'Simpsons' Creator Ends Comic Strip That Led to TV Show: "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening is ending the familiar syndicated comic strip that ran for more than three decades and was crucial in the development of "The Simpsons," reports The New York Times' ArtsBeat."Life in Hell," which first appeared in Wet Magazine in 1978, caught the attention of James L. Brooks, who was seeking a cartoonist to create animated shorts for Fox's "Tracey Ullman Show," the story notes. Groening sketched a family he called the "The Simpsons" while outside Brooks' office, the piece adds.The last original "Life in Hell" comic was issued on June 15, and marked the franchise's 1,669th strip. The comic, with bucktoothed rabbits and a fez-wearing gay couple, features Groening's views on childhood, dating and family, the story notes.“The Simpsons” went on to become the longest-running scripted prime-time show in television history after its debut as a standalone series in 1989. It has now been on the air for 23 seasons, and recently celebrated its 500th episode."Life in Hell"
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