Cartoon angst revisited: Daria set for May DVD release

^{Clip from Daria season 2 ep "The Daria Hunter"}

In perhaps the most hotly anticipated move the folks over at MTV have made since finally getting The State on DVD, the studios recently announced that they are, at long last, releasing cult fave Daria as well. The long-defunct animated show (which aired from 1997 to 2001) is set to be released to DVD on May 11. Cue various apathetic sentiments of glee. Title character Daria Morgendorffer, whose signature ennui and acerbic wit spoke to an entire nation of Generation Y's, was the deadpan anti-prom queen who served as a sounding board for all that was godawful about being a suburban teenager. And America ate it up. And so did we.

Since its cancellation, fans would have gladly stood on their own necks to see Daria get the full-fledged, extras-laden DVD treatment it deserves. In fact, there's even an online coalition that's been petitioning for this moment since at least '01. Come this spring, the dream will finally be a reality. We are officially amped for this release, and the return of all our favorite characters: pea-brained Quinn, long-suffering artist Jane, apoplectic Mr. De Martino and his sporadically herniated eyeball, and Jane's slacker musician brother Trent (who no doubt inspired many an unrequited cartoon-crush among Daria's teen viewers).

The discs will be released as a box set containing the show's complete five seasons (65 episodes in all), as well as the two TV movies, "Is It Fall Yet?" and "Is It College Yet?" According to TVShowsOnDVD.com, buyers will also be privy to a "Top Ten Video Countdown Hosted by Daria and Jane" and a never-before-seen spin-off script about Mystik Spiral (Trent's garage band). The only let-down is that MTV wasn't able to attain the rights for a good portion of the songs off the original soundtrack, so they'll be replacing them with a variety of covers and other, more recent pop tunes. Which is sort of a bummer, as we'd hate to see the likes of Sonic Youth, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Cypress Hill (not to mention Will Smith getting jiggy!) edged out by Lady GaGa and the Jonas Brothers. Seriously, MTV, no.

Regardless, the news warrants ample celebration. This is sure to be a sweet walk down late-'90s memory lane -- a walk best taken while clad in JNCOs and Doc Martens. Maybe a belly chain if you're feeling fancy. We would love to see this release be the catalyst that gets MTV working on fiiiiiiinally releasing some more old school shows from their vaults. Sifl & Olly, maybe? Hell, we'd even settle for (and by "settle," we mean "rush to our computers and pre-order") Singled Out on DVD. The original episodes, of course -- from way back when Jenny McCarthy wasn't sleeping with the Cable Guy and railing against vaccinations. A simpler time.