Early influences and the golden age of the Simpsons

If you can make a living as a caricaturist on $3 a drawing you're doing very well.

The Simpsons episode to feature a live caricaturist was "Lisa the Beauty Queen" which first aired in 1992 in this one I remember how powerful it was and even though the scene itself is only about 15 seconds long it defines the whole episode.

It's hard to describe the kind of impact The Simpsons had on the decade that was the 90's and early 2000's defining an entire generation's humour identity- this was long before the internet was widely available, and even then it was only dial-up. 

The show back then wasn't quite the show it is today, which is more a cumbersome ageing behemoth bloated with random reference jokes and celebrity voice talents in a desperate attempt to stay relevant. Of the show's 25 year run it's had a Bronze age, a Silver age, a Golden age and a Jumped the Shark trying to compete with Family Guy age. But The Simpsons I grew up with isn't The Simpsons of today and I accept that, mostly because television has long been replaced by the internet as my main form of entertainment.

But I do remember with fondness the episodes featuring life lessons intricately layered with relatable wit and just enough cartoon charm to appreciate the writing on the 4th wall much like when you eat Chinese food for the first time and eating your greens becomes your favourite part of the meal, these days if there's any message at all it's delivered like a worming tablet slipped into dog food.

I will still always love the Simpsons circa 1990-2002 (with exceptions here and there) the episodes that truly influenced me are there.