| "Three Men and a Comic Book" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 21 |
| Directed by | Wes M. Archer |
| Written by | Jeff Martin |
| Production code | 7F21 |
| Original air date | May 9, 1991 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not show off" (written in Blackletter font) |
| Couch gag | The couch tips over backwards. |
| Commentary | Matt Groening Jeff Martin Al Jean Mike Reiss |
"Three Men and a Comic Book" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the second season (and the de facto season finale) of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 9, 1991.[1] In the episode, Bart finds the rare first issue of Radioactive Man for sale at a comic book convention. Unable to afford it, he convinces Martin and Milhouse to pool their money to buy the valuable comic, only to see it destroyed by their selfishness and inability to share. This episode contains the first appearance of the Android's Dungeon and its owner, Comic Book Guy, voiced by Hank Azaria.
The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Wes Archer. It features cultural references to comic book characters such as Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Since airing, the episode has received generally positive reviews from television critics for its use of parodies and cultural references. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 12.9, and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.