Editing Mike Judge (section)

===1997–2009: ''King of the Hill'', ''Office Space'', and ''Idiocracy''===
In early 1995, after the successful first run of ''Beavis and Butt-Head'', Judge decided to create another animated series, ''[[King of the Hill]]''.<ref name="productionhistory">{{Cite news |date=May 11, 2006 |title=Milestone: 'King of the Hill' |work=hollywoodreporter.com |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002501636 |access-date=March 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008120722/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002501636 |archive-date=October 8, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Shattuck |first=Kathryn |date=April 26, 2009 |title=It Was Good to Be 'King,' but What Now? |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html |url-status=live |access-date=July 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020214809/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html |archive-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref> Judge conceived the idea for the show, drew the main characters, and wrote a pilot script. [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] was uncertain of the viability of Judge's concept for an animated comedy based in reality and set in the American South, so the network teamed him up with ''[[The Simpsons]]'' writer [[Greg Daniels]].<ref name="kotharchives">{{Cite web |title=The Wittliff Collections: King of the Hill |url=http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/a-z/dauterive.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023113036/http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/a-z/dauterive.html |archive-date=October 23, 2013 |access-date=February 18, 2013}}</ref><ref name="productionhistory" /> Judge was a former resident of [[Garland, Texas]], upon which the fictional community of Arlen was loosely based, but as Judge stated in a later interview, the show was based more specifically on the Dallas suburb of [[Richardson, Texas|Richardson]].<ref name="productionhistory"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Shattuck|first=Kathryn|title=It Was Good to Be 'King,' but What Now?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=July 29, 2011|date=April 26, 2009|archive-date=February 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214203839/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/arts/television/26shat.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Judge voiced characters [[Hank Hill]] and [[Boomhauer|Jeff Boomhauer]]. The show is about a middle-class Methodist family named the Hills living in a small town called Arlen, Texas. It attempts to retain a naturalistic approach, seeking humor in the conventional and mundane aspects of everyday life while dealing with issues comically. After its debut in 1997, the series became a large success for Fox and was named one of the best television series of the year by various publications, including ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', and ''[[TV Guide]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2007/06/18/new-classics-tv/|title=The New Classics: TV|date=June 17, 2007|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=September 7, 2009|archive-date=July 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716041112/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20207339%2C00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

For the 1997–1998 season, the series became one of Fox's highest-rated programs and even briefly outperformed ''The Simpsons'' in ratings.<ref name="9798-ratings">{{cite web|url=http://classictvhits.com/tvratings/1997.htm|title=TV Ratings: 1997–1998|work=classictvhits.com|access-date=April 4, 2009|archive-date=October 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021050254/http://classictvhits.com/tvratings/1997.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Although ratings remained consistent throughout the 10th, 11th and 12th seasons and had begun to rise in the overall [[Nielsen ratings]] (up to the 105th most watched series on television, from 118 in season 8), Fox abruptly announced in 2008 that ''King of the Hill'' had been cancelled. The cancellation coincided with the announcement that [[Seth MacFarlane]], creator of ''[[Family Guy]]'' and ''[[American Dad!]]'', would be creating a ''Family Guy'' spin-off called ''[[The Cleveland Show]]'', which would take over ''King of the Hill's'' time slot.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.shakefire.com/news/2008/11/01/reign-ends-for-king-of-the-hill|title=Reign ends for 'King of the Hill', Replaced By 'Family Guy' Spin-Off|publisher=CNN|date=November 1, 2008|agency=Associated Press|access-date=November 30, 2008|archive-date=November 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108234953/http://www.shakefire.com/news/2008/11/01/reign-ends-for-king-of-the-hill|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hopes to keep the show afloat surfaced as sources indicated that [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (which was already airing Judge's new animated comedy, ''[[The Goode Family]]'') was interested in securing the rights to the show,<ref>{{cite news|last=Hibberd|first=James|date=November 3, 2008|title="King of the Hill" could reign at ABC|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kingofthehill-idUSTRE4A30KW20081104|url-status=live|access-date=November 4, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924135832/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/11/04/us-kingofthehill-idUSTRE4A30KW20081104|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref> but in January 2009, ABC president Steve McPherson said he had "no plans to pick up the animated comedy."<ref>{{cite news|last=Schneider|first=Michael|date=January 16, 2009|title=ABC Aiming for a Comedy Comeback|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/2009/scene/news/abc-aiming-for-a-comedy-comeback-1117998684/|url-status=live|access-date=January 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917013642/https://variety.com/2009/scene/news/abc-aiming-for-a-comedy-comeback-1117998684/|archive-date=September 17, 2018}}</ref> On April 30, 2009, it was announced that Fox ordered at least two more episodes to give the show a proper finale.<ref name="futon">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8068|title=King of the Hill Originals still on Tap for next Season|date=April 30, 2009|work=The Futon Critic|access-date=April 30, 2009|archive-date=August 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805065647/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=8068|url-status=live}}</ref> The show's 14th season was supposed to air sometime in the [[2009–10 United States network television schedule|2009–10 season]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/king-of-the-hill/|title=King of the Hill on Fox|work=The Futon Critic|access-date=May 21, 2013|archive-date=August 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805065655/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/king-of-the-hill/|url-status=live}}</ref> but Fox later announced that it would not air the episodes, opting instead for syndication.<ref name="ricemeetspress">{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2009/scene/news/rice-meets-the-press-1118006969/|title=Rice meets the press|first=Michael|last=Schneider|date=August 6, 2009|work=Variety|access-date=May 21, 2013|archive-date=September 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906183146/http://variety.com/2009/scene/news/rice-meets-the-press-1118006969/|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 10, 2009, however, Fox released a statement that the network would air a one-hour [[series finale]] (which consisted of a regular 30-minute episode followed by a 30-minute finale) on September 13, 2009.<ref name="seriesfinale13">{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20090810fox01|title="King of the Hill" Serves Up {{sic|Texas-size|nolink=y}} Series Finale Sunday, September 13, on Fox|date=August 10, 2009|work=The Futon Critic|access-date=September 7, 2009|archive-date=August 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805065648/http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20090810fox01|url-status=live}}</ref> The four remaining episodes of the series aired in syndication the week of May 3, 2010, and again on [[Adult Swim]] during the week of May 17, 2010. During the panel discussion for the return of ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] in 2011, Mike Judge said that no current plans exist to revive ''King of the Hill'', although he would not rule out the possibility of it returning.<ref name="cinemablend">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/television/Comic-Con-2011-Beavis-Butt-Head-Back-Funnier-Than-Ever-33659.html|title=Comic-Con 2011: Beavis And Butt-Head Are Back And Funnier Than Ever|date=July 21, 2011|publisher=Television Blend|access-date=September 24, 2011|archive-date=October 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026204247/http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Comic-Con-2011-Beavis-Butt-Head-Back-Funnier-Than-Ever-33659.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Judge began to develop one of his four animated short films titled ''[[Milton (cartoon)|Milton]]'', about an office drone named Milton that Judge created, which first aired on ''[[Liquid Television]]'' and ''[[Night After Night with Allan Havey]]'' and later aired on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref name="fierman">{{cite magazine | last = Fierman | first = Daniel | title = Judge's Dread | magazine = Entertainment Weekly | date = February 26, 1999 | url = https://ew.com/article/1999/02/19/mike-judge-takes-live-action/ | access-date = August 16, 2007 | archive-date = December 11, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201211172326/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,274497,00.html | url-status = live }}</ref> The inspiration came from a temp job he once had that involved alphabetizing purchase orders<ref name="beale">{{cite news | last = Beale | first = Lewis | author-link = Lewis Beale | title = Mr. Beavis Goes to Work | work = [[New York Daily News]] | date = February 21, 1999 | url = http://www.nydailynews.com/mr-beavis-work-irreverent-animator-s-newest-target-corporate-america-live-action-film-office-space-article-1.839280 | access-date = May 3, 2013 | archive-date = August 23, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140823070609/http://www.nydailynews.com/mr-beavis-work-irreverent-animator-s-newest-target-corporate-america-live-action-film-office-space-article-1.839280 | url-status = live }}</ref> and a job he had as an engineer for three months in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1980s, "just in the heart of [[Silicon Valley]] and in the middle of that overachiever [[yuppie]] thing, it was just awful".<ref name="sherman">{{cite news | last = Sherman | first = Paul | title = Humorist is a good Judge of office angst | work = [[Boston Herald]] | date = February 21, 1999 }}</ref> Judge sold the completed film ''[[Office Space]]'' to [[20th Century Fox]] based on his script and a cast that included [[Jennifer Aniston]], [[Ron Livingston]], and [[David Herman]].<ref name="fierman"/> Originally, the studio wanted to make a film out of the Milton character but Judge was not interested, opting instead to make more of an [[ensemble cast]]–based film.<ref name="sherman"/> The studio suggested that he should make a film like ''[[Car Wash (film)|Car Wash]]'' but "just set in an office".<ref name="sherman"/> Judge made the relatively painless transition from animation to live-action with the help of the film's director of photography who taught him about lenses and where to put the camera. Judge says, "I had a great crew, and it's good going into it not pretending you're an expert."<ref name="beale"/> Studio executives were not happy with the footage Judge was getting. He remembers them telling him, "More energy! More energy! We gotta reshoot it! You're failing! You're failing!"<ref name="Valby">{{cite magazine|last=Valby|first=Karen|title=The Fax of Life|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|page=41|date=May 23, 2003|url=https://ew.com/article/2003/05/23/fax-life/|access-date=December 5, 2008|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204234842/https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,452194,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, Fox did not like the [[gangsta rap]] music used in the film until a focus group approved of it. Judge hated the ending and felt that a complete rewrite of the third act was necessary.<ref name="Valby"/> In the film, he made a [[cameo appearance]] as Stan (complete with [[Toupée|hairpiece]] and fake mustache), the manager of Chotchkie's, a fictionalized parody of [[Restaurant chain|chain restaurants]] like [[Chili's]], [[Applebee's]] and [[TGI Friday's]], and the boss of [[Jennifer Aniston]]'s character, whom he continually undermines and interrogates over her lack of sufficient enthusiasm for the job and the insufficient quantity of "flair" (buttons, ribbons, etc.) she wears on her uniform. The film was released on February 19, 1999, and it was well received by critics. Although not particularly successful at the box office, it sold well on [[VHS]] and DVD, and it has come to be recognized as a [[Cult film|cult classic]].<ref name="Doty">{{cite news|last=Doty|first=Meriah|title=Film flops flourish on DVD, VHS|work=CNN|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/04/second.wind/index.html|date=March 4, 2003|access-date=September 18, 2008|archive-date=April 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417034137/http://edition.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/04/second.wind/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Beginning in fall 2003, Judge and fellow animator [[Don Hertzfeldt]] created an animation festival called "[[The Animation Show]]". "The Animation Show" toured the country annually for several years, screening animated shorts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Elvis |date=July 26, 2003 |title=Animated Films Hit the Road to Win Love of Studios |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/26/movies/animated-films-hit-the-road-to-win-love-of-studios.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=September 6, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104224337/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/26/movies/animated-films-hit-the-road-to-win-love-of-studios.html |archive-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref> In 2005, Judge was presented with the [[Austin Film Festival]]'s Outstanding Television Writer Award by [[Johnny Hardwick]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Connell|first1=Joe|title=At the Austin Film Festival: Harold Ramis and Mike Judge receive awards|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2005-10-28/303832/|access-date=January 20, 2018|work=The Austin Chronicle|date=October 28, 2005|archive-date=January 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121072249/https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2005-10-28/303832/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Judge has made supporting and cameo appearances in numerous films. Judge had a voice cameo as Kenny in ''[[South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut]]'' (1999), the feature-length film adaptation of the popular [[Comedy Central]] series; he voiced [[Kenny McCormick]] when he was unhooded towards the end of the film. He later acted in the science-fiction family comedy franchise ''[[Spy Kids (franchise)|Spy Kids]]'', where he played Donnagon Giggles in the first three films. His next film appearance was ''[[Serving Sara]]'' (2002) where he played a motel manager. He later appeared in the comedy ''[[Jackass Number Two]]'' (2006), in which he can be seen during the closing credits. An extended version of his sequence can be seen in ''[[Jackass 2.5]]'' (2007) which was a [[direct-to-video]] release. Judge also created a video clip of Beavis and Butt-Head ripping into [[Steve-O]] for his video ''Poke the Puss'', where the two try imagining if they would like the video better if they were black. The clip aired as a part of ''[[Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover|Jackassworld.com: 24-Hour Takeover]]'', a February 23, 2008, television special on MTV to coincide with the official launch of jackassworld.com. The characters appeared again in the third Jackass film, titled ''[[Jackass 3D]]'', at the beginning of the film, telling viewers to put on their 3D glasses for the film.<ref>{{cite book |last=Robinson |first=Douglas |date=2017 |title=Translationality: Essays in the Translational-Medical Humanities |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jDAlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA14 |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |publisher=[[Routledge]] |page=14 |isbn=978-1-138-72704-5 |access-date=November 16, 2021 |archive-date=November 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116005618/https://books.google.com/books?id=jDAlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA14 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Judge's third film, ''[[Idiocracy]]'', a [[dystopia]]n comedy starring [[Luke Wilson]] and [[Maya Rudolph]], was given a [[limited release]] theatrically by [[20th Century Fox]] in September 2006, two years after production. The film's original release date was intended to be on August 5, 2005, according to Mike Judge.<ref name="Dark">{{cite web|title=Mike Judge Still Not In "3001"|work=Dark Horizons |date=February 28, 2005|first=Garth|last=Franklin|url=http://www.darkhorizons.com/news05/050228g.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080205220006/http://www.darkhorizons.com/news05/050228g.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 5, 2008|access-date=September 6, 2017}}</ref> In April 2006, a release date was set for September 1, 2006. The film was released without a [[Film trailer|trailer]] or substantial marketing campaign.<ref>Patterson, John (September 8, 2006). [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1866608,00.html "Stupid Fox"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706181308/http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1866608,00.html |date=July 6, 2008 }}. ''[[The Guardian]]''; retrieved December 30, 2009.</ref> The film was not screened for critics beforehand as is usually done.<ref name="Rabin">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/idiocracy-1798202014|title=''Idiocracy'' (review)|work=The A.V. Club|publisher=The Onion|first=Nathan|last=Rabin|date=September 6, 2006|access-date=February 8, 2007|archive-date=January 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129082314/http://www.avclub.com/articles/idiocracy%2C3812/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lack of concrete information from Fox led to speculation that the distributor may have actively attempted to keep the film from being seen by a large audience, while fulfilling a contractual obligation for theatrical release ahead of a DVD release, according to Ryan Pearson of the [[Associated Press|AP]].<ref name="AP">{{cite news|url=http://asap.ap.org/stories/859107.s |title=The mystery of 'Idiocracy'|agency=Associated Press|first=Ryan|last=Pearson|date=September 8, 2006|access-date=November 25, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929212120/http://asap.ap.org/stories/859107.s|archive-date=September 29, 2007}}</ref> That speculation was followed by open criticism of the studio's lack of support from [[Ain't It Cool News]], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', and ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aintitcool.com/node/24374|title=Open Letter to Fox re: IDIOCRACY!!!|publisher=Ain't It Cool News|first=Eric|last=Vespe|date=September 2, 2006|access-date=February 19, 2020|archive-date=April 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411132828/http://www.aintitcool.com/node/24374|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Stein">{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1533437,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061104174145/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1533437,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 4, 2006|title=Dude, Where's My Film?|work=Time Magazine|first=Joel|last=Stein|date=September 10, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0606MJUDGE_84|title=Mike Judge Is Getting Screwed (Again)|journal=Esquire|first=Brian|last=Raftery|date=June 1, 2006|access-date=November 3, 2016|archive-date=April 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426013155/http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0606MJUDGE_84|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Time''{{'}}s Joel Stein wrote "the film's ads and trailers tested atrociously", but "still, abandoning ''Idiocracy'' seems particularly unjust, since Judge has made a lot of money for Fox."<ref name="Stein"/> Despite the film not being screened for critics, the film received positive reviews and was a minor box-office success.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/idiocracy|title=Idiocracy|website=Metacritic|access-date=September 8, 2009|archive-date=June 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623080812/http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/idiocracy|url-status=live}}</ref> In the U.S., the film was released to DVD in January 2007 and later aired on [[Pay television|premium-television]], [[Multiplex (TV)|multiplex]] channels [[Cinemax]] in September 2007 and [[HBO]] in January 2008. Since then, it has gained a [[cult following]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Rob|title=This Joke's for You|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/magazine/04wwln-consumed-t.html|newspaper=New York Times|date=May 4, 2008|access-date=September 6, 2017|archive-date=June 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618015448/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/magazine/04wwln-consumed-t.html|url-status=live}}</ref>