Jake's Older Sister

Daria fandom got a surprise in the very first fan-conducted interview with series creator Glenn Eichler, early in 2005, when it was revealed that Jake Morgendorffer was supposed to have had an older sister. Fans of the series were long aware of clues that Jake was not an only child, such as Ruth Morgendorffer’s comment in “Jake of Hearts” that her husband “gave me fifty dollars a month for my allowance. Allowance! As if keeping his house spotless and raising his children was only worth the price of a couple of girdles!” In The Daria Diaries is a photo of Helen, Quinn, and Daria dressed to go to the wedding of one of Daria's cousins, but this cannot be the cousin who was married in the episode, "I Don't," as the Morgendorffers had not yet moved to Lawndale and are assumedly still in Highland. Since Erin Chambers is the only cousin Daria has on her mother's side, Daria thus has (at least) one cousin on her father's side, who would be the child of one of her father's siblings.

Little is known of this unseen individual, though much is speculated. Jake himself never once mentions having a sister, or any other sibling, in canon. Still, her existence seems clear enough to make her a canon character.

Examples of Fanfiction Depictions

Bruce Morgendorffer

Prior to the Glenn Eichler interview, Richard Lobinske postulated that Jake had an older brother, Bruce Morgendorffer, two years Jake's senior. Background on Bruce appears in "Silver Lining" in the Falling Into College series.

Cindy Morgendorffer

In GlitterShrooms' "Phoenix" (a WIP), Jake is tormented by memories of his sister, who disappeared years earlier after running away from home.

Joan Morgendorffer

Sleepless created a lost sister of Jake's named Joan in his serial WIP, "Broken Connections" (see this section and this one). Her disappearance still haunts her adult brother.

Rebecca Morgendorffer

In "Two Aunts," by Legendeld, Jake's sister Rebecca becomes romantically involved with a badly injured Amy Barksdale.

External Links

Material from Interviews

• First March 2005 interview with Glenn Eichler on DVDaria, in which Jake’s sister is first mentioned
• Second March 2005 interview with Glenn Eichler on DVDaria, with a second look at the sister issue

Speculation, Story Ideas, and Plot Bunnies (PPMB)

• "Second coming of the New Ideas Thread"
• "New Idea thread (brainstorming for all)"
• "Daria - Scooby-Doo cross-over": Could Velma of Scooby-doo be Daria's cousin?
• "Time for another plot bunny (this time with bonus info!)": Could Darius be Daria's cousin?
• "Iron Chef: Daria's Half-Siblings on Jake's Side": related musings
• "Essay topics for the future": Could there also be an older brother of Jake's?

Additional Fanfiction

• Iron Chef: Jake's sister! on PPMB: discussion and more short fiction
• Brief mention of Jake's "older brother" in a fanfic