Bart Simpson

Lore & Background

Bart is always ten years old, serving as the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge Simpson. His character was inspired by Groening's older brother Mark and exaggerated traits of misbehaving children like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Initially conceived as a milder youth with existential angst, Nancy Cartwright's voice acting transformed him into the rebellious icon known today. He first appeared in "Good Night" before moving to the half-hour series where his antics included chalkboard gags, prank calls to Moe's Tavern, and catchphrases like "Eat my shorts," "¡Ay, caramba!," and "Don't have a cow, man." His middle initial 'J' is confirmed in canon, but its full meaning is not established within the show; behind-the-scenes, Groening has cited inspiration from Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel, though this is trivia, not canonical fact. The full middle name 'Jo-Jo' is a fan invention and not from official sources.

In Their Own Story

Bart's timeline often contradicts itself due to the show's floating nature, though specific episodes anchor him in time. In "I Married Marge," his birth is placed in the early 1980s, while "Simpsorama" lists his birthday as February 23, contrasting with Matt Groening's book which states April 1. His first day of school occurred in the early 1990s, where he befriended Milhouse and famously replied to Principal Skinner's warning about life choices with "Eat my shorts." However, "That 90's Show" later revealed Homer and Marge were childless during that era. Despite being ten, Bart has held various jobs: a bartender at Fat Tony's club in "Bart the Murderer," Krusty's assistant in "Bart Gets Famous," a doorman at the Maison Derrière in "Bart After Dark," and even briefly owned a factory in "Homer's Enemy." In season 36's "Bart's Birthday," he hypothetically celebrates his eleventh birthday, much to his dismay.

Reader's Guide

To understand Bart, note his design evolution: early shorts featured spikes of varying lengths before standardizing to nine equal spikes. His head is a basic rectangular shape resembling a coffee can, designed for easy silhouette recognition. In "Treehouse of Horror VI," he became the first Simpson rendered in 3D by Pacific Data Images; animators used a vinyl Bart doll as a model because they didn't know how to depict his hair digitally. Nancy Cartwright originally auditioned for Lisa, finding her less appealing, while Yeardley Smith's voice was deemed too high-pitched for Bart. This casting swap defined the show's history. Bart's hobbies include skateboarding, watching The Krusty the Clown Show, reading Radioactive Man comics, and playing video games. His favorite movies are Jaws and the Star Wars trilogy.

Did You Know?

• Bart's name was chosen by Matt Groening because it sounded like 'brat'—a playful nod to the character's personality, though it is not a deliberate anagram.
• Yeardley Smith initially auditioned for Bart but was cast as Lisa instead because her voice was considered too high-pitched for a boy.
• Nancy Cartwright originally intended to audition for the role of Lisa, finding that character less appealing than the rebellious Bart.
• In 1998, Time magazine named Bart one of the most important people of the 20th century.
• During the production of his first 3D appearance in 'Treehouse of Horror VI', animators bought a vinyl Bart doll to study how to model his hair.