When "Scooby-Doo" the movie came out in 2002, Cudahy’s Gene Gureski decided to paint his 1974 Chevy van to look like The Mystery Machine that appears in the film.
Gureski enjoyed the cartoon as a kid and so when the movie was released, and he already had a similar van, he decided to create his very own Mystery Machine.
"I worked on the stenciling and painting a little at a time until it was done," says Gureski.
The van is originally from California and Gureski does not drive it after October, so it's free of rust. The paint job still appears brand new, mostly because Gureski touches it up regularly. He plans to completely repaint it this winter, keeping the same design.
Gureski takes the van to car shows around the state, and is also spotted driving it around Milwaukee and the surrounding areas.
His dog, Vera, is often in the Mystery Machine with him.
"People always ask me, ‘Is that Scooby?’ and I say, ‘No, that’s Scrappy,’" jokes Gureski.
And yes, he has "Scooby snacks" in the car for Vera – and other dogs he meets in his travels.
"People know me around here as Scooby-Doo," says Gureski. "That works for me."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
