Velma Dinkley

Velma Lilly Dinkley is a fictional character in the American television animated series Scooby-Doo. She is prone to losing her glasses. She is usually seen wearing a baggy orange sweater, short pleated skirt (or in later episodes shorts), knee socks, and Mary Janes. She is seen as the brain of the group.

charater description
Throughout her various incarnations, Velma is usually portrayed as a highly intelligent young woman with various interests ranging from highly specified sciences (which in the "Scooby and Scrappy Doo" series leads her to pursue a career as a NASA research scientist) or merely being very well read on various and sometimes obscure information, such as ancient Viking writing (as in the third Scooby Doo series "The New Scooby Doo Mysteries"). In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo%21_Abracadabra-Doo Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo], Velma is described by her younger sister Madelyn as being "born with a mystery book in her hand". Consequently, Velma is usually the one to figure out the mystery, sometimes with the help of Freddie and Daphne.

In the first series, notably "Where are you!" and "New Movies", a running gag is Velma's severe near-sightedness and her trouble with keeping her glasses on her face (usually after falling off while being chased by the villain).

When Scooby is too afraid to volunteer to help with a mission, Velma often offers him a dog treat called a "Scooby Snack" as a bribe. Her catchphrases are: "Jinkies!" and "My glasses! I can't see without my glasses!"

[edit] Character background
Like all of the Scooby Doo gang, later ret-conned as Mystery Incorporated members, Velma has differing personal backgrounds and histories depending on which series one is referring to.

In the original Where are you! series, Velma attended the same high school as the rest of the gang (as stated in the episode A Knight for a night). However, in the second series, the New Scooby Doo Movies, Velma is said to have graduated from a different high school than her friends (as stated in the episode Spirited Spooked Sports Show). In the current series, Velma is stated to be a native of Ohio, unlike the other members of Mystery Inc. But on one occasion, she mentioned she's from Texas.

revatives
Relatives of Velma shown during the series' run include:
 * Bruce and Agnes Dinkley
 * Velma's parents.


 * Madelyn Dinkley
 * Velma's younger sister voiced by Danica McKellar. She appears to be in her late teens and somewhat resembles her older sister in appearance & personality. Ironically, Velma herself refers to Madelyn as a nerd and doesn't seem to realize how much alike they really are. Unlike Velma, Madelyn wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to do for a living and had previously attended clown college until she discovered a fondness for stage magic and enrolls in a school for stage magicians. Madelyn has a huge crush on Shaggy Rogers and as a result of this, Shaggy refers to Madelyn as "Doe-eyed Dinkley" or by simply "Madds". She plays an important role in Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo, when the magic school she's enrolled in is being terrorized by a giant griffin.


 * Chloe Dinkley
 * Velma's 13 year old sister.


 * Aunt Meg and Uncle Evan
 * Velma's aunt and uncle, who live in a small town called Banning Junction which features in a Halloween episode of What's New, Scooby-Doo?.


 * Marcy
 * Velma's cousin and the daughter of Meg and Evan. She is studying mechanical engineering in college, but unlike Velma she is fashionable. This along with Marcy's interest in Fred made her Daphne's rival of sorts. She was born on Halloween which over time led to her hatred of the holiday as it usually upstaged her birthday (even her parents have forgotten it). Consequently, she used local legend and her engineering background to create "Mechanical Scarecrow Monsters" to terrorize the town.

[edit] Other Relatives

 * Aunt Thelma: works with dolphins at a marine institute.
 * Uncle Dave (Walton):
 * Uncle John: works as an archaeologist.
 * Uncle Cosmo: also works as an archaeologist.
 * Uncle Elmo: a doctor.
 * Uncle Ted: also works as an archeologist

Portrayals
Velma has been voiced by several actresses. From 1969 to 1974, Nicole Jaffe voiced Velma; from 1976 to 1979, the late Pat Stevens voiced the character. From 1979 to 1980, Marla Frumkin provided her voice. Velma did not speak in the Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo final episode, "The Ransom of Scooby Chief". After the character's absence from 1980 to 1983 series, Marla Frumkin reprised the role of Velma as a guest star in The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries. Velma was absent again until A Pup Named Scooby-Doo when Christina Lange voiced the role. B.J. Ward voiced Velma in a Johnny Bravo crossover episode. From the animated movie, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, B.J. Ward reprised her role in all movies though Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase. Nicole Jaffe returned to voice Velma in the movies, Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire and Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico.

In the latest three Scooby series, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! and ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo%21_Mystery_Incorporated Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated]'', as well as all cartoon movies made since 2004, Velma is voiced by Mindy Cohn. In the 2002 and 2004 live-action movies, Velma is played by Linda Cardellini. Velma is portrayed by Hayley Kiyoko in the 2009 live-action movie ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo%21_The_Mystery_Begins Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins] and its live-action sequel [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo%21_Curse_of_the_Lake_Monster Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster]''.

Reception
Members of the fanbase of the original Scooby-Doo speculated that Velma was a lesbian.[1] [2] The original Scooby-Doo series did not refer to homosexuality. James Gunn, the screenwriter of the Scooby-Doo film, said that he was "pretty sure she's gay." Linda Cardellini, the actress who portrayed Velma in the film, said "There were a few scenes where Velma comes out of her shell. I wouldn't say she comes out of the closet."[1] Cardellini added, "I thought more along the lines that maybe her sexuality is a little ambiguous."[3] Jeffrey P. Dennis, author of "The Same Thing We Do Every Night: Signifying Same-Sex Desire in Television Cartoons," argued that the romantic connection between Velma and Daphne is "mostly wishful thinking" because Velma and Daphne "barely acknowledge each other's existence."[4] The makers of the film script inserted a reference to the rumor, where Velma ogles Daphne, in a draft script and the writers later intended for Velma to kiss Daphne, but the scenes were cut from the final film.[1]

Later movies, including the second Scooby-Doo film, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost and the ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo%21_Mystery_Incorporated Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated]'' series, depict her as being attracted to male characters without explicitly defining her sexual orientation beyond this.