Few animated specials are quite as ubiquitous as the yearly Treehouse of Horror episodes fromThe Simpsons. Since 1990, America’s favorite yellow-skinned family has delivered tales both frightening and funny that riff on classic horror tropes and media in celebration of Halloween. That yearly tradition then began to bleed into comics withMatt Groening’s Bongo Comics launched what would becomeThe Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror, a series of 23 issues full of spooky stories both original and adapted from the television show. Last year, the creatorreleased the first of three “Ominous Omnibus” collectionsthat will round up each issue into neat packages. Now, it’s time for the second to haunt store shelves withThe Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror Ominous OmnibusVol. 2: Deadtime for Boos & Ghoulsreleasing on August 1.
The Treehouse of Horror episodes have often been viewed as some of the best episodesThe Simpsonshas to offer, inserting the family into a number of wild horror-themed scenarios that otherwise wouldn’t be possible in the confines of the show. Amongthe fan-favoritesare “The Shinning,” a parody ofStanley Kubrick’sThe Shiningwith Homer standing in for Jack Torrance, “Time and Punishment” in which Homer majorly messes up the universe when he goes back in time with his toaster, and “Bart Simpson’s Dracula” with Mr. Burns playing a parody ofBram Stoker’s iconic Count. Recent years have seen the specialpay homage toDeath NoteandStephen King’s beloved novelIt.
Although a few stories in the run of the Treehouse of Horror comics arebased on the show’s segments, most are entirely new tales of the macabre starring members of the Simpson family and citizens around Springfield. This volume will also feature an introduction penned by Lisa Simpson after Bart previewed the first collection. These volumes mark the first time the comics have ever been gathered into a deluxe collection, making them one of the few ways to explore the comic-exclusivehorror exploits ofThe Simpsons.
What Else Can Fans Expect From the Ominous Omnibus Vol. 2?
Like the previous collection, this omnibus collection has no shortage of brilliant writers and illustrators from throughout the world of comics. Names that appear includeKyle Baker,Ian Boothby,Dan Brereton,Gerry Duggan,Pia Guerra,Peter Kuper,Carol Lay,Nina Matsumoto,Terry Moore,Steve Niles,Brian Posehn,James Robinson,Tone Rodriguez,Scott Shaw!, andJim Woodring. Also similar to its predecessor, the massive collection will be contained in a deluxe, die-cut slipcase for maximum spook factor.
Things are still going strong for the town of Springfield as they’re locked in for two more seasons at Fox afterrenewal for Seasons 35 and 36earlier this year.The Simpsonsare still a keystone in Fox’s Animation Domination lineup despite being nearly as old as the network itself, and they arescheduled to pick back up this fall on October 1. ForStar WarsDay 2023, the youngest Simpson Maggie even went on a sci-fi adventure of her own with the shortRogue Not Quite Onereleased on Disney+.
The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Vol. 2: Deadtime for Boos & Ghoulsis available for purchase for $39.99 on August 1. A third and final omnibus will be released sometime in 2024. Check out the reference-filled couch gag made byGuillermo Del Torofor Treehouse of Horror XXIV below.
