King of the Hill Whiteboard

Cartoon sitcom King of the Hill is widely praised for its depiction of Texans and Texan culture. This whiteboard offers an overview of the process of creating an episode of the series.

Debuting in January 1997, King of the Hill quickly gained a large audience and critical acclaim, with one critic calling it “the most Texan television series since Dallas.” Co-created by animator and writer Mike Judge and writer Greg Daniels, the series follows typical suburban Texan family the Hills — parents Hank and Peggy, son Bobby, and niece Luanne — their friends, and their neighbors. The show finds humor in the depiction of their everyday lives, exploring themes of interpersonal relationships and suburban life. The Hills’ hometown of Arlen is based on several towns near Dallas and Houston, including Richardson where Judge once lived.

This whiteboard hung in the hallway of the King of the Hill production offices during much of the show’s run, giving office visitors a glimpse into the creative process and long production timeline of an animated series. The illustrated timeline starts in the writers’ room with story ideas and script drafts. It continues through actor voice-overs, animation, and editing. It ends 40 weeks later with the episode finally airing.