Trivia / Life in Hell

• Long Runner: Ran weekly for 35 years.
• Magnum Opus Dissonance/What Could Have Been: Originally, Matt Groening was going to use the comic as animated filler for The Tracey Ullman Show, but after realizing that he would have to give up the rights to his creation, Groening (while waiting to pitch his idea to James L. Brooks) drew up some crudely drawn humans and named them The Simpsons. That's right; had Groening actually gone along with pitching Life in Hell, there would be no Simpsons. Meanwhile, the show became a cultural phenomenon while the strip stayed underground.
• Money, Dear Boy: The primary reason Matt Groening didn't give up the rights. He was financially dependent on the merchandising at the time and would've lost some (if not all) of the cash to Fox if they made a deal.

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