TMC
05-17-2022, 01:34 AM
https://www.looper.com/865206/the-real-reason-homer-simpson-and-krusty-the-clown-look-so-alike/
Homer and Krusty were set up to be the same person in The Simpsons
After appearing in "The Simpsons" shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show," Krusty's debut on the animated family's fully-fledged series was in "The Telltale Head," where he had a much more substantial similarity to the head of the Simpson household. The reasoning was because initial plans were for Krusty to be Homer's secret identity, and a way for him to connect with his son, Bart. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2007/07/20/talking-about-simpsons/), Groening revealed that Homer's doppelgänger in clown shoes was, in fact, intended to be Bart's father, which sounds like it was worth a show all on its own.
"The original idea behind Krusty the Clown was that he was Homer in disguise, but Homer still couldn't get any respect from his son, who worshipped Krusty," Groening explained. It was a twist on the character that never came to pass, and in hindsight would've taken up a lot of the overall show. Nevertheless, the seed was planted but never altered as the show progressed. "If you look at Krusty, it's just Homer with extended hair and a tuft on his head. We were in such a rush in the beginning of the series that I thought, 'Oh, it's too complicated,' so we just dropped it. But when I look at Krusty, I think, 'Yeah — that's Homer."' It's undoubtedly an interesting nugget and one that Groening eventually dusted off to bring elements of the story to life in an episode further down the line.
Homer and Krusty were set up to be the same person in The Simpsons
After appearing in "The Simpsons" shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show," Krusty's debut on the animated family's fully-fledged series was in "The Telltale Head," where he had a much more substantial similarity to the head of the Simpson household. The reasoning was because initial plans were for Krusty to be Homer's secret identity, and a way for him to connect with his son, Bart. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2007/07/20/talking-about-simpsons/), Groening revealed that Homer's doppelgänger in clown shoes was, in fact, intended to be Bart's father, which sounds like it was worth a show all on its own.
"The original idea behind Krusty the Clown was that he was Homer in disguise, but Homer still couldn't get any respect from his son, who worshipped Krusty," Groening explained. It was a twist on the character that never came to pass, and in hindsight would've taken up a lot of the overall show. Nevertheless, the seed was planted but never altered as the show progressed. "If you look at Krusty, it's just Homer with extended hair and a tuft on his head. We were in such a rush in the beginning of the series that I thought, 'Oh, it's too complicated,' so we just dropped it. But when I look at Krusty, I think, 'Yeah — that's Homer."' It's undoubtedly an interesting nugget and one that Groening eventually dusted off to bring elements of the story to life in an episode further down the line.