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Before The Simpsons, before Futurama, life was hell

DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
edited December 2010 in Social Entropy++
Now this is a pretty savvy community, so I'm willing to bet a fair number of you already know what I'm talking about. But I'm also pretty sure some of you kids don't know of Groening's wonderful strip before The Simpsons first aired on The Tracy Ullman Show.

I'm talking about his wonderful and largely forgotten (shamefully) strip, Life in Hell.

From the delightfully insecure, depressed, and confused Binky to the fabulous, probably-gay-but-we're-not-really-sure duo of Akbar and Jeff to name just a few, the strip offered a wickedly funny perspective on modern life and how fucked up we all are.

cast.jpg


Insights into relationships!
04_The_9_Types_Of_Girlfriends.jpg

03_The_9_Types_Of_Boyfriends.jpg

Scathing social commentary!
LifeInHell.jpg

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groening.png

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Akbar and Jeff's many business ventures!
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Apple.Akbar_n_Jeffs.102640005.lg.jpg

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The many moods of Akbar and Jeff!
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belruelotterav-1.jpg
Druhim on
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Posts

  • PiptheFairPiptheFair Frequently not in boats. Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    is this about mutt and jeff

    PiptheFair on
  • L.E.O.L.E.O. Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    WA WA WEEWA very nice.

    L.E.O. on
  • SeriouslySeriously Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I have a Life in Hell collection

    when I was a kid my parents got it for me because they didn't really know what it was



    whooops

    Seriously on
  • George Fornby GrillGeorge Fornby Grill ...Like Clockwork Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    L.E.O. wrote: »
    WA WA WEEWA very nice.

    I like you.

    George Fornby Grill on
  • UbikUbik oh pete, that's later. maybe we'll be dead by then Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Sweet Akbar and Hella Jeff

    Ubik on
    l8e1peic77w3.jpg

  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    Life in Hell was good. I discovered it probably 2 or 3 years after the Simpsons had come out so I was still a little young to understand all of the humor.

    Raijin Quickfoot on
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    I wish I could find an image online of the Akbar and Jeff comic about their snack shack.
    "Where the elite meet to eat reheated meaty treats!"

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
  • Sweeney TomSweeney Tom try The Substance it changed my lifeRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    i loved this comic so much

    Sweeney Tom on
    Amazon
    Steam
  • SLyMSLyM Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Nice, one of my friends has pretty much every one of the books and they got me school is hell for Christmas a few years back.

    SLyM on
    My friend is working on a roguelike game you can play if you want to. (It has free demo)
  • mensch-o-maticmensch-o-matic Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Haha, didn't Groening create the Simpsons characters offhand so he wouldn't have to give up the rights to these guys?

    Anyway these look neat, I wish I'd been around in the days when comic strips were more than 3-5 horizontal panels

    mensch-o-matic on
  • cadmunkycadmunky One hand on the bottle, The other a shaking fist.Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    fuck yea, i had a life is hell book around here somewhere......

    cadmunky on
    5955603848_aed2690084.jpg
    "Think of it as Evolution in Action"
  • L.E.O.L.E.O. Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    George Fornby Grill wrote: »
    L.E.O. wrote: »
    WA WA WEEWA very nice.

    I like you.
    :winky:

    L.E.O. on
  • BeastehBeasteh THAT WOULD NOT KILL DRACULARegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    life in hell ruled

    Beasteh on
  • I Win SwordfightsI Win Swordfights all the traits of greatness starlight at my feetRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Matt Groening is a very rad guy

    He does very rad things

    He has nice fish

    I Win Swordfights on
    lfYVHTd.png
  • Centipede DamascusCentipede Damascus Ho! Ho! Ho! Drink Coke!Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    they used to run Life is Hell in the Friday entertainment insert in the newspaper

    it always made me slightly uncomfortable but at the same time I liked it

    Centipede Damascus on
    bluesky/tumblr
    eZB497F.jpg
  • futilityfutility Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    I used to love reading these as a kid even though I had no context with which to appreciate them

    futility on
  • LanglyLangly Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Ubik wrote: »
    Sweet Akbar and Hella Jeff

    hahahahah

    Langly on
  • cadmunkycadmunky One hand on the bottle, The other a shaking fist.Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    langly.......that sig.

    cadmunky on
    5955603848_aed2690084.jpg
    "Think of it as Evolution in Action"
  • L.E.O.L.E.O. Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    that sig is disturbing, childhood memories here man...

    L.E.O. on
  • .. Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    When I was younger, I wanted a 77 Moods of Akbar and Jeff tattoo.

    . on
    Gimme stuff. Please. And I don't just mean my Secret Satan.
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited December 2010
    Akbar and Jeff were openly gay, what are you talking about

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • SLyMSLyM Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Every new thread I see Langly post in, someone new comments on that sig.

    SLyM on
    My friend is working on a roguelike game you can play if you want to. (It has free demo)
  • Centipede DamascusCentipede Damascus Ho! Ho! Ho! Drink Coke!Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Rankenphile wrote: »
    Akbar and Jeff were openly gay, what are you talking about

    according to Groening in the comic at the top of the OP, they are "brothers or lovers or possibly both"

    Centipede Damascus on
    bluesky/tumblr
    eZB497F.jpg
  • SLyMSLyM Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Centipede Damascus wrote: »
    Rankenphile wrote: »
    Akbar and Jeff were openly gay, what are you talking about

    according to Groening in the comic at the top of the OP, they are "brothers or lovers or possibly both"

    Character development, my friend.

    SLyM on
    My friend is working on a roguelike game you can play if you want to. (It has free demo)
  • TheySlashThemTheySlashThem Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Ubik wrote: »
    Sweet Akbar and Hella Jeff

    d-damn

    TheySlashThem on
    Eidolon PLaytest! Teenagers With Attitude! Audio Entropy! My Twitter!
  • .. Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    Rankenphile wrote: »
    Akbar and Jeff were openly gay, what are you talking about
    See, that's what I thought too. I was even sure there were comics actually stating they were gay and specficially gay for each other, but no one else seems to remember them. Or they read them differently or something, I don't know.

    . on
    Gimme stuff. Please. And I don't just mean my Secret Satan.
  • AeollasAeollas Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    SLyM wrote: »
    Every new thread I see Langly post in, someone new comments on that sig.

    Jesus Cristo that sig

    Aeollas on
  • GoatmonGoatmon Companion of Kess Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I remember these comics! But only vaguely. I saw a life in hell book years ago, though I don't remember where. It was about the phases of growing up, dealing with high school and such. Good times.

    ThatDudeOverThere wrote: »
    Ubik wrote: »
    Sweet Akbar and Hella Jeff

    d-damn

    I know TDOT. I was gonna post that, too. :(

    Goatmon on
    Switch Friend Code: SW-6680-6709-4204


  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited December 2010
    Centipede Damascus wrote: »
    Rankenphile wrote: »
    Akbar and Jeff were openly gay, what are you talking about

    according to Groening in the comic at the top of the OP, they are "brothers or lovers or possibly both"

    When accosted by a redneck who was angry that they took the word gay from them and made it mean something gross, they shoved him over and said "we call ourselves gay because we are gay"

    and also they fucked

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited December 2010
    I think my favorite thing in one of these comics is when Bongo asked Binky, "Where do babies come from" and he just says "you know what fucking is?"

    "yeah"

    "they come from that."

    "oh."

    Rankenphile on
    8406wWN.png
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Day Gaybie Raybie.

    Kuribo's Shoe on
    xmassig2.gif
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    . wrote: »
    Rankenphile wrote: »
    Akbar and Jeff were openly gay, what are you talking about
    See, that's what I thought too. I was even sure there were comics actually stating they were gay and specficially gay for each other, but no one else seems to remember them. Or they read them differently or something, I don't know.

    During the early run of Life in Hell it was kind of ambiguous, but then later they were just outright gay.

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
  • .. Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    The story of my life.

    . on
    Gimme stuff. Please. And I don't just mean my Secret Satan.
  • Kuribo's ShoeKuribo's Shoe Kuribo's Stocking North PoleRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I read some of these. I got a book from the library. Then I lost the book and the library got mad.

    Kuribo's Shoe on
    xmassig2.gif
  • TonkkaTonkka Some one in the club tonight Has stolen my ideas.Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Oh god yes Dru.

    I had The Big Book of Hell and read it over and over and over. There was at least another pledge of allegiance that Bongo did:

    I plead alignment
    To the flakes
    Of the untitled snakes of a merry cow
    And to the republicans
    For which they scam
    One nacho
    Underpants
    Invisible
    With licorice and jugs of wine for owls

    I think that was how it went.

    Tonkka on
    Steam: evilumpire Battle.net: T0NKKA#1588 PS4: T_0_N_N_K_A Twitter Shirts and such HELP!
  • LanglyLangly Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    SLyM wrote: »
    Every new thread I see Langly post in, someone new comments on that sig.

    It's a conversation starter, like an engraved cigarette lighter or a ceremonial ivory dildo.

    Langly on
  • TonkkaTonkka Some one in the club tonight Has stolen my ideas.Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Langly wrote: »
    SLyM wrote: »
    Every new thread I see Langly post in, someone new comments on that sig.

    It's a conversation starter, like an engraved cigarette lighter or a ceremonial ivory dildo-sword.

    Tonkka on
    Steam: evilumpire Battle.net: T0NKKA#1588 PS4: T_0_N_N_K_A Twitter Shirts and such HELP!
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    Tonkka wrote: »
    Oh god yes Dru.

    I had The Big Book of Hell and read it over and over and over. There was at least another pledge of allegiance that Bongo did:

    I plead alignment
    To the flakes
    Of the untitled snakes of a merry cow
    And to the republicans
    For which they scam
    One nacho
    Underpants
    Invisible
    With licorice and jugs of wine for owls

    I think that was how it went.

    <3

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2010
    53.gif

    Druhim on
    belruelotterav-1.jpg
  • TonkkaTonkka Some one in the club tonight Has stolen my ideas.Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Hey Dru, hey.

    C'mere you.

    Tonkka on
    Steam: evilumpire Battle.net: T0NKKA#1588 PS4: T_0_N_N_K_A Twitter Shirts and such HELP!
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