The patriarch of the longest-running family on prime-time TV has redefined what it means to be a father in America. Before Homer, fathers were usually seen as the rock of the family - a little dim-witted sometimes, but always there to help their kids out of a jam. On The Simpsons, though, the roles are reversed... most of the family's troubles are due to Homer and his gluttony, idiocy and laziness. Working at the Springfield Nuclear Plant for almost twenty years (although only a few have passed in the Simpsons universe) may have exposed him to enough radiation to explain his transformation from the everyday Dad with anger issues from the first few seasons to the indestructible pinball of plot advancement that he has become. Based (and named after) series creator Matt Groening's own father, and voiced by the indomitable Dan Castellaneta, Homer is one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time.
