That Boy Ain’t Right: King Of The Hill’s Animation Do’s and Don’ts

King of the Hill was a simple show about a simple man (though, as we've noted before, there may be some complicated relationships hidden in plain view).

The animation style itself is most notable for how plain it is. But the amount of detail that went into that veneer of simplicity is mind-boggling. The guide used by the show's storyboard artists had rules about tumbleweeds and high fives, and even guidelines to keep animators from making Peggy too sexy:

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KING OF THE HILL 60 TOP still.growing!) (and 5 Keep head nods & shakes realistic, subtle, well timed... G Keep Bobby's acting deadpan.. A bee stung heSource

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16 NO SKINNY REDCORNS John Redcorn is TALLER and more MUSCULAR than Hank. (Not tO imply that Hank couldn't 21 kick Redcorn's ass if he was really piss

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39 NO Desert CACTI TUMBLEWEED shots... That is totally wrong for this part of Texas. It is NOT the southwest. RESEARCH LOCATIONS from reference instea

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10 Stop using Hank w/hand rubbing neck in every show... INVENT original acting ! MAKE SURE THE FORK AND FOOD GO AL THE WAY INSIDE THE MOUTH WHEN HANK

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DO NOT DRAW leaves that look like springs and trees that look like 00 marshmallows. NO weeeeeees n ur wrr L NO YES CRACKEDCOMT

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58 Pay special attention to characters EYES. Do not draw generic eye darts that stare in empty space. Eyes, usually, react first to a stimulus (i.e. s

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4h Layer background elements instead of showing horizons WRONG Too much detail. Way too busy and distracting composition. Bobby gets lost! CORRECT Doi

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40 LIQUID EFX: The rules for all things splashy and drinky. eaess BEER: When poured has WHITE foam on top and is colored light amber, NOT chocolate br

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Detail is a must. Check with director and add the correct time on watch when seen in a close-up. When using close-up on money make sure you show the c

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B.G.S in past looked empty, like the town was hit by a plague. NO ADD cars on the streets and people walking. Do not turn GHOST in a barren B.G. that

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CMUK'S MAND $12 FELOCES 54 DIRECTORS: Get scale of musical instruments correct to characters body size, and get research for hand positions. Animate r

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20 DON'T DRAW PEGGY TOO SHAPELY Sexy Peggy YES ae NECK YHIN FVL Animator's dream Peggy NO CRACKEDCOMT