Blow, Mack Daddy, Blow!

Mack is giving it his all on the trumpet in this alter ego of Dizzy Gillespie, the famous jazz musician. That's because today is International Jazz Day, so all you jazz fans out there have an excuse to dig out your favorite albums.

Fandom News!

• drocem has some thoughts on the original music from the Daria TV series.


• Erin M. is thinking about resurrecting his comic strip idea.


• Discuss the upcoming movie Star Wars: Episode VII in the Weapons of Mass Distraction forum.


• Veronica Morgendorffer from Vukodlak's Mine series now has a Character of the Week thread for your questions!


• Roentgen posted a new Iron Chef in Creative Writing: The Dos Equis commercial.

Does This Moon Make Me Look Faaaaat?

Tiffany is doing a bit of stargazing in honor of International Astronomy Day, but she's going to be disappointed: none of the stars she'll find are likely to be shiny enough to check her makeup in.

Fanfic Update!

• A 946430, by Brian Taylor (part 2): "'Anonymous tipster,' says Radley, his tone as close to apologetic as his serious demeanor ever allows. 'Says there's an anthrax lab on one of the wrecks out in the harbor. Probably nothing, but O'Riordan and Sergeev still need a third. Suit up.'"


• Fortune's Fools, by Kristen Bealer (part 1): "Keveo reminded himself yet again that this was a football game, not a fight, but in all honesty it was impossible to tell the difference at this point. Lawndale High was playing its most hated rival, Oakwood, and neither side was holding anything back tonight."


• Hemming's Way, by ognawk (part 8): "'It's not the movie that's important, it's the company,' Cassidy said, smiling at him. Throughout the whole meal, Cassidy rarely took her eyes off Brandon, which made him feel a little strange."


• It Started Like This, by SentrytheDefiant (COMPLETE!): "Charles 'Chuck' Ruttheimer III had been waiting for the Lawndale Summer Carnival all month. Now that he was twelve years old, he could attend without adult supervision."


• Oh, Danny Boy, by Indigo (part 1): "'Do come in and sit down' said Mrs Manson the Lawndale High psychologist to the red haired new girl. She looked at a file in front of her and addressed the girl. 'Quinn Morgendorffer, You must be the sister of that wonderful young man Danny that I have just spoken with'"


• Rude Awakening: The Battle of The Morgendorffers, by DIsaac (part 1): "DARIA: Speaking of The Convention Rules, You know what time of year it is for the station? JANE: Playoffs! Yes, Half the city will be listening to the station! DARIA: That's actually the problem."


• Sisters and Friends, by metameric1 (part 21): "Daria smiled inwardly. We haven't shared a room since we were little kids in Highland. She sat back, studying Quinn's body language. She was worried, dejected, perhaps going through a crisis of confidence."


• Without Warning, by SentrytheDefiant (part 11): "Andre Sakarynsky's Last Meal was just as interesting as Jace imagined. Though, it turned out to be longer than he anticipated. By the time him and Daria left the theater, he was starving."

Want a Hug? No Worries!

Daria's in her Outback outfit to tell us that today is Hug an Australian Day, and also that you can keep your damn hands to yourself, thank you very much. To all the Australian Daria fans out there, take a hug if you'd like one, or have a friendly nod from a distance if you'd prefer.

Fandom News!

• Dervish wonders how many people have joined SFMB in the last year.


• Ognawk started a new game: I only need 5 minutes and...


• Talk about upcoming and past DC Comics movies in a new thread.


• The All-Purpose Entertainment Thread has been started for any general discussion about entertainment.


• Star Wars fans can share their thoughts on recent developments in the expanded universe.


• Smijey talks about Jill Friedman's "Virgin Sacrifice" in the Golden Oldies forum.

Hot Diggety Dog!

Jake's got the hot dogs all set up for National Pigs-In-A-Blanket Day, although from the looks of things he's only halfway there. Still, from DeMartino's expression I think those hot dogs aren't going to be around long enough to finish assembling, anyway.

Fanfic Update!

• Ah, Hell, by metameric1 (part 16): "To/steph1foster From/dmorgendorffer Happy Birthday, Stephanie!"


• Daria Down Under: Shiny New Australia, by Madmaper13 (part 2): "Walking in a middle age man with black hair and beard wearing a jeans and a checked pattern shirt just holding back a bit of a gut, Daria assumed this was Dillinger as the timetable said."


• Daria's Pregnancy, by sparklingdaria (part 1): "Daria took the pregnancy test and it was positive!"


• My Little Girl Is So Beautiful, by macross (part 1): "The bright light of the maternity ward hallway at Cedars of Alexandria flashed on the two women exiting the elevator. One was a short woman in late fifties with gray streaked chestnut brown hair. The other, only slightly taller, was a young woman of twenty-five with dark auburn hair and grey-green eyes."


• Mysteries of Lawndale 02: The First Party, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 4): "'Um, your brother's car, is it safe?' Stacy asked. Jane thought for a moment. 'Mostly, Don't worry.' She answered. She added; 'At least we won't be stranded if it does break down.'"


• Renewment, by RLobinske (part 4): "After an hour and a half on the road the next morning, Daria drove her car along the NASA Causeway over the Indian River, a ribbon of road flanked by wide swaths of grass edged by emergent plants and along the water. You could almost sense the crowds of years past that had regularly gathered along the way to watch spacecraft launches."


• Salt of the Earth (Daria and the Gang Thread), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Daria left the lunchroom with Jane. As they walked down the hallway, they found Kevin sitting on the floor near the lockers. He was eating something out of a bowl and coughing."


• Tom Sloane, Lax Bro, by Shiva (part 22): "'Hey Daria,' Trent said to the figure standing in his sister's room, unfurling a sleeping bag, 'Are you and Janie having a sleepover?'"


• Without Warning, by SentrytheDefiant (part 9): "Jace was taken aback when he got a phone call from Shaggy on Saturday afternoon."

I Kant Believe It!

Tom is falling asleep over Critique of Pure Reason, the most well-known work written by philosopher Immanuel Kant. Kant was born on this day in 1724, and from a certain perspective you could claim that he is directly responsible for all those rumors about Daria and Tom having sex in "My Night at Daria's." Shame on you, Mr. Kant. Shaaaaame.

Fandom News!

• Share your Easter greetings, even if they're a bit belated now.


• What do the teachers at Lawndale High keep in their goodie drawers to help them deal with students?


• DIsaac's character Dani Moreno now has a Character of the Week thread for your questions!


• Snow-Kitty offers a new writing prompt: Penny Lane needs help with something.

Have a Very Feisty Easter!

Upchuck wishes everyone who celebrates it a happy Easter! The Fashion Club, on the other hand, wishes they could escape from Upchuck's fantasy sequence.

As a special holiday treat, check out these Easter tidbits courtesy of Mistress Thea and the Sh33p's Fluff website:

• Cotton-tail Lane by Deref


• An Easter Gift by Deref


• Colorful by Thea_Zara


• Easter Eggs Need Color by Brandon League


• Where Kisses Come From by Thea_Zara


• I Saw Mommy... by Thea_Zara


• What's In a Name? by Wyvern


• Egg-citement by Thea_Zara


• Eggcelent by Steven Galloway


• Hunt by Roger Moore


• Bunnies by Tafka


• Springtime Daria by Tafka


• Peeps by Isa Yo-Jo


• Daria's Easter Bonnet by Thea_Zara


• Quinn's First Easter Egg by Angelinhel


• Eggs-communicated by Milderbeast


• Easter Encounter by Richard Lobinske


• An Easter Treat by Deref

Fanfic Update!

• A 846430, by Brian Taylor (part 1): "The end of any graduating term at the Academy is like Draft Day, except it lasts for weeks and nobody gets a sports car at the end."


• Blue Blood (IC: Tom Sloane, Lax Bro TAKEDOWN!), by LongSnakeMoan (COMPLETE!): "The club was okay, she supposed, especially as they were only in there because Rufus, the bloody idiot, hadn't bothered to become a member of the really smart club they had wanted to be seen in."


• Daria Down Under: Shiny New Australia, by Madmaper13 (part 1): "Inside a white sedan Jake sits driving on the right side of the car and looks left to see Daria on the front seat, 'It's tough starting a new life on the other side of the world girls, but try to make friends Daria.'"


• 1,001 Deaths of Sandi Griffin, by SentrytheDefiant (COMPLETE!): "Quinn Morgendorffer stared down at the wide, empty brown eyes of her now dead friend, Sandi Griffin."


• Quinn's Code 10: Blue Screen of Sherman, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "'So, what now?' Cindy asked. 'We just be sad about it?' 'Just be there for each other,' Kristen said. 'Yeah...' Quinn said. The three walked on in silence."


• Rotten Little Misery Kids, by Shiva (parts 1 and 2): "In the light of the setting sun the otherwise drab and ordinary High Hills Park managed to acquire a brief echo of beauty. However it was an unappreciated beauty to a trio that was seated on a bench near the main square framed by the bust of General Lee." (Part 2)


• Tom Sloane, Lax Bro, by Shiva (part 21): "'Wow,' I grumble all as me and Jane stumble out of Miami International 'That flight was a bloody nightmare!'"


• Unnamed story ([Iron Chef – Round Robin – Free For All] Time Loops), by Kuriamo22 (part 7): "Jane rolled her eyes and replied, 'Oh come on it's an outdoor art walk. Not an concert in Munik. You can't tell me you'll be claustrophobic outside? Besides theres gonna be fair food and probably pizza.'"


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "O'Neill leaned over to Jane on her way out and whispered 'hail Hydra'."


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Indigo (COMPLETE!): "The best-selling author Daria Morgendorffer was much in demand at the moment."


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by SacredDust (COMPLETE!): "Will started up the old Chevy and turned on his GPS. He didn't need it; he was just going to the grocery store. But ever since he installed the Daria voice, he was using it on every trip."


• Unnamed story (Scenes that should be: Pacific Rimmers), by Silver (COMPLETE!): "Mack and Upchuck sat on the bench, looking out on the empty football field. They'd graduated a little more than twenty-four hours before, and the two were still winding down from the heady atmosphere of celebration and relief."


• Without Warning, by SentrytheDefiant (part 8): "'What's with this football jerk everyone keeps talking about?' Jace placed down his sketchpad, 'He was quarterback three years ago, Trent had some classes with him. He helped the Lawndale Lions win the state championship.'"

Driven Wild for Fifteen Years

Quinn is eagerly reading Kara Wild's fan-fiction series the Driven Wild Universe, which premiered on this day in 1999. Quinn--for those unfamiliar with the series--is a major focus in the stories, so it's no wonder she's suddenly so interested in reading.

Fandom News!

• Nariz spotted an unusual Daria sighting on Facebook.


• Show off your collections in a new thread.


• Comic book fans can talk about the upcoming movie X-Men: Days of Future Past.


• Dervish comments on a difference between TV and film characterization in 90s & 00s.

The Great Educator

Happy birthday to The Tramp! Settle down, Quinn, no one's talking about anyone in the Fashion Club. It was on this day in 1889 that Charlie Chaplin was born! Mr. O'Neill only wishes he were as talented as Chaplin.

We also celebrate National Stress Awareness Day today, and Jake has a public service announcement for us: "Stressed? Why do people keep telling me I'm stressed? If I weren't stressed, I'd get stressed by everyone telling me I'm stressed!"

Fanfic Update!

• Angela Li's Date in 98 (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "'I must admit Ms. Li,' Karl Rove said to his lovely middle-aged Asian companion during a light brunch at The Settlement, 'by the time I finished your opinion piece I was stunned. Finally there was another human being who thought just like me.'"


• Mine, by Vukodlak (part 6): "It had been Tom who'd suggested taking them to the Zoo this weekend and like many things Daria lost interest in years ago they suddenly sounded fun if her daughter was involved."


• Unnamed story ([Iron Chef – Round Robin – Free For All] Time Loops), by Wraith (parts 5 and 6): "'Hey, Daria. Can I ask you something?' Trent asked. 'Sure, Trent.' 'Why is Janey going to BFAC again?'" (Part 6 by Brother Grimace)


• Unnamed story (Mr. O'Neill, Asshole), by Smijey (COMPLETE!): "In the audience, the gears in Mr. O'Neill's head were turning. What if he gave his students an assignment that expressly asked them to try to fail?"


• Unnamed story (1,001 Deaths of Tom Sloane - Part III), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "'She hits me because she loves me.' Tom thought to himself, his personal chant, as blow after blow hit him." (Continued by Roentgen)


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): "Sandi growled and swiped away a face-full of some plant's thick, low-hanging branches and fan-like leaves as she made her way. 'How come the so-called "brain" doesn't use hers when she sees a giant jewel in the middle of the room, sitting on a silk pillow with a light over it, and realizes that she shouldn't touch it?'"


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "'It's Baby Girl!' he says from across the book store and runs up to me, hugging me. Well, not so much 'hugging' as 'eclipsing' me."


• Without Warning, by SentrytheDefiant (part 7): "Jace continued to stuff his suitcase with t-shirts and boxer shorts, 'I do envy you. Do you know where I'll be this weekend? The Lane family reunion. Dozens of Lanes from all over the country converging in one Midwestern split-level to remind themselves why they scattered in the first place.'"

Or Maybe She's on Candid Camera

Daria's gazing up because it's Look up at the Sky Day. Or she's looking up because those pervert squirrels are back. Not sure which.

Today is also the anniversary of two episodes, "The Lab Brat" in 1997 and "Of Human Bonding" in 2000. Have a favorite moment from either episode? Share it in the comments!

Fandom News!

• ognawk is looking for one more contestant for Wheel of Misfortune Game 15.


• Tell everyone what you think of Stephen Colbert taking over "The Late Show."


• Did you ever own or play a Sega Dreamcast? Share your experience of the game system.


• How do people in different countries react to adult fans of kid-targeted entertainment?


• Snow-Kitty wonders what kind of stepfather DeMartino would be if Jake died.


• GDTSP9 posted a new Iron Chef in Creative Writing: drabble-matic.

A Space for Yuri

Today we celebrate Yuri's Night, which honors space exploration in general and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in particular. It was on this day in 1961 that Gagarin made the first human spaceflight in history.

I know we have several space travel enthusiasts in fandom, so feel free to geek out in the comments.

Fanfic Update!

• Daria/Power Rangers: Watching the Watchmen, by Charles RB (parts 12 and 13): "Daria Morgendorffer: they said she'd killed the first Green Ranger, that she'd survived the Cross World massacre when Karl Ziktor had been exposed, that she had Director Flemming's ear. She looked smaller that you'd expect." (Part 13)


• Different Tracks, by ognawk (part 2): "Tom and Daria sat in the car, going for a drive around various areas of Lawndale. Daria was surprised to see Tom just turn up at the house, but he was interesting company to her. Intelligent, well read and, as much as she actually hated to admit it, she thought he was kind of cute as well."


• 18-0, by SacredDust (COMPLETE!): "Sandi and Linda sat quietly on their living room couch, watching the closing moments of WrestleMania XXVI. Sandi sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, unable to believe what had just happened." (Part 2)


• A Great Alternative (Shorty Shorts), by ognawk (COMPLETE!): "'Hey, Daria, this is, uh...' 'Tom. Tom Sloane,' he said, introducing himself. When he said that, he could have sworn he noticed a change in the artist's mood."


• The Only Pair, by SentrytheDefiant (part 10): "Jake might've been oblivious to certain things but he knew when something was bothering his son. Rich was staring out the windshield as he drove the car with ease but his normal cheerful smile was replaced by a deep frown."


• The Real Reasons Why Daria and Tom Didn't, You Know (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by LongSnakeMoan (COMPLETE!): "After she'd agreed to go to the 'next stage' with Tom, Daria thought about it for the fiftieth time and decided that she couldn't go through with it."


• Without Warning, by SentrytheDefiant (parts 5 and 6): "As if Lawndale High couldn't get any more ridiculous, a modeling agency was going to be scouting out the 'talent'. Jace suspected their definition of that word had to be VERY loose if they were resorting to such drastic measures." (Part 6)

Now Jesse Knows Three Words: "Yeah," "Cool," and "Fore!"

Jesse is practicing his swing today because it's Golfer's Day, which is probably one of Jake's favorite holidays. If you want, why not take on a few holes yourself today? If you're not a golfer, you can always take a page from Mack's book and bludgeon Kevin with a club instead. I'm sure it's very therapeutic.

Fandom News!

• Join in the fun with MartinUK's universal "Today is..." thread.


• Robyn has a question about classroom charts.


• Discuss hypothetical casting choices for a live-action Daria movie.


• Share your thoughts on an upcoming twist in Archie comics.


• Ognawk's character Ashley Winters now has a Character of the Week thread, so ask your questions!


• Three Iron Chefs have been posted in Creative Writing: Wraith's Time Loops, Shiva's Sam and Chris Griffin, and DIsaac's Sandi Griffin... Pro Wrestling Fan.

Get Drawing, Birdbrains!

Jane is showing off a sketch she made just for Draw a Bird Day. Vultures based on human scam artists might not be precisely what the creators of the holiday had in mind, but it works for me.

Fanfic Update!

• Dylan, by J-D (part 34c): "Kris was ready to leave for his first date of the evening, but it wasn't quite time to leave the house. Arriving early was bad strategy. He came out of the bathroom and saw Tierney Rhode."


• Hemming's Way, by ognawk (part 7): "Cassidy then walked over to her dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Contained within was a similar black case which contained her own flute. She opened it and took the flute out. She then sat on her bed and started playing. She wasn't as good as her father, but she still enjoyed playing."


• Is It Tenure Yet? (You're Standing On My Track), by JohnnyLurg (COMPLETE!): "The next day, Quinn arrived on the Pepperhill College grounds, clad in fabrics which were unknown to Daria but obviously all the rage. The fact that her auburn hair was in a bun was the closest she had come to achieving professionalism in her appearance, and she lacked any visible teaching aids as she strolled into the quad."


• Unnamed story ([Iron Chef – Round Robin – Free For All] Time Loops), by Wraith (parts 1 - 4): "Daria blinked at looked around the inside of the car in confusion. It was the wrong car, and while she was very familiar with the street they were going down, she couldn't think why they'd be headed to Lawndale High. 'What's going on? Weren't we on the way to Raft? And when did we get the old car back?'" (Part 2) (Part 3 by Charles RB) (Part 4)


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Daria sat at the table with Quinn. Quinn had been promoted to a regional Vice President of Store Operations at Hot Topic, and the dinner was to celebrate Quinn's fast track to Management."


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Quinn and Jane waited at the Lawndale airport for Daria to arrive for Christmas break. They hadn't seen Daria in four months and were both looking forward to it."


• Without Warning, by SentrytheDefiant (parts 2 - 4): "Helen Morgendorffer was a force to be reckoned with. She was professionally dressed in a navy skirt suit and black heels, her brown hair curled neatly into a bob. The stern look in her hazel eyes made Jace feel like he was being dissected under a microscope." (Part 3) (Part 4)

Go, Team, Go!

Kevin and his teammates are partying hard for National Student-Athlete Day, because in the words of Jane Lane, "it's not how hard you study, it's how hard you play football!"

You know, looking closer at that picture, it's not really clear how, exactly, the other players are holding Kevin up. Perhaps Kevin has learned the art of levitation? Hmmm.

Fandom News!

• View a ranking of the hottest and sexiest women by country.


• Brother Grimace has a question about Jane's track success in "See Jane Run"


• Snow-Kitty wonders why Ms. Li treats DeMartino so badly.


• Erin M. wants to know what you think are the most overrated cartoons from 2004-2014. See the commentary thread to debate others' picks.


• Discuss the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier in a new thread.

"Mixing primaries during daylight hours? Not done."

Tiffany is trying to finish her flag in time to celebrate the anniversary of the current American flag design--thirteen stripes and one star for each state. I pretty much guarantee that Tiffany's flag will have the wrong number of both, and we'll be lucky if she gets the colors right.

Fanfic Update!

• Daria/Power Rangers: Watching the Watchmen, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "Angel Grove had once been a shining city on the hill and now the few skyscrapers still intact looked like jutting bones."


• The Invincible Rose, by breitasparrow (part 2 revised): "'Actually...' Rosalie's heart was pounding hard in her ears. '...I was thinking that, since the wedding begins this afternoon, if I win...' She could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she tried desperately to avoid stuttering. '...You get to be my escort to the reception this evening.'"


• Lost, by SentrytheDefiant (COMPLETE!): "It wasn't as if she was really gone."


• Mysteries of Lawndale 02: The First Party, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "'We're going to walk to the edge of Crewe Neck and back,' Daria said. 'Good idea,' Quinn said. 'Yeah,' Stacy agreed. 'Let's go,' Jane said."


• The Only Pair, by SentrytheDefiant (part 9): "The black clad figure waited until both vehicles were gone before he crept his way towards the front window. Three thick bushes provided adequate cover when he crouched, which was how he maintained his obscurity."


• Reclamation, by SacredDust (parts 3 and 4): "Tom rubbed his eyes and took a closer look. It was a yellow Vexxer, just sitting there with the lights and engine off." (Part 4)


• Renewment, by RLobinske (part 3): "Quinn took a quick look to the living room to make sure Jake and Helen were busy with Jacob. 'When they fly to Florida tomorrow, I'm going to call Daria. We're going to figure this out.' 'When you and your sister put your mind to something, I've learned to stay out of the way.'"


• Unnamed story (IC: Codename Kids Next Daria), by Fhujeth_x (COMPLETE!): "Daria stared down the hallway of Lawndale High School, paving a visual path of wreckage of Kevin standing before his poor and destitute football team while they lay in heaps across the floor."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: April Fool's day), by PrecambrianStudios (COMPLETE!): "Mr. O'Neill picked up the phone. 'Hello?' 'Greetings. This is a prank call,' said a high, nasally voice. 'Would you like to be pranked today?'"


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: April Fool's day), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "It was 7:30 am on a Tuesday. The phone rang at the Morgendorffer residence. Helen picked it up. 'Hel-o-ooooo?' She put her hand to the phone. 'DARIA! It's for you! Someone named Brittany Taylor!'"


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria Fan-Fic Should Have: No longer in the 1%), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "'I want to break up with Kathleen, but it's so hard,' Tom said. 'My life is more difficult than anyone else's on the planet. And yes, I'm including starving children, so don't ask!'"


• Without Warning, by SentrytheDefiant (part 1): "Jace Lane's steel-toed combat boots thumped loudly on the pavement as he made his way towards Lawndale High."

Refrigerator Box Optional

Daria's diving into an old favorite in honor of International Children's Book Day, so why not take the opportunity to reread one of your beloved childhood classics, as well? If you'd like, share what your favorite books were as a child--or other books you think Daria might have enjoyed--in the comments.

Switching from words to pictures, today is also the anniversary of the episode "Art Burn," which aired on this day in 2001. Jane learned how to paint copies and perform undercover missions in a single episode!

Fandom News!

• Sadly, fan Arena del Sur has recently passed away.


• Fhujeth_x passes on your questions for Guy Moore, one of the Daria directors.


• Share your thoughts on the series finale of How I Met Your Mother.


• Those who play Pokemon X and Y can talk about it in a new thread.


• Two Iron Chefs have been posted in Creative Writing: JPAGC's April Fool's day and Charles RB's Codename Kids Next Daria.