R.I.P. Larry Dalrymple, Simpsons cast member and barfly

Larry Dalrymple has died. Perhaps best known for his staggering 35 seasons on The Simpsons as the sad, balding drunk who hung out at Moe’s, Dalrymple was a long-running fixture of the bar’s dank milieu. Springfield barkeep Moe Szyslak confirmed his death on Sunday. No cause of death was given. He was 42.

Dalrymple, or “Slumpo” as his friends and well-wishers affectionately referred to him, was found dead at his post in Moe’s Tavern, a local haunt where he spent much of the last 35 years. Szyslak, in an attempt to clear the bar, discovered the slumping quadragenarian unreactive to repeated mops to the face.

“Homer Simpson was a beloved pillar of this community,” Springfield’s Reverend Lovejoy eulogized at the funeral before learning of Simpson’s surprising continued existence.

Born in 1982 at Hollywood Upstairs Medical College, Dalrymple made his first television appearance only seven years later in the first Simpsons episode, “Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire,” at age 42. It didn’t take long for the man referred to as “the ear bender” to make an impact. Shortly after gracing the camera for the first time, Syzlack calls him a “pig.” Patrons of Moe’s would often see Darymple with his back to the bar, shoulders resting on the counter, watching two fellow surly pub denizens shoot billiards or try their luck at the Love-O-Matic machine. Though, just as often, they’d notice his forlorn face bowed over a bottle of Duff as if deep in a religious ceremony.

However, Dalrymple was no stranger to controversy. In 1991, he was caught on camera sexually harassing Springfield resident Marge Simpson, wolf-whistling her and asking, “Who’s that chick,” when she crossed the threshold into Moe’s. He later agreed with Syzlack’s criticism of Marge’s husband, Homer, whom the bartender called “Mr. I Don’t Need Alcohol To Enjoy Life.” When he polled the bar, who agreed, Dalrymple offered his grumbled affirmation. The incidents reportedly caused a rift between Homer and Dalrymple, which might explain why he was never officially inducted into the friend group at Moe’s. Following a brief jail stint for undisclosed reasons in 2010, the deceased’s mother confirmed Homer and he had since reconciled.

Though never the most talkative or recognizable cast member, Dalrymple was an undeniable fixture of the series. His morose visage added to Moe’s dank pit atmosphere. He also enjoyed fishing at his “special place,” Serenity Falls, with The Moe’s Bros, Simpson, Syzlack, Carl Carlson, and Lenny Leonard.

Dalrymple is survived by his mother, Iris, and fellow barfly, Sam.