Kiss and Tell Someone You're Sorry

Daria is all set to celebrate Kiss Day, but the question is, who's going to take her up on it? I imagine Tom would not be welcome, considering their history, but maybe Trent would be an acceptable alternative? Assuming he's awake, that is.

It seems appropriate that today is also National Apology Day, because Daria kissing people tends to lead to problems. I imagine the phrase "kiss and make up" has an entirely different meaning to her.

If you mess up so badly that even an apology won't cover it, you could always observe Get a Different Name Day and get a fresh start. Just remember Jake's advice: "Walk away. You change your name, move to another state, get some ID. It's not too late to start over, Daria, it's not too late! You're still a young man! You don't have to live with your mistakes! Get out while you can!"

Fanfic Update!

• Her Last Words, by Sheila Wisz Ellayn (part 80): "Lawndale High School was for sure, just like the once peaceful and sleepy town all around it, simply not the same anymore."


• Red (Daria and The Gang Thread), by roentgen (COMPLETE!): "The worst part of any morning was 6:20 am when Scarlett LeFaye's phone alarm went off."


• Timmy's Awokening, by wilddogjj (COMPLETE!): "Kevin was frantically pounding on the door to Daryl's apartment, having followed him all the way from the Carbone's Super Bowl party."

Anyone Here From the Planet Zippotron?

All of Lawndale appears to have turned out to celebrate Extraterrestrial Culture Day, and if we're lucky Daria and Jane will wear their alien space babe costumes. That's not likely, however, with the chance of Upchuck being present, so we'll just have to settle for Artie and his synthetic skin.

Someone should let Wind know that it's also Get a Different Name Day and he should feel free to change his name to Ronald now that the Naming Gazebo isn't standing in his way. Everyone else can either heed or ignore Jake's advice as they choose: "Walk away. You change your name, move to another state, get some ID. It's not too late to start over, Daria, it's not too late! You're still a young man! You don't have to live with your mistakes! Get out while you can!"

Don't worry. I'm not going to start shaking you.

Finally, I have good news for Daria and Tom. Not only is it Kiss Day, but also National Apology Day so they can go confess their mistake to Jane and hope for forgiveness. Maybe.

Fandom News!

• Derek has an important announcement for anyone who tried to register at the PPMB between February 4 and February 11, 2024.

It's Not Kiss and Make OUT Day!

I think Daria and Tom have misunderstood the point of Kiss and Make Up Day. See, you're supposed to make amends with someone you're fighting with, not kiss their boyfriend and then try to make up with them. Oh, well. That's teenage hormones for you.

Since today is also National Secondhand Wardrobe Day, I expect that the Fashion Club will be going door-to-door to collect clothes for the needy. As long as there aren't any carports. Or lawn elves. Or striped curtains. Or...you know what? I hope the less fortunate like go-go boots and belly chains.

Fandom News!

• Discuss small but powerful girls.


• What is the strangest role you've ever seen an actor perform in?


• Vote in the Celebrity Deathmatch poll between Daphne Blake and Janine Melnitz.


• Share songs with Trent Lane style lyrics.

So...Many...Fashion...Disasters....

The Fashion Club is collecting donations for National Secondhand Wardrobe Day, but I think they might be rethinking their decision. And all of their life choices leading them up to this moment, honestly.

Today is also Kiss and Make Up Day, which one could argue was the end result of Daria and Tom's growing animosity toward each other over Jane. And then Daria had to make up with Jane, which did not involve kissing unless you've read a specific genre of fanfic.

Fanfic Update!

• American Dream, by ladyevil (part 1): "'Guano see some gutsy climbing?' asked the TV announcer. 'Scaling the world's tallest pile of seagull droppings, next on Sick, Sad World.'"


• End Of An Era ( Linn's short stories (or ficlets, drabbles...)), by linnofthewoods (COMPLETE!): "'This very last one goes out to the one I love,' Trent spoke into the microphone on stage at his very last performance at Ruttheimer's."


• Lawndale, by patrickxtrem (part 3): "Jane Lane continued to do some morning artwork before heading to school, as she almost finished her painting of a zombie eating Principal Angela Li's head with her brain showing."

Kiss that Rash Goodbye!

While Tom and Daria seem content to celebrate International Kissing Day, I think for them the real kissing day was what Quinn fondly recalls as "the instance of sleazy backstabbing." Ah, sweet memories!

Today is also the anniversary of the episode "Ill," which aired on this day in 1998. In which Daria didn't kiss anyone, but did end up with a nasty (and never fully explained) rash. I'm not sure which was the less pleasant experience, honestly.

Fandom News!

• Choose the winner in a Celebrity Demolition Derby.


• Vote in the Deadliest Warrior poll between Talky Tina and Chucky.

Kiss and Tell

Helen's really not enjoying National Kissing Day, but maybe Jake can change her mind. Let's just hope no one uses the holiday as an excuse for stabbing their best friend in the back. Just hypothetically speaking. Not naming names. Cough.

Today is also National Columnists Day, so maybe Future Daria can put her thoughts about kissing and/or betrayal into words and publish them. Or it could be fodder for Brittany's "Ask Brittany" column.

Fanfic Update!

• Born on the Fourth of July, by Lady Evil (part 1): "Daria wanted to spend the summer day sleeping, but she knew that wouldn’t convince her mother that she had volunteered to work at the library."


• Snail Mail (Linn's short stories (or ficlets, drabbles...)), by Linnofthewoods (COMPLETE!): "Jane and Alan had invited Trent over to their Soho loft for an early dinner. He was very happy to accept the invitation; since Rose left for home it seemed like everyone was either too busy or exhausted to hang out as much as they had during the summer."

I Wonder What Penguins Think of "The Cinema"?

Happy Penguin Awareness Day! Some of us may be more aware of penguins than others, but let's not forget that (as seen in "I Loathe a Parade") one of the Lawndale High School football team's major rivals is a team called the Penguins. You know, I'm not sure if that's a point in their favor or against them.

Anyway, today is also the anniversary of the birth of film director Federico Fellini, born on this day in 1920. Without Fellini, there would have been no Fellini Film Festival. Without the Fellini Film Festival, Daria would have had no reason to leave a message for Tom about La Dolce Vita. And so the fateful turn of events progressed, until WHAM! Daria and Tom making out in the car. So now we can finally place the blame where it belongs: on an Italian film director who died well before any of this even happened!

Fanfic Update!

• At the Crossroads..., by oni (part 4a): "Stacy went for the volume knob and turned the volume back down. Sandi shot her a look when then Stacy shot Sandi one right back. Feeling defeated, Sandi focused back on the road. 'Is your mom talking to you yet,' asked Stacy. Talking, Stacy found, was usually the best way to defuse Sandi’s anger."


• The Author as a Lesbian, Season 5, by DeacBlue (part 1): "Helen Morgendorffer looked at her colleagues as she finished up her call with the D.A. Jim Vitale, taking lead in the matter because the people involved were so close to the firm; the oddly named Bill Tweed, the firm's criminal specialist; and the tall, thin, Ann Freeman, their constitutional scholar. 'We'll be there, Jack,' she said, just before she hung up."


• Daria - Double Down, by neonhomer (part 20): "'Speaking of Daria, where is she?' asked Helen. 'Still in bed.' Said Jane. 'Is she not feeling good? Is it drugs?' asked Jake. Jane and Lynn looked back at each other. 'No, we were up late.' Said Jane. Jake looked at Jane. 'Oh... Okay.' Jake went back to reading the paper."


• Into the Black, Into the Blue, by Lord Yellowtail (prologue): "And though at this very moment she was still the second most powerful being on all Equestria, with the sun high in the sky burning Celestia’s benevolence and unconditional love down on her—and cutting her off from the infinite vastness of her power by holding back the darkness that was her greatest strength—she felt not for the first time cold and ancient." (Prologue part 2)


• The James Lane Chronicles Chapter 7, by InvisibleDan (part 1): "James stood at the counter, stared out the window, and thought about what the next year would bring. Eleventh grade was almost an anticlimax. He and Daria weren't going to graduate for another two years, but they weren't exactly underclassmen either. Now they were closer to adulthood, close enough that the fantasy world of going to classes and having to answer to teachers was almost gone, to be replaced by decades of going to a job."


• The Outers III: Was Blind But Now Can See, by The Angst Guy (parts 4b and 4c): "Someone else was coming up the steps with a slow, measured tread. Moments later, a tall black man in a dark blue USAF dress uniform came out of the stairwell. He was frowning at a small device in his right hand, the only thing he carried, poking it with his fingers to study the results with an even deeper frown." (Part 4c)


• Paging, Dr. Morgendorffer, by oni (part 3): "Shuffling her hands around some, Jane found what she was looking for and showed it to Daria. Looking into Jane’s hand, Daira asked, 'Are you sure?' 'Of course,' replied Jane. 'Look, you just put it on the tongue like this.' She demonstrated it to Daria."


• Tuition (Or Jane Lane and the $28000 Question), by mmmdraco (COMPLETE!): "Jane heard her mother laughing and a look of confusion washed over her face as he mother spoke up again. 'You don't need to get a job unless you want one, darling.' 'So, you guys have a college fund for me?' 'Well, no.' 'Then... what?' Jane sat back in her chair and tossed the pen on the table in front of her. 'We have enough in the bank for that.' Jane sat upright again. 'What?'"


• Unnamed story (IC: Why was Trent was banned from the Bookstore?), by mmmdraco (COMPLETE!): "'Trent? Just stay here in the corner by the music books for a moment. We'll be right back.' Amanda Lane smiled at her son and walked off, holding her husband's hand as they headed further into the arts section to look at the pottery and photography books."


• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: "What makes a date a date?"), by mmmdraco (COMPLETE!): "Daria closed the book that had been open on her lap and stared at her sister. 'You realize that this constitutes actually asking for my advice on dating.' Quinn's eyes widened. 'You have to promise not to tell!' 'Fifteen.' 'Five!' 'Ten.'"


• What Makes a Date a Date? (Iron Chef: "What makes a date a date?"), by LadieT (COMPLETE!): "Daria looked up from the card that she was reading and stared at Tom. Reading greeting cards ... really? REALLY? This isn't a date - this is a joke. Why am I even wasting my time?"


• With An "Uh", And An "Um", by mmmdraco (parts 9 - 11): "'I don't mean to keep comparing you to Tom, you know. But he was my first in, well, a lot of ways.' Trent set his half-eaten slice of pizza on his plate and gazed at Daria for a moment. 'I don't mind, you know.' 'Really?' 'Nah. 'Cause, so far, I've come out the winner every time. I feel like this is how it's supposed to be.'" (Part 10) (Part 11)

"You like convertibles?"

Today is the anniversary of either a major fandom high point or a major fandom low point, depending on your perspective. On August 18, 1999, Tom Sloane made his first appearance in the episode "Jane's Addition." Some fans love him, some fans hate him, and some fall somewhere in between. You can't deny, however, that the boy was controversial. And I refuse to even mention The Kiss. (Oh, wait, I just did. Dammit!)

This is also Bad Poetry Day, and never has this little gem been more appropriate to post:

The greasy fry,
It cannot lie;
Its truth is written
On your thighs.

Breathtaking.

Fandom News!

• Daria recently made an appearance on the website Racked.com!


• Introducing a new Nick's Corner thread: The Completely Random Political Humor Thread!


• Kara Wild expresses her concerns about MTV showing Daria art on Facebook.


• Lord Yellowtail needs advice on vintage motorcycles for Burnout.


• How would you do a Iron Daria ... Man fanfic crossover?


• The Angst Guy wants to know what Shaggy's real name is.


• Three new Iron Chefs posted in Creative Writing: cfardell_Brenorenz29's Camp Grizzly Backgrounders background Tales, Vukodlak's Daria on glitterberries, and custos sophiae's Ponzi Scheme.

La La La La La, My Darling

"Dye! Dye! My Darling" appeared on the air for the first time 10 years ago today. By far the most controversial episode ever aired in the Daria series (even more so than "Daria!" or "Depth Takes a Holiday"), DDMD has never lost its ability to drive the fandom nuts.

A year ago this day I uploaded a bunch of links through the WayBack Machine to old MTV website pages of Daria goodness. There's the link to them. Go and have fun.

Happy August Long Weekend to everyone in Canada. Enjoy the day!

PPMB

• Grove Hell 2: All the Lawndale People, by Charles RB (Part 5): Daria and Jane walked up to the Morgendorffer house, deep in philosophical discussion. “No, you’ve not thought this through. Alien bleeds acid blood, Species is just a woman who can’t remember how to put clothes on. She’d never survive. Alien all the way.” “Ah, but if she borrows Predator’s blasters, she’s got long-range!” “Touche. It’s not like he’ll want them after the Krites have eaten them.” Daria opened the door, took a brief listen, and winced. “You better take a hike. My mom’s talking to my Aunt Rita. This isn’t gonna be pretty.” (FF.net)
  
• Inner Universe, by Malakite (Part 6): "I've said it before, I'll say it again: you have the coolest room." This comment rose above the somewhat muted sound of twangy guitar and piano accompaniment coming from Jane's television. As she painted (the palette for today was heavy on greys with a touch of green) and intermittently sketched she decided, "It's got pros and cons. You can't hurt yourself in here, but you can't hurt anybody else in here, either." Jane smiled at this as she rapped her hand lightly against the nearest wall. "I wish there'd been a schizophrenic shut-in living in our house before we moved in. Of course, we've got Trent there now. That's almost the same thing."
  
• The Lane That Wasn't, by LadieT (Part 12): Jane continued to look at the screen in front of her. The old man studied her expressions. He noticed how a look of pain came over Jane when she watched the scene the where she had told Daria about moving. He saw jealousy flash in her eyes when she saw the drawing Daria did of Melody Powers. She tried to stay expressionless but couldn't. She turned to him. His eyes had changed colors again. This time they were matching Daria's dark brown eyes. She looked down at the road that stretched ahead of her. She looked at him with a curious face. "I have a question," Jane stated. "Ask away." The old man shifted his gaze to the sky.
• Raft College: The First Year, by rglovejoy (Part 20): Daria left Professor Federova's office feeling a bit shell-shocked. It was clear that she had made a lot of mistakes in writing her first paper, to impress her teacher with her thoroughness. It was pretty easy to snow someone like DeMartino or O'Neill, simply because they were not used to any sort of academic rigor from their students. DeMartino would have been happy if someone merely knew that Robert E. Lee's wife was not Sara Lee.
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Real Esteem), by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): "Students with low self-esteem will be exterminated!" (Daria/Doctor Who)

The Buns of August

It's August first, and today marks the 29th birthday of MTV, which gave us Daria (and, more importantly, Jane Lane). We also got A Flock of Seagulls, but Daria made up for it. And with Daria we got memes like "You taste of bun" and 666 versions of "I kissed your boyfriend." Pure win.

I have been horribly remiss in not discussing all the exciting things going on over at DariaWiki, the online encyclopedia of all things Daria. Special thanks go out to the following contributors for the month of July: Ingsoc, Brother Grimace, HolyGrail2007, Doggieboy, RLobinske, OverlordMikey, JPAGC, Charles RB, Pittsburghmuggle, Brian Taylor, Dark Kuno, Doc Forbin, Shallow15, Kchishol1970, InnerCircle, JonathanDP81, EvChemical, and Quiverwing. You people make it rock!

The new material at DariaWiki includes stuff about: "The Big Wedding," Robert, Finn Morgendorffer, Evan Landon, Corey, "Through a Webcam Darkly," Martha Peters, "Speedtrapped," Russell Stark, Science Fiction, Wind Lane, OverlordMikey, Crossover, Lawndale, Ramona, "Too Many Choices," Pam Garrett, Hammer Blow, Charles RB, Judith Strikes, Off-Canon Canon, Trueblood Cafeteria, Nicky, Spatula Man, Angie, Defender Ring, Max Tyler, Dr. Millepieds, "The Daria Hunter," Good Time Chinese Restaurant, Daria Multiverse, Steve Taylor, Architects, "Through a Closet, Darkly,"Kevin Thompson, The Chronicler, John Berry, "Daria!" Bibby Birks, Drugs 'N' Stuff, "Grove Hell on Earth," Beavis and Butt-head, Falling into College, The Fashion Club, Daria! Song Lyrics, "It's a Living," Quiverwing, The Coffee Snob, and "Backyard Foray." Doubtless some of these are not familiar to you if you haven't been in the fandom long, but don't worry: it will catch up with you.

Moar l8r when I think of something to add. Oh, one interesting historical note: 99 years ago today, Harriet Quimby became the first American woman to earn her pilot's license. She wore a purple aviator's outfit and was very famous for a time. Purple, hmmm.

N0oOZ!

• The Judith Strikes! shared setting is now closed, per Erin M. A few unfinished stories will be finished soon.
• You are invited to attend the Shared World Workshop, begun by Staticblast, on PPMB.

PPMB

• Daria/Dorian 6: Christmas Chaos, by LadieT (Part 2): Everyone was sitting around the table as Lillian talked to Amy about the recipe. Helen and Quinn took several mugs down. Amy ladled the drink and added a cinnamon straw to each. As everyone was enjoying their drinks, Amy stood up and gently tapped the side of her mug. They turned towards her. "With everything that has been going on, I realized just how much I've missed being around my family. I wanted to let you know. I came back to Lawndale two weeks ago and looked at houses. I found one I really liked. I have to sign the paperwork for it on Wednesday."
• The Ending of Judith Strikes? Green Book? by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): Michael and Jake walked out to confront Judith, who held Daria captive. "Kiddo, it'll be all right!" Jake cried. "Listen, Judith, you can have the book, just let Daria go!" Suddenly Brittany ran outside. "No, Mr. McNinch, don't!" "Brittany, I am a father and as such understand what it would mean to lose a child. Has not Jake suffered enough?" Brittany remained silent for a moment before yelling, "Use the power of love to defeat her!"
• NEWEST! Finn Morgendorffer 55: Dreamer Without a Cause, by HolyGrail2007 (Part 1): “I hope that’s the worst problem Finn has in his whole life.” Helen remarked at the empty chair. “What a problem to have: Bromwell or Crestmore? Both are good.” “And no military school, yeah! Not a single year or latrine duty or anything. Finn really nailed it!” "Jake..."
  
• NEWEST! Jane Lane: Ace Attorney—Turnabout Teacher's Pet, by LSauchelli (Part 3): Well, this is certainly not the way I thought I would be dealing with cases once I passed the bar exam, Jane thought as she eyed the red-headed PI. She wasn’t annoyed because she didn’t trust the man—she certainly didn’t—it was because she actually knew she needed his help if she was to save not only Barch, but her career as well. And her mission of getting Daria to answer some questions, of course.
  
• Judith Strikes! And It Would Come to Pass, by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): Judith sat alone waiting. Of course it would take an army to stop the girl, so she was unafraid of a few monsters living in some fantasy world. "So you're Judith..." came the voice of a woman. Out walked a finely dressed young woman with long black hair, wearing a long red dress and red gloves that covered her arms. She had a devilish smirk and her eyes shined with a twisted intellect. She slowly walked into the room followed by another woman. "You're the girl of the hour, so to speak. Be less gloomy. It reflects badly on me and my people if I hire someone so..."
• NEW! Judith Strikes! Closing Ceremony, by Erin M. (COMPLETE!): Helen Morgendorffer wept loudly into a handkerchief, as Amanda Lane, the Morgendorffer's housekeeper, tried to comfort her. "It'll be all right, Helen," Amanda was saying. "Vincent, Wind, and Summer are out with the search party and I have Penny looking after Jane and Trent. I'll be here for as long as you need me, and Vincent swears he'll call as soon as he hears anything." "It's all my fault," Helen sobbed. "I should have taken more maternity leave to look after her, instead of rushing back to the office as soon as I could. I'm a horrible mother." "No," Amanda said, rubbing Helen's back. "No, you aren't. It's not your fault Daria was kidnapped. Put the blame where it belongs, on the sick and evil bastard who took her away from you."
  
• Judith Strikes! The Last Stand of Odell Jones, by Brother Grimace (Part 1): Well, you heard about that little bitch Judith—the evil version of Daria Morgendorffer? (I’m sure that you’ve heard of her.) We lost three ships and eighteen hundred people as a diversion for her to steal one of our slipstream vessels. My name is Odell Jones. I’m a Warhammer—a Ringbearer trained for military operations. The word has come down from Command, on Nova Valdris. My team has its orders. We’re gearing up—and we’re going to get that vessel back.
  
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part I: Pizza Night with the Girls, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Daria Morgendorffer sipped at her glass of ice water, and watched a very familiar female form appear in her Legion Tower apartment where the blue flash of light appeared a bare moment before. “Hello,” she said, causing the young woman in the catsuit and red cloak to stop in surprise. “Looking for something?”
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part II: An Unexpected Stop, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): The young woman known as Judith fell away from the door, the wicked-looking blade in her right hand falling free as she gagged upon the thick cloud of metallic-gray gas that enveloped her head. Before she could react, the room was filled with light and sound.
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part III: Equal Payment, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): Charles was about to head over to Brittany Taylor’s house to work on their project for Science class—of course, he had something better in mind than that. No. Not that. Brittany was quite the fair and fetching flower of feminine perfection, but she, sadly enough, lacked even the most basic capacity for worthwhile conversation...
• Judith Strikes!/Legion of Lawndale Heroes Mini: The Legion Encounters, Part IV: Not So Different, by Brother Grimace (Part 1): “You’re not supposed to hit girls.” David Allen Farrington said, the tone in his voice kind but firm. That wasn’t enough for the eleven-year-old that sat next to him. “Why not, if they hit you first?” David Allen sighed, and took a moment to look around the area from his spot on the stage of the Kuznov Auditorium—because of circumstances (namely, having lost a bet), the place where he and a fellow Cadet First Class were having their weekly ‘campfire’.
  
• Judith Strikes! Miss Helen Sue, by GlitterShrooms (intro): The Glen Oaks Lane of this world didn’t seem unusual from all the other ones Judith visited. Of course, most versions were lit by the lights of the street lamps and suburban houses instead of the starlight of an undisturbed night sky. Still, it wasn’t the possibility of a dead Lawndale that worried Judith. She had visited hundreds of those by now. What worried Judith though was the fact that an extremely powerful gem, one that could ruin everything she worked for, was here in a Lawndale that the rest of the civilized world was apparently ignoring for some unknown reason.
• NEW! Judith Strikes/Tales of the Ringbearers: Calling the Children Home, by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): The sound rang out through the Citadel of the Ringmasters—loud, droning, and ominous. It rang out from the Citadel and could be heard across the land. It rang out across the world, and all on the Earth that some knew as D-476 could hear its sound.
• NEW! The Lane That Wasn't, by LadieT (Part 11): Jane was back in her bed when Mr. DeMartino and Ms. Defoe walked in. Jane felt a tinge of sadness as she watched her favorite teacher head towards her "favorite student." Mr. DeMartino sat beside Jane. His face didn't show his usual anger or frustration. He looked over at Jane with genuine concern on his face. "How are you doing, Ms. Morgendorffer?"
  
• NEWEST! Legacy, by Getrealordie187 (Prologue and Part 1): He stares at her in amazement, the man named Dr. Geoffrey Hopkins, thinking this isn't the first time he's had to look at her like that. "What on earth happened to you?" She's grinning maniacally, making the sight of her in her paint-covered fatigues even more off-putting. "Some of the boys in Company B tried to put my back against the wall. I was waiting for them with Company D. About time that little rivalry started working for me rather than against me." (Part 1) (Daria/The Killers)
• NEWEST! The Long Con, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): The end of year at Buxton had a rite of passage - the playing of the last call, next to the memorial for the alumni who'd been lost in action. Cadet Morgendorffer, clad in immaculate dress uniform, had noted there was a lot of names. This was it. The end. Ninth grade had been and gone, and it was time to see how it had worked.
  
• Mac Daddy's Discipline, by rglovejoy (COMPLETE!): The ropes holding Kevin to the stainless steel table were a little too tight. The pain was both overwhelming and delicious. Except for the leather harness around his chest, he was completely naked. The soft sounds of mellow jazz music flowed out of the adjacent bathroom. The dungeon was dim, except for the lit candles set in a small tray at Kevin's feet. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs. To his relief, it was Mac. Everything was going to be alright, so long as Mac Daddy was here.
• NEW! The Many Ways A Mother Could Go..., by OverlordMikey (Part 1): Helen Barksdale sat alone in her large office. She sighed as she flicked her hair back out of her face. It's not like I was trying to work my way to the top or anything, she thought as she sat in a large comfy chair. I just liked working. Still, maybe I overdid this. What would have happened if I had became a lawyer... She let out a laugh as she imagined someone cracking a lawyer joke. Being on the top—a CEO. She'd worked hard and here she was! No regrets! She noticed an envelope placed in the pile of all her paperwork. (FF.net)
  
• Pulp Fiction, by Chris Tucker (continued): There were odd little snippets of the events during her 18 months in training that stuck in Daria's memory, even years later... "Ms. Morgendorffer, for the next six weeks you will be learning the art and science of escape and evasion. There are 5 rules that make up the basics. Rule 1. Don't get captured. Rule 2. DON'T GET CAPTURED!"
• NEWER! Pulp Fiction: Africa, by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): She never did figure out when the old Daria ceased to be. At some point, the bitter cynicism, the cutting sarcasm, the misanthropy just went away. She did know that she could pinpoint where it began. Day, date, time, place, and words. "He doesn't know what it means." But, at some point during her time in Boston, it all changed. So gradually, she didn't really notice.
  
• NEWEST! The Question, by LadieT (Parts 5 and 6 and 7 and 8: COMPLETE!): "Barch! What the hell is SHE doing here?" Daria almost wrecked as she slammed on the brakes. "I'm serious. She just pulled into the front parking lot. Daria, where are you at?" Jane motioned to Jodie to go back inside. Jodie shot through the courthouse door. "Right now, we are in the left side parking lot. Are you sure it's Barch?" "Yeah..the car had a 'Take Back Night Lawndale High School Women's Self Defense Club' bumper sticker on the back of it." "Damn it!" (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8)
  
• NEW! A Road Trip Game, by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): "Hey Jess," Trent said as they drove down the road in the Tank. The other guys where fast asleep. Only he and Jesse remained awake. "I came up with new lyrics." "Yeah?" Jess said vacantly.
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): Jeffy, as always, looked nervous. Tom shook his head and pushed the boy playfully on the shoulder. "Come on, man, we're just go-karting. Two cute guys messing around with cars, who's going to suspect?"
  
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Chris Tucker (COMPLETE!): It started simply enough. He'd always known he was different. He thought that he was the only one in the world that felt like this, The only one who had these urges and needs. He never acted on them, because, well, he WAS the only one in the world.
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Derek (COMPLETE!): Helen walked through the front door and stopped in shock...
  
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Daria and Military School), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): Once the rank and file were settled into their chairs, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony DeMartino snapped the heels of his shoes smartly to call attention to the front. All noise ceased immediately as every eye turned forward. Pleased with the speed of compliance with his nonverbal order, DeMartino smiled slightly and began to speak in calm, even tones. "Class, we have a new cadet joining us today," he said. "Please welcome Fourth Class Cadet Morgendorffer. ON YOUR FEET, SOLDIER!"
• NEW! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Guys and Guys), by Breitasparrow (Part 1): I can't believe I made her cry, Tom thought. It had been a few hours since he confronted Jane about her strange behavior. He didn't think things would get weird between them after that one day, but he also didn't expect her to react the way she did. I just hope she'll accept my apology. After a few rings, he started to think no one would answer. Just as he was about to hang up, he heard a familiar voice. "Hello?" "Oh, hey, Trent. Is Jane there? It's kinda important."
  
• NEW! Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Real Esteem), by Jim North (COMPLETE!): "Like, esteem!" "Like, a teen!" "They totally don't rhyme, do they?" the blonde guy said, shaking his head with melodramatic sadness. "It's like, they almost do, but then they don't, right? And that's not really cool." "Right!" his partner agreed, a goofy grin plastered across his face. "But we're here to totally fix that! We're gonna make all you little dudes and dudettes totally rhyme!" (Daria/Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure)
  
• NEW! Unnamed story (Judith Strikes! Closing Ceremony), by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): On the monitor of his scanner, Hypersphere Supervisor Richard watched a reality thread flare to a bright, angry red. A voice behind him said, "And so it begins."
• NEWER! Unnamed story (Judith Strikes! Closing Ceremony), by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "You were on your LAST WARNING for scrawling, student!" "I didn't do it this time, I SWEAR—"
• NEWEST! Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Wraith (COMPLETE!): Jane took a bite of the meal she had scraped together from the last of the food left in the kitchen. Namely, a Ding Ding, the only slice of baloney that wasn't too green, and a large quantity of mustard. As she chewed, she processed Daria's last comment. (Daria/UHF)
• MOST NEWEST OF ALL! Unnamed story (More Crossovers Not Yet Crossed Over), by Roxanne M (COMPLETE!): Helen was in the kitchen warming up a tray of frozen lasagna for dinner when the doorbell rang. She walked over and answered the door, to be greeted by a man and woman dressed in light blue blazers, white shirts, and black neckties. The man spoke: "Are you Helen Morgendorffer?" Helen replied, "Yes I am, and who might you be?" The woman replied this time: "I am Kate Monday, and this is my partner, George Frankley." In unison they flashed police badges and said, "Mathnet." (Daria/Square One)
  

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.

Aftershocks

It is today the 101st anniversary of the moment when Émile Cohl released the first-ever animated movie: Fantasmagorie, which debuted in Paris. (More of the Daria-French Connection!) To this little silent cartoon does Daria and all other animation we know and love today owe their very existence. Merci!

This is also the 10th (MINUS ONE DAY!) anniversary of the release of "Jane's Addition," the episode in which we first meet Tom Sloane. The shockwaves are still being felt to this day. The amusing "outtake" image of the participants in The Triangle, goofing off between filming, comes to us from Is It Fall Yet? Yes, it's just a cartoon, but you know how cranky fans get.

Stay tooned.

P.S. Late Add: Sorry, but Tuesday is the 10th anniversary of "Jane's Addition." I blame drugs for the error.

The Lady and the Tiger

"Dye! Dye! My Darling" aired for the first time on MTV a mere nine years ago. Jane has this weird idea to dye her hair and be both a lady and a tiger, presumably to put more spice into her relationship with Tom, but whoa, do things ever get off course from there. A lot of AUs use this episode as their jump-off point. None of them use the tiger, though. Why? What if the tiger had jumped out of its cage and... no, we've abused Tom enough.

The tiger aside, is there anything new that can be said about DDMD, other than this? You tell me.

PPMB

• Falling Into College 69: Two Intents, by Richard Lobinske (Part 3): "This is Blythe Lincoln with Channel 12 News and I'm on campus at Raft University. With me is Raft senior, Ms Daria Morgendorffer, copy editor for the campus newspaper, The Mast and a bit of a local celebrity known for her tenacity and dedication to her friends. Now, we know that a little over five years ago she was the subject of an usual feature article in Val Magazine."
• Gimme Skelter, by TAG and Brother Grimace (Part 19b): Mackenzie found it difficult to believe his quest was over. Then he remembered that it wasn’t.
• Iron Chef: Daria is Raven's Apprentice, by NightGoblyn (COMPLETE!): "Oh! I see friend Daria is helping friend Arrowette II activate her superpowers."
  
• Regifted, by Ajar (Part 10): “It's just caffeine,” Marina lied. “It's no different than having a few cups of coffee, except it's at lot quicker and easier on the stomach.”
• Reunions and Introductions, by Tscroggs (Part 2): “We’re willing to overlook a certain incident as long as she continues to follow the rules. I saw you coming in Daria; Samantha is already on the way down.”
• Shadows of a Timeless Song, by Dennis (Part 4): The summons woke her from a dreamless sleep. In the grey light of predawn, she showered, dressed, and fed herself. She couldn't have said why she did this, only that it felt... necessary. It wasn't that she was being forced—she remembered everything and there was no mind or will overriding her own—but still she felt the need.

The Buzz on The Buzz

Remember Highland High Coach Bradley Buzzcut? What if he reappeared in Daria's life while she was in Lawndale or later in college in Boston? How might it happen they would meet again? Could he be a mighty superhero/villain from all the uranium he drank in the Highland water, or have we run that meme into the ground already? Maybe he's turned into a psychotic vigilante and thinks Daria was part of a plot against the government, because he heard that from Beavis and Butt-head. Run with it, I say.

Peter Guerin's essay, "American Animation's Finest Hour: Why 'Fire!' and 'Dye! Dye! My Darling' Have Reached a High-Water Mark for U. S. Cartoons," was written eight years ago today, shortly after DDMD aired. It makes for interesting reading in light of fan reactions to The Kiss.

Also, today is the anniversary of the birthday of Joseph Merrick, who became known as the Elephant Man because of his disease-caused deformities. In "I Loathe a Parade," Daria quotes something said by Merrick in a play written about him. That counts as an obscure reference to me. Wonder if she saw the play, read the script, etc. It figures she would know about it, as she had such an interest in biological deformities according to many canon sources. Might Daria have gone on to medical school one day?

More soon. Don't go away. Well, okay, for a little while then, but come right back.

How Disaster Looks in Animation

"I kissed Tom." Jane hears the words she's dreaded all along. Her instincts were correct: she was about to be betrayed by the two people she trusted most. Bang. It is the only time in the series that Jane cries, yet you never see her actually do it. You only see the instant before it happens.

This moment of animation caught my attention because, just from looking at Jane's eyes, you can tell at once what she is feeling and what she is about to do. I've long admired the ways that emotion can be conveyed in well-drawn animation, and this is one of them. The eyes do it all. Nice work, whoever you were that drew this. Nice work.

And you, too, Daria and Tom. Nice work indeed.

OMG WTF??!!??!!??!!?

While Daria processes what exactly is going on, here are some bits and pieces of fandom flotsam.

A short blog note reminisces on smart, geeky women in the media and, in passing, mentions Daria Morgendorffer. Mostly, though, it's about Willow from BtVS.

Daria fans continue to hold a message-board conversation with long-time IUF member Scarlett on SFMB, updating where they've been and what they're doing and what happened the last time they fell down.

Richard Lobinske has found what appears to be the perfect image of Zachary, one of the Lane family's two unseen cats (per The Daria Diaries). Me like muchly.

More later. Have to catch up on stuff (interview editing)

Smoochy Anniversary

Ah, yes. "Dye! Dye! My Darling" premiered eight years ago today. That was the very first Daria episode I ever saw. I got to watch about 20 minutes of it in a hotel in St. Louis that year, before Is It Fall Yet? came out.

I was stunned. It was amazing to see a cartoon like that. I had heard about it a few years earlier, but the reality really caught me off-guard.

The funny thing way, the first time I saw it, I liked the whole thing with The Kiss. It was pure angst. I was hooked, but I did not see more than 10 minutes of any other episode until long after Daria was off the air. I started writing fanfic on that basis alone.

Angst. It smells like . . . whoa.

What About Tom?

Tom Sloane is hard to tag in terms of personality, and a lot of essays have been written about the difficulties in pinning down his character. (See his entry in DariaWiki for links to those materials.) I had the most success in using a fairly general assessment based on the MBTI, and what came out was that Tom was probably an ENTP.

How did I get this? Fuzzy logic, mostly. Tom strikes me as extroverted, since he makes the first moves on both Jane and Daria, and he does get around a bit (i.e., he's not "antisocial" like Daria). He's unconventional in how he conducts his love relationships (not meaning the triangle thing, but more in how he likes to spend time with a girlfriend). He refers to normal dating habits as "corny crap" in "Sappy Anniversary," an episode that reveals a lot about his views on romance. This isn't necessarily bad, as he can intuitively pick out the right thing to do at times, like that special dinner for Jane with the music, etc. "All I did was meet a girl I thought was cool and I went out with her for a while," he tells Daria in "Dye! Dye! My Darling." "We started to get bored with each other. It happens all the time. It's nobody's fault." In other words, he, like Jane, is prone to change his mind, and he accepts that conflict is a normal part of life. Combine that with his intellectualism and his missing of emotional cues in both Jane and Daria, and he comes out as an ENTP.

What is an ENTP like? The following links will help.

• http://www.personalitypage.com/ENTP.html
• http://typelogic.com/entp.html
• http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/entp.htm
• http://www.entp.org/
  

Innovator, inventor, visionary, an ENTP is a restless optimist in search of understanding about the world. (This is the good side, of course.) This seems about right for Tom. He did try to bring out Daria's good side, too. Lot of good it did him, but he did try.

More interesting still, some websites about INTJs (Daria's type) say that the ENTP is a natural mate. No guarantees there, of course. Jane and Quinn both comment (in DDMD and IIFY?) that Daria and Tom would make a good pair. That it didn't work out for Tom doesn't mean it won't work out for another ENTP. INTJs are also attracted to ENFPs and to ESFPs, say the websites.

Wait a minute. Didn't we already talk about ESFPs? Why, yes, we did.

Oops. More on this personality stuff later. Amazing what you can still drag out of a show like this, isn't it?