I’d be vegetarian if bacon grew on trees.
Living creatively is really important to maintain throughout your life. And living creatively doesn’t mean only artistic creativity, although that’s part of it. It means being yourself, not just complying with the wishes of other people.
I’m a fan of animation and so, the more stuff that doesn’t look like the other stuff that’s out there, I’m in favor.
I thought I had an appetite for destruction, but all I wanted was a club sandwich.
One of the great things about the Internet is that you can read what everybody has to say about everything. It is fascinating to me, the critiques about humor by people who have no sense of humor.
Love is a perky elf dancing a merry little jig and then suddenly he turns on you with a miniature machine gun.
With animation, because you can draw anything and do anything and have the characters do whatever you want, the tendency is to be very loose with the boundaries and the rules.
When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.
I draw a weekly comic strip called Life in Hell, which is syndicated in about 250 newspapers. That’s what I did before The Simpsons, and what I plan to do for the rest of my life.
I went through a phase where people would introduce me at parties as a cartoonist, and everybody felt sorry for me. ‘Oh, Matt’s a cartoonist.’ Then people further feeling sorry for me would ask me to draw Garfield. Because I’m a cartoonist, draw Snoopy or Garfield or something.
I personally like the idea of newspapers. It’s a good format. You can read it in whatever order you want. You can glance at it. There is something about a single screen and scrolling through pages that just doesn’t have the same appeal.
I thought I was going to make crazy cartoons for the rest of my life. I didn’t think I’d ever get paid for it, didn’t think I drew well enough, but I knew it made me happy.
I think when ‘The Simpsons’ first came on, there was an uproar. People got used to it. They realized the show’s really funny, it’s got a heart, so I think it’s pretty safe.
I think there is a certain charm to the hand drawn image that I like. My problem with CGI is that it’s so rich in texture that my eyes actually get tired. Everything is in focus down to the littlest leaf.
Anxiety and hostility seem to be a great part of good and bad humor. Examining humor too closely does seem to destroy it.
I think ‘Family Guy’ and ‘American Dad’ have definitely staked out their own style and territory, and now the accusations are coming that ‘The Simpsons’ is taking jokes from ‘Family Guy.’ And I can tell you, that ain’t the case.
I may be biting off more than I can chew, but with ‘The Simpsons’ and with ‘Futurama,’ what I’m trying to do in the guise of light entertainment, if this is possible – is nudge people, jostle them a little, wake them up to some of the ways in which we’re being manipulated and exploited.
I went to Bali, and I was in a small village, and somebody who was with me showed a woman a little figurine of Bart and asked: ‘Do you know who this is?’ And she said: ‘Mickey Mouse.’
I’ve conducted an experiment on my kids. Instead of denying them access to media, I’ve encouraged it. They read comic books, play Nintendo and watch way too much TV.
I think human beings probably resonate with audiences more than bunnies, but who knows?