deborah caplan matt groening
(2002). Life in Hell caught the attention of American producer James L. Brooks. Deborah Caplan and Matt Groening are divorced after a marriage of 13 years. Lisa is a producer and is famous for her work on Christmas at Pee Wees Playhouse (1988), Arnold Escapes from Church (1988), and The Arnold Waltz (1990). Every week or so Mr. Groening gets a new offer to develop a movie or a cartoon or a situation comedy. Deborah Caplan (29 October 1987 - 1999) . He first sold his comic to magazine Wet, in 1978. "), to the narrow mentality of newspaper editors (even "alternative" newpaper editors "hated" his approach to obscure rock criticism) to the "timidness" of network executives trying to subject him to "corporate deflavorizer," to his famous battles with network censors, Groening's life reads like a series of epic adventures more Quixotic than Homeric in their details. The Simpsons Movie (2007) His favorite artist is Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention and his favorite album is Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart (which was produced by Zappa). Leslie Jordan. In 1994, Groening and other Simpsons producers pitched a live-action spin-off about Krusty the Clown (with Dan Castellaneta playing the lead role), but were unsuccessful in getting it off the ground. More than just a television hit, "The Simpsons" is also a mass marketing phenomenon: probably not since Mickey Mouse raised his ears has a silhouette appeared on as many paraphernalia as Bart Simpson's crown-roast-shaped head. Despite the unprecedented success of "The Simpsons," the process of getting "Futurama" on the air has been described by Groening as "the worst experience of my adult life." In 1991, the newly wealthy Groening still seemed to struggle with the central paradox of his career. Deborah Caplan: Groening has been in a relationship with Deborah Caplan since 2006. [86][88] He illustrated the cover of Frank Zappa's posthumous album Frank Zappa Plays the Music of Frank Zappa: A Memorial Tribute (1996). But for now, at least, it continues to thrive; it is consistently the most-watched show in its time slot, Thursday at 8 P.M., and is Fox's No. If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you are probably a fan of Matt Groening. His spirit of solidarity with children extends to his own sons, Homer, 3, and Abe, 1, toward whom, he confesses, he is "indulgent and spoiling. He found some work along those lines, whipping up slogans for horror movies, but also took on a series of jobs that included chauffeur, dishwasher and record store clerk to make a living. [46] He requested his name be taken off the episode.[70]. Upon seeing his work in the comic strip, producer and writer, James L Brooks, expressed his interest to involve Matt Groening in the creation of an animated series to run on comedy series The Tracy Ullman Show. '", Sharing one inane series of meetings, he told the magazine, "I said, 'Look, I told you "Futurama" is not going to be bland and boring like "The Jetsons." He also co-wrote and produced The Simpsons Movie, released in 2007. She joked that "his godfather is SpongeBob's creator Stephen Hillenburg". After graduating to a job at a record store called Licorice Pizza, whose gimmick it was to give away licorice to its customers (but whose employees often found themselves providing free licorice meals to the indigent instead), Groening began drawing "Life in Hell," a self-published, xeroxed comic book starring Binky, a lonely, alienated rabbit living in low-income Hollywood hell. [41][42][43] Groening famously named the main Simpson characters after members of his own family: his parents, Homer and Marge (Margaret or Marjorie in full), and his younger sisters, Lisa and Margaret (Maggie). Matthew Abraham Groening (1954) | Familypedia | Fandom Brooks' and Simon's hand in shaping the show was significant. Gratuit English at Leicester University of Leicest. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. "I don't consider anything beneath me. Despite his status as an ultimate insider, Groening's writing has always been that of an outsider. In 2002, Groening received the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award due to his work on Life in Hell. [69], In 1995, Groening got into a major disagreement with Brooks and other Simpsons producers over "A Star Is Burns", a crossover episode with The Critic, an animated show also produced by Brooks and staffed with many former Simpsons crew members. He won the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Television Production for his animated series The Simpsons during three consecutive years i.e. "Simpsons" executive producer Mike Scully, who took over as show runner, or head writer, in 1996, has said that in order to write for "The Simpsons," a writer must have "a healthy disrespect for everything Americans hold dear." But before delirium set in, Groening spun a lingering bad mood and an "accidental" cartooning career into a billion-dollar print, broadcast, merchandising and licensing empire. Who is Matt Groening? Net Worth, Bio, Age, Height, Affairs (2023) By now, though, the damage, such as it is, has clearly been done: the show has entered the very pop culture it pokes so much fun at. The couple has two sons, Homer and Abe. Matt Groening sa constellation est Verseau et . [2], On January 15, 2016, it was announced that Groening was in talks with Netflix to develop a new animated series. 2002, 2003 and 2004. Groening also collectively donated to the Democratic senatorial campaign committee and to the Senate campaigns of Barbara Boxer (California), Dianne Feinstein (California), Paul Simon (Illinois), Ted Kennedy (Massachusetts), Carl Levin (Michigan), Hillary Clinton (New York), Harvey Gantt (North Carolina), Howard Metzenbaum (Ohio), and Tom Bruggere (Oregon). Deborah Caplan-Matt Groening: 68: Aquarius: Cartoonist: American: Children Name Gender Born Age Other Parent; Homer: Male: 1991: 31 years old: Matt Groening: Abe: Male: 1993: 29 years old: Matt Groening: Discussions Have your say Be the first to make a comment >> Recommended Recommended. This is likely influenced by the name of Groening's own parents. [104], In an interview with Wired from 1999, he stated that if he was president, his first act would be "campaign finance reform", stating that it is "a real detriment to democracy". Groening was one of four children. Deborah Caplan (m.1986, d.1999) Agustina Picasso (m.2011) Children: Abe Groening, Homer Groening, Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, India Mia Groening, Venus Ruth Groening, Luna Margaret Groening, Sol . "But I thought I would have a little bit more leeway since I made Fox so much money with 'The Simpsons. . Groening became stepfather to Agustinas daughter named Camila Costantini. In 1994, Matt Groening started the comic book publishing company named Bongo Comics. A team of production companies adapted The Simpsons into a half-hour series for the Fox Broadcasting Company. His television series titled Futurama also earned him the Annie Award for Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production in the years 2010 and 2014, while his other work The Simpsons won the award in this category in the years 2011, 2012 and 2015. [65] The names of a few other characters were taken from major street names in Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon, including Flanders, Lovejoy, Powell, Quimby and Kearney. Surname is pronounced "gray-ning" (rhymes with "raining"); born February 15, 1954, in Portland, OR; son of Homer (a filmmaker) and Margaret Ruth (ateacher; maiden name, Wiggum) Groening; married Deborah Lee Caplan (Groening's manager and business partner), October 29, 1986; children: Homer, Abraham. The show went on to become the longest running US primetime TV series and earn multiple awards. From teachers who forced him to rip up his cartoons in front of the class, to the petty tyranny of bosses ("I was told that I would never get a job in the Pacific Northwest in journalism after my disgraceful stewardship of the Cooper Point Journal," Groening told the graduating class in a commencement address at his alma mater, Evergreen State College. His office at Fox has the frantic clutter of a teen-ager's bedroom. [53] While designing Lisa, Groening "couldn't be bothered to even think about girls' hair styles". He was fired from the L.A. Fearing the loss of ownership rights, he created a new set of characters, the Simpson family. . Le 15-2-1954 , Matt Groening (surnom: Matthew Abram Groening, Bat Groening, Mad Groening) est n Portland, Oregon, United States. His mission, Groening has said, was to create a sofa-centric sitcom about a typical American family and turn it upside down in retaliation for all the bad TV he watched as a kid. [57] Another family member, Grampa Simpson, was introduced in the later shorts. Yet Groening's DNA is all over the show, from the characters named after the streets of his hometown (Flanders, Lovejoy, etc. He donned the role of an executive producer for animated films Futurama: Bender's Game (2007), Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008), Futurama: Bender's Game (2008), and Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009). The final strip of the comic strip "Life in Hell" was published on June 16, 2012. His other role model was cartoonist, Charles Monroe Schulz, who was known for his comic creation Peanuts. Matt Groening Love Is Hell His then-girlfriend and co-worker at the Reader Deborah Caplan offered to publish "Love is Hell", a series of relationship-themed Life in Hell strips, in book form. His son Leroy."' [35][40] In 1985, Brooks contacted Groening with the proposition of working in animation on an undefined future project,[9] which would turn out to be developing a series of short animated skits, called "bumpers," for the Fox variety show The Tracey Ullman Show. When he was asked by producer James L. Brooks to create animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show, Groening came up with The Simpsons. (Villard). He described life in Los Angeles to his friends in the form of the self-published comic book Life in Hell, which became loosely inspired by the chapter How to Go to Hell in Walter Kaufmanns book Critique of Religion and Philosophy. Matt Groening received the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Primetime or Late Night Television Program for The Simpsons in the years 1998, 2000 and 2001. Then, no sooner had they ordered 13 episodes than the doubts set in. ", Mr. Groening identifies closely with the oppressed children of America, sitting at their desks, waiting to cause trouble. So the story goes, and it has, as they say, legs. Though Groening has continued to churn out his comic strip every week, it's been about a decade since he wrote an episode of "The Simpsons." Soon, he was driving an 88-year-old movie director around by day and ghost-writing his autobiography by night while living upstairs from a nocturnal rock lover (whose ceiling light he eventually dislodged with a plunging cinderblock). [89] In May 2010, he curated another edition of All Tomorrow's Parties in Minehead, England. [72] Groening described trying to get the show on the air as "by far the worst experience of [his] grown-up life. [45] Groening also has an older brother and sister, Mark and Patty, and in a 1995 interview Groening divulged that Mark "is the actual inspiration for Bart. Even to this date, it continues to appear in many other alternative newspapers. "Futurama" moved away from the family sitcom structure and into dysfunctional workplace territory, a subject that had long inspired Groening. He notes with a chuckle that he has just received the lastest shipment of Simpsoniana: Bart golf balls. Matt Groening Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth SALON is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Brooks contacted him in 1985 about adapting Life in Hell for animated sequences for the Fox variety shows The Tracey Ullman Show. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Agustina Picasso Born - Unknown Agustina is an Argentinian artist. He is 68 years old. In fact, to prove that he didn't mean anything by naming a fat, incompetent slob like Homer Simpson after his father, he named his first son Homer, too. He wasn't serious. TIL Matt Groening's parents were Homer and Margaret Groening. And for a guy whose career has been dedicated to skewering television, crass commercialism, "evil billionaire tyrants" (how boss Rupert Murdoch described himself in a cameo on "The Simpsons") and brainless consumers, Groening sure does love his merchandise. Matt Groening received the British Comedy Award for his Outstanding contribution to comedy. Groening and Deborah Caplan married in 1986[27] and had two sons together, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe,[44] both of whom Groening occasionally portrays as rabbits in Life in Hell. "Bart is like what would happen if Eddie Haskell got his own show," he said. All rights reserved. [98] Bartlett used to appear in Simpsons Illustrated. A thousand years in the future -- a wry, bleak version of a future where suicide booths and celebrity heads preserved in jars are part of the landscape -- work is still hell. The couple divorced in 1999. Images of "The Simpsons" have been licensed to sell everything from T-shirts to toys to potato chips to cheese, suggesting that mainstream culture has gotten pretty good at marketing genuine hipness as well. [10], Matt's grandfather, Abraham Groening, was a professor at Tabor College, a Mennonite Brethren liberal arts college in Hillsboro, Kansas, before moving to Albany College (now known as Lewis and Clark College) in Oregon in 1930. The pair married in 1986 and had two sons together namely, Homer (who goes by Will) and Abe, both of whom he occasionally portrays as rabbits in Life in Hell. His then-girlfriend and co-worker at the Reader Deborah Caplan offered to publish Love is Hell, a series of relationship-themed Life in Hell strips, in book form. Reply. 1. [8][9] Homer, born in Main Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada, grew up in a Plautdietsch-speaking family. [92] In May 2013, Picasso gave birth to Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, named after writer Nathanael West. The couple have two children together: a son, Homer, and a daughter, Maggie. "Do people who don't have cockroaches and can afford their rent, are they happier?" 1 . "To many divisions of this company, 'The Simpsons' was the shining light that kept us motivated and believing that our division would grow. His father Homer, born in Main Centre, Saskatchewan, Canada, grew up in a Mennonite, Plautdietsch-speaking family. Deborah Caplan: Net Worth: $600 million: Birth Place: Portland, OR: Nationality: American: Education: Evergreen State College: Father: Homer Philip Groening: Mother: [90] In July 2013, Groening co-authored Hard Listening (2013) with the rest of the Rock Bottom Remainders (published by Coliloquy, LLC).[91]. His father, Homer Philip Groening, was a writer, filmmaker and advertiser and his mother, Margaret Ruth, was a teacher. He also invited the off-the-wall submissions of campus cartoonists, finding himself inspired by the original works of fellow undergrad Lynda Barry. The final episode aired on September 4, 2013. And I said, 'I think it's Elroy.' Futurama (1999-2013) The Simpsons (1989-present) Needless to say, the life-affirming executives at Fox worried that the show was too dark and negative. Now, though, "The Simpsons" offices at Fox, housed in what looks like a cheap motel, run on a routine, and he has eased off a bit. Reader hired sales rep Deborah Caplan, who observed that the Life in Hell strips were "a major selling point" of the paper. Groening knew this would have meant losing ownership rights to his characters, so he decided to start from scratch. He is from OR. . (Statements like these, of course, set off fits of right-wing apoplexy, much to the amusement and delight of everyone else. Of Akbar and Jeff, he said: "'People always ask, 'Are they lovers or brothers or both?' Groening is a 68-year-old who was born on February 15, 1954, in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Matt Groening's then-girlfriend, Deborah Caplan, published "Love is Hell" in November 1984 which is a book form of series of relationship-themed "Life in Hell" strips and followed by "Work is Hell" which was also published by her. In 2013, the couple had a son named . I said, 'It's not going to be like "Blade Runner."' However, Matt and Deborah divorced in 1999. Groening was born on February 15, 1954,[3][4] in Portland, Oregon,[5] the middle of five children (older brother Mark and sister Patty were born in 1950 and 1952, while the younger sisters Lisa and Maggie in 1956 and 1958, respectively). He grew up in Portland and did his schooling from the Ainsworth Elementary School and Lincoln High School. They divorced in 1999 and Groening . [80] He described the fantasy-oriented series as originating in a sketchbook full of "fantastic creatures we couldn't do on The Simpsons". "[42] Simon eventually left the show in 1993 over creative differences. But mainly, he is Matt Groening. The network resisted giving Groening the autonomy he needed and plied him with notes. [26][32] Vowell also gave Groening his own weekly music column, "Sound Mix," in 1982. [106] Groening received the 2002 National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award, and had been nominated for the same award in 2000. The same year his direct-to-video film Futurama: Bender's Big Score earned him the Annie Award for Best Animated Home Entertainment. Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999) Matt Groening Children & Wife | Net Worth 2023 | Age | Bio Groening won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 14, 2012. He befriended fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry and, finding no real authority to rebel against, he turned to cartooning in earnest. Deborah Kaplan Entertainment - Director Why Famous: is an American screenwriter and film director Age: N/A Deborah Kaplan's Relationships (2) Matt Groening Arts - Other Why Famous: The Simpsons and Futurama In conversations over two days and several venues -- at a party at his friend Frank Zappa's house, over lunch at the Fox commissary and in his office -- he revealed a deep association with the adolescents who form the core audience of "The Simpsons." Homer Groening (born 1991) Groening and his wife Agustina Picasso welcomed a baby in May 2013 named Nathaniel Philip Picasso Groening, named after writer Nathanael West. [102], Groening has made a number of campaign contributions, all towards Democratic Party candidates and organizations. In the mid '80s, renowned producer James L. Brooks approached Groening about using the characters from "Life in Hell" on a new show he was developing for comedian Tracey Ullman. Groening celebrates his birthday on February 15th, every year. After graduation, Matt Groening moved to Los Angeles, in 1977, with the aim of becoming a writer. creator, Craig Bartlett, who was married to Groening's sister, Lisa, until they divorced in 2015. The series, Disenchantment, was ordered by Netflix on July 25, 2017. [19][72] By the time they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and storylines; Groening claimed they had gone "overboard" in their discussions. Choosing Los Angeles because it was the place where a writer was most likely to be overpaid, Groening answered a "writer/chauffeur wanted" ad in the L.A. Times. In 1987, producers of the soon-to-be-launched sketch comedy program The Tracey Ullman Show, headed by the legendary James L. Brooks, contacted Groening about developing short animated cartoons to air between skits. Meanwhile, Groening was up to his old tricks of rocking the boat, writing silly reviews of bands based on their publicity photos and even making up phony acts to cover. The couple also welcomes daughters Luna Margaret and India Mia born in 2015. [63], The series quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, to the surprise of many. Matt has a son with his wife, Argentinian artist Agustina Picasso, and two children with his former wife, Deborah Caplan. I think he kind of wants to prove, maybe to no one but himself, that he can do it without those guys.". Perhaps, were he to walk in off the street, he could get a job as a writer on the show. "[19] The show premiered on March 28, 1999. During this time he was the editor of college paper The Cooper Point Journal. Brooks selected his longtime colleague Sam Simon to help Groening develop the animated series, and The Simpsons dynasty began on December 17, 1989, when the first episode aired. Bush family aside, who is not a fan of Matt Groening? He found some work along those lines, whipping up slogans for horror movies, but also took on. ", The Simpsons are offspring of Bongo, Akbar and Jeff, only slightly less hapless. Born in 1954 in Portland, Oregon, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening had, in many ways, an idyllic childhood. The name "Wiggum" for police chief Chief Wiggum is Groening's mother's maiden name. Mr. Groening planned to use the figures from "Life in Hell." In order to avoid insulting another family member by making him the namesake of a Simpsons character, he left Homer's father unnamed. [55] Groening storyboarded and scripted every short (now known as The Simpsons shorts), which were then animated by a team including David Silverman and Wes Archer, both of whom would later become directors on the series. With a developing cast of characters that included Binky's girlfriend Sheba, his one-eared son Bongo and the gay entrepreneurs Akbar and Jeff, and recurring components like "The 16 Types of Sisters" and "The 9 Secret Love Techniques That Could Possibly Turn Men Into Putty in Your Hands," the minimally drawn but meticulously written Life in Hell found its niche between the underground comics and mainstream fare. However, the column would rarely actually be about music, as he would often write about his "various enthusiasms, obsessions, pet peeves and problems" instead. [85], Groening is known for his eclectic taste in music. By coincidence, they chose "Abraham", unaware that it was the name of Groening's grandfather. This comic book made its official debut as a comic strip in the Reader on April 25, 1980, and caught the attention of Hollywood writer-producer and Gracie Films founder James L. Brooks, who had been shown the strip by fellow producer Polly Platt. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Deborah Kaplan is currently available. But for a few brief moments in the early '90s, the idea that anything "alternative" could suddenly overtake the mainstream was still surprising. During this time the show has done for animated cartoons what "thirtysomething" did for yuppies: proved that despite some annoying tendencies, they can be successful in prime time. Unlike most shows, which he finds sluggish, "The Simpsons" is written to move at a manic pace. [17] In an effort to add more music to the column, he "just made stuff up,"[25] concocting and reviewing fictional bands and nonexistent records. Matt and Deborah separated in 1999. Tlcharger Livre Le Pays Basque d antan PDF Franais He received the Annie Award (for accomplishments in animation) in the Best Animated Television Production category for his series The Simpsons for six years from the year 1992 to 1997. Groening is married to his wife Agustina Picasso an Argentine artist. [35] In November 1984, Deborah Caplan, Groening's then-girlfriend and co-worker at the Reader, offered to publish "Love is Hell", a series of relationship-themed Life in Hell strips, in book form. [58], Although The Tracey Ullman Show was not a big hit,[59] the popularity of the shorts led to a half-hour spin-off in 1989. Acting out in school, he recalled having to write "I must be quiet in class" 500 times on at least one occasion and having his doodles torn up by teachers. I like the idea of trying to be successful on some level, at least reaching an audience enough so that you can sustain it and keep on going." Still, it's clear that Groening's satire feeds on frustration and the stupidity of others. Matt Groening - Ethnicity of Celebs | EthniCelebs.com Netflix has also renewed the series for twenty additional episodes, which are expected to start in ten-episode batches in 2020 and 2021. The Longest Daycare (2012) Carina Chocano writes about TV for Salon. Matt's paternal grandfather was Abram Arthur Groening (the son of Abraham Groening and Aganetha Klaassen). Simon was also responsible for hiring the writing staff, who shaped the characters into what they are today. Reader through an ever-shifting array of responsibilities that included reporter, distribution manager, punk rock critic and assistant editor. [34], Life in Hell became popular almost immediately. The show continued in to 2013,[76][77] before Comedy Central announced in April 2013 that they would not be renewing it beyond its seventh season. Though the Tracy Ullman Show was soon cancelled, The Simpsons had gained popularity and earned its exclusive half an hour spin-off series. Has two sons with Deborah Caplan: Homer Groening (born 1991) and Abe Groening (born 1993). [96] In January 2022, Groening's tenth child Satori was born. He is also a father to five more children. When Billie Met Lisa (2022), Disenchantment (2018-present) Quote Of The Day | Top 100 Quotes, See the events in life of Matt Groening in Chronological Order, (Cartoonist, Writer and Producer Known for His TV Series The Simpsons, Futurama and Disenchantment), https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/matt-groening-netflix-in-talks-report/, http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/01/17/simpsons-creator-matt-groening-in-talks-with-netflix-for-new-animated-series/, http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/matt-groening-netflix-comedy-talks/, http://www.shannonmcclean.com/new-pagemosaics/. It was Groening's first day in hell. The message? "[46], Maggie Groening has co-written a few Simpsons books featuring her cartoon namesake. The weekly comic strip chronicles the miseries of Bongo, the one-eared rabbit, as well as those of Akbar and Jeff, the lovelorn look-alikes. The early iteration of The Simpsons was a crude, Neanderthal version of the family that would become ubiquitous in pop culture; both Bart and Lisa were troublemakers, and Homer was a barely controlled cauldron of rage. 2) Disappointed? Commentary for ", Silverman, David; Reardon, Jim; Groening, Matt. Groening has received 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, 11 for The Simpsons and 2 for Futurama, and a British Comedy Award due to outstanding contribution to comedy in 2004. Groening has won 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, 11 for The Simpsons and 2 for Futurama, and a British Comedy Award for "outstanding contribution to comedy" in 2004. Published a month later, the book was an underground success, selling 22,000 copies in its first two printings. Menu Log In Sign Up Matthew Abram Groening ( / ren / GRAY-ning; born February 15, 1954) [1] is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. Groening feared that he would have to give up his ownership rights, and that the show would fail and take down his comic strip with it. It's my foundation,"[37] the June 16, 2012 strip marked Life in Hell's conclusion. Groening is a guy who lunches with Rupert Murdoch and finds him congenial. Matt Groening is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and director. [95] In 2020, their daughter Nirvana was born. The couple has two sons, Homer and Abe. 6, the list of recipients had grown from 20 to 500. Matt Groening married Deborah Caplan in 1986. Agustina is an Argentinian artist. Matt Groening is married to Deborah Caplan in 1986. He finally added staff cartoonist to his resume when Life in Hell first appeared in the paper in the spring of 1980. Sometime after midnight on the day of his arrival, his car stalled in the fast lane of the Hollywood Freeway in 100 degree heat. He also made appearances in episodes of television series The Pitts, Portlandia and Space Ghost Coast to Coast. In 1987, Groening married fellow Weekly staffer Deborah Caplan. Groening's rough-and-tumble early days in Tinseltown provided endless fodder for a comic he titled Life in Hell, featuring the anthropomorphic rabbit Binky.