Australian Man Gets 203 ‘Simpsons’ Characters Tattooed on Back

Michael Baxter is going for a Guinness World Record, and all it took was $12,000 (AU), 130 painful hours, and an entire back’s worth of skin canvas. Baxter, a 52-year-old grandfather from Melbourne, is hoping his back tattoo featuring 203 characters from The Simpsons will land him in the book.

A fan since the show’s very first day 25 years ago, the prison officer has spent almost a full week of total time in a tattoo chair recreating his favorite characters with the help of ink artist Jade Baxter Smith.

Mr. Baxter said his favorite character on the series is Homer (of whom he has 41 tattoos on his left arm alone) but Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie, and almost every Springfield resident imaginable makes an appearance in the ginormous piece. Even the town itself, and its landmarks like Moe’s Tavern and the Simpson Family couch, found space on his back.

“I wanted to get something which was unique, which nobody else had or would even think of getting,” Mr. Baxter said. “I’m a huge fan of the show. I love the tattoo, and I know lots of other people, including my grandchildren, do too.” (Personally, I wanted to get something unique in the way of a tattoo as well, so I decided to forgo the whole thing and be one of the rare non-inked individuals. It was much easier, cheaper, and less painful.) “I’m recognized everywhere,” he continued. “My friends love it, especially the attention it’s now getting. They all think the tattoo’s awesome, especially when they see it in the flesh,” pun totally intended, I assume. As for recognition from Guinness, Mr. Baxter said they accepted his application, but he still has a lot of paperwork to fill out.

The tats have become so popular virally that a campaign has begun to convince Simpsons producers Matt Groening and James L. Brooks to have Baxter appear on the show as a cartoon. I’m not sure exactly how that would work, but it sounds super meta.

Jade Baxter Smith, for her part, has been “overwhelmed” by the attention her masterpiece has received all over the world. “I’m known now as the girl who did ‘that Simpsons tattoo,'” she said. However, when she was first asked to take on the project, she thought Mr. Baxter was pulling her leg. “Michael came to me and said he wanted all The Simpsons characters on his back. I laughed and thought he was joking,” the tattoo artist revealed.

But it was no joke (well, I guess it kind of is) and 203 characters later both Baxters are famous because of their part in the experience.

The tattoo was completed in 2013, and hopefully it will be enough to help Michael Baxter land & keep the Guinness Record. If not, with The Simpsons at 26 seasons and counting, there will always be new characters to add.

[via Daily Mail]