SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Groening and Deborah Caplan married in 1986[27] and had two sons together, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe,[44] both of whom Groening occasionally portrays as rabbits in Life in Hell. The paper offered him a cartoon strip in 1980, and, surprised, Groening accepted. His Norwegian American mother, Margaret Ruth (ne Wiggum; March 23, 1919 April 22, 2013),[6] was once a teacher, and his Russian Mennonite father, Homer Philip Groening (December 30, 1919 March 15, 1996),[7] was a filmmaker, advertiser, writer and cartoonist. In 2002, he won the Reuben Award by the National Cartoonists Society for his work, Life in Hell. [41][42][43] Groening famously named the main Simpson characters after members of his own family: his parents, Homer and Marge (Margaret or Marjorie in full), and his younger sisters, Lisa and Margaret (Maggie). Deborah Caplan (m.1986, d.1999) Agustina Picasso (m.2011) Children: Abe Groening, Homer Groening, Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, India Mia Groening, Venus Ruth Groening, Luna Margaret Groening, Sol . When Comedy Central began negotiating for the rights to air Futurama reruns, Fox suggested that there was a possibility of also creating new episodes. "), to the narrow mentality of newspaper editors (even "alternative" newpaper editors "hated" his approach to obscure rock criticism) to the "timidness" of network executives trying to subject him to "corporate deflavorizer," to his famous battles with network censors, Groening's life reads like a series of epic adventures more Quixotic than Homeric in their details. He first sold his comic to magazine Wet, in 1978. "Futurama" moved away from the family sitcom structure and into dysfunctional workplace territory, a subject that had long inspired Groening. 4) Disagreeably damp and jittery? I Know That Voice (2013) The team included what is now the Klasky Csupo animation house. Groening grew up in Portland, Ore., with a father named Homer, a mother named Marge and sisters named Maggie and Lisa. ", The Simpsons are offspring of Bongo, Akbar and Jeff, only slightly less hapless. He gleefully zinged their sensibilities after becoming editor of the school paper, at one point instigating a petition that condemned his satirization of communal life, while also training his ire on mainstream targets like the Washington state legislature. Matt Groening received the British Comedy Award for his Outstanding contribution to comedy. In fact, when "Simpsons" writers wax elegaic, they tend to do so about George Meyer, a writer who first became involved with the show late in 1989, a few months before its Fox premiere. Maratona Especial Os Simpsons (since 2017). After the two became romantically involved, she established a business to promote her future husband's work, negotiating syndication arrangements with other publications and a book deal with Pantheon. "Do people who don't have cockroaches and can afford their rent, are they happier?" All rights reserved. "To many divisions of this company, 'The Simpsons' was the shining light that kept us motivated and believing that our division would grow. Before, Groening was married to his first wife Deborah Caplan. Then, no sooner had they ordered 13 episodes than the doubts set in. After graduating in 1977, Groening headed to Los Angeles with the idea of pursuing a writing career. 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. After graduating to a job at a record store called Licorice Pizza, whose gimmick it was to give away licorice to its customers (but whose employees often found themselves providing free licorice meals to the indigent instead), Groening began drawing "Life in Hell," a self-published, xeroxed comic book starring Binky, a lonely, alienated rabbit living in low-income Hollywood hell. After attending Evergreen College in Olympia, Wash., Mr. Groening moved to Los Angeles to become a writer, but he didn't really have any idea how to get started. After their marriage, he became the stepfather of Augustina Picasso's daughter Camille. As described in .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History, he grew up next to the old Portland Zoo, which, after reopening in a new location in 1959, became a wonderland for Groening and his friends with its abandoned animal enclosures. Groening is married to his wife Agustina Picasso an Argentine artist. [54] 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". Perhaps, were he to walk in off the street, he could get a job as a writer on the show. [36] Released a month later, the book was an underground success, selling 22,000 copies in its first two printings. She died of heart failure on January 24, 2013. Bob Cesca Show, Bio, Wiki, Age, Married, Salon, Salary, And Net Worth, Mark Blyth Political Scientist, Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Wife, Books, Podcast, and Net Worth, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, List of States in the US, Alphabetical list of States in the U.S., and Abbreviation of States in United States. "What's happened is that mainstream culture has gotten so good at marketing pseudo-hipness that it overwhelms other choices that are out there.". [69], In 1995, Groening got into a major disagreement with Brooks and other Simpsons producers over "A Star Is Burns", a crossover episode with The Critic, an animated show also produced by Brooks and staffed with many former Simpsons crew members. In 1984, certain relationship themed strips from his work were published by co- worker Deborah Caplan, as a book titled Love in Hell. 5) Are you worried you might have accidentally minimized your potential? He used to write articles and draw cartoon illustrations for the journal. They have a son, Nathaniel, and twin daughters, Luna and India. Groening has said that due to his limited drawing ability, it's unlikely he could get a job as an animator on "The Simpsons" today. It was Homer, a cartoonist and filmmaker, who showed his precocious son that a career of creative fulfillment was possible. [102], Groening has made a number of campaign contributions, all towards Democratic Party candidates and organizations. The Simpsons was mostly a satire aimed at politicians, teachers, police and other authorities. She joked that "his godfather is SpongeBob's creator Stephen Hillenburg". [99], Groening is a self-identified agnostic. Groening knew this would have meant losing ownership rights to his characters, so he decided to start from scratch. But for now, at least, it continues to thrive; it is consistently the most-watched show in its time slot, Thursday at 8 P.M., and is Fox's No. (2005). 7) Do you question authority when authority is out of earshot? [66] Despite common fan belief that 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.[67], Although Groening has pitched a number of spin-offs from The Simpsons, those attempts have been unsuccessful. Groening stands at a height of 5 ft 8 in (approx:1.7 m). [96] In January 2022, Groening's tenth child Satori was born. He is not. [95] In 2020, their daughter Nirvana was born. Reply. 3) Disgusted? [46] He requested his name be taken off the episode.[70]. Despite his status as an ultimate insider, Groening's writing has always been that of an outsider. ", See the article in its original context from. "I feel like it's a tidal wave I'm surfing on," he said. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell (19772012) and the television series The Simpsons (1989present), Futurama (19992003, 20082013, 2023present[2]), and Disenchantment (2018present). Groening also became a father of twins On June 16, 2018, when his wife Agustina gave birth to Sol Matthew and Venus Ruth, as reported via Instagram. Where Does Matt Groening Live? "If there's a message that runs through the show," he told The New York Times in 2001, well after he had become wealthy and influential beyond his wildest dreams, "it's that maybe the authorities don't have your best interests at heart. "I wanted to write something they couldn't teach in high school because it had too much foul language," he said. In 2002, Groening received the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award due to his work on Life in Hell. After four years on the air, the show was canceled by Fox. Groening made his first professional cartoon sale of Life in Hell to the avant-garde magazine Wet in 1978. The name "Wiggum" for police chief Chief Wiggum is Groening's mother's maiden name. Fearing the loss of ownership rights, Groening created a new set of characters, the Simpson family. He is a man of above-average stature. Television and those who watch it are remorselessly lampooned. Along with mailing the comics to friends and family back in Portland, he attempted to sell his stapled-together books from his record store. Deborah Kaplan Entertainment - Director Why Famous: is an American screenwriter and film director Age: N/A Deborah Kaplan's Relationships (2) Matt Groening Arts - Other Why Famous: The Simpsons and Futurama So he resurrected a family he had created in high school as an answer to what he saw as the co-opting of "The Catcher in the Rye.". The comic strip Life in Hell was a huge success. [15] He befriended fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry after discovering that she had written a fan letter to Joseph Heller, one of Groening's favorite authors, and had received a reply. "Who knew if this TV thing would pan out?" As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Surname is pronounced "gray-ning" (rhymes with "raining"); born February 15, 1954, in Portland, OR; son of Homer (a filmmaker) and Margaret Ruth (ateacher; maiden name, Wiggum) Groening; married Deborah Lee Caplan (Groening's manager and business partner), October 29, 1986; children: Homer, Abraham. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. However, the column would rarely actually be about music, as he would often write about his "various enthusiasms, obsessions, pet peeves and problems" instead. In 2012, a 3-D short film based on The Simpsons was released with the title The Longest Daycare. They had two sons together, Homer and Abe. He also invited the off-the-wall submissions of campus cartoonists, finding himself inspired by the original works of fellow undergrad Lynda Barry. In 1991, the newly wealthy Groening still seemed to struggle with the central paradox of his career. The shorts were spun off into their own series, The Simpsons, which has since aired 742 episodes. Unlike most shows, which he finds sluggish, "The Simpsons" is written to move at a manic pace. Groening was married to Deborah Caplan from 1986 to 1999. (After 13 years of marriage, Caplan filed for divorce in March 1999, the same month as Groening's second show, "Futurama," premiered. [15] Soon afterward, Caplan and Groening left and put together the Life in Hell Co., which handled merchandising for Life in Hell. Netflix has also renewed the series for twenty additional episodes, which are expected to start in ten-episode batches in 2020 and 2021. With a developing cast of characters that included Binky's girlfriend Sheba, his one-eared son Bongo and the gay entrepreneurs Akbar and Jeff, and recurring components like "The 16 Types of Sisters" and "The 9 Secret Love Techniques That Could Possibly Turn Men Into Putty in Your Hands," the minimally drawn but meticulously written Life in Hell found its niche between the underground comics and mainstream fare. Ian Maxtone-Graham, another writer on the show, has said in an interview, "I would rather make George Meyer laugh than get an Emmy." After spending a few years researching science fiction, Groening got together with Simpsons writer and producer David X. Cohen (known as David S. Cohen at the time) in 1997 and developed Futurama, an animated series about life in the year 3000. Deborah Caplan: Groening has been in a relationship with Deborah Caplan since 2006. There is not much information about Mark. [109], He was awarded the Inkpot Award in 1988. They had 2 children. The poster contained tribute cartoons by 22 of Groening's cartoonist friends who were influenced by Life in Hell. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 14, 2012. "I judge my life by how miserable it used to be," Groening told an interviewer last year, speaking of his early days as a lowly alternative cartoonist. The couple has two sons, Homer and Abe. Some of the funniest jokes, he says, can only be caught on a still frame. 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. So, how much is Matt Groening worth at the age of 67 years old? When he's not telling the Cinderella story, the story Groening tells about himself is a David and Goliath story; and the older and more powerful he becomes, the bigger and more powerful the lumbering naysayers standing in his way. In 1997, he and retired Simpsons writer David X. Cohen developed Futurama, an animated series about life in the year 3000, which premiered in 1999, ran for four years on Fox, then picked up by Comedy Central for more seasons. "[19] The show premiered on March 28, 1999. In a strange coincidence, they discovered that their parents were friends and that they both attended neighboring high schools in Philadelphia. Matt Groening married Deborah Caplan in 1986. Reader through an ever-shifting array of responsibilities that included reporter, distribution manager, punk rock critic and assistant editor. I may be going to hell, but I did embrace all the stuff -- the T-shirts, the Bart phone, the chess set, all of it.". After graduation, Matt Groening moved to Los Angeles, in 1977, with the aim of becoming a writer. Brooks selected his longtime colleague Sam Simon to help Groening develop the animated series, and The Simpsons dynasty began on December 17, 1989, when the first episode aired. Deborah Caplan and Matt Groening are divorced after a marriage of 13 years. Born in 1954 in Portland, Oregon, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening had, in many ways, an idyllic childhood. [41] The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette. She is the author of "Do You Love Me or Am I Just Paranoid?" [35][40] In 1985, Brooks contacted Groening with the proposition of working in animation on an undefined future project,[9] which would turn out to be developing a series of short animated skits, called "bumpers," for the Fox variety show The Tracey Ullman Show. He married Agustina Picasso 2011 . They divorced in 1999 and Groening . According to Groening, the goal with Bongo is to "[try] to bring humor into the fairly grim comic book market. [90] In July 2013, Groening co-authored Hard Listening (2013) with the rest of the Rock Bottom Remainders (published by Coliloquy, LLC).[91]. It was Groening's first day in hell. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/matthew-abram-groening-2308.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century American Film & Theater Personalities, Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour), Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less). Matt Groening received the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Primetime or Late Night Television Program for The Simpsons in the years 1998, 2000 and 2001. Now I'm deliriously happy all the time.". Commentary for ", Silverman, David; Reardon, Jim; Groening, Matt. Homer was a cartoonist, advertiser, writer, and a documentary filmmaker. Matt Groening - Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Matt Groening did not particularly like school, which is what originally turned him towards drawing. ------------------------------------------. Bush family aside, who is not a fan of Matt Groening? [35] In November 1984, Deborah Caplan, Groening's then-girlfriend and co-worker at the Reader, offered to publish "Love is Hell", a series of relationship-themed Life in Hell strips, in book form. Soon, he was driving an 88-year-old movie director around by day and ghost-writing his autobiography by night while living upstairs from a nocturnal rock lover (whose ceiling light he eventually dislodged with a plunging cinderblock). By coincidence, they chose "Abraham", unaware that it was the name of Groening's grandfather. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Groening's writing credits for the show are for the premiere episode, "Space Pilot 3000" (co-written with Cohen), "Rebirth" (story) and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela" (story). By then, however, "Life in Hell" was running in several other alternative weeklies, and soon the L.A. Weekly brought him on board. [52] 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. They had 2 children. She was Groenings long-time girlfriend before she married him in 2011. Matt Groening has stated that he was inspired to draw cartoons after watching the animation movie One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The show is watched by more than 60 million people weekly in more than 60 countries around the world -- beating out even the lowest-common-denominator friendly "Baywatch" as the world's most-watched show. Groening and Deborah Caplan married in 1986 and had two sons, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe. His animated series The Simpsons have won the Primetime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Animated Program for the years 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000,2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2011. In 1984, Groening and his wife Deborah Caplan published his first "Life in Hell" book, called Love in Hell, and eventually set up a distribution company, Life in Hell Co., which handled the syndication and merchandise for all of Groening's projects. "The Simpsons" has earned Fox's parent company, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., well over a billion dollars, and its role in the network's growth has been incalculable. Spouse/Ex-: Agustina Picasso, Deborah Caplan, siblings: Lisa Groening, Maggie Groening, Mark Groening, Patty Groening, children: Abe Groening, Homer Groening, Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, Ancestry: Norwegian American, Canadian American, Notable Alumni: The Evergreen State College, Founder/Co-Founder: Bongo Comics Group, Zongo Comics, The Curiosity Company, Quotes By Matt Groening | Patricia was an art dealer. I Thought I Told You to Shut Up!! Matt Groening is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and director. [65] The names of a few other characters were taken from major street names in Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon, including Flanders, Lovejoy, Powell, Quimby and Kearney. Choosing Los Angeles because it was the place where a writer was most likely to be overpaid, Groening answered a "writer/chauffeur wanted" ad in the L.A. Times. (2006). He casts himself as the avenging underdog tilting at windmills, but, in the end, he always returns the conquering hero. ), to his selection of Danny Elfman to compose the iconic theme song, to his insistence on the cartoon adhering to the normal laws of physics despite the liberties taken with continuity. Again, to his surprise, he won. "And to be honest, the whole 'Simpsons' project was a project to see how far I could go in the mainstream. 6, the list of recipients had grown from 20 to 500. I like the idea of trying to be successful on some level, at least reaching an audience enough so that you can sustain it and keep on going." He found some work along those lines, whipping up slogans for horror movies, but also took on a series of jobs that included chauffeur, dishwasher and record store clerk to make a living. Agustina Picasso Born - Unknown Agustina is an Argentinian artist. Furthermore, the once-struggling artist was about to be presented with the business offer that would change his life forever. [55] 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. The same year his direct-to-video film Futurama: Bender's Big Score earned him the Annie Award for Best Animated Home Entertainment. During this time the show has done for animated cartoons what "thirtysomething" did for yuppies: proved that despite some annoying tendencies, they can be successful in prime time. Deborah Caplan: Net Worth: $600 million: Birth Place: Portland, OR: Nationality: American: Education: Evergreen State College: Father: Homer Philip Groening: Mother: "Technically, I'm an agnostic, but I definitely believe in hell especially after watching the . In the mid-1980s, he moved to Los Angeles and started drawing a comic strip named "Life in Hell", which eventually became published in the newspaper where he worked. As Flaubert might have said, "Binky, c'est tout le monde." The Simpsons Backgroung and creation [17] He served as the editor of the campus newspaper, The Cooper Point Journal, for which he also wrote articles and drew cartoons. "[46] He also formed Zongo Comics in 1995, an imprint of Bongo that published comics for more mature readers,[46] which included three issues of Mary Fleener's Fleener[84] and seven issues of his close friend Gary Panter's Jimbo comics. Were it not for the clueless executives, the inane network decisions, the petty betrayals at the hands of people who benefit from his success, he might have stagnated by now. Growing up in Portland, Ore., he did well in school, but was frequently hauled down to the principal's office for smart-aleck conduct, like drawing cartoons. It sneaked up on everybody. He was born in Portland, Oregon, the middle of five children (older brother Mark and sister Patty were born in 1950 and 1952, while the younger sisters Lisa and Maggie in 1956 and 1958, respectively). Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. But for a few brief moments in the early '90s, the idea that anything "alternative" could suddenly overtake the mainstream was still surprising. Groening has received 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, 11 for The Simpsons and 2 for Futurama, and a British Comedy Award due to outstanding contribution to comedy in 2004. Mr. Groening planned to use the figures from "Life in Hell." (29 October 1987 - 1999) ( divorced) ( 2 children) He ran for student body president on the "Teens for Decency" ("If You're Against Decency, What Are You For?") This show won many Emmy Awards. The company published comics related to The Simpsons and Futurama. Illustrated commentary for ", Groening, Matt. She married Groening in 1987 and they got divorced in 1999, after 13 years of marriage. In fact, to prove that he didn't mean anything by naming a fat, incompetent slob like Homer Simpson after his father, he named his first son Homer, too. It may simply be, he speculates, "that people don't get it.". In 2011, Groening married Argentine artist Agustina Picasso after a four-year relationship, and became stepfather to her daughter Camila Costantini. He currently serves at The Simpsons as an executive producer and creative consultant. [29][68] Groening has also pitched "Young Homer" and a spin-off about the non-Simpsons citizens of Springfield. While at college, he befriended famous cartoonist Lynda Barry, whom he also regards as a great inspiration. However, Matt and Deborah divorced in 1999. He is a cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. [49] Marge's distinct beehive hairstyle was inspired by Bride of Frankenstein and the style that Margaret Groening wore during the 1960s, although her hair was never blue. He works as a cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. The artist saw his first non-self-published comic appear in a 1978 issue of Wet magazine. He was also given the responsibility of handling the papers music column for a short period. At its peak, the cartoon became carried in 250 weekly newspapers. Deborah Caplan Born - Unknown Deborah is a publisher. Reader hired sales rep Deborah Caplan, who observed that the Life in Hell strips were "a major selling point" of the paper. Nowadays, you can't throw a rock at a TV set without hitting an irreverent animated social satire. The number was later limited to nine spikes, all of the same size. Matt Groening has made appearances in films and documentaries, such as, Comic Book: The Movie (2004), The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005), The Seventh Python (2008) and I Know That Voice (2013). Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. But when pressed, he concedes that he is not sure what makes his critique of Middle America so appealing to Middle Americans. [41][44] However, he stresses that aside from some of the sibling rivalry, his family is nothing like the Simpsons. Work is Hell soon followed, also published by Caplan. Alexandre de La cerda Tlcharger Le Pays Basque d'antan Livre PDF Franais Online . [19][72] By the time they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and storylines; Groening claimed they had gone "overboard" in their discussions. He then married Argentinian artist Augustina Picasso in 2011, after dating for four years. His work The Simpsons grabbed the Annie Award in the Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Program category for the year 1999. [48] 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's career got a boost in the early 1980s when the L.A. ", Not that Fox isn't grateful: "If you go back 10 years ago, we didn't have a lot of successful shows on the air," 20th Century Fox Television co-president Gary Newman told Daily Variety in January 2000, about nine months after the debut of "Futurama." Matt Groening and Deborah Caplan married in 1986 and have two children: Homer (who goes by the name of Will) and Abe. The final strip of the comic strip "Life in Hell" was published on June 16, 2012. "I don't consider anything beneath me. [57] Another family member, Grampa Simpson, was introduced in the later shorts. Matt Groening is well known for his cartoon characters, comic strips and animated television series. In 1994, Matt Groening started the comic book publishing company named Bongo Comics. The animated shorts that Groening created were The Simpsons (1989). [26] Groening also started Acme Features Syndicate, which initially syndicated Life in Hell as well as work by Lynda Barry and John Callahan, but would eventually only syndicate Life in Hell. When he was asked by producer James L. Brooks to create animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show, Groening came up with The Simpsons. Mr. Groening has several theories for the success of his unusually caustic brand of humor. Therefore, Groening has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. He received the Annie Award (for accomplishments in animation) in the Best Animated Television Production category for his series The Simpsons for six years from the year 1992 to 1997. He finally added staff cartoonist to his resume when Life in Hell first appeared in the paper in the spring of 1980. [94] On June 16, 2018, he became the father of twins for a second time when his wife gave birth to Sol Matthew and Venus Ruth, announced via Instagram. Matt Groening Futurama [28][29], Groening described life in Los Angeles to his friends in the form of the self-published comic book Life in Hell, which was loosely inspired by the chapter "How to Go to Hell" in Walter Kaufmann's book Critique of Religion and Philosophy. And he has "gone Hollywood" enough, he concedes, that when he is picked up by a limousine, he no longer feels that he has to keep the chauffeur entertained for the whole ride. [30] The strip, titled "Forbidden Words," appeared in the September/October issue of that year. If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you are probably a fan of Matt Groening. "I'm a fan of counterculture -- of which there is very little right now," he told Fortune magazine. [111], Groening, Matt; Reiss, Mike; Kirkland, Mark. He made a name exploring his own alienation and a fortune exposing the absurdities and hypocrisies of our culture, and nowadays, Groening is as powerful an insider as they come. The Simpsons (1989-present) By his own description, Mr. Groening behaved as a child much as Bart Simpson would if only he had more scholastic aptitude. "If I could pay my rent, I was deliriously happy. '", Sharing one inane series of meetings, he told the magazine, "I said, 'Look, I told you "Futurama" is not going to be bland and boring like "The Jetsons." In the spirit of youthful rebellion, he makes pointed digs at Fox in front of network officials. Realizing that he would lose the rights to his Life in Hell characters with the deal, Groening quickly created a new cartoon family named after his own siblings and parents, albeit with a "Bart" in lieu of a character named after himself.