‘The Simpsons’ permanently retired one of its most emblematic characters after almost three decades

Duffman, the popular mascot of Duff beer recognized by his red cape, glasses and belt of cans, left The Simpsons after almost 30 years of appearances.

The decision was announced in the episode “Seperance”, where Barry Duffman himself visited the Simpsons' house to announce the news: “The Duff Corporation has retired that character forever”, according to the spokesperson upon entering Homer and Marge's home.

The production opted this time for a farewell without death: the character was not eliminated tragically, as happened with other residents of Springfield.

Instead, the argument justified the withdrawal as a consequence of the obsolescence of old advertising methods.

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"**All the old methods of advertising are now outdated**. Corporate spokespersons, print ads, television commercials. Today's kids can't even sing the jingles," explained Duffman.

The voice of Duffman, played by Hank Azaria, was performed by several characters throughout the series, but the charisma of the Duff beer spokesman was always present. His first appearance was in 1997, in the episode “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson”, and his last prominent appearance was in the previous season, in “P.S. I Hate You”. Duffman's farewell occurred shortly after the death of another long-standing figure in the series: the First Church organist, Alice Glick. The executive producer Tim Long confirmed his farewell to People: “In a way, Alice the organist will live forever through the beautiful music she created. But in another, more important sense, yes, she's dead as a doornail”. Before her death, Alice Glick appeared for 34 years and 35 seasons.

Characters Who Died in “The Simpsons”

Throughout its extensive history, The Simpsons said goodbye to several well-known characters, many of them with unforgettable deaths. The list included musicians, family members, and close neighbors.

The musician  Bleeding Gums Murphy was the first major character to die, in the sixth season, from an unknown illness. His departure especially impacted Lisa Simpson and the series' followers, showing a more emotional side of the program. Another remembered case was that of Frank Grimes, who appeared in a single episode, but whose death by electrocution left an impression and was mentioned in later chapters. The character reached the limit after enduring Homer's incompetence at the nuclear plant. Gums Bleeding Murphy, the musician who inspired Lisa Simpson with his saxophone and unique sensitivity in the animated series (Disney)

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In the eleventh season, Maude Flanders, Ned's wife, suffered one of the most unexpected deaths when she fell from the stands after being hit by t-shirts launched by a cannon in a race. The decision to eliminate Maude was related to the departure of her voice actress, Maggie Roswell. The family pet, Snowball II, also fell victim to fate, run over by Dr. Hibbert in season 15. After several replacement attempts, Lisa finally kept the name Snowball II for her new cat. In a later episode, Amber, Homer's accidental wife in Las Vegas, died of an overdose, although she only appeared in two episodes and was mentioned on several occasions. Mona Simpson, Homer's mother, left an indelible mark on the history of "The Simpsons" with her complex family relationship (Disney) Homer's mother, Mona Simpson, passed away of old age in season 19. Her death left Homer without the possibility of reconciling with her, and her ashes were used to prevent a nuclear disaster planned by Mr. Burns. The mobster Fat Tony died of a heart attack after discovering Homer's betrayal, who worked undercover for the FBI. His position was quickly taken by his cousin Fit Tony, who ended up looking physically like the original. The elderly Alice Glick had two canonical deaths: first, she was attacked by a robotic seal in season twenty-three and, finally, she died playing the organ in the church in season 37. Professor Edna Krabappel was removed from the show after the death of her voice actress, Marcia Wallace. Edna Krabappel, Bart's remembered teacher, was honored in the series after the death of her voice actress (Disney) There was no farewell episode, but the series paid tribute to her in the credits and through Ned Flanders, who wore a black armband as a sign of mourning. Re Krusty's father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky, died suddenly in season 26, after a brief reflection with his son. Despite his death, he continued to appear occasionally as a ghost. In season 35, Larry, a regular customer of Moe's Tavern, died sitting at the bar. They didn't specify the cause, but the series implied it was related to his lifestyle. The case of Dr. Marvin Monroe resulted in confusion: although his tomb appeared in several episodes, the character reappeared in the flesh in other seasons and was also represented as a ghost. For many followers, his death remains ambiguous.