 
NOTICE:  The United States House of Representatives is seeking to censor the 
         Internet via the Communications Decency Act which will be going to 
         a vote soon.  The Senate has already passed the bill.  If passed, 
         uttering any of the "Seven Words You Can't Say On TV" on the Internet 
         can get you in jail for TWO YEARS and a $100,000 fine, whether you're 
         talking dirty to your wife or flaming the most despicable guy on the 
         planet.  This bill WILL effect alt.tv.simpsons.  If you're a U.S. 
         citizen, please contact your Representative and ask him to support the 
         alternative bill offered by Senator Leahy.  Help stop the madness. 
 
 
alt.tv.simpsons - Frequently Asked Questions  <June 1995, v07-16/Text> 
-------------------------------------------- 
Maintained by Matthew "The Captain" Kurth 
 
Overseas-Production-By: Startoons 
Blackboard-Quote: Lisa does not have fur.  Lisa does not have fur. 
                  Lisa does not have fur.  Lisa DOES have fur./ 
In-Memory-Of: "Bleeding Gums" Murphy 
 
                           (####) 
                         (#######) 
                       (#########) 
                      (#########) 
                     (#########) 
                    (#########) 
    __&__          (#########) 
   /     \        (#########)   |\/\/\/|      /\  /\  /\             /\ 
  |       |      (#########)    |      |     |  \/  \/  \.     .----/  \----. 
  |  (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 as required and pointed to users asking about topics covered here.  
Please see Sec 4.3 for distribution restrictions placed on this document.   
 
Finger <mkurth@ais.net> to see if your copy of the FAQ is still current. 
A current version of the FAQ is always available at <rtfm.mit.edu> in the 
directory /pub/usenet-by-group/alt.tv.simpsons or by sending Email to 
<ats@digimark.net> with the word "FAQ" as the subject of your message. 
 
The official HTML version of this FAQ is available on the WWW at the URL 
<http://www.cl.ais.net/mkurth/atsfaq.html>.  Accept no substitutes! 
 
This FAQ is also available in Spanish.  The Preguntas Mas Frecuentes can be 
obtained by sending Email to <ats@digimark.net> with "PMF" as the subject. 
 
Corrections and Suggestions encouraged!  Please direct all comments to 
<mkurth@ais.net>. 
 
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: 
   -------------------- 
 - The Scoop On Season Six Production Codes! 
 - Updated WWW Link List! 
 
 
  -===========================< 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, Fanclubs, and FTP/WWW Sites 
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 
2.4  Who Shot Mr. Burns? 
 
                  -= Section III - Commonly Requested Lists =- 
 
3.1  The Episode Capsules 
3.2  Required Reading 
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 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 beginning with Season Six. 
 
     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, Six, and Seven 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 Jo-Jo Simpson   Nancy Cartwright    Son, "Ay, Carumba!" 
Lisa Marie Simpson          Yeardley Smith      Daughter, "I'll be in my room." 
Maggie 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    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 3.2) 
 
 
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 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. 
 
 -> 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, Fanclubs, and FTP/WWW Sites 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------- 
 
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 
alt.tv.the-critic                  - For discussing "The Critic" 
 
FTP and WWW: 
 
<ftp://digimark.net> <http://www.digimark.net/TheSimpsons> 
    Known as "The Simpsons Archive", it is the current archive site with a 
    large collection of documents and texts.  For specifics on digimark, send 
    Email to Gary Goldberg <og@digimark.net>. 
 
<ftp://ftp.lisa.apana.org.au> 
    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 <tetragon@lisa.apana.org.au> for 
    specifics. 
 
<http://www.springfield.com> 
     The "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" hints & tips page endorsed by 20th Century Fox. 
     Please be advised that this site is incredibly graphic-intensive and may 
     take extended periods of time to load. 
 
Other locations to check out: 
 
<http://www.cl.ais.net/mkurth/atsfaq.html> 
<http://www.mbnet.mb.ca/~davehall> 
<http://yarrow.wt.uwa.edu.au/~sjackson/simpsons> 
<http://techpkwa2.curtin.edu.au/~rgiles/homer.html> 
<http://pluribus.wupper.de/~kai_rode/simpsons/english.html> 
<http://www.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Television/Shows/Cartoons/Simpsons> 
<http://turtle.ncsa.uiuc.edu/alan/simpsons> 
<ftp://ftp.best.com>  /pub/caddy/Simpsons/ 
<ftp://ftp.cdrom.com>  /pub/doom/ 
 
<archie.au> and <nic.funet.fi> 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 <licpd@pippin.cc.flinder.edu.au>. 
 
     The Homer J. Simpson Fan Club is dedicated to worshipping the one and only 
Homer the Great.  Yearly dues are $5.  Send Email to <antagone@aol.com> for 
more information. 
 
 
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 either already made up their minds 
on the subject, or has bombarded with the topic before. 
 
     - 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. 
     - [insert character here] shot Mr. Burns. 
 
     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 3.2) 
 
     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 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 3.2) 
 
 
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. 
 
 
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 
 
 
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:  What does the "J" stand for in Homer J. and Bart J. Simpson? 
 
A:  MG says that Homer's and Abraham'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. 
 
    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:  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:  Is Smithers or Karl gay (or bisexual)? 
 
A:  According to Producer David Silverman, Yes, Waylon Smithers and Karl 
    (Homer's secretary from 7F02) 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 Chesperito" from the Miami-based Univision 
    network.  Correlation has also been made to the show "El Show de Luis De 
    Alba".  The character's official name according to the production staff is 
    simply "Bumblebee Man". 
 
 
Q:  What's that thing Homer says?  Doh? Dough? D'ohh? 
 
A:  The correct way to spell it is "D'oh!" 
 
 
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:  Is Nelson Muntz's father that Snake guy? 
 
A:  No.  Nelson's father appears in 9F12, and it definately isn't Snake. 
 
 
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:  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:  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, 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 3.2) 
 
 
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 
    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:  Why do the production codes in Season Six jump from 2F22 to 2F31? 
 
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. 
 
    2F33 is the exception.  Fox aparrantly demanded the inclusion of a 25th 
    episode to the season, and so a former writer was called in at the last 
    minute to hack together another episode, 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. 
 
 
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 videos containing primarily of Season One and Season Two episodes 
    is available in Britain, New Zealand, and Australia consisting of 28 
    episodes on 14 PAL VHS tapes. 
 
    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. 
 
    A handful of shorts from "The Tracey Ullman Show" were also included with 
    some movies released by 20th Century Fox around 1990. 
 
 
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 being compiled. 
 
 
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 
    later picked up the show and aired a handful of new episodes before 
    cancelling it due to internal politics. 
 
 -> Please direct discussion of "The Critic" to alt.tv.the-critic. 
 
 
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:  How do I contact Matt Groening or the producers/writers of the show? 
 
A:  You don't.  If MG has an address, he has not made it public.  Several of 
    the writers and producers do have Email addresses, however, they are not 
    publically available and should not be given out.   
 
 
Q:  ...But 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. 
 
 
Q:  Where can I get the Simpsons DOOM files? 
 
A:  Try <ftp.cdrom.com>, 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 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 are two bi-monthly titles, "Simpsons Comics" and 
    "Bartman".  Rumors exist that "Lisa Comics" may begin regular production, 
    but no firm word exists on the subject. 
 
 -> 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 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 is complete and was rumoured for a mid to late 1993 release.  
    However, it appears to be indefinitely postponed or cancelled. 
 
 
Q:  Is my local station cutting the episodes? 
 
A:  Probably not, unless you're watching the syndicated versions of the 
    episodes, which are edited severely.  Episodes from Seasons One, Two, and 
    Three shown in Germany and ALL episodes broadcast in Australia are 
    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 3.2) 
 
    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 3.2) 
 
    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) 
 
 
3.4  Who Shot Mr. Burns & Misc. 
---  -------------------------- 
 
NOTE:  This section is temporary. 
 
Q:  When does Season Seven begin? 
 
 
A:  We don't know for sure.  The Fox network has no firm airdate schedule set 
    at this time, but rumor suggests it may be September 17. 
 
 
Q:  What's all this "Who Shot Mr. Burns" stuff all about? 
 
A:  "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" is the Season Six cliffhanger season finale which 
    ended with Monty Burns getting shot. 
 
 
Q:  Does he die? 
 
A:  No. 
 
 
Q:  Is there some kind of contest related to the mystery? 
 
A:  Yes.  At least one person solving the mystery will be chosen to be animated 
    in a sequence for the show, allegedly with Homer.  Details remain sketchy. 
    Visit <http://www.springfield.com> to enter the contest. 
 
 
Q:  I know someone that works at Fox and (s)he says they know it's... 
 
A:  Chances are they're wrong.  The only people who know the answer are 
    Matt Groening, Bill Oakley, Josh Weinstein, David Mirkin, and Harry 
    Shearer.  Period.  The other actors and writers don't know anything more 
    than we do. 
 
 
Q:  But my contact works for Film Roman/Akom and says he saw... 
 
A:  Multiple endings were sent to Film Roman to be animated, so there is no way 
    to know for sure. 
 
 
 
  -===============< 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 <jac@doe.carleton.ca> 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  Required Reading 
---  ---------------- 
 
     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 
   Bart's Prank Calls To Moe's Tavern                  Don Del Grande 
   Episode Capsule FAQ                                 James Cherry 
  
Miscellaneous Documents:                             Maintained By: 
   The List of Lists                                   Dave Hall 
   Where is Springfield?                               Dave Hall 
   "The Simpsons" Drinking Game                        Joey Berner 
 
     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) 
 
 
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@digimark.net> with the phrase "Info" as the subject of your message. 
 
 
 
  -=====================< 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, to 
Gary Goldberg for the use of his facilities at Digimark, and to James Cherry 
for his endless patience. 
 
And of course, thanks to the production team and 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 
berner@dpdmai.enet.dec.com                        Joey Berner 
mlisa@ix.netcom.com                               Chris Cammack 
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 
davehall@mbnet.mb.ca                              Dave Hall 
r5d4@m-net.arbornet.org                           Tim Harrod 
hill0256@maroon.tc.umn.edu                        Tony Hill 
bren@interlog.com                                 Bren Lynne 
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@scf.usc.edu                              Elson Trinidad 
avarhola@ids.net                                  Aaron Varhola 
alav@julius.fdn.fr                                Julien Villeret 
 
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's lectures which have been invaluable in tying up 
certain nagging details, and 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) 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. 
 
                          -= Goodnight, Everybody! =- 
 
