The nice thing about 'Futurama' for me personally was that it was a way to honor some of the traditional ideas in literary science fiction, not so much movie or television science fiction - although we have that too, obviously. Our situation, a workplace comedy, led to all sorts of stuff.

'The Simpsons' is about alienation and the ambivalence of living with a family who you love but who drive you completely crazy.

My father was a really sharp cartoonist and filmmaker. He used to tape-record the family surreptitiously, either while we were driving around or at dinner, and in 1963 he and I made up a story about a brother and a sister, Lisa and Matt, having an adventure out in the woods with animals.

It's just hard not to listen to TV: it's spent so much more time raising us than parents have.

When DVDs finally disappear, I'm going to be sad. I'll miss the commentaries.

A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments, soccer games, romances, best friends, location of friend's houses, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

Did you hear something?" "No." "Did I hear something?" "...I don't know.