‘Simpsons’ Legend John Swartzwelder Recounts the Writers’ Bowling Party for the 1989 Premiere

Thirty-five years ago yesterday, the inaugural Simpsons staff celebrated the premiere of their new animated sitcom at an old-school bowling alley in the Los Angeles area, where we can safely assume a sleazy Frenchman started hitting on one of their wives.  

On Tuesday, The Simpsons celebrated the 35th anniversary of its first-ever episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” by premiering the first streaming-only Simpsons special on Disney+, the two-part Christmas episode “O C’mon All Ye Faithful.” In the three and a half decades since Homer took up a gig as a mall Santa because Bart got “MOTH” tattooed on his arm, The Simpsons has expanded into an entertainment empire unmatched in adult animation, and the quaint circumstances of the show’s launch on December 17, 1989 are a Smithsonian-level piece of comedy history, as are the custom Simpsons-themed bowling shirts the entire writing staff wore for the occasion.  

John Swartzwelder, the most venerated Simpsons writer of all time and, until recently, a notorious hermit whose public appearances were less frequent than those of Bigfoot, commemorated yesterday’s anniversary with a brief recollection of that December night when television changed forever:

As is his style, Swartzwelder ignored the rabid hordes of Simpsons who rushed into his replies to ask him which O.G. Simpsons writer was the best bowler, what score Swartzwelder himself earned on the night, whether he still has the free custom Simpsons bowling shirt that he wore while watching the most impactful pilot in TV history and whether he is willing to part with said shirt for an exorbitant sum. 

Mimi Pond, the cartoonist and comedy writer who wrote “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” but whom Matt Groening and his executive team controversially denied a spot on the permanent writing staff, spoke to Splinter 10 years ago today about the bowling party and the wearable SWAG that she says was a portent for the show's astounding success. 

“I was at the bowling party, and everyone got a bowling shirt. I might still have it somewhere. I also got a crew jacket, and when I wore it on the subway back in NYC where I was still living at the time, I was mobbed by people who wanted one,” Pond said of the Simpsons premiere party and the commemorative apparel. “It was then that I knew (The Simpsons) was going to be gigantic.”

Jennifer Tilly, ex-wife of the late Simpsons co-developer, writer and producer Sam Simon, shared what may be the only color photo of the bowling party ever released to the public in 2020 to celebrate The Simpsons’ Emmy nominations that year, showing herself, Simon and Simpsons legends Mike Reiss and Jay Kogen wearing what are now probably to most valuable bowling shirts ever stitched:

If anyone from the original Simpsons team still has their bowling shirt, they would do well to contact Sotheby’s about an auction — I’m sure some very rich Simpsons fan would pay a fortune to join the Pin Pals.