The Simpsons: 10 Best Villains Ever

10. Goose Gladwell

Kicking things off with a post-Golden Era villain (though Gladwell is an exception, not the rule), this wacky character is a fairly on the nose Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka parody, at least at first. These sorts of off the wall weirdos tend to pop up once a Season these days, with Gladwell, Steve Coogan’s Rowan Priddis and Guthrie Frenel the hits sprinkled amongst the misses.

Gladwell pops up around midway through the episode when his comical car bumps into Bart, knocking a stack of homemade T-shirts out of his hands. Gladwell is taken by the humorous slogans and offers to go into business. Bart, enthralled by Gladwell’s ridiculousness, agrees in a heartbeat.

At first things go great, with Bart earning money hand over fist and pushing Homer into a b-plot where, usurped as the breadwinner, he dedicates himself to connecting with Maggie.

Gladwell has some fantastic moments too, like sneaking behind the family to throw leaves in their face when he ‘must be leaving’ and scurrying around on roller blades. His Dr Seuss way of talking is zip-zap-zupuluos too.

Eventually though it turns out he’s been scamming Bart, selling off the brand to Disney with his ‘loopy lawyers’ ensuring Bart gets nothing.