These days, the idea of the multiverse has turn into a part of the popular culture lexicon, largely because of Marvel and its makes an attempt to usher within the age of multiversal storytelling with its superhero motion pictures (though it’ price noting that superhero motion pictures did not invent this idea, it has been round for some time). The method actually started Sony and Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” again in 2018, then picked up with 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Manner Residence,” earlier than Marvel Studios itself picked up the baton and ran with it for 2022’s “Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity” — a film that attempted to tell apart between completely different timelines with distinct designs for every, however which in the end felt prefer it did not fairly hit the mark.
In the meantime, Marvels’ rival, DC, additionally tried its hand at introducing audiences to the multiverse with some ill-fated initiatives resembling the superheroic field workplace bomb that was “The Flash.” Nonetheless, by the point “Spider-Man: Throughout the Spider-Verse” debuted in 2023, the idea of a number of universes that collide with each other was well-established.
Within the case of Sony’s “Spider-Verse” sequel, the studio managed to drag off what “Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity” could not. “Throughout the Spider-Verse” painted a vivid image of the multiverse, or quite dozens of various vivid photos. Alongside 3D modeling, timelines had been illustrated utilizing watercolor, collage, and Italian Renaissance-inspired aesthetics, making for distinct visible identities for every.
Whereas “Throughout the Spider-Verse” at the moment stands as the very best on-screen illustration of the multiverse, apparently sufficient, some 26 years previous to Spidey’s multiversal exploits, “The Simpsons” virtually pulled off a really related feat with a 1997 “Treehouse of Horror” episode.
That point the Simpsons made Homer 3D
Not solely has “The Simpsons” predicted all method of actual world occasions that really got here true, it has additionally just about accomplished each storyline that you can probably consider. Even way back to 2002, “South Park” was poking enjoyable at this actual fact with its “Simpsons Already Did It” episode. However one factor which the long-running sequence did not fairly beat Marvel to was depicting the multiverse as a kaleidoscopic tapestry of visible design historical past — although that is not to say the present did not strive.
“Treehouse of Horror VI” is without doubt one of the greatest installments within the “Simpsons” Halloween episode custom, and is notable for being the primary time the present used 3D modeling and reside motion footage within the now basic phase “Homer³.” It additionally occurs to be the episode of “The Simpsons” that prompted a real-life welfare test.
A parody of the 1962 “Twilight Zone” episode “Little Lady Misplaced,” wherein a woman by chance travels to a different dimension, “Homer³” sees Homer do the identical, changing into a digital 3D model of himself in an alternate dimension. However the phase was initially going to introduce to popular culture the idea of a multiverse made up of varied design languages all the best way again in 1997.
Homer³ was virtually the start of the multiverse
Invoice Oakley and Josh Weinstein, who served as showrunners on season 7 of “The Simpsons,” spoke to Cracked about “Treehouse of Horror VI.” Whereas discussing “Homer³,” they revealed that Homer was initially alleged to undergo a number of dimensions with completely different aesthetics, very like the occasions of “Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity” or “Spider-Man: Throughout the Spider-Verse.” Oakley mentioned:
“The preliminary thought was that Homer was going to undergo extra dimensions. They’d have completely different kinds, like a cutout paper dimension and a claymation dimension. However then we had been like, ‘Let’s simply parody the Twilight Zone episode beat-for-beat.'”
Funnily sufficient, the cutout paper dimension sounds vaguely just like the model utilized in “Throughout the Spider-Verse” to signify Spider Punk’s universe. The character in Sony’s film took three years to animate, due partially to the actual fact animators used an in depth hand-cut collage model that emulated the look of punk zines and flyers. Whereas I am certain “The Simpsons” wasn’t pondering alongside these traces, this does sound like one other second the place the present would have accomplished one thing approach forward of its time, had Oakley, Weinstein, and the writers pushed forward with their a number of universe strategy.
