At '' SNL '' , he shared an office with Robert Smigel , and met George Meyer , who later proved instrumental in hiring him for '' The Simpsons '' . During his time at the program , he became known for writing odder material . He was fired from the program in the summer of 1986 , which Smigel attributed to the network 's pressure on show creator Lorne Michaels to make personnel changes . Meyer subsequently quit '' SNL '' and created the magazine '' Army Man '' , recruiting Swartzwelder to help him write it . Meyer noted on '' Army Man '' : " The only rule was that the stuff had to be funny and pretty short . To me , the quintessential '' Army Man '' joke was one of John Swartzwelder 's : '' They can kill the Kennedys . Why ca n't they make a cup of coffee that tastes good ? '' It 's a horrifying idea juxtaposed with something really banal — and yet there 's a kind of logic to it . It 's illuminating because it 's kind of how Americans see things : Life 's a big jumble , but somehow it leads to something I can consume . I love that . " In 1988 , Sam Simon , a reader of '' Army Man '' , recruited both Swartzwelder and Meyer to write for a new Fox animated sitcom he was executive producing : '' The Simpsons ''
the Kennedys
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John Swartzwelder