Santa's Little Helper because there were animation problems with the others. Jean told the "Houston Chronicle" in 2001 that after the first episode was broadcast and "the next seven didn't have the dog, people wondered why." He also said in 2003 that the staff enjoyed the first episodes that centered on him, particularly "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", which is the reason that more episodes about him were written. Writer John Swartzwelder has noted that the staff members of the show write the character Homer in the same way that they write Santa's Little Helper: "Both are loyal. Both have the same
The Simpsons their original format. In July 2017, all episodes were made available for purchase on the iTunes Store, in the United States. The popularity of "The Simpsons" has made it a billion-dollar merchandising industry. The title family and supporting characters appear on everything from T-shirts to posters. "The Simpsons" has been used as a theme for special editions of well-known board games, including Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly, Operation, and The Game of Life, as well as the trivia games What Would Homer Do? and Simpsons "Jeopardy!". Several card games such as trump cards and The Simpsons Trading Card Game have also been