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A superb hand-painted original production cel from The Simpsons' first season, featuring Bart Simpson caught between the identical purple-haired twins Sherri and Terri, two of Springfield Elementary's most deceptively innocent tormentors.

This scene appears in "Homer's Odyssey" first broadcast on January 21, 1990, only the show's third-ever episode, and captures the twins closing in as they taunt Bart with perfect, unison menace:

"We're gonna make you sing, Bart Simpson."

"Yeah, Bart Simpson, we're gonna make you sing."

Even in its earliest episodes, The Simpsons set itself apart by giving every resident of Springfield a recognisable personality and flaw. Sherri and Terri, though much less prominent than characters like Ned Flanders, fill a similar satirical role. They're the goody two-shoes teacher's pets who gleefully abuse their favoured status among adults to torment others. Their father, one of Homer's bosses at the power plant, shares that same sense of superiority. It isn't enough for their family to be better. . .they have to rub it in.

That dynamic, baked into the DNA of The Simpsons from the very beginning, perfectly illustrates the show's worldview: that society's "betters" are just as petty, flawed, and self-serving as everyone else.

This 12-field hand-painted production cel, progressed from the original drawings, photographed, and placed onto film, shows all three characters with exceptional expressions and interaction. It bears the official 20th Century Fox gold seal and is signed and inscribed by Nancy Cartwright, the Emmy Award-winning voice of Bart Simpson, obtained during an early 1990s Fox promotional event.

From the first season when each cel was still individually hand-inked and painted, this is a classic example of the show's humour and hand-crafted artistry that made The Simpsons an immediate cultural landmark. Dimensions: 35.5 cm x 45.5 cm (14" x 18")

Dedication can be professionally removed upon request prior to shipping.

Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Terms and Conditions.

Estimate: £800 - 1,600 M

View all lots from SIMPSONS, THE (TV SERIES, 1989-PRESENT)