matt gray born february american cartoonist writer producer animator voice actor creator comic strip life hell television series simpsons present simpsons gone longest running primetime television series history longest running animated series sitcom professional cartoon sale life hell avant garde wet magazine peak cartoon carried weekly newspapers life hell caught attention brooks contacted proposition working animation fox variety originally brooks wanted adapt life hell characters fearing loss ownership rights decided create new came cartoon family simpson family named members parents sisters word shorts spun series simpsons aired episodes simpsons writer developed animated series life year premiered running years fox picked additional seasons won primetime emmy awards simpsons british comedy award outstanding contribution comedy won society work life hell received star february early life born february portland oregon middle children older brother mark sister born younger sisters lisa respectively norwegian american mother née march april teacher german american father december march filmmaker writer cartoonist homer born main centre canada grew family matt grandfather professor liberal arts college kansas moving known lewis oregon grew portland attended attended washington liberal arts school described college grades required classes drew northwest served editor campus newspaper wrote articles drew cartoons befriended fellow cartoonist discovering written fan letter favorite authors received reply credited barry probably biggest inspiration interested cartoons watching disney animated film cited creator inspirations career early career age moved los_angeles writer went described series jobs including extra television movie day fourth july tables washing dishes nursing home record store landscaping sewage treatment plant retired western director life hell described life los_angeles friends form self published comic book life hell loosely inspired chapter hell book critique religion philosophy distributed comic book book corner record store worked professional cartoon sale avant garde wet magazine strip titled appeared september october issue year gained employment newly formed alternative newspaper delivering papers editing answering phones showed cartoons editor impressed eventually gave spot paper life hell official debut comic strip reader april gave weekly music column column rarely actually music write pet problems instead effort add music column stuff reviewing fictional bands non existent records following week column confess previous column swear new column true eventually finally asked music column fans column later voice simpsons life hell popular immediately november girlfriend worker reader offered publish love hell series relationship themed life hell strips book form released month later book underground success selling copies work hell soon followed published soon afterward left life hell handled merchandising life hell started syndicated life hell life hell end run life hell carried weekly newspapers series books including school hell childhood hell big book hell huge book hell stated comic strip foundation announced june strip mark life hell conclusion ended strip commissioned poster presented honor work poster contained tribute cartoons cartoonist friends influenced life hell simpsons creation life hell caught eye hollywood writer producer founder shown strip fellow producer brooks contacted proposition working animation future project turn developing series short animated called fox variety originally brooks wanted adapt life hell characters feared ownership rights fail comic strip conceived idea simpsons lobby office version dysfunctional family homer overweight father slim mother oldest child lisa intelligent middle child baby famously named main simpson characters members family parents homer margaret younger sisters lisa margaret claiming bit obvious character chose stresses aside sibling rivalry family like simpsons older brother sister mark interview mark actual inspiration written simpsons books featuring cartoon namesake family drawn submitted basic sketches animators assuming clean instead traced drawings entire simpson family designed recognizable silhouette originally designed homer initials character ear resembled right ear resembled decided distracting redesigned ear look normal draws ear draws pictures homer fans distinct inspired style wore 1960s hair blue original design appeared shorts hair spikes different lengths number later limited spikes size time primarily drawing black thinking eventually drawn color gave spikes appear extension head lisa physical features generally characters example later seasons character shares designing lisa couldn bothered think girls hair styles designing lisa gave kind hair style thinking eventually drawn color scripted short known simpsons shorts animated team including later directors series simpsons shorts appeared april family member introduced later shorts years later early seasons simpsons came time says refused grandfather leaving writers choose coincidence chose unaware grandfather half hour big hit popularity shorts led half hour spin team production companies adapted simpsons half hour series team included animation house negotiated provision contract fox network prevented fox interfering content said goal creating offer audience alternative called mainstream trash watching half hour series premiered december simpsons open fire christmas special enchanted evening length episode produced broadcast episode season animation problems series quickly worldwide phenomenon surprise said thought simpsons going big hit everybody simpsons developed brooks writer producer brooks worked previous projects simon conflict described relationship contentious simon eventually left creative differences like main family members characters names inspired people locations films police chief mother maiden names characters taken major street names hometown portland oregon including despite common fan belief named portland actually named character film fingers pitched number spin offs simpsons attempts unsuccessful simpsons producers pitched live action spin playing lead role unsuccessful getting ground pitched young homer spin non simpsons citizens springfield got major disagreement brooks simpsons producers star burns crossover episode critic animated produced brooks staffed simpsons crew members claimed feared viewers attempt advertise critic expense simpsons concerned possible created produced critic requested taken episode credited writing writing episodes enchanted evening head colonel homer short films springfield released cameo appearances speaking role episode big fat geek wedding currently serves simpsons executive producer creative consultant spending years researching science fiction got simpsons writer producer known time developed animated series life year time pitched series fox april composed characters storylines claimed gone overboard discussions described trying air far worst experience grown life premiered march writing credits premiere episode space pilot written rebirth story story years air canceled fox situation similar strong dvd sales stable ratings brought life began negotiating rights air fox suggested possibility creating new episodes committed sixteen new episodes decided straight dvd films beast billion backs game wild green produced new projects production movie wild green designed stand series finale expressed desire continue franchise form including theatrical film interview cnn said great relationship love episodes don know having discussions enthusiasm tell comedy central commissioned additional new episodes began airing continued announced april seventh season final episode aired september pursuits formed named character life hell publishes comic books based simpsons including infinitely secret crossover crisis crossover original titles according goal try bring humor fairly grim comic book market formed imprint published comics mature readers included issues seven issues close friend comics known eclectic taste music favorite band mothers invention favorite album captain produced guest edited press best music writing tomorrow parties music festival illustrated cover posthumous album music frank memorial tribute edition tomorrow parties england plays drums author rock roll band rock listed player members include july authored hard listening rest published january announced talks develop new animated series considering giving series season order totalling episodes personal life married sons homer goes occasionally portrays rabbits life hell couple divorced thirteen years marriage married artist year relationship stepfather daughter gave birth named writer joked godfather creator matt brother law hey arnold creator married sister lisa arnold appear identifies liberal campaign contributions democratic_party candidates cousin member senate representing eastern filmography film television video games music video crew member awards nominated emmy awards won simpsons outstanding animated program programming hour category received society nominated award received british comedy award outstanding contribution comedy ranked fourth highest american birth list living published british newspaper daily_telegraph received star february
Matt Groening