A look back at Daria, an MTV animated hit from the 90s.

I remember it like it was yesterday. The year was 1996. In fact it was the summer of 1996. We had just moved across the country from Hastings, Nebraska to Twin Falls, Idaho. My family was living in an RV park while my parents looked for work and settled into an apartment for us to move into.

My sisters and I were making the most of living in an RV park. We spent most of our day wandering around the video arcade pumping as many quarters as we could get our hands on into different arcade machines. Between that we would play card games to pass the time. Since it was summer school was out. We didn’t have much money so we had to rely on keeping our developing minds occupied as much as possible. This included watching a lot of MTV. Fortunately my sister and I were close in age we both enjoyed MTV equally. Sure we disagreed over the music we enjoyed, she was more into country and pop I was more into alternative and hip-hop.

One day we turned on the TV and there was this cartoon airing on MTV. It was a new show we hadn’t seen before. Neither my sister or myself were that much into cartoons so we were tempted to change the channel. It was an episode with a girl going on a road trip in this run down rock n roll van on their way to something called “Alternapalooza.” Our older sister told us about her ‘palooza she went to recently so it was enough to capture our curiosity at the very least. There was that and my own fascination with alternative music as obviously a teen of the 90s would be.

There was something about this glasses-wearing outcast, dubbed a “brain” by the popular kids on the show that appealed to both of us. In the end we quickly became hooked. My sister enjoyed it as she had a lot of similarities to the two main characters, Daria and her best friend Jane. I enjoyed it for similar reasons while I also, admittedly looked up to Jane’s brother Trent. As stereotypical outcasts ourselves the show not only appealed to us as it gave a voice to the frustrations we were experiencing, but it also gave us ideas how to cope with it.

As the remainder of our own tumultuous youth progressed so did our interest in this satirical outlook of our own youth culture. It was an entertaining yet eye-opening experience. It wasn’t until recently that I watched the show with someone who had been one of the popular jocks who told me the show was very demeaning to athletes. I explained to him that was the point. It’s been a challenge getting people who were at the top of the social ladder to look back and see how their actions adversely affected those of us who were on lower rungs.

I watched the entire series recently as I was given the DVD set as a Christmas present. It started with a casual viewing of season 1 with my sisters kids. By the time I got through the first season I was flooded with a wave of nostalgia and other memories taking me back to my own difficult teenage years. It was a great opportunity to remember not only my own struggle, and subsequent survival of adolescence, it was also great to rewatch my beloved Daria Morgandorfer go through life. As the show progressed I was very glad to enjoy seeing her develop as a person. She went from being a loner with no friends to building a tight relationship with her soon-to-be best friend for life Jane Lane. By the end of the show she had expanded her social circle, overcome her social anxiety and developed her own sense of self esteem and self worth, circling back to the very first episode which centered on her entire lack of self esteem.

How a show ends can be as important as the ups and downs of the show’s run. A good ending can be impactful on the viewer while an underwhelming ending could leave the viewer resentful of the show creators.

This is one of those rare instances where I can say I never felt like the show was dragging on. It felt like it ended exactly when it was supposed to. Needless to say that finale episode filled my heart with a wide range of emotions, more so now 15 years later than it did that first time I viewed. Being slightly removed from the decade, and adolescence I was experiencing throughout, has given me some perspective on the show.

As I sit here at a desk working what is essentially my dream job I have this show to thank for the way it not only inspired me to keep trying, but also how it gave me a way to cope with the stuff I was seeing going on around me. I was one of those outcasts who viewed this show as a faithful follower because it felt good rooting for Daria even though the world kept kicking mud in her face, somehow she always shrugged it off.

As I watched the show I made a few observations. First, it was thoroughly satisfying seeing Daria overcome her social outcast status and become a regular kid, more or less. She made friends along the way and even her peers who initially looked down on her eventually began to afford her the respect she earned. I also noticed the Trent character was a lot deeper than I remembered. He often had some great insights that caught Daria off guard. Then the was the annoyance of the voice actors. In the show’s original run I knew it was small budget and likely recycled voice actors. However I was lying in bed falling asleep while the show played on. During my attempt to nap I noticed a whole scene played out where as I wasn’t looking at the TV it sounded like one person talking to himself despite three different characters being in the scene. There were subtle differences but it was far more noticable than when watching the show. I chalked this up to their voices not being that different thus the visual aid contributed to the ruse. It was especially noticeable that Quinn and her mother shared a voice actor because when I closed my eyes or looked away it became harder to decipher which character was doing the talking.

I was reminded of a lot of things I had put aside. For one, I got to the episode where Jane dates a guy stuck in the 40’s. As my sister was one who had a fondness for I Love Lucy and dressing like an old person I could related. As the episode progressed he kept referencing a khaki commercial. It suddenly dawned on me towards the end of the episode what he was referring to. It was, I believe, a Gap or Old Navy commercial that played for a period in the 90s. It was one of those things that, at the time, stood out and influenced our youth culture albeit briefly. Yet as I look back I realized it wasn’t the type of thing that stuck with me as I had completely forgotten it until that moment.

There was also the memories of the shopping mall, which was a place I spent more than my share of my teen years. I also had some fuzzy memories of the retro PC and internet culture that was casually referenced on occasion. The rising internet culture was often alluded to but never fully explored. If only the show runners knew their bleak outlook of the future would be somewhat accurate.

Then there was the episode where Daria writes a short story. Even when I was a teenager watching the show I felt a stirring about how surreal it was predicting a very possible future that was based on her realistic expectations.

By the end of the show I was impressed with the number of relationships Daria ended up fostering. It ended up being far more than I had remembered. Not just friends or casual acquaintances but there was also the bond she ultimately formed that blossomed into a sisterly lover for Quinn. It was subtle but very obvious by the end of the series the two sisters were indeed going to be there for each other till the end of time. I have since formed a fairly tight bond with the sister I spent much of my youth watching the show with.

Overall it’s been a very good experience taking a stroll down memory lane. I often get nostalgic for things like Roseanne or Home Improvement while I overlook Daria most of the time. While I can get the warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia watching some Boy Meets World, Daria always grounds me back in reality. The decade wasn’t all that bad. Now if only can I could get that theme tune out of my head. La, la, la, la, la.

47 Sharks below the cave: River City Girls: Winter Soldier revisted and more


Welcome to another exciting episode of The Dark Web Podcast here at The Spiders Lair, Where Chaos Resides. In this episode the topics include two upcoming horror movies, one about sharks the other something else. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is revisted. Also, River City Girls, a sequel of sorts to a cult NES favorite is also a topic. There is more inside so be sure to check it out! Transformers, Hot Wheels and maybe Lego get a nod. 

Snoochie Boochies reboot! Once upon Hollywood, Nintendo woes, and more rock band controversy


I declared the greatest rock band of the 80s and the same for the 90s. I’ve revisited this topic before. I’m getting closer to making my declaration absolutely final.

Jay and Silent Bob are making another Blunt Man and Chronic movie. I am super excited to see this trash. 

The dude who makes popular trash, such as Pulp Fiction and From Dusk Till Dawn is making a new movie I might be interested in.

Nintendo did something kinda noteworthy and I talked about it briefly. In a respectable tone this time.

I revised my stance on classic console generations. I am still stuck on one thing.

Nicole is sitting pretty on Big Brother. She just had a shitty week turned great with a nice backdoor turned blindside. 

I also asked a question about books and stuff.

Remembering political icon Ross Perot

I was in grade school the first time I saw Ross Perot on TV. I was instantly enamored by the way he spoke. Even at a young age I knew I was fascinated by the things he talked about. I was young enough I didn’t fully understand, after all I was barely in the 3rd grade. But he is absolutely the reason I became so fascinated not only in politics but also business. The way he presented his argument with those charts, it just mesmerized me.

It wasn’t long before I started developing that interest in politics into a passion. I still remember Nickelodeon making fun of Perot in a number of skits as part of its All That program. The show might have contributed to my awareness of the individual. While I was in 5th grade my interest in how our government works increased tremendously following a field trip to the state capital. It was one of those times where I knew whatever life threw my way I was going to find a way to be involved in politics one way or another.

When I was in high school I turned my interest in politics into a term as student council president of my entire school. That experience was a game changer for me. I distinctly remember the first time we sat down in a room to discuss something as simple as hosting a dance for the school. It turned into a divisive yelling match that demonstrated how polarizing politicking can be at even a young age. Ultimately we never came to terms on the dance and it was handed down to the eighth grade body who took it over while we washed our hands of it. It wasn’t the high note of my young political career. It was a hardy reminder of how different people can be and how hard it is to get them to agree on even something as basic as hiring a DJ.

Even following his passing I was reminded how complex people can be listening to all the responses of others who had their own memories of the man. I admittedly never met him nor did I have any work related to his life. I have interviewed politicians before for my newspaper but never Ross Perot, sadly. Based on the stories I was told by colleagues who had that opportunity I can say I kind of wish I had been given a chance to cover him at some point but alas it is not to be.

I don’t want to write an editorial on his life or even a commentary on his political views. Rather I just want to remember as fondly as I can how one man’s campaign for president inspired me to get interested in politics in general.

Spider Man is far from home, Madden NFL Nintendo Switch, Live Action Family Guy movie? More!


Hello nerds, freaks and geeks it’s time for THERAT to take you into The Spiders Lair, Where Chaos Resides for another exciting episode of The Dark Web Podcast! You read that title correctly this episode I discuss my thoughts on what a live action Family Guy movie should look like. 

The other topics include Madden on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo nerd ranting. What about that Spider-Man movie? Did I like it or not? I guess you will have to listen to this episode. 

I also share my Pokemon blues. All this and more. Enjoy. Stay Cool.

The Iron Spider stops Mr. NotSoStrange: A review of Spider-Man Far From Home

The newest Iron Man movie starts off with a half-assed high school tribute to the founding Avenger Tony Stark. Then it quickly devolves into a 2-hour quest for Little Tony Junior to discover his inner Iron Man before he can defeat the newest Dr. Strange knockoff in the latest Marvel movie masquerading as a Spider-Man flick.

I have been far too soft on the Avengers films. In fact I have sung their praises individually while maintaining my displeasure with the shear amount of films required to follow the massive cinematic universe Marvel Studios have crafted under the heavy hand of The Walt Disney Company. Yet as I sit in the theater enjoying easily my favorite stand alone, solo Marvel superhero go on his latest adventure I can’t but wonder when are we going to get a Spider-Man film that doesn’t have ties to either the Avengers, SHIELD or Tony stinking Stark. Don’t get me wrong this is not an attack on the film, I enjoyed it, nay I loved it. Save for a few heavy handed references to that industrialist whom I have grown to detest, loath even. To the point I am willing to revert to cliche’s in an attempt to accurately convey my disdain for the fact that nobody has a problem with any of these movies because godforbid you  have your own opinion. No if you stray from the message of Marvel Rules and the MCU is cinematic perfection, then you will bring the wrath of the nerds down upon your sorry ass faster than Thor can throw a thunderbolt at Loki.

The plot

This is my sticking point. The movie is utterly fantastic, through and through, no question there. I loved this portrayal of Peter Parker, his friends and even the very adorable Mary Jane. I was annoyed at first that there were obvious alterations from her comic book appearance but the actress handily won me over and made my heart flutter, yes that is in deed the woman this version of Peter Parker would fall madly in love with.

The parts of the story that focus on Peter and his friends and teachers is absolutely brilliant. I loved it. It really captured the essence of a high school field trip gone awry. As a former high schooler who experienced many failed attempts at following the itinerary the adults were amusingly trying to force upon us this film encapsulated that perfectly.

The downside is the movie relies heavily on SHIELD interfering to bring Spider-Man out to play while once again making Tony Stark the central force not only tying the plot together but serving as the entire motivation for the villains. Every single person who sides with Mysterio does so exclusively because of their respective desire to destroy the legacy of none other than Mr. Stark himself. By the time the film gets Peter on a plane waving his hands around at his version of Jarvis, now named EDITH (Even in Death I’m The Hero) a not-so-subtle reminder Stark is still running the damn show. Seeing Spider-Man replicating the motions of the man who wore the Iron Man suit, while constructing his own Iron Spider suit, just goes to show had desperately the MCU has come to rely on a single man. Now, don’t get me wrong I can handle a reference to Stark, I can surely accept these movies are in the same universe, but when the entire film centers entirely on Tony Stark as the motivator for the plot, the reason for the antagonist and the solution to the problems created throughout it only makes me wonder who, behind the scenes, is infatuated with either the character, or the actor who played him? Even in death Robert Downy Jr’s Tony Stark was seen throughout the film, on multiple occasions.

There was even a point where Peter suggests he doesn’t want to be the next Iron Man, he just wants to be Spider-Man. YES, that is exactly what I want too! I want a Spider-Man movie more akin to the very faithful adaptation Sam Raimi provided more than a decade ago.

The characters

I can’t spend too much time knocking the characters. In fact I literally want to do the opposite. The kids were fun. The adults were fun to laugh at. The villains were exactly as expected and most importantly Tom Holland nailed his portrayal of Peter Parker both in and out of the Spider-suit.

I haven’t seen the previous film so I didn’t spend enough time learning the names of the new characters. I will say that each one served a purpose and was exactly as entertaining as I expected. I honestly have no complaints. I was, at first, annoyed our beloved Mary Jane Watson was not a red head (especially as someone who is fond of red heads just look at my Jean Grey obsession) but I can honestly say this interpretation won my heart. She really was the object of Peter’s affection and she nailed her performance. The other characters were as aptly acted as I expected and nobody stood out as off putting. For everything I love about the Sam Raimi Spider-Man film, the one thing that I don’t like is Kirsten Dunst’s portrayal of Miss Watson.

The only characters that did annoy me were the Avengers characters that I felt were out of place in this picture. I don’t need to see Nick Fury sending Spider-Man to Proq to fight Mysterio, I want Mysterio to hate Spider-Man for his own personal reason without the need for Stark Industries or SHIELD to be involved what so ever. Still, the Mysterio parts were totally amazing.

The action

This takes me to the best part. As is to be expected the action sequences handily deliver an experience that is very much worth seeing in the theater. In fact, I will say that as much as I absolutely love the original 2002 Spider-Man, this movie was clearly the more cinematic picture. Sure, times have changed but still this movie jumped off the screen whereas that previous film merely did the job it needed to at the time.

Really the only complaint I will voice here is how Spider-Man’s suit looked too high tech. Again I am more than happy with a spandex wearing super hero I don’t need my Spidey running around in Stark Industry gear. However, Disney apparently disagrees so here we are.

The fight scenes where Mysterio are giving Spidey the beat down of his life are just amazing. The illusions were perfectly crafted to confuse the audience while disorienting the wall-crawler simultaneously. I can’t think of a single action scene that didn’t work for me. For the most part the action tends to be the best part of these films anyways so I have no complaints.


I don’t normally include this category in a review but this film went out of its way to ensure every shot was breathtaking. The cinematographer deserves an academy award I think. This movie made me feel like I was web slinging with Spider-Man. It made me feel like I was on a bus going down the country side of some distant country I’ve only heard about in movies. It was a very beautifully shot film that really brought the characters to life and made the settings pop.


The movie is a very enjoyable ride. From start to finish the movie goer is sure to get a thrill ride easily worth the price of admission. While Spider-Man is absolutely my favorite solo superhero in the Marvel battalion, his films have been largely inconsistent. There is usually a great film thrown together with a few minor details to nitpick. In the 2002 picture the movie was mostly perfect with a few cheesy one liners and a terribly cast Mary Jane. The Amazing Spider-Man had some of the most exciting action scenes and took the character in a much darker place but fell short on the charm that makes the character so like able in the first place. This film is no exception. It was a damn near perfect movie only tainted by the overwhelming and very in-your-face references to Tony Stark and the Avengers. Other than that it was perfectly cast, perfectly acted, beautifully shot. It more than capture the essence of the character and the plot, while a little contrived, fit the film nicely. All in all I had a blast and most fans will too.

I rate it a solid 5 out of 5. The minor flaws are just not nearly enough to take away from an absolutely spectacular Spider-film.