Steve Pepoon dead: The Simpsons star dies 'unexpectedly' after heart issues

A writer who worked on has died "unexpectedly", his family has confirmed. Steve Pepoon, who won an Emmy award for writing an episode of the his animated comedy, died aged 68 outside of his home in Paola, Kansas.

His family said he had been receivng treatment for a heart condition called cardiac amyloidosis for two years before his death on May 3. In a statement on , his devastated family said: "It is with deep sadness that the family of Steve Pepoon announces his passing on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

"Steve was a beloved member of our family and was cherished by many friends. He will be greatly missed. A celebration of life event is being planned, and details will be shared soon."

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Steve's first break in the industry came when he sold a script for an episode of Silver Spoons in late 1985, with his episode airing the following year. He later sold scripts to the producers of the huge show, Alf. He was then hired to be a writer for the series and stayed there for three years.

An episode he later penned for The Simpsons earned him an Emmy in 1991 or Best Animated Special. The episode which gained him the award was titled Homer vs Lisa and the 8th Commandment.

In it, Homer sets up an illegal cable television connection. While the family appear to be enjoying the new range of channels at first, Lisa soon suspects they are stealing the cable. Reverend Lovejoy soon confirms her suspicion and she tries to protest that her family is breaking of the 8th Commandment ("thou shalt not steal").

As she refuses to watch TV, Homer and his friends sit down to watch a cable-TV match. However, due to Lisa's protests, Homer cuts the cable following the fight's conclusion.

Elsewhere, he also wrote for the likes of Ferris Beuller and Get a Life. The long list of shows on his CV went on, including production titles for shows such as Roseanne and Tom. Dinosaurs was another huge hit Steve was once a part of.

He later went on to release a hugely popular cartoon. He was the co-creator of The Wild Thornberrys, which ran between 1998 and 2004. He also made an appearance in front of the camera during his time working on the Naked Gun 33 1/3 movie. He was offered the chance to have a cameo role after it was found one scene didn't have enough audience members.

Fans of Steve's work took to social media to share messages of condolence following his death. On Twitter/X, one user wrote alongside a black-and-white image of Steve: "#RIP Steve Pepoon. The pride of Paola, Kansas, he won an Emmy for an episode he wrote for ‘The Simpsons’ as a freelancer, collaborated with Roseanne and Tom Arnold on several shows and co-created ‘The Wild Thornberrys.’"

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