The
Evolution of
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Matt
Groening is the genius behind The Simpsons. Matt started out as
your basic strip cartoonist and created the Simpsons for the Tracy
Ulman show back in the 80's. The original skits were a far cry from
the Simpsons of today and far crude both in their appearance and
behavior. As the format expanded, the cast developed into the family
we know and love. |
Homer
J. Simpson
 
| Homer is the father of
the family. He works in Mr. Burns' nuclear plant as a safety technician
after passing the specialized training course on his third attempt.
Once during a strike, Homer's critical functions could be filled
only by a brick placed on a lever. Homer was also voted Springfield
Nuclear Power Plant Toxic Waste Handler of the Month in October
of 1990. He spends his time eating donuts, watching television and
acting stupid. He still has a father living in a retirement home
who is almost as stupid as his son. Typical quotes from Homer: "D'oh!
", "Mmmmmm... donuts (or fill in an edible, or even a non edible
items)."
A devoted husband, Homer
leaves his wife with few complaints. When pressed however, Marge
did once acknowledge to a marriage counselor that Homer "forgets
birthdays, anniversaries, holidays (both religious and secular),
chews with his mouth open, hangs out at a seedy bar with bums
and low life's, blows his nose in the towels and puts them back
in the middle, and scratches himself with his keys." Despite these
few foibles, Homer loves his family, and he'll do just about anything
to prove it--even if that means making himself look foolish. Homer's
favorite book and/or pamphlet is "So, You've Decided to Steal
Cable," which also happens to be the most recent book and/or pamphlet
he has read. When he's not reading, Homer enjoys drinking beer,
at home or in a bar. His favorite haunts include Moe's Tavern,
Greasy Joe's Bar-B-Q Pit, Gulp 'N' Blow, and The Frying Dutchman,
which he almost put out of business on its "All You Can Eat Night."
Since then, Homer's picture has hung in the restaurant, where
he's known as "Bottomless Pete: Nature's Cruelest Mistake." Sometimes
frustrated at being fat and bald, Homer enjoys flashbacks now
and again, which show him fat with a full head of hair. Two things,
though, always remain constant for Homer, no matter what happens
to him: his happy-go-lucky nature and his love for Marge and his
kids.
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Marge
Simpson-Bouvier
| Marge is the mother of
the humble abode. She loves her family, works like no mother has
worked before and has two gruesome sisters, Patty and Selma. Typical
quote: "Mmmmmm...." Marge's responsibilities include Homer Snuggling,
Cupcake Baking, Over-Worrying, Perpetual Cleaning, TV Violence Crusading,
Diaper Changing and Unbearable Mothering. Marge is the putty that
just barely holds the Simpson family together week after week. By
sensibly drawing the line at such frivolous expenses as an electric
garage door opener and changes of clothing for her children, Marge
manages to stretch Homer's modest salary to cover the tremendous
costs incurred by a family of the '90's: Homer's beer and donut
supply, and such necessary expenses as his recent day trip to India
to meet the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart Corporation. Marge's one extravagance
is having her tall blue hair done twice a day. Her hair does come
in handy, however, as it enables the Simpsons to locate one another
easily when they visit an amusement park or zoo. |
Lisa
Simpson
| Lisa Simpson is the neglected
one in the family. Politically correct prodigy for the following:
Pony rights, Vegetarianism, The Corey Hotline, Longer school days
Against: Meat, Universal Injustice, Malibu Stacey, Whacking Day,
Laramie Cigarettes Mentor: The late Bleeding Gums Murphy. Lisa Simpson
takes after both her parents: she has Marge's common sense, hard
work ethic and sympathy for others; she has Homer's last name. Lisa's
enormous intelligence and moral authority place her in a unique
position in the Simpson family -- and, for that matter, Springfield
at large. Each parents' night at Springfield Elementary, Homer and
Marge fight to meet with Lisa's teachers rather than Bart's on the
theory that being offered a tin of cookies as thanks is less "upsetting"
and "costly" than reviewing quarterly property damage assessments
for melted playground equipment. This second grader also plays the
saxophone with the virtuosity, if not stubble, of Springfield's
late blues great, Bleeding Gums Murphy. For the record, Lisa says
she watches TV only for "The MacNeil-Lehrer Report" -- particularly
since it expanded to one hour -- and any Masterpiece Theatre serialization
of wordy British novels. In truth, however, she is always willing
to interrupt a piercing MacNeil-Lehrer round table whenever her
beloved "Itchy and Scratchy" cartoons are on TV. Her deep love for
cartoon characters proves that, no matter how precocious she may
be, Lisa is still a Simpson. |
Bart Simpson
| Bart is a 10-year old disaster.
Hates: school, going to church, growing up, writing blackboard punishments,
Ms. Krabappel (teacher), Principal Skinner, the Flanders family
(their neighbors), Sideshow Bob. Loves: Krusty the Klown, Itchy
and Scratchy, skateboarding, singing perverted songs, and anything
that's prohibited by law. Typical quotes: "Ay, carumba!", "Cool!"
Bart is the most misunderstood Simpson. He is constantly frustrated
by the narrow-minded people of Springfield who judge him merely
by his thoughts and actions. At heart, he's just a good kid with
a few bad ideas and one or two that are still being reviewed by
the Springfield district attorney. Basically, Bart is no different
from any ordinary fourth grader. He enjoys skateboarding, bubble
gum, caring for his pet elephant, appearing on the "Conan O'Brien
Show" and single-handedly bringing a homicidal TV sidekick to justice,
twice. Bart rides an academic roller coaster, his grades running
the loop-the-loop from F to D-, and back again. But he can be ingenious
when the chips are down -- as long as his ingenuity is never applied
to anything school-related. He even learned portions of the Talmud
to help reunite his idol, Krusty the Clown, with Krusty's father,
Rabbi Krustofsky. Perhaps more than anything else, Bart's first
words as a baby provide a window onto his character: "Aye, Carumba!"
-- as true today as they were when first uttered. |
Maggie
Simpson
| What can you say? Suck!
Suck! Maggie is probably the most intelligent of the Simpson family.
She shot Mr. Burns. |
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With all of their changes,
they all came and fit together to make America's most ideal family...
The Simpsons.
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