History ComicBook / TheSimpsons

* AlternateTimelineAncestry: In a one-shot story, a mishap in professor Frink's lab that resulted from one of his monkeys putting aluminum foil in microwave near some equipment led to reality being warped, with only Frink and a flying monkey being the only ones who know everything's changed. In this new reality, Bart and Lisa are in Mr. Bergstrom's fourth grade class, though it seems because they're the same age, as Lisa sees no point in his puzzles, which she thinks are too complex. However, Lisa seems to be an only child as she's the daughter of Marge and her ex-husband Artie Ziff, while Bart is Maggie's older brother and they, along their father Homer, [[MissingMom were abandoned by Mindy]].

* AlternateTimelineAncestry: In a one-shot story, a mishap in professor Frink's lab that resulted from one of his monkeys putting aluminum foil in microwave near some equipment led to reality being warped, with only Frink and a flying monkey being the only ones who know everything's changed. In this new reality, Bart an Lisa are in Mr. Bergstrom's fourth grade class, though it seems because they're the same age, as Lisa sees no point in his puzzles, which she thinks are too complex. However, Lisa seems to be an only child as she's the daughter of Marge and her ex-husband Artie Ziff, while Bart is Maggie's older brother and they, along their father Homer, [[MissingMom were abandoned by Mindy]].

** Groundskeeper Willie's big brother Angus is better, smarter, a clearer speaker, more good looking and a successful movie star. Willie also thinks their parents prefer him more, though they really don't care about either of them.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: The final part of the "WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis" features brief shadowed cameos from Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/WonderWoman, Franchise/SpiderMan, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, Franchise/{{Wolverine}} and ComicBook/TheMightyThor. When [[LampshadeHanging Bart asks why]] they're all standing in the shadows, Spider-Man replies "Copyright protection!"

* BaitAndSwitch: After finding Fallout Boy's long-lost brother, Radioactive Man assures Todd he'll find him a place where he'll get the love and support he needs... at military academy.

* BeenThereShapedHistory: Mister Burn's adopted father is responsible for the Hindenburg (he sold the makers discount hydrogen), the Titanic (he had the hull made out of tinfoil to save costs), communism, and the disappearance of Amelia Earhart (whose plane just happened to have a very large amount of incriminating tax receipts on-board).

* PutOnABus: A much more literal case than usual. A reality TV show has Lisa put on a bus to Smart Kid's Camp when she refuses to take part. She doesn't return for the rest of the issue.

* DraggedIntoDrag: Usually Bart as something of a RunningGag. Bart would be forced via LoopholeAbuse to join the cheerleaders in a girl's uniform, become a "female" pop star, play female roles in amateur films, be forced to disguise as his sister Lisa for any number of reasons, be left wearing rather frilly pink skirts and dresses after having no other clean clothes in the house and visiting an all-girls school.

* DraggedIntoDrag: Usually Bart. Became something of RunningGag, which was mostly due to a peculiar case of a sort of {{Flanderization}} applied to a concept rather than a character. See, there are one or two examples in the show of this trope applying to Bart (as well as a few examples of him willingly embracing his feminine side), merely because he's an inherently funny character to apply this too, being as he is just the right balance of "bad boy", but not exactly the most macho guy either. For some reason, the comics just made this into a generic frequent gag. Bart would be forced via LoopholeAbuse to join the cheerleaders in a girl's uniform, become a "female" pop star, play female roles in amateur films, be forced to disguise as his sister Lisa for any number of convoluted reasons, be left wearing rather frilly pink skirts and dresses ([[FridgeLogic which are for some reason in his size as well as never having been seen to be worn by Lisa, who logically is the only family member such clothes could belong to]]) after having no other clean clothes in the house, experiencing an "all-girls school" plot straight out of a softcore erotic manga, getting cast in roles in sleepovers also straight out of the same,etc. Although not to say it was fetishistic, that would be a serious accusation for a children's comic and child character, probably just part of the general more cartoony and infantile nature of the comics. They also had Tom-and-Jerry style "splat" gags outside of Itchy and Scratchy, additionally to increased ToiletHumour, dontcha know?

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: In a quite literal example, one issue has several characters discussing chips which cause diarrhea, but they constantly get cut off before they can say the word.

** Issue 17 has a comic "advertising" [=KrustyCo=] "Vinylite-Gripped Steel-Tipped Lawn Darts". The comic parodies a "Street Ball", an ad for a line of Spalding basketballs appearing in many comic books from the mid-1970s through the early 1980s. Krusty even wears a rainbow wig similar to Julius Erving's hair (Julius having starred in the adverts alongside Rick Barry).

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: Radioactive Man represents the conservative 50s viewpoint, no matter the era he's in, so when he and fellow superhero Bleeding Heart are kicked out of a diner from dressing like hippies, and Bleeding Heart ruminates on how they live in a country where people are denied service just because they're slightly different, Radioactive Man chimes in with "it makes me ''proud'' to be an American."

* LookBehindMe: Bart uses this to avoid being wrongfully arrested by Apu.

* GoLookAtTheDistraction: Bart uses this to avoid being wrongfully arrested by Apu.
-->'''Bart:''' Look, it's Vishnu! ''(flees)''\\
'''Apu:''' ''(gasp)'' He has escaped. I am so annoyed I am tempted not to say... [[{{Catchphrase}} Thank you, come again!]]

* BornInTheWrongCentury: In an issue of Radioactive Man, a curvaceous modern woman is told by a former beauty queen turned agent she is too 'zaftig' to be a model nowadays, so she goes back in time to the fifties when the agent was competing were her 'zaftig' figure is admired by everyone (including the future agent).

* CassandraTruth: No-one believes Homer when he becomes a successful wrestler, least of all his own family. Marge only realises the truth when Homer's outfit gets damaged in the ring, revealing his labelled underwear.

* DisproportionateRetribution: In “The Burger Kings of Comedy,” Homer’s quest to get his own restaurant and run the franchise to the ground with its terrible working conditions all came from Krusty Burger rejecting his breakfast coupon past 9 AM.

* EpicFail: Gil's attempt to defend Krusty in court somehow ends up with the courthouse being burnt down, and Judge Snyder set on fire ''twice''.

* ItAlwaysRainsAtFunerals: Invoked during Radioactive Man's [[ComicBookDeath latest funeral]], where's it's pouring down due to several men operating a massive hose, making it look like it's raining.

* ValuesDissonance: The Radioactive Man comics have fifties sensibilities played for laughs so characters have disdain for reds and pinkos. Radioactive Man will go after peaceful hippie protesters the same as violent criminals because he believes proclamations of peace and love is communist propaganda. He dislikes discrimination but is obliviously proud to be an American when kids are put through the same and believes that citizens should unquestioningly follow authority such as the president.

* {{Ascended Fan|boy}}girl: [[http://spacecoyote.deviantart.com/gallery/#/dreq44 This fan's picture]] gave her [[http://news.deviantart.com/article/25036/ a job offer]] from Creator/BongoComics.

* BornInTheWrongCentury: In an issue of Radioactive Man, a curvacious modern woman is told by a former beauty queen turned agent she is too 'zaftig' to be a model nowadays, so she goes back in time to the fifties when the agent was competing were her 'zaftig' figure is admired by everyone (including the future agent).

* DraggedIntoDrag: Usually Bart. Became something of RunningGag, which was mostly due to a perculiar case of a sort of {{Flanderization}} applied to a concept rather than a character. See, there are one or two examples in the show of this trope applying to Bart (as well as a few examples of him willingly embracing his feminine side), merely because he's an inherently funny character to apply this too, being as he is just the right balance of "bad boy", but not exactly the most macho guy either. For some reason, the comics just made this into a generic frequent gag. Bart would be forced via LoopholeAbuse to join the cheerleaders in a girl's uniform, become a "female" pop star, play female roles in amateur films, be forced to disguise as his sister Lisa for any number of convoluted reasons, be left wearing rather frilly pink skirts and dresses ([[FridgeLogic which are for some reason in his size as well as never having been seen to be worn by Lisa, who logically is the only family member such clothes could belong to]]) after having no other clean clothes in the house, experiencing an "all-girls school" plot straight out of a softcore erotic manga, getting cast in roles in sleepovers also straight out of the same,etc. Although not to say it was fetishistic, that would be a serious accusation for a children's comic and child character, probably just part of the general more cartoony and infantile nature of the comics. They also had Tom-and-Jerry style "splat" gags outside of Itchy and Scratchy, additionally to increased ToiletHumor, dontcha know?

* {{Flanderisation}}: A lot DenserAndWackier than its parent show, due to skewing younger. Not to say it lacked sharp satire and black/blue comedy that would fly over kids' heads!

* FlowersForAlgernonSyndrome: In "They Fixed Homer's Brain", Homer becomes intelligent after taking a special pill during his job as a guinea pig for medical research. He becomes miserable while being smart, [[spoiler:but decides to have a more complete surgery for Lisa's sake when the pill starts wearing off. Lisa stops him from having the treatment so he doesn't sacrifice his happiness for her sake, and he goes back to his normal dim-witted self.]]

* GranolaGirl: Lisa sees some people moving gigantic bananas around, and rushes over to lecture them on "perveting nature's bounty", ignoring the fact that these people are black market dealers, and heavily armed. They try to kill her.

* HorrorHunger: ''Treehouse of Horror'' #17's story "Marge of the Dead" features Marge getting a organ transplant from a cadaver, with the transplant giving her an insatiable craving for human brains.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: The final part of the "WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis" features brief shadowed cameos from ComicBook/{{Batman}}, ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/WonderWoman, ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} and ComicBook/TheMightyThor. When [[LampshadeHanging Bart asks why]] they're all standing in the shadows, Spider-Man replies "Copyright protection!"

** When the town splits, with Lower Springfield taking the water supply with them, the affluent Upper Springfielder start deliriously talking about Lower Springfilders enslaving them to work in their water mines.

** When asked why he has a spare set of clothing, Abraham Lincolm mentions a time when he and Stonewall Jackson got incredibly drunk, but he angrily cuts off before he goes further.

* RidiculouslyHumanRobot: The robots designed to steal false teeth for the government are so human-like only one in sixteen-thousand, five-hundred and thirty six would notice.

** Halfway through issue 1, the story has a reference to Film/DoctorStrangelove, with Wiggum refusing to let Marge into the Springfield War Room because "she'll see the big board!"

** In issue 72, Mr. Burns' attempt to re-enact Film/LogansRun fails because killing his workers is banned by union rules. Later on, Homer goes mad and starts acting like he's in Series/GilligansIsland.

** One issue has a ''lot'' of these directed toward {{Series/Millennium}}, rather gratuiotously and mean-spiritedly, but that doesn't make it any less funny.

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: A selection of deathtraps Mr. Burns and Krusty peruse over has the options of [[Film/TheWizardOfOz lions, tigers, bears, oh my]] and "bathroom at Moe's". They have no idea what it does.
* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave:
** Patty and Selma are this in one issue, after being fired and finding their flat burnt down. It gets so bad that even Marge yells at them to get out.
** Krusty in another, blackmailing the Simpsons into filming his show in their house, in exchange for not suing them.

* TheUnishment: When Bart has all the teachers deported, he sends Krabappel to France. She doesn't even try to hide her smug smirk when Ms Hoover calls her a "student's pet".

* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: In one Simpsons Super Special, Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney steal exhibits from a scienctist' convention. Kearney winds up with X-Ray pants, and repeatedly tries to get a swap, to no luck.

** In "Springfield's Typical Teen-ager", a teenage Homer accidentally plans a date with Mr. Burn's niece and Marge at the same time, forcing him to drive back and fourth. Barney even compares Homer with [[Franchise/ArchieComics Archie Andrews.]]

* ValuesDissonance: The Radioactive Man comics have fifties sensibilities played for laughs so characters have disdain for reds and pinkos. Radioactive Man will go after peaceful hippie protesters the same as violent criminals and denounces proclamations for peace and love as communist propaganda for domination.

* ValuesDissonance: The Radioactive Man comics have fifties sensibilities played for laughs so characters have disdain for reds and pinkos. Radioactive Man will go after peaceful hippie protesters the same as violent criminals.

* NinetiesAntiHero: Parodied, like every other super hero cliché, when Bart visits the Android's Dungeon in one issue, and there's a shot of dozens of comics, including such [[SarcasmMode lovely]] names as Deathkill, Killdeath, Deathdeath and [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers The Lockjaw Legion]].

'''Lisa:''' Mom, she's not ''that'' kind of tart! I hope.

There have also been several {{spin off}}s such as ''ComicBook/BartSimpson'', ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'', and ''Radioactive Man''.

* ItsBeenDone: A clown-lawyer tries to give the Simpsons a free holiday in lieu of paying damages when Homer injuries himself, but no matter what country he suggests, the Simpsons have in fact been there already.

** One issue of Radioactive Man has the title character and fellow superheroes Bleeding Heart and Black Partridge travelling across America. After stopping at a diner, Partridge thinks to herself the idea of [[ComicBook/GreenArrow superheroes travelling across America]] is ludicrous. Just to ram the point home, what's clearly Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan can be seen behind her.

* DraggedIntoDrag: Usually Bart.

** One issue has a ''lot'' of these directed toward {{Series/Millennium}}.