The Simpsons' Spectacular Remake: Marge vs The Monorail Animation Gets a Mind-Blowing Makeover in 2022 Episode

Summary

In The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Animation director Rob Oliver and producer David Silverman meticulously recreated scenes from the beloved episode "Marge vs. The Monorail."

The original footage was examined, colors were matched, and filters were applied to recreate the early seasons' pre-digital, cel-based animation style.

The "Simpsons World" recreation of iconic moments not only honors the show's legendary history but also embraces and includes beloved elements that resonate with contemporary audiences.

Animation director Rob Oliver and producer David Silverman discuss the process of reanimating the episode "Marge vs. The Monorail" for the "Treehouse of Horror" episode in 2022. The episode, titled "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII," follows The Simpsons' tradition of spoofing popular media and spooky tales. In this episode, they parody WestWorld, Death Note, and The Babadook. The storyline of "Simpsons World" involves a self-aware Homer android discovering that he exists in a theme park dedicated to recreating fans' favorite moments from The Simpsons.

Oliver and Silverman took advantage of the opportunity presented by "Simpsons World" to revisit classic moments from the show. They specifically focused on recreating scenes from the season 4 episode "Marge vs. The Monorail" using the show's current animation techniques. One scene they targeted was Homer's tour of the Monorail cockpit. To maintain faithfulness to the original, they traced the original footage for the new episode and matched the colors. They also applied various filters to mimic the pre-digital, cel-based animation techniques used in the early seasons. To learn more about the process, watch the full explanation provided by Silverman and Oliver below:

Silverman: "There are numerous iconic and well-known scenes, including one that stands out as particularly great. Not only is it hilariously entertaining, but it also carries the weight of being part of the renowned collection. I affectionately refer to this standout scene as the big one, Bitey."

Oliver: "Our intention was to maintain the authenticity of the monorail scenes by meticulously replicating the original footage. We took painstaking measures to trace every detail from the original footage."

Silverman: "In the past, this task was completed without the use of digital compositing. At that time, the frame size was referred to as 4:3 aspect ratio, whereas now we are working with a 16:9 frame size. To maintain the original appearance, we had to carefully trace the images."

Oliver: "Within each scene, we made some modifications and introduced new poses. Afterward, we had to ensure that the new colors matched the original ones. Additionally, we applied filters to create a slight haze over the lines and added cel shadows to give the impression that cels were still being used instead of simply coloring on a computer."

"Simpsons World" Is A Detailed Love Letter To Iconic Classic & Modern The Simpsons Moments

"Marge vs. The Monorail" was chosen as the opening for "Simpsons World" due to its catchy monorail pitch song performed by Phil Hartman and the memorable guest appearance by Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek. The episode, written by Conan O'Brien, stands out as one of the earliest and most celebrated stories in The Simpsons, contributing to the development of the show's comedic style. Being widely recognized and appreciated, it serves as a perfect example to highlight the deviations in "Simpsons World's" opening and effectively introduce the park's premise.

The "Treehouse of Horror" segment of The Simpsons not only recreated and twisted moments from its own history, such as "Marge vs. The Monorail," but also included smaller nods to past episodes like Bart's victory over Nelson in "Bart the General." The segment even acknowledged viral moments like the "Homer emerging from the bushes" meme, with parkgoers attempting to recreate the image with a sentient Homer bot. "Simpsons World" pays tribute not only to classic seasons of the show but also to the moments that have gained popularity with modern audiences.

With its numerous references and unexpected Bob's Burgers crossover, "Simpsons World" has become a beloved segment within an already standout episode of The Simpsons. The attention to detail in replicating the style of classic episodes by Oliver, Silverman, and the rest of the crew shows their dedication to honoring that era. This surprisingly detailed animation recreation has garnered a newfound appreciation for the segment.

Source: Variety