'The Simpsons'.
Matt Groening is a U.S. cartoonist and TV producer whose comic career consists of one single series, 'Life In Hell' (1977-2012), starring the rabbit family Bongo, Sheba and Binky and identical homosexual partners Akbar and Jeff. The world, however, knows him much better as the creator of the animated TV series 'The Simpsons' (since 1989), 'Futurama' (1999-2003, 2008-2013, 2022) and 'Disenchantment' (2018-2023). In many ways, Groening can be called the Walt Disney of our age. 'The Simpsons' have become the most popular and recognizable animated characters since Mickey and Donald. The show has won dozens of awards, is broadcast almost everywhere across the world and heavily merchandised. It influenced many TV shows, particularly in the field of adult animation, but also some live-action sitcoms. Today, 'The Simpsons’ remains a global phenomenon and one of the longest-running TV shows of all time. Yet Groening's style is vastly different from Disney's. His entire body of work is notable for its clever satire, edgy subversiveness, double layers and hidden jokes, but still very relatable humanity. His animated series managed to appeal to audiences of all ages, both general viewers as well as intellectuals. 'The Simpsons' is an all-encompassing satire of our present-day world. 'Futurama' satirizes science fiction as well as the future, while 'Disenchantment' tackles medieval fantasy. Matt Groening is one of the few cartoonists whose creations are subject to serious critical analysis and academic study.
'Life In Hell', 'Akbar and Jeff'.
Early life and influences
Matthew Abram Groening was born in 1954 in Portland, Oregon, the son of Homer Groening, an amateur filmmaker, writer and cartoonist. His wife, Margaret Wiggum, nicknamed 'Marge', was a housewife. Matt had an older sister, Patty (1943-2013), and brother, Mark (1950), and two younger sisters, Lisa (1956) and Maggie (1958). Decades later, Groening named The Simpsons' main cast after his parents and two younger siblings. Sister Patty, who also became a graphic artist in adulthood, inspired Marge's sister Patty. In the episode 'Prank and Greens' (2009), Bart befriends an older boy who enjoys playing pranks and whose personality was directly based on Matt's brother Mark. The only unintentional similar name is Abraham Simpson. Groening actually let his writers come up with a name for Homer's father, but by sheer coincidence it was Groening's actual grandfather's name! The maiden name of Groening's mother would later be used for the Simpsons characters Chief Clancy Wiggum and his son Ralph. Some of Homer Groening's short films, like 'Basic Brown Basic Blue' (1969) and 'The Story' (1969), were made for his children, starring themselves. In 'The Story', Matt Groening can be seen as a child. Yet although he was a cartoonist, writer and film director himself, Homer Groening always discouraged Matt to follow in his footsteps. Given that he never broke through, he believed his son would never be able to make a living out of it, either.
The Groenings lived at Southwest Evergreen Terrace, which later became The Simpsons' official address, under the name 'Evergreen Terrace'. Groening also named several characters in 'The Simpsons' after streets, parks and other local hot spots in Portland, Oregon, such as Charles Montgomery Burns (Burnside Street/Montgomery Park), Ned Flanders (Flanders Street), Kearney (Kearney Street), Reverend Lovejoy (Lovejoy Street), Major Quimby (Quimby Street), Sideshow Bob Terwilliger (Terwilliger Curves) and Milhouse Van Houten (Van Houten Avenue). On TV, he used to watch a local children's show, hosted by a clown named Rusty Nails, who would later inspire Krusty the Clown in 'The Simpsons'. Groening's high school, Lincoln High School, was the model for the Springfield Elementary School. His first grade teacher, Mrs. Hoover, later inspired one of the teachers in Springfield Elementary School. Although he often doodled in class, instead of paying attention, she did once praise a particular drawing he made of a sail boat. In the original opening credits of 'The Simpsons', one can coincidentally spot a framed picture of a sailboat above the family's couch. In 1990, Mrs. Hoover also wrote Groening an affectionate letter, telling him that she vividly remembered him, particularly that he was always doodling in class and not paying attention. But Groening actually credited her with encouraging his graphic career by praising the aforementioned boat drawing. Another recurring character on 'The Simpsons', Dolph Starbeam, was also inspired by one of Groening's childhood friends, Dolph Timmerman, though he was always quick to point out that Dolph, contrary to his animated namesake, "wasn't a bully". In fact, other than their names, none of the real people Groening borrowed names from had anything in common with their cartoon versions.
At school, Groening enjoyed drawing spaceships, monsters and teachers' caricatures in his notebooks, which regularly got him into trouble. He discovered that the angrier people got about his drawings, the better they were. As a teenager, Groening became fascinated with counterculture: underground comix, independent cinema, subversive literature & cult novels (like Tuli Kupferberg's '1001 Ways To Beat The Draft' and John Lennon's 'In His Own Write' and 'A Spaniard in the Works'), modern classical music, free jazz, psychedelic rock, outsider music, exotica and world music. Inspired by rock musician Frank Zappa, he decided to let no art forms be "too high" or "too low" for him. In the field of "high art", Groening was influenced by artists like M.C. Escher, Mike Kelley, Wayne White, Cameron Jamie, Kenny Scharf and Jim Shaw. His favorite illustrators and one-panel cartoonists were Rowland Emmett, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Ronald Searle, Charles Addams, Dr. Seuss, J. Otto Seibold, James Thurber, Cal Schenkel and John Callahan. He admires the political cartoonists Ron Cobb, Jules Feiffer, Andrew Marlton, Ted Rall and Tom Tomorrow.
His earliest childhood influences in the field of comics were Charles M. Schulz, Ernie Bushmiller, Carl Barks, Al Capp, George Herriman (though interviewed by Richard von Busack in 1986, Groening said he liked the artwork in 'Krazy Kat' better than the comedy), Walt Kelly, Mad Magazine (particularly the work of Jack Davis) and Jack Kirby. Groening praised Schulz' 'Peanuts' on many occasions for its amazing humanity and witty comedy, calling it "one of the greatest works of the 20th century", but named Bushmiller's 'Nancy' his favorite comic of all time, since it learned him a lot about communicating ideas in a simple graphic style. As a teenager, Groening discovered underground comix and kept following the alternative comic scene his entire life. Among his favorite artists in this field are Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky, Lynda Barry, Charles Burns, Gary Panter, Kim Deitch, Robert Williams, Justin Green, Bill Griffith, Nicole Hollander, Heather McAdams, David Boswell, Dennis P. Eichhorn, Peter Bagge, Doug Allen, Daniel Clowes, Jim Woodring, Harvey Pekar, Art Spiegelman, Mimi Pond, Lloyd Dangle, Chris Ware, Joe Matt, Carol Lay, Jeff Smith, Michael Dougan, Scott McCloud, Patrick McDonnell, Peter Blegvad and Max Cannon. On a professional level, he credited Lynda Barry as his strongest influence, since she was a personal mentor when he was an uncertain college student. He additionally praised foreign comic artists like the aforementioned Ronald Searle, Lat, Liniers and René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's 'Astérix'. Groening also expressed an ironic love for the "so bad they're good" Christian propaganda comics by Jack Chick.
In the field of animation, Groening's influences include Walt Disney, Max Fleischer & Dave Fleischer ('Betty Boop', 'Popeye'), Otto Messmer ('Felix the Cat'), Tex Avery (Looney Tunes, 'Droopy'), Chuck Jones ('Looney Tunes'), Terry Gilliam (Monty Python), Jay Ward ('Rocky & Bullwinkle'), John Kricfalusi ('Ren & Stimpy') and Bill Plympton. Later in his career, he also expressed admiration for Mike Judge ('Beavis & Butt-Head', 'King of the Hill'), Trey Parker & Matt Stone ('South Park'), Sylvain Chomet ('Belleville Rendez-Vous'), Nick Park ('Wallace & Gromit'), Stephen Hillenburg ('SpongeBob Squarepants'), Seth MacFarlane ('Family Guy'), Nina Paley ('Sita Sings the Blues'), Justin Roiland & Dan Harmon ('Rick & Morty'), Loren Bouchard ('Bob's Burgers') and Pendleton Ward ('Adventure Time').
'Ocurence at Oki Dog', collaborative strip with Gary Panter, published in Flipside #33 (1982) under the pseudonym "The Fuk Boys'". Note how Groening already drew an embryonal version of Bart Simpson.
Higher education, lower expectations
Between 1972 and 1977, Groening studied philosophy and journalism at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. This college was unusual since it followed an experimental educational method, with no required classes or grades. For the anti-authoritarian Groening this was exactly what he was looking for. He graduated in 1977, but reflected in the BBC documentary 'My Wasted Life' (2000): "The downside was that, once you graduate, you're basically out on your own." At this college, Lynda Barry, Charles Burns and Steve Willis were co-students. Barry and Burns became lifelong friends and strong influences on Groening's work. They often collaborated on cartoons and articles for the campus paper, The Cooper Point Journal, in which Groening often satirized the state legislature and public figures. Groening credited Barry with proving that you don't need a virtuoso graphic style or epic adventure stories to make a great comic, but could just doodle about small, personal moments. She also learned him that if you make yourself laugh, there'll always be people who'll enjoy your sense of comedy. Groening was even directly responsible for launching Barry's career. Without her knowledge, he printed her earliest comic, 'Ernie Pook's Comeek' in The Cooper Point Journal, giving her more exposure.
In 1977, Groening moved to Los Angeles, since it was closer to Hollywood. His college degree didn't get him anywhere and he worked several low-paid, odd and unsatisfying jobs. He appeared as an extra in a B-movie, 'When Every Day Was the Fourth of July', being part of a lynch mob. Another time, he was autobiographer for a B-western director who was turning senile. He soon earned extra income as a rock journalist and critic for The Los Angeles Reader. One time, he had to interview David Byrne (Talking Heads), but his cassette tape instantly and unexpectedly broke down afterwards. Byrne left, snarking: "I hope you have a good memory." Groening thereupon invented most of the interview. In general, he didn't care much about any of the mainstream acts he had to discuss. Groening wanted to write about musicians with a peculiar, eccentric sound, but rarely received the chance to do so. Out of rebellion, he started making up fictional bands and gave them raving reviews. His column, 'Sound Mix', gradually became less about music and more a soapbox for his personal opinions. Groening would, for instance, satirize certain trends, tell private anecdotes or summarize his favorite media, making it a partial diary. While he and a few readers got some enjoyment out of it, the job didn't please him in the long run. The only two good jobs he had at the time were being an employee in a record store and a photocopy place. It gave him access to hundreds of records, useful for his rock column, while he could make copies of his comics and cartoons to spread them around.
Overall, life in L.A. was highly depressing. Apart from lacking enough money, Groening often heard gun shots and police helicopters outside his apartment. Yet in the ironically nicknamed "city of angels", he also met more kindred creative souls who shared the same struggles. One of them was graphic artist Gary Panter, with whom he made a few crossover comics, like 'Ocurence at Oki Dog', published in the punk magazine Flipside #33 (1982). The title character of Panter’s comic strip 'Jimbo' would later inspire Bart Simpson's hairdo. During the late 1970s, Groening was part of the artistic collective The Art Boys, which had people like Robert Williams, Mark Mothersbaugh (from the band Devo), The Pizz, Gary Panter, Mike Kelley and Neon Park as members. Around this time, he also befriended other comic artists who were still unknown, like Carol Lay and Byron Werner.
Self-published 'Life in Hell' zines by Matt Groening, 1977.
Life in Hell
In 1977, Groening started making a series of cartoons for his friends. Through his job in a photocopy center, he could xerox his drawings, bundle them and sell them to clients. He did the same thing while working in a record store. The cartoons developed into a comic, titled 'Life in Hell', expressing his struggling, frustrating life in L.A. Groening claimed that he was directly inspired by a chapter in Walter Kaufmann's 1958 book 'A Critique of Religion & Philosophy', titled 'How To Go To Hell'. From September 1978 on, 'Life in Hell' first appeared in print in the local art magazine Wet, being picked up by The Los Angeles Reader from 25 April 1980 on, reaching a wider audience.
'Life in Hell' has five recurring characters. The main anti-heroes are a rabbit family, since they were the only animals Groening could draw recognizably. Binky is the disgruntled father. Originally, Groening made Binky a sarcastic wiseguy, but this attitude didn't endear him with readers. He then recharacterized Binky as a pathetic victim of life's struggles, increasing his appeal. Binky is married to Sheba, his long-suffering wife, with whom he has a son named Bongo. Groening deliberately drew Bongo with only one ear to distinguish him from his dad. Bongo is a troublemaker. He is disobedient and often gets punished by his parents and teachers for asking deep, critical questions about life. In school, he is bullied and put in detention, which looks a lot like a torture cellar. But Bongo also has a softer, more innocent side. He simply says what's on his mind. In several gags he lies awake at night, worrying about fears that are either disturbingly relatable, or laughably naïve. Later in life, Groening would also name his comics company Bongo Comics after the character. More than one observer has noted that Binky, Sheba and Bongo are embryonic versions of Homer, Marge and Bart Simpson.
'Work is Hell'.
The rabbit family has an autobiographical undertone. Bongo reflects Groening's childhood memories, while Binky expresses his adult frustrations. Binky and Sheba originally represented his views on relationships too, until his girlfriends complained that he always portrayed it from his own male perspective. So Groening created Akbar and Jeff, whom Groening called in interviews "either brothers or lovers - or both. Whatever offends you most, that’s what they are". They look like identical twins, both wearing fezzes and striped shirts. Their identical appearance and gender made Groening's satire of relationships more neutral. Their look is inspired by Charles M. Schulz' Charlie Brown, hence their similar shirts and short stature. Once Groening got married and had children, the tone of 'Life in Hell' shifted more to gags about (raising) children.
'Life in Hell' has a minimalistic art style. Groening took a lot of cartooning tips from Jack Hamm's drawing guides and by mimicking the simple artwork and instant readability of Ernie Bushmiller's 'Nancy'. Originally he used swear words in 'Life in Hell' and drew his characters with visible genitals, but since most magazines were too prudish to print this, he dropped this aspect. 'Life in Hell' relies heavily on verbal comedy. Some gags are huge chunks of text, with only a few drawings here and there. Yet what it lacked in graphic skill, it made up for in content. The series offers sharp and hilarious satirical digs at school, work, relationships, politics, religion and childhood. Groening collected his strip in books like 'Love is Hell' (1986), 'Work is Hell' (1986), 'School is Hell' (1987), 'Childhood is Hell' (1988), 'Greetings From Hell' (1989), 'Akbar and Jeff's Guide to Life' (1989), 'The Big Book of Hell' (1990), 'With Love From Hell' (1991), 'How to Go to Hell' (1991), 'The Road to Hell' (1992), 'Binky's Guide to Love' (1994) and 'The Huge Book of Hell' (1997).
Compared with his later TV shows, 'Life in Hell' has always been the most direct reflection of Groening's personal views, being far edgier, left-wing and dismissive of religion. Many episodes criticize the Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr. and Jr. administrations. After the Gulf War (1991), he drew Akbar and Jeff wearing gasmasks, cheering 'We won! We won!' in front of a colossal graveyard. When Richard Nixon died in 1994, Groening drew a comic in which Bongo says to Binky: "I never realized he was such a great statesman", whereupon Binky instantly lists all of Nixon's scandals, corruptions and vices, leaving the boy with only one comment: "When you are dead, I'll say nasty things about you." In another episode, Bongo prays before bedtime, asking God to "no longer be bullied", only to be targeted by other children the next day, arriving home and simply praying for the same wish again in a seemingly endless and pointless cycle. In another striking gag, Bongo investigates "the existence of God", listing all kinds of fun things that prove it (water balloons, James Brown, ice cream,...) and all the horrible things that disprove it (bees, Saturday morning cartoons, Republicans,...). When he no longer can think of anything good, he panicks: "Uh-oh."
While some episodes of 'Life in Hell' reference then-current events and trends, most of the comedy is timeless. It philosophizes about life, but also pays attention to smaller, touchingly melancholic moments. When Groening portrays his sons wondering about what happens after death, the oldest takes the question seriously, while the youngest eventually decides: "I'm tired of this talking! I want to play! I'm alive NOW!!". Interviewed by Gary Groth for The Comics Journal (issue #141, April 1991), Groening reflected: "When I got the opportunity to draw my comic, I wanted to do what was on my mind, the stuff that keeps me worried: love, work, sex, death — the basics. I was always amazed that so many cartoons either dealt with political ideas in a very heavy- handed way, or concentrated on the trivial inconsequentialities of life, while the hellishness of most people’s jobs and love lives and fear of death remain unexplored."
As 'Life in Hell' continued its run, the comic strip became less about his fictional protagonists and more about Groening himself. He would portray himself as a bearded rabbit, illustrating anecdotes about his own past and/or recent life. Once he adapted pages from his own childhood diaries into a comic strip. In other episodes he directly references U.S. politics, actual events or popular trends. During the 1990s, he made several comics about his infant sons Will and Abe. Their unintentionally funny conversations, questions and remarks provided him with enough material to fill an entire book: 'Will and Abe's Guide to the Universe' (2007). The surest reflection of how Groening's outlook on life had changed was the new title he gave his comic in 2006: 'Life Is Swell.'
'Work Is Hell', 1985.
Life in Hell: success
In the 1980s, 'Life in Hell' received critical praise and a cult following. Apart from The Los Angeles Reader, the series also ran in other alternative publications, including The Oregonian and the San Francisco Examiner. Groening met his future first wife, Deborah Caplan, at the Los Angeles Reader, who worked there as an advertisement saleswoman and by 1984 became their sales manager. In 1985, the couple established their own syndicate, Acme Features, distributing 'Life in Hell' to other magazines and, through a sub-department, Life in Hell Cartoon Co., organizing a merchandise line of shirts, greeting cards, calendars and mugs. In the mid-1980s, Groening also drew exclusive 'Life in Hell'-themed advertisements for Apple Computer, starring Akbar and Jeff who, in his own words, "would endorse anything, as opposed to my rabbit characters." Acme also published books by two other alternative cartoonists, Lynda Barry and John Callahan.
'Life in Hell' gained more public interest once 'The Simpsons' became a hit. In one gag, Groening used a quote he attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche: "Love is like a snowmobile racing across the tundra, until it suddenly tips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come." Despite obviously being a joke, some online websites have taken it at face value, which some even believing it was an authentic citation by Nietzsche. Yet although sales of 'Life in Hell' benefited from the name recognition fed by 'The Simpsons'' popularity, the comic never reached the same mainstream fame or popularity. Groening recalled that during many book signings, he often encounters people who claim to be "his biggest fans who own everything he ever released", but are completely unaware of 'Life in Hell'.
Although Groening once claimed he would never give up his comic, since "it's my foundation", 'Life in Hell' still came to an end on 16 June 2012. The market for alternative comics had shrunk considerably and, on top of that, his work on 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama' took up most of his time. Twenty-two cartoonists drew a special tribute to 'Life in Hell', namely Sergio Aragonés, Alison Bechdel, Ruben Bolling, Jim Borgman, Jeffrey Brown, Ivan Brunetti, Jordan Crane, Tom Gammill, Sammy Harkham, Peter Kuper, Carol Lay, Bobby London, Patrick McDonnell, Tony Millionaire, Jerry Scott, Robert Sikoryak, Jen Sorensen, Art Spiegelman, James Sturm and Tom Tomorrow. Another homage came from Ted Rall, who wrote words of praise on his personal blog, claiming that the success of 'Life in Hell' motivated many mainstream magazines and newspapers to publish more alternative cartoonists.
'Life In Hell', 'The Los Angeles Way Of Death', 1982.
The Simpsons
In the mid-1980s, the 1982 'Life in Hell' episode, 'The Los Angeles Way of Death', motivated Hollywood producer James L. Brooks to offer Groening a TV contract. The original plan was to adapt 'Life in Hell' into animated shorts, but when Groening found out that he would lose his rights to his comic he changed his mind. He was somewhat anxious about the whole idea anyway, given the existence of so many bad TV versions of popular comics. So he came up with a totally different concept about a dysfunctional family. Groening named several characters after his own family: father Homer, mother Marge and daughters Lisa and Maggie. The name of the son, Bart, is an anagram of "brat", which perfectly describes his personality. One animator, Gyorgi Peluce, came up with the idea to give all characters a yellow skin. At first, Groening and the rest of the crew felt it looked weird. But he then realized this striking, funky color would help the show stand out, especially to viewers zapping by, who would think "something was wrong with their TV set."
'The Simpsons' first aired on 19 April 1987, as 15-second animated intermezzos in the live-action sketch program 'The Tracey Ullman Show'. They served as bumpers right before and after every commercial break. The original animation, done by the Klasky-Csupo studios, was very crude, because the animators merely traced Groening's sketches instead of redesigning the artwork. Due to the extreme short running time, the comedy was equally low-brow. The cartoons therefore polarized viewers. When 'The Tracey Ullman Show' was broadcast in the U.K., the BBC even removed the 'Simpsons' shorts altogether. As difficult as it was to make an impression in these circumstances, Groening was lucky that in animation, thanks to the fast pace, you can still get a good set-up and punchline across. He also knew that limited animation could easily be forgiven if the writing was excellent, holding up Jay Ward's 'Rocky & Bullwinkle' (1959-1964) as a prime example. Thanks to this element, 'The Simpsons' developed a steady cult fanbase, allowing budgets to rise, animation to improve and the comedy growing more sophisticated. In 1989, FOX greenlighted a 20-minute 'Simpsons' Christmas special, 'Some Enchanted Evening', scripted by Mimi Pond. High ratings paved the way for a full-blown prime time sitcom, which still runs to this day. This makes it the most successful and longest-running TV spin-off of all time!
Now receiving a full season, Groening and his crew took the opportunity to make the show more ambitious. They expanded the cast and made it more its own universe. To distinguish itself from other cartoon shows, 'The Simpsons' featured no cartoony body exaggerations or physically impossible gags. It also attracted attention for its mature, subversive style. Father Homer is a dumb, ignorant, overweight man who often succombs to his vices and never understands how society mistreats him. Mother Marge cares about her family, but is also comically bland, stressful and in denial about her relatives' problems. Bart is a mischievous troublemaker who constantly gets punished in school. Lisa is the misunderstood intellectual, who expresses her creative frustrations and urges by playing saxophone. And baby Maggie is often ignored by the rest of the family, since she can't talk yet. Groening described The Simpsons as "a family who both love and want to strangle each other." They live in the ironically titled town Springfield, named after the town in the 1950s sitcom 'Father Knows Best'. The greedy and exploitative millionaire Mr. Burns runs a nuclear power plant, where Homer and several other depressed workers face radio-active threats and other environmental dangers. Employees are underpaid and depressed. The local elementary school is also underfunded, with teachers giving bad lessons as a result, boring pupils out of their minds. Children bully each other, local media is superficial and sensational, stores get robbed and everyone who runs a business rips off its customers with shoddy products and services. The major is corrupt, the local reverend an unethical hypocrite and the elderly are stashed away in isolated retirement homes. Almost all characters have flawed morals and vices. Many are frequently seen drinking, smoking, swearing, fighting and expressing other questionable behavior. In this depraved location, the socially conscious and intelligent Lisa provides the only glimmer of hope.
Since many people associated cartoons with children's entertainment, 'The Simpsons' drew a lot of surprise and outrage. Decades earlier, Hanna-Barbera's 'The Flintstones' (1960-1966) and 'Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home' (1972-1974) had been successful with adult viewers too, but the tone was still very child friendly. Since the late 1960s, various underground animated cartoons had existed and since 1972, Ralph Bakshi directed subversive animated films, strictly intended for adults. But these were all created outside the mainstream. 'The Simpsons' was the first prime time animated show to be uncompromisingly adult in tone. It not only stood out among other animated shows, but also among most live-action TV shows at the time. Throughout the 1980s, going into the early 1990s, most U.S. TV series, especially sitcoms, were bland, corny and moralistic. Plots typically featured simple, formulaic and non-offensive storylines about problems that could be solved within one episode's running time. All families were painstakingly "normal" and presented as an ideal viewers should live up to.
'The Simpsons', by contrast, featured a more relatable flawed family, who face more complex challenges that don't always end up well for the protagonists. Breakout character Bart Simpson became the subject of a veritable tidal wave of merchandise, dubbed 'Bartmania', with many children and teens adoring his anti-authoritarian streak. Naturally, many moral guardians considered him a bad role model, while 'The Simpsons' itself was considered unsuitable for young viewers. Some schools at the time banned Bart Simpson T-shirts. Though these objections didn't stop the yellow-skinned family from becoming a mainstream success. By 1992, the series was such a cultural phenomenon that during a meeting of the Republican Party on 27 January 1992, U.S. president George Bush Sr. declared that "the American Family (...) needs to be a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons." The negative comparison with 'The Waltons', a hardworking, devout TV family living through the Great Depression, led to the show's creators instantly responding in that week's next episode, with Bart commenting on Bush: "Hey, we're just like The Waltons: we pray for an end to the recession too". In a 1 October 1990 interview with People Magazine, First Lady Barbara Bush had earlier declared ‘The Simpsons’ "the dumbest thing she ever saw."
Cell from the Simpsons episode 'Treehouse of Horror V' (1994).
The creators developed an entire town around the 'Simpsons' family. A colossal cast of colorful and unforgettable characters: each has his or her own distinctive personality and satirical archetypical role. It gives the show's universe a three-dimensional feel. The multi-cast can also be written into any potential plot, allowing for many different and unpredictable storylines. There is even a comic book store owner, Comic Book Guy. He is a spot-on parody of every obsessive and self-important pop culture geek, so much so that viewers have frequently asked Groening whether he happened to be based on their local comics salesman. Groening standard reply is that "Comic Book Guy is just EVERY comic book store owner in the US" The Simpsons’ universe also features its own animated cartoon ('Itchy and Scratchy', a pastiche of cartoon violence) and comic book characters (the superhero spoof 'Radioactive Man').
Gradually, 'The Simpsons' gained more respectability. Alongside the straightforward witty slapstick, running gags and puns, the program developed into a brilliant satirical mirror of our modern-day society. Many storylines are direct metaphors and allegories, providing social commentary on politics, family ethics, education, business, religion, media, nuclear power and the United States in general. Yet, at the same time, it also allows room for different analyses. 'The Simpsons' also make countless allusions to famous film scenes, historical events, novels, poems, TV shows, toys, video games, musicians, advertisments, scientific phenomena, philosophers, economics, politicians, religions, cartoons and... comics! Extra background jokes, funny inscriptions and secret messages are hidden for attentive viewers. Some have to be freeze-framed to be caught. One notable example was the 'End Apartheid Now!' poster hanging in Lisa's room in several early 1990s episodes.
'The Simpsons' therefore managed to appeal to viewers of all ages and societal brackets. Together with Looney Tunes, it is often named the one animated series even people who normally dislike animation enjoy. Mainstream viewers adore 'The Simpsons' just as much as intellectuals, albeit on different levels. As the show became more popular, it gained some remarkable celebrity fans, including writer Salman Rushdie, scientist Stephen Hawking, comedian Ricky Gervais, film director Stanley Kubrick and musicians Frank Zappa, Moby and Michael Jackson. The show also spawned a lot of bootleg products, of which Groening is an enthusiastic collector.
The Simpsons: guest voices
Over the decades, hundreds of celebrities guest-starred in 'The Simpsons' as voice actors, among them classic Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Max von Sydow, Jane Fonda, Jerry Lewis and Mickey Rooney, but also newer generations like Dustin Hoffman, James Earl Jones, Meryl Streep, Daniel Radcliffe and Mel Gibson. Famous directors also lent their voices, including Mel Brooks, John Waters, Jim Jarmusch, Peter Jackson and Werner Herzog. TV stars like Leonard Nimoy, Jerry Springer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jon Stewart, Ricky Gervais and Mr. T made appearances too, while stand-up comedians Bob Hope, Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Cheech & Chong contributed extra laughter. Famous novelists also temporarily put down their pen to lend their vocals, including Gore Vidal, John Updike, Jonathan Franzen, Tom Wolfe, J.K. Rowling and even the otherwise reclusive cult author Thomas Pynchon. Rock bands were featured too, including The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Cypress Hill, U2, Metallica, The White Stripes and The Who. Soul singers James Brown and Barry White, jazz musician Sonny Rollins, rock stars Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Little Richard and Tom Waits, country musicians Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, rappers 50 Cent, Ludacris, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, and pop stars Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and even Michael Jackson. Even celebrities outside mainstream entertainment turned up. Among them sports stars like Magic Johnson, Joe Namath, Yao Ming, Dennis Rodman, Shaquille O'Neal, Joe Frazier, Ronaldo and Venus and Serena Williams, astronaut "Buzz" Aldrin, scientists Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Jane Goodall, businesspeople Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Richard Branson, activists Julian Assange and Richard Dawkins and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Some guest voices have been fellow comic artists and animators, including Hugh Hefner (the episode 'Krusty Gets Kancelled', 1993), Mike Judge ('Bart Star', 1997), Stan Lee ('I Am Furious (Yellow)', 2002, 'Married to the Blob', 2014, 'Caper Chase', 2017), Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore, Daniel Clowes ('Husbands and Knives', 2007), Gary Larson ('Once Upon a Time in Springfield', 2010), Nick Park ('Angry Dad: The Movie', 2011), Neil Gaiman ('The Book Job', 2011), Seth MacFarlane ('Dangers on a Train', 2013), Pendleton Ward ('Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus', 2016), Seth Green ('The Cad and the Hat', 2017), Alison Bechdel, Roz Chast, Dan Harmon and Marjane Satrapi ('Springfield Splendor', 2017) and Matt Groening himself ('My Big Fat Geek Wedding', 2004 and 'Homer the Whopper', 2009). It landed the show a place in the Guinness Book of Records for being the TV show with the most guest stars in history.
The Simpsons: guest animators
Several artists have also guest-animated the shows' opening credits, including Banksy ('MoneyBart', 2010), John Kricfalusi ('Bart Stops To Smell the Roosevelts' 2012, 'Treehouse of Horror XXVI', 2015), Bill Plympton ('Beware My Cheating Bart', 2012, 'Black Eyed, Please', 2013, 'Married to the Blob', 2014, 'Lisa the Veterinarian', 2016, '22 for 30', 2017, '3 Scenes Plus A Tag From Marriage', 2018, 'Manger Things', 2021, and 'One Angry Lisa', 2022), Seth Green ('The Fabulous Baker Boy', 2013, 'The Cad and the Hat', 2017, 'The Wayz We Were', 2021, 'The Many Saints of Springfield', 2023), Sylvain Chomet ('Diggs', 2014), Michael Socha ('What to Expect When Bart's Expecting', 2014, 'The Incredible Lightness of Being a Baby', 2020), Don Hertzfeldt ('Clown in the Dumps', 2014), Paul Robertson, Ivan Dixon & Jeremy Dower ('My Fare Lady', 2015), Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland ('Mathlete's Feat', 2015), Steve Cutts ('Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles', 2016), Disney animator Eric Goldberg ('Fland Canyon', 2016), Pendleton Ward ('Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus', 2016), Bernard Derriman ('My Way or the Highway to Heaven', 2018), Janine Widget & Katrin von Niederhäusern ('Burger Kings', 'Portrait of a Lackey on Fire', 2021, 'Habeas Tortoise', 2022, 'It's a Blunderful Life', 2023) and Jacob's Food Diaries ('From Beer to Praternity', 2022).
The opening credits of 'Poorhouse Rock' (2022) were designed by fan artist SpikerMonster. For the segment 'Death Tome' in the Halloween episode 'Treehouse of Horror XXXIII' (2022), the manga 'Death Note' by Takeshi Obata was parodied by having the original crew of the 'Death Note' anime adaptation provide the animation. The opening credits of 'Treehouse of Horror XXXV' (2024) were animated by Jorge R. Gutierrez.
Comic Book Guy and a cameo of Stan Lee, from the episode 'I Am Furious (Yellow)', 28 April 2002.
The Simpsons: legacy and influence
'The Simpsons' are some of the most recognizable TV characters on the planet. They inspired countless merchandising products, including 1991 music videos ('Do the Bartman', 'Deep Deep Trouble') and a 2007 film ('The Simpsons Movie'). The program became the most successful animated TV sitcom since Hanna-Barbera's 'The Flintstones' (1960-1966). In 1997, they broke the modern stone-age family's record as longest-running prime time animated TV series. Since 2018, 'The Simpsons' is also the longest-running U.S. prime time TV show since 'Gunsmoke' (1955-1975). It has been on the air for over 35 uninterrupted years. Unavoidably, it also led to repeated comments from longtime fans that the-once counterculture show has now become so mainstream that it lost much of its edge and hilarity. Though with almost 800 episodes on its track record, it's to be expected that some may be better than others. Another byproduct of its ongoing success is that some viewers claim the show can "predict the future". Some throwaway jokes later became reality, while others are remarkably similar to events that would happen years later. In all soberness, these are all mere witty coincidences, with the rest just being examples of how history always repeats itself.
'The Simpsons' had a strong impact on modern-day culture. They popularized the exclamation "D'oh!" (originally lifted from 'Laurel & Hardy' actor James Finlayson) whenever somebody realizes he's done something stupid. Bart Simpson has become an eponym for a proverbial "bad boy", while Homer Simpson has become an all-to recognizable representation of the average clueless (U.S.) male citizen. Many other characters are often compared to archetypical real-life people, like alcoholics (Barney Gumble), Christian fanatics (Ned Flanders), frustrated teachers (Mrs. Krabappel), Indian store owners (Apu), cold-hearted, aging businessmen (Mr. Burns), hillbillies (Cletus), incompetent teenage employees (Squeaky-Voiced Teen) and pop culture-obsessed geeks (Comic Book Guy). Through its annual Halloween specials ('Treehouse of Horror'), The Simpsons effectively popularized this holiday in many countries that traditionally didn't celebrate it. The show also inspired the bands Fall Out Boy and Okilly Dokilly and the songs 'Good Lobna' (Frank Zappa), 'Ralph Wiggum' (The Bloodhound Gang), 'Let's Save Tony Orlando's House' (Yo La Tengo) and 'Everything's Coming Up Milhouse' (Allie Goertz). It also introduced millions of viewers all around the world to historical-cultural topics and intellectual references they might otherwise not have been exposed to.
The Simpsons: contributors
Comic artists who once worked in 'The Simpsons' animation department were Istvan Fellner (lay-out, character designer), Mike Fontanelli (animation, lay-out), Tom Gammill (producer, scripts), Liz Climo (storyboard revisionist and clean-up artist), David Schwartz (storyboards) and Cliff Voorhees (backgrounds and lay-outs for three episodes).
Futurama
On 28 March 1999, Groening launched a new animated sitcom: 'Futurama'. Its style of satire and comedy are similar to 'The Simpsons', but stories are set in the 31st century. The show stars Fry, a 20th-century simpleton, who was accidentally cryogenically frozen only to awake a thousand years later. He starts a new life at his distant relative's delivery company, under the guidance of the mad scientist Professor Farnsworth. Fry's co-workers are the antisocial robot Bender, clumsy Amy, bureaucratic Hermes, crab-like creature Dr. Zoidberg and one-eyed mutant Leila. The series is a spoof of the science fiction genre, both the naïve versions dealing with flying cars, aliens and robots, as well as more grim and frightening dystopias. Satire about human society is mixed with references to history, astronomy, math, quantum physics and space exploration. The show has featured celebrity guest voices such as The Beastie Boys, Lucy Liu, "Buzz" Aldrin, Gary Gygax, Mark Hamill, Al Gore, Stephen Hawking and almost the complete cast of the original 1960s 'Star Trek' TV series. Fellow cartoonists also turned up in front of the microphone, such as Sergio Aragonés and Groening himself in the 2010 episode 'Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences'. Aldin Baroza and Ted Stearn were storyboard artists on the series, while Dave Cooper made conceptual background designs.
Despite gaining excellent reviews, 'Futurama' never reached mainstream popularity and was canceled in 2003. Thanks to a strong cult following it was revived in 2008, but met its end again in 2013. In 2014, the Simpsons episode 'Simpsorama' made a crossover with 'Futurama'. In 2022, 'Futurama' announced another comeback, this time on Hulu.
'Bart Simpson's Treehouse Of Horror issue #7', 2001, and 'Bizarro issue #1', August 2001.
Bongo & Zongo Comics
In 1993, Groening formed Bongo Comics (named after the character Bongo from 'Life in Hell') with Steve Vance, Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison. The company published comic books based on 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama', among other things. Zongo Comics followed a year later, featuring comic books for more mature readers, including work by Gary Panter and Mary Fleener. Matt Groening is also the co-producer of Paper Moon Graphics, a successful line of humorous greeting cards. Chris Yambar was scriptwriter for Bongo Comics. Artists who have worked for Bongo Comics were Igor Baranko, Hilary Barta, John Delaney, Tom Gammill, Stephanie Gladden, Tim Harkin, Jason Ho, Mike Kazaleh, Carolyn Kelly, Batton Lash, Abel Laxamana, Carol Lay, Oscar González Loyo, Carlos Mota, Phil Ortiz, Andrew Pepoy, Horacio Sandoval, Scott Shaw!, Mike Worley, John Costanza and Sergio Aragonés. In October 2018, Bongo Comics ceased all its publications.
Disenchantment
On 17 August 2018, Matt Groening launched a new animated TV series, 'Disenchantment', broadcast on Netflix. Set in the Middle Ages, though an imaginary version with several modern-day anachronisms, the show satirizes the world of fantasy literature. The main character is Princess Bean, a buck-toothed teenager who suffers from alcoholism. She is often seen in the company of her dim-witted elf, Elfo, and her personal demon Luci. Groening based the concept on a comic strip he used to draw in high school, titled 'Tales of the Enchanted Forest', which had talking animals and a leprechaun. Contrary to 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama', 'Disenchantment' has a continuous storyline, ending each episode on a cliffhanger.
Groening praised Netflix for giving his team more creative freedom than possible on regular TV networks, including portrayals of nudity and excessive violence. Aldin Baroza was a storyboard artist on the series. After five seasons, 'Disenchantment' came to an end on 1 September 2023.
Two 'Comic Book Guy' covers. The one of the left references the classic cover of the first 'Fantastic Four' story by Jack Kirby. The one on the right parodies the cover 'Death of Supergirl' (Crisis on Infinite Earths issue #7, October 1985) by George Pérez.
Media appearances
Groening has voiced characters in animated films such as J. Otto Seibold's 'Olive, the Other Reindeer' (1999) and Bill Plympton's 'Hair High' (2004). He also appeared in several documentaries, including ones about about Frank Zappa ('Peefeeyatko', 1992, 'Late Night Special', 1993, 'Classic Albums: 'Freak Out!', 2021), Captain Beefheart ('The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart',1997), Chuck Jones ('The Magical World of Chuck Jones', 1992 and 'Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens', 2000), John Cage ('Revenge of the Dead Indians', 1993), Charles M. Schulz ('Good Grief, Charlie Brown', 2000), The Beatles ('The Beatles Revolution', 2000), Daniel Johnston ('The Devil and Daniel Johnston', 2005), Ed "Big Daddy" Roth ('Tales of the Rat Fink', 2006), Wayne White ('Beauty is Embarrassing', 2012), David Boswell ('I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!', 2015), Nick Park ('A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman', 2015), The Residents ('A Theory of Obscurity', 2015) and Steel Pulse ('Dreadtown'). He occasionally played in the amateur rock band The Rockbottom Remainders. In issue #352 (December 1996) and #409 (September 2001) of Mad Magazine, Groening was featured in their column 'Celebrity Snaps', where he was photographed holding an issue of Mad.
Graphic contributions
Matt Groening designed the album cover of 'Crazy Backwards Alphabet' (1987) by Crazy Backwards Alphabet, a musical side project by Henry Kaiser, John French (Captain Beefheart), Michael Maksymenko and Andy West (The Dixie Dregs). He also illustrated the cover of 'Country Music in the World of Islam' (1990), an album by Eugene Chadbourne, Elliott Sharp and the Sun City Girls. He did the same for the comedy record '(If U Want Free Speech) Go To Russia' (1990) by Harry Shearer (the voice of Mr. Burns, Smithers, Skinner and several other Simpsons characters). Groening additionally illustrated Frank Zappa's posthumous live record, 'Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute' (1996). He was also one of many cartoonists who contributed a graphic homage to The Ramones' compilation CD/comic book 'Weird Tales From The Ramones' (2005).
Written contributions
Groening wrote the foreword to Monte Beauchamp's book about Robert Crumb, 'The Life and Times of R. Crumb' (St. Martin's Press, 1996), the 1956-1958 volume of the posthumous compilation books of Charles M. Schulz' 'Peanuts' series and Sergio Aragonés' compilation book 'Mad's Greatest Artists: Sergio Aragonés: Five Decades of his Finest Works' (2010). He did the same for reprints of Chuck Jones' autobiography 'Chuck Amuck' (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994), Lat's 'Kampung Boy' and a 2022 translation of Liniers' 'Macanudo'. When the Hammer Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. held the exhibition 'Masters of American Comics' (Hammer Museum, 2005) and published a catalog with work by the respective artists, Groening wrote an essay about Gary Panter. In 2014, Matt Groening would also write the foreword to Richard Gehr's compilation book 'I Only Read It For The Cartoons: The New Yorker's Most Brilliantly Twisted Artists' (New Harvest).
Groening included a full chapter to 'Midlife Confidential. The True Story of the Rockbottom Remainders' (Viking Press, 1994), updated almost a decade later under the new book title 'Hard Listening' (Coliloquy, LLC, 2013).
'School Is Hell'.
Recognition
'The Simpsons' has won 34 Emmy Awards over the years, and 'Futurama' won six. Matt Groening won an Inkpot Award (1988) and a Reuben Award (2002) for 'Life in Hell'. In 2000, 'The Simpsons' received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Groening got his own star in 2012. He received the Winsor McCay Award (2010) and in 2016 he was inducted in the Eisner Hall of Fame.
Legacy and influence
Matt Groening is one of the forces who brought alternative culture more into the mainstream. The cult success of 'Life in Hell' - doubled when 'The Simpsons' became a hit - made more publications create room for other alternative comic artists. His own comic book companies, Bongo and Zongo Comics, offered opportunities for several comic artists. By frequently name dropping or referencing artists he admires in interviews or in episodes of 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama', Groening has increased their fame and fanbase. He is still frequently invited to all kinds of lectures, festivals and documentaries and asked to write forewords, curate musical or cinematic events or provide DJ sets on radio.
Groening and his work have received admiration from veteran cartoonists like Sergio Aragonés, Joseph Barbera, Robert Crumb, Terry Gilliam, Chuck Jones, Kamagurka, Willy Linthout, Ever Meulen and Richard Sala. Numerous cartoonists and comic artists have mentioned Groening as a strong influence on their work. In the United States, he inspired Matt Furie, Stephen Hillenburg, Seth MacFarlane, Nina Paley, Ted Rall, Dana Simpson and Andy Singer. In Europe, he influenced Pieter De Poortere, Steve Michiels and Zep. The Englishman Ryan Humphrey started 'Bartkira', a community art project where hundreds of artists from all over the world collaborate to recreate all six volumes of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga series 'Akira', replacing all the characters with the cast of The Simpsons'. In Africa, Matt Groening has followers among Pitshou Mampa, while in Latin America, Francisco Munguia is a fan.
'The Simpsons' had a huge impact on TV animation, proving that the genre could allow sophisticated quality entertainment and find an adult audience as well. It paved the way for many other animated TV series for adults, including Mike Judge's 'Beavis & Butt-head' and 'King of the Hill', Al Jean and Mike Reiss' 'The Critic' (1994-1995), Everett Peck's 'Duckman' (1994-1997), Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn's 'Daria' (1997-2002), Trey Parker and Matt Stone's 'South Park' (1997- ), Eddie Murphy, Larry Wilmore and Steve Tompkins' 'The PJs' (1999-2001), Seth MacFarlane's 'Family Guy' (1999) and 'American Dad' (2005), Aubrey Ankrum, Rhode Montijo and Kenn Navarro's 'Happy Tree Friends' (1999), Matthew Carlson's 'God, the Devil and Bob' (2000), Mike Reiss' 'Queer Duck' (2000-2004), Christopher McCulloch's 'The Venture Brothers' (2004-2018), Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein's 'Drawn Together' (2004-2007), Seth Green and Matthew Senreich's 'Robot Chicken' (2005), Loren Bouchard's 'Bob's Burgers' (2011), Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon's 'Rick and Morty' (2013) and Raphael Bob-Waksberg's 'BoJack Horseman' (2014-2020).
At the same time, they also made more eccentric and sophisticated children's TV shows possible, such as John Kricfalusi''s 'Ren & Stimpy' (1991-1995), Tom Ruegger's 'Animaniacs' (1993-1998), Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's 'Freakazoid' (1995-1997), Joe Murray's 'Rocko's Modern Life' (1993-1996) and 'Camp Lazlo' (2005-2008), Genndy Tartakovsky's 'Dexter's Laboratory' (1996-2003) and 'Samurai Jack' (2001-2004) (2017), Craig McCracken's 'The Powerpuff Girls' (1998-2005), Stephen Hillenburg's 'SpongeBob Squarepants' (1999- ), Butch Harman's 'The Fairly Oddparents' (2001-2017) and Pendleton Ward's 'Adventure Time' (2010-2018).
Groening's work also influenced U.S. TV comedy. Since the 1990s, more TV sitcoms have abandoned laugh tracks and low-brow, non-offensive comedy in favor of more clever, edgy writing. Several TV makers have credited 'The Simpsons' with inspiring them to do this. The show also provided a climate where U.S. TV satire could be more audacious and pointed, without the fear of alienating mass audiences. 'Futurama' and 'Disenchantment' can be credited with popularizing science fiction and fantasy among vast new audiences. The impact of 'The Simpsons' has been such that in 1999 Bart Simpson became the only fictional character to make Time Magazine's list of the '100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century'. As Matt Groening said, interviewed by Carina Chocano for Salon (30 January 2001), : "My success [specifically referring to 'The Simpsons'] has gone beyond my wildest dreams and worst nightmares."
Matt Groening.