alt.tv.simpsons LISA (FAQ) - Repost for Newcomers
Fester
Due to the recent flood of newcomers to this group, I think it helful to
repost this FAQ. Read this entire document, if you have not already done
so before you post again. Thank you.
==========================================
List of Inquiries and Substantive Answers (LISA)
--------------------------------------------
< November 1998 -- Repost >
-=-
Maintained by - Ondre Lombard
Overseas-Production-By - Akom Production Company
Blackboard-Quote - I will not bribe the Academy of Television Arts and
Science.
I will not brib/
In-Memory-Of - Christopher Collins, Phil Hartman, Doris Grau, Homer
Groening,
"Doc Quack," Dr. Marvin Monroe, "Bleeding Gums" Murphy,
Snowball
I
(####)
(#######)
(#########)
(#########)
(#########)
(#########)
__&__ (#########)
/ \ (#########) |\/\/\/| /\ /\ /\ /\
| | (#########) | | | \/ \/ \. .----/
\----.
| (o)(o) (o)(o)(##) | | \_ / \
/
C .---_) ,_C (##) | (o)(o) (o)(o) <__. .--\
(o)(o) /__.
| |.___| /____, (##) C _) _C / \ ()
/
| \__/ \ (#) | ,___| /____, ) \ > (C_)
<
/_____\ | | | / \ /----'
/___\____/___\
/_____/ \ OOOOOO /____\ ooooo /|
|\
/ \ / \ / \ / \ /
\
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the Usenet newsgroup
alt.tv.simpsons, to
be posted to the newsgroup as required and pointed to users asking
about
topics covered here.
- A current version of the LISA is always available at <rtfm.mit.edu> in
the
directory /pub/usenet-by-group/alt.tv.simpsons or by sending Email to
<li...@lyris.snpp.com> with the word "LISA" as the subject of your
message.
- The official HTML version of this document is available on the WWW at
the URL
<http://www.wcat.com/lisa/> or
<http://www.artist-bros.org/olombard/lisa/. Accept no substitutes!
FAQ Translation URLs:
* German: <http://www.informatik.uni-bremen.de/~tokra/simpfaq.htm>
* Japanese: <http://www.wcat.com/simpsons/j-lisa.txt>
* Spanish: <http://www.wcat.com/simpsons/pmf.txt>
(Note: The Spanish LISA is three years old.)
- Corrections and Suggestions encouraged! Please direct all comments to
<on...@snpp.com>
NOTE: This document is by no means all-inclusive. It is intended to
serve as
a general guide to the series and pointer to other sources with
more
detailed information on specific aspects of the series and
newsgroup.
-> NEW! In This Edition:
---------------------
+ More buzz on that nagging question regarding Homer's middle
initial
+ The fate of Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz
+ Did they or didn't they win their 4 Emmy nominations?
-===========================< Table of Contents
>==========================-
SECTION I - General Interest
--------------------------------
_1.1_ alt.tv.simpsons Basic History
_1.2_ "The Simpsons" Basic History
_1.3_ "The Tracey Ullman Show" Simpsons History
_1.4_ The Simpson Family
_1.5_ Series Timeline
_1.6_ Relevant Associated Newsgroups, Fanclubs, and FTP/WWW Sites
_1.7_ Frequently Used Acronyms and Local Terminology
_1.8_ Topics That Tend To Go Nowhere
SECTION II - Frequently Asked Questions
------------------------------------------
_2.1_ Characters, Places, and Internal Consistency
_2.2_ Background, Production, and Broadcast (UPDATED)
_2.3_ Comics, Music, Contest and Newsgroup-Specific
SECTION III - Commonly Requested Lists
----------------------------------------
_3.1_ The Episode Capsules
_3.2_ Required Reading
_3.3_ The alt.tv.simpsons Mail Server
SECTION IV - Closing Remarks
-------------------------------
_4.1_ Acknowledgements
_4.2_ Contributors
_4.3_ Disclaimer and Copyright
-=====================< Section I - General Topics
>======================-
1.1 alt.tv.simpsons Basic History
--- -----------------------------
Newsgrouped during the third week of March 1990, alt.tv.simpsons, a
Usenet
newsgroup, is a free forum for discussing various aspects of the
television
series "The Simpsons".
A separate mailing list also exists for discussing the show,
simps...@digimark.net. To subscribe, send mail to
simpsons-...@digimark.net.
1.2 "The Simpsons" Basic History
--- ----------------------------
"The Simpsons" is an animated television series produced by Gracie
Films
for Twentieth Century Fox and the Fox Network. It began as a series of
interstitals (also called bumpers or shorts) for "The Tracey Ullman
Show" on
April 19, 1987, and premiered as a series on December 17, 1989 in the
8PM time
slot. Regular broadcasts began on Sundays beginning January 14, 1990.
Seasons
Two, Three, Four, and Five were broadcast by Fox on Thursday nights in
the 8PM
slot, before returning to Sunday nights beginning with Season Six. For
a brief
while, "Classic Simpsons" was running, beginning at 7 pm to lead the
failed
block of comedy Fox scheduled for Winter of 1995.
Seasons One, Two, and Three were animated by Klasky-Csupo
(pronounced
"CLASS-key CHOOP-oh"), who also worked on "The Tracey Ullman Show"
bumpers.
Subsequent seasons have been animated by Film Roman, with in-between
work being
done for both animation houses by Akom Production Company, Anivision,
and Rough
Draft Studios in Korea.
The Simpson family was created in ~15 minutes while Matt Groening
waited
in the foyer to Brooks' office, a long-standing legend confirmed in the
Oprah
Winfrey Interview by Groening himself.
Production on The Simpsons as a series began in April 1989.
1.3 "The Tracey Ullman Show" Simpsons History
--- -----------------------------------------
It was under the suggestion of Pauly Platt, a "Life in Hell" (see
Sec 2.2)
fan in the "Tracey Ullman Show" offices, that brought Simpsons creator
Matt
Groening to work on _Ullman_.
According to Producer/Director David Silverman, production on the
_Ullman_
Simpsons shorts lasted approximately four weeks. Currently, production
takes
approximately six months for an episode of The Simpsons.
The four animators of the totallity of the _Ullman_ shorts (David,
Wesley
Archer, Bill Kopp, Tim Berglund) got together working on the 1986 movie
"One
Crazy Summer" and its brief animated segments, before getting the
opportunity
to animate the _Ullman_ shorts with the then-relatively new animation
company
Klasky-Csupo.
1.4 The Simpson Family
--- ------------------
Family Member Voice Talent Description
Homer J. Simpson Dan Castellaneta Father, "D'oh!"
Marjorie Bouvier Simpson Julie Kavner Mother, "Hmmmmmmmmm"
Bartholomew Jo-Jo Simpson Nancy Cartwright Son, "Don't Have a Cow,
Man!"
Lisa Marie Simpson Yeardley Smith Daughter, "I'll be in my
room."
Margaret Simpson Liz Taylor Daughter, "<Suck, Suck>"
Santa's Little Helper Frank Welker Family Dog
Snowball II Frank Welker Family Cat,
Second-In-Line
Abraham J. Simpson Dan Castellaneta Homer's Father, aka
Grampa
Penelope Olson Simpson Glenn Close Homer's Mother
Herbert Powell Danny DeVito Homer's Half-Brother
Jacqueline Bouvier Julie Kavner Marge's Mother
Patty Bouvier Julie Kavner Marge's Celibate Sister
Selma Bouvier Julie Kavner Patty's Twin Sister
-> A complete cast list is available. (See Sec 3.2)
1.5 Series Timeline
--- ---------------
1955 1956 1974-1975 1980 1983 1989
| | | | | |
... --+---+--------+----------+++-----++--------+++-
| | | ||| || ||+--SLH becomes
family dog
| | | ||| || |+--Tenth Anniversary
| | | ||| || +--Maggie Born
| | | ||| |+--Lisa born
| | | ||| +--They move into Evergreen
Tce.
| | | ||+--Bart born.
| | | |+--Homer gets job at SNPP.
| | | +--Married
| | +--Marge & Homer graduate High School
| +--Marge born (Within 1 year of Homer.)
+--- Homer born (05/10/1955)
According to the 1993 "Simpsons Fun Calendar" Maggie was actually
born on
19th August 1985, and Bart was born on 17th December 1979. These
Calendars are
MG's productions, and thus can not follow the continual updating the
writers
impose upon the series. However, from MG's view, these dates are
approximately
correct, considering the first airings of "The Tracey Ullman Show"
bumpers and
the fact that MG has plainly stated the characters do not age.
This is however, a little inconsistent with the UFA, another MG
production
which unfortunately is inconsistent with the series. In this, it is said
that
Bart was born on the April 1st, 1980. However, this production appears
to have
been written before Season Three season was completed, and thus has
great
inconsistencies with Season Three episodes like "I Married Marge". And
according to the Olympic events scheduled on her birthday in "Lisa's
First
Word", Lisa was born on August 2, 1984. However, Homer also held up a
newspaper on her birthday which puts the date closer to March.
More trickiness: Bart says he is two years and thirty eight days
older
than Lisa in "My Sister, My Sitter," which would make Bart's birthday
June
25th, 1982.
-> At this time, it appears that the production staff has chosen to
ignore
certain established continuity references beginning with Season
Five,
and as such the LISA has chosen to reciprocate and ignore subsequent
continuity where it interferes with previously established events.
1.6 Relevant Associated Newsgroups, Fanclubs, and FTP/WWW Sites
--- -----------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups:
alt.tv.simpsons - For discussing "The Simpsons"
de.alt.tv.simpsons - For German fans of "The Simpsons"
uk.media.tv.simpsons - For fans of "The Simpsons" in the
U.K.
alt.binaries.pictures.cartoons - For images related to "The
Simpsons"
alt.binaries.sounds.cartoons - For sounds related to "The
Simpsons"
alt.fan.itchy-n-scratchy - For fans of Itchy & Scratchy
alt.tv.simpsons.itchy-scratchy - For discussing "The Itchy &
Scratchy Show"
alt.tv.tiny-toon.fandom - For the "drooling fanboy" types
alt.tv.king-of-hill - For discussing "King of the Hill"
FTP and WWW:
<ftp://snpp.com> <http://www.snpp.com>
Known as "The Simpsons Archive", it is the current archive site with
a
large collection of documents and texts (listed in Sec 3.2). For
specifics
on digimark, send Email to Gary Goldberg <o...@digimark.net>.
<http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~weirdguy/scode.txt> The Simpsons Geek Code
The Simpsons Geek Code file is a guide maintained by David Kendall
which
instructs its reader on how to arrange a code for their favorite
character,
episode, least favorite character, etc... regarding the The
Simpsons, to be
incorporated into a .plan or .sig file.
-> The following World Wide Web sites represent only a sampling of the
dozens
of Simpsons-related pages in existence. These sites are included on
the
basis of relative quality, uniqueness, and contribution to the
field.
Pages dedicated to the show in general:
<http://nerd.simplenet.com/fuxworld/sampsons/>
<http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~kwyjibo/>
<http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Lot/6203/simp.html>
<http://www.wcat.com/~varro/simpsons.html>
<http://www.cyberspc.mb.ca/~davehall>
<http://www.wupper.de/sites/kender/simpsons/>
<http://gpu.srv.ualberta.ca/~jelofson/simpsons/trivia.htm>
<http://www.teleport.com/~jrolsen/simpsons/simpsons00.html>
<http://members.aol.com/bobakabob/simpsons/index.html>
<http://members.aol.com/ICBIASS/>
Pages dedicated to specific characters:
<http://www.pettifogger.com/hutz.htm>
<http://history.hanover.edu/student/cheek/willie.htm>
<http://kwaziwai.cc.columbia.edu/~mrr18/original.html>
<http://www2.umdnj.edu/~yospin/rwiggum.html> (Closed by Fox)
<http://expert.cc.purdue.edu/~adean/maggie.html>
<http://www.alphalink.com.au/~bucky/Wiggum/index.html>
Multimedia sites:
<http://www.eden.com/~maverick/simpsons.htm>
<http://sunsite.sut.ac.jp/multimed/sounds/cartoons/simpsons>
Commercial pages:
<http://www.harryshearer.com> (Harry Shearer's site for his Santa Monica
based
Public Radio program, "Le Show")
<http://www.wnol.com/wnol/simpsonschat.html>
<http://bbs2.tvguide.com:8086/television/homer>
<http://www.tvguide.com/simpsons/game/>
<http://www.pdi.com/PDIPage/screening/special/simpsons.html>
<http://www.blender.com/blender1.1/digest/groening/groening1.html>
<http://www.foxworld.com/simpindx.htm>
<http://www.thezone.pair.com/tv>
<http://www.ultimatetv.com/UTVL/utl.html?card+1007>
<http://www.yahoo.com/News_And_Media/Television/Shows/Cartoons/Simpsons_
_The/>
<archie.au> and <nic.funet.fi> are two servers suggested as starting
points
for Archie users.
Fanclubs:
The Lisa Simpson Fan Club is devoted to the girl who is arguably
the
smartest character on television today. To join the mailing list, visit
the
LSFC home page at <http://www.wcat.com/lsfc>, or send email to the
address
<majo...@wcat.com> with the phrase "subscribe lsfc" in the body.
Contact
Matthew Kurth <mku...@wcat.com> for more information.
The Homer J. Simpson Fan Club is dedicated to worshipping the one
and only
Homer the Great. Send Email to <anta...@aol.com> for more information.
1.7 Frequently Used Acronyms
--- ------------------------
Acronym Translation
a.t.s - The Usenet newsgroup alt.tv.simpsons
MG - Matt Groening
OFF - Our Favorite Family (The Simpsons, of course)
SLH - Santa's Little Helper (the Simpsons' family dog)
DYN - Did You Notice, Didja Notice
LIH - "Life in Hell" (MG's comic strip)
I&S - Itchy and Scratchy.
FFF, FF - Freeze-Frame Fun
SI(xx) - Simpsons Illustrated (us) U.S. (oz) Australia
SNPP - Springfield Nuclear Power Plant
IMHO, IMO - In My (Humble) Opinion
BTW - By The Way
WRT - With Regard(s) To, With Respect To
ROFL - Rolling On the Floor Laughing
IYKWIM - If You Know What I Mean
AFAIK - As Far As I Know
WTF - What The [Heck]
Other Terms:
Production Code - The four character episode number given to each
episode.
P-Code - Production Code, ie: 7G08, 7F24, 2F05
Couch Gag - Part of the title sequence when the family runs into
the
house and something unusual happens.
Ref - Reference, where an event or scene in the show
parodies
another show, movie, or event.
Blackboard Quote - What Bart writes on the chalkboard at the beginning
of the
title sequence.
Cutoff - The last thing Bart writes on the chalkboard as he
is
dismissed during the title sequence.
Episode Capsule - A compilation file for each episode. (See Sec 3.1)
1.8 Topics That Tend To Go Nowhere
--- ------------------------------
As with most newsgroups, certain threads have been beaten to death.
These issues generally revolve around topics that are based on
individual
interpretations of the evidence presented. As such, there are no set
answers,
and a large percentage of the readers have either already made up their
minds
on the subject, or have been bombarded with the topic before.
In the fall of 1997, Ben Collins <szy...@hotmail.com> held a
monthlong
poll on alt.tv.simpsons which got a pretty respectable response that
would
determine what is considered the best episode of The Simpsons, and what
is
considered the worst. After a total of 128 votes, "Last Exit to
Springfield"
was voted the best episode ever, pulling in 12 votes. Meanwhile "The
Principal
and the Pauper" was the winner of the award for worst episode ever, with
36
votes. The results of this poll will hopefully be helpful in putting an
end to
this tired debate. The poll is going once again, reflecting upon the
probable
change in consensus. Ben Collins is also responsible for a series of
polls
which provide conclusive collective opinions on some of the Topics that
Tend to
Go Nowhere which plague alt.tv.simpsons. See the results of his
alt.tv.simpsons polls at
<http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Studio/7587/>
The following is a list of topics which competantly meet the
requirements
for being a "topic that tends to go no where." As such, it's probably a
good
idea to try and avoid them.
- Favorite Quotes
- Favorite [insert character name] Quotes
- Favorite Episodes
- [insert episode name here] is the Best Episode Ever.
- [insert episode name here] is the Worst Episode Ever.
- [insert character here] Sucks.
- [insert season number here] was the Best Season Ever.
- [insert season number here] was the Worst Season Ever.
- Character development is better than cheap gags.
- If you don't like the way the show is headed, then stop watching
it.
- You shouldn't complain about new episodes, everything else on TV
sucks.
- Stop complaining about new episodes, one day the show won't be
here
to complain about anymore.
- Smithers is gay, Burns-sexual or bisexual.
Be respectful of other people's opinions. If there are people
posting
negative/positive reviews for episodes of later/earlier years, let it
be.
Some of the above listed topics tend to generate strong emotional
feelings from
some people, and if you wish to discuss them, it's best to take it to
private
e-mail or not to discuss it at all if you don't wish to discuss it
rationally
and courteously. (See Sec 2.1, Sec 3.2)
Also, it is asked that binary files (GIFs, JPEGs, WAVs, MPEGs,
etc.) be
directed to the appropriate alt.binaries.* newsgroup rather than posting
them
to a.t.s directly.
-===============< Section II - Frequently Asked Questions
>================-
2.1 Characters, Places, and Internal Consistency
--- --------------------------------------------
Q: How much does Maggie cost in the opening titles?
A: Maggie is listed as costing $847.63, a figure once given as the
amount of
money required to raise a baby for one month in the US.
Q: Where *is* Springfield, anyway?
A: "Springfield" is a fictional location. MG says he chose the name
because
it is one of the most common city names and the setting of the
antithesis
to the Simpsons, "Father Knows Best". Indeed, from Groening's
childhood perspective, that Springfield was "the next town over"
from his
home in Portland, Oregon.
According to Producer/Director David Silverman, Springfield is in
the state
of North Takoma, eight miles from Toon Town (although it appears
this still
isn't to be considered an "official" answer.) In Mr Lisa Goes to
Washington, the Simpsons' address is 59 Evergreen Terrace,
Springfield,
TA--TA probably representing Takoma. See next question.
According to some sources on the group, Matt Groening has said that
although Springfield is basically "anytown USA" it does have
features
somewhat similar to towns in Oregon, where Matt grew up.
-> Read "Where Is Springfield" if you're still not convinced. (See Sec
3.2)
Q: What is the Simpsons' home address?
A: That depends.
In "Blood Feud" 94 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield,
USA
In "Bart the Lover" 94 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield,
USA
In "Mr. Lisa goes to Washington" 59 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield,
TA
In "Kamp Krusty" 430 Spalding Way, Springfield, USA
In "New Kid on the Block" 1094 Evergreen Terrace
In "Marge In Chains" 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield
In "Homer the Vigilante" 723 Evergreen Terrace
In "Bart vs. Australia" 742 Evergreen Terrace
In the Oprah Winfrey Interview 742 Evergreen Terrace
-> It has been suggested that the address used in "Kamp Krusty" hints
to
monologist and actor Spalding Gray, whose humor is also considered
subtle,
poignant, and yes, generally irritating to Republicans. The
Evergreen
Terrace address is in honor of the street MG lived on as a boy. The
others
were undoubtedly inspired by MG's alma mater.
Q: What is the Simpsons' home phone number?
A: Homer's phone numbers, according to Principal Skinner's rolodex card
at
Springfield Elementary are:
Before "Simpson and Delilah" After
Home: 555-6528 555-6832
Work: 555-7334 555-6754
In Season Three, their home number was 555-8707.
And the phone numbers from Homer's television debut in "Mr. Plow"
are:
Home: 555-3223
Business: 555-3226
In "The Canine Mutiny," Bart fills out a credit card application
form with
the phone number 555-3126.
Q: Where did Matt Groening get the names for the Simpson family?
A: Homer and Margaret ("Marge") are the names of his parents (Mrs.
Simpson
is Marjorie); the names of Matt Groening's sons are Homer and Abe.
His
siblings are, in birth order, Mark (unused so far), Patty, (then
came
Matt), Lisa, and Maggie (named Margaret like her mother but called
Maggie).
The name Bart, on the other hand, is simply an anagram for "brat",
although
on several occasions MG has said he is strongly influenced by both
himself
and his brother Mark.
The surname Simpson is a natural choice for the family as the name
"Simpson" literally translates to "Son of a Simpleton".
-> There has also been debate on the group about the film "Day of the
Locust."
It seems a character from this film has exhibited characteristics
with
uncanny similarities to Homer Simpson, and the character's name
actually is
Homer Simpson. It is unknown for sure whether this film has ANY
connection
with MG's choice of name, whether it is pure coincidence, or whether
MG
just took advantage of that coincidence.
Incidentally, MG's mother's maiden name is Wiggum, and many of the
secondary characters are named after streets in Portland, Oregon.
Q: Is it just me or are several of the characters left-handed?
A: No, many of the characters are indeed left-handed. This is because
MG is
infact left-handed himself. Viewers with eagle eyes may notice that
this
is not always consistent however, especially in later episodes.
Q: It seemed to me that Homer's voice sounds different in some early
episodes.
Did they change actors, or is it just my imagination?
A: When Dan Castellaneta originally began voicing Homer, he basically
imitated
Walter Matthau to get the voice. However, Dan reportedly had
trouble with
certain emotional registers and intonations with the voice, so
beginning
with Season Two, he changed it slightly to create its present sound.
-> According to David Silverman, episode 7F22, "Blood Feud," is when
Homer's
character began to gradually change into what it is now. (Notice
that the
"letter" Troy McClure gets in 3F31 about Homer's stupidity is
answered with
clips from each season of Homer doing stupid things, beginning with
the
second season episode "Blood Feud.") The Tracey Ullman Short "The
Pagans"
he sets as the point where Bart's character became set as the brat
everyone
knows and loves.
Q: There are still a few characters who sounded different in the first
season.
Were all the same actors doing the voices?
A: Christopher Collins played Moe Szyslak in "Some Enchanted Evening"
and Mr.
Burns in "Homer's Odyssey." He left The Simpsons to pursue a
stand-up
career. Sadly, Collins died June 12th, 1994 after a two-year
illness.
(Thanks to his son, Ben, for this information and corrections on
this
date and some of the information).
Q: What does the "J" stand for in Homer J. and Bart J. Simpson?
A: MG says that Homer and Abraham's middle initials are a token of
admiration
for Rocky and Bullwinkle (Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J.
Moose),
whose initials were in honor of their creator, Jay Ward. However,
in
Season Ten, it will be revealed finally what "J" stands for (in
Homer's
name, anyway.)
According to MG, Bart's middle name is Jo-Jo, and not Jebediah as
stated
previously in the _Rainy Day Fun Book_. One can only guess that
some facts
got lost when the RDFB was made. The name was given to him by none
other
than Nancy Cartwright.
Q: Which one's Itchy and which is Scratchy?
A: As Lisa and Bart explained to Herb Powell:
Lisa: "The mouse's name is Itchy, and the cat's name is
Scratchy."
Bart: "They *hate* each other."
Lisa: "And they're not shy about expressing it."
Q: Which one's Patty and Which one's Selma?
A: Sometimes referred to as the "Gruesome Twosome". Patty usually
wears a
necklace with round beads and doesn't part her hair. Selma wears a
necklace with oval beads and does part her hair. Selma wears
earrings
shaped like the letter "s", and Patty wears triangle-shaped
earrings.
Marge differentiated them for Homer in 7F15 thusly:
Homer: "Which one's Selma, again?"
Marge: "She's the one who likes Police Academy movies and Hummel
figurines, and walking through the park on clear autumn
days."
Homer: "Oh, yeah yeah yeah. But I thought she was the one that
didn't
like to be ... you know ... touched."
Marge: "It's Patty who chose a life of celibacy. Selma simply had
celibacy thrust upon her."
Q: What are the names of the bullies who pick on Bart, and which is
which?
A: Their names are Jimbo Jones, Dolph, and Kearney.
- Jimbo is the tall kid with the purple stocking hat and black
T-shirt.
- Dolph is the short kid with the hair that hangs over his eyes.
- Kearney is the stocky kid with the shaven head.
Q: How come the Halloween Specials don't follow established continuity?
A: The "Treehouse of Horror" series is, according to MG, non-canonical
and as
such the writers can do whatever they choose, such as put Mr. Burns'
country home in Pennsylvania, have the family appear to have long
forked
tongues, or give Bart a twin brother named Hugo.
Q: Where did they get the money to animate the THOH short "Homer^3"?
A: Writer David S. Cohen approached David Silverman with the idea of a
computer-animated sequence. Simpsons staff went to California-based
computer animation company Pacific Data Images, which set aside a
portion
of their budget for self-promotional projects. PDI was quite eager
to get
world-wide exposure and sank their self-promotional budget into
"Homer ^3"
--giving "Treehouse of Horror VI" a segment animated free of charge.
Q: Are Smithers and Karl gay (or bisexual)?
A: According to Producer David Silverman, Yes, Waylon Smithers and Karl
(Homer's secretary from 7F02, not Lenny's co-worker) are both gay.
End of
discussion.
Q: Wasn't Smithers black in one episode?
A: Sort of. When "Homer's Odyssey" was being produced, Smithers was
accidentally animated with the wrong color. This goof is entirely
the
fault of Klasky-Csupo and Producer David Silverman assures us that
Waylon
was always meant to be yellow.
David suggests that you imagine that Smithers had just come back
from a
vacation in the Caribbean with a deep tan when the episode took
place.
Q: Who is that bee guy?
A: Springfield's TV show starring a man in a bumblebee costume is
similar
to the show "Lo Mejor De Chespirito" from the Miami-based Univision
network. Correlation has also been made to the show "El Show de
Luis De Alba."
For a long time the character's only known name was "Bumblebee Man",
however, in "Team Homer" we learn that his real name is Pedro.
Q: And the guy who runs the comic shop, what's his name?
A: According to the production staff, the owner of the comic shop is
simply
known as "Comic Book Guy". CBG is supposed to sound like Ralph
Bakshi.
Q: What's that thing Homer says? Doh? Dough? D'ohh?
A: The correct way to spell it is "D'oh!" "D'oh!" according to staff
writer
Jennifer Crittenden, is however referred to as "Annoyed Grunt,"
thereby
making the official title of the episode.
"SimpsoncalifragilisticexpialaD'ohcious"
"Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious."
Q: Exactly how old is Homer? 35? 36? 38???
A: Contrary to strange developments in recent years, Homer is really
36, as
confirmed in 9F02, "Lisa the Beauty Queen." And since characters
don't
age in the series, the LISA chooses to acknowledge his age as being
36, not
38.
Q: How old is Mr. Burns?
A: 104 ("Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part One") and/or 81 ("Simpson and
Delilah").
Q: Is Bart's friend named Milhous or Milhouse?
A: Although it is true that he is named after former U.S. President
Richard
Milhous Nixon, his full name is correctly spelled as Milhouse Van
Houten.
Q: What are the names of Milhouse's parents?
A: Kirk Van Houten and Luann Van Houten. They divorced in the eighth
season
episode "A Milhouse Divided."
Q: What's the deal with the rake scene in "Cape Feare" (9F22)?
A: According to the writers, the truth is that the episode was running
short,
and so the rake scene was stretched out in order to fill time.
Q: The trivia questions in 3F31 said the cash register in the titles
read
"NRA4EVR", and that both B.G. Murphy and Dr. Marvin Monroe died
during
Season Six. When did Dr. Monroe die, and the FAQ just said the
register
reads "847.63". What's going on here?
A: The trivia questions in 3F31 are gags made to troll the audience,
just like
the images of Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon in the
episode
are not what those people really look like. The cash register
question is
a gag referring to the people who have labeled the show as "the most
liberal on television" by portraying it as having an
ultra-conservative
slant.
"Bleeding Gums" Murphy died in episode 2F32, "'Round Springfield".
Doctor Marvin Monroe, a character much-disliked by some of the
writers,
passed away quietly sometime during the season, his death marked
only by
the appearance of the Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital in 2F20.
Q: With the passing of Phil Hartman, will Troy McClure and Lionel Hutz
have
new voices?
A: All sources indicate that Matt Groening has retired the characters
out of
respect for Phil, and another voice actor will not be supplying
their
voices in place of Mr. Hartman.
2.2 Background, Production, and Broadcast
--- -------------------------------------
Q: Who is Matt Groening?
A: Matt Groening, born February 15th, 1954, is the creator of "The
Simpsons"
and "Life in Hell". Intending to be a professional writer after
leaving
Evergreen State College, WA (graduated in 1977 at 23), his
disappointing
career in L.A. came to an end with the unexpected success of his
"Life in
Hell" comic strip. It was "Life in Hell" that attracted the
attention of
James L. Brooks of Gracie Films, who in 1985 invited MG to develop
an idea
for a future project that later became the animated Simpsons shorts
shown
during "The Tracey Ullman Show".
Q: What exactly does he do for "The Simpsons"?
A: Matt Groening is officially known as the show's Creative Consultant,
and
has a hand in almost every phase of the production process, like one
can
if they're the CC. However, it is stressed that the talented people
employed by Gracie Films, Film Roman, et al. are responsible for
practically the entirety of what happens.
Additionally, he's an executive producer. (The Internet Movie
Database has
a broader explanation of what an executive producer's duties are at
<http://us6.imdb.com/Glossary/E#executive_producer>.
His name appearing on all Simpsons merchandising is a trademark
requirement, by agreement with the 20th Century Fox Film
Corporation, who
bought the rights and ownership of "The Simpsons".
Incidentally, the distinctive font ("Matt") used by the show and
magazine
were specially designed in PostScript by Apple Computer employees,
and
based on his own handwriting (surprise). Sorry, but they're
proprietary.
However, a look-alike font based on MG's "Life in Hell" script
called
"Groening" is available.
Q: Why wasn't MG's name on 2F31?
A: MG asked that his name be removed from the credits to "A Star Is
Burns"
because he felt the episode was one very long commercial for "The
Critic",
and that it creates the image that the two shows are somehow linked
together, which of course isn't the case.
Q: What are all these hexidecimal numbers people keep talking about?
A: The numbers (7G06, 7F19, 9F08, 2F05, AABF01 etc.) refer to the
production
code assigned by the production team. Each story has its own p-code
which
refers to the season which it was produced for, but not necessarily
the
one it was broadcast in. One or two episodes are usually held over
for
broadcasting early the following season, hence 7F24 was the Season
Three
opener. As a general rule of thumb:
7G codes refer to Season One episodes
7F codes refer to Season Two episodes
8F codes refer to Season Three episodes
9F codes refer to Season Four episodes
1F codes refer to Season Five episodes
2F codes refer to Season Six episodes
3F codes refer to Season Seven episodes
3G codes refer to special episodes commissioned during S7
4F codes refer to Season Eight episodes
5F codes refer to Season Nine episodes
AABF codes refer to Season Ten episodes
The p-codes do not appear to be actual hexidecimal numbers. James
L.
Brooks said he got the idea for the Season One codes for "The
Simpsons"
from the fact that Homer works in sector 7G at SNPP.
-> Consult the Episode QuickList or the Episode Guide for a listing of
stories
and p-codes. (See Sec 3.2)
Q: Where do you get the production codes from?
A: Watch the closing credits to each episode. The credit page with the
copyright information (usually the fifth page from the end) contains
the
line "THE SIMPSONS EPISODE #____" which is the p-code for that
episode,
with the exception of 7G08 where the p-code immediately follows the
copyright notification. The p-codes for the music videos are found
on
the broadcast tapes' slates (special title cards for TV station
personnel).
Q: I've noticed that new show "King of the Hill" has the same style
p-codes.
Are the shows related in any way?
A: No. Most programs produced by 20th Century Fox have the unique
production
codes that "The Simpsons" have. Fox productions with p-codes of
that
nature have ranged from "M*A*S*H" to "The X-Files" and will continue
to do
so.
Production codes for 20th Century Fox productions seem to be
undergoing
revamps. Conclusive information on this change is not yet
available. See
snpp.com's Season Ten information page
<http://www.snpp.com/episodes/season10.html> for information on The
Simpsons' particular change in production codes.
Q: Where do the episode titles come from?
A: Some newspapers print the episode titles. The book _Simpson Mania_
lists
Season One titles; Brian Howard was able to get "inside" information
for
Season Two and Three titles. Season Four, Five, Six, and Seven
titles were
provided by David Mirsky, and later by Bill Oakley. Episodes 7G07
and 7F10
were actually broadcast with their titles. The titles for the
shorts are
listed in the credits to "The Tracey Ullman Show". The music video
titles
are, of course, taken from their song titles.
At this time, episode titles seem to be obtained through inside
sources
related to the series and the network.
Q: How is a Simpsons episode created?
A: Production on a given season begins in December, when the writers go
to one
of two "writers' retreats" to pitch and develop approximately 16
story
ideas, which end up developed into about 12 scripts. Episodes from
season
one were often animated with about 12,000 drawings. The number
gradually
increased to about 24,000 drawings, but not due to the change from
Klasky-
Csupo to Film Roman.
Q: What was the first episode?
A: The Simpsons is one of those series that don't have one specific
first
episode. Production wise, the first episode created was 7G01 "Some
Enchanted Evening" (pushed over to the end of the first season
because a
scene was being re-animated). The first broadcast half hour was
7G08
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." The pilot episode to launch
the
series on Fox was 7G02 "Bart the Genius."
Q: Why do the production codes in Season Six jump from 2F22 to 2F31?
And what about 3F31 in Season Seven?
A: The current production staff at "The Simpsons" has only enough
resources to
put together roughly 22 episodes a season. However, for Season Six
an
arrangement was made with the staff of "The Critic" to produce two
additional episodes. Those two episodes were given the p-codes 2F31
and
2F32.
Currently, Fox is demanding the production of 25 episodes per
season.
In 1994 to 1996, the arrangement was 24 new shows and 1 clip show.
For Season Six, a former writer was called in at the last minute to
hack
together 2F33, even going so far as to use a pseudonym - "Penny
Wise"
(implying that Fox is "Pound Foolish" of course!) and so the episode
was
given the highest p-code available to distance it from the other
episodes.
Similarly, the Season Seven clip show was designated as 3F31 - and
this
time "Pound Foolish" was even named as the director!
Season Nine saw The Simpsons' fourth clip show, "All Singing, All
Dancing"
(5F24).
-> David Silverman admitted to using the alias `Pound Foolish' as
director of
3F31. He also directed 2F33, "Another Simpsons Clip Show."
Q: What's this I keep hearing about "The Simpsons" being cancelled?
A: Simpsons is returning for another full year, its tenth. It gets
strong
enough ratings, so in all likelihood if the series ends, it will not
be due
to Fox cancelling it. Season Ten is rumored to be the last,
however,
nothing is entirely confirmed yet. Stay tuned.
Q: How do I pronounce...
"Groening"? A: In one of the Life In Hell strips and in the
"Rolling
Stone" article, MG mentioned that it rhymes with
"complaining"; the "Newsweek" article rhymes his
name with
"raining".
"Yeardley"? A: "Yeardley" is a variant spelling of the British name
"Yardley", whose pronunciation is non-problematical.
Q: Have any of the episodes been released on video?
A: A set of 12 SECAM VHS tapes featuring 24 episodes from Season One
and
Season Two is available in France, released by Fox France.
A set of 4 PAL VHS tapes featuring 8 episodes from Season One is
also
available in Finland.
A set of 3 PAL VHS tapes featuring 6 episodes each from Season One
were
released to Italy in 1991.
Several videos have been released to the U.K., and as imports to the
rest
of Europe. In April, 1997, video released was "The Dark Secrets of
the
Simpsons"; in September, the video released was "Springfield Murder
Mystery"; in November, "Crime & Punishment"; in April, "Sex, Lies
and the
Simpsons" and in May, 1998, "The Simpsons Against the World." New
releases
are upcoming as well. Details on the releases are as follows
(supplied by
Torsten Kracke):
4182S The Dark Secrets of The Simpsons (released April 28th,
1997):
The Springfield Files (3G01) / Homer the Great
(2F09)
Lisa the Iconoclast (3F13) / Homer: Bad Man (2F06)
6019S Springfield Murder Mystery (released Sep. 29th, 1997):
Who Shot Mr. Burns? Parts 1+2 (2F16 / 2F20)
Black Widower (8F20) / Cape Feare (9F22)
7797S Crime & Punishment (released Nov, 3rd 1997):
Marge in Chains (9F20) / Homer the Vigilante (1F09)
You only move twice (3F23) / Bart the Fink (3F12)
0411S Sex, Lies and the Simpsons (released April 14th, 1998)
The Last Temptation of Homer (1F07)
Bart After Dark (4F06) / New Kid on the Block
(9F06)
Lisa's Rival (1F17)
0387S The Simpsons Against the World (released May 26th,
1998)
Homer vs. Patty & Selma (2F14) / Marge vs. the
Monorail
(9F10) / Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment
(7F13)
Bart vs. Australia (2F13)
The Simpsons: Heaven and Hell (release date: August
31st,
1998)
Treehouse of Horror (7F04) / Bart's Comet (2F11)
Dog of Death (8F17) / In Marge We Trust (4F18)
Scary Simpsons (release date: October 5th, 1998)
Treehouse of Horror II (8F02) / Treehouse of Horror
III
(9F04) / Treehouse of Horror IV (1F04) / Treehouse
of
Horror V (2F04)
Each video costs 12.99 UKP.
In North America, the Christmas special (7G08) is available on Fox
Video
on a single NTSC VHS tape, title #1915. Two triple-packs of VHS
tapes
containing two uncut episodes on each tape were released to NA. The
first
triple-pack contained various Season One episodes, plus a Tracey
Ullman
Show short per tape, and the second features Season Two episodes.
Information on these videos is available through
<http://www.foxworld.com/simpsons/shppr03.htm>.
Q: What's all this about syndication?
A: Episodes that have already had their seasonal run on Fox have been
made
available as a syndication package by Fox. This means that any
station can
buy it and show it at any time they choose, not just Fox Network
affiliates.
The Simpsons began their syndication run in September, 1994, a
little after
it reached its 100th show. Once a series reaches its 100th show, it
will
wind up in syndication.
Q: Why are the syndicated episodes being cut?
A: Syndicated episodes are edited to fit the standard length of any
other
syndicated show to allow more commercials to be shown. This means
that
some scenes are shortened or removed entirely. As such, the first
material to be edited usually includes the title sequence (which is
why
the syndicated titles are even shorter than the standard abridged
sequence in recent US broadcasts by Fox) and scenes that are not
integral
to the plot - often meaning some of the most memorable lines are
missing
from the syndicated versions.
There are a few exceptions, however. Some episodes are left uncut,
but
compressed to gain additional seconds. Also, sometimes, the last
two
seconds of an act is cut for a commercial break. Here's the list of
episodes that were never cut:
7G04 There's No Disgrace Like Home 8F23 Brother, Can You Spare
Two Dimes
7F05 Dancin' Homer 9F01 Homer the Heretic
7F07 Bart vs. Thanksgiving 9F12 Brother from the Same
Planet
8F03 Bart the Murderer 9F15 Last Exit to Springfield
8F11 Radio Bart 2F08 Fear of Flying
8F15 Separate Vocations 2F32 'Round Springfield
8F19 Colonel Homer 4F16 The Canine Mutiny
7G04 is the shortest episode of The Simpsons ever. Keep in mind
that the only episodes that appear in syndication with full-length
openings are 7F06 "Bart the Daredevil" (borrowed from 7F10) and 4F19
"Homer's Enemy."
The episode "Team Homer" was modified in syndication. A scene in
which
Homer anticipates winning a bowling tournament showcases him
flushing a
stolen supporting actor Oscar down the toilet. The name engraved on
the
award was Haing S. Ngor, an actor who was murdered February 25th,
1996.
In syndication, the name was changed to Don Ameche.
Q: Why was the Tracey Ullman Show short "Babysitting Maggie" cut on
Fox?
A: There was a protest over the 1987 airing of a scene in which Maggie
sticks
a fork in an electric socket. The scene was clipped from the Fox
reairing,
and wasn't shown in syndication, either.
The scene, however, was based upon an actual incident, according to
David
Silverman. As a boy, MG was at a party when the lights flickered.
A
moment later, a boy walked into the room holding a fork. He pointed
to it,
and said, "Hot."
Q: Has The Simpsons won any Emmys/awards?
A: The Simpsons has received 31 Emmy nominations, and 15 wins. The
series
won Outstanding Animated Program awards in 1990 (for "Life on the
Fast Lane"), 1991 (for "Homer vs. Lisa and the Eighth Commandment"),
1995
(for "Lisa's Wedding"), 1997 (for "Homer's Phobia") and 1998 (for
"Trash of
the Titans.")
The series won its sixth consecutive Annie Award November of 1997
for the
episode "Homer's Phobia." Additionally, the series won a Peabody
award
sometime at the end of March, 1997.
See the Emmy Awards and Nominations for The Simpsons page for a
complete
listing of Simpsons' Emmy awards and nominations.
<http://www.artist-bros.org/olombard/lisa/emmys.htm>
Q: What's this rumor I keep hearing about a Simpsons movie?
A: MG is doubtful that will ever happen, and most likely an animated or
live
action movie similar to "The Flintstones" will not be produced, and
no plans for a film exist.
2.3 Comics, Music, Contest and Newsgroup-Specific
--- -------------------------------------
Q: How do I contact Matt Groening or the producers/writers of the show?
A: You can send your praises, questions, comments, sympathy cards, and
hate mail for Ian Maxtone-Graham to:
The Simpsons
c/o Twentieth Television
Matt Groening's Office
PO Box 900
Beverly Hills, CA 90213
Q: What about Email addresses for Matt Groening or the production
staff?
A: If MG has an Email address, he has not made it public. Several of
the
writers and producers do have Email addresses, but they are not
publically
available and should not be given out as a matter of courtesy.
However, there is an Email address for questions and comments about
Fox
shows in general, ask...@foxinc.com.
Q: I have a script/story idea I want to show to the producers...
A: The best advice here is to get yourself an agent. Due to potential
legal
problems, the producers and writers aren't supposed to read
unsolicited
scripts or story materials, and so it's best not to bother them in
the
first place. This isn't because the writers are being snobs, it's
because
of union rules, the violation of which _could_ cause people to get
fired,
or even sued.
Q: What's Bongo Comics Group/Simpsons Illustrated?
A: "Simpsons Illustrated" was a quarterly "fan" magazine that is no
longer
in print. Issues of SI include cast and production staff
interviews, fan
artwork, and lots of trivia. A Simpsons annual and a special 3-D
issue
were also published. Back issues are nearly impossible to find.
The publishers of the magazine (at least in the US) have gone on to
collaborate with Matt Groening to form the Bongo Comics Group.
Titles
include three-issue limited series: "Radioactive Man", "Krusty
Comics",
and "Itchy & Scratchy Comics"; a one-off I&S holiday issue, and a
Lisa
comic, all of which have run their course.
Currently in production is one bi-monthly title, "Simpsons Comics."
A limited series featuring Ned Flanders was rumored for Fall 1996,
however,
it did not matieralize.
-> Bongo Comics does not offer subscriptions at this time.
Q: What are the words to "The Itchy & Scratchy Show" theme?
A: "They Fight! And Bite!
And Bite and Bite and Fight!
Fight Fight Fight!
Bite Bite Bite!
The Itchy & Scratchy Show!"
Q: Where can I get the music from "The Simpsons"?
A: Currently two albums and singles associated to the first released
have
been released. "The Simpsons Sing the Blues" and "Songs in the Key
of
Springfield." Singles from the former include:
The Simpsons Sing the Blues Album CD, MC, Vinyl.
Do the Bartman Single
CD single, release version. 12" vinyl release.
Deep, deep trouble Single
CD Single, Promotional & release version. 12" vinyl
release.
Sibling Rivalry Single
CD Single, release version. (12" Vinyl?)
The opening theme from Season One appears on Danny Elfman's CD,
"Music for
a Darkened Theatre." The version of the theme used in subsequent
seasons
is available on "Television's Greatest Hits" volume 7, `Cable Ready'
(Catalog# - TVT 1900-2). A longer guitar rendition is on Danny
Gatton's
disc "88 Elmira Street."
There are also CD singles in existence for "Do The Bartman" and
"Deep, Deep
Trouble" which contain remixes of those songs not on the album or
cassette
singles. Information on these, and the tracklist for "Songs in the
Key of
Springfield" exist in the FAQ on the WWW. Rumor has it that a
"Sibling
Rivalry" CD single was also created, but no confirmation exists for
this.
Q: Wasn't there supposed to be a second album?
A: Yes. The second album, "The Yellow Album", was confirmed as having
been in production at one time. The title is meant to be a take-off
of
Prince's album "The Black Album" rather than The Beatles' "The White
Album" as some have suggested. The album is said to include the
single
"My name is Bart, and I am funky", a take-off of the Prince single
of
similar title.
The album, originally scheduled for a January, 1993 release, is
expected to
remain indefinitely postponed.
Q: The Soundtrack Album, "Songs in the Key of Springfield" is great.
Will
there be a follow-up to it?
A: Rhino Records, which released a 51-track complilation of songs aired
on
the series on March 18th, 1997, gave composer/album producer Alf
Clausen
the go-ahead to produce a follow-up album. It will be entitled "Go
Simpsonic: A Whole Lot More Music from the Television Series," and
is
scheduled for a September release. Music to be featured will be
include
music from more recent seasons, and a few older song segments that
were not featured in the first album.
Q: Is my local station cutting the episodes?
A: Probably not, unless you're watching the syndicated versions of the
episodes, which are edited. Episodes broadcast in England and
Australia
are routinely censored to abide with younger children's viewing
guidelines
because of the time slots used by these countries. In Germany, the
series
runs now, usually without its end credits, at a late time slot. The
abridgement of the title sequence in the US is done by the Fox
network.
Canadian viewers, who don't get the episodes through Fox are usually
granted the pleasure of a full episode each week.
In Belgium, the commercial broadcast station VT4 airs uncut
episodes of The Simpsons on an irregular, but usually daily basis.
Only the episodes 8F15 and 2F09 were edited. Thanks for Werner
Peeter for supplying this information (corrections are welcome).
Q: Why are some clips shown in commercials not in the transmitted
episode?
A: Each episode is produced with extra and alternate animation, to
allow the
directors the freedom to decide just what will and won't work, up
until a
few days before a show goes to air. Fox has access to the footage
before
the final cuts are made, and so it's not unusual for extra material
to
materialize during the promotions.
Also, the Fox network has taken to mixing clips from previous
episodes
with clips from upcoming episodes, supposedly to make episodes more
enticing or exciting. The best example of this is the commercial
for
"The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show" in which Homer's character
Poochie is on TV and Lisa says "The network has sunk to a new low,"
the footage coming from 9F22 "Cape Feare."
Q: What's this I hear about a real life version of the Simpson house?
A: Kaufman and Broad has designed a 2,200 square ft., 4-bedroom house
in
Henderson, NV just outside of Las Vegas which looks exactly like the
Simpsons' house. Pepsi-Cola Company set up a contest to give this
very
house away to someone. With certain beverage products came a game
piece
with a number, which, if matched with the number flashed during the
ninth
season premiere of The Simpsons, would be the winning number. The
winning
number was 9786065.
The winner, 63-year-old great grandmother Barbara Howard from
Richmond,
Kentucky, was given the keys to the $120,000 house December 10th,
1997.
Q: And who was the winner of 1995's "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" 1-800-COLLECT
contest?
A: Fayla Gibson. And unlike the promos said (which led most to believe
the
winner would be animated with the Simpsons in the series), she was
given a
drawing of herself with the Simpsons.
Q: Is the "Simpsons" production staff aware of Usenet and a.t.s?
A: Yes. Although Matt Groening has never appeared on the Internet
publically
as himself (as far as anybody knows anyway), he has dropped several
clues
in references to certain discussion threads from a.t.s. which
appeared in
his "Life in Hell" comic strips. His presence was finally confirmed
by the
December 7, 1994 edition of the _Philadelphia Inquirer_ which ran an
article dealing with alt.tv.simpsons, in which MG admitted:
"I lurk [on a.t.s] but the other writers on the show were reluctant
to
have me admit that."
However, in June 1993, MG did accept an invitation from the Prodigy
service
to chitchat with their users, personally answer a few of those
annoying
standard questions, and detail the reality of his involvement with
the
show.
-> A transcript of the Prodigy session is available. (See Sec 1.6)
Other producers of the show have made brief appearances on the
Internet
and America On-Line, and the Simpsons drinking game has apparently
circulated through the production offices, and seems to have been
well-received.
-> The drinking game is also available. (See Sec 3.2)
In the past, many postings have claimed to have originated from Matt
Groening and other identities. One should immediately be skeptical
of
*any* messages that claim to have been sent by a notable
personality - it
is a trivial exercise to fake an article so that it appears to have
come
from another person.
-===============< Section III - Frequently Requested Lists
>===============-
3.1 The Episode Capsules
--- --------------------
The episode capsule is perhaps the ultimate resource file for every
episode of "The Simpsons" outside of the production offices. It
contains a
summary of the script, reviews, and observations posted to the newsgroup
for
each episode. For more details, see the episode capsule FAQ or check
out one
of the capsules themselves.
With the exception of the second music video, 7F76, capsules exist
for
every episode, short, and music video preceeding season eight. Due to
certain
circumstances, several of the last few episode capsules for Season Eight
and
the first batch for Season Nine have been delayed. Season Eight's batch
of
capsules is almost complete, leaving Season Nine and the start of Season
Ten to
be finished later on.
Frederic Briere <caps...@lyris.snpp.com> and Benjamin Jay Robinson
are
the current capsule compilers, replacing the previous maintainer,
Ricardo
Lafaurie, at the start of Season Eight. The originator of the episode
capsules
is Raymond Chen, who produced most of the capsules through Season Four.
James
Cherry took over capsule duties from Season Five until midway through
Season
Seven. Chris Baird, Dave Hall, Scott Simpson, and Juha Terho are
responsible
for the remaining handful of capsules not produced by Raymond Chen,
James
Cherry, or Ricardo Lafaurie.
The episode capsules are available at
<http://www.snpp.com/episodes.html>
The Episode QuickList is available at
<http://www.wcat.com/simpsons/seq.txt>.
3.2 Required Reading
--- ----------------
In addition to the LISA, several other reference works are
available,
such as cast lists and episode guides. These documents are highly
recommended
for persons interested in more details on these particular aspects of
the show.
(NOTE: Certain documents have been neglected for quite some time,
specifically the Episode Guide, the Cast List, the Writers & Directors
List,
and the Syndication Cuts Guide. They are expected to eventually be
edited in
the future, but in the meantime, do not be surprised if you find some
documents
with information that does not go beyond Season Six or Season Seven.)
Episode Guides and Technical Documents: Maintained By:
"The Simpsons" Episode Quicklist Matthew Kurth
"The Simpsons" Episode Guide Dave Hall
"The Simpsons" Writers & Directors Dave Hall
"The Simpsons" Cast List Dave Hall
"The Itchy & Scratchy Show" Episode Guide J.D. Baldwin
Couch, Blackboard Punishment, & Airdates Listing Don Del Grande
Bart's Prank Calls To Moe's Tavern Don Del Grande
Episode Capsule FAQ James Cherry
Miscellaneous Documents: Maintained By:
Compendium of the Bile-inducing Genre of Andrew Gill
Frequently Asked Questions (CBG-FAQ--Mini FAQ)
Upcoming Episodes List Don Del Grande
List of Syndication Stations and Air Times Jason Hancock
The List of Lists Dave Hall
Where is Springfield? Dave Hall
"The Simpsons" Drinking Game Joey Berner
Syndication Cuts Guide Frederic Briere
There are also many other documents available that are not listed
here,
such as character files, song lyrics, ASCII pics, and much more. See
the List
of Lists for more information, or browse the FTP and WWW sites. (See
Sec 1.6)
3.3 The alt.tv.simpsons Mail Server
--- -------------------------------
Many of the documents referred to here are available via the
alt.tv.simpsons mail server. With this service, you can request these
files to
be sent right to your Email box quickly and easily without the use of
FTP or
WWW.
To request more information about the server, as well as
instructions and
a list of documents currently available through the service, send Email
to
<a...@lyris.snpp.com> with the phrase "Info" as the subject of your
message.
-=====================< Section IV - Closing Remarks
>=====================-
4.1 Acknowledgements
--- ----------------
I want to take this time to thank the previous FAQ maintainers for
making this
document possible with their past hard work on making the LISA as
informative
as it is. Those people are: Matthew Kurth, Gavan McCormack, Chris
Baird,
Raymond Chen and Brendan Kehoe.
Personal thanks to Matthew Kurth for helping me in my freshman month of
maintaining the LISA. He is a good friend and had a certain dedication
to The
Simpsons that is particularly admirable. And, a VERY big thanks to Mr.
Kurth
for supplying me the information he attained during his April 8th, 1997
interview with David Silverman. Also, thanks to Fox Legal for not
bothering me
about maintaining this file.
4.2 Contributors
--- ------------
These people have contributed in some fashion to this document, both
with and
without their knowledge, and I'd like to thank as many as I can think of
at
this point.
Chris Baird Joey Berner Frederic
Briere
Chris Cammack Paul Canniff Cristina
Cebba
Vince Chan Raymond Chen James A.
Cherry
Terri Clendenin Ben Collins Chris
Courtois
Christopher Dent Rick Diamant Gary
Goldberg
Don Del Grande Geek Boy Dave Hall
Tim Harrod Tony Hill Tammy J.
Hocking
David Kendall Torsten Kracke Matthew
Kurth
Chad Lehman Bren Lynne Gavan
McCormack
Gary S. Nabors Werner Peeters Brian
Petersen
Matt Rose Sarah Rosenbaum John
Schulien
Paul Shandi Tony Shepps Juha Terho
Elson Trinidad Aaron Varhola Julien
Villeret
Ohbuchi Yutaka
Acknowledgement is also given to all the Simpsons-related publications
which
have also provided key background information for this document.
Special acknowledgement also goes out to Matt Groening for his Bongo
Comics
columns and David Silverman's lectures which have been invaluable in
tying up
certain nagging details, and to those of the production staff that
occasionally
come down from the mountain to enlighten those of us outside of the
loop.
Thanks guys!
4.3 Disclaimer and Copyright
--- ------------------------
This document is Copyright (c) 1997-1998 Artist Bros. Enterprises
and may
not be modified and/or distributed, or used for-profit without consent
of the
current maintainer. This includes, but is not limited to: CD-ROMs,
magazines,
books, newspapers, or television broadcasts. Free distribution is
encouraged
provided the document is unabridged, unmodified, and unaltered.
This Copyright does not extend to, and is not intended to infringe
upon,
the characters, names, and related indica of "The Simpsons" which
remains
Copyrighted by, and a Trade Mark of, Twentieth Century Fox Film
Corporation.
The information in this document has been checked where
appropriate, and
is considered as accurate as possible. However, Pobody's Nerfect. As
such,
Artist Bros. Enterprises takes no responsibility for incorrect or
inaccurate
information beyond correcting the error in the next official LISA
release.
-= Don't have a cow, Man! =-
--
Ondre Lombard, wak...@wcat.com
Fester
forgot to set my newsreader to wrap at a larger number of characters.
For anyone who cannot bear to read that misformatted document, you can
read it online at:
http://www.artist-bros.org/olombard/lisa/
--
-------------------------------
---==Fester==---
"Microsoft has done nothing illegal."
"The average user is computer-illiterate"
"Anything proprietary is bad."
Email at: mc...@home.com
Webmaster of: http://www.mchenryinc.com/
====================================================
Haynes Lee
This is to assure that the document posted is the
most current/correct version and in this case is posted
in the correct format. It's also bad netiquette
to post someone else's document.