Ever since The Simpsons first aired in 1989 it has stolen the hearts of families around the world, with years of adventures springing from its initial inception. Most new Simpsons storylines exist within the main canon of the television show, or offshoots from creator Matt Groening in some form or fashion such as movies or video games. However, The Simpsons has also inspired a number of fan-produced content, including a new manga-style fighting adventure in the form of a new webcomic that has taken Twitter by storm.
SPRINGFIGHT! a Simpsons fan comic released by Joe Chouinard is a five-part webcomic posted on Twitter that brings the comedy fans have come to expect from The Simpsons and adds manga-style action. In the beginning, fans are told that Mr. Burns has died and his will states that his immense wealth will be left to the winner of a town-wide fighting tournament. All the regular Simpsons characters and side characters are participating, fighting each other much like characters in a Dragon Ball manga would, all for a chance at a grand fortune. As many familiar faces rise and fall on the panel, one man stands above the rest, and that man is none other than Homer Simpson.
Homer uses the power of drunken hopelessness to win his way to the top of the tournament, and while that description may seem a bit heavy and sad for a Simpsons comic, that’s because it is and the story doesn’t shy away from that fact. The whole reason Homer is fighting in the tournament is because he and Marge got a divorce, and his family all but hates him. To prove to them he isn’t a loser, Homer has decided to win Burns’ tournament, using beer to numb the pain it takes to win. Homer only realizes his mistake after he faces his final challenger: his own son Bart. Halfway through their epic fight, Homer leaves the ring and forfeits the tournament and Bart takes home the gold, but in the end Homer’s the real winner. His family sees how hard he is trying to get back into their lives and once he vows to give up drinking he is given another chance to be the husband and father they all hoped he would be.
SPRINGFIGHT! a Simpsons fan comic isn’t the only non-canonical Simpsons adventure that has sprung up in webcomic space. The fan made Those Springfield Kids by Mr. Spike R. Monster takes a similar approach to Simpsons character psychology as SPRINGFIGHT! but with a slight time jump and way less action. Those Springfield Kids explores the early high school life of Bart, Lisa, and the other younger characters present in the original Simpsons. While the series has its comedic moments, it certainly doesn’t hold any punches when tackling the traumatic drama present in the usually fantastical world in which The Simpsons takes place.
While these Simpsons stories didn’t originate from the original creator Matt Groening and are therefore non-canon, they speak to how powerful The Simpsons is to fans even to this day. The Simpsons is one of the longest-running series on television, and even with the current competition in adult animation like Rick and Morty, Family Guy, and South Park, its characters and stories remain an inspiration to fans to create their own adventures with the characters they grew up with. Simpsons fan comic SPRINGFIGHT! is a manga-style fighting tournament with a deep dive into The Simpsons family dynamic that is a great tribute to the show that started it all.
Source: Joe Chouinard