Brian Damage
11-09-2007, 10:54 AM
ANOTHER member of the Greatest Generation of World War II vets is about to meet his maker.
Or is he?
Don't fly your flag at half-mast just yet, since this particular vet is the toughest dog of war in all of television. And he's not quite ready for the Great Beyond.
He's foul-mouthed, cantankerous Cotton Hill - unloving father of Hank Hill on "King of the Hill" - who was once 6'4" but has stood at only 5 feet tall ever since his shins were blown out while fighting the Japanese and his feet were reattached just below his knees.
Voiced by Toby Huss, Cotton shows up occasionally at his son's house seemingly for the express purpose of bombarding him with abuse - continually telling Hank of his unceasing disappointment in him and refusing even to utter the name of Hank's wife, Peggy, who Cotton refers to as "Hank's wife."
As a result, when Cotton has a rendezvous with the Grim Reaper Sunday night, Hank (voiced by series creator Mike Judge) isn't really sure how he feels about it. And Peggy (Kathy Najimy) can barely conceal her delight.
Why highlight the (possible) demise of Cotton Hill? Because the death of a character on a cartoon is so rare. Though a handful of notables have been killed off on "The Simpsons" over the years, most cartoon characters have been known to survive the most horrible calamities - shotgun blasts to the face (Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck), plunges off cliffs (Wile E. Coyote), falling anvils and exploding dynamite cigars (take your pick).
In this weekend's episode of "King of the Hill," Cotton, who brags that he killed 50 Japanese in the Second World War, is gravely injured after experiencing a wartime flashback at a Japanese restaurant.
What happens after that? I know the answer (since I've seen the show) but you'll have to tune in to find out for yourself.
If we've seen the last of Cotton Hill, I will mourn him because he is one of the most outrageous characters in all of TV. His death, while creative, would be a major loss.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11092007/tv/go_to_hill_527602.htm
Or is he?
Don't fly your flag at half-mast just yet, since this particular vet is the toughest dog of war in all of television. And he's not quite ready for the Great Beyond.
He's foul-mouthed, cantankerous Cotton Hill - unloving father of Hank Hill on "King of the Hill" - who was once 6'4" but has stood at only 5 feet tall ever since his shins were blown out while fighting the Japanese and his feet were reattached just below his knees.
Voiced by Toby Huss, Cotton shows up occasionally at his son's house seemingly for the express purpose of bombarding him with abuse - continually telling Hank of his unceasing disappointment in him and refusing even to utter the name of Hank's wife, Peggy, who Cotton refers to as "Hank's wife."
As a result, when Cotton has a rendezvous with the Grim Reaper Sunday night, Hank (voiced by series creator Mike Judge) isn't really sure how he feels about it. And Peggy (Kathy Najimy) can barely conceal her delight.
Why highlight the (possible) demise of Cotton Hill? Because the death of a character on a cartoon is so rare. Though a handful of notables have been killed off on "The Simpsons" over the years, most cartoon characters have been known to survive the most horrible calamities - shotgun blasts to the face (Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck), plunges off cliffs (Wile E. Coyote), falling anvils and exploding dynamite cigars (take your pick).
In this weekend's episode of "King of the Hill," Cotton, who brags that he killed 50 Japanese in the Second World War, is gravely injured after experiencing a wartime flashback at a Japanese restaurant.
What happens after that? I know the answer (since I've seen the show) but you'll have to tune in to find out for yourself.
If we've seen the last of Cotton Hill, I will mourn him because he is one of the most outrageous characters in all of TV. His death, while creative, would be a major loss.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11092007/tv/go_to_hill_527602.htm