D'oh-it's "The Simpsons." And here's the book with the behind-the-scenes story of how America's favorite nuclear family first arrived at a TV near you, how the series grew into a worldwide icon, and who brings it to life so brilliantly week after week, year after year. Since first airing in 1987 as a cartoon interlude on the short-lived "Tracey Ullman Show," "The Simpsons" has deliciously skewered the foibles of American life, evolving into a cultural institution that reaches across the generations. As satire, it's sharp and funny. As a pop phenom, it's in a league of its own. And with Planet Simpson, it finally gets the sprawling, multidimensional critical look it so richly deserves. "Smart and funny, Turner writes with fitting enthusiasm for his subject while working in seemly references to cultural theory and TV-insider politics. His book is just the thing for fellow fans, and for anyone interested in how pop phenomena came to be." -Hollywood Reporter This book was not prepared, licensed, approved, or endorsed by any entity involved in creating or producing the television series "The Simpsons."
Synopsis
As Comic Book Guy might say, this thorough examination of a pop culture phenomenon is 'Best. Simpson. Book. Ever.'-January magazine
About the Author, Chris Turner
Chris Turner is an award-winning magazine journalist. His pop culture and technology reporting and essays for Shift magazine earned him six National Magazine Awards in the last three years, including the President's Medal for General Excellence in 2001-the highest honor in Canadian magazine writing. He is also a regular contributor of culture and technology reporting to Time and The Globe & Mail. Turner lives in Alberta.
According to pop culture folklore, cartoonist Matt Groening devised the entire dysfunctional Simpson family in a single 15-minute waiting-room brainstorming session. Since that day in 1987, The Simpsons has been gnawing its way into our national psyche. In this unauthorized book, Canadian journalist Chris Turner describes how this contrarian cartoon has become a cultural institution, not to mention the all-time longest-running situation comedy on TV. The author combines an encyclopedic knowledge of Simpsons catchphrases, episodes, and plot threads with adroit analysis.
