Staff Recommendation #29: Daria

"I'm too smart and too sensitive to live in a world like ours at a time like this with a sister like mine. Maybe I do miss out on stuff -- but this attitude is what works for me now."

From Freaks and Geeks to Friday Night Lights; from Beverly Hills, 90210 to Buffy the Vampire Slayer; from The Wonder Years to Smallville -- television shows exploring the trials and tribulations of high school are hardly in short supply. And the variety of approaches that such shows have taken are truly extraordinary, incorporating elements of everything from sci-fi to soap opera.

But for me, there is no show about high school that's quite like Daria.

Daria and Friends

(Such as they are)

The show centers on the title character, a seventeen-year-old high school student whose family has just recently moved to the town of Lawndale. Her family includes her mother, Helen, a workaholic attorney who nonetheless means it when she says that family comes first; and her father, Jake, a slightly-unbalanced but well-meaning consultant, who rarely understands his kids but is always there for them. And then there's Quinn, Daria's younger sister, a materialistic and Popular girl who becomes vice president of her new school's Fashion Club within the first week ... and who has more depth to her than anyone (least of all Daria) might always see. They are characters who contradict themselves, making them a fitting family for Daria herself -- as complex a character as you could ask for.

Filled with biting wit and sarcastic observations, Daria is known as a dorky "brain" at school. She's an outsider to most of her fellow students, and has few friends. Luckily, she's got one -- a best friend, Jane, who comes from her own quirky family and wants to be an artist.

Daria and Jane on a school field trip.

Heavy emphasis on the "field."

There's a lot of reasons to love Daria: she's a reader, a writer, and a person willing to think for herself. But it's also hard not to admire her for her quippy one-liners:


"Sometimes, your shallowness is so thorough, it's almost like depth."

"Do you think if you breathe on me, I might catch your enthusiasm?"

"My biggest fear right now is that I'll wake up and this conversation won't be a dream."

"I've been busy procrastinating all day."

"I don't like kids. I didn't even like kids when I was a kid."

"It never would've worked. I mean, unless I tried, or something."

"There is no moment in life that can't be improved with pizza."

"You're never going to make friends if you keep your nose buried in a book!"
"Let's hope."

Daria and her baby-sitting charges

But Daria isn't quite the cynic she makes herself out to be. She's not miserable or hard-hearted -- she just likes to think for herself. And she knows there's often a price for that -- including the undeniably tough position of not always feeling accepted. "I'm so defensive," she admits at one point, "That I actively work to make people dislike me, so I don't feel bad when they do." Her sarcasm is more of a shield than a sword -- though she's not afraid to wield such verbal weapons as needed when she finds a cause she believes in.

The show, which premiered in 1997 on MTV, ran for five seasons. Throughout its run, Daria faces challenges to her friendships, her relationships, and her own belief system. By the end of the series, Daria is not only graduated from high school and preparing for her first semester of college -- she'd also discovered that it might be okay to leave some of her cynicism behind.

She finds her answers in an unquestionably Daria-ish fashion, and without compromising the core of her wholly unique character. But her unique character is precisely what makes her so easy to relate to -- even after you've left high school behind.

Request Daria: The Complete Animated Series from the Catalog here

-- Post by Ms. B 

The Voice

Mel Blanc and "friends"

You may not have heard his name -- but you've definitely heard him. Voice actor and comedian Mel Blanc provided the voices for nearly the entire cast of the original Looney Toons cartoons, including such characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Tweety Bird, the Tasmanian Devil, and even the Road Runner.

Born on May 30 (it would have been his 106th birthday), Blanc is fondly remembered to this day as "the Man of a Thousand Voices." In celebration of his birthday, we're taking a look at a few other actors whose faces may be unknown -- but whose voices have been entertaining us for decades.



Frank Welker

In some ways, it's odd that his name's not better known. After all, in terms of box office sales, Frank Welker held the highest career box office gross of any actor in Hollywood -- meaning that his movies had made more money than any other actor's. As of 2011, films in which Welker has played a role have made a combined $6.42 billion -- and still counting.

In the last 25 years, Welker has lent his voice to characters in more than 90 films, including such box-office hits as The Grinch, The Lion King, Shrek, Toy Story 3, 2010's Alice in Wonderland, and the Transformers film franchise. He's also voiced Fred Jones in the Hanna-Barbera series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! since the show's inception in 1969.

-- Click here to request Transformers on DVD



Frank Oz

He's the original voice behind Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear -- but he's also an accomplished actor, puppeteer, and even director.

Frank Oz performed with Jim Henson's Muppets for many years. In addition to voicing Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear on The Muppet Show (as well as Animal and Sam the Eagle), Oz was also the original voice behind the Sesame Street characters of Grover, Cookie Monster, and Bert. His experiences with puppeteering also made him an ideal choice for voicing and operating Master Yoda in three of the Star Wars films (as well as voicing Yoda in two additional films, when puppeteering had been replaced by CGI animation).

It's arguable if Oz is better known as a voice actor or a director. Oz has directed such films as Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, What About Bob?, Death at a Funeral, and the remake of The Stepford Wives.

-- Click here to request The Muppet Show on DVD



Dan Castellaneta

One doesn't need to look much farther than Fox's The Simpsons (now in its 25th season) to see the evidence of Castellaneta's wide range of voices. In addition to voicing lovable schlub Homer Simpson, Castellaneta also lends his voice to Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, Itchy, Mayor Quimby, and Grampa Simpson -- roles which have earned him four Primetime Emmy Awards.

Beyond The Simpsons, however, Castellaneta has played a wide variety of roles, appearing in such animated series as Batman Beyond, Justice League, Rugrats, and Scooby-Doo. He also has done plenty of work for Disney, even stepping in to replace Robin Williams as the voice of the Genie in spin-offs from the 1992 hit movie Aladdin.

Castellaneta often makes the occasional live-action appearance, guest-starring in shows like Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, That '70s Show, Parks and Recreation, Castle, and How I Met Your Mother.

-- Click here to request The Simpsons on DVD



Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill breaks the typical voice acting role in a unique way: you know his face. His first film role is also the role he'll always be primarily associated with: Star War's Luke Skywalker. But in addition to his film roles (and some acclaimed theater work), Hamill has also become a superstar in the world of voice acting.

Among comic book fans, he's best-loved for his iconic take on the role of the Joker in the 1992 show Batman: The Animated Series. Citing such references as Hannibal Lecter, Jerry Lewis, and the Blue Meanies from Yellow Submarine, Hamill created a version of the Joker that was wholly unique -- no mean feat coming as it did just a scant three years after Jack Nicholson had put his own iconic stamp on the character.

Hamill went on to voice the Joker for two decades, with the character appearing in six different animated series, as well as several animated films, video games, and even an episode of the live-action series Birds of Prey. The enthusiasm of critics and fans alike for his performance led to a plethora of other voice acting roles for Hamill -- many the complete antithesis of his heroic turn as Luke Skywalker.

-- Click here to request Batman: The Animated Series on DVD



-- Post by Ms. B 

Animated Animals

Odie, from the Garfield comic strip

I love my superhero comic books, but I also love a good comic strip -- those laugh-out-loud stories told through text and art that appear in the pages of the newspapers (and, increasingly, online).

In honor of the anniversary of Odie (who first appeared in newspaper pages on August 8, 1978), I thought I'd take a look at five of the most famous, influential, and unforgettable cartoon creatures to grace the pages of the funny pages:



5. Pogo Possum

He's served as inspiration to a generation of comic artist heavy hitters -- and found time to become the official "state 'possum" of Georgia. The star of the comic strip Pogo, this 'possum is the creation of cartoonist Walt Kelly, whose strip ran in newspapers for nearly 30 years.

Kelly, who was both strongly interested in politics and liberal, often wove his political philosophies into the fabric of his strip, using wit and humor to lighten the results. (Pogo's picture popped up on buttons during the 1952 presidential election, along with the motto, "I go Pogo.")

Pogo Possum lives in the marshes, along with such friends and neighbors as Albert the Alligator, Howland Owl, and Porky Pine. Amiable and good-natured -- and desiring to stay out of trouble -- Pogo's pals often get him into trouble for him, not in the least in continually pestering him to run for president. (Hey, it's an allegory.)

Never heard of the strip before?  You probably know one of the quotes. In 1970, Kelly designed a Pogo poster for Earth Day. It read, "We have met the enemy -- and he is us."

-- Read some sample strips here

-- Request collections of Pogo



4. Snowy 

Created in 1929, The Adventures of Tintin is the work of a Belgian artist who went by the pen name Hergé. The artist modeled Tintin on a previous character he'd created (Totor, an adventurous Boy Scout, who had been the subject of his own comic strip when Hergé was in high school). A former reporter, Tintin is a detective who is something of an Indiana Jones -- touring the globe to foil criminals, recover treasure and artifacts, and occasionally save the world. Many of Tintin's adventures were based on real-world events (like space exploration and international politics).

While Tintin is surrounded by a large cast, his most faithful companion is Snowy, a fox terrier dog. Smart, heroic, and definitely still doglike, Snowy accompanies his master on all of his adventures, and saves Tintin's life on more than one occasion. (He's only got one real fear: spiders!)  And, like many comic strip animal creations, Snowy can talk -- though often he only speaks to Tintin.

The character was named after Hergé's first girlfriend (her nickname was "Milou," which was Snowy's name in the original French versions of the comic).

-- Read more about Tintin at the official website

-- Request collections of The Adventures of Tintin

-- Request The Adventures of Tintin animated series on DVD

-- Request Stephen Spielberg's animated film The Adventures of Tintin on DVD or Blu-ray



3. Hobbes

If this were a more subjective list, Hobbes would've claimed the Number One spot on this list for me!  Named for the seventeenth-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes, this talking tiger is one half of the duo that make up Bill Watterson's wholly-awesome comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes. Premiering in 1985 and running for ten years, the strip gained a devoted fan following for its stories about childhood, friendship, and the magic of the imagination.

Hobbes himself is a plush toy, owned by six-year-old Calvin. When Calvin and Hobbes are on their own, Hobbes is drawn as a walking, talking tiger; when other characters enter the room, however, Hobbes is drawn as an ordinary plush toy. The nature of exactly what Hobbes is, is something the strip is always careful not to resolve. As explained by Watterson: Calvin sees his stuffed toy one way, and the rest of the world sees Hobbes another way. Hobbes's nature is, plainly put, a subjective look at reality.

Hobbes himself -- as seen by Calvin -- is smart, sharp, witty, and terribly proud of not being human. (He's decidedly a "wild animal," with one of his favorite activities being sneaking up on Calvin and pouncing on him.) With his wry, quiet wisdom, he's also a good compliment to Calvin's zany and mischievous personality -- making him the best friend and tiger a kid could hope for.

Hobbes: As seen by Calvin, and by the rest of the world

-- Request collections of Calvin and Hobbes

-- Request the book Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip by Nevin Martell



2. Garfield

He's lazy, hates Mondays, and loves lasagna. You don't have to read Jim Davis's comic strip to know about Garfield, the fat and lazy orange cat belonging to one Jon Arbuckle.

First appearing in 1978, the strip has been in circulation ever since. The strip was a quick success, going on to become the most syndicated strip in the world (appearing in over 2,500 newspapers across the world). Inspiring Saturday morning cartoon series and even movies, Garfield also reigns supreme in merchandizing, appearing on everything from notebooks and t-shirts to coffee mugs and plush toys hanging in car windows. Not bad for a "lazy" cat!

(You can also check out the truly unusual website Garfield Minus Garfield, which offers a unique, post-modern take on the comic strip -- and the weirdly philosophical misadventures of Jon Arbuckle.)

-- Request collections of Garfield

-- Request Garfield the animated series on DVD

-- Request the live-action/animated films Garfield starring Bill Murray on DVD or Blu-ray



1. Snoopy

We've talked before about the appeal of Charles Schulz's Peanuts strip, and no where is that more evident than in the strip's most popular character: Snoopy. A beagle dog owned by the hapless Charlie Brown, Snoopy has a love for writing, his bird-pal Woodstock, and, most of all, dinnertime.

While not as "talkative" as Snowy, Snoopy -- like Garfield -- speaks at least to the audience, courtesy of some handy thought bubbles. (Woodstock seems to be able to understand him most of the time, too.) Of course, this authorial canine doesn't really need the spoken word to communicate: parading up to Charlie Brown with his own dinner bowl in his teeth seems to get the message across pretty clearly.

The character was inspired, in part, by Schulz's childhood dog, Spike (which happens to be the name of Snoopy's brother). Like Hobbes and Calvin, Snoopy serves as a good counterpart to his anxious, somewhat sad owner, with Snoopy always cheerful, confident, and ready to enjoy life -- particularly when snoozing atop his red dog house.

-- Request collections of Peanuts

-- Request Peanuts cartoons on DVD



-- Post by Ms. B