He hasn't been with the show since the 5th season, but he was the writer who shaped the characters we have today. Sam had the idea to make Lisa the smart one and wanted to keep a sense of realism in those early episodes.
The world of TV is going to lose a great man way before his time.








At least he knows he left a great legacy of family sitcom humor behind.
He's had a great life, so I hope he feels the same way.
Without his influence, the Simpsons might not have lasted more than a couple of Seasons.
Ironically, the scene where Homer falls down the gorge while trying to jump it on Bart's skateboard, was hated originally by Groening and he went into the animation studio and had it taken out of the episode. Simon found out and was furious and had it put back in.