All posts by Solar Dragon

About Solar Dragon

I am Solar Dragon, the head admin on Wikisimpsons.

More ‘Girls’ stars to guest star in season 27 premiere

Episodes, Guest stars


Four new guest stars have been announced for the season 27 premiere, “Every Man’s Dream“. Lena Dunham‘s (who was previously announced to guest star as Candace) co-stars from Girls will guest star alongside her as Candace’s friends. The co-stars in question are Allison Williams, Zosia Mamet and Jemima Kirke.

Also guest starring is radio talk show host Laura Ingraham. She will voice a therapist who finds no hope in Homer and Marge’s marriage.

“Every Man’s Dream” is set to air in Fall 2015 and is written by J. Stewart Burns.

The Terwilliger Family Return in a new TSTO event!

Tapped Out


A new The Simpsons: Tapped Out event has started today. After a longer than usual delay between iOS and Android, the major devices all have it available as a store update (You must download from the App Store or Play Store).

This new update features the entire Terwilliger family with a new plot, involving the Monsarno Corporation. There will be three phases of prizes with three different event currencies. Phase one uses spades, phase two uses gas masks and phase three uses music notes.

Prizes are obtained in order by collecting spades. Items can be crafted using fertilizer and corn. There are daily tasks that have to be completed to get more event currency too.

For full details about the event, including characters to unlock and how, buildings, phases and prizes, see the Wikisimpsons article.

The Simpsons On Hiatus – Season 27 Confirmed…?

Miscellaneous


As you may have read on Wikisimpsons, season 27 is confirmed. However, these are all leftover episodes from the last production season, which most of season 26 was made out of.

For those of you that don’t know, a production season is different to an airing season. Each episode has a production code, i.e. TABF14, the production code for the season 27 premiere, “Every Man’s Dream“. TABF is the production season whilst 14 is the episode number within that production season. Most airing seasons will have episodes from two different production seasons, the current and the last one.

So, whilst season 27 is confirmed, currently only episodes from the last production season have been confirmed. There are currently no new episodes from a new production season as no new episodes are being created.

The animators for the show are currently on hiatus, and have no return date to the show. According to one of the animators, this has only happened once in the past. The likely cause of this is due to contract negotiations with the cast taking longer than usual, and that is the popular theory although no confirmation has been given to this as of yet. Therefore, no one is currently working on new episodes. If contract negotiations with the cast fall through, there could only be half a season of episodes, rather than a full season, consisting of episodes from the last production season. This could also spell the end for The Simpsons.

However, don’t panic. That is only a worst case scenario. The Simpsons is a huge money maker for Fox and I doubt they’ll be letting it go any time soon.

EDIT: The Upfronts in May, the days when TV networks announce the shows that are being cancelled or renewed, will likely be the latest we hear some news about the future of The Simpsons.

A summary of news: March 2015

Summaries

March 2015 saw a few new episode releases. However, it was also a very sad month for The Simpsons. Read on to find out why.

Episode news

Moe meets a new woman


On March 1st, “The Princess Guide” aired. The episode was written by Brian Kelley and directed by Timothy Bailey. Yaya DaCosta guest starred as Princess Kemi, Richard Branson guest starred as himself, Kevin Michael Richardson guest starred as the Nigerian king and Jon Lovitz reprised his role as Enrico Irritazio. The episode ended with a dedication to Leonard Nimoy who died a few days prior to the airing.

In the episode, Homer is charged with looking after Princess Kemi whilst her father makes a uranium deal with Mr. Burns. However, she escapes from Homer and spends time with Moe, who falls in love with her.

See also: Moe will plot revenge over Nigerian E-mail scam this March and 10 New Promotional Images for “The Princess Guide” have been released!

Chief Wiggum takes to the skies!


On March 8th, “Sky Police” aired. The episode was written by Matt Selman and directed by Rob Oliver. Nathan Fielder guest starred as Doug Blattner.

Chief Wiggum is mistakenly delivered a military jet pack. He uses this in his policing duties but eventually is found out and ordered to hand it back. He tries to escape and it crashes into the church. Several members of the congregation count cards at a casino to get the money for repairs.

See also: Chief Wiggum is mistakenly delivered a military jet pack this March and 5 Promotional Images for “Sky Police” have been released!

So You Think You Can Duff-man?


On March 15th, “Waiting for Duffman” aired. It was written by John Frink and directed by Steven Dean Moore. Cat Deeley guest starred as herself, Stacy Keach guest starred as Howard K. Duff VII and R. Lee Ermey guest starred as Colonel Leslie Hapablap.

Duffman injures himself during a parade and has to undergo hip replacement surgery. So, a reality show is invented to find the next Duffman, which Homer wins.

See also: So You Think You Can… DUFFMAN? on an all-new episode this March and 3 Promotional Images for “Waiting for Duffman” have been released!

Tapped Out news

Superheroes Issues 3 and 4


Issues 3 and 4 of the superheroes update were released on March 10th and 24th respectively. These carried in the superhero event which started in February. For all the details on the event and the issues, read the article.

Won’t somebody please think of the children?


On March 4th, Level 50 was released. This update came with the long awaited characters Helen and Jessica Lovejoy. Two new friend point prizes were also made available with this update. For all the details, read the article.

The Homer arrives!


On March 11th, the car Homer designed, “The Homer“, arrived in Tapped Out as a new Gil deal. The car cost 82 donuts and came with a new questline, which also teased the introduction of Herb Powell as a character, who will be coming to Tapped Out at some point in the future. Read the update article for more details!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!


On March 16th, only 5 days after the last update, a small St. Patrick’s Day update hit. This update re-released all the previous St. Patrick’s Day items and came with a new Gil deal for Blarney Castle and two new decorations. Read the update article for more details.

The Beach House arrives late


On March 31st, the Beach House arrived in Tapped Out. This was supposed to arrive on the 29th but for unknown reasons, it never arrived. It was purchasable for 120 donuts.

Comic news

Simpsons Comics #219


Simpsons Comics #219 was released on March 18th.

After a run-in with the paparazzi, Krusty the Clown hires Homer to stand in for him, or rather, stand next to him — because Homer makes Krusty look good by comparison. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes a stand-in studio musician for Bleeding Gums Murphy‘s sister, Flossy Murphy. But Homer and Lisa soon discover that the life of a second-hand, stopgap, stand-in celebrity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

See also: Simpsons Comics #219 now available!

Bart Simpson #95


Bart Simpson #95 was released on March 25th.

In order to earn enough money for some tickets to a professional wrestling match, Bart gets a job at the Kwik-E-Mart. And then, in order to put food on the table Otto the Bus Driver offers his own services (as well as the Springfield Elementary bus) as an “Uber”-type driver. Plus, a Bart/SpongeBob SquarePants mash-up.

See also: Bart Simpson #95 now available!

Miscellaneous news

RIP Sam Simon


On March 8th, co-creator of The Simpsons Sam Simon sadly passed away after a long battle with colorectal cancer. Simon left the show in season 4 but continued to be credited as an executive producer for the show.

See also: RIP Sam Simon

Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic


On March 17th, Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic was released. This was the fourth book in the series of Vault of Simpsonology.

In Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic, Springfield’s most sensitive student reveals the secrets of being a misunderstood geek goddess. The geeks have inherited the earth . . . And Springfield’s most outspoken and overlooked middle child, Lisa Simpson, is here to tell you why! So what does it matter that you don’t run with the popular crowd? You control the trends and tastes of popular culture. Who cares if you aren’t part of a clique? Your idiosyncratic style is now très chic. So what if you’re not very social? You’re tech savvy drives all social media. There’s no need to lay low in nerd anonymity. You are the smartest person in the room, and it’s time to fulfill your dork destiny!

See also: Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic now available!

EA Giveth and EA Taketh – The Homer

Tapped Out

The Homer deal is back now after a small update today!


Yesterday, a new The Simpsons: Tapped Out update happened in-game for The Homer, the car that Homer designed. It was available for 82 donuts and was supposed to last for 5 days.

Gil popped up in Springfield again to offer the car. If you purchased it, it came with a small quest line, teasing the addition of Herb Powell, Homer’s half brother. However, a few hours later, another update hit and the Gil deal was taken away. The end date was shifted back to 2014 meaning the offer was “over”.

However, if you didn’t get the car, don’t fear. It should be returning again very soon. The offer was a teaser to the addition of Powell Motors and Herb Powell. However, the theory is that EA accidentally released the update early, somehow.

I asked J. Stewart Burns, one of the writers of Tapped Out about it and he said this:

“we moved the update with herb back a bit. the homer was supposed to be a teaser to it. so my guess is… mistake.”

So, The Homer will be making a return at some point. And Herb Powell and Powell Motors will also be coming after that. For more details about the short update and future spoilers for the Herb Powell update, read this page.

RIP Sam Simon

Deaths


The Simpsons developer, executive producer, character designer and writer Sam Simon passed away today from Colorectal cancer.

Simon was diagnosed in late 2012 and was given 3-6 months left to live. However, he defied the odds and continued to fight long after that time frame. As well as working on The Simpsons, which he left after season 4 due to creative difficulties, Simon is well known as a member of PETA and his involvement with The Sam Simon Foundation.

Sayonara, Sam Simon! You will be missed!

What to expect: March 2015

What to expect

These are the upcoming events in March 2015 to look for.

Episode news

“The Princess Guide”


“The Princess Guide” will air on March 1st, this very day. The episode is written by Brian Kelley. Yaya DeCosta guest stars as Princess Kemi, Richard Branson guest stars as himself and Joe Mantegna guest stars as Fat Tony. In the episode:

“Homer is put in charge of keeping Princess Kemi out of trouble while her father, a Nigerian king, works out a uranium deal with Mr. Burns. When Kemi ends up at Moe’s, Moe jumps to the conclusion that she must be related to the Nigerian prince who scammed him over email and schemes to get his money back. But much to his surprise, he finds himself falling for the princess.”

See also: Moe will plot revenge over Nigerian E-mail scam this March and 10 New Promotional Images for “The Princess Guide” have been released!

“Sky Police”


“Sky Police” will air on March 8th. The episode is written by Matt Selman and directed by Rob Oliver. Nathan Fielder guest stars as himself. In the episode:

“Chief Wiggum is mistakenly delivered a military jet pack, which he gleefully accepts and uses in order to fight crime. But when the jet pack crashes into the church, the congregation, led by Marge, must resort to gambling and counting cards in order to collect money to repair the church.”

See also: Chief Wiggum is mistakenly delivered a military jet pack this March and 5 Promotional Images for “Sky Police” have been released!

“Waiting for Duffman”


“Waiting for Duffman” will air on March 15th. It is written by John Frink. Cat Deeley guest stars as herself and Stacy Keach guest stars as Howard K. Duff VIII. In the episode:

“When Duffman undergoes hip replacement surgery and retires, the company sets up a reality show competition to find his replacement. Homer wins the competition, and because the job requires him to stay sober, he learns that beer isn’t as necessary as he thought to have a good time.”

See also: So You Think You Can… DUFFMAN? on an all-new episode this March and 3 Promotional Images for “Waiting for Duffman” have been released!

Tapped Out news

Enter the Bartman


On March 3rd, Bartman will be coming into The Simpsons: Tapped Out as a costume for Bart, as part of the Superhero update. He will be available at 8am GMT across all games worldwide for 60 donuts. He will be available until the end of the update.

The Fruit Knight Rises… Again


On March 10th, Fruit-Bat-Man will return to Tapped Out. He first appeared during the “Dark Knight Court” episode tie-in. He will be available for 90 donuts and will be available until the end of the event as well.

If you already had Fruit-Bat-Man from his original release, he can be used to fight felons for the premium time of 3 hours. He will be able to do this if you choose to purchase him.

Miscellaneous news

Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic


On March 17th, the fourth book in the Vault of Simpsonology series will be released; Lisa Simpson’s Guide to Geek Chic.

“In Lisa Simpson‘s Guide to Geek Chic, Springfield‘s most sensitive student reveals the secrets of being a misunderstood geek goddess. The geeks have inherited the earth . . . And Springfield’s most outspoken and overlooked middle child, Lisa Simpson, is here to tell you why! So what does it matter that you don’t run with the popular crowd? You control the trends and tastes of popular culture. Who cares if you aren’t part of a clique? Your idiosyncratic style is now très chic. So what if you’re not very social? You’re tech savvy drives all social media. There’s no need to lay low in nerd anonymity. You are the smartest person in the room, and it’s time to fulfill your dork destiny!”

A summary of news: February 2015

Summaries

This is the summary of all The Simpsons news from February, in case you missed anything.

Episode news

Springfield gets a new town anthem


On February 8th, “Walking Big & Tall” aired. The episode, written by Michael Price and directed by Chris Clements, guest starred Pharrell Williams as himself and Kevin Michael Richardson as Albert. Springfield learns that the town anthem they had used for 30 years was bought from a salesman and lots of other towns used it. So, Bart and Lisa help write a new town anthem. Meanwhile, Homer becomes proud of being fat.

See also: “Walking Big & Tall” promotional images released!, Pharrell Williams to guest star and Pharrell invites 2.8m

Marge and Moe get new jobs


“My Fare Lady” aired on February 15th. Rich Sommer and Christopher Lloyd guest starred in an episode written by Marc Wilmore and directed by Michael Polcino. In the episode, Marge becomes a driver for a transportation app service to earn money. Meanwhile, Moe’s Tavern is destroyed by Homer when he watches over it for Moe and Moe becomes a janitor at the Nuclear Power Plant.

The episode also had a special couch gag by Australian animators Paul Robertson and Ivan Dixon. The couch gag was created and released onto YouTube by them and was found by the producers who liked it and added it to the episode.

See also: “My Fare Lady” information released, “My Fare Lady” promotional images released and Simpsons wins Fox’s night – with second-least watched episode ever

Tapped Out news

The Stonecutters return


The Stonecutters made a return on the 5th February. This update was just a resale of items from the previous Stonecutters event. This update had no new content at all and was a resale of most of the old Stonecutters stuff.

See also: Who is EA’s cheap(-ish) replacement for a Valentine’s event? They are, they are!

Jiminy Jillikers! Valentine’s Day was later than usual!


A week after the Stonecutters event, Valentine’s Day came around. The last two years, this was a major event. However, this update was a small update with very little new content. This was because something new and big was coming…

See also: Homer’s running late for Valentine’s…and so is EA!

Help, Sky Finger! Criminals have overrun Springfield!


February 18th brought a new event… Superheroes! This event, scheduled to end on March 23rd, added 3 new character collections; Superheroes, Vigilantes and Criminals. The update is split into four parts, called issues, and there is a comic book theme to the music, text, text bubbles and other parts. For full details, read our article.

See also: Homer’s leading the charge in an all-new Tapped Out event!

Comic news

Simpsons Illustrated #15 was released


Simpsons Illustrated #15 was released on February 4th. The description of the comic is:

“The Simpson family embarks on a globetrotting adventure that not only takes them around the world but, literally, into orbit around the Earth with everybody’s favorite, eternally optimistic, moonraking megalomaniac, Hank Scorpio! And when Bart finds himself living the dream after landing a gig as the new Radioactive Man comic book writer, Comic Book Guy finds himself living his worst nightmare. Then, Lisa applies her deductive skills to discovering the identity of her anonymous valentine.”

See also: Simpsons Illustrated #15 now available!

Simpsons Comics #218 was released


Simpsons Comics #218 was released on February 18th.

Comic Book Guy falls asleep during a Sci-Fi DVD marathon and dreams up three thrilling astronomical adventures. First, Bart is recruited by a battle school, where he and a ragtag crew of cadets are trained to fight an alien war. Then, Lisa finds herself set adrift in space when the satellite she is tethered too is destroyed by Krusty-themed space junk. Finally, no one is safe when Homer and yet another ragtag band of misfits become Protectors of the Planets.

See also: Simpsons Comics #218 now available!

RIP Leonard Nimoy

Deaths

Leonard Nimoy, best known as Spock from Star Trek, passed away earlier today following a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Nimoy had been diagnosed with the illness and had been in and out of hospitals for months. He was admitted to hospital on February 19th following severe chest pains and passed away today in his home.

Nimoy voiced himself in two episodes of The Simpsons; season 4‘s “Marge vs. the Monorail” and season 8‘s “The Springfield Files“.

He will be missed.

Source:

“Brick Like Me” wins a WGA award!

Miscellaneous


The Simpsons season 25 episode “Brick Like Me“, written by Brian Kelley, has won a Writers Guild of America award for Animation.

Four episodes from the show were nominated, “Brick Like Me”, “Covercraft” by Matt Selman, “Pay Pal” by David H. Steinberg and “Steal This Episode” by J. Stewart Burns. The other two nominees in the category were Bob’s Burgers episodes “Bob and Deliver” and “Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl”.

For a full list of nominees and winners from the Writers Guild of America Awards 2015, see this page.