Editing Matt Groening (section)

====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>