Comic Book Review: Simpsons Comics Confidential published by Matt Groening
The Simpsons started as a number of short cartoons shown on The Tracy Ullman show in 1987. A dysfunctional family partially named after creator Matt Groening’s own family, they were popular enough to spin off into their own prime time series in 1989. It was the first really big hit for the then-new Fox Network, and has continuously been renewed ever since, to the point that the current show runners are children who grew up on the program.
The Simpsons live in the “Middle America” town of Springfield, which is conveniently close to any geographical feature needed for the plot. Bumbling father Homer is the safety engineer at the local nuclear power plant, which is owned by elderly and pretty evil billionaire Montgomery Burns. Marge is his long-suffering but mostly supportive housewife. Ten-year-old Bart is a mischievous underachiever, while eight-year-old Lisa is book-smart and something of a radical. Baby Maggie sucks on a pacifier most of the time, but is dangerous to underestimate. They’re supported by a large cast of wacky relatives, neighbors and guest stars in their silly adventures.
Thanks to the show’s popularity, it became a merchandising bonanza, with toys, shirts, books, a movie, and even tie-in comic books, which is what we’re looking at today. This volume collects Simpsons Comics #96-99 and The Simpsons Summer Shindig #2 from 2012.
After a list of places Homer stashes junk food (some a bit gross), we open with “A Tale of 2 Penpals” story by Chuck Dixon, pencils by John Costanza and inks by Phyllis Novin. Bart disrupts an International Week presentation, causing Lisa to attack him, and this causes the entire stage set to collapse. As a punishment, both children are required to become penpals to kids elsewhere in the world. They take very different approaches to the task, but both wind up causing disruption in what turn out to be neighboring cities.
“Feud, Glorious Feud” written by Ian Boothby, pencils by Phil Ortiz and inks by Mike DeCarlo starts with a neighborhood party that’s actually a trap by Dr. Hibbert to get everyone in one place for flu shots. This goes very wrong for Ned Flanders (who is not an anti-vaxxer at this point) and he decides to take his sons off to see the country for a bit. While the Flanders are away, Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel and his large brood move in.
The Simpson largely do not get along with their new neighbors, so Homer and Cletus end up declaring a feud. With paintballs, as the city will no longer allow either of them to use conventional firearms. But Lisa becomes sweet on Q-Bert, the most competent of the Del Roy children, good thing this is a comedy so it doesn’t end up like Romeo and Juliet. Eventually it turns out that the Simpsons and Del Roys are distant cousins, which ends the feud–and the romance. “Quit perpetuating an offensive hillbilly stereotype!”
“The Simpsons au Naturel!” written by James W. Bates, pencils by Marcos Asprec and inks by Steve Steere, Jr. has Homer mess up the reservations for Back 2 Nature Summer Camp, and the family winds up going to Camp Au Naturel. Which is exactly what you thought it was, a nudist camp. Mostly an excuse for doing peekaboo sight gags and jokes about not wanting to see certain people naked.
“The Return of Xt’tapalatakettle” written by Ty Templeton, pencils by Bob Smith and inks by Art Villanueva is somewhat topical for 2012. The giant Olmec head in the Simpsons’ basement is revealed to have had a man living inside it all this time. X’t’h’k’k (the last apostrophe is silent) is the last of a line of ancient priests who have been awaiting the return of the titular god to judge the world. He’s chosen Bart as his successor. Bart, naturally, doesn’t want to do this, so tries to trick the priest into thinking the god has already returned. Meanwhile, Homer thinks seeing the weirdo who only appears in his “dreams” means he’s still dreaming, so he decides to go out and do the things he likes doing in his dreams, like swimming in the brewing vats at the Duff Beer factory.
“Marge Simpson Living” written by Chuck Dixon & Elma Blackburn, pencils by John Costanza and inks by Phyllis Novin, starts with Homer being fired (again) for causing a safety disaster (again.) He contemplates starting a new career (again, with Marge listing off a number of previous attempts), but this time it’s Marge’s turn to try a new job (again.) This time it’s catering.
It just so happens that action movie star Rainier Wolfcastle, tired of being in lucrative movies where he plays a robot, or shoots people, or shoots robots or all of those combined, wants to do an independent art film to stretch his acting muscles. He’ll need to hold a fundraiser stat, and all the caterers in town are booked up…except Marge. There are some comical mishaps, like Homer eating the supplies, but the Simpsons manage to get ready in time. Too bad Marge doesn’t realize she’s made an enemy of current catering queen Mindy Morehouse!
The very loose continuity of the television show (everything happened, even the contradictory stuff, but it’s only brought up when it’s funny, and the status quo is king) allows the writers to mine for bits and pieces that can be shaped into new stories as long as they put the toys back afterwards. These stories are all acceptable and mildly funny. The art usually has to follow the show’s “house style” which constrains the artists considerably.
There are some topical references that date the material a bit, and certain aspects of the show are artifacts of the 1980s and have not aged well, like slapstick domestic violence and ethnic humor. That said, if you’ve watched the show and enjoyed it, this comic book will not displease you.
The very loose continuity also means that you don’t have to read the comic books in order, so this or any of the other Simpsons Comics collections makes a fine gift for the Simpsons fan in your life.
