At this weekend鈥檚 block party, Springfield city staff worked a tent and handed out free 鈥淗omer鈥� donuts and posters commemorating the large Simpsons mural at 5th and Main Street.
The 15-by-30-foot piece was unveiled in late August 2014 to much fanfare, including a guest appearance by , the voice of Lisa Simpson.
At the block party, local resident Josh Matthews happily munched on his pink donut with sprinkles, taking in the artwork that shows Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie enjoying the Oregon forest. He mentioned that he was here 10 years ago, when the mural was first celebrated.
鈥淗uge fan,鈥� said Matthews. 鈥淲e have 鈥楾he Simpsons鈥� murals on the back of our house, too. We鈥檙e those kind of fans, so鈥e love our Simpsons here in Springfield!鈥�
Matthews told KLCC that his favorite character is , and his favorite episode from Season 8, which features as the voice of a mystical coyote who beckons Homer to find his soulmate after eating a so-called 鈥渋nsanity pepper.鈥�
Another superfan, Nancy Newton, has been a big fan of work since his early days illustrating the alternative comic strip, . She鈥檚 very pleased to be in charge of the 鈥渞eal Springfield.鈥�
鈥淐onfession: I have been watching 鈥楾he Simpsons鈥� since I was in my 20s,鈥� said Newton. 鈥淪o this is the first full circle moment to be the city manager鈥f Springfield!鈥�
Newton is fond of fellow musician and nerd Lisa Simpson, as well as .
Besides the big mural, other Simpsons artwork by can be found across town鈥攍ike so many sprinkles on a donut. There鈥檚 Lisa Simpson riding a Pegasus, and Comic Book Guy in the 鈥淲orst Mural Ever.鈥� Ned Flanders shows off his skiing physique, while Mr. Burns and his doting assistant, Smithers, scheme nearby. There鈥檚 even a 鈥淏igfoot Homer鈥� from the Season 1 episode,
鈥淭he Simpsons鈥� creator Matt Groening has confirmed several times that Springfield, Oregon is the location of the show and its many zany characters. An official plaque in Springfield City Hall with a note by Groening is one of the most popular attractions there.
Elyse Ditzel, a public information officer with the City of Springfield, said they enjoy their relationship with Groening and the creative team behind 鈥淭he Simpsons.鈥�
鈥淭heir quirky humor just really resonates with the City of Springfield, and so people do get to see the different characters as they walk throughout the city," said Ditzel.
That relationship shows no signs of fading. The animated series is now moving into its 36th season on FOX.
There was no official program for the 10th anniversary of the Springfield mural. But several staffers told KLCC there could be events for future milestones, such as a character look-a-like contest, or special appearances by Groening, Smith, and other voice actors.
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