The Simpsons : Made in Korea

Simpsons News — Posted 03 Mar, 2005 by MrBurns

Homer Simpson, his dysfunctional family and his friends from the middle-of-the-road American town of Springfield were sent to South Korea long before exporting jobs overseas became a hot-button political issue in the United States. A stone’s throw away from a highway that tears through Seoul and upstairs from a convenience store called “Buy the Way,” Homer, Marge, and the rest of “The Simpsons” have been brought to life for about 15 years at South Korea’s AKOM Production Co.

The company has been animating “The Simpsons” at its studio in western Seoul since it premiered as a TV series in 1989. South Korea is one of the leaders in what is known as original equipment manufacturing (OEM) animation where a cartoon is drawn according to a storyboard provided by a client. Nelson Shin, chief executive officer of AKOM, said “The Simpsons” ended up in Seoul because of the high quality of work. Full Story.

If AKOM has trouble finding the correct way to show something, such as Krusty’s scar from heart surgery, another take of the scene will be produced after a phone call with the United States.

After several hundred episodes, production runs smoothly. On one floor, a staff of mostly young women sit at computers as they scan animation cells, add colors and put the final technical touches on the show.