We've been waiting for 18 years, and The Simpsons movie is here! And nothing embiggins the summer--nay, a lifetime--with joy like finally seeing the beloved Springfieldians on the silver screen. Is it going to be a satirical masterpiece filled with hilarious quotes like the episodes of old, or will it be silly and nonsensical like the episodes of today? Will it leave viewers saying "Meh," or will it be the best ... movie ... ever?

OK, I know you're thinking that this is a blog about reading and writing, so why am I writing about the Simpsons? Well, not only is The Simpsons a pop-culture phenomenon, but the show has parodied many great novels. It's also featured the voice talents of some awesome authors, such as Stephen King, Helen Fielding, J.K. Rowling, Tom Wolfe, and Gore Vidal.

And as a special treat ... mmmmm, treat ... for all of you Simpsons fans out there, here is an interview with director David Silverman.

Word: For years, there have been rumors of a Simpsons movie. Why now?

Silverman: It's actually been in the works for some time, but we didn't have the man power. Some screenplays just take a long time.

Word: What does a director for an animated feature do?

Silverman: A director for animation does the same as the director for a live action movie. You talk to the animators, which isn't too different from how you talk to the actors. You are also in charge of blocking, which is figuring out where a character goes in the shot. Part of my job is saying where we're going. You have to make a decision at every step of the way. As a director, you have to choose the direction of the film. I’ve also been sitting with the writers and working with rewriting. At that time, I come up with other ideas.

Word: Do the voice actors record together? Which is done first, the voice recordings or the animation?

Silverman: Sometimes we have as many as four actors in at once. But the voice recordings are first. You don't want to hamstring the actors, and the animation restricts them. The animation is inspired by the actors. The way the performers act affects the staging.

Word: Did you go to school to learn to be an animator and director?

Silverman: I went to the University of Maryland and then to UCLA to study it, and I got into all the aspects of animation.

Word: Did you do any of the animating for this movie?

Silverman: I didn't have the time. I'd be a little rusty animating for the movie.

Word: Why was this movie made as a cartoon instead of live action or CGI?

Silverman: We didn't make it live action because we actually wanted people to see it. Doing a CG movie would change the Simpsons universe. They would become different characters. The Simpsons are hand drawn. Almost every other cartoon you see today is made on a computer. We send some of the scenes to be animated overseas in Korea, but for the movie a lot more was animated here. The bulk of it is here.

Word: How do you know if a joke for the movie is still funny after hearing it over and over?

Silverman: You just know it's funny. Sometimes I hear jokes in old episodes that I wrote years ago and they are still funny.

Word: Do you worry about the movie living up to the fans' expectations?

Silverman: We want to make sure all the jokes work. We want to live up to everyone's expectations--and our own. We know fan expectations are high, and so are ours.

Word: If people could only see one movie this summer, why should they see The Simpsons?

Silverman: I hope they can see more than one movie! Well, tell them it'll be a very funny, enjoyable, visual ride.

Word: Can you tell us anything about the plot of the movie? Any secrets you want to spill?

Silverman: As the movie gets closer, I'm sure we'll let some cats out of the bag. But right now, that bag is sealed.