The Simpsons crossover episode with short-lived animation The Critic (created by Simpsons writers Mike Reiss and Al Jean) vexed not only critics and viewers but Matt Groening himself. The shows creator felt that the crossover was out of place within The Simpsons universe and that James L. Brooks, executive producer for both shows, had encouraged it purely to cross-promote the then flailing Critic. Groening and Brooks dispute went public and a bitch fight soon ensued, which back in those days meant ratting each other out to various newspapers rather than a full-blown Twitter feud, resulting in Groening demanding his name be removed from the episode.