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This article is about the episode. For the titular monster, see Tar Monster. For other versions, see Tar Monster (disambiguation).
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The Tar Monster is the fifth episode of the third season of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!,[Note 1] and the thirtieth episode overall in the series. It was later repackaged as the fifth episode of the third season of The Scooby-Doo Show, and the twenty-ninth episode overall in the series.

Premise[]

The gang encounter a tar monster on a visit to an archaeological site in Turkey.

Synopsis[]

The gang head to Turkey to visit their friend, Dr. Brixton, who has discovered a buried city that has remained untouched for thousands of years. Dr. Brixton informs the gang that his workers were all frightened off by a tar monster, meaning the digging had be postponed. The underground city was said to be guarded by the monster, who protected the ancient treasure and has kidnapped Stoner, one of the professor's assistants.

After a brief encounter with the tar monster, the gang follow his tracks to a nearby tar pool. There they find an ancient piece of pottery. The next day, they head down to the ancient city with Dr. Brixton, who discovers that the ancient treasure has been stolen. The gang searches for clues, and find pottery similar to the one found the night before, as well as another tar pool. The monster gives chase to Shaggy and Scooby while they search. Fred, Velma, and Daphne find the final clue when they discover a map of the underground city. Using the air compressor, they trap the monster, who turns out to be Stoner. He used an air compressor and a scuba suit to swim through the tar pools so he could steal the treasure. After he was arrested, the gang uses the map to find the missing treasure. They locate it behind a hidden wall in the inner sanctum.

Characters[]

Main characters:

Supporting characters:

Villains:

Other characters:

  • Workers (only appearance)(no lines)(flashback only)
  • Spider (only appearance)(no lines)

Locations[]

Objects[]

  • Workmen's toolkit
  • Air compressor
  • Piece of pottery

Vehicles[]

Suspects[]

Suspect Motive/reason
Kareem He looked in a suspicious manner after the gang arrived.
Ben Gazi His creepy behavior and frightening appearance.

Culprits[]

Culprit Motive/reason
Stoner as the Tar Monster To rob treasures from the buried city.

Cast[]

Don Messick Scooby-Doo
Spider
Casey Kasem Shaggy Rogers
Frank Welker Fred Jones
Mr. Stoner
Heather North Daphne Blake
Pat Stevens Velma Dinkley
Michael Bell Tar Monster
Henry Corden Kareem
John Stephenson Professor Brixton

Notes/trivia[]

  • It is established that Shaggy can play wood instruments.
  • It is established that Scooby can play percussion instruments.
  • It is established that Shaggy (or perhaps another member of the gang,) owns a fez.
  • The gang told their college friend, Eric Staufer, about this case, and he used the cyber Tar Monster in his computer game, as seen in the direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase.

Miscellaneous[]

Adaptations[]

Cultural references[]

The name Byzantius is a reference to Byzantium, an ancient Greek city located in present-day Turkey that became Constantinople, and later Istanbul.

Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches[]

  • When Shaggy climbs into the back of the Mystery Machine, the gang's luggage disappears. When the camera zooms in on Scooby's tail, the luggage returns.
  • When Freddy and the girls find a workman's toolkit, Daphne says her line "What's it doing way back here?" That's her voice coming out of Velma's mouth.

Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities[]

  • Brixton is referred to both as a "Professor" and a "Doctor."
  • Brixton's watch disappears after the first scene of the episode.
  • It would be near-impossible for anyone to "swim" within a pool of tar. Dives actually have been conducted under extreme circumstances, but the danger level would be high. Visibility would be difficult, the methane gas would pose a serious health risk, and there's even a risk of literally getting stuck in it. Additionally, all the scuba gear would be very difficult to use or clean afterward.
  • In the scene where Professor/Doctor Brixton recalls his group's encounter with the Tar Monster, he states that when the creature came towards the group, the workmen ran away, but he never says what he himself did. (Based on the fact that he is not depicted as running away in the flashback, we can infer he stayed behind for some reason, it just isn't known what that reason is.)
  • In the end scene where they catch the Tar Monster, the Tar Monster floats over to a tree, which could not happen in real life. More cartoon logic. Methane bubbles do actually emit from tar pools, and it's possible that this is what the writers were trying to convey in a dramatic way.
  • The nearest major tar pools are actually located in Ukraine, adjacent to Turkey, which was likely never under Byzantine rule.

In other languages[]

Language Name Meaning
Greek Το Τέρας της Πίσσας The Monster of the Tar
Portuguese Monstro de Breu Tar Monster
Hungarian A szurokszörny The Tar Monster

Home media[]

Quotes[]


Footnotes[]

  1. a short-lived revival attempt

External links[]

  • TBA


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To Switch a Witch The Scooby-Doo Show
Season 3
A Highland Fling with a Monstrous Thing
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