Russian Animator Produces Gritty, Depressing Reimagination of "The Simpsons"09.07.2019

A couple of days ago, Russian animator and illustrator Alexei Semenov, a.k.a. Lazy Square, released his own, Russian-flavored version of the notorious "Simpsons" couch gag. 

Developed by Matt Groening, "The Simpsons" is the story of an average American family living in the suburbs. First broadcast in 1989 by FOX, The Simpsons grew into a worldwide cultural phenomenon, with new episodes still being released today. 

Most of the series’ most popular tropes have been subverted by Lazy Square’s reimagination of the cult American franchise, including its traditional yellow-tinted color palette, replaced in video by gloomy, depressive hues that bring to mind post-apocalyptic nuclear wastelands. 

Lazy Square’s Homer is also a nuclear plant worker, but resents his job even more than his American counterpart. In the video, we also see his son Bart get mugged and have his phone stolen, his wife Marge spit and curse at the store, and his daughter Lisa run afoul of the law. The reimagined opening sequence was scored with Goran Bregović’s "Ederlezi". 

Since its release, the video has managed to garner over a million views. Lazy Square admitted that he created the homage out of a profound love for the art of animation. Additionally, the artist said, his rendition of the cult series also stands as a critique of the relentless cheeriness of the fictional Springfield and American popular culture in general.