Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation.

Tami Oliphant is a Ph.D. candidate in Library and Information Studies at the University of Western Ontario.

It is rare to read an intelligent, scholarly labour of love that is laugh-out-loud funny, but journalist Chris Turner manages to pull it off in this brilliant updated and revised edition of Planet Simpson. Turner’s ambitious and deftly crafted book is stuffed full of enough annotations, tangential commentary, and analysis to satisfy hardcore fans of The Simpsons in addition to delighting other less fervent fans.

From the Internet boom to Kurt Cobain’s suicide to environmental disasters in the making, Turner documents how a simple cartoon has provided a potent lens to examine our bewildering times. Turner’s research is meticulous—he delves into the most esoteric Simpsons online forums and fansites, he reveals many of the show’s inside jokes, and he delineates the origins and influence of many of The Simpsons’ best catchphrases (“Eat my shorts!”).

Turner dedicates separate chapters to the show’s main characters—Homer, Bart, Mr. Burns, Lisa, and Marge—and he carefully outlines what values each character embodies—“Bart Simpson, Punk Icon” is the apt title of one chapter (as is “Lisa Lionheart”). But Turner also dishes on every other character on The Simpsons from Apu to Troy McClure to the more obscure Bumblebee Man. Turner extrapolates from the show’s characters and setting (Springfield—that mythical American place that is everywhere and nowhere) to provide an engaging analysis and commentary on popular culture.

A select few (of the many) highlights contained in this tome include: Turner’s list of best episodes ever, in-depth explanations of some of the shows best gags, in-depth commentary on the voice actors, writers, and creators of The Simpsons, and the exploration of the effect of The Simpsons on Hollywood and the cult of celebrity. Turner shows not only why the Simpsons are so immensely popular but, more importantly, why they matter. Planet Simpson has enough juicy tidbits, analysis, humour, and surprises to delight every reader.