Chapter 446: The Simpsonses
Seriously...
This was not what he was expecting today.
What was this guy even going to do here?
To do some scouting or whatever? If so, he sure does have some guts.
One way or another, someone was going to get chewed over. Since this is a mess in and of itself.
Or maybe this guy has somehow gotten employment or still trying to get employment here? If that's the case, then what can one even make of such a development?
Or maybe this is some innocent coincidence altogether? But that's highly unlikely.
In any case, Alexander didn't want to continue on with this line of self-questioning.
It's kind of pointless so why not just get to the point?
Weirdly enough, things worked out as how these all worked out... with the old Simpsons creator stepping up to confront the new one.
Making for quite the clash.
For the very same but completely different Simpsons.
So, Simpsonses?
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Anyways, what went down wasn't exactly as dramatic as one would be led to believe.
Groening explained some circumstances, asked some questions outright, and Alexander obliged, in a way.
Questions like how in the hell does someone come up with the same idea as one person?
And be faster and earlier at doing so as well?
Why was it also Simpsons?
Why the same names as his family members?
Why the same Bart?
Why is it almost the same as his quick sketches?
Why was it almost the same art style and all?
Why? Why? Why?
So, after avoiding self-questioning, it really just came down to being confronted with questions directed towards himself.
Alexander just reckoned to the confronting man that it truly is a small world...
And such a small world just works in mysterious ways.
Of course, he also had his fair share of other bullshit reasoning to sprinkle in.
Like being intrigued by Life In Hell's art style and emulating it.
Making it so that he may have emulated it too much that the designs actually synched with what the original art-stylist would drum up.
The yellow color choice is, of course, the most distinct separation as Groening himself has yet to come up with this "eye-catching" answer.
As for Bart and the Groening family member's uncanny similarness...
Well... that's a tough one...
Actually, tough five but Alexander could make do.
Like how Homer was chosen for the homeliness in his name.
Marge for being majorly motherly.
Bart, also for not-so-bratty juxtaposition.
Lisa, being an average above-average achieving girl's name.
And Maggie, since she's most likely to be associated to a mom named Marge.
Then there's this and that... and so on and so forth.
Alexander even added some paltry "sorry" for beating the guy to all of this.
It is what it is, he'll reckon.
Not that any of these really made any semblance of sense or really mattered.
It's actually quite good that the guy didn't actually push on that much.
From start to finish, Matt Groening had a defeated look in his eyes that didn't seem to want to make eye contact... for some reason.
Nonetheless, it made for such a waste of Alexander's socializing and talking quota.
All in all, this was not how he expected this end-of-the-month visitation to go.
Then again, it was far from over...
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There are still some other matters to get to...
As Marvel Productions still has something to show for.
Alexander couldn't really outright comment that this is something run-of-the-mill since hardly any established cartoon studio could be considered as such.
Animation is no easy matter and Alexander can attest to most of that truth.
In any case, Marvel Productions was able to achieve some things. Quite unlike the failed Troy-jan Animation Studios, Creed Comics' pre-transitioned identity.
Not that he was here to delve more into its history but their early works such as Spider-Man, along with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, then The Incredible Hulk.
They even had credits for making other cartoon-centered originals like 'Meatballs and Spaghetti' and 'Pandamonium'.
They've even worked on the 'Dungeons and Dragons' cartoon show. A feat that's kind of commendable.
The same could be said with their effort on 'G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero' but what happened to that doesn't need to be expounded any further.
Apparently, they were set to work on an animated Muppet show as well.
Unfortunately, some turn of events didn't allow them to do so. Which isn't really as missed of an opportunity as their supposed involvement in the classic Transformers.
It could still happen but Alexander sought to assign projects to who suited it more.
Perhaps the only pinch was finding the right batch of math writers for this math-laced job.
Not that that factor was ever needed with his almost full knowledge of 20+ seasons of the show.
With a few changes and corrections here and there, of course.
Still, maybe Eager Scholar could supply him some scholarly people who are eager to do some menial screenwriting work.
Which is enough as a push to the more genius-powered Futurama perhaps.
With all that covered, all of these actually just point to the main focus of the day.
Which is the Simpsons.
All the storyboards and abundance of yellow in this animation workplace practically allude to them.
Having endured being one of the most iconic and beloved animated television series in history, captivating audiences for over the next three decades... its greatness can be attributed to a multitude of factors...
Including, but not limited to, its clever writing, memorable characters, satirical humor, and ability to reflect and comment on various aspects of society.
Alexander actually just finds all that to be an excuse to lampoon on various elements of society, from politics and celebrity culture to consumerism and technology.
Still, that does help in maintaining relevancy and engagement, especially as societal norms evolve over time.
Which beckons back to the contentious characters from earlier... from the lovably inept Homer Simpson, to the precocious Lisa, the mischievous Bart, and so on...
These characters are actually central to the show's appeal and will eventually become cultural icons, beloved by fans around the world.
These are good and all but Alexander's other interest is actually on another aspect of the Simpsons, which is its ability to predict the future with eerie accuracy.
Over the years, the show has featured numerous storylines and jokes that have seemingly foreshadowed real-world events, from political outcomes to technological advancements.
While some of these predictions may be purely coincidental, they have nonetheless added an intriguing layer to the show's legacy and sparked fascination among fans.
As such... after experiencing the gloating high that came from curated coincidences like the Watchmen-Chernobyl nuclearity and the Iran-Iran-Contra tripartite... he kind of wanted to do it again.
In a more subtle and compiled kind of way.
So, long story short, Alexander wanted his own personal Nostradamus-esque and much complex Book of Predictions.
And for that, he got the Simpsons.
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In a separate but still Simpsons-y matter... but not really...
Even though this still actually pertains to a Simpson, doing what he usually does.
Then again, he may have the body shape of Homer, he was far from yellow and he was even farther from being a lovable fool.
After all, this was a guy named Don.
Sniffling from the coke he just snorted and snorting in derision at this wannabe actress that he just had his way with.
So much so, that her naked body was what he lined his powder on.
He had fun and all but her acting is far from commendable. Although, at the very least, she "acted" like he was the best she ever had... but the disdain and disgust that reflected in her eyes was too obvious.
As a film producer and the man that he is, this desperate starlet may be about to get desperate some more.
Of course, coupled with a lingering annoyance that gnawed at him, Don Simpson, at this moment, was truly drowning in drugs, women, and rage.
Which is the usual... but the rage part was obviously and specifically about Top Gun.
A topic and missed opportunity that haunted his head, eventually turning into a grudge that he still held.
But, soon enough, he'll show that posh Brit elderly that Hollywood isn't easy to mess with.
Since he heard rumors and it's not just him and Bruckheimer gunning for Creed... there's a lot more. A whole lot more.
And Don Simpson can't wait for the show that's about to happen.
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To put it simply... there are really just different breeds of Simpsonses out there.