19th April, 2005

DAN WOODING
ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net)

United States

Lance Wilder, a top designer on the hit animation show, The Simpsons, has appealed to Christians not to “abandon Hollywood".

“I can't imagine what would happen if Christians and people with a sense of morality and responsibility abandoned Hollywood," he says.

“Fortunately we're not called to abandon these things, but we're called to be a light and an example to do our best and to hold firm to what’s right.”

AT WORK: Lance Wilder at work as an animation artist on The Simpsons. PICTURE: Courtesy of ANS.   "The Simpsons is not anti-Christian, nor is it Christian. It's an animated television comedy that is supposed to entertain you for 30 minutes. It has always been a comedic look into family, school, politics, religion, friendship and the life at large. Our show has been on so long that we continue to cover many topics and changes in the world over the last 15 years."

Responding to comments that some critics say The Simpsons is anti-Christian, Wilder says: “I know that there has often been criticism about the show and I think sometimes it's justified, but most of the time I don't think it is. The Simpsons is not anti-Christian, nor is it Christian. It's an animated television comedy that is supposed to entertain you for 30 minutes. It has always been a comedic look into family, school, politics, religion, friendship and the life at large. Our show has been on so long that we continue to cover many topics and changes in the world over the last 15 years.

“We've had the benefit of developing many characters and story lines without ever having to age the characters which has been a luxury that no other TV shows have.”

Wilder was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, during the late Sixties and grew up in neighboring Chelmsford.

“My dad worked for Hanscom Air Force Base and is an honest, hard working, semi-regular church going agnostic,” he says. “My mom became a Christian when I was two to three-years-old and has been an elementary school music teacher for many years. I have one brother who was born on my fourth birthday. I grew up attending the First Baptist Church of South Chelmsford.”

Asked how he became an artist and where he trained, Wilder says: “My immediate and extended family and friends were always very encouraging about my ability to draw. I started drawing when I was two-years-old. I did a lot on my own and became very influenced by the Disney films and Warner Brother’s Loony Tunes as far as cartoons went. I loved illustrator Norman Rockwell and was also influenced by TV shows like The Andy Griffith Show, Leave it to Beaver and even at an early age I really enjoyed All in the Family and MASH.

“I think the combination of great writing as well as the mixture of emotion from happy and funny to sad and serious as well as the variety of characters really caught my eye early on. I had a very instructive art program throughout school - especially high school where we had a couple great teachers who really treated the AP art program like a college course which helped me build up a really good for four years where I graduated in 1990 just as The Simpsons was being picked up for a second season.

Wilder says his involvement with The Simpsons goes back to 1990 when he first took several animation and design tests.

“I contacted them when I'd heard they had been picked up for a second season and needed artists. I really felt the show had great writing, character and the potential to maybe go three to five seasons. After several weeks of trial and error I got offered the job of background designer where I have been designing and supervising for the last 16 seasons.”

Wilder says his job involves receiving scripts and then "basically creat(ing) everything the writers come up with, in the style of The Simpsons."

“I also had the great fortune of writing a script outline for an episode three seasons ago. The main theme of The Simpsons is observational humor and satire. It is meant to make many age groups in many demographics laugh at many different levels of jokes. Hopefully the result is an enjoyable and entertaining 30 minutes.”

Talking about his favorite characters, Wilder observes that with so many secondary characters, “I think there's always something that people can relate to and laugh at".

"One of my favorite characters has always been Sideshow Bob (played by Kelsey Grammer)." he says. "There has always been a lot of character and depth to him.”

Wilder says he became a committed Christian after moving to Los Angeles to work on the show.

“I've always believed that there was a God ever since I can remember,” he says. “My church and Sunday school and members of my family were a good example to me as well. I knew all the kids songs and Bible stories and believed them to tell a true story. However the real turning point in the journey came after being in California for a year-and-a-half and accidentally coming upon KKLA Christian radio out of Los Angeles one night.

“I began listening to some of their programs while I was designing with the headphones on. I had a dream job and was getting paid to do something I'd always wanted to do and yet I felt that there was something more. I prayed for Christian friends and a great church and within three to four weeks I was introduced to a bunch of Christians my age who had moved out from Florida whose parents grew up friend with my mom and my grandparents.

“They invited me to Christian Assembly Church in Eagle Rock, California, which has been my church home ever since - but my walk has definitely been a growing and refining process the entire way.”

Wilder is married to the "love of his life", Maria.

“I first met my wife Maria the first few days of school at The Rhode Island School of Design. We went on one date and nothing happened until six years later she moved to LA to find work with mutual friends of ours. Within a few weeks she had landed a job on The Simpsons as a layout artist and a couple months after that she was promoted to background design where we worked together for a few seasons until we were married in Massachusetts in September, 1995, and had our first child, Nathan in August, 1996.”

Wilder says he faced a turning point in his growth as a Christian about two years ago when his as yet unborn fourth child was diagnosed with a fatal disease.

“God used that experience to bring my wife and kids closer together and really helped me think about eternal things more" he says.

"Although Nicholas was stillborn at 39 weeks I couldn’t imagine not having him or having the experience of friends, family and our church reach out in prayer and support. Being a perfectionist with a bit of workaholism, I find it very difficult to not have control over something. This situation was something I couldn't work harder or longer to fix. It forced me to trust that God had a plan and to just let go. The thing that I tell people is that through that time somehow there was more peace and hope than sadness.

“My oldest son Nathan - eight , Jessica - six , Jacob - four and now Miranda who just turned one have been an incredible blessing - and also enjoy supervised Simpson episodes.”

Wilder says there have been many Christians working on The Simpsons .

“The truth is that there are and have been many Christian people in many different positions over the years. We had a regular Bible study here for several seasons too,” he says.

“We have also had many shows with positive and moral storylines. But certainly we've had some jokes that are not appropriate for the younger audience. I believe our biggest demographic has always been 18 to 49-year-olds, not kids. I think slowly people have come to realize that just because something is animated it doesn’t mean it's automatically for children. Our show has always had an audience with a very wide age difference-and at the beginning of every episode there is a PG warning.

“We have done many shows that are appropriate for kids and families and I tell people they can always tape the show first and/or watch with their kids to explain things. What goes on the screen is very important but I also know that what goes on behind the scenes in our day to day life is more important. The places that God puts us and the different people He brings into our life is so important. I hope to set an example to people no matter where it is I am and I hope to give answers to their questions regarding eternal things.

“We have had several people come to Christ the past three or four years and have 15 to 20 artists who are Christian currently.”

Asked what he thought of the character, Ned Flanders, and whether he was really a Christian, Wilder says: “Ned Flanders and family have always been the Christian neighbors next door to the Simpsons. I think Ned has changed and grown over the years as have most of our characters. Again I think many times Ned represents religion in our culture in general terms. Our show satires life and the news and when it comes to Ned Flanders or Reverend Lovejoy or Homer falling asleep in church - I see it as humor that most people can relate to.

“I believe good comedy is always walking the tight rope. You observe the things about ourselves that are based in truth and then presented in a humorous way that is funny not hurtful. If the intent is to put someone down or make them feel inferior to you then you've crossed the line and it's not comedy, in my opinion. Is Ned Flanders a "Christian"? I have found that many people don't even know what that means. For me a Christian is not someone who acts like a goody two-shoes, has big hair and speaks loudly asking for money on some religious TV network.

“I believe Christians are imperfect people of all colors, all economic backgrounds, and from all cultures who realize that there is a living God and that we are not Him. I believe that the only way we can know the true God is if He cared enough to tell us who He is and what His plan is for each and every person who asks. I believe a Christian doesn't put on a show to try to look good enough. Salvation comes through grace not works. Works done with the skills, talents and time that God gives us used on the path He has made for every individual person is the calling of a Christian.

“I work with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, shamans, atheists and denominations from all over. They are wonderful and talented people and I wouldn't want it any other way. Where would the entertainment industry (or other groups of people) be if Christians got up and left? I didn't realize that Christianity was supposed to be a closed private club for those ‘good enough’ to get in.

“We are fallen sinners no better than anyone else. It is only because the one true higher power, the Creator, cared enough to want personal one-on-one relationships with every single person that we can become Christian. It's because the God of Biblical scripture gives freewill and choice to every person. The Gospel is free for the asking and a free gift for taking. I have no interest in some 'god' who doesn’t care enough to reveal himself or his plans. The God of the Bible talks about love, generosity, caring, discipline, honesty, and integrity in our churches our schools our politics and in our jobs.

“God became a human being, born of the Virgin Mary - just as the Old Testament prophets said. God became one of us and lived among us for a time to give us the rest of the story and to set the perfect example. He came to give hope and proof that He was who He said when He died on the cross and rose in the flesh and bone to show that He alone held life and death in His hands.

“No other religion or prophet or philosopher ever made the claims of Jesus let alone got those claims to stick. It's because I believe these thing that I try to stay on the straight and narrow path. It's difficult but when I fall I want to fall heading in the right direction.

“The Simpsons has afforded me an incredible job and opportunity to meet and talk with people from all over the world."

Dan Wooding is an award-winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). Wooding is the co-host of the weekly radio show, "Window on the World" and was, for ten years a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is also the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books.