Matt Groening, who is best known for creating popular animated television series "The Simpsons," was dedicated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday, five day before the longest-running series' 500th episode airs on Fox.
Groening, 57, received the 2,461st star which was dedicated at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. near the star in honor of "The Simpsons." Many fans of the hit series and actors who landed their voices to characters, including Hank Azaria, Yeardley Smith and Nancy Cartwright, witnessed the dedication held on the famous street in Hollywood.
Born on Feb. 15, 1954, in Portland, Ore., Groening became a cartoonist despite he aspired to become a writer. His first series, "Life in Hell" which started off as a series of doodles to his friends in Oregon, was sold to the avant-garde Wet magazine in 1978.
Groening created a new animated series, "The Simpsons," for film and television producer James L. Brooks. He named the members of the Simpsons after his own parents and sisters -- his father Homer, mother Marge and sisters Lisa and Maggie.
Instead of naming a character after himself, he chose Bart, an anagram for brat.
The production debuted as a series on Jan. 14, 1990 and has aired 499 episodes so far. It eventually spawned a merchandising empire, along with a theme park ride and series of U.S. postage stamps Groening designed.
Groening also created the hilarious sci-fi cartoon "Futurama," which aired on Fox from 1999-2003, then was revived by Comedy Central, which has aired original episodes since 2008.
He is also a producer and writer on "The Simpsons Movie," which was released in 2007 and grossed 527 million U.S. dollars in ticket sales. He is also the co-producer of Paper Moon Graphics, a successful line of humorous greeting cards.
Groening has won 12 Primetime Emmy Awards, 10 for "The Simpsons" and two for "Futurama."
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)