At the 77th Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, Brad Bird's "The Incredibles" was named best animated feature film, defeating box office champion "Shrek 2."

Bird, an executive consultant with The Simpsons for many years, directed the "Do the Bartman" video, "Krusty Gets Busted," and co-directed "Like Father, Like Clown" with Jeffrey Lynch. "Animation is about creating the illusion of life and you can't create it if you don't have one," he said, before thanking his mother, wife and children for being part of his life.

The Simpsons has eclipsed classics like Tom and Jerry to be named the greatest cartoon. Matt Groening’s creation has topped a poll of 100 best cartoons voted for by TV viewers. Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa beat Hanna Barbera’s Tom and Jerry to second place, and the more recent South Park to third. It has been voted more impressive than Hollywood blockbusters Toy Story (4th), and Shrek. Bugs Bunny has made it to tenth place but other classics like Popeye (23), Danger Mouse (24) and Pinnochio (25) have been relegated by modern wonders like The Incredibles (9th) and Finding Nemo (14). Futurama also made an appearance on the list at 33, while Family Guy hit the heights of #5 and King Of The Hill at 39. Read More >>>

From children to adults to the college student armed with "The Simpsons" paraphernalia and spiked Bart hair, about 500 fans crowded into Western Michigan University's Bernhard Center ballroom Wednesday night. They heard behind-the-scenes gossip and watched clips narrated by Mike Reiss, the Emmy-award-winning producer and writer of the Fox TV cartoon feature. He was brought to campus by Hillel, a Jewish student organization. A lanky guy decked out in a suit coat and sneakers, Reiss walked onto stage to thunderous applause. "You can stop. Two days ago you never heard of me," he said, joking. Read More >>>

The 22nd issue of Bart Simpson Comics has hit the comic stands today. These issues are released every second month and like the main comics we'll let you know when they're released. Please note UK editions may differ to US outlined on this site. In this edition, Witness the birth of a salesman when Bart, Nelson, and Milhouse challenge each other to sell the most items for the class fundraiser. And then prepare yourself for the mysterious and malevolent detention slip seeking its intended victim, Bart Simpson, but which wreaks havoc in the corridors of Springfield Elementary before it finds its final destination!

After previous reports threatening a strike, the actors who provide the voices for The Simpsons in Mexico began their strike on Wednesday. They say the dubbing company wants to cast cheaper actors from outside their union, the National Actors Association. The actors picketed the offices of the company, Grabaciones y Doblajes Internationales, blocking entry to the non-union actors. "For now we have to keep up the strike there," said Patricia Acevedo, 45, the voice of Lisa Simpson. The actors normally start recording in January but negotiations have broken down. The company has said it is struggling to remain competitive because of the union's actions. "With attitudes like these, our country has lost ground for dubbing in Latin America," the company said. Humberto Velez, the voice of Homer Simpson, has said he earns about 600 pesos ($54, £28) per episode and felt obliged to stand up for his union.

We neglected to mention that two awards rather than one were won by The Simpsons at the Writers Guild presentation on the weekend. "Fraudcast News," another episode of "The Simpsons," earned the guild's Paul Selvin Award honoring works that focus on First Amendment issues. The episode by Don Payne had the ever-crusading Lisa Simpson using the school newspaper to fight the politically charged agenda of a media empire run by Springfield's ruthless billionaire, Montgomery Burns. "I'd like to thank Rupert Murdoch for not having me killed," Don Payne said, pointing to the irony of the episode's subject matter and "The Simpsons' corporate parentage. This award was won in addition to Ian Maxtone Graham's award for "Catch 'Em If You Can."

A total of 10.5 million viewers watched the episode There's Something About Marrying on Sunday night. The episode has sparked some controversy possibly in order to enhance ratings, which worked to a degree. The episode was the highest rated 8pm episode since All's Fair In Oven War and Treehouse Of Horror XV in November (post Super Bowl slot not included). But 10.5 million is still a far cry from the last couple of season's average figures. At 8:00pm, the Simpsons hour still came fourth for FOX, being beaten by ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, CBS's Cold Case, and NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. FOX also came in fourth for the entire night, though The Simpsons managed to help boost the network to second place among adults 18-49. The next new episode airs on March 6th.

The Simpsons came home from the 57th Annual Writers Guild Awards yesterday with an award under their belt. Ian Maxtone-Graham accepted the award for his Season 15 episode "Catch 'Em If You Can". This is the show's second WGA since the animation category was introduced at last year's ceremony. Previously, Matt Selman won for the episode "The Dad Who Knew Too Little." Three other Simpsons episodes were up for the award this year, with Joel H. Cohen's "Today, I Am A Clown," Don Payne's "Fraudcast News," and Julie & David Chambers' "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" missing out. The only other nomination in this category was for an episode of Cartoon Network's Justice League. Congratulations, Ian.

In the ongoing culture wars over whether gays should have the right to marry, an animated question reared its head on Sunday prime-time television: As goes "The Simpsons," does the nation go too? The show is no stranger to hot-button social, religious and political issues. But when a show as mainstream and popular as this takes on one of the most divisive issues in American society, it is certain to attract attention. A parental advisory proceeded the show's broadcast. TV experts, fans and advocates for same-sex marriage ruminated over the large significance of the moment. "The issue was mainstream to some degree, but now that they've deigned it worthy of the show it is interwoven into the fabric of popular culture," said columnist Ray Richmond. He added, "`The Simpsons' bestows upon something a pop-culture status it never had before, simply by virtue of being ripe for a joke." Read More >>>

Another new episode, another website gag for eagle eyed viewers. This time it's Springfield Is For Gay Lovers Of Marriage (.com) and features little more than a few promotional images for your entertainment. Credit to Fox for doing this, but it'll become tiresome if they have very little to offer such as this. Fun for the novelty factor.

One of the most anticipated episodes in year featuring the worst kept secret since the death of Maude Flanders makes its way to your screens tonight. Here's the rundown for tonight's episode titled 'There's Something About Marrying.' "Patty introduces her new new lover, a female tennis professional, to the rest of the family. Now that Springfield has legalized same-sex marriages, they want to get married. While Reverend Lovejoy morally objects to the wedding, Homer uses the internet to obtain a license to perform weddings so he can marry Patty and her girlfriend." The new episode is followed by a rerun of All's Fair In Oven War which has been pushed forward to 8:30pm after originally being scheduled for 9:30. We'll bring you the ratings for these episodes early in the week.

Yeardley Smith spent most of her adult life wanting more: More success, more fame, more beauty. Impossibly successful by any standard, the Emmy-winning actress has a plum role in the longest running American sitcom. But until recently, that just hadn’t been enough. Sure, you may not have heard of Smith, but there is little doubt you’ve heard her. She has been eight years old for 16 years. She is the voice of Lisa Simpson. Smith is also currently the subject of her own one-woman show, called "More," which chronicles her lonely childhood, her runaway ambition and 25 years of battling bulimia. Her eating disorder began before she had even turned 13 and, despite frequent roles in film and on television, was exacerbated by failing her goal of winning an Oscar by the age of 30. Read More >>>

An all new adventure awaits your reading in Bongo's Simpsons Comics #103, available in all good stores today. In this month's edition, Marge Simpson becomes the most popular person in town when the Channel 6 news adopts her eternally optimistic worldview. But Kent Brockman is none to happy when Marge becomes the new "Anchormom"! All collectors pick up your copy now! Next month's edition will focus on Duffman, while April sees Dr. Nick under the pump, and May will see Krusty The Clown produce a musical extravaganza starring The Simpsons.

Fox has ordered two comedy pilots, including one from a pair of Simpsons alumni.

The untitled project from former Simpsons producers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, is described as a "Barney Miller" meets "NewsRadio" workplace sitcom set at a police precinct in New York's Times Square. The other pilot, "Don't Ask," centers on 13-year-old Calvin Collins, who struggles to keep his family functioning even when his dad leaves his mom for another man: her shrink.

Since posting odds on who will be outted as the gay Simpson, BetUS.com has seen more than 3,000 bets placed on this Sunday's episode. In addition to placing bets on which character will announce his/her homosexuality, bets are also being wagered on whether the FOX super series will seal the matrimonial ceremony with a kiss.

Since yesterday, BetUS.com has logged over 600 bets related to 'the kiss', the majority of those in favor of a cartoon-smooch. According to BetUS.com spokesperson Mike Foreman, seeing that The Simpsons is known for pushing the envelope, don't be surprised if the Emmy-winning sitcom goes the extra mile during Sunday's gay marriage ceremony. Read More >>>

The staff of The Simpsons Channel would like to wish Simpsons creator Matt Groening a happy birthday. The cartoonist who first brought our favorite family to life in a series of Tracey Ullman Shorts in 1987 celebrates his 51st birthday today. On behalf our visitors, we wish him all the best for today and in the future.

After receiving the highest ratings in 11 years last week (23.1 million viewers), figures for Sundays episode 'Pranksta Rap' were down 15 million viewers all the way to a rock bottom 8.1 million. This makes the episode, featuring guest star 50 Cent, the lowest rating episode of the season. While there were high hopes that last week's Super Bowl episode would increase Simpsons viewership in the long term, it seems to have had the opposite effect and people turned off in droves this week. Midnight Rx which aired about the same time last month attracted 8.2 million viewers but Sunday's episode managed lower. The Grammy's were the big winner in the 8pm hour, followed by Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Dateline NBC, leaving The Simpsons and Arrested Development in fourth place just ahead of WB's Charmed. The show should be able to pick up next Sunday when the much anticipated Gay storyline will take place.

The guest star-filled episodes keep on coming, with a new episode titled Pranksta Rap airing on Fox tonight. After sneaking out of the house to attend a 50 Cent concert and getting nabbed by Marge and Homer, Bart fakes his own kidnapping, hiding out in Kirk Van Houten's bachelor pad, to prevent being grounded. It's up to Springfield's finest – bumbling Police Chief Clancy Wiggum – to save him. The episode guest stars 50 Cent as himself and Dave Chappelle as a rapper. A rerun of last month's 'Midnight Rx' will air at 9:30pm, an hour after Pranksta Rap finishes. In scheduling news, Fox will be airing double episodes for three weeks in May to catch up after numerous weeks of pre-emptions in December and January. Tonights episode can be reviewed at No Homers at its conclusion.

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair's election slogan, "Forward Not Back," was first used by a cartoon alien in a 1997 episode of The Simpsons television show. The slogan was announced Feb. 3 by Labour Party election coordinator Alan Milburn. It appeared as a campaign catchphrase in "Treehouse of Horror VII," a Halloween episode of The Simpsons satirizing the 1996 U.S. election. "My fellow Americans," a cartoon of former U.S. president Bill Clinton says, "we must move forward not backward, upward not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom.'' There is "no connection'' between the Labour campaign and The Simpsons, the party said in a statement. Blair was a guest star in the 2003 episode titled The Regina Monologues, in which The Simpsons visited England.

The Super Bowl-themed episode drew 23.1 million viewers immediately after the game last night, The Simpsons' biggest audience in 11 years. An estimated 15.1 million people stayed up to watch the preview of another animated series, "American Dad," right after that. Numbers for The Simpsons were about average for that period, falling behind the high of NBC's "Friends" in 1996 (52.9 million) and above the low of ABC's "Alias" in 2003 (17.4 million). On the other hand, the New England Patriots' Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles was seen by an estimated 86.1 million people, down 4 percent from last year's game.

Fans watching with a keen eye on last night's episode of The Simpsons would have found Comic Book Guy's website 'Dorks-Gone-Wild.com' actually exists in the form of a promotional site not seen since WhatBadgersEat.com and Mr X. In the episode Homer And Ned's Hail Mary Pass, Comic Book Guy, who's real name was revealled to be Jeff Albertson, posts Homer's 'Big Ass Baryshnikov' dance online which lead to him becoming a worldwide phenomenon. The real life version of the website contains this video as well as a wallpaper and E-card. Fun for the novelty factor.

One of the two most anticipated episodes of the year (for all the wrong reasons) hits your screens tonight. Airing in a special post-Super Bowl timeslot, Homer And Ned's Hail Mary Pass features guest stars Tom Brady, Warren Sapp, LeBron James, Yao Ming, and figure skater Michelle Kwan. After Homer is spotted doing a dance at a local carnival, he is asked to choreograph the Super Bowl halftime show. It'll be a tough feat so he he seeks Ned's help. The article below features more specific spoilers about the episode if you're up for it. Following this episode will be the premiere of Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's new animated series 'American Dad', so make sure you stay tuned to Fox after the Super Bowl tonight! The episode can be discussed here at its conclusion.

We already know NFL figureheads don't take kindly to having their league portrayed in an unsatisfactory manner (take for example the whining they did over ESPN's excellent "Playmakers"). But really, there's no reason to do anything but laugh at Sunday's post-Super Bowl episode of "The Simpsons." Fresh off Randy Moss' "mooning" of fans in Green Bay during an NFC Wild Card playoff game, "The Simpsons" have turned around and taken to controversy to draw chuckles and poke fun at the preposterous nature of the controversy. And, of course, Homer is at the heart of the matter. Go figure. Spoilers are ahead. Read More >>>

Good heavens! Ned Flanders has come into his own. A zealous instrument of God, Ned has long been instrumental to "The Simpsons" as it lampoons organized religion. But lately the ground has shifted beneath the Simpsons' hometown of Springfield, U.S.A., along with the rest of the nation. The new term has begun for a president whose re-election was clinched by the "moral values" ballyhoo. The current climate finds faith synonymous with patriotism, while "secular" is code for un-American. Before on "The Simpsons," Ned was a secondary figure - Homer's cloyingly pious next-door neighbor. But the values he embodies in exaggerated form now monopolize the political scene. In fact, one might say that Homer is Ned's next-door neighbor, not the other way around, so clearly does Ned bask in the mainstream. "The values he represents have become more visible in American life," agrees "Simpsons" executive producer Al Jean. Read More >>>

TVShowsOnDVD.com were contacted by Fox and told that the 6th season street date has not yet been announced, and that the information posted to the FoxTVDVD.com website was incorrect. The Season Six DVD will NOT be released on June 14th. The Simpsons Channel has in turn decided to pull this news item so there isn't confusion with consumers. If you've linked to this story from another site please pass the message on to them. So the question still remains as to when the set will be releaed. We're guessing it's close to the announced date, and there's always the chance that it'll arrive earlier! Stay tuned and we'll let you know.

A north Queensland woman who made nearly $2,000 through an Internet beer scam has been ordered to serve 18 months probation. Student Tara Woodford, 28, pleaded guilty in the Mackay Magistrates Court to selling three cartons of Duff beer, made famous by the animated US television series The Simpsons. Police prosecutor Gavin Burnett told the court Woodford was paid $1,950 for the goods, but never actually had them in her possession. She was ordered to reimburse the money, to undergo counselling and psychological assessment. Duff Beer was produced in South Australia in the mid-1990s and was banned from sale in 1996 after a judge found it breached the Trade Practices Act by ripping off the brand name used on the The Simpsons. Duff was then selling for about $24 a carton, but today an unopened carton in good condition can fetch up to $10,000.