Editing Comic Book Guy (section)

===Development===
Within the series, the character Comic Book Guy is often used to represent a stereotypical inhabitant of the newsgroup [[alt.tv.simpsons]].<ref name="tossell">{{cite news |last=Tossell |first=Ivor |title=Worst. Column. Ever. |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070726.wgtweb27/BNStory/ |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=August 2, 2007 |access-date=February 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116075927/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070726.wgtweb27/BNStory/ |archive-date=January 16, 2009}}</ref> The first such instance occurred in the seventh-season episode "[[Radioactive Man (The Simpsons episode)|Radioactive Man]]", in which Comic Book Guy is logging on to his favorite newsgroup alt.nerd.obsessive.<ref>Turner, p. 282</ref> [[David X. Cohen]] often read alt.tv.simpsons to gauge audience response to episodes. He decided to lampoon the passion and the fickleness of the fans.<ref name="cohen">{{cite magazine |first=Chris |last=Baker |title=Futurama Is Back! Grab a Can of Slurm and Settle In |magazine=[[WIRED]] |date=November 27, 2007| access-date= February 22, 2009| url=https://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/15-12/ff_futurama?currentPage=2}}</ref>

In the [[The Simpsons season 8|eighth-season]] episode "[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]" after Comic Book Guy views the ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|Itchy & Scratchy]]'' episode featuring Poochie, he immediately goes on the Internet and writes, "Worst episode ever" on a message board; a commentary on how the active audience nitpicks the episode. The writers respond by using the voice of [[Bart Simpson]]:<ref name="alberti">Alberti, pp. 147–148</ref>

{{cquote|
'''Comic Book Guy''': Last night's ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show|Itchy & Scratchy]]'' was, without a doubt, the worst episode ever. Rest assured I was on the Internet within minutes registering my disgust throughout the world.<br />

'''Bart''': Hey, I know it wasn't great, but what right do you have to complain?<br />

'''Comic Book Guy''': As a loyal viewer, I feel they owe me.<br />

'''Bart''': What? They've given you thousands of hours of entertainment for free. What could they possibly owe you? If anything, you owe them!<br />

'''Comic Book Guy''': ...Worst. Episode. Ever.<ref>David S. Cohen{{mdash}}''[[The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show]]'', ''The Simpsons''</ref>}}

The catchphrase further appears on his T-shirt in the [[The Simpsons (season 11)|eleventh season]] episode "[[Saddlesore Galactica]]",<ref name=SaddlesoreGalactica>{{cite episode |title=Saddlesore Galactica|episode-link=Saddlesore_Galactica|series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Tim Long|Long, Tim]]; Kramer, Lance |network=Fox |airdate=February 6, 2000|season=11 |number=13}}</ref> and as the title of the [[The Simpsons (season 12)|twelfth season]] episode "[[Worst Episode Ever]]".<ref name=WorstEpisodeEver>{{cite episode |title=Worst Episode Ever|episode-link=Worst Episode Ever|series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Larry Doyle (writer)|Doyle, Larry]]; [[Matthew Nastuk|Nastuk, Matthew]]|network=Fox |airdate=February 4, 2001|season=12 |number=11}}</ref> The catchphrase can also be used for describing other things by saying, "Worst. (Noun). Ever."<ref name="tossell"/>