“The Simpsons” will breach the 400 episode mark on Sunday.
While comics aimed at adults seem pretty common today, for years the medium was considered kid country. Anyone working in animation had to pretty much decide that their craft would be stuck on Saturday mornings.
It hadn’t always been so.
“The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons” had both been initiated as prime time shows. Each enjoyed some success and have gone on to be mainstays in pop culture.
Before that though, cartoons were mostly done for the craftsmen themselves. I remember watching a documentary on the Looney Toones Studios and being surprised when more than one of the guys said that they were always making stuff for themselves, if others dug it too, that was just gravy.
I think the attitude is pretty common. Don’t believe me?
When was the last time you watched Homer and fam take on whatever strife they’re facing for the week and didn’t feel like an outsider. The show is rife with insider humor. They even have the voice of the comic book guy - the one on the show, not my comic book column - speaking out on continuity.
Not that this is necissarily a bad thing. It’s fun to watch people enjoying what they’re good at. And, all things said and done, Groening and Co. are very good at what they do. They’ve been putting out a show for almost two decades that constantly skewers pop culture and politics.
But honestly, they’re mostly coasting on fumes of late.
So I wonder, do you want to watch the show drag out it’s demise over a few more years, or should Fox have passed on another season?
