How one Scooby-Doo fan project almost collapsed under AI controversy
When 3D artist Eagan Tilghman posted an animation on YouTube, they didn’t expect very much from it. Over the past three months, the 23-year-old had animated, designed, and modeled a retro-inspired, VHS-looking homage to the lovable mystery mutt Scooby-Doo and the horrifying video game animatronic Springtrap from “Five Nights At Freddy’s” (FNAF). Complete with hijinks, door gags, and of course a face mask reveal, it was a love letter to the Hanna Barbera shtick of old and an opportunity to add a new piece to their portfolio.
“I thought I’d get a couple of hundred upvotes on Reddit and maybe a couple thousand views and a few subscribers,” Tilghman told Passionfruit. “I thought it was good, but I didn’t think it would be this big of a deal.”
But once the short hit the web it gained immediate traction with viewers on social media, who were flabbergasted at the beautiful work that made Scoob and the gang look like they were ripped straight out of a Rankin/Bass Christmas Special. In under three days, the video has amassed over 700,000 views and Eagan Tilghman’s YouTube has reached 33,000 subscribers. But underneath the mask of this project wasn’t just a passionate fan looking to bolster their resume, but rather a deep-seated conversation about the ethics and future of AI voice acting.
Ruh-Roh!
Being a sole passion project that they never thought would be seen by many people, Tilghman decided that they needed a little AI help to recreate some of the classic voice actors of the original Scooby-Doo show. Though they did collaborate with a Shaggy impersonator from TikTok, they didn’t have money to pay for any voice acting, so they innocently thought using a robotic AI voice acting tool to emulate the voices of Fred, Daphne, Velma, and the villain wouldn’t be an issue. ...
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