Is Beavis and Butt-Head based in Texas? Mike Judge hints at it
It’s no secret that some of the most famous cartoons have strong connections to Texas.
King of the Hill, situated in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas, draws inspiration from Mike Judge's former residence in Richardson. Matt Stone, the co-creator of South Park, hails from Houston. Sandy Cheeks, a prominent character in SpongeBob SquarePants, takes pride in her Texan roots, despite her friends SpongeBob and Patrick Star playfully teasing that "Texas is dumb." And in a different episode, they organize a Texas-themed party for her, complete with square-dancing, barbecues and pecan pie — albeit misinterpreted, a gesture of true southern hospitality.
The data clearly shows that Texas is one the most ideal states for animated sitcoms. So, that brings us to the question after fans began theorizing years ago: Is Beavis and Butt-head, also produced by Judge, based in Texas?
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'One of those towns like Lubbock'
Growing up near Albuquerque, Judge's father worked for Southern Methodist University, leading the family to frequently travel between their residence in New Mexico and Dallas, in which Judge described the back-and-forth movement in a July 2022 interview with Texas Monthly as "a lot of time in Texas.”
Later in life, Judge relocated to Richardson, which, of course, became the inspiration for the fictional town depicted in King of the Hill – a widely recognized detail among many fans.
In a 2011 interview at the Austin Film Festival, an audience member had asked if the Beavis and Butt-Head shared the same Texas heritage. For the most part, Judge wasn’t sure.
“I was just wondering the landscape of Beavis and Butt-head looks a lot like the landscape of King of the Hill,” the journalist said before questioning. “I just wanted to ask if Beavis and Butthead take place in Texas.”
“Well, originally, I mean, I grew up mostly in Albuquerque. I was thinking was somewhere between, and I was in Dallas when I created it," Judge responded. "So, it’s somewhere in between — like just one of those little towns like Lubbock or Portales, New Mexico.”
But, by the time the first film, Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, came out in 1996, it was evident that the setting was based in the Lone Star State.
Although Judge said in his Texas Monthly interview that he had never meant for Beavis and Butt-head to be Texans, he finally embraced the idea that it was somewhere in the Texas Panhandle-South Plains region instead of eastern New Mexico when a background artist, without his knowing, had written “Texas” on each of the cars’ license plates. And he did, again, note that he did originally envision the hometown somewhere “between Lubbock and Clovis" — a recognizable stretch of his commute throughout his childhood.
If there are any still doubts about Judge choosing the region for the cartoon setting, the resemblance of a Texas restaurant solidifies it. In a recent episode of the Beavis and Butt-Head series revival — Season 1, Episode 7: "Kidney; The Good Deed" — a scene near identically matches that of the Funky Door Wine and Bistro in Lubbock.
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Is Beavis and Butt-Head based in Texas? Mike Judge hints at it