Legendary Treehouse of Horror animator Mark Kirkland opens the crypt
Legendary Treehouse of Horror animator Mark Kirkland opens the crypt  
Podcast: Simpsons Declassified with Nancy Cartwright
Published On: Thu Oct 30 2025
Description: Ever wondered what happens when the voice of Bart Simpson sits down with the director who helped make Treehouse of Horror iconic? Nancy Cartwright welcomes Simpsons legend Mark Kirkland for a spooky, laugh-packed deep dive into Springfield. Mark lifts the lid on classic Halloween segments—from “The Omega Man” to “Easy-Bake Coven”—sharing how colonial research, crooked sets, and even the color of falling leaves shape the scares. He recalls his path from Hanna-Barbera to CalArts mentors, treating animators as “actors with a pencil,” and why sitcom timing beats long crosses every time. The trio play a chaotic “Simpsons Catchphrase: Halloween Edition,” revisit Bart-the-Fly’s squeaky register, and reveal how lines are stitched together take by take. Mark shouts out Suzie Dieter’s Grinch homage, dishes Easter-egg signage lore, answers fan mail (yes, “The Shinning” wins), and crowns donuts the ultimate studio “candy.” Plus: his favorite to direct (“Last Exit to Springfield”) and what he’s creating in his fine-art life now. FOLLOW NANCY: https://www.instagram.com/nancy_cartwright/ https://www.tiktok.com/@officialnancycartwright https://x.com/nancycartwright https://www.facebook.com/Nancy.Cartwright.Official/ Produced and showrun by Monica Gil-Rodriguez. From Audacy Podcasts and CRE84U Entertainment—this is your all-access pass to Springfield. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices