When The Simpsons hit the air in the late ‘80s, it became a complete sensation nearly overnight. And it wasn’t just the cartoon that people gravitated towards. There were Simpsons T-shirts, video games, skateboards, albums, and nearly any other piece of American consumerism that you could think of attached to the show. In fact, some of the most popular Simpsons merchandise wasn’t even licensed by Fox. And that’s where the whole “Black Bart” craze started.
Once the show hit, the African American community immediately adopted Bart Simpson as an icon, and soon enough black versions of the character started to grace unlicensed merchandise around the globe. Before long, countless people were sporting "Black Bart" shirts and creating dances and songs based on him.
And now the folks over at Egotripland have revisited the whole trend with an in-depth look at the craze that swept through the community. Check out the article for pictures, music, and quotes about “Black Bart” that should take you back to the days when The Simpsons wasn’t just a cartoon—it was a statement.
[via Egotripland]
