Matt Groening

American cartoonist, writer, producer and animator regarded as one of the most influential figures in animated television. He created the comic strip Life in Hell and the television series The Simpsons, Futurama and Disenchantment. His work combines family satire, social commentary, absurd humour and science fiction, and he remains involved with The Simpsons as an executive producer.

He grew up in Portland and attended The Evergreen State College, where he contributed to the student newspaper and developed his interest in drawing and writing. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles in 1977, worked a variety of jobs and began producing Life in Hell, a comic inspired by his personal and professional difficulties. The strip expanded from alternative publications into hundreds of newspapers.

He conceived the Simpson family while waiting for a meeting with producer James L. Brooks after deciding that he did not want to surrender the rights to his Life in Hell characters. Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie were named after members of his family, while Bart was created as an anagram of the word brat. He has won 14 Primetime Emmy Awards, received the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award in 2002 and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.

He is the son of filmmaker, advertising professional and cartoonist Homer Philip Groening and teacher Margaret Ruth Wiggum. He grew up with his siblings Mark, Patty, Lisa and Maggie, whose names and family characteristics partly influenced his fictional characters. He had two sons during his first marriage and later formed a large family with Argentine artist Agustina Picasso.

He married Deborah Caplan in 1986, and they divorced in 1999. In 2011, he married Agustina Picasso after they had been in a relationship for several years. Their family life combines American and Argentine roots, and several of their children speak Spanish.

James L. Brooks and Sam Simon were essential collaborators in the development of The Simpsons, while David X. Cohen co-created Futurama with him. He has also worked for decades with writers, performers and animators including Al Jean, David Silverman and Dan Castellaneta. The Simpsons has faced criticism over some racial stereotypes, particularly the character Apu; Groening has defended freedom in comedy while also recognising the public's right to question and criticise its content.