deborah caplan matt groening deborah caplan matt groening

He works as a cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. 6) Are you trapped in a loveless cubicle? '", 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." He winds up working for an intergalactic delivery service, with a crew of misfits including Leela, the ship's one-eyed alien captain and Bender, a corrupt, vice-addled, disgruntled robot. Ever since his syndicated comic strip "Life in Hell" -- that series of nihilistic but cuddly dispatches from the epicenter of gloom -- first appeared in 1980, Groening has been raising the dampened spirits of the fashionably alienated by dunking Binky, his rabbity, buck-toothed proxy, into a weekly bog of self-pity, anxiety and existential despair. After four years on the air, the show was canceled by Fox. Deborah Caplan and Matt Groening are divorced after a marriage of 13 years. "I feel like it's a tidal wave I'm surfing on," he said. However, he began doing a series of odd jobs while at the city. Deborah Caplan: Net Worth: $600 million: Birth Place: Portland, OR: Nationality: American: Education: Evergreen State College: Father: Homer Philip Groening: Mother: Homer and Abe were their two sons. [41] The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette. From his office on the Fox lot Mr. Groening cheerfully presides over this merchandising mania. (After 13 years of marriage, Caplan filed for divorce in March 1999, the same month as Groening's second show, "Futurama," premiered. [15] Life in Hell made its official debut as a comic strip in the Reader on April 25, 1980. Therefore, Groening has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. [62] "Some Enchanted Evening" was the first full-length episode produced, but it did not broadcast until May 1990, as the last episode of the first season, because of animation problems. ``Matt didn't particularly have a reputation for discipline,'' says Randy Michael Signor, a former Reader editor who today works in . In the mid '80s, renowned producer James L. Brooks approached Groening about using the characters from "Life in Hell" on a new show he was developing for comedian Tracey Ullman. In 2002, he won the Reuben Award by the National Cartoonists Society for his work, Life in Hell. In 1987, Groening married fellow Weekly staffer Deborah Caplan. Futurama: Benders Big Score (2007) There is not much information about Mark. During this time he was the editor of college paper The Cooper Point Journal. Groenings grandfather named Abraham Groening, worked as a professor at Tabor College, a Mennonite Brethren liberal arts college in Hillsboro, Kansas, prior to moving to Albany College (now named Lewis and Clark College) in Oregon in 1930. [82], In 1994, Groening formed Bongo Comics (named after the character Bongo from Life in Hell[83]) with Steve Vance, Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison, which publishes comic books based on The Simpsons and Futurama (including Futurama Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis, a crossover between the two), as well as a few original titles. Deborah Caplan (29 October 1987 - 1999) . In 1997, Groening and former Simpsons writer David X. Cohen developed Futurama, an animated series about life in the year 3000, which premiered in 1999, running for four years on Fox, then picked up by Comedy Central for additional seasons. liverpool v nottingham forest 1989 team line ups; best crews to join in gta 5. jay chaudhry house; bimbo bakeries buying back routes; pauline taylor seeley cause of death Matt is stepfather to Agustinas daughter, Camille. 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. "But I thought I would have a little bit more leeway since I made Fox so much money with 'The Simpsons. Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008) In 1994, Groening and other Simpsons producers pitched a live-action spin-off about Krusty the Clown (with Dan Castellaneta playing the lead role), but were unsuccessful in getting it off the ground. This comic book made its official debut as a comic strip in the Reader on April 25, 1980, and caught the attention of Hollywood writer-producer and Gracie Films founder James L. Brooks, who had been shown the strip by fellow producer Polly Platt. [105], Groening has been nominated for 41 Emmy Awards and has won thirteen, eleven for The Simpsons and two for Futurama in the "Outstanding Animated Program (for programming one hour or less)" category. Some of the funniest jokes, he says, can only be caught on a still frame. In 1984, Groening and his wife Deborah Caplan published his first "Life in Hell" book, called Love in Hell, and eventually set up a distribution company, Life in Hell Co., which handled the syndication and merchandise for all of Groening's projects. In 2011, he married artist Augustina Picasso, with whom he had been in a relationship for four years. "I wanted to write something they couldn't teach in high school because it had too much foul language," he said. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell (19772012) and the television series The Simpsons (1989present), Futurama (19992003, 20082013, 2023present[2]), and Disenchantment (2018present). Surname is pronounced "gray-ning" (rhymes with "raining"); born February 15, 1954, in Portland, OR; son of Homer (a filmmaker) and Margaret Ruth (ateacher; maiden name, Wiggum) Groening; married Deborah Lee Caplan (Groening's manager and business partner), October 29, 1986; children: Homer, Abraham. The final episode aired on September 4, 2013. [15] He befriended fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry after discovering that she had written a fan letter to Joseph Heller, one of Groening's favorite authors, and had received a reply. "The success of the show," he has said, "has gone beyond my wildest dreams and worst nightmares.". It was Homer, a cartoonist and filmmaker, who showed his precocious son that a career of creative fulfillment was possible. Groening has received 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, 11 for The Simpsons and 2 for Futurama, and a British Comedy Award due to outstanding contribution to comedy in 2004. George Bush once famously regaled the nation with the suggestion that American families should aspire to be "more like the Waltons and less like the Simpsons," prompting Bart to retort, "But we're just like the Waltons -- we're both praying for an end to the depression."). Groening was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. But in any case, Groening allowed the series to evolve under the tutelage of his writers, the undisputed champions of television comedy. Groening named the cartoon family named after his own siblings and parents, albeit with a "Bart" in lieu of a character named after himself. The show went on to become the longest running US primetime TV series and earn multiple awards. Copyright 2023 Salon.com, LLC. 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. He found some work along those lines, whipping up slogans for horror movies, but also took on. When he's not telling the Cinderella story, the story Groening tells about himself is a David and Goliath story; and the older and more powerful he becomes, the bigger and more powerful the lumbering naysayers standing in his way. He used to write articles and draw cartoon illustrations for the journal. [89] In May 2010, he curated another edition of All Tomorrow's Parties in Minehead, England. Groening celebrates his birthday on February 15th, every year. creator, Craig Bartlett, who was married to Groening's sister, Lisa, until they divorced in 2015. This is likely influenced by the name of Groening's own parents. (2005). [49] Marge's distinct beehive hairstyle was inspired by Bride of Frankenstein and the style that Margaret Groening wore during the 1960s, although her hair was never blue. Published a month later, the book was an underground success, selling 22,000 copies in its first two printings. "Futurama" moved away from the family sitcom structure and into dysfunctional workplace territory, a subject that had long inspired Groening. It was at the Reader that Groening also met Deborah Caplan, a sales represen- tative with a background in publishing and a head for business - all qualities notoriously absent in Groening's psychological framework. In high school, he drew cartoons for the school newspaper until he was kicked off the staff. In conversations over two days and several venues -- at a party at his friend Frank Zappa's house, over lunch at the Fox commissary and in his office -- he revealed a deep association with the adolescents who form the core audience of "The Simpsons." Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [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. Groening and Deborah Caplan married in 1986[27] and had two sons together, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe,[44] both of whom Groening occasionally portrays as rabbits in Life in Hell. He is from OR. In fact, when "Simpsons" writers wax elegaic, they tend to do so about George Meyer, a writer who first became involved with the show late in 1989, a few months before its Fox premiere. Then Fox moved "Futurama" to Tuesday night, and audiences fell to about 8 million. In 1987, Groening married fellow Weekly staffer Deborah Caplan. . 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. Groening went on to the liberal Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where he butted heads with the more extreme countercultural types that populated the campus. Originally, Brooks wanted Groening to adapt his Life in Hell characters for the show. After that, he married actress Augustina Picasso in 2011, after a four-year relationship. A few years earlier they had set up their own syndicate, ACME Features, to distribute the strip. Groening stands at a height of 5 ft 8 in (approx:1.7 m). 6, the list of recipients had grown from 20 to 500. He grew up in Portland and did his schooling from the Ainsworth Elementary School and Lincoln High School. 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). Every week or so Mr. Groening gets a new offer to develop a movie or a cartoon or a situation comedy. In 2009, the show beat Gunsmoke to become the longest-running entertainment show on primetime TV. 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). His first cousin, Laurie Monnes Anderson, was a member of the Oregon State Senate, representing eastern Multnomah County. Groening has said that due to his limited drawing ability, it's unlikely he could get a job as an animator on "The Simpsons" today. She married Groening in 1987 and they got divorced in 1999, after 13 years of marriage. And I always say, 'Whatever offends you the most.' They were created when James L. Brooks, the producer of "The Tracey Ullman Show," asked Mr. Groening to create animated segments for the program. [106] Groening received the 2002 National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award, and had been nominated for the same award in 2000. [15] Soon afterward, Caplan and Groening left and put together the Life in Hell Co., which handled merchandising for Life in Hell. [41][44] However, he stresses that aside from some of the sibling rivalry, his family is nothing like the Simpsons. Matt Groening created the show The Simpsons, and two of the principal characters, a husband and wife, are named Homer and Marge. [29][68] Groening has also pitched "Young Homer" and a spin-off about the non-Simpsons citizens of Springfield. Matt Groening has made appearances in films and documentaries, such as, Comic Book: The Movie (2004), The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005), The Seventh Python (2008) and I Know That Voice (2013). He made a name exploring his own alienation and a fortune exposing the absurdities and hypocrisies of our culture, and nowadays, Groening is as powerful an insider as they come. Menu Log In Sign Up The show centers on Fry, a pizza-delivery man who is accidentally frozen in a cryogenics lab and defrosted 1,000 years later. Clerks: The Animated Series (2000-2002) From teachers who forced him to rip up his cartoons in front of the class, to the petty tyranny of bosses ("I was told that I would never get a job in the Pacific Northwest in journalism after my disgraceful stewardship of the Cooper Point Journal," Groening told the graduating class in a commencement address at his alma mater, Evergreen State College. Upon seeing his work in the comic strip, producer and writer, James L Brooks, expressed his interest to involve Matt Groening in the creation of an animated series to run on comedy series The Tracy Ullman Show. His Norwegian American mother, Margaret Ruth (ne Wiggum; March 23, 1919 April 22, 2013),[6] was once a teacher, and his Russian Mennonite father, Homer Philip Groening (December 30, 1919 March 15, 1996),[7] was a filmmaker, advertiser, writer and cartoonist. [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. In 2011, Groening married Argentine artist Agustina Picasso after a four-year relationship, and became stepfather to her daughter Camila Costantini. I think he kind of wants to prove, maybe to no one but himself, that he can do it without those guys.". Before, Groening was married to his first wife Deborah Caplan. There are Bart cake pans, Bart bicycles and Bart pinball machines, Bart note cards, Bart soda bottles and Bart game books. Despite his status as an ultimate insider, Groening's writing has always been that of an outsider. "I never saw anything as crude as my stuff getting published," he has said. "And to be honest, the whole 'Simpsons' project was a project to see how far I could go in the mainstream. "[46] He also formed Zongo Comics in 1995, an imprint of Bongo that published comics for more mature readers,[46] which included three issues of Mary Fleener's Fleener[84] and seven issues of his close friend Gary Panter's Jimbo comics. "Hey, they were right! As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. The shorts were spun off into their own series, The Simpsons, which has since aired 742 episodes. His other role model was cartoonist, Charles Monroe Schulz, who was known for his comic creation Peanuts. 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. Most importantly, The Simpsons retained the subversive undercurrent that has driven its creator since he was a bored grade school student. Groening is a 68-year-old who was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. In 2012, a 3-D short film based on The Simpsons was released with the title The Longest Daycare. Life in Hell caught the attention of American producer James L. Brooks. [38] After Groening ended the strip, the Center for Cartoon Studies commissioned a poster that was presented to Groening in honor of his work.