My Life as a Ten Year Old Boy

The Simpsons cartoon series, which has lasted for ten years, is an extraordinary programme. With a team of talented writers, led by the incomparable Matt Groening, it has imposed itself on American culture in a way which few comedies do (let alone cartoon comedies). In 1992, President George Bush urged his countrymen to be 'closer to the Simpsons than the Waltons'. Two days later, Bart Simpson had his reply on national television: 'Hey, we're just like the Waltons, we're praying for an end to the depression too'. At the centre of all this is an unremarkable- looking woman whose voice is that of a small yellow boy with evil on his mind. The voice of Bart, the elder child of the Simpson family, Nancy Cartwright's life has been radically changed by the runaway success of the series. This is a straightforward telling of the story of the first ten years of the show, from its early origins through to the ultimate triumphs. There are few shocking revelations in this book: Cartwright is too canny to bite the hands that feeds, and maybe rather too many voice-over secrets, while the style is a little folksy. And when she describes Mel Gibson and his 'baby blues' arriving to do his voice-over, nausea sets in. Nevertheless, it is an easy read and an almost unprecedented inside view of a television success story. For fans of the series only, but there are plenty of them. (Kirkus UK)