For 25 seasons, “The Simpsons“ has been entertaining audiences around the world. The show helped to launch the FOX network back in the 1980’s and has since become one of the biggest pieces of pop culture phenomena, sparking the creating of a movie, loads of merchandise, video games, and even fan conventions. Another thing that “The Simpsons“ has given us is a bunch of really cool tattoo designs from truly committed fans.
While it may be appropriate for fans of some shows to get tattoo designs of their favorite characters, the fans of “The Simpsons“ are a different breed. The show has tons of inside jokes, hidden references and one-off segments that have stood the test of time and taken on a life of their own. The 13 tattoo designs on this list are not your run of the mill variety, they are a little more obscure and relate to very specific events that happened during the course of the show. Some of the tattoos on this list are simply just mashups that fans thought would be cool. Take a gander at these tattoos and see if you can guess what episodes they are from, or what kind of cultural significance they play.
Mr. Sparkle
This strange looking character may look like Homer Simpson, but in reality it is a Japanese spokesperson that is the combination of a streetlight and a fish. The forearm tattoo, however, is completely real and 100 percent awesome.
Die Bart, Die
Sideshow Bob is the mortal enemy of Bart Simpson and he got his life philosophy tattooed on his chest while in prison. The person who copied it as a chest tattoo wanted to pay homage, but he probably can’t be good friends with any real people named Bart.
Die Bart, Die
Hellfish
When Grandpa Simpsons was telling Bart about his time spent in WWII, he didn’t really believe him. That is until he showed him this awesome military tattoo of his platoon that helped defeat the Nazis and bring peace to Europe.
Zombie Homer
While not officially a part of the show, this awesome tattoo of Homer as a zombie is a touching tribute both to “The Simpsons” and to the country’s new found obsession with vampires thanks to shows like “The Walking Dead.”
Homer Stardust
Another tattoo design that wasn’t officially a part of the series, this is a fan-created piece of art that combines Homer with David Bowie’s alter ego, Ziggy Stardust.
Three-eyed Fish
For some reason, Springfield is one of the most important places for nuclear power in the country. As a result of the pollution from the plant, this three-eyed fish evolved and can be seen on plenty of episodes of the show, and as various tattoos on fans.
Shotgun Maggie
Maggie shot Mr. Burns in an iconic episode, and apparently she knows how to handle her firearms well. This fan decided to up the original revolver she used and replace it with a shotgun.
Pirate Krusty
Bart is a serious underachiever on the show, and the only thing he truly cares about is his idol, Krusty the Clown. In episodes that deal with the future of the characters, a low-life Bart can often be seen with this Pirate Krusty tattoo, that a fan actually thought would be a good idea to get as well.
Bart as the Nevermind Baby
Just as “The Simpsons” was becoming a cultural powerhouse, so was grunge music and a band from Seattle called Nirvana. This awesome tattoo shows Bart on the cover of their iconic album “Nevermind.”
Worst Tattoo Ever
One of the funniest characters on the show is Comic Book Guy, a morbidly obese nerd who spouts the catchphrase “Worst Episode Ever.” This tattoo of him is not very good, and he lets you know his opinion about it with the little text bubble above his head.
Praise Jebus
While this tattoo hardly qualifies as a religious symbol, it is definitely a testament to what Homer thinks he worships. On the show, he irks uber-religious Ned Flanders by constantly mispronouncing the name Jesus to him.
Bart’s Soul
In an episode where Bart questioned his faith, he traded his soul to Millhouse for 5 bucks, only to have Millhouse trade it for some really cool Alf pogs. The person who got this tattoo has Bart’s soul and is keeping it safe on his skin.
Bart and Homer Bonding
To end this list of awesome Simpsons tattoo designs, here is an iconic portrait of Bart and Homer bonding with each other in the only way they truly know how to: slapstick violence.
While the show may be on its 25th season, it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. There is still plenty of time to get your own tattoos with new running jokes and gags featured in all of the episodes still to come.
