BIZZFAD

Lisa surrounded by Simpsons episode guides.

Although the Simpsons franchise has been spread across every conceivable medium in 2024, it was the episode guides that first truly captured the hearts and minds of Simpsons nerds. Many of us older fans have fond memories of waiting in line at Border’s for the midnight release of the next guide in the series.

After reading this IGN article, it occurred to me that for someone who’s completely new to Simpsons fandom, things can be a little daunting. For those of us who grew up reading the episode guides and watching the TV show, the reading order likely seems fairly obvious. But if you just happened to have a used copy of one or two of the episode guides, you may have no idea where to begin. To help you figure out where to start, I’ve put together this quick primer on reading the Simpsons episode guides in order below.

1. The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family

Published in 1997, this episode guide kicked off the series. It covers seasons 1 through 8, and even includes a small guide to the Ullman shorts written by creator Matt Groening himself. Some fans argue this is the only episode guide you need, but the choice is up to you.

2. The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family …Continued

This was the follow-up to the first episode guide. It’s much smaller, as it only covers two seasons, 9 and 10. Think of it as an addendum to the first guide. This would set the standard for the next four years.

3. The Simpsons Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family …Still Continued

The third episode guide in the series, this one covers seasons 11 & 12.

4. The Simpsons One Step Beyond Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family …Continued Yet Again

Covering seasons 13 & 14, this is the last of the traditional episode guides. I kinda wish they had continued this pattern of titles, just to see how convoluted they’d become (Twelve Steps Beyond Infinity…?) but maybe it’s for the best that they went in a different direction for the next one.

5. Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20

This hefty tome covers every episode from season 1 through 20, so you basically don’t even need the previous episode guides. It reprints material from the previous episode guides, but it expands on that material by dedicating at least 2 pages for every episode, and adds new artwork. The book is pretty bulky and not very portable, so you might want to just stick with the previous episode guides. But seasons 15-20 is completely all-new material, so it’s worth buying if you’re a completionist.

As of this writing, seasons 21 through 36 have yet to be collected in the form of a physical episode guide, so it seems that – for now – the series has come to an end.

LISTICLE PARADISO

A collage of various Simpsons betrayals.

The Simpsons TV show has been on for a very long time, and in that time there’s been a lot of betrayal. Characters have been betrayed by their lovers, friends, co-workers, and even their own children. Join us as we rank the top ten betrayals in Simpsons history.

Continue Reading →

JOCK CENTER

An image of Mike Scioscia from the Simpsons episode Homer at the Bat.
For many years The Simpsons has delighted the world, and also too has baseball legend Mike Scioscia, so when those two join forces you know you’re in for a good time. After deliberating for hours, all of us here at IN THE NEWS have determined the definitive ranking of all Simpsons episodes featuring Mike Scioscia as a guest star.
Continue Reading →

LISTICLE PARADISO

An image of The Good, The Bad, and the Loki featuring Marge Simpson and Captain America.

The God of Mischief living with the Simpsons?! It happened, in the epic new short “The Good, The Bart, and the Loki,” streaming now on Disney+. Naturally, this crossover between the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and the MGU (Matt Groening Universe) is chock full of clever Easter eggs that should bring a smile to any True Believer. Here’s a list of 17 references, callbacks, and homages to The Simpsons.
Continue Reading →

LISTICLE PARADISO

An image of Homer amongst multiple Simpsons episodes.

The Simpsons is one of the most celebrated TV shows of all time, so as any Simpsons simp knows, it can be hard to narrow it down to just the classics. Undaunted by this challenge, we went through the painstaking trouble of selecting only the best 695 episodes of the series, and ranked them all in chronological order for your viewing pleasure. So crack open a Duff Brand Beer, grab a bag of Chippos, and enjoy the show! A smiley drinking soda pop and eating popcorn. Continue Reading →

LISTICLE PARADISO

An image of Donald Trump surrounded by Simpsons characters who definitely voted for him.

As you may have heard, there is an election going on right now. Across social media, people are speculating which TV characters voted for President Trump. As a person with both an extensive knowledge of The Simpsons and a degree in Wonk Science, I am uniquely suited to set the record straight on which Simpsons characters definitely, absolutely voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
Continue Reading →

LISTICLE PARADISO

An image of the Simpsons
  1. The Simpsons is a cartoon
  2. The Simpsons is about a family named the Simpsons
  3. The Simpsons have yellow skin
  4. The dad’s name is Homer
  5. Homer is fat
  6. The boy’s name is Bart
  7. Bart has spikey hair
  8. The girl’s name is Lisa
  9. The mom’s name is Marge
  10. Marge has large, blue hair
  11. There is also a baby
WEB-WATCH

Candy Addict is a blog that’s completely crazy about candy – just look at its description: “Candy news, views, and reviews. All the candy that’s fit to eat, and some that isn’t. All candy, all the time. Addicted to candy.” In honor of The Simpsons Movie, or so I assume, they compiled a list of the top 10 Simpsons candy moments, which one of the candy addicts thought I might be interested in and kindly e-mailed me about it. The Simpsons article is good and well, but I strongly advise looking at the rest of Candy Addict because it’s delightfully insane. [Candy Addict]

MEANINGLESS MILESTONES

Writer Brian Mciver rattles off his favorite moments from the series in broken English, including such classic moments as Maggie’s escape from the nursery, Homer in space, Homer selling his soul to Devil Flanders, “Mr Plough,” and… what the hell?!

Lisa of the future (President)

BART sees his future at a carnival and is shocked to find Lisa becomes President, while he is a struggling musician and Homer has a robotic prostate.

This is the first time I’ve seen that episode included in a list of the “best” anything, aside from “Best Episode Entitled ‘Bart To The Future'”[Daily Record]