Kang & Kodos
Encyclopedia
Kang and Kodos are a duo of recurring characters
in the animated television series The Simpsons
. Kang is voiced by Harry Shearer
and Kodos by Dan Castellaneta
. They are aliens
from the fictional planet Rigel VII
and appear almost exclusively in the "Treehouse of Horror". The duo has appeared in at least one segment of all twenty-one Treehouse of Horror episodes. Sometimes their appearance is the focus of a plot, other times a brief cameo. Kang and Kodos are often bent on the conquest of Earth and are usually seen working on sinister plans to invade and subjugate humanity.
The duo first appeared in season two
's "Treehouse of Horror
". The first drawing of Kang and Kodos came from writers Jay Kogen
and Wallace Wolodarsky
. The finished design was based on an EC Comics
issue cover. Kang and Kodos had brief cameo appearances in several non-"Treehouse of Horror" episodes and have appeared as villains in several of The Simpsons video games
.
Speaking "Rigellian", which coincidentally sounds exactly like English, Kang and Kodos are Rigellians and from the planet Rigel 4
. Virtually identical in appearance, one of the few distinguishing characteristics concerns the duo's voices as Kang's is deeper. In most appearances, they are antagonists. One exception is Kang and Kodos's first appearance in "Treehouse of Horror
", where they capture the Simpson family
and feed them exquisite cuisine. Lisa
becomes suspicious of their intentions and accuses Kang and Kodos of wanting to eat the Simpson family. Kang and Kodos deny this accusation and are outraged. Afterwards both take the Simpsons back to Earth. Kang and Kodos have invaded the Earth on several occasions, with varying results. In 1996, Kang and Kodos impersonated Bill Clinton
and Bob Dole
and ran against each other in the 1996 election. At first, the Americans declared to vote for a third party
candidate, but Kang convinced them that the option would be a waste of a vote
. As a result, Kang was elected president. In their second appearance, they decided to take over the Earth after citizens had declared world peace, but ultimately failed. Kang and Kodos's religion is "Quantum Presbyterians", although Kodos later claims to be Jewish
. Other Rigellians that have appeared include Serak the Preparer, who was voiced by James Earl Jones
and only appeared in "Treehouse of Horror".
Kang and Kodos have appeared in every "Treehouse of Horror" episode to date and have played major roles in "Treehouse of Horror I
", "Treehouse of Horror II
", "Treehouse of Horror VII
", "Treehouse of Horror IX
", "Treehouse of Horror XVII
" and "Treehouse of Horror XVIII
". The rest of their appearances were cameos, although both appeared in the opening segment of "Treehouse of Horror X
", "Treehouse of Horror XIV
", "Treehouse of Horror XV
" and "Treehouse of Horror XVI
". Kang and Kodos's cameo appearances normally occur in the midst of the segments which will suddenly cut away to the duo. For example, Kang and Kodos observe zombies attacking Earth from space. The duo laugh maniacally at the Earthlings's suffering, before the scene is switched from space to Earth. Kang and Kodos have made rare appearances in non-"Treehouse of Horror" episodes, such as "Behind the Laughter
" and "Gump Roast
", and had a non-speaking cameo in "The Springfield Files
" on a line-up with other aliens.
Kang and Kodos first appeared in the second season
in "Treehouse of Horror". The idea of Kang and Kodos came from Jay Kogen
and Wallace Wolodarsky
, writers of "Hungry are the Damned". In the script, Kang and Kodos were shown as "an octopus in a space helmet with a trail of goo". The finished design was based on EC Comics
cover issue. Although originally designed to constantly drool, Matt Groening
suggested that they not drool all the time to make the animation process easier. However, the animators did not mind the work, leading to the drooling staying in the script. Kang and Kodos's names are derived from two Star Trek
characters. Kang was a Klingon
captain portrayed by actor Michael Ansara
in "Day of the Dove", whereas Kodos the Executioner was a human villain from "The Conscience of the King". Harry Shearer
voices Kang, and Dan Castellaneta
voices Kodos. An unofficial rule for the writers is that Kang and Kodos must appear in every Halloween episode. Despite this rule, the writers say the duo will often be forgotten and are added at the last second, leading to brief appearances.
Traditionally, Kang and Kodos appeared in every single Treehouse of Horror episode as a part of a story's plotline or as cameos. They almost did not make the cut in "Treehouse of Horror VIII
", but David X. Cohen
managed to persuade the producers to keep the scene. Kang and Kodos were originally going to make regular appearances in the show. One idea was only Homer
would be able to see them and everyone else thinking Homer is crazy when he talked about the aliens. However the concept was "too far out", leading to characters only featured in the "Treehouse of Horror" specials. In some appearances, Kang and Kodos will laugh hysterically for several seconds. This was suggested by Sam Simon
. During production, the episodes would often be too short; so to make more time, their laughter was lengthened.
Kodos's gender has come into debate from fans. In "Treehouse of Horror VII
", Kang introduces Kodos with "This is my sister Kodos". The line was pitched by George Meyer
and was even somewhat followed in later episodes as the writers tried to make Kang the more dominant of the two. In previous and subsequent episodes, Kodos has been referred to as a male.
. The duo appear in the The Simpsons Road Rage
ending, and Kang appears as the final boss character in The Simpsons Wrestling
game. Kang and Kodos appear in cut scenes as the main villains 2003's The Simpsons Hit & Run
. In an attempt to collect new material for their failing reality TV show, Foolish Earthlings, Kang and Kodos plan to drug Springfield with a mind-control serum distributed through their "New and Improved Buzz Cola" product. After drinking the cola, the brainwashed people performed stupid stunts under the watchful view of wasp
-like surveillance camera
s, all for the sake of better ratings. They also appeared as villains in The Simpsons Game
along with an army of other Rigellians, but like Hit & Run Kang and Kodos only appear in cutscenes.
In 2001, Kang and Kodos were made into separate action figures in the World of Springfield
toy line. Along with their spaceship, Kang and Kodos were included with the "Treehouse of Horror II" set exclusive to Toys-R-Us. The two also have a brief cameo in The Simpsons Ride
.
, voice of Serak the Preparer in "Treehouse of Horror
", was named seventh on IGN's "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list. Jones also appeared on AOL
's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars. "Treehouse of Horror VII
" is Simpsons creator Matt Groening's seventh favorite episode. Groening's favorite line from the episode is from Kodos; "We have reached the limit of what rectal probing can teach us." In 2006, IGN
.com published a list of the top ten Treehouse of Horror segments, and several segments that feature Kang and Kodos were placed, including "Hungry Are The Damned
", "Citizen Kang
" and "Starship Poopers
".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in 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...
. Kang is voiced by Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
and Kodos by Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
. They are aliens
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
from the fictional planet Rigel VII
Rigel in fiction
Rigel , the brightest star in the constellation Orion, is a well-known star in Earth's northern hemisphere night sky and hence a popular science fiction setting or feature.-Literature:...
and appear almost exclusively in the "Treehouse of Horror". The duo has appeared in at least one segment of all twenty-one Treehouse of Horror episodes. Sometimes their appearance is the focus of a plot, other times a brief cameo. Kang and Kodos are often bent on the conquest of Earth and are usually seen working on sinister plans to invade and subjugate humanity.
The duo first appeared in season two
The Simpsons (season 2)
The Simpsons second season originally aired between October 11, 1990 and May 9, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an F". Another episode, "Blood Feud" aired during the summer after the official season finale. The show runners for the second production season were Matt...
's "Treehouse of Horror
Treehouse 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...
". The first drawing of Kang and Kodos came from writers Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
and Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
. The finished design was based on an EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
issue cover. Kang and Kodos had brief cameo appearances in several non-"Treehouse of Horror" episodes and have appeared as villains in several of The Simpsons video games
The Simpsons video games
The Simpsons video games are a line of official video games that use the characters from the animated television show The Simpsons. The popularity of The Simpsons motivated the video game industry to turn to the characters and world of Springfield...
.
Role in The Simpsons
Rigel
Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky, with visual magnitude 0.18...
. Virtually identical in appearance, one of the few distinguishing characteristics concerns the duo's voices as Kang's is deeper. In most appearances, they are antagonists. One exception is Kang and Kodos's first appearance in "Treehouse of Horror
Treehouse 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...
", where they capture the Simpson family
Simpson family
The Simpson family is a family of fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Homer and Marge and their three children Bart, Lisa and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town...
and feed them exquisite cuisine. Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
becomes suspicious of their intentions and accuses Kang and Kodos of wanting to eat the Simpson family. Kang and Kodos deny this accusation and are outraged. Afterwards both take the Simpsons back to Earth. Kang and Kodos have invaded the Earth on several occasions, with varying results. In 1996, Kang and Kodos impersonated Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
and ran against each other in the 1996 election. At first, the Americans declared to vote for a third party
Third party (politics)
In a two-party system of politics, the term third party is sometimes applied to a party other than the two dominant ones. While technically the term is limited to the third largest party or third oldest party, it is common, though innumerate, shorthand for any smaller party.For instance, in the...
candidate, but Kang convinced them that the option would be a waste of a vote
Wasted vote
In the study of electoral systems, a wasted vote may be defined in two different ways:# Any vote which is not for an elected candidate.# Any vote which does not help to elect a candidate....
. As a result, Kang was elected president. In their second appearance, they decided to take over the Earth after citizens had declared world peace, but ultimately failed. Kang and Kodos's religion is "Quantum Presbyterians", although Kodos later claims to be Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Other Rigellians that have appeared include Serak the Preparer, who was voiced by James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
and only appeared in "Treehouse of Horror".
Kang and Kodos have appeared in every "Treehouse of Horror" episode to date and have played major roles in "Treehouse of Horror I
Treehouse 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...
", "Treehouse of Horror II
Treehouse 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...
", "Treehouse of Horror VII
Treehouse of Horror VII
"Treehouse of Horror VII" is the first episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. In the seventh annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Bart discovers his long-lost twin, Lisa grows a colony of small beings and Kang & Kodos impersonate Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in...
", "Treehouse of Horror IX
Treehouse of Horror IX
"Treehouse of Horror IX" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1998...
", "Treehouse of Horror XVII
Treehouse of Horror XVII
"Treehouse of Horror XVII" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons eighteenth season, and the seventeenth Treehouse of Horror episode. In "Married to the Blob", Homer eats green extraterrestrial goo and morphs into a rampaging blob with an insatiable appetite; in "You Gotta Know When to Golem", Bart...
" and "Treehouse of Horror XVIII
Treehouse of Horror XVIII
"Treehouse of Horror XVIII" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and was first broadcast on November 4, 2007. In the eighteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Bart harbors Kodos the alien in "E.T. Go Home," Homer and Marge are husband and wife assassins who try to take each...
". The rest of their appearances were cameos, although both appeared in the opening segment of "Treehouse of Horror X
Treehouse of Horror X
"Treehouse of Horror X" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons eleventh season, and the tenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on Halloween 1999. In "I Know What You Diddily-Iddily-Did", the...
", "Treehouse of Horror XIV
Treehouse 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...
", "Treehouse of Horror XV
Treehouse of Horror XV
"Treehouse of Horror XV" is the first episode of Season 16 and also the fifteenth Halloween episode of The Simpsons, airing November 7, 2004, one week after Halloween in the US, the latest any Halloween episode has ever aired...
" and "Treehouse of Horror XVI
Treehouse of Horror XVI
"Treehouse of Horror XVI" is the fourth episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons, as well as the sixteenth "Treehouse of Horror" episode. In this year's installment, The Simpsons replace Bart with a robot son after Bart falls into a coma in "B.I.: Bartificial Intelligence," Homer and...
". Kang and Kodos's cameo appearances normally occur in the midst of the segments which will suddenly cut away to the duo. For example, Kang and Kodos observe zombies attacking Earth from space. The duo laugh maniacally at the Earthlings's suffering, before the scene is switched from space to Earth. Kang and Kodos have made rare appearances in non-"Treehouse of Horror" episodes, such as "Behind the Laughter
Behind the Laughter
"Behind the Laughter" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on May 21, 2000. In the episode, which is a parody of the VH1 series Behind the Music, the Simpson family are portrayed as actors on a sitcom, and their...
" and "Gump Roast
Gump Roast
"Gump Roast" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 21, 2002. In the episode, Homer Simpson is honored by the townspeople at a Friars' Club Roast, until it is interrupted by Kang and Kodos.The episode was...
", and had a non-speaking cameo in "The Springfield Files
The Springfield Files
"The Springfield Files" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired January 12, 1997. The episode sees Homer believe he has discovered an alien in Springfield. It was written by Reid Harrison and directed by Steven Dean Moore...
" on a line-up with other aliens.
Creation
The Simpsons (season 2)
The Simpsons second season originally aired between October 11, 1990 and May 9, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an F". Another episode, "Blood Feud" aired during the summer after the official season finale. The show runners for the second production season were Matt...
in "Treehouse of Horror". The idea of Kang and Kodos came from Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
and Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
, writers of "Hungry are the Damned". In the script, Kang and Kodos were shown as "an octopus in a space helmet with a trail of goo". The finished design was based on EC Comics
EC Comics
Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series...
cover issue. Although originally designed to constantly drool, 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....
suggested that they not drool all the time to make the animation process easier. However, the animators did not mind the work, leading to the drooling staying in the script. Kang and Kodos's names are derived from two Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
characters. Kang was a Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
captain portrayed by actor Michael Ansara
Michael Ansara
Michael Ansara is a Syrian-born American stage, screen, and voice actor best known for his portrayal of Cochise in the American television series Broken Arrow, Kane in the 1979-81 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Commander Kang on three different Star Trek TV series.- Early life and...
in "Day of the Dove", whereas Kodos the Executioner was a human villain from "The Conscience of the King". Harry Shearer
Harry Shearer
Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show...
voices Kang, and Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
voices Kodos. An unofficial rule for the writers is that Kang and Kodos must appear in every Halloween episode. Despite this rule, the writers say the duo will often be forgotten and are added at the last second, leading to brief appearances.
Development
Treehouse of Horror VIII
"Treehouse of Horror VIII" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons ninth season and first aired on the Fox network on October 26, 1997. In the eighth annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Homer Simpson is the last man left alive when a neutron bomb destroys Springfield until a gang of mutants come...
", but David X. 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:...
managed to persuade the producers to keep the scene. Kang and Kodos were originally going to make regular appearances in the show. One idea was only Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
would be able to see them and everyone else thinking Homer is crazy when he talked about the aliens. However the concept was "too far out", leading to characters only featured in the "Treehouse of Horror" specials. In some appearances, Kang and Kodos will laugh hysterically for several seconds. This was suggested by 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...
. During production, the episodes would often be too short; so to make more time, their laughter was lengthened.
Kodos's gender has come into debate from fans. In "Treehouse of Horror VII
Treehouse of Horror VII
"Treehouse of Horror VII" is the first episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. In the seventh annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Bart discovers his long-lost twin, Lisa grows a colony of small beings and Kang & Kodos impersonate Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in...
", Kang introduces Kodos with "This is my sister Kodos". The line was pitched by 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...
and was even somewhat followed in later episodes as the writers tried to make Kang the more dominant of the two. In previous and subsequent episodes, Kodos has been referred to as a male.
Other appearances
Kang and Kodos have appeared in several different The Simpsons video gamesThe Simpsons video games
The Simpsons video games are a line of official video games that use the characters from the animated television show The Simpsons. The popularity of The Simpsons motivated the video game industry to turn to the characters and world of Springfield...
. The duo appear in the The Simpsons Road Rage
The Simpsons Road Rage
The Simpsons Road Rage is a 2001 video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, and is part of a series of games based on the show. It was developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, and the GameCube...
ending, and Kang appears as the final boss character in The Simpsons Wrestling
The Simpsons Wrestling
The Simpsons Wrestling is a professional wrestling video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the PlayStation console. The game was developed by Big Ape Productions, and published by Fox Interactive and Activision...
game. Kang and Kodos appear in cut scenes as the main villains 2003's The Simpsons Hit & Run
The Simpsons Hit & Run
The Simpsons Hit & Run is an action-adventure video game based on the animated sitcom The Simpsons. It was released for the GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, and Windows in North America on September 16, 2003, In Europe and Australia on October 31, 2003 and in Japan on December 25, 2003...
. In an attempt to collect new material for their failing reality TV show, Foolish Earthlings, Kang and Kodos plan to drug Springfield with a mind-control serum distributed through their "New and Improved Buzz Cola" product. After drinking the cola, the brainwashed people performed stupid stunts under the watchful view of wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
-like surveillance camera
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
s, all for the sake of better ratings. They also appeared as villains in The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game
The Simpsons Game is an action/platformer video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, made for the Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. The game was developed, published, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It was released in North...
along with an army of other Rigellians, but like Hit & Run Kang and Kodos only appear in cutscenes.
In 2001, Kang and Kodos were made into separate action figures in the World of Springfield
World of Springfield
The World of Springfield is a series of action figures featuring characters from the animated sitcom The Simpsons. The line ran between December 1999 and December 2004 and was released by Playmates Toys....
toy line. Along with their spaceship, Kang and Kodos were included with the "Treehouse of Horror II" set exclusive to Toys-R-Us. The two also have a brief cameo in The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride
The Simpsons Ride is a simulator ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. The ride is based on the animated television series The Simpsons. It was first announced in 2007 and replaced the Back to the Future: The Ride at both locations...
.
Reception
Several of the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes featuring the duo have been well-received. In 2006, James Earl JonesJames Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, voice of Serak the Preparer in "Treehouse of Horror
Treehouse 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...
", was named seventh on IGN's "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list. Jones also appeared on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars. "Treehouse of Horror VII
Treehouse of Horror VII
"Treehouse of Horror VII" is the first episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. In the seventh annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Bart discovers his long-lost twin, Lisa grows a colony of small beings and Kang & Kodos impersonate Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in...
" is Simpsons creator Matt Groening's seventh favorite episode. Groening's favorite line from the episode is from Kodos; "We have reached the limit of what rectal probing can teach us." In 2006, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
.com published a list of the top ten Treehouse of Horror segments, and several segments that feature Kang and Kodos were placed, including "Hungry Are The Damned
Treehouse 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...
", "Citizen Kang
Treehouse of Horror VII
"Treehouse of Horror VII" is the first episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. In the seventh annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Bart discovers his long-lost twin, Lisa grows a colony of small beings and Kang & Kodos impersonate Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in...
" and "Starship Poopers
Treehouse of Horror IX
"Treehouse of Horror IX" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1998...
".