10 Incredible Tiny Details Hidden In The Simpsons

9. References To Matt Groening’s Previous Comic Strip, Life In Hell

Homer Simpson Hair
FOX

Today, of course, Matt Groening is primarily known as the creator of The Simpsons. However, the show could never have existed without a previous work of Groening’s: the rather gloomy comic strip Life in Hell.

The strip centered around a pair of human lovers and a group of heavily anthropomorphized rabbits. The characters were drawn in a style that should seem familiar to any Simpsons fan, and there’s a good reason for that: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie were created on the fly during discussions to bring Life in Hell to the Tracey Ullman show (Groening wanted to keep creative control of his original characters).

The Simpsons soon became a phenomenon, but Groening never forgot about Life in Hell. Binky the rabbit pops up often in the background (usually as toys or framed images in the Simpson children’s bedrooms), as does his son Bongo.

One of the best references to these characters appears in “Mom and Pop Art,” in which Homer’s failed attempt at barbecue pit construction makes him a (briefly) celebrated artist. Seeking inspiration at the Springfield Art Museum, he notices an image of Akbar and Jeff and howls, “Matt Groening? What’s he doing in a museum? He can barely draw?” He’s then attacked by a giant pencil’s eraser, before the camera pans out to reveal that it’s being held by two workmen putting an installation together.

A brilliant little touch.

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