Inside Joke

Ever wonder what Daria and Jane would look like in a comic that Jane drew? Neither did I, but we find out the answer anyway in "Jane's Addition" (see illo at right). Interesting new look for both.

Speaking of which, Daria and Jane made a surprise appearance in an online comic seven years ago today, in "The New Adventures of Bobbin." Cute, very cute.

LATE ADD: Marvelous ficlet by WacoKid in this thread. Wow.


FF.net

• Schismatic, by Smileyfax (Part 2): Jake checked the closet, but found nothing but several copies of Daria's favorite jacket, a shade of dark green which turned almost black when splashed with blood--

PPMB

• John Lane 36: Promises, by Richard Lobinske (Part 4): "You don't need to stay out as long as I did for my prom," said Helen. "Oh?" Daria said. "Never mind," her mother quickly added.
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes 13.3, by Brother Grimace (teaser): "Nobody wants to be stuck in a little room Night of the Comet-style with tubes draining blood and spit so rich people and their friends never die.”
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Parts 4 and 5): “They got past the barricades downstairs. I’m trapped in my room, and I don’t know how long the door will hold. You have to help me!”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): The consequences of making a wrong turn in a derelict shopping mall.
• Two Aunts, by legendeld (Part 1): “Don’t spoil your appetite, or you won’t have room for any haggis!”

The Underground Quinn

Robert Crumb, renown artist of the underground comics, has his 65th birthday today. I used to read his stuff in the early 1970s at college, Mr. Natural and all that. So well regarded is he that the artists at MTV even did their own version of Quinn Morgendorffer as an "R. Crumb" character, with the characteristic tree-trunk legs.

On Holiday Island, today is the day for the solemn teen known as International Day of the Disappeared.

Today is also the birthday of the creator of the science-fiction genre of literature: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein when she was only 19. Kids.

More soon. Happy long weekend!

Take a Walk on the Weird Side

Eight years ago today, Daria fan/writer/artist Admonisher wrote a critical essay called "A Rant About 'Evil' Tom." He claimed this Evil Tom thing was blown all out of proportion. Is his the voice of calm and reason, or is he another tragic victim of Tom Sloane's hideous mind-control powers? Read it and see.

The MTV alter ego at right: does anyone know what it was based on? Is Sandi supposed to be a famous icon, or is this a totally random thinger? Inquiring minds want to know.

Why did Tom break up with Jane? See "Facial Fixation" for the answer! Thanks, breitasparrow! (Eww!)

Some great threads are playing on the PPMB big screen:

• Things Students Still Are Not Allowed To Do At Lawndale High: Lots of fun one-liners here.
• Scenes that Should Be: Brains for Rent: See the addition by Greystar. Nice.
• Iron Chef: My Secret Musical Talent: A good challenge from WacoKid.
• Who's up for a Dariacon in Maryland? DJPotatoe the artist is looking for visitors. All details to be worked out.
• Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Dawn of a New Nightmare: See the recent posts by WacoKid!

FF.net

• Schismatic, by Smileyfax (Part 1): "How are you feeling, Daria?" No reply.

PPMB

• Avenging, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 19): She slashed with the other sword, expecting it to be blocked and then, with her fist, she punched the other Daria in the face.
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Part 3): "Does Dad have a bad habit of going around the country knocking up sixteen-year-olds?” “Beats me.”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser: That was certainly the most unusual way to die I've ever heard of. I'm still afraid Kevin will come back as a zombie, though. *

SFMB

• Dinner Is Absurd, by Gum Wars (COMPLETE!): "Dinner is served!" jake said proudly as he layed down a 4 course meal in front of his family. "Pasta ala rogue! It means the spagetti of the black and yellow thief! I got the recipe on google!" [sic]
• Yordundal II, by Gum Wars (COMPLETE!): "Hello blane i'm calling about my weird sister...er cousin. She is soooo wierd. she reads books and stuff!" [sic]

* Contains adult content. Seriously. Hang on.

Son of the Return of Beneath the Planet of the Sick, Sad World! (Part 4)

Sorry this is late, just got home!

• "Are they making sweaters out of monkey skins? There could be a monkey on your back, next on Sick, Sad World!" (31)
• "Nuns by day, arsonists by night! Torched by an angel, next on Sick, Sad World!" (32)
• "It'll take more than a bout of scurvy to discourage these anti-health-food crusaders! Vegetable-rights activists, on the next Sick, Sad World!" (33)
• "He stole her egg . . . she crushed his skull! Psycho mother eagles on the warpath, on the next Sick, Sad World!" (34)
  
• "Lost in Antarctica, a brave young man survives by eating his own frostbitten appendages! A portrait of courage, on the next Sick, Sad World!" (35)
  
• "What happens when extraterrestrial beings mate with porno stars? Half-human sex machines, next on Sick, Sad World." (36)
• "Today on Sick, Sad World, cursed Egyptians cats come back from the dead to be your pets!" (37)
• "As gang crime rises across the nation, one question needs to be asked: 'Are any of them working for the government?' The Fed's own Crips and Bloods, tonight on Sick, Sad World." (38)
• "She met someone else. He did too. The only problem, his girl was a gorilla! Animal magnetism, next on Sick, Sad World. (39)
• "Are Satanic messages hidden in your favorite rock-and-roll albums? No! They've moved into your cereal bowl! Satanic Sugar Pops—they're devilishly good! Next, on Sick, Sad World!" (40)

More stuff shortly.

Is It DVD Yet? Celebration Day!

Eight years ago today, Is It Fall Yet? debuted on MTV. Six years ago today, Is It College Yet? was released on DVD in the U.S. Why today? I'm not sure, but it's kind of a red-letter day for Daria fans.

This was also the day of the infamous Daria-and-Jane live chat on MTV online. It's quite a funny read. Check it out.

Want to see Kevin Thompson's senior class picture? (For his first senior year, or maybe his second senior year, I'm not sure which.) DJPotatoe has it right here.

More in a minute, just got home.

Yet Still More Show Promos, Next on Sick, Sad World!

Don't touch that dial!

• "They pose as door-to-door salesman, but they turn house owners into frogs! I came, I saw, I conjured! Next, on Sick, Sad World." (21)
• "Are disappointed TV fanatics taking the pipe upon hearing their favorite show's been canceled? Exhaust fans, next on Sick, Sad World." (22)
• "Meet the renegade restaurateur who gave up a career at The Ritz for comedy on the rocks!" [On a nightclub stage, a man in a fancy tuxedo is pelted with tomatoes.] "The 'matered matre 'd, next on Sick, Sad World!" (23)
• "Was the Hindenburg really an accident, or was it pushed by an evil blimp? Incorrigible dirigibles, next on Sick, Sad World." (24)
• "He showed up in court with his briefs, but left his boxers at home! The nudist jurisprudist, next, on Sick, Sad World!" (25)
• "What happens when a group of psychiatrists decides to make a career in music? The vocal stylings of Pink Freud, next on Sick, Sad World." (26)
• "When veterinarians and restaurant owners become partners, just don’t ask about the hush puppies." [A cat runs across the shop counter, pursued by a nurse.] "Or the chili! When Sick, Sad World returns!" (27)
• "What did the Bride of Frankenstein's family think of her main squeeze? Exclusive interviews, next on Sick, Sad World!" (28)
• "Did Nostradamus predict who will win this Sunday's Super Bowl? We'll tell you here tonight, on Sick, Sad World!" (29)
• "Meet the religious radio announcer . . . with five wives! It’s Mormon in the Mornin’, on Sick, Sad World." (30)

Stay tuned for more!

P.S. MartinUK is thinking about a trip to Seattle. Anyone up for a Dariacon there? See this PPMB thread.

More Great Blurbs, Next on Sick, Sad World!

And they're off!

• "The bullet had his name written all over it . . . literally! The engraver murders, next on Sick, Sad World!" (11)
• "When fish say, 'That's a keeper!' New secrets of the Bermuda Triangle, next on Sick, Sad World!" (12)
• "No beef for your burgers? No problem! Kungu cakes: the ground-insect alternative! Next, on Sick, Sad World!" (13)
• "St. Vitus High, the deadliest prom on the planet! Next on Sick, Sad World!" (14)
• "Little green men from Mars . . . or Ireland? The St Patrick’s Day Invasion, next on Sick, Sad World!" (15)
• "What do you get when you cross a webcam girl's information obsession with a desire to create the World Wide Web's largest search engine? Info Nympho dot com! Next, on Sick, Sad World!" (16)
• "Are imaginary friends riding for free? Invisible fare evasion, next on Sick, Sad World!" (17)
• "The fish isn't the only thing fresh, when he's slicing and dicing in the buff. The Chippendales' Sushi Chef, next on Sick, Sad World." (18)
• "Are Amish boys making their girlfriends split the check? Pennsylvania-going-Dutch, next on Sick, Sad World!" (19)
• "Y2K was a bust, and now they're holding the bag! What would you do if you had enough canned food to feed a Third World country for a month, stockpiled in your bunker . . . and nothing happened? Right-wing militia canned-food fire sales, coming up next on Sick, Sad World!" (20)

Got another two posts' worth, at least! Yeah! Stay tuned.

The Best of Sick, Sad World . . . from the Fanfics!

Nothing important happened today in history to Daria fandom, so far as known, so we will take a sojourn through my personal favorite Sick, Sad World blurbs . . . not from the show, but from the fanfics! Some terrific original show previews have appeared over the years, so to the best of my ability (to use Google, that is), these immortal lines are offered here. You of course are free to offer your own favorite SSW announcements in the Comments section. All hail the mighty power of Daria fans!

(Click on the numbers to get the fanfics these blurbs came from. Minor editing sometimes applied. This offer void where prohibited.)

• "He had several bionic limbs installed . . . but now he uses all of them to cheat on his girlfriend! The busy body, now on Sick, Sad World." (1)
• "This bird could be the answer to the nationwide shortage of hot wings . . . if anybody can catch it! Supersonic chickens, when Sick, Sad World returns." (2)
• "Subliminal mind control! The Taco Bell Dog: just a cute Chihuahua or one sick puppy? Next on Sick, Sad World!" (3)
• "Squirrels that can skeletonize a buffalo in thirty seconds? The piranhas of the prairies, next, on Sick, Sad World!" (4)
• "Now, that's one praying mantis! Bugs for Jesus, next on Sick, Sad World!" (5)
• "Urine in canned processed cheese? Find out why it's call Cheese 'Whiz,' on the next Sick, Sad World!" (6)
• "Is there anything spooky about the frequency of new releases by dead artists? Decomposing, next on Sick, Sad World." (7)
• "Small-town police bust a ring of elderly gigolos. Gropin' grandpas, next on Sick, Sad World!" (8)
• "She took his heart . . . and burned it! Kali cults in America! Tonight on Sick, Sad World." (9)
• "Good thing the show wasn't The Nutcracker! The lesson of low-bid leotards! Next, on Sick, Sad World." (10)

More to come. There are tons of these. I might even continue this through tomorrow night, since nothing important happened tomorrow, either.


FF.net

• The Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants, by medea42 (COMPLETE!): “Quinn, it’s not what it looks like–we were just–” (PPMB) [NOTE: This story makes perfect sense to me.]
  
• Is It Graduation Yet?, by MandeeMistress (Parts 2 and 3): More Daria/Trent shipperiness for all who love it!
• Summer Moves, by MandeeMistress (Part 1): The first summer home from Raft, Daria decides to bring her roommate Harper back to Lawndale to meet a couple of her old friends, leaving out one minor fact about Harper. [NOTE: Story has since been removed from FF.net.]
  

PPMB

• The Cynic and the Defender, by Doggieboy (Part 8): Robert looked down and saw that he was on fire as well–
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Part 2): “What’s the emergency?" “Trent been arrested for playing bad music.”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Ouch. Mega-ouch. Mega-to-the-zillionth-power ouch. More, please.

Doesn't Play Well With Others

Daria was interviewed eight years ago today in TV Guide, just before the release of Is It Fall Yet?, and her responses had a few interesting bits in them. "Your life has certainly taken a messy turn, romantically speaking," says the interviewer. "Did you ever dream you'd end up in the role of femme fatale?" Daria answers, "With my sensual good looks and come-hither ways... it was just a matter of time." Nice sarcasm. It doesn't seem she likes kids much from her other answers. (Q: "Do your career goals include working with children?" A: "Well, I don't plan to pursue "trapped in a living hell" as a career, so no.")

What famous things happened in history. . . . Voyager 2 went past Neptune today, 19 years ago. I actually celebrated that at a SF writer's home in the Chicago area. Got the NASA booklet and everything. Cool. Nothing Daria related. Dang.

Legendeld has a new Daria-related post on his blog. Go thou, read and respond to it!


FF.net

• Mart of the Dead, by Smileyfax (COMPLETE!): All in all, 10-15 million zombies stood between them and Daria and Jane, if the two girls were actually still alive, which they probably weren't.

PPMB

• John Lane 36: Promises, by Richard Lobinske (Part 3): OUCH!!! Brittany's doing the smackdown on everyone these days! OUCH!!!
  
• Jörmungandr, by TAG (Part 2): The truth is out there. Way, way out there. (SFMB)
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Oh, that's gotta hurt. (I hope.)
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Sic transit gloria mundi), by Angelinhel (COMPLETE!): I won't spoil it. Prime-time Angelinhel, with sharp pointy teeth.

SFMB

• Yordundal, by Gum Wars (COMPLETE!): The description says, "DARIA and jane are chatting online in a room called 'lawndale 1'. Jane is going by the name 'rdpaint' and DARIA is using 'glses'....but who is......"
  

Flame Wars on a Volcanic Level

This post is not really about "flame wars" online. It is about today being the date of the ancient Roman festival for Vulcan, their god of fire, and the curious fact that Mount Vesuvius began to show signs of life this day, 1,929 years ago, just before toasting and burying Pompeii and Herculaneum a short while later. Is there a student with an explosive temper at Holiday Island High named Volcanalia? Hmmm.

Today is also (takes deep breath) the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, which could have been shortened to Abolition Day or something. I mean, think about that poor student at HIH, trying to write his whole name out on papers or computer forms or whatnot. A worthy date, but shorter would definitely have been better.

Two crossover ficlets have appeared in response to two different Iron Chefs on PPMB. One is a Daria/The Wire minific by Scissors MacGillicutty, for The Barksdales of Baltimore, and the other is "A Party with a Rose," a Daria/Grendel minific by Grifter74, for Grendel Vivant.

Though rained out by Fay, durgarox has produced a marvelous color version of her sketch, "Hey, Daria," featuring a special Daria fanservice for us all. Love it, especially Jane's new hair, and especially the looks on their faces. YES!

Still working on a story idea. It is coming together nicely, but . . . it really is quite weird. Stay tuned.


FF.net

• Calling Calliope, by Dennis (COMPLETE!)
• Daria: A Dream of Good, by Project Pegasus (Part 1): "I had nothing on my mind that day except for Ingmar Bergman and Jane Lane...."
• A Monster in the Unmaking, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!)

PPMB

• Jörmungandr, by TAG (prelude): This one might be a little weird. Hope you like it. (SFMB)
  
• Sometimes It Rains, by legendeld (Part 1): An unexpected addition to the Lane family knocks on the door, and the chaos begins.
  
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Oh, okay, that's what Maughers are. Ouch. LATE ADD: And it never pays to make Brittany forget her lines! OUCH!!!
  
• Starbright, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): A tricky tale reaches a satisfying conclusion, although there is the matter of the sonic screwdriver. . . .
• Tales of the Ringbearers: Tiger Cruise, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): “Is there any world where I’m not a cartoon character or constantly in either more drama that a soap opera or more action than Indiana Jones?”

The Illustrated Jake

Kudos go out to science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury, who turns 88 today. He is famed for works like Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and of course The Illustrated Man, meaning Jake at right. In the early 1970s, an American astronaut took a paperback copy of The Martian Chronicles aboard the Skylab space station for light reading. Hard to think of a better tribute to one's writing than that.

FF.net

• Is It Graduation Yet? by MandeeMistress (Parts 1 and 2): A bit of the old Daria/Trent from a new poster.
  

PPMB

• Avenging, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 18): A superhero-supervillain collision of cosmic intensity, with Daria vs. Daria for world domination.
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Brittany and Kevin, together again, but not for long.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: The Raid, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): “We have intruders outside the house,” Robert whispered. “At least ten.”

Bemoaning Mona

Hard though it is to believe, the Mona Lisa was stolen 97 years ago today and remained missing for years. An employee of the Louvre had taken it, hoping to have it displayed in Italy. Now, thanks to the Internet, anyone can steal artwork without leaving the comforts of their own home. Technology is so cool!

LATER: Nothing new to add. Working on a new story, but it's taking a while to get the pieces together.

Looks like Tropical Storm Fay is delaying submissions to Dariaverse.com. Rats.

Newest DariaWiki entry: "Tom's Eye View," by Dennis. Great story, worth the read.

Happy Birthday, Evolution!

It seems like only yesterday, but it was 150 years ago on the nose that Sir Charles Darwin published his first paper on the theory of evolution. Alas, it did not explain Kevin Thompson. It did lead to anger management classes for gorillas, though.

Today is also the 118th birthday of H. P. Lovecraft, whose works were crossed with Daria in Dervish's "Call of Quinnthulhu." Great story.

Just got home from work, more to come. Or, you know, not.

Happy National Aviation Day, too!

Finally, Sandi Griffin reminds us that today is National Aviation Day, because it is Orville Wright's birthday.

Lawndale Online is BACK!!! And a new Daria website is open for business: Dariaverse.com! Low esteem for everyone! Start sending in your stories, essays, and everything! DariaWiki's newest page describes a very bad girl: Dawn Wilkins. The entry needs a physical description (she's not the Walkman-wearing Dawn), but is great.

Legendeld is ranting because of non-hurricane Fay. He asks a good question about why Tom went for Jane first instead of Daria. He thought artists were easy, maybe?

PPMB

• Starbright, by legendeld (Part 2): “Call me Synergy,” the purple haired girl said with a flourished bow.

Bubba's Big Beavis-n-Butt-head Birthday

You guessed it! Today is the 62nd birthday of former President Slick Willie "Bill" Clinton, seen here with two of his most ardent supporters. For more about "Bill" and Daria Morgendorffer, click here.

Today is also the 87th anniversary of the birthday of Star Trek-creator Gene Roddenberry, but I've already used the Tom-Sloane-as-Captain-Pike alter ego. The Star Trek fandom helped our own fandom in many ways, very indirectly, so cheers to you, Mr. Roddenberry, and thanks.

More news soon, need to do some housework first.

LATE ADD: Found the Clinton-as-Cornholio image on a conservative blog. Loved it. If you click on the picture, it moves. Cool. Heh heh heh heh heh heh...

Working Girl, Five Years On

Five years ago today, Kara Wild posted a link to a DWU story she was fleshing out: "Working Girl." The story is still incomplete, but in my humble opinion it is probably the best still-incomplete fanfic out there, better than many complete ones (including my own). The in-depth portrait it offers of Quinn Morgendorffer on her own in the big city is superb. If you get the chance, please click the link and check it out.

Moar gnuz l8r.

More Saga of Bob, Part MCMLXVII

Okay, you knew this time would come. It's time to...

IDENTIFY THE MYSTERY CAR!!!

Here's Bob's car from "The Invitation." It is a convertible, green, and has square headlights.

What kind of car is it? I have no idea. Name the make and model, maybe the year, anything else you can think of so we can use this in fanfic.

Enjoy.

The Saga of Bob (con't.)

It's been a while since we've talked about Bob, one of the background characters, but I can now officially tell you more about him: he smokes and drinks.

Yes, in "Jane's Addition," Bob is seen lighting up a cigarette (tobacco, I assume) and drinking (alcohol, I assume) at a bar where Mystik Spiral is playing, even though he is in 11th grade at Lawndale High. I still think he's a punk wrestler/ weightlifter. Your mileage may vary. For more on Bob, click the tiny label "bob" below.

Do you get kind of a film noir vibe from this guy? Something kind of dark and eerie and mysterious, something unexpected. Has anyone used him in fanfic? He's a great blank slate. I have a pic of his car somewhere from "The Invitation," will post it later.

Lawndale Online is still down. Damn.

While over at DariaWiki, I started thinking that there weren't near enough Daria Universes on the Daria Multiverse page. Can you think of more to add? I know some good ones have been left out. Let's make this page the longest one ever!


FF.net

• Meet the Monster, by medea42 (COMPLETE!): Reads like the show. Loved Trent's method of making Quinn go away. Brilliant.
• The Young Switcheroo, by Smileyfax (Part 8): We continue through the first season of this wild, switched-around world, now at "Cafe Disaffecto." And we learn who the thief was! And more!
  

PPMB

• She Knows Not What She Does, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): Daria's loathsome new career as a telemarketer proves to have an unexpected side benefit.

SFMB

• In the Midnight Hour, by Gum Wars (COMPLETE!): You know, I wasn't sure whether to post this one, but I figured hey, it's there, you may as well look at it.

When I Saw You Standing There

"Jane, have you considered homeopathy?"

"I'm going to stick with guys for now, but thanks for asking."


Nine years ago there was "Jane's Addition," the end of the third season. The title probably didn't make much sense until five minutes into the story, and there he was.

I never saw this episode until way, way later. Funny to think now of all the different ways it could have gone.

Tom Sloane wasn't that bad a guy, really. Worse was done by others on the series. I pretend not to like him, but the truth is . . . he's kind of lukewarm, so-so, eh. If there hadn't been a triangle, what would have happened then? Wish he could have been more. Wish it could have been different.

Anyway, Tom's first appearance is nine years old today. Cheers, and happy Monday.

Oh, right: MMan brought up an interesting topic on PPMB. It came up in a fanfic once, but there's a lot more to be said about it. What if Daria were aired today? How would the show be different? More opinions are needed.

And Everywhere There Was Song and Celebration

Perhaps I should have noticed this earlier, but I wonder if the reason why Alternapalooza was scheduled on August 15-17 (in The Daria Diaries) was because those were the original dates of the famous 1969 musical festival called Woodstock. (The festival actually ran over into Monday the 18th.) Funny. Here it was, a secret counterculture reference all this time buried in Daria lore, and only now do I figure it out. I must be reeeaaally slow.

The book that young Daria took to Camp Grizzly (at left), George Orwell's Animal Farm, was first published 63 years ago today.

Eleven years ago this weekend, the Chicago Tribune ran a story about Daria, seen here.

The most important anniversary, however, is last. One hundred years ago today, Frenchman Émile Cohl released the first-ever animated movie: Fantasmagorie. It was shown on-screen in Paris. To this little silent cartoon does Daria and all other animation owe their very existence. Merci!

Lots of terrific responses to two PPMB Iron Chefs: Sic transit gloria mundi and Mirror, Mirror... Read, enjoy, and add your own!


PPMB

• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: How to Talk to Your Teen, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): As Helen Morgendorffer watched her children grow, she wondered if she’d have a favorite child.
• New Life, by legendeld (COMPLETE!): “You just spent three hours with me standing here completely naked, rubbing me with makeup. Wasn’t that enough?” “No.”
• Starbright, by legendeld (Part 1): “What if you could have one more chance, just one?” “That would be great. One night to prove that we’re more than just fakes … but it would never happen.” “What if it could?”
  

One Titanic Moment

"Just Add Water" (as mentioned earlier) had a "Titanic moment" when Dee-Dee stood up on the bow of the Princess Fairy and tried to get Tim O'Neill to hold her up, with a wonderful Barch moment coming right after. Today is the 54th birthday of the man who gave us that iconic moment (and the Terminator and Alien series). Happy Birthday to James Cameron, who is one year older than me. See, old people can too do cool stuff!

Wikipedia also informs us that today is the 78th anniversary of the creation of the very first color cartoon ever. The creator, Ub Iwerks, laid the groundwork for Daria and all the other good stuff we've enjoyed over the years. Thank you and bless you, man!

DJPotatoe has released his "first ALL DIGITAL painting of Daria" right here.

Lawndale Online is still down. Damn. Moar inna minnit.

LATER: Richard Lobinske has again updated the 2008 Visual FanWorks Listing (PPMB) (SFMB). Thank you!

PPMB

• A Monster in the Unmaking, by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): Magnificent work. Should have been canon.
• Promises, by Richard Lobinske (Part 2): "Proms are one of the high points of high school," said Helen, "and I don't want you regret missing the chance." "Yeah," said John, "I guess all that underage drinking and sex are hard to forget. Well, unless you drink too much, then you probably forget everything." (Love this series, I just love it.)
  

SFMB is getting spammed again. Oh, well.

Stuff & Nonsense

Odds & ends on a Friday night. . .

Brother Grimace has begun an interesting page on DariaWiki (which now has 1,935 interesting pages): the Dariacentric romance. This begs for elaboration.

Some fun competitions online: Iron Chef: Better Than Sex! is one, and Mirror, Mirror... is getting superb responses! Lots of wackiness in Scenes No Daria Fanfic Should Have: Dawn of a New Nightmare and The 1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane.

Checked in on Dariaverse.com to see what was new. Hmmm.

Psychotol is looking for a beta-reader.

Two very nice, very new fan artworks:

• DJPotatoe's Darius and Quinn (I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! IT'S PERFECT!)
• Luizamoony's Quinn on Stage (wow! realism!)

FF.net

• Mart of the Dead, by Smileyfax (Part 5): Things go from bad to worse, but you won't hear me complaining. Who is that mysterious camouflaged man?
• The Young Switcheroo, by Smileyfax (Part 7): Daria and Jane . . . or Jane and Daria . . . oh, whatever, they reenact "College Bored" with a twist. Awesome serial.

PPMB

• Avenging, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 17): "Ah, Leonardo, there you are. I've hardly seen you in the last few chapters."
• Calling Calliope, by Dennis (COMPLETE!): Tiffany, I hope you don't mind me asking, but I have some big news. Do you mind meeting me at Begin the Bean tomorrow at 12? If not, no worries. -Ken
• Evil Jane (unnamed story), by NightGoblyn (continued): A friendship born in Hell.
• John Lane 36: Promises, by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): The long-awaited Daria/John prom story (nice pun in the title) starts out with: "We've got to get rid of them! All of them!"
  
• A Monster in the Unmaking, by Kristen Bealer (Part 2): I knew the thing Ashley Amber loved most about me was my bank account, and she'd probably die before she gave up even one of her credit cards. But if that kept her happy, then so be it.
• The Other Side of Time: The Nightmare Never Really Leaves, by The Sidhe (continued): “You may have seen a portrayal of me in a film called Full Metal Jacket.”
• Size Does Matter, by BlackHole (Part 29): Under his breath Jamie uttered “Watch me!” then stood up and approached Quinn.
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): "Mr. Ruttheimer, I have a number of things to say to you before we can continue. And I don't think you'll like listening to them."

WHOA! I clicked on Lawndale Online and got a suspended account! What the heck happened???

"Road Worrier": When It Happened

Ah, the screaming crowd, the crashing guitars, the overpriced souvenirs, the long lines at the restrooms: nothing says "misery" like a rock concert. We know when "Road Worrier" took place, thanks to the poster in The Daria Diaries, but in what year?

Richard Lobinske pointed out in an essay that the only time during Daria that August 15-17 fell on a Friday through Sunday (as it does this year) was in 1997. This makes hash out of the idea that the Morgendorffers came to Lawndale in the fall of 1997, but that's how it goes.

However, if it took place in 1998 (ten years ago today!), it ran over a Saturday, Sunday, & Monday weekend, which isn't so bad. School was out, so teens could go all three days. Works for me.

So play some loud rock music this weekend and celebrate the shipping that wasn't (Daria/Trent, I mean). Listen to Sigourney, Crease, and Ciggie Butt. Write a fanfic about Ciggie Butt (what a great band name!). And wonder where the heck Swedesville is, anyway. More soon.

The Goddess That Squeaks

This being Flooding of the Nile Day in Egypt, we present Brittany as Isis (not the 1970s TV show character) to celebrate. Not quite the same without her pigtails, but it will do. Note that Isis was considered to be the goddess of simplicity, which explains why Brittany is taking the role, and also of beer, which explains why Kevin hung around.

More in a bit. I will probably do the fiction update, both here and in the Big File, on Sunday. Saturday I will be at Gen Con in Indianapolis, but not for a Dariacon.


OOPS: I've caught a cold. No travel for me this weekend.

Holliday's Holiday

Only 157 years ago today, Doctor John Henry "Doc" Holliday was born. After an all-too-short life of gambling, drinking, and shooting people, he became the star of a Daria fanfic.

More later, hope to update fanfic list again by this weekend.

LATER: A funny thing happened while I was writing out the entry for zombiefic on DariaWiki: I ran out of things to say. Duh. If anyone wants to add stuff to that page, go for it. I've run dry. I didn't even write that much! Anyway, party on.

Dead to the World

Alfred Hitchcock, famed English film director who has some of the most incredible quotes you ever heard in your life, was born 109 years ago today. Tom Sloane was a big fan and tried to get Daria to go see Rope in Is It College Yet? Wonder what he really had in mind. . . .

In Mr. Hitchcock's memory, I started a DariaWiki page on zombiefic, but haven't gotten very far into it. Feel free to chip in.

More soon, just got home.



LATER: Never mind, pooped out. More tomorrow.

Strange News You Can Abuse

Here are a few anniversaries that could, if a fanfic writer was so inclined, inspire some truly weird tales. Maybe Daria and Jane could investigate these for Sick, Sad World.

Renown cat lover/hater and Austrian physicist Dr. Erwin Schrödinger was born 121 years ago today. He had some kind of thought experiment in which you had a cat in a box and the cat was alive/dead when you opened the box because . . . I don't know why. Who cares.

Sixty-five years ago today is the date that conspiracy theorists believe the Philadelphia Experiment took place, in which a U.S. Navy ship is alleged to have . . . I don't know what it is alleged to have done. This sounds like the scriptwriters for Buckaroo Bonzai were involved. Truly bizarre. Could Daria duplicate this in the high school's science lab?

Eighteen years ago, someone in South Dakota discovered the most complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex ever known. Such a huge ruckus developed over the ownership of the skeleton that an auction took place and MacDonald's actually bought it. Yes, all true. I've seen the immortal Sue myself, and that is one damn fine dino.

And, back at Holiday Island High, today is the UN-mandated International Youth Day. Just an average teen, nothing more. How dull. Frank Zappa Day was much more interesting.

I noticed on the TV Tropes Wiki that there is a page on which you can recommend great fanfiction. I might try this myself, sending in a list of what I think is good fanfic, only the Daria section would be larger than all other sections combined. Hmmm.

Anyway, somebody write a fanfic that combines Schrödinger's cat, the Philadelphia Experiment, and a T. rex. I dare you. G'wan, do it. I double-dog dare you.

Give me a little bit and I'll post something, promise

Just got home from work, pooped out, will post the usual mind-blowing incredible stuff later when less pooped out.

You are free to, um, you know, watch Daria or something.

Oh, and something happened today, but it wasn't about Daria. Forgot what it was. Had it written down here somewhere. BRB.

An Aside to the Fashion Watchers

I did notice in "Just Add Water" that Tiffany wears the best-looking outfit she was ever drawn with: a nice black evening gown with a Chinese look. The hair, the outfit, very nice. Beats the hell out of everything all other other Fashion Clubbers wore at any time during the show.

Do you disagree? Tough. Black is back.

More soon. Sorta busy at home right now. Talk amongst yourselves.

Oh, right: Richard Lobinske updated the 2008 Fan Art Listing! (PPMB, SFMB). And DJPotatoe presents a fanwork of Quinn that, well, let's just say that now I know why the Three Js were after her all the time. Well done!

And Ms. Kinnikufan's Iron Chef: Pet the Dog, is drawing some, um, uh, unusual, um, responses. Not unusual for this fandom, true, but in a greater and more worldly sense, yes, unusual.

FF.net

• The Young Switcheroo, by Smileyfax (Part 6): Aside from a sentence in which both characters are called "Jane" (oops!), continues to be awesome to the win power. Go, go, go!
  

Avast and Ahoy There!

"Just Add Water" was aired for the first time nine years ago today, near the end of the third season. Though it has not been counted as anyone's favorite episode, one thing you can say about it: Tom Sloane is nowhere in sight. This was the last pre-Tom episode.

It appears that "Just Add Water" was derived from two major sources: the 1997 movie Titanic and the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. The parallels between the Princess Fairy's drunken captain and the Exxon Valdez's drunken ship's master, Joseph Hazelwood, have been commented on before. The Titanic link, with the standing-on-the-bow-railing scene (marvelously interrupted by Janet Barch, who has a great part here), is also pretty clear. Daria and Jane, though, do nothing. It fits their character, but it's disappointing nonetheless.

Too bad about Kevin and Brittany, stuck in open waters in that creaky lifeboat with no oars during a violent thunderstorm. Someone needs to write an AU in which they . . . well, you get the idea.

Sixteen years ago this day, the Mall of America was opened, the very structure that just about almost probably certainly gave birth to the Mall of the Millennium in Daria. Even the internal diagrams are similar.

The pilot episode for Daria, "Sealed with a Kick," was completed thirteen years ago today. Speaking of the pilot, a very curious observation has been made about a possible connection between Daria and the movie called Welcome to the Dollhouse. Click here and see what you think of it.

Prepare for a Knockout

A mere 105 years ago today, Ward Moore (no relation) was born. He became among other things a science-fiction writer, and is renown today for producing one of the greatest alternate-history stories ever: Bring the Jubilee, a tale of what happened after a Confederate victory at Gettysburg. Given some of the AU stories in Daria fandom about the Confederacy, fans might wish to find this book, considered a cornerstone of SF writing, and give it a good read. I loved it.

SFMB is getting spambot posts all over the place. If anyone knows how to delete those posts, please do. Other message boards should take notice. The sad news is, the recent spambot posts outnumber the recent legitimate posts. A sign of the times, I guess.


FF.net

• The Young Switcheroo, by Smileyfax (Part 5): Rather than give a synopsis of this chapter, let me say instead that we have a winner here, and it is a hell of a winner. A brilliant AU in progress, a must-read from the very beginning. Smileyfax has an update on all of his unfinished stories at his FF.net profile.

PPMB

• Avenging, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 16): "When was the last time you executed a Tom?" (I love this line. It's classic. Wild story, too.)
• Death Takes a Holliday, by TAG (COMPLETE!)
• A Monster in the Unmaking, by Kristen Bealer (Part 1): Damn, right in the bull's-eye. Read this story. We finally get a look into the lives of the Taylors, and it will blow you away.
• New Life, by legendeld (Part 12): “Now that you know, I’m dropping out of college and running off with Stacy," Daria told Quinn. "Trent’s going to drive us to our new life in paradise but I promise we’ll send him back as soon as we get bored with him.” Ouch!
  
• A Simple Makeup Kit, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): This story should have been canon. Dead, solid perfect, 11 out of 10.
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Luhrman Barksdale has a short conversation with Upchuck about marketing. (Eww!)
  
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis: "Wednesday" added. This story is creepy good. Blood on the moon, indeed.
  

There's the Bride, But Where's the Groom?

Nine years ago, Brielle Potter wrote a brief essay addressing the Jane-as-yenta meme in Daria fandom. This goes along with Martin Pollard's essay mentioned two days ago. More food for thought on where the fandom was so long ago, regarding romance stuff.

Speaking of romance stuff, guess what? Today is the fifth anniversary of the first wedding ever conducted in which one party was on Earth and the other was in space. The lucky man was Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko (the Russians always have to be first in everything), who married his fiancée Ekaterina Dmitrieva while he was 240 miles above New Zealand. (She was in Texas.) Brittany gives us Ms. Dmitrieva's role in the ceremony in the pic at right.

As long as we're talking romance, we'll talk chocolate, which is important to nearly all Daria fans named Kristen (and to Jane Lane, who enjoys illegal chocolate as per "Boxing Daria"). One of the inventors of milk chocolate was born 194 years ago today, and you might have heard of the company named for him: Nestlé.

Finally, it is impossible to say who declared that this was National S'Mores Day, but it is, so you might as well celebrate it. Eat, drink and eat s' more. Why isn't this day ever discussed in Daria fanfic? They didn't even eat s'mores in "The Teachings of Don Jake." Dang.

SPECIAL NOTE: Alert reader Vadim Gershteyn drew my attention to a page on Amazon.com where you can sign up to be notified if Daria ever does come out on DVD. This does not mean the DVD is coming, but if it does, you'll know about it by e-mail. Can't hurt, I guess. Thanks, Vadim!

Introducing a new Holiday Island High student. . . .

This day is the (UN-created) International Day of the World's Indigenous People, remembering everyone who lived somewhere in relative peace and quiet before everybody else moved in and threw them out. Well, yeah, some of those indigenous peoples had thrown out others before them, true.

Mack, for some reason, seems to be the guy the cartoonists turned to when they needed someone "ethnic." He does appear as the Lone Ranger and James Bond, too, so he's got the edge on the macho types of any sort. More power to him.


PPMB

• Death Takes a Holliday, by The Angst Guy (Part 10): “I’ve gotten to like it here in the future. Wasn’t what I had expected, but I guess the future never is." (SFMB)
  
• Calling Calliope, by Dennis (Part 4): Tiffany realizes something about Ken that she's never thought of before. (You know this isn't going to end well.)
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): The price might be too high to continue, but what if the price is too high to stop?

What's Happenin'

For some months now, I've had a pet project categorizing the whole spectrum of Daria fanfiction to see what kind of stories Daria fans like to write. (I'm nowhere near done.) The current results, per the above link, show that fanfic writers here have a very wide range of interests. I am fond of saying that writing Daria fanfic is like writing haiku, in that both types of writing have limitations put upon them, but the writer still has great freedom within those boundaries to create an infinite number of unique works.

There is a broader purpose to all of this fiddling around, which is to bring attention to fanfics that might not otherwise be widely read. With every category of fanfiction added to the "Fanwork Conventions" listing on DariaWiki, I've made an effort to list good examples. To do that, one has to go through loads of stories first and see which examples are "good."

If you happen to be a DariaWiki surfer and know a lot of good stories, you are welcome to contribute examples to the various Fanwork Conventions (Dramatic Comedy, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Scriptfic, Reinvention, Crossover, Crackfic, Melodrama, etc.). In addition to better known stories, try to find some early Daria fanfics that are worth resurrecting. The more good stuff, the merrier for us all. [NOTE: Please do not add good examples of Squickfic! Please! Eww!]

And if you can think of new Fanwork Conventions, new ways to think about fanfics that will increase our appreciation for what we are doing, go for it. I plan to add a page for Horror soon, with a subcategory for Zombiefics, which I think is long overdue now.

Party on, people.