Homer Simpson

Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Homer was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office.

Character Overview

Homer is the bumbling husband of Marge Simpson and father to their three children: Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. He works as a low-level safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, in Sector 7G, although he is often incompetent and negligent towards his duty. His supervisor is Mr. Burns, a greedy, contemptuous and unsympathetic old man.

Homer embodies several American working class stereotypes: he is crude, overweight, incompetent, clumsy, thoughtless and a borderline alcoholic. His voice started out as an impression of Walter Matthau but eventually evolved into a more robust voice during the second and third season of the half-hour show, allowing Homer to cover a fuller range of emotions.

Character Development

Homer's character has evolved significantly during the course of the show. Originally, he was portrayed as a simple, somewhat childish character, whose main interests were watching television and drinking beer. However, as the series progressed, Homer's character became more complex, showing him to be a caring but bumbling father, and he has moments of insight and competence.

Cultural Impact

Homer Simpson is one of the most popular and recognizable television characters. His catchphrase, the annoyed grunt "D'oh!", has been included in the Oxford English Dictionary.

See Also

• The Simpsons
• Marge Simpson
• Bart Simpson
• Lisa Simpson
• Maggie Simpson
• Springfield
• Mr. Burns