Ian Maxtone-Graham

Not many people can lay claim to being lampooned on "The Simpsons," yet six-foot-eight Ian Maxtone-Graham held that honor in the cartoon role of "Very Tall Man," who was ridiculed for riding in an uber-compact car in one of the series' most memorable sight gags. The son of a writer-historian, Ian followed in his father's footsteps, working up the comedy ladder to become one of the more accomplished writers and producers of his age. Ian Maxtone-Graham was born in 1959, the son of noted maritime historian John Maxtone-Graham. A graduate of Brown University, he attempted a career in journalism before finding success as a comedy writer. His early employers included the cable sketch comedy program "Not Necessarily the News" (HBO 1983-87) and a stint on the writing staff of iconic satirical magazine National Lampoon. His work for George Meyer's short-lived zine "Army Man" brought Maxtone-Graham into the orbit another contributor, Jack Handey, who at the time was well known for his "Deep Thoughts" musings on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC 1975- ). At Handey's behest, Maxtone-Graham was brought onto the SNL writing staff in 1992, where he served for the following three years. His best-known work for the show included Adam Sandler's signature musical piece "The Hannukah Song," as well as the infamous "Canteen Boy" sketch starring Alec Baldwin. In 1995, Meyer brought Maxtone-Graham onto his most high profile role, as writer and producer for "The Simpsons" (Fox 1989- ). Over the years, Maxtone-Graham's role would expand to that of co-executive producer in 1998, then executive producer in 2005. During his tenure, he won six Emmy Awards and accepted an Annie award for his episode "The Seemingly Neverending Story." His other classic "Simpsons" episodes included "Lisa Gets an A," "The Trouble With Trillions," the Emmy-nominated "Gone Maggie Gone" and the series' 200th episode, "Trash of the Titans." Maxtone-Graham departed the show in 2013, after the close of its 24th season. His next job was consulting producer for the controversial Seth MacFarlane-produced sitcom "Dads" (Fox 2013-14).