Posted-By: auto-faq 3.3 beta (Perl 5.001)
Archive-name: tv/simpsons/faq
URL: http://miso.wwa.com/~mkurth/lisa.html
Posting-frequency: Weekly
Version: September 1996, Text Format
Last-modified: 09-01

Overseas-Production-By: Akom Production Company
Blackboard-Quote: I will not defame the Fox scheduling executives.  I will/
In-Memory-Of: "Bleeding Gums" Murphy, Doris Grau, Homer Groening,
              George "Bubby" Berube

List of Inquiries and Substantive Answers (LISA)  <September 1996, v09-01>
------------------------------------------------
Maintained by Matthew "The Captain" Kurth

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   /     \        (#########)   |\/\/\/|      /\  /\  /\             /\
  |       |      (#########)    |      |     |  \/  \/  \.     .----/  \----.
  |  (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.  

Finger <mkurth@wcat.com> to see if your copy of the LISA is still current.
A current version of the LISA is always available at <rtfm.mit.edu> in the
directory /pub/usenet-by-group/alt.tv.simpsons or by sending Email to
<lisa@snpp.com> with the word "LISA" as the subject of your message.

The official HTML version of this document is available on the WWW at the URL
<http://miso.wwa.com/~mkurth/lisa.html>.  Accept no substitutes!

The FAQ is also available in Spanish, German, and Japanese translations.

The Preguntas Mas Frecuentes can be obtained by sending Email to <pmf@snpp.com>
with "PMF" as the subject.

Corrections and Suggestions encouraged!  Please direct all comments to
<mkurth@wcat.com>.

NOTE:  This document is by no means all-inclusive.  It is intended to serve as
       a general guide to the series and pointer to other sources with more
       detailed information on specific aspects of the series and newsgroup.


-> NEW In This Edition:
   --------------------
 - The Real Name Of "Bumblebee Man"!
 - The Skinny On The Season Eight Premiere Delay!


  -===========================< 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

                  -= 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  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, Two, and Three were animated by Klasky-Csupo (pronounced
"CLASS-key CHOOP-oh"), who also worked on "The Tracey Ullman Show" bumpers. 
Subsequent seasons 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 1.5)


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."
Margaret 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    Homer's Father, aka Grampa
Penelope Olson Simpson      Glenn Close         Homer's Mother
Jacqueline Bouvier          Julie Kavner        Marge's Mother
Patty Bouvier               Julie Kavner        Marge's Celibate Sister
Selma Bouvier               Julie Kavner        Patty'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 production staff has chosen to ignore
    certain established continuity references beginning with Season Five,
    and as such the LISA has chosen to reciprocate and ignore subsequent
    continuity where it interferes with previously established events.


1.5  Relevant Associated Newsgroups, Fanclubs, and FTP/WWW Sites
---  -----------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups:

alt.tv.simpsons                    - For discussing "The Simpsons"
de.alt.tv.simpsons                 - For German fans of "The Simpsons"
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://snpp.com>  <http://www.snpp.com>
    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>.

Pages dedicated to the show in general:

<http://www.cyberspc.mb.ca/~davehall>
<http://www.wcat.com/~mkurth/off.html>
<http://www.wupper.de/sites/kender/simpsons/english.html>
<http://fox.nstn.ca/~nstn2591/simpsons>
<http://gpu.srv.ualberta.ca/~jelofson/simpsons/trivia.htm>
<http://www.teleport.com/~jrolsen/simpsons/simpsons00.html>
<http://www.wam.umd.edu/~bianc/simpsons/> 

Pages dedicated to specific characters:

<http://www.rit.edu/~cjl1782/troy>
<http://www1.kingston.net/ik/lee/hutz.html>
<http://history.hanover.edu/student/cheek/willie.htm>
<http://kwaziwai.cc.columbia.edu/~mrr18/original.html>
<http://eesun1.tamu.edu/~ieee/apu/apu.html>
<http://www2.umdnj.edu/~yospin/rwiggum.html>
<http://expert.cc.purdue.edu/~adean/maggie.html>

Multimedia sites:

<http://www.eden.com/~maverick/simpsons.htm>
<http://sunsite.sut.ac.jp/multimed/sounds/cartoons/simpsons>
<http://www.wam.umd.edu/~mdmoyer/simpsons.html>

Miscellaneous pages:
<http://touchstone.power.net/users/flying/bongo-pg.htm>
<http://www.blender.com/blender1.1/digest/groening/groening1.html>

Commercial pages:

<http://www.wnol.com/wnol/simpsonschat.html>
<http://www.pdi.com/screening/special/simpsons.html>
<http://www.foxnetwork.com/simpindx.htm>
<http://www.thezone.pair.com/tv>
<http://tvnet.com/cgi-bin/utl?card+1007+tiny>
<http://www.msstate.edu/M/title-exact?+%22Simpsons,%20The%22%20(1989)>
<http://www.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Television/Shows/Cartoons/Simpsons>

<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> or
visit the YSFC home page at <http://tao.btc.ube.ac.uk/~steve/ysfc/ysfc.html>.

     The Lisa Simpson Fan Club is devoted to the girl who is arguably the
smartest character on television today.  To join the mailing list, visit the
LSFC home page at <http://www.wcat.com/lsfc>, or send email to the address 
<majordomo@wcat.com> with the phrase "subscribe lsfc" in the body.  Contact
Matthew Kurth <mkurth@wcat.com> for more information.

     The Homer J. Simpson Fan Club is dedicated to worshipping the one and only
Homer the Great.  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 evidence presented.  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.

     - 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.
     - Smithers is gay/straight/bi
     - [insert character here] shot (or should have shot) Mr. Burns.
     - Dr. Marvin Monroe and/or Hans Moleman are dead/not dead

     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:  It seemed to me that Homer's voice sounds different in some early episodes. 
    Did they change actors, or is it just my imagination?

A:  When Dan Castellaneta originally began voicing Homer, he basically imitated
    Walter Matthau to get the voice.  However, Dan reportedly had trouble with 
    certain emotional registers and intonations with the voice, so beginning
    with Season Two, he changed it slightly to create its present sound.


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".  

    For a long time the character's only known name was "Bumblebee Man",
    however, in "Team Homer" we learn that his real name is Pedro.


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 definitely isn't Snake.


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.  The writers used it because they thought 
    it sounded like a particularly nasty prank someone might pull.


Q:  What's the deal with the rake scene in "Cape Feare" (9F22)?

A:  According to the writers, the truth is that the episode was running short,
    and so the rake scene was stretched out in order to fill time.


Q:  In 2F03 Homer says he's the first non-Brazillian time-traveler.  What's he
    talking about?

A:  According to the production staff, it was just a bit of non-sequitor
    writing and doesn't refer to anything.


Q:  The trivia questions in 3F31 said the cash register in the titles read
    "NRA4EVR", and that both B.G. Murphy and Dr. Marvin Monroe died during
    Season Six.  When did Dr. Monroe die, and the FAQ just said the register
    reads "847.63".  What's going on here?

A:  The trivia questions in 3F31 are gags made to troll the audience, just like
    the images of Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon in the episode
    are not what those people really look like.  The cash register question is
    a gag referring to the people who have labeled the show as "the most
    liberal on television" by portraying it as having an ultra-conservative
    slant.

    "Bleeding Gums" Murphy died in episode 2F32, "'Round Springfield".
    Doctor Marvin Monroe passed away quietly sometime during the season, his
    death marked only by the appearance of the Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital
    in 2F20.


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 responsible 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 the rights and ownership of "The Simpsons" from him.
    
    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
      3G codes refer to special episodes commissioned during S7
      4F codes refer to Season Eight 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
    the broadcast tapes' slates (special title cards 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 do the production codes in Season Six jump from 2F22 to 2F31?
    And what about 3F31 in Season Seven?

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.

    Currently, Fox is demanding the production of 25 episodes per season, 
    24 new episodes and 1 clip show - despite the writers' protestations.  
    For Season Six, a former writer was called in at the last minute to hack
    together 2F33, 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.
    Similarly, the Season Seven clip show was designated as 3F31 - and this
    time "Pound Foolish" was even named as the director!
    

Q:  And what's the deal with the 3G episodes?  When will they air?

A:  The 3G episodes are a handful of shows being produced by Al Jean & Mike
    Reiss, much like 2F31 and 2F32 were.  However, these episodes are not in
    the regular broadcast schedule, and are reserved for use at Fox's
    discretion, possibly for summer broadcast, or for when the network feels
    it needs a new episode to show when it doesn't have one, or possibly 
    never.


Q:  When is the Season Eight premiere, and what the heck is Fox smoking that
    they're pushing it back?

A:  The Season Eight premiere is most likely going to be October 27, with the
    first episode broadcast most likely being 4F02, "Treehouse of Horror VII".
    The reason given for the move is in order for Fox to have more "male
    oriented" programming to follow football games.  As to what the Fox execs
    are smoking, it appears that they are inhaling...


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:  Most of the episodes of the series are being 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.


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 as a matter of courtesy.


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.  This isn't because the writers are being snobs, it's because
    of union rules, the violation of which _could_ cause people to get fired,
    or even sued.

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.  Also (aparrantly) planned for this
    fall is a limited series featuring Ned Flanders; details remain sketchy.

 -> 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 scheduled for a January 1993 release. 
    Current rumor suggests an October 1996 release, however, considering 
    the number of perspective dates offered in the past, it is suggested 
    that you not hold your breath...


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 broadcast in Germany, 
    England, and Australia are routinely censored to abide with younger
    children's' viewing guidelines because of the time slots used by these
    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.

    Also, the Fox network has taken to mixing clips from previous episodes
    with clips from upcoming episodes, supposedly to make episodes more
    enticing or exciting.  The best example of this is the commercial for
    "Summer of 4'2" which matches Homer with a lit firecracker with footage
    from the first clip show of the Simpson house exploding.

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 appearances on the Internet
    and America On-Line, 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.



  -===============< 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 the second music video, 7F76, capsules exist for
every episode, short, and music video aired to date.

     Ricardo A. Lafaurie <fey@cyberspace.org> is the current capsule compiler,
replacing the previous maintainer, James A. Cherry, midway through Season
Seven.  The originator of the episode capsules is Raymond Chen, who produced
most of the capsules through Season Four.  Chris Baird, Dave Hall, Scott
Simpson, and Juha Terho are responsible for the remaining handful of capsules
not produced by Raymond Chen, James Cherry, or Ricardo Lafaurie.


3.2  Required Reading
---  ----------------

     In addition to the LISA, several other reference works are 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@snpp.com> 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.

Personal thanks to Gavan McCormack for all his help in getting me started, to
Gary Goldberg for the use of his facilities at snpp.com, and to James Cherry
for his endless patience.

Special thanks also go to everyone who has offered corrections and suggestions
for this document, particularly the members of the production staff who
occasionally come down from the mountain to enlighten those of us outside of
the loop.  We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you guys.  (Well, duh!)


4.3  Disclaimer and Copyright
---  ------------------------

     This document is Copyright (c) 1995-1996 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 LISA release.

                           -= Say Goodnight, Lisa! =-

--
 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@wcat.com | "I can make mistakes myself just fine." - Don Williams
