First look: 'Scooby-Doo' LEGO sets debut in summer

Brian Truitt | USA TODAY

Scooby-Doo, where are you? Come summertime, the scaredy dog and his Scooby gang can be found in the LEGO aisle.

Five building-block sets featuring the crime-solving canine and other characters from the many Scooby-Doo cartoons over the years arrive in August as part of a new partnership between Warner Bros. Entertainment and The LEGO Group.

In addition to making their first appearance in LEGO toy form, Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne star in an animated LEGO Scooby TV special this year and planned direct-to-video LEGO movies in coming years.

Scooby-Doo is the latest of many pop-culture-friendly franchises, including Marvel Comics and DC Comics superheroes, Star Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, to get the LEGO treatment with toys and on various entertainment platforms.

"Fans always wonder which properties may come to life in LEGO form, and this year we are thrilled to bring all of the mystery, humor and hijinks of the Scooby-Doo universe to life in LEGO toys and animated content," said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing & entertainment at The LEGO Group.

Ranging from $14.99 to $89.99, the LEGO sets Mummy Museum Mystery, The Haunted Lighthouse and The Mystery Mansion draw from the vast array of goblins, creatures and monsters in Scooby-Doo lore dating back to 1969.

One thing that's remained constant over the decades is the gang's psychedelic ride, the Mystery Machine, and the vehicle is featured in one of the debut Scooby LEGO line. With 301 pieces and a $29.99 price tag, the set comes with the iconic van (sporting computer screens, spy glass and other mystery-solving equipment), a spooky tree, a giant sandwich and minifigures of Scooby, Shaggy, Fred and a zombie whose identity builders will have to figure out with clues.