Difference between revisions of "Matt Groening"

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{{crew infobox
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|firstname=Matt
|surname=Groening
|image=[[File:Matt Groening.jpg|225px]]
|profession=Creator<br>Executive producer<br>Writer<br>Guest voice actor
|birth date=15 February, [[1954]]
|imdb=nm0004981
|wikipedia=Matt Groening
|commentary category=Matt Groening
|epwritten category=Matt Groening
}}
 
{{about|the real person|the ''[[Futurama]]'' [[character]]|Matt Groening's head}}
 
'''Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening''' (rhymes with "Complaining") is a cartoonist, screenwriter and producer most famous for being the creator of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Futurama]]'' (the latter together with [[David X. Cohen]]).
 
== Biography ==
 
=== Early career (1977 - 1985) ===
Groening got his start writing a comic strip called ''{{w|Life in Hell}}'' in [[1977]]. In 1980, the strip was picked up by ''The Los Angeles Reader'', where Matt worked delivering papers and doing minor editing. In 1982, the editor gave Matt his own column, supposedly rock and roll themed, but rarely actually ''about'' rock and roll. In an attempt to add more music news to the column, Matt often wrote reviews of bands he made up, only to apologize the next week, admitting the lie. Although each time, he swore he'd never do it again, he usually did. Finally, he was asked to write a humour column instead.
 
=== The Simpsons ===
{{main|The Simpsons}}
In 1985, {{s|James L. Brooks}} contacted Matt about adapting ''Life in Hell'' for television, creating "bumpers" for ''{{w|The Tracey Ullman Show}}''.  Matt has stated that while he was waiting in Brooks' office, he realized that he didn't want to sign over the rights to his characters, and thus created a family called the {{s|Simpson family|Simpsons}} in mere fifteen minutes.
 
''[[The Simpsons]]'' premiered on ''Tracey Ullman'' in 1987, and became popular enough to create its own spin-off series in [[1989]]. ''The Simpsons'' has survived much longer than ''Tracey Ullman'' and has become the longest running prime-time entertainment series ever in the United States. He now serves as the Creative Consultant on the show.
 
=== ''Futurama'' ===
{{main|Futurama}}
After researching science-fiction for a few years, Matt got together with ''Simpsons'' writer [[David S. Cohen]] to develop ''[[Futurama]]'', a sci-fi sitcom set in the [[31st century]]. The show was a mild success, but ratings were poor. This is usually attributed to [[Fox]]'s poor scheduling of the program when it was shown on the channel. While ''Futurama'' was never officially cancelled, Fox decided not to buy the fifth season and the program fell apart soon after.
 
Because of strong DVD sales, and consistent ratings for reruns on [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Adult Swim]], Comedy Central announced on 22 June, [[2006]] that they would order four new direct-to-DVD ''Futurama'' films, to air on [[Comedy Central]] in sixteen 22-minute episodes at the beginning of [[2008]] as [[Season 5]]. After the success of viewership and DVD sales, Comedy Central announced that ''Futurama'' was to return with a [[second run]] in [[2010]].
 
== Additional Info ==
=== Trivia ===
*He is also in a rock band, called the Rock Bottom Remainders. Members include {{w|Dave Barry}}, Ridley Pearson, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, James McBride, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Stephen King, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, and Greg Iles.
*Matt is left-handed, as are many of the characters he designs.
*He and David X. Cohen were show runners for the entire series.
*Matt is on almost every DVD episode commentary.  In the commentary of "[[A Leela of Her Own]]", he gets a phone call in the intro and doesn't return.
*In the ''Futurama'' universe, he appears as [[Matt Groening's head|his own head in a jar]] multiple times.  He has a speaking role in "[[Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences]]" as the creator of ''[[Futurella]]''.
*He is a self-proclaimed fan of ''{{w|The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show}}''.  He uses the middle initial J. for many of his characters, as a tribute to ''Rocky & Bullwinkle'' producer {{w|Jay Ward}}.
 
== Episodes written ==
*{{e|1ACV01}}
*{{e|6ACV01}} (story credit)
*{{e|6ACV02}} (story credit)
 
{{writers}}
{{voice actors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Groening, Matt}}
[[Category:Crew]]
[[Category:Executive producers]]
[[Category:Producers]]
[[Category:Special guests]]
[[Category:The Simpsons]]

Revision as of 15:10, 18 June 2012

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