Random Comics Theatre
Scooby-Doo #14 [1996]
Scooby-Doo debuted as a TV cartoon in 1969, and very quickly was adapted to comics, first from Western / Gold Key in 1970 and later from Charlton, Marvel, Harvey, Archie and then finally DC, which still publishes it to this day. During the Western run some of the issues were done by Dan Spiegle and Mark Evanier, who would later also do some Scooby-Doo stories at Marvel in the late-1970s, and then three more for this 21-issue run of the series at Archie in the mid-1990s. They even got a then-uncommon at Archie credit blurb on the cover for some of their issues. Along the way of course Spiegle and Evanier collaborated on many other comics, including BLACKHAWK, CROSSFIRE and HOLLYWOOD SUPERSTARS.
Under the Dan Spiegle cover is the 22-page story "The Balloon Busters", also drawn by Spiegle and written by Mark Evanier. The gang take in a parade with giant balloon floats, which is attacked by a fire-breathing dragon balloon. Naturally Shaggy and Scooby run for cover, in a nicely drawn sequence, while the rest of the gang follow the balloon until it gets away, then come back to investigate at the department store which sponsors the parade, which they find is having financial problems, with a rival store owner trying to buy it.
Fun little story, always interesting to see Spiegle doing this style, very on-model with the characters from the cartoon while everything else is a slightly more open version of his usual adventure comics artwork.
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