About this item
From its crudely drawn vignettes on The Tracey Ullman Show to its nearly 700 episodes, The Simpsons has evolved from an alternative programming experiment to a worldwide cultural phenomenon. At 30 seasons and counting, The Simpsons boasts the distinction as the longest-running fictional primetime series in the history of American television. Broadcast around the globe, the shows viewers relate to a plethora of iconic characters - from Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie, and Bart to Kwik-E-Mart proprietor Apu, bar owner Moe, school principal Seymour Skinner, and conniving businessman Montgomery Burns, among many others. . . In The Simpsons: A Cultural History, Moritz Fink explores the shows roots, profiles its most popular characters, and examines the impact the series has had - not only its shaping of American culture but its pivotal role in the renaissance of television animation. Fink traces the shows comic forerunners - dating back to early twentieth century comic strips as well as subversive publications like Mad magazine - and examines how the show, in turn, generated a new wave of animation that changed the television landscape. . . Drawing on memorable scenes and providing useful background details, this book combines cultural analysis with intriguing trivia. In addition to an appreciation of the shows landmark episodes, The Simpsons: A Cultural History offers an entertaining discussion of the series that will appeal to both casual fans and devoted aficionados of this groundbreaking program.