All October lengthy, Cracked is catching up with among the biggest writers in Simpsons historical past to debate probably the most beloved segments from the “Treehouse of Horror” sequence. From the cursed monkey’s paw to Krusto the Clown, we’re digging into the making of some actual fan-favorites.
In Springfield, Krusty the Clown has lengthy been referred to as an affordable, determined, steamed hams-slinging TV character with innumerable vices and character flaws. However even supposing he was framed for homicide and a killer doll together with his likeness as soon as got here to life, the youngsters of Springfield nonetheless love the cackling clown. In Kingfield, nonetheless, issues are a lot, a lot completely different.
Within the 2022 “Treehouse of Horror” particular “Not It,” The Simpsons did one thing it had by no means accomplished earlier than: The present devoted a complete episode to a single “Treehouse” parody, which took intention at Stephen King’s It. In fact, taking the place of the evil Pennywise needed to be Krusty — or Kusto on this episode — who feasts on the flesh of Kingfield’s kids.
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The outcome was an prompt Simpsons basic with followers providing up rave evaluations, authentic fan artwork and Krusto tattoos in its honor. Which is why we gathered up the episode’s author, director and some others to inform us how they dared to inform the story of the bloodthirsty Krusto the Clown.
Cesar Mazariegos, author of “Not It”: The thought for “Not It” took place throughout the summer season when It Chapter Two was popping out. I used to be model new at The Simpsons, and we had been speaking about Halloween stuff. I stated, “Have we ever accomplished an It parody?” With so many Halloween episodes and often three tales per “Treehouse,” it was shocking that we hadn’t. However we put it in our again pocket and didn’t give it some thought once more till two years later. We had been engaged on one other “Treehouse,” and (showrunner) Matt Selman stated, “It parody! Whose thought was that?” I raised my hand, and he stated, “You wish to try this one?”
The extra we considered it, although, it appeared too massive. “Treehouse” tales are about seven minutes lengthy, they usually’re usually joke-heavy and story-light. With It, it’s a thousand-page ebook. It was a two-night miniseries. It was two almost three-hour films. There was no method to do this in a trilogy of terror, so we stated, “What if we do it because it’s personal factor? We do our regular ‘Treehouse’ episode, however we have now an additional, added bonus. Folks love these episodes anyway and so does Fox, so why not?”
Matt Selman, showrunner of The Simpsons: It, the ebook and the films, have this two-act construction, and we thought it could lend itself to a full episode as a substitute. Plus, now that we’re in Season 50,000 of this present, the concept of alternate futures the place everybody finally ends up with another person and completely different stuff occurs may be very tempting to us.
Mazariegos: By the point I began to write down it, I’d learn the ebook and seen the TV film and each new films. We wished to you’ll want to embody probably the most iconic moments. For instance, I knew we wanted that opening scene with the paper boat and It within the sewer as a result of it’s so iconic, scary and moody.
We didn’t wish to get too within the weeds, although. The ebook particularly has all this loopy stuff, just like the one child is afraid of big birds. Whereas it might need been enjoyable to do this, how many individuals know that? Positive, lots of people have learn the ebook, however extra individuals have in all probability seen the films or the miniseries, so it made extra sense to take from there.
There’s additionally some questionable materials within the ebook, like that scene the place all the youngsters have intercourse. I had a joke within the episode the place Moe says, “What if all of us have intercourse with one another?” and everyone seems to be like, “Why would that assist?!?!” However Matt Selman and Brian Kelley, who was co-running that episode, thought it was a bit of gross and that we didn’t have to remind individuals of it, particularly in the event that they don’t learn about it within the first place.
Even with a complete episode although, it was nonetheless a problem to determine inform this story in 21 minutes, as a result of there’s loads to cram in there. We had to determine which characters are proper for it. Which components of the story can we stick with? Which components do we alter? Which components can we ignore? Every character needed to have their very own little nightmare and their very own interplay with Krusto. There was how they received alongside. There was the love triangle. There was the historical past of Krusto. It was loads to slot in, and there have been a ton of jokes we needed to minimize simply to slot in story stuff.
Selman: We had a factor with a spooky gravedigger. We hoped Stephen King would do the voice of it, however he handed. It was simply as nicely, as a result of we didn’t have time for it.
Mazariegos: For the number of characters we used, there was numerous kicking round to see who matches within the mildew. Clearly Homer. Clearly Marge. Moe is at all times enjoyable as a result of he will be something you want him to be — a bit of dirtbag, a child you are feeling sorry for, no matter. Carl as a result of there’s the joke in regards to the one Black child in all of Maine. Then, the final half was whoever was going to be the opposite a part of the love triangle. It may have been Moe, nevertheless it felt like Comedian Ebook Man had good vitality as a man who’s at all times a bit of egocentric and needy. We additionally thought he needed to be the one to die of the group, so we thought it could work if he’s the one to take credit score for the poem Homer wrote for Marge.
Selman: As a lot as there’s numerous stuff about slaughter, homicide and different craziness, we wished to do what Stephen King does so nicely, which is to inform a tragic human story on the heart. The concept younger Comedian Ebook Man had a crush on Marge however she appreciated Homer extra, that’s an actual little-kid factor — it’s a practical, emotional factor. You assume a woman likes you, however then the woman likes another person extra, and it’s unhappy.
Mazariegos: For the Pennywise half, perhaps for a second we thought, “What if it was Sideshow Bob?” However actually, this was at all times going to be a Krusty story. Then we had to determine the backstory for Krusto, and the way in which we made it our Krusty was that he was so determined for laughs that he retains these ghost kids ceaselessly to be his snicker monitor. That tracks with who he’s as a personality. Pennywise is a few alien spider factor, however Krusto is only a hacky comic who at all times wished laughs however by no means received them, so that is how he will get them.
As for the design of Krusto, the It most lately in individuals’s minds is the film model, so we leaned on that, however for authorized causes, we couldn’t make him look an excessive amount of like Pennywise.
Steven Dean Moore, director of “Not It”: A common information for one thing like that is that you simply take the factor you’re making an homage to and also you divide it by Springfield — I name it “Simpsonizing.” So you’ve gotten this factor the place it seems prefer it’s in our present, nevertheless it additionally seems just like the reference materials.
Kevin Newman, designer of Krusto the Clown: The author’s word I received for Krusto was to “Make a Krustified model of It.” I rewatched the films, sitting on my sofa with a pen and paper, and I simply sketched web page after web page of character growth. There have been sure issues I used to be attempting to seize, just like the evil eyes and the tilted-down head. From that, I needed to take our Krusty the Clown and in some way bridge the hole so it reads as It. After we do some of these issues, generally they wish to preserve it nearer to our man, and generally you’re pushing extra towards the supply materials. You need the center the place you get the texture of each issues.
On this case, my first go appeared much more like Krusty. He had Krusty’s physique form — rounder, chubbier, shorter. He nonetheless had the It hair and a barely larger brow, however extra Krusty proportions.
Then I did a second one the place I unleashed myself with a loopy massive brow and made him taller. I took Krusty’s physique form, however I stretched it so the ball is small and the torso’s larger. I introduced these to the director, and he was like, “These are superior.” He despatched the second model over to the writers to see what suggestions they’d. They had been very optimistic. They threw in a few particulars, however that model caught. It was about 80 or 90 % of the ultimate design.
Mazariegos: Colour-wise, we figured we’d go along with inexperienced. That’s what Krusty’s hair seems like, so it made sense.
Newman: Then the board artists began roughing out the angles and the scenes. Steve stated they’d want him within the gutter with loopy rows of fangs, popping his face out. There’s a scene the place he’s coming out of a tv, and there’s a scene the place he’s crawling on the ceiling.
Mazariegos: The place we may, we wished to make issues really unsettling, like when Barney will get pulled into the sewer. It took some time to get the ending, the place Kusto crumples in on himself, proper. Even within the animatic stage it was nonetheless a bit of unclear, so I drew out this picture of how precisely I wished him to crumple in on himself for max physique horror and ache.
Newman: For the premiere social gathering that yr, they made a Krusty as It shirt for everybody, they usually created these 12-inch standees on foamcore. I nonetheless have a kind of sitting on my desk now. The general public actually responded to it too. I used to be at this Halloween occasion final yr at Descanso Gardens in L.A. the place they’d a thousand carved pumpkins, and I noticed a Krusty as It jack-o’-lantern. My son pointed it out saying, “Dad, it’s your design!” Everybody turned their heads. I felt like a rock star for a couple of minutes there.
