Over 35 seasons of The Simpsons, we’ve learned about Comic Book Guy. His real name is Jeff Albertson; he’s married to Kumiko; and he can’t resist a 100 tacos for 100 dollars deal, especially if there’s a Doctor Who marathon on. We also might have finally learned who the “real” Comic Book Guy is.
In the latest episode of the excellent Talking Simpsons podcast hosted by Bob Mackey and Henry Gilbert, guest Eva Anderson claimed that the character is based on a man named John Brian King.
“I met him a few times and he worked at a book store,” she said. “He has a website and stuff, but he was the one who was eating fried clams when the Simpsons writers came over to the store.” This checks out with previous comments made by Simpsons writer George Meyer, who said back in 2000 that the the character was inspired by an employee at the Amok bookstore in Los Angeles who was “sitting on the high stool, kind of lording over the store with that supercilious attitude and eating behind the counter a big Styrofoam container full of fried clams with a lot of tarter sauce.”
Anderson, a writer for Comedy Bang! Bang!, You’re the Worst, and WeCrashed (and a podcast favorite on Doughboys and Podcast: The Ride), called the “real” Comic Book Guy a “very funny, sarcastic guy. He’s also a title designer. He did the titles for [the Paul Thomas Anderson movie] Punch Drunk Love.” She met him “when I was in my early 20s. I was a receptionist for his wife, who was a famous music supervisor… But we all went to dinner together. When you meet this guy, there’s no question that he’s the entire Comic Book Guy model.”
Hopefully minus the loneliness and cheeseburgers.
You can listen to Talking Simpsons below (the Comic Book Guy talk begins around the 2:02:55 mark, although you should listen to the full thing since the episode they’re covering is the all-timer “Last Exit to Springfield”).