When it comes to the legacy of the classic FOX animated TV series, The Simpsons, reviews are mixed with many individuals ranging from the most devoted long-time fans to casual viewers believing that the longest-running sitcom in history has well and truly jumped the shark. The show was a pioneer in adult animation and dominated pop culture as well as the social zeitgeist of the 1990s, but even with a 35th and 36th season renewal on the way the yellow-skinned family has yet to reach the impressive height of relevancy and critical acclaim that it once had.
The show has produced some pretty solid running jokes throughout its lifetime, with its opening 'couch gag' arguably being the most beloved and durable, beginning with the first-ever gag from 1990. The couch gags have even become so popular with fans that other famous animators and artists have put their own spin on them, helping to create some of the most iconic moments of the series in recent memory.
10 "Diggs" - Sylvain Chomet
Animated by legendary French comic artist, animator, and filmmaker Sylvain Chomet, this couch gag first premiered in 2014 before the 12th episode of the series 25th season and features all the iconic staples of Chomet's unique art style as well as some pretty heavy-handed French references.
Homer is shown happily munching on escargot, Lisa busts out an accordion, Bart unveils a 'do-it-yourself' foie gras kit complete with an actual duck, while Marge frantically searches for Maggie. Chomet is most known for his 2003 animated comedy film The Triplets of Belleville which went on to receive two Academy Award nominations and helped propel Chomet's art into the mainstream.
9 "Clown in the Dumps" - Don Hertzfeldt
Don Hertzfeldt, most known for his animated films such as It's Such A Beautiful Day, Rejected, and World of Tomorrow TV series, worked as a guest animator for the first episode of season 26 and helped create the most unsettling and introspective couch gag ever shown on the iconic animated sitcom.
The gag begins with Homer using a time-travel device that transforms him into his original 1989 appearance before zooming forward into the 101st century where the Simpsons family are now deformed, colorless blobs of animation that do nothing but rehash old catchphrases and demand that the viewer buys 'SAMPSONS' merch, reducing the beloved family into absurd parodies of themselves that reflects the current ecosystem of the show. It is surprisingly heartbreaking and overtly critical, with Hertzfeldt's gag representing the tragedy that the show has lost its original purpose and charm.
8 "MoneyBart" - Banksy
Speaking of dark interpretations, the third episode of the series' 22nd season was led by elusive graffiti artist Banksy and opens with a depiction of a dreary and incredibly depressing FOX Studios sweatshop in China where workers are forced to undertake a grueling work environment where they are exposed to nuclear radiation, force an endangered panda to pull heavy carts, use a severed dolphin head to seal packages shut, and use a withered unicorn's horn to make DVDs.
Subtlety isn't really Banksy's forte, and nothing shows the artist's love of heavy-handed metaphors better than this couch gag. This gag has since become one of the most infamous of the entire show, and the fact that the incredibly secretive artist was able to produce something for one of the biggest franchises in the world is a huge feat just in itself.
7 “Treehouse of Horror XXIV” - Guillermo Del Toro
There's no one who manages to capture the creepy aesthetic of fairy tales and the grotesque beauty of horror quite as masterfully as the legendary filmmaker and auteur Guillermo Del Toro, so his terror-filled couch gag of the 24th iconic "Treehouse of Horror" is filled to the brim with montages of his dazzling body of work as well as dozens of references to classic Hollywood monsters and other beloved horror tropes.
It's easy to get lost in the animated journey that Del Toro takes the audience on, and it's easily one of the most detailed and comprehensive Halloween couch gags ever produced by the Simpsons staff. Del Toro always manages to deliver exceptional visuals to everything he ever works on, and this five-minute opening short animation is clearly no exception.
6 “What to Expect When Bart’s Expecting” - Michel Socha
While the current quality and humor of the show are always a contentious topic of discussion among fans, one thing that everyone is more or less able to agree upon is that the animation and art direction used in the couch gags have always been polished and creative, with the increase of guest artists helping to make them even more experimental and inventive.
The 19th episode of the 25th season includes the talent of indie Polish animator, Michel Socha, who portrays the titular family undergoing a surrealist trip within Homer's body draped in a stark black, red, and white color scheme. Socha created something incredibly stylish and distinct in this couch gag, and while the series may not be held in the high esteem it used to be, its art and animation are always the most exciting things to see.
5 “Married to the Blob” - Bill Plympton
Bill Plympton is an animator, cartoonist, graphic designer, and filmmaker that has produced couch gags three times already for The Simpsons, but it's the sketchy, idiosyncratic animation presented before the 10th episode of the 25th season, "Married to the Blob" that allows all of Plympton's talent to shine through the strongest.
Known for his scrupulous, hand-drawn animation, Plympton's couch gag features a dreamlike sequence of the family in different landscapes that change and shift due to the continuous pressing of the TV remote by Maggie. The gag might not be as flashy as other contenders on this list, but its mellow and esoteric style makes it a welcome addition to the ever-expanding pantheon of couch gags.
4 “Teenage Mutant Milk-Caused Hurdles” - Steve Cutts
Influenced by the hyper-stylish world of the iconic 1980s TV show Miami Vice, the opening couch gag to the 11th episode of the 27th season was animated by online illustrator and animator, Steve Cutts, whose work usually revolves around social criticism of modern society and is usually influenced by the 'rubber-hose' animation style of the 1920s.
The gag highlights all the very best of the aesthetic of 1980s excess; from all-white suits, blacked-out aviators, a VHS filter, and chrome-colored title cards, Cutts' couch gag is a stylish delight that can make anyone nostalgic for the bygone and explosive era of the '80s.
3 "The Fabulous Faker Boy" - 'Robot Chicken' Team
The only stop animation featured on this list, the 20th episode of the 24th season opens with a couch gag produced by the sketch comedy television series, Robot Chicken, featuring all the playful chaos that is representative of the outlandish and cult-fave Adult Swim show.
The short animated sequence manages to include Homer murdering Ned Flanders via a super-powered rocket fist, as well as committing other acts of violence by transforming into a giant pink donut and squishing all the characters that are unlucky enough to be in front of him. It blends the very best of Robot Chicken while still remaining loyal to the tone of The Simpsons, and is overall one of the most fun couch gags due to the technicolor pandemonium displayed throughout.
2 "Poorhouse Rock" - Spike R. Monster
This couch gag, which was presented before the 22nd episode of the 33rd season, depicts a house party in the Simpsons' family household with a teenage-aged cast of the show's middle school kid characters before scrambling away in hiding as Marge and Homer enter the scene.
This couch gag was animated by Venezuelan comic artist Spike R. Monster, who is also a lifetime fan of The Simpsons and even produces his own web-comic, Those Springfield Kids, that similarly follows the adventures of teenage Lisa, Bart, Nelson, and more. The animated opening credits scene is unique not only for its depiction of aged-up characters but also for embracing the talent of fans and allowing their own interpretations of the beloved characters to flourish.
1 "Fland Canyon" - Eric Goldberg
This Disney-inspired couch gag was directed and animated by Eric Goldberg, most known for his work in animation for Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Studios.
This couch gag takes full inspiration from famous Disney films such as Cinderella, Snow White, The Jungle Book, Fantasia, and the original Mickey Mouse cartoons from the early 20th Century. It's full of classic Disney references that parody and simultaneously praise the animation style and tropes that the magical animated feature films are well known for, with a certain Simpsons flair and charm to make it really stand out.