Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!news.ais.net!mkurth From: mkurth@eagle.ais.net (Matthew Kurth) Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons,alt.answers,news.answers Subject: alt.tv.simpsons FAQ - Mar 95 Followup-To: poster Date: 27 Feb 1995 15:02:46 GMT Organization: American Information Systems, Inc. Lines: 978 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: <3ispim$6gb@news.ais.net> Reply-To: ats@lisa.apana.org.au NNTP-Posting-Host: eagle.ais.net Summary: A compliation of more-or-less useful information and answers to common questions about alt.tv.simpsons and the TV series "The Simpsons". Keywords: Simpsons FAQ X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu alt.tv.simpsons:38863 alt.answers:7743 news.answers:35950 Archive-name: tv/simpsons/faq Posting-Frequency: Every Two Weeks Version: March 1995, Posting Format Last-modified: 02-27 Overseas-Production-By: Akom Production Company Blackboard-Quote: I am not a Warner brother or a Warner sister./ In-Memory-Of: Snowball I alt.tv.simpsons - Frequently Asked Questions -------------------------------------------- Maintained by Matthew "The Captain" Kurth (####) (#######) (#########) (#########) (#########) (#########) __&__ (#########) / \ (#########) |\/\/\/| /\ /\ /\ /\ | | (#########) | | | \/ \/ \. .----/ \----. | (o)(o) (o)(o)(##) | | \_ / \ / C .---_) ,_C (##) | (o)(o) (o)(o) <__. .--\ (o)(o) /__. | |.___| /____, (##) C _) _C / \ () / | \__/ \ (#) | ,___| /____, ) \ > (C_) < /_____\ | | | / \ /----' /___\____/___\ /_____/ \ OOOOOO /____\ ooooo /| |\ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and New Readers Guide for the Usenet newsgroup alt.tv.simpsons, to be posted as required and Emailed to users asking about topics covered here. Please see Sec 4.3 for distribution restrictions placed on this document. Finger to see if your copy of the FAQ is still current. To request a current version of the FAQ, send Email to with the word "FAQ" in the Subject: header. Corrections and Suggestions encouraged! Please direct all comments to . NOTE: This is by no means a comprehensive document, but rather is meant to be a quick-and-dirty compilation of more-or-less useful information and pointers to other more detailed sources. A truly comprehensive tome would likely rival _War and Peace_ in length and would be impossibly difficult to navigate. -> NEW In This Edition: -------------------- - 2F31 Explained - The Critic on Fox! - The Ink & Paint Club Returns! -===========================< Table of Contents >==========================- -= Section I - General Interest =- 1.1 alt.tv.simpsons Basic History 1.2 "The Simpsons" Basic History 1.3 The Simpson Family 1.4 Series Timeline 1.5 Relevant Associated Newsgroups, FTP & WWW Sites, BBSes, and Fanclubs 1.6 Frequently Used Acronyms and Local Terminology 1.7 Topics That Tend To Go Nowhere -= Section II - Frequently Asked Questions =- 2.1 Characters, Places, and Internal Consistency 2.2 Background, Production, and Broadcast 2.3 Comics, Music, and Newsgroup-Specific -= Section III - Commonly Requested Lists =- 3.1 The Episode Capsules 3.2 Bart's Calls To Moe's Tavern 3.3 Other Lists and How to Get Them -= Section IV - Closing Remarks =- 4.1 Acknowledgements 4.2 Contributors 4.3 Disclaimer and Copyright -=====================< Section I - General Interest >=====================- 1.1 alt.tv.simpsons Basic History --- ----------------------------- Newgrouped 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". Currently, no mailing list exists for the newsgroup. 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 for Season Six and presumably, Seasons Seven and Eight. Seasons One and Two were animated by Klasky-Csupo (pronounced "CLASS-key CHOOP-oh"), who also worked on "The Tracey Ullman Show" bumpers. Seasons Three, Four, Five, and Six 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. -> A GIF of his original sketches is available. (See Sec 1.3) 1.3 The Simpson Family --- ------------------ Family Member Voice Talent Description Homer J. Simpson Dan Castellaneta Father, "D'OH!" Marjorie Bouvier Simpson Julie Kavner Mother, "Hmmmmmmmmm" Bartholomew J. Simpson Nancy Cartwright Brother, "Ay, Carumba!" Lisa Simpson Yeardley Smith Sister, "I'll be in my room." Maggie Simpson Liz Taylor Sister, "" Santa's Little Helper Frank Welker Family Dog Snowball II Frank Welker Family Cat, Second-In-Line Abraham J. Simpson Dan Castellaneta Grampa, "In _my_ day..." Jacqueline Bouvier Julie Kavner Marge's Mother Patty Bouvier Julie Kavner Marge's Celibate Sister Selma Bouvier Julie Kavner Selma's Twin Sister -> A complete cast list is available. (See Sec 3.3) 1.4 Series Timeline --- --------------- 1955 1956 1974-1975 1980 1983 1989 | | | | | | ... --+---+--------+----------+++-----++--------++-- | | | ||| || |+--Tenth Anniversary | | | ||| || +--Maggie Born | | | ||| |+--Lisa born | | | ||| +--They move into Evergreen Tce. | | | ||+--Bart born. | | | |+--Homer gets job at SNPP. | | | +--Married | | +--Marge & Homer graduate High School | +--Marge born (Within 1 year of Homer.) +--- Homer born (05/10/1955) 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 1st April, 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". -> At this time, it appears that the Season Five and Season Six production staffs have chosen to ignore certain established continuity references, and as such, this FAQ has chosen to reciprocate and ignore Season Five and Season Six continuity where it interferes with previously established events. 1.5 Relevant Associated Newsgroups, FTP & WWW Sites, BBSes, and Fanclubs --- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Newsgroups: 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 FTP, WWW, and BBS: -> The long-standing FTP site is no longer in operation. Known as "The Simpsons Archive", it is the current archive site with a large collection of documents, graphics, and sounds. For specifics on digimark, send Email to Gary Goldberg . An alternate site, lisa also has a large collection of Simpsons material. Please be advised that lisa runs on a relatively slow link, and deal with it accordingly. Contact Gavan McCormack for specifics. <01-815-923-2382> The Ink & Paint Club BBS A private bulletin board system located near Chicago Illinois, USA housing an extensive image archive. Please be advised that the BBS uses the settings of 8-N-1 and is not an anonymous-use machine. For specifics on accessing the system, send Email to . Other locations to check out: /pub/caddy/Simpsons/ /pub/graphics/mpegs/ /pub/doom/ and are two servers suggested as starting points for Archie users. Fanclubs: The Yeardley Smith Fan Club (YSFC) is a free mailing list dedicated to sharing all available information on actress Yeardley Smith. To join the YSFC or to get more information, send Email to . 1.6 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) OFN - Our Favorite Newsgroup (a.t.s of course) SLH - Santa's Little Helper (the Simpsons' family dog) DYN - Did You Notice, Didja Notice UFA - _The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album_ (book) BCG, BC - Bongo Comics Group (MG's comic production outfit) LIH - "Life in Hell" (MG's comic strip) I&S - Itchy and Scratchy. FFF, FF - Freeze-Frame Fun SI(xx) - Simpsons Illustrated (us) U.S. (oz) Australia SNPP - Springfield Nuclear Power Plant BSGTL, BGTL - _Bart Simpson's Guide to Life_ (book) CWTS - _Cartooning with the Simpsons_ (book) FITS - _The Simpsons Fun in the Sun Book_ RDFB - _The Simpsons Rainy Day Fun Book_ IMHO, IMO - In My (Humble) Opinion BTW - By The Way WRT - With Regard 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] Other Terms: Production Code - The four character episode number given to each episode. P-Code - Production Code, ie: 7G08, 7F24, 2F05 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) 1.7 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 presented facts. As such, there are no set answers, and a large percentage of the readers have already made up their minds on these subjects. - Smithers is gay or bisexual. - Favorite 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. - Reality vs. Surrealism - If you don't like the way the show is headed, then stop watching it. Please remember that these topics also tend to generate strong emotional feelings by people on all sides of the argument, and to approach these threads with care should you desire to discuss them. (See Sec 2.1, Sec 3.3) Also, it is asked that binary files (GIFs, JPEGs, 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 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 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 3.3) 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 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 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 & 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 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". 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. 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: What does the "J" stand for in Homer J. and Bart J. Simpson? A: MG says that Homer's middle initial is 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. The RDFB states that Bart's middle initial stands for "Jebediah", and not "JoJo", as was previously reported by Sharon Crichton. Yet, her claim was backed up by the appearance of "JoJo" in the 1992 "Simpsons Illustrated Annual" (1993 SIoz). One can only guess that some facts got lost when the Rainy Day Fun Book was made. 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: How come the Halloween Specials don't follow established continuity? A: The "Treehouse of Horror" series is, according to MG, are 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 have Mr. Burns' head sewn onto Homer's body. Q: Are Smithers and/or Mr. Burns gay (or bisexual)? A: Maybe. Recent remarks by Smithers with regard to his "choice of lifestyle" being incompatible with Mr. Burns' "conservative leanings" seems to indicate that he is. It has also been suggested that Smithers is "Burns-sexual", due to the fact that his interests do not appear to go beyond his boss. However, the final word on Smithers remains that the jury is still out, and it is up to each individual viewer to decide for themselves. As for Mr. Burns, he has made references to other women in a conversation with Marge in "Marge Gets a Job" and nearly married Marge's mother in "Lady Bouvier's Lover", and as such it seems unlikely that he is. -> Read "Smithers' Sexuality" for more on this. (See Sec 3.3) 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 Chesperito' from the Miami-based Univision network. The character's has been dubbed simply "Bumblebee Man" by the production staff. Q: What's that thing Homer says? Doh? Dough? D'ohh? A: The correct way to spell it is "D'oh!" Q: In one episode, Homer says, "Mmmmmmmm, Liquid Smoke!" What is it? A: Liquid Smoke is a type of sauce (similar to A-1) that allegedly makes food taste like it was cooked on a grill or bar-b-que. Q: Is Nelson Muntz's father that Snake guy? A: No official evidence exists to support this claim, so probably not. Q: What are "Wet Willies" and "Wedgies"? A: A "Wet Willie" is a popular junior high school prank administered by wetting one's finger, usually with spit, and inserting it into the victim's ear, usually accompanying it with a twisting of the wrist back and forth. A "Wedgy" is yet another popular junior high school prank. Also known as a "Grundy", a wedgie is usually administered by grabbing the waistband of the victim's underpants and quickly yanking them upward, causing the victim's underwear to wedge between their buttocks, causing a great deal of discomfort and humiliation. Wedgies are usually administered from behind as it allows for the element of surprise, and because there is greater access to the victim's waistband at the rear. "Front Grundies", the pulling of the victim's front waistband, are not unheard of, but are far less common. Q: What is the "Dreaded Rear Admiral"? A: More than one a.t.s reader has attempted to correlate it to the insertion of one's finger into another person's "rear", through their clothes or underwear. However, the official word according to Bill Oakley is that the "Rear Admiral" simply doesn't exist. He used it because he thought it sounded like a particularly nasty prank someone might pull. 2.2 Background, Production, and Broadcast --- ------------------------------------- Q: Who is Matt Groening? A: Matt Groening 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 at fault for the bulk of what happens. His name appearing on all Simpsons merchandising is a trademark requirement, by agreement with the 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, who bought from him 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 "Groening" is available. (See Sec 1.5) Q: What are all these hexidecimal numbers people keep talking about? A: The numbers (7G06, 7F19, 9F08, 2F05, 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 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. -> Consult the Episode Quicklist for a listing of stories and p-codes. (See Sec 3.3) 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 special unbroadcasted title cards identifying it 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. Q: Why was 7G01 held to the last episode of Season One? A: "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first full-length episode sent by Klasky- Cuspo to Akom Production Company for overseas production, and during the animation process, an animator thought it might be funny if one of the bears in the Happy Little Elves video ripped the head off of one of the elves. Needless to say, MG sent the episode back to have the offending scene re-animated, thereby pushing it back to the end of the season. As far as MG is concerned, the original sequences have been destroyed. However, no source has been able to confirm or deny this. 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 Season One episodes were released in Britain, New Zealand, and Australia during October 1991 on four PAL VHS tapes. Since then, another 8 episodes from Seasons One and Two have been released on a new label along with the eight old ones on PAL format only. A set of 12 SECAM VHS tapes featuring 24 episodes from Season One and Season Two is available in France, released by Fox France. In North America, only the Christmas special (7G08) has been released by Fox Video on a single NTSC VHS tape, title #1915. Q: What's all this about syndication? A: A selection of episodes from the first five seasons has 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. 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. -> A list of edits to syndicated episodes is available. (See Sec 3.3) Q: What became of Tracey Ullman's lawsuit? A: Lawyers on behalf of Tracey Ullman have twice filed litigation proceedings against Fox, not MG or Gracie Films, insisting although there was never any signed agreements when the show went to the half-hour format, that she should be entitled to 7.5% of `The Simpsons' net merchandising profits. Both claims were later rejected in court. Q: What's this I hear of a Simpsons spin-off show? A: Although it is not affiliated in any way with The Simpsons, former executive producers Al Jean and Mike Reiss were at work on an animated series called "The Critic". The series was broadcast in early 1994 in America on the ABC network, and consisted of 13 episodes. There were received with mixed reviews, and ABC cancelled the show. The Fox network has since picked up the show and plans to air 10 new episodes. The series will be re-launched in March 1995 with a Simpsons- Critic crossover, 2F31 "A Star is Burns". Q: Does anybody know the RGB values for the Simpsons? A: Yup: Skin Color : Pantone 116, RGB 255,217,15 Homer's Pants : Pantone 284, RGB 112,209,255 Homer's Shoes : Pantone 445, RGB 41,79,51 Homer's Beard : Pantone 465, RGB 209,178,112 Marge's Dress : Pantone 366, RGB 209,255,135 Marge's Hair : Pantone 285, RGB 23,145,255 Bart's Shorts & Shoes : Pantone 299, RGB 33,209,255 Lisa's Dress : Pantone 179, RGB 255,54,15 Maggie's "Baggie" & Bow: Pantone 297, RGB 125,255,255 2.3 Comics, Music, and Newsgroup-Specific --- ------------------------------------- Q: Where can I get the Simpsons DOOM files? A: Try , beginning with the directory /pub/doom directory. There are two separate patches available. "Simpsons DOOM" has replacement sound and graphics WADs available as SIMPSONS.ZIP; "Homer's DOOM" has a replacement sound WAD only, available as HOMERDM3.ZIP. You _must_ have a registered version of DOOM and have the DMADDS.EXE file to integrate the WAD files. Users with the shareware version of DOOM or who don't want to use the WAD version can find a compatible version of Homer's DOOM available as HOMERDM.ZIP. 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 a six issue "Radioactive Man" limited series and a six issue "Itchy & Scratchy Comics" limited series, both of which have run their course. Currently in produtction are two bi-monthly titles, "Simpsons Comics" and "Bartman". A series of Itchy & Scratchy holiday issues is also underway. -> Bongo Comics does not offer subscriptions at this time. Q: Where can I get the music from "The Simpsons"? A: Currently only one album and its associated singles have been released, "The Simpsons Sing the Blues". This includes... 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????) However, these do not include the theme, which appears on Danny Elfman's CD, "Music for a Darkened Theatre", and a longer guitar rendition is on Danny Gatton's disc "88 Elmira Street". There is also in existence a limited edition promotional copy of "Deep, Deep Trouble", which contains a remix track not seen on any other release anywhere. Apparently there is also a "Sibling Rivalry" CD single available as well. All the released singles & album have now been deleted in all the released countries around the world. Q: Wasn't there supposed to be a second album? A: Yes. The second album, "The Yellow Album", was confirmed as having been in production at one time. The title is meant to be a take-off of Prince's album "The Black Album" rather than The Beatles' "The White Album" as some have suggested. The album is said to include the single "My name is Bart, and I am funky", a take-off of the Prince single of similar title. The album seems to be complete and was rumoured for a mid to late 1993 release. However, it appears to be indefinitely postponed or cancelled. Recent attempts to contact Geffen Records indicates that the project has not been entirely forgotten. The recent official release of Prince's album may or may not affect whether the second OFF album sees the light of day any time soon. Q: Is my local station cutting the episodes? A: Probably not, unless you're from Australia or Germany, where the show is routinely censored to abide with younger children's' viewing guidelines because of the early time slots used by both countries. 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. 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. 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. -> A transcript of the Prodigy session is available. (See Sec 3.3) Other producers of the show have made brief Internet apperances, 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. 3.3) In the past, many postings have claimed to have originated from Matt Groening and other identities. One should immediately be sceptical 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. Q: What's the difference between a FFF and a DYN? A: A "FFF" is typically a list that requires the pause of a VCR to discern (like "Things in the attic", or "degrees on Lionel Hutz's wall") and the text of signs (like "For the Obese or Gangly Gentleman"). Otherwise, it's a "DYN". So green rats, mouse holes in the wall, and purple food globs count as DYNs. (See Sec 1.6, 3.1) Q: Why isn't this rec.arts.tv.simpsons? A: The rec.arts.tv hierarchy is intended for television series that have "staying power" and will still be around 5 years from now. As a result, a large number of people object to the creation of a Simpsons group in the higher-propagated rec hierarchy because they felt (and apparently still feel) that its lifespan is limited. -================ 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 7F76, 9F08, 9F09, 9F11, and 9F14, capsules exist for every episode, short, and music video aired to date. James A. Cherry is the current capsule compiler. The previous compiler and originator is Raymond Chen, who produced most of the capsules through Season Four. Chris Baird, Dave Hall, and Scott Simpson are responsible for the remaining handful of capsules not produced by Raymond Chen or James Cherry. 3.2 Bart's Prank Calls to Moe's Tavern --- ---------------------------------- 7G03: Hey, everybody, I. P. Freeley! 7G06: Hey guys, I'm lookin' for a Jacques Strap. 7G01: Is there an Al Coholic here? 7G01: Call for Oliver Kloushoff. 7F11: I wanna Seymour Butts. 7F15: C'mon, one o' you guys has gotta be Homer Sexual. 7F22: Hey, has anybody seen Mike Rotch lately? 8F08: Somebody check the men's room for a Hugh Jass! 8F09: Come on guys, do I have a Bea O'Problem here? 9F06: Why can't I find Amanda Hugginkiss? 9F06: Hey, everybody, put down your glasses. Ivana Tinkle! (Bart had an accomplice for this one.) 3.3 Other Lists and How To Get Them --- ------------------------------- In addition to the FAQ, there are several other reference works 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. Episode Guides and Technical Documents: Maintained By: "The Simpsons" Episode QuickList Matthew Kurth "The Simpsons" Episode Guide Dave Hall "The Simpsons" Writers & Directors Dave Hall "The Simpsons" Cast List Dave Hall "The Itchy & Scratchy Show" Episode Guide J.D. Baldwin Couch, Blackboard Punishment, & Airdates Listing Don Del Grande Episode Capsule FAQ James Cherry Miscellaneous Documents: Maintained By: Where is Springfield? Dave Hall Smithers' Sexuality Dave Hall 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 1.5) -> This list is still incomplete. Please Email me if you are currently maintaining a document you believe is relevant to this list, and if I agree, I will include it. -====================== Section IV - Closing Remarks ======================- 4.1 Acknowledgements --- ---------------- Many thanks go to the previous FAQ maintainers for their diligent work in making this version possible: Gavan McCormack, Chris Baird, Raymond Chen, and Brendan Kehoe. This document would not be possible without their previous contributions. Substantial thanks also go to the episode capsule compilers and all the other list maintainers out there that make my life easier. Special thanks to Gavan McCormack for all his help in getting me started, and to James Cherry for his endless patience. And of course, thanks go out to the production team that produces one of the best shows on television. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. (Well, duh!) 4.2 Contributors --- ------------ These people have contributed in some fashion to this document, both with and without their knowledge. This list is woefully incomplete, but it's a start. cjb@hna.com.au Chris Baird jac@doe.carleton.ca James A. Cherry raymondc@microsoft.com Raymond Chen caddy@best.com Terri Clendenin chris@leo.sgs.es.hac.com Chris Courtois licpd@pippin.cc.flinder.edu.au Christopher Dent c348354@mizzou1.missouri.edu Rick Diamant del_gran@ix.netcom.com Don Del Grande og@digimark.net Gary Goldberg dave_hall@mbnet.mn.ca Dave Hall tetragon@lisa.apana.org.au Gavan McCormack nabors@pobox.upenn.edu Gary S. Nabors sarah@well.sf.ca.us Sarah Rosenbaum u2118@uicvm.bitnet John Schulien paul@labyrinth.apana.org.au Paul Shandi tredysvr!cellar!toad@gvls1.gvl.unisys.com Tony Shepps juha.terho@mpoli.fi Juha Terho etrinida@aludra.usc.edu Elson Trinidad alav@julius.fdn.fr Julien Villeret 4.3 Disclaimer and Copyright --- ------------------------ This document is Copyright (c) 1995 Wildcat Productions and may not be repackaged, edited, released, 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 includes the removal of the author's .sig (signature file). 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, nobody's perfect. As such, Wildcat Productions takes no responsibility for incorrect or inaccurate information beyond correcting the error in the next official FAQ release. -= That's All, Folks! =- -- Matthew W. Kurth | "Prayer - The last refuge of a scoundrel." - Lisa Simpson -aka The Captain | "That makes me feel all warm and squishy." - Dot Warner -----------------+---------------------------------------------------------- mkurth@ais.net | "I can make mistakes myself just fine." - Don Williams