John Swartzwelder
Encyclopedia
John Swartzwelder is an American
comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons
, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes (59 full episodes, with contributions to four others) by a large margin. Swartzwelder was one of several writers recruited to The Simpsons from the pages of George Meyer
's Army Man
magazine.
. Swartzwelder started out with a career in advertising, after which he began writing for Saturday Night Live
, where he met George Meyer
. After Meyer quit and created the magazine Army Man
he recruited Swartzwelder to help him write it. Meyer noted on Army Man: "The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short. To me, the quintessential Army Man joke was one of John Swartzwelder's: 'They can kill the Kennedys. Why can't they make a cup of coffee that tastes good?' It's a horrifying idea juxtaposed with something really banal—and yet there's a kind of logic to it. It's illuminating because it's kind of how Americans see things: Life's a big jumble, but somehow it leads to something I can consume. I love that." In 1988, Sam Simon
, a reader of Army Man, recruited both Swartzwelder and Meyer to write for a new Fox
animated sitcom he was executive producing
; The Simpsons
.
By 1994, with the show's sixth season
, Swartzwelder was granted a special dispensation and allowed to no longer attend rewrite sessions with the rest of the staff, instead being allowed to send drafts of his scripts in from home so other writers could revise them as they saw fit. This was a direct result of Swartzwelder's avid smoking
coming into conflict with a newly implemented policy banning smoking in the writers' room. His longtime collaborators on The Simpsons, Al Jean
and Mike Reiss
, describe Swartzwelder as a huge fan of Preston Sturges
films and loves "anything old time
y American." This vaguely defined aesthetic presents itself in many of the episodes he has written in the form of wandering hobo
s, Prohibition
-era speakeasies
, carnies
, 19th-century baseball
players, aging Western movie stars, and Sicilian gangsters
.
According to Matt Groening
, Swartzwelder used to write episodes while sitting in a booth at a coffee shop "drinking copious amounts of coffee and smoking endless cigarettes". When California
passed an anti-smoking law, Swartzwelder bought the diner booth and installed it in his house, allowing him to continue his process in peace. He is also reported to be a staunch libertarian
as well as a gun rights advocate, and despite having written many of the environmentally driven episodes, he has been described as an "anti-environmentalist". David Cohen
once related a story of Swartzwelder going on an extended diatribe about how there is more rain forest on Earth now than there was a hundred years ago.
With the exception of his contributions to the movie
, released in 2007, Swartzwelder has been absent from The Simpsons writing staff since the fifteenth season
(2003–04), with his last airing episode ("The Regina Monologues
") actually being a "holdover" written for the fourteenth (2002–03) season. Since leaving The Simpsons, he has taken up writing absurdist novels
, beginning with the 2004 publication of science-fiction detective story The Time Machine Did It
starring private investigator
Frank Burly. The next year he published Double Wonderful, a Western, before returning to the Burly character for How I Conquered Your Planet in 2006, The Exploding Detective
in 2007, Dead Men Scare Me Stupid in 2008, Earth vs. Everybody in 2009, The Last Detective Alive in 2010, and The Fifty Foot Detective in 2011.
and rarely, if ever, makes public appearances. At one point fans of The Simpsons on the internet debated his existence, combining his reclusiveness with the number of episodes credited him, and theorized that "John Swartzwelder" was actually a pseudonym
for when writers either did not want to take credit for an episode or else episodes penned by several writers in concert.
He has also famously not participated in any of the audio commentaries
on the The Simpsons DVD sets to date, despite being asked multiple times. Executive Producer David Mirkin
even offered to have him make a brief appearance in a prerecorded bit in which he would be asked if he wanted to take part and he would respond, "No," as an ironic punchline, but he refused. During the recording for the ninth season (released December 2006) episode "The Cartridge Family
"'s commentary show runner
Mike Scully
called Swartzwelder's home on the phone. After speaking for a few minutes with him (presumably), the man on the other end of the phone ended the call by saying, "It's too bad this really isn't John Swartzwelder".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes (59 full episodes, with contributions to four others) by a large margin. Swartzwelder was one of several writers recruited to The Simpsons from the pages of George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
's Army Man
Army Man (magazine)
Army Man was a short-lived comedy magazine published in the late 1980s by George Meyer, the acclaimed writer for The Simpsons....
magazine.
Biography
Swartzwelder attended high school in Renton, WashingtonRenton, Washington
Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...
. Swartzwelder started out with a career in advertising, after which he began writing for Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, where he met George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
. After Meyer quit and created the magazine Army Man
Army Man (magazine)
Army Man was a short-lived comedy magazine published in the late 1980s by George Meyer, the acclaimed writer for The Simpsons....
he recruited Swartzwelder to help him write it. Meyer noted on Army Man: "The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short. To me, the quintessential Army Man joke was one of John Swartzwelder's: 'They can kill the Kennedys. Why can't they make a cup of coffee that tastes good?' It's a horrifying idea juxtaposed with something really banal—and yet there's a kind of logic to it. It's illuminating because it's kind of how Americans see things: Life's a big jumble, but somehow it leads to something I can consume. I love that." In 1988, Sam Simon
Sam Simon
Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
, a reader of Army Man, recruited both Swartzwelder and Meyer to write for a new Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
animated sitcom he was executive producing
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
; The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
.
By 1994, with the show's sixth season
The Simpsons (season 6)
The Simpsons sixth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 4, 1994 and May 21, 1995 and consists of 25 episodes. The Simpsons is an animated series about a working class family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
, Swartzwelder was granted a special dispensation and allowed to no longer attend rewrite sessions with the rest of the staff, instead being allowed to send drafts of his scripts in from home so other writers could revise them as they saw fit. This was a direct result of Swartzwelder's avid smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
coming into conflict with a newly implemented policy banning smoking in the writers' room. His longtime collaborators on The Simpsons, Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
and Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss
Michael "Mike" Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic...
, describe Swartzwelder as a huge fan of Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges
Preston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and film director born in Chicago, Illinois...
films and loves "anything old time
Old Time
"Old time" , "old timey" and "olde tyme" are terms used to describe stereotyped images and representations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, generally not more than a generation before or after the turn of the century. The term "old timeyness" is used more rarely...
y American." This vaguely defined aesthetic presents itself in many of the episodes he has written in the form of wandering hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
s, Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
-era speakeasies
Speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages. Such establishments came into prominence in the United States during the period known as Prohibition...
, carnies
Carny
Carny or carnie is a slang term used in North America and, along with showie, in Australia for a carnival employee, as well as the language they employ...
, 19th-century baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
players, aging Western movie stars, and Sicilian gangsters
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
.
According to Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, Swartzwelder used to write episodes while sitting in a booth at a coffee shop "drinking copious amounts of coffee and smoking endless cigarettes". When California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
passed an anti-smoking law, Swartzwelder bought the diner booth and installed it in his house, allowing him to continue his process in peace. He is also reported to be a staunch libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
as well as a gun rights advocate, and despite having written many of the environmentally driven episodes, he has been described as an "anti-environmentalist". David Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
once related a story of Swartzwelder going on an extended diatribe about how there is more rain forest on Earth now than there was a hundred years ago.
With the exception of his contributions to the movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
, released in 2007, Swartzwelder has been absent from The Simpsons writing staff since the fifteenth season
The Simpsons (season 15)
The Simpsons 15th season began on Sunday, November 2, 2003 with "Treehouse of Horror XIV".The season contains five hold-over episodes from the season 14 production line...
(2003–04), with his last airing episode ("The Regina Monologues
The Regina Monologues
"The Regina Monologues" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season, and originally aired November 23, 2003 in the United States. It was written by John Swartzwelder, and directed by Mark Kirkland. The episode sees the Simpson family travel to the United Kingdom on holiday. There, they...
") actually being a "holdover" written for the fourteenth (2002–03) season. Since leaving The Simpsons, he has taken up writing absurdist novels
Absurdist fiction
Absurdist fiction is a genre of literature, most often employed in novels, plays or poems, that focuses on the experiences of characters in a situation where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life, most often represented by ultimately meaningless actions and events...
, beginning with the 2004 publication of science-fiction detective story The Time Machine Did It
The Time Machine Did It
The Time Machine Did It is a comic novel by American author John Swartzwelder, known for his work on popular cartoon sitcom The Simpsons. The book was published in 2004....
starring private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
Frank Burly. The next year he published Double Wonderful, a Western, before returning to the Burly character for How I Conquered Your Planet in 2006, The Exploding Detective
The Exploding Detective
The Exploding Detective is a comedic novel written by John Swartzwelder, a writer most famous for his work on The Simpsons television series. The main character is a klutzy private detective named Frank Burly. This is Swartzwelder's fourth novel and was published on 12th March 2007...
in 2007, Dead Men Scare Me Stupid in 2008, Earth vs. Everybody in 2009, The Last Detective Alive in 2010, and The Fifty Foot Detective in 2011.
Reclusiveness
Swartzwelder is a notorious recluseRecluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
and rarely, if ever, makes public appearances. At one point fans of The Simpsons on the internet debated his existence, combining his reclusiveness with the number of episodes credited him, and theorized that "John Swartzwelder" was actually a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
for when writers either did not want to take credit for an episode or else episodes penned by several writers in concert.
He has also famously not participated in any of the audio commentaries
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
on the The Simpsons DVD sets to date, despite being asked multiple times. Executive Producer David Mirkin
David Mirkin
David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up...
even offered to have him make a brief appearance in a prerecorded bit in which he would be asked if he wanted to take part and he would respond, "No," as an ironic punchline, but he refused. During the recording for the ninth season (released December 2006) episode "The Cartridge Family
The Cartridge Family
"The Cartridge Family" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, which originally aired on November 2, 1997. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Pete Michels. In the episode, Homer purchases a gun to protect his family, of which Marge disapproves...
"'s commentary show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
called Swartzwelder's home on the phone. After speaking for a few minutes with him (presumably), the man on the other end of the phone ended the call by saying, "It's too bad this really isn't John Swartzwelder".
The Simpsons episodes by Swartzwelder
- "Bart the GeneralBart the General"Bart the General" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons first season, which premiered on the Fox network on February 4, 1990. The episode deals with Bart's troubles with the bully, Nelson Muntz. Bart chooses to go to war with Nelson uniting the neighborhood children against him...
" - "The Call of the SimpsonsThe Call of the Simpsons"The Call of the Simpsons" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired February 18, 1990. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Wesley Archer...
" - "Life on the Fast LaneLife on the Fast Lane"Life on the Fast Lane", also known as "Jacques To Be Wild", is the ninth episode of The Simpsons first season, which originally aired on March 18, 1990. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by David Silverman. Albert Brooks guest starred as Jacques, a French bowling instructor, with...
" - "The Crepes of WrathThe Crepes of Wrath"The Crepes of Wrath" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired April 15, 1990. The episode was written by George Meyer, Sam Simon, John Swartzwelder and Jon Vitti, and was directed by Wes Archer and Milton Gray. In the episode, Bart is sent to France on a student...
" - "Treehouse of HorrorTreehouse of Horror"Treehouse of Horror" is the third episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1990. The episode was inspired by 1950s horror comics, and begins with a disclaimer that it may be too scary for children. It is the first of a...
" - "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every FishTwo Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 1, 1990. In the episode, Bart catches a three-eyed fish in a river downstream of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant...
" - "Itchy & Scratchy & MargeItchy & Scratchy & Marge"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons second season and first aired on December 20, 1990. In the episode, which is a satire of censorship issues, Maggie attacks Homer with a mallet and Marge blames The Itchy & Scratchy Show for Maggie's actions. It was written by John...
" - "Bart Gets Hit by a CarBart Gets Hit by a Car"Bart Gets Hit by a Car" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 1991. At the start of the episode, Bart is hit by Mr. Burns' car. Prompted by ambulance chasing lawyer Lionel Hutz and quack doctor Dr. Nick...
" - "The War of the SimpsonsThe War of the Simpsons"The War of the Simpsons" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 2, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets drunk at a party and embarrasses his wife Marge, so she decides to sign them up for a marriage counseling retreat...
" - "Bart the MurdererBart the Murderer"Bart the Murderer" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 10, 1991. In the episode, Bart stumbles upon the Mafia bar, Legitimate Businessman's Social Club, after having a terrible day at school. The owner of the...
" - "Treehouse of Horror IITreehouse of Horror II"Treehouse of Horror II" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 31, 1991. It is the second annual Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments, told as dreams of Lisa, Bart and Homer. In the...
" - "Homer at the BatHomer at the Bat"Homer at the Bat" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons third season, which originally aired February 20, 1992. The episode follows the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, having a winning season and making the championship game. Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the...
" - "Dog of DeathDog of Death"Dog of Death" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 12, 1992. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper falls ill and the Simpson family must make budget cuts in order to pay for his operation...
" - "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?"Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" is the twenty-fourth and final episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on August 27, 1992. In the episode, Homer is awarded a US$2,000 compensation after the radiation from the Springfield Nuclear Power...
" - "Itchy & Scratchy: The MovieItchy & Scratchy: The Movie"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons fourth season and first aired on November 3, 1992. The plot follows Bart continually getting in trouble, and how Homer is unable to give him any suitable punishment. Marge gets Homer to agree to make a punishment stick, and he...
" - "Whacking DayWhacking Day"Whacking Day" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons fourth season, and originally aired April 29, 1993. It concerns the fictional holiday "Whacking Day", celebrated annually May 10, in which the citizens of Springfield drive snakes into the town square, then club them to death...
" - "Krusty Gets KancelledKrusty Gets Kancelled"Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the twenty-second and final episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 1993. In the episode, a new show featuring a puppet named Gabbo premieres in Springfield and competes with Krusty the Clown's show...
" - "RosebudRosebud (The Simpsons)"Rosebud" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 21, 1993. The episode begins by showing how on the eve of his birthday, Mr. Burns starts to miss his childhood teddy bear Bobo...
" - "Homer the VigilanteHomer the Vigilante"Homer the Vigilante" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 6, 1994. In the episode, a crime wave caused by an elusive cat burglar hits Springfield. Lisa is distraught to find her saxophone has been stolen, and...
" - "Bart Gets FamousBart Gets Famous"Bart Gets Famous" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 3, 1994. In the episode, Bart gets a job as Krusty the Clown's production assistant. However, he soon becomes sick of the job and comes close to quitting....
" - "Bart Gets an ElephantBart Gets an Elephant"Bart Gets an Elephant" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 1994. In the episode, Bart wins a radio contest and is awarded an elephant named Stampy. After Stampy wrecks the Simpsons' house and eats all the...
" - "The Boy Who Knew Too MuchThe Boy Who Knew Too Much"The Boy Who Knew Too Much" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 5, 1994. In the episode, Bart runs away from a pursuing Principal Skinner after attempting to skip school...
" - "Itchy & Scratchy LandItchy & Scratchy Land"Itchy & Scratchy Land" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons sixth season and first aired on October 2, 1994. Wanting a perfect family vacation, the Simpson family visits Itchy & Scratchy Land. The trip starts out great, but things take a turn for the worse when a horde of Itchy and Scratchy...
" - "Homer the GreatHomer the Great"Homer the Great" is the twelfth television episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 8, 1995. In the episode, Homer discovers that Lenny and Carl are members of the ancient secret society known as the Stonecutters...
" - "Bart's CometBart's Comet"Bart's Comet" is the 14th episode of The Simpsons sixth season. The episode originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 5, 1995. In the episode, Bart Simpson accidentally discovers a comet, which is heading towards Springfield...
" - "Homie the ClownHomie the Clown"Homie the Clown" is the 15th episode of The Simpsons sixth season, and aired on February 12, 1995. When Krusty the Clown opens a clown college to deal with his debt, Homer Simpson enrolls and ends up impersonating Krusty at public events. Mistaking him for the real clown, the Springfield Mafia...
" - "Radioactive ManRadioactive Man (The Simpsons episode)"Radioactive Man" is the second episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 24, 1995. The episode sees the film version of the comic book series Radioactive Man set up production in Springfield. Much to Bart's disappointment, the...
" - "Treehouse of Horror VITreehouse of Horror VI"Treehouse of Horror VI" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons seventh season and the sixth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 29, 1995, and contains three self-contained segments...
" - "Bart the FinkBart the Fink"Bart the Fink" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 11, 1996. In this episode, Bart ruins Krusty the Clown's career by accidentally exposing Krusty as one of the biggest tax cheats in American history...
" - "Homer the SmithersHomer the Smithers"Homer the Smithers" is the 17th episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 25, 1996. In this episode, Smithers takes a vacation and hires Homer to take over as Mr. Burns' assistant...
" - "The Day the Violence DiedThe Day the Violence Died"The Day the Violence Died" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons seventh season and originally aired on March 17, 1996. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Wesley Archer. Kirk Douglas guest stars as Chester J...
" - "You Only Move TwiceYou Only Move Twice"You Only Move Twice" is the second episode of The Simpsons eighth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 3, 1996. The episode, based on a story idea by Greg Daniels, has three major concepts: the family moves to a new town; Homer gets a friendly, sympathetic...
" - "Mountain of MadnessMountain of Madness"Mountain of Madness" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons eighth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 2, 1997. In the episode, Mr. Burns tries to encourage more teamwork among his employees and forces the workers of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to go...
" - "Homer vs. the Eighteenth AmendmentHomer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment"Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired March 16, 1997. Prohibition is enacted in Springfield and Homer helps fight it by illegally supplying alcohol to the town. It was written by John Swartzwelder, and directed by Bob...
" - "The Old Man and the LisaThe Old Man and the Lisa"The Old Man and the Lisa" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on April 20, 1997. In the episode, Mr. Burns becomes bankrupt and asks Lisa to help him become rich again. On the condition that he will lose his evil manners she helps him, and the...
" - "Homer's EnemyHomer's Enemy"Homer's Enemy" is the twenty-third episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on May 4, 1997. The episode's plot centers on the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's hiring a new employee named...
" - "The Cartridge FamilyThe Cartridge Family"The Cartridge Family" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, which originally aired on November 2, 1997. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Pete Michels. In the episode, Homer purchases a gun to protect his family, of which Marge disapproves...
" - "Bart CarnyBart Carny"Bart Carny" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons ninth season and originally aired on the Fox network on January 11, 1998. Homer and Bart start working at a carnival and befriend a father and son duo named Cooder and Spud...
" - "King of the HillKing of the Hill (The Simpsons)"King of the Hill" is the twenty-third episode of the ninth season of the animated television series The Simpsons, which originally aired May 3, 1998. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Steven Dean Moore, and guest stars Brendan Fraser and Steven Weber...
" - "The Wizard of Evergreen TerraceThe Wizard of Evergreen Terrace"The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" is the second episode of the tenth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 20, 1998, and was viewed in approximately 7.95 million households that day. In the episode, Homer has a midlife crisis realizing his...
" - "Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble""
- "Homer to the MaxHomer to the Max"Homer to the Max" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season, which originally broadcast on February 7, 1999. Homer discovers that a television show broadcasting in Springfield, Police Cops, has a hero also named Homer Simpson. He is delighted with the positive attention he receives...
" - "Maximum HomerdriveMaximum Homerdrive"Maximum Homerdrive" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 28, 1999. In the episode, Homer challenges trucker Red Barclay to a meat eating contest, which Barclay is the long-standing champion of. Barclay wins, but...
" - "Monty Can't Buy Me LoveMonty Can't Buy Me Love"Monty Can't Buy Me Love" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons tenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 2, 1999. In the episode, Mr Burns is jealous of megastore owner Arthur Fortune, who is beloved by the people of Springfield...
" - "Take My Wife, SleazeTake My Wife, Sleaze"Take My Wife, Sleaze" is the eighth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 28, 1999. In the episode, Homer wins a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and starts his own biker gang, naming it...
" - "The Mansion FamilyThe Mansion Family"The Mansion Family" is the twelfth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 23, 2000, and was watched in around 11.3 million homes during the broadcast. In the episode, Mr...
" - "Kill the Alligator and RunKill the Alligator and Run"Kill The Alligator and Run" is the nineteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 30, 2000. In the episode, Homer has a nervous breakdown when it is revealed on a quiz that he only has...
" - "A Tale of Two SpringfieldsA Tale of Two Springfields"A Tale of Two Springfields" is the second episode from season twelve of the animated TV series The Simpsons and is the 250th episode of the series overall in both broadcast and production order. The episode originally premiered November 5, 2000 on Fox Broadcasting Company.The episode was written...
" - "The Computer Wore Menace ShoesThe Computer Wore Menace Shoes“The Computer Wore Menace Shoes” is the sixth episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 2000. In the episode, Homer buys a computer and creates his own website to spread gossip...
" - "Hungry, Hungry HomerHungry, Hungry Homer"Hungry, Hungry Homer" is the fifteenth episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons and it aired on March 4, 2001. In the episode, Homer Simpson becomes a Good Samaritan after discovering the simple joys of helping people in need—which is put to the test when he goes on a hunger strike after the...
" - "Simpson SafariSimpson Safari"Simpson Safari" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 1, 2001. When the Simpsons run out of food thanks to a bag boy strike, the family finds an old box of Animal Crackers in their attic. In the box is a...
" - "A Hunka Hunka Burns in LoveA Hunka Hunka Burns in Love"A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. The episode first aired on the Fox network on December 2, 2001. In the episode, Mr Burns falls in love with Gloria, a woman who is much younger than he is and who turns out to be Snake Jailbird's...
" - "The Lastest Gun in the WestThe Lastest Gun in the West"The Lastest Gun in the West" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network on February 24, 2002. In the episode, Bart, after being chased by a vicious dog, runs into a retired Western star named Buck McCoy, who soon becomes Bart's idol...
" - "I Am Furious YellowI Am Furious Yellow"I Am Furious " is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on April 28, 2002. In the episode, Bart creates a comic book series based on his father Homer's anger problems, which turns into a popular Internet cartoon series...
" - "The Sweetest ApuThe Sweetest Apu"The Sweetest Apu" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 5, 2002. In the episode, Homer and his wife Marge discover that convenience store owner Apu is having an affair with the Squishee delivery lady working...
" - "The Frying GameThe Frying Game"The Frying Game" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 19, 2002. In the episode, after accidentally killing an endangered screamapillar, Homer is sentenced to two weeks of community service. As part of...
" - "Mr. Spritz Goes to WashingtonMr. Spritz Goes to Washington"Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington" is the fourteenth episode from The Simpsons 14th season which aired on March 9, 2003.-Plot:While watching a very late episode of The Three Stooges , the Simpsons feel the ground shaking. They discover an airplane flying dangerously close to their house...
" - "Treehouse of Horror XIVTreehouse of Horror XIV"Treehouse of Horror XIV" is the first episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season and originally aired on November 2, 2003. In the fourteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Homer takes on the role of the Grim Reaper , Professor Frink creates a Frankenstein-version of his deceased father and...
" - "The Regina MonologuesThe Regina Monologues"The Regina Monologues" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season, and originally aired November 23, 2003 in the United States. It was written by John Swartzwelder, and directed by Mark Kirkland. The episode sees the Simpson family travel to the United Kingdom on holiday. There, they...
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- - with George MeyerGeorge MeyerGeorge A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
, Sam SimonSam SimonSamuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
and Jon VittiJon VittiJon Vitti is an American writer best known for his work on the television series The Simpsons. He has also written for the King of the Hill and The Critic series, and has served as a consultant for several animated movies, including Ice Age and Robots... - - "Bad Dream House" segment
- - with Sam Simon
- - contributor
- - "Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores" segment
- - teleplay, story by Bob KushellBob KushellBob Kushell is a writer and producer for The Simpsons. As of December 2008, Kushell began hosting his own talk show, Anytime with Bob Kushell, on Crackle.-Writing credits:Samantha WhoThe VirginThe Break UpThe AffairThe Park...
Books by Swartzwelder
- The Time Machine Did ItThe Time Machine Did ItThe Time Machine Did It is a comic novel by American author John Swartzwelder, known for his work on popular cartoon sitcom The Simpsons. The book was published in 2004....
(2004) - ISBN-10 0975579908 - Double Wonderful (2005) - ISBN-10 0975579924
- How I Conquered Your Planet (2006) - ISBN-10 0975579940
- The Exploding DetectiveThe Exploding DetectiveThe Exploding Detective is a comedic novel written by John Swartzwelder, a writer most famous for his work on The Simpsons television series. The main character is a klutzy private detective named Frank Burly. This is Swartzwelder's fourth novel and was published on 12th March 2007...
(2007) - ISBN-10 0975579967 - Dead Men Scare Me Stupid (2008) - ISBN-10 0975579983
- Earth vs. Everybody (2009) - ISBN-10 0982273606
- The Last Detective Alive (2010) - ISBN-10 0982273622
- The Fifty Foot Detective (2011)- ISBN-10 0982273649