 Sideshow Bob is a recurring character on The Simpsons . Since season three 's " Black Widower " ( 1992 ) , the writers have echoed the premise of Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner from the 1949 – 1966 Looney Tunes cartoons by having Bob unexpectedly insert himself into Bart 's life and attempt to kill him . Executive producer Al Jean has compared Bob 's character to that of Wile E. Coyote , noting that both are intelligent , yet always foiled by what they perceive as an inferior intellect . The scene in which Bob is stomped on by multiple elephants and bounced right back up is a reference to the Wile E. Coyote character . 
