The comic book web was abuzz today with joy at Sunday night’s episode of The Simpsons. Why, you ask? The episode, written by the guy in every third movie (no not the Chinese doctor guy), Seth Rogen, and his partner Evan Goldberg, was all about the adaptation of Comic Book Guy’s self-published comic into the next big comic book movie.
It could be said that the character of Comic Book Guy has done more damage to the public perception of comic book type people than almost anything. It could also be said that there’s a good deal of truth and a lot of funny about him.
Holy shit, Conor got referenced!
Can’t watch Hulu in my region. Also, when I was a kid, a priest tried to touch my region.
I guess. I’ll have to to wait 30 years until they play it on TV here … or download it.
First new episode of the Simpsons I’ve watched in years. Some good stuff, but not as classic as the Radioactive Man movie episode.
BEST…EPISODE…EVER!
(How’s that for a Comicbook Guy impression.)
Although I think he might actually say…
WORST…EPISODE…EVER!
My opinion, hmmm, the episode was okay.
Yeah, the episode was pretty bland. Still, cool to see comics on the show.
haha this was great. needs 30% more Aquaman!
It’s amazing that the Comic Book Guy was invented at a time when the average comic reader was like 13 years old and optimistic. In the last decade and a half or so, the demographics and nature of the comics community has been shifting so that he’s sort of more truly representational of us than we’re comfortable with.
Er, it’s like, in 1990 the average comic book reader in America was a lot like Bart Simpson. And in 2009 the average reader is a lot more like the Comic Book Guy.
This episode kicked ass! Now I really have to wonder why I stopped watching The Simpsons five years ago. They must have new writers again.
Saw it. Not very funny, but cool to see all the comic book stuff. Good to see that they’re still pushing the idea of comic readers being either a) Comic Book Guy or b) Little kids.
Also, I was shocked when I found out Seth Rogan & Evan Goldberg wrote this (after I watched it) because, like I said — it wasn’t very funny. Homer had some good lines though, just like when I used to watch it 10 years ago (when it WAS funny).
I watched this Sunday night and all I could think was "I wonder if this will show up on iFanboy."
Best line was "Ratner had final cut."
That was fun. My daughters loved it.
@miyamotofreak – I didn’t notice a Conor reference. Again, I was watching this with my girls who giggled uncontrollably, so I may have missed something. Or were you joking? If so, I don’t get it.
Interesting. I’ll have to check this out later. Simpsons has been very hit or miss for me lately, so we’ll see.
@flapjaxx I’d be interested where you got those stats, because, so far as I know, the average age of a comic book reader hasn’t been that low since in the 50s when only 1-in-9 children weren’t reading comics. And even in the 50s and 60s more adults read comics then were commonly perceived. Women were the main market for romance comics, military men the audience for crime and horror books. since the early 80s the average reader’s age has stayed somewhere in the 26-32 range, usually tending toward the older. I think it’s safe to say that Bart was constructed on the perception of who the average comic reader was, but not the fact.
I liked the comic references, but as with most Simpson stuff in recent years, it wasn’t very funny.
@PraxJarvin – When the hell are you going to get around to publishing some of your work so I can read it. Every time you post something that sounds academic I get a little itch in the curiosity center of my mind. You know things I don’t and it is driving me crazy. Publish that shit (or at least send me a working paper).
Not the funniest episode, but the comics theme always makes it better. Even though they arent always portrayed asa the best, its still usually funny, and I like the references.
I’m sorry but I can’t do it! I swore off of The Simpsons ever since the horrible season that was last year’s. Sorry josh.
@TNC-why apologize to him? He doesn’t care if you watch it. Apologize to Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg, you weirdo.
@drake: Your right, it’s not josh’s fault. But I’m not gonna apologize to those two. Cause maybe when they can do a good comedy again I will then apologize 🙂
@PraxJarvin is right. If you don’t think the Comic Book Guy existed in 1990, it’s only because you weren’t aware of him. He’s the guy in every comic shop I went into in 1990. Longtime fan somewhere between mid-20’s and late 30’s. Usually with a mullet, if it was ’90.
That was the greatest editiing I have ever seen in a movie,can anyone say EMMY!
@dacampo, the dude that runs a shop near my house still has a raging mullet. I mean this mullet is epic! I think he’s probably around 45 years old. (usually wearing a t-shirt with a wolf or dragon on it).
"Mr. Moore will you sign my copy of Watchmen Babies? Which baby is your favorite?"
Still the best comic moment on Simpsons.
"the comic book guy" are still around. I’m going to the Long Beach Comic Con this weekend and I’m bringing my camera. Seeing comic book guy in it’s natural habitat is facinating.
Comic Book Guy was definitely present at my shop in the late 80’s.
There are a lot of comic book guys IRL. Also, Family Guy had one of there funniest episodes in a long while with the multi-verse episode.
And the best comic book moment from Simpsons was Alan Moore singing Little Lulu.
My old shop was full of comic book guys. New shop only has two employees, both of which are fit and active like myself. Let us all work to dispel the stereotypes!
New episode, I thought, was pretty damn good. A lot of good stuff.
There is a (probably unintentional) Conor reference early in the episode. The Wayback Machine will help if you don’t know what I’m referencing.
@crazydragon: My LCS owner has a mullet too!
Although if I compared him to Comic Book Guy it would be a bit insulting. He is no where like that at all. He is very nice and he doesn’t answer questions in a sarcastic tone.
@flapjaxx
You realize, Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, got his start doing comics strips as well as co-founded Bongo comics in 1993 (thus the scene shown of him loading a truck w/ boxes labelled "BONGO"), right? I’m pretty sure he had something to base Comic Book Guy on. Maybe your experience was that most comics fans were wide-eyed ten year olds because (and this is a hufe assumption on my part) you were one too?
I haven’t watched new episodes in a long time… when did they do this horrible thing with the opening credits??
I thought the episode was alright. I’ve known not to put any hope in the series since season 9 or around there. It’s sad that most young’ns won’t know the glory that was The Simpsons circa season 3 or 4, much in the same way I wouldn’t fault a 10 year old Bart Simpson for not knowing that Spider-Man was a comic 1st since the movie would have been his first exposure to the character (ya know, if he wasn’t actually either 22 or 32; actual age vs character age, were he to progress. This episode was written solely for us, though, and that’s really cool.
@captbastrd: They changed it last season, only because they wanted to update it for now being a High Definition show.
Simpsons haven’t been funny since the end of season 12. Or about 2000-2001 depending on which you prefer. But that’s a different topic all together.
@TNC
Eh, that’s legit, I guess.
Favorite line of the episode has to be Milhouse saying, angrily, "Everyman? He’s not a hero from Marve, DC, Image, or Wildstorm!" It made me laugh.
Also, I wonder if Jimski got his Hulk Hands from a big bin like the one the Comic Book Guys falls back onto in the opening scene.
@JeffR: when he said "Wildstorm," somewhere in his home, a Dark Horse editor died a little inside.
The secret origin of my Hulk Hands is that I got them as a birthday present, because now that I don’t play with toys anymore that’s all anyone buys me. When I was five, begging for Hulk toys? Crickets and tumbleweeds.
@Jimski – I’m more than willing to give my Amazon.com Wish List to anyone who may buy me a present anytime and anywhere. Is my birthday coming soon? Why, then you’ll find a printed copy of my Amazon Wish List attached to both my refrigerator and in the inbox of friends and family. I’m not a bigger person than that.
And yes, poor Dark Horse. Milhouse is obviously not a Hellboy fan.
@JeffR – I went so far as to snail mail a physical copy of my wish list to my less tech savvy relatives.
@jimski, stuchlach, jeffr For at least 10 years I would hand-type a list sub-divided into BOOKS, COMICS, MOVIES, VIDEO GAMES and would even list the ISBN and ASINs. My grandmother would go to a B&N or Border and just hand the list over, she wouldn’t even bothering searching.
"hand-type"
what the hell does that mean?
Hahaha
What, you guys don’t have the new brain-typing keyboards yet?
Psshht. Stuck in the stone age…
Actually, it’s Korean Doctor guy
One of the guys in my comic shop doesn’t have the pony tail (anymore) but definitely has the comic book guys awesome people skills. One time, he ALMOST said more than two words to me, & ALMOST smiled a bit.