'", Sharing one inane series of meetings, he told the magazine, "I said, 'Look, I told you "Futurama" is not going to be bland and boring like "The Jetsons." Along with mailing the comics to friends and family back in Portland, he attempted to sell his stapled-together books from his record store. Deborah Caplan-Matt Groening: 68: Aquarius: Cartoonist: American: Children Name Gender Born Age Other Parent; Homer: Male: 1991: 31 years old: Matt Groening: Abe: Male: 1993: 29 years old: Matt Groening: Discussions Have your say Be the first to make a comment >> Recommended Recommended. [75] Comedy Central commissioned an additional 26 new episodes, and began airing them in 2010. 2. Patricia was an art dealer. Matt Groening - Growing up in Portland, Oregon, Matt Groening did not particularly like school, which is what originally turned him towards drawing. Writer/director Deborah Kaplan met partner, writer/director Harry Elfont, at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' prestigious film school. "If I could pay my rent, I was deliriously happy. He is a cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. Gratuit English at Leicester University of Leicest. We're calling everybody's bluff. But the conformity of a suburban existence soon proved dull, even to a young Groening. Has two sons with Deborah Caplan: Homer Groening (born 1991) and Abe Groening (born 1993). The network resisted giving Groening the autonomy he needed and plied him with notes. It was at this time that he began drawing cartoons for his self-published book titled Life in Hell, which was based on his struggles and featured Binky an oppressed rabbit. Published a month later, the book was an underground success, selling 22,000 copies in its first two printings. "A Bit From the Animators", illustrated commentary for "All Singing, All Dancing", in, From a radio interview with Groening that aired on the, Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute, List of awards and nominations received by Matt Groening, Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or less), "My Rock 'n' Roll Life, Part One: So You Want To Snort Derisively", "Homer Groening, Cartoonist's Father, 'Simpsons' Inspiration", "The real people behind Homer Simpson and family", "Homer Simpson has Canadian Mennonite roots", "Matt Groening Creator and Executive Producer [Bio]", "Matt Groening says Monty Python influenced new show Disenchantment", "Matt Groening | Biography, Cartoons, & Facts | Britannica", "Interview with Harry Shearer (Part 3 of 4)", "Prime time is heaven for 'Life in Hell' Artist", "Index to Comic Art Collection: "Gro" to "Groenne", "Conan on being left out of "Simpsons Movie", "Matt Groening's Reaction to The Critic's First Appearance on The Simpsons", "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Claudia Katz on Futurama the Movie: Bender's Big Score", "Toon comedy has logged seasons on Fox, Comedy Central since 1999", "Matt Groening Netflix Animated Comedy A Go With 20-Episode Order, Abbi Jacobson, Nat Faxon & Eric Andre Lead Voice Cast", "Matt Groening Talks Origins of New Netflix Series 'Disenchantment', "Meet The End of The Century With Gary Panter", "Frank Zappa Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa", "Photos of Simpsons creator and his son Nathaniel", "aguspicassogroening on Instagram: "nirvana", "aguspicassogroening on Instagram: "One month of my zen baby Satori his name is Him thanks @chriscallahanphotography", "Virginia Roberts Giuffre Alleges Jeffrey Epstein Ordered Her to Massage Matt Groening's 'Crusty' Feet", "Matt Groening's Federal Campaign Contribution Report", "Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel among Hollywood Walk of Fame class of 2012", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matt_Groening&oldid=1142437596, Creator, writer, executive producer, and creative consultant, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 10:48. Indeed, "The Simpsons" has something to offend almost everyone: the cops sit around eating doughnuts, the teachers are lost without their answer books, the parents are losers and even God is a malcontent. He is starting to think about other projects, like developing a show starring the Simpsons' favorite entertainer, Krusty, the dissolute clown. Growing up in Portland, Ore., he did well in school, but was frequently hauled down to the principal's office for smart-aleck conduct, like drawing cartoons. Groening is a 68-year-old who was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Perhaps, were he to walk in off the street, he could get a job as a writer on the show. Clerks: The Animated Series (2000-2002) Matthew Abram Groening ( / ren / GRAY-ning; born February 15, 1954) [1] is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. [97], Matt was the brother-in-law of Hey Arnold!, Dinosaur Train and Ready Jet Go! In 1987, Groening married fellow Weekly staffer Deborah Caplan. The paper offered him a cartoon strip in 1980, and, surprised, Groening accepted. His office at Fox has the frantic clutter of a teen-ager's bedroom. After the two became romantically involved, she established a business to promote her future husband's work, negotiating syndication arrangements with other publications and a book deal with Pantheon. [74] In an interview with CNN, Groening said that "we have a great relationship with Comedy Central and we would love to do more episodes for them, but I don't know We're having discussions and there is some enthusiasm but I can't tell if it's just me". His mother, Margaret, though, used to have "huge hair.". A fan of science fiction, he had been thinking about creating a show about the future for some time. [81] The cast includes Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, and Nat Faxon. In Groening's version, the boy dies from his head injury and returns as a ghost every Halloween, a morbid tale that surprisingly became the winning entry. [26] Groening also started Acme Features Syndicate, which initially syndicated Life in Hell as well as work by Lynda Barry and John Callahan, but would eventually only syndicate Life in Hell. When he was asked by producer James L. Brooks to create animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show, Groening came up with The Simpsons. After their marriage, he became the stepfather of Augustina Picasso's daughter Camille. He made his first professional cartoon sale to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978. The poster contained tribute cartoons by 22 of Groening's cartoonist friends who were influenced by Life in Hell. "Of course, those are all true. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Still, it's clear that Groening's satire feeds on frustration and the stupidity of others. [12] Although Groening previously stated, "I'll never give up the comic strip. Commentary for ", Silverman, David; Reardon, Jim; Groening, Matt. Reader through an ever-shifting array of responsibilities that included reporter, distribution manager, punk rock critic and assistant editor. The world is full of literalists (Elmer Fudds, Mr. Groening would say). [106] Groening received the 2002 National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award, and had been nominated for the same award in 2000. Illustrated commentary for ", Groening, Matt. More than just a television hit, "The Simpsons" is also a mass marketing phenomenon: probably not since Mickey Mouse raised his ears has a silhouette appeared on as many paraphernalia as Bart Simpson's crown-roast-shaped head. Its shorts were spun off into their own series, The Simpsons, which has since aired 727 episodes. There are Bart cake pans, Bart bicycles and Bart pinball machines, Bart note cards, Bart soda bottles and Bart game books. In 2008, Matt Groening won the Annie Award in the Writing in a Feature Production for comedy film The Simpsons movie. (2002). Six years later, after Groening penned an angry letter to the editor over the dismissal of a writer, the paper fired him by replacing his strip with another cartoonist's work while Groening was out of town on a book-signing tour for "Work Is Hell." She joked that "his godfather is SpongeBob's creator Stephen Hillenburg". He finally added staff cartoonist to his resume when Life in Hell first appeared in the paper in the spring of 1980. And I always say, 'Whatever offends you the most.' In fact, to prove that he didn't mean anything by naming a fat, incompetent slob like Homer Simpson after his father, he named his first son Homer, too. His father Homer, born in Main Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada, grew up in a Mennonite, Plautdietsch-speaking family. "[17] The Simpsons was co-developed by Groening, Brooks, and Sam Simon, a writer-producer with whom Brooks had worked on previous projects. ", Groening himself has always made the deal. Reply. Matt Groening, an American animator, television producer, author, and cartoonist, has an estimated net worth of a staggering $600 million. They divorced in 1999, after 13 years of marriage.Following this, Groening was in a six-year commitment with dating expert Lauren Frances. For a man who has become famous on the strength of his dark musings, starting with "Life in Hell," his weekly comic strip, Mr. Groening (it rhymes with complaining, his publicist says) comes off in person as surprisingly benign: big, bearish and still a bit astonished to find his jokes getting so out of hand. . They had two sons together, Homer and Abe. [8][9] Homer, born in Main Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada, grew up in a Plautdietsch-speaking family. [11], Groening grew up in Portland,[12] and attended Ainsworth Elementary School[13] and Lincoln High School. Deborah Kaplan Entertainment - Director Why Famous: is an American screenwriter and film director Age: N/A Deborah Kaplan's Relationships (2) Matt Groening Arts - Other Why Famous: The Simpsons and Futurama [72] Groening described trying to get the show on the air as "by far the worst experience of [his] grown-up life. The same year his direct-to-video film Futurama: Bender's Big Score earned him the Annie Award for Best Animated Home Entertainment. Groening and Simon, however, did not get along[59] and were often in conflict over the show;[26] Groening once described their relationship as "very contentious. Choosing Los Angeles because it was the place where a writer was most likely to be overpaid, Groening answered a "writer/chauffeur wanted" ad in the L.A. Times. On this date in 1954, Matthew Abraham Groening was born in Portland, Ore., to Homer Groening, an advertising agent and amateur cartoonist, and Margaret Wiggum. Matt Groening married Deborah Caplan in 1986. His television series titled Futurama also earned him the Annie Award for Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production in the years 2010 and 2014, while his other work The Simpsons won the award in this category in the years 2011, 2012 and 2015. His father, Homer Philip Groening, was a writer, filmmaker and advertiser and his mother, Margaret Ruth, was a teacher. 5) Are you worried you might have accidentally minimized your potential? The final strip of the comic strip "Life in Hell" was published on June 16, 2012. "Teachers, principals, clergymen, politicians -- for the Simpsons, they're all goofballs, and I think that's a great message for kids." In 2002, Groening received the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award due to his work on Life in Hell. "If there's a message that runs through the show," he told The New York Times in 2001, well after he had become wealthy and influential beyond his wildest dreams, "it's that maybe the authorities don't have your best interests at heart. This is likely influenced by the name of Groening's own parents. And it's not going to be dark and drippy like "Blade Runner." On the radio, a drunken DJ wept a final farewell to his job. Groening grew up in Portland, Ore., with a father named Homer, a mother named Marge and sisters named Maggie and Lisa. I think he kind of wants to prove, maybe to no one but himself, that he can do it without those guys.". Matt Groening created a dysfunctional family and The Simpsons aired on the show for the first time in 1987. Deborah Kaplan is currently available. Groening feared that he would have to give up his ownership rights, and that the show would fail and take down his comic strip with it. While working on his animated series Futurama, he took up multiple roles like voice actor, creator, writer and executive producer of the show. And the idea of creating a show on his own appealed to him. If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you are probably a fan of Matt Groening. Matthew Abram Groening (/ren/ GRAY-ning; born February 15, 1954)[1] is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. I may be going to hell, but I did embrace all the stuff -- the T-shirts, the Bart phone, the chess set, all of it.". His son Leroy."' [41][44] However, he stresses that aside from some of the sibling rivalry, his family is nothing like the Simpsons. He wasn't serious. After graduation, Matt Groening moved to Los Angeles, in 1977, with the aim of becoming a writer. In 2011, he married artist Augustina Picasso, with whom he had been in a relationship for four years. But for now, at least, it continues to thrive; it is consistently the most-watched show in its time slot, Thursday at 8 P.M., and is Fox's No. As to his position on the "Simpsons" voice actors' recent contract negotiations, he told Mother Jones, "I have sympathy. His other role model was cartoonist, Charles Monroe Schulz, who was known for his comic creation Peanuts. Deborah Caplan and Matt Groening are divorced after a marriage of 13 years. After spending a few years researching science fiction, Groening got together with Simpsons writer and producer David X. Cohen (known as David S. Cohen at the time) in 1997 and developed Futurama, an animated series about life in the year 3000. The Simpsons is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. (2005). It was thanks to Brooks' reputation that "The Simpsons" was granted a level of autonomy not normally given to television shows -- especially one as risky as "The Simpsons" seemed at the time. James L. Brooks negotiated a provision in the contract with the Fox network that prevented Fox from interfering with the show's content. 2002, 2003 and 2004. His animated series The Simpsons have won the Primetime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Animated Program for the years 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000,2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2011. What may never happen again is another show that comes along and had the overall importance to a particular company like 'The Simpsons' has had for News Corp.", Groening was outspoken about his criticisms of Fox's business practices and its inexplicably shabby treatment of him and his new show. [99], Groening is a self-identified agnostic. Matt is stepfather to Agustinas daughter, Camille. His spirit of solidarity with children extends to his own sons, Homer, 3, and Abe, 1, toward whom, he confesses, he is "indulgent and spoiling. He works as a cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. Groening also collectively donated to the Democratic senatorial campaign committee and to the Senate campaigns of Barbara Boxer (California), Dianne Feinstein (California), Paul Simon (Illinois), Ted Kennedy (Massachusetts), Carl Levin (Michigan), Hillary Clinton (New York), Harvey Gantt (North Carolina), Howard Metzenbaum (Ohio), and Tom Bruggere (Oregon). But mainly, he is Matt Groening. In 2004. [30] The strip, titled "Forbidden Words," appeared in the September/October issue of that year. Deborah Caplan: Groening has been in a relationship with Deborah Caplan since 2006. "Bart is like what would happen if Eddie Haskell got his own show," he said. Groening also became a father of twins On June 16, 2018, when his wife Agustina gave birth to Sol Matthew and Venus Ruth, as reported via Instagram. The book became a success with over 20000 copies being sold in its initial two printings. Published a month later, the book was an underground success, selling 22,000 copies in its first two printings. Its first ten episodes premiered on the streaming service in August 2018, with the remaining ten episodes of the initial order scheduled to air in September 2019. "[19] The show premiered on March 28, 1999. Matt Groening's then-girlfriend, Deborah Caplan, published "Love is Hell" in November 1984 which is a book form of series of relationship-themed "Life in Hell" strips and followed by "Work is Hell" which was also published by her. Acting out in school, he recalled having to write "I must be quiet in class" 500 times on at least one occasion and having his doodles torn up by teachers. Anyone can read what you share. [19][72] By the time they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and storylines; Groening claimed they had gone "overboard" in their discussions. During this time the show has done for animated cartoons what "thirtysomething" did for yuppies: proved that despite some annoying tendencies, they can be successful in prime time. Matt Groening (full Name: Matthew Abram Groening) is a popular American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. When he and former "Simpsons" show runner David X. Cohen (now the show runner on "Futurama") first approached Fox with the new idea, the network went into instant paroxysms of ecstasy. Futurama (1999-2013) He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 14, 2012. The couple divorced in 1999. Associated Press articles: Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. Then, no sooner had they ordered 13 episodes than the doubts set in. "What's happened is that mainstream culture has gotten so good at marketing pseudo-hipness that it overwhelms other choices that are out there.". Tags: Geek (1), Animation (1), Cartoons (1 . [63], The series quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, to the surprise of many. By high school, Groening had learned to channel his subversive leanings in a manner that engaged his classmates. Matt Groening is married to Deborah Caplan in 1986. "I never saw anything as crude as my stuff getting published," he has said. "), to the narrow mentality of newspaper editors (even "alternative" newpaper editors "hated" his approach to obscure rock criticism) to the "timidness" of network executives trying to subject him to "corporate deflavorizer," to his famous battles with network censors, Groening's life reads like a series of epic adventures more Quixotic than Homeric in their details. In 2012, a 3-D short film based on The Simpsons was released with the title The Longest Daycare. Some seven years after Binky and his one-eared son, Bongo, first began delving into their epic disaffection, and the heroically insecure (but enterprising) gay twins Akbar and Jeff opened the first of their reprobate money-making "huts," "The Simpsons," the first animated series to hit prime time in 20 years, made its television debut. It was reported on January 15, 2016, that Groening was in talks with Netflix to develop a new animated series. As to the autonomy he'd enjoyed with "The Simpsons," Groening was told, "We don't do business like that anymore. 3) Disgusted? They have a son, Nathaniel, and twin daughters, Luna and India. However, the couple divorced in 1999 after thirteen years of marriage. [89] In May 2010, he curated another edition of All Tomorrow's Parties in Minehead, England. Years later, during the early seasons of The Simpsons, when it came time to give Grampa a first name, Groening says he refused to name him after his own grandfather, Abraham Groening, leaving it to other writers to choose a name. [51] At the time Groening was primarily drawing in black and "not thinking that [Bart] would eventually be drawn in color" gave him spikes that appear to be an extension of his head. ", Mr. Groening identifies closely with the oppressed children of America, sitting at their desks, waiting to cause trouble. Agustina Picasso Born - Unknown Agustina is an Argentinian artist. The Good, the Bart, and the Loki (2021) He found some work along those lines, whipping up slogans for horror movies, but also took on. They had been married for 11.1 years. Ten years later, at the age of 46, Groening is responsible for a comic strip syndicated in 250 newspapers, more than 25 books, two prime-time animated series and untold containers full of valuable merchandise. A self-published anthology of "Love Is Hell" led to a deal with Pantheon Books, and eventually Caplan began running Life In Hell Inc. [2], On January 15, 2016, it was announced that Groening was in talks with Netflix to develop a new animated series. Deborah Kaplan has been divorced from Matt Groening since 1999. The Simpsons Backgroung and creation In a strange coincidence, they discovered that their parents were friends and that they both attended neighboring high schools in Philadelphia. Indeed, the biggest danger the show seems to face is that it will lose its power to surprise. Matt Groening has won 12 Primetime Emmy Awards and 23 Annie Awards across various categories. Groening was born on February 15, 1954,[3][4] in Portland, Oregon,[5] the middle of five children (older brother Mark and sister Patty were born in 1950 and 1952, while the younger sisters Lisa and Maggie in 1956 and 1958, respectively). The PJs (1999-2001) "It turns out I was the latest in a long line of writer-chauffeurs," Mr. Groening said. Groenings estimated net worth is $600 million. [94] On June 16, 2018, he became the father of twins for a second time when his wife gave birth to Sol Matthew and Venus Ruth, announced via Instagram. [46] He requested his name be taken off the episode.[70]. "I wake up every morning thinking how lucky I am. "[19] He first became interested in cartoons after watching the Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians,[20] and he has also cited Robert Crumb, Ernie Bushmiller, Ronald Searle,[21] Monty Python,[22] and Charles M. Schulz as inspirations. Sometime after midnight on the day of his arrival, his car stalled in the fast lane of the Hollywood Freeway in 100 degree heat. [100][101], Groening was mentioned in a lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre over allegedly being forced by sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to massage Groening's feet while on Epstein's jet in 2001. He is 68 years old. A critic of most of what is on television, Mr. Groening sees the popularity of "The Simpsons" as a challenge to the writers and producers who have been inundating America with successive waves of innocuous situation comedies. The show, according to Groening, was "buried." "I judge my life by how miserable it used to be," Groening told an interviewer last year, speaking of his early days as a lowly alternative cartoonist. [108] In 2007, he was ranked fourth (and highest American by birth) in a list of the "top 100 living geniuses", published by British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. Groenings Norwegian American mother, Margaret Ruth (ne Wiggum; March 23, 1919 April 22, 2013), worked once as a teacher, and his Russian Mennonite father named Homer Philip Groening (December 30, 1919 March 15, 1996), served as a filmmaker, advertiser, writer, and cartoonist. [79] On July 25, 2017, the series, Disenchantment, was ordered by Netflix. After graduating in 1977, Groening headed to Los Angeles with the idea of pursuing a writing career. The following year he founded Zongo Comics to target mature comic readers. As Groening told Spin magazine. Work is Hell soon followed, also published by Caplan. Groening serves as the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell (19772012) and the television series The Simpsons (1989present), Futurama (19992003, 20082013, 2023, and Disenchantment (2018present). But before delirium set in, Groening spun a lingering bad mood and an "accidental" cartooning career into a billion-dollar print, broadcast, merchandising and licensing empire.