Difference between revisions of "Matt Groening"

{{Gstarnav}}

|gender= Male

'''Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|r|eɪ|n|ɪ|ŋ}}, '''gray'''-ning; born February 15, 1954) is <includeonly></includeonly>the creator of the comic strip ''[[Life in Hell]]'' and television series' ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Futurama]]''. Groening made his first professional cartoon sale of ''Life in Hell'' to the avant-garde ''Wet'' magazine in 1978. The cartoon is still carried in 250 weekly newspapers. He was also interviewed in ''[[The Simpsons: Celebrity Friends]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Mischief & Mayhem]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Access All Areas]]'', ''[[The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: America's First Family]]'', and ''[[The Simpsons: A Culture Show Special]]''.

== History ==

''Life in Hell'' caught the attention of [[James L. Brooks]]. In 1985, Brooks contacted Groening with the proposition of working in animation for the [[FOX]] variety show ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]''. Originally, Brooks wanted Groening to adapt his ''Life in Hell'' characters for the show. Fearing the loss of ownership rights, Groening decided to create something new and came up with a cartoon family, [[Simpson family|the Simpsons]], and named the members after his own parents and sisters — while [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] was an anagram of the word brat. The shorts would be spun off into their own series: ''The Simpsons'', which has since aired over 450 episodes in 21 seasons. In 1997, Groening got together with [[David X. Cohen]] and developed ''Futurama'', an animated series about life in the year 3000, which premiered in 1999. After four years on the air, the show was canceled by Fox in 2003, but Comedy Central commissioned 16 new episodes from four direct-to-DVD movies. In June 2009, Comedy Central ordered 26 new episodes of Futurama, to be aired over two seasons. His advice to beginning cartoonists is to not care about what over peaple think and just try to make yourself laugh. He said that if he did not think up the Simpsons, he would probably be in a tire shop, drawing doodles of his boss on the break room wall.

Groening has voiced {{Ch|Matt Groening|himself}} on a few occasions, "[[My Big Fat Geek Wedding]]", ''[[The Simpsons Game]]'' and "[[Homer the Whopper]]". He also voiced a soccer announcer in "[[Holidays of Future Passed]]".<ref>[http://simpsonsmusic500.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/wrapping-up-2011/ Simpsons Music 500 "Wrapping Up 2011"]</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Early life ===

Groening was born on February 15, 1954 in {{W|Portland, Oregon|Portland}}, {{W|Oregon}}, {{W|United States}}. He grew up in Portland, and attended Ainsworth Elementary School, and Lincoln High School. He was the middle child of five children. His Norwegian mother, Margaret Wiggum, was once a teacher, and his German father, Homer Philip Groening, was a filmmaker, advertiser, writer and cartoonist. Homer, born in Main Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada, grew up in a Mennonite, Plautdietsch-speaking family. Matt's grandfather Abram Groening was a professor at Tabor College, a Mennonite Brethren liberal arts college in Hillsboro, Kansas before moving to Albany College (now known as Lewis and Clark College) in Oregon in 1930.

From 1972 to 1977, Groening attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, a liberal school which he described as "a hippie college, with no grades or required classes, that drew every weirdo in the Northwest." He served as the editor of the campus newspaper, ''The Cooper Point Journal'', for which he also wrote articles and drew cartoons. 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 gotten a reply back. Groening has credited Barry with being "probably [his] biggest inspiration." He has also cited the Disney animated film ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' as what got him interested in cartoons.

=== Futurama ===

{{main|Futurama}}

After four years on the air, the show was cancelled by Fox. In a similar situation as Family Guy, however, strong DVD sales and very stable ratings on Cartoon Network brought Futurama back to life. When Comedy Central began negotiating for the rights to air Futurama reruns, Fox suggested that there was a possibility of also creating new episodes. When Comedy Central committed to sixteen new episodes, it was decided that four straight-to-DVD films—Bender's Big Score (2007), The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008), Bender's Game (2008) and Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009)—would be produced. Since no new Futurama projects were in production, the movie Into the Wild Green Yonder was designed to stand as the Futurama series finale. However, Groening had expressed a desire to continue the Futurama franchise in some form, including as a theatrical film. In an interview with CNN, Groening said that "we have a great relationship with Comedy Central and we would love to do more episodes for them, but I don't know...We're having discussions and there is some enthusiasm but I can't tell if it's just me."

=== Awards ===

Groening has been nominated for 25 Emmy awards and has won eleven: ten for The Simpsons and one for Futurama in the "Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or less)" category.

Groening received the 2002 National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award, and had been nominated for the same award in 2000. He received a British Comedy Award for "outstanding contribution to comedy" in 2004.

== Credits ==

=== Created by ===

|content=

*{{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}

*{{ep|There's No Disgrace Like Home}}

*{{ep|Bart the General}}

*{{ep|Moaning Lisa}}

*{{ep|The Call of the Simpsons}}

*{{ep|The Telltale Head}}

*{{ep|Life on the Fast Lane}}

*{{ep|Homer's Night Out}}

*{{ep|The Crepes of Wrath}}

*{{ep|Krusty Gets Busted}}

*{{ep|Some Enchanted Evening}}

*{{ep|Bart Gets an F}}

*{{ep|Simpson and Delilah}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror}}

*{{ep|Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish}}

*{{ep|Dancin' Homer}}

*{{ep|Dead Putting Society}}

*{{ep|Bart vs. Thanksgiving}}

*{{ep|Bart the Daredevil}}

*{{ep|Itchy & Scratchy & Marge}}

*{{ep|Bart Gets Hit by a Car}}

*{{ep|One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish}}

*{{ep|The Way We Was}}

*{{ep|Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment}}

*{{ep|Principal Charming}}

*{{ep|Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?}}

*{{ep|Bart's Dog Gets an F}}

*{{ep|Old Money}}

*{{ep|Brush With Greatness}}

*{{ep|Lisa's Substitute}}

*{{ep|The War of the Simpsons}}

*{{ep|Three Men and a Comic Book}}

*{{ep|Blood Feud}}

*{{ep|Stark Raving Dad}}

*{{ep|Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington}}

*{{ep|When Flanders Failed}}

*{{ep|Bart the Murderer}}

*{{ep|Homer Defined}}

*{{ep|Like Father, Like Clown}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror II}}

*{{ep|Lisa's Pony}}

*{{ep|Saturdays of Thunder}}

*{{ep|Flaming Moe's}}

*{{ep|Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk}}

*{{ep|I Married Marge}}

*{{ep|Radio Bart}}

*{{ep|Lisa the Greek}}

*{{ep|Homer Alone}}

*{{ep|Bart the Lover}}

*{{ep|Homer at the Bat}}

*{{ep|Separate Vocations}}

*{{ep|Dog of Death}}

*{{ep|Colonel Homer}}

*{{ep|Black Widower}}

*{{ep|The Otto Show}}

*{{ep|Bart's Friend Falls In Love}}

*{{ep|Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?}}

*{{ep|Kamp Krusty}}

*{{ep|A Streetcar Named Marge}}

*{{ep|Homer the Heretic}}

*{{ep|Lisa the Beauty Queen}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror III}}

*{{ep|Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie}}

*{{ep|Marge Gets a Job}}

*{{ep|New Kid on the Block}}

*{{ep|Mr. Plow}}

*{{ep|Lisa's First Word}}

*{{ep|Homer's Triple Bypass}}

*{{ep|Marge vs. the Monorail}}

*{{ep|Selma's Choice}}

*{{ep|Brother from the Same Planet}}

*{{ep|I Love Lisa}}

*{{ep|Duffless}}

*{{ep|Last Exit to Springfield}}

*{{ep|So It's Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show}}

*{{ep|The Front}}

*{{ep|Whacking Day}}

*{{ep|Marge in Chains}}

*{{ep|Krusty Gets Kancelled}}

*{{ep|Homer's Barbershop Quartet }}

*{{ep|Cape Feare}}

*{{ep|Homer Goes to College}}

*{{ep|Rosebud}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror IV}}

*{{ep|Marge on the Lam}}

*{{ep|Bart's Inner Child}}

*{{ep|Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood}}

*{{ep|The Last Temptation of Homer}}

*{{ep|$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)}}

*{{ep|Homer the Vigilante}}

*{{ep|Bart Gets Famous}}

*{{ep|Homer and Apu}}

*{{ep|Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy}}

*{{ep|Deep Space Homer}}

*{{ep|Homer Loves Flanders}}

*{{ep|Bart Gets an Elephant}}

*{{ep|Burns' Heir}}

*{{ep|Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song}}

*{{ep|The Boy Who Knew Too Much}}

*{{ep|Lady Bouvier's Lover}}

*{{ep|Secrets of a Successful Marriage}}

*{{ep|Bart of Darkness}}

*{{ep|Lisa's Rival}}

*{{ep|Another Simpsons Clip Show}}

*{{ep|Itchy & Scratchy Land}}

*{{ep|Sideshow Bob Roberts}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror V}}

*{{ep|Bart's Girlfriend}}

*{{ep|Lisa on Ice}}

*{{ep|Homer Badman}}

*{{ep|Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy}}

*{{ep|Fear of Flying}}

*{{ep|Homer the Great}}

*{{ep|And Maggie Makes Three}}

*{{ep|Bart's Comet}}

*{{ep|Homie the Clown}}

*{{ep|Bart vs. Australia}}

*{{ep|Homer vs. Patty and Selma}}

*{{ep|Lisa's Wedding}}

*{{ep|Two Dozen and One Greyhounds}}

*{{ep|The PTA Disbands}}

*{{ep|'Round Springfield}}

*{{ep|The Springfield Connection}}

*{{ep|Lemon of Troy}}

*{{ep|Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)}}

*{{ep|Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)}}

*{{ep|Radioactive Man}}

*{{ep|Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodly}}

*{{ep|Bart Sells His Soul}}

*{{ep|Lisa the Vegetarian}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror VI}}

*{{ep|King-Size Homer}}

*{{ep|Mother Simpson}}

*{{ep|Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming}}

*{{ep|The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular}}

*{{ep|Marge Be Not Proud}}

*{{ep|Team Homer}}

*{{ep|Scenes From the Class Struggle in Springfield}}

*{{ep|Bart the Fink}}

*{{ep|Lisa the Iconoclast}}

*{{ep|Homer the Smithers}}

*{{ep|The Day the Violence Died}}

*{{ep|A Fish Called Selma}}

*{{ep|Bart on the Road}}

*{{ep|22 Short Films About Springfield}}

*{{ep|Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"}}

*{{ep|Much Apu About Nothing}}

*{{ep|Homerpalooza}}

*{{ep|Summer of 4 Ft. 2}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror VII}}

*{{ep|You Only Move Twice}}

*{{ep|The Homer They Fall}}

*{{ep|Burns, Baby Burns}}

*{{ep|Bart After Dark}}

*{{ep|A Milhouse Divided}}

*{{ep|Lisa's Date With Destiny}}

*{{ep|Hurricane Neddy}}

*{{ep|El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)|El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer}}

*{{ep|The Springfield Files}}

*{{ep|The Twisted World of Marge Simpson}}

*{{ep|Mountain of Madness}}

*{{ep|Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious}}

*{{ep|The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show}}

*{{ep|Homer's Phobia}}

*{{ep|Brother from Another Series}}

*{{ep|My Sister, My Sitter}}

*{{ep|Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment}}

*{{ep|Grade School Confidential}}

*{{ep|The Canine Mutiny}}

*{{ep|The Old Man and the Lisa}}

*{{ep|In Marge We Trust}}

*{{ep|Homer's Enemy}}

*{{ep|The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase}}

*{{ep|The Secret War of Lisa Simpson}}

*{{ep|The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson}}

*{{ep|The Principal and The Pauper}}

*{{ep|Lisa's Sax}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror VIII}}

*{{ep|The Cartridge Family}}

*{{ep|Bart Star}}

*{{ep|The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons}}

*{{ep|Lisa the Skeptic}}

*{{ep|Realty Bites}}

*{{ep|Miracle on Evergreen Terrace}}

*{{ep|All Singing, All Dancing }}

*{{ep|Bart Carny}}

*{{ep|The Joy of Sect}}

*{{ep|Das Bus}}

*{{ep|The Last Temptation of Krust}}

*{{ep|Dumbbell Indemnity}}

*{{ep|Lisa the Simpson}}

*{{ep|This Little Wiggy}}

*{{ep|Simpson Tide}}

*{{ep|The Trouble With Trillions}}

*{{ep|Girly Edition}}

*{{ep|Trash of the Titans}}

*{{ep|King of the Hill}}

*{{ep|Lost Our Lisa}}

*{{ep|Natural Born Kissers}}

*{{ep|Lard Of the Dance}}

*{{ep|The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace}}

*{{ep|Bart the Mother}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror IX}}

*{{ep|When You Dish Upon a Star}}

*{{ep|D'oh-in' in the Wind}}

*{{ep|Lisa Gets an "A"}}

*{{ep|Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"}}

*{{ep|Mayored to the Mob}}

*{{ep|Viva Ned Flanders}}

*{{ep|Wild Barts Can't Be Broken}}

*{{ep|Sunday, Cruddy Sunday}}

*{{ep|Homer to the Max}}

*{{ep|I'm With Cupid}}

*{{ep|Screaming Yellow Honkers}}

*{{ep|Make Room For Lisa}}

*{{ep|Maximum Homerdrive}}

*{{ep|Simpsons Bible Stories}}

*{{ep|Mom and Pop Art}}

*{{ep|The Old Man and The "C" Student}}

*{{ep|Monty Can't Buy Me Love}}

*{{ep|They Saved Lisa's Brain}}

*{{ep|Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo}}

*{{ep|Beyond Blunderdome}}

*{{ep|Brother's Little Helper}}

*{{ep|Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner}}

*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror X}}

*{{ep|E-I-E-I-D'oh}}

*{{ep|Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder}}

*{{ep|Eight Misbehavin'}}

*{{ep|Take My Wife, Sleaze}}

*{{ep|Grift of the Magi}}

*{{ep|Little Big Mom}}

*{{ep|Faith Off}}

*{{ep|The Mansion Family}}

*{{ep|Saddlesore Galactica}}

*{{ep|Beware My Cheating Bart‎}}

=== Developer ===

{{scroll

*{{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}

*{{ep|There's No Disgrace Like Home}}

*{{ep|Dancin' Homer}}

*{{ep|Bart's Dog Gets an F}}

*{{ep|The War of the Simpsons}}

*{{ep|Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie}}

*{{ep|Lisa's First Word}}

*{{ep|Homer's Triple Bypass}}

*{{ep|Selma's Choice}}

*{{ep|Brother from the Same Planet}}

*{{ep|I Love Lisa}}

*{{ep|Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)}}