Mark Watson was 12 when he first watched The Simpsons. At that time only available on satellite TV, which the Watson household did not have, his father had brought home two VHS tapes each with a couple of episodes from the first series. Initially rather sceptical and wary - wasn't this just a cartoon about a skateboarding schoolboy prankster? - he was bowled over, and now acknowledges that it has influenced much of his work. Each new endeavour has been motivated by the fearlessness of the creators of this long running show.