Ghost Riders in Disguise

Mystery Inc. visits the Lazy I Dude Ranch to meet Shaggy's lost cousin, Stetson Rogers. They eat at a dining area, but note that the ranch is deserted, except for Stetson, his partner, Jim Evans, and his foreman, Ken. They explain that the ranch's visitors have been scared away by two gho sts. After eating, they ride their horses along the nearby trails to investigate. As Stetson, Daphne, and Fred ride up the mountain, Scooby, Shaggy, and Velma ride at the mountain base, only for Scooby to be frightened by a mysterious man.

Back at the ranch, Ken begins flirting with Velma, and that night, Velma learns that the ghosts are show rider Stella Houston and her business partner, Sissy Hawgshank. Houston built the ranch after her retirement in the 1890s, and Hawgshank built a special horseshoe for Houston's horse, Zenobia. Velma begins arguing with Shaggy over her flirting with Ken, but they are interrupted by the two ghosts, who warn them to leave the ranch before riding away.

Mystery Inc. follows Zenobia's horseshoe prints along the Bridle Path, but note that the tracks eventually end near the ranch's mill. While the others continue along the path, Fred and Daphne enter the mill and find Evans near a discarded ghost costume. Evans claims he was attacked by the ghosts, but they are suddenly attacked by Houston's ghost, who chases Fred and Daphne while Evans disappears.

Mystery Inc. reunites back at the main house, but Stetson and Shaggy accidentally break a cookie jar, finding a document inside. According to the document, the Warmer Brothers have offered to purchase the ranch to build a Seven Flags amusement park on the land. Suddenly, the lights go out and they are attacked again by both ghosts, who both ride on Zenobia. Fred lassos the ghosts off the horse, capturing them.

Houston's ghost is revealed to be Ken, and Hawgshanks' ghost is Evans. They intended to scare Stetson out of the ranch so they could sell the land to the Warmer Brothers. When Fred and Daphne met Evans at the mill, Evans was changing out of his ghost costume. He also removed Zenobia's horseshoes so as to not create footprints, making the horse appear to disappear. After the culprits are handed to authorities, Stetson thanks Mystery Inc. for their help.

Characters[]

Main characters:

Mystery Inc.

Supporting characters:

Stetson Rogers ^{(only appearance)}

Villains:

Jim Evans ^{(only appearance)}
Ken ^{(only appearance)}
Ghost of Sissy Hawgshank ^{(only appearance)}^{(Jim Evans's disguise)}
Ghost of Zenobia ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}^(disguise)
Ghost of Stella Houston ^{(only appearance)}^{(Ken's disguise)}
Ghost of Stella Houston's ghost horse ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}^(disguise)

Other characters:

Hanson ^{(only time mentioned)}
Horses ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}
Western meadowlark ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}
Stella Houston ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}^{(flashback only)}^(deceased)
Zenobia ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}^{(flashback only)}^(deceased)
Sissy Hawgshank ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}^{(flashback only)}^(deceased)
Police officer ^{(only appearance)}^{(no lines)}

Locations[]

Texas
- Lazy I Dude Ranch
Denver ^(mentioned)

Objects[]

Jim Evans's gold tooth
Corn on the cob
Cacti
Velma's binoculars
Ken's binoculars
Aspirin ^(mentioned)
Aspirin bottle
Zenobia's special shoe ^{(flashback only)}
Scooby Snack ^(mentioned)
Fred's flashlight
Velma's flashlight
Cookies
Cookie jar ^(destroyed)
Stetson Rogers's lantern

Vehicles[]

Mystery Machine
Police car

Suspects[]

Suspect	Motive/reason
Jim Evans	He was wearing the clothes of Sissy Hawgshank, when Fred and Daphne found him in the old mill.
Ken	His figure matched the outline of the person Scooby saw out in the field.

Culprits[]

Culprit	Motive/reason
Jim Evans as Ghost of Sissy Hawgshank Ken as Ghost of Stella Houston	To cheat Stetson Rogers out of a good offer for the dude ranch.

Continuity[]

Shaggy's real name of "Norville" was first used in the A Pup Named Scooby-Doo episode, The Sludge Monster from the Earth's Core.
The possibility of Velma and Shaggy being a couple was hinted in some instances during the first two television shows.

Full credits[]

The following credits try to match how they are displayed in the comic as much as possible:

Writer: Matt Wayne
Artist: Ernie Colón
Letterer: Clem Robins
Colorist: Tricia Mulvihill
Editor: Bronwyn Taggart

Notes/trivia[]

Shaggy and Velma display romantic tension when Shaggy appears to get jealous of Velma's interest in the handsome Ken. When Shaggy makes a remark about it, Velma complains that he never seems to notice her.
The ghost of Sissy Hawgshank has a moustache making her look like a man.
The gang's eyes (excluding Scooby) are either blue or purple.
Following the next story is a What's Up? article subtitled, Cowgirls, written by Bronwyn Taggart, in which she talks about real cowgirls including Calamity Jane.

Miscellaneous[]

Disguises: None.
Traps: None.
Clues: Zenobia's horseshoe prints, Hawgshanks' ghost costume, and a document about the Warmer Sisters' offer to purchase the ranch.
"Ruh-roh" count: 0.
"Zoinks" count: 4 (3 by Shaggy; 1 by Stetson).
"Zoink" count: 1.
"Jinkies" count: 0.
"Jeepers" count: 0.

Cultural references[]

The comic introduces the then-modern invention of the Internet.
Daphne mentions missing a Hanson concert to see Stetson. Hanson was a then-popular teenage rock band known for "MMMbop".
The title of this comic is a play on the song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by Stan Jones.
The name of the ranch, the Lazy I Dude Ranch, may be a pun on the phrase "lazy eye," a medical disorder of sight.
The Warmer Sisters are a parody of the Warner Brothers, four film executives known for founding Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc.
Seven Flags is a parody of Six Flags, an amusement park corporation.

Coloring mistakes[]

In many panels, Velma's glasses are brown instead of the usual black.

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

None known.

Quotes[]

Shaggy: To me, food is love.
Velma: So go date a Scooby Snack!