David X. Cohen

The scientific mind behind the heart of Planet Express, weaving math into comedy.

David X. Cohen (born David Samuel Cohen on July 13, 1966) is an American television writer best known as the co-developer of the animated series Futurama alongside Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Before Futurama, Cohen wrote for The Simpsons, penning episodes including "Lisa the Vegetarian" and "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show," and coined the word "cromulent" for the episode "Lisa the Iconoclast." He served as head writer, executive producer, co-showrunner, and voice director for Futurama's entire run, winning four Primetime Emmy Awards: two for Futurama and two for The Simpsons.

Quick Facts

Birth name: David Samuel Cohen
Born: 13 July 1966
Birthplace: New York City, U.S.
Occupation: Television writer
Genre: Comedy
Spouse: Patty Cohen
Children: 1
Education: Harvard University (B.A.); University of California, Berkeley (M.S)

Lore & Background

He contributed the concept for one of the robots in the robot strip club, which he called "his one artistic contribution to the show" — the robot's waist gyrated using a planetary gear, and co-creator Matt Groening noted that Cohen was very particular about how animators used his design. His most notable academic publication concerned the theoretical computer science problem of pancake sorting.

Reader's Guide

David X. Cohen joined Matt Groening's team after the success of The Simpsons, bringing a distinct academic flair to animation writing. After three years of graduate school, Cohen took a leave of absence and started writing sample TV scripts, landing a job writing two of the earliest Beavis and Butt-Head episodes in 1992. In 1993, he began working on The Simpsons, writing or co-writing thirteen episodes. Nearly five years later, Cohen teamed with Matt Groening to develop Futurama, where he served as writer or co-writer of seven episodes and executive producer, head writer, and showrunner of the series' entire run.

After spending a few years researching science fiction, Groening got together with Cohen in 1996 and developed Futurama, an animated series about life in the year 3000. By the time they pitched the series to Fox in April 1998, Groening and Cohen had composed many characters and storylines; Groening claimed they had "gone overboard" in their discussions. The show premiered on March 28, 1999. After four years on the air, the series was canceled by Fox, but strong DVD sales and stable ratings on Adult Swim brought Futurama back to life.

Comedy Central picked up the show for 26 new half-hour episodes that began airing in mid-2010. Cohen told Newsday in August 2009 that the reported 26-episode order means "[i]t will be up to 26. But I think there's a pretty good chance it'll be exactly 26."

Did You Know?

He chose 'X' because it sounded 'sci-fi-ish' and has jokingly said it would make him 'the David Cohen people would remember.'
Cohen included a period after the X 'so people don't think it's some mathematical formula: David times Cohen or something.'
In high school, Cohen wrote an Apple II compiler and video game in MOS 6502 assembly language, and unsuccessfully tried to publish the game through Broderbund.
Cohen graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in physics and from the University of California, Berkeley with an M.S. in computer science.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is David X. Cohen?

David X. Cohen is an American television writer and showrunner who co-created the animated series Futurama with Matt Groening in 1999. Before launching his own show, he gained fame writing for The Simpsons, where he coined the word 'cromulent' and penned classic episodes like 'Lisa the Vegetarian'.

What specific role did David X. Cohen play in creating Futurama?

As co-creator, head writer, executive producer, and voice director, Cohen was responsible for the show's entire narrative arc from its inception through all its seasons. He is particularly celebrated for infusing the series with complex science and mathematics jokes that define its unique intellectual humor.