Simpsons Comics # 42 (1999)
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Penciller: Phil Ortiz
Inker: Tim Bavington
Letterer: Jeannine Black
Colorist: Nathan Kane
Rating: 
Since I’m on a Simpsons high at the moment, I’ll be taking a look at Simpsons Comics # 42 which parodies Jim Carrey’s dramatic opus, 1998s “The Truman Show” and might I point out that this very issue came out a year after that movie was released so the timing is just a weird coincidence in my opinion.
The issue kicks off with a group of Hollywood producers seeing videos of Homer acting as himself so they get the bright idea of installing multiple cameras around Springfield and thus, “The Homer Show” is born! I just love how the producers found a way to block out the show in Springfield (Apparently, showing repeats of “Millennium” is the big problem solver. I can’t believe that show got tons of hate which in turn made me feel bad for Chris Carter); Just like Carrey’s character in the “Truman Show”, Homer begins to get suspicious of the attention he’s getting to where he lays in his bed for days, prompting the producers to ask Homer to go back to being himself, only this time he makes it worse when he tries to be funny.
Everything about this issue is just hilarious, mainly because it does something that the show never gets a chance to do, and that’s seeing Homer in all of his comical and reckless glory! Chuck Dixon (Known for his outstanding runs on “Detective Comics” and “Robin”) shows that he has the flair to write a Simpson’s story that stays true to the series all while keeping the trademark humor intact and yes, this kind of story definitely works in the confine of the comics instead of being an actual episode because, within the comic pages, the writer can have more freedom when it comes to the story they’re telling. This “Truman Show” parody works on all levels when it comes to Homer finding out about the show via the producers, I cannot forget the small subplot of Bart landing an “Executive Producer” position after finding out about the show (I chuckled when he referred to the job as a big paycheck without doing any actual work); Simpsons fans will find plenty of gags in this issue to enjoy while laughing their heads off so is this issue worth your time and money? The answer is YES! You’ll never look at reality t.v. again after reading this issue.
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will be back next week with a new review.
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