When he realized that animating Life in Hell would require him to rescind publication rights for his life's work, Groening decided to go in another direction. He hurriedly sketched out his version of a dysfunctional family, and named the characters after his own family.
Groening decided to pursue an alternative approach when creating Life in Hell involved giving up his publishing rights for his life's work. He quickly drew a sketch of a dysfunctional household, naming the characters after members of his own family.