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David X. Cohen
A closeup of a man in front of a microphone. He has a receding hairline and wears dark-framed glasses.
Cohen at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con
Born David Samuel Cohen
(1966-07-13) July 13, 1966 (age 59)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation Television writer
Alma mater Harvard University (B.A.)
University of California, Berkeley (M.S)
Period 1992–present
Genre Comedy
Spouse Betty Cohen
Children 1

David Samuel Cohen (born July 13, 1966), known professionally as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He is famous for writing for the show The Simpsons and for helping to create the animated series Futurama with Matt Groening.

Cohen wrote some well-known Simpsons episodes, like "Lisa the Vegetarian" and "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show". He also invented the word cromulent for the episode "Lisa the Iconoclast". The word, which means "acceptable" or "fine," is now in some dictionaries.

Early Life and Education

David Samuel Cohen was born in New York City. Both of his parents were biologists, and he grew up planning to become a scientist. However, he also loved to draw cartoons and write stories.

He went to Dwight Morrow High School in New Jersey, where he wrote a humor column for the school newspaper. He was also on the school's math team, which won a state championship.

After high school, Cohen went to Harvard University and earned a degree in physics. He later earned a master's degree in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. While at Harvard, he was the president of the Harvard Lampoon, a famous humor magazine.

Writing Career

After studying for a few years in graduate school, Cohen decided to try writing for television. In 1992, he got a job writing for two of the first episodes of Beavis and Butt-Head.

In 1993, he started working on The Simpsons, where he wrote or helped write thirteen episodes. About five years later, he teamed up with Matt Groening to create Futurama. On that show, he was an executive producer and the head writer. Cohen has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on Futurama and The Simpsons.

Why "David X. Cohen"?

When Cohen started working in television, there was already another writer named David S. Cohen. The Writers Guild of America, a group for TV and movie writers, does not allow two members to have the same name for their work.

So, Cohen had to change his professional name. He chose the middle initial "X" because he thought it sounded like something from science fiction. He has joked that the "X" helps people remember him. The "X" doesn't stand for anything, but he uses a period after it so people don't think it's a math problem.

Creating Futurama

David X. Cohen & Matt Groening by Gage Skidmore
Cohen with Matt Groening at the Futurama panel of San Diego Comic-Con (2009)

Cohen and The Simpsons creator Matt Groening worked together to create Futurama. After researching science fiction for a few years, Groening and Cohen started developing the show in 1997. It was an animated series about life in the year 3000.

By the time they showed their idea to the Fox network in 1998, they had already created many characters and stories. The show first aired on March 28, 1999.

The Return of Futurama

Fox stopped making new episodes of Futurama after four years. However, the show was very popular on DVD and on the channel Adult Swim. Because so many people still loved the show, it was brought back.

Comedy Central started showing reruns and then decided to order new episodes. First, four movies were made:

  • Bender's Big Score (2007)
  • The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008)
  • Bender's Game (2008)
  • Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009)

After the movies, Comedy Central ordered more new half-hour episodes, which started airing in 2010. The show has continued to be revived for new seasons over the years.

List of Written Episodes

Cohen has written or co-written many episodes for popular animated shows.

Beavis and Butt-Head

  • "Couch Fishing"
  • "Plate Frisbee"

The Simpsons

  • "Treehouse of Horror V" (segment "Nightmare Cafeteria")
  • "Lisa the Vegetarian"
  • "Treehouse of Horror VI" (segment "Homer3")
  • "Much Apu About Nothing"
  • "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show"
  • "Lisa the Skeptic"
  • "Das Bus"
  • "Bart the Mother"
  • "Treehouse of Horror IX" (segment "Starship Poopers")
  • "Podcast News"

Futurama

  • "Space Pilot 3000" (with Matt Groening)
  • "Xmas Story"
  • "The Day the Earth Stood Stupid"
  • "The Why of Fry"
  • Bender's Big Score (story with Ken Keeler)
  • "Rebirth"
  • "Free Will Hunting"
  • "All the Way Down"

Disenchantment

  • "For Whom the Pig Oinks"
  • "Stairway To Hell"

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: David X. Cohen para niños

  • Burnt pancake graph
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