!