Bart Simpson

The ten-year-old anarchist whose chalkboard gags and prank calls defined a generation.

Bartholomew "Bart" Simpson (middle initial 'J') is a fictional character and one of the main characters in the American animated television series The Simpsons. Widely regarded as one of the greatest fictional characters of all time, he was named by Time as one of the most important people of the 20th century in 1998. Created by cartoonist Matt Groening while waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office, Bart made his television debut in the short "Good Night" on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Unlike other family members named after Groening's relatives, his name was chosen because it sounded like 'brat'—a playful nod to his mischievous nature, though it is not a deliberate anagram.

Quick Facts

Full name

Bartholomew Jo-Jo Simpson

Series

The Simpsons

First minor

Good Night

First major

The Tracey Ullman Show

First date

April 19, 1987

Creator

Matt Groening
James L. Brooks
Sam Simon

Designer

Matt Groening

Voice

Nancy Cartwright

Lore & Background

Bart is always ten years old, serving as the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge Simpson. His character was inspired by Groening's older brother Mark and exaggerated traits of misbehaving children like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Initially conceived as a milder youth with existential angst, Nancy Cartwright's voice acting transformed him into the rebellious icon known today. He first appeared in "Good Night" before moving to the half-hour series where his antics included chalkboard gags, prank calls to Moe's Tavern, and catchphrases like "Eat my shorts," "¡Ay, caramba!," and "Don't have a cow, man."

His middle initial 'J' is confirmed in canon, but its full meaning is not established within the show; behind-the-scenes, Groening has cited inspiration from Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel, though this is trivia, not canonical fact. The full middle name 'Jo-Jo' is a fan invention and not from official sources.

Reader's Guide

To understand Bart, note his design evolution: early shorts featured spikes of varying lengths before standardizing to nine equal spikes. His head is a basic rectangular shape resembling a coffee can, designed for easy silhouette recognition. In "Treehouse of Horror VI," he became the first Simpson rendered in 3D by Pacific Data Images; animators used a vinyl Bart doll as a model because they didn't know how to depict his hair digitally. Nancy Cartwright originally auditioned for Lisa, finding her less appealing, while Yeardley Smith's voice was deemed too high-pitched for Bart. This casting swap defined the show's history. Bart's hobbies include skateboarding, watching The Krusty the Clown Show, reading Radioactive Man comics, and playing video games. His favorite movies are Jaws and the Star Wars trilogy.