Zombie Island

Lore & Background

The island was originally settled by a group who worshiped a cat god. When the pirate Morgan Moonscar and his crew invaded, they chased the settlers into the bayou, where they were eaten by alligators. The settlers' daughters, Simone Lenoir and Lena Dupree, escaped and prayed to their god, transforming into immortal werecats. They killed the pirates, but the curse meant that every harvest moon they must drain the lives of victims to preserve their immortality. The zombies on the island are the pirates themselves, and the ghosts are the pirates' spirits; they awaken each harvest moon to warn people away and prevent them from suffering the same fate. The gang is lured to the island by Lena, who works at the mansion, and they encounter the ferryman Jacques, the gardener Beau, and the fisherman Mr. Beeman.

In Their Own Story

Mystery, Inc. reunites after a year apart and travels to Moonscar Island in Louisiana, invited by Lena Dupree. Shaggy and Scooby encounter the ghost of Morgan Moonscar, who later becomes a zombie. The gang receives ghostly warnings to leave but stays overnight. That night, a horde of zombies chases them, and Fred discovers the zombies are real when he pulls one's head off. In a cave, Shaggy and Scooby find voodoo dolls of Fred, Velma, and Daphne and unknowingly control them. The gang discovers a secret passageway leading to a voodoo ritual chamber. Simone and Lena reveal themselves as werecats, explaining their 200-year-old curse. They trap the gang with the voodoo dolls and begin a draining ceremony, but Shaggy and Scooby disrupt it. The harvest moon passes, causing the werecats to disintegrate to dust. Beau reveals he is an undercover police officer investigating disappearances on the island.

Reader's Guide

Zombie Island is a location in the 1998 film *Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island*. It is a bayou island off the coast of New Orleans, Louisiana, and is the site of a pepper plantation owned by Simone Lenoir. The island is haunted by the ghost of the pirate Morgan Moonscar and is populated by zombies, ghosts, and werecats. The werecats, Simone and Lena, use a voodoo ritual chamber to drain the life force of victims during the harvest moon to maintain their immortality. The island also features a mansion, a secret passageway, and a cave containing voodoo dolls. The zombies are the souls of previous victims who awaken each harvest moon to warn newcomers. The film marks the first time in the franchise that the monsters are real supernatural creatures rather than people in costumes.

Did You Know?

• The film was the first Scooby-Doo production to feature real supernatural creatures instead of people in costumes.
• The film was dedicated to Don Messick, Scooby-Doo's original voice actor, who died in October 1997.
• The film was animated overseas by Japanese animation studio Mook Animation.
• The film was released on September 22, 1998, and made its TV debut on Cartoon Network on October 31, 1998.
• The film was aided by a $50 million promotional campaign.