“You’re a comedy writer? My God, you’re so old!” – Roger Meyers Jr.
“I want my check!” – Abe “Grampa” Simpson
“Haha, you’re a writer alright!” – Roger Meyers Jr.
Sam Simon, one of the three godfathers of The Simpsons, died today at the age of 59. It was almost exactly two years ago that he announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and from that moment until his death today he handled it with grace, generosity, and, befitting Simon, a lot of humor. They gave him three-to-six months; he lasted nearly two and a half years, laughing about it all the way.
The tributes to him are pouring in from people who knew him and those who just knew his work. I’ll only say this, the show he did so much to create treated life and death with a mirthful contempt that resonated with hundreds of millions of people throughout the world. He’s gone, but he’ll still be making people smile for a long time to come.
Sayonara, Sam.
