The Case of the Dopey Dada is the first story of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #26, by DC Comics. It was followed by the reprint Mystery Macabre.
Premise[]
While visiting Paris, the gang investigates the disappearance of thirteen paintings at the Louvre.
Synopsis[]
Mystery Inc. visits the Louvre in Paris, seeing the various artworks and the new dadaist exhibit featuring the work of Theo Von Plotz. However, von Plotz berates Mystery Inc. for commenting on his work, calling them "silly Americans" for appreciating his work. They return to their hotel room, but that night they see the news on television reporting on a burglary at the museum. They promptly go to there and speak to the curator, who explains that thirteen paintings had gone missing.
Despite there being an apparent crime, Mystery Inc. does not assume the paintings have left the Louvre yet, so they search the museum for clues. As they split up and tour the exhibits, they do not realize that the artworks are watching them. Suddenly, the ghosts of King Henry VIII and Napoleon step out of their portraits and attack Fred's group. Similarly, The Scream comes to life and attacks Shaggy's group. Shaggy's group escapes, but find von Plotz's exhibit and decide to paint over them to give them a "touch-up." Von Plotz spots them and tries to save the paintings, but as he pulls on the paintings, he rips the frame, revealing one of the stolen paintings on the back.
It is revealed that von Plotz plotted the monster attacks and burglaries, disguising the stolen paintings as his own by painting on the back. He intended to smuggle the paintings out of the Louvre once his exhibition ended. After von Plotz is brought to justice, the curator thanks Mystery Inc. for their help, commissioning a painting depicting all five of them with Scooby in the center.
Characters[]
Main characters:
Supporting characters:
- Museum curator (only appearance)
Villains:
- Theo Von Plotz (only appearance)
- Ghost of King Henry VIII (only appearance)(disguise)
- Ghost of Napoleon (only appearance)(disguise)
- The Scream (only appearance)(Theo Von Plotz's disguise)
Other characters:
- News Direct newscaster (only appearance)(TV or computer screen)
- Police officers (only appearance)(no lines)
Locations[]
Objects[]
- Paintings
Vehicles[]
- None
Suspects[]
- None
Culprits[]
| Culprit | Motive/reason |
|---|---|
| Theo Von Plotz and his two accomplices | To steal priceless paintings from the Louvre. |
Notes/trivia[]
Miscellaneous[]
- Disguises: None.
- Traps: None.
- Clues: None.
Cultural references[]
- The following artworks appear in this comic, though none of them are currently in the Louvre in real life:
- Edvard Munch's painting The Scream.
- Auguste Rodin's sculpture The Thinker.
- Hans Holbein the Younger's Portrait of King Henry VIII.
- Jean-Baptiste Isabey's painting Bonaparte at Malmaison
Coloring mistakes[]
- None known.
Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities[]
- None known.