There has been talk for years about making a live-action remake of the highly-acclaimed anime film Akira. Some argue that this film is too classic to be touched, and others fear it would not translate well into live-action (such as Tetsuo’s transformation). Still more feel that Max Landis and Josh Trank’s Chronicle was already the closest adaptation of Akira.

In the meantime, we can still enjoy wonderful imaginings of the remake that never was, such as this Simpsons/Akira trailer, that pays homage to Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s outstanding film as well as Matt Groening’s beloved Springfieldians.

The Bartkira Project, as it is called, was originally the creation of artist Ryan Humphrey that blossomed into a collaborative project bringing hundred of artists together to recreate all six volumes of the Akira manga through the lens of Matt Groening’s Simpson’s characters and locations. Bartkira, which can be read for free on its website, started as a fun little meme and has now grown into a bit of a phenomenon.

Now this crowd-sourced trailer shows that both the Bartkira joke, as well as the collaborative project, is far from fading out. I mean come on, how would Millhouse not be Tetsuo? The real question it raises though, is whether anyone would be surprised if these artists decided to open up another crowd funding campaign and recreate the entire film? Is the joke still a joke if it surpasses what’s funny and moves into the realm of obsessive art project? For me, at least, seeing Bart, Milhouse, and the bullies parading around as The Capsules is immensely enjoyable.

If you have any of these answers, let us know in the comments below.