Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons

James L. Brooks, Sam Simon, and a crude comic strip from Matt Groening combined to create a series of shorts for that would propel Fox and its creators into television stardom.

Problems plagued the launch of The Simpsons, causing it to miss its original debut date and throwing the future of the entire series into question.

The Simpsons writers' room is the stuff of TV legend. While the writers toiled away, tensions rose among the three creators, leading to Sam Simon's departure from the series.

Through internal strife and natural disasters, the animators gave The Simpsons their signature look, bringing everything the writers could imagine in 2-D to life.

To stay relevant, The Simpsons had to evolve; opening its doors to new creative voices, celebrity guest stars, and even taking on the big screen.

With a pioneering spirit and enough merchandise to fill a Kwik-E-Mart, The Simpsons continues to enlarge the hearts and imaginations of generations of fans around the world.