The Simpsons episode
"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)"
Homer meets the "Space Coyote".
Episode no.	162
Prod. code	3F24
Orig. airdate	January 5, 1997
Show runner(s)	Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Written by	Ken Keeler
Directed by	Jim Reardon
Couch gag	The family parachutes to the couch; Homer's parachute fails sending him plummeting.[1]
Guest star(s)	Johnny Cash as the "Space Coyote"
DVD commentary	Matt Groening Josh Weinstein Molly Weinstein Simon Weinstein Jim Reardon George Meyer
Season 8 October 27, 1996 – May 18, 1997
Treehouse of Horror VII You Only Move Twice The Homer They Fall Burns, Baby Burns Bart After Dark A Milhouse Divided Lisa's Date with Density Hurricane Neddy El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer) The Springfield Files The Twisted World of Marge Simpson Mountain of Madness Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show Homer's Phobia Brother from Another Series My Sister, My Sitter Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment Grade School Confidential The Canine Mutiny The Old Man and the Lisa In Marge We Trust Homer's Enemy The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase The Secret War of Lisa Simpson
List of all The Simpsons episodes

"El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)", also known as The Mysterious Voyage of Our Homer,^[2] is the ninth episode of the eighth season of The Simpsons, which originally aired January 5, 1997.^[3] The episode sees Homer eat an "Insanity Pepper" and go on a mysterious voyage, which features surreal animation to depict the elaborate hallucination. It was written by Ken Keeler, directed by Jim Reardon^[3] and features Johnny Cash in a guest spot as the "Space Coyote".^[1] Simpsons redirects here. ... Image File history File links The_Simpsons_3F24. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Bill Oakley (born in 1966) is an American televison writer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. ... This article is about The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein. ... Al Jean (left) and David Mirkin (right), have both been writers for The Simpsons for more than ten years. ... Keeler at the 2003 Writers Guild Awards, after winning in the animation category. ... The three people are caricatures of (left to right) Rich Moore, Wes Archer and David Silverman[1] The following is a list of directors who have worked on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Jim Reardon is a director and storyboard consultant for episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons. ... The couch gag is a running visual joke in the opening credits of the animated television series The Simpsons. ... Homer Simpson is also a character in the book and film The Day of the Locust. ... (left to right) Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, Homer, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz and Brian Setzer guest starred in the heavily promoted season 14 episode How I Spent My Strummer Vacation. This is a list of guest stars who appeared on The Simpsons. ... For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ... The Simpsons DVD season boxsets have been released since 2001 in different regions all over the world. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... This article is about The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein. ... Jim Reardon is a director and storyboard consultant for episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons. ... George Meyer is a producer and writer for The Simpsons, and arguably the writer who has contributed the most to the show over its long run. ... The Simpsons Season 8 DVD Digipak. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Treehouse of Horror VII is the first episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. ... You Only Move Twice is the second episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired November 3, 1996. ... The Homer They Fall is the third episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired November 10, 1996. ... Burns, Baby Burns is the fourth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on November 17, 1996. ... Bart After Dark is the fifth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on November 24, 1996. ... A Milhouse Divided is an episode of The Simpsons television series. ... Lisas Date with Density is the 7th episode from the eighth season of The Simpsons. ... Hurricane Neddy is the eighth episode of The Simpsons eighth season which originally aired December 29, 1996. ... The Springfield Files is the tenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired January 12, 1997. ... Introduction The Twisted World of Marge Simpson is an episode from the eighth season of The Simpsons. ... Mountain of Madness is the twelfth episode in the eighth season of The Simpsons. ... Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious, also known as Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(doh)cious[2] is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 7, 1997. ... The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season of The Simpsons, which originally aired February 9, 1997. ... Homers Phobia is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired on the Fox network on February 16, 1997. ... Brother from Another Series is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. ... My Sister, My Sitter is the seventeenth episode from the eighth season of The Simpsons. ... Homer vs. ... Grade School Confidential is the ninetenth episode of the The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired on April 6, 1997. ... The Canine Mutiny is an episode from the eighth season of The Simpsons. ... The Old Man and the Lisa is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on April 20, 1997. ... In Marge We Trust is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired April 27, 1997. ... Homers Enemy is the twenty-third episode of The Simpsons’ eighth season, first broadcast by Fox on May 4, 1997. ... The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase is the twenty fourth episode of the eighth season of The Simpsons, which originally aired May 11, 1997. ... The Secret War of Lisa Simpson is the last episode in the eighth season of The Simpsons. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... The Simpsons Season 8 DVD Digipak. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Max Ernst. ... The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ... A hallucination is a sensory perception experienced in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, which is a misperception of an external stimulus. ... Keeler at the 2003 Writers Guild Awards, after winning in the animation category. ... Jim Reardon is a director and storyboard consultant for episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons. ... For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ...

Plot

Homer starts off the day by trying to read his morning paper, only to discover a large section is missing. He questions the family, but everyone denies doing it, even Marge, who is holding a pair of scissors. Lenny later calls asking Homer if he would need a ride that afternoon, to which Homer asks why. As he is trying to hear what Lenny is saying, Marge turns on the vacuum cleaner, and disconnects the phone jack with it. A telephone plug is a plug which allows a telephone to connect to the local telephone network. ...

Marge starts acting suspiciously by smoking cigarettes, and Homer decides to go for a walk outside and smells chili, causing him to suddenly remember the annual Chili Cook-Off. Marge admits that she had tried to keep Homer from going because of Homer's behavior at the previous year's event. He got extremely drunk and got inside of a cotton candy maker yelling, "Look at me! I'm a puffy pink cloud!" A cigarette will burn to ash on one end. ... A pot of Chili with beans Chili con carne (or Chili for short) is a spicy stew-like dish, the essential ingredients of which are beef, pork, venison, or other mature meat, and chile peppers. ... A “chili cookoff” is a social event, similar to a barbecue, in which competitors prepare their own particular recipe for chili con carne and submit it for taste testing. ... “Candyfloss” redirects here. ...

After some begging, Marge allows Homer to go, with the condition that he not drink any beer. While at the cook-off Homer demonstrates an extraordinary ability to withstand hot foods, until he falls victim to Chief Wiggum's chili which is spiked with "The Merciless Peppers of Quetzlzacatenango." At first unable to eat the fantastically hot peppers, Homer eventually eats several of them after coating the inside of his mouth with candle wax. In the television series, The Simpsons, the Wiggum family consist of Clancy (father and police officer), Sarah (mother), and Ralph (child). ...

The peppers bring on a hallucination in which Homer is trapped in a bizarre fantasy world. He encounters a large snake, a gigantic butterfly, a tortoise and he even destroys the sun. Homer finally arrives at a large pyramid and meets his spirit guide - a coyote. The coyote advises Homer to find his soulmate, and questions Homer's assumption that he has already found her in Marge. Meanwhile, Marge hears of Homer's strange behavior and believes that he broke his promise and drank beer. She angrily gathers the kids and drives home. A hallucination is a sensory perception experienced in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, which is a misperception of an external stimulus. ... For other uses, see Snake (disambiguation). ... Superfamilies and families Superfamily Hedyloidea: Hedylidae Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Sol redirects here. ... ... For other uses, see Coyote (disambiguation). ... This article is about the term, soulmate. For the Natasha Bedingfield song, see Soulmate (song). ...

The next day, Homer regains his senses while lying in a golf course sand trap. He rationalizes his dream, comparing the desert he wandered in to the real life location, and the talking coyote with a passing talking dog. After returning home, he finds Marge angry with him for odd behavior at the cook-off. Homer then makes note of their fundamental personality differences. Filled with doubt, he searches elsewhere for a soulmate, yet fails in each instance. This article is about the sport. ...

Eventually he becomes convinced that the lighthouse keeper might be his soulmate, since they would both be theoretically lonely individuals, but instead finds the lighthouse is operated by a machine. Seeing a ship, Homer destroys the lighthouse's light in hopes that it will cause the boat to come closer. Suddenly Marge arrives, having known exactly where Homer would go, and she and Homer realize that they share a profound mystical understanding and decide that they really are soulmates. Eddystone Lighthouse, one of the first wavewashed lighthouses For other uses, see Lighthouse (disambiguation). ...

Meanwhile, the ship runs aground, spilling its precious cargo of hot pants. The citizens of Springfield happily retrieve the pants while Marge and Homer embrace.^[3] Shorts are a garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area and the upper part of the upper legs or more, but not the entire length of the leg. ...

Production

The butterfly in Homer's hallucination was created using 3D computer animation.

The episode was originally pitched early in the show's history by George Meyer, who was interested in an episode based on the books of Carlos Castaneda.^[4] Meyer had wanted to have an episode featuring a mystical voyage that was not induced by drugs, and so he decided to use "really hot" chili peppers instead.^[4] The staff, except for Matt Groening, felt it was too odd for the show at that point.^[5] Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein resurrected the story, and decided to use it for season eight.^[4] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... George Meyer is a producer and writer for The Simpsons, and arguably the writer who has contributed the most to the show over its long run. ... Carlos Castaneda (December 25, 1925/31? – April 27, 1998) was a Peruvian- or Brazilian-born American author. ... The general group of pharmacological agents commonly known as hallucinogens can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. ... Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist (Life in Hell) and the Emmy Award-winning creator of the animated series, The Simpsons and Futurama. ... Bill Oakley (born in 1966) is an American televison writer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. ... This article is about The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein. ...

Most of the hallucination sequence was animated completely by David Silverman, who wanted it to look just right and did not want to risk sending it to Korea.^[6] The coyote was intentionally drawn in a boxier way so that it looked unlike the other characters.^[7] During Homer's voyage, the clouds in one shot are live-action footage, and 3D computer animation was used for the giant butterfly.^[2] Also, during the same hallucination, Ned Flanders' line ("What can I do-diddily-doodily-diddly-hobbily-hibbily-gobbily-gobbily-gobble-gabba-gabba-hey!") was treated on a Mac computer so that it increased and decreased pitch.^[2] David Silverman (born on 15 March 1957 in New York City, New York) is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, where he would go on to be the supervising director of animation for several years, as well as animating on all... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by human actors, as opposed to animation. ... 3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that utilize a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. ... GABBA GABBA HEY!!! In the 30s horror movie FREAK, a freak character said gooble, gooble, so the Ramones decided to honor the movie with GABBA GABBA HEY! But GABBA GABBA HEY is a tribute album too. ... Sherlock 2 for Mac OS 9 with the new metallic appearance Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apples Classic Mac OS. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as The Best Internet Operating System Ever, highlighting Sherlock 2s Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple...

The Fox censors sent a note to the writers about the part in which Homer coats his mouth with hot wax so he can eat Chief Wiggum's Insanity pepper. The note read: "To discourage imitation by young and foolish viewers, when Homer begins to pour hot wax into his mouth, please have him scream in pain so kids will understand that doing this would actually burn their mouths."^[8]

Homer waking up on a golf course was a reference to something that happened to a friend of the producers, who woke up on a golf course, in a completely different state to the one he had been in the night before. He had to buy a map from a 7-Eleven in order to find out were he was. Upon doing so, he then had to walk several miles, in order to get back to his friends house, which was the last place he remembered being the night before.^[2] This article is about the sport of golf. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... For other uses, see 7-Eleven (disambiguation). ... A blackout is a phenomenon caused by the intake of alcohol in which long term memory creation is impaired. ...

Casting

Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan were the writers' top two choices to play the coyote.^[2] Bob Dylan had turned the show down many times, having previously been offered a role in season seven's "Homerpalooza".^[9] Johnny Cash was offered the role, which he accepted. Matt Groening described Cash's appearance as "one of the greatest coups the show has ever had."^[5] For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ... This article is about the recording artist. ... The Simpsons Season 7 DVD Digipak. ... Homerpalooza is the twenty-fourth episode of The Simpsons seventh season and originally aired on May 19, 1996 as part of the season finale. ...

Cultural references

The main plot of the episode is based on the works of Carlos Castaneda.^[4] The music from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is used during the scenes when Homer walks into the chili festival.^[3] The lighthouse keeper actually being a computer is a reference to the episode of The Twilight Zone "The Old Man in the Cave", in which a man in a cave turns out to be a computer.^[3] The song "At Seventeen" by Janis Ian plays in the background as Homer walks through the town of Springfield looking for his soul-mate after we wakes up from his vision.^[2] The scene at the end of Homer's hallucination, when the train is heading towards him, is a reference to the opening titles of Soul Train.^[2] Homer's record collection features albums by Jim Nabors, Glen Campbell and The Doodletown Pipers.^[1] Some of the Native American imagery is a reference to the film Dances with Wolves.^[1] Carlos Castaneda (December 25, 1925/31? – April 27, 1998) was a Peruvian- or Brazilian-born American author. ... The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Italian: ) is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach in the title roles. ... The Twilight Zone title. ... “The Old Man in the Cave” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... Janis Ian (born April 7, 1951) is a Grammy-winning American songwriter, singer and multi-instrumental musician. ... Janis Ian (born April 7, 1951[1]) is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, singer, multi-instrumental musician, columnist, and science fiction author. ... Soul Train is a long-running music-related syndicated television program. ... Jim Nabors on The Muppet Show James Thurston Jim Nabors (born June 12, 1930 in Sylacauga, Alabama to Fred and Mavis Nabors), is an American actor, singer, and comedian. ... For the Scottish broadcaster, see Glenn Campbell (broadcaster). ... The Doodletown Pipers. ... Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic film which tells the story of a United States cavalry officer from the Civil War who travels into the Dakota Territory, near a Sioux tribe. ...

Reception

The episode was placed eighth on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list,^[10] and in his book "Planet Simpson", Chris Turner named the episode as being one of his five favorites, although he found the ending too sentimental.^[8] IGN.com also ranked Johnny Cash's performance as the fourteenth best guest appearance in the show's history.^[11] The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "Homer's chili-induced trip is brilliant, complete with the surreal tortoise and Indian spirit guide."^[1] Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation or Planet Simpson is a book about The Simpsons which examines its satirical humour and its impact on pop culture. ... For other uses, see IGN (disambiguation). ...

Legacy

In 2004, the band Nevea Tears released a song entitled "Johnny Cash vs. The Space Coyote", from their album Do I Have to Tell You Why I Love You.^[12] A sample of Flanders' line from Homer's hallucination can be heard in between the tracks "Connoisseur Of Hallucination" and "The Nebbish Route" on the album Nothing Lasts...But Nothing Is Lost by psybient group Shpongle.^[13] Nothing Lasts. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Shpongle (IPA: ˈʃpɒŋ.gl̩) is considered to be one of the most important and influential psychedelic downtempo or Psybient music projects of recent years. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year (86th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

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• "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer" at The Simpsons.com
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