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Jacket Text (author's original version):
As you might suspect from the big yellow head on the front - or perhaps the "Simpson" in the title - this is a book about The Simpsons. In a way, it's a book about a beloved cartoon, full of behind-the-scenes stories about how it first got on TV, who writes it and why it's so funny. But in another, more accurate way, it's about what that beloved cartoon means and why it matters. It's about Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and the rest of the fascinating populace of Springfield, and also about why these make-believe people make us think so much about nearly everything: family, politics, religion (Apu's, Krusty's, Jebus's), the environment (what's left of it), TV (the news, infomercials, MacGyver). You name it - disaffected kids, greedy bosses, the colonization of your town by Starbucks - Springfieldianites have dealt with it. And so does this book.
Since first airing in 1987 as a cartoon interlude on the short-lived Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons has brilliantly critiqued the foibles of American life, evolving into a mammoth international hit and the most important cultural institution of its time. As satire, it's as sharp and funny as anything that ever spilled from Billy Shakespeare's feathered quill. As a pop icon, it's as big as the Beatles. And with Planet Simpson, it finally gets the sprawling, tangent-laden critical analysis it so richly deserves.
If you're still new to the chaotic world of Homer's family, Planet Simpson is a great way to get better acquainted. If you think you know everything there is to know about Springfield and its most famous residents, Planet Simpson might make you think again. If you're looking for stuff from the vampire's point of view, you're probably in the wrong section of the bookstore.
Buying the book online:
Is there an independent online bookseller you'd like to recommend? Email us: ash_planetsimpson 'at-symbol' yahoo 'dot' ca.
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