Simpsons

The Duff Beer mascot, called Duffman, made his final appearance, delivering his last trademark “Oh yeah!”, during series 37’s episode Separation — a parody of Apple TV+’s Severance

The Simpsons has announced the “permanent” retirement of a longtime character after nearly three decades on the air.

In the season 37 episode Separation — a parody of Apple TV+’s Severance — the Duff Beer mascot Duffman made his final appearance, delivering his last trademark “Oh yeah!”

The episode, which aired Sunday, features Barry Duffman entering the Simpson household to break the news to Homer, Marge, and their children—while simultaneously addressing viewers. Speaking in the third person, the Duff Beer spokesman revealed that the character was being officially retired.

“The Duff Corporation has, uh, retired that character forever,” he announced. “All the old forms of advertising are now passé. Corporate spokesmen, print ads, TV spots. Today’s kids can’t even sing the jingles.”

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Voiced by Hank Azaria, Duffman is known for his red cape, utility belt lined with Duff beer cans, and exaggerated superhero persona. He first appeared in the 1997 episode The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson and remained a recurring presence through season 37.

In his final storyline, Duffman attempts to recruit Homer into a mysterious corporation called EOD, before ultimately deprogramming himself. He sheds the persona for good, appearing in civilian clothes after seemingly hanging up his cape, according to TVLine.

Duffman’s exit comes less than two months after another long-running Simpsons character met a more tragic end. Alice Glick, the First Church organist and a recurring character for 35 seasons over 34 years, died during a sermon in a recent episode.

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The changes arrive amid ongoing fan debate over the show’s future, with criticism alternating between frustration over the deaths of minor characters and concern that the series continues indefinitely as the main cast’s voices audibly age. The show also sparked controversy in June 2025 after killing off Marge Simpson—though only in a flash-forward set years in the future.

In recent seasons, several other minor characters have also been written out, including Larry the Barfly, marking a notable shift in the long-running animated series’ approach to its extended cast.

In 2023, Bart’s longtime antagonist Sideshow Bob (voiced by Frasier star Kelsey Grammer) was killed off, but it was in another flash-forward in that year’s Treehouse Of Horror Halloween episode, which isn’t consider canonical.

Even as The Simpsons has moved to cull some of its less-popular characters, it has also brought back iconic faces in recent years, including the Albert Brooks–voiced Jacques, a French bowler who tried to score a strike with Marge.

Matt Groening’s show first aired in 1989, and over the last nearly 40 years has run several hundred episodes, and a total of 37 seasons and counting.

Los Tigres del Norte have gone gold and platinum many times, but on Sunday the acclaimed group went yellow for the first time.

The Grammy-winning band appeared in animated form on the latest episode of “The Simpsons,” which aired Sunday, and performed an original corrido about the escapades of Homer Simpson and Pedro Chespirito (also known as the Bumblebee Man).

The unexpected collaboration came with some anticipation as the long-running show promoted the group’s appearance Friday on social media.

“A legendary band. An original song. A very Simpson twist. @lostigresdelnorte perform “El Corrido de Pedro y Homero” this Sunday on FOX,” the program’s official Instagram page wrote in a post alongside a pair of stills from the episode.

The “Jaula de Oro” artists appear only in the end credits and their tune recaps the zany adventures of Homer and Pedro within the episode. In the Simpsons-verse, Pedro Chespirito plays a beloved character on the slapstick comedy Spanish-language show “Channel Ocho.” The character is an homage to Mexican television icon Roberto Gómez Bolaños, better known as “Chespirito.” Bumblebee Man is a nod to “El Chapulín Colorado,” and “Channel Ocho” is a reference to to Gómez Bolaño’s best known character, El Chavo del Ocho.

“We are deeply grateful and very happy for this special moment in our history, being part of the universe of The Simpsons,” Los Tigres Del Norte told Rolling Stone. “For us, it’s an honor that our stories continue to cross borders, cultures, and generations. “When music tells stories, it can reach anywhere… even Springfield.”

The episode’s head writer Cesar Mazariegos told Rolling Stone the band’s inclusion was a “tip of the hat” to the show’s sizable Latin American fandom, specifically its Mexican and Mexican American fans.

“They are absolute, worldwide legends. I mean, they were on tour when we reached out to ask them for a song. I assumed they wouldn’t have time,” Mazariegos said. “When we heard back that they were game, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.”

Mexican director and Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu was also portrayed and voiced himself in Sunday’s episode.

Los Tigres del Norte’s guest spot is only the most recent in a long line of musical legends featured on “The Simpsons.” U2, Paul McCartney, Green Day, Ringo Starr, Sting and Dolly Parton have made an appearance on the show.

Other Latinx artists have popped up in Springfield as well, including Tito Puente, Linda Ronstadt and Los Lobos. In 2021, Bad Bunny made a special appearance in “The Simpsons” universe when he released an animated music video for his 2020 ballad “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” — which sees him drawn into the same universe as “The Simpsons.”