title: Zenith Electronics

text: Zenith pioneered the development of high-contrast and flat-face picture tubes, and the multichannel television sound (MTS) stereo system used on analog television broadcasts in the United States and Canada (as opposed to the BBC-developed NICAM digital stereo sound system for analog television broadcasts, used in many places around the world.) Zenith was one of the first companies to introduce a digital HDTV system implementation, parts of which were included in the ATSC standard starting with the 1993 model Grand Alliance. They were also one of the first American manufacturers to market a home VCR, selling a Sony-built Betamax video recorder starting in 1977.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: The 1962 Illinois Manufacturers Directory (50th Anniversary edition) lists Zenith Radio Corporation as having 11,000 employees of which at least 6,460 were employed in seven Chicago plants. The corporate office was in plant number 1 located at 6001 West Dickens Avenue (north of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad tracks) where 2,500 workers made radio and television sets and Hi-Fi stereophonic phonographs. Plant number 2 was located at 1500 North Kostner Ave. where 2,100 employees made government electronics, radio and television components, transistors and hearing aids. Plant number 3 was located at 5801 West Dickens Ave. (also north of the Milwaukee Road tracks) where 300 employees made electronics and did servicing. Plant number 4 was located at 3501 West Potomac Ave. where 60 employees handled warehousing. Plant number 5 located at 6501 West Grand Ave. employed 500-600 workers who made government Hi-Fi equipment.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: A subsidiary of Zenith, the Rauland Corporation, located at 4245 North Knox Avenue, employed 850 workers who made television picture tubes. In the mid '60's Rauland produced the RCA 21" round color CRT, in 1965 it added a 21" rectangular 21" color CRT. In 1966, Rauland bought the Keebler cookie plant in Melrose Park, Illinois for production of color CRT's. Rauland's Niles, Illinois plant made flat-face radar picture tubes, night vision microchannel image tubes for the military and many specialty tubes. The other Zenith subsidiary in Chicago was Central Electronics, Incorporated located at 1247 West Belmont Ave. where 100 employees made amateur radio equipment and performed auditory training. Another Central Electronics plant was located at State Route 133 and Grandview in Paris, Illinois where 500 employees made radio receivers, with the total Zenith work force in Illinois being thus at least 6,960.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: In December, 1970, National Union Electric ("NUE") sued most of the Japanese television manufacturers for violation of the Anti-Dumping Act and a conspiracy which violated American antitrust laws. During the pendency of that suit, Zenith Radio Corporation encountered increasing financial difficulty as their market share progressively went to Japanese companies. Concerned about losing market share to Japanese companies, Zenith filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia in 1974 against the major Japanese television and electronic manufacturers charging violation of the United States Antitrust Laws and the Anti-Dumping Act of 1916. Zenith joined two other U.S. companies Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Motorola, Inc. as co-plaintiffs. The NUE suit was transferred to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the two suits were consolidated for pretrial proceedings and trial. The suit, styled "In re Japanese Electric Products Antitrust Litigation", sought $900 million in damages.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: By the end of 1983, Zenith had spent millions of dollars in connection with the litigation. In 1981, the trial court entered summary judgment on the antitrust and antidumping claims and dismissed the lawsuits. Plaintiffs appealed and the appellate court affirmed the summary judgment for Sears, Roebuck and Co., Motorola, Inc. and Sony. The case was appealed, and in March 1986 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the defendants on Zenith’s antitrust claims. Zenith's hopes to salvage a victory on the claims that the defendants violated the Antidumping Act of 1916 ended in April 1987 when the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Philadelphia which upheld the ruling of the trial court in favor of the Japanese.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: In 1979, Zenith entered the computer market with the purchase of Heath Company from Schlumberger for $64.5 million, and formed Zenith Data Systems (ZDS). The company changed its name to Zenith Electronics Corporation in 1984, to reflect its interests in computers and CATV, and since it had left the radio business two years earlier.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: By the late 1980s ZDS's profits sustained Zenith while its television business had lost money for years. To raise money for HDTV research efforts and reduce debt, Zenith sold ZDS to Groupe Bull in October 1989 for $635 million. By 1990, Zenith was in trouble and looking more attractive to a hostile takeover. To avoid this, Zenith sold 5% of itself to the Korean company GoldStar (now LG Electronics) as part of a technology-sharing agreement. With their analog line aging (the last major update to the line had been the "System³" chassis in 1978), and the adoption of HDTV in the United States decades away, Zenith's prospects were not good.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: In 1995 LG increased its stake to 55 percent, enough to assume controlling interest. Zenith filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999, and in exchange for its debts, LG bought the remaining 45 percent of the company. During this era, some of Zenith's products were being rebadged as OEM under the Admiral name. Certain products also carried the Allegro brand (which originated in the 1970s as a brand for Zenith's speakers and other audio equipment). Their profitable Network Systems division—that produced set-top boxes for cable and satellite TV—was sold to Motorola in the summer of 2000 and became part of Motorola BCS (Broadband Communications Sector).


title: Zenith Electronics

text: The Zenith headquarters building was subsequently occupied by Aon and was demolished in 2018 to create room for nearby Abt Electronics to expand.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: LG produced the Zenith DTT-900 and Zenith DTT-901 ATSC digital television converter box. LG also offered some Zenith branded plasma, LCD, and direct view televisions through selected retail outlets.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: Among Zenith's early famous products were the "Royal" series of transistor radios and the "Trans-Oceanic" series of shortwave portable radios, which were produced from 1942 to 1981.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: Zenith was the first company to experiment with subscription television, launching their Phonevision system with experimental Chicago station KS2XBS (originally broadcasting on Channel 2 before the Federal Communications Commission forced them to relinquish it to WBBM-TV). Their experiment involved a descrambler box mounted on the television set, and plugged into the telephone lead. When a preannounced broadcast was ready to begin, viewers would call an operator at Zenith who would send a signal with the telephone leads to unscramble the video.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: While the Theatre Owners of America claimed the concept was unsuccessful, Zenith itself claimed the experiment was a success. As Phonevision broadcast films, it was seen as a potential competitor for traditional theatres. In spite of the fact that the three films initially available to the first 300 test households were more than two years old, about 18 percent of Phonevision viewers had seen them at the movies, and 92 percent of Phonevision households reported that they would prefer to see films at home.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: Zenith is, perhaps, best known for the first practical wireless television remote control, the Space Command, developed in 1956.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: The original television remote control was a wired version, released in 1950, that soon attracted complaints about an unsightly length of cable from the viewer's chair to the television receiver. Eugene F. McDonald, Zenith President and founder, ordered his engineers to develop a wireless version, but the use of radio waves was soon discounted due to poor interference rejection inherent in 1950s radio receivers. The 1955 Flash-Matic remote system, invented by Eugene Polley, used a highly directional photo flash tube in the hand held unit that was aimed at sensitive photoreceivers in the four front corners of the television cabinet. However, bright sunlight falling on the television was found to activate the controls. It is worth noting that these remote controls would activate a motor, causing the tuning dial on the television to switch by itself, and this could be used for mischief if someone else was attempting to tune the television.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: Lead engineer Robert Adler then suggested that ultrasonic sound be used as a trigger mechanism. This was produced in the hand held unit by mechanically struck aluminum rods of carefully constructed dimensions—a receiver in the television responded to the different frequencies this action produced. Enough audible noise was produced by pressing the buttons that consumers began calling remote controls "clickers". The miniaturization of electronics meant that, eventually, the sounds were produced in the remote unit electronically; however, the operating principle remained in use until the 1980s, when it was superseded by the infrared light system.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: The photograph is of a Space Command 600, which was the remote control designed for use with their color television receivers. The Space Command 600 was introduced in 1965 and this particular design was in use until the end of the 1972 model year. The Space Command 600 remote control had an additional, distinctive feature—this remote control could also adjust color hues. By pressing the mute button on the remote, a relay would be activated at the television in which to transfer the VHF motor drive tuner circuit to the motorized hue control. This would allow the user to adjust the hue in increments by depressing the channel up or down buttons on the remote control, and restore the television to normal tuning operation when the mute button was pressed again (mute off).


title: Zenith Electronics

text: Some models of Zenith's "System 3" line of televisions made from the late 1970s to the early 1990s had a feature called the Space Phone by Zenith. It was basically a hands-free speakerphone built into the television set. It used the set's speaker and remote control, in addition to a built-in microphone. A Space Phone-enabled television would connect to a telephone jack (using a built-in phone cord), and making a call was performed by pressing a button on the remote to activate the Space Phone (which would mute and begin controlling the program audio going to the speaker). The telephone number is dialed using the numeric keys on the remote, which then displays the digits being dialed on-screen (using the on-screen display features of the System 3 line). The user could then converse with another caller hands-free, much like a regular speakerphone.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: In the late 1940s, Zenith entered the television market. These sets were all-round tube sets. The main feature was that the entire round screen was exposed. They were available in 12-inch, 16-inch and 19-inch sizes. Later round-tube models had a switch that would show the picture in the 4:3 ratio, or have the entire round screen exposed. These sets are very desirable among television collectors. Many porthole sets used metal-cone CRTs, which are now scarce. It is not uncommon for collectors to replace a bad metal-cone tube with an all-glass tube. Zenith porthole sets came in tabletop models, stand-alone consoles and television/radio/phono combos.


title: Zenith Electronics

text: In the late 1950s, many electronic manufacturers, such as RCA, General Electric and Admiral, were changing from hand-wired metal chassis in their radios and televisions to printed circuit boards. While circuit boards save time and errors in assembly, they are not well suited for use with vacuum tube equipment, in which high temperatures are generated that can break down boards, eventually causing the boards to crumble if one attempts to remove a tube. Zenith, and to a lesser extent Motorola, avoided this problem by continuing to use hand wired chassis in all their vacuum tube equipment. Zenith kept circuit boards out of their televisions until the Chromacolor line of the early 1970s, and even then used them only with solid state components, mounting the four tubes used in the Chromacolor "4 tube hybrid" on the steel chassis. Zenith began using circuit boards in radios when they converted to solid-state in the late 1960s, but even Zenith's early transistor radios were completely hand wired with socketed transistors. Due to the use of this chassis construction (and the high quality components), Zenith televisions and radios of the 1950s to 1970s found today are often still working well, needing little work to restore them to like-new operating condition.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall Eriksen is a fictional character on the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother", portrayed by Jason Segel. Series co-creator Craig Thomas explained that he based Marshall and Lily on himself and his wife Rebecca.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: The series revolves around the adventures of the five main characters: Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his best friend Marshall, his friend and Marshall's girlfriend (later fiancee and wife) Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), friend Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) and friend/love interest (and future love interest and wife to Barney Stinson) Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders).


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall met Ted and Lily during their freshman year at Wesleyan University in 1996, and they moved into an apartment in New York City together after graduation. In the show's pilot episode, he proposes to Lily, inspiring Ted to start looking for the love of his life.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall is fascinated by the paranormal, and has absolute faith that mythical creatures such as Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster are real. He has even discovered a paranormal event himself: a bizarre creature he names "the cockamouse". He is also a huge fan of the Minnesota Vikings, much like his father.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Although very few references were made to identify Marshall's birthday, it can be assumed he was in the same school year as best friend and roommate Ted Mosby and then-girlfriend Lily Aldrin. In "The Yips" Marshall says he is 29. This episode aired in November 2007. This confirms Marshall's birth year to be either 1977 or 1978. Ted turned 30 on April 25, 2008 in "The Goat". The dialogue in this episode implies that Lily, Marshall and Robin have not yet reached this milestone. In "Glitter", Lily says Marshall is 384 months old, thus 32 years, 1 week, 1 day and 21 hours old. Since the episode plays somewhere between November 9 (the date the previous episode played in) and November 24, 2010 (the date the next episode plays in) it can only be concluded that he was born between November 2 and November 14, 1978.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall was born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the youngest of three brothers. His last name, the fact that he is from Minnesota and his references to lutefisk suggests that he might be a Norwegian American. He has been shown to be extremely close to his family, particularly his father, Marvin (Bill Fagerbakke). His relationships with his two older brothers, Marvin, Jr. and Marcus, was depicted in several episodes as involving pranks and brutal fighting matches when they were teenagers. By the time the series begins, both of his brothers are married and have started families. It was depicted that his brothers were the ones who gave Marshall his very first car, a Pontiac Fiero, which had a cassette single stuck in it containing the song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: It is shown that while Marshall is in high school, he takes up smoking, which he struggles with quitting up until his children are born.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After graduating from an unnamed St. Cloud high school, Marshall attended and received his B.A. from Wesleyan University. He met both Lily and Ted during the move-in process. Ted was his first roommate in college. Marshall is shown to frequently smoke marijuana, though in the show, Future Ted refers to this as "eating a sandwich" in order to hide their past drug use from his children. In fact, Marshall is shown to have smoked marijuana before initially meeting Ted and confuses him for the dean of the school. Marshall is also shown to enjoy drinking to the point of intoxication in college. One of those times, he is involved in a hazing where he becomes so drunk that he streaks and proclaims himself "Beercules" following the drinking game "Edward 40-Hands", a reference to the film Edward Scissorhands, but instead of scissors for hands, the participant tapes 40 fl. oz. drinks to their hands.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall and Ted became good friends after this. During a break during school, Marshall plans to drive back to Minnesota in his Fiero. Marshall offers Ted a ride to his own home in Shaker Heights saying that it is on the way, which Ted eventually accepts. They bond during a blizzard and over the song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". Ted's friendship with Marshall is shown to help strengthen Lily and Marshall's early relationship, by him inviting her into their first roommate photo, Ted encouraging Marshall to commit to Lily, despite Marshall not having much prior relationship experience. Ted and Marshall would also take frequent roadtrips to Chicago to get pizza from their favorite shop. They also begin their tradition of watching the original Star Wars trilogy while in school together.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall met Lily during the move-in process, when Lily was determined to meet him and found his room. She asked him to install her stereo for her and they were in love at first sight. They exclusively date through college, even when she studies abroad in Paris. Their nicknames for each other are "Lily-pad" and "Marsh-mallow".


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After graduating, Marshall and Ted move in together into the apartment in New York. Marshall is initially terrified of living in a large city, though he eventually overcomes his fear. He takes several years off, working in a clothing store, before attending Columbia University Law School to receive his Juris Doctor (J.D.).


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: During the pilot episode, Marshall proposes to Lily. Throughout the series, his relationship with Lily progresses through their engagement, their break up when she decides to move to San Francisco for an art fellowship, Lily's eventual return to New York City and their attempt at a friendship outside of a romantic relationship, their reconciliation and re-engagement, their wedding, and finally their marriage.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall and Lily are initially engaged during the first season. Their engagement is what initially prompts Ted to begin pursuing marriage for himself.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall at times is shown to feel left out of the hijinks that Ted and Barney get into without him, going so far as to drive to Philadelphia to have a "legendary" adventure with them.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall is shown to be completely committed in spite of his sadness at being left out of Ted and Barney's "single man" shenanigans. In Best Prom Ever, he sneaks into a high school prom in order to provide Lily with sheet music for the song they want to dance to at their wedding, "Good Feeling" from the Violent Femmes album.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: During this period, the couple is generally happy, but the instability of their engagement and relationship is foreshadowed in several episodes. In "Okay Awesome", Marshall is shown to be jealous of the fun that Barney and Ted have by going out to clubs while Lily wants to have a "grown up" wine and cheese party with other couples. In "Belly Full of Turkey", the couple go to Minnesota to visit Marshall's family for Thanksgiving. There, Lily vocalizes that she does not want to change her name, that she is hesitant about starting a family with Marshall, and that the couple are not on the same page about where they would raise their family if they chose to have children. In "Zip, Zip, Zip", Marshall and Lily are trapped in the apartment bathroom and openly discuss that they are sad about no longer having new milestones. This period of their relationship ends in the first season finale, "Come On", when Marshall discovers that Lily interviewed for an art fellowship in San Francisco. They have a fight, during which Lily claims that she was never going to actually take the fellowship, but due to Marshall's comments during the fight, she decides that she needed to take a break from the relationship in order to pursue her dream as an artist.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: During this time, it was demonstrated that Marshall and Lily have a psychic connection and are able to communicate with each other through thought.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: The second season begins with Marshall dealing with the break-up of his long-term relationship and engagement. He was shown to be extremely depressed during the first few months post-break-up. He becomes obsessed with credit card bills that are still sent to their apartment. This obsession leads him to believe that Lily returned to New York and didn't tell him, causing him to believe that she does not want to get back together. When he goes to a New York hotel shown on her credit card bill to confront her and the man that had answered the phone when he had called their room, he discovers that Lily had not returned, but had been a victim of identity fraud. This allows him to let go of the relationship.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: He eventually tries dating, though most of his attempts are stymied by his friend Barney Stinson, who is later revealed to be intentionally sabotaging these attempts in order to ensure the reunification of Marshall and Lily.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall, while single, misses parts of being in a relationship, such as having someone to attend concerts with and going to brunch, which his friends tell him is something that can only be done when in a couple. Marshall begins a "bromance" with his friend and fellow law student, Brad Morris (Joe Manganiello), who had also recently gone through a break-up. Marshall thinks that Brad is becoming too romantic for the relationship, which culminates in Marshall reluctantly agreeing to attend a wedding with him, only to arrive in front of Brad's apartment to see him with flowers. Marshall assumes that the flowers are for him and panics, but Brad reveals that he had gotten back together with his recent break-up.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: When Marshall encountered Lily after her return to New York City, Lily proposed they get back together, saying that leaving him was a mistake and that she still loves him. Marshall refused and said that he also needed time to discover who he is outside the relationship.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall managed to date one woman, a barista, who his friends claimed has "crazy eyes". She tells him several outlandish stories, which are revealed to be true and caused by Lily, who is still obsessed with Marshall. At the end of their date, it is revealed that Lily had broken into the apartment to sabotage the date with a picture of Marshall and Lily together. This culminates with them making up and getting back together.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After reconciling, Marshall and Lily decide to elope in Atlantic City in order to avoid the judgment of Marshall's family for Lily having left him. They decide not to go through with it at the last moment and want to instead have a celebration with their families and friends present.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall's friendship are further explored during this time in the episode "Slap Bet". Marshall agrees to a bet with Barney about the reason Robin doesn't like malls. Marshall, being from Minnesota, believes that Robin doesn't like malls because she was married in one, as some people had done in the Mall of America. This results in Marshall being given several slaps which he inflict upon Barney throughout the series, because, although Robin was not married at a mall, Barney was incorrect that she had been in a pornographic film.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: During this time, Marshall's first car dies. He reminisces with his friends about the times that they all shared in the car and is reluctant to scrap the vehicle. He reveals that he is unhappy with the corporate job he had been working and felt that only his old, beaten car kept him connected with the kind of man that he wanted to be.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Toward the end of the second season, before the wedding, when Ted is planning to move in with his girlfriend, Robin, it is shown that most of the possessions in the apartment belonged to Ted. Marshall and Lily, while still wanting to get married, learn that they are somewhat dependent on Ted. The couple is relieved when Ted ultimately decides not to move in with Robin and returns to the apartment.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: On the day of their wedding, Marshall begins to have anxiety about the day and shave his head. To relieve some of the stress of the day, Marshall and Lily have a two ceremonies; first, one that is private and only their closest friends attend and the second one which is in before all of their guests.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After their wedding, Marshall and Lily continue to live with Ted in the apartment for some time until they decide that they need to move out to be on their own. In "I'm Not That Guy" Marshall ends up taking a job working at another corporate position, though he is unhappy about doing so. He takes the job instead of pursuing his dream of working in environmental law after being offered his dream job working for the Natural Resources Defense Council in order to provide for Lily, who had helped to support him during law school on her kindergarten teacher's salary. He was informed that his only client at the corporate office would be an amusement park, which is shown to be equally awful as the other clients of the office.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: With his new salary, Marshall believes that he is able to afford a new home and makes plans with Lily to purchase an apartment in "Dowisetrepla". He finds out that Lily has massive credit card debt, which negatively affects their ability to get a good interest rate on a mortgage. They still decide to get the mortgage to afford the apartment, learn that "DOWISETREPLA" stands for "DOwn WInd of the SEwage TREatment PLAnt", which causes the area to reek of sewage when it is running during the week. Upon their initial move in to the apartment, they also discover that it is crooked and they temporarily move back in with Ted while the floors are levelled.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall goes through several more life milestones. In "Spoiler Alert", he ends up passing the bar; then he ends up snapping when confronting his boss at the law office, resulting in Marshall quitting his job in "The Chain of Screaming".


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall also confronts Ted about his behavior. Ted attempting to pursue a married woman deeply offends Marshall now that he is married.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Toward the beginning of season 4, it is revealed that Barney has gotten a job for Marshall working the fictional Goliath National Bank (GNB). Lily and Marshall also discuss having a baby; initially Lily doesn't believe they are ready and Marshall does, but while working for GNB Marshall is extremely busy and while having to balance work with taking care of a drunken Lily, he realizes that he doesn't believe they are ready at that time and they decide to wait.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: During this period of his life, Marshall reveals that he hates living in a small apartment in New York when visiting Ted's fiancee's home in New Jersey. He also reveals that he cannot fantasize about women other than Lily without first imagining that she has died and he has gone through a grieving process. It is shown in "The Sexless Innkeeper" that Lily and Marshall are terrible hosts during "couple's nights". Marshall is apparently relegated to picking the cheese, because Lily is a gifted chef; Marshall takes this too far and is obsessed with the gouda during a night spent with Robin and Barney.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: It is also shown that Ted somewhat resents Lily, because Marshall and Lily have become inseparable. Marshall is unable or unwilling to take road trips with Ted the way they would when they were both unmarried.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Eventually, Marshall and Lily decide to start trying for a baby. They agree to only do so once they have seen a doppelganger for each of their friends. Marshall decides that when Lily sees someone who looks nothing like Barney, however, and decides that it is his doppelganger, to not tell her and that it must mean that she is ready. They make this agreement during the formation of their friend group's tradition of going to "Robots vs Wrestlers".


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall's relationship with his father is depicted around this time as being overly close. Lily was angered when she learned that Marshall had told his father that they were trying to conceive. Marshall realizes that while he loves his father and their relationship, he should keep some details of his private married life from him.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall realizes that he would like his children to boys, due to some internalized misogyny after recalling how he spoke to and treated girls when he was in high school and various strippers he has seen with Barney. Marshall's father gives him advice on how to only conceive boys, based on their family traditions. Marshall learned that Lily had hoped for a girl and was trying her own absurd methods for guaranteeing a girl; they decide not to try to influence the sex of the baby while trying to conceive.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After trying for several months, Marshall and Lily to see a specialist hoping that they won't have issues conceiving. This is where they ultimately see Barney's true doppelganger, a gynecologist. Marshall is able to have an open and frank discussion about his worries with fertility with his parents, which he is later grateful to Lily for being able to have. They learn that they have no fertility issues.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: The same day that they learn that they have no fertility issues, Marshall's father passes away from a heart attack. When Marvin dies Marshall is devastated, and takes a long time to recover; not to mention that during the episode "Last Words" he struggles with remembering what Marvin's last words were to him. After the funeral, Marshall temporarily regresses to his teenage personality while staying with his mother under the guise of helping her to emotionally recover from Marvin's death.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Upon returning to New York, Marshall and Lily take a break from attempting to conceive, though by the season 6 finale, "Challenge Accepted", Lily is pregnant. Marshall leaves his job at GNB, hoping to start his career working in environmental law.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After Marshall finds out that Lily is pregnant, he begins a new job working in an environmental law office. They begin to prepare their apartment for the baby's arrival and learn that they will be having a boy. During this time, Lily's paternal grandparents gift them their home on Long Island and despite Marshall wanting to move out of New York City to raise their children, they decide not to make any major decisions while Lily is having "pregnancy brain". They do eventually begin moving into the home, much to the chagrin of their friends. At this time, Lily's father also moves in with them.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After realizing that they do not enjoy living in the home on Long Island, Marshall and Lily are informed by Ted that they were never taken off the lease. Ted decided to move out of the apartment and gifts it to them. They happily move back, taking Ted's bedroom and converting Marshall's old room into the baby's nursery.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Toward the end of Lily's pregnancy, Marshall demonstrates his anxiety about beginning parenthood; he panics about their (perceived) lack of preparation for when the baby comes. Lily is frustrated by this and has him sent on a trip to Atlantic City with Barney, so that she can have some quiet time before the baby comes. She goes into labor while Marshall is away.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall is able to return to New York in time for the birth of their son, whom they name after Marshall's late father, Marvin. Marshall also promised Barney that they would give Marvin the middle name "Wait-for-it". After returning home from the hospital, Marshall and Lily institute a new rule that their friends cannot come them with personal problems unless they are an 8 out of 10 or higher; this results in the couple not being aware of the struggles in their friends' lives, which the come to regret and rescind the rule after trying to find out whom they will appoint to be Marvin's godparents.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: During this time, they agree to hire Lily's father Mickey as Marvin's nanny after Mickey recounts to Lily how he took care of her as a stay-at-home parent when she was young.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall, now working his dream job, starts having new challenges there as well. He learns that his boss believes that the environment is already too devastated to save, so Marshall, to save the planet for his newborn son, marshals the office into being more aggressive when suing a pharmaceutical company. He also learns that he is not a credible reference, because he is too willing to approve of others; he learns this when he is a reference for his friend Brad, who actually works for the adverse pharmaceutical company on their big case and steals some of their work for the case. In the show, this is shown to be bad for Marshall's case, but in actuality, would have been detrimental for the pharmaceutical company under the Laws of Civil Procedure disallowing this type of activity. Marshall was still able to overcome this and win at trial, but the judge awards him a pittance. This inspires him to seek a position as a judge in New York.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After he submits his application for a judge position, Lily starts a new career as a fine-arts consultant for Ted's now ex-girlfriend's ex-husband, The Captain. Marshall was at first supportive, but once Lily started, she began to spend very little time at home and he grew frustrated with feeling like he was handling more than his fair share of the parenting responsibilities. After communicating this to Lily, she helps to even the parenting load more.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: After this, Lily was offered an opportunity to move to Rome to consult for the Captain. which she turns down so that Marshall can continue pursuing his dream job of working in environmental law. Marshall then reveals that since the disappointing outcome of the case, the office has functionally been shut down from a lack a clients. Marshall told her that he would be thrilled to move to Italy, so Lily took the position.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall's mother then learns from Lily that they are planning to move to Italy and she wants to spend time with her grandson before they leave. Marshall flies out to Minnesota where he receives a phone call granting him a judgeship. He accepts without discussing this with Lily, effectively cancelling their plans to move to Italy. In the last episode of the eighth season, he applies to become a judge, deciding that this is where he will be able to make the most impact. Later on, he is offered a recently vacated seat, and accepts without telling Lily; staying in New York conflicts with her dream job in Italy.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall spent time on the road trying to find his way back to New York City from Minnesota with his new companion Daphne who worked for an oil corporation. They initially butted heads, but became friends during their travels, bonding over their shared frustration with Ted's step-father and sharing their struggles with various aspects of parenthood. While Marshall was separated from Lily, she missed him so much that she attached a tablet to a body pillow so that he could be present for their conversations. She named it "Marsh-pillow" after him.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: He has several attempts at trying to hide that he took the judgeship from Lily while he is on the road, but ultimately comes clean to her when he arrives at the wedding venue. He decided to do so because he didn't want to have any secrets from his wife.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Lily and Marshall had a fight about him accepting the position without first discussing it with her. After Lily stormed out, Marshall considered the consequences of the fight by having a discussion with his internal monologue which he pictured as his father and Lily from 10 years ago. He came to the conclusion that he doesn't want to win a fight over their careers, but wants them both to be happy. Lily and Marshall reconciled and Lily told Marshall to take the job, even though he was willing to give it up for her to be happy. Marshall soon learned that this was because Lily found out that she was pregnant with their second child. Marshall decided that since she has provided him with so much happiness from having a family, that he wanted to make her happy and agreed to move to Rome for her and her career.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: The series finale, "Last Forever", reveals that he worked for another corporate firm after returning to New York, until another judge's seat opened up for him. In the year 2020, he is elected to the New York State Supreme Court. It is also shown that Marshall and Lily have a daughter for their second child, whom they name Daisy after the flower whose pot Lily stuck her pregnancy test into. Additionally, it is revealed that Lily becomes pregnant a third time, though the gender and name are not revealed. This pregnancy happens around the same time as Robin and Barney's divorce. Marshall and Lily eventually help their oldest son, Marvin, move into Wesleyan where they met.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Though Marshall does not himself appear in the How I Met Your Father spinoff, it is revealed that by 2022, his, Ted's and Lily's apartment has been sold to Jesse who is roommates with Sid who also own the swords left behind.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall and Lily meet on their first day of college and fall in love at first sight. They move in together and eventually get engaged. In the final episode of the first season, Lily breaks off their engagement to accept a painting fellowship in San Francisco. Marshall falls into a deep depression, but nevertheless refuses to take Lily back when she returns to New York. They eventually reconcile, however, and get married in the end of the second season. They initially have trouble conceiving a child, but Lily finally gets pregnant at the end of the sixth season, and gives birth to a boy, Marvin, at the end of the seventh.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall and Lily are soul mates; they do virtually everything together, tell each other about every minute detail of their lives, and have only had sex with each other. They can even understand each other perfectly when they are seemingly incoherent, such as when Lily is trying to speak through bouts of morning sickness or when Marshall is speaking in pseudo-Italian gibberish.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Throughout the final season, which takes place over one weekend, Marshall travels with Marvin to the Farhampton Inn, where Robin and Barney are getting married. He struggles with telling Lily about his new job, as it conflicts with her dream of working as an art consultant in Rome. When he finds out she is pregnant with their second child, however, he gives up the judgeship and agrees to go to Rome with her and their new family.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: By the end of the series, Marshall and Lily have three children: Marvin, Daisy, and a third child whose name is never revealed.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall and Ted are college roommates and best friends. They first bonded during an ill-fated college road trip. Marshall and Lily consider Ted a part of their family, their "third Musketeer". Ted helps Marshall recover when he and Lily briefly break up. Along with the other main characters, Marshall is by Ted's side during every major event in his life, including a serious car accident, being left at the altar, and, finally, Ted's marriage to the titular Mother. Ted is best man at Marshall's wedding, and Marshall does the honors when Ted gets married in the series finale.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: Marshall and Barney know each other through Ted, Barney having taken it upon himself to "teach them how to live". Along with the other characters, Marshall is both amused and horrified by Barney's promiscuity, deceptiveness and penchant for over-the-top schemes. Barney has shown himself to be a good friend, however; he gets Marshall an internship, persuades Lily to return to New York from San Francisco, and gets him his job at Goliath National Bank. Barney serves as "co-best man" (along with Ted) at Marshall and Lily's wedding. Along with Ted, Lily, and the Mother, Marshall is present for the birth of Barney's daughter in the series finale.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: In the episode "Slap Bet", Barney loses a bet with Marshall and agrees to let Marshall slap him five times at random occasions "throughout eternity", which is later extended to eight. Marshall administers these slaps in the episodes "Slap Bet", "Stuff", "Slapsgiving", "", "Disaster Averted", "", and "The End of the Aisle".


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: During the first season, Marshall and Robin are friends, but he nevertheless advises Ted to forget about his unrequited love for her. When the two finally get together, however, he accepts her as a permanent part of the group, and continues to do so after they break up. When Robin quits her job, he and Lily take her in to live with them, and do so again in the seventh season after Robin breaks up with her boyfriend, Kevin (Kal Penn). Marshall asks her to move out when it becomes clear that Ted has unrequited feelings for her. However, he has an ongoing bet with Lily that Robin and Ted will end up together, which he eventually wins in 2030.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: A running joke throughout the series is that Marshall believes that Robin is attracted to him, despite all evidence to the contrary.


title: Marshall Eriksen

text: When Robin briefly leaves the group in 2016, as portrayed in the series finale, Marshall resents her for it, but nevertheless welcomes her back four years later to celebrate Ted's wedding.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Known as St. John Allerdyce, Pyro is depicted as a recurring enemy of the X-Men and later becomes an agent of the U.S. government. He was created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne and introduced in "The Uncanny X-Men" #141 (January 1981) as part of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Pyro has the mutant power to control fire. Pyro and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are the main antagonists in the X-Men story "Days of Future Past" as they attempt to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, which in an alternate timeline leads to a dystopic future where Mutants are hunted, killed or captured by the Sentinel robots. The assassination is thwarted, and at a later date the Brotherhood become agents of the US government in exchange for a full pardon, and the team becomes known as the Freedom Force.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: In the 2000 film "X-Men", Pyro was portrayed by Alexander Burton. Aaron Stanford took over the role in the two 20th Century Fox "X-Men" films "X2", and "" as an Americanized version called John Allerdyce.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, the St. John Allerdyce version of Pyro first appeared in "The Uncanny X-Men" #141 (January 1981).


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: As part of the Dawn of X initiative, Pyro subsequently starred in the "Marauders" series in October 2019 alongside Kitty Pryde, Iceman, Emma Frost, Storm and Bishop.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, St. John Allerdyce is a mutant who possesses the Elemental power to control fire and flame, though not generate it. He wears a flamethrower on his back to provide the flame which he then takes control of. His ability to manipulate flame emerged in his teens, but he was unable to find a practical use for it. After years of working in Southeast Asia as a journalist and novelist, Pyro met the mutant Mystique, who later recruited him to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants as a professional criminal and subversive. With the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, he attempted to assassinate Senator Robert Kelly, and first battled the X-Men. With the Brotherhood, he later battled the Avengers, and then the X-Men again. Though he never served under the team's original leader, Magneto, Pyro did work with the Brotherhood under the command of several of Magneto's subordinates who alternately supervised the group.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Mystique's Brotherhood later offered the team's services to the United States government in exchange for protection and an official pardon for its crimes, and was renamed Freedom Force. As part of their first mission, the team captured Magneto. With Freedom Force, he next captured the Avengers on behalf of the federal government. Later, he clashed with the original X-Factor in seeking to arrest Rusty Collins. With Freedom Force, he fought the X-Men in Dallas, and was present at the X-Men's apparent demise. With Freedom Force, he battled Cyclops and Marvel Girl, sought to arrest Rusty Collins again, battled the New Mutants, and finally arrested both Rusty and Skids. He and Blob under Spiral's orders attempted to capture a young mutant girl named Amanda, but were defeated by Daredevil. He later teamed with Blob and Avalanche against the Avengers during the "Acts of Vengeance".


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: During Freedom Force's final mission, the team confronts a group of Iraqi operatives known as Desert Sword in Kuwait. There are fatalities on both sides. Super Sabre is decapitated and Pyro kills Sword operative the Veil. Ultimately Freedom Force is defeated and Pyro and Blob are abandoned in Kuwait and captured. Blob and Pyro are forced to serve as bodyguards to the country's military commanders. Later, Toad buys their release. Blob and Pyro join the Toad's new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and with them battled X-Force.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Some years later, Pyro contracted the Legacy Virus, a fatal disease affecting mainly mutants. He went to great lengths to find a cure (encountering Cecilia Reyes at one point), several times at the expense of others, but was unsuccessful in his search and succumbed to the virus. This was just after saving Senator Robert Kelly from a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This act of heroism was also instrumental in changing Senator Kelly's opinion on mutants as a whole, and led to his decision to work toward peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Despite his heroic death, Pyro is resurrected by means of the Transmode Virus to serve as part of Selene's army of deceased mutants. Under the control of Selene and Eli Bard, he takes part in the assault on the mutant nation of Utopia.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro was confirmed to have remained alive after the events of Necrosha, as he battled both the original adult Iceman and the time-displaced teenage version in an attack in New York City, the older Bobby Drake confirming to his younger self that Pyro was indeed the original Australian version back from the dead.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro then joined a new Brotherhood of Mutants led by Magneto's clone, Joseph, though Joseph claimed to be Magneto. He briefly battled the X-Men, though when Joseph's identity had been revealed, Pyro attempted to defend him against his teammate Juggernaut. Pyro was swiftly knocked unconscious by a punch from Cyclops.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro later travels to Krakoa and reveals that he was used as a lab-rat and was one of the first subjects to be resurrected by the "Five" and because of that he lost all memories of what he did after he was resurrected by Selene. He has since joined Kitty's team of Marauders.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Simon Lasker is an American teenage mutant who manifested pyrokinesis by accidentally burning down his high school building and killing everyone inside it. Suddenly appearing before him in the form of Professor X, a somehow-repowered Mesmero brainwashed him into becoming the new Pyro and to join his Brotherhood of Mutants which was secretly funded by anti-mutant activist Lydia Nance.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro's first mission with the Brotherhood of Mutants was to kidnap Mayor Bill de Blasio and hold him hostage. The X-Men arrived and defeated the Brotherhood of Mutants who are then arrested by the arriving S.H.I.E.L.D. agents


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: As Lydia Nance still had a use for the Brotherhood of Mutants, she orchestrated Mesmero's escape from the Box. Mesmero once again lured Pyro and the second Avalanche into helping him out again. They were to attack a yacht that was owned by the Heritage Initiative at the time of its fundraiser. They group fought the X-Men alongside the NYPD. The Brotherhood of Mutants got away and fell back to their base. When Mesmero stated that the Brotherhood of Mutants are still under Lydia Nance's paycheck, Pyro took his leave since he didn't want to work for an anti-mutant activist. Avalanche then demanded from Mesmero to get Pyro's cut. After finding the Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach, Pyro revealed his history to the X-Men and wanted to join up with them. While Iceman was wary of this, Rogue vouched for him.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro was revealed to be gay in "X-Men Gold" (vol. 2) #31, in a post-sex scene with Iceman and withdrawn from the X-Men to help his mother.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Allerdyce is a mutant who has the Elemental power to manipulate flame by shaping it as he desires, increasing or decreasing its heat, intensity and size. However, as he cannot actually create fire himself, he consequently wears a specially insulated costume with a built-in flamethrower that can throw a stream of flame a maximum distance of . He can Elementally manipulate the flame to do whatever he desires and sometimes induces it to take semi-solid form as an animate flame being. These creations, though capable of movement and of grasping or carrying solid objects, are not alive and do not think or act on their own.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: The degree of concentration necessary for Pyro to manipulate a flame construct is directly proportional to the construct's size, power and flame. Though he cannot be burned by a flame which he is manipulating, Pyro can be harmed by any fire that he does not mentally control. It is generally accepted that he must be able to see a flame in order to take control of it (hence limiting his mental influence to approximately 100 yards). Any of Pyro's fiery creations will immediately revert to ordinary flame if he turns his interest from it.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: After his return Allerdyce's powers have increased in some ways, showing he can prevent the gunpowder in a loaded pistol from igniting as well as generate fires on his own accord, without need of a heat source or fuel generated ignition point to get malleable combustible substance.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Simon has the mutant ability to elementally generate, control and manipulate fire; similar to the original Pyro. But unlike Allerdyce; he seems capable of igniting fire on his own and does not require outside sources of existing flame to manipulate.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: In the Age of Apocalypse, Pyro is one of the many mutants imprisoned in Sinister's breeding pens for refusing to join his Elite Mutant Force and was apparently experimented on while there as he's seen capable of creating flames by himself, though he is not immune to being burned. He was later killed alongside Avalanche, Artemis, Phantazia and Newt when the five prisoners attempt to escape.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: In the House of M, Pyro was a member of the mutant supremacist government in Australia. He works alongside the powerful Exodus. He works closely with Vanisher in the oppression of the human population. They gain the attention of the Hulk when his friends, a community of Aboriginal Australians, are harassed. Here Pyro retains his background as a writer and a sentimental side; he briefly crafts a tiny pixie out of the flame from a match, commenting to the Vanisher, "I used to write Gothic romances. I've got more layers than a parfait".


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: In Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, the Human Torch shows up at Midtown High for a demonstration, but loses control of his powers. Spider-Man (then Peter Parker) spots a mysterious figure who turns out to be Pyro, who is manipulating Human Torch out of jealousy that he doesn't get credit for being a fire manipulator. Peter knocks him into the school swimming pool, where Human Torch knocks him out.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro is shown as a zombie twice in the Marvel Zombies reality. He is seen in the background along with a group of zombies trying to catch Blob. He is also seen fighting the X-Men alongside zombie versions of Freedom Force.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro works as a murderous mutant ninja for the Japanese-based Hellfire Club. He battles the X-Men alongside fellow ninja Iceman and Avalanche.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: In "Ultimate X-Men" #80 Pyro is seen fighting the Friends of Humanity and meeting Nightcrawler. This Pyro is a member of the Ultimate Morlocks, and a supporter of Xavier's cause who tells Nightcrawler that he would have liked to have been a member of the X-Men. In issue #82 he is rescued from a Sentinel attack by Bishop and Storm, who recruit him as a member of their new team of X-Men. It is hinted by Bishop that the recruits are "legends" of the future, meaning that Pyro may have much potential. He briefly works undercover in the Mutant Liberation Front, after pretending to defect to their side. Stryfe, the leader of the group, revealed his knowledge of Pyro's intentions but allows him to continue watching, but eventually Stryfe abandons most of the Front, including Pyro, at the mercy of some approaching Sentinels. Pyro is later rescued by Beast, and aids the team in defeating the Sentinels.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Bishop dies in "Ultimate X-Men" #90 and Xavier returns alive from the future. Pyro moves into the Xavier Institute and becomes one of Xavier's X-Men. Pyro begins wondering if he belongs at the Institute and Wolverine assures him that he does.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Pyro has apparently defected from the Xavier Institute to Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, as he and Mastermind are shown capturing the superhero Valkyrie in "The Ultimates 3" #4. It is as yet unknown how or why Pyro joined Magneto's Brotherhood. His face is not scarred and he is now immune to flame, despite previous portrayals.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: During the confrontation, he and Mastermind find the unconscious Valkyrie. Pyro suggest they 'play' with her. The woman wakes up, slays Mastermind and despite Pyro's claims of innocence, cuts off his hands.


title: Pyro (Marvel Comics)

text: Ultimate Pyro, like his Age of Apocalypse counterpart, can generate flames without the aid of machines. He also is not as resistant to fire, as his face is horribly burned and most of his body is bandaged. At one point, he cauterizes a bullet wound by pressing flames against it. Because he burnt off his nerves, he does not feel pain.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: D. C. Douglas is an American actor and voice actor. He played Pa Kettle on Syfy's "Z Nation", Zepht on "", and has appeared in several soap operas, including "Days of Our Lives" and "The Young and the Restless". He voiced Albert Wesker in ten "Resident Evil" games, Legion in "Mass Effect 2" and "Mass Effect 3", and Yoshikage Kira in "" (2016).


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas was born in Berkeley, California. His father was a salesman and his mother is an artist, a writer, and spiritual advisor. His maternal grandparents were vaudeville performers. His grandmother, Grace Hathaway, continued in burlesque as a dancer and his grandfather, Joe Miller, became known in San Francisco for his talks at the Theosophy Lodge and his weekly Thursday morning group walks through Golden Gate Park.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas' parents divorced when he was five years old and he was raised primarily by his mother in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1960s through the early 1980s. At age seven he decided that he was going to be an actor after watching an episode of "Hollywood and the Stars". He performed in San Jose and Walnut Creek community theatre, but it was his Ygnacio Valley High School drama teacher who encouraged him to follow through on his dream.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: At sixteen, Douglas traveled alone to New York to audition for Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He wasn't accepted and while his back-up plan was to live in New York, his visit there deterred him from that idea. Instead, he chose Los Angeles and moved there in 1985.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas graduated from the only accredited acting trade school in Los Angeles at the time - Estelle Harman Actors Workshop. He co-founded the improvisation troupe "Section Eight" and was also a member of Theatre of NOTE for several years. He produced "Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends (A Final Evening with the Illuminati)" at the Hollywood United Methodist Church as a benefit for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, performing the role of Brother Lawrence opposite Theatre of NOTE co-founder, Kevin Carr. The production was well received and became an LA Weekly "Pick-of-the-Week." Douglas performed in many other Equity Waiver 99-seat Theatre productions throughout the 1990s.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas' first network TV role was on the hit ABC 90's sitcom "Coach" in which his 3 lines were cut in the final broadcast. In 1996, after sporadic small co-star roles, he landed a small role in "Boston Common", an NBC pilot. When the show was picked up for a season he returned in a recurring role as the D.C., the antagonist to Hedy Burress's character.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas' television career involved primarily conservative or antagonist roles. Highlights include "24", "", "NYPD Blue", "ER", "Charmed", "Without a Trace", "NCIS", "Criminal Minds", "Castle" and "The Encounter".


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In 2015, while pitching the producers at The Asylum a film project that would pay homage to "Resident Evil 5", a zombie video game Douglas worked on and had gained fan appreciation for, they were inspired to cast him as Pa Kettle in "Z Nation", a zombie Syfy show, for a 3 episode arc.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: While never considered for a lead contract role on the many Los Angeles based soaps, Douglas did guest star on all of them numerous times. Most notable as the manipulative Bellman in a Days of Our Lives 1991 "honeymoon" arc, and as two different characters on "The Young and The Restless" - Chad Atherton in a 1996 arc, and Kurz, a crime boss taunting Tristan Rogers's character in a 2014 arc. In 2017, Douglas appeared on "The Bold and The Beautiful" for his 26th time in 20 years in his 6th role.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In 2021, Douglas announced that he is rebooting his acting career with a focus on independent cinema.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas' first film was 1989's "Future Force" with David Carradine. While all his scenes were only with Carradine, Douglas never met him as their characters only spoke through a futuristic video conference system.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Film highlights include playing a possessed ghost hunter in "Black Ops" with Lance Henriksen, a disturbing turn as "Dad" in "Smartass" with Joey King, a deranged cop in "Helen Alone" with Priscilla Barnes, and a harried producer in "Labor Pains" with Lindsay Lohan.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In 2013, he was cast as a serial killer in "Apocalypse Kiss" and changed his appearance to look similar to "Resident Evil" villain Albert Wesker. The producers were fans of Douglas' work in the video game franchise.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas has worked with The Asylum since 2002, having appeared in ten films. In 2015, while working on The Asylum's "Alpha House" film, Douglas bonded with the film's writers, Jacob Cooney and Brandon Trenz. Together, they developed the idea for "Isle of the Dead". Douglas pitched the concept to The Asylum producers David Michael Latt, David Rimawi and Paul Bales. The film was completed in 2016 with Douglas as Aiden Wexler, opposite Joey Lawrence and Maryse Mizanin, and aired on the SyFy network.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Other The Asylum film highlights include "Titanic II" as the hapless ship captain, "Sharknado 2" as Bud, one of the only characters to die by an alligator in a shark movie, and "Aquarium of the Dead" as the clueless Aquarium tour guide.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In 2021, Douglas was cast in three unrelated Lifetime Network films: "The Killer in My Backyard", "Killer Stepmom", and "Drowning In Secrets".


title: D. C. Douglas

text: in 1996, Douglas wrote, produced and starred in "Falling Words", his first festival film short. In subsequent years he wrote, produced and directed "The Eighth Plane", an anti-Scientology short and "Freud and Darwin Sitting in a Tree", about Lewis Henry Morgan.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In 2001, he resurrected the character 'Lance Baxter' from his first film short, "Falling Words" and created a cabaret act, covering sad love songs that illustrated his dysfunctional relationships. It was performed at The Lava Lounge in Hollywood. In 2006, inspired by turning forty, Douglas expanded the idea into "Lance Baxter: Halfway Through My Life If I'm Lucky." The show featured original songs (lyrics by Douglas and music by Lily Popova) and comedic monologues. The show was produced at The M Bar in Hollywood and ran for several nights as a fundraiser for More Than Shelter for Seniors.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Also in 2006, his film short, "Duck, Duck, Goose!", played at film festivals worldwide and received awards for the Best Short from the Seattle's True Independent Film Festival (STIFF) and Best Actor from the Trenton Film Festival.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: His 2009 CGI film short, "The Crooked Eye" starring Fay Masterson and narrated by Linda Hunt, played at festivals and won awards for Best Narration (STIFF), Best Screenplay (HDFest) and Best Animated Short (Red Rock Film Festival).


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In 2016 he wrote, edited and directed a Halloween animated short, "Ginger & Snapper," with Rachael Leone. The short includes voice actors Lacey Chabert, Steve Blum, Liam O'Brien, Laura Bailey and Roger Craig Smith.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: From 2007 to 2019, Douglas voiced the Resident Evil villain, Albert Wesker. As his fan following grew he began producing fan service videos. Popular entries include "Old Spice" spoof, "12 Days of Evil", and "Covid-19: Albert F. Wesker Tips".


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In 2017, Douglas created and launched "MSM Breaking News!: Fake Trump Cartoons", an animated web series satirizing the Donald Trump presidency as well as the Robert Mueller investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. A typical episode was written by Douglas and produced by his animator, Rachael Leone. Guest voice actors have included Steve Blum, Maurice LaMarche, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Todd Haberkorn and Mark Meer, among others.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas began his voice acting career in the early 1990s by doing walla for low budget action and erotic films that were usually aired on Showtime late night. By the 21st century he had stopped doing general walla work altogether, but did occasional unique ADR jobs, including voice matching Guy Pearce in "Factory Girl" and Kevin Spacey in "Fred Clause", as well as voicing a TV reporter in "50/50" and Brad Pitt's SpaceCom computer therapist in "Ad Astra".


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas has voiced a variety of characters in video games, though primarily low-voiced villains. Highlights include The Master in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" video game, Albert Wesker in the "Resident Evil" series as well as "Marvel vs. Capcom" (9 games in total from 2007 - 2019), Raven in "Tekken 6", AWACS Ghost Eye in "", Commandant Alexei in "Tales of Vesperia", Legion in "Mass Effect 2"/"Mass Effect 3"/"Mass Effect Legendary Edition", Grimoire Noir and Pod 042 in the "Nier" franchise, Azrael in "," Coburn in Ubisoft's "The Crew" and Hector Birtwhistle (H.B.) in "Xenoblade Chronicles X".


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas was a CBS Daytime promo announcer for the summer of 2003 and has cited that job as the turning point in his voiceover career. He used the money he made from that contract and built his home studio (a rare thing for most voice artists at the time) which allowed him to leave his editing job and work solely as an actor.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: National campaign highlights include the GEICO "Celebrity" campaign from 2006 to 2008, the McDonald's "Be the Sizzle" campaign from 2009 to 2010, Radio Shack's "Holiday Hero" campaign in 2010 and several Experian spots featuring Douglas and Tom Kenny as computers in 2014.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Highlights include Chase in Hub Network's "" (the longest-running "Transformers" series), Colonel Rawls (and many others) in Cartoon Network's "Regular Show", Sylvus (the Elder) and Aikor (the Villain) in "Monchichi Tribe," Newton in "The Rocketeer", and a cameo in "Family Guy" as Superman.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas avoided anime work in the early aughts due to the notorious low pay. But, during his first convention appearance in 2010, he saw the burgeoning phenomena of anime fans wanting to meet the voice actors. Douglas has said the opportunity to travel while getting paid inspired him to reach out to the local Los Angeles production houses that recorded anime. This led to some fan favorite roles, such as Yoshikage Kira in the arc of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure", Wooden Sword Ryu in Netflix's "Shaman King", Edo in Netflix's "Ultraman", Praetorian in Netflix's "Super Crooks", and X Drake in "One Piece".


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In April 2010, Douglas came under fire from the Tea Party movement for a phone call he made to Freedomworks in which he left an inflammatory voice mail. A day later GEICO dropped him from the new "shocking news" series of internet commercials that were in post-production. This led to some debate in the voice-over community about whether announcers were public figures. He responded by producing a mock "Tea Party PSA" for YouTube that was subsequently broadcast on both Joy Behar's HLN show and Geraldo Rivera's "Geraldo at Large" with Douglas as a guest.


title: D. C. Douglas

text: The experience inspired Douglas to continue creating short, satirical political videos. The most viewed were his "Burn a Koran Day" video (posted by The Huffington Post) and his "Why #OccupyWallStreet?" video (aired on MSNBC's "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell").


title: D. C. Douglas

text: In November 2011, Douglas tweeted out a quote from a "Tower Heist" Q&A at the ArcLight Hollywood where director Brett Ratner made a disparaging remark about homosexuals. "The Hollywood Reporter" subsequently reported Douglas' tweet as the beginning of a controversy which led to Ratner stepping down from the 2012 Oscars. (Douglas was permanently banned from Twitter in January, 2021 for mocking Q Anon accounts.)


title: D. C. Douglas

text: Douglas has also lent his voice to many liberal political organizations, including American Bridge 21st Century PAC and the non-profit progressive research and information center Media Matters for America.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Iceland is heavily integrated into the European Union via the Agreement on the European Economic Area and the Schengen Agreement, despite its status as a non-EU member state. Iceland applied for membership in 2009 but the application was controversial and the Minister of Foreign Affairs sent a letter in 2015 ending the application process.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Iceland is a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), a grouping of four non-EU European countries, and is also part of the European Economic Area (EEA). Through the EEA, Iceland participates with a non-voting status in certain EU agencies and programmes, including enterprise, environment, education (including the Erasmus Programme) and research programs. Iceland also contributes funds to "social and economic cohesion" in the EU/EEA. Iceland also frequently consults the EU on foreign affairs and frequently aligns itself to EU foreign policy. Iceland also participates in EU civilian peacekeeping missions.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Iceland is a member of the Nordic Passport Union and the Schengen Area, which now is under EU law, as a non-voting participant. Iceland's participation in the Schengen Area allows free movement of people between Iceland and the rest of the Schengen Area. Several thousand Icelanders travel to and study or work in the EU. A large majority of foreigners in Iceland come from the EU. Iceland is also associated with the Dublin Convention on justice and home affairs cooperation. Iceland also has links to several EU member states through its membership of the Nordic Council.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: During the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, instability in the Icelandic króna led to discussion in Iceland about adopting the euro. However, Jürgen Stark, a Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, has stated that "Iceland would not be able to adopt the EU currency without first becoming a member of the EU". As of the ECB's May 2012 convergence report, Iceland did not meet any of the convergence criteria. One year later, the country managed to comply with the deficit criteria and had begun to decrease its debt-to-GDP ratio, but still suffered from elevated HICP inflation and long-term governmental interest rates.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Economic relations between Iceland and the European Union are primarily governed by two agreements: a bilateral free trade agreement signed in 1972, and the agreement on the EEA in 1994. The EEA was established to give Iceland, among other European countries outside the EU, access to the EU market. Iceland's access to the EU market in respect of agriculture and fisheries is dealt with by separate bilateral agreements. Iceland is legally bound to implement into its own law all EU directives applicable to the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. This is complemented by regular meetings between EU and Icelandic officials, including a twice-yearly meeting of EEA foreign ministers.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: 78% of Iceland's exports went to the EU and 52% of Iceland's imports came from it, making the EU Iceland's most important trading partner, followed by Norway. Traditionally, Iceland's economy has focused on fisheries and renewable energy, but it has been diversifying into aluminium production, pharmaceuticals, information technologies, tourism and the financial sector. Iceland is still a large exporter of fish (the third largest exporter to the EU after Norway and China) with a world trade surplus of €1.1 billion in 2008. In fisheries, the EU had a 2009 trade deficit of €879 million. Until Iceland's 2009 financial crisis, its commercial services sector had been growing rapidly, accounting for almost 35% of total exports (goods and services combined).


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Iceland applied to join the European Union on 16 July 2009 and formal negotiations began on 27 July 2010. However, on 13 September 2013 the Government of Iceland dissolved its accession team and suspended its application to join the EU. On 12 March 2015, Foreign Minister of Iceland Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson stated that he had sent a letter to the EU withdrawing the application for membership, without the approval of the Althing, though the European Union stated that Iceland had not formally withdrawn the application.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: If negotiations were to resume, Iceland would face controversial issues on fisheries which could potentially derail an agreement, despite already being a member of the European Economic Area (which excludes fishery). If an agreement were to be concluded, the accession treaty would be subject to a national referendum in Iceland and require ratification by every EU state.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: From 1995 to 2007 the government coalition of the conservative Independence Party ("Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn") and the liberal Progressive Party ("Framsóknarflokkurinn"), opposed joining the EU, while the opposition Social Democratic Alliance ("Samfylkingin") supported membership negotiations. In 1994, the Social Democratic Party ("Alþýðuflokkurinn") became the first Icelandic political party to include the intention to apply to join the EU in its policy statement. Despite this hostility towards EU membership, the Independence Party was forced to accept some of the constraints associated with participation in the European project. Iceland sought shelter provided by the EEA, EFTA and Schengen because non-membership of the EEA and EFTA would have threatened its key economic interests, and non-membership of Schengen would have imposed burdens on Icelandic individuals.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Former Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson predicted on 8 February 2006 that the country would join the EU by 2015. He added that the decisive factor would be the future and the size of the Eurozone, especially whether Denmark, Sweden and the UK would have adopted the euro or not. His prediction received some criticism, not the least from people within his own government.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Another former Prime Minister, Geir H. Haarde, has on a number of occasions stated his opposition to EU membership, both as Foreign Minister under Halldór Ásgrímsson and after taking office as Prime Minister. In response to Halldór Ásgrímsson's earlier prediction, Haarde said, "I don't share that point of view. Our policy is not to join in the foreseeable future. We are not even exploring membership." In a speech at a conference at the University of Iceland on 31 March 2006, Geir Haarde repeated what he had said on a number of occasions—that no special Icelandic interests demanded membership of the EU. In the same speech he further explained in detail why it would not be in the interest of Iceland to adopt the euro.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Following the 2007 election, the Independence Party and the Social Democratic Alliance formed a new coalition with a policy of not applying for membership, but setting up a special committee to monitor the development within the EU and suggest ways to respond to that.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Due to Iceland's limited currency, the government has explored the possibility of adopting the euro without joining the European Union. The EU, however, says that Iceland cannot join the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) without becoming a full EU member state (all other non-EU states that use the euro do so because they previously used a member state currency that was replaced by the euro).


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: At a meeting of members of his party on 17 May 2008, Geir Haarde said that in his opinion the cost of joining the EU outweighed the benefits, and therefore he was not in favour of membership. However, in October 2008, during talks to repatriate a portion of Iceland's foreign invested pension funds—Iceland having been particularly hard hit by the financial crisis of September 2008—the unions demanded that Iceland apply for EU membership in return for wage restraint.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: On 30 October 2008, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, minister of education, said that "Iceland has to define its long-term national interests and part of that is a revision of the currency regime, including a possible EU application" and that an application for membership needed to be discussed "in weeks rather than months".


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Two weeks later, on 17 November 2008, the Independence Party announced it would hold its party congress in January 2009 instead of Autumn 2009, to reconsider the possibility of applying for EU membership; the Progressive Party also announced it would hold its party congress in January, after two anti-EU MPs (including the party leader) resigned and were replaced by MPs more positive towards EU application.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The Progressive Party accepted at its congress to support application for EU membership but with very strict conditions including one demanding full authority for Iceland over its fishing grounds and other national resources. When the government headed by the Independence Party was dissolved in January the party decided to postpone its congress until March. The congress eventually decided on an unchanged opposition to EU membership but also claimed that if the issue were opened by others both an application and an initial accession treaty with the EU should be put to a referendum.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The US denied Iceland's financial request for financial support after the 2008 economic crash. Iceland turned to the EU for assistance, but they also turned Iceland's request for aid down. This seriously damaged the efforts of the Europhiles in Iceland to sell the EU as a shelter provider to Iceland. The Europhiles mainly focused on the potential economic benefits of EU membership and the adoption of the euro, emphasizing the benefits of cheaper goods for consumers and enterprises, and access to aid from the EU structural funds for rural areas, agriculture and the tourism industry. There was, however, no mention of the EU as a soft security shelter provider. After a speedy economic recovery and considerable domestic opposition to membership, the application was put on hold in 2013. At present, the Icelandic government does not regard the country as a candidate to join the EU, though it has not withdrawn its membership application. Iceland's membership of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Schengen provide Iceland with partial political, economic and societal shelter but it is secondary to formal membership of the EU. Iceland's membership of the EU is unlikely to materialize in the present domestic and European environment. A dramatic change is needed to alter Iceland's present European policy. Domestic features of each and every state need to be taken into consideration in order to fully understand its calculations of cost and benefits of a potential shelter relationship.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Iceland's finance minister, Steingrímur J. Sigfússon, ahead of the country's first elections since the financial crisis, stated that "any decision for Iceland to join the European Union and the single currency must be taken by its people, not one political party", on the subject that the issue of EU membership was the greatest threat to a stable coalition.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The 2009 election, which followed the financial crisis, saw the Progressive Party switch to supporting EU membership but the Independence Party called for a referendum prior to the start of negotiations. The Social Democratic Alliance made joining the EU a key issue in their campaign.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: After the win of the pro-EU Social Democratic Alliance in the election, Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir spoke of an immediate application to the European Union and adoption of the euro within four years as a way to deal with the country's debt.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In late April 2009, it was announced that the United Kingdom, which at the time was a member state of the European Union with whom Iceland has had a long history of fishing and territorial water disputes, supported Iceland joining the EU.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In early May 2009, it was leaked that the issue of application for EU membership would likely be left to the parliament, in which the Alliance, the Progressive Party and the Citizens' Movement together already had enough seats to approve the application. Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, the leader of the Progressive Party, strongly objected to the suggestion that his party would assist the government in this matter, however. The anti-EU Left-Green coalition partner accepted that in spring 2010, the minister for foreign affairs would present to the parliament a bill on talks with the EU.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: On 10 May 2009, Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir announced that the government intended to move towards membership more quickly than previously expected. She announced that a bill would be introduced in parliament on 15 May 2009, authorising the opening of accession talks with the EU. She also stated that she was confident that the legislation would pass, and that she had secured a parliamentary majority on the issue, despite the official opposition to talks by one of her coalition partners. She went on to say that she expected an official application to be submitted no later than July 2009. This seemed to leave Iceland on course to join the EU along with Croatia in 2011, as predicted by EU Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn. The government has stated that the issue will be put to a vote once an accession agreement has been negotiated.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The motion to file an application for membership was officially introduced in parliament on 25 May 2009. Voting was to have been held on 13 July, but was postponed until 16 July. First, a proposal by the Independence Party to hold a referendum on the membership application was defeated by 32 to 30 with one abstention. Then the Social Democratic Alliance's proposal to apply for membership immediately was approved with a narrow majority of 33 to 28 votes with 2 abstentions.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: To become a member, a country must first apply and then be recognised as a candidate country. For that to happen the country must satisfy the first of the Copenhagen criteria: it must be a politically stable democracy that respects human rights. Then negotiations will take place which will consider the country's fulfilment of economic criteria, the country's degree of adoption of EU legislation, and whether there shall be any exceptions.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has claimed that negotiations on an accession treaty would take less than a year, because Iceland has already adopted two-thirds of EU legislation in relation to the EEA. He has on other occasions claimed that the negotiations could take up to four years.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: On 30 January 2009, Rehn commented that Iceland could enter the European Union promptly in 2011, at the same time as Croatia, saying that Iceland is an old democracy but also that it should not get special treatment. Fishing quotas and Icelandic whaling may be the toughest issues in any such negotiations.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: On 16 July 2009, the Althing voted in favour of accession talks with the EU (with 33 votes in favour, 28 against, and 2 abstentions). The head of the parliamentary committee on EU affairs, Árni Þór Sigurðsson, has stated that Iceland will not be ready to join the EU any earlier than 2013. However the government stated that it planned to complete negotiations by the end of 2010.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: On 17 July 2009, the application for Icelandic membership of the EU was handed to the government of Sweden, which then held the presidency of the Council of the European Union, by the ambassador of Iceland in Stockholm. The application was again handed over by the Icelandic foreign minister to the Swedish one in a ceremony in Stockholm on 23 July 2009.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The letter of application was dated 16 July 2009. The application was acknowledged by the Council of the European Union on 27 July 2009.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Sweden, then holder of the EU presidency, announced that it would prioritise Iceland's EU accession process. On 24 July, the Lithuanian Parliament unanimously approved and gave full support for Iceland's membership application to join the European Union. Later, on 27 July, Malta also announced that it supports Iceland's EU bid.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In September 2009, the Spanish foreign minister visited Iceland to discuss the progress of the Icelandic application; Spain chaired the EU from January–June 2010. On 8 September, the EU commission sent a list of 2,500 questions to Iceland about its fulfilment of political and economic criteria and adoption of EU law. Iceland returned answers to them on 22 October 2009. On 2 November, Iceland selected a chief negotiator for the membership negotiations with the EU: Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson, Iceland's Ambassador to Belgium.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In January 2010 the Icesave dispute became an issue. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands want the Icelandic government to repay them the costs incurred in covering their citizens' losses due to the bankruptcy of some Icelandic banks. If Iceland does not pay, obstacles to membership could be laid by the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. If Iceland agrees to repay the UK and the Netherlands, the added debt will make it difficult to adopt the euro, a major reason for Iceland to join the EU, because of the convergence criteria. Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos, who then held the Presidency of the European Union, has said that the Icesave dispute does not impact Iceland's application. David Miliband, then British Foreign Minister, reaffirmed the UK's continued support for Iceland's EU application. Additionally, the Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen has stated that while the opening of negotiations will not be blocked by the Icesave dispute, it must be resolved before Iceland's accession.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In February 2010, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy recommended to the Council of the European Union to start accession negotiations with Iceland. While it was expected that Iceland would be considered for official candidate status at the EU summit in March, this was delayed to allow the German national parliament, which has the authority to debate important EU policy such as enlargement before action is taken by the government, to consider the matter. The German Parliament voted in favour of opening membership negotiations on 22 April 2010. The European Council decided in June to begin negotiations, and on 17 June 2010, the EU granted official candidate status to Iceland by formally approving the opening of membership talks.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Negotiations for membership of the EU started on 27 July 2010, with screening of specific acquis chapters beginning on 15 November 2010. Iceland became eligible for pre-accession funding from the EU through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) since July 2010.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The first annual report on negotiations was published in November 2010: the main issues at stake remained the fisheries sector and whale hunting, while progress has been made concerning the Icesave dispute.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The screening process ended and formal negotiations began on 27 June 2011. Four chapters were opened: science and research; education and culture; public procurement; information society and media. The first two were immediately closed, a first in accession history. Iceland aimed to open half of the remaining chapters under the Polish presidency (the second half of 2011) and the other half under the following Danish presidency (first half of 2012). Despite disputes over Icesave and fishing, and the fact there was then no majority in favour of membership in Iceland, Icelandic Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson was confident Iceland would join and looked to the EU's flexibility in negotiations with Norway during the 1990s as hope. He did however claim that ultimately it was the major fishing countries of the EU who would influence the outcome of the application.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In February 2013, the Icelandic chief negotiator stated that the main driving force for Iceland joining the EU was the benefit to the country of adopting the euro to replace the inflation-plagued Icelandic króna. Iceland's HICP inflation and related long-term government interest rates were both recorded to be around 6 per cent on average for 2012. Most importantly, however, while the country retained the Icelandic kronur, it was unable to lift the capital controls recently introduced in the turmoil of the economic crisis. Introduction of the euro, a far stronger currency, would allow the country to lift these capital controls and achieve an increased inward flow of foreign economic capital, which ultimately would ensure higher and more stable economic growth. To be eligible to adopt the euro, Iceland would need to join the EU, as unilateral euro adoption had previously been refused by the EU.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The Icelandic Parliamentary committee on foreign affairs tabled a proposal on 18 December 2012 to suspend accession negotiations. The motion also called for an "application referendum" to be held to determine the will of the Icelandic people prior to any resumption of negotiations. A similar proposal was submitted to the Icelandic parliament in May 2012, but was rejected by a vote of 25 for and 34 against. The Icelandic parliament had yet to vote on the new proposal, which were supported primarily at the time by the opposition Independence Party and Progressive Party. The leaders of both governing parties, the Social Democratic Alliance and Left-Green Movement, stated that they did not support the motion. However, some MPs from the Left-Green Movement declared their support for the measure. On 10 January 2013, the proposal was formally adopted by the Foreign Affairs committee.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: On 14 January, the Icelandic government announced that negotiations would be slowed, and that an accession agreement would not be reached before the parliamentary election in April. No new chapters would be opened prior to the election, though negotiations would continue on chapters that had already been opened. In February 2013, the national congress of both the Independence Party and Progressive Party reconfirmed their policy that further membership negotiations with the EU should be stopped and not resumed unless they are first approved by a national referendum, while the national congresses of the Social Democratic Alliance, Bright Future and Left-Green Movement reiterated their support for the completion of EU accession negotiations.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: On 19 March 2013, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, an Independence Party MP, put forward a motion in the Althing calling for a referendum asking the Icelandic public whether EU accession negotiations should continue. She proposed that the referendum be held during the upcoming parliamentary election in April if possible, or else during local elections in the spring of 2014. In response to Gunnarsdóttir and other proponents of EU integration within the Independence Party, Bjarni Benediktsson, the leader of the party, reiterated the party's policy of stopping negotiations with the EU, but promised to hold a referendum on continuing the negotiations in the first half of their term if they form government.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The ruling left-wing parties suffered a major defeat in the parliamentary elections that were held on 27 April 2013, while the centrist Progressive Party had a large victory. The leaders of the Progressive Party and the Independence Party began negotiating the formation of a coalition government, and on 22 May it was announced that a coalition platform had been agreed to that would suspend all accession talks with the EU and not resume them unless approved by a referendum. However, under Icelandic law, it is not the Government but the Icelandic Parliament which decides to end negotiations. On 13 June, Iceland's Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson informed the European Commission that the newly elected government intended to "put negotiations on hold". European Commission President Manuel Barroso responded on 16 July 2013 by requesting that the new Icelandic Prime Minister make a decision on the continuation of their accession bid "without further delay", and stressed that the EU remained "committed to continue the accession negotiations process, which I'm certain could address Iceland's specificities".


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In August 2013 the Icelandic government revealed that it had received a legal opinion that the 2009 Parliamentary vote did not oblige it to continue accession negotiations with the EU. In light of this, the Foreign Ministry stated that it had "decided to consider dissolving the negotiation committee". A few weeks later the committee was officially dissolved. Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson said that "the process has been suspended. But nothing has been closed down." In October 2013 Benediktsson stated that no decision on ending Iceland's membership bid would be made until a report being prepared by the government on negotiations and "the recent changes within the union" was completed, expected to be by the end of 2013. Benediktsson went on to say that "we will see if a proposal will be put before the parliament or not." On 12 March 2015, Foreign Minister of Iceland Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson stated that he had sent a letter to the EU withdrawing the application for membership, without the approval of the Althing, though the European Union stated that Iceland had not formally withdrawn the application.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: In 2017, Iceland's newly elected government announced that it would hold a vote in parliament on whether to hold a referendum on resuming EU membership negotiations. However, in November 2017 that government was replaced by a coalition of the Independence Party, the Left Green Movement and the Progressive Party; all of whom oppose membership. Only 11 out of 63 MPs are in favour of EU membership.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: The screening is a series of meetings between the commission and the applicant country examining the level of fulfilment of the EU acquis. It allows candidate countries to familiarise themselves with the acquis and it allows the Commission and the member States to evaluate the degree of preparedness of candidate countries prior to negotiations.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: A poll released in January 2014 found that 67.5% of Icelanders support holding a referendum on the continuation of accession negotiations. On 22 February, the governing parties agreed to formally withdraw the membership application, without first holding a referendum on the matter, and submitted a bill to parliament seeking their approval to do so. The decision led to thousands of protesters taking to the streets outside of the Parliament buildings in Reykjavík. By 28 February 82% were in favour of holding the referendum. More than 40,000 people (16.5% of Iceland's voters) have signed a petition demanding that the promised referendum be held. On 25 February, Ragnheiður Ríkharðsdóttir, Chairman of the parliamentary group of the Independence Party, announced her intention not to vote in favour of the proposal. In early March, the EU ambassador to Iceland said that the country could keep its application suspended rather than having to decide between resuming negotiations or formally withdrawing the application, "but of course not for an unlimited period of time". The bill was not approved before parliament's summer recess.


title: Iceland–European Union relations

text: Various polls have been taken on the public opinion of starting accession negotiations, joining the EU or adopting the euro.