“What’s so funny?” – Marge Simpson “Oh, uh, I was just thinking of a joke I saw on Herman’s Head.” – Lisa Simpson This has been noted elsewhere, and I didn’t get around to watching it until last night, but Yeardley Smith had a small role as the waiting room nurse on Mad Men this week. (Oddly, especially for someone with such pop-culture juice, it hasn’t popped up on her IMDB page yet.) She gets to tell off a guy who’s waiting for his wife to have their first kid. He’s kind of a dick to her, hence the wry smile…
Category: Simpsons Alumni
Zombie Simpsons Alumni Update
Remember Don Payne? He not only writes for Zombie Simpsons but also was (at least) partially responsible for that unwatchable “Fantastic Four” sequel. Well, he got replaced for the “reboot”. I don’t give a beveled fuck about “Fantastic Four”, but it is nice to see hacktacular, formulaic writing not given another chance.
Simpsons Alumni Update (kinda): John Swartzwelder
“According to this book the first thing we need is a setting.” – Lisa Simpson The Tumblr blog “Who Asked For This?” is having a John Swartzwelder Month. Mostly it’s excerpts from some of his novels, which are quite absurd and funny.
Spinal Tap vs. The Lego Lawyers
“We salute you, our half-inflated Dark Lord!” – Derek Smalls Simpsons all-star, and American Hero, Harry Shearer is also, of course, a member of Spinal Tap. They went on tour this summer and they were using footage from this YouTube video in their show: Now Lego is balking at letting them use it on the DVD: As final editing was being done on a concert DVD of the tour, which included footage from the video projected on stage, Lego declined to grant permission to use its figures, which are protected by copyright. “We love that our fans are so passionate and…
Partial Interview with George Meyer
“Wow, my first published article, hoo! Although someone else’s name is on it.” – Lisa Simpson “Heh heh, welcome to the humiliating world of professional writing.” – Homer Simpson Earlier this month a book called And Here’s the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft and the Industry came out. It appears to be exactly what it sounds like. Mike Sacks, the author, was interviewd and let this precious gem drop: TV writers are given a lot of territory. Aren’t screenplays every comedy writer’s dream? When you look at The Simpsons, Freaks and Geeks or Arrested Development,…
Simpsons Alumni Update: George Meyer
George Meyer was one of the real geniuses who made The Simpsons great. He popped up in last week’s New Yorker mocking airline frequent flyer clubs. Go and read, it’s short. My favorites are Hegira Mach Five, Godhead Supreme and Canadians of Distinction.