FIRST ISSUE COLLECTOR’S ITEM! LT ae | PU VAL te AMES US HOMER!” Tilige bed ey co =) APART aaGREETINGS, COMICS FANS! Thanks for picking up this first, #1, premiere, incugural, sure-to-be-a-collector’s-item issue of SIMPSONS COMICS! Now if you'll be so kind as to take this comic book up to the cashier, dig around in your pockets for some money, and actually purchase this thing before you get it all grubby and dog-eared, we can continue. This is not a library, you know. ‘What we're trying to do at the Bongo Comics Group is take our lifelong love of great comics and see if we can wade in with our own stuff -- putting out the best comic books we can, with good (deceptively simple) art and plenty of the laughs that seem so rare in comics these days. If you're a fan of THE SIMPSONS TV show, we think you'll dig this comic, as well as BARTMAN, ITCHY & SCRATCHY, and RADIOACTIVE MAN — and all the other Simpsons-related and non-related comic books we have up our sleeves. What we try to do with the TV show is quite unusual: We sneak in little details for real fans (like you). That's why we change the opening credits with different couch gags every week, why we sneak in funny signs in the backgrounds, and why we stick in what we call freeze-frame jokes — secret in-jokes that you'll only get by hunting and searching a videotaped Simpsons episode with your remote control. We call this revolutionary concept in TV entertainment Rewarding You For Paying Attention. And now we're trying to do Reward You For Paying Attention to our comic books. So please pay attention! (And let us know if you dig your rewards.) Your pal, MATT GROENING Publisher ee et tetterd ter mmnettet aids a esis sarin ent eoCAMAZING enn TeWHOA! 263 POUNDS =~ A NEW RECORD! HERE’S SOME NICE. FLUFFY TOWELS RIGHT OUT OF THE DRYER ~~ BART, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? TM READING THE SCALE FOR HOMER. HE CAN'T SEE PAST HIS BELLY. ‘OH, HOMEY, YOU'VE BEEN JSNACKING AGAIN/ ASKED YOU NOT TO EAT THOSE COOKIES IN THE COOKIE JAR. TM SORRY, MARGE ~~ BUT I JUST COULON’T RESIST THOSE LITTLE BOW TIES WITH THE THEY WEREN'T BOW TIES, LATER THEY WERE HOURGLASSES. | BAKED THEM FOR PATTY AND SELMAS BIOLOGICAL CLOCKWATCHERS ANONYMOUS, MEETING TONIGHT 3 REMEMBER, NOW, ONLY ONE DONUT TODAY! fonty ONE DoNUT= BUT EVERYTHING AND THAT CLOUD IT’S NOT FAIRY REMINDS ME OF LOOKS LIKE A BUNCH Donuts. THAT cLoup | | OF GREAT BIG DONUTS! C'MON, MAN! EVEN LOOKS LIKE A GET A GRIP ON GREAT BIG DONUT! YOURSELF! YOU CAN DO IT. THE TRICK IS NOT TO THINK ABOUTAH, SMITHERS ~~ IF THANK YOU, OLD FRIEND, BUT I’ ONLY 1 POSSESED AFRAID |T WOULD TAKE MORE THAN THE \ your LITHE, YOUTHFUL CASUAL RUINATION OF SOME INSIGNIFICANT. ATHLETICISM, OFFICE-SUPPLY MANUFACTURER TO LIFT ME OUT OF MY DOLDRUMS. TLL GLADLY FIRE OFF A SCATHING LETTER TO THE MANUFACTURER ~~ OR BETTER STILL, YOUR ATTORNEYS COULD SUE THEM INTO BANKRUPTCY. ‘OU KNOW, I WAS A RATHER VIRILE SPECIMEN IN MY DAY ~~ IN FACT, 1 ONCE BESTED THE MIGHTY "MAN=MOUNTAIN’ MACKENZIE HIMSELF AT A GAME OF QUOITS, == ALL THOSE YEARS, AND. THAT TOO, THAT TOO! BUT MERE WHAT HAVE 1 TO SHOW FoR IT? ]] |WEALTH, NO MATTER HOW OBSCENELY| ‘A BODY BETRAYED BY TIME, OSTENTATIOUS, IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. AS LONG ‘AND A PERSONAL ‘AS LAM BOUND BY THE CHAINS OF FORTUNE VALUED AT MORTALITY, WHAT FREEDOM CAN ‘THERE BE IN RICHES? LOOK AT THEM DOWN THERE, SCURRYING ABOUT LIKE ANTS, BLISSFULLY UNAWARE OF THE DOOM THAT AWAITS US ALL. I ASK YOU, SMITHERS ~~ IS IT FAIR THAT 1, THEIR TIRELESS BENEFACTOR, SHOULD SUFFER THE SAME PHYSICAL DETERIORATION AS THAT IGNORANT RABBLE? THERE’S ALWAYS PROJECT ¥, SIR. WHAT SAY WE DROP IN ON THE BOYS INR £07SOON, IN A SECRET ELEVATOR FAR UNDERGROUND, BOON, SHMOON. DO 1 DID IT FOR ME, SO. YOU THINK I'VE PO! AH, DR. OLBERMAN. THAT I MIGHT REGAIN How GOES THE MILLIONS OF DOLLAR THE VIGOR OF MY RESEARCH? PROJECT Y -- MY | | INTO THIS PROJECT so LOST YOUTH. THEN YOUTH Ray. wHy, || THAT voE Six-Pack CAN TLL GIVE HUMANITY JUST SAYING THE | [HAVE AN ExTRA SO YEARS! | THE HELPING HAND CONSTRUCTION Is COMPLETE, SiRt BEHOLD =~ NAME SENDS A, SUBLIME THRILL COURSING THROUGH MY VEINS: TO WASTE SITTING ON IT DESERVES -~ His KEISTER READING THE IRON FIST! COMIC BOOKS? IT CERTAINLY, COULD BE A BOON To HUMANITY, SIR. IT STIMULATES HORMONE PRODUCTION, INCREASING THE GROWTH OF NEW CELLS. THIS SHOULD ACTUALLY REVERSE THE AGING PROCESS. ALL REJUVENATOR THAT REMAINS |S THE RAY! HUMAN TESTING, TESTING? NONSENSE! WHAT AML, THE FOOD. AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION? BEGIN MY TREATMENTS AT ONCE! VERY WELL, PROCEED WITH THE TESTING. PROJECT @, SIPTHAT'S EASY, WE'LL JUST USE ONE OF MY LOYAL EMPLOYEES DURING THE LAST CONTRACT FIRST, WE MUST FIND A SUITABLE ToARNS AROUND TE ey” NEGOTIATIONS, THE UNION GAVE Gi | Me THE Richt To PERFORM GED AOA, BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS ON an THEM IN EXCHANGE FOR AN EXTRA FIVE=MINUTE COFFEE BREA| WHICH WILL BE THE ONE DONUT THAT WILL SATISFY MY CRAVINGS HMMM.NOT THAT ONE, MAYBE THIS ONE WITH PINK SPRINKLES: oa VVE SEEN ENOUGH. SSHUDDER:HAVE BUT To FOCUS THE SEAM ON THE SUBJECT’S PRECISE LOCATION. WELL THANK YOU, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. YOUR ABILITY TO FIND A SILVER LINING IN THE DARKEST CLOUD NEVER CEASES TO IRRITATE METHE NEXT MORNING DON’T 3UHI 300F¢ Sr Glacdas W ae wee |[ tees 3SIGHE 1 GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE HOMES! I’ TO GO BUY THE NEXT SIZE UP. BACK WITH YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING : your NEW TO WEAR TO WORK.A MRS. MARGE, SIMPSON RETURNED FROM BUYING HER HUSBAND A NEW PAIR OF PANTS ONLY To FIND THAT HE HAD OUTGOWN THE HOUSE, TOO. AND THIS JUST IN =\ WE'VE ALL HEARD OF CHILDREN WHO GET TOO BIG FOR THEIR BRITCHES ~~ BUT. APPARENTLY IT CAN HAPPEN TO GROWN-UPS AS WELL STILLGROWING Ma. SIMPSON WAS LAST SEEN HEADING FOR DOWNTOWN IF You EVER SELL ANOTHER POLICY TO THOSE SIMPSON WACKOS, YOU'RE FIRED! SAID MRS. SIMPSON, “THANK HEAVENS FOR HIS SUPER-STRETCH UNDERWEAR” DID YOU HEAR THAT, SMITHERS? HE’S BECOME] A COLOSSUS! WHY, THAT'S EVEN BETTER THAN BEING YOUNG! IMAGINE! CHARLES MONTGOMERY BURNS ~~ STANDING ASTRIDE THE GLOBE! THEY'LL NAME COUNTRIES: AFTER ME! I'LL BE LIKE THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT, ONLY NOT GREEN, AND NOT JOLLY!THERE’S YOUR FATHER NOW, MAGGIE. MAYBE HE THINKS: HE'S ON HIS WAY TO WORK. HOMER! HOMER, IT’S ME == MARGE! HOMER, PLEASE STOP! SW Y 17's No use. 1 cuess Ve HE’S JUST SO BIG HE Pe CAN'T HEAR ME.GREETINGS, MY FELLOW MOVIE LOVERS. WE ARE GATHERED TODAY TO HONOR A HOLLYWOOD LEGEND THE STAR OF SUCH FILMS AS JAGGED ATTRACTION" AND. “120 WHO'S STIL OWENG! ~~ ail HIS 24 FILMS HAVE GROSSED A TOTAL OF OVER $300 IN SPRINGFIELD ALONE. 1 HEREBY DECLARE THIS “TROY MCCLURE DAY" TROY WILL NOW PLACE HIS FOOTPRINTS IN CEMENT ALONGSIDE SUCH SHOW BIZ IMMORTALS AS KRUSTY THE CLOWN AND GLADYS THE GROOVY MULE. GET THAT BIG PUNK’S NAME! NOBODY TRIES TO FIT DIAMOND JOE QUIMBY FOR A CEMENT OVERCOAT AND GETS AWAY WITH ITI AND THAT WAS THE SCENE AT THE SPRINGFIELD GOOGOLPLEX CINEMA. MAYOR QUIMBY HAS PUT THE POLICE ‘ON FULL ALERT, PROMISING TO CO “WHATEVER IT TAKES” TO PROTECT THE CITY FROM THIS MENACING: BEHEMOTH!7 LOOKA THE SIZE OF {THAT GUY! 1 BETTER LAY IN A CASE OF DUFF! ALAS, FRIEND HOMER, YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MY BIGGEST CUSTOMER, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE TOO MUCH GOOD TH |THIS DARN HEADACHE! I SWEAR I CAN ACTUALLY HEAR MY TEMPLES THROBBING. MAN, I ED THIS BREAK. FULL POLICE MOBILIZATION IS TousH! Renn dc chata aca Ren omc sua GY) 1585 wescsrt PRoMEM: AT eae sa) Freee eee rae ome cud er a Stace TUL SAY. WE'VE BEEN ROLLING NONSTOP SINCE THE ORDER CAME DOWN. IT’S BEEN A HELLUVA 45 MINUTES. L HAVEN'T SEEN A SIGN OF THIS GUY. IF YOU ASK ME, TI No SUCH THIsa CHIEF WIGGUM. [EXPRESSED REGRET THAT HIS MEN WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE GIANT CREATURE, BUT COMMENDED THEM ror THEIR CLEVER CHOICE OF A STAKEOUT SITE JOINING ME NOW ARE TWO OF SPRINGFIELD’S LEADING HEALTH CARE EXPERTS, DR. JULIUS HIBBERT AND DR. MARVIN MONROE DR, HIBBERT, WELL, KENT, AS THE TAKES THE FRUITCAKE, YOU MEAN! AS DN FROM THE MEDICAL SIMPSONS" FAMILY EXPLAIN IN MY NEW BOOK, "IM OKAY PERSPECTIVE, WHAT ¢ PHYSICIAN I'VE SEEN MANY YOU'RE SICK AND TWISTED” THIS SORT OF CAN SOU TELL SQ _ UNUSUAL THINGS, BUT PHENOMENON IS ROOTED IN WHAT JUNG REFERS TO AS THE COLLECTIVE UNCONSCIOUS: ABOUT THIS CASE? A)FRANKLY, THIS ONE TAKES THIS IS JUST A TYPE OF MASS HYSTERIA, FANNED BY THE SPECULATIVE RAMBLINGS OF ATTENTION-GRABBING, KNOW=NOTHING, SELF-APPOINTED PSEUDO-EXPERTS! Fae LET’S GO LIVE NOW TO WE'D PREFER NOT TO. ep tiee THE HOME OF THE MAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEDIA g WE'VE DUBBED “THE AMAZING CIRCUS, PLEASE LEAVE US COLOSSAL HOMER,” AND SEE IF ALONE WITH SOME SHRED OF WE CAN HAVE A WORD WITH. ‘OUR DIGNITY INTACT! HIS UNFORTUNATE FAMILY, iWHY, THANK YOU, BART. FRANKLY, I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED YOU TO SIDE WITH THE VULTURES WHO ARE TRYING TO. CASH IN ON OUR MISFORTUNE, YM EXHAUSTED! YVE BEEN CHASING DON’T WoRRY, MoM! are) | YOUR FATHER ALL OVER MOM. THIS WHOLE T Al T r meetin OWN. 1 FINALLY LOS SORDID EPISODE HIM WHEN T RAN MAY TURN OUT To BE OUR TICKET TO EASY STREET =~ AND HERE'S THE MAN WHO CAN PUNCH THAT TICKET. “NEGOTIATING MEDIA RIGHTS TO PERSONAL TRAGEDIES MY SPECIALTY"? Hi THERE, YM LIONEL HUTZ, ATTORNEY AT LAW.THAT'S RIGHT, MRS. SIMPSON. I CAN HAVE YOU ON THE HOLLYWOOD GRAVY TRAIN FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY “MOVIE OF THE WEEK!" TM SORRY, MR. HUTZ, BUT TLL HAVE TO ASK You To LEAVE MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW! KIDS, GET IN THE CAR == WE'RE GOING SOON, INA TOP-SECRET COMMAND CENTER BENEATH CITY HALL. THE AFTERNOON SOUNDS LIKE THE TIME POLLS ARE IN, SIR. |S RIGHT FOR A BIT OF YOU'RE DOWN Il% YINGOISTIC MILITARY BECAUSE OF THIS ADVENTURISM. WHAT’S GIANT GUY. THE POOR, WIGGUM? WE‘VE GOT ALL OUR SQUAD CARS ON THE STREET -~ EXCEPT THE i2 IN YOUR PERSONAL MOTORCADE, OF COURSE. WE'VE BEEN TRACKING JUMBO BOY'S MOVEMENTS FOR THE PAST HOUR CUT THE SMALL TALK, WIGGUM. WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE? FOR THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. YEAH. IF HE CRASHES THAT PLACE, IT’S GOODBYE SPRINGFIELD, HELLO SLOW AGONIZING DEATH BY RADIATION POISONING!LET ME INS QUIMBY, ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR MIND? YOU CAN'T LET A CIVILIAN IN HERE! SHELL SEE EVERYTHING! SHE/LL SEE THE BIG BOARD! SHUT UP, WIGGUM. THAT'S A REGISTERED VOTER YOU'RE TALKING ‘ABOUT. TM SURE YOU APPRECIATE THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION. IF YOUR HUSBAND STEPS ON THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, THE RESULTING MELTDOWN, WILL DESTROY ‘SPRINGFIELD! TM MBS. HOMER SIMPSON, AND 1 DEMAND TO SEE THE MAYOR! IT'S OKAY, BOYS =~ LET HER 60. NOW WHAT CAN 1 DO FOR YOU, MRS. SIMPSON? 1 WANT To KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO FOR MY HUSBAND, MR. MAYOR. THEREFORE, IN THE BEST TRADITION OF OLD HOLLYWOOD MONSTER MOVIES, I'VE CALLED THE PENTAGON TO ARRANGE. AN AIR STRIKE AGAINST ‘YOUR HUSBAND.YOU CAN'T Bo THAT! Home couLD BE KILLED! NOW, MRS. SIMPSON == YM NOT SAYING THAT HE WON‘T GET HIS HAIR MUSSED, BUT I'S MY DUTY TO. PROTECT THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF OUR FAIR CITY. BESIDES, MAYBE THIS‘LL CONVICE A FEW OF THOSE BASE-CLOSING PEACENIKS BACK IN WASHINGTON OF THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE SPRINGFIELD AIR FORCE BASE. ETERNAL VIGILANCE, AGAINST GIANT MONSTERS IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY. PERHAPS 1 MIGHT SUGGEST AN ALTERNATIVE, = Me, BURNS! 1’ ALWAYS HAPPY TO. HEAR THE VIEWS OF OUR TOWN’S LEADING FOR MY OWN, UH, HUMANITARIAN 2EASONS, T WANT THIS CREATURE BROUGHT IN ALIVE. 1 WE HAVE DEVELOPED A DRUG WHICH WILL RENDER THIS GIANT PLUTOCRAT. WE HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO MANUFACTURE ENOUGH OF THE SERUM FOR A SINGLE DOSE. WE WILL GET BUT ONE SHOT, == AND WE MUST NOT MISS) BELIEVE WE'VE FOUND A WAY. DR. OLBERMAN?, UNCONSCIOUS AND RETURN HIM TO HIS NORMAL SIZE. THERE |S, HOWEVER, ONE DRAWBACK =~ ONLY ONE CHANCE, EH? SOUNDS TOO RISKY TO ME.SPEAK RIGHT ESSENCE, I'LL O1 YOUR CONDESC ATTITUD! 1 KNOW HOW YOU CAN BE SURE OF GETTING A CLEAR SHOT AT HIM. ALL YOU HAVE To DO IS.gate:« ia HY SGI= DRUG IS UNNHHI COUNTERACTING ‘OH, HOMES! THANK NES YAAAAH! T DON’T WISH TO RUN A TESTS ON YOV.1’ NeRvous, MARGE. I'VE NEVER BEEN GOOD _ THESE, AC RESTS: fo Ao epei yn THAT KIND. OF TEST, SOON, IN MR, BURNS OFFICE. Y THE TEST RESULTS ARE BACK, THEYRE, ALL == PERFECTLY ‘AND LOOK, HOMES == ACCORDING TO THis, YOU'VE LosT THREE POUNDS. woouHoo! DONUTS, HERE 1 COME! FAREWELL, MY LITTLE LABORATORY RAT WELL, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? LET MY TREATMENTS BEGIN! BUT I THOUGHT IT BEST NOT TO TELL THEM THE WHOLE, TRUTH ABOUT THE TEST RESULTS. ONCE AGAIN, MY DREAMS APE. DASHED AND THE MOCKING LAUGHTER OF DAME FORTUNE RINGS IN MY EARS. BUT WE SHALL SEE WHO LAUGHS LAST. CONTINUE THE RESEARCH. IN THE MEAN TIME, BEEF UP SECURITY AROUND HERE. I HAVE THE STRANGEST FEELING I'M BEING WATCHED! THE RAY HAD HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS ~~ \T TURNED THE MAN INTO A BALDING, OBESE, DONUT-OBSESSED BUFFOON!, WHAT'S MORE, THERE’S NO TELLING HOW LONG THE EFFECTS OF THE SHRINKING ‘SERUM WILL LAST.® BART SIMPSON’S ar) ‘Ro, ; . A 2 = Ss Wr EN ip. CY iF it Se) Zp fod bal a >» é Ee, D faaGREETINGS, ALL YOU COAGULATING COMICS FANS! IT’S YOUR GLOOD-CURDLING BUDDY BART SIMPSON HERE, WITH A TRAUMATIZING LITTLE TALE THAT'S GUARANTEED TO GIVE YOUA FOUR-COLOR FRIGHT. DO YOU GET A THRILL OUT OF TRACKING DOWN A NEAR=MINT TREASURE? DOES YOUR HAPPY LITTLE HEART PALPITATE WITH PLEASURE WHEN YOU PURCHASE A RARE BACK ISSUE? WELL, YOU MAY WANT TO. . RECONSIDER AFTER YOU READ THIS! 1 CALL IT.THE LADDER CRASHES TO THE FLOOR AND THE FRIGHTENED 006 RACES ‘THE CRATES TOPPLE AGAINST THE AUET DOOR, AND IT SLAMS SHUT ~~ LockED! Col cnn Ai i \WW \X INSIDE THE VAULT, THE R COO era ASSESSES HS SITUATION wana TRAPPED! tinh i ne wa nl Lis WAIT == CALM DOWN) PANIC! THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY ‘OUT SOMEHOW. THINK, MAN ~~ WHAT WOULD RADIOACTIVE MAN O IN THIS SITUATION? == DON'T ‘THE COLLECTOR IMMEDIATELY PUTS HIS PLAN INTO ACTION == BUT TO NO ‘UNNNHH!" CRUMBLE, BLAST YOU! z Ea g 5 § 2 | PROBLEMS DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK AS WELL IN REAL LIFE, ‘AS IT DOES IN COMICS.WAIT & MINUTE! I CAN ‘ONCE AGAIN HE BRAVELY SEE MY BREATH! IT’S ‘TRIES TO FREE HIMSi HELP! SOMEBODY HELD MEI GET ME, OUT OF HERE! HEEEELDY be, WHEN THE CLIMATE, CONTROL SHORTED (OUT, THE REFRIGERATION UNIT MUST HAVE KICKED IN FULL BLASTI FINALLY, HE SLUMPS TO THE FLOOR, EXHAUSTED AND SHIVERING. THE TEMPERATURE INSIDE THE VAULT ‘ON MONDAY MORNING, SMEDLEY CONTINUES TO PLUNGE. Now IT 15 FA2 | | RETURNS. WHEN HE FINDS THAT BELOW FREEZING! THE COLLECTOR HIS MASTER IS NOT UPSTAIRS, HE HUDDLES AGAINST THE DOOR FOR A HEADS FOR THE VAULT, SEEING LONG TIME, FIGHTING THE COLD HE. THE CRATES PILED AGAINST THE FEELS THE HORRIBLE NUMBNESS OF DOOR, HE IMMEDIATELY GRASPS FROSTBITE OVERTAKING HIM. THE SITUATION... G00D LORD! FINALLY, INEVITABLY, HE KNOWS WHAT HE MUST DO. FRANTICALLY, HE MOVES THE CRATES AND OPENS THE DOOR SMEDLEY 15 HORRIFIED AS HIS MASTER EMERGES, HALF-FROZEN AND GIBBERING INSANELY. NEAR MINT! HEH HEH! SLIGHT SPINE ROLL! VERY FINE! HEH HEH! SMEDLEY GAZES INTO THE VAUET AND SUDDENLY REALIZES WHAT HAS DRIVEN HIS MASTER MAD, THE SHELVES ARE EMPTY, AND ON THE FLOOR IS A GIANT PILE OF ASHES. IN ORDER TO KEEP FROM FREEZING TO DEATH, THE COLLECTOR HAD To BURN HIS ENTIRE COMIC BOOK COLLECTION! ULTRA-RARE! HEE HEE! ONLY KNOWN COPY! HAHayAHAHAL THAT LITTLE SAGA CERTAINLY LEFT ME WITH A WARM GLOW! AFTER THAT WAY=COOL, EXPERIENCE, I GUESS THE OL MASTER WILL BE LUCKY IF HE CAN EVEN COLLECT HIS WITS! THAT'S ALL FOR NOW, SCREAM-FIENDS! UNTIL NEXT TIME, SEE YOU IN THE FUNNY PAGES!Cone eee en eT aU RCTS Los Angeles, CA 90067. If you send art or photos, please write on the back Pe eee For consideration for publication in B eo 1ogree if you publish my submission it becomes your property,” and sign your nome. Ifyou don't, aur bossy lawyers won't let us print ‘em. Thanks! So how can there be a _ Simpsons leiters page in our Comics and first issue, you asi Stories was What are these peo- great! 1 ple writing about, hope there anyway? Well, will be more in case you issues in the missed it, we did a future. But I found one-shot mag called game an error in “Lo, There Simpsons Comics and "BARF SIMPSON” Shall Come... A Bart- Stories a.few months back. It” jyana Durie -—-«‘Tan!” which needs was 50 well received that we started the Bongo Comics Group so we could bring you lots ‘more, So now you've got some- thing to write about, too! PUBLISHER Matt Groening EDITOR IN CHIEF/ ‘CREATIVE DIRECTOR ‘Steve Vance EDITOR IN CHIEF/ CREATIVE DIRECTOR Cindy Vance MANAGING EDITOR Jason Grode ART OIRECTOR Bill Morrison PUBLICITY DIRECTOR ‘Antonia Coffman FRONT COVER ILLUSTRATION Bill Morrison ACK COVER ILLUSTRATION ‘Steve Vance/Bil Morrison ‘SPECIAL THANKS TO DON WELSH Toronto, Ont, Canda to be rectified. Grampa Simp- son tells Bart that his first pub- lished letter of complaint appeared in Radioactive Man #27, But in the book The Simp- sons Uncensored Family Album, a letter to the Springfield Shop- per is shown to be his first recorded letter of complaint! If you don’t stop making these stupid mis- takes, you're going to lose this reader and a lot of others too, I bet. (Sorry about that; there’s a little bit of Grampa Simpson inall of us.) Don't have a cow, man; I've got two ways to solve this problem. Let's see... 1) For whatever reason, the letter to the Springfield Shop- per was never mailed! In the Family Album, Marge describes it as his first recorded letter of com- plaint — perhaps she discovered it one day and kept it as a memento, (Of course, that doesn't explain why Marge’s fan letter to Ringo Starr, which we know that she did send, is also in there. Perhaps she kept a copy to prove that she really did write to Ringo, and that’s what wwe see in the Family Album.) 2) As Grampa Simpson got older, he lost his interest in comic books; note that he refers to Morty Mann's collection as “a pile of crap.” Grampa Simpson now sees comics as being so far beneath him that, had Morty ‘Mann not presented him with that Radioactive Man book, he'd John Pearl, Canton, OHGot a burning question? We'll try to give you. (Q: Why doesn’t Homer actu- ally yell back at his boss when his boss yells at him? Jason Coberly Kileen, TX Az Does the word “unemploy- ment” mean anything to you, Jason? Q: How old was Homer when he had his first Duff? Mark Miller Independence, MO As Obviously not old enough, Mork. @: How old is Mr. Burns? Gary Shipmen Cedar Hill, TX A: Obviously too old, Gary. @: Why are the Simpsons the only family that have spiked hair? Mark Miller Independence, MO A: Blame the cutrate barber Homer takes ‘em to. @: Will Maggie ever talk againg Gory Shipman Cedar Hill, TX A: We asked her, but she wouldn't tell us. Q: Do the Simpsons wear the same clothes every day or ore all their clothes the same? tauren Carr Birgmingham, AL As Yes. never have remembered that particular letter! What do you think? —Gary Dunaier Flushing, Queens, NY Actually, Gary, Marge put together the family album long before she learned of Grampa’s em- barrassing past as a dis- gruntied fan- boy. Leonard & Eileen Bruce, Jackson, TN I LOVED the first issue of Simpsons Comics and Stories! It's the perfect companion piece to the magazine and hit TV show, ‘The humor and drawings are so much like the show that I couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended One thing is clear: Those yel- low bug-eyed misfits have “BART DRACULA” ‘Adam Blackerby invaded and con- Gadsden, AL quered our pop culture and is it one helluva a ride! I especially appreciate the in- jokes sprinkled throughout the stories. In “Lo, There Shall Come a Bartman!!”, Arnold Leach’s announcement that he intended to ‘kill’ Radioactive realizing who ‘El Barto’ is! Ned Flander is a dense, self-righteous Mary Poppins from Hell—he’s a great foil for Homer. 1 actually KNOW people like the Flanderses and they frankly terrify me. I hope you focus on Ned some- times. Back to the “El Barto” story—those cops are the dumb- est guys supposedly protecting the fair city of Springfield. Lisa should be mayor of Springfiela— she's the only intelligent charac- ter in the whole town. “Maggie’s Excellent Adven- ture” was cute, but I feel that the slap-stick humor would have been better executed had it been animated, rather than drawn for a comic. It had more action than verbal wit, and would have been funnier if we could see Maggie actually being tossed down the power plant chute, into Man is an obvious parallel to the current Superman death, a |/) loss that has disrupt- ed so many lives Talk about milking something for all it's worth. “Bring Me the Head of El Barto” really shows how moronic the good citi- the Acme delivery truck and into Otto's grocery bag. Having her win the Berger Baby Search was a good touch, though. On the whole, it was great entertainment and I anxiously await the second Simpsons comic book. More, more, more! zens of Springfield can be—imagine not —Michelle Beaubien Burnaby, BC