Take a nerdy-looking, freckle-faced kid, give him an annoying, high-pitched voice, and throw in enough UFO paranoia to make The X-Files' FBI Agent Mulder look normal, and you'd have Artie, Lawndale's resident conspiracy theorist and weirdest pizza delivery guy.

Artie's first appearance was in "Esteemsters" (#101), where he was interviewed by Sick, Sad World at a UFO convention. The description of his latest UFO abduction pretty much set the tone for his character, only to be topped by his "artificial skin" and "alien space goddesses" ranting in "The Lawndale File" (#311).

His only other appearance was in "A Tree Grows in Lawndale" (#403). Apparently, he was able to bounce back from losing his pizza delivery job enough to land another pizza job, this time at Pizza King.

Axl runs Axl's Piercing Parlor on Degas Street, in downtown Lawndale. This scruffy-looking British import may not look like much, but he'll put a hole anywhere on your body at any time, provided you're 18 or older (though he's not very diligent on that point).

His only appearance was in "Pierce Me" (#212), when Daria and Trent came into his establishment and Trent convinced her to get a navel ring. Though it's never explicitly said, Axl was probably responsible for the rings in Trent's and Jane's ears. He was definitely responsible for Monique's nose ring, for which she came to him for more "antiseptic stuff."

Amy and Rita are Helen's sisters and the aunts of Daria and Quinn. Getting along is not the strong suit of the Barksdale sisters; Helen still harbors a lot of bitterness towards Rita for the preferential treatment she received (and still receives) from their parents, while Amy doesn't care much for either one of her constantly competing siblings. In fact, while Amy was growing up, all she could do was provide sarcastic "color commentary" to her sisters' antics... a role that a certain "misery chick" would find very familiar.

Rita and Amy's first appearance was in the episode "I Don't" (#204), at the disastrous wedding of Rita's daughter Erin. Amy would next be seen in the episode "Through A Lens Darkly" (#301), where she gives "her favorite niece" advice about getting contact lenses. Both Rita and Amy would next show up in "Aunt Nauseam" (#510), as Helen attempts to handle Erin's divorce while engaging in further sibling rivalry with Rita.

Amy has long been a fan fiction favorite, with authors often using her as a mentor for Daria or as a sounding board for her problems. That changed somewhat in light of the events of "Aunt Nauseam" (#510), which showed that Amy was just as flawed as everyone else when she got herself sucked into her sisters' bickering. It took Daria and Quinn to show all three of them just how foolishly they were acting, and made both girls vow to never let their relationship mirror that of their mother and aunts.

Trivia: Amy's voice is performed by Rita Pietropinto.

Brooke first appeared in "Too Cute" (#109) as a Fashion Club hopeful. She started out by sporting a new nose, thanks to plastic surgery from Dr. Shar, and progressed to "full, pouty lips" (thanks to injections of fat from her butt) and a sculpted waistline, all of which sparked a plastic surgery craze (and a case of cuteness envy in Quinn). Her hopes to get herself into the Fashion Club were dashed, however, when her new nose "caved in" and the fat from her upper lip migrated to her bottom lip (making her look like "one of those beer dogs on TV").

Brooke's only other appearance was in "Fat Like Me" (#503), as one of the students admiring Sandi's triumphant return to school following her "weight crisis." It's probably no coincidence that both of Brooke's appearances were in episodes where body image was the central theme.

In the episode "This Year's Model" (#106), Romonica DeGregory and her assistant, Claude, arrived at Lawndale High to recruit potential models for their modeling agency (thanks to a letter from Brittany and with Ms. Li's blessing). Daria saw them for what they were: smarmy, self-important poseurs, and while she probably would've been content to ignore them forever, her dislike of their attempt to draw people (including Quinn) into their sordid world spurred her into action. That action was to anonymously invite General Buck Conroy and his mercenary army-for-hire to the school for their own little recruitment drive, complete with attention from the local news media. It worked: Ms. Li backed off, as did Claude and Romonica, who ended up stuck with the clueless Kevin.

Ted DeWitt-Clinton, a student at Lawndale High, is the extreme example of every child who's lived a sheltered lifestyle. He's energetic, enthusiastic, and exceedingly nice, but also very naive and almost completely ignorant of the outside world. (He's never watched television, listened to rock and roll music, eaten pizza or chewed gum, and had been home schooled by his rabidly overprotective parents until he convinced them to let him attend a "normal" school.)

Ted has the distinction of being Daria's first "romantic interest" (outside of her one-sided crush on Trent). They met in the episode "The New Kid" (#207), when Daria joined the yearbook photography team. Unfortunately, by introducing him to pizza, gum, the Beatles and video games, Daria corrupted his sheltered existence and inadvertantly propelled him into the popular crowd (much to the dismay of his parents, Leslie DeWitt and Grant Clinton).

Ted's other appearances to date are in the episodes "A Tree Grows in Lawndale" (#403) (non-speaking) and "I Loathe a Parade" (#406), where he took a snapshot of Daria and Tom as a "cute couple" for the school yearbook. (He escapes before Daria can tell him that they weren't a couple... at least for the moment.)

Status at end of series: Presumably, Ted graduated from Lawndale High along with Daria and the rest of the senior class (except Kevin, of course). His future plans were never revealed.

Daria's cousin Erin was seen in "I Don't" (#204), where she was getting married to Brian. Thanks to Helen's ongoing rivalry with Rita, Daria and Quinn ended up being bridesmaids, allowing Daria to witness first-hand the carnage and drunken mayhem that she had predicted from the very beginning (Quinn, alas, was too busy being hit on by the creepy minister). It was at the wedding that Daria met Luhrman, whose terminally depressed outlook and Stephen Wright-esque voice made Daria look positively chipper. (This was Luhrman's only appearance in the series.)

Although they were not seen again, Erin and Brian were mentioned in two subsequent episodes. In "The Story of D" (#505), we learn that their "perfect marriage" is already in trouble; turns out, Erin only married the now-unemployed Brian because he gave her herpes (she didn't think that anyone else would want her!). This lead to the start of divorce proceedings in "Aunt Nauseam" (#510), which were ultimately called off when Erin and Brian reconciled during her Swiss vacation (courtesy of Grandma Barksdale).

Trivia: Though Erin and Brian's last names are never explicitly mentioned in "I Don't" (#204), Daria tells the woman at the dress shop that she's a bridesmaid in "the Chambers-Danielson wedding." Given that most wedding announcements usually place the bride's name first, it's reasonable to assume that their full names are Erin Chambers and Brian Danielson. (Luhrman's last name is never mentioned, nor is it ever revealed if he's a relative or just a family acquaintance.)

You aren't going to find a family that's more nauseatingly nice than the Guptys (pictured on the left). Lester and Lauren decorate their house (both inside and out) with the most creepily cute things they can get, and their children, Tad and Tricia, are the most sickeningly sweet kids you'll ever meet.

In "Pinch Sitter" (#108), we meet the Guptys for the first time. Quinn is their regular babysitter, but when she double-books her dates, she foists the job off on Daria. The dread that Daria feels doesn't nearly match the reality, however, as she finds that Tad and Tricia don't want to do anything except discuss current events, floss their teeth, braid Daria's hair, shine Daria's shoes, and play a self-esteem record over and over, ad nauseum. (She can't even watch Sick, Sad World; their parents had locked the cable box on the Forecast Channel!) Finally, with a little help from Jane, Daria breaks through to the kids and teaches them to think for themselves and to question authority... a development that shocks their unsuspecting parents.

Interestingly, Lauren and Lester Gupty had non-speaking roles in the episode "Malled" (#105), riding the trolley to the Mall of the Millennium... a full three episodes before they're officially introduced. The Guptys also appeared in the episode "I Loathe a Parade" (#406), where Daria had to help a lost Tad find his parents during Lawndale High's homecoming parade. (Unfortunately, this episode seems to suggest that the "deprogramming" of Tad and Tricia didn't hold for very long, as they're both back to their cute and perfect ways.)

Mrs. Johannsen, the morbidly obese, mumu-wearing hypoglycemic, first appeared in "Cafe Disaffecto" (#104) when Daria and Jane attempted to raise funds for the coffeehouse. In the midst of trying to buy candy bars, Mrs. Johannsen suffered a hypoglycemic attack and fainted; Daria and Jane refused to sell her the candy, because even her offer of $5.00 a bar wasn't worth killing her with the chocolate.

Her other apperances were at the flea market in "That Was Then, This is Dumb" (#205); as a victim of the Fashion Club's attempt at charity work in "The Old and the Beautiful" (#302); as a psychiatric patient in "Psycho Therapy" (#408); and, finally, as a shopper (and competitor for free snacks against Mr. DeMartino) at the Pay Day warehouse store in "Mart of Darkness" (#409).

For such a heavy woman, she sure does get around!

Quinn's friend Lindy was introduced in "Is It College Yet?". Lindy was the hostess at Governor's Park restaurant when Quinn applied for a job (after Helen and Jake went ballistic over a huge credit card bill), and both girls hit it off immediately. Being a college student, Lindy provided Quinn with a taste of what life was like after high school.

Unfortunately, Quinn also discovered Lindy's biggest weakness: alcohol. Lindy would take any opportunity she could to have a drink: parties, the movies, even her job. Unfortunately, this last one proved to be her undoing, as she was fired when her manager, after several customer complaints, discovered the screwdriver she had concealed in a coffee mug (which she had half-heartedly tried to pin on Quinn).

After a talk with Daria about being honest with people, Quinn finally confronted Lindy about her drinking. Her reward was to get thrown out of Lindy's house, complete with a lecture from Lindy about how she "didn't have a problem." Eventually, Lindy went to see Quinn to make amends, and while she didn't come right out and admit she had a drinking problem, it was enough for Quinn to decide to remain friends with her (and possibly help her if/when she needs it).

Marianne is Helen's highly overworked and put-upon aide. In addition to the usual duties of a secretary, Marianne's job also seems to consist of endless amounts of typing, coupled with listening to Helen's rants about her clients, her job, and her life in general. Whatever Marianne's salary is, it's a good bet that she's waaay underpaid for what she has to put up with.

Marianne's first appearance was in "The Big House" (#110), where she could be seen typing away in the foreground as Helen talks on the phone. Her first speaking appearance was in "Arts 'N Crass" (#201), where she fielded calls from the school as Helen paced and ranted in the background.

Monique is Trent's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Very little is known about her, except that she's in a band called the Harpies (but dreams of going solo), she has an affinity for piercings (particularly nose rings), and she and Trent break up and get back together every other week. "Shipper" fanfic authors tend to portray her in a less than flattering light, usually as a villainess that attempts to interfere with the "true love" of Daria and Trent.

Monique was first seen in "Pierce Me" (#212), when she dropped by Axl's Piercing Parlor while Daria and Trent were there. Her only other appearance was in "Lane Miserables" (#308), when she showed up to take Trent out while he and Jane were staying with the Morgendorffers (with a still-smitten Daria watching her arrival and their exit through Quinn's bedroom window).

Every high school has at least one obnoxious alumni; Tommy Sherman counts as five of 'em. In "The Misery Chick" (#113), we meet the football hero when he returns to the school for a ceremony dedicating a new goalpost in his name. (It's a fitting tribute; when he was playing, he loved the attention of the crowd so much that he insisted on running every touchdown himself. Unfortunately, he'd get so distracted that he'd run right into the goalpost.)

Tommy took obnoxiousness to new highs (lows?) as he propositioned the girls with lewd come-ons and casually insulted those he felt were beneath him (which was pretty much everyone). Daria, having witnessed all of this, finally could stand no more and told him what to go do with himself. He managed to throw a few zingers her way, but he had little time to savor his small victory before the heavy crate containing the new goalpost accidentally fell on him and killed him.

Even though Tommy himself was gone, his spirit lived on in "A Tree Grows in Lawndale" (#403). In that episode, Kevin plows his motorcycle into the Tommy Sherman Memorial Tree and injures his knee. With Kevin gone and the team sucking badly, the cheerleaders attempt to exorcise the spirit of Tommmy Sherman (thinking that his presence is cursing the team) with a bathroom seance, which Daria and Jane inadvertantly break up when their voices drift into the bathroom via the ventilation shaft and freak the girls out.

David, Daniel, and Alison were introduced in "Is It Fall Yet?", and though they never appeared in any other episode, each ultimately played an important part in the development of Jane and Quinn's characters.

David Sorenson (top) was hired by Helen to tutor Quinn. Reluctant at first, Quinn soon warmed up to him as he helped her discover that being smart wasn't as bad as she had always thought. Eventually, Quinn became attracted to him and asked him out, but was heartbroken when David gently turned her down, saying that although she's made remarkable strides, he prefers women with "a certain amount of depth." David was voiced by Carson Daly, late-night talk show host and former host of MTV's Total Request Live.

Daniel Dotson (bottom left) was the guest artist at the Ashfield art colony where Jane was staying over the summer. A pompous, egotistical, skirt-chasing hack, Daniel was living proof that even in the art world, poseurs and losers were alive and thriving. Daniel was voiced by musician David Grohl, guitarist for both Nirvana and the Foo Fighters.

Alison (bottom right), a fellow artist, immediately became friends with Jane when they both derided one of Daniel Dotson's pretentious presentations. Being on the outs with Daria, Jane was eager to accept Alison's friendship, only to end up getting stabbed in the back twice: first, Alison attempts to get her drunk and take advantage of her, and then, when they try to make amends, Alison reveals that she's sleeping with Daniel Dotson in order to further her career. Alison was voiced by musician Bif Naked, who also appears to have been the influence for Alison's character design (she and Alison look very similar, right down to the tatoos).

Trivia: "Is It Fall Yet?" was the only time that "stunt casting" was used in Daria. No other celebrities or pop-culture personalities ever lent their voices to the show, though several of the regular cast members (notably Wendy Hoopes and Sarah Drew) went on to more visible projects (Hoopes in NBC's LAX, Drew in The WB's Everwood).

Willow (top right) and Coyote (top left), along with their son Ethan (bottom), were introduced in "That Was Then, This is Dumb" (#205) as old friends of Helen and Jake Morgendorffer. They made no other appearances on the show.

Driving their Volkswagen Beetle, wearing clothing straight out of the Free Love era, and doting on their dog Leary (their third since the late '60s), Willow and Coyote represent Helen and Jake's hippie past... only Helen and Jake have moved on, while Willow and Coyote seem stuck in the Woodstock era. Their visit, complete with reminisces about the past, was a painful reminder of just how far Helen and Jake had strayed from the idealism of their youth. (Ethan caused his own brand of mischief by driving a smitten Quinn crazy with his total disinterest in her, no matter how hard she threw herself at him.)

As it turned out, Helen and Jake's agonizing over their lost ideals was for naught, as Willow and Coyote ultimately confessed how sick they had become of living in the past. Helen and Jake were only too happy to oblige their desire to move into the present, while Ethan relented and took Quinn out for a snack (and provided her with some good dirt on Helen and Jake, info that she ultimately shared with Daria to their mutual advantage.).