Look Out, Springfield! Ricardo Bomba Is Coming to Town on THE SIMPSONS

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LOOK OUT, SPRINGFIELD! RICARDO BOMBA IS COMING TO TOWN

Peggy Black Selected as Grand Prize Winner of THE SIMPSONS Character Contest

The votes are in and Peggy Black of Orange, CT has been selected by THE SIMPSONS producers as the winner of THE SIMPSONS Character Contest. Black created the character RICARDO BOMBA (nicknamed "La Bomba"), a smooth-talking ladies' man from South America with a luxurious black mane, a chiseled physique and a voice as smooth as silk. By day, Ricardo works as a safety inspector at the nuclear power plant, and by night, he works Springfield's singles scene melting women's hearts all over town. As the grand prize winner, Black won a trip to Los Angeles where she met with SIMPSONS producers and animators and worked with the team to bring Ricardo Bomba to life.

Ricardo Bomba will make his small-screen debut in the "Million Dollar Maybe" episode of THE SIMPSONS airing Sunday, Jan. 31 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. In this all-new episode, HOMER (Dan Castellaneta) blows off a date with MARGE (Julie Kavner) to buy a lottery ticket. When Homer wins the million-dollar jackpot, he fears how Marge will react when she finds out why he missed their date. Homer keeps his newly inherited fortune a secret, and instead spoils his family with "anonymous" gifts. When BART (Nancy Cartwright) finds out, he gives Homer a lesson in looking out for number one. Additionally, Chris Martin of Coldplay makes a guest voice appearance as himself in the episode.

"Best. 20 Years. Ever.," a year-long global celebration honoring all things THE SIMPSONS, launched in January 2009 and will culminate in January 2010, the 20th anniversary of the series' debut.

Now the longest-running comedy in television history, THE SIMPSONS immediately struck a chord with viewers across the country as it poked fun of itself and everything in its wake. With its subversive humor and delightful wit, the series has made an indelible imprint on American pop culture, and the family members have become television icons.

THE SIMPSONS is a Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Al Jean are the executive producers. Film Roman, a Starz Media Company, is the animation house.