Banksy Runs Riot in Springfield

by Jasper ReesMonday, 11 October 2010

The elusive street artist Banksy was invited by Matt Groening to script an opening sequence for The Simpsons. "MoneyBart", the episode it fronted, was broadcast in America yesterday, and comes to the UK on 21 October.

The sequence is inspired by recent reports that The Simpsons gets its animation done in South Korea. Banksy has taken that ball and run with it, producing a pitch-black satirical fantasy in which Bart himself is a graffiti artist, while lifeless drones, fluffy furry things and fantasy creatures are all alike put in the service of the great marketing machine that is the animated television phenomenon. But see what you make of it for yourself.

Explore topics

Share this article

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

more Visual arts

Brancusi, Pompidou Centre, Paris review - founding father of modernist sculpture Uplifting quest for form and essence in a landmark Paris show

Expressionists: Kandinsky, Münter and the Blue Rider, Tate Modern review - a missed opportunity Wonderful paintings, but only half the story

Eye to Eye: Homage to Ernst Scheidegger, MASI Lugano review - era-defining artist portraits One of Switzerland's greatest photographers celebrated with a major retrospective

Stephen review - a breathtakingly good first feature by a multi-media artist Melanie Manchot's debut is strikingly intelligent and compelling

Fantastic Machine review - photography's story from one camera to 45 billion Love it or hate it, the photographic image has ensnared us all

Yinka Shonibare: Suspended States, Serpentine Gallery review - pure delight Weighty subject matter treated with the lightest of touch

Jane Harris: Ellipse, Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine MÉCA, Bordeaux review - ovals to the fore Persistence and conviction in the works of the late English painter

Sargent and Fashion, Tate Britain review - portraiture as a performance London’s elite posing dressed up to the nines

Zineb Sedira: Dreams Have No Titles, Whitechapel Gallery review - a disorientating mix of fact and fiction An exhibition that begs the question 'What and where is home?'

Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, Tate Modern review - a fitting celebration of the early years Acknowledgement as a major avant garde artist comes at 90

Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art, Barbican review - the fabric of dissent An ambitious exploration of a neglected medium

When Forms Come Alive, Hayward Gallery review - how to reduce good art to family fun Seriously good sculptures presented as little more than playthings or jokes

Follow @theartsdesk