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Bart Simpson
The Simpsons character
First appearance	"Good Night" The Tracey Ullman Show April 19, 1987
Created by	Matt Groening
Designed by	Matt Groening
Voiced by	Nancy Cartwright
In-universe information
Full name	Bartholomew JoJo Simpson
Occupation	4th grade student at Springfield Elementary School
Family	Homer Simpson (father) Marge Simpson (mother) Lisa Simpson (sister) Maggie Simpson (sister)
Relatives	Abe Simpson (grandfather) Mona Simpson (grandmother; deceased) Clancy Bouvier (grandfather; deceased) Jacqueline Bouvier (grandmother) Patty Bouvier (aunt) Selma Bouvier (aunt) Herbert Powell (half-uncle) Abbey (half-aunt)
Home	742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, United States
Nationality	American

Bartholomew Jojo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character from the American animated television series The Simpsons who is part of the Simpson family. Bart made his television debut in the short "Good Night" on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Bart while waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Initially called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell, Groening instead developed a new set of characters. Unlike the other Simpson family members, who were named after Groening's relatives, Bart's name is an anagram of brat. After two years on The Tracey Ullman Show, the Simpson family received their own series, which premiered on Fox on December 17, 1989. Bart has appeared in every episode of The Simpsons except "Four Great Women and a Manicure".

At ten years old, Bart is the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge Simpson and the brother of Lisa and Maggie. Known for his mischievousness, rebelliousness, and disrespect for authority, Bart’s most iconic traits include his chalkboard gags in the opening sequence, prank calls to Moe's Tavern, and catchphrases like "Eat my shorts", "¡Ay, caramba!", "Don't have a cow, man!", and "I'm Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?". Bart has also appeared in The Simpsons' related media, including video games, The Simpsons Movie (2007), The Simpsons Ride, commercials, comic books, and an extensive line of merchandise. Nancy Cartwright, Bart's voice actor, intended to audition for the role of Lisa, while Yeardley Smith auditioned for Bart. However, Smith’s voice was deemed too high-pitched for a boy, and she was cast as Lisa instead. Cartwright found Lisa less appealing as a character and opted to try out for Bart, a role she felt better suited her.

During the first two seasons of The Simpsons, Bart was the show's protagonist, ensuing "Bartmania", which spawned Bart-themed merchandise touting his rebellious persona and pride in underachieving. However, these traits also drew criticism from parents and educators who viewed him as a negative influence on children. By the third season, Homer became the show's figure, and the series shifted its focus to the family as a whole, though Bart remains a breakout character. Bart is considered one of the most iconic fictional television characters of the 1990s and has been described as an American cultural icon. Time named him one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, and Entertainment Weekly named him Entertainer of the Year in 1990. Cartwright has received several accolades for her portrayal of Bart, including a Primetime Emmy Award in 1992 and an Annie Award in 1995. In 2000, Bart and the rest of the Simpson family were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Role in The Simpsons

The Simpsons employs a floating timeline, where characters either do not age or age minimally. As such, the show is always presumed to take place in the present year. At ten years old, Bart is the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge Simpson; he has two younger sisters, Lisa and Maggie. In several episodes of The Simpsons, events have been tied to specific times, though these timelines are sometimes contradicted in later episodes. In "I Married Marge" (season three, 1991), Bart's birth is placed in the early 1980s. In "Simpsorama" (season 26, 2014), Bart states his birthday as February 23, while The Bart Book by series creator Matt Groening lists it as April 1. In "Bart's Birthday" (season 36, 2024), Bart, in a hypothetical series finale, celebrates his eleventh birthday, much to his dismay, as he has always identified as being ten years old.

Bart lived with his parents in Springfield's Lower East Side before the family purchased their first home. When Lisa was born, Bart initially felt jealous of the attention she received but soon warmed to her when her first word turned out to be "Bart". Bart's first day of school occurred in the early 1990s. Initially excited, his enthusiasm was quickly crushed by an indifferent teacher, prompting Marge to worry about him. During recess, Bart befriended Milhouse and began entertaining classmates with gestures and rude jokes. Principal Skinner warned Bart, "You've just started school, and the path you choose now may be the one you follow for the rest of your life! Now, what do you say?" Bart replied, "Eat my shorts". However, the episode "That 90's Show" (season 19, 2008) contradicted much of this timeline, revealing that Homer and Marge were childless during the early 1990s.

Bart's hobbies include skateboarding, watching television—particularly The Krusty the Clown Show and its segment The Itchy & Scratchy Show—reading comic books, especially Radioactive Man, playing video games, and causing general mischief. His favorite movies are Jaws and the Star Wars trilogy, while his favorite boardgames include Hippo in the House, The Game of Lent, and Citizenship. Throughout the series, Bart has been a student at Springfield Elementary School, where he is part of Edna Krabappel's fourth-grade class. Although too young for full-time work, Bart has taken on several part-time jobs over the years. He works as a bartender at Fat Tony's social club in "Bart the Murderer" (season three, 1991); as Krusty the Clown's assistant in "Bart Gets Famous" (season five, 1994); as a doorman in Springfield's burlesque house, the Maison Derrière, in "Bart After Dark" (season eight, 1996); and briefly owns his own factory in "Homer's Enemy" (season eight, 1997).

Character

Creation

Matt Groening first conceived Bart and the rest of the Simpson family in 1987 while waiting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks's office. Groening was invited to pitch a series of animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show and initially planned to adapt his comic strip, Life in Hell. Upon realizing that adapting the strip would require him to relinquish publication rights, he quickly decided to create something new. Groening hastily sketched a concept for a dysfunctional family, naming the characters after members of his own family. For the rebellious son, he chose the name "Bart", an anagram of brat, instead of his own name, as he felt "Matt" would not "go over well in a pitch meeting". Bart's middle initial, "J", is a homage to animated characters like Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, who were named after their creator, Jay Ward. According to the book Bart Simpson's Guide to Life, his full middle name is "JoJo".

Bart was initially conceived as, according to The Oregonian, "a much milder, troubled youth given to existential angst who talks to himself" but the character was changed due to Nancy Cartwright's voice acting. Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, has credited various sources as inspirations for Bart's character. His older brother, Mark Groening, influenced Bart's rebellious attitude. Mark introduced him to a variety of comics, including Mad (when it was still a comic), Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Little Lulu, and Tales From the Crypt, all of which were sources of inspiration for Matt. Bart was envisioned as an exaggerated version of the typical misbehaving child, combining the extreme traits of characters like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Groening described Bart as "what would happen if the son of Eddie Haskell got his own show". He also noted his disappointment with the premise of Dennis the Menace, which inspired him to create a character who was genuinely mischievous. Bart first appeared alongside the Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night". In 1989, these shorts were developed into The Simpsons, a half-hour series on the Fox Broadcasting Company, where Bart and the Simpson family became the central characters.

Design

The Simpson family was designed to be easily recognizable in silhouette. The characters were initially crudely drawn because Groening submitted rough sketches to the animators, expecting them to refine the designs; instead, the animators simply traced over his original drawings. Bart's early design, featured in the first shorts, included spikier hair with spikes of varying lengths. This was later standardized to nine evenly sized spikes. At the time, Groening primarily worked in black and white and, without considering the eventual use of color, designed Bart's spikes to appear as an extension of his head. Unique to Bart, these design features are not replicated in other characters, although some background characters in the first few seasons shared his spiky hairline.

Bart's head is described by director Mark Kirkland as having a basic rectangular shape, resembling a coffee can. Similarly, Homer's head is rectangular with a dome on top, while spheres are used to define the heads of Marge, Lisa, and Maggie. In the season seven (1995) episode "Treehouse of Horror VI", Bart, alongside Homer, was rendered as a three-dimensional character for the first time in the "Homer" segment of the episode. The computer animation was provided by Pacific Data Images. While designing the 3D model of the character, the animators did not know how they would show Bart's hair. They realized that there were vinyl Bart dolls in production and purchased one to use as a model.

Voice

Bart's voice is provided by Nancy Cartwright, who also voices several other child characters on The Simpsons, including Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, and Kearney Zzyzwicz. After Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner were cast as Homer and Marge, respectively, due to their existing roles on The Tracey Ullman Show, the producers held auditions for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Yeardley Smith initially auditioned for Bart, but casting director Bonita Pietila felt her voice was too high-pitched. Reflecting on the experience, Smith recalled, "I always sounded too much like a girl. I read two lines as Bart, and they said, 'Thanks for coming!'". She was subsequently cast as Lisa instead. On March 13, 1987, Nancy Cartwright auditioned for the role of Lisa. However, upon discovering that Lisa was described only as the "middle child" with little personality at the time, she became more interested in Bart, who was characterized as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, clever". Groening allowed her to audition for Bart, and after hearing her read, he immediately offered her the role. Cartwright is the only one among the six primary Simpsons cast members who had formal voice acting training prior to joining the show.

According to The Guardian, Cartwright's natural speaking voice bears "no obvious traces of Bart". The voice she uses for Bart came naturally to her, as she had previously incorporated elements of it into roles on shows like My Little Pony, Snorks, and Pound Puppies. Cartwright describes Bart's voice as easy to perform, stating, "Some characters take a little bit more effort, upper respiratory control, whatever it is technically. But Bart is easy to do. I can just slip into that without difficulty". To provide variety, she typically records five or six takes of each line, allowing producers more options to work with. Even in flashforward episodes, Cartwright continues to voice Bart; for example, in the episode "Lisa's Wedding" (season six, 1995), Bart's voice was electronically pitched lower to reflect his age. Despite Bart's widespread fame, Cartwright is seldom recognized in public. When she is recognized and asked to perform Bart's voice in front of children, she declines, explaining that it "freaks out". During the first season of The Simpsons, Fox Network prohibited Cartwright from giving interviews to avoid revealing that Bart was voiced by a woman.

Cartwright was initially paid US$30,000 per episode for her work on The Simpsons until 1998. That year, a pay dispute arose, during which Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors and even began preparing for new casting. The conflict was ultimately resolved, and Cartwright's salary increased to $125,000 per episode. In 2004, the voice cast pushed for higher wages, seeking $360,000 per episode. After a brief argument, the dispute was settled, and Cartwright's pay was raised to $250,000 per episode. In 2008, further negotiations increased the cast's salaries to approximately $400,000 per episode. However, in 2011, Fox demanded production cost reductions, threatening to cancel the series if costs were not cut. In response, Cartwright and the other main cast members agreed to a 30 percent pay reduction, lowering their per-episode earnings to just over $300,000. By 2016, Cartwright was paid $315,000 per episode, which, according to Variety, made her one of the highest-paid voice actors at the time.

Hallmarks

In the opening sequence of many episodes of The Simpsons, the camera zooms in on Springfield Elementary School, where Bart is shown writing lines on a chalkboard. This recurring feature, known as the "chalkboard gag", varies from episode to episode. The messages often include political humor, such as "The First Amendment does not cover burping", pop culture references like "I can't see dead people", and meta-commentary such as "I am not a 32-year-old woman" or "Nobody reads these anymore". The animators can create these gags quickly and sometimes adjust them to reflect current events. For example, in the episode "Homer the Heretic" (season four, 1992), the chalkboard gag read, "I will not defame New Orleans". This was an apology for a controversial song in the previous week's episode, "A Streetcar Named Marge", which had described the city as a "home of pirates, drunks, and whores".

An early hallmark of Bart's character was his prank calls to Moe's Tavern, where he would ask owner Moe Szyslak for a fictitious person with a gag name. Moe would try to find that person, eventually realizing it was a prank and responding with angry threats, unaware that Bart was the caller. These calls were inspired by the Tube Bar recordings, a series of prank calls to bar owner Louis "Red" Deutsch, whose profane reactions influenced Moe's violent temperament. The prank calls first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey" (season one, 1990), the third episode to air. Over time, it became increasingly difficult for the writers to create new fake names and Moe's subsequent responses, leading to the pranks being phased out as a regular feature by the fourth season. However, they have occasionally resurfaced in later episodes.

The catchphrase "Eat my shorts" originated as an ad-lib by Cartwright during one of the show's early table readings, inspired by an incident from her high school years. While performing with the marching band at Fairmont High School, the group chanted "Eat my shorts" instead of their usual cheer, "Fairmont West! Fairmont West!". This phrase may also reference The Breakfast Club (1985), where the character John Bender uses it against Principal Vernon. Bart's other notable catchphrases include "¡Ay, caramba!" and "Don't have a cow!". The former was inspired by a Portuguese flamenco dancer, while the latter, popularized in the 1950s, originated from the British phrase "Don't have kittens". Both were prominently featured on merchandise like T-shirts during the show's early seasons. Another catchphrase, "Cowabunga", was borrowed from Chief Thunderthud of The Howdy Doody Show.

Bart frequently appears nude in The Simpsons, often through mooning. In The Simpsons Movie (2007), he is featured in a scene where he skateboards completely nude. While various objects obscure his genitalia throughout the sequence, there is a brief moment where his penis is visible. This scene was among the first created for the film, but producers were initially concerned it might result in an R rating. However, the Motion Picture Association of America ultimately rated the film PG-13 for "irreverent humor throughout". The scene was later recognized by Entertainment Weekly as one of the 30 Unforgettable Nude Scenes.

Personality

Bart's disregard for authority have drawn comparisons to America's founding fathers and been likened to a modern fusion of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. In his book Planet Simpson, Chris Turner characterizes Bart as a nihilist, embracing the philosophical view that life lacks inherent meaning, purpose, or value. Bart's rebellious nature makes him a disruptive student at Springfield Elementary School, where he proudly identifies as an underachiever. He frequently conflicts with his teacher, Ms. Krabappel and Principal Skinner. Bart openly acknowledges his poor performance at school, once declaring, "I am dumb, okay? Dumb as a post! Think I'm happy about it?". Bart's thoughts are often illogical and absurd. He once believed that if he reincarnated as a butterfly, he could burn the school down without suspicion, imagining he could hold a gas can as a butterfly. In another instance, he thought writing his name in wet cement would leave people wondering how he managed to do it in hardened cement. "Brother's Little Helper" (season eleven, 1999) reveals Bart has attention deficit disorder. His intelligence may be impacted by the hereditary "Simpson gene", which affects the males in the family. Despite his misbehavior and selfish tendencies, Bart shows moments of integrity and compassion. He has occasionally helped Ms. Krabappel and Principal Skinner.

Bart is a really good boy. He's just mischievous. He's not bad, like characters who followed him such as Cartman (South Park) or Beavis and Butthead. Bart can do some nasty things, but they seem so tame, by today's standards. What was shocking 19 years ago, when the show started, isn't the least bit shocking today. Bart hasn't changed.

Bart's mischievous nature and Homer's often negligent and incompetent behavior create a turbulent, volatile, and abusive relationship between the two. Bart frequently calls Homer by his first name rather than "Dad", while Homer often refers to him dismissively as "the boy". Homer's short temper often leads to cartoonishly violent outbursts, such as impulsively strangling Bart when enraged. Marge, in contrast, is a more caring, understanding, and nurturing parent, though she also acknowledges Bart as "a handful" and is often embarrassed by his antics. In the episode "Marge Be Not Proud" (season seven, 1995), Marge struggles with balancing her parenting style after Bart is caught shoplifting. Initially, she becomes more distant to avoid over-mothering, which causes Bart to feel guilty and try to make amends. Despite Bart’s rebellious attitude, he occasionally endures humiliation to please his mother. Marge frequently defends Bart, showing an understanding of his complexities. She once described him as her "special little guy", saying, "I know Bart can be a handful, but I also know what he's like inside. He's got a spark. It's not a bad thing  of course, it makes him do bad things".

Bart shares a sibling rivalry with his younger sister, Lisa. While Bart and Lisa often dispute—sometimes physically—they share a deep bond and care for one another. Bart often apologizes when he goes too far and recognizes Lisa's superior intellect, frequently seeking her advice to solve problems. Bart is portrayed as a popular "cool kid" at school and has many friends, with his closest being Milhouse Van Houten. Bart's influence on Milhouse is often negative, leading the pair into frequent mischief. In "Homer Defined" (season three, 1991), Milhouse's mother forbids him from playing with Bart due to his bad influence, a situation that initially seems to leave Bart unfazed until he realizes how much he values their friendship. Marge ultimately convinces Mrs. Van Houten to reconsider.

Bart is a devoted fan of the children's television host Krusty the Clown. He once proclaimed, "I've based my whole life on Krusty's teachings", and his room is filled with Krusty merchandise. Over the years, Bart has aided Krusty on multiple occasions. He thwarted Sideshow Bob's attempt to frame Krusty for armed robbery in "Krusty Gets Busted" (season one, 1990), reuniting Krusty with his estranged father in "Like Father, Like Clown", and helping Krusty relaunch his career with a comeback special in "Krusty Gets Kancelled". Bart's initial confrontation with Sideshow Bob in "Krusty Gets Busted" sparked a long-standing rivalry. The writers developed Bob as an intelligent, obsessive antagonist, drawing inspiration from the dynamic between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

Reception

Bartmania

In 1990, Bart became one of television's most popular characters, sparking a cultural phenomenon referred to as "Bartmania". Bart became the most prominent Simpsons character featured on merchandise, particularly T-shirts. During the early 1990s, millions of Bart-themed T-shirts were sold. However, Bart's rebellious persona and slogans led some American public schools to ban T-shirts with captions such as "I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?" and "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')". One T-shirt with the latter caption has been enshrined in the National Museum of American History. The popularity of Simpsons merchandise was a significant commercial success, generating $2 billion in revenue within the first 14 months of sales. Bart's widespread appeal also inspired a thriving black market for counterfeit merchandise, particularly T-shirts. These items featured Bart with various slogans and redesigns, including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Bart", "Air Simpson Bart", and "RastaBart". While Groening generally tolerated bootleg merchandise, he objected to a series of "Nazi Bart" shirts that depicted Bart in Nazi uniforms or as a white power skinhead. In response, 20th Century Fox sued the creator of these offensive designs, who ultimately agreed to cease production.

Bart was described as "television's king of 1990", "television's brightest new star", and an "undiminished smash". In the United States congressional, senatorial and gubernatorial elections of 1990, Bart was one of the most popular write-in candidates, and in many areas was second only to Mickey Mouse amongst fictional characters. In the 1990 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Bart made his debut as one of the giant helium-filled balloons for which the parade is known. This was referenced in The Simpsons in the episode "Bart vs. Thanksgiving", which aired the same day as the parade, where Homer tells Bart, "If you start building a balloon for every flash-in-the-pan cartoon character, you turn the parade into a farce!" Meanwhile, behind and unbeknownst to him, the television briefly shows a Bart Simpson balloon.

The album The Simpsons Sing the Blues was released in September 1990 and was a success, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and becoming certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The first single from the album was the pop rap song "Do the Bartman", performed by Nancy Cartwright and released on November 20, 1990. The song was written by Bryan Loren, a friend of Michael Jackson, the latter of whom provided backing vocals on the track. Jackson was a fan of The Simpsons, especially Bart, and had spontaneously called the producers offering to write Bart a single and do a guest spot on the show. Jackson eventually guest starred in the episode "Stark Raving Dad" (season three, 1991) under the pseudonym John Jay Smith. While "Do the Bartman" was never officially released as a single in the United States, it was successful in the United Kingdom. In 1991, it was the number one song in the UK for three weeks from February 16 to March 9 and was the seventh best-selling song of the year. It sold half a million copies and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry on February 1, 1991.

Cultural influence, reception, and commendations

Bart has been described as one of the most iconic television characters of the 1990s and is considered an American cultural icon. In 1990, Entertainment Weekly named him Entertainer of the Year in 1990, writing that "Bart has proved to be a rebel who's also a good kid, a terror who's easily terrorized, and a flake who astonishes us, and himself, with serious displays of fortitude". In 1998, Time magazine included Bart in its list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, making him the only fictional character to receive the award. Bart had previously been featured on the cover of the December 31, 1990, issue of the magazine. In 1996, Bart was named 48th on TV Guide's list of the 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time. In 2002, both he and Lisa were jointly ranked number eleven on the publication's Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time. In 2022, Paste writers called Bart the 26th greatest cartoon character of all time.

From entertainment critics, Bart has received mostly positive reviews. In 2020, Screen Rant's Dan Peeke praised Bart as the "best main character", calling him "relatable" and believing that "everyone can relate to at least some element of his personality". Darryn King of Vulture, in a 2024 review, called Bart a "back-talking, trouble-making, prank-calling, cherry-bomb-detonating, and, yes, graffiti-tagging cartoon creation, who was at the time fast becoming a cultural icon". A 2023 review from Collider said that the episode "Bart Gets an 'F'" was a "turning point for the show, showing that Bart could be more than just a punchline while paving the way for future episodes that fleshed out his character". Columnist Erma Bombeck once remarked, "Kids need to know that somewhere in this world is a contemporary who can pull off all the things they can only fantasize about, someone who can stick it to their parents once in a while and still be permitted to live". In 2003, a survey of parents in the United Kingdom ranked Bart as the most influential fictional character on children under the age of twelve.

Cartwright has received many awards for her vocals. At the 44th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1992, Cartwright received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for her portrayal of Bart in the season three episode "Separate Vocations". She shared the award with five other voice actors from The Simpsons. Episodes prominently featuring Bart have also been nominated for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, such as "Radio Bart" in 1992, "Future-Drama" in 2005, and "Homer's Phobia", which won the award in 1997. In 1995, Cartwright was honored with an Annie Award for Voice Acting in the Field of Animation for her work as Bart. In 2000, Bart and the rest of the Simpson family were recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.

Negative influence on children

Bart's rebellious nature, often accompanied by a lack of consequences for his actions, led some parents, educators, and conservative groups to view him as a negative influence on children. Critics argued that Bart's behavior made him a poor role model, with Robert Bianco of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette describing him as a character who "outwits his parents and outtalks his teachers; in short, he's the child we wish we'd been, and fear our children will become". Educators expressed concern that Bart's "underachiever and proud of it" attitude and disdain for education posed a "threat to learning". Others labeled him as "egotistical, aggressive, and mean-spirited". In response to such criticisms, producer James L. Brooks defended the character, stating, "I'm very wary of television where everybody is supposed to be a role model. You don't run across that many role models in real life. Why should television be full of them?"

In 1990, William Bennett, then the U.S. drug czar, visited a drug treatment center in Pittsburgh and commented on a poster of Bart, asking, "You guys aren't watching The Simpsons, are you? That's not going to help you any". After facing backlash, Bennett apologized, clarifying that he was "just kidding" and adding, "I'll sit down with the little spike head. We'll straighten this thing out." In a 1991 interview, Bill Cosby criticized Bart as a poor role model, describing him as "angry, confused, frustrated". Groening responded by saying, "That sums up Bart, all right. Most people are in a struggle to be normal. He thinks normal is very boring and does things that others just wished they dare do". In 1992, then-President George H. W. Bush stated, "We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons". In response, the show's writers quickly produced a short segment that aired three days later, before a rerun of "Stark Raving Dad". In it, Bart humorously replied, "Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too."

Merchandising

In addition to T-shirts, Bart has been featured in a wide range of The Simpsons-related merchandise, including dolls, napkins, air fresheners, cups, chewing gum, beach towels, sleeping bags, snow boots, rubber sponge balls, license plate frames, scratch paper, laminated magnets, and hand-held pinball games. Two books have been published on Bart: Bart Simpson's Guide to Life (1993) and The Bart Book (2004), both of which were authored primarily by Groening. The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer (2001), which is not an official publication, includes a chapter analyzing Bart's character and comparing him to the "Nietzschean ideal". Bart has appeared across various media related to The Simpsons. He is featured in most of The Simpsons video games, such as Bart vs. the World (1991), Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly (1991), Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991), Bart's House of Weirdness (1992), and The Simpsons Game (2007). In addition to the television series, Bart is a recurring character in the Bongo Comics-distributed Simpsons Comics, which debuted in November 1993 and continued be published until October 2018. He also headlined his own eponymous comic book series, which was distributed by Bongo Comics between 2000 and 2016. Bart plays a role in The Simpsons Ride, a motion simulator ride launched in 2008 at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood. On December 9, 2024, Monday Night Football hosted an entirely animated Simpsons version of that night's game, which paralleled the real-life events on the field.

Bart, along with other characters from The Simpsons, appeared in numerous television commercials for Nestlé's Butterfinger candy bars from 1988 to 2001, using the slogan, "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!". Groening later noted that the success of the Butterfinger campaign played a significant role in Fox's decision to greenlight the half-hour series. Bart has also appeared in commercials for fast food chain Burger King. In 2001, Kellogg's introduced a limited-edition cereal called Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch. Before the launch of the half-hour series, Groening pitched an idea for Bart to become a spokesperson for Jell-O, suggesting a commercial in which Bart would sing "J-E-L-L-O" and burp the letter "O". While he believed kids would try to mimic it, the idea was ultimately rejected. On April 9, 2009, the United States Postal Service introduced a series of five 44-cent stamps featuring Bart and the other members of the Simpson family. These stamps marked the first time characters, aside from those from Sesame Street, were honored with this distinction while their show was still in production. Designed by Groening, the stamps became available for purchase on May 7, 2009.

References

Footnotes

1. This is only some of the videos games listed. For all of them, see the List of The Simpsons video games.

Notes

1. ^ Groening 2004, p. 6.
2. Friedrich & Colmenares 2017, p. 73.
3. Davis, Amy M.; Gilboy, Jemma; Zborowski, James (October 19, 2015). "How Time Works in The Simpsons". Animation. 10 (3). Sage Publications: 175–188. doi:10.1177/1746847715602403. ISSN 1746-8477.
4. Bernhardt, Jack (October 20, 2020). "Ay Caramba! I Watched 50 Hours of New Simpsons So You Don't Have To". The Guardian. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
5. Feltmate 2017, p. 5.
6. Neuman, Danesi & Vilenchik 2022, p. 51.
7. Stabile & Harrison 2003, p. 133.
8. Martin, Jeff; Lynch, Jeffrey (December 26, 1991). "I Married Marge". The Simpsons. Season 03. Episode 12. Fox.
9. Burns, J. Stewart (November 9, 2014). "Simpsorama". The Simpsons. Season 26. Episode 6. Fox. Prove it! When is your birthday? "February 23rd." "Ha! February has no 23rd!" "Yes it does!"
10. Conrad, Jessica (September 29, 2024). "Bart's Birthday". The Simpsons. Season 36. Episode 1. Fox.
11. ^ Martin, Jeff; Kirkland, Mark (December 3, 1992). "Lisa's First Word". The Simpsons. Season 04. Episode 10. Fox.
12. Jean, Al; Polcino, Dominic (October 19, 1997). "Lisa's Sax". The Simpsons. Season 09. Episode 03. Fox.
13. Selman, Matt; Kirkland, Mark (January 27, 2008). "That '90s Show". The Simpsons. Season 19. Episode 11. Fox.
14. Ott, B. L. (August 2003). "'I'm Bart Simpson, Who the Hell Are You?' A Study in Postmodern Identity (Re)Construction". The Journal of Popular Culture. 37 (37): 63. ProQuest 195365310.
15. ^ Neuman, Danesi & Vilenchik 2022, p. 56.
16. McWhertor, Michael (March 15, 2019). "Bart Simpson Becomes an Esports Star in Next Episode of The Simpsons". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
17. ^ Summers, Megan; Russell, Tom (February 4, 2021). "The Simpsons: Bart's 20 Best Prank Calls To Moe's Tavern, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
18. Terrace 2017, p. 200.
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External links

• Bart Simpson on IMDb

• The Simpsons
• Animation

• The Simpsons characters
• Animated human characters
• Animation controversies in television
• Child characters in television
• Male characters in animated television series
• Child characters in animated films
• Prank calling
• Comedy film characters
• Counterculture of the 1990s
• Television controversies in the United States
• Fictional pranksters
• Fictional skateboarders
• Characters created by Matt Groening
• Fictional characters with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Fictional victims of child abuse
• Fictional characters from the 20th century
• Television characters introduced in 1987
• Animated characters introduced in 1987