I was just thinking which people (real or fictional) the Simpsons characters are based on. I know of the following:

The Simpsons family are based on Matt Groening's own family. Especially Homer & Marge.

Mayor 'Diamond' Joe Quimby is based on JFK.

I know other charachters have origins in fictional TV characters from other TV shows and cartoons. e.g. Chief Wiggum. But I don't know which ones.

Any clues people??

there was an episode that gave the fictional characters some of them were based on but I can't recall them now.

I think Professor Frink is supposed to by Jerry Lewis as the Nutty Professor.

Dr. Hibbard is Bill Cosby as in the Cosby Show.

I think that Duffman is an original.


OH YEAH

Bart is a ripoff of Dennis the Menace...."looks like the kid thats been roughing up the Wilson Widow"

Duffman is a direct copy of the 70's BudMan (Budweiser,) for those that remember back that far.

The Spanish Bee Man from Channel Ocho is based on a character on Univision.

Rainier Wolfcastle is Arnold Schwarzenegger

These characters are named after streets in Portland, OR:
Flanders
Quimby
Lovejoy
Terwilliger
Simpson

There's a lot more '1 use' characters that pop up occasionally based on people that are escaping me now.

Chief Wiggum is based on Edward G. Robinson. As was obviously noted in Roger Meyers' plea for Itchy & Scratchy:

"All the best cartoon characters are ripoffs! Barney Rubble, Yogi Bear, Chief Wiggum. Art Carney, Yogi Berra, Edward G. Robinson."

Yep. And I believe he's named after one of the Producers.

theres the mary poppin's babysitter, the neighbor that led marge on a thelma and luise adventure...

That makes sense in the context of the episode where George and Barbara Bush moved in across the street.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Orson
[B]



BothanSpy

that was actually a line from one of the episodes in case you didnt know (I couldnt tell)

err.... it's the Scottish spelling. Yes, that's what it is.
So I'm right, and you're wrong. Nerrr!

I've lost the link, but somebody posted a picture on some forum somewhere of the guy that writes those bible tracts you see in church, the kind that promise eternal damnation for playing Yahtzee, anyways the guy was a dead ringer for Ned Flanders.

Cletus the Slack Jawwed Yokel?

Just remembered there was a computer programmer character, who sang Karaoke in a bar (followed by a Bart&Lisa rendition of "Shaft").

They gave his name as Richie Sakai - same as one of the Producers.

And not an actual charachter, but the Simpson family went to visit a Cider Mill, called The Swartzwelder Cider Mill, which was named after Writer/Creative Consultant John Swartzwelder.

I'm sure I'll remember more eventually...

Also, the Big Daddy character (in the Wiggum/Skinner New Orleans spin-off) appeared to be a version of John Candy's character in Oliver Stone's JFK.