Editing Matt Groening (section)

===''The Simpsons''===
{{Main|The Simpsons}}

====Creation====
[[File:Simpsons on Tracey Ullman.png|thumb|upright=1.25|right |alt=A cartoon drawing of a family, with a baby, two children, and two parents. They are dressed in casual and formal clothing, and have yellow skin.|The design of the Simpson family, circa 1987]]
''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]].{{sfnp|Ortved|2007 |p=71}}<ref name="script">{{cite web|title=Keep 'em Laughing |date=October 1999 |last=Kim |first=John W. |work=Scr(i)pt |url=http://www.snpp.com/other/interviews/groening99d.html |access-date=January 14, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526133854/http://www.snpp.com/other/interviews/groening99d.html |archive-date=May 26, 2007}}</ref> In 1985, Brooks contacted Groening with the proposition of working in animation on an undefined future project,<ref name="prodigy"/> 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.<ref name="americasfirstfamily"/> Groening conceived of 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 Simpson|Homer]], the overweight father; [[Marge Simpson|Marge]], the slim mother; [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], the miscreant oldest child; [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]], the intelligent middle child; and [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]], the baby.<ref name="americasfirstfamily"/>{{sfnp|Scott|2001}}<ref>{{cite video |people=Rose, Charlie (Host, Executive producer) |date=July 30, 2007 |title=Charlie Rose:A Conversation About The Simpsons Movie |url=http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/8620 |medium=Television production |publisher=Charlie Rose, Inc. |access-date=July 31, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201065956/http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/8620 |archive-date=December 1, 2008}}</ref> Groening famously named the main Simpson characters after members of his own family: his parents, Homer and Marge (for Groening's mother it was short for Margaret and the cartoon character Marge is short for Marjorie), and his younger sisters, Lisa and Margaret (Maggie). Claiming that it was a bit too obvious to name a character after himself, he chose the name "Bart", an anagram of brat.<ref name="americasfirstfamily">{{cite video |people=BBC |date=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-date=February 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211081722/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250735/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="radiotimes">{{cite web |last=Duncan |first=Andrew |title=Matt Groening |work=[[Radio Times]] |url=http://www.snpp.com/other/interviews/groening99c.html |date=September 18–24, 1999 |access-date=September 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010209125833/http://snpp.com/other/interviews/groening99c.html |archive-date=February 9, 2001}}</ref> However, he stresses that aside from some of the sibling rivalry, his family is nothing like the Simpsons.{{sfnp|Turner|2004}} 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."{{sfnp|Paul|1995}} 

Maggie Groening has co-written a few ''Simpsons'' books featuring her cartoon namesake.<ref name="msu">{{cite web |title=Index to Comic Art Collection: "Gro" to "Groenne" |work=Michigan State University Libraries |url=http://comics.lib.msu.edu/rri/grri/groan.htm |access-date=September 4, 2007 |archive-date=July 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720005451/http://comics.lib.msu.edu/rri/grri/groan.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

====''The Tracey Ullman Show''====
The family 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.<ref name="americasfirstfamily"/> The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette.<ref>Groening, Matt. (2005). Commentary for "[[Fear of Flying (The Simpsons)|Fear of Flying]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> 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 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.{{sfnp|Groening|2001b |p=90}} Marge's distinct [[Beehive (hair)|beehive]] hairstyle was inspired by ''[[Bride of Frankenstein]]'' and the style that Margaret Groening wore during the 1960s, although her hair was never blue.<ref name="real people"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Solomon |first=Deborah |author-link=Deborah Solomon |title=Screen Dreams |work=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |date=July 22, 2007 |page=15 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/magazine/22wwln-Q4-t.html |access-date=October 31, 2008 |archive-date=November 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108004049/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/magazine/22wwln-Q4-t.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Bart's original design, which appeared in the first shorts, had spikier hair, and the spikes were of different lengths. The number was later limited to nine spikes, all of the same size.<ref>[[David Silverman (animator)|Silverman, David]]; [[Wes Archer|Archer, Wes]]. (2004). Illustrated commentary for "[[Treehouse of Horror IV]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> 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.<ref>[[Mike B. Anderson|Anderson, Mike B.]]; Groening, Matt; [[Pete Michels|Michels, Pete]]; [[Yeardley Smith|Smith, Yeardley]]. (2006). "A Bit From the Animators", Illustrated Commentary for "[[All Singing, All Dancing]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Ninth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> 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.<ref>Groening, Matt; Reiss, Mike; Kirkland, Mark. (2002). Commentary for "[[Principal Charming]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> While designing Lisa, Groening "couldn't be bothered to even think about girls' hair styles".<ref name=THOHV>Silverman, David; Reardon, Jim; Groening, Matt. (2005). Illustrated commentary for "[[Treehouse of Horror V]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> 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".<ref>Groening, Matt. (2006). "A Bit From the Animators", illustrated commentary for "All Singing, All Dancing", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Ninth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Groening storyboarded and scripted every short (now known as ''[[The Simpsons shorts]]''), which were then animated by a team including David Silverman and Wes Archer, both of whom would later become directors on the series.<ref name="silverman">{{cite web|title=The David Silverman Interview |last=Heintjes |work=Hogan's Alley |url=http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/silverman.asp |access-date=January 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102052143/http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/silverman.asp |archive-date=January 2, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Simpsons shorts first appeared in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' on April 19, 1987.{{sfnp|Groening|1997|p=14}} 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 a name. By coincidence, they chose "Abraham", unaware that it was the name of Groening's grandfather.<ref name="oldmoney">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2002 |title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "Old Money" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

====Half-hour====
Although ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' was not a big hit,{{sfnp|Ortved|2007 |p=72}} 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 a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/?id=568&IssueNum=32 |title=3rd Degree: Harry Shearer |access-date=September 1, 2006 |author=Kuipers, Dean |date=April 15, 2004 |publisher=Los Angeles: City Beat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308105912/http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/?id=568&IssueNum=32 |archive-date=March 8, 2008 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> 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.<ref name="toonterrific">{{cite magazine |first=Ken |last=Tucker |title=Toon Terrific |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=March 12, 1993 |page=48(3)}}</ref> The half-hour series premiered on December 17, 1989, with "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]", a [[Christmas special]].<ref name=officialsite2>[http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0101.htm "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730163543/http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0101.htm |date=July 30, 2008 }} ''The Simpsons.com''. Retrieved on February 5, 2007</ref> "[[Some Enchanted Evening (The Simpsons)|Some Enchanted Evening]]" 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.<ref>{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2001 |title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "Some Enchanted Evening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

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."{{sfnp|Lloyd|1999}} ''The Simpsons'' was co-developed by Groening, Brooks, and [[Sam Simon]], a writer-producer with whom Brooks had worked on previous projects. Groening and Simon, however, did not get along{{sfnp|Ortved|2007 |p=72}} and were often in conflict over the show;{{sfnp|Morgenstern|1990}} Groening once described their relationship as "very contentious."{{sfnp|Scott|2001}} Simon eventually left the show in 1993 over creative differences.<ref name="ew">{{cite magazine |title=Conan on being left out of "Simpsons Movie" |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20046980,00.html |last=Snierson |first=Dan |date=July 18, 2007 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020044407/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20046980%2C00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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]] is Groening's mother's maiden name.{{sfnp|Groening|2001b |pp=90–91}} The names of [[List of characters from The Simpsons|a few other characters]] were taken from street names in Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon, including [[Ned Flanders|Flanders]], [[Reverend Lovejoy|Lovejoy]], [[Herb Powell|Powell]], [[Mayor Quimby|Quimby]] and [[List of Springfield Elementary School students#Kearney Zzyzwicz|Kearney]].<ref name="vancouversun">{{cite web|title=Painting the town in Portland |date=January 6, 2007 |last=Blake |first=Joseph |work=The Vancouver Sun |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=f90268d8-6a5b-438d-9509-f03ecff27cc1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214080316/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=f90268d8-6a5b-438d-9509-f03ecff27cc1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 14, 2007 |access-date=January 13, 2007 }}</ref> Despite common fan belief that [[Sideshow Bob|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]]''.<ref name="mtv">{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml |title='Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers |access-date=August 17, 2007 |date=July 26, 2007 |author=Larry Carroll |publisher=MTV |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220140402/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml |archive-date=December 20, 2007}}</ref>

Although Groening has pitched 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.<ref name=avclub/><ref name="npr">From a radio interview with Groening that aired on the [https://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=22-Apr-98 April 22, 1998 edition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025093431/http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=22-Apr-98 |date=October 25, 2013 }} of ''[[Fresh Air]]'' on [[National Public Radio|NPR]]. [https://www.npr.org/ramfiles/fa/19980422.fa.ram Link to stream] (''13 minutes, 21 seconds in'')</ref> Groening has also pitched "Young Homer" and a spin-off about the non-Simpsons citizens of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]].<ref name=shortfilms>{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt; Oakley, Bill;, Weinstein, Josh; Appel, Richard; Cohen, David; Pulido, Rachel; Smith, Yeardley; Reardon, Jim; Silverman, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Seventh Season DVD commentary for the episode "22 Short Films About Springfield" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

In 1995, Groening got into a major disagreement with Brooks and other ''Simpsons'' producers over "[[A Star Is Burns]]", a [[fictional crossover|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 the possible implication that he had created or produced ''The Critic''.{{sfnp|Paul|1995}} He requested his name be taken off the episode.<ref name="latimes">{{cite web|title=Matt Groening's Reaction to The Critic's First Appearance on The Simpsons |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://www.critic.nohomers.net/Special_Extras_Matt_Groening_Reaction.html |last=Brennan |first=Judy |date=March 3, 1995 |access-date=September 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070831075427/http://critic.nohomers.net/Special_Extras_Matt_Groening_Reaction.html |archive-date=August 31, 2007}}</ref>

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.<ref name="variety">{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2006/film/features/homer-going-to-bat-in-07-1117940840/ |title=Homer going to bat in '07 |access-date=July 3, 2006 |author=Fleming, Michael |date=April 2, 2006 |magazine=Variety |archive-date=October 29, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061029045609/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940840.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> He has had several [[cameo appearance]]s in 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]].