this is "through the decades," a unique hour-long time capsule. today we look back at our favorite animated characters from america's favorite rascally rabbit. "say goodbye to uncle louie for me." "say goodbye to uncle louie for me." to the original, quintessential superhero. "up in the sky, look! it's a bird! it's a plane! it's superman!" and america's favorite animated family who never ages. "marge! marge! marge!" those stories and more in the next hour, part of a different kind of television experience, where we relive, remember and

and i'm kerry sayers. and i'm your host, bill kurtis. it's the cast of characters "through the decades." those funny animated characters - from the comics to saturday morning t-v. we grew up with them. we couldn't find a more likeable and relatable group. they taught us what was right and wrong, helped us learn how to of course made us laugh. today we celebrate some of our very favorite characters, "through the decades," because even though we may be grown up now, the truth is we never drifted too far away. they still make us think, laugh and dream. so we begin where it all started, in the sunday paper. where the debut of both tarzan and buck rogers on the same day

later, the start of flash gordon in 1934. this trio of champions triggered a whole movement. they are now a staple of science-fiction and adventure movies fighting blazing battles of good and evil in high-flying spaceships and in exotic kingdoms but hollywood didn't bring them to life. they first captured our imaginations in a very different medium. in the early decades of the last century, newspaper comics were mainly devoted to lighthearted or farcical characters and storylines which is how they came to be called "the funnies." but in 1929, the comics' broad caricature of humankind gave way to a vision right out of michelangelo. the heroes had arrived. buck rogers, created by

appeared a year earlier, in the pulp anthology "amazing stories." but it was in comics,that the futuristic fighter literally rocketed to pop culture stardom. the character was soon fighting interstellar evil on radio as well as in a popular movie serial where he was portrayed by former olympic swimmer buster crabbe. "i don't get it. those ships are at least 100 years ahead of anything i ever saw!" tarzan's origins were earlier, in a 1912 novel by edgar rice burroughs and in a 1918 silent movie starring elmo lincoln. but it was the tarzan comic strip drawn by fine arts illustrator burne hogarth that created the image of the jungle lord that would be adopted for hollywood tarzans for decas to come including the versatile buster crabbe

weissmuller, who made a vocal contribution to the tarzan legend to match hogarth's visual one. *tarrzan yell* unlike tarzan and buck rogers, flash gordon was a comic-strip original, created by alex raymond, who also provided the stunning visuals that helped make the strip an immediate sensation. raymond also introduced comics' first super-villain, raymond also introduced comics' first super-villain, bedeviled flash gordon in every medium from radio to movies to television down "through the decades." "enjoy your victory, flash gordon for we will meet again!" *evil laugh* "that must be the entrance to the cavern!" like buck rogers and tarzan, flash gordon has made an

especially as played by who else? buster crabbe. but the real legacy of these three heroes is the door they opened for other comics adventure heroes, including dick tracy in 1931, mandrake the magician in 1934, the phantom in 1936, prince valiant in 1937 and when comic pages led to comic books, superman in 1938 comic pages led to comic books, superman in 1938 and batman in 1939. with all art forms, there comes a point where a new idea or vision takes the medium to new heights. for cartoons that happened in 1928. it was an artistic turning point fueled by the imagination of one man and the remarkable personality of one unforgettable mouse.

parks, the movie studio or any of the entertainment empire that has become synonymous with his name, walt disney was a struggling animator. in 1927, he'd just lost the rights to his character "oswald the lucky rabbit." but hollywood was on the verge of a technical revolution. movies like "the jazz singer" were bringing the "talkie" to the masses. walt was inspired and on november 17, 1928, the masses. walt was inspired and on november 17, 1928, filmgoers saw and heard something new in the cartoon short that played before the feature. it was the first to use a click track during the recording session which allowed for full synchronization of sound and action. it was also the debut of a character called mickey mouse. mickey was a sensation. "right from the beginning, people young and old, in every

themselves captivated by this little happy creature, who appealed to the child in all of us." "as the animators got better, walt was able to get more of his own feelings about the character, more of his own personality interjected there and he did more with the voice, and the animators were able to respond. so mickey grew and grew." mickey would become one of the first worldwide pop-culture phenomenons and one of the most enduring. "you know in the 1930s during the depressi m 68,000 licenses were granted around the world for companies to produce mickey mouse merchandise. and in fact, mickey mouse helped carry several companies out of bankruptcy, including the lionel train company when they came up with a mickey and minnie mouse sidecar, hand car, in 1934 just in time for christmas. today, mickey mouse has a 99 percent recognition factor on the planet, i think that's probably most than your great heads of state."

our journey of the most iconic cartoons "through the decades" has only just begun. still ahead, we'll turn back the lens of time on how the dream of two cleveland teens would spawn one of the most notable heroes in history. we remember when a talking rabbit made his debut on the small screen. we' r introduction to the first animated sex symbol. plus, we'll take you back in time for the birth of a reindeer with an unforgetable story. then, we'll delve into the history behind a character that's been the protector of forests for more than 70 years. and we look back on a series of 30-second animated shorts about a dysfunctional family that struck a chord and landed a place in television history. it's all still to come right

for generations, the man of steel has been instantly recognizable. the archetype cloaked in blue and red and branded with a bold letter "s." our look at cartoons "through the decades" turns now to last son of krypton. "up in the sky, look! it's a

it's superman!" superman, the preeminent superhero was born from the minds of two teenage boys living in cleveland, ohio, jerry siegel and joe shuster. they met at glenville high school in the early '30s and began collaborating almost immediately. jerry would write and joe would draw. their first rendition of superman came in 1933 as a bald villain but a year later, siegel revised the character to be a hero and for the next four years siegel and shuster searched for a publisher eventually catching the eye of national allied publications

was an instant hit and in 1939, national allied publications decided to launch superman into its own self- titled comic book which, at the time, had never been done before. within a few years, superman was selling over a million copies a month becoming a certified phenomenon and an integral hallmark of american culture as the embodiment of moral american culture as the embodiment of moral fortitude and sheer, infinite strength. "well, i think it's actually interesting that this character was sort of a creation of the depression, which is people's feeling of powerlessness and the notion of two kids creating a person that has all the abilities in the world, is sort of indicative of the era that

was created in which was in the middle of the depression." but superman would far outlive the era of his creation - "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." those are fantasies that have stretched across all generations but while the character amassed a media dynasty, the creators wouldn't be so lucky. "this is a story of two menho dreamed up a super idea and then saw others race away with it faster than a speeding bullet." "we felt, at one time, during these long years that it was our american dream and our american dream then became an american tragedy." going back to superman's very first appearance in action comics number one, siegel and shuster sold the rights to their work to national allied publications.

haunt the two in the decades that followed. on several occasions, they fought to retain the rights but were largely unsuccessul until 1976 when they were finally granted a concession. "the final agreement was signed today. siegel and shuster, both 61, will each receive an annual twenty thousand dollar pension, full medical care and provisions for relatives. their by-line restored." that twenty thousand was later increased to thirty thousand, they created. from young imaginations to the strips of a comic book page, the screens of hollywood and beyond. the same immortality that shuster and siegel empowered their character with has come to fruition in a society forever fascinated by the super human. "that's a wonderful story lois." "thanks, clark but i owe it all

now we head back to 1970, the same year the first comic-con was starting in san diego when cbs's charles kuralt examined the idea of collecting old comic books. "you know how book shops are. they are quiet dignified places. the cherokee book shop on hollywood boulevard is no different. the loudest sound tends to be a browser clearing his throat but if you go up the stairs a to a room in the back, you find an entirely different atmosphere. here the ruthless war mongers of europe are focusing on a peace loving america and facing captain america. here the ghastly, grim, jester known as the joker does battle with batman and robin, the boy wonder. here superman incessantly fights the forces evils and injustice." "kids always loved comics for

for the same reason. the result was that as soon as the kids backs were turned, their mothers threw them out. only a few comic books of the '30s and '40s survived." "enter burt bloom, the comic book king of hollywood boulevard who knows a priceless american artifiact when he sees one." "this batman 20 is in pretty good shape. you know, they're usually much more. i got to get five on that one. it's a good one." "and the 17 should be a lot more but i'll make that five also. "okay. i'll look all these over." "also, if you've got any world's finest's between about '71 and '80. i need about three of those." "yeah. they're in the cabinet." "how many comic books do you have in this incredible place?" "i really don't know. i estimate probably between 100 and 150 thousand." "really? it's perfectly astonishing. it does take you back doesn't it? everybody remembers these things."

"but i gather, not everybody saves them?" "no. there's about 2,000 hard core collectors that you know like spend a lot of money on it and like are the same as coin or stamp collectors and there's a lot of other people who just maybe get one or two for nostalgia, come in to get somebody a present or something or just because they remember superman or batman or a certain issue, they'll come in to buy that." superman isn't the only character whose s chord with most americans. while our next character may not be a hero, he's just as beloved we'll remember the debut of a mischievous rabbit that would become one of the most enduring characters of the 20th century. plus, the reindeer who has become a staple of holiday television. this is "through the decades."

"what's up, doc?" "what's up, doc?" if you ask it, you may get a funny look but everyone knows the reference. it's a phrase the world has heard over-and-over spoken in an seminal voice by an infamous rabbit. ever since bugs bunny first popped out of his carrot filled den in 1940 "you know i believe this fella is a r-a-b-b-i-t." technically he was a bunny. a bunny that became more than just a cartoon character.

american history and he made his very first appearance alongside elmer fudd in the short "a wild hare" july 27, 1940. "shhhh. be vewy, vewy quiet. i'm hunting wabbits." just a few moments after fudd's famous opening line, the cartoon hero popped into our lives and delivered his own. "what's up, doc?" our lives and delivered his own. "what's up, doc?" it was the first time voice actor mel blanc would bring bugs to life. it was one of what would become hundreds of shorts, commercials, and television shows starring the skinny, charismatic rabbit. bugs' trademark accessory has always been his floppy-stalked carrots. however, that came from the mind of longtime "looney tunes" producer friz freleng.

said he got his inspiration for bugs from 1935 best picture winner "it happened one night" starring clark gable and claudette colbert. in one scene in particular, you can see why. "you better have one of these. best thing in the world for you, carrots." "can you imagine anybody acting like that? you know, i think the poor guy's screwy." "a wild hare" earned an oscar nomination in its own right for animated shorts nomination in its own right for animated shorts just one film. he helped raise war bonds during world war ii, earned a star on the hollywood walk of fame, and in 1997, became the first cartoon character to get his own postage stamp. mel blanc voiced nearly all of the characters in those warner brothers cartoons. but even after his death in 1989,

me." "don't die little rabbit!" the character he helped create lives on. whether it's alongside michael jordan in "space jam" or the original crop of looney tunes cartoons, bugs bunny is as recognizable today as any character ever brought to life. a life that began on july 27, 1940 with three famous words. a life that began on july 27, 1940 with three famous words. "what's up, doc?" while bugs bunny drew the kids to the t-v, we're turning our attention to a few characters that targeted an older age group. still ahead, we remember the provocative cartoon siren -- betty boop. plus, the birth of an iconic bear with a message that is still heard today. and the pivotal moment for a young television network. how a

family changed everything.

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i don't think so. say yes to more. call now. in 1930, fleischer studios in new york city with backing from paramount pictures, introduced a new character, who would soon become the queen of the animated screen. "boop oop a doop a doop." betty boop made her debut in a

august 9, 1930. the original character was designed as a sexy canine love interest for bimbo, the fleischer studio's star. "she was totally my creation and it seems about 850 million people think she's the cutest character." "grim natwick was one of the head animators with max fleischer and he was doing a little dog and he decided let's make a little girl out of her and he spoke to max about it and before you know it, they made a face and they had me walking and doing little things and that's how she became betty boop." "she was different, cute and almost like for real, you know? like a little girl, or a grown up girl with a sexy look about

mae questel became the voice of and model for betty boop in 1931. "i always acted like her. and i still can do her voice if i want to, you know, way up high, boop, boop oop a doop." (laughing) after questel came on board, betty morphed from dog to human being, her long, floppy ears replaced by large hoop earrings. being, her long, floppy ears replaced by large hoop earrings. "we like to boop a doop. boop boop a doop and that's my weakness now." the hit 1932 cartoon, 'stopping the show,' made her a full fledged star and talkartoons was renamed betty boop cartoons. she went on to imitate other stars of the day like maurice

"hello beautiful! how'd you get so beautiful?" but over the next several years, the production code tamed betty's wardrobe and persona and the last cartoon was created in 1939. fifty years later, betty made a triumphant comeback in the 1988 film 'who framed roger rabbit?' "boop boop a doop." and two years after that, betty celebrated her sixtieth birthday still as sexy as ever. celebrated her sixtieth birthday still as sexy as ever. as old as i am, i still feel like betty boop." do you remember the most famous reindeer of all? surely you recall. it's rudolph. but did you know the story behind rudolph the red-nosed reindeer? it started simply enough as a holiday promotion for a department store in 1939. rudolph's backstory begins in

at retail giant montgomery ward, adverstising copywriter robert may was given a new assignment - to create an original christmas story for a holiday giveaway. "his boss wanted him to write a comic book - paper comic book - to give away in their toy department with a toy purchase. and they knew my father was very good at writing short stories, um ... very good with limericks and rhymes and he was kind of known for that at the office." may decided to make a reindeer christmas story and similar to the children's classic, "the ugly duckling", he wanted the main character to have an underdog quality and overcome a daunting obstacle. he drew upon his own childhood as a bright but undersized youngster. "the story is autobiographical because my father skipped a lot of grades, he was always the youngest in his class, he was small in stature."

fitting in, not being part of the group, but then realizing, ultimately, maybe the one thing that made them odd was going to be something to change their life for the good and change everyone else's life for the good." may gave his main character a glowing red nose bright enough to guide santa's sleigh through a foggy christmas eve. and he named him "rudolph." then may dove into writing the story sometimes running lines by his wife and four-year-old daughter, barbara. by his wife and four-year-old daughter, barbara. teller. i had stories every night. and, i just remember his checking with me a few really difficult words like 'stomach' which he thought maybe littler kids wouldn't know. and i think i suggested 'tummy'. and i remember sitting at the desk late night after night." true to his vision, may portrayed rudoplh as both saddened by being "different" but also strong in himself.

and special purpose for his shiny red nose. "there is one illustration where rudolph is leaving a note for his mom and dad when he leaves with santa telling them not to worry. and that's my father's actual handwriting on the note at the end of the bed. 'dear mom and dad, don't worry i've gone to help santa.'" "that just gives me goose bumps when i know that he wrote that. that that's really is writing cause i miss him." in tid rudolph story tragedy struck the may family when robert's wife eveyln died after a long bout with cancer. his boss at montgomery ward offered to take him off the project but he refused. "my father, after his first wife passed away, wanted extra things to do to keep busy and i think it gave him something he could do with his daughter as well, as a single father. he could come home at night and work on the story with her. and

through a very difficult time." in the fall of 1939 robert may finished "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer." that holiday season, montgomery ward gave out copies of the booklet to its customers - nearly two-and-a-half million in all. the booklet and the story were an overnight sensation. "he was very excited that it was popular, that it had gotten such a good response, that people had written in and said they loved it and that their people had written in and said they loved it and that their kids had in 1940, the war in europe deepened and with it came a paper shortage forcing montgomery ward to suspend production of the "rudolph" story. after the war, production resumed. the downtime only helped increase rudoplh's popularity. ward's gave away over three million copies in 1946. by then, robert may had remarried and started a second family but times were still

wife's illness and then came a suprising stroke of corporate benevolence. "at that time, people at montgomery ward could see that the public was really infatuated with rudolph. and a friend of our dad's interceded on his behalf and was able to get the copyright so that allowed my father to pursue publishing offers that had come from several publishers who wanted to put out a hard-bound edition of the book." wanted to put out a hard-bound edition of the book." introduced and the following year saw a nine-minute animated film version of the story. "well, i remember moving from, kind-of a dingy little apartment to a wonderful house which had wall-to-wall carpeting and those miraculous light switches which didn't make any noise." "well, my dad always felt that it was just a complete gift that rudolph had been as successful as it had been and he always referred to our house as 'the house that rudolph built'"

rudolph's next big leap would come in the form of music. robert may's brother-in-law was a young songwriter named johhny marks. "my uncle john and my father - they discussed writing a song that would parallel the story that my father told in the book. my uncle said "sure" he would give it a whirl and ended up writing the song, "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer". it was recorded reluctantly recorded by gene autrey. his wife told him not to sing it, that it was not a good song and he even take it on as a project. he did the first recording of it and it was a huge, huge hit." a huge hit indeed. "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" sold over two million records in the first year of its release in 1949. and it remains second only to bing crosby's 'white christmas' as the best selling christmas song ever. "he was thrilled that the song was written and that it was catchy and cute and it was

my father's story to the next level. by 1951, the rudolph had become so popular that robert may took a 10 year hiatus from his job at montgomery ward to manage the rudolph franchise. "the late 1940s and early 1950s there were over 500 products that had been licensed for 'rudolph the red-nosed reindeer'." "this was something he never thought would happen to him -- ever and all of a sudden, this thought would happen to him -- ever and all of a sudden, this was like his child and he responsible for it. he wanted to make sure everything that was done around rudolph was done properly. that it was respectful. that a child could identify with it. they had everything from pajamas to headbands to stuffed animals." in the 1960s rudoplh would be introduced to a new generation of youngsters. this time through a rankin-bass t-v special. the t-v production included a

rudolph's original message. "each additional character was sort of a mini rudolph idea within the rankin-bass special - the doll that had red hair and freckles, the charlie in the box, the elf that wanted to be a dentist and was laughed at and all of those characters really reflected the same idea that rudolph projected which was 'i'm different but that's ok. i'm gonna do what n i'll be accepted.' ultimately, the toys were all adopted and loved." the special premiered in december of 1964 and became an instant classic, appealing to rudolph fans old and new. "my father was thrilled with the show. he couldn't believe it. i remember vividly the first time i saw it and he was just thrilled and so happy and proud and excited and the phone rang

many congratulatory phone calls. it was a magical time." "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" has remained a mainstay of christmas tradition bringing joy to millions. and true to the song, he really did "go down in history." cartoon characters aren't always a simple means of entertainment. in some cases they can be used to sell something. in our next characters case - something. in our next characters case - to spread a message of safety. we remember how smokey bear became the symbol of forest fire prevention. then, the revolutionary cartoon series that took over prime- time television. we're delving into the history

charles schulz stands as one of america's great humorists ranking with mark twain and james thurber. but unlike his fellow writers, schulz alone was part of our daily lives for over half a century by creating a cast of characters that allowed us a glimpse each morning into a world of unusually self-aware children and one delightfully delusional dog. it was a world in which we saw

introducing its beleaguered everyman, charlie brown, appeared in the fall of 1950. at just 27, charles schulz was happy to work in the lighthearted, gag-a-day style typical of the 'funnies'." "a lot of people thought that i wasn't worth very much, just an unknown useless kid from st. paul, minnesota." "one such graduate who has built a highly successful career is the cartoonist charles built a highly successful career is the cartoonist charles strip character 'peanuts.' it may not be art with a capital 'a,' but it provides an awful lot of pleasure and it pays." as schulz matured as an artist, the tone of the series deepened. the characters, while still children, took on adult complexities and schulz found humor in such darker themes as failure and frustration, anxiety

regret. "it all just comes very natural. i just do it. i don't even think about it. i think if i began to examine it and try to figure out how i'm doing it, it would be fatal." the series achieved international success when charlie brown's dog, snoopy, stood up on two legs and became schulz's mouthpiece for all his wildest flights of fancy. from that point on, "peanuts" was ael institution and each of its characters an essential american icon not to mention a reflection of their ever-humble creator. "there's nothing that i have to save and say, well it won't work in the comics strip or something. somehow, i'm able to work it all in, so all of my bad memories, and future hopes can be put into the strip, and if i'm feeling kind of low and put- down upon, well then charlie bro's the one that's going to have to suffer for it. if i have

dream or an imagination then i can give it to snoopy. if i feel sarcastic about something i can give the sarcasm to lucy. and that's just the way it goes." charles schulz died on february 12, 2000. the next day, the last new "peanuts" strip ran. but while their creator may be gone, his characters are still with us - on television, in the movies, in our homes, and in our hearts. movies, in our homes, and in our hearts. as the symbol of fire prevention for more than seven decades, neither smokey nor his message ever gets old created 1944, we celebrate the most recognizable bear on earth who continues to educate and inspire every day. "the next time you come to the forest do me a favor." smokey's goal, same as it has

be, is preventing fires. but it was world war ii that actually brought his campaign to focus. "in 1942, there was a japanese submarine that shelled an oil field in southern california and it was very near national forest land and that's what made us realize as a nation that we needed to protect our natural resources." the u.s. forest service,together with other agencies started a campaign to prevent forest fires. during that same time, released bambi and then allowed the film's characters to be used on a fire prevention poster. it was then decided an animal, more specifically, a bear, should be the face of the fire prevention campaign. "a bear knows the forest very well, can be highly respected and sometimes feared but could also be created in such a a way thast he was approachable and he was a character that could take on human like qualities

initially drawn by albert staehle, the first bear drawing didn't go over so well. "he at first didn't have anything on him so he was a bare bear and the agency wasn't really thrilled with that so they did decide to put blue jeans on him and then they put a campaign hat. he looked like a park service or forest service ranger." he was named smokey bear, not smokey the bear after new york city firefighter smokey joe in "smokey joe was legendary for his bravery and for being a smoke eater and he got his name as a young man when fell through two flights of stairs and would not leave the fire so the chief at the time saw him, dragged him out, said to the other men in the new york city fire department, 'this is smokey joe and by the gods he certainly does love it.'" smokey's first poster made its

bear came into america's conciousness after a wildfire in new mexico left a black bear cub orphaned and injured. the smithsonian national zoo became his new home until his death in 1976. "he would become a national icon for smokey, being the living smokey is what they called him." but the smokey bear character soon became as popular as santa claus and mickey mouse. his slogan, like his face, is one of the mosco in the world. "only you can prevent forest fires." he's soared over crowds at new york's macy's thanksgiving day parade and even has his own zip code. "you know smokey in washington gets more mail than the president does." but when it comes to getting his message out, smokey never hibernates. "only you can prevent wildfires." "in the '40s, it was all about cigarettes and don't throw your cigarettes butts out of the

campfire safety." "then we kind of rolled into, i think the '70s. earth day happened and became an official day. everybody wanted to do messages and campaigns that were about the environment." "happy birthday smokey!" at his 50th birthday celebration in 1994, smokey was still doing his thing. "he's still vigorous and we've got a job for him to do well into the next century." "his message did slightly you can prevent forest fires' to 'only you can prevent wild fires.'" as the name and face of the longest running p-s-a campaign in history, smokey bear continues to evolve and change but will always stay on point. "i feel that his success is because his message has been tr." "only you can prevent forest fires." as we come to an end of our

characters "through the decades".. we'd be remiss not to mention a cartoon family that's been hitting america's funny bone since the nineties next.. we look back on the series that took on the issues of the day and carved a place in history as a beloved american institution. would you say no to a lot more money? [excited scream] you just won a million dollars! no thanks. nice balloons, though! or no to more vacation days?

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it started as a two-minute comedy- variety show. it launched a television powerhouse that is still going strong today. it was 1987, when "the tracey ullman show" introduced america to a very different kind of family in animation, "the simpsons." "what would we have instead of the animation? me, sitting on two tall stools saying, 'let's sing one of your songs. 'oh, i remember in the old bayou hills...' you know, what do you

it was a different idea for a sketch-comedy show having the cast play cartoon characters. the show hired matt groening, creator of the syndicated comic strip "life in hell," who created a slightly louder and yellower version of a classic sitcom family. "we may be the best parents in the world." "mmm. goodnight, dear." "goodnight." "the simpsons are a family of consisting of homer simpson who works in a nuclear power plant, his wife marge who struggles to keep the family from strangling each other, unsuccessfully, their son bart and his little sisters lisa and maggie. and they, like i said, they have a tendency to strangle each other. which in live action wouldn't be all that funny." after three seasons on "tracey ullman," the simpsons were spun

their own series which debuted in december of 1989. "i was thinking, when they first got the idea to do this how are they going to expand this one-minute thing which is so great because it's ba-boom and it hits you, and it's over and it's out and it's a great thing. and how is this going to expand? and the scripts have been just phenomenal." "marge! marge! marge!" the show was an immediate hit "marge! marge! marge!" the show was an immediate hit but one particular character proved to be a breakout sensation. "okay. now do some bart ad-libs as he's going out the bathroom." " (laughs) so long, sucker! (laughs) spanky! (laughs) "i think bart represents a kind of insolence and disrespect. that's true to the way a lot of kids are these days. and i think we reflect that. i also

cartoons are so often seen as a kiddie medium, they think, parents and educators, sometimes think that they have to only tell the proper lesson. and i think bart is an example, he's a bad example. he's an example of not how to be and i think kids are hip enough to be amused by his antics." producing the show is tremendously time-consuming. "it takes usbout six months to do a single show and we work on time. but the animation team rises to the challenge. "to make these characters move in three dimensions is not very easy, because they're so flat. the disney and warner characters are based on more kind of oval and circles. these characters -- we have an underlying three-dimensional structure to them. i mean, i look at bart's head as a cynlinder and a little tiny cylinder, and he has a serrated forehead, you know, not so much hair. um...kind of like a tin can after you open it."

richly rewarded. "the simpsons" has become a huge global media brand and consumer franchise. "the simpsons" is now the longest-running sitcom in t-v history. in 2003, it celebrated its three- hundredth episode. "three hundred. it's unbelievable. it's unbelievable. that's nine fox network presidents. you know the ones who have left, some of them have gone on to better things and the ones who haven't are wearing those cme "they're not charging people enough money to get in. something's wrong here." "i'll see to it right away, sir." "all right. see that you do. " "this is a great honor, thank you very much. please be green and don't eat any meat." everyone has an explanation for the success of "the simpsons." some are more original than others. "my theory about the simpsons is, purple. there's more purple

on television. the kitchen is purple. the sky is always purple. people like to look at

that'll do it for us today. i'm bill kurtis. as we leave, one last look back at unforgettable cartoons,

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