'Simpsons' writer John Swartzwelder reveals his favourite episodes from the show

John Swartzwelder, the legendary writer of the Simpsons, has finally spoken about his work in the much-acclaimed show, The Simpsons. John wrote hundreds of episodes for the Fox animated series, many of which are regarded as among the greatest in the show's 32-year run. Swartzwelder recently in an interview with The New Yorker's Mike Sacks discussed his profession, which was published on Sunday.

Talking about how he went on to work in Simpsons, Swartzwelder revealed that his work on Army Man, a small homemade comedy zine with a brief run in the late 1980s, helped him secure a job at the budding Simpsons show. John said that the Army Man jokes gave him his first interview with the late Sam Simon and Matt Groening, which led to his first script assignment, Bart the General, however, he wasn't hired to work on staff until he had completed three series. He also said that until late 1989, The Simpsons did not have enough resources to hire a full-time writing team and now they have everything in abundance.

Asked whether he has a favourite of the 59 episodes he said that he always enjoys watching Itchy & Scratchy & Marge, Bart the Murderer, Dog of Death, Homer at the Bat, Homie the Clown, Bart Gets an Elephant, Homer’s Enemy, and Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment. With Swartzwelder, Sacks explored Homer's Enemy, one of the most divisive and undoubtedly darkest episodes of the usually light-hearted cartoon. Discussing the Season 8 episode 23rd, in which the antagonist Frank Grimes kills himself in a fit of rage over Homer's undeserved, random good fortune in life (at least in comparison to Frank's), Swartzwelder said, ‘Throughout the episode, Grimey begged for it. He wasn't fond of Homer. He had asked for it, and he had received it. So, what was it you said about the heart?’

Concerning his legacy among fans and writers alike, Swartzwelder said that he is certainly pleased that people still like the episodes he did. He went on to say that all the praise makes him humble, but praise, of course, has the opposite effect. He enjoys the spotlight as well. He went on to say that The Simpsons got people to look at TV show writers' credits. He also said that as a child, he only looked at the names of the actors and possibly the director. Today, a whole generation of viewers is not only aware of writers but also curious about what they are like in real life. And they're curious as to what they're thinking and he owes it to The Simpsons.

Source: New Yorker, Image Source: The Simpsons Instagram