OT: Favourite Matt Groening series

[tristar]

Out of all modern cartoonists, Matt Groening has to be top on my list. Starting with his irreverant, cynical sense of humor in "Life in Hell", he has been a huge success in the world of animation and comics since the late 70s. Of course, my favourite Groening series is "The Simpsons" but I still love "Hell" and "Futurama".

So, my vote went to "Don't make me choose!"

How 'bout you'se guys?

[Leviathan]

Life in Hell is the only one that can actually be called a Matt Groening series (since he for all intents and purposes didn't create or have much input in either The Simpsons or Futurama). So that gets my vote by default.

[Matt the Y]

In spite of all the "warts" the show definitely has (the fact that the show has been going on at least ten years after it should have gone off the air being a glaring example), The Simpsons definitely. Anything since after 1998 or so is guaranteed to be garbage but anything from before 1997 is from a time period which can be watched, examined, scrutinized, and even studied start-to-finish as comic writing genius. I particularly enjoy the Season Four episodes ("Kamp Krusty", "Tree House of Horror III", "Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie", "Selma's Choice", and "Last Exit to Springfield" are my favorites from that year). I also love "Homer Defined", "Separate Vocations", "Marge on the Lam", "Bart of Darkness", "Home Sweet Home-diddly-dum-doodily", and "22 Short Films About Springfield". I have to admit, though, "Futurama" is a very close second choice. That certainly has a less spotty track record as "The Simpsons" as it would having been on the air less than half as long and without as dramatically inconsistent a staff turnover (and, yes, the writing on that show is as sharp and as brilliant as "The Simpsons" in its' glory days always was, IMHO).

[cbrubaker]

Hard to choose.


"Life in Hell" I guess is okay but I can't say that it's something I seek out. I usually don't mind poorly-drawn strips as long as its funny, but, well, the strip rarely makes me laugh and the artwork isn't all that great.

"Futurama" I thought was pretty good. I don't know how the revival movies go, though. I saw one (The Beast with a Billion Backs) on Comedy Central and can't say that I liked it very much.

It's a cliche to say it at this point, but the first 10 years or so of "The Simpsons" was hilarious. Possibly one of the best thing animated to come out of the '90s and maybe parts of the 2000s as well.

I guess I'll go with the Simpsons.

[tristar]

"Life in Hell" I guess is okay but I can't say that it's something I seek out. I usually don't mind poorly-drawn strips as long as its funny, but, well, the strip rarely makes me laugh and the artwork isn't that great.On the contrary, "Life in Hell" always made me laugh!

It is true that all of his series went downhill. "Hell" went downhill around 1990 (the same time he started working on "The Simpsons"), "Simpsons" as we all know went downhill after 1998, and "Futurama" went downhill starting with the first movie.

But that doesn't mean that everything past season 10 of the Simpsons is trash. Episodes like HOMR, Missionary: Impossible, Midnight Rx, and Future-Drama are some of the best in the series, IMO.

[nickramer]

I say The Simpsons. I thought this was a good series until Brad Bird left the series (The last one aired that had him credited as excutive consultent was the memorable "Lisa the Simpson", by the way). It wasn't the same after he lefted. The movie was good, though.

[dandu]

The Simpsons are my vote since I like their episodes, sure after season 10 it got a but hokey but it is still fun to watch. They should stop doing flashbacks though, they constantly change the story about how they met, at first they met in 1974, then in 1979 and then in the last time they did this it was around 1989!