The humor is essentially dark for a cartoon and sophisticated. But at the same time, being a cartoon gives the writers more freedom than in a normal sitcom. It always pushes the line that, despite human failings, the Simpsons are really decent people.

Everything I do, I do it with the hope that people will watch it more than twice. Whether it's 'Pan's Labyrinth' or 'Pacific Rim' or the opening of 'The Simpsons,' I do it with that hope.

It's not exactly calm at Christmas. It's a bit like the Simpsons appearing in a pasta advert - lots of bickering, crazy pets, and plenty of tomato sauce!

I'm kind of a dork. I don't have much game. I'm not particularly comfortable in bars or clubs. I much prefer being home playing Scrabble having dinner with a couple friends going to see a movie or losing a whole weekend to Season 14 of Law and Order or The Simpsons.

Sometimes people get mad at The Simpsons' subversive story telling but there's another message in there which is a celebration of making wild funny stories.

We've got a bunch of new writers now who tell me they grew up watching The Simpsons. It's bizarre and they're writing some very funny stuff.

The humor is essentially dark for a cartoon and sophisticated. But at the same time being a cartoon gives the writers more freedom than in a normal sitcom. It always pushes the line that despite human failings the Simpsons are really decent people.

I feed my kids organic food and milk but I've also been known to buy the odd Lunchable. My kids are not allowed to watch TV during the week but on weekends even the 2-year-old veges out to 'The Simpsons.'

Our solution on 'The Simpsons' is to do jokes that people who have an education or some frame of reference can get. And for the ones who don't it doesn't matter because we have Homer banging his head and saying 'D'oh!'

In my cranky old age I actually prefer recording alone now on 'The Simpsons ' for example because I find that the director can just focus on what I'm doing and I can do a lot of variations. A lot of times when I record with a group I'll stay after class for another hour or two.