She's ALIVE!

Daria and Jane are all dressed up and ready for National Frankenstein Day, and they've even given us a bonus Igor as well! If any pedants get huffy about Jane technically being Frankenstein's monster rather than Frankenstein himself, then just remind them that the real Frankenstein is the friends we made along the way!

I would suggest that everyone celebrate National Internet Day, but I suppose you already are. If not, then how the heck are you even reading this right now?

In honor of National Cat Day, I hope that Jake finally gets that pet cat that he's always wanted, in spite of his father's attitude. Unless, of course, his unfortunate run-in with Mr. Whiskers put him off the feline critters entirely.

Fandom News!

• R.I.P., June Lockhart.


• janendaria4life posted a new Iron Chef: Daria's Stolen Notebook.

She's Alive!

Jane's trying out yet another new look for Frankenstein Day, and I think the stitches are a better look than the orange-and-black nightmare that was her attempted hair dye job. Just don't let the Fashion Club see her in that jacket.

On a different yet still spooky note, today is International Bat Night! At last, Jane can live her dream of sleeping upside-down and spreading rabies!

On a much less spooky note, today is also National Beach Day and that means plenty of fun in the sun and partying with friends! I suspect Daria would rather take the monsters and the bats, actually.

Monsters Like Privacy, Too

Jane's gotten into the spirit for National Frankenstein Day, and this does seem like exactly the kind of weird funky art project she'd be into. Uh...this is an art project, right, Jane? Right?

Today is also National Hermit Day, so in the wise words of Quinn Morgendorffer go ahead and "hide in your room like a kermit!" Of course, not all of us need an excuse to hole up somewhere and avoid the general public.

Fandom News!

• Talk about "Viva La Bam."


• RIP, Jules Bass and Jerry Lee Lewis.


• Vote in the Celebrity Deathmatch poll between Nellie Oleson/Mindy from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and the Square Pegs.

Hey, I'm Back! Remember Me?

Daria and Jane are clearly about to have a wild Frankenstein Day, but I really hope that brain didn't come out of Kevin's head. Not because I'm worried about his well-being, but because I think they'd have better luck using a wadded-up towel.

Today is also National Beach Day, as summer is coming to a close and you're almost out of time to feel the sand between your toes. Daria requests that someone please turn down the sun.

Fandom News!

• RIP, Wolfgang Petersen and Judo Gene Lebell.


• Vote in the Celebrity Deathmatch polls between the Bishop from Monty Python and Deacon Ernest Frye or Motoko Kusanagi and Predator.


• SPEEDCOREIDOLATER shared his new art thread.


• AmbiguouslyAnonymous is looking for the Daria! The Musical full opening.

It's Pronounced FRONK-en-steen!

Jane is trying out a new style for Frankenstein Day, but I really don't think green is her color. Nice that she got to keep her lipstick, though!

Of course, we wouldn't have Frankenstein without Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who was born on this day in 1797. Although the author never got mentioned on the show, we do know that Daria has read the book. What she thought of it is anyone's guess.

Fanfic Update!

• Brittany - Esteem of the Transfer Student, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 2): "Daria Morgendorffer was waiting when Brittany entered the classroom. 'Hi, Daria,' she said cheerfully."


• Daria: In Another World?, by starwater09 (part 9): "Daria sat alone in her room staring indifferently at a game console trying to come up with an activity to past the time. She'd already finished most of her schoolwork, she already checked out the books she was interested in reading at the library and started to read at least a few of them."


• Doctor Who - Changes in Time and Space, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 1): "The TARDIS had materialised in a forest. Sabir emerged from the TARDIS first. Though he came from an era when world travel was commonplace (but not as commonplace as later) he had never been to the Azores."

Frankenstein Was the Scientist AND the Monster!

Jane is trying out a new style for Frankenstein Day, and I think she could do better. Then again, at least there's no hair dye involved. Also...is that Tom's sweater from "Jane's Addition"?

This whole thing just took a dark turn, didn't it?

Fandom News!

• Talk about TV theme songs that became smash hits.

Dawn is the Newest Spice Girl, Pumpkin Spice

Although not given a prominent role on the show, Dawn is helping us all to celebrate National Pumpkin Day! In fact, I think she gets more screen time as an alter ego than she ever did as an actual Daria character. Still, serving as a round orange vegetable makes up for it, right?

If pumpkins aren't spooky enough for your Halloween season, then you might prefer to celebrate Frankenstein Friday instead. Just remember two important facts: Frankenstein was the name of the scientist, not the monster; and no one likes a pedant.

Fandom News!

• Discuss Swedish microchipping and the likely conspiracy theories that will result.


• Follow the latest news about the bombs being sent to to Democrats and other people.


• What would an AU Daria's fashion be like?


• If Daria were a non-animated show, what would the characters wear?

She's Aliiiiiive!

Jane's going with a new look for Frankenstein Friday, and at least this one she can't blame on Daria. I guess she seems happy with it, so who am I to argue with her?

Kevin's probably thrilled to know that today is also American Beer Day, but I know a few beer snobs that won't be interested. Just remember, Kevin, don't crush the can on your forehead unless it's empty!

Fanfic Update!

• Black Cloaks of Lawndale, by Waylander (part 31): "Monique was stretched out on her old sofa, reading the book and drinking a cup of coffee. She wasn't sure why she was assigned an essay about The Movement."


• Quinn, Episode 12: There Can Be Only One, by WildDogJJ (COMPLETE!): "Quinn and Kevin are having their latest tutoring session. The subject is the Vietnam War. Quinn: So, can you tell me some of the reasons we became involved in the war in Vietnam. Kevin: Um, It had something to do with that guy, the one who was President after World War II..." (Part 2) (Part 3)


• Unnamed story (LLH - Short Entries), by Roentgen (part 54): "'When I looked out the window as we were landing at Tolnai, in Puerto Rico, I didn't see any leaves on the trees. The grass was still green but the trees were bare. That was when my heart sank and I knew we were in for it.' -- Stacy Rowe"


• Unnamed story (Scenes No Daria fanfic should have: 600 Years Afterward.....), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "Helen's voice rang through the cavernous Morgendorffer living room. 'Daria! Sandi's at the front door!'"

Junk Food and Monsters

Jane's in costume for Frankenstein Day, or at least I hope that's a costume. There's trying a new look and then there's just plain freaky.

Today is also both Toasted Marshmallow Day and International Bacon Day, so we can enjoy a variety of culinary delights. I'm not sure about combining the two, but feel free if you're in the mood. Seems like a very Jake-esque thing to do, doesn't it?

Fandom News!

• Discuss the issues some people are having with quoting.


• Read the study that suggests people popular in high school might be miserable as adults.


• Find out just how bad a sheriff Joe Arpaio was.


• Would you have survived the Middle Ages? Tell everyone about it in the thread.


• Join in Roentgen's exercise in thread moderation.

Dr. Shar, You've Gone Too Far!

Either Jane's observing National Frankenstein Friday or she's gone to some major lengths to improve her running skills. We know Daria has read Frankenstein because it was on the list of books O'Neill gave the class in "Write Where It Hurts." After that frustrating alternate assignment, I suspect she was wishing she'd just reread the book instead.

Mrs. Bennett is probably celebrating Plush Animal Lover's Day by collecting more Fuzzy Wuzzy Wee Bits, unless by now she's collected all of them.

Fanfic Update!

• Burned Out, by Wrabbit75 (part 6): "Jennifer laid on her stomach on Daria's bed as she watched TV, her unshod feet dangling above her, moving to no particular rhythm. Sitting on the floor in front of her, Daria leaned against the bed, remote dangling loosely from her hand as she waited to mute the upcoming commercial break."


• Cynic and a Six-String, by fringeperson (part 37): "'I think I'm finally finding out what it feels like to be a Lane,' Daria said to Jane with a modicum of happiness – they were having this conversation at school, so she couldn't show too much."


• Cynic on the High Seas (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Kuriamo22 (COMPLETE!): "A young blond elegant looking woman in a dark purple eastern style dress sat at a ornate white cast iron table in a the middle of a vast white area drinking tea. She was the mental model for the Fleet of the Fogs Flagship of the First Oriental fleet Fast Battleship Kongo."


• Sick of Losing Soulmates, bylulamae-golightly (part 2): "Daria woke up on the Lane's couch, still in her clothes from the previous day. It took her a moment to remember how she ended up there, but then remembered-she had fallen asleep talking to Trent."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: The Final Session), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "'So this is our last session,' Armalin said. 'Take a seat. How are you doing?' 'Fine.' Trent tended towards brief expressions, but he appeared to have more energy."

Find a Monster in the Back of Your Fridge? Time to Clean it Out!

Jake's celebrating Look in the Back of Your Refrigerator Day with gusto, although he may just be on the hunt for some cheese. Hard to tell with that man.

This is also Frankenstein Friday, so this would be a good night to curl up with Mary Shelley's most famous work. We know from "Write Where It Hurts" that Daria's already read it, so now it's your turn if you haven't done so before!

Fandom News!

• Join the discussion about sex work vs. sex trafficking.


• angieo invites you to caption this scene.


• dmsfanman found another sighting of Daria on the web.


• Indigo posted a fanfic plot bunny: Repeat Offender.

She's Aliiiiiive!

Jane's trying out yet another new look today because it's National Frankenstein Day. Instead of the Lady or the Tiger, I suppose today it's the Beauty or the Beast.

Today is also Hermit Day, so Quinn recommends that everyone "just hide in your room like a kermit!" Take that whichever way you like.

Fandom News!

• BloodyWilliam shares pictures from his summer vacation.


• What are your peeves about live music shows? Tell everyone about them in a new thread.


• Dervish has a question for the anime fans.


• Charles RB has found a real life band that's eerily similar to Mystik Spiral.


• Ask NightGoblyn your questions in the new Ask the Author thread.


• Princess_Pasta has an announcement about her artwork.

A Monstrous Birthday Celebration

Jane hopes everyone is having a great Frankenstein Day, a holiday that takes place today because it's also the anniversary of author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's birth in 1797. She started writing her most famous work, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, at 18. No Musings rejection letters for her!

The Angst Guy also used the story as a theme in his fanfics "Darius" and "A Hard Days' Night."

Fandom News!

• What is the stupidest thing you do? Confess in the thread.


• InvisibleDan spotted another Daria mention.


• DarkDranzer is looking for Daria fanfic help regarding Mr. DeMartino and the Vietnam War.


• When do you think various characters' birthdays are?


• Vukodlak posted a new Iron Chef in Creative Writing: Arranged Marriage.


• Princess_Pasta has a fanart request for her fic Redux.

Jane's Got Another New Look

Happy Frankenstein Day! The holiday is in honor of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, who was born on this day in 1797. We know Daria has read the book, as it was one of the titles on Mr. O'Neill's list in "Write Where it Hurts" when Daria tells him she's read all of them. We don't know what she thought of it, but The Angst Guy used it as a theme in both Darius and A Hard Days' Night.

Fandom News!

• Discuss the fates of various Daria characters, good or bad, in a new thread.


• Share examples you've discovered of Daria references on Youtube.


• SacredDust talks about the many faces of Quinn.


• Give your thoughts on--or simply mock--Miley Cyrus's performance at the VMAs.


• Is this the best Daria cosplay ever? Take a look and judge for yourself.


• ognawk has a request for fanart for "The Great and the Good."


• peetz5050 shares a tutorial on drawing hands in the Easel.

Or Is It Fronkensteen?

Today is National Frankenstein Day! The novel Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley, who not only created a masterpiece and revolutionized a literary genre, but did it at 18. No Musings rejection letters for her!

Frankenstein was one of O'Neill's "moral book" options in "Write Where It Hurts," and the novel was also used as a theme in The Angst Guy's Darius and A Hard Days' Night.

Richard Lobinske also wrote about Frankenstein in A Legend of Rebirth, but it's not the one you might expect. Read the fic to find out more!

In addition, this day in 1929 was "Black Tuesday," the point when the stock market completely collapsed and the Great Depression began. Good thing we don't have to worry about that kind of thing these days. Cough.

Speaking of crashes, the PPMB is still down, but you can get updates at Site5 or the SFMB.

Miss Natural

World-famous underground comics creator R. Crumb turns 67 today. At left is Quinn Morgendorffer, drawn by an MTV artist in the style of R. Crumb (and excellently done, too). Mr. Crumb, creator of Mister Natural and a host of other characters from the hippie years onward, is still alive and drawing, praise be! (Thanks to the almighty Pinhead for the image.)

This is also the birthday anniversary of the woman who started the entire genre of science fiction when she was only 19 years old. All hail Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, creator of Frankenstein!

Moar on the wai.

N0ooZ!

• Jim North has discovered some Fashion Club Pinup Dolls for us to play with. So far, the Fashion Club, Daria, and Jane are present, plus some fans...
• CR85747 has created a difficult Iron Chef: Daria, based on the life of Daria. The link explains all. Good luck!
• Caira the Great has discovered a long-lost treasure in a computer hard drive: "Free Radio Lawndale" (Broadcasts 1-6), by Ken Tremberth and Erin Mills. The series was lost in the tragic GeoCities Shutdown of 2009, but now appears on PPMB.

FF.net

• NEWER! A Sick Sad Interview, by abe1803 (COMPLETE!): [Previously appeared on PPMB]

PPMB (in progress!)

• Daria/Dorian 7: Motorcycles and Jocks Don't Mix, by LadieT (Part 5): "Don't be looking so down son, you played a great game." Jake chimed in from the driver's seat. "Yeah, but it was for naught. We lost." Dorian's frustration showed in his voice. Jane put her arm around him and squeezed. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Once inside his house, Dorian decided to skip the movie. Between Brittany and the game, he was afraid his mood would ruin Jane and Quinn's evening. Going up to his room, Dorian got dressed for bed. A couple of hours later, he heard a knock on his door. After getting up to open it, Dorian laid back down and continued to stare at the ceiling.
• Daria: Hunter 5—Infectious, by Jim North (continued): The buzzing in Axl's head had risen to the level of a beehive. Scratch that, of a hundred beehives, all crammed down into his skull, then battered around with a stick until the bees inside were well beyond even a reasonable amount of "pissed off". System after system was slipping from his grasp, and no matter how many times he split himself, there just weren't enough Axls to go around. A comm line called for his attention and he moved to quash it, but before he could finish the mental commands necessary to shut it off, it opened seemingly of its own accord and let through the sound of his own voice speaking in smug, condescending tones.
  

• Finn Morgendorffer 56: A Journey to Eternity, by HolyGrail2007 (COMPLETE!): Finn and Tom decided to meet up for pizza the next day. Apparently, some old friends of the Sloanes were coming to visit. They were eager to see Tom, which meant he needed to be anywhere but there. “Yo, dude,” Finn greeted his friend warmly. “How’s everything going? With the breakup and all?” Tom asked once they had their pizza. Tom was the only person Finn had told about the breakup, until he accidentally blabbed it to Daria. (ending here)
  
• For Life, by LSauchelli and Quiverwing (Part 5): Almost five minutes passed by without either girl saying a single word. Jane interrupted the silence calling out, “Daria?” “Hmmm?” Daria managed to say, not really feeling like talking at the moment. “Why did you fight those women?” she asked, and proceeded to ramble on. “It’s not like you actually needed to prove a point you—” Daria rolled her eyes and stood up making as much noise as she could. “When I see something I don’t like, I always try to pummel it to the ground, be it with my wit or with my fists.” “But...” Jane started to say, not entirely sure of what she was about to say, “why didn’t you just call the guards?”

• NEWER! God Save the Esteem 4: Melody Power to the People, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): She sat in darkness lit only by monitors, a spider in a vast electronic web. The suspects were entering the area again. They had to be watched. Only she stood against the terrorists, the drug dealers, the gangstas, the smokers, and the people who put gum under the seats, stood between them and Laaaawndale High. Li tapped a button and Camera 12’s image covered the screen; a push of the controller and it zoomed in on one Daria Morgendorffer. (Part 2) (NEWER! Ending here)
  
• Hack the Planet.exe, by Brian Taylor and Charles RB (prologue and Part 1): On the day the judge pronounced sentence in The People vs. Daria Morgendorffer, every tech and crime reporter worth even half his salt had congregated on the Montgomery County Circuit Court from every corner of American soil. Cameras from every local affiliate lined the sidewalk, and vans from every international news network lined the street. Not every punk sixteen-year-old with an old Dell and nothing but time to burn could punch a hole in the Department of Defense's mainframe, redirect all visitors to the Republican National Committee's website to the North American Man/Boy Love Association, and single-handedly cause enough of a crash in commodities trading that the New York Stock Exchange dropped fifty points in twenty minutes. (Part 1) (Daria/Hackers)
  


• Jane Lane: Ace Attorney—Turnabout Teacher's Pet, by LSauchelli (Part 15): “Good afternoon, Ms. Li,” said Jane, smiling, “It’s nice to see you again,” she offered her hand. Li did not take it. “What do you want, Lane?” Charles snorted. Jane tried not to glare as she answered, “To have a few words with you, of course.” Li did not ask them to sit down. Jane frowned and decided not to ask permission. “So, Ms. Li,” she said, sitting back comfortably in one of the chairs. Charles imitated her, “you said you left the school at 6:30 PM that day, right?” “Yes,” said Li, glaring, “and I have no motive to kill Mr. Cartwright, nor there’s any evidence pointing at me as the killer. I believe you’re wasting your time here,” she added, frowning.
• NEW! Jane Morgendorffer, by LadieT (Part 6): "The reason why I pulled out the tape recorder is so that no one can question the validity of the adoption. So I must ask, is everyone in this room okay with me taping this meeting?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Pressing the record button, Sarah began explaining what would happen. "I want everyone to state their names clearly into the recorder. I am Sarah Kraft and I am an attorney who specializes in private adoptions. In the room with me are... " "Vincent Lane." "Amanda Lane." "Helen Morgendorffer." "Jake Morgendorffer."
  
• Moving Pictures VI, by Brian Taylor (COMPLETE!): The interior of a high school gymnasium being decorated for a Valentine's Dance. The bleachers are pushed into themselves. A P.A. system is being set up by the mats on one wall. The focus zooms in and out. From the quality of the tape, this is a second- or third-generation copy. "Testing," says Amy's voice, near to the microphone. "'Tenser,' said the Tensor. 'Tenser,' said the Tensor."
  

• Oops! by Malakite (COMPLETE!): Nibbler, as the ancient being was sometimes known, felt like sinking into the ground beneath him. He'd baited the wrong human into cryostasis.... (Daria/Futurama)
• Popularity, by GlitterShrooms (COMPLETE!): “I’m going to do it Lilith! Today’s the day!” “What are you going to do Arnold? Swallow the lunch lady’s meat without throwing up?” she said with her Cheshire Cat smile. “No. No. No,” responded her best friend. “Today’s the day that I become the most popular kid in Hollywood High!” “And how do you, the most unpopular kid the universe has ever known, propose to do that?”

• Raft College: The First Year, by rglovejoy (Part 23): They walked down the hallway together. Daria felt a little uneasy, but not because Sam was holding her hand. His presence actually was helping, as she believed that she needed a strong protector right now. No, the problem was her lack of underwear. It became even more noticeable when they went down the stairs. Cool air brushed against her, making her blush. "Is everything alright, DeeDee?" "Yeah." At the bottom of the staircase, Daria quickly smoothed out her skirt. "This is kind of embarrassing, but can you keep a secret?"
• Sleepwalker, by Jim North (continued): Charles' corpse sat in a small pool of blood that almost appeared reflective under the sodium glare of the lamps overhead. Anthony and Claire looked down on the crushed body sadly, then slipped on the latex gloves they had pilfered from the inn's cleaning cart. After Anthony retrieved the abandoned tire iron and slipped it through one of the belt loops on his pants, the two of them got to work straightening Charles out. It was easier to do than they had expected. Rigor mortis hadn't had time to settle in yet, and the smashed bones gave the body even more flexibility than usual. Almost too much, as it turned out.
  
• Two Body Problem, by RLobinske (Part 1): Amy sat down on a leather chair and looked at the diploma she had just hung on the wall. A calendar on the desk reminded her that it was August, 1991 and that she had three weeks until Tennyson University was again filled with students. For now, the halls were mostly quiet, with only a few staff members, other faculty and the occasional graduate student wandering the halls. More than enough time enough to settle into her new tenure-track position. She smiled and said, "Finally." Her auburn hair was pulled into a ponytail and her t-shirt was half-soaked with sweat from moving into her office at Tennyson University.

• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): "Hammer Man—Hammer! Hammer Man—Hammer! Whenever there's a crime, 'Round the Lawndale property line, Bad guys better beware, 'Cause the Hammer Man will be there! (Daria/Hammer Man)
  
• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "Daria..." Tom thought through his lie, realized it was stupid, and just went for broke... (fairly obvious crossover)
  
• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): My name is Tom Sloane, an astronaut. A radiation wave hit, and I got shot through a wormhole. Now I'm lost in some distant part of the universe on a ship—a living ship—full of strange alien life forms. Help me! (Daria/Farscape)

• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Wormbait (COMPLETE!): Daria stared at the filthy man with the shaggy blond hair and beard, dressed in tattered clothing and tried to remember the last time she had seen him, certainly long before she had met Jake, her mum's current boyfriend. (Daria/Yellowbeard)
  
• Unnamed story (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by Wraith (COMPLETE!): "Okay, Jane, I knew this school was... odd when I first got here. But explain something to me...." (Daria/Cromartie High School)
• Unnamed story (Future Daria: Iron Chef or merely an annoyance?), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "This is Daria Morgendorffer, and if you are viewing this message it means either I've failed or my co-workers at Planet Express have done something incredibly stupid that ruined my careful plans. It will almost certainly be the latter...." (Daria/Futurama)
  
• Unnamed story (Jack), by Wormbait (COMPLETE!): Timothy O'Neill woke slowly to the dull ache in his arm from the tattoo Anthony had talked him into getting the other day....
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: The Terror of Metalmouth), by Greystar (COMPLETE!): Metalmouth knew he'd bitten off more than he could chew when the horde of co-eds tied him to a spit and began building a huge fire in a nearby roasting pit.
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: The Terror of Metalmouth), by Jim North (Part 1): Metalmouth chuckled softly to himself as he watched the two frightened teenagers flee from the woods. He hadn't been able to catch them, unfortunately, but he often enjoyed scaring the hell out of them just as much as he enjoyed tearing the flesh from their bones with his vicious teeth. (NEWEST! Part 2)
• MOST NEWEST OF ALL! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: The Terror of Metalmouth), by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): Ms. Li looked up in shock as the man barged into her office. He was tall, with dark hair, and seemed to be covered in dirt and dried blood. His clothes were filthy and worn; in one hand he carried a shotgun, and in the other... the other hand was in some sort of oversized, metal glove. "What's the situation?" he asked. (Daria/Evil Dead)
  

• Unnamed story (Why Jane is Daria's best friend), by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): "No, Daria. We're NOT going to that stupid Glenn Beck rally. We are putatively adults, we have good jobs, we have boyfriends, we don't have police records. We are going to keep it that way."
• Unnamed story (Why Jane is Daria's best friend), by Getrealordie187 (COMPLETE!): "What am I doing? God, I can't do this. Why did I think I could do this?" "Daria, you're freaking out. Take a deep breath and get a hold of yourself. You can do this. You're going out there and you're giving your speech and you're going to be the leader of the free world for the next four to eight years. You said you wanted it; now you have it. I'll be by your side every step of the way. Just like always."
• MOST NEWEST OF ALL! The Vision of the Burning Cities, by jtranser (continued): The Bogeyman smiled at his captive and, with relish, explained in detail what would be her final moments: "Your re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere will be spectacular!" "You mean I'll burn up?" "No. You'll be protected from that. What I have in mind is more spectacular and will confuse and frighten all who see it for decades. Indeed, it will be Fortean in its proportions!!" "You mean?..."' "Yes! You will appear in the skies above East Wilmerding, Ohio in A RAIN OF DARIAS!!!"
  
• Where Gods Hold Sway, by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): “Daria. Jane. Welcome back.” The auburn haired woman nodded and rolled her shoulders within the confines of her ash-grey suit. The stenciled pale grey outline of spread wings covered her back and curled around to her collar bone, an empty sword belt slung across her hips. Beside her, a tall brunette stood in like attire, the wings on her back stenciled in a blue so light it was almost white. The belts on her hips hung like gun holsters, though they seemed to be built for a different weapon.

• A Work in Progress, Subject to Revision: 9 to 5, by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): "Come on, Quinn! Answer your damned phone already!" The call went to voice mail. The call to the home phone went to the answering machine. "I'm going to kill her, I swear!" Another number was dialed. "Yo! Daria, what's up?" "Jane, you need to get to my place NOW. If Quinn is there, kill her for me, and then tell her you need a makeover, suitable for a job interview. I'll be home in 15 minutes. Go, NOW! I think I found a job for you." "On my way! Thanks!"

Still have not quantified all stories in this thread, but it will be done soon!

Special Public Service Announcement!

Jane has a question. How best to answer it?

Click the link and party hearty! Thanks, Martin!

Happy Halloween!

Keep on Truckin', Indeed

Robert Crumb turns 66 today. He is perhaps the most famous of the underground comics artists of the 1960s and '70s, the one who gave us "Keep on Truckin'!" and Mr. Natural and girls with enormous butts and thighs. This rendering of Quinn in Crumb's style (an alter ego by MTV's artists) was surely done without her knowledge. Many of his drawings are online here.

The Moscow-Washington, D.C. hotline, a.k.a. The Red Phone, celebrates its 46th birthday today.

Writer Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who at the age of 19 forever changed the face of fantasy, horror, and science fiction when she wrote Frankenstein, turns 212 today. (Read the book here.) Think about it: she was a teenager when she did this. Doesn't that just blow your mind?

In fact, speaking of Mary Shelley's most famous creation, we see a lot of Frankenstein (the book, the doctor, and the monster) in Daria fanfic and even in the show itself. The theme is ubiquitous. We have Frankenstein-related fan art, fanfic Halloween costumes and humorous character costumes, quotes in fanfiction, fanfic plot twists, Sick Sad World fodder on TV, movies on TV, Daria's reading material, someone else's reading material, and several fanfic scenes where the book is discussed in Mr. O'Neill's classes (here, here, here, and here). We even have an official MTV alter ego of Helen as the Bride of Frankenstein. Frankenstein has to be one of the most frequently referenced icons in the series.

Mary Shelley was one heck of a teenager, wasn't she?

FF.net

• D Is for Daria, by Fringeperson (Part 3): “Wow, you weren't kidding,” Jane said, staring at the mail bag that had D for Detriment written in red type across it. It looked heavy, to say nothing of how full it was. One lump in the side even looked like a parcel rather than a regular letter.
  
• Falling Into College Year 4: Two Intents, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): In the Channel 12 newsroom, Blythe Lincoln paused for a moment at the door to her producer's office. Being called into the office right after he'd handled a lengthy phone call was usually a sign that something was up and, in this case, Blythe had a good suspicion it was her latest story proposal. She took a deep breath and opened the door. "Yes, sir?"
• Pigskin Caduceus, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 5): It was too late to do anything when I got back home on Saturday, so, on Sunday, I spent the entire day cleaning the house. I couldn’t remember the last time I did it; I never invited people over, so there was no need to make it look good. And my father certainly wouldn’t expend the effort.
• Tales of the Ringbearers: With New Responsibility, by Richard Lobinske (COMPLETE!): Dressed in his flight gear and carrying a helmet with "Archangel" painted across the visor cover, Capt. Gerald Wright angrily marched away from the campus helipad toward the Curtis E. LeMay College of Military Studies.

PPMB

• Extracurricular Activities, by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): Jodie Landon left yearbook with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. A few people called out to her as she walked, and she smiled at them or waved as she turned down a hallway. A moment later she came to a door. A pane of pebbled glass made up the top third. PRINCIPAL was written across in black paint and nothing more. Smiling a very different smile, Jodie knocked.
• Iron Chef: Daria Is Raven's Apprentice, by Project Pegasus (continued): "My paper! No! I time-traveled back to the Globe Theater for that paper! Oh, the things I did for the Bard to get him to write a sonnet for me..."
• Knockin' on Heaven's Gate, by HeirofNorton (Part 4): I certainly couldn't fault my friends for their near obsession over the stunning Miss Morgendorffer. Quinn was beautiful beyond compare. I reminisced then—as I assumed my now silent comrades were also doing—about the lovely girl.
  
• Rainbow Disconnection, by Disco316 (Part 4): Quinn gathered around the ladies’ room mirrors, checking her makeup and applying touch-ups where necessary, along with her friends Sandi and Tiffany. “So I told him, ‘What difference does it make whether you order the buffalo wings or not? Even bringing them up has already cost you a second date!’ And then he says, ‘Oh, then I might as well get a double order!’ Can you believe some guys?”
• Schrödinger’s Tiger, by TAG (COMPLETE!): “Explain it to me one more time,” said the tired detective, “but start over at the beginning, and speak slowly.”
  
• Touchdown, by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): The bell rang, signaling the end of yet another intense history lesson. Students trickled out into the hall in small groups, laughing and talking and carrying on. Jodie Landon hung back by her boyfriend Michael Mackenzie's desk as he straightened papers from a spilled folder. Just as he had gotten things together, Anthony DeMartino, the graying, maniacal history teacher, called out to him.
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Unwanted alien pets! Next, on Sick Sad World!), by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE FRAGMENT!): Charles leaned back, away from the piano, and let his fingertips lightly brush the keys. He was depressed, again. "All you do is sit in here and mope," Scarlett had said, rolling her eyes at him. "Sometimes I wonder if we're even related."
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Unwanted alien pets! Next, on Sick Sad World!), by Wraith (COMPLETE FRAGMENTS!): Daria stood with her back against the wall in the large room. The only source of light was the door next to her, open on a small room where Jane was putting on her jacket. "Say, Jane. It seems you're eligible to be the Rose Bride. And then I'll obtain the Power of Dios and make the secret of eternity ours." "If you say so, Daria."
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Unwanted alien pets! Next, on Sick Sad World!), by Wraith (COMPLETE FRAGMENT!): "No matter... how much I try... to be his friend,... no matter... how much I... think about him, his heart... has belonged to..." "What? Sports? Cars? Porn? Big Bird? What?!"