The Witching Hour

That's about it. I can't find any more good Halloween stories. Time for you to write some more.


Have a great night and a better tomorrow. Ciao.

The Dead of the Night (man, I am so on a roll here, I love it)

Kevin is here to close out the evening (almost). Such a happy zombie. Does anyone have a good caption for this? Put your entry in Comments if you do.

I seem to have run out of things to write. No prob, I'm writing all this on Monday anyway. Hope your Halloween has been good.

Banging Out the Beat

Halloween parties should be in progress. Halloween's doing her best to keep things going. (We really, seriously, need more fan art of her. A hell of a lot more.)

The voice actor who did Halloween on "Depth Takes a Holiday" also did Claire Defoe. Click here for details.

Fanfics for the discriminating reader:

• "The Halloween Spirit"
  
• "Encounters of the Vampire Kind"
• "Padded Room of Terror"
• "Party Favors"
• "Daria the Vampire Slayer" (read before the next one)
• "Night of the Living Dead Townspeople"
• "Halloween Daria"

Also, an interesting picture of supermodel Daria Werbowy on Halloween. Not our Daria, but feisty nonetheless. Did I say feisty? Oh, man. The blogger is Czech.

Daria, in Her Natural State

I promised to use this one again, so here it is. Perfect. You could make a greeting card from this.

There was a Halloween-themed Iron Chef last year that produced some good stories. That was fun. You should check it out again.





LATE ADD: I was supposed to add something here to fill all this space, but I was handing out little pretzel bags to children who adamantly did not want little pretzel bags, they wanted chocolate. Ungrateful little ankle-biters. We're trying to save you little munchkins from the dentist, but do you care? Noooo.

More later.

Playing in the Cemetery

Technically speaking, any of the alter egos from Daria would count as Halloween costumes. I'm trying to focus on the horror-related ones here.

I believe it was the immortal Christ Oliver who first posted this image on PPMB, from one of the show retrospectives (forgot which one, maybe you know). Daria in a black bustier. You know, that's not bad at all. What does Jane have in her hands, by the way? I can't tell. Daria of course has a skull, bless her heart.

More fanfics to celebrate:

• "Bump in the Night" (I had to get this one in there. Also see this pic by Richard for added awesomeness.)
• "Halloween in Lawndale"
• Wouter's Halloween Comic
• "Headshrinkers"
• The Tanadaria Thread at Halloween Time (remember them?)
• "A Trick or Treat"
• "The Other" (Daria's birthday is today in this universe)
  
• "Pairings" (special guest: Lynn Cullen!)
  

More to come! Get the candy bowls ready!

Last-Minute Warning from Jake Morgendorffer

Turn on your speakers, then click here.

Clash of the Legal Titans

In a way, this one works for me, too. Helen is Medusa, from the great Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animated movie, Clash of the Titans. (See the relevant clip here. Pure awesomeness.) A full-size replica of that serpentine archer monster is shown here, from a recent ComicCon. (Ignore the wacky guys in the foreground. I don't know them.) The original movie model is here. A model kit of this figure was released by Geometric.

A lot of data, yeah, but this picture is sort of a sci-fi/horror/fantasy icon nowadays. Helen would have trouble dressing up like this, but it would be so cool if she did.

Oh, please, this is sooooo obvious.

No comment necessary.




Oh, right, have to name some fanfics for today:

• "Daria's Halloween Extravaganza"
• "Night of the Living Butt-head"
• "I Remember Halloween"
• "Death Takes a Holliday"
• "Liquid Diet" (got it!)
  
• "Herself, An Elf"
• "Trick or Treat" (with pic!)
• "A Trick or Treat II" (Legendeld's annual anthology of Halloween tales: "True Quinn," "Inner Demon," more to come)
  

Also, Legendeld has a great Halloween post on his blog. Worth seeing. We really, really need more fan art of this chick.

Moar kummin!

This One Actually Works for Me

Helen Morgendorffer as the Bride of Frankenstein, from the 1935 film of the same name. See these pictures for comparison. Awesome. That is one freaky chick, man.

I can see Helen dressing up like this for the office costume party. Guess what Jake would go as? Go ahead, guess. C'mon.

Wonder if anyone has done a Daria crossover with The Munsters or The Addams Family. Or with Young Frankenstein, which also had the Bride at the end.

Dawn of the Dead (Get It? Wasn't That Clever? I Love Myself)

Dawn does the Pumpkinhead routine at right. The earphones are a nice touch.

Someone once wrote a Daria fanfic about a pumpkin and dedicated it to me. You shouldn't have. But you did, so here it is!

Want other fanfics to read today? Go to Outpost Daria's brand-new Halloween story page! Most excellent! Then go here in Sh33p's Fluff and turn on the music. Lots of goodness (and badness) there, too.

You go, ghoul!

I Vant to Drink Your Bank Account!

Sandi Griffin as a vampire: that's no surprise. The image is a take-off on the 1992 movie, Bram Stoker's Dracula, which was parodied in "Aunt Nauseam." (Click this link and read the first few lines of the script.)

A good recent story in which Sandi "crosses over to the dark side" is NightGoblyn's "Swan Song." Nice and spooky, great plot twists. Another good one is Legendeld's "Breed." I'm sensing a theme here, heh heh heh.

Oh, I see that Sandi's on Outpost Daria, too. Cool. The more exposure, the better.

One Last Pumpkin Milkshake before She Goes to Work

Since today is Halloween (but we have many hours to go until Trick or Treat), here are some Halloween-themed stories to read in celebration. Feel free to suggest more in Comments.

• "Haunted"
  
• "Halloween Hellraiser"
• "Daria vs. the Lawndale Zombies"
• "Sea's Sorrow"
• "The Trick's the Treat"
• "Trick or Trent" (TLAS)
• "Always Beside You"
  

Enjoy. More to come today!

Guess What Today Is?

That's right! Skeleton on a Computer Day! Also know as Halloween. I am posting Halloween pix and news all day long here, just for fun. I might even say something worthwhile, but maybe not. This is sort of fun.

Here's a good story to read in the meantime: "The Journal of Daria Morgendorffer." It'll put you right in the mood.

Stay tuned.

OUTPOST DARIA HAS UPDATED!

Click the link and party hearty! Thanks, Martin!

CONTEST! Finish Trent's Unpublished Song!

Found the napkin-written lyrics to one of Trent Lane's never-before-seen songs, about summer. (Not his older sister, the season.) Click on the picture for the big version. Even has a new pic of Trent, too! And we know there's a Lawndale Diner as well.

CONTEST!

Using what Trent started with for lyrics, complete his song in the Comments section below!

Turn on your speakers and click here for a surprise!

Our Heroine, and Daria, too!

Let's see what's in the Sick, Sad Life Planner files. Here we have buttons you can add to your computer (or e-mail, or anything else Internetish) for Jane and wotzername. Notice how much bigger and nicer Jane's picture is. God bless America.

I didn't know this before, but the SSLP CD-Rom has video clips on it. I can't post them, but I can take high-quality screen caps from them. The SSLP also has a bazillion WAV files that I can't hear right now because I took the speakers off my computer. I'll plug in headphones later and see what's up.

Feel free to take any of the pix posted here and play with them like we do all the other Daria pix we have. This is something to give back to the community for all the fun you've given me all these years. Thank you, and stay tuned for more. Party on!

Exploring the Sick, Sad Life Planner: History Stuff!

Whoa. I called it! Didn't I call it? I did call it! Except I misspelled Orson Welles' name, but I fixed that already.

This SSLP apparently has an interesting fact for you every day, just like the DFB2 you've been reading for almost a year now. I called it, didn't I? I love me. [kiss kiss]

Still exploring the disk. Man, is there a lot of stuff here. This is a hoot. Wish I could use this on the Internet as the Daria Fandom Calendar, but I don't think that would work.

Oh, by the way, I have a special surprise for tomorrow. Make sure you click in early and often. Much holiday fun coming.

Guess What I Just Got in the Mail?

You know, it isn't very often that you get to lay eyes on new Daria art that also happens to be official. Thanks to awesome fan Medea42, who deserves your praise and adulation, I now have a copy of Daria's Sick, Sad Life Planner. And it has a lot of art that probably 99% of all Daria fans haven't seen, even though the CD-Rom was released in 1999.

This blog, which dove into the Internet Archives to bring you lost art and screenshots from as far back as the dawn of Daria, which explored Daria's one instance of actual murderous intent, which revealed the truth behind Amy Barksdale's boob-reduction job, which proved to the world that "I Loathe a Parade" contained subliminal images of penguin snuff porn, will now part the curtains of time once again and bring you (over the next few days or weeks) images of Daria art that may as well be brand new.

Hope you enjoy it.

Don't Get into Mischief Tonight

At left, a young, more potato-headed Daria reminds Butt-head and Beavis that if they want to go out to cause trouble tonight (it being Devil's Night, a.k.a. Mischief Night everywhere but Detroit), they should get a permit from the police first, which will guarantee the two wienerheads will spend the night causing no trouble at all.

Devil's Night, one of the anti-holidays, first appeared in this fanfic. She is Halloween's younger, more antisocial sister.

Tonight is the anniversary of Orson Welles' 1938 radio play, "The War of the Worlds," based on the SF novel by H.G. (no relation) Wells. Grover's Mill, N.J., will never be the same. (Remember the bit from that Buckaroo Bonzai movie? Beautiful.)

By the way, are you looking for a costume for tomorrow night? You might have all you need. Click here. Here are some examples of how this turns out: #1, #2, #3 (a bunch), #4, #5, #6 (whoa), #7, and we'll stop there. Peace out.

PPMB

• Babysitting, by Legendeld (Part 6): “Welcome to the American Civil Liberties Union, Mrs. Morgendorffer.”
  
• Daylight: When the Ball Dropped, by Disco316 (Part 11): “Don’t let them find me like this.”
• Morgan V Morgendorffer, by Psychotol (COMPLETE!): Two serial killers go to war. A violent Daria/Dexter crossover. (FF.net) *
  
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): "Hear anything interesting over the grapevine?"

SFMB

• Schizim, by Gum Wars (Part 1): "A story that takes place in the past, present and future!"

* Contains mature content. Hang on.

Forsooth & Five-sooth! Get Thee Hence & Get Thyself Published!

Time for some good news.

I've been corresponding with some of the webmasters/webmistresses of Daria sites that have gone dormant for a while, and some of them could be coming back. That being the case, there is ample opportunity to get your fanfiction and fan art out and about on the Internet. Redundant postings are best, as we have already discovered, so if one website goes down, your work is still immortalized for future generations of ner--um, fans.

Here is a rundown on which sites are now or will be accepting submissions, with links or information on their guidelines. I will avoid publishing e-mail addresses for anti-spam reasons, but you can find their e-mails on the relevant pages.

The Daria Shrine
Robin said she may be able to reopen the site after the end of the year. Get your stories in beforehand, if possible. Click on the "Fanfic & Fan Art" button in the frames version or go to this page (to the bottom) for details on sending stuff in.

Dariaverse.com
Now accepting stories, art is possible. Format: HTM or HTML, so they are easy to upload. This means you can tinker with colors and stuff, which is fun. Address is at the website, front page. Because the DAYLIGHT page is hosted here, definitely consider sending all stories set in this shared universe!

Fanfiction.net
Now accepting stories only. You need to have an account and log in. I believe this site still takes only text files, nothing fancy, no links or scripts allowed. I haven't posted there in a while, so someone else can correct me. Site is here.

Lawndale Sun-Herald
Eccles is considering reopening the site. If you have art or stories to send in, go to this page for information on how to do it.

Lawndale Online
Always open for self-submitted fanfiction and art. Read the submission guidelines, then go to the fanfiction submissions page or the fan art submissions page.

Outpost Daria
Open for fanfics and fan art. Read the fanfiction submissions rules and, if needed, the page about Converting MS Word Documents to Plain Text or HTML. Also read the artwork submissions rules.

Sick, Sad World
Wraith is also thinking about reopening this site for submissions. See the fanfiction submissions rules and/or the fan art submissions rules.

If you have your stories already posted in your own website, fixed up the way you like them, you can still send the links to your stories (each with a title and synopsis, please) to many of the above sites, which will happily link to them in order to save bandwidth. Plus, if you're like me and constantly re-edit and fiddle with your stories, you won't drive the webmasters insane. Also, if you can track the number of hits your stories get, you can see which ones are most popular, which websites garner the most attention for your work, etc. Big fun for your ego!

Let's get this mother off the ground! Go, go, GO!

To Heck with Everyone!

For reasons unknown, today has been declared to be Hermit Day, which would suit Daria just fine. Her glowering image at right is from "Citizen Butt-head."

Two years ago, today was Wonder Woman Day in Oregon, but apparently that's not happening anymore.

John Glenn went back into space 10 years ago today. Talk about "retirement by rocket." I saw him take off for space BOTH times!

The DC Daria thread on PPMB has great artwork showing Daria cast as superheroes and supervillains.

I am totally disappointed that no one is going to read some Daria-related slash on FF.net (top two stories). What's the matter with you people? Why don't you support Our Heroine's best friends? It could change your life. You have only yourselves to blame for missing out.

How are you spending your Hermit Day?


FF.net

• Which Lane Is the Right Lane? by Lord of Fluff (Part 1): It was a dark and stormy night when Daria reached the Lanes' house and met...

PPMB

• Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, by Kristen Bealer (part 12): Did you ever see this huge accident just before it happened, and there was nothing you could do to stop it but you couldn't look away from it anyway? That was cool, wasn't it? Hang on for this one.
• Daylight: Ashes and Kisses, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): Whoa, I think the only time that particular pairing came up was in one of the scenes-that-should-not-be threads! Whoa! Anyway, forget that and read the story.
  
• Daylight: When the Ball Dropped, by Disco316 (Part 10): “I don’t remember passing by the school.” “Do you remember the crater three blocks back?”
• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Looks like Daria's in some kind of fraternity ritual. Thank God for cobras.

LATE ADD: New Iron Chef up on PPMB: What Did You Do in the War, Mommy?

Jane Stands Up for America

This is the 122nd birthday of the Statue of Liberty, no kidding, and let us again say Thank You! to France for the gift that kept on giving. This is one of my favorite alter egos of all time, maybe my #1 favorite.

I'll add news and fanfics here as the day goes on. Looks like I will be home for a while longer.

Brother Grimace is working away on DariaWiki. Latest addition: Training Cadre 3011.

Those of you who have long felt that our fandom should be more inclusive by having male slash stories will be heartened to know that the problem has been resolved at this link. What happens when you read this is not (repeat, not) my fault. I'm only the messenger.


PPMB

• Daylight: Science Abuse, by psychotol (COMPLETE!): A British "blow stuff up" science show, Sky One's Brainiac: Science Abuse, takes on a coronal mass ejection.

Are You in the Amy Army?

Rita Pietropinto Kitt, who voiced the snarky aunt Amy Barksdale on Daria, was married on this day eight years ago. She actually has an address for fan mail, so if you want to send her our regards, please do. (Amy Barksdale was married on September 8, 2001, of course.)

According to some mythologies, today is National Chocolate Day, but there seem to be quite a few of them. What the heck, celebrate anyway. Pig out.

This date figures in two different fanfics: Mystik Slacker's "The Journal of Daria Morgendorffer," and Sam Lincoln's "The Space Between." Check 'em out. LATE NOTE: Also a good time to read "Bump in the Night." (sorry, Richard!)

Bill Gates was born today only 53 years ago. I'm older than he is. Huh. How come he's rich and I'm not? Where's my sixty trillion bazillion dollars? Jeez. I use Windows because people who use Linux and Macs are chocolate-hating terrorists from the center of the Earth.

The oldest institution of higher learning in the New World was founded in the Dominican Republic 470 years ago on this day. Daria would like to know that.

And the Alaskan-Canadian Highway was completed on this day 66 years ago. In theory you can drive from Alaska to Argentina now, which I am sure Daria, the driving wus, would never do.

Latest addition to DariaWiki: Lilian Kressley. Thank you, Brother Grimace.


SPECIAL NOTE: It's not too late to do a fanfic for this thread! Hurry up!

A Clean Sweep

My computer is working much better now, at least. Amazing. Kind of a lucky disaster after all. I posted Trent here as a symbol of my "clean sweep." (Actually, the computer did the clean sweep, I just rebuilt it. Sort of like blowing up your house to clean the chimney, I guess. And don't start in on me about Windows. People who use Macs and Linux are Communists and hate America.)

Daria, Butt-head, and a few other characters appeared in Fortune magazine eleven years ago today. The picture of them (on Outpost Daria) is quite amusing. Daria is reading a book, of course.

I'll post new fanfic here soon. Still home recovering, sort of let things get away from me.

LATER: Had to fix a few more problems. Up and running again.

An improved front page for DAYLIGHT is up at Dariaverse.com. Thank you, LSauchelli!

Richard Lobinske offers up a story bunny from "The Lost Girls" on PPMB.

Legendeld wants to know how your personal writing goals have gone for the year so far. Give him a note.

Great new art: Two-Face DeMartino, by DariaPhantom (a.k.a. DrZoidSpock). Big fun! Comments and praise go here.


FF.net

• Jurisdiction, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): Robert Nelson meets... nah, I won't give it away. :)
• The Quinn Show, by Disco316 (COMPLETE!): Daria meets The Truman Show, and reality does a complete meltdown!
• Size Does Matter, by HawkingRadiation (a.k.a. BlackHole): Chapter 4 freshly installed in this long-running AU series.

PPMB

• Babysitting, by Legendeld (Part 5): “I take it we have a new development,” Helen said, knowing the news wasn’t going to please her.
• Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, by Kristen Bealer (Parts 10 and 11): Jane rolled her eyes. "Looks like Upchuck found out about the webcam." (Chapter 11 is a prelude to world-ending disaster!)
  
• Daylight: Ashes and Kisses, by Legendeld (Part 7): “Jamie White, you are accused of killing a breeding stock cow. What do you have to say for yourself?”
• Daylight: Paying Off Old Debts, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Rufus, the naked mole-rat, was in despair. Middleton was in flames, the population was decimated.
• Daylight: Return to Daylight, by Legendeld (Part 1): Daria Morgendorffer grasped her best friend’s hand as they stared into the event horizon. Her friend squeezed back slightly as the soldiers started calling for people to move through.
• Daylight: When the Ball Dropped, by Disco316 (Parts 6, 7, 8, and 9): "I love you, Charles Ruttheimer." “Rrrr, feisty!” Then things go downhill.
  
• Farmyard Funnies, by Deref (COMPLETE!): Our long national nightmare is over! Hallejuah!
• John Lane 37: Chrysalis, by Richard Lobinske (Part 1): [Everybody say it at once!] NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS!
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): "I'll bet the sunset is beautiful out on the open sea." "You know it," Skylar said. "Maybe I'll have you out there sometime." Over my dead body, Jane thought.

Fallout Is Forever

Forty-six years ago, in an alternate universe, things went terribly wrong. Good thing it wasn't our universe.

On the good side, 35 years ago today smallpox is considered to have been destroyed forever, so at least we did something right as a species.

This is the day when the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurred, leading of course to the Okay to Cry Corral in Is It Fall Yet? and a fanfic about Doc Holliday.

More soon.

All That Glitters...

Glitter Berries updated for the last time one year ago today. Alas.

Part of a story about "snowflakes" takes part on this day 11 years ago. Peter Guerin completed an essay entitled "Cynicism Is Painless" on this date six years ago.

I am still working on my computer after the crash on Friday morning. It will take a while before I post a lot of interesting stuff (if I ever did), so please be patient and hang in there.

Over the Falls in a Barrel? Why Not?

The image at right appears to show the aftereffects of the current financial crisis, but it's much funnier than that. A mere 107 years ago, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over Niagara Falls inside a barrel. I've been to Niagara Falls, and in my humble opinion a person would have to be insane to even consider such a thing, but Ms. Taylor (a 63-year-old schoolteacher) said what the heck, and sprang into immortal legend. Not that I am recommending anyone else do this. Seriously.

At Holiday Island High, today is the special day for the teen known as United Nations Day, and it is also the day for Maladay, but I am darned if I can figure out what that's supposed to commemorate. The Great Depression of 1929 began today, too (again tying in nicely with today's financial crisis and Jake's barrel). Black Thursday (in 1929) was mentioned in a fanfic by C.E. Forman.

In the good news column, the Daria Fandom Calendar is slowly coming together. Thanks to Derek for the clues to make it work. Read about it here.

Hope your day is a good (and profitable) one.


PPMB

• Babysitting, by Legendeld (Part 4): “It is not freaking okay! I broke her baby!”
• Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, by Kristen Bealer (part 9): Oh, I can only see evil horrible things coming from this. I hope.
  
• But Why? by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): “Wow, you're praising your sister and buying pizza. I think I hear the thundering hoofs of the Horsemen.”
• Daylight: Ashes and Kisses, by Legendeld (Part 6): “I’m so jealous of you, Quinn," said Brittany. "I’m stuck with a stupid husband who can’t stop whining about us not communicating. And what kind of name is Wind? I’m never going to forgive you for saving him, Jane.” “He’s my brother, I had to.”
• Daylight: When the Ball Dropped, by Disco316 (Parts 2, 3, and 4): Upchuck raised his now-full glass. “To the end of the world; may it not come too soon.”
• End of the Line, by Legendeld (COMPLETE!): “Little girl sleeps in a rift. A sleeping nexus shapes.”
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Let Vengeance Ring, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): Sick to her stomach over what she had to do, Daria knelt and said, "I'm sorry."

Juggling Things

Odds and ends...

The image of Jodie at right is one of a surprising number of circus-type alter egos at the MTV website. The artists must have played around with a theme there.

Dr. Mike wants some feedback about what should be done with a domain he has: daria.be (Belgium). Anyone have ideas? Post to his blog at the link.

On PPMB, Legendeld brought up a curious trial going on in Britain about a man being charged with writing obscenity, when he wrote a real-person fanfic (with some sex in it, I would guess). Interesting. Wouldn't hurt to follow that news.

A woman in Japan was also arrested for "killing" a fictional character, and you will have to read the whole story to understand what went on. I believe she was really arrested for illegal computer use (hacking), but there will be more on that story, I am sure. Can we be imprisoned for killing imaginary people? That trial in Britain makes me wonder. Oh, what the heck. Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Oh, and I saw that today is like the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Smurfs. I... don't think we need to celebrate that, although there have been Daria/Smurf crossovers. Pass.

"Thou Shalt NOT, Kevin!"

That's right, today is planet Earth's 6,012th birthday, according to Archbishop James Ussher (not the same Usher with the problematic house in that other story), who sat down and counted them all out. And isn't it appropriate that today is also the birthday of none other than "Weird Al" Yankovic, and let's all yell "Hallelujah!" for that.

Speaking of birthdays, it was noted in Chicken Soup for the Butt (later collected as part of the megavolume, Reading Sucks, which I have with me right now) that Daria is a Scorpio. Today is the first day of the Scorpio part of the zodiac, so her birthday is sometime between now and November 21st. Happy Birthday, Daria. (Gettin' close to 30?) Now if we only knew when Jane's birthday was, we would be happy.

For the chemically inclined, today is also Mole Day (gotta have a nerd holiday in there somewhere). Finally, six years ago today, the online comic Mall Monkeys had some special guests. Enjoy.

LATE NEWS: I'm posting fanfic updates in tomorrow's message.

I have also received reliable word that some of the fanfiction supersites that went dormant a while ago will be open for business again before long. More on this later (with details).

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut...

If I told you today was both National Nut Day and the 88th anniversary of the birth of LSD advocate Dr. Timothy Leary (for whom the Yeagers' German shepherds were named), you would probably believe me, and that's good because it's true. You can celebrate National Nut Day by clicking here and getting some ideas, but frankly it's okay with me if you only pet a dog for Dr. Leary's birthday and not, you know, take drugs or stuff. Dr. Leary is buried in Earth orbit. Seriously. Anyone remember the Moody Blues' song about him? Anyone remember Dr. Leary talking with dolphins, or trying to? They don't talk much. Oh, and superstar Jeff ("Must Go Faster!") Goldblum is 56 today, being one of my favorite actors up there with Will Smith.

More stuff soon. Must go faster.

PPMB

• Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, by Kristen Bealer (Part 8): The look on Brittany's face was unreadable, but it made Daria feel strangely nervous.
  
• But Why? by Legendeld (Part 1): “Leave me alone!” Daria cried out as she inched closer to the edge of Lawndale High School’s roof.
• Daylight: When the Ball Dropped, by Disco316 (Part 1): “Okay," said Stacy, "so if I have this straight, I spend the night with you in your fallout shelter. If anything happens, we’re safe, and we don’t die virgins."
• The Other Side of Time: Unfinished Business, by The Sidhe (continued): Bad news travels VERY quickly.
• Snuff the Rooster, by Cypher (continued): “Wet Willie!”
• Two Halves, by Dark Kuno (Part 2): "Careful,” warned Daria. “That scrunchy might be loaded."

This Just In....

Almost forgot:

The very first Daria VHS compilation came out 11 years ago today on the nose. Tah-dah!

Brother Grimace is updating the entry on Defender Rings on DariaWiki.

FF.net

• Daria: College Pains, by James the Lesser (Part 13): Daria wakes up on the floor of her room. “What the hell happened?”
• Size Does Matter, by HawkingRadiation (a.k.a. BlackHole): Up to chapter 3 in the update.
  

Fortress CINCGREEN

• Data Dump, by CINCGREEN (Part 9): Just read it and soak in the awesomeness. 'Nuff said.

PPMB

• Stacy Rowe, Seeker (Part II), by jtranser (continued): Meanwhile, back in Alternate Lawndale at B-D's Android Repair....

LA-la Land

This was an interesting webpage. While tramping through the vintage where archive.org was stored, I rediscovered part of Michelle Klein-Hass's old msgeek.com website, and stopped at this page, which is the introduction to a story series she wrote. This was written before "Lane Miserables" aired, so you see how things evolved without further knowledge of what was planned for the Lanes. Very interesting take on the Lane family's history, current wealth, members, and location (for Lawndale). Thought you might like to see this.

The Man Who Gave Us Bebop

Although the MTV website did not identify this alter ego as such, this is Mack Mackenzie posing as famed jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. (I thought that bent trumpet looked familiar.) Today is the 91st anniversary of Dizzy's birthday. Play some bebop jazz to celebrate.

This is also the 79th birthday of world-famous SF/fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin, who is quoted at the start of this fanfic. I read loads of her stuff when I was younger. Maybe Daria did, too.

This is also Apple Day. No, really. Look it up. This is the Holiday Island High kid who thinks he/she was cheated out of a better holiday theme by everyone else (i.e., Apple Day has become a "bad apple.")

Remember the jazz.

And the second oldest Daria website is found!

Again, while putzing around at home, I discovered an interesting site that appears to be the second oldest Daria site archived. This version of Alex's Daria Homepage was last updated on April 18, 1997, just a few days after "The Lab Brat" and five days after the other oldest known Daria site. The designer might also have created the oldest known Daria website theme stuff (see text on webpage).

Internet archaeology is a tough job, but someone's gotta do it.

In other news, I missed a few anniversaries for the fandom. PPMB is 9 years and one week old today, having been created October 13, 1999. Sh33p's Fluff MB is 5 years, 2 weeks, and one day old (October 5, 2003). It was about a year ago that the Comedy Central show Drawn Together showed Daria with a nail stuck in her eye (eww). Sarah Drew (a.k.a. the voice of Stacy Rowe) was born October 1, 1980. MTV Animation closed on October 9, 2001. I promise to get these right next year, more or less. Sorry about that.

P.S. Oh, forgot one: Artie shoots Angier Sloane two years from now with an alien weapon. That's about it.

P.S.S. LATE-BREAKING BULLETIN! Kara Wild has discovered more news about Glenn Eichler's latest project! Click and read! AND THANK YOU, DEREF AND S.C.!! (in addition to Kara)

Spot the Future Conservative!

Okay, so long as it is Daria fan Michelle Malkin's birthday, let's play a game: Spot the Future Conservative. Name the Daria cast member (under the age of 20) that you think is most likely to become a political conservative in the future. You must offer in-canon evidence to support your choice.

To start off, I pick Jodie Abigail Landon. She's intensely interested in business and politics, and her wealthy and inventive father has expressed views (in "Gifted," particularly, in mentioning "welfare cheats") that strike one as conservative. That alter ego of her at the end of Is It College Yet? that shows her as a successful businesswoman tips the scale. She might have some liberal social views as an adult, but I think she'll be a Republican by age 30.

Your turn! (I have to do something while I'm home sick. You may as well play along, too.)


PPMB

• Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, by Kristen Bealer (Part 7): "Daria? Are you doing anything this Saturday?" [Hang on, here it comes.]
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Pandora, by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): “What the hell happened to my scout?” Valkyrie asked, glaring across Mike Mackenzie’s bed at the attending physician.

Oldest Known Daria Site Discovered!

In the process of hunting for Planet Daria, I happened to discover by complete accident the oldest known archived copy of the MTV Daria website, dating from April 13, 1997 (the day just before "The Lab Rat" aired). If you want to have a look at it and click the links, here it is. You have to wait a little for the pictures to load, but they will (sometimes). Anyone remember this from 11.5 years ago?

Before now, the oldest site I could find was from October 1997. Here's a link to a saved copy of the central picture at left, just for fun.

Party on!

Hunting for Planet Daria

Last night, sitting at home with yet another head cold, I decided to try one more time to find an ancient copy of the legendary Planet Daria website. I used the WayBack Machine at archive.org and Google's 2001 archive searcher. And I found it (see pic at right). In other words, there was nothing there except an apology from the former webmistress, Rowena Stubbs. How could a site that was so popular disappear so completely, even from the archives?

Now, as I understand it, Planet Daria existed for only two years (1997-1998), but in that time it was outrageously famous. Every single link to it that I can find on other people's ancient websites praises it to the skies as the best possible Daria fansite. (This was before Outpost Daria, of course.) About 1998 or so, a 14-year-old girl named Starr reviewed Planet Daria for a website called SmartGirl.com and described it in some detail (click here or here). Another source says it had episodes, song lists, sounds, pictures, postcards, "etc., etc." A rating system was also available for stories.

The curious thing is, of all the links I've found to the old Planet Daria (not the Australian blog of the same name), it's rare to find any two that are alike. Here are some of the web addresses I've uncovered that supposedly went to Planet Daria:

• http://freemall.com/daria/
• http://home.earthlink.net/~arowena/daria/
• http://welcome.to/daria
• http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/4517/
• http://www.geocities.com/~planetdaria/
• http://www.opni.com/~rowena/daria/
• http://www.opni.com/~rowena/daria.html
• http://www.the-wall.net/~daria/
• http://www.the-wall.net/~daria/main1.html
• http://www.the-wall.net/~daria/main2.html
• http://www.the-wall.net/~daria/guide/guide.html
• http://www.the-wall.net/~daria/l1.html

All this from 1997-1998? Many of these pages (retrieved using the WayBack Machine) have the same apology for not keeping up the site, so I guess it's the same place.

One of those addresses (http://welcome.to/daria) was also used by a site called The Daria Craze (ex-Low Self Esteem) in April 1999. (Click here and remember to enter your name!) At the top of the screen, however, are the words "Planet Daria." What's up with that?

Did anyone save anything from Planet Daria, like the logo or comments or anything? I know Outpost Daria has much of Planet Daria's content (thank God), but what about stuff showing what the site actually looked like. Anyone save a page from there? Anyone know why there are so many addresses for Planet Daria? Was there more than one?

Chat about this if you would. Wish I'd gotten into watching Daria a lot earlier.

(P.S. I've added a LOT more ancient websites to the "Blast from the Past" section at the bottom of the left column. Enjoy your stroll down Memory Lane, old-timers.)

Daria: A Political Pickle

Among Daria's legion of fans is Michelle Malkin, a conservative political blogger and columnist who is only slightly (.01 mm) to the left of Ann Coulter in her outlook. Today is Mrs. Malkin's 38th birthday, and it seemed appropriate to pause for a moment and ask: how in the world did she become a Daria fan? I ask only because, in the TV series, Daria Morgendorffer generally espouses liberal views when she isn't being rude or sarcastic. Daria has never expressed a preference for any political party, but she is an agnostic and disrespects authority in every conceivable nonviolent way. (See this entry in DariaWiki for details; feel free to add some details as well.)

Michelle Malkin isn't alone, of course. There are a number of political conservatives who like Daria. They post their comments on PPMB and SFMB all the time. Mrs. Malkin herself said, "I admit to being a fan of the [MTV] network's dour cartoon comedy, 'Daria.' ...But the channel's main fare is a corrosive, constant, and instantly accessible mix of sex, drugs, violence, and vulgarity laced with hypocritical political correctness." Interestingly, you could say Daria doesn't like any of those things, either (unless maybe it's on Sick, Sad World).

Think for a moment, though. What kind of people get parodied on Daria? Tim O'Neill, the squishy New Age emotional teacher. Janet Barch, the man-hating feminist. Incompetent "butterfly" parent Amanda Lane. Helen and Jake Morgendorffer, the ex-hippie radicals who once marched on the Pentagon but now are wedded to The System in a bizarre manner. (Helen the corporate lawyer? Jake the corporate adviser?) Yes, true, there's right-wing autocrat Ms. Li, who gives a thumbs-up to George W. Bush and supports capital punishment, but most of the targets in the series, you could argue, are liberals. Look back at Beavis and Butt-head: wasn't Mr. Van Driessen singing "Lesbian Seagull" pretty silly, too? And there was the way Daria framed her question to President Clinton in the Beavis and Butt-head episode, "Citizen Butt-head." Not an automatic Friend of Bill, methinks.

It takes some thought, but you can understand why Daria's disdain for her world has such appeal for people across the political spectrum. In her own curious way, she's everyone's icon and no one's friend. Only someone like Daria could pull that off.

Comments? Post them either here or on DariaWiki at the link above.

Greystar's "Preemptive Strike" was finished five years ago today. The first part of "Mystik Spiral's Lonely Lawndale Band" begins seven years ago today. The freshest DariaWiki entry is one on black sunlight (go, Jane!). Enjoy.

Here's Your Week!

A curious twist of fate has made the weekly planners of each of the Morgendorffers unusually accurate this year. Today is October 19th, a Sunday, and that's exactly when the planners shown in The Daria Diaries begin. Richard Lobinske has some comments on this in his chronology essay here, pointing out that the year 1997 also matched these dates. Click on the pic to get the larger (more readable) view.

Curiously, Daria talks about reserving her place at a "Bigfoot convention" on Monday, and it was today 41 years ago when a movie was allegedly taken of a Bigfoot. The film has since proven to be a hoax, but it was fun while it lasted. Say, why hasn't more been done with the Bigfoot idea here? (Nudge, nudge.)

Trey Parker, one of the creators of South Park, turns 39 today.

The list of 2008 visual fanworks has been updated. (SFMB here.) Thank you, Richard Lobinske!

Newest DariaWiki page: Wyatt.


PPMB

• Babysitting, by Legendeld (Part 3): “No!” Quinn almost laughed. “I can safely say that Sandi is not gay.”
• Daria: College Pains, by James the Lesser (Part 12): NEW ADDITION! At first Daria told herself it was just a one time thing, but she liked how she felt when high. [This saga began in November 2006 and has just been updated. Read and review!]
• Daylight: Ashes and Kisses, by legendeld (Part 5): A survivor finds his way to the colony—but can he be trusted?
  
• Daylight: When Worlds Divide, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 2): The auburn-haired girl pointed at the yellow sky. "See that? That means it's the end of the world as we know it. Our house isn't safe anymore. Whatever killed Mom and Dad is the least of our problems right now."
• Dealing with the Real World, by magnuskrauss (Intermission): This is getting very creepy (in a good way).
  
• End of the Line, by Legendeld (Parts 8 and 9): “So, how did we do?” “Great. You took out ten highly trained DELPHI SABRE troops and four metahumans in less than... six minutes.” “Do we get a cookie?”
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Let Vengeance Ring, by Richard Lobinske (Parts 10 and 11): Daria said, "You look nervous." "Gee," Jane said, "we're about to head off, just the two of us, to stop one of the biggest badasses in the Multiverse and if we succeed, I have to try to fool his evil minions while you go off and do some twisty-turny time games so that he doesn't exist. Can't imagine why I might be nervous."
  

When Daria Met Bill

It was fifteen years ago today that the Beavis and Butt-head episode "Citizen Butt-head" aired, and Daria Morgendorffer got to meet President Bill Clinton and ask him a question (and almost got an answer). An excellent video of this encounter is at the above link, at least for the moment. Daria has some marvelous reaction shots and double-takes that have to be seen to be believed. The bored look on her face when the President is talking is great, but when Butt-head takes her microphone—ouch! A look that should have killed! And the Secret Service is in rare form, too (pity about Principal McVicker). Commentary appears here. Daria looks like such a little kid. Wonder if being short made her kinda mean. Interesting outfit she has on, too. Click on the pix for larger versions.

In some parts of this great nation it is Alaska Day. There was a story once in which Jane Lane went to Alaska to get away from it all (Wouter's "Trouble Walking: White Out"). Alaska Day must be the kid at Holiday Island High who wears a plaid coat and earmuffs.

Latest entry at DariaWiki: Storytime, from Doggieboy.

PPMB

• Babysitting, by Legendeld (Part 2): The saga is apparently not complete, so get ready for more time with Quinn's new girlfriend and kid-in-tow.
  
• Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, by Kristen Bealer (Parts 5 and 6): Huh, thought Daria as she looked at her father. I haven't seen him turn that color since he mistook wasabi for guacamole.
  
• The Cynic and the Defender, by Doggieboy (Part 10): “Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.”
• Daylight: Ashes and Kisses, by Legendeld (Part 4): The skeleton still leaned against a burned-out car. “Hey, Dad,” Daria said as she carefully sat down to rest.
  
• Daylight: The Fugitives, by Disco316 (COMPLETE!): The music must go on, and so must Max Tyler.
• Daylight: A Good Deed Repaid, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Claire Defoe ambled down the hall to the bedroom she and her soon-to-be husband, Anthony DeMartino, had only begun to share six months ago.
• Daylight/LLH: Bird With Black Wings, by Roentgen and Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): They saw nothing for the longest period of time, except burnt cars that were destroyed during the Zero Hour carnage. Then, they saw what Sandi was taking about. Bodies.
  
• Daylight/LLH: Palmed Cards, by Gouka Ryuu (Part 1): They’re afraid. There is more to this than we know. This is not good.
• Daylight: Wagon Train to the Stars, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): “Never sleep with someone in your training cadre if you both get drunk off fermented fruit juice you find while you're trapped in a supply bunker for a few days during a freak snowstorm in Antarctica—and you’ve both taken big doses of ‘flush’ beforehand." [Left out the penguins.]
  
• Daylight: When Worlds Divide, by Lorenzo Sauchelli (Part 1): "There's a blackout!" yelled Quinn. "My hair dryer is toasted and mom and dad won't wake up!"
  
• End of the Line, by Legendeld (Part 7): Jane and Helen both committed suicide, Jake had a heart attack, Trent ODed and Quinn was killed in a car accident. Only one left was Daria and apparently she was crazy.
  
• Farmyard Funnies, by Deref (Part 5): This is not going to end well, I can see that already.
• Origins of the Ringbearers: Pandora, by NightGoblyn (Parts 4 and 5): “I have not been using esoteric mind control techniques on my husband,” Daria muttered. “The traditional female methods have sufficed so far.” [Prequel section added.]
  
• The Quinn Show, by Disco316 (COMPLETE!): Stacy smiled. “If there were any witnesses, we would have to take you alive. Now, if you don’t survive, I won’t get in trouble.”
• Turnabout Confusion Part II: All The King's Horses, by Dennis (continued): Jodie had been particularly harsh to Quinn, calling her all sorts of names, the nicest of which was conniving bitch.
• Unnamed story, by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): A Halloween story with some bite.