“Nihilism in American comedy came along way before 'The Simpsons.' There was a fairly nihilistic point of view to 'Saturday Night Live,' for instance, back in the beginning, and a lot of really dark comedy had a really anti-sentimental take on life.”

American cartoonist

Matt Groening is an American cartoonist. He is best known as the creator of The Simpsons, the long-running television series that began in 1989. He also created the animated series Futurama and Disenchantment, and the comic strip Life in Hell. Groening’s work spans television and comics, with a career that began with Life in Hell in 1977 and continued through later series that helped define his public profile. His creations are known for their sharp humor and distinctive animated worlds.