‘No Prostitution’: The Simpsons instruct Chinese nightclub patrons on the house rules
While Disney and Looney Tunes probably have him beat on sheer numbers, Bart Simpson has to have been bootlegged more elaborately and creatively than any other animated character in history. There’s even a Facebook group called “Bootleg Bart,” that curates knock-off Simpsons merchandise and art. “Safer Sex Bart” was my favorite, until I stumbled across these janky little posters from a Chinese nightclub.
The imitation of Groening’s art is just a superficial design element. It doesn’t seem to matter to the illustrator that the posters are obvious bootlegs, because a legitimate association with The Simpsons as a brand obviously isn’t really the point. Still, I can’t help but enjoy the irony of America’s favorite dysfunctional family used to foster public decency in a Chinese bar. (No fighting? Really?)
