ftp.pasteur.org/FAQ/

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ ftp.pasteur.org/FAQ/ / ftp-pasteur-org-FAQ.zip / FAQ / tv / simpsons / faq next >

Wrap

Text File | 1999-06-17 | 63.6 KB | 1,397 lines

Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!eecs-usenet-02.mit.edu!news.sgi.com!enews.sgi.com!news-peer.gip.net!news.gsl.net!gip.net!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!wesley.videotron.net!wagner.videotron.net.POSTED!news.hyrule.ddns.org!lisa.wcat.com!root From: wakkojr@nospam.wcat.com (Ondre Lombard) Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: alt.tv.simpsons LISA (FAQ) - June 1999 Supersedes: <lisafaq-1-928715341@wcat.com> Followup-To: poster Organization: Artist Bros. Enterprises Lines: 1372 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Distribution: world Expires: 23 Jun 99 19:29:02 Message-ID: <lisafaq-1-929320142@wcat.com> Reply-To: wakkojr@wcat.com (Ondre Lombard) Summary: A compilation of interesting tidbits and answers to common questions about alt.tv.simpsons and the TV series "The Simpsons" Keywords: Simpsons,FAQ,LISA,Help Originator: root@lisa.wcat.com Date: Sun, 13 Jun 1999 19:29:02 -0500 NNTP-Posting-Host: 207.253.161.99 X-Complaints-To: abuse@videotron.net X-Trace: wagner.videotron.net 929513936 207.253.161.99 (Wed, 16 Jun 1999 02:18:56 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 02:18:56 EDT Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.tv.simpsons:224805 alt.answers:42545 news.answers:160287 Posted-By: auto-faq 3.3 beta (Perl 5.001) Archive-name: tv/simpsons/faq URL: http://www.wcat.com/lisa Posting-frequency: Weekly Last Modified: 99-03-06 List of Inquiries and Substantive Answers (LISA) -------------------------------------------- < March 1999 -- v3-06 > -=- Maintained by - Ondre Lombard Overseas-Production-By - Akom Production Company Blackboard-Quote - I am not the royal heir to the school throne. I am not the royal he/ 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 <lisa@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> by Torsten Kracke * Japanese: <http://www.wcat.com/simpsons/j-lisa.txt> by Ohbuchi Yutaka * Spanish: <http://members.xoom.com/simparg/faq.html> by Nicolßs Di Candia - Corrections and Suggestions encouraged! Please direct all comments to <ondre@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. -===========================< 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 (UPDATED) _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, simpsons-l@digimark.net. To subscribe, send mail to simpsons-l-request@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. ("Jay") 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 --- --------------- Year Event ---- ------------------------------------------------- 1955 Homer born (05/10/1955) 1956 Marge born (Within 1 year of Homer.) 1974-1975 Homer & Marge graduate High School 1980 Homer & Marge wed; Homer gets job at SNPP; Bart is born 1983 The Simpsons move into Evergreen Terrace; Lisa is born 1989 Maggie is born Homer & Marge's 10th Anniversary Snowball II becomes family cat after death of Snowball I Santa's Little Helper becomes family dog 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" alt.tv.southpark - For discussing "South Park" 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 <og@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://simpsonsarch.home.pages.de/> <http://www.teleport.com/~jrolsen/simpsons/simpsons00.html> <http://members.aol.com/bobakabob/simpsons/index.html> Pages dedicated to specific characters: <http://www.pettifogger.com/hutz.htm> 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://www.pdi.com/PDIPage/screening/special/simpsons.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 <majordomo@wcat.com> with the phrase "subscribe lsfc" in the body. Contact Matthew Kurth <mkurth@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 <antagone@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 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] IIRC - If I Recall Correctly, If I Remember Correctly OTOH - On the Other Hand Other Terms: Production Code - The four/six character episode number given to each episode. P-Code - Production Code, ie: 7G08, 7F24, 2F05, AABF01 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 (and then again in the summer of 1998), Ben Collins <ben@snpp.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. As of the 1998 poll, "Lisa's Wedding" was voted best episode, and "All Singing, All Dancing" was voted worst. The results of this poll will hopefully be helpful in putting an end to this tired debate. 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) In addition, it is wise to avoid fanning the flames of posters who are intentionally starting inflammatory threads simply to elicit an angry response by not responding to them. These are called trolls, and even alt.tv.simpsons isn't immune to them. 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 (23 Springfields exist in the U.S.) 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. The bottom line, though, is that even when the series makes reference to places and events unique to a specific Springfield, it does not mean that the series takes place in that given state. 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. Apparently, as of episode AABF02, Homer's "J" stands for "Jay." Decide for yourself which answer is more consistent. 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!" Homer's trademark "D'oh!" manifested out of a general exclamation to indicate anger, and therefore was and has always been referred to in scripts as "Annoyed Grunt." Therefore most titles that feature "D'oh" in them have the "D'oh" replaced with (Annoyed Grunt) (e.g., "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt).") 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 ("The Homer They Fall"), OR 39 ("The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace"). 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. Q: Who is the person playing the baritone saxaphone for Lisa? A: Terry Harrington. 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 "AKBAR" is available at <http://web.mit.edu/jonb/www/groening/akbar.html>. 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. 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. -> 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: 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: All sources indicate that 20th Century Fox is eager to take Simpsons as far as Season Twelve, and current Executive Producer Mike Scully has signed on to be Executive Producer until then, however, that does not confirm the decision to do a twelfth season. At the time being, the only thing that prevents the confirmation of a Season Eleven is the official word from Fox, but it can be taken for granted that there will be a Season Eleven. Simpsons receives strong enough ratings, so in all likelihood if the series ends, it will not be due to Fox cancelling it. 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 18th, 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 (released: August 31st, 1998) Treehouse of Horror (7F04) / Bart's Comet (2F11) Dog of Death (8F17) / In Marge We Trust (4F18) Scary Simpsons (released: October 5th, 1998) Treehouse of Horror II (8F02) / Treehouse of Horror III (9F04) / Treehouse of Horror IV (1F04) / Treehouse of Horror V (2F04) 0290S The Last Temptation of Homer (released: Nov. 9th, 1998) Simpson and Delilah (7F02) / One Fish, Two Fish, Blow Fish, Blue Fish (7F11) / Homer Alone (8F14) / Colonel Homer (8F19) 1410S Too Hot for TV (released: March 8th, 1999) Treehouse of Horror IX (AABF01) / The Cartridge Family (5F01) / Natural Born Kissers (5F18) / Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy (2F07) 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. Three 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. The most recent triple-pack features episodes from Season Three. 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, askfox@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 three albums, and singles associated to the first released have been released. "The Simpsons Sing the Blues," "Songs in the Key of Springfield" and "The Yellow Album." 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. The second album, "The Yellow Album," which was on an exceedingly long delay, was finally released November 24th, 1998--six years after the album was recorded late in 1992. Information about the album is available through The Simpsons Archive at <http://www.snpp.com/news/pr10_29_98.html>. 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. Despite the politics that jeopardized the plans to release the album, "Go Simpsonic: A Whole Lot More Music From The Television Series," it seems the plans are back on for its release and it should materialize sometime in the fall of this year. 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. Apparently, the transcript of the chat session seems to have disappeared from the Simpsons Archive, and no new URL is currently yet available. 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. Season Nine and Season Ten's episode capsules are in the middle of production and will be finished and released as soon as possible. Benjamin Robinson <benjamin@snpp.com> is the current capsule compiler, replacing the previous maintainer, Frederic Briere, during the slow production of the Season Eight capsules, and during the airing of Season Nine. 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. Ricardo Lafaurie finished the latter half of 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>. -> Look for a revision of the first four season's episode capsules in the future. 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. They are being edited and worked on, 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 Brian Petersen "The Simpsons" Episode Guide Jordan Eisenberg "The Simpsons" Writers & Directors Brian Petersen "The Simpsons" Cast List Jouni Paakkinen "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 Benjamin Robinson Miscellaneous Documents: Maintained or Created 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 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 <ats@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. 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 Bob Beecher 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 Jouni Paakkinen 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, who has provided invaluable information through various means, most particularly lectures which served to tie up certain nagging details. Thanks also 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, 1999 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. "Who would've guessed reading and writing would pay off?" - Homer Simpson, "Mr Lisa Goes to Washington" [8F01] -= Don't have a cow, Man! =- -- Ondre Lombard, wakkojr@wcat.com