The Simpsons: Homer For the Holidays

Enjoy the holidays with America's favorite family... in comic book form!

While most would incorporate the Simpsons with Halloween because of their annual Treehouse of Horror episodes, Christmas is synonymous with Bart, Lisa, Marge, Maggie & Homer. That's because their first full-length episode ever was a festive tale titled 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.' Technically, that was really The Simpsons Christmas Special and not the first episode. Yet, both Fox and fans have determined that the holiday special was the pilot and thus considered the premier of The Simpsons animated sitcom. The rest is 35 years plus of television history.

This was one of my last Christmas and holiday themed reads for 2023. If I had realized how much Hanukkah material was in this book, I would have started on this one a few weeks earlier. Of course! Krusty the Clown is Jewish! How could I forget how much of an icon to the Festival of Lights Krusty is. I didn't say he was a positive icon. But so many episodes of The Simpsons involve Krusty's ancestry and faith as a Jew, that it's natural here to have several stories and segments devoted to the celebration of those 8 crazy nights. 

Homer for the Holidays is not the definitive collection of Simpsons holiday comics. This collection was published in 2010. Bongo Comics would continue releasing Simpsons comics for another 8 years. That's not including titles devoted to individual Simpsons characters such as Bart and Lisa. I know off the bat that a Treehouse of Horror story in which Lisa dreams that her live Christmas tree enslaves the people of Springfield wasn't included in this book. And while a couple of New Year's themed adventures are here, there aren't any Thanksgiving stories and Bongo produced at least 1 Turkey Day set issue.

In the past 2 years, Harper Collins, operating under the defunct Bongo imprint, have been releasing omnibuses devoted to all of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror annuals. I'm hoping that after Volume 3 releases next autumn that maybe an omnibus of November-February holiday tales might be forthcoming. It would save me a lot of time and money and I'd buy it, even though I've already collected and read a sizable chunk of Christmas and Hanukkah Simpsons comics. 

Just something to put out there to the publishing team behind those massive Halloween collections.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Big Brilliant Book of Bart Simpson

When I've had a particularly hard time, I turn to comics that make me laugh. The various books based on the characters of the all-time great animated sitcoms, The Simpsons, are a good bet for some lighthearted comfort. Well, this past week was particularly hard and thankfully, I had a collection of Bart Simpson books on hand to alleviate some sadness and pain.

This volume (#7) reprints issue #25-28 of Bart Simpson comics. Stories include Bart winning an all-expense paid trip to Krustyland California and as part of the trip, he gets to sit right next to Krusty! On a recent trip to Krusty Burger, Bart learns that he accidentally gave a winning game piece to Ralph; who promptly lost it somewhere in the restaurant. With time running out, Bart must fight illness and the embarrassment of asking sister Lisa for help or he'll miss out on a lifetime supply of video games! Then Bart and Milhouse take on the federal government who wants to cut down the very tree that holds up Bart's beloved tree house. 

There's a lot of sibling rivalry afoot in this book. Along with the Krusty Burger yarn, readers get to enjoy a parody of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Lisa and Bart competing for the job being offered by Groundskeeper Willy. Lisa plays detective once again to solve a couple of Nancy Drew-type mysteries. Milhouse joins Bart and Lisa on an out-of-control high air balloon ride. Of course just about all of these benefits Bart. But when Lisa appears in these stories, she's more of her season 1-4 self, a little bit more mischievous as opposed to vegetarian Lisa who becomes the moral compass of Springfield. I miss that Lisa and I think the writers of these comics missed that version as well.

With this being a Bart centered book, you don't get quite as much Marge or Homer. Maggie is virtually non-existent except for a short that the youngest Simpsons dreams up. But if you are a fan of Milhouse, Nelson and the other students at Springfield Elementary, you are in for a treat. If you absolutely cannot stand Milhouse, this probably is the collection of Simpson Comics for you.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Simpsons Comics Royale

When I am feeling bogged down by the weight of the world, I turn to humor. Harley Quinn. The Tick. Deadpool. Their insanity helps make my life more sane. And then there's The Simpsons. Sometimes you need the bizarre philosophies of Homer and Bart to help make sense of things. 

This is an unusual collection of Simpsons Comics. It's not a reprint of full issues. Instead, it's a mix of never-before-reprinted tales and all-new comic book material. In this volume we've got a Lisa story of Wonderland proportions, Krusty takes an entourage to Hollywood, and Radioactive Man learns just what happens when you flush the toilet in a state of the art porta-potty.

Sprinkled throughout this edition are a number of essays by Simpsons creator Matt Groening. His advice to those wanting to be cartoonists should be required reading for all first year art students. His reflections on his early life shows the origins of many of the icons of Springfield. But his dictionary of favorite slang words was 4 pages of wasted space. So was his 2-pager about his first bully. I would have rather had more advice or inside scoops on the history of the TV show. If anything, I now want to read some of Groening's first comic strip, Life in Hell. 

Considering that that series started in 1977, my birth year and FAVORITE year, how did I miss this!!!

I wasn't huge on the Lisa story which was surprising since I am a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland. Like I said, some of the essays were lame. So was that Sideshow Mel multi-parter! Plus, not being a direct reprint of the comics themselves and the very unusual pacing of all those verbose interludes made for an odd pacing. 

Yes, this took away a lot of stress from a world full of coronavirus and done to death primaries. But it just wasn't my favorite of Simpsons books either.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Bongo Comics Free-For-All! (Free Comics Book Day 2018)

The final Bongo Free Comic Book Day offering. Late last year, Bongo shut down it's presses and closed it's doors after nearly 20 years in existence. The loss of Bongo Comics was maybe not the biggest story in comicdom. But I sorely felt the loss as these Simpsons themed comics have been something that the TV show hasn't been in a very long time- funny!

While I got quite a few chuckles out of this issue, I was bit disappointed as the creativity normally found in these books had disappeared. In the first story, Lisa becomes the new sidekick to Krusty the Clown. But when a mishap with a microwave puts the comedian in the hospital, it's Lisa who becomes the star of the show. 

I'm not even going to question it. I know that Lisa taking over for Krusty was the plot of an episode. When it occurred, I'm not sure. But I am pretty sure it was sometime in the past 8 years. While Bongo does add a very slight twist to the plot, I felt cheated out of a completely all-new tale. At least the other two stories aren't rip-offs of previously aired episodes. I think.

The middle story has Bart bored out of his mind during Summer vacation. Milhouse is away at camp and Marge won't let Bart waste the day playing video games inside. In order to keep himself occupied, you know that mischief will abound wherever Bart goes!

This issue wraps up with Kang and Kodos going on a human hunt. Needing an earthling to probe and observe, they scrap the bottom of the Springfield barrel by kidnapping Cletus, the slack-jawed yokel! But don't feel bad for the hillbilly as your favorite tentacled aliens have finally meet their match!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Even the first story wasn't terrible. It's just that every year I look forward to two comics every Free Comic Book Day: The Tick and this one. I felt that my annual loyalty was betrayed instead of rewarded with a story with a plot ripped from a fairly recent episode. Looking back at Bongo's liquidation, I'm wondering if the company had let go most of their staff at the time of this book's creation. Thus, ideas (and I'm sure morale) were at an all-time low.

Worth Consuming- but I'm not 100% happy about it!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Bongo Comics Free-For-All: 2016 Free Comic Book Day Edition

   

If it wasn't bad enough that my beloved Steelers lost to those cheaters in New England, there wasn't a new Simpsons last night. It wasn't a total loss however, as I had an adequate replacement to being without America's favorite family- a never before read Simpsons comic. I knew I hanged on to that book for a reason!
    The comic in question was the 2016 Bongo Comics Free-For-All. In it was a slew of new Simpsons stories including the return of the Pie-Man and his sidekick, The Cupcake Kid. But the duo must come up with new personas when a German pastry-themed villain leads Chief Wiggum to declare all baked goods to be contraband until the foe can be apprehended. By guessing how large the Chief has gotten since he took it upon himself to personally dispose of the illict eats, Springfield may be without cakes, bread, and donuts for quite some time. This is a job for Captain Quiche and his sidekick, Meatball Boy!
     Then with some fake Dracula teeth and some heavy-duty super glue, Bart managed to convince the town that Principal Skinner is a vampire out for the blood of Springfield Elementary students. An educational film on the dangers of video games hosted by Doctor Hibbert, a traffic stop headed by the Springfield PD and a segment called Krusty's Catchphrase Corner round out the book. The Krusty one-pager wasn't just stupid, it was STOOPID and I hated the art.
     Overall not a bad collection of tales. There's hardly any mention of Futurama in this book. Does Bongo even make a comic based on that other Matt Groening property anymore? Doesn't matter, I didn't really even miss it. 

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Simpsons Comics, Volume 16: Beach Blanket Bongo

   Sideshow Bob's brother Cecil is released from prison on a technicality (Chief Wiggum forgot to process him!) and targets Lisa as his arch-enemy in order to gain some street cred. The Simpsons family win an all-expense paid trip to a garbage atoll in the Pacific, and an eccentric geek without an heir seeks out Springfield's King of the Nerds. Then when Krusty is accidently given a real doctorate, he finds himself the new family physician to the town. Lastly, take a trip through the Springfield Elementary hall of permanent records and learn the shocking origin of one of the town's most stalwart citizens.

   I've read a bunch of Simpsons Comics over the years. Why I don't just commit and collect this series forthright is beyond me... But these are great books to have on hand when you are feeling down and just need a chuckle or two or 300 and by far, this has got to be the best collection of that bunch!

   I loved the insanity of the Doctor Krusty story and a Sideshow Bob adventure is always fun. The garbage vacation story had great moments with Lenny and Carl. But it was the King of the Nerds and the elementary school stories that were the best of the bunch. They were filled with tons of inside jokes, pop culture references, and both were just plain fun. Plus, the story about the Hall of Permanent Records was framed like those old EC Comics horror titles that I love so much.

   Another thing that makes Simpsons Comics so great are the backup features in the back of each issue. They range from the secret files of Professor Frink to advertisements from some of your favorite Springfield stores (Springfield Tire Fire Fire Sale, anyone?) 

    The oddest thing about a Simpsons Comic is where I find them. I hardly ever find them at actual comic shops (other than the odd dollar bin discovery.) I might sometimes find one at a used bookstore, but I almost always find these at thrift stores! Talk about oddities...

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Krusty Comics #1

Bongo Comics usually does a super job on their multitude of Simpsons titles. This is the exception to the rule. In this premier issue that stars Krusty the Clown, the town of Springfield gets a new theme park. But knowing the notoriously cheap clown, he's going to cut corners and that involves the safety of the park goers.

  Cue the cliffhanger....

   Ugh, that makes me so angry. I hate a cliffhanger. None of the other Simpsons comics have cliffhangers (I do give except to the Simpsons/ Futurama crossovers, but they say 'book 1/2' on the cover.) Apparently Krusty Comics is a 3-part miniseries. So, if you are expecting to enjoy a single issue story- well just don't.

   There is a couple of backup features, including one story about Sideshow Mel that too ends with 'To be Continued..." That really is beyond the pale in my book. The Mr. Teeny adventure was funny and so was Bart's map of Krustyland but neither really could save this comic from making me happy with it.

  However, I do hold this issue in some esteem as a very elaborate splash page involving Lionel Hutz reading the providers of Krusty's property contract helped inspire me in a splash page problem I was having with a comic book story due to be published later this year. For that help alone, Krusty #1 will be a permanent part of my collection but it doesn't deem it worth consuming in my book.

   Rating: 3 out of 10 stars.