The Simpsons is responsible for many of TV’s most recognizable characters, yet many people probably never noticed Homer’s head hides a secret set of initials. Since the series began, the citizens of Springfield have risen to iconic status in pop culture. Given their caricatured nature, most of the characters are easy to draw. The laboriously diverse Homer especially is so familiar he could be drawn from memory by most people. For as simple as his appearance is, there lies one aspect to it few fans notice – his hair and ear work in tandem to form a hidden signature.
The Simpson family has been tweaked only a handful of times since their creation in the late 1980s. Their early rendition on The Tracey Ullman Show was quite different from their modern one. They looked angrier, with pointy features and a hand-drawn quality to them. Over the years they smoothed out the kinks, finding their proper form even without their original cat. Their current design dates back to the mid-90s, with only slight clothing alterations made in the meantime. Since then, Simpson’s family patriarch Homer has contained a neat Easter egg in the form of initials on his head. They’re not noticeable at first glance, but a critical eye unveils the subtle letters.
The first letter resides in Homer’s hair on the side of his head. Just above the ear, the unassuming squiggles form an M. The second is a bit more discreet, residing within Homer’s ear itself. The outline of it with the aid of some inner lines makes a G. This one isn’t as easy to see as the M since the lines do not all connect perfectly. Still, it is obvious enough to not be unseen once it’s noticed for the first time. The two letters are the initials of the series’ creator, Matt Groening, who is also responsible for “Jerkass” Homer’s design.
To this day Groening is the operative mind behind The Simpsons. He continues to help write the show and is credited with the visual aesthetic of it. He takes great pride in his work, preferring to keep his intellectual property to himself. This philosophy was indirectly responsible for the conception of The Simpsons in the first place. When he first signed with Fox, they wanted him to adapt his Life in Hell series instead of creating a new one. Fearing he’d lose ownership rights to those characters, he drew up the Simpsons’ original design as a replacement at the last minute. It is only fitting he’d sneakily put his signature on Homer himself.
Matt Groening is one of the greatest comedic minds of all time. With popular cartoons like Futurama and Disenchantment to his credit, he should be famous as the entities he created. Although, his name and face are arguably less well-known. Far more identifiable is Homer Simpson, who is currently navigating his family through their 31st season. Groening including his initials on the show’s principal character is a testament to his commitment. Doing so cements his niche in pop culture for years to come. He put a little bit of himself into The Simpsons via Homer’s head.
