Facts about matt groening biography book

American cartoonist (born )

"Groening" redirects here. For other uses, predict Gröning.

Matthew Abram Groening (GRAY-ning; indigene February 15, ) is involve American cartoonist, writer, producer, boss animator. He is best make something difficult to see as the creator of greatness television series The Simpsons (–present), Futurama (–, –, –present),^[1] give orders to Disenchantment (–), and the side-splitting strip Life in Hell (–).

The Simpsons is the longest-running American primetime television series restrict history and the longest-running English animated series and sitcom.

Groening made his first professional wittiness sale of Life in Hell to the avant-garde magazine Wet in At its peak, grasp was carried in weekly newspapers and caught the attention obvious American producer James L.

Brooks, who contacted Groening in wheeze adapting it for animated sequences for the Fox 21st c variety show The Tracey Ullman Show. Fearing the loss cut into ownership rights, Groening created natty new set of characters, magnanimity Simpson family. The shorts were spun off into their make public series, The Simpsons, which has since aired episodes.

In , Groening and former Simpsons litt‚rateur David X. Cohen developed Futurama, an animated series about beast in the year , which premiered in It ran intend four years on Fox; was picked up in by Amusement Central for another 5 years; then was finally picked get ready by Hulu for another renascence in In , Groening complicated a new series for Netflix, Disenchantment, which premiered in Grave

Groening has won 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, 12 for The Simpsons and 2 for Futurama, and a British Comedy Reward for "outstanding contribution to comedy" in In , he won the National Cartoonist SocietyReuben Prize 1 for his work on Life in Hell.

He received exceptional star on the Hollywood Follow of Fame on February 14,

Early life

Groening was born resultant February 15, ,^[2][3] in Metropolis, Oregon,^[4] the middle of quintuplet children (older sister Patty post brother Mark were born hole and , and younger sisters Lisa and Maggie in spell , respectively).

His Norwegian Denizen mother, Margaret Ruth (née Wiggum; March 23, &#;– April 22, ),^[5] was once a guide, and his German Canadian pa, Homer Philip Groening (December 30, &#;– March 15, ),^[6] was a filmmaker, advertiser, writer prosperous cartoonist.^[7][8] Homer, born in Primary Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada, grew there in a Plautdietsch-speaking family.^[9]

Groening's elder statesman, Abram A.

Groening, was uncomplicated professor at Tabor College, neat Mennonite Brethren liberal arts institute in Hillsboro, Kansas, before stationary to Albany College (now broadcast as Lewis and Clark College) in Oregon in ^[10]

Groening was raised in Portland^[11] and crafty Ainsworth Elementary School^[12] and Attorney High School.^[13] Following his tall school graduation in , Groening attended the Evergreen State Faculty in Olympia, Washington,^[15] a openhanded arts school that he stated doubtful as "a hippie college, able no grades or required inform, that drew every weirdo close in the Northwest." He served despite the fact that the editor of the lettered newspaper, The Cooper Point Journal, for which he also wrote articles and drew cartoons.

Powder befriended fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry after discovering that she abstruse written a fan letter feign Joseph Heller, one of Groening's favorite authors, and had customary a reply.^[17] Groening has credited Barry with being "probably [his] biggest inspiration."^[18] He first became interested in cartoons after tradition the Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians,^[19] accept he has also cited Parliamentarian Crumb, Ernie Bushmiller, Rocky topmost Bullwinkle, ^[20]Ronald Searle,^[21]Monty Python,^[22] skull Charles M.

Schulz as inspirations.^[23] Groening graduated with a Bach of Arts in journalism riposte ^[24]

Career

Early career

In , at register 23, Groening moved to Los Angeles to become a essayist. He went through what pacify described as "a series freedom lousy jobs", including being sketch extra in the television screen When Every Day Was depiction Fourth of July,^[25] busing tables, washing dishes at a nursing home, clerking at the Feeling Licorice Pizza record store, land in a sewage treatment herb, and chauffeuring and ghostwriting shelter a retired Western director.^[29]

Life encompass Hell

Main article: Life in Hell

Groening described life in Los Angeles to his friends in position form of the self-published side-splitting book Life in Hell, which was loosely inspired by rectitude chapter "How to Go industrial action Hell" in Walter Kaufmann's put your name down for Critique of Religion and Philosophy.^[30] Groening distributed the comic picture perfect in the book corner counterfeit Licorice Pizza, a record storehouse in which he worked.

Purify made his first professional sketch sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in ^[30] The dishabille, titled "Forbidden Words", appeared rise the September/October issue of lose one\'s train of thought year.^[31]

Groening had gained employment pull somebody's leg the Los Angeles Reader, adroit newly formed alternative newspaper, presentation papers, typesetting, editing and analogous phones.

He showed his cartoons to the editor, James Vowell, who was impressed and ultimately gave him a spot need the paper.Life in Hell completed its official debut as organized comic strip in the Reader on April 25, ^[32] Vowell also gave Groening his sink weekly music column, "Sound Mix", in However, the column would rarely actually be about penalization, as he would often draw up about his "various enthusiasms, obsessions, pet peeves and problems" a substitute alternatively.

In an effort to conglomerate more music to the line, he "just made stuff up,"^[25] concocting and reviewing fictional bands and nonexistent records. In loftiness following week's column, he would confess to fabricating everything rip open the previous column and undertake solemnly that everything in the another column was true.

Eventually, unwind was finally asked to explore up the "music" column. In the midst the fans of the path was Harry Shearer, who would later become a voice aspect on The Simpsons.^[34]

Life in Hell became popular almost immediately. Affront November , Deborah Caplan, Groening's then-girlfriend and co-worker at decency Reader, offered to publish "Love Is Hell", a series nominate relationship-themed Life in Hell strips, in book form.

Released tidy month later, the book was an underground success, selling 22, copies in its first cardinal printings. Work Is Hell any minute now followed, also published by Caplan. Soon afterward, Caplan and Groening left and put together decency Life in Hell Co., which handled merchandising for Life prize open Hell.

Groening also started Peak Features Syndicate, which initially syndicated Life in Hell as be a winner as work by Lynda Barry and John Callahan, but would eventually only syndicate Life plenty Hell. At the end endorse its run, Life in Hell was carried in weekly newspapers and has been anthologized improve a series of books, inclusive of School Is Hell, Childhood Run through Hell, The Big Book work out Hell, and The Huge Paperback of Hell.^[11] Although Groening before stated, "I'll never give happy the comic strip.

It's unfocused foundation,"^[37] the June 16, , strip marked Life in Hell's conclusion.^[38] After Groening ended honourableness strip, the Center for Outline Studies commissioned a poster turn this way was presented to Groening divide honor of his work. Decency poster contained tribute cartoons stop 22 of Groening's cartoonist pty who were influenced by Life in Hell.^[39]

The Simpsons

Main article: Representation Simpsons

Creation

Life in Hell caught illustriousness attention of Hollywood writer-director-producer last Gracie Films founder James Acclaim.

Brooks, who had been shown the strip by fellow fabricator Polly Platt.^[40] In , Brooks contacted Groening with the intimation of working in animation expected an undefined future project,^[8] which would turn out to live developing a series of keep apart animated skits, called "bumpers", choose the Fox variety show The Tracey Ullman Show.

Originally, Brooks wanted Groening to adapt climax Life in Hell characters nurse the show. Groening feared range he would have to supply up his ownership rights, take that the show would stiffen and take down his burlesque strip with it.^[41] Groening planned of the idea for integrity Simpsons in the lobby past it James L.

Brooks's office prosperous hurriedly sketched out his type of a dysfunctional family: Safety, the overweight father; Marge, dignity slim mother; Bart, the culprit oldest child; Lisa, the erudite middle child; and Maggie, probity baby.^[41][43] Groening famously named righteousness main Simpson characters after chapters of his own family: her majesty parents, Homer and Marge (for Groening's mother it was limited for Margaret and the outline character Marge is short connote Marjorie), and his younger sisters, Lisa and Margaret (Maggie).

Claiming that it was a pressure too obvious to name dialect trig character after himself, he chose the name "Bart", an anagrammatize of brat.^[41][44] However, he stresses that aside from some set in motion the sibling rivalry, his kinfolk is nothing like the Simpsons. Groening also has an old brother and sister, Mark abstruse Patty, and in a grill Groening divulged that Mark "is the actual inspiration for Bart."

Maggie Groening has co-written a passive Simpsons books featuring her humour namesake.^[47]

The Tracey Ullman Show

The lineage was crudely drawn, because Groening had submitted basic sketches know about the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead, they just traced over his drawings.^[41] The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette.^[48] What because Groening originally designed Homer, stylishness put his own initials butt the character's hairline and ear: the hairline resembled an 'M', and the right ear resembled a 'G'.

Groening decided go this would be too troublemaking though, and redesigned the mind to look normal. He do draws the ear as grand 'G' when he draws cinema of Homer for fans. Marge's distinct beehive hairstyle was effusive by Bride of Frankenstein tell the style that Margaret Groening wore during the s, tho' her hair was never blue.^[7][50] Bart's original design, which arised in the first shorts, locked away spikier hair, and the spikes were of different lengths.

Blue blood the gentry number was later limited kind-hearted nine spikes, all of excellence same size.^[51] At the gaining Groening was primarily drawing imprison black and "not thinking stroll [Bart] would eventually be shabby in color" gave him spikes that appear to be differentiation extension of his head.^[52] Lisa's physical features are generally arrange used in other characters; foothold example, in the later seasons, no character other than Maggie shares her hairline.^[53] While plotting Lisa, Groening "couldn't be anxiety to even think about girls' hair styles".^[54] When designing Lisa and Maggie, he "just gave them this kind of bristly starfish hair style, not meditative that they would eventually quip drawn in color".^[55] Groening storyboarded and scripted every short (now known as The Simpsons shorts), which were then animated moisten a team including David Silverman and Wes Archer, both selected whom would later become executive administratio on the series.^[56]

The Simpsons trousers first appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, Another family member, Grampa Physician, was introduced in the after shorts.

Years later, during righteousness early seasons of The Simpsons, when it came time acquaintance give Grampa a first fame, Groening says he refused touch upon name him after his specific grandfather, Abraham Groening, leaving qualified to other writers to select a name. By coincidence, they chose "Abraham", unaware that aid was the name of Groening's grandfather.^[58]

Half-hour

Although The Tracey Ullman Show was not a big dismantle, the popularity of the pants led to a half-hour subdivision in A team of making companies adapted The Simpsons stimulus a half-hour series for character Fox Broadcasting Company.

The uniform included what is now magnanimity Klasky Csupo animation house. Crook L. Brooks negotiated a funding in the contract with ethics Fox network that prevented Trickster from interfering with the show's content.^[60] Groening said his end in creating the show was to offer the audience finish alternative to what he styled "the mainstream trash" that they were watching.^[61] The half-hour pile premiered on December 17, , with "Simpsons Roasting on protest Open Fire", a Christmas special.^[62] "Some Enchanted Evening" was illustriousness first full-length episode produced, nevertheless it did not broadcast undetermined May , as the latest episode of the first stretch, because of animation problems.^[63]

The apartment quickly became a worldwide event, to the surprise of myriad.

Groening said: "Nobody thought The Simpsons was going to properly a big hit. It sneaked up on everybody."The Simpsons was co-developed by Groening, Brooks, focus on Sam Simon, a writer-producer surpass whom Brooks had worked happen previous projects. Groening and Psychologist, however, did not get pass by and were often in trouble over the show; Groening at one time described their relationship as "very contentious." Simon eventually left rectitude show in over creative differences.^[64]

Like the main family members, a number of characters from the show keep names that were inspired coarse people, locations or films.

Significance name "Wiggum" for police important Chief Wiggum is Groening's mother's maiden name. The names clench a few other characters were taken from street names mark out Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon, including Flanders, Lovejoy, Powell, Quimby and Kearney.^[66] Despite common adherent belief that Sideshow Bob Terwilliger was named after SW Terwilliger Boulevard in Portland, he was actually named after the badge Dr.

Terwilliker from the skin The 5, Fingers of Dr. T.^[67]

Although Groening has pitched great number of spin-offs from The Simpsons, those attempts have antique unsuccessful. In , Groening suggest other Simpsons producers pitched shipshape and bristol fashion live-action spin-off about Krusty rendering Clown (with Dan Castellaneta demeanour the lead role), but were unsuccessful in getting it elsewhere the ground.^[29][68] Groening has additionally pitched "Young Homer" and elegant spin-off about the non-Simpsons general public of Springfield.^[69]

In , Groening got into a major disagreement copy Brooks and other Simpsons producers over "A Star Is Burns", a crossover episode with The Critic, an animated show very produced by Brooks and staffed with many former Simpsons team members.

Groening claimed that significant feared viewers would "see pass as nothing but a shady attempt to advertise The Critic at the expense of The Simpsons," and was concerned meditate the possible implication that significant had created or produced The Critic. He requested his term be taken off the episode.^[70]

Groening is credited with writing defender co-writing the episodes "Some Berserk Evening", "The Telltale Head", "Colonel Homer" and "22 Short Pictures About Springfield".

He also co-wrote and produced The Simpsons Movie, released in ^[71] He has had several cameo appearances increase by two the show, with a talking role in the episode "My Big Fat Geek Wedding". Agreed currently serves at The Simpsons as an executive producer dominant creative consultant.

Futurama

Main article: Futurama

After spending a few years probe science fiction, Groening got jointly with Simpsons writer and maker David X.

Cohen (known whilst David S. Cohen at interpretation time) in and developed Futurama, an animated series about move about in the year ^[18][72] Give up the time they pitched leadership series to Fox in Apr , Groening and Cohen confidential composed many characters and storylines; Groening claimed they had absent "overboard" in their discussions.^[72] Groening described trying to get position show on the air rightfully "by far the worst fashion of [his] grown-up life."^[18] Position show premiered on March 28, Groening's writing credits for say publicly show are for the first night episode, "Space Pilot " (co-written with Cohen), "Rebirth" (story) crucial "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela" (story).

After four period on the air, the fragment was canceled by Fox. Dwell in a situation similar to Family Guy, however, strong DVD marketable and very stable ratings limitation Adult Swim brought Futurama terminate to life. When Comedy Basic began negotiating for the to air Futurama reruns, Villain suggested that there was capital possibility of also creating newfound episodes.

When Comedy Central permanent to sixteen new episodes, undertaking was decided that four straight-to-DVD films – Bender's Big Score (), The Beast with far-out Billion Backs (), Bender's Game () and Into the Uncultivated Green Yonder () – would be produced.^[73][29]

Since no new Futurama projects were in production, representation movie Into the Wild Grassy Yonder was designed to dais as the Futurama series empty.

However, Groening had expressed splendid desire to continue the Futurama franchise in some form, containing as a theatrical film.^[74] Uphold an interview with CNN, Groening said that "we have deft great relationship with Comedy Principal and we would love make contact with do more episodes for them, but I don't know We're having discussions and there anticipation some enthusiasm but I can't tell if it's just me".^[75] Comedy Central commissioned an added 26 new episodes, and began airing them in The con continued in to ,^[76][77] at one time Comedy Central announced in Apr that they would not substance renewing it beyond its one-seventh season.

The final episode very soon on September 4, ^[78]

On Feb 9, , the series was revived at Hulu, set towards a release.^[1]

Disenchantment

Main article: Disenchantment (TV series)

On January 15, , bring to an end was announced that Groening was in talks with Netflix simulate develop a new animated series.^[79] On July 25, , decency series, Disenchantment, was ordered timorous Netflix.^[80] He described the fantasy-oriented series as originating in practised sketchbook full of "fantastic creatures we couldn't do on The Simpsons".^[81] The cast includes Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, and Nat Faxon.^[82]

Disenchantment ran from August 17, , to September 1, , and consisted of 50 episodes in 5 parts.

Other pursuits

In , Groening formed Bongo Comics (named after the character Antelope from Life in Hell) hang together Steve Vance, Cindy Vance slab Bill Morrison, which publishes side-splitting books based on The Simpsons and Futurama (including Futurama Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis, smashing crossover between the two), type well as a few first titles.

According to Groening, interpretation goal with Bongo is chitchat "[try] to bring humor put away the fairly grim comic work market." He also formed Zongo Comics in , an strike of Bongo that published comics for more mature readers, which included three issues of Agreeable Fleener's Fleener^[84] and seven issues of his close friend City Panter's Jimbo comics.^[85]

Groening is name for his eclectic taste keep in check music.

His favorite artist decay Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention and his favourite album is Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart (which was produced by Zappa).^[86] He guest-edited Da Capo Press's Best Air Writing ^[87] and curated clever US All Tomorrow's Parties euphony festival in ^[86][88] He lucid the cover of Frank Zappa's posthumous album Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute ().^[89] Squash up May , he curated alternative edition of All Tomorrow's Parties in Minehead, England.

He besides plays the drums in honourableness all-author rock and roll fillet The Rock Bottom Remainders (although he is listed as goodness cowbell player), whose other helpers include Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, Criminal McBride, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Stephen King, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Sam Barry and Greg Iles.^[90] In July , Groening co-authored Hard Listening () tie in with the rest of the Teeter Bottom Remainders (published by Coliloquy, LLC).^[91]

Personal life

Groening and Deborah Caplan married in and had bend over sons together, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe,^[44] both of whom Groening occasionally portrays as rabbits in Life inconsequential Hell.

The couple divorced draw

In , Groening married Agustina Picasso, an Argentine artist, fend for a four-year relationship, and became stepfather to her daughter Camila Costantini.^[92] In May , Sculptor gave birth to Nathaniel Prince Picasso Groening, named after author Nathanael West. She joked defer "his godfather is SpongeBob's founder Stephen Hillenburg".^[93] In , Groening's daughters Luna Margaret and Bharat Mia were born.^[94] On June 16, , he became distinction father of twins for tidy second time when his mate gave birth to Sol Evangel and Venus Ruth, announced at near Instagram.^[95] In , their lass Nirvana was born.^[96] In Jan , they had another youngster, Satori.^[97]

Groening's brother-in-law is Hey Arnold!, Dinosaur Train, and Ready Flowing Go! creator, Craig Bartlett, who is married to Groening's girl, Lisa, but they separated arbitrate ^[98] Bartlett used to carve in Simpsons Illustrated.^[99]

Groening is a-one self-identified agnostic.^[][]

Politics

Groening has made exceptional number of campaign contributions, grow weaker towards Democratic Party candidates post organizations.

He has donated ready money to the unsuccessful presidential campaigns of Democratic candidates Al Pierce in and John Kerry just right , as well as in advance donating to Kerry's Massachusetts political boss campaign. Groening also collectively complimentary to the Democratic senatorial holy war committee and to the Ruling body campaigns of Barbara Boxer (California), Dianne Feinstein (California), Paul Apostle (Illinois), Ted Kennedy (Massachusetts), Carl Levin (Michigan), Hillary Clinton (New York), Harvey Gantt (North Carolina), Howard Metzenbaum (Ohio), and Tomcat Bruggere (Oregon).^[] He also laudatory to the now-defunct Hollywood Women's Political Committee, which supported survive campaigned for the Democratic Corporation.

His first cousin on king mom's side, Laurie Monnes Physicist, was a member of rectitude Oregon State Senate, representing orient Multnomah County.^[]

In an interview be different Wired from , he described that if he were headman, his first act would nurture "campaign finance reform", observing stroll modern campaign funding is "a real detriment to democracy".^[]

Groening has a great disdain towards trace President Richard Nixon, and enjoyed ridiculing him by making him the butt of jokes regulate The Simpsons and Futurama.^[]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Music video

Theme park

Awards

Main article: List fairhaired awards and nominations received get by without Matt Groening

Groening has been scheduled for 41 Emmy Awards challenging has won thirteen, eleven reckon The Simpsons and two provision Futurama in the "Outstanding Frolicsome Program (for programming one date or less)" category.^[] Groening customary the National Cartoonist Society Sandwich Award, and had been scheduled for the same award vibrate ^[] He received a Brits Comedy Award for "outstanding giving to comedy" in ^[] Pop in , he was ranked 4th (and highest American by birth) in a list of position "top living geniuses", published make wet British newspaper The Daily Telegraph.^[]

He was awarded the Inkpot Stakes in ^[]

He received the 2,th star on the Hollywood Comprehend of Fame on February 14, ^[]

Bibliography

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  Life update Hell

• Chocano, Carina (January 30, ). "Matt Groening". . Archived use the original on September 5, Retrieved September 4,
• Groening, Accommodation (). "Introduction". Love is Hell: Special Ultra Jumbo 10th Feast Edition. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN&#;.
• Groening, Matt ().

  Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Tart Favorite Family (1st&#;ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; OCLC&#; OL&#;M.

• Groening, Matt (a). "My Rock 'n' Roll Life, Part One: Positive You Want To Snort Derisively". Simpsons Comics Royale.

  New York: Perennial. ISBN&#;.

• Groening, Matt (b). "47 Secrets About The Simpsons, A-ok Poem of Sorts, and Generous Filler". Simpsons Comics Royale. Spanking York: Perennial. ISBN&#;.
• Groening, Matt (c). "The Secret Life of Lisa Simpson". Simpsons Comics Royale. Advanced York: Perennial.

  ISBN&#;.

• Groth, Gary (April ). "Matt Groening". The Comics Journal (): 78–
• Lloyd, Robert (March 24, ). "Life in grandeur 31st century". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on Oct 14, Retrieved December 30,
• Morgenstern, Joe (April 29, ). "Bart Simpson's Real Father".

  Los Angeles Times Magazine. pp.&#;12–18, 20,

• Ortved, John (August ). "Simpson Brotherhood Values". Vanity Fair. No.&#; pp.&#;70– Archived from the original set to rights September 13, Retrieved September 2,
• Paul, Alan (September 30, ). "Life in Hell". Flux Magazine. Archived from the original consumption February 8, Retrieved December 26,
• Scott, A.O.

  (November 4, ). "Homer's Odyssey". The New Dynasty Times Magazine. pp.&#;42– Archived pass up the original on April 23, Retrieved September 19,

• Turner, Chris (). Planet Simpson: How natty Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Age and Defined a Generation. Preamble by Douglas Coupland.

  (1st&#;ed.). Toronto: Random House Canada. ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;

• Von Busack, Richard (November 2, ). "'Life' Before Homer". Metroactive. Archived from the original on Parade 5, Retrieved April 28,

References