Did Matt Intend To Create Futurama From the beginning

[on:]

I have allways had this sneaking suspition that, back in 1987, Matt had the idea for Futurama then but decided to create the Simpsons in stead. This may sound far feched but there are numerous times times in early episodes of the Simpsons were referances that could be Futurama forshadowing.

The Front; A man mentions creating a sitcom with a 'sassy robot'. Bender?

Bart Gets An Elephant; Bill and Marty offer to mutate Skinner into a 'lobster-like creature'. Zoidberg?

And is it me or does the THOH2 segment where Mr Burns' head is grafted onto Homer's body seem fammiliar to you?

[Reply #1 on:]

...no. No, no and no.

[Reply #2 on:]

nah dude, they are just really vauge coincidences

[Reply #3 on:]

Ive heard him on behind the scences stuff (not just on the dvds)no definite quotes but from the sounds of him  he definetly did not have references for futurama or invent the idea of futurama in 1987. Besides they arent even good enough to be proper references 'sassy robot' 'lobster like creature' that could be anything.

[Reply #4 on:]

yeah sorry man, just wishful thinking I'm afraid

[Reply #5 on:]

You've got the right idea, but what he actually wanted to make was a Life in Hell cartoon.  He just knew that the TV execs would fuck it up, so he wrote a show he wouldn't be as emotionally invested in.

And of course, his cynical, pessimistic assessment of the Fox network has been proven 100% correct.

[Reply #6 on:]

 

Originally posted by Yardstick2006:

And is it me or does the THOH2 segment where Mr Burns' head is grafted onto Homer's body seem fammiliar to you?

It's just a typical horror/sci-fi cliche.  Neither show invented it.

[Reply #7 on:]

Yes. The only reason you see some references was to help people know about it I suppose, or because they could do it. Especially after the Simpsons episode after Futurama was cancelled and the man jumps off old geezer rock and yells
" Why did they cancel Futurama!?"

[Reply #8 on:]

 

Originally posted by Professor Zoidy:
Yes. The only reason you see some references was to help people know about it I suppose, or because they could do it.

How do you reference Futurama in Simpsons episodes from the early 90's?

@Yardstick: what, you're not going to mention what's-her-name's head in a jar from "Bart Gets Famous"?

[Reply #9 on:]

 

Originally posted by Yardstick2006:
Bill and Marty offer to mutate Skinner into a 'lobster-like creature'. Zoidberg?

About that... I was just watching a Thundercats (Year 1983) episode, and there's a Human Lobster there.

And maybe is an even older idea... and even real!?

Check it out (disgusting in some way, but it is really a syndrome)

I also found a movie named Lobster Man from Mars (1989)

Ok, I had nothing else to do   

[Reply #10 on:]

well, I gota say something

He hasn't created futurama till 1999 (I think), so he would not have a big idea yet of anything enless it was made before. He would only relate it if it has been made before simpsons and has an idea of futurama because it's been made. But it hasn't. Not till 1999 it is(I think). It's just the concidences, it can be anything! it's just the chances that they said it.

Sorry, I just don't beleive what you said.

[Reply #11 on:]

Plus, both Futurama and The Simpsons have entire teams of writing staff, I wouldn't mind betting that none of those lines you mentioned were even written by Matt. They're coincidences, and vague ones that.

[Reply #12 on:]

 

Originally posted by Yardstick2006:
I have allways had this sneaking suspition that, back in 1987, Matt had the idea for Futurama then but decided to create the Simpsons in stead.

This is in my opinion because Matt Groening actually got called by James Brooks (this occured around 1988) about his comic strip Life In Hell and then somehow (i forget) Matt Groening got to make one minute bumpers between skits on Tracy Ullman Show, which were... you guessed it, The Simpsons.
Before he knew it The Simpsons began its SERIES career, as one of the most successful shows in the late 1980's.
With this information presented to you, Yardstick2006, it is highly unlikely that Futurama was even dreamt of in the late 1980's.

[Reply #13 on:]

Well Matt did heaps of comics before the Simpsons, and it might be possible that he had some rudimentary ideas but probably nothing fully formed.
I believe Futurama evolved from the Simpsons, and maybe they put in sublimanal tidbits as advertisements....
But then again Matt does enjoy putting snippits of things from other series in the Simpsons, I liked the Simpson episode that aired in Australia a few weeks ago where Homer destroyed the big face shaped mountain.
Pimple faced teen jumps off the mountain screaming "Why did they cancel Futurama!"
Hehe, I thought that was cool, Matt getting back at Fox for cancelling his creation.

[Reply #14 on:]

I belive that in one of the documentaries (it's an extra on one of the D.V.Ds) Matt mensions that he was getting in trouble at school for drawing rockets perhaps all along he had this idea

or

perhaps he was watching the episode of the simpsons with the mension of the "sassy robot" and got the idea then

[Reply #15 on:]

Matt groening said he came up  with the idea for Futurama around 1994 but the Simpsons wasn't big enough, so when it became really big: He could afford to make Futurama

[Reply #16 on:]

Seeing as how he did write both of the shows, you're likely to see similarities. It's his sense of humour, his jokes, his ideas.

edit: look at this, ive been hanging around here too often. im spelling humor the non-american way.

[Reply #17 on:]

 

Originally posted by Yardstick2006:
I have allways had this sneaking suspition that, back in 1987, Matt had the idea for Futurama then but decided to create the Simpsons in stead. This may sound far feched but there are numerous times times in early episodes of the Simpsons were referances that could be Futurama forshadowing.

If you've ever read Life in Hell, then you know that Groening recycled a lot of his old ideas from that into The Simpsons.  Why wouldn't he do the same thing with The Simpsons and Futurama?

[Reply #18 on:]

What was Life In Hell about anyway??

[Reply #19 on:]

Life In Hell is a cartoon written and drawn by Matt Groening. It centres around Binky the rabbit, his son Binky and his estranged wife/girlfriend and mother of his son, Sheeba. And two brothers/lovers (or maybe both  ), Akbar and Jeff, who are never seen without their fezzes  .

Everything you don't want or need to know about Life In Hell

[Reply #20 on:]

i dont think so, but i do think if, he created futurama instead of simpsons, futurama wouldnt of been cancled

[Reply #21 on:]

 

Originally posted by FutureDramaQeen:
It centres around Binky the rabbit, his son Binky and his estranged wife/girlfriend and mother of his son, Sheeba.

Binky's son is named Bongo, not Binky.  Also, Sheeba is not Bongo's mother (at least not his biological one).

[Reply #22 on:]

Yeah, Bongo was created in a one-night stand.  Groening actually followed up on that story with Bongo a few years later.

[Reply #23 on:]

I'm sure everyone else in the universe knows this already, but I just realised that the pet store rabbit from Xmas story is a reference to Life in Hell

[Reply #24 on:]

Well, since I didn't know what life in hell was 5 mins ago. Well after seeing a pic of it I realize what it was now.
Did that make any sense?

[Reply #25 on:]

 

Originally posted by Jicannon:
edit: look at this, ive been hanging around here too often. im spelling humor the non-american way.

you mean the correct way

[Reply #26 on:]

i just said it was non-american

[Reply #27 on:]

If you listen to the 1st season commentaries, Matt talks about how he had several different ideas for the characters and that he always loved sci-fi as a child, so I think he was always interested in making a sci-fi story, I'm just glad he was patient enough to  make futurama instead of what comes to mind first

[Reply #28 on:]

The hell U talkin' about, dawg?