To say Gold Coast-based hard rockers These Four Walls love 'The Simpsons' is a pure understatement. Simples.
"Since quite early in our career, we're not sure exactly how far back, we had the idea that just printing out our set lists was boring, so for some reason, we started putting characters from 'The Simpsons' in the bottom right corner."It seemed like something that we could change regularly and would never run out of, and so far, that's proven to be true.
"Over the years we would have printed hundreds of these, featuring progressively more obscure characters.
"So when we were asked to do a Top 5 list of our choosing, we thought we'd compile a list of some of our favourite fictional characters (not cameos) that only ever featured in just one episode of 'The Simpsons'."
1: Hank Scorpio (You Only Move Twice, S08E02)
The laidback CEO of the Globex Corporation, who has a penchant for super-villainy and a robust knowledge of local Hammock retailers, Hank Scorpio seems like he might be the ultimate boss, as long as you don't need any cream.A loose combination of Richard Branson-style billionaire and a Bond villain, he represents the best of the best when it comes to one-off Simpsons characters.
2: Lyle Lanley (Marge vs. the Monorail, S04E12)
There are lots of reasons to love serial Monorail-grifter Lyle Lanley's single-episode appearance, but the main two are that he was one of several characters voiced by the late, great Phil Hartman, and of course he delivered the extremely catchy Monorail song, probably beaten only by 'See My Vest' in terms of classic Simpsons tunes.3: Larry Burns (Burns, Bay Burns, S08E04)
Mr Burns loutish son Larry, voiced by the late Rodney Dangerfield, really captured the essence of the comedian, with his jokes being specifically written to fit Dangerfield's unique delivery style.For that alone Larry Burns stands out as one of the more memorable one-episode characters in Simpsons history.
4: Chester J Lampwick (The Day The Violence Died, S07E18)
The gruff 'Father of Cartoon Violence' voiced by Kirk Douglas played a central role in this episode, with our favourite moments being the spontaneous fistfights that occur whenever a decades-old contract involving manual labour and baked goods emerges.5: Rex Banner (Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment, S08E18)
Although he plays it incredibly straight, this uptight caricature of a prohibition-era FBI agent provides numerous laughs until his eventual dismissal by catapault.Bonus: Top 5 One Scene Simpsons Characters
"It was hard to pick just five when some characters have just a small part, as opposed to a whole episode to flourish, so as a bonus we've included our favourite five characters who managed to shine despite extremely short appearances on the show."
1: Knifey Spooney Guy (Bart vs. Australia, S06E16)
This entire Top 5 could have been filled with characters exclusively from this episode; from Tobias and Bruno Dundridge to the Australian Prime Minister (Andyyyy!), but if we are only going to choose one, it has to be the old mate who unsuccessfully challenges Bart to a game of Knifey Spooney.2: Very Tall Man (22 Short Films About Springfield, S07E21)
Countless tours flying in domestic economy class have made us sympathise greatly with the Very Tall Man's predicament. Should we therefore be made the subject of fun?3: Doctor Colossus (Who Shot Mr. Burns Part Two, S07E01)
OK, technically he has two scenes in this episode, not one, but that was enough for Melbourne-based doom metal band Dr. Colossus to take on his name. Oh, and their record label is called Death Mountain; don't think we didn't notice.4: Very Short Girl (The PTA Disbands, S06E21)
She's one of the shortest characters and also has the shortest appearance on this list – just under ten second – but her pleas to an empty gymnasium to get down is one of our favourites.5: Mister McGreg (Homer's Triple Bypass, S04E11)
One of the more absurd gags, the Dr. Seuss inspired rhyme: 'If it isn't my old friend Mr. McGreg, with a leg for an arm, and an arm for a leg!' is too funny not to include.These Four Walls play the rescheduled Wallapalooza at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds (Gold Coast) 26 February. Grinspoon, The Butterfly Effect, Dead Letter Circus, Bodyjar, 28 Days, and Def FX are part of the line-up.
