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186-448: Matthew Abram Groening ( / ˈ ɡ r eɪ n ɪ ŋ / GRAY -ning ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is best known as the creator of the television series The Simpsons (1989–present), Futurama (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2023–present), and Disenchantment (2018–2023), and the comic strip Life in Hell (1977–2012). The Simpsons

372-585: A Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 1977. In 1977, at age 23, Groening moved to Los Angeles to become a writer. He went through what he described as "a series of lousy jobs", including being an extra in the television movie When Every Day Was the Fourth of July , busing tables, washing dishes at a nursing home, clerking at the Hollywood Licorice Pizza record store, landscaping in a sewage treatment plant, and chauffeuring and ghostwriting for

558-458: A bachelor flat near Regent's Park in London with his pet Dalmatian , Pongo. Deciding both of them need a "mate", Pongo watches women and their dogs in the street. Noticing a young woman named Anita and her Dalmatian Perdita, he drags Roger to the park to arrange a meeting. Roger and Anita fall in love, and soon marry, with Pongo and Perdita attending. The Radcliffes hire a nanny and move into

744-462: A dysfunctional family and named the characters after his own family members, substituting Bart for his own name; he thought Simpson was a funny name in that it sounded similar to " simpleton ". The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After three seasons, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and became Fox's first series to land in the Top 30 ratings in

930-538: A greyhound , Santa's Little Helper , (who first appeared in the episode " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ") and a cat, Snowball II , who is replaced by a cat also called Snowball II in the fifteenth-season episode " I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot ". Extended members of the Simpson and Bouvier family in the main cast include Homer's father Abe and Marge's sisters Patty and Selma . Marge's mother Jacqueline and Homer's mother Mona appear less frequently. The show includes

1116-560: A perceived decline in quality . Time named it the 20th century's best television series, and Erik Adams of The A.V. Club named it "television's crowning achievement regardless of format". On January 14, 2000, the Simpson family was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . It has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 37 Primetime Emmy Awards , 34 Annie Awards , and 2 Peabody Awards . Homer's exclamatory catchphrase of " D'oh! " has been adopted into

1302-415: A sequel in 2000. A direct-to-video animated sequel to the 1961 film, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure , was released in 2003. Two animated television series based on the franchise were also produced, with 101 Dalmatians: The Series in 1997 and 101 Dalmatian Street in 2019. A live-action reboot, Cruella , was released in 2021. In 1958, aspiring songwriter Roger Radcliffe lives in

1488-510: A sooty fireplace to disguise themselves as other Labradors. The Labrador helps them board a moving van bound for London, but melting snow falls on Lucky and clears the soot off of him, blowing the dogs' cover. Enraged, Cruella pursues the van in her car and tries to ram it off the road, but the Baduns, attempting to do the same with their lorry, end up colliding with her, resulting in Cruella and

1674-408: A weighted average , assigned the film a score of 83 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Cruella De Vil ranked 39th on AFI's list of "100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains" . Since the original release of One Hundred and One Dalmatians in 1961, Disney has taken the property in various directions. In 1996, it was announced that an animated television series based on

1860-434: A 'G'. Groening decided that this would be too distracting though, and redesigned the ear to look normal. He still draws the ear as a 'G' when he draws pictures of Homer for fans. Marge's distinct beehive hairstyle was inspired by Bride of Frankenstein and the style that Margaret Groening wore during the 1960s, although her hair was never blue. Bart's original design, which appeared in the first shorts, had spikier hair, and

2046-402: A Dalmatian of their own for their next birthday." On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 53 reviews, with an average score of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "With plenty of pooches and a memorable villain (Cruella De Vil), this is one of Disney's most enduring, entertaining animated films." Metacritic , which uses

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2232-552: A Xerox camera to transfer drawings by animators directly to animation cels , eliminating the inking process, thus saving time and money while preserving the spontaneity of the penciled elements. However, because of its limitations, the camera was unable to deviate from a black scratchy outline and lacked the fine lavish quality of hand inking. Disney would first use the Xerox process for a thorn forest in Sleeping Beauty , and

2418-507: A big house in the country so they can keep all 101 Dalmatians. Additionally, the film features Mickey Maga, Barbara Beaird, Mimi Gibson , and Sandra Abbott as Patch, Rolly, Lucky, and Penny, Dalmatian puppies from Pongo and Perdita's litter. Max Smith, Bob Stevens, Clarence Nash , and Dal McKennon provided the sounds of dog barks. Thurl Ravenscroft voiced Captain, a gray horse and aide of Colonel and Sergeant Tibbs. Barbara Luddy and Rickie Sorensen voiced Rover and Spotty, two of

2604-456: A brand new sequence when the show switched to high-definition in 2009). Each has the same basic sequence of events: the camera zooms through cumulus clouds , through the show's title towards the town of Springfield . The camera then follows the members of the family on their way home. Upon entering their house, the Simpsons settle down on their couch to watch television. The original opening

2790-481: A combined total of 51 episodes. Seven of these episodes are season 34 holdovers, while the other 44 will be produced in the production cycle of the upcoming seasons, bringing the show's overall episode total up to 801. Season 35 premiered on October 1, 2023. Season 36 premiered on September 29, 2024. The Simpsons received widespread acclaim throughout its early seasons in the 1990s, which are generally considered its "golden age". Since then, it has been criticized for

2976-615: A cow, man!" and "Eat my shorts!" appeared on T-shirts in the show's early days. However, Bart rarely used the latter two phrases until after they became popular through the merchandising . The use of many of these catchphrases has declined in recent seasons. The episode " Bart Gets Famous " mocks catchphrase-based humor, as Bart achieves fame on the Krusty the Clown Show solely for saying "I didn't do it". The Simpsons has gained notoriety for jokes that appeared to become reality. Perhaps

3162-533: A digital restoration and was released as a two-disc Platinum Edition DVD on March 4, 2008. The set included a behind-the-scenes documentary Redefining the Line: The Making of One Hundred and One Dalmatians , two additional featurettes – Cruella de Vil: Drawn to Be Bad (dedicated to the talents behind the creation of the eponymous character) and Sincerely Yours, Walt Disney (covering Disney's correspondence with Dodie Smith), deleted songs,

3348-465: A division of The Walt Disney Company . Nineteen years later, Disney purchased Fox . Other examples purported as The Simpsons predicting the future include the introduction of the smartwatch , video chat services, Richard Branson 's spaceflight and Lady Gaga 's acrobatic performance at the Super Bowl LI halftime show . Al Jean has commented on the show's purported ability to predict

3534-495: A fan letter to Joseph Heller , one of Groening's favorite authors, and had received a reply. Groening has credited Barry with being "probably [his] biggest inspiration." He first became interested in cartoons after watching the Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians , and he has also cited Robert Crumb , Ernie Bushmiller , Ronald Searle , Monty Python , and Charles M. Schulz as inspirations. Groening graduated with

3720-445: A litter of fifteen Dalmatian puppies, who are kidnapped by the obsessive socialite Cruella de Vil , wanting to make their fur into coats. Pongo and Perdita set out on a cross-country rescue mission to save the litter from the maniacal Cruella. They rescue 84 additional Dalmatians in the process, bringing the total to 101. One Hundred and One Dalmatians was released in theaters on January 25, 1961, to positive reviews from critics and

3906-400: A major disagreement with Brooks and other Simpsons producers over " A Star Is Burns ", a crossover episode with The Critic , an animated show also produced by Brooks and staffed with many former Simpsons crew members. Groening claimed that he feared viewers would "see it as nothing but a pathetic attempt to advertise The Critic at the expense of The Simpsons ," and was concerned about

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4092-564: A name. By coincidence, they chose "Abraham", unaware that it was the name of Groening's grandfather. Although The Tracey Ullman Show was not a big hit, the popularity of the shorts led to a half-hour spin-off in 1989. A team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. James L. Brooks negotiated

4278-443: A new opening sequence. Matt Groening called it a complicated change because it affected the timing and composition of animation. The Simpsons uses the standard setup of a situational comedy, or sitcom, as its premise. The series centers on a family and their life in a typical American town, serving as a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle . However, because of its animated nature, The Simpsons ' scope

4464-473: A number of spin-offs from The Simpsons , those attempts have been unsuccessful. In 1994, Groening and other Simpsons producers pitched a live-action spin-off about Krusty the Clown (with Dan Castellaneta playing the lead role), but were unsuccessful in getting it off the ground. Groening has also pitched "Young Homer" and a spin-off about the non-Simpsons citizens of Springfield . In 1995, Groening got into

4650-524: A provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content. Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called "the mainstream trash" that they were watching. The half-hour series premiered on December 17, 1989, with " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ". " Some Enchanted Evening " was the first full-length episode produced, but it did not broadcast until May 1990, as

4836-407: A provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content. Groening said his goal in creating the show was to offer the audience an alternative to what he called "the mainstream trash" that they were watching. The half-hour series premiered on December 17, 1989, with " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ", a Christmas special . " Some Enchanted Evening "

5022-399: A recurring theme. In times of crisis, the family often turns to God, and the show has dealt with most of the major religions. Sexuality is often a source of jokes in the series or serves as the theme of certain episodes. Even though homosexuals are sometimes sources of gags, the series often comments on how American society treats them, with " Homer's Phobia " devoting an entire episode to

5208-559: A retired Western director. Groening described life in Los Angeles to his friends in the form of the self-published comic book Life in Hell , which was loosely inspired by the chapter "How to Go to Hell" in Walter Kaufmann's book Critique of Religion and Philosophy . Groening distributed the comic book in the book corner of Licorice Pizza , a record store in which he worked. He made his first professional cartoon sale to

5394-453: A season (1989–1990). Since its debut on December 17, 1989, 775 episodes of the show have been broadcast. It is the longest-running American animated series , longest-running American sitcom , and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series , both in seasons and individual episodes. A feature-length film, The Simpsons Movie , was released in theaters worldwide on July 27, 2007, to critical and commercial success, with

5580-429: A sequel in development as of 2018. The series has also spawned numerous comic book series , video games , books , and other related media, as well as a billion-dollar merchandising industry . The Simpsons is a joint production by Gracie Films and 20th Television . On January 26, 2023, the series was renewed for its 35th and 36th seasons, taking the show through the 2024–25 television season. Both seasons contain

5766-594: A share of the profits every year, and an executive producer credit despite not having worked on the show since 1993, at least until his passing in 2015. A more involved position on the show is the showrunner , who acts as head writer and manages the show's production for an entire season. The first team of writers, assembled by Sam Simon, consisted of John Swartzwelder , Jon Vitti , George Meyer , Jeff Martin , Al Jean , Mike Reiss , Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky . Newer Simpsons ' writing teams typically consist of sixteen writers who propose episode ideas at

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5952-477: A single viewing. Some are so fleeting that they become apparent only by pausing a video recording of the show or viewing it in slow motion. Kristin Thompson argues that The Simpsons uses a "flurry of cultural references, intentionally inconsistent characterization, and considerable self-reflexivity about television conventions and the status of the programme as a television show." One of Bart's early hallmarks

6138-693: A small townhouse near Regent's Park. After Perdita becomes pregnant with a litter of 15 puppies , Anita's fur-obsessed former schoolmate, Cruella de Vil , arrives and demands to know when the puppies will arrive; Roger responds by writing a jazzy song mocking her. A frightened Perdita confesses to Pongo that she now regrets the idea of having puppies due to Cruella wanting them. When the puppies are born, Cruella returns, demanding to buy them. Roger firmly denies her offer; Cruella, refusing to take no for an answer, swears revenge and storms out. Several weeks later, Cruella makes good on her threat and secretly hires brothers Jasper and Horace Badun, two burglars , to steal

6324-467: A stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children: Bart , a ten-year-old troublemaker and prankster; Lisa , a precocious eight-year-old activist; and Maggie (named by Bart), the baby of the family who rarely speaks, but communicates by sucking on a pacifier. Although the family is dysfunctional, many episodes examine their relationships and bonds with each other and they are often shown to care about one another. The family also owns

6510-564: A team including David Silverman and Wes Archer, both of whom would later become directors on the series. The Simpsons shorts first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Another family member, Grampa Simpson , was introduced in the later shorts. Years later, during the early seasons of The Simpsons , when it came time to give Grampa a first name, Groening says he refused to name him after his own grandfather, Abraham Groening, leaving it to other writers to choose

6696-533: A vast array of quirky supporting characters, which include Homer's friends Barney Gumble , Lenny Leonard and Carl Carlson ; the school principal Seymour Skinner and staff members such as Edna Krabappel and Groundskeeper Willie ; students such as Milhouse Van Houten , Nelson Muntz and Ralph Wiggum ; shopkeepers such as Apu Nahasapeemapetilon , Comic Book Guy and Moe Szyslak ; government figures Mayor "Diamond" Joe Quimby and Clancy Wiggum ; next-door neighbor Ned Flanders ; local celebrities such as Krusty

6882-406: A vast array of television channels, which enables the producers to make jokes about the entertainment industry and the press. Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias. Al Jean acknowledged in an interview that "We [the show] are of liberal bent." The writers often evince an appreciation for progressive leanings , but the show makes jokes across

7068-560: A virtual gallery of concept art and other production photos, theatrical trailers, radio and TV spots. It returned to the Disney Vault on January 30, 2010. One Hundred and One Dalmatians was released for the first time on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2012. In North America, it was released on Diamond Edition Blu-ray and Digital HD on February 10, 2015, featuring a new making-of featurette Lucky Dogs ,

7254-411: A wide spectrum of society so that viewers from all generations can enjoy the show. Such references, for example, come from movies, television, music, literature, science, and history. The animators also regularly add jokes or sight gags into the show's background via humorous or incongruous bits of text in signs, newspapers, billboards , and elsewhere. The audience may often not notice the visual jokes in

7440-463: A writer-producer with whom Brooks had worked on previous projects. Groening and Simon, however, did not get along and were often in conflict over the show; Groening once described their relationship as "very contentious." Simon eventually left the show in 1993 over creative differences. Like the main family members, several characters from the show have names that were inspired by people, locations or films. The name "Wiggum" for police chief Chief Wiggum

7626-475: Is SpongeBob 's creator Stephen Hillenburg ". In 2015, Groening's daughters Luna Margaret and India Mia were born. On June 16, 2018, he became the father of twins for a second time when his wife gave birth to Sol Matthew and Venus Ruth, announced via Instagram. In 2020, their daughter Nirvana was born. In January 2022, they had another child, Satori. Groening's brother-in-law is Hey Arnold! , Dinosaur Train , and Ready Jet Go! creator, Craig Bartlett , who

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7812-480: Is $ 303 million. Adjusted for inflation, and incorporating subsequent releases, the film has a lifetime gross of $ 936.2 million. One Hundred and One Dalmatians was first released on VHS on April 10, 1992, as part of the Walt Disney Classics video series; 11.1 million copies had been sold by June of that year. At the time of its release, it was the sixth best-selling video of all time. The film

7998-579: Is Groening's mother's maiden name. The names of a few other characters were taken from major street names in Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon, including Flanders , Lovejoy , Powell , Quimby and Kearney . Despite common fan belief that Sideshow Bob Terwilliger was named after SW Terwilliger Boulevard in Portland, he was actually named after the character Dr. Terwilliker from the film The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T . Although Groening has pitched

8184-508: Is also one of the few programs dubbed in both standard French and Quebec French . The show has been broadcast in Arabic, but due to Islamic customs, numerous aspects of the show have been changed. For example, Homer drinks soda instead of beer and eats Egyptian beef sausages instead of hot dogs. Because of such changes, the Arabized version of the series met with a negative reaction from

8370-509: Is consistently portrayed that he is Jewish , that his father was a rabbi , and that his career began in the 1960s. The latter point introduces another snag in the floating timeline: historical periods that are a core part of a character's backstory remain so even when their age makes it unlikely or impossible, such as Grampa Simpson and Principal Skinner 's respective service in World War II and Vietnam . The only episodes not part of

8556-408: Is currently in development. The characters from One Hundred and One Dalmatians make cameo appearances in the television series House of Mouse , with Cruella De Vil featured as one of the main villains in the stand-alone feature Mickey's House of Villains (2002). Like other Walt Disney Animation Studios characters, the film's characters have cameo appearances in the short film Once Upon

8742-439: Is inconsistent: from one episode to another, it may have coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires. Groening has said that Springfield has much in common with Portland, Oregon , the city where he grew up. Groening has said that he named it after Springfield, Oregon , and the fictitious Springfield which was the setting of the series Father Knows Best . He "figured out that Springfield

8928-474: Is known for his eclectic taste in music. His favorite artist is Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention and his favorite album is Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart (which was produced by Zappa). He guest-edited Da Capo Press 's Best Music Writing 2003 and curated a US All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in 2003. He illustrated the cover of Frank Zappa's posthumous album Frank Zappa Plays

9114-437: Is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant , the show can comment on the state of the environment. Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School , the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features

9300-599: Is married to Groening's sister, Lisa, but they separated in 2015. Bartlett used to appear in Simpsons Illustrated . Groening is a self-identified agnostic . Groening has made a number of campaign contributions, all towards Democratic Party candidates and organizations. He has donated money to the unsuccessful presidential campaigns of Democratic candidates Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 , as well as previously donating to Kerry's Massachusetts senator campaign. Groening also collectively donated to

9486-516: Is nonetheless a painstaking creative effort." A review in Time magazine praised the film as "the wittiest, most charming, least pretentious cartoon feature Walt Disney has ever made." Harrison's Reports felt all children and adults will be "highly entertained by Walt Disney's latest, a semi-sophisticated, laugh-provoking, all cartoon, feature-lengther in Technicolor." Dodie Smith also enjoyed

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9672-433: Is the longest-running U.S. primetime television series in history and the longest-running U.S. animated series and sitcom. Groening made his first professional cartoon sale of Life in Hell to the avant-garde magazine Wet in 1978. At its peak, it was carried in 250 weekly newspapers, and caught the attention of American producer James L. Brooks , who contacted Groening in 1985 about adapting it for animated sequences for

9858-579: The Democratic senatorial campaign committee and to the Senate campaigns of Barbara Boxer ( California ), Dianne Feinstein (California), Paul Simon ( Illinois ), Ted Kennedy ( Massachusetts ), Carl Levin ( Michigan ), Hillary Clinton ( New York ), Harvey Gantt ( North Carolina ), Howard Metzenbaum ( Ohio ), and Tom Bruggere ( Oregon ). He also donated to the now-defunct Hollywood Women's Political Committee , which supported and campaigned for

10044-550: The Disneyland Records read-along album based on the film. The Sherman Brothers wrote a title song, "One Hundred and One Dalmatians", but it was not used in the film. The song has been released on other Disney recordings, however. One Hundred and One Dalmatians premiered and was released in theaters on January 25, 1961, accompanied by the documentary The Horse with the Flying Tail (1960). To promote

10230-547: The Fox variety show The Tracey Ullman Show . Fearing the loss of ownership rights, Groening created a new set of characters, the Simpson family . The shorts were spun off into their own series, The Simpsons , which has since aired 775 episodes . In 1997, Groening and former Simpsons writer David X. Cohen developed Futurama , an animated series about life in the year 3000, which premiered in 1999. It ran for four years on Fox;

10416-638: The Linguistic Data Consortium , remarked, " The Simpsons has apparently taken over from Shakespeare and the Bible as our culture's greatest source of idioms, catchphrases and sundry other textual allusions." The most famous catchphrase is Homer's annoyed grunt: " D'oh! " So ubiquitous is the expression that it is now listed in the Oxford English Dictionary , but without the apostrophe. Dan Castellaneta says he borrowed

10602-636: The National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award for his work on Life in Hell . He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 14, 2012. Groening was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon , the middle of five children (older sister Patty and brother Mark were born in 1943 and 1950, and younger sisters Lisa and Maggie in 1956 and 1958, respectively). His Norwegian American mother, Margaret Ruth ( née Wiggum; March 23, 1919 – April 22, 2013),

10788-768: The Reader , offered to publish "Love Is Hell", a series of relationship-themed Life in Hell strips, in book form. Released a month later, the book was an underground success, selling 22,000 copies in its first two printings. Work Is Hell soon followed, also published by Caplan. Soon afterward, Caplan and Groening left and put together the Life in Hell Co., which handled merchandising for Life in Hell . Groening also started Acme Features Syndicate, which initially syndicated Life in Hell as well as work by Lynda Barry and John Callahan , but would eventually only syndicate Life in Hell . At

10974-522: The censor board warned that it might offend certain religious audiences if the animals repeated the exact words of a solemn religious ceremony, it was reworked to be less religious, down to having Roger and Anita dressed in formal clothes. Also, the film's original ending involved the newly rich Roger selling his song about Cruella and buying the Hell Hall to turn it into a Dalmatian Plantation, with Pongo and Perdita expecting another litter of puppies. It

11160-476: The twentieth season was put on hold due to new contract negotiations with the voice actors, who wanted a "healthy bump" in salary to an amount close to $ 500,000 per episode. The negotiations were soon completed, and the actors' salary was raised to $ 400,000 per episode. Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, the cast members accepted a 30 percent pay cut, down to just over $ 300,000 per episode. In addition to

11346-519: The 17th highest-grossing film of the year in the United States. In 1980, the film earned rentals of $ 8 million in France, Belgium and Switzerland. By 1995, the film had grossed $ 86 million internationally, and in the same year it grossed $ 71 million overseas, bringing its international total to $ 157 million. The film's total domestic lifetime gross is $ 145 million, and its total worldwide gross

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11532-557: The 1970s. During most of the 1980s, US pundits considered animated shows as appropriate only for children, and animating a show was too expensive to achieve a quality suitable for prime-time television. The Simpsons changed this perception, initially leading to a short period where networks attempted to recreate prime-time cartoon success with shows like Capitol Critters , Fish Police , and Family Dog , which were expensive and unsuccessful. The Simpsons ' use of Korean animation studios for tweening , coloring, and filming made

11718-494: The Baduns getting stranded in a ditch with their vehicles destroyed as the van drives off. In London, a depressed Nanny and the Radcliffes try to enjoy Christmas and the wealth they have acquired from the song about Cruella, which has become a big radio hit. The soot-covered Dalmatians suddenly flood the house. Upon removing the soot and counting the massive family of dogs, Roger chooses to use his songwriting royalties to buy

11904-406: The Clown and news reporter Kent Brockman ; nuclear tycoon Montgomery Burns and his devoted assistant Waylon Smithers ; and dozens more . The creators originally intended many of these characters as one-time jokes or for fulfilling needed functions in the town. A number of them have gained expanded roles and subsequently starred in their own episodes. According to Matt Groening, the show adopted

12090-433: The Clown , Groundskeeper Willie , Mayor Quimby , Barney Gumble , and other adult male characters. Julie Kavner voices Marge Simpson and Patty and Selma , as well as several minor characters. Castellaneta and Kavner had been a part of The Tracey Ullman Show cast and were given the parts so that new actors would not be needed. Cartwright voices Bart Simpson , Nelson Muntz , Ralph Wiggum and other children. Smith,

12276-606: The Democratic Party. His first cousin, Laurie Monnes Anderson , was a member of the Oregon State Senate , representing eastern Multnomah County . In an interview with Wired from 1999, he stated that if he were president, his first act would be "campaign finance reform", observing that modern campaign funding is "a real detriment to democracy". Groening has a great disdain towards former President Richard Nixon , and enjoyed ridiculing him by making him

12462-577: The English language, while The Simpsons has influenced many other later adult-oriented animated sitcom television series. The main characters are the Simpson family , who live in the fictional " Middle America " town of Springfield. Homer , the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant , a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge ( née Bouvier),

12648-660: The Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute (1996). In May 2010, he curated another edition of All Tomorrow's Parties in Minehead, England. He also plays the drums in the all-author rock and roll band The Rock Bottom Remainders (although he is listed as the cowbell player), whose other members include Dave Barry , Ridley Pearson , Scott Turow , Amy Tan , James McBride , Mitch Albom , Roy Blount Jr. , Stephen King , Kathi Kamen Goldmark , Sam Barry and Greg Iles . In July 2013, Groening co-authored Hard Listening (2013) with

12834-478: The Radcliffe's moving day, he encounters his TV hero, Thunderbolt, who enlists him on a publicity campaign. A live-action remake of the 1961 film, 101 Dalmatians , was released in 1996; unlike the animated film, none of the animals had speaking voices in this version. It was followed by a sequel, 102 Dalmatians , in 2000. A live-action version of Cruella De Vil is featured as one of the main antagonists in

13020-653: The animated short The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt (based on the Thunderbolt TV show in the film), a 1961 version of the Disneyland episode "The Best Doggoned Dog in the World", and several bonus features from the previous DVD release. The set was re-released as a limited Blu-ray/DVD combo pack for the Disney Movie Club on November 6, 2018. On September 24, 2019, One Hundred and One Dalmatians

13206-582: The animation staff concerning future films, Disney angrily said, "We're never gonna have one of those goddamned things", referring to the film's art direction; he also stated, "Ken's never going to be an art director again." Anderson took this to heart, but Disney eventually forgave him on his final trip to the studio in late 1966. As Anderson recalled in an interview: He looked very sick. I said, "Gee, it's great to see you, Walt," and he said, "You know that thing you did on Dalmatians ." He didn't say anything else, but he just gave me this look, and I knew that all

13392-437: The animators and assumed that the figures would be cleaned up in production. However, the animators merely re-traced his drawings, which led to the crude appearance of the characters in the initial shorts. The animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo , with Wes Archer , David Silverman , and Bill Kopp being animators for the first season. The colorist, "Georgie" Gyorgyi Kovacs Peluce (Kovács Györgyike) made

13578-452: The animators; although Disney expressed concern at the graphic style, he gave his approval stating: "Ah, yeah, yeah, you can fool around all you want to." For the stylized art direction, Anderson took inspiration from British cartoonist Ronald Searle , who once advised him to use a Mont Blanc pen and India ink for his artwork. In addition to the character animation, Anderson also sought to use Xerography on "the background painting because I

13764-402: The attention of Walt Disney , who acquired the film rights to the novel on November 26 of that year (after lengthy negotiations) for $ 25,000. The project was set to be Disney's next animated feature after Sleeping Beauty (which was still in production at the time) and was originally expected to be finished within two years. Story artist Bill Peet was assigned to single-handedly develop

13950-535: The avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The strip, titled "Forbidden Words", appeared in the September/October issue of that year. Groening had gained employment at the Los Angeles Reader , a newly formed alternative newspaper , delivering papers, typesetting, editing and answering phones. He showed his cartoons to the editor, James Vowell, who was impressed and eventually gave him a spot in

14136-424: The beginning of each December. The main writer of each episode writes the first draft. Group rewriting sessions develop final scripts by adding or removing jokes, inserting scenes, and calling for re-readings of lines by the show's vocal performers. Until 2004, George Meyer, who had developed the show since the first season, was active in these sessions. According to long-time writer Jon Vitti, Meyer usually invented

14322-436: The best lines in a given episode, even though other writers may receive script credits. Each episode takes six months to produce so the show rarely comments on current events. Credited with sixty episodes, John Swartzwelder is the most prolific writer on The Simpsons . One of the best-known former writers is Conan O'Brien , who contributed to several episodes in the early 1990s before replacing David Letterman as host of

14508-537: The butt of jokes in The Simpsons and Futurama . Groening has been nominated for 41 Emmy Awards and has won thirteen, eleven for The Simpsons and two for Futurama in the " Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or less) " category. Groening received the 2002 National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award, and had been nominated for the same award in 2000. He received a British Comedy Award for "outstanding contribution to comedy" in 2004. In 2007, he

14694-487: The cast appeared in an episode of Inside the Actors Studio , doing live performances of their characters' voices. The six main actors were paid $ 30,000 per episode, until 1998, when they were involved in a pay dispute with Fox. The company threatened to replace them with new actors, even going as far as preparing for casting of new voices, but series creator Groening supported the actors in their action. The issue

14880-647: The character Bongo from Life in Hell ) with Steve Vance, Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison , which publishes comic books based on The Simpsons and Futurama (including Futurama Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis , a crossover between the two), as well as a few original titles. According to Groening, the goal with Bongo is to "[try] to bring humor into the fairly grim comic book market." He also formed Zongo Comics in 1995, an imprint of Bongo that published comics for more mature readers, which included three issues of Mary Fleener 's Fleener and seven issues of his close friend Gary Panter 's Jimbo comics. Groening

15066-449: The character. Betty Lou Gerson , who was previously the narrator for Cinderella (1950), auditioned for the role of Cruella De Vil in front of Marc Davis , the character's supervising animator, and sequence director Wolfgang Reitherman , and immediately landed it. While searching for the right accent of the character, she landed on a "phony theatrical voice, someone who's set sail from New York but hasn't quite reached England." During

15252-450: The character. He later complimented, "[t]hat [her] voice was the greatest thing I've ever had a chance to work with. A voice like Betty Lou's gives you something to do. You get a performance going there, and if you don't take advantage of it, you're off your rocker". While her hair coloring originated from the illustrations in the novel, Davis found its disheveled style by looking "through old magazines for hairdos from 1940 till now". Her coat

15438-501: The characters he voiced ( Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz ) were retired; Wallace's character of Edna Krabappel was retired as well after her death in 2013. Following Taylor's death in 2019, her characters (including Sherri, Terri , and Martin Prince ) are now voiced by Grey Griffin . Episodes will quite often feature guest voices from a wide range of professions, including actors, athletes, authors, bands, musicians and scientists. In

15624-567: The characters yellow; as Bart, Lisa and Maggie have no hairlines, she felt they would look strange if they were flesh-colored. Groening supported the decision, saying: "Marge is yellow with blue hair? That's hilarious — let's do it!" In 1989, a team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company . The team included the Klasky Csupo animation house. Brooks negotiated

15810-616: The claimed prophecies, explaining that the show's extensive run means "a lot of jokes, and a lot of opportunities for coincidences to appear" and "most of these 'predictions' have rather simple and mundane explanations". For example, the device shown on The Simpsons with autocorrection is an Apple Newton , a real 1993 device notorious for its poor handwriting recognition . Technologically advanced watches have appeared in numerous works of fiction, decades before The Simpsons . A number of neologisms that originated on The Simpsons have entered popular vernacular. Mark Liberman , director of

15996-453: The commercial breaks. Having seen one of cartoonist Matt Groening 's Life in Hell comic strips, Brooks asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts. Groening initially intended to present an animated version of his Life in Hell series. However, Groening later realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work. He therefore chose another approach while waiting in

16182-467: The concept of a large supporting cast from the comedy show SCTV . Despite the depiction of yearly milestones such as holidays or birthdays passing, the characters never age. The series uses a floating timeline in which episodes generally take place in the year the episode is produced. Flashbacks and flashforwards do occasionally depict the characters at other points in their lives, with the timeline of these depictions also generally floating relative to

16368-401: The designs looked better than the illustrations in the book. The filmmakers deliberately cast actors with deeper voices for the roles of dogs, so they would have more power than those of the human characters. Rod Taylor , who had extensive radio experience, was one of the first actors cast in the film; he got the role of Pongo. Lisa Daniels was originally cast as Perdita and recorded about

16554-508: The dictionary in August 2007. Many quotes/scenes have become popular Internet memes , including Jasper Beardley's quote "That's a paddlin ' " from " The PTA Disbands " ( season 6 , 1995) and "Steamed Hams" from " 22 Short Films About Springfield " ( season 7 , 1996). The Simpsons was the first successful animated program in American prime time since Wait Till Your Father Gets Home in

16740-538: The divorce of Milhouse van Houten 's parents, and the marriage and subsequent parenthood of Apu and Manjula . The Simpsons takes place in a fictional American town called Springfield . Although there are many real settlements in America named Springfield, the town the show is set in is fictional. The state it is in is not established. In fact, the show is intentionally evasive with regard to Springfield's location. Springfield's geography and that of its surroundings

16926-468: The earlier seasons, most of the guest stars voiced characters, but eventually more started appearing as themselves. Tony Bennett was the first guest star to appear as himself, appearing briefly in the season two episode " Dancin' Homer ". The Simpsons holds the world record for "Most Guest Stars Featured in a Television Series". The Simpsons has been dubbed into several other languages , including Japanese, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. It

17112-568: The eighty-four Dalmatian puppies that were bought by Cruella. Jeanne Gayle (the wife of the film's composer George Bruns ) performed the radio version of "Cruella De Vil" song in the film's final scene. Paul Frees voiced Dirty Dawson, the villain in the Thunderbolt TV show. Lucille Bliss performed the "Kanine Krunchies" jingle in a TV commercial. The children's novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith had been published on November 19, 1956, to an immediate success. By February 1957, screenwriter Charles Brackett brought it to

17298-456: The end of its run, Life in Hell was carried in 250 weekly newspapers and has been anthologized in a series of books, including School Is Hell , Childhood Is Hell , The Big Book of Hell , and The Huge Book of Hell . Although Groening previously stated, "I'll never give up the comic strip. It's my foundation," the June 16, 2012, strip marked Life in Hell ' s conclusion. After Groening ended

17484-474: The episodes cheaper. The success of The Simpsons and the lower production cost prompted US television networks to take chances on other adult animated series. This development led US producers to a 1990s boom in new, animated prime-time shows for adults, such as Beavis and Butt-Head , South Park , Family Guy , King of the Hill , Futurama (which was created by Matt Groening), and The Critic (which

17670-723: The family in some horror, science fiction, or supernatural setting and often parody or pay homage to a famous piece of work in those genres. They always take place outside the normal continuity of the show. Although the Treehouse series is meant to be seen on Halloween, this changed by the 2000s (and again in 2020), when new installments have premiered after Halloween due to Fox 's current contract with Major League Baseball 's World Series . Prior to 2020 (between 2011 and 2019), every Treehouse of Horror episode had aired in October. The show's humor turns on cultural references that cover

17856-411: The family making a gay friend and Homer's initial hostility to him. In 1990, The Simpsons became the first animated early evening show to depict a kiss between two men in " Simpson and Delilah ". The Simpsons ' opening sequence is one of the show's most memorable hallmarks. The standard opening has gone through three iterations (a replacement of some shots at the start of the second season, and

18042-473: The film where she particularly praised the animation and backgrounds of the film. Contemporary reviews have remained positive. Reviewing the film during its 1991 re-release, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times , while giving the film three stars out of four, asserted that "it's an uneven film, with moments of inspiration in a fairly conventional tale of kidnapping and rescue. This is not one of

18228-415: The film would be created through a partnership between Disney and Kellogg’s . Co-produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Jumbo Pictures , 101 Dalmatians: The Series aired in syndication and on ABC from 1997 to 1998. 101 Dalmatian Street is the second TV series with a plot in the 21st century, with a new art style and a concept loosely based on the source material. Set 60 years after

18414-406: The film, an updated version of the 1957 Disneyland episode "The Best Doggoned Dog in the World" was aired on ABC on February 12, 1961, featuring the footage from One Hundred and One Dalmatians instead of scenes from Old Yeller (1957). During its initial theatrical run, the film grossed $ 14 million in the United States and Canada, which generated $ 6.2 million in distributor rentals. It

18600-612: The film. The first song, "Don't Buy a Parrot from a Sailor," a cockney chant, was meant to be sung by Jasper and Horace at the De Vil Mansion. A second song, "Cheerio, Good-Bye, Toodle-oo, Hip Hip!" was to be sung by the dalmatian puppies as they make their way into London. A third song titled "March of the One Hundred and One" was meant for the dogs to sing after escaping Cruella by van. Different, longer versions of "Kanine Krunchies Jingle" and "Dalmatian Plantation" appear on

18786-406: The first production to make full use of the process was Goliath II (1960). For One Hundred and One Dalmatians , one of the benefits of the process was that it was a great help towards animating the spotted dogs. According to Chuck Jones , Disney was able to complete the film for about half of what it would have cost if they had had to animate all the dogs and spots. Meanwhile, Ken Anderson ,

18972-485: The first three seasons, Klasky Csupo animated The Simpsons in the United States. In 1992, the show's production company, Gracie Films, switched domestic production to Film Roman , who continued to animate the show until 2016 when they were replaced by Fox Television Animation , which allowed the show to be made more in-house. In Season 14 , production switched from traditional cel animation to digital ink and paint . The first episode to experiment with digital coloring

19158-448: The following week's column, he would confess to fabricating everything in the previous column and swear that everything in the new column was true. Eventually, he was finally asked to give up the "music" column. Among the fans of the column was Harry Shearer , who would later become a voice actor on The Simpsons . Life in Hell became popular almost immediately. In November 1984, Deborah Caplan, Groening's then-girlfriend and co-worker at

19344-428: The fourth season of the fantasy television series, Once Upon a Time (produced by Disney-owned ABC Studios ). Cruella is one of the four main villains in the 2015 television film Descendants , which follows the teenage children of Disney's iconic heroes and villains (including Cruella's son, Carlos). A 2021 live-action reboot , Cruella , focuses on the origin of the eponymous character. A sequel to this film

19530-404: The future, explaining that they are really just "educated guesses" and stating that "if you throw enough darts, you're going to get some bullseyes." Producer Bill Oakley stated, "There are very few cases where The Simpsons predicted something. It's mainly just coincidence because the episodes are so old that history repeats itself." Fact-checking sources such as Snopes have debunked many of

19716-516: The great Disney classics - it's not in the same league with Snow White or Pinocchio - but it's passable fun, and will entertain its target family audiences." Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel , in his 1991 review, also gave the film three stars out of four. Ralph Novak of People wrote "What it lacks in romantic extravagance and plush spectacle, this 1961 Disney film makes up for in quiet charm and subtlety. In fact, if any movie with dogs, cats, and horses who talk can be said to belong in

19902-506: The idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office and hurriedly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family : Homer , the overweight father; Marge , the slim mother; Bart , the miscreant oldest child; Lisa , the intelligent middle child; and Maggie , the baby. Groening famously named the main Simpson characters after members of his own family: his parents, Homer and Marge (Margaret or Marjorie in full), and his younger sisters, Lisa and Margaret (Maggie). Claiming that it

20088-465: The job on the spot. Cartwright is the only one of the six main Simpsons cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show. Azaria and Shearer do not voice members of the title family, but play a majority of the male townspeople. Azaria, who has been a part of the main voice cast since the second season in one episode " Old Money " and then perpetually part of

20274-423: The last episode of the first season, because of animation problems. In 1992, Tracey Ullman filed a lawsuit against Fox, claiming that her show was the source of the series' success. The suit said she should receive a share of the profits of The Simpsons —a claim rejected by the courts. List of showrunners throughout the series' run: Matt Groening and James L. Brooks have served as executive producers during

20460-503: The latter; likewise, Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler from the novel were amalgamated into one character, simply named Nanny. The Colonel's cat assistant was re-gendered from the female Pussy Willow into the male Sergeant Tibbs, and Horace Badun was renamed from Saul. Among other things, Peet retained a scene from the original book in which Pongo and Perdita exchange wedding vows in unison with their owners, who were also renamed from Mr. and Mrs. Dearly to Roger and Anita Radcliffe. However, after

20646-488: The lifelong Simpsons fans in the area. Several different U.S. and international studios animate The Simpsons . Throughout the run of the animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show , the animation was produced domestically at Klasky Csupo . With the debut of the series, because of an increased workload, Fox subcontracted production to several local and foreign studios. These are AKOM , Anivision , Rough Draft Studios , USAnimation , and Toonzone Entertainment. For

20832-412: The lobby of Brooks's office for the pitch meeting, hurriedly formulating his version of a dysfunctional family that became the Simpsons. He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name, adopting an anagram of the word brat . The Simpson family first appeared as shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Groening submitted only basic sketches to

21018-613: The main cast, Pamela Hayden , Tress MacNeille , Marcia Wallace , Maggie Roswell , and Russi Taylor voice supporting characters. From 1999 to 2002, Roswell's characters were voiced by Marcia Mitzman Gaven . Karl Wiedergott has also appeared in minor roles, but does not voice any recurring characters. Wiedergott left the show in 2010, and since then Chris Edgerly has appeared regularly to voice minor characters. Repeat "special guest" cast members include Albert Brooks , Phil Hartman , Jon Lovitz , Joe Mantegna , Maurice LaMarche , and Kelsey Grammer . Following Hartman's death in 1998,

21204-458: The most famous example comes from the episode " Bart to the Future ", which mentions billionaire Donald Trump having been president of the United States at one time and leaving the nation broke. The episode first aired in 2000, sixteen years before Trump (who at the time was exploring a presidential run ) was elected. Another episode, " When You Dish Upon a Star ", lampooned 20th Century Fox as

21390-500: The narrative, Peet used an old theater trick by which the protagonist is a down-and-out songwriter. However, unlike the previous animated Disney films at the time, the songs were not composed by a team, but by Mel Leven who composed both lyrics and music. Previously, Leven had composed songs for the UPA animation studio in which animators, who transferred to work at the Disney studios, had recommended him to Walt Disney. His first assignment

21576-498: The original film, the show mostly focuses on a completely new family of Dalmatians, (who are descendants of Pongo and Perdita) who all live without a human in Camden Town . A direct-to-video sequel to the original animated film, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure , was released in 2003. The main focus of the sequel is Patch, the loneliest of puppies, feeling "lost in a sea of spots". After he gets left behind during

21762-524: The other members of the Writers Guild of America, East . The show's writers had joined the guild in 1998. In May 2023, the writers of The Simpsons went on strike together with the other members of the Writers Guild of America, East . The Simpsons has six main cast members: Dan Castellaneta , Julie Kavner , Nancy Cartwright , Yeardley Smith , Hank Azaria , and Harry Shearer . Castellaneta voices Homer Simpson , Grampa Simpson , Krusty

21948-480: The paper. Life in Hell made its official debut as a comic strip in the Reader on April 25, 1980. Vowell also gave Groening his own weekly music column, "Sound Mix", in 1982. However, the column would rarely actually be about music, as he would often write about his "various enthusiasms, obsessions, pet peeves and problems" instead. In an effort to add more music to the column, he "just made stuff up," concocting and reviewing fictional bands and nonexistent records. In

22134-525: The phrase from James Finlayson , an actor in many Laurel and Hardy comedies, who pronounced it in a more elongated and whining tone. The staff of The Simpsons told Castellaneta to shorten the noise, and it went on to become the well-known exclamation in the television series. Groundskeeper Willie 's description of the French as " cheese-eating surrender monkeys " was used by National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg in 2003, after France's opposition to

22320-405: The political spectrum. The show portrays government and large corporations as evil entities that take advantage of the common worker. Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In The Simpsons , politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are dismissive to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent. Religion also figures as

22506-404: The possible implication that he had created or produced The Critic . He requested his name be taken off the episode. Groening is credited with writing or co-writing the episodes "Some Enchanted Evening", " The Telltale Head ", " Colonel Homer " and " 22 Short Films About Springfield ". He also co-wrote and produced The Simpsons Movie , released in 2007. He has had several cameo appearances in

22692-430: The premiere episode, " Space Pilot 3000 " (co-written with Cohen), " Rebirth " (story) and " In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela " (story). After four years on the air, the show was canceled by Fox. In a situation similar to Family Guy , however, strong DVD sales and very stable ratings on Adult Swim brought Futurama back to life. When Comedy Central began negotiating for the rights to air Futurama reruns, Fox suggested that there

22878-510: The process of inking and painting traditional animation cels , kept production costs down. Counting reissues, the film grossed $ 303 million worldwide, and when adjusted for inflation, is the twelfth-highest-grossing film in the North American box office and the second-highest-grossing animated film globally. The success of the film made Disney expand it into a media franchise , with a live-action remake released in 1996, followed by

23064-679: The proposed invasion of Iraq . The phrase quickly spread to other journalists. " Cromulent " and "embiggen", words used in " Lisa the Iconoclast ", have since appeared in the Dictionary.com 's 21st Century Lexicon, and scientific journals respectively. "Kwyjibo", a fake Scrabble word invented by Bart in " Bart the Genius ", was used as one of the aliases of the creator of the Melissa worm . "I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords",

23250-460: The proposition of working in animation on an undefined future project, which would turn out to be developing a series of short animated skits, called "bumpers", for the Fox variety show The Tracey Ullman Show . Originally, Brooks wanted Groening to adapt his Life in Hell characters for the show. Groening feared that he would have to give up his ownership rights, and that the show would fail and take down his comic strip with it. Groening conceived of

23436-450: The puppies escape through a hole in the wall, but the Baduns notice and give chase. Pongo and Perdita break into the house and confront the Baduns just as they are about to kill the puppies. While the adult dogs fight the two men, Colonel and Tibbs guide the puppies from the house. Following a happy reunion with their own puppies, Pongo and Perdita discover there are 84 more puppies with them. Shocked at Cruella's plans, they decide to adopt all

23622-455: The puppies in the old mansion and learns that Cruella intends to make them into dog-skin fur coats . After Colonel sends word back to London, Pongo and Perdita leave through a back window and begin a long cross-country journey, crossing an icy river and running through the snow toward Suffolk . Meanwhile, Tibbs overhears Cruella ordering the Baduns to kill the puppies that night out of fear the police will soon find them. In response, Tibbs helps

23808-418: The puppies, certain that Roger and Anita would never reject them. The Dalmatians start their homeward trek, pursued by the Baduns. They take shelter from a blizzard in a dairy farm with a friendly collie and three cows, then make their way to Dinsford, where they meet a Black Labrador waiting for them in a blacksmith 's shop. Cruella and the Baduns arrive, prompting Pongo to have his entire family roll in

23994-436: The puppies. When Scotland Yard is unable to find the puppies or prove Cruella was involved, Pongo and Perdita use the "Twilight Bark", a canine gossip line, to solicit help from the other dogs in London, and eventually all of England. Colonel, an Old English Sheepdog , along with his feline compatriot Sergeant Tibbs, investigate the nearby "Old De Vil Place", where puppies had been heard barking two nights earlier. Tibbs finds

24180-408: The realm of realistic drama, this is it." However, the film did receive a few negative reviews. In 2011, Craig Berman of MSNBC ranked it and its 1996 remake as two of the worst children's films of all time, saying that, "The plot itself is a bit nutty. Making a coat out of dogs? Who does that? But worse than Cruella de Vil's fashion sense is the fact that your children will definitely start asking for

24366-408: The recording process, Gerson was thought to be imitating Tallulah Bankhead , but she later disputed that she "didn't intentionally imitate her ... We both had phony English accents on top of our Southern accents and a great deal of flair. So our voices came out that way." Gerson finished her recording sessions in fourteen days. After Sleeping Beauty (1959) disappointed at the box office, Disney

24552-456: The regular main voice cast since the third season, voices recurring characters such as Moe Szyslak , Chief Wiggum , Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and Professor Frink . Shearer provides voices for Mr. Burns , Mr. Smithers , Principal Skinner , Ned Flanders , Reverend Lovejoy and formerly Dr. Hibbert . Every main cast member has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance . With one exception, episode credits list only

24738-699: The rest of the Rock Bottom Remainders (published by Coliloquy , LLC). Groening and Deborah Caplan married in 1986 and had two sons together, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe, both of whom Groening occasionally portrays as rabbits in Life in Hell . The couple divorced in 1999. In 2011, Groening married Agustina Picasso, an Argentine artist, after a four-year relationship, and became stepfather to her daughter Camila Costantini. In May 2013, Picasso gave birth to Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, named after writer Nathanael West . She joked that "his godfather

24924-479: The same period. The 1995 episode " Lisa's Wedding " takes place during Lisa's college years in the then-future year of 2010, the same year the show began airing its 22nd season , in which Lisa was still 8. Regarding the contradictory flashbacks, Selman stated that "they all kind of happened in their imaginary world." The show follows a loose and inconsistent continuity. For example, Krusty the Clown may be able to read in one episode, but not in another . However, it

25110-468: The school chalkboard, Lisa plays different solos on her saxophone (or occasionally a different instrument), and different gags accompany the family as they enter their living room to sit on the couch. The special Halloween episode has become an annual tradition. " Treehouse of Horror " first broadcast in 1990 as part of season two and established the pattern of three separate, self-contained stories in each Halloween episode. These pieces usually involve

25296-417: The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family , which consists of Homer , Marge , Bart , Lisa , and Maggie . Set in the fictional town of Springfield , it caricatures society, Western culture, television, and the human condition . The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a solicitation for a series of animated shorts with producer Brooks. He created

25482-431: The series progressed, it became more difficult for the writers to come up with a fake name and to write Moe's angry response, and the pranks were dropped as a regular joke during the fourth season. The Simpsons also often includes self-referential humor . The most common form is jokes about Fox Broadcasting. For example, the episode " She Used to Be My Girl " included a scene in which a Fox News Channel van drove down

25668-610: The series was revived at Hulu, set for a 2023 release. On January 15, 2016, it was announced that Groening was in talks with Netflix to develop a new animated series. On July 25, 2017, the series, Disenchantment , was ordered by Netflix. He described the fantasy-oriented series as originating in a sketchbook full of "fantastic creatures we couldn't do on The Simpsons ". The cast includes Abbi Jacobson , Eric Andre , and Nat Faxon . Disenchantment ran from August 17, 2018, to September 1, 2023, and consisted of 50 episodes in 5 parts. In 1993, Groening formed Bongo Comics (named after

25854-459: The series' main canon are the Treehouse of Horror episodes, which often feature the deaths of main characters. Characters who die in "regular" episodes, such as Maude Flanders , Mona Simpson and Edna Krabappel , however, stay dead. Most episodes end with the status quo being restored, though occasionally major changes will stick, such as Lisa's conversions to vegetarianism and Buddhism ,

26040-402: The show's entire history, and also function as creative consultants. Sam Simon , described by former Simpsons director Brad Bird as "the unsung hero" of the show, served as creative supervisor for the first four seasons. He was constantly at odds with Groening, Brooks and the show's production company Gracie Films and left in 1993. Before leaving, he negotiated a deal that sees him receive

26226-402: The show, with a speaking role in the episode " My Big Fat Geek Wedding ". He currently serves at The Simpsons as an executive producer and creative consultant . After spending a few years researching science fiction, Groening got together with Simpsons writer and producer David X. Cohen (known as David S. Cohen at the time) in 1997 and developed Futurama , an animated series about life in

26412-462: The show. As well as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys", Homer's lines, "Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is never try", from " Burns' Heir " ( season five , 1994) as well as "Kids are the best, Apu. You can teach them to hate the things you hate. And they practically raise themselves, what with the Internet and all", from " Eight Misbehavin' " ( season 11 , 1999), entered

26598-798: The spikes were of different lengths. The number was later limited to nine spikes, all of the same size. At the time Groening was primarily drawing in black and "not thinking that [Bart] would eventually be drawn in color" gave him spikes that appear to be an extension of his head. Lisa's physical features are generally not used in other characters; for example, in the later seasons, no character other than Maggie shares her hairline. While designing Lisa, Groening "couldn't be bothered to even think about girls' hair styles". When designing Lisa and Maggie, he "just gave them this kind of spiky starfish hair style, not thinking that they would eventually be drawn in color". Groening storyboarded and scripted every short (now known as The Simpsons shorts ), which were then animated by

26784-407: The story moves steadily toward a stark, melodramatic "chase" climax, it remains enclosed in a typical Disney frame of warm family love, human and canine." However, he later opined that the "[s]ongs are scarce, too. A few more would have braced the final starkness." Variety claimed that "While not as indelibly enchanting or inspired as some of the studio's most unforgettable animated endeavors, this

26970-404: The story, marking the first time a Disney animated film was written by one person. Disney also tasked Peet to write a detailed screenplay first before storyboarding; since Peet never learned to use a typewriter, he wrote the initial draft by hand on legal paper. The manuscript was completed and typed up within two months, after which, having received Disney's approval, Peet began storyboarding and

27156-617: The street while displaying a large "Bush Cheney 2004" banner and playing Queen 's " We Are the Champions ", in reference to the 2004 U.S. presidential election and claims of conservative bias in Fox News . The show uses catchphrases , and most of the primary and secondary characters have at least one each. Notable expressions include Homer's annoyed grunt " D'oh! ", Mr. Burns' "Excellent" and Nelson Muntz 's " Ha -ha!" Some of Bart's catchphrases, such as " ¡Ay, caramba! ", "Don't have

27342-510: The strip, the Center for Cartoon Studies commissioned a poster that was presented to Groening in honor of his work. The poster contained tribute cartoons by 22 of Groening's cartoonist friends who were influenced by Life in Hell . Life in Hell caught the attention of Hollywood writer-director-producer and Gracie Films founder James L. Brooks , who had been shown the strip by fellow producer Polly Platt . In 1985, Brooks contacted Groening with

27528-399: The studio's art director, learned a television production studio—Hurrell Productions—was using Xerography to produce television commercials featuring Disney characters. Inspired by the aesthetic, Anderson experimented with a Xerox copier to directly transfer the animators' drawings onto transparent cels , thereby eliminating the inking process. Anderson screened an animation test to Disney and

27714-486: The talk show Late Night . English comedian Ricky Gervais wrote the episode " Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife ", becoming the first celebrity both to write and guest star in the same episode. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg , writers of the film Superbad , wrote the episode " Homer the Whopper ", with Rogen voicing a character in it. At the end of 2007, the writers of The Simpsons went on strike together with

27900-468: The third of her lines but then got married and moved to New York ; Cate Bauer replaced her for the rest of the film. J. Pat O'Malley , who was a regular voice actor for the studio and one of Disney's personal favorites, got the roles of Jasper and Colonel, and also voiced several minor characters in the film. David Frankham was cast as Sergeant Tibbs in the spring of 1959 and finished his recording within three sessions from May 1959 to January 1960; he

28086-459: The voice actors, and not the characters they voice. Both Fox and the production crew wanted to keep their identities secret during the early seasons and, therefore, closed most of the recording sessions while refusing to publish photos of the recording artists. However, the network eventually revealed which roles each actor performed in the episode " Old Money ", because the producers said the voice actors should receive credit for their work. In 2003,

28272-415: The voice of Lisa Simpson , is the only cast member who regularly voices only one character, although she occasionally plays other episodic characters. The producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila believed her voice was too high, so she was given the role of Lisa instead. Cartwright

28458-445: The writers at Gracie Films for any changes to be made before the work is shipped overseas. The overseas studios then draw the inbetweens , ink and paint, and render the animation to tape before it is shipped back to the United States to be delivered to Fox three to four months later. The series began high-definition production in season 20; the first episode, " Take My Life, Please ", aired February 15, 2009. The move to HDTV included

28644-451: The year 3000. By the time they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and storylines ; Groening claimed they had gone "overboard" in their discussions. Groening described trying to get the show on the air as "by far the worst experience of [his] grown-up life." The show premiered on March 28, 1999. Groening's writing credits for the show are for

28830-423: The year the episode is produced. For example, the 1991 episodes " The Way We Was " and " I Married Marge " depict Homer and Marge as high schoolers in the 1970s who had Bart (who is always 10 years old) in the early '80s, while the 2008 episode " That '90s Show " depicts Homer and Marge as a childless couple in the '90s, and the 2021 episode " Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars " portrays Homer as an adolescent in

29016-572: Was " Radioactive Man " in 1995. Animators used digital ink and paint during production of the season 12 episode " Tennis the Menace ", but Gracie Films delayed the regular use of digital ink and paint until two seasons later. The already completed "Tennis the Menace" was broadcast as made. The production staff at the U.S. animation studio, Film Roman, draws storyboards , designs new characters, backgrounds, props and draws character and background layouts, which in turn become animatics to be screened for

29202-463: Was a bit too obvious to name a character after himself, he chose the name "Bart", an anagram of brat. However, he stresses that aside from some of the sibling rivalry, his family is nothing like the Simpsons. Groening also has an older brother and sister, Mark and Patty, and in a 1995 interview Groening divulged that Mark "is the actual inspiration for Bart." Maggie Groening has co-written a few Simpsons books featuring her cartoon namesake. The family

29388-474: Was a box-office success, grossing $ 14 million domestically in its original theatrical run. It became the first animated feature to earn over $ 10 million during its initial release, and became the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year in the North American box office and the highest-grossing animated film when reissues of films are not counted. Aside from its box-office revenue, the employment of inexpensive animation techniques, such as using xerography during

29574-477: Was a possibility of also creating new episodes. When Comedy Central committed to sixteen new episodes, it was decided that four straight-to-DVD films – Bender's Big Score (2007), The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008), Bender's Game (2008) and Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009) – would be produced. Since no new Futurama projects were in production, the movie Into the Wild Green Yonder

29760-492: Was also asked to record the part of Scottie, the Skye Terrier who appears early in the "Twilight Bark" sequence. Disney originally had Lisa Davis read for the role of Cruella De Vil, but she did not think that she was right for the part, and wanted to try reading the role of Anita instead. Disney agreed, and, after they read the script for a second time, she landed the part. Davis also provided live-action reference for

29946-406: Was also produced by Gracie Films). For Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane , " The Simpsons created an audience for prime-time animation that had not been there for many, many years ... As far as I'm concerned, they basically re-invented the wheel. They created what is in many ways—you could classify it as—a wholly new medium." One Hundred and One Dalmatians The film's plot follows

30132-422: Was charged with recording the voice-over process. Peet closely followed the plot of Smith's novel, but condensed some of its characters, which included Cruella's husband and cat, as well as Cadpig, the female runt of Pongo and Missis' puppies, whose traits were transferred to Lucky in the final film. He also merged two Dalmatian mothers, birth mother Missis and adopted mother Perdita, into one, naming her after

30318-468: Was created by David Silverman , and was the first task he did when production began on the show. The series' distinctive theme song was composed by musician Danny Elfman in 1989, after Groening approached him requesting a retro-style piece. This piece has been noted by Elfman as the most popular of his career. One of the most distinctive aspects of the opening is that three of its elements change from episode to episode: Bart writes different things on

30504-414: Was crudely drawn, because Groening had submitted basic sketches to the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead, they just traced over his drawings. The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette. When Groening originally designed Homer, he put his own initials into the character's hairline and ear: the hairline resembled an 'M', and the right ear resembled

30690-783: Was designed to stand as the Futurama series finale. However, Groening had expressed a desire to continue the Futurama franchise in some form, including as a theatrical film. In an interview with CNN, Groening said that "we have a great relationship with Comedy Central and we would love to do more episodes for them, but I don't know... We're having discussions and there is some enthusiasm but I can't tell if it's just me". Comedy Central commissioned an additional 26 new episodes, and began airing them in 2010. The show continued in to 2013, before Comedy Central announced in April 2013 that they would not be renewing it beyond its seventh season. The final episode aired on September 4, 2013. On February 9, 2022,

30876-522: Was exaggerated to match her oversized personality, and the lining was red because "there's a devil image involved". As with the previous Disney films, the actors provided live-action reference as an aid to the animators before the animation process begun. By January 1959, Mary Wickes , who had played the maid Katie in The Mickey Mouse Club serial Annette , was hired as a model for Cruella De Vil. The live-action reference for Nanny

31062-466: Was forgiven and in his opinion, maybe what I did on Dalmatians wasn't so bad. That was the last time I ever saw him. Then, a few weeks later, I learned he was gone. Marc Davis was the sole animator on Cruella De Vil. During production, Davis claimed her character was partly inspired by Bette Davis (no relation), Rosalind Russell , and Tallulah Bankhead . He took further influence from her voice actress, Betty Lou Gerson , whose cheekbones he added to

31248-460: Was going to apply the same technique to the whole picture." Along with color stylist Walt Peregoy , the two had the line drawings be printed on a separate animation cel before being laid over the background, which gave the appearance similar to the Xeroxed animation. Disney disliked the artistic look of the film and felt he was losing the "fantasy" element of his animated films. In a meeting with

31434-524: Was his prank calls to Moe's Tavern owner Moe Szyslak where he asks for a gag name . Moe tries to find that person in the bar, but soon realizes it is a prank call and angrily threatens Bart. These calls were apparently based on a series of prank calls known as the Tube Bar recordings , though Groening has denied any causal connection. Moe was based partly on Tube Bar owner Louis "Red" Deutsch , whose often profane responses inspired Moe's violent side. As

31620-458: Was losing money and there were discussions about closing down the animation department. During the film's production, Disney told animator Eric Larson : "I don't think we can continue; it's too expensive." Despite this, he still had deep feelings towards animation because he had built the company upon it. Ub Iwerks , in charge of special processes at the studio, had been experimenting with Xerox photography to aid in animation. By 1959, he used

31806-691: Was once a teacher, and his German Canadian father, Homer Philip Groening (December 30, 1919 – March 15, 1996), was a filmmaker, advertiser , writer and cartoonist. Homer, born in Main Centre, Saskatchewan , Canada, grew up in a Plautdietsch -speaking family. Groening's grandfather, Abram A. Groening, was a professor at Tabor College , a Mennonite Brethren liberal arts college in Hillsboro, Kansas , before moving to Albany College (now known as Lewis and Clark College ) in Oregon in 1930. Groening

31992-429: Was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do." Many landmarks, including street names, have connections to Portland. When producer James L. Brooks was working on the television variety show The Tracey Ullman Show , he decided to include small animated sketches before and after

32178-413: Was originally brought in to voice Lisa, but upon arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, who was described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, [and] clever". Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her

32364-422: Was picked up in 2008 by Comedy Central for another 5 years; then was finally picked up by Hulu for another revival in 2023. In 2016, Groening developed a new series for Netflix , Disenchantment , which premiered in August 2018. Groening has won 14 Primetime Emmy Awards , 12 for The Simpsons and 2 for Futurama, and a British Comedy Award for "outstanding contribution to comedy" in 2004. In 2002, he won

32550-566: Was provided by both Don Barclay and Barbara Luddy , who had voiced Lady in Lady and the Tramp (1955) and Merryweather in Sleeping Beauty (1959). Helene Stanley  – who had been a model for the titular character in Cinderella (1950) and Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (1959) – performed the live-action reference for Anita. To have music involved in

32736-752: Was raised in Portland and attended Ainsworth Elementary School and Lincoln High School . Following his high school graduation in 1972, Groening attended the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington , a liberal arts school that he described as "a hippie college, with no grades or required classes, that drew every weirdo in the Northwest." He served as the editor of the campus newspaper, The Cooper Point Journal , for which he also wrote articles and drew cartoons. He befriended fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry after discovering that she had written

32922-540: Was ranked fourth (and highest American by birth) in a list of the "top 100 living geniuses", published by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph . He was awarded the Inkpot Award in 1988. He received the 2,459th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 14, 2012. The Simpsons The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company . Developed by Groening, James L. Brooks , and Sam Simon ,

33108-558: Was re-released for HD digital download and on Blu-ray as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection. In its initial release, One Hundred and One Dalmatians received acclaim from critics, many of whom hailed it as the studio's best release since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and the closest to a real "Disney" film in many years. Howard Thompson of The New York Times wrote, "While

33294-518: Was re-released on VHS and LaserDisc on March 9, 1999, as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection for a limited 101-day time period. The DVD edition was originally scheduled for release in the spring of that year, but was delayed until November 11; it was released as a Walt Disney Limited Issue for a limited 60-day time period before going into moratorium . By 2007, One Hundred and One Dalmatians underwent

33480-408: Was re-released theatrically in the United States in 1969, 1979, 1985, and 1991. During its first re-release in 1969, it earned $ 15 million. In 1979, it grossed $ 19 million while playing on a double bill with another Disney film The Last Flight of Noah's Ark , and in its 1985 theatrical re-release, the film earned $ 32 million. During its fourth re-release in 1991, it grossed $ 60.8 million, becoming

33666-423: Was soon resolved and, from 1998 to 2004, they were paid $ 125,000 per episode. The show's revenue continued to rise through syndication and DVD sales, and in April 2004 the main cast stopped appearing for script readings, demanding they be paid $ 360,000 per episode. The strike was resolved a month later and their salaries were increased to something between $ 250,000 and $ 360,000 per episode. In 2008, production for

33852-633: Was the first animated feature to earn more than $ 10 million on its initial release, as well as the most popular film of the year in France, with admissions of 14.7 million ranking tenth on their all-time list. The box-office success of One Hundred and One Dalmatians allowed to pull the studio's animation department out of the financial slump caused by the underperformance of Sleeping Beauty two years prior; despite this, it did nothing to rekindle Disney's fading interest in animation, with him being more focused on working on Disneyland and producing live-action films by then. One Hundred and One Dalmatians

34038-405: Was the first full-length episode produced, but it did not broadcast until May 1990, as the last episode of the first season, because of animation problems. The series quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, to the surprise of many. Groening said: "Nobody thought The Simpsons was going to be a big hit. It sneaked up on everybody." The Simpsons was co-developed by Groening, Brooks, and Sam Simon ,

34224-505: Was to compose "Cruella De Vil," of which Leven composed three versions. The final version used in the film was composed as a "bluesy number" before a meeting with Walt in forty-five minutes. The other two songs included in the film are "Kanine Krunchies Jingle" (sung by Lucille Bliss , who voiced Anastasia Tremaine in Disney's 1950 film Cinderella ), and "Dalmatian Plantation" in which Roger sings only two lines at its closure. Leven had also written additional songs that were not included in

34410-399: Was ultimately cut short and rewritten to have Dalmatians reunite with their owners after they escape from Cruella. Although Disney had not been as involved in the production of the animated films as frequently as in previous years, he was always present at story meetings. When Peet sent Dodie Smith some drawings of the characters, she wrote back saying that he had improved her story and that

34596-588: Was used by Kent Brockman in " Deep Space Homer " and has become a snowclone , with variants of the utterance used to express obsequious submission. It has been used in media, such as New Scientist magazine. The dismissive term " Meh ", believed to have been popularized by the show, entered the Collins English Dictionary in 2008. Other words credited as stemming from the show include "yoink" and "craptacular". The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations includes several quotations from

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