Just Don't Paint WITH the Cocoa!

Jane looks perfectly content on Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, and in fact it almost looks like the person in her painting is holding an actual heart. So there's an added layer of inspiration for you!

Since this is also National Hot Chocolate Day, why not inspire your heart with some nice hot cocoa? It worked for that really cute family of teens who got stranded during a hurricane in that TV movie Quinn saw.

Fanfic Update!

• Daria Ravenclaw: The Legend of Sporting Joe, by Meester_Lee (part 11): "Julia hung up the phone and smiled, looking at the paper she’d used to write down the name and phone number she’d just been given."


• Her Last Words, by Sheila Wisz Ellayn (part 55): "The harrowing travel to a distant planet called Earth had taken just a few days, and yet Anna Felicia Coulthard, now finally back at her new home at Somewhere Else, was feeling more like she had spent entire weeks at that place."


• Lordy, Lordy, Quinn's Forty, by wilddogjj (COMPLETE!): "A large party was gathered at a massive table. Quinn sat at the table while her husband, Jim, sat to her right and their triplet sons, Tommy, Timmy and Teddy, sat to the left." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Meet-Cute, Daria Style (Scenes no Daria fanfic Should Have: How did We survive?), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "The Morgendorffers were hosting a special dinner, because tonight their eldest daughter Daria was bringing her significant other over to meet them for the first time."

A Holiday for Hot Chocolate, Anyone?

Care for a cup of hot chocolate? If you lived in Palau-de-Cerdagne, France, today you could celebrate Xicolatada, a holiday named for an Aztec/Spanish word for chocolate. Starting at 11 a.m., local time, the townspeople and tourists do nothing but drink hot chocolate the rest of the day, each cup prepared by the finest chefs (see at right). Here is an article in French about it, and here is a picture. (If you are going to celebrate this day, you should do it in style from now on.)

Eighty years ago today, the first-ever animated cartoon done with sound and shot in Technicolor was released: "Fiddlesticks." It can be seen in its entirety on YouTube. This of course led to Daria, and for that we honor it.

Singer/actress Madonna turns 52 today. Kemical Reaxion did a special series of Daria fan art based on Madonna's many incarnations: "The Ten Faces of Madonna." We also have official MTV alter egos of Brittany as Madonna, Helen as Madonna, and Ms. Li as Madonna, so you see how important Madonna is to Daria fandom. Remember that.

NEWWZ!

• Film Freak Central has a review of the Daria DVD set that makes some interesting assertions about the show. Do you think Daria prevented Jane from maturing? The reviewer thinks so. Post your comments in this thread.
  

Another Good Reason to Go to France

Today marks a little-known holiday celebrated in the town of Palau-de-Cerdagne, France, on the border with Spain in the Pyrenees. Xicolatada (from an Aztec/Spanish word) is a festival in which the townspeople do nothing but drink hot chocolate all day, starting at 11 a.m. I know it sounds like I am lying (I'm not this time, I swear, honest!), but here is an article in French about it, and here is a picture. (I suppose if you are going to celebrate this day from now on, you should do it in style.) This kid is an exchange student worth getting to know at Holiday Island High!

Seventy-nine years ago today, the first-ever animated cartoon done with sound and shot in Technicolor was released: "Fiddlesticks." It can be seen in its entirety on YouTube. This of course led to Daria, today, and for that we honor it.

Singer/actress Madonna turns 51 today. Kemical Reaxion did a special series of Daria fan art based on Madonna's many incarnations. "The Ten Faces of Madonna" is a marvel to behold. We also have an official MTV alter ego of Brittany as Madonna, one of Helen as Madonna, one of Ms. Li as Madonna (as someone else), etc., so you see how important Madonna is to Daria fandom.

MOAR No0OZ!

• Updated versions of The Head and IIFY? Guy are ready for your inspection at Backgrounders.
  

FF.net

• The Request, by Quinnley1 (Parts 1 through 8): “Dar-ia! I hope you’re not planning on sleeping until noon every day during summer break. Time to get up and at least pretend that you are in training to be a productive member of society!”
• True Crud, by Pinkminx (Part 1): [The intriguing Daria/True Blood crossover found here on PPMB.]
  

PPMB

• Rolling the Dice, by Ajar (Part 3): “Hello again,” said Jane with false enthusiasm. “It's so nice for you to include me in all these Fashion Club meetings. But, at this point, you might want to change the name to the D20 Club.”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (COMPLETE!): According to the Maya, the tree Chacchokal has always existed and was there when the Maya first entered the forest of Chakur. In their belief system, this unique Ceiba tree connects the Heavens, Earth and the Underworld and binds them all together as the Universe of the Fifth Sun. [Now waiting for Part III!]
  
• Unnamed story (Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): "Hi! You're cool. What's your name?" "Daria. Daria Morgendorffer." "Cool name." "Will you go out with me?"
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Daria Kills Jane, or Vice Versa...), by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Jane felt the ringing in her ears clearing up, well enough for her to hear the chanting of the Lawndale residents...

X talks about National Cocoa Day

"You're out of hot chocolate? You're out of freakin' hot chocolate? No way, dude! I don't want a pumpkin shake like 'Ween! I gotta have cocoa, right now, all right, or I'll freak!"

Sadly, not everyone has hot cocoa in their house today. Share the marshmallow topping with those less fortunate. Be excellent to each other on National Cocoa Day.

Great fan art of the day: LSauchelli's "Daria as Saturn Girl."

Moar 2 come, including a special announcement for amateur cartoonists and GIF animators. (HINT: It's party time.)