The Official Simpsons Griefing Thread

[The Last Stand]

Late but, He.....


HAS RETURNED

https://deadhomers.com/2026/05/28/undead-homer-society/

Speaking of return:

honestom23 was finally able to finish his Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror review. A portion of this review/retrospective talks about a couple of Rugrats platformer games for the Game Boy Color. This Treehouse of Horror game uses the same engine as those games.

First Akklaim, now THQ being the publisher/developer for licensed games now. I cannot wait for his retrospective on The Simpsons Wrestling.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

The Simpsons: Dumbocrats - Luke Baker

(In the unlikely event you're unaware, he's a parody of Rush Limbaugh.)

 

[Kulee Baba]

John Swartzwelder, the Simpsons most prolific writer posted this on his twitter yesterday.

@thesimpsonswriters touring San Onofre Power Plant in 1990. Left to right: Sam Simon, Wally Wolodarsky, Jeff Martin (I think), Me, George Meyer and Jon Vitti

I just thought it was interesting that part of the effort of creating the show for this crew of comedy writers actually involved getting a tour of a real Nuclear Power Plant. Just makes sense that if you're doing a creative work you should do research.

 

[Papa stink]

Screw a second Simpsons movie, I want a full length theatricaly released McBain movie.

 

[ToroidalBoat]

it's the German rendition of the Yiddish word for "vayner" or "wine merchant"

Either way it's an unfortunate -- or hilarious -- coincidence that the name is Weiner.

Egghead Likes his Bookie Wook - Andy Ruestow

"Don't do what Donny Don't does"...[sighs] They could have made this
clearer.
-- Bart reads a knife safety book, "Boy Scoutz 'N the Hood"

Things not to do, according to the book, are use your knife as a
toothbrush, use your knife in a slingshot, or threaten your cat while it
sleeps.  "Oh, they won't let you have any fun," Bart moans.  Homer walks
by and sees what Bart is doing.

Homer: [scoffing] Well, if it isn't the leader of the wiener patrol,
       boning up on his nerd lessons.
Marge: Homer, you should be more supportive.
Homer: You're right, Marge.  Good work, boy.  [ruffles his hair]
        [Marge leaves]
        [singing] Egghead likes his booky-books!
Marge: Homer!
Homer: Just tucking him in.
-- Homer, master of tolerance, "Boy Scoutz 'N the Hood"

- [1F06] Boy Scoutz 'N the Hood (at simpsonsarchive.com)

 

[The Last Stand]

https://www.mjvibe.com/bryan-loren-michael-jackson-collaborator-and-new-jack-swing-pioneer-dies-at-58/

RIP Bryan Loren, writer of the song Do The Bartman.

I had thought Bartman was inspired as a spoof on Batman since Bart is a ten year old that is understandably into comics, video games and mischief. I never saw the episode where it was a dance. Of course, with it being the 90s, everything had a dance.

I learned that the alter ego of Bartman was featured in ONE episode in the 90s where Bart was attending a comic book convention.



Evidently, they were marketing Bartman in the 90s for a time before quietly abandoning the concept itself. Only reason I know of Bartman is from The Simpsons Game where Bart discovers the Simpsons family has superpowers.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q7ycjcQHoaw, list: RDQ7ycjcQHoaw
I had thought Bartman was inspired as a spoof on Batman since Bart is a ten year old that is understandably into comics, video games and mischief. I never saw the episode where it was a dance. Of course, with it being the 90s, everything had a dance.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gp697x-lYNk
I learned that the alter ego of Bartman was featured in ONE episode in the 90s where Bart was attending a comic book convention.

Wyświetl załącznik 9231374

Evidently, they were marketing Bartman in the 90s for a time before quietly abandoning the concept itself. Only reason I know of Bartman is from The Simpsons Game where Bart discovers the Simpsons family has superpowers.

yeah I forget if the merch predated the comic book episode but there was a lot of shit just pushing the random concept of "Bartman"
tbh I wouldn't be shocked if it was something that popped up in the Ullman shorts too or was a planned but unused until later (or dropped) thing like Homer being Krusty or Marge having the Life In Hell Rabbits' ears under her hair

 

[The Last Stand]

yeah I forget if the merch predated the comic book episode but there was a lot of shit just pushing the random concept of "Bartman"

With the Bartman merch I've seen, it looks like the episode aired, then the merch was created with Bartmania going on.

 

[XYZpdq Jr.]

With the Bartman merch I've seen, it looks like the episode aired, then the merch was created with Bartmania going on.

oh okay it was only season 2
yeah that sounds about right for peak bartmania
tbh I thought the comic episode was a bit later

 

[The Last Stand]

oh okay it was only season 2
yeah that sounds about right for peak bartmania
tbh I thought the comic episode was a bit later

I'm not an expert; I believe merch for IPs gets created in conjunction with whatever production schedules occur. The comic book episode, evidently, received high viewership at the time. So, it would make logical sense for FOX or whoever to conclude that people liked Bartman, so let's make something out of it.

Since we're talking about Bartmania, notice how Bart has a blue shirt instead of his well known orange shirt on some merch.



I think in the first season or even from earlier concept art, Bart had a blue shirt. Oh, it was intentional to notice bootlegged merchandise.

 

[Trilby]

I'm not an expert; I believe merch for IPs gets created in conjunction with whatever production schedules occur. The comic book episode, evidently, received high viewership at the time. So, it would make logical sense for FOX or whoever to conclude that people liked Bartman, so let's make something out of it.

Since we're talking about Bartmania, notice how Bart has a blue shirt instead of his well known orange shirt on some merch.

Wyświetl załącznik 9231913

I think in the first season or even from earlier concept art, Bart had a blue shirt. Oh, it was intentional to notice bootlegged merchandise.

I'm sure it was. I remember the bootleg shirts all over a flea market I went to at the time 35 years ago.

 

[Karamanlis]

Oh, it was intentional to notice bootlegged merchandise.

That isn't what the link actually says.

 

[Mayor Cody Travers]

I had thought Bartman was inspired as a spoof on Batman since Bart is a ten year old that is understandably into comics, video games and mischief. I never saw the episode where it was a dance. Of course, with it being the 90s, everything had a dance.

yeah I forget if the merch predated the comic book episode but there was a lot of shit just pushing the random concept of "Bartman"
tbh I wouldn't be shocked if it was something that popped up in the Ullman shorts too or was a planned but unused until later (or dropped) thing like Homer being Krusty or Marge having the Life In Hell Rabbits' ears under her hair

With the Bartman merch I've seen, it looks like the episode aired, then the merch was created with Bartmania going on.

As someone who was around for Bartmania firsthand, you guys are correct.

Via Bartmania, focusing on Bart-related stuff like Bartman - or to use another example, his favorite superhero Radioactive Man and RM's supporting cast - in merch like comics, trading cards, and video games really expanded the world of the Simpsons at a time that was very fun and relatable to young kids and kept the Simpsons hype going. It made perfect sense to focus on Bart for merch since everyone knows he was the initial breakout star until the target audience aged up, Simpson-mania died down, and flanderization (heh) set in to where people found Homer the plot driver.

It's funny seeing merch from back then. Simpsons was obviously "indie" at the time and colorful, rambunctious, and willing to push boundaries, and the merch reflected that being colorful and snarky in a way that did indeed stand out in the early 90s. Indeed, in many ways it had more bite than the actual show, perhaps due to Bart being the star. I'm thinking of a set of Topps trading cards in addition to the book Bart's Guide to Life that definitely had a snarkier vibe than the episodes of the time.

Back when the show had passion and was a genuine look just outside of America's window.

 

[The Last Stand]

That isn't what the link actually says.

One of the longest running rumours amongst Simpsons fans was that Bart was depicted with a blue shirt in merchandise to ward off bootleggers, or at least to make it easier to spot fake Simpsons merch. If Bart was wearing anything but blue, then Fox would know - ostensibly - that something was up.

As per YouTube channel Rebel Taxi, before The Simpsons fully aired, Fox were supposedly desperate for merchandise. Like the aforementioned mistakes, early designs were sent off to studios and merchandising companies and they eventually made it into finished animation and related media. Blue shirt Bart was one of the earliest images of the character, dating all the way back to The Simpsons' days on the Tracey Ullman show, which resulted in most of his merch featuring a blue shirt.

 

[Karamanlis]

One of the longest running RUMOURS amongst Simpsons fans was that Bart was depicted with a blue shirt in merchandise to ward off bootleggers, or at least to make it easier to spot fake Simpsons merch. If Bart was wearing anything but blue, then Fox would know - ostensibly - that something was up. The lack of a definitive answer from the showrunners has meant that other theories have cropped up too, with some speculating that, at the height of Bartmania, the character was given a blue shirt to further distinguish him from his siblings Lisa and Maggie.

Both theories have always seemed a little tenuous though, and, as with black Smithers and dark-haired Moe, the real answer is probably a lot less exciting.

Weirdly, blue shirt Bart was eventually retired, but it would take years for it to happen. He made frequent appearances in the beloved Simpsons comic from Bongo which finally came to a close in 2018. But, other than that, blue shirt Bart has all but faded from existence, exiting the spotlight with about the same amount of explanation and fanfare that accompanied his introduction all those years ago.

@The Last Stand