My first memories of “King of the Hill” are snippets from meandering through cable television channels, when 7-year-old me thought everyone looked goofy, sounded like the elders in my neighborhood and the theme song seemed to only be Hank Hill singing “king of the hill” repeatedly. Yet, thirteen years later, this show is what singlehandedly inspired me to venture into voice acting and animation.
The show recently grazed headlines once more when the Hulu reboot debuted this August, which is a wonderful complement to the original even if it takes a few episodes for it to grow on you. Despite being an older and mundane-looking adult animated sitcom, “King of the Hill’s” witty, characterful writing, slice-of-life laidback tone and realistic, hearty portrayal of Texas suburban life all make it a breath of fresh air from other, lesser adult animated sitcoms of the time like “Universal Basic Guys” or “Mr. Birchum,” both pitiful filth offering nothing but egregiously bland animation and jokes.
Firstly, the series offers wonderful voice acting. Everyone must recognize, subconsciously or not, that iconic voice of Mike Judge as Hank Hill. However, that is not to throw shade on Johnny Hardwick as Dale Gribble, Brittany Murphy as Luanne Platter or Judge again as Boomhauer. Each voice performance feels more lived-in and believable than anything you’ve ever seen, as if you’ve met a Dale or a Bill living across your street and watering their plants every Thursday evening.
The voice acting is enhanced by the witty writing, which is especially present in the earlier seasons. The diverse array of characters is likable and well-developed, with their own believable arcs, and there are so many excellent one-liners and iconic quotes that an article alone cannot do them justice.
Considering “King of the Hill” premiered in 1997, a time when animation had a lot less diversity both in front of and behind the scenes, the show has numerous supporting and well-developed character roles for African Americans, Hispanics and even Laotians. Each have mostly correct ethnic casting, minus Kahn for budgetary reasons. Everyone from Octavio to the Souphanousinphones to Booda Sack all stick in my head as memorable characters. Similarly, women enjoyed well-rounded portrayals as well. While Peggy’s narcissism became a pet peeve of mine in the later seasons, she was shown as one of the smartest and strongest characters throughout the series.
That’s not to say that the show is completely devoid of stereotypes, just that they are nowhere near the level of other ’90s adult animated sitcoms like “The Simpsons.” Kahn and his family are a little bit stereotypical, with Connie encompassing the model minority by being an all-A honors student and her parents emphasizing her getting into Harvard. However, Hank and his family are also slightly exaggerated stereotypes of white Texan culture. Animation tends to exaggerate and derive from real life to create impact and have something to say, so in that sense, it works out.
Some aspects of the show, like its animation, are admittedly not technically impressive. Don’t get me wrong, I love the old ink-and-paint backgrounds as well as the age you can feel in the drawing, but it’s far from the best the animation world has to offer. However, it is not trying to be the best the animation world has to offer, and instead works for what it’s going for. “King of the Hill,” with its humble, slice-of-life demeanor has no prerogative for crazy angles or insane shading. The music by John Frizzell, much like the animation, is not mind blowing but works for what it’s going for. It’s sparse, Southern and humble.
Most of all, the show paints a wonderful and authentic of a representation it of Texas — and specifically Richardson — down to every frumpy strip mall and tight back alley. The suburb depicted, Arlen, was based in particular on Richardson, where show creator Judge lived and worked in the late ’80s while he was taking graduate classes at UTD. You heard me right: Judge is a fellow Comet.
When we see Texas or the South depicted in movies and TV, it’s the stereotypical representation of a desert where there’s dumb hillbillies with guns and a six-pack of room-temperature, cut-rate beer. “King of the Hill” even pokes fun at this in the episode “Company Man,” when Hank must court a Bostonian named Mr. Holloway, played by the great Billy West, for a large propane contract. Complicating this is the unethical M.F. Thatherton, played by the late and great Burt Reynolds, whose stereotypical Texan fixings — a ten-gallon cowboy hat, cowboy boots and bolo tie — force Hank to forgo who he really is and become a big stereotype himself.
The show has the same relatable fixtures as much of late ’90s American suburbia: elm trees, single-story houses, freshly-cut lawns, cars, garages and the works. The accents are a little distinctive and the characters may be more politically conservative, but it’s a far cry from the QAnon conspirators constantly mentioned in reference to Texas, and a breath of fresh air for me as a Texan when so many others I’ve met — American and non-American alike — only ever talk to me about guns and Trump.
As part of its nuanced characterization, the show depicts conservatives and conservative ideals very well. I previously wrote an article about the film “Reagan,” which strangled viewers with blatant, on-the-nose conservative topics. In contrast, this series, though not being particularly conservative or liberal in its messaging, displays conservative ideals realistically and accurately. Hank Hill, the titular king, attends Methodist church every Sunday, supports President Bush (minus the subpar handshake), is irritated with government bureaucracy and is consistently shown abiding by tradition, whether it involves hesitancy with Bobby’s prop comedy and lack of athleticism or his insistence on driving a motorcycle with Peggy in the backseat.
However, he does believe in climate change, displays feminist ideals when he stands up to his father, the overtly chauvinistic Cotton, respects the last Democratic governor of Texas Ann Richards and most of all, is open to change. So he is conservative, but he is a realistic conservative, which also helped in creating a realistic representation of the then-moderately Republican-leaning DFW area. The “King of the Hill” reboot updated that area to suit the current Trump era.
Despite all the show’s pros, the later seasons do lose steam, and the characters become more Flanderized — that is, reduced to their quirkiest traits at the expense of nuance and depth. Any animated sitcom that runs for 12 years will run into that very same problem. However, even if the show loses steam, I cannot, in my right mind, say the series becomes bad. I recommend you crack open an Alamo beer and watch the show until season 7, and after that, watch the rest if you feel like it.