Simpsons creator Matt Groening tells why Waylon Smithers was originally black Was black but went back ... The character of Waylon Smithers was painted black for an episode. Picture Fox Source: Supplied THE creator of The Simpsons, Matt Groening, has revealed why the character of Smithers first appeared as a black man when the show first launched. The 60-year-old claimed that the character was always meant to be yellow, but animaters painted him the wrong colour and, because they were low on funds, they couldn't afford a retake. "He was always yellow, and they painted him wrong once," Groening told TMZ. At the time we didn't have enough (money) to do retakes, so when there were glitches and mistakes it stayed that way. "He was never "black," it was an accident." Spilling secrets ... Matt Groening, left, shares a laugh with Yeardley Smith, who provides the voice of Lisa Simpson. Picture: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello Source: AP When the interviewer asked why all of the characters were yellow, Groening replied sarcastically, "I've never noticed," adding, "It's so they wouldn't look like anything else on TV ... except for SpongeBob." As we know him ... Smithers without the blue hair and black colouring. Picture: Fox Source: Supplied Oops ... Smithers was coloured in wrong and never changed due to financial reasons. Groening also revealed that all of the characters have four fingers because "it is easier to draw." "That is a lot of pencil mileage if you add another finger," he said. The 26th season of The Simpsons is currently airing. Originally published as Why Smithers was originally black