Groening, «GRAY nihng», Matt (1954-...), an American cartoonist, is the creator of the popular animated television series "The Simpsons." The series portrays a blue-collar family that consists of the married couple Homer and Marge Simpson and their three children—10-year-old Bart, 8-year-old Lisa, and 1-year-old Maggie. The underachiever Bart Simpson, in particular, has become a cult favorite.
"The Simpsons" originated in 1987 as a short feature on the weekly Tracey Ullman television show. The Simpson family appeared in a Christmas special in 1989 and premiered in a continuing series in 1990. The show rapidly became a national hit in the United States, and its success resulted in a flood of Simpsons family merchandise, especially Bart Simpson T-shirts.
Groening also created "Futurama," a satirical science-fiction series for television. The animated series had its premiere in 1999.
Matthew Groening was born in Portland, Oregon. His father, Homer, worked as a cartoonist in the 1950's. As a child Matt Groening showed an interest in writing and drawing cartoons. He was editor of the school newspaper while attending Evergreen State College in Washington. After graduating in 1977 with a B.A. degree, Groening moved to Los Angeles to become a writer. In 1980, the weekly Los Angeles Reader newspaper, where Groening held various positions, began publishing his comic strip "Life in Hell."
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