Best Non-Simpson 'Simpsons' Characters

[Brian Damage]

Who: Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten

Voiced By: Pamela Hayden

Introduced: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (episode 7G08, Dec. 17, 1989), which was the first "Simpsons" episode after a string of shorts on "The Tracy Ullman Show"

Best Episode: "Radioactive Man" (episode 2F17, Sept. 24, 1995) in which Milhouse gets cast as Fallout Boy in the "Radioactive Man" movie

Fun Fact: Takes his first name from President Richard Milhous Nixon and his last either from Van Houten Avenue in Portland, Ore. (the hometown of "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening) or from Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten.

Why We Love Him: Because he reminds us of ourselves when we were that age. Plus, we hope he'll one day have a brother and that they form a cool rock band they name after themselves.

[Brian Damage]

Who: Edna Krabappel

Voiced By: Marcia Wallace

Introduced: "Bart the Genius" (episode 7G02, Jan. 14, 1990), in which Bart's theft of another kid's test lands him in a more progressive school

Best Episode: "Grade School Confidential" (episode 4F09, April 6, 1997) in which Krabappel and Principal Skinner began their forbidden love affair

Fun Fact: In 1992, Wallace won the "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance" Emmy for her portrayal of Edna Krabappel in the episode "Bart the Lover" (8F16, Feb. 13, 1992).

Why We Love Her: Because she reminds us of our fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Alpert. Mrs. Alpert was a lot more bitter ... and sounded like the receptionist from "The Bob Newhart Show."

[Brian Damage]

Who: Comic Book Guy (aka Jeff Albertson)

Voiced By: Hank Azaria

Introduced: "Three Men and a Comic Book" (episode 7F21, May 9, 1991), in which Bart, Milhouse and Martin fight over an issue of "Radioactive Man"

Best Episode: The "Desperately Seeking Xena" segment of "Treehouse of Horror X" (BABF01, Oct. 31, 1999), in which Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl -- aka Bart and Lisa after an X-ray machine explosion gave them superpowers -- battle Comic Book Guy's alter ego, The Collector

Fun Fact: Azaria has said that Comic Book Guy is, at least in part, based on his neighbor at Tufts University during his freshman year. However, there's a rumor that the neighbor may be actor, and Azaria's "Huff" co-star, Oliver Platt.

Why We Love Him: Because he reminds us of ourselves when we were that age. Which was last year.

[Brian Damage]

Who: C. Montgomery Burns

Voiced By: Harry Shearer

Introduced: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (episode 7G08, Dec. 17, 1989), in which the family learns the joy of the season by going to the dog track

Best Episode: "Rosebud" (1F01, Oct. 21, 1993) in which Burns pines for his beloved stuffed bear, Bobo

Fun Fact: Is a member of exclusive, and sometimes secretive, organizations such as Skull & Bones, The Excluders Club, The Stonecutters and the Ancient Mystic Order of No-Homers.

Why We Love Him: Because although corrupt evil businessmen may be cliché, Burns takes it all -- the corruption, the evil and the funny -- to a whole new level.

[Brian Damage]

Who: Morris "Moe" Lester Szyslak

Voiced By: Christopher Collins, Hank Azaria

Introduced: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (episode 7G08, Dec. 17, 1989), which was so funny that we videotaped it -- which was like TiVo-ing back in the Stone Age -- because we feared that it would never be seen again

Best Episode: "Homer the Moe" (episode CABF20, Nov. 18, 2001) in which Moe redecorates the bar, making it a cool hip joint, and utters the immortal line, "Nobody calls Moe St. Cool a phony!"

Fun Fact: Before being the voice of Moe in the episodes "Some Enchanted Evening" and "Homer's Odyssey," Collins -- who died in 1994 -- was best known as the voice of Cobra Commander on "G.I. Joe." Before taking over as the voice of Moe, Azaria, who now also does "Simpsons" characters such as Apu, Bumblebee Man and Dr. Nick Riviera, did an episode of "Family Ties."

Why We Love Him: Because he can be as evil, and as funny, as Mr. Burns, while also lacking the internal censor that makes Homer so funny and, well, evil.

[Brian Damage]

Who: Selma Bouvier-Terwilliger-Huntz-McClure-Stu

Voiced By: Julie Kavner

Introduced: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (episode 7G08, Dec. 17, 1989)

Best Episode: "A Fish Called Selma" (episode 3F15, March 24, 1996) in which Selma married Troy McClure, who you might remember from somewhere

Fun Fact: Refused to marry Apu because her last name was long enough.

Why We Love Her: Because she's like an evil version of Marge -- but without the requisite goatee normally required of the evil versions of people.

[Brian Damage]

Who: Krusty the Clown

Voiced By: Dan Castellaneta

Introduced: "The Tracy Ullman Show"-era short, "The Krusty the Clown Show"

Best Episode: "Bart the Fink" (episode 3F12, Feb. 11, 1996), in which Krusty tries to solve his tax problems by faking his own death. Twice.

Fun Fact: Among the many products that bear Krusty's name and likeness are Krusty Burger, Krusty-O's cereal, Krusty's Non-Narkotik Kough Syrup, the Lady Krusty Mustache Remover, Krusty-Brand Low-Income Housing and the Krusty-Brand Home Pregnancy Test ("Warning: May Cause Birth Defects.").

Why We Love Him: If you have to ask, you must be one of those weirdos who likes clowns.

[Brian Damage]

Who: Robert "Sideshow Bob" Underdunk Terwilliger

Voiced By: Kelsey Grammer

Introduced: "The Telltale Head" (episode 7G07, Feb. 25, 1990), in which Bart steals the head from a statue of Springfield's founding father, Jebediah Obadiah Zachariah Jedediah Springfield

Best Episode: "Cape Feare" (episode 9F22, Oct. 7, 1993) in which Sideshow Bob's pursuit of Bart leads the family to enter the witness protection program and Homer gets a new chainsaw and hockey mask

Fun Fact: While incarcerated, Sideshow Bob's prison number -- 24601 -- is the same number as Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables." Even stranger, while incarcerated, Sideshow Bob is often miserable. Weird, huh?

Why We Love Him: Because many of the best "Simpsons" episodes -- including "Cape Feare," "Sideshow Bob Roberts" and "Krusty Got Busted" -- are Sideshow Bob episodes.

[Brian Damage]

Who: Kodos

Voiced By: Dan Castellaneta

Introduced: "Treehouse of Horror" (episode 7F04, Oct. 25, 1990), which was the first of many "Simpsons" Halloween specials

Best Episode: The "Citizen Kang" segment of "Treehouse of Horror VII" (episode 4F07, Oct. 27, 1996) in which Kang and Kodos run for president, disguised as Bill Clinton and Bob Dole

Fun Fact: Kodos, oddly, has a deeper voice than her brother, Kang. Though it's still not as deep as Serak the Preparer's, which sounds kind of like a cross between Darth Vader and that guy who says "This Is CNN."

Why We Love Her: Because she is so much cooler than Kang.

[TJL]

I had no idea that someone else other than Hank Azaria did Moes voice. Cool!

I gotta tell you, I love Marcia Wallace's work as Edna Krabappel. Whenever Edna laughs with that single "HA!" i can't help but crack up.