Matt Groening Says, The Simpsons Aside, Jay’s Life Is Meaningless

Blurb: Matt and I talk about the legacy of The Simpsons, what it means to go from super fan to icon, always knowing he wanted to draw cartoons, having kid are better than making great art, how music makes The Simpsons great, how Jay could come back to work if he came back crawling on his knees, and how Jay agreed to crawl.
Bio: Matt Groening was born in Portland, Oregon, on February 15, the third of five children. His father, Homer, was a cartoonist and filmmaker. From an early age, Matt created his own cartoons, amusing his friends and annoying his teachers. Groening attended Evergreen State College in Washington State, where he studied philosophy and continued his interest in cartoons, comics and music.
After his graduation in 1977, Groening headed to Los Angeles where he struggled in immobilizing but irksome poverty. Increasingly frustrated by the traffic, smog, and his landlords, Matt began to vent his angst to his friends by sending them cartoons starring a bug-eyed rabbit named Binky. Groening soon began to publish and sell these cartoons at the record shop where he worked. Their popularity encouraged Matt to syndicate, and in April 1980, Life In Hell® formally debuted in the Los Angeles Reader and ran successfully in more than 250 newspapers around the world and half-dozen languages before Groening concluded it's production in 2012. Life in Hell® has also been collected in a best-selling series of books with over two million copies in print, including Love is Hell, Work is Hell, School is Hell, Childhood is Hell, Akbar & Jeff’s Guide to Life, Greetings From Hell, The Big Book of Hell, With Love From Hell, How to Go to Hell, The Road to Hell, Binky’s Guide to Love, and Love is Still Hell.
In 1987 James L. Brooks approached Matt about creating animated shorts to fit between sketches of “The Tracey Ullman Show.” Matt agreed, but instead of using the Life in Hell® characters, he created an entirely new cast: The Simpsons, which bear the names of his family members, Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie (Bart is an anagram for brat).
The Simpsons were soon spun off into a half-hour animated series which first aired on December 17, 1989 with a Christmas special, followed by the series premiere on January 14, 1990. It has since gone on to become the longest running prime-time animated show in television history. An international hit, the series has also spawned a licensing and merchandising empire.
It has spanned a hit feature film and a revolutionary virtual coaster ride at Universal Studios. He also created the Emmy Award-winning animated series “Futurama.” As a cartoonist, Groening began his “Life in Hell” weekly comic strip series in the 1980s, and concluded it in 2012. In 1993, he formed Bongo Comics Group, and continues to serve as publisher. Winner of multiple Emmy Awards, the prestigious Peabody Award, Annie Awards and the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, the highest honor presented by the National Cartoonist Society, he also received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 2012 and was personally honored with designing five U.S. postage stamps.

[@reeseraines5136]

I've watched the Simpsons Audio Commentaries so many times I'm still not used to hearing "Jay Kogen" without "Wally Wolodarsky". But damned if I don't look forward to this podcast every week. Good show.

[@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen]

I'm getting Wally on soon!

[@billynaylor249]

​@@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen Any chances on getting George Meyer or John Swartzwelder on? Your podcast is the kind of thing us fans love & thought would never happen, providing insight we've always hoped for. Those 2 are basically MIA on KZbin, etc so it would be great to see them & hear them chat with you. Thanks for the great podcast!

[@reeseraines5136]

@@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen That's great. And thanks for keeping us updated on future happenings.

[@MetroPCSPhoneUnboxxer]

please consider regularly having matt on this was great

[@JayKogen]

the guy is busy. But I'd love him back often.

[@carlosasantosr]

Great episode! 👏👏👏

[@JayKogen]

Thanks!

[@HollyRats]

Wow! This was an incredible episode of an incredible podcast!

[@JayKogen]

Gratzi

[@GlowInTheDork]

That Davey Crockett joke is an all-timer, I think about it all the time.

[@JayKogen]

Thanks! Do people under 30 know who Davey Crocket was and that he wore a coon skin cap?

[@soulsilverarlooker]

Best episode yet. Love the show

[@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen]

Thanks! Was a good one. I agree.

[@tommykovac1360]

You and Maron would be friggin hilarious on a podcast, hope you two make up

[@DanielMazz]

Amazing this is so cool 😎

[@WarriorAngel]

How difficult would it be to get Dan Greaney, James L. Brooks, Al Jean, and Mike Reiss on the show? I would love to hear from them all as well.

[@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen]

James L Brooks is coming. Matt Selman too. The others will if the show stays on. 😊

[@WarriorAngel]

@@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen Awesome! Would love seeing those guests with our favorite host!

[@TheMaynardChannel]

One of the most enjoyable episodes.

[@HollyRats]

Thinking about Carl Stalling now. For a bachelor party, a friend used Carl Stalling music as the audio track for a sex tape. Everyone found it hilarious, and, although I have never seen the tape, I have the music, and have never forgotten the story.

[@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen]

Carl Stalling = Barry White

[@catherinesmith9820]

Life In Hell was so great. I have all the books & most of the calendars & I clipped and saved them from the LA Weekly for years but I wish LIH got the hardcover anthology treatment like Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side.

[@MetroPCSPhoneUnboxxer]

Is john swartzwelder on the books?

[@JayKogen]

He doesn't love interview. I'll ask.

[@siggeek503]

Please have John Swartzwelder on.

[@JayKogen]

I'll ask but he won't do it.

[@SkaterDrummer678]

@MattGroening , I have two copies of the first newspaper/comic strip book you ever made which are both signed numbered and addressed to your parents & brother. These are extremely old comic books and I just was wondering if you happened to have a copy for yourself from that time and what your thoughts on the old Life In Hell books and what does your personal artwork collection looks like from that time? Also, please ask Matt if he remembers an old friend Joanne Stimpson?

[@Studeb]

Wonder why my comment was removed?

[@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen]

I didn't remove it.

[@Studeb]

@@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen Thanks, it was just very supportive, as my previous ones. The algorithms work in very strange ways these days. :D Looking forward to Wolodarsky episode.

[@sirgilmour]

Do they talk about his passion about Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band in this interview? if so, could you pinpoint the moment?

[@DontBeAlonewithJayKogen]

I feel like the entire episode is about capt beefheart.