Q&A with Al Jean

Executive Producer, "The Simpsons"

What was your favorite cartoon as a child?

As a child, my favorite cartoons were Bullwinkle and Bugs Bunny. I never cared as much for the Flintstones.

How many people are involved in making The Simpsons?

There are about 10 main actors on the show, 20 writers over a dozen directors and many dozen more support staff.

How do you select a topic for an episode or a name for a character?

Topics for episodes are pitched by the various writers. If we like them, we turn them into shows.

Do the episodes contain your own experiences?

Many of the ideas for episodes come from our own experiences, as well as things we read about in the news.

How do you select the guest voices?

Generally, we think of people we'd like to have as guest voices on the show, and send them a script. Sometimes, if they're big fans, they approach us.

Do you ever need to redo scenes?

We redo scenes all the time. One secret of the success of the show is how much work we put into each episode.

Do you use a computer in the making of The Simpsons?

This year, the show will be entirely animated by computer, like Futurama.

Is it fun to do animation?

The job is fun, but it is still a job, requiring constant attention year-round.

What do you consider the most difficult part in the process?

The most difficult part of the job at this point is coming up with new ideas for episodes, since we have done so many.