Otto Mann: the Simpsons' rock'n'roll bus driver

Headphones on, air guitar at the wheel: Otto is the most rock — and the most reckless — bus driver in Springfield. An eternal 1980s teenager, a heavy metal fan and a friend of Bart, he is one of the most endearing supporting characters in The Simpsons. A profile of a big-hearted slacker.

Who is Otto?

Whose real name is Otto Mann ("Otto Bus" in the French version, a nod to the word "Ottoman"), Otto is the driver of the Springfield elementary school bus. Long hair, headphones permanently on, the look of an overgrown teenager stuck in the 1980s: he is the perfect archetype of the laid-back "slacker" who calls everyone "dude".

🎧 Otto keeps his headphones clamped over his ears all the way to the wheel of the school bus; your own earbuds can travel more discreetly, tucked into our Simpsons AirPods cases between songs.

Close to the children he drives — starting with Bart, whose rebellious spirit he shares — Otto is a likeable character despite his very… rock'n'roll lifestyle and his legendary carelessness.

A heavy metal fan

If one thing matters to Otto, it is music. An absolute fan of heavy metal and hard rock, he is never without his headphones, whips out the air guitar at the slightest opportunity and worships the great bands of the 1980s. A good guitarist himself, he lives his passion to the full — even if it means putting rock before his career, his housing… and even his love life.

The most reckless driver in Springfield

Entrusting a bus full of children to Otto is no restful matter. Driving at full speed, hazardous cornering, repeated crashes he happily boasts about: he racks up records for accidents. The crowning touch? For a long time he drove without a driving licence. That is the whole subject of the episode "The Otto Show" (season 3, 1992), where he loses his job, ends up homeless and moves for a while into the Simpsons' garage — much to the dismay of Homer.

A character who gives Principal Skinner and the whole school administration a hard time.

🚌 Driving the school bus without a licence ends up costing Otto his job in "The Otto Show"; as for your own licence, slip it into one of our Simpsons wallets before you get behind the wheel.

Becky, the fiancée

Otto very nearly settled down. In a season 11 episode (2000), he meets Becky and gets engaged. But at the fateful moment, forced to choose between her and his music, he cracks… and leaves her at the altar. One more proof that with Otto, rock comes before everything — even before love.

💝 Otto chose his music over Becky, leaving her at the altar; show your other half they come before your playlists by giving them one of our Simpsons necklaces, to wear close to the heart.

First appearance and trivia

Otto appears from the show's first season, in the background, in the episode "Homer's Odyssey" (1990). But it takes until "The Otto Show" (1992) for his surname, "Mann", to be officially revealed — on his licence, appropriately enough. In the original version, he is voiced by Harry Shearer, the voice of many Springfield residents; in the French version, it is Philippe Peythieu who lends him his voice, the actor who also dubs Homer.

Otto's ID card

At the wheel

Simpsons Figure - Otto

The driver as a figurine: headphones on, licence still in question.

€29.90 View product →

Frequently asked questions

• What is Otto's real name?
  His name is Otto Mann — "Otto Bus" in the French version, a play on "Ottoman". His surname is revealed on his driving licence in the episode devoted to him.
• What is Otto's job?
  He is the driver of the Springfield elementary school bus — the one who drives Bart, Lisa and all the children… often at a worrying speed and with worrying carelessness.
• Does Otto actually have a driving licence?
  Not always! He drove the bus without a licence for a long time, which costs him his job in the episode "The Otto Show" (season 3, 1992). He then moves for a while into the Simpson family's garage.
• Who is Becky?
  Becky is Otto's fiancée, introduced in a season 11 episode (2000). Unable to choose between her and his passion for music, Otto ends up leaving her… at the altar.
• What kind of music does Otto like?
  Heavy metal and hard rock, without moderation: headphones clamped on, air guitar everywhere and worship for the great bands of the 1980s. Music comes before just about everything else in his life.
• Who voices Otto?
  In the original version, he is voiced by Harry Shearer. In the French version, Philippe Peythieu lends him his voice — the actor who also dubs Homer Simpson.

In short

Otto is the rock'n'roll spirit let loose in a school bus: reckless, laid-back, but unfailingly faithful to his music and his young passengers. A cult supporting character who reminds us that in Springfield, even the ride to school can turn into a heavy metal concert. Rock on!