The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror Comics
Bongo Comics & HarperCollins
Young Adult
For those of us who tune in faithfully the Sunday -after- Halloween (thank you NFL playoffs…) for the annual Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror Halloween special episode but just can’t get enough, Bongo comics also publishes a comic book companion to the thrilling comedy creepfest!
Considered the Simpson’s comics annuals, they are filled with decidedly adult humor, but no more innuendo and violence than you might find in Mad Magazine. The frightful holiday episode even has numerous companion sets of toys.
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Although it isn’t out of the realm of imagination to collect all of the original issue comic books, reading copies can be found at most local libraries (here in the US anyway). Each issue usually has four or five major features, often movie parodies, each illustrated by a different artist, with bizarre gatefolds and schtick advertisements stuffed in between. Shorts like those found in other Simpsons Comics are packed in-between. The features include guest artists like Jill Thompson, Dan Brereton, Ted Naifeh, & Sergio Aragones, and “guest stars” such as Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, and Rob Zombie.
The Collections:
1999 – Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror: Heebie-Jeebie Hullabaloo
(Collects #1-3)
Slideshow Blob Sideshow Bob volunteers for a scientific experiment to cut his jail sentence in half… but it goes horribly awry! The Exorsister Lisa becomes possessed… and starts acting like Madonna!! Aaargh! Immigration of the Body Snatchers Homer is certain he’s the only one left who’s not a pod. But they may not be the only ones trying to conquer Earth! Call Me Homer Homer vs. A giant white whale! Bart People Bart begins turning into a black panther by night, pursued by Groundskeeper Willie, how will it end? A creative spin on 1942’s Cat People Little Shop of Homers Lisa’s pet plant gets a little out of control… until it sets its eyes on the doughnut shipment. |
2001 – Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror: Spine-Tingling Spooktacular
(Collects #4,5,6)
This issue is packed with ‘Where’s Waldo”-like splash pages filled with various goings-on! The Illustrative Man A spin on Bradbury’s classic, a circus performer’s tattoos tell the tales of The Reluctant Corpse, The Beast with Four Fingers, and Basket Bawl. MetamorphSimpsons What if Homer turned into Kafka’s protagonist? I Faced Tahn-Enn-Bahm, The Christmas Tree from Another World Is this a parody of It Came from Outer Space, or those old Where Monsters Dwell comics? Apu on Rigel 7 Mr. Burns’ particle teleporter gets mixed up with Apu’s hot dog warmer down at the Kwik-E-Mart. Apu then helps Kang and Kodos fight against their oppressor, the evil Burnzak! Young Frinkenstein Bart was a Teenage Frankenstein… and ends up in Archie Comics! Xt’Tapalatakettle’s Day A diety from South of the Border helps Springfield celebrate Dia De Los Muertos… until Homer eats all the offerings and unleashes a zombie horde on the city (with the help or artist Sergio Aragones from Groo and Mad Magazine!) Dark Lisa Lisa’s take on Carrie, written by Scary Godmother‘s Jill Thompson! |
2003 – The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror: Fun-Filled Frightfest
(Collects #6,7)
Homeer Erectus Homer is found frozen in ice… in 1875! Can he help to prove that modern man evolved from lesser beings? Probably not… From Duff’s Till Dawn A story told in verse about a thing, called a chupacabra but looking more like a skelt, that has escaped from Dr. Frink’s lab! In Springfield, No One Can Hear You Scream A parody of Aliens, Bart’s family is overrun by facehuggers and aliens after he watches too many scary Itchy & Scratchy cartoons. “Mmm… Giant eggs.” Catastrophe in Substitute Springfields When Dr. Frink’s redundo ray turns into an opposite ray, Burns reverse-clones Homer and gets a hero. He, in turn, tries to clone his family, and we get a look at the positive and negative traits of each; a corpulent Midge, Lena is a foxy anti-Lisa, and Bart’s double takes to hanging with the Flanders. Then Kang & Kodos buy the ray and make a Bizarro-world Springfield-in-a-bottle! I’m Not in Springfield Anymore Lisa has a trip over the rainbow in this parody of the Wizard of Oz. Comic-Book Guy is the Wizard, guess who the Wicked Witch of the West is? Hint: A flying Smithers. Hell-O-Ween Mr. Burns sells Homer’s family’s souls to the Devil, who sends two demons to retrieve them… but they possess the Flanders kids instead, who then make all of Springfield’s Halloween costumes become real! In order to save Rod & Todd’s souls from the underworld, Ned and Homer go on a Dante-esque tour through Hell that ends in a sweet deal. |
2006 – The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror: Hoodoo Voodoo Brouhaha
(Collects #8,9)
Ring Around the Simpsons Illustrated by the Nocturnals’ Dan Brereton, this is a crackpot adaptation of Lord of the Rings. Followed by a series of excellent one and two-page shorts! Krustine Homer is possessed by a car… and becomes Rat Fink! Night of Nineteen Screams Grandpa accidentally fries the Simpsons with the TV, and is haunted by them From Hell and Back A parody of Tim Burton’s From Hell starring Homer as a detective, and with a look inside the London branch of the Stonecutter’s Temple. Cask of Amontilla-D’oh An adaptation of Poe, in verse, starring Moe the bartender. Illustrated by Brereton and Naifeh! |
2008 – The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror: Dead Man’s Jest
(Collects #10, 11)
By far the best of the collections, with guest stars like Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, Rob Zombie, and Pat Boone, and a special tribute to the horror tales of EC comics! House of a Thousand Donuts A visit to Captain Krusty’s Museum of Monsters and Madmen… and donuts. Squish Thing When Homer mixes beer and squishees, the result is monstrous! A parody of Swamp Thing. Bart Simmons God of Thunder Bart inherits a magical guitar from his “real father” and foils an alien invasion. Two Tickets to hECk Itchy & Scratchy Land is turned into a Halloween-themed fun park! Squa Tront! One of the best ToH stories, and an homage to EC comics! Scareway to Heaven The Simpson’s kids are sentenced to a week of Bible Camp with Rev. Lovejoy and Ned Flanders. Bart and Lisa are helpless as kids start being possessed. The Sub-Basement of Dracula Mr. Burns unleashes an army of the undead on Springfield. The Legend of Batterface Homer goes to summer camp with Alice Cooper, where a horrible prank is played involving donuts. |
2011 – The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror from Beyond the Grave
(Collects #12, 13)
Gnaws A three-headed fish from the waters below Springfield’s power plant grows to giant-size proportions and goes on a killing rampage! Blood Curse of the Evil Fairies Homer constructs a fairy trap, and the fair ones seek revenge! They Draw! Carl & Lenny find a magic pair of glasses that allow them to break the fourth wall (in an alley along with the tiki from Triligy of Terror and the puzzle box from Hellraiser…) Homer’s Ark God asks Homer for a favor, and construction begins in the front yard. Mr. Burns wants a first-class seat, but is Homer crazy? Or just incompetent… Prop, Prop, Whiz, Whiz In the back room, Comic-Book Store Guy has a Friday the 13th, The Series-like collection of cursed objects; movie props that take Bart on an adventure through Evil Dead and Lisa to a Twilight parody! Halloween Hoodoo Springfield High School is having a Halloween party and parade, but Principal Sinner may pay the price! Willie: Portrait of a Groundskeeper Homer eats Willie’s new-found ostrich-bride, and only Bart’s chest-hair can save him! Adult innuendo I didn’t care for. The Pygmy Elixir A “tribute” to a certain Sherlock Holmes tale, Bart leads Mr. Burns on a trip among the headhunters. Bart is seen reading The Goon comics. |
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