'The Simpsons' Treehouse Of Horror Couch Gag By Guillermo del Toro

In yet another moment clearly meant to remind you that you are no longer young, The Simpsons is about to air it's 24th "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween special. Any current or lapsed fan of the show is familiar with a few of the traditions that go into the annual episode, including the altered opening and horror-inspired Couch Gag. The theme continues this year, and this time the producers of the show brought on Guillermo del Toro to create the opening. Just under three minutes long, the animation features guest appearances by a few comic characters, as well as a nod to Futurama, and some inspiration from Mad magazine and former Hellboy artist and frequent del Toro collaborator Guy Davis.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, del Toro said he drew inspiration for the opening -- which took several months to complete -- from a childhood obsession with the Mad magazine work of creators like Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman and Mort Drucker:

They would try to cram so many references in, you as a kid could spend an afternoon on your bed with your magnifying glass going through a frame of Mad magazine and finding all these references to this and that.

As for the Pans Labyrinth spoof featuring Smithers and Burns, that idea came from Davis, saying it "defined the relationship between Smithers and Burns perfectly."

The Simpsons Halloween special airs this Sunday, October 6, at 8 p.m. on Fox. All glory to the Hypnotoad.