An Argentinian newspaper has spoken to Matt Groening on the wake of 300 episodes. The article reveals that when stuck for ideas or when needing to refresh their memories, the creators of the show turn to Simpsons fan sites. Groening mentions The Simpsons Archive by name in this following excerpt, translated by none other than the snpp.com staff. "Sometimes we have to look at fan sites to remember [what we have done before]: one of the best is www.snpp.com. I have no idea what those initials mean, but it has a lot of stuff. Though for them, every episode is the worst ever." Maybe a quote to show the people at Fox, huh? Congratulations to The Simpsons Archive, and hello to Matt Groening.. because you just never know who is visiting your website!

"One of television's top stars has revealed a secret love for a Scots football team. But it's highly unlikely this famous Aberdeen FC fan will ever be spotted eating pies in the stands of Pittodrie - because he's a cartoon character. However, Dons fans are still delighted to add Groundskeeper Willie, the Scottish janitor from TV series The Simpsons, to their number. In the latest episode of the hit animated series ('Scuse Me While I Miss The Sky' aired there this week), he made it clear where his footballing allegiances lie when he woke from a deep sleep to shout: "Go Aberdeen." The club were delighted with the mention on the show, which is watched by millions of people. Club spokesman Dave McDermid said: "The fact that Willie is an expat fan goes to show just how popular Aberdeen are. It's great to be involved in something like the Simpsons because of its massive following. I'm sure there are some teams who would crawl over hot coals for such a mention." Read More >>>

"There is nothing fictional about the Albuquerque Isotopes. They play in the Pacific Coast League and draw an average of 8,000 people a game in a revival of minor league baseball in New Mexico. In a Simpsons episode involving the baseball franchise, Homer discovers Duff Beer's plan to move the Springfield Isotopes to Albuquerque and saves the franchise when he exposes the plan." ... "Al Jean, head writer and executive producer of the show, thought it was amusing that the Isotopes had come to life in Albuquerque and told the Albuquerque Tribune that he hoped "we got a Duff beer concession for the new team." That's not going to happen. Apparently, Simpsons officials draw the line at their suds. An Australian company tried making Duff beer but got the word from Fox attorneys to cease and desist. But they have not stood in the way of the Isotopes name. "They have allowed us to use the name but not anything else," Bearman said. "They did let us use Homer and Bart mascots for Opening Day." Read More >>>

Vivendi Universal have just released the box art for the upcoming video game "The Simpsons: Hit And Run". The cover, pictured to the right (PS2 version available here) shows Homer running from a police car among other objects. The family can be seen in the background. This game is set for release in Fall 2003 on every platform. Thankyou to Robert for letting us know about this.

A religious joke in the Simpsons episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly" may not have been far from the truth. "When the ad for a "Christian video game" crossed my desk, at first I thought it was a joke. Perhaps someone had finally decided to market "Billy Graham's Bible Blasters," the fictitious game featured on an episode of "The Simpsons" a few years back. Remember the episode shortly after Marge Flanders' untimely death where Bart goes next door to visit the normally shiny-happy Christian Rod and Todd Flanders to cheer them up? He plays a religious video game titled Bible Blasters. It's always been one of my favorite 'Simpsons' episodes--a clever idea and a biting bit of religious commentary--but one I thought was purely the product of the writer's fertile imagination. Not so, apparently. With a little investigation, I discovered a whole world of "Christian" video games where Bibles, or at least the Word of God, are the weapons of choice." Read More >>>

A brand new dedication to the upcoming multi-platform Simpsons game 'Hit And Run' has been put online. While residing at simpsonshitandrun.com, the site is unofficial, but does its job in informing you of the latest news and screenshots for this much aniticpated new game. It is bound to get bigger leading up to the release of the game, but the information available is more than enough for now.

Also in web news, fans of Apu will love his newest shrine at The Sweetest Apu, while existing Bart websites now have new competition on their hands with the opening of Barting Over.

Star Telegram have an ongoing feature detailing 50 ways you can enjoy your summer. Today, in their ninth installment, they've chosen to highlight a range of Simpsons chew toys for dogs. How these will improve your summer unless you're a canine is beyond me. "In spite of their many foibles, the members of The Simpsons household do genuinely care about each other, and that goes for the family dog, Santa's Little Helper. So it's in his flea-bitten, couch- cushion-chewing honor that a new line of Simpsons-themed dog toys are offered up to give your own furry friends something to tear up besides your house slippers. Look for soft, squeaking plush toys of Bart, Marge, Krusty or Homer, vinyl-sleeved Berber Bones with Homer or Bart and two sets of vinyl, squeaker chew toys shaped like everything from Blinky the three-eyed fish to Grampa Simpson's dentures. There's also a selection of hard-rubber toys, canvas flying discs with squeakers and tennis balls each featuring your favorite Simpson. They retail for less than $10, exclusively at Target."

Showtime has signed Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria to star in a drama pilot about a guy suffering a midlife crisis. Azaria will play the title role in "Huff," which is about a psychiatrist who feels his life going off the rails. The two-hour pilot is scheduled to begin shooting in August in Canada, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bob Lowry write the script for "Huff," and Mike Newell will direct it. Both men will also receive executive producer credits along with Cam Jones. Azaria has won two Emmys for his voice work on "The Simpsons," in which he plays Apu, Moe the bartender, Comic Book Guy and several other characters. He also earned an Emmy nomination for the 1999 ABC movie "Tuesdays with Morrie." His other credits include "Grosse Pointe Blank," a recurring role on "Friends" and the upcoming feature "Shattered Glass."

"There are many types of religious believers, and according to the Rev. Shawn Galyen, every one of them mirrors the faith of some character or other on The Simpsons. There are those like Marge Simpson, Mr. Galyen says, who yearn for faith but do not know why. Some, like her son, Bart, call on God only as a last resort, while others, like her daughter Lisa, are moralists. Dad Homer, Mr. Galyen says, believes in God but prefers football to faith. And then there are those like the Simpsons' evangelical Christian neighbor, Ned Flanders, the Oral Roberts University graduate with the Shroud of Turin beach towels. Mr. Galyen, 31-year-old minister of the Georgetown University chapter of Chi Alpha, a Christian campus ministry, has been spreading the spirituality of Springfield by dedicating a chunk of the group's weekly meetings to discussion about The Simpsons." Read More >>>

"Homer Simpson looks likely to beat Abraham Lincoln to the title of the greatest ever American. The head of the Simpsons clan has taken almost a fifth of the votes in an internet poll. The 16th president of the US managed just over 16%. The poll has been held to tie in with a BBC2 debate called What The World Thinks of America to be screened on Tuesday at 9pm. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King is in third position, ahead of former presidents such as George Washington. Other quirky choices to have made the top ten include Mr T, famed for his role in TV's The A Team, and Bob Dylan. The 90-minute debate will be presented by BBC political editor Andrew Marr and will look at opinions about the US's position in the world. It will bring together national broadcasters from around the world in a live satellite link-up." You can vote in the BBC poll here.

"Cartoon star Homer Simpson has been named as the favourite US TV character among UK viewers, according to an opinion poll. In the poll, carried out by listings magazine Radio Times, 38% of viewers voted for Homer, the father in the cult series The Simpsons. In second place with 14% was Frasier Crane of the comedy series Frasier, while Rachel from Friends, came third with 10% of the votes. The Simpsons recently celebrated its 300th episode after 13 years on screen. Its success has made global icons of its dysfunctional family, in particular dumb dad Homer. In another question, viewers said they considered the programme content on 24-hour news channel CNN to be most representative of the American people. In second place came Friends and The Simpsons trailed in at number three." Read More >>>

Yeardley Smith, best known for voicing Lisa Simpson on the FOX-TV hit "The Simpsons," will workshop her new one-woman show at Joe's Pub. On June 13 at 7 PM, Smith will present a reading of her new show, which is titled The Good Life. Developed through Voice & Vision's ENVISION Lab, The Good Life follows the actress' comic journey both in and out of show business. Born in Paris, France, Yeardley Smith has been seen on the small screen in "Herman's Head," "The Tracey Ullman Show," "Brothers" and "Dharma & Greg." Her feature film credits include "City Slickers," "Jackie Toothless" and "As Good As It Gets." More Info >>>

"In an early episode of The Simpsons, Krusty the Clown is invited to dinner and says grace in Hebrew. "He's talking funny talk," says Homer. Lisa points out that Krusty is Jewish. Homer is incredulous. "A Jewish entertainer? Get out of here!" The whole programme turns out to be a strange meditation on the history of Jewish entertainers in the US. Bart and Lisa are trying to reunite Krusty (real name Hershel Krustofsky) with his father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, who disowned Krusty when he gave up the rabbinate to become a clown. "A musician or a jazz singer, this I could forgive," the rabbi tells his son. "But a clown!" This parody of The Jazz Singer is given a further twist because Rabbi Krustofsky is played by comedian Jackie Mason, who himself trained to be a rabbi. The history of Jewish entertainers in America, from The Jazz Singer to The Simpsons, is examined at New York's Jewish Museum." Read More >>>

If you've visited The Simpsons Folder recently, you'd have noticed at first a photo of a locked door, followed by a 'not found' page, and now a 403 'forbidden' error. I spoke to Jukka, seven-year owner of the page and he informed me that the site would not be returning. A number of factors are involved, but the closure is mainly due to personal reasons involving life. It's a shame to see this once-huge website disappear without a trace, but that's the way of evolution. Jukka has left the building.

There's a new site online called The Blunder Years. Shows some promise but could do with some work.

Bravo Canada will again be screening The Simpsons: Inside The Actors Studio today at 5pm. If you missed the special previously, now's your chance to see it. Canoe News has posted a related article today to accompany the rerun.

"Inside the Actors Studio, the academic interview series hosted by Saturday Night Live and Mad TV target James Lipton, welcomes the six principle voice actors for the show. "I dealt with them as six individuals," says Lipton, who spent an incredible five hours on stage with the Springfield players. Nobody in the audience left. Little wonder. The studio audience, as ever, is filled with college students studying acting, writing and directing --in other words, adoring Simpsons' fans." Read More >>>

While we wait ever-so-patiently for the Season sets to slowly come to us, Fox has decided to trick us with a Halloween treat. A special Treehouse of Horror DVD comes to North America on September 2nd. The disc is a compilation of various Simpsons Halloween specials, and has been available in Regions 2 (United Kingdom And Europe) and 4 (Australia) since October last year.

Halloween specials XII, VII, VI, and V are included, as well as a bonus video montage of Kang and Kodo's finest moments. For further details, see Australia's EzyDVD description. Price is $14.98 American, $16.98 Canadian, though someone at SCS has found it available for $7.18 when pre-ordered.

"Bob Socci has been the Albuquerque Isotopes' play-by-play announcer for three months, and still he thinks the team's nickname is funny. And why not? After all, it comes from one of television's funniest shows. When you're a new franchise trying to earn recognition in an established Triple-A baseball league, like the Pacific Coast League, you need a gimmick. The Albuquerque franchise took marketing to a new level when it adopted the name of Homer Simpson's favorite baseball team. Hence, the Isotopes were born. The name comes from a March 2001 episode of the The Simpsons, the long-running Fox cartoon series. In the segment, entitled "Hungry, Hungry Homer," Homer Simpson foils a plan to move his favorite baseball team, the Springfield Isotopes, to Albuquerque. The name also refers to New Mexico's involvement in scientific research and the atomic bomb." Read More >>>

"The Game Boy Advance version of The Simpsons Road Rage, developed by Altron and published by THQ, is due in exactly one month, on 4th July. The game is very much like its console brothers, and sees you take on the role of one of 15 taxi driving Simpsons characters, though ten of those need to be unlocked. The four modes of play are Road Rage, which charges you with making as much money as possible in a time limit, mission mode, with ten specific tasks, a practice mode going by the name of Sunday Drive and a head-to-head mode." This is the first Simpsons game to appear on Game Boy Advance. You can see in-game screenshots at Game Asylum.

"While preparing for a night out on the town with his wife, Marge, Homer Simpson hummed a tune to himself while wiggling his rather rotund bottom around his bathroom. The tune? It was "Patricia," an instrumental from 1958. Homer's gyrations were actually that Spanish-influenced dance craze of the '50's -- the Mambo. Who would have figured that Homer and his freaky family would turn out to be some of the most Hispanic-friendly characters on U.S. television? The show has included Hispanics in its humorous references almost since the day the characters first aired in 1989. Most "Simpsons" fans remember that episode as the one where Homer and Marge hire the "Baby Sitter Bandit," but I remember it because of that throwaway moment when I first realized "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening was capable of coming up with the most obscure references." Read More >>>

"The owners of an escaped wolf-whistling parrot who is said to behave like Homer Simpson have appealed for help finding him. The missing African grey parrot flew off from his Suffolk home on Saturday. He's named Homer and continuously chants expletives and the phrase "Homer, stop it!" Homer is grey in colour with white around the eyes with a red tail. He likes to watch television, particularly the US cartoon show. "We always watch the Simpsons and when we go out, we usually leave the TV on for him, particularly when the Simpsons is on. He could have got anywhere by now," said his owner Emma Robinson, 23. In addition to the three bad swear words he knows, Homer's vocabulary also contains the words hello, goodbye, get off, as well as a tuneful rendition of the Addams family theme, which co-owner Paul Mead has taught him. Mr Mead says he misses Homer and that his home is too quiet without the bird." Read More >>>