The Simpsons: Recurring Characters

By Wikipedia

This article contains a list of recurring characters from The Simpsons with descriptions.

Akira

As one of Springfield's most prominent Japanese American citizens, Akira is the owner of a karate dojo (which Bart briefly attended) and also works at "The Happy Sumo" sushi restaurant. He once helped Homer, Bart, and Lisa discover the origin of the mysterious "Mr. Sparkle" box (it came from a Japanese dishwashing detergent company with a mascot that coincidentally bears a striking resemblance to Homer). Also once, he, Luigi, Capt. McAllister, and other restaurant owners of Springfield planned a (failed) assassination attempt on Homer because he gave them bad reviews.

He was originally voiced by George Takei, who played Sulu on Star Trek, and in subsequent episodes he has been voiced by Hank Azaria. His name is thought to be an homage to director Akira Kurosawa or perhaps a reference to the Akira anime.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

See Apu Nahasapeemapetilon

Artie Ziff

Artie Ziff (voiced by Jon Lovitz), was first seen as Marge Simpson's prom date with "busy hands" in high school. A later episode revealed him to have become a nerdy software millionaire. His wealth came from a device that transforms modem noise into easy listening music. In that episode, he offers a small fortune for a night with his childhood love, Marge, in parody of the movie Indecent Proposal.

Later in the series, Ziff returns. It is revealed that he ran his company, Ziffcorp, into the ground spending investors' money on such extravagant items as solid gold underpants (a parody of the excesses of the Dot-Com era). He would party with Newt Gingrich, Janeane Garofalo, and Scottie Pippen. But he lost all his money and secretly moved into the Simpsons' attic. When Homer wins 98% of the company from Ziff in a game of poker, Homer is held legally responsible when the Securities and Exchange Commission comes to arrest Ziff. Homer goes to jail until Ziff turns himself in, and Ziff immediately begins putting out other prisoners' cigarettes with a squirt bottle as the episode ends. The Simpsons family suggests that we may not see Ziff alive again because of this.

It has been said that this character is loosely based on Robert D. Ziff (R.D. Ziff). The real Mr. Ziff is 38 years old, and is one of the richest people in the United States. (Currently #165 in the Forbes 400.) He went to Harvard with one of the writers of the Simpsons.

Baby Gerald

Baby Gerald is Maggie Simpson's nemesis, although they have only come into actual conflict once. When Lisa Simpson rescued her sister, however, Maggie started to cry (though Lisa didn't notice). He is distinguished by his unibrow. In "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays" a Kent Brockman headline shows a picture of Maggie Simpson beating him up.

Brandine Spuckler

Brandine Spuckler is the wife of Cletus Spuckler and mother to Tiffany, Heather, Cody, Dylan, Dermot, Jordan, Taylor, Brittany, Wesley, Rumor, Scout, Cassidy, Zoe, Clo, Max, Hunter, Kendall, Caitlin, Noah, Sasha, Morgan, Kyra, Ian, Lauren, Q-bert, Phil, Rubella, and Condolleeza Marie. She was also at one time going to be a foster mother to the Simpson children.

Brandine and Cletus were married by Homer Simpson despite the fact that they are siblings or cousins. She has only been with him as long as anyone can tell, though she did at one point stay at a women's facility.

She works as a stripper, though never in boots.

Bumblebee Man

Bumblebee Man is a fictional character in the animated television show The Simpsons. A common fan name for the character is Pedro, though he was once revealed to be a British man named "Nigel" when he covered for Kent Brockman, local anchorman. This conflicts with the episode 22 Short Films About Springfield, where he really was Hispanic. Also, in an issue of "Simpsons Comics", he states that is actually from Belgium. One should note that "Simpsons Comics" are generally not considered canon.

He appears on a television show (within the Simpsons universe) dressed in a bumblebee costume. The TV station he works for is identified as "Canal Ocho" in several episodes. His show consists of simple skits, often involving heavy slapstick, pastiching cheap Mexican TV.

Bumblebee Man never takes off his costume, even when appearing in public, except in the episode "22 Short Films About Springfield". In that episode we see Bumblebee Man's private life and realize he is innately clumsy rather than simply acting as such. Nonetheless, in other episodes he is heard to speak with an articulate British accent; whether this is his real voice or an act is uncertain. It is possible that he generally speaks with his bumbling on-screen accent to keep in practice. Also, in the Bongo Simpsons Comics, he quotes Shakespeare.

He is a caricature of "El Chapulín Colorado" (The Red Grasshopper), a character played and created by Mexican television comedian Chespirito.

His catchphrase of choice is typically "Ay, ay, ay, no me gusta!"

Captain McAllister

Horatio McCallister's first name probably either comes from British admiral Horatio Nelson or fictional character Horatio Hornblower. He is probably named after Captain McCallister in the movie Flying Leathernecks or Fort McCallister. His character is based on numerous popular media versions of seafarers and pirates including Long John Silver.

He was also shown as the owner of The Frying Dutchman all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant. Homer Simpson's visit to the restaurant caused the captain to observe about him, "'Tis no man, 'tis a remorseless eatin' machine!"

McCallister, who has two glass eyes, also worked at the summer camp where Homer and Marge met, vowing to show only PG movies, and nothing "arr" (a play on R-rated movies; "arr" and "yarr" are his catchphrases).

He is frequently shown to be completely incompetent at seafaring. On one occasion, he causes an oil spill by crashing his tanker while drunk; on another, he launches a river raft for Homer, only to have it sink immediately to the bottom. On several occasions, he acknowledges his incompetence with a depressed, "Yarr, I don't know what I'm doin'!"

Cletus Spuckler

Cletus Spuckler or Cletus Delroy (voiced by Hank Azaria) is a "slack-jawed yokel," a stereotypical hillbilly character. He is thin (in fact, one of the thinnest characters on the show), has brown hair in an indeterminate style but shaved in the back, a meager attempt at a mustache, and several fewer teeth than the average Springfield resident. He is nearly always depicted wearing a tank top, exposing a tattoo of a snake and skull on his left arm. As he was once introduced in song, complete with a follow-the-bouncing-ball:

Some folk'll never eat a skunk

and then again some folk'll,

like Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel!

Second verse:

Most folk'll never lose a toe

but then again some folk'll,

like Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel!

Generally a good-natured fellow, Cletus has been known to take advantage of others, as when he presents Marge with 300 coupons for free pretzels from her pretzel business. Cletus has 27 children: Tiffany, Heather, Cody, Dylan, Dermot, Jordan, Taylor, Brittany, Wesley, Rumer, Scout, Cassidy, Zoe, Chloe, Max, Hunter, Rubella Scabies, Kendall, Caitlin, Noah, Sascha, Morgan, Kyra, Ian, Lauren, Q-bert, Phail, as well as a wife, Brandine, who refused to wear boots to her strip club audition on the grounds that it would scuff up the stage, telling Cletus he "best take 'em back where from ya got'em." It is also implied that Cletus and Brandine are siblings, as in one episode they are parked at an auto racing event, and Brandine remarks "Dang, Cletus! Why did you have to park so close to my parents?" to which Cletus responds, "They's mah parents too!"

In addition, in the Season 16 episode "There's Something About Marrying," Homer (who has become ordained as a minister) is marrying Cletus and Brandine. Looking at a form, he asks "Wait a minute... are you two brother and sister?" Brandine replies, "We's all kinda things." Cletus and Brandine have a daughter named "Condolleezza Marie," who was somehow switched with a bag of sugar that Homer had been carrying around for a week.

Cletus' last name is likely "Spuckler." At least two episodes (the first being "Sweets and Sour Marge," in which Cletus signed his name to Marge's petition to ban sugar from Springfield, and the second being "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays" in which it appears on the screen in a news report) give his name as "Spuckler" and in The Simpsons Hit & Run video game, the mailbox outside his shack says "Spuckler." However, his last name has also been given as "Delroy", causing some confusion.

Cletus was introduced in an episode of season five ("Bart Gets an Elephant"), as Lisa complains about "slack-jawed yokels" gawking at Bart's elephant, Stampy.

In the season 14 finale, when Homer and Marge were set to die, Cletus and Brandine were to become the foster parents of Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

In an episode in which Bart and Lisa peer into the distant future, Cletus is seen as the Vice President of the United States of America. This may be intended as a jab at George Bush Jr.

Colonel O'Hara (Rich Texan)

Colonel Antoine "Tex" O'Hara, also known as (the) Rich Texan, is the owner of many a sports team or investment opportunity, and a dude ranch called "Lazy-I-Ranch". In place of a catchphrase, he is often seen jumping and tossing his hat while shouting, "Yee-haw!" and firing pistols into the air. He is also the owner of the Omni-Pave Corporation, which is "sensitive to all your (our) eco-concerns", and a member of the Republican Party. He was also the owner of a female greyhound, She's The Fastest, who fell in love with Santa's Little Helper . An oil tycoon, O'Hara owns a travelling carnival which Homer and Bart had to work at after Bart wrecked Hitler's car. When Springfield mistakenly assumed that Lisa died from a freak tree accident, Tex dedicated a forest reserve in her honor. However, he later changed his mind and converted his plans into building a theme park ("Lisa Land") over the forestland.

In an early appearence, in the 5th season episode "$pringfield," Homer addresses him as Senator. In that episode, he gave Homer his hat, telling him "I wore it the day Kennedy was shot and it always brings me luck."

Due to his habit of shooting bullets into the air, the Texan was jailed for six months when one of his bullets hit a Texas Ranger. He seems to be having difficulty adjusting to blanks.

Cookie Kwan

Cookie Kwan is a Korean-American realtor who runs her own real estate business. She touts herself as being "number one on the West Side," although she also works in the East Side. She used to work at Lionel Hutz's Red Blazer Real estate office, in her first appearance, in episode 5F06, "Realty Bites".

She is very aggressive towards anyone whom she deems a threat to her business. She is single and often found on the Springfield dating scene. It has been suggested that Kwan and Mayor Quimby had an affair.

In reality, the last name 'Kwan' is very rare in Korea.

Crazy Cat Lady

The Crazy Cat Lady, voiced by Tress MacNeille, is a woman who has the appearance and behavior of a stereotypical mentally ill homeless person, and is perhaps in her more lucid phases a perpetrator of cat hoarding. She throws cats at residents of Springfield. In the episode "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass", she could be seen appearing more relaxed by taking a medicine (actually Reese's Pieces), but she subsequently resumes acting crazily and hurling cats at people. In the episode "I, D'oh-Bot", she throws a cat at Lisa, which she names "Snowball V" in secret and Snowball II in public.

Crazy Old Man

The Crazy Old Man, sometimes simply called the Crazy Guy or Old Jewish Man, is a resident of the Springfield Retirement Castle. He is often seen with Grandpa Simpson and Jasper. He often yells at people and is sometimes seen owning a store. He once had a brief period of stardom after his act of dancing on a streetcorner singing "The Old Grey Mare" with his pants down became a hit on television. He is almost certainly Jewish, as he speaks with a stereotypical Jewish accent. He also curses in Yiddish in one episode.

In one episode he was portrayed as having worked on Casablanca, and had suppressed the movie's hidden happy ending. He also worked on an alternate ending to It's a Wonderful Life, in which George Bailey goes on a killing spree.

Disco Stu

Disco Stu is a disco aficionado. He is usually featured wearing a rhinestone-encrusted leisure suit. He often refers to himself in the third person (putting a big emphasis on "Stu" and then pausing before saying anything else) and is noted for being mentally stuck in the Disco Era.

He first appeared during a Springfield-wide yard-sale day. Homer was reminiscing about his "disco stud" sequined jacket from the Super70s, that only read "Disco Stu" since he ran out of room on the back of the jacket. Marge told Homer that the jacket wouldn't sell. Someone exclaims, "hey, Stu, you should buy that" to which he replies, "Disco Stu doesn't advertise!" He doesn't buy the jacket.

Disco Stu has also been seen with dead goldfish in his platform shoes, hitting on Marge Simpson at a ski lodge (until he finds out she has children), dancing with Homer after Homer discovers his love of walking, and, most recently, a regular on Homer's talk show. During a "taxi cab confession," Disco Stu revealed that he's actually really worried that he's let Disco define him as a person and fears becoming a "one note guy".

Disco Stu has also appeared as "Discus Stu" in a parody of Odyssey (we first believe he is a suitor to Odysseus' wife, Penelope, but later find out that Discus Stu has enough "ouzo for two-zo" - himself and Bart). He was "Disco Shrew" in the Treehouse of Horror XIII "Dr. Moreau" parody, where Stu was turned into a rodent-like creature.

In the season sixteen episode There's Something About Marrying, it is revealed that Disco Stu is Selma's fourth husband. However, he receives an annulment from Pope John Paul II.

Dr. Hibbert

Dr. Julius Hibbert is the Simpson family physician. Voiced by Harry Shearer, he is a kind-hearted family doctor, a genius, a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Mensa member, and is one of the few regular African-American characters on the series. Hibbert is noticeably less dysfunctional than just about everyone else on the show, though he does have a bizarre tendency to laugh at inappropriate moments. He also gives questionable solutions to certain medical problems. For example, when Maggie saved Homer from drowning, he replied to Marge's question "How can a baby save the life of a full-grown man?", "It's very simple. When an adult's life is in danger, a child can summon superhuman strength!" Or when Homer lost a thumb, Dr. Hibbert tells him that his Finger Insurance will not cover reattachment (as a thumb is not a finger), and suggests he can remove the other thumb for symmetry. Or when he says the only real cure-all is "Fire, and lots of it!"

There are hints that Dr. Hibbert is not above dubious medical practices either. After Marge talks him out of buying an unsuitable house, he tells her "If you ever need a prescription, no questions asked..." On another occasion, he buys one of Bart's T Shirts with the legend "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" remarking that "This could get me out of some sticky situations."

In "The Last Temptation of Homer," Hibbert is shown as running an H.M.O.--Hibbert's Money-Making Organization".

He is often seen in flashbacks (for example, Lisa's birth, or Bart's accidents as a toddler), and each time has a different hairstyle (afro, dreadlocks, Mr. T-style mohawk, etc.), as appropriate for the time period. He is married; he and his wife Bernice have three children, two boys and a girl. When his entire family is seen together, they appear to be a spoof of The Cosby Show. Dr. Hibbert was intended as a female character based on comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Julia Hibbert, better known as Julia Sweeney. When the Fox network moved The Simpsons to Thursdays opposite NBC's top-rated The Cosby Show, the show's producers completely redesigned Dr. Hibbert as a parody of Cosby's character Dr. Cliff Huxtable. Another possible influence in the creation of the character is basketball player Julius Erving, who was nicknamed Doctor J.

It's implied that he and Bleeding Gums Murphy are long-lost brothers. Also, he bears a striking resemblance to the director of the Shelbyville orphanage, which may or may not be coincidence (especially considering that the latter mentions a personal quest to find his long-lost twin). It was also suggested that Hibbert did not have a legal license in medicine (Lisa: And guess who's been practicing medicine without a license? Hibbert: <Tugs his collar nervously.> Lisa: That's right, Homer Simpson.). In addition, he once tricked Homer into signing a malpractice waiver.

Dr. Hibbert supposedly attended Johns Hopkins University, and evidence from the show indicates he was probably born in Alabama.

At least one of Hibbert's cars is a green Mercedes-Benz G500, which he is seen driving in the Episode "I, D'oh-Bot."

Dr. Marvin Monroe

Dr. Marvin Monroe is a goofy, strangled-voiced local psychiatrist, once Mr. Burns' therapist. Monroe also promoted series of subliminal weight-loss audio cassettes. He apparently died between the sixth and seventh seasons, and the Springfield hospital has been named in his honor. His grave could also be seen in the graveyard in the episode, "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily." Monroe's disappearance is an example of Chuck Cunningham syndrome.

Monroe was voiced by Harry Shearer, who reportedly wanted Dr. Monroe removed from the show because doing the character's voice hurt his throat. Dr. Monroe did make a later appearance in the episode "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife," claiming that he has been "very sick".

The Tattoo Guy from Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire is called Murray Monroe, and is Dr Marvin Monroe's younger brother, according to a Simpsons Trading Card. However, it has been argued whether the set is canon or not.

There was a plot conceived for Marvin in the early years. Marvin's real name was actually Marilyn (Making him Marilyn Monroe), and due to constant teasing he changed his name and became a psychiatrist. This plot was confirmed by Matt Groening,but was never actually used.

Dr. Nick

Dr. Nick Riviera (voiced by Hank Azaria) is a quack physician (although he claims to be "just as good as Dr. Hibbert"). Riviera is of Hispanic descent and has a medical degree from a community college (at which he apparently spent much of his time prescribing "anything I want" to a succession of attractive women back in the 1970s), and a great deal of luck. Dr. Riviera also studied at the Hollywood Upstairs Medical College.

He frequently appears on infomercials pitching all sorts of bizarre medical offers and turns his operations into TV spectacles. He is also shown as an inventor/huckster (in the style of Ron Popeil) on the television show I Can't Believe They Invented It!

Dr. Nick is notable for his exclamation upon entering a room of "Hi, everybody!" which is followed by a response of "Hi, Dr. Nick!" from the other characters. There was an Austrian version of "Dr". Riviera in one of the episodes, and his exclamation is "Guten Tag, everybody!" Another variation is an episode where Mel Gibson says, "Hi, everybody!" and Dr. Nick responds with "Hi, Mr. Gibson", then saying to himself, "That felt weird".

He has operated on the Simpson family a couple of times (when they can't afford Doctor Hibbert), notably when Homer Simpson could not afford a heart bypass from his regular doctor. Lisa Simpson attended the live audience for the operation and saved the day by guiding the obviously clueless Dr. Riviera through the operation.

The character design is based somewhat on Gabor Csupo, of Klasky Csupo studios - the animators mistakenly believed Hank Azaria was impersonating Gabor. He may also be based on George Constantine Nichopoulos, Elvis Presley's personal physician, a man of Greek descent and questionable ethics who was said to have pumped Presley so full of prescription drugs in his later years that it ruined the singer's health and eventually killed him.

Drederick Tatum

Drederick Tatum is a professional boxer. He has appeared in several episodes, most notably when Homer becomes a boxer. Tatum is a parody of Mike Tyson; he has a similar criminal record and lisp. Even with the lisp, he is often the most sensible person in the scene. Tatum's manager is a Don King lookalike named Lucius Sweet.

Duffman

Barry Duffman is the mascot and spokesman for the Duff Beer company. He is an athletic and smooth-talking corporate personality who wears blue and red tights, a red cape, white gloves, and the name "Duff" emblazoned across his chest. The ensemble features a red hat, dark sunglasses, and a belt of beer cans around his waist.

Though he is the corporate tool of Duff Beer, in one episode he was torn between the company he loved and the truth of the local team, the Isotopes, about how they were going to be moved to Albuquerque. In the end, Duffman followed the slogan What would Jesus do and sided with Homer.

It was revealed that he is Jewish in the episode where Homer and Marge attend Oktoberfest. He is ashamed at having to shout, "This Reich will last a thousand beers! Oh, Ja!" in imitation of the Nazi slogan of a Thousand Year Reich: "I do this, and I'm Jewish," he laments.

Duffman is generally known for his methodically slow speech, complete with dramatic pauses and ending with a suggestive "Oh, yeah!" He also refers to himself in the third person. His appearance fee is 10,000 Duff labels.

His real names have been said to be Sid, Larry, and, in the 2003 episode, “Old Yeller Belly,” he revealed himself as "plain ol’ Barry Duffman." But it has been implied that he has been played by several different people. In his own words (after Lenny said that Duffman had died of liver failure): "Duffman can never die, only the actors who portray him," a reference to corporate mascots such as Ronald McDonald and the Marlboro Man who have also been portrayed by multiple people. Duffman was also shot by Frank Grimes, Jr. in one episode.

His theme song is "Oh Yeah" by Swiss band Yello.

Fat Tony

Anthony "Fat Tony" D'Amico is voiced by Joe Mantegna and is the local Mafia Don. His real name was said to be William Williams in an episode where Bart was working part time for the Mafia at the "Legitimate Businessman's Social Club". In another episode, Frankie "The Squealer" reveals Fat Tony's real name to be Marion (possibly a reference to John Wayne's real first name). One might assume that, as a known and wanted mob boss, Fat Tony has numerous aliases.

Fat Tony is a pastiche of characters from endless Mafia movie and TV dramas. His fellow mobsters include Joey, Legs, Louie, and, occasionally, Johnny Tightlips. Tony's schemes have ranged from selling rat milk to schoolchildren to the illegal fireworks racket, which were stored in a cave in the woods that Bart and Milhouse accidentally discovered. He once went to war with the local Yakuza over conflicts in the pretzel business.

The Simpson family has come into contact with him on several occasions. In a thinly-disguised parody of Goodfellas, Bart gets a job serving drinks in the Mafia's local bar (complete with card table with every chair facing the wall). On another occasion, Homer gets mistaken for Krusty the Klown, who owes Fat Tony gambling debts. In "Insane Clown Poppy", Krusty bets his daughter's violin in a poker game, which Homer is sitting in on; Homer is later shot in the arm for helping to sneak into Tony's compound to get it back, and for mouthing off to the hoods afterwards. In still another run-in, Tony put out a contract on Homer after his private security business interfered with the mob's interests. Homer would have been executed gangland-style if not for Maggie coming to the rescue with her Rifle.

Fat Tony imitates Marlon Brando in one episode, performing the orange-in-the-mouth bit from The Godfather to amuse his cohorts. Interestingly, Mantegna appeared in the third installment of the movie, which Tony complains, in the same episode, wasn't as good as the first two.

It is implied at one point that Fat Tony's favorite movie is Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Frankie the Squealer

Frankie is another member of the Mafia and associate of Fat Tony. However, he does not appear to be very useful to his colleagues in criminal activity due to his uncontrollable habit of squealing ("he claims that it's always made [him] feel big"). On several occasions, the mob has attempted to kill him for his squealing, though they have always been unsuccessful.

Gil

Gil (Voiced by Dan Castellaneta) is a perpetual loser, a nervous, middle-aged man with the inability to hold a steady job, due to strings of misfortunes that tend to hit him at the worst times. He has been seen holding any number of usually menial jobs, first as a real estate salesman, but also as a used car salesman, doorbell salesman, Coleco computer salesman, newspaper subscription salesman, and even corn farmer. Since the departure of Lionel Hutz from the series, Gil has been used as a cheap replacement lawyer in court scenes.

Gil is married, or probably at this point, was married; he once mentioned that his wife would leave him if he didn't start "bringing in the green." This has most certainly happened by now; in fact, he overhears his wife carousing with 'Fred', another man, over the phone in one episode. She even has the gall to ask Gil if he would like to speak to Fred.

As seen in the episode "Tis The Fifteenth Season," you can see a brief scene where Gil is committing suicide (by hanging himself with Christmas lights), possibly because his life is a wreck. But you can later see him in the same exact episode scatting at Homer's house with the Christmas lights around his neck, suggesting that the lights snapped when he let himself hang.

The character is based on Jack Lemmon's portrayal of salesman Shelley "The Machine" Levene in the 1992 movie adaptation of David Mamet's Pulitzer prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross.

Gunter and Ernst

Gunter and Ernst are tiger-tamers voiced by Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria. They are an obvious parody of Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn. In the episode $pringfield, they were savagely mauled by their trademark white tiger, Anastasia. A little over 10 years later, a similar incident happened to the real Siegfried & Roy, when Roy Horn was mauled onstage by his trained tiger Montecore.

The duo appear in the episodes Viva Ned Flanders, $pringfield, and The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons.

Hans Moleman

Hans Moleman is the retconned name of a 4'4" 140-lb mole-like man with extremely bad luck. Although apparently elderly, he claims to be only thirty-one (his driver's license says he was born August 2, 1951). He has cataracts and is partially blind, cannot read, and uses medical marijuana. The name of "Ralph Mellish" was given to him in episode 7F15, "Principal Charming." Like several other characters (Sea Captain, Comic Book Guy, Frank Nelson) in recent years, his real name fell into disuse as the show moved away from Jim Brooks-guided realism.

Hans drives a 1977 AMC Gremlin, and carries a brown cane with him everywhere. He has a slight crush on either Patty or Selma. He runs an early morning radio show, on Springfield's jazz station, in which he introduces himself as "This is Moleman in the Morning, Good Moleman to you".

When Homer hired cult deprogrammers to return Bart to him, they kidnapped Hans by mistake. He was soon "deprogrammed" and returned to Homer and Marge: "Mom, Dad, I missed you. Cowabunga, dudes!"

He once created a "hit movie", called "Man gets hit by football." The highlight of this film (in fact, the only scene) is reminiscent of the "Funniest Videos" television shows: Hans awaits a passed football, but he misses the catch, the ball hits him in the crotch, he falls to the ground in pain. George C. Scott later won an Oscar for playing the role in a remake of the film.

In one episode in which Homer attempts suicide but falls down a manhole cover, we see a brief glimpse of an entire race of mole people in an intricately decorated cave. Hans Moleman, apparently the leader and dressed in ceremonial garb, is at the controls of an earthquake machine. This is undeniably a one-off joke, and is a reference to the very first issue of Fantastic Four, in which the four battled "The Moleman" who also had similar machines .

Hans has escaped death innumerable times, usually highly improbably. Because of this, some have speculated that there have been multiple identical men who are assumed to be Hans Moleman (much like the similarly ubiquitous Squeaky-Voiced Teen).

His home address is 320 Oak Grove, Springfield, USA 90701.

Herman

The owner of a military antiques store.

Voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the owner of Herman's Military Antiques, and dresses in military fatigues. He has only one arm; the other arm was lost by sticking it out of the window of a moving bus, although the writers had originally intended for him to give a different reason each time he appeared. His voice is similar to that of George Bush Sr.

He is friends with Abraham Simpson, to whom he sold a fez hat, claiming it was previously owned by Napoleon. He later negotiated a peace treaty between Bart Simpson and the bully Nelson Muntz. He also tried to sell counterfeit jeans out of the Simpson's garage, but was foiled by Marge Simpson.

He once captured Chief Wiggum and Snake and held them hostage in a scene reminiscent of Pulp Fiction, but was thwarted by Milhouse Van Houten wielding a heavy mace.

Herman possesses a small scale tactical nuclear bomb, designed by the government during the 1950s to be dropped from a B-52 onto Beatniks. He keeps it in a plot of land behind his store, and usually only brings potential buyers to see it on special occasions: when Homer and his friends were buying dozens of guns, Herman assumed they were a bachelor party of some kind, but when Homer told him they were forming a vigilante movement, Herman brought him to see the Bomb. The Bomb has a sign next to it which reads "Do Not Ride The Bomb", a rule which Homer broke (spoofing Dr. Strangelove).

Hyman Krustovsky

Hyman Krustovsky (originally voiced by Jackie Mason and later by other actors) is the father of Krusty the Klown. He is the rabbi at the local synagogue. Krusty and his father became estranged when Hyman discovered that his son was the entertainment at a dinner he was attending. Hyman very strongly disapproved of his son's profession and the disrespect he had for his Jewish heritage. Thanks to the efforts of Bart and Lisa, the pair were reunited and made amends. More recently, Hyman officiated at his son's belated Bar Mitzvah.

He was first introduced in the Season Three episode "Like Father Like Clown" where everyone finds out Krusty is Jewish.

Jack Larson

Jack Larson is a slick spokesman for Laramie cigarettes and once owned the Springfield Isotopes. The Spokesman for his cigarette company is Menthol Moose.

Jasper

Jasper is a somewhat senile resident of Springfield Retirement Castle and a good friend of Abraham Simpson. Though in earlier episodes it was implied that they were enemies.

When called in to help replace teachers (who are on strike), he gets his beard stuck in a mechanical pencil sharpener; while teaching he also confiscated everything in the room made of tin, and two children passed out from the fumes of his ointment; he also threatens everyone with 'a paddlin'. When kids steal the electronics from the television set in the Retirement Castle, replacing them with a cat, Jasper stares at the cat in the television, pressing buttons on the remote control while mumbling "Two hundred channels and nothing but cats". After becoming stuck in a freezer, he was briefly showcased as the Kwik-e-mart attraction Frostilicus.

In some episodes, there is evidence to suggest Jasper is blind from cataracts (the most compelling - when he is shot in the eye by a laser and proclaims that his cataracts are gone and he can see, and is immediately shot again and proclaims that he is once again blind). However, in other episodes, he can clearly see, and even drives a car.

Jasper was also shot in his wooden leg by Waylon Smithers while walking down the sidewalk.

Jebediah Springfield

Jebediah Obadiah Zachariah Jedediah Springfield is the purported historical founder of the town of Springfield. Springfield had many famous quotations, such as "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man," and was well known for his silver tongue (literally; the silver tongue was a prosthesis, his original tongue having been bitten off by a Turkish pirate in a grog house fight).

Springfield led a band of wagons westward along with his partner Shelbyville Manhattan; but they parted ways when Manhattan wanted to found a town where people could marry their cousins, and Springfield wanted a town devoted to chastity, abstinence, and a flavorless mush he called root-marm. Where people would be free to worship how they wanted and "to grow hemp for making ropes." Manhattan went on to found the rival town of Shelbyville.

In the winter of 1848 Jebediah reportedly built Springfield's first hospital alone out of wood and mud.

On an expedition to Springfield's historic "Fort Sensible," Bart Simpson uncovered inconsistencies in the Jebediah legend. In "Lisa the Iconoclast," Lisa Simpson proved that "Jebediah Springfield" was a bloodthirsty pirate and enemy of George Washington named Hans Sprungfeld, who had changed his name to hide and who hated the town of Springfield.

Springfield is said to have dramatically killed a bear with his bare hands. A statue of this sits in the center of the Springfield town square, in front of the city hall. In "The Telltale Head," Bart beheaded the statue, thinking that this would make him more popular. In reality, the town became depressed and angry, leaving Bart to endure "The Tell-Tale Heart"-style guilt before replacing it. Contemporary historians believe that the bear story is probably untrue, and that the bear in fact probably killed him. He is also said to have once tamed an untamable buffalo (although he later secretly admitted that it had already been tame; he merely shot it). The Springfield Marathon commemorates an occasion on which he ran across six states in order to avoid his creditors.

Johnny Tightlips

A member of the Mafia and associate of Fat Tony. He says very little, which spares him from accusations of being a "squealer," but his reticence tends to be unhelpful to himself or others.

In the episode 'Insane Clown Poppy', there is a shoot-out in Fat Tony's mansion (caused by Homer mouthing off to one of the guards). Tightlips is shot by accident:

LEGS: "Johnny Tightlips! Where did they get you?" TIGHTLIPS: "I ain't sayin' nothin'." LEGS: "But what will I tell the doctor?" TIGHTLIPS: "Tell 'im to suck a lemon."

Johnny Tightlips is a reference to Frank "Tight Lips" Gusenberg who was shot down at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and replied "Nobody shot me" while dying.

Judge Constance Harm

Judge Constance Harm is a judge in Springfield who lives in a houseboat. She is voiced by Jane Kaczmarek and is known for her strict and harsh punishment, similar to Judge Judy. This is logical, assuming the fact that her name is a pun on "constant harm" It's implied that she is a transsexual but it is never confirmed or denied.

Judge Roy Snyder

Judge Roy Snyder is a judge in Springfield. He is known for his lenient punishment. Originally Jewish, Snyder later became an African-American for most of the series. He was seen in Ned Flanders' film, Tales of the Old Testament, cutting himself in half. Judge Snyder has a little clown figure on his desk which means that his rulings are official. In one episode, he came back from vacation, placed the clown on his desk, and said, "Welp, I'm back from vacation," just as Judge Constance Harm was, "about to bang [her] gavel, making the sentence final." Now, it's too late. I've already put my clown down," Judge Snyder replied. Judge Harm tried to argue, "But..." she began. Judge Snyder roared, "THE CLOWN IS DOWN!" and proceeded to rule that boys will be boys and dismissed Bart's case.

Kent Brockman

Kent Brockman (voiced by Harry Shearer) is a local TV news "personality" for KBBL-TV (Channel 6). He hosts the KBBL weeknight news (Scott Christian is the weekend news anchor and Kent's fill-in) as well as Smartline, a local current affairs show and Eye on Springfield which focuses mostly on Springfield's entertainment news. His character bears a striking resemblance to Los Angeles news anchor Jerry Dunphy.

Brockman has a preteen daughter, and has jealously mentioned his sister, who is also a TV reporter with a national network.

At one point, he was fired for using the acronym "SOB" on air but was later rehired for unspecified reasons.

On one notable episode, Brockman won the multi-million-dollar state lottery jackpot. He has remained a news anchor because he is under contract, though he admits he would not quit his rather well-paying job regardless.

In a flashback to the 1960s, we see that when he started out in television his name was Kenny Brocklestein.

It is said that Brockman was based on Dunphy and fellow L.A. News legend Hal Fishman. There are episodes, however, in which he appears to emulate both Ted Koppel and Walter Cronkite. He also bears somewhat of a resemblance to Ted Baxter, the airhead news anchor from Mary Tyler Moore, played by Ted Knight.

Brockman drives a blue Mercedes-Benz S420, which he can be seen washing in the opening credits of Eye on Springfield.

In one of the Simpsons comic books, Kent Brockman is accosted by some extortionists, who threaten to reveal that his real name is Brock Kentman.

Krusty the Clown

See Krusty the Clown

Legs and Louie

Legs and Louie are the two mafia hitman who accompany Fat Tony at all times.

Fans often get the two confused. The way to tell them apart is by their hair: Legs has a short haircut and Louie has a slight afro.

Lindsey Naegle

Lindsey Naegle (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is a fictional character from The Simpsons, whose first appearance was in the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show." The unnamed character was simply referred to as the "Female Network Executive," and she later returned once again in "Girly Edition."

In "They Saved Lisa's Brain", the character was introduced as Lindsey Naegle, a member of the Springfield MENSA Society.

Over the course of the series, Lindsey has popped up in several capacities, working a seemingly different job in every episode. Her professional job titles have included the aforementioned network executive, as well as marketing researcher, financial planner, public relations consultant, venture capitalist (her company, Advanced Capital Ventures, specializes in synergy and books on how to cheat at bridge), advertising executive, and so on. She is also admitted to be a sexual predator.

A recovering alcoholic (she attends AA meetings in "Days of Wine and Doh'ses"), Lindsey is also founder of Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples, And Teens, And Gays Against Parasitic Parents (SSCCATAGAPP).

Lionel Hutz

Lionel Hutz, who was voiced by Phil Hartman, was an inept ambulance chaser that the Simpsons kept hiring as their lawyer (a fact remarked on by Marge in a typically self-aware aside).

In the episode "Realty Bites", he also turns his hand to selling real estate.

At one point, Hutz renamed himself Miguel Sanchez following some trouble that prompted him to change his identity. At the time of this change of identity, he was babysitting the Simpson children: Bart, Lisa and Maggie. (At some point, he apparently went by the name Nguyen Van Thoc, or possibly Ngyugen Van Falk.)

The character was retired after Hartman's death (by homicide) in 1998, and since then has only appeared in crowd scenes. This has been inconvenient for the show; lawsuits are frequent in The Simpsons and since Hutz was retired, a different cheap lawyer has had to be used to represent the Simpson family each time. (For example, in Sweets and Sour Marge, Gil steps in.)

Lovejoy Family

• Reverend Timothy Lovejoy (voiced by Harry Shearer) is the local minister.
• Helen Lovejoy is his judgmental, small minded, moralistic, and gossipy wife. Helen's catchphrase, delivered in times of civic crisis (moral or otherwise), consistently asks, "Will someone please think of the children?"
• Jessica Lovejoy (guest-voiced by Meryl Streep), is their daughter, a troublemaker who briefly dated Bart.

Rev. Lovejoy is the Reverend of the Church (of uncertain Protestant denomination, mentioned as the "Western Branch of American Presbo-Lutherism" in one particular episode) that seemingly every Christian in Springfield attends. His sermons vary between dreary recitations of the more opaque parts of the Old Testament, to the occasional "fire and brimstone" scaremongering about Hell - and very little of the love and joy that the Reverend's surname, taken from the name of a street on the north side of Matt Groening's hometown of Portland, Oregon, makes comment on. Bart and Homer, particularly, find it extremely difficult to pay attention during church. If his congregation begins to drowse off, Lovejoy can awaken them by pressing a button on his lector which plays pre-recorded sounds, including an eagle, an ambulance, and a Disco whistle.

An episode points to how he first came to Springfield eager and full of idealism in the seventies, but has since become cynical and disillusioned about his flock and his ministry, mostly due to Ned Flanders, who constantly pesters the Reverend with such non-emergencies as coveting his own wife.

Lovejoy then dispatches these, and the concerns of other parishioners, with as much brevity as he can manage so that he can go back to what seems to be his true passion - his model trains. "I just stopped caring", he explained to Marge. "[But] fortunately, by then it was the eighties, and no one noticed." The producers of The Simpsons have said Lovejoy is one of the least corrupt and most decent characters in Springfield.

However, Lovejoy has often been portrayed as an extremist Christian. In She of Little Faith, he calls Lisa a "devil-daughter".

The church itself is a clone of the one seen in The Graduate.

Quote: "There's more to being a minister, than not caring about people."

Luigi Re Soto

This character, voiced by Hank Azaria is the proprietor of the local Italian restaurant. He is basically a parody of the "Italian pasta/pizza chef" stereotype. He often treats his customers rudely and cruelly, slandering and belittling them under his breath. It is possible he is an illegal immigrant. He also found it politically correct when Principal Skinner had the school rename pizza "Italian-American Sauce-Bread."

Luigi seems to have some connections to the mafia as Fat Tony is a frequent customer at his restaurant. Also, he once claimed to have hired his friend to place a horse's head under Homer's bed for giving his restaurant a bad review. Homer subsequently ate the head and gave it a bad review.

His name is a play on the Italian food risotto.

Nelson Muntz

See Nelson Muntz

Pasty Faced Lawyer

The Pasty-faced Lawyer is a prominent lawyer known for his pasty face and a nasal voice. Unlike Lionel Hutz or Gil, this lawyer is actually a more honest and (slightly) less incompetent lawyer. He is regularly Mr. Burns' lawyer, and is a member of the Springfield Republican Party.

Perhaps his most memorable scene was in FABF08, The Ziff Who Came To Dinner: The Lawyer was representing Homer in an Enron-like court case...

The Lawyer whispers something to Homer.

                    HOMER
  Read the fifth amend-what?

The Lawyer whispers again.

                    HOMER
  Refuse to answer on the grounds that I what?
      (then)
  Inseminate myself??
      (then, to the judge)
  Dudes, I think this guy's coming on to me!

The Lawyer stands up, and yells:

                    LAWYER
      (to Homer)
  You, sir, are a moron!
                    HOMER
  A mormon? But I'm from Earth!

His voice is based on real-life lawyer Roy Cohn (who, incidentally, died in the suit Chuck Garabedian wore in Episode AABF20, "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo").

Professor John Frink

Main article: Professor Frink

Ralph Wiggum

Ralph Wiggum is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Ralph Wiggum is the son of Police Chief Clancy Wiggum, and a classmate of Lisa Simpson at the Springfield Elementary School. Ralph is a good-hearted child, but has learning and social difficulties, which are evidenced by his tendency to utter hilarious and stupid sayings - such as "I bent my Wookiee" and "I'm going to live with my underground grandma" - throughout the course of the show. Ralph Wiggum is a caricature of a stereotype -- in this case, he is a caricature of the "'special' kid" archetype. Ralph can't understand where the world goes when the drapes are closed, indicating he has the mentality, roughly speaking, of a three-year old. Interestingly enough, he's been shown to be a competent actor. He has a slight crushon Lisa, though her feelings for him are best described as platonic pity.

It's debatable whether Ralph suffers from a simple learning disability, is socially awkward or is actually borderline psychotic or sociopathic, as evidenced by his hearing voices (such as the pyromaniacal leprechaun, see quotes, below ) or his preparation of a thumbtack sandwich for his father.

A typical "Ralph moment" occurs when his class is doing craft activities, and Miss Hoover tells him to "please stop eating the paste." He is regularly bewildered by the teasing he receives when he reveals his ignorance to his more clued-in classmates. His cat's name is Mittens, which is strange because he considers that word to be a "swear." Ralph also has a pine cone which he claims is his "baby brother."

When Ralph originally appeared on the Simpsons, he wasn't associated with the Wiggum family (he also had a different voice & personality). He was actually envisioned as a mini-Homer. It was later on in the series that the writers decided that he would be perfect as the son of Police Chief Wiggum.

In the game The Simpsons Hit and Run, the Wiggum family lives right down the road from the Simpsons, which explains his ease of travel to the Simpsons' house and his bed washing in front of their house when Cecil, Sideshow Bob's brother, blew up the Springfield Dam. He's also Bart's "drinking buddy" in the future, when Lisa is President.

Like several other secondary characters from The Simpsons, Ralph Wiggum has a sort of cult following. This may be attributable to his frequently bizarre non sequiturs and endearing simplicity.

Sarcastic middle-aged man

A man with a sarcastic outlook on life. He has held numerous jobs in Springfield including Garage owner and various shop clerks. His voice is vaguely reminiscent of Charles Bronson. One episode gives his first name as Rafael, which Sideshow Bob called him in "Day of the Jackanapes". He often calls people, "pally".

Sideshow Bob

Main Article: Sideshow Bob

Sideshow Mel

Sideshow Mel, full name Melvin van Horne, has served as Krusty the Clown's sidekick for more than a decade, replacing Sideshow Bob after Bob was incarcerated from framing Krusty for robbery.

Little is known about Mel. He is a Cornell University graduate. He may be named for Roy Van Horn, half of the famous Las Vegas lounge act Siegfried and Roy.

Sideshow Mel uses a slide whistle to communicate on camera. When not in character, Mel speaks in a grandiose British/Shakespearean accent. His main accomplishment so far has been successfully removing Waylon Smithers from suspicion of having shot Mr. Burns.

Bart Simpson has found out that Mel is lactose intolerant. Mel perpetually wears a bone in his hair which may or may not be permanently affixed: once he claimed it was stuck there with gum, but elsewhere he removed and used it as a weapon during a duel. Krusty once poured liquid nitrogen down Mel's pants and cracked his buttocks with a hammer.

He may be married or living with a woman, who may or may not be Krusty's sister, with whom he wished to purchase a house from Marge Simpson in the episode "Realty Bites" (he declined, disliking the bowling alley feature).

While his trademark bone in his hair seemed to be just decorative, he indicated in "Skinner's Sense Of Snow" that he could feel meteorological conditions in the bone, such as incoming storms.

Snake

Snake is Springfield's resident recidivist felon, always getting arrested but never appearing to stay in jail. He keeps a pack of cigarettes rolled up in his sleeve. He is partial to fast cars and fast women, and has a knack for reckless abandon. Snake played Lacrosse at Ball State University. He also attended Middlebury College. His car's name is "Lil' Bandit", which may be a '68 Pontiac Firebird, or a '69 Dodge Charger. He has a son who looks just like him. His ex-girlfriend Gloria briefly dated Charles Montgomery Burns, but then came back to him.

In the Treehouse of Horror, Snake was executed based on a "three-strikes" policy. First he burned down an orphanage, then he blew up a bus full of nuns (which Snake declared was "Totally self-defense"), and he finally smoked in the Kwik-E-Mart. His hair was then implanted into Homer's head, but had to be removed because it made him a homicidal maniac.

Snake's real name, according to an official trading card game, is Chester Turley. However, some of the said cards do have some silly untrue facts which means that the name could be a fake.

Squeaky Voiced Teen

The squeaky-voiced teen has acne, and his voice is in the process of breaking. He appeared in the opening sequence of one episode, kissing an attractive blonde girl on the couch. In the introductory sequence of another episode, he appeared as a valet getting the Simpsons' couch for them (although he did not receive a tip). He once attempted to commit suicide (because FOX cancelled Futurama, possibly in reference to the teenage main character of that show).

In one episode ("Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays"), he lost his squeaky voice to "become a man," after Lindsey Naegle suggested that the adults "kill every child . . . -friendly thing in town."

In episode "[9F11] Selma's Choice", the SVT wore a nametag and was referred to by Bart as "Mitch" when the SVT measured his height for a roller coaster without noticing the candy apple stilts Bart was using. ("Mitch, you're doing a bang up job.") Also, Seymour Skinner refers to him as "Jeremy" from a deleted scene on The Complete Fifth Season DVD, which is in episode "[1F18] Sweet Seymour Skinner's Badass Song", in a scene where Skinner and Bart are on a roller coaster and the teen portrays a vampire who has "come to suck your blood".

There are a few different Squeaky Voiced Teens, invented usually to suit a certain locale. One was seen, for example in England; fittingly, he had a British accent. An Australian version of the Squeaky Voiced Teen was seen at the souvenir store that Lisa, Marge, and Maggie visited when the Simpsons were in Australia where he suggests Bullfrogs should be called 'chazwazzas'. There is also one Krusty Burger restaurant that is entirely staffed by SqueakyVoiced Teens.

The SVT is ubiquitous, existing not only in every conceivable locale, but in any historical era. In "I Love Lisa", one of Sgt. Skinner's old platoon members was a Squeaky Voiced Teen. Skinner has a flashback, while doing morning announcements over the intercom, of the young man being brutally shot on a flatboat by snipers while looking at a valentine from his girlfriend back home. He screams, and Bart says, "Cool. I broke his brain."

One episode implied that Lunchlady Doris is actually his mother.

Troy McClure

See Troy McClure.

"Yes" guy

This character is known for saying "MMMMMMMmmmmmmyeeeeeeessss?" in a rising inflection, and appears to be highly eccentric in both his speech and appearance. He has appeared several times working with several jobs: waiter, employee at Costington's, Death Row worker, and ice cream man. He claims he speaks this way because of a stroke ("I had a STRO-ooo-oo-oke"). Apparently, his name is Raoul, but he has been referred to by Homer as "that jerk who goes 'yeeeeesss?'" in "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays". He was inspired by Frank Nelson of The Jack Benny Show and later Sanford and Son, whose trademark greeting in all his characters was a long drawn- out "yeeeeesss?". Nelson's character always seemed to inexplicably be working wherever Benny or Fred Sanfordpatronized, and his Simpsonian counterpart is equally omnipresent.

There was also a Brazilian version seen, uttering a Portuguese variation of the catchphrase ("Siiiiiiiiiii?" - The nasalization of the word, as is normal in Portuguese, isn't clear when he says it).

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