Editing Grampa Simpson (section)

==Character==
===Creation===
[[Matt Groening]], creator of ''The Simpsons'', wanted to have a character that was "really cranky" and old, and who complained a lot and invented stories to tell to children, so he created Grampa.<ref name=tvguide/> After naming the main characters after his own family members (except for [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], an anagram of "brat", which he substituted for his own name),<ref name="americasfirstfamily">{{cite video |people=BBC |year=2000 |title=The Simpsons: America's First Family (6 minute edit for the season 1 DVD) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250735/ |format=DVD |location=UK |publisher=20th Century Fox |access-date=June 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211081722/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250735/ |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Groening refused to name Grampa after his grandfather, Abraham Groening. He left it to the writers to choose a name and they ironically chose "Abraham", although not knowing that it was also the name of Groening's grandfather.<ref name="oldmoney">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |year=2002 |title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode 'Old Money' |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Grampa first appeared in the [[The Simpsons shorts|Simpsons short]] "Grandpa and the Kids", which premiered on ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' on January 10, 1988. In the short, Grampa tells his grandchildren stories of "the good old days". When they stop paying attention to him, he feigns his own death to recapture their attention.<ref>{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/14 14–15] |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} |title-link=The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family}}</ref>

''The Simpsons'' writer [[Al Jean]] commented that Grampa is often the focus of pointed jokes about old people. He said the reason for that is because the staff is trying to illustrate how society mistreats the elderly, "and some of it is because people over 55 never watch our show".<ref name=tvguide>{{cite news |title=Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves |date=October 21, 2000 |work=[[TV Guide]] |author=Rhodes, Joe}}</ref> [[Bill Oakley]] and [[Josh Weinstein]], former writers on the show, said that they liked to write episodes about Grampa because they are "obsessed" with old people.<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |year=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Weinstein commented that they "both love [old people] and seem to really hate them at the same time".<ref name="Weinstein">{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |year=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> He also said that he "enjoys" writing for characters such as Grampa and Mr. Burns because of their "out-datedness", and because he gets to use dictionaries for looking up "old time slang".<ref>{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |year=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode 'Team Homer' |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

===Voice===
[[File:Dan Castellaneta 2.jpg|thumb|[[Dan Castellaneta]] voices Grampa and several other recurring characters]]

Grampa's voice is performed by [[Dan Castellaneta]], who also voices numerous other characters, including [[Homer Simpson]], [[Krusty the Clown]], [[Barney Gumble]], [[Groundskeeper Willie]], [[Mayor Quimby]] and [[Hans Moleman]]. Castellaneta was part of the regular cast of ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' and had previously done some voice-over work in Chicago alongside his wife [[Deb Lacusta]].<ref name="The Age">{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064146568.html |title=D'oh, you're the voice |access-date=September 21, 2008 |date=February 27, 2003 |author=Lee, Luaine |work=[[The Age]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102224412/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064146568.html |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Castellaneta likes to stay in character during recording sessions,<ref name="Tribune">{{cite news|url=http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jun/23/voice-homer-simpson-leads-his-own-simple-life/ |title=Voice of Homer Simpson leads his own, simple life |author=Morrow, Terry |access-date=September 5, 2008 |date=June 23, 2007 |work=[[The Albuquerque Tribune]]|publisher=Scripps Howard News Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012024317/http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jun/23/voice-homer-simpson-leads-his-own-simple-life/ |archive-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref> and tries to visualize a scene in his mind so that he can give the proper voice to it.<ref>Castellaneta, Dan. (2005). Commentary for "[[Homer the Great]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> The episode "[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]" ([[The Simpsons season 6|season six]], 1994) featured many interactions between Grampa and Homer, so Castellaneta therefore had to talk to himself when he recorded the voices for that episode.<ref name=Mirkin>{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |year=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Castellaneta said it is hard for him to do Grampa's voice because it is "wheezy and airy".<ref>{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |year=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>