When Aggressive Comix asked me if I would write a memorial piece about Sam Simon, I wasn’t too surprised. And that isn’t some inflated ego quip either, I genuinely have been a fan of the Simpsons nearly all of my life. I have an enormous Simpsons action figure collection, art and a Simpsons tattoo sleeve. It’s my life. So when AC asked me, I instantly agreed.

The only problem was that I hadn’t had time to mourn or process it. I was at JoAnn’s getting more fabric when I got notification of the legendary creator and humorist’s passing. I cried in my car for a few minutes and thought about the first times I had been introduced via television to Sam. I went about my day, still half asleep from this past weekend’s convention and preparing for this weekend’s convention. I passed out around 1am only to wake at 6am in tears. I cried tears for Sam Simon, I cried tears for his family. I cried tears for anyone who had ever been inspired by him. As I mentioned above, I knew of Sam Simon only through television. My biological father was a fan of Taxi and Cheers so these were constants in my household growing up. I didn’t quite get the humor as a five year old but I knew it was funny, just not why.

Flash forward a few years, and I experience my first introduction to Tracy Ullman and a world of sketch comedy that I still didn’t understand, but my older brother assured me was funny. Jump to a few more years into the future and I meet The Simpsons. I had never seen anything like this before. It was a cartoon, that came on at night! (Sadly I wasn’t born for the legendary debut of The Flintstones) I can remember being in awe because there was finally humor that nine year old me got. I instantly related to Bart and some have said I developed his evil snicker.

As the show progressed and when my mom remarried, The Simpsons became outlawed in my house. My then stepfather thought the show was raunchy, rude and not a good influence on me. THE BEST THINGS ABOUT IT, I thought. The Simpsons were banned in my house but I knew there was no way I would ever stop watching. I lied to my parents weekly about not viewing this show. Meaning I would take the little black and white TV into my closet like I was some 11 year old espionage waiting for my next mission, while telling them I was building my Legos in my room. Eventually I grew up and there were obviously no restrictions and the impact on my life remained.

Now I understand that Sam Simon didn’t created the actual Simpsons, but I do believe as do others he made them what they are. Even though Sam Simon had left The Simpsons after a few season his incredible sense of humor and vision for the show came through in everything after. In 2013 Simon announced that he was fighting cancer. Later it was said that and it would be terminal. I cried that day but still felt hopefully.

While many of us were saddened, he reminded us again, what kind of person he is by announcing he would be giving his fortune away for the betterment of others. Among his charity alcaldes, he fed the hungry, fought against whale poachers and animal abuse. He also started The Sam Simon foundation that trained dogs to help disabled people, including veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. RIP Sam Simon, although I never met you personally, you had a huge impact on my life and my ability to finally get comedy. Best wishes and loving thoughts to his family, friends, and all fans who have felt their heart break with his loss.

Thanks to Aggressive Comic for giving me the platform to share my memories and thoughts on the passing of a great man. I’m tired, exhausted and have to keep busy, but I will be taking some moments to myself soon to watch the first four seasons of The Simpsons again, once my schedule calms down.