Matt Groening
Matt GroeningMatt Groening
Matt Groening is an Animator, Cartoonist, Producer, Screenwriter, and a Writer. But, he is most known as a cartoonist for his TV show “The Simpsons. This means he that makes animated cartoons. “His subversive comic sensibility have probably influenced as many kids as Joe Camel.”-James L. Brooks
Born on February 15th, 1954, Matt Groening grew up in Portland Oregon. Groening began his drawing career at an early age. In fact, it was the first day of school. Matt admits, however, that his drawing during class often resulted in a visit to the principal’s office. Yet despite the disapproval of his teachers, Groening refused to give up what he loved the most.
In 1977, Matt graduated from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. According to an article in the book “Simpsons Mania,” Evergreen was not exactly your average college. It didn’t give grades and had no required classes. While at Evergreen, Matt spent most of his time working on the school’s newspaper and later headed to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a writer. Instead of writing for a newspaper or magazine, Matt worked as a chauffeur and biographer for an 88-year old movie director.
Matt’s career took a drastic turn when he created a cynical comic entitled “Life In Hell” which was based on his early experiences in Los Angeles. The comic strip was about a rabbit named Binky. Other characters in the comic were Sheba (Binky’s girlfriend) and two identical characters called Akbar and Jeff. In 1980, “Life In Hell” debuted in the Los Angeles Reader, a weekly newspaper where Groening served as editor. Life In Hell became a huge success for Matt and the comic, after ten years of existence, is featured in over 200 newspapers in both the United States and Canada. Several books by Groening including “School Is Hell,” “Love Is Hell,” “Work is Hell,” “The Big Book of Hell,” “Akbar and Jeff’s Guide to Life,” “Binky’s Guide to Love” and “Love is Hell - 10th Anniversary Edition,” can be found in local bookstores. Matt’s cartooning career, however, did not end there.
On September 8, 1986, The Simpsons made its debut as a two-minute sketch on the Tracey Ullman Show. According to Groening, he had received a phone...
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