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COVER STORY Cowabunga! 'The Simpsons' turns 500 By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it On Sunday, Feb. 19, "The Simpsons" marks an extraordi- nary feat — its 500th episode. The characters, which began as droopier versions in 20-sec- ond cartoons on "The Tracey Ullman Show," have evolved, as creator Matt Groening and star Dan Castellaneta discuss in a long and very rare interview with Zap2it. First, though, consider some numbers. Now in its 23rd season, the show has won 27 Emmy Awards, is seen in more than 100 countries and has 37 million likes on its Facebook page. Guest stars have included Buzz Aldrin, Anne Bancroft, Tony Blair, Rodney Dangerfield, Bob Denver, Stephen Hawking, Michael Jackson, Jack Lemmon, Jack LaLanne, Paul Newman, the Ramones, J.K. Rowling, Elizabeth Taylor and John Up- dike. It's in the Guinness Book of Records for having the most guest stars. Before they worked together, Groening loved Castellaneta's improv work, and Castellaneta read Groening's "Life in Hell" comics; the two still get a kick out of each other. Question: Did you have any notion "The Simpsons" would have such a life or that it would provide your livelihoods? Groening: I thought the show would be a hit. It was always de- fined even when they were 20- second cartoons on "The Tracey Ullman Show." It was designed to be a TV series. However, I didn't think it would be that suc- cessful. Maybe we would get it on the air. I didn't think we would have it on the air 25 years later. I have been working with Dan since '87, and I still can't believe those voices come out of his mouth. I am always reminded of when Dan and I were in New Orleans and walking around the French Quarter, I would throw out ideas to Dan, and one was an idea (that has not been done) when the Simpsons get a pet baboon, and it's very aggressive, and the Simpsons have to live on the first floor of the house. Castellaneta: (In Homer's voice) Stay there, Coco! Don't play with that! That is the re- mote. That's mine. I am begin- ning to think this is not a good idea. Q: What are your favorite lines? Groening: My favorite line you ever said on the show was in the ill-fated monorail episode. The control panel opens up, and a mother possum is hanging by (her) tail, and Homer says, "I call the big one Bitey." He doesn't 1 x 5.5" ad Expressions North 2 – FEBRUARY 19 - 25, 2012 – BRAINERD, MN/DISPATCH understand it is a possum. And he is perfectly happy that it bit him. Q: Who have been some of your favorite guest stars? Castellaneta: Harvey Fierstein is really great. He played Hom- er's assistant, secretary. It was a really interesting character, who basically would fall on a bomb for Homer. I thought it was pretty cool to meet a lot of these rock and roll stars that we had guest on the show, and going to Lon- don and meeting the Who. Groening: The high point of my life was watching Dan crack up Mick Jagger. Castellaneta: Mick Jagger said, "Homer, we want you to come to the concert." But Homer thought he would play in the band. And Mick Jagger said, "We just need you to check the mic." Homer said, (in Homer's voice) "Can't you do it?" Groening: No one ever said that to Mick Jagger. Q: Who would you still like to have on the show? Groening: Off the top of my head, it would be cool if Bill Cos- by came on the show. ... I would Q: When you're clicking through stations, will you stop and watch? Castellaneta: I will watch. Groening: When you are working on these episodes, you are trying to make them as good as possible and spend long hours trying to make it look tossed off. To then be able to look at it years later, generally I find I like them more than I did at the time. Q: Why is the show a legend? Castellaneta: Certainly the length of the show, how long it has run. The show carved out new territory. I feel it has influ- enced a lot of movies and other television shows. You even think some Simpsons were blown up into movies. I have seen some plots of movies, and I have said, "Wait a minute, we did that five years ago." But I am not saying "The Hangover" was taken com- pletely from "The Simpsons." Groening: It is fun to know Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and Bart (from left) star in "The Simpsons," which marks its 500th episode Sunday on Fox. love to get Tony Bennett back. I think we could write an anthem for Springfield. Castellaneta: He was our first big name. Q: Any other stories from guest stars? Groening: When Paul and Linda McCartney guested on the show, we made Lisa a vegetar- ian, and Paul said he would do it as long as Lisa remained a vegetarian, not a vegetarian of the week, and it has given us a great deal of material. Q: Are either of you ever surprised by what you can get on TV? Castellaneta: (Anchorman) Kent Brockman was on (the air). The town split in two, and they drained the river and found gold at the bottom, so we can buy water so everyone can be tak- ing golden showers. And Kent Brockman was snickering, and I thought, "That is never going to make it on." And some of the most innocuous — you can't show Homer's butt crack more than twice. That's because we don't want anyone to get too turned on. Money tied up in old furniture? Sell it in the Classifieds!!! 1 x 4" ad 855-5898 Tender Care Nursing 2 x 4" ad Crosslake Drug that you entertain people over a long number of years, and some kids have grown up, their world has always been a world in which "The Simpsons" are always on TV. And that we have done this comedy that is basi- cally a checklist of all of the dif- ferent ways there are of doing jokes, parodies and homages to older movies and silent movies and cartoons and many autobio- graphical elements of whoever wrote the scene.

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