I was 10 when I first saw a “Simpsons” short on the “Tracey Ullman Show,” and I’ve grown up with the cartoon ever since Bart first got into strangle-inducing mischief. For the ones who have seen it through from the beginning, the town of Springfield feels like family, from Chief Wiggum to Krusty the Clown and Sideshow Bob.

“Will we see more of Otto?” one questioner asked to a roar from the crowd. That was quickly followed by another fan with the query, “Will we see more of Ralph in the coming season?”

Creator Matt Groening (pictured, right) and producers from the show reassured the crowd that all of the characters they take comfort in will be back in the upcoming season, a record 21st.

A representative from the Guinness Book of World Records made a surprise appearance at the panel to honor Groening and the rest of the crew with the record for longest-running sitcom in the world. The show also holds several other Guinness World Records, including one for the most guest appearances. For the new fall season Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill, Sarah Silverman, Anne Hathaway, the late Eartha Kitt, and Peyton and Eli Manning are all slated to lend their voices to the show. On Jan. 14, 2010, the show will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a documentary produced by Morgan Spurlock (”Super Size Me”).

“We’ve done 460 episodes and we try not to repeat ourselves,” said producer Al Jean (pictured, left). “Honestly, coming up with new ideas is the hardest part now.”

Perhaps the greatest surprise to come out of the panel is that many of Homer’s moments of legendary idiocy are based on reality.

“Many of the funny things Homer has done, one of us did first,” Jean said. “There’s an episode in Season 8 when Homer keeps eating this long sub that’s in the refrigerator. He eats more and more each day until he turns blue. I basically did that.”

The panel was as funny as you would expect a bunch of creative minds from one of the most successful television shows in history to be. One fan asked where the inspiration for “The Simpsons” came from:

“I was influenced by ‘The Family Guy,’” Groening quipped, referring to the other animated show that, upon its launch in 1999, was maligned for being similar to “The Simpsons,” including a fat, moronic father with three kids as the central character.