Rrrrrrr.... Feisty!

Today is the 32nd birthday of Geoffrey Arend, who gave voice to Charles Ruttheimer III in Daria. Thank you, man! I think the image at left is supposed to be Upchuck as "Eraserhead" (bad pun, but good enough for us). Three voice samples are hidden in the above paragraph, all from Mr. Arend.

Speaking of eraserheads, today is the 71st anniversary of the discovery of "Dord." I won't explain it, you'll have to look this one up. It's great.

Just because everyone in this fandom knows his artwork, we celebrate the 190th birthday of Sir John Tenniel, who draw those images of Alice in Wonderland we grew up loving. Thanks, man!

NEW! Richard Lobinske has expanded the list of 2010 Daria fan art once again!

Breaking News

If you know of any Daria fans in southern South America, please contact them NOW. There has been a severe earthquake in Chile with widespread damage. Check on your friends as soon as possible.

LATE ADD: PPMB thread on the disaster, with fans reporting in.

The Big 3-0

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Hillary and Bill, turns 30 today. It is not commonly known (or recalled) that she had a bit part as an animated character in Beavis and Butt-head Do America, when Butt-head accidentally barged into her room at the White House. He made what he thought was a suave, smooth advance on her...

...and she threw him through the second story window into the bushes (defenestration, our word of the day). Butt-head was suitably impressed. The image at right shows Chelsea's expression just seconds before Butt-head went flying. In cartoon years, she would have been 16-17 at the time. (B&BDA came out in December 1996.) Ms. Clinton, martial arts and all, is thus an integral part of the core Daria universe. Deal with it.

Interestingly, Chelsea has appeared in other comic/cartoon media. Off the top of my head (as I recall reading this particular episode), she appeared (off-screen) in the right-leaning comic strip Mallard Fillmore, when Bill and Hillary had a fit because Chelsea was showing signs of becoming a conservative. This proved to be wishful thinking on the part of the cartoonist.

ART!

• Once again, Pinhead brain-bleaches the fandom with "Crackers and Cheese," but also does marvelous Stacy sketches.

FF.net

• NEWER! Undefeated, by LadieT (COMPLETE!): Jane poured herself a cup of coffee. She sat back down on the couch and stared at Daria and her's wedding photo. The smile on Daria's face showed her true love for Jane. It was a smile that Daria still flashed five years later--until that night two months ago. That night, Daria's smile died.

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• NEW! collar, by Jim North (continued): She loved her job, and she dearly loved Stacy, but sometimes they could both be a pain to keep in line. Work, of course, was a stress relatable to just about anybody, but the duties and responsibilities inherent in being a Dominant were a special set of troubles all their own. Of all the people outside the scene who knew about her arrangement with Stacy, very few seemed to understand the pressures of command, the demands of the sub and the sacrifices required of the Dom. (SFMB)
  
• NEW! Daria: Hunter—Infectious, by Jim North (Part 1): "The little bitch knew we were going down," Jodie growled. "She knew, and she didn't tell us. Some partner she turned out to be. I wish we did know who she was, just so you could arrest her and I could get my hands around her skinny little neck!" "Does the doctor have a skinny little neck?" Smythe asked, getting the expected glare for an answer. "Are there any physical traits at all that you can remember? Any scars, tattoos, peculiar items of clothing?" Mack shook his head ruefully. "Agent Smythe, you could be the doctor for all we know!" he said, exasperated. "Hell, I could be the doctor!"
  
• NEW! The Dream of the White Darkness, by jtranser (continued): Daria turned to face Quinn and ask if she was ready to go. She took one step back and her whole world disintegrated. As she fell through the cleverly disguised canvas sheet covering the bottomless pit, she could hear Quinn shouting: 'Don't go there, Daria! It's a TARP!'
• NEW! Falling into College 72: Valley of Love and Delight, by RLobinske (Part 10): "I'm going to Paris and Rome." The attendant grinned. "I'm sure your cat would appreciate the sights." "Yeah, and after spending the flight in the cargo hold with the other pets, she'll appreciate gouging my eyes out."
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 34: A Few Cans of Soda, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 2): There weren’t any soda machines in the classroom, thank goodness, but things really started to change when Finn hit practice. There were brand new helmets for each of the students. “Great!” Jamie smiled as he put his new helmet on. “And the towels they gave us are actually halfway-decent.” Finn answered. Normally, the towels supplied to the students smelled like the bad end of a pig covered in mud. “And the scoreboard, did you check that out?” [NEW! Part 3 here!]
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Roentgen (Part 9): As the class emptied out, Elsie said, "Daria, some bad, bad news. My parents have found out about our relationship and I can't hide it any longer. The secret is out. They know everything." "You mean...? "Yes," said Elsie. "They have invited you to dinner."
  
• In Silence Sarcastic, by Trscroggs (continued): When Daria was finished draining the glass of water, she noticed that Jodie had raised her eyebrows and seemed to be staring at her chest. Daria raised her own eyebrows as she matched Jodie’s expression. After a few seconds, Daria began to redden, and finally broke down and looked down at her chest. Finding nothing out of place, she raised a hand and signed, “What?” to Jodie. “I didn’t take you as a fan of Tweety,” Jodie said, gesturing at Daria’s t-shirt, which had a picture of the bright yellow cartoon bird on it.
• Personable Computers, by Trscroggs (Part 1): As an only child, Quinn Morgendorffer was used to getting what she wanted. When she was 14 and living in Highland she asked her parents for her own Personcom. One day, her father came home with a little laptop sized Personcom. Quinn’s father had recommended she name the little machine Daria. Quinn isn’t sure where her father got Daria, but the tiny little computer he got her was not exactly what she had in mind. (Daria/Chobits)
• NEW! Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Ravynstone (Part 1): Afterward, Daria was never sure exactly how it happened. One minute, they were in Tom’s car, coming back from some imminently forgettable movie, and the next they were crashing through tropical undergrowth. (Daria/Land of the Lost)
  
• Upchuck's Nightmare, by Doggieboy (Part 2 preview): "I don't like this," Scarlett said as she and Daria walked back towards the Lane house. "It seems too quiet."

The Sap of "Sappy Anniversary"?

Noak Barkman, a figure who rarely appears in Daria fanfiction, the whiz kid of Buzzdome-dot-com in "Sappy Anniversary." A smart entrepreneur or another washout when the dot-com bubble burst? More fanfiction would help decide the issue. "Sappy Anniversary" debuted nine years ago today on MTV.

Famous, relevant birthdays today: Tex Avery, who lifted the animated medium to new heights, was born 102 years ago; and Levi Strauss, who gave us blue jeans (so Daria had something to wear in "Road Worrier") appeared 181 years ago. Well done.

Kemical Reaxion is back! And she's unveiled a great new version of Quinn, drawn in the style of a famous 20th-century pop artist. See if the image looks vaguely familiar...

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• Falling into College 72: Valley of Love and Delight, by RLobinske (Part 9): While Quinn and Jake were looking around the store, Jane was pleasantly surprised to hear the door open for another customer. She was more surprised to see who was there. "Tom Sloane?" "Jane Lane," he said, walking in and letting the door close. I heard through the grapevine that you were back in town."
  
• Folie à deux, by Charliefox2012 (Part 3): “Darla!” Quinn snapped. “Evie!” Evie corrected sharply. Daria sighed, irritated. “Both of you quit it. Or, I’m going to make sure you both have accidents concerning the stairs.” “Whoa, death threats. What did we do to you?” Evie said surprised.
  
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Roentgen (Part 8): "Quinn - that is, if I might call you Quinn? Got to move quickly in this world you know, fast friends and all that? Anyways, Mater and Pater were thinking of taking the old wooden scow out to sea in Crabtown. With fall break coming up, let me say that you would be definitely invited—hee hee— 'on board' as they say, nautically. The sea salt is good for your skin, or so they say. Not that you'd need it of course, but you know, 'every little bit'. And there are definitely places to eat and things to see along the meandering path."
• Into the Fray, by Minx (Chapter 3): Quinn lay still for a moment before saying, “Don’t you think it’s a little weird?” “What?” Daria replied. “The way everyone is carrying on as if nothing happened. Do you think that maybe they don’t know?” [More here!] (FF.net)
  

Never to Be

"Partner's Complaint" first aired ten years ago today, kicking off the fourth season of Daria. In retrospect this episode was a sad one. It became clear that things between Daria and Jane would never be the same, but that was unavoidable, too. They had to grow up and find other people sometime. It was sad for me, too, that Daria and Jodie were clearly never going to connect as real friends. Jodie was a hard-core go-getter, the distillation of type-A Helen Morgendorffer, and Daria was a depressed slacker with brains but no drive, and no desire to get any drive. Daria did not come off looking well at all. I'm not sure anyone came out looking good. Life is like that, I guess.

Funny, I was thinking that seeing Daria and Jodie try to work together reminded me a lot of Daria interacting with her mother. A lot of the same dynamics, the Irresistable Force and the Immovable Object.

Your opinions? What are your thoughts about "Partner's Complaint"? Ignoring Tom, that is.

Hello, and Woof Woof

Today is the eleventh anniversary of the premiere of "Through a Lens Darkly," a quest for personal identity involving manstopper glasses that helped lead off Daria's third season.

Two memorable characters appeared in this episode: Amy Barksdale and J.B., the bulldog. Yes, I know, J.B. was called "Pugsly" on the official site, but you and I know he's J.B. because he was in a story. 'Nuff said.

And Amy is Amy, no sense in going on about her. We need more pet stories, I believe. Lots more.

NEW! Pinhead is once again tearing up the art room. Click and enjoy. And check out Daria-2010.

Amusing Note: Looking for wallpaper for your 'pooter? Try the new wallpaper from the new MTV website. Kinda cute for the little bits on it. Also, I noticed there are 1,200,000+ fans registered on the main MTV Facebook site, so Daria fans account for over 20% of that total. Wow, that's a lot.

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• NEW! Daria: Hunter 5—Strictly Business, by Jim North (COMPLETE!): With a snarl of frustration Axl snapped his holo-heads back on so he could have at least one ranged sense running again. Just as his nightvision kicked in, he saw the bounty hunters descend on two of his selves. Or rather, he saw one, Janey, as she bowled into the chest of a Vexxer. The other woman landed on the back of another machine and started clawing at it with her armblades. [Ending here!] (FF.net)
• NEW! Finn Morgendorffer 34: A Few Cans of Soda, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): Nothing happened immediately after the football practice ended, but according to the school gossip, there had been a strange man coming in and out of Ms. Li’s office. Heh, a secret lover? Finn chuckled to himself. Wouldn’t know who in their right minds would hit that, but some guys are desperate.
  
• NEW! Folie à deux, by Charliefox2012 (Part 2): “I don’t have it. Leave my closet alone,” Daria said, grumpily. “You have to have it,” Evie said. “Quinn doesn’t have it.” Daria sighed. “What are you looking for this time?” “My red turtleneck,” Evie answered. “I don’t have it,” Daria said.
• NEW! General Semantics, Private Angst, by Gwrtheyrn (Part 14): As far as Daria could tell, there were no hidden switches, no panels, no signs or directions of any kind. She was getting interested, now. These tunnels seemed effectively endless, but their very elaboration indicated that something stupendous was down here to be found; perhaps a connection to the very galactic base of which Hrafn was commander. She'd need food and water to investigate this more thoroughly. Too bad she had to retrace two hours of walking, but better two hours than five.
• NEW! The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, by Roentgen (Part 7): "Besides," said Tom, "I hear that Quinn Morgendorffer is as dumb as a box of hammers." "Oh Pope." It was Terry, sighing. "You'll never find a soulmate. Not until you master parthenogenesis."
  
• Into the Fray, by Minx (Part 2): “What is going on? I was asleep one minute then BANG the next thing I know I’m being pushed into the car and being told to drive.” Max's veil of machismo was gone. It was now replaced with unbridled fear that shone in his eyes.
• NEW! Invisible Love, by Charliefox2012 (Part 11): “And Ramona. Goodness, only three and already preparing for college,” Helen said, astonished. “Yeah. Poor girl,” Duncan said flippantly. “Which reminds me. Duncan, what are your plans for college?” NEWER! [More here!] (FF.net)
  
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: Debut, by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): “We’ll be meeting someone important in the family,” Kay Sloane said. When Elsie dug deeper for details—who the hell is it?—both of her parents clammed up. I suppose that this is where they break the big secret. The Sloane millions were founded with Nazi gold. I’ll meet my dear Aunt Eva and my Uncle Adolf. Because after all, if the Sloanes were Germans, it would make perfect sense that they would hide in Italy. Or maybe I meet my Uncle Benito. Whatever.
• NEW! Turn, Turn, Turn, by Ajar (COMPLETE!): "Damn abacus. Can't calculate the damned science rate with these damn jammed beads. God damn it!"
  
• Unnamed story ("A.U. Ficlet"), by GlitterShrooms (Part 1): “I know it’s hard to move to a new town, but I hope you both realize that we’re here for you. Mom, Dad, and I would do anything to make you two happy. You both understand that, don’t you?” “Did we move?” asked Daria Morgendorffer as she and her sister Quinn rode in the back. “Daria,” the driver continued, “I know it’s been awhile since we’ve been together like this, but I want you both to know how much I’ve missed you.” Without hesitation, Daria climbed over to turn up the radio.
• Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by DigiSim (Part 1): "Welcome to The George Underwood Edwards Institute of Technology!"
  

Apocalypse Ciao

"The Daria Hunter" premiered twelve years ago today on MTV, early in the second season. It was revealed in a flipbook on the MTV Daria website that this episode contained parodies of famous scenes from movies about the Vietnam War. (Click the link to see.)

Curiously, the next three days after this one are each the anniversary of the showing of an early episode in a new season of Daria, and all are in chronological order with today, too (second season, third, fourth, and fifth). This should be a fandom holiday week or something.

The humor thread of False Facts About the TV Show "Daria" just gets better and better.

LATE NOTE: I just noticed that Daria's Sick, Sad Life Planner says today is the anniversary of the announcement of the cloning of Dolly the Sheep, but it was actually on February 22, 1997. The CD-Rom does contain an amusing comment on the event from Daria.

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• NEW! After Daria, by Ravynstone (COMPLETE!): It didn’t take her long to find the urn. Jake had taken it upstairs, to the bedroom he once shared with Helen. The urn sat on right side of the dresser. Amy touched it with one hand, and sighed. The urn was cool and slick, made of some kind of plastic that looked like china. Amy tapped her fingers against it. Hell, she thought. If you’re going to do it, girl, just do it.
  
• NEW! Daria: Hunter—Strictly Business, by Jim North (continued): The second round of laser blasts started, breaking the bounty hunters out of their shock and sending them in an all-out run toward the outer door. The empty corridors to either side of the area blurred as they propelled themselves forward, Daria somehow managing to almost keep pace with the much faster Jane. [And now even more!]
  
• A Descent, by Silver (COMPLETE!): Pretty. Annoying. Dead. The words echoed through her mind as she twirled. It had started well enough, with wine, ruby red. Flowing, first from bottle, then jug, then box. She giggled. It had been so pretty, so beautiful to watch, a ruby waterfall cascading into glasses, into mouths.
• NEW! The Dream of the White Darkness, by jtranser (continued): "My God! Daria, what the hell happened to you?! You look like you saw a ghost!" "Close. I ran right into the Wigley Phenomenon. You know, the alien consciousness that's present in the most intense dreams of the criminally insane."
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 33: Independence, by HolyGrail2007 (COMPLETE!): “But it’s okay,” Finn soothed. “I’m not angry, and I’m not sorry. I do like you, Jane, I do. It’s... it’s just...” “Daria will castrate you with a pair of rusty gardening shears,” Jane finished.
• General Semantics, Private Angst, by Gwrtheyrn (Part 13): Daria anxiously awaited some sort of response to her ring. She was beginning to feel the increasing chill in the breeze against her rain-dampened clothing. I can’t even get myself captured by villains on cue. My sister would never have had this problem. She’d have them bringing her sodas. Not too much crushed ice. Maybe a wedge of lemon.
• Regifted 2: I Put Away Joyless Things, by Ajar (Part 5): This better not be another telemarketer, Graham thought as he anxiously picked up the phone. “Is this who I think it is?” he asked. “I'm the one whose butt you have to kiss.” “You say kiss, I say how much tongue.”
• Unnamed story, by Minx (Part 1): My name is Quinn Morgendorffer. If you find this it means one of three things: we’ve been forced to flee and abandon all non-essential items, we too have been captured, or we’re all dead...

The Original "Die Hard" Man

George Washington was born this day many years ago, and pretty much everyone (I hope) knows he was the first President of the United States. Daria does a fair imitation of him at right, though strangely I don't ever recall seeing this alter ego at the end of any episode. It appeared only as part of a screen saver. Weird.

Anyway, of all the many excellent quotes we have from President Washington, one of the most unusual is something he said shortly before he passed away. "I die hard but am not afraid to go," he spoke on his deathbed. This phrase is of English origin and eventually led to the Die Hard movie series. And that brand of car batteries. Clever, that.

Famed poet Edna St. Vincent Millay (hooray!) was also born today, but not so long ago as George Washington. Quotes from her works have appeared in Daria fanfiction (here and here).

Finally, today is also World Thinking Day for the Girl Scouts and Girl Guides, of which Jane Lane was briefly a reluctant member (per "Antisocial Climbers").

NUUZ

• GLITTER BERRIES IS BACK!
• The official Daria Facebook site has a small message board going. I see Kara Wild and Brother Grimace there. Who else among the long-time PPMB/SFMB/etc. crowd is there? Anyone?
  

PPMB

• Daria: Hunter—Strictly Business, by Jim North (continued): "Hey, Morgendorffer," Jane said conversationally as they ran, "I know that I can keep this up all day, but you can't be enjoying this. Have we got a plan?" "Don't... get shot," Daria snarled.
• Finn Morgendorffer 33: Independence, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 6): “When Finn came around, there was a girl named Allison who was kinda cool, but then things got weird.” “How did things get weird?” “Let’s just say she likes all thirty-one flavors at Baskin-Robbins.” [If you know what I mean.]
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding, Roentgen (Part 6): Daria was not called upon in the ensuing class discussion. It became clear to Daria that there were at least three girls who seemed to be Ms. Merritt's favorites. Mousy Girl—known as "Ms. Davidson"—and two others. It became even clearer that none of these young women were favorites because of their looks, or lack of looks, or style, or lack of style. Each of these girls, Daria's potential rivals, knew the material and could expound upon it. They weren't dummies.
• A Ticket to Ride, by Doggieboy (continued): “We are going to relax,” Ted said, “and enjoy the scenery.” Then he glanced at Linda's breasts. “I’ll especially enjoy the twin peaks.”

Speed Racer Lives!

Birthdays aplenty today. NASCAR, where Stacy Rowe finally hits it big (per IICY?), turns 62. The peace symbol (on Jake's belt buckle, below right) is 52. They've aged well.

Today also is an interesting U.N. mandated holiday: International Mother Language Day. I really suck at languages, even English, so anyone who can speak two or more languages or even geekspeak has my admiration. (I've had two years each of Spanish, Russian, and Latin, plus lived three years in Mannheim immersed in German, and I can't speak more than two brain-dead phrases of each. At least I can order lunch at McDonald's in German, so that helps.) Having once been an editor, looking up the roots of old words is rather fun for me, and it is amazing just how many thousands of years old some of our words and concepts are.

NeWz!

• A stunning discovery is reported by E.A. Smith, who says Daria episodes are being uploaded by MTV to the official Daria Facebook site. Srsly. Also, the site has almost 280,000 fans now. Holy cow.
• Got art? See the quick pencil sketches by Pinhead on PPMB.

FF.net

• The Prodigal Daughter, by a440 (COMPLETE!): "AIDS," said Brittany. "Now my dad and stepmom will truly hate me for sure."
• You're Standing on Our Necks, by Gojirob/Rob Morris (COMPLETE!): "Helen, it’s terrible! My—my father is coming over in a few days." "Jakey, I know how he makes you feel. I don't like him much, either. But we have to be fair. In fact, I can't remember the last time he came over. Or—that I saw him. But he is family." "He's the devil! What we need is a devil-killer person." "Maybe one will happen along, dear." (Daria/Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

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• NEWER! After Daria, by Ravynstone (Part 1 plus): Daria picked up the syringe. It was lightweight, made of Space Age plastics, the kind of thing that would have appealed to her dad. he turned her back on the mirror and pressed the needle against her arm. She slid it into the vein with practiced ease, injecting the cocktail.
  
• Daria: Hunter—Strictly Business, by Jim North (continued): "Don't even fink about trying any fancy logic nonsense to mess wiv the robot brain, because it ain't got one!"
• Falling into College 72: Valley of Love and Delight, by RLobinske (Part 8): "Now that I've shared my news, how are you doing?" "I've actually working my All-American novel." "How many communists have you killed so far?"
• Finn Morgendorffer 33: Independence, by HolyGrail2007 (Parts 3 to 5): Daria lay in her room, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t stop thinking about Tom. Okay, I’ve never really had a boyfriend before, so I guess I really can’t compare it to anything. But I’m pretty sure this isn’t how it works.
• Fire! The Facebook Edition, by Betting on Delusions (COMPLETE!): Tom Sloane and Jane Lane are attending the event Awkward Silence Following A Disagreement In A Relationship That Wasn't Even That Solid To Begin With.
• The Hallowed Halls of Fielding (ex-First Day of School), by Roentgen (Part 4): "Patty, let me ask you something. Everybody's taking about 'The Knowledge.' What's that supposed to—?" "Oh! Quinn! Excuse me for a moment! I totally forgot about this appointment with one of the profs!"
• NEW! It's All About the Intention, by Psychotol (continued): "Daria, he was, like, crazy into you, you two could have been so good together, why did you send him running like that?” “I wasn’t interested in a threesome with him and Monique,” said Daria.
  
• Kamen Rider D, by Silver (continued): "So, let me get this straight. I've become a Kamen Rider." "Yes, amiga, you have. You're now part of a group of characters dating back to 1971." "Way to make me feel old, Jane."
• Sixteen Days of Sorry, by Dosco316 (COMPLETE!): "Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and, sadly, a nadir in US Olympic history. As many of you are aware, the epidemic of Penguin Flu decimated the US Olympic team and the US borders were closed to quarantine the sickness. For the United States Olympic Committee, the only options left were to forfeit their Olympic positions or allow the substitution of a team mostly comprised of high schoolers from Lawndale, Maryland, who had been stuck in Toronto on a radio station-sponsored trip, to take their place."
• Teen Something, by Drachen (prologue and Part 1): Daria awoke to dawn in a dingy room in a filthy bed. She groaned as she felt her pounding head and protesting stomachache. Where was she? Slowly memories of the previous afternoon came to her. Van Driessen's wake for Beavis and Butt-head. The punch had made her feel so strange, so quick. Daria remembered leaving, walking unsteadily towards home. Staggering more with each step. Vague memories of meeting the ghosts of Beavis and Butt-head; them offering something and then helping her walk.
  
• Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by NightGoblyn (appetizers): "I love transvestite porn. It's the only kind I can watch without feeling conflicted!"

Wimmin n Gunz

We celebrate today the birth of the voice of Amy. The voice of Amy Bennett, that is, not Amy Barksdale. Voice actress Bennett played daffy economics teacher Diane Bennett and the chocolate-challenged Mrs. Johanssen for Daria. She turns 35 today, and we gratefully wish her the best. Mrs. Bennett at left appears to be the (modified) alter ego for the lead character in the 2000 movie, Miss Congeniality. (Or maybe not. Any better guesses?)

Patty Hearst turns 66. A young socialite kidnapped by an American terrorist group in the early 1970s, Ms. Hearst was forced to join the Symbionese Liberation Army in a bank robbery until she was captured. She really got screwed over, considering the circumstances, but eventually she was let out of jail and was able to return to being normal again. For some reason, MTV artists drew Jane Lane as Ms. Hearst (compare Jane at right with Patty's SLA image at Wikipedia).

We also wish a happy birthday to 84-year-old Richard Matheson, who created tales of horror, science fiction, and fantasy known to everyone in this fandom. Remember I Am Legend? The gremlin on the airplane wing from The Twilight Zone? Hell House? Duel? The Night Stalker? "The Enemy Within" episode from the old Star Trek? The Incredible Shrinking Man? What Dreams May Come? Somewhere in Time? How many fanfics were inspired by one or more of these works, do you think? I know some of mine were.

SKYPECON is ON!

Hooked?

Pisces begins today, for the fishy zodiacal ones among you, so check your horror-scopes as Daria here has done. And learned to regret.

And this is the ninth anniversary of the first showing of "Fizz Ed" on MTV, kicking off the fifth and last season of Daria. Angst aplenty for all.

In the fandom, Kara Wild's essay, "The Off-Canon Approach" turns ten today, exactly. A milestone, there.

SKYPECON begins this weekend! Join in the fun of an online Dariacon! Meet new people! Argue with them!

Sketches of Mr. DeMartino, Quinn, and Sandi are offered by the illustrious MDetector5 on PPMB.

The new MTV Daria site is going strong. The URL used to connect to thumbnail descriptions of the episodes in the series, but the whole thing has been greatly expanded (thank goodness). The official Daria Facebook site will give you a pre-order special if you sign up. Amazon now has a pre-order section, as do several other sites.

Sick, Sad World has updated, as of a few days ago. Outpost Daria updated a few days ago to offer details on the DVD release.

Glitter Berries is still impossible to get, but you can download the whole thing here and are encouraged to do so soon.

The MySpace fan group, Daria and Jane 4ever, has unexpectedly ceased to exist. It had the largest collection of fans until the official Facebook site came up.

Another great fanfic update coming this weekend. Stay tooned.

A Few Last Aliens to Bug You

These two images were posted here before, but not in such high quality. Thanks to UU for his help with the alien images of late. Use them in your stories as you like.

Ten years ago, MTV aired a special program called, "Behind the Scenes with Daria." It's one of the few Daria programs of which nothing remains: no script, no photos, nothing. We hope the program will appear on the DVD set in May.

The Aliens Among Us (in Jane's School Locker)

"The Old and the Beautiful" has an interesting moment in which we get to peer inside Jane Lane's school locker. She has a drawing that looks to be of a Grey alien, and above it a sketch of some kind of tentacled Cthuloid monster with one large eye. (She's holding a bull's skull, by the way.)

Why would she have these? Yeah, I know, because she's Jane and having monster pictures in her locker is a very Jane sort of thing to do. Her brother Trent, however, has a picture of a Grey in the Tank. Wait, the Tank is owned by the drummer, Trent just drives it. The image at the lower right is from "Road Worrier." You can usually see the Grey behind Trent's head while he's driving.

If you click on the label "aliens" below, you'll get a long list of all the other aliens that have appeared in Daria over its five seasons. That's a heck of a lot, and we're not counting mentions of Sasquatch, black helicopters, clone armies, and alter egos.

Or the UFO convention with the giant green Grey making a peace sign (or victory sign?) for the crowd. (Click on pic for detail.)

Interesting place, Lawndale.

Wonder what really goes on there at night...

Better to Hear Sarcasm Than Music

"Daria! The Musical" premiered eleven years ago today, all the singing and dancing and fourth-wall breaking you could possibly handle.

And, just before the start of the fifth season nine years ago today, MTV showed the Sarcastathon 3000. The Sarcastathon 3000 will be on the Daria DVDs, hooray! So we will be treated to marvelous shots like these. (Click each letter in order.)

It must be confessed that "Daria!" was my least favorite episode of all. "Depth Takes a Holiday" was far better and more fun. Just putting that out there.

On with the fanfics!

FF.net

• NEW! Brittany Wants Daria, by a440 (Part 2): "So your mom invited Eep Eep It's The Road Runner to spend a weekend with you and Quinn, huh?" said Jane, while she and Daria ate their fill at The Pizza King.
• NEW! Oblivious, by JohnnyStyle (COMPLETE!): “What’s your view on same-sex marriages?” Tricia Gupty asked her parents.

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• NEW! Daria: The Untold Story, by Ajar (continued): “Nocturnal Emissions” was an upcoming MTV late-night talk show that was never aired due to contractual issues with Carson Daly. The use in Daria was an early example of viral marketing.
  
• Finn Morgendorffer 33: Independence, by HolyGrail2007: Is this my relationship? Tom thought as he kept his eyes on the road. With his beat-up old car, he didn’t like to talk while driving. But now he wanted the quiet. Daria had been acting weirdly ever since the relationship started. Between their kiss in the first place, the hurt reactions of Jane and Finn, and Daria’s own awkwardness, Tom started to wonder if he had made a dreadful mistake.
• First Day of School, by Roentgen (Part 2): The professor was the very animated Mr. Anderson, a young black man with short cropped hair. He would attack the board with a fury for a few seconds and then lecture to the class for five minutes before returning to his pride and joy, to covering the board with mathematical arcana.
• It's All About the Intention, by Psychotol (continued): “Excuse me,” said Agent Fury. He made his way through the facility until he arrived in reception where an army Brigadier General Morgendorffer stood wearing Agent Pryde like a feather boa. “Are you by any chance missing one selectively intangible agent?”
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: Tokusatsu Team Up! by LSauchelli (continued): "Okay big guy, any ideas?" blurted out Daria as she tried to do her best to hold off the undead goblins with her mental powers. The tall, green-haired Japanese boy grinned in excitement at Daria’s question. "I just have one thing to say!" he explained and produced a weird green crystal ball from his pocket. Daria noticed some sort of glowing leaf inside of it. "Henshin go, go baby!"
• A Reaper in the Wind, by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): Daria reached the middle of the field and squatted down. She started to take supplies from her belt pouches. Mustard seed, a scrap of cloth, vial of aromatic sap and a small bottle of mint tea. Daria pulled the crystal around her neck out from under her shirt. "You know, I really don't know what this is going to do to me. Some magic takes a lot out of you, so..." "Don't worry," Tom said. "I'm keeping an eye on you."
• NEW! Teenage Wasteland, by Yorsh01 (Part 1): Maybe it would be a good idea to see this show, Total Drama Island 2. If the name lives to the expectations, it will be a nice train wreck to watch. Jane took her paint brushes and some acrylic paints and began attacking the blank canvas before her. (Daria/Total Drama Island) (FF.net)
  
• Upchuck's Nightmare, by Doggieboy (COMPLETE!): “He took part in a secret experiment to become a sex god! Now he is one, and the ladies are killing him! The Reluctant Satyr, next on Sick, Sad World Live.”
  
  

Sabotage! Vandalism! Hooliganism! Werewolves!

Eleven years ago today was the first showing of "Arts 'N Crass," the climax of which appears at left, but before that was shown the Daria Day Marathon 1998, reviewing all first-season episodes of the Daria show. And I missed all of it. So it goes.

Roentgen wants to start a message-board role-playing game he calls, Daria: The Werewolfening. Click the link for details and signing up. Upchuck helps out at right.

FF.net

• The Prodigal Daughter, by a440 (Part 6): "Whatever you two do, be careful—Todd and his gang have been plum loco on the drug rampage and those two dum dums; Beavis and his Butt-Head were last seen stealing a riding mower."

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• Crossing Stars, by Silver (Part 1): "Some rich idiot is paying thirty million ISK for a fast ship to transport him or her to a system that's been under intermittent siege for the last four League-standard months. Which means—” "It's a deathtrap.” This from Stacy, the navigator. "It's a deathtrap,” Daria agreed.
• Daria Is Raven's Apprentice, by Project Pegasus (SEASON ONE COMPLETE!): "My job was to try to bring you back to Earth," Joe Biden told Raven. He looked at Starfire. "But I think that she’s more qualified for that. I’ll see you around."
• Finn Morgendorffer 33: Independence, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): It wasn’t until later that night that Finn reviewed the necessary information for tutoring tomorrow. The sun would rise again, and Sierra would be back over for more work. Finn couldn’t hate her, what was the point? Sierra had not told Finn those things about himself: He did himself. It was harder to concentrate, but, just maybe, if Finn could concentrate on this tutoring work she assigned, and he did well at it, she’d be impressed. He could get the girl without his looks. Maybe instill a state of back to normality in this crazy life of his. Finn’s bad mood did not dissipate, but it lightened.
• First Day of School, or What Might Have Been, by Roentgen (Part 1): The Morgendorffer car pulled up to the school. Jake watched Quinn climb out of the car. He turned to his other daughter, Daria. "Don't get upset if it takes the other kids a little while to warm up to you." Daria watched as a young lady looked Quinn over from head to toe. "Hi! You're cool. What's your name?" "Quinn Morgendorffer," Quinn answered. Another young woman said, "Huge." Whatever 'huge' meant, it was certainly a complement.
• General Semantics, Private Angst, by Gwrtheyrn (Part 12): "Hey, Daria! Sorry we can't talk directly; those damn laws of physics, y'know. My friend, Roboplane Group Nexus 6, is going to ask you to do something you might find surprising, and I just wanted to let you know that it and I really did work out those instructions together. I can't lie to you, kiddo, we're up against it, with this space invasion business; but ol' Jakey's got a lot of plates in the air trying to make it come out right for us. You've got a key part in all this, so please, trust us, and do as Group Nexus 6 asks."
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: No One Is to Blame, by Brother Grimace (preview): Tom realized what was going on. It was a direct challenge from Farrington. The cadet's god-like powers would be suppressed for thirty minutes, and he would be as vulnerable as any man. Sloane would be expected to do the same, and he would be without his own superhuman resources.
• Legion of Lawndale Heroes Special: Tokusatsu Team Up! by LSauchelli (continued): “Be careful!” cried the green-haired ranger as he jumped to intercept a rocky fist that had been directed straight at Daria’s face. “These Mindless Ones don’t look like much, but they pack punch that could easily shatter your skull!”
• A Ticket to Ride, by Doggieboy (Part 6): The brunette opened her eyes, looked down at her chest and said, “Uh-oh.”

It's Lupercali-fragilsticexpialidocious!

Yesterday was St. Valentine's Day, which apparently began as a Roman love-lottery for young people. Today is Lupercalia, which is a much older and far more kinkier (not necessarily in a good way) fertility celebration the Romans particularly liked. Reading about the origins of the word "February" gave me a completely new view of the whole affair. Thank goodness we now send cards to loved ones instead of whipping them with strips of dead goat skin. At left we see Beavius Maximus (wearing the traditional goatskin toga) about to indulge in Lupercalia frolics. In his dreams.

As a prelude to its third season of Daria, MTV had the Daria Day 99 marathon of episodes eleven years ago today. It began at 10 a.m. and went all day long. Sorry now that I missed it. Coincidentally, C.E. Forman completed "Alienation Legacy" that same day.

The entry for canon-character Robert at Backgrounders has been updated and appears to be complete (for the moment). More Backgrounders info to come!

Hmm, I didn't realize that the old fan page for Daria on Facebook had mutated into the official MTV fan page. Works for me. (Note to MTV: Thank you for the DVDs!)

The Final Word on Luuuv

We at the DFB2 hope that this Valentine's Day brings you significantly closer to your Significant Other(s). And remember, if you can't be with your Significant Other(s), you can always rent.

Or, you know, not.


Enjoy.

A Daria Photo Album of Love

For the romantic among us, the Daria Fandom Blog II presents a Very Special Pictorial of Romance, those wonderful moments in Daria that set our hearts all aflutter. Away we go!

Ah, love, sweet sweet love, it makes the world go 'round!

Stay tooned.