Editing Homer Simpson (section)

=== Creation ===
[[File:Matt Groening by Gage Skidmore -retouch.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Matt Groening]] (''pictured in 2009'') conceived Homer in 1987.|alt=A man in glasses and a plaid shirt sits in front of a microphone.]]
[[Matt Groening]] first conceived Homer and the rest of the [[Simpson family]] in 1987 while waiting in the lobby of producer [[James L. Brooks]]'s office.<ref name="p299">{{cite web | last=Thielman | first=Sam | title=Happy Birthd'oh!: ''The Simpsons'' Celebrates 30 Years of Cultural Milestones | website=[[The Guardian]] | date=April 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203044608/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/apr/19/the-simpsons-birthday-30-years-fox-history |archive-date=December 3, 2024 |url-status=live | url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/apr/19/the-simpsons-birthday-30-years-fox-history | access-date=November 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="k770">{{cite web | last=Bianculli | first=David | title=Simpson's Creator Matt Groening | publisher=[[NPR]] | date=February 14, 2003 | url=https://www.npr.org/2003/02/14/1162008/simpsons-creator-matt-groening | access-date=November 24, 2024 | archive-date=December 1, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201144554/https://www.npr.org/2003/02/14/1162008/simpsons-creator-matt-groening | url-status=live }}</ref> Groening was invited to pitch a series of animated shorts for ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' and initially planned to adapt his comic strip, ''[[Life in Hell]]''. Upon realizing that adapting the strip would require him to relinquish [[publication right]]s, he quickly decided to create something new.<ref name="a529">{{cite web | last=Cohen | first=Ivan | title=The 12 Most Unexpected Spinoffs in TV History | website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] | date=November 29, 2016 | url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/11/the-most-unexpected-spinoffs-in-tv-history.html | access-date=November 24, 2024 | archive-date=December 7, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207183931/https://www.vulture.com/2016/11/the-most-unexpected-spinoffs-in-tv-history.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Groening hastily sketched a concept for a [[dysfunctional family]],{{sfn|Sito|2006|p=305}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=It's a Family Affair?|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=July 1990|page=67|volume=6|issue=4}}</ref> naming the characters after members of his own family.{{sfn|Fink|2019|p=21}}<ref name="k983">{{cite web | last=Day | first=Patrick Kevin | title=Matt Groening's mom dies; maiden name Wiggum, she inspired Marge Simpson | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | url-access=subscription | date=May 7, 2013 | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-matt-groening-mom-marge-simpson-dies-20130507-story.html | access-date=December 21, 2024 | archive-date=May 20, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520081916/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-matt-groening-mom-marge-simpson-dies-20130507-story.html | url-status=live }}</ref> Groening named Homer after [[Homer Groening|his father]], who himself had been named after [[Homer|the ancient Greek poet]].<ref name="y744">{{cite web | title=''Simpsons'' creator reveals the real Springfield | work=[[Reuters]] | date=April 11, 2012 | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/simpsons-creator-reveals-the-real-springfield-idUSBRE8391FZ/ | access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref>{{sfn|Arras|2018|p=214}}{{sfn|Janak|Blum|2013|p=82}} Very little of Homer's character was inspired by Groening's father, and to emphasize that the significance of the name was minimal, Groening later named his own son Homer.<ref>{{cite news|first=Joseph|last=Rose|author-link=Joseph Rose (journalist)|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2003818762_realsimpsons030.html |title=The real people behind Homer Simpson and family |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |publisher=Oregonian Media Group|location=Portland, Oregon|date=August 3, 2007 |access-date=April 15, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103120252/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2003818762_realsimpsons030.html |archive-date=January 3, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Elizabeth|last=Kolbert|author-link=Elizabeth Kolbert|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE4DD1239F936A15751C0A965958260 |title=Matt Groening; The Fun of Being Bart's Real Dad |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 25, 1993|access-date=September 3, 2008 }}</ref> Groening explained, "Homer originated with my goal to both amuse my real father, and just annoy him a little bit. My father was an athletic, creative, intelligent filmmaker and writer, and the only thing he had in common with Homer was a love of donuts".<ref name="f393">{{cite magazine | last=Snierson | first=Dan | title=''The Simpsons'': Matt Groening and Dan Castellaneta on EW's Greatest Character, Homer Simpson | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=June 9, 2010 | url=https://ew.com/article/2010/06/09/simpsons-matt-groening-dan-castellaneta-greatest-character-homer-simpson/ | access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref><ref name="d847">{{cite web | last=Moore | first=Sam | title=''The Simpsons'': 10 real-life inspirations behind the show's best-loved characters | website=[[NME]] | date=December 6, 2019 | url=https://www.nme.com/features/tv-features/the-simpsons-real-life-inspirations-behind-characters-springfield-2584343 | access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref>

While Groening has often mentioned that Homer was named after his father, he has also stated in some interviews that the character Homer Simpson from [[Nathanael West]]'s 1939 novel ''[[The Day of the Locust]]'' and [[The Day of the Locust (film)|its 1975 film adaptation]] was an inspiration.<ref>{{cite news |first=Rip|last=Rense|author-link=Rip Rense|title=Laughing With ''The Simpsons''&nbsp;– The animated TV series shows us what's so funny about trying to be normal |newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |publisher=Entertainment News Service|date=April 13, 1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Paul|last=Andrews|title=Groening's Bart Simpson an animated alter ego|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-10-16/features/9002190671_1_matt-groening-homer-simpson-animation|work=[[Sun-Sentinel|South Florida Sun-Sentinel]]|date=October 16, 1990|access-date=January 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112042528/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-10-16/features/9002190671_1_matt-groening-homer-simpson-animation|archive-date=January 12, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a 2012 interview with the [[Smithsonian Magazine]], Groening clarified, "I took that name from a minor character in the novel ''The Day of the Locust''{{nbsp}}[...] Since Homer was my father's name, and I thought Simpson was a funny name in that it had the word "simp" in it, which is short for "simpleton"—I just went with it".<ref name="k102">{{cite web | title=Matt Groening Reveals the Location of the Real Springfield | website=[[Smithsonian Magazine]] | date=April 30, 2012 | url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/matt-groening-reveals-the-location-of-the-real-springfield-60583379/ | access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> Homer's middle initial "J", which stands for "Jay",{{sfn|Groening|2010|pp=480, 1096}}<ref>{{cite episode |title=D'oh-in' in the Wind |episode-link=D'oh-in' in the Wind |series=The Simpsons |credits=Cary, Donick; Kirkland, Mark; Nastuk, Matthew (writers)|network=Fox |airdate=November 15, 1998|season=10 |number=06}}</ref> is a nod to animated characters like [[Bullwinkle J. Moose]] and [[Rocket J. Squirrel]] from ''[[The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show]]'', whose middle initial was a tribute to series creator [[Jay Ward]].{{sfn|Heerden|2015|p=214}}<ref name="x978">{{cite web | last=Bibby | first=Daniel | title=Bart & Homer Simpson's Names Subtly Honor Another Classic Cartoon | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=February 11, 2024 | url=https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-honors-rocky-bullwinkle-character-names/ | access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> Homer first appeared alongside the Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' [[The Simpsons shorts|short]] "[[Good Night (The Simpsons short)|Good Night]]".{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997|p=14}}{{sfn|Ott|2008|p=83}} On December 17, 1989, these shorts were developed into ''The Simpsons'', a half-hour series on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company]],{{sfn|Groening|2010|p=25}}{{sfn|Fink|2019|p=181}} where Homer and the Simpson family became the central characters.<ref name="b306">{{cite web | last=Gunning | first=Cathal | title=''The Simpsons'' Season 35 Finally Addressed One Of The Show's Biggest Mysteries | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=October 9, 2023 | url=https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-season-35-characters-age-mystery/ | access-date=November 26, 2024 | archive-date=September 15, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915224608/https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-season-35-characters-age-mystery/ | url-status=live }}</ref>