Portland, Ore., native Matt Groening, here in 1988, became a cult hero with his comic ode to Los Angeles malaise, "Life in Hell."
George Rose/Getty Images- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Tumblr
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has given $500,000 toward the creation of a new chair at the University of California, Los Angeles, that bears his moniker.
The Matt Groening Chair in Animation at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television will “allow visiting master artists to teach classes” and “bring working professionals with wide-ranging expertise” to work with students, the school said in an announcement.
STORY: Behind The Scenes From 500 Episodes Of ‘The Simpsons’
Groening, who graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington, is committed, in a financial sense, to UCLA: he makes a yearly donation of $50,000 to help students who produce short — and socially conscious — animated films.
On Tuesday, Groening (subject of THR’s recent cover story) will receive his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His long-running, ground-breaking Fox series celebrates its 500th episode on Sunday.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day