In an early episode from the first series of The Simpsons, Homer is seen reading a publication called The Bowl Earth Catalog. It’s a punning nod to the Whole Earth Catalog: the 1960s counterculture tome of west coast environmentalism, DIY and tech utopianism (and more quietly, consumerism) that was championed by Steve Jobs and Silicon Valley mavens. It’s a typical blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference for those who want to see it, but offers a glimpse at the prehistory of The Simpsons.
By the time the show’s creator, Matt Groening, was making it as a cartoonist and comic strip artist in early-80s LA, the hippy counterculture was ageing out (and getting rich). The baton had been passed on – or grabbed – by the burgeoning alternative culture of punk and new wave music, with weekly alt-newspapers, self-published zines, underground comics and much else in between. Whatever you labelled it, a DIY ethos remained ever-present.
