However, like other shows at the time, The Simpsons approached the subject gingerly, not drawing much attention to the sexuality of Smithers, as he remained in the closet, officially, until 2016. The first episode of The Simpsons, on December 17, 1989, featured a gay character, Waylon Smithers, named after gay puppeteer Wayland Flowers. However, most of these characters were coded as queer rather than being openly queer. In the 1980s and 1990s, LGBTQ characters appeared in The Simpsons, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Crapston Villas, South Park, Family Guy, Futurama, and Mission Hill. Matt Groening, who created Futurama and The Simpsons, at the 2009 Comic Con in San Diego
