Cotton Hill
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| Cotton Hill | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Pilot (episode 1.01) |
| Last appearance | Death Picks Cotton (episode 12.05) |
| Cause/reason | Death |
| Portrayed by | Toby Huss |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 82 |
| Date of birth | 1925 |
| Date of death | November 11, 2007 |
| Spouse(s) | Tilly Hill (ex-wife) Didi Hill (widow) |
| Children | Hank Hill (son) Junichiro (son) Good Hank Hill (G.H.) (son) |
| Relatives | Bobby Hill (grandson) Dusty Hill (nephew) |
Cotton Lyndal Hill was a fictional character in the animated series King of the Hill. He was the father of Hank Hill, Good Hank Hill or "G.H.", and Junichiro (his illegitimate Japanese son). He was also a World War II veteran who had his shins "blowed off by a Japanman's machine gun" in combat, and later had his feet attached to his knees. This made him a foot shorter than his fellow family members and causing a characteristic waddle (according to Hank, Cotton was 6' 4" (1.93 m) with his shins, 5' 0" even (1.52m) without). Despite his disability, he eventually reached the rank of Colonel in the State Militia, and was addressed as such by his friends. Cotton was voiced by Toby Huss.
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[edit] Military service
Cotton was zealously proud of his military service record and his status as a war hero, although he tended to exaggerate his exploits. He consistently reminded everyone within earshot about how he lost his shins during World War II:
- "I was 14, just a little older than Bobby. But I knew Uncle Sam needed me, so I lied and signed up. We had beat the Nazzys in Italy, and they shipped me to the Pacific theater. A Tojo torpedo sent our troop ship to the bottom. I could only save three of my buddies: Fatty, Stinky, and Brooklyn. They were kind of like you fellas [to Bill, Dale, and Boomhauer], only one of them was from Brooklyn. Out of the sun came a Tojo Zero and put fitty bullets in my back. The blood attracted sharks. I had to give 'em Fatty. Then things took a turn for the worse. I made it to an island, but it was full of Tojos! They were spitting on the U.S. flag! So I rushed 'em, but it was a trap. They opened fire and blew my shins off. Last thing I remember, I beat 'em all to death with a big piece of Fatty. I woke up in a field hospital, and they were sewing my feet to my knees."
He referred to the Japanese as "Tojos," a slur not unlike Jap and doubtless deriving from war-time Japanese Prime Minister and General Hideki Tojo. He would also refer to the Nazis as "Nazzys."
If Cotton's story is to be believed, he was born around 1927, making him about 70 in the first season of the show. In a third season episode, Hank says Cotton is 74. He also claimed to have fought in both Munich and Okinawa within a matter of weeks of each other, but later admitted to not fighting in Munich.
Based upon Cotton's uniform in the episode "Returning Japanese", he earned the following military decorations: Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, and American Campaign Medal.
[edit] Relationships
Before leaving Japan, Cotton had an affair with a Japanese nurse which resulted in the birth of his eldest son (and Hank's older half-brother), Junichiro (voiced by David Carradine); he left suddenly despite trying to stay, and knew nothing of his child until years later. After the war, Cotton supervised the installation of asbestos in eleven bowling alleys and every public school in Heimlich County. Cotton eventually traveled back to Japan to reconcile with his long-lost son and his mother. Junichiro initially rejected Cotton's attempt to make peace, and formally renounced his Hill family heritage. This enraged Cotton, who re-declared war on Japan and planned to spit in the face of Emperor Akihito out of spite ("Returning Japanese"). When Cotton saw that Hank and Junichiro had mended fences and even become friends, and Junichiro said that he was not ashamed to be a Hill any more, Cotton ditched his plan and accepted the Emperor's kind words. He also made peace with Junichiro's mother, who tore a picture taken of them as young adults after WWII in half--and gave the half with her picture to Cotton, while keeping his picture for herself.
Cotton was divorced from Hank's mother, Tilly, because he "outgrew" her after she lost her large rear end. At age 75, Cotton fathered a third son whom he also decided to name Hank, from his second wife Didi. When it was pointed out that he already had a son named Hank (who refused to give up his name), he decreed the new one from now on would be called "Good Hank" or "G.H." and his older son was now "Bad Hank" or "B.H."
His second wife was a dim-witted nurse and candy striper Deirdre "Didi" Hill, who is around the same age as Hank. Hank and Didi went to kindergarten together (according to episode 1-08, "Shins of the Father"). She suffers from postpartum depression and acts very unintelligent at times.
Cotton's relationship with Hank was strained; while Hank seemed to have a deep reverence (and fear) of his father, he stood up to Cotton on several occasions. Cotton also became depressed (and enraged) by the fact that he and Hank did not have a good relationship, once going homicidally insane when Hank said that he hates him. In spite of all this, however, Cotton never hesitated to refer to Hank as "My Boy," and on several occasions tried to help him (such as when Kahn and Minh were befouling his house).
[edit] Personality
Cotton was consistently a violent, abusive and intolerant character. He talked down to women, berated his son, was prone to violent outbursts, and on more than one occasion has exhibited homicidal tendencies. His abrasive, misogynistic manner was consistently embarrassing for Hank and usually infuriating for Hank’s wife, Peggy. Throughout his history on the series, Cotton never once addressed Peggy by name, but he instead called her "Hank’s wife," including on the very rare occasion he's trying to be nice to her ("Cotton's Plot").
On rare occasions, Cotton showed a vulnerable side that he normally kept hidden: he realizes that he was a terrible father, hates himself for growing old and becoming disabled, and readily admits that he would die to protect his grandson, Bobby ("Revenge of the Lutefish").
Cotton also demonstrated a rough, demanding and often abusive but at times inspirational leadership. He admits to Hank that he always wanted to win in battle but accepted defeat when his men did their best. Through tough love and intense physical therapy, Cotton also helped Peggy walk again after a debilitating skydiving accident. Hank was initially wary of this, because he feared that Cotton was simply taking advantage of Peggy's brief disability in order to humiliate her.
[edit] Death
In the episode "Death Picks Cotton", Cotton died from injuries caused by a freak shrimp-related accident at Tokyaki's Japanese restaurant in Arlen. After trying to attack a chef at Tokyaki's, he accidentally swallows a piece of shrimp and slips and falls. Cotton is hospitalized at a nearby Texas VA Hospital after leaving the restaurant. He is diagnosed with a hip fracture, severe burns on his lower legs, and a severe allergic reaction to the shellfish, resulting in an infection of his esophagus. At the hospital, Cotton intentionally slows his heartbeat several times to mimic death (a technique he learned at a Japanese POW camp to end torture). After doing so 2-3 times and endlessly upbraiding Hank who does not want his father to die, he finally dies moments after Peggy (who is alone in the room after a despondent Hank went outside) darkly states to him that she hopes he will live forever, so that he will have to live in the "Hell that [Cotton] [has] created for himself [on Earth]." His last words were "Do ya now?" in response to Peggy's statement. He died immediately afterwards. Peggy lied to Hank and told him Cotton's final words were kindly towards him.
After Cotton's death, the final scene of the episode shows Hank's shed having been made into a memorial for Cotton. However, the shed is blown up by Dale Gribble per request by Cotton. A separate deathbed request by Cotton to have his head detached from his body and mailed to the emperor of Japan is not honored; Hank planned to honor the request until Peggy lied to him and said Cotton had rescinded it right before he died. Neither Didi nor G.H. appear in the "Death Picks Cotton" episode.
Fox has published the following obituary for Cotton:
- Cotton Hill, age unknown, World War II veteran, died Sunday in a Texas VA hospital. Hill suffered from several injuries ranging from four rusty bullets lodged in his heart from his military service, a broken hip and torn ligaments in his ankle-knees, to an infection in his esophagus and severe burns caused by a freak shrimp accident that occurred earlier this week at Tokyaki's Japanese restaurant. Hill leaves behind sons Hank Hill and G.H. (short for "Good Hank"); daughter-in-law Peggy Hill; grandson Bobby Hill; ex-wife Tilly; second wife Didi; first love and former Japanese lover Michiko; an illegitimate Japanese son, Junichiro; and nephew Dusty Hill (of band ZZ Top).[1] [2]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- FOX Broadcasting Company: King of the Hill
- King of the Hill at TV.com
- The King of the Hill Quotes Page
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