The man who helped introduce some of the comedic legends like Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and Bill Murray has died at the age of 93 after his health deteriorated.
- May 2, 2020
AceShowbiz - National Lampoon co-founder Matty Simmons has passed away at 93.
The businessman, who founded the Diners Club charge card and also found Hollywood success with feature film spin-offs of his National Lampoon magazine, died in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 after struggling with an illness unrelated to coronavirus.
"Yesterday I lost my hero," his daughter Kate Simmons wrote on Instagram. "My dad had gone from the sharpest, healthiest 93 year old most people have encountered to abruptly having every imaginable issue, except corona."
The author of nine books, Simmons made a huge impact on the world of comedy with his National Lampoon magazine and The National Lampoon Radio Hour projects that introduced comedic legends like Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray to the world, and led to iconic 1980s comedy films like Animal House and the "National Lampoon's Vacation" film franchise.
