Contents

Cover

Title Page

Dedication

Epigraph

Foreword by Judd Apatow

Opening Credits


Burning Question: Where Is Springfield?

Act One


Chapter One: It Begins . . .

Chapter Two: A Brief History of Me

Chapter Three: Funny for Money

Act Two


Chapter Four: Meet the Writers

Burning Question: Simpsons Songs: Who Writes Them, How Are They Written, and Why Are There So Goddamn Many?

Chapter Five: Meet the Showrunners

Chapter Six: Meet the Characters

Chapter Seven: Meet the Cast

Burning Question: Do You Read What Fans Post on Websites?

Chapter Eight: Four Episodes That Changed the World (Kinda)

Burning Question: What Do You Think of Family Guy?

Chapter Nine: Meet the Fans

Burning Question: What Do You Say to People Who Say the Show Has Gone Downhill?

Chapter Ten: Seeing the World with The Simpsons

Burning Question: Why Has the Show Lasted So Long?

Act Three


Chapter Eleven: On Comedy

Chapter Twelve: How Krusty Became The Critic

Burning Question: What’s the Biggest Reason The Critic Failed?

Chapter Thirteen: A Development Deal with the Devil

Burning Question: What Is the Secret of The Simpsons’ Success?

Chapter Fourteen: Doing Animated Films for Cash (Not Credit)

Chapter Fifteen: The Sleazy, Nasty World of Children’s Books

Chapter Sixteen: Gay for Pay

Chapter Seventeen: Writing for Humans Again!

Chapter Eighteen: Back to the Old Tire Fire

The Tag


Chapter Nineteen: It Never Ends . . .

The Final Burning Question: Why Are the Simpsons Yellow?

Closing Credits


Acknowledgments

Answers to NPR Puzzles

Glossary

Image Credits

About the Authors

Copyright

About the Publisher