Beavis & Butt-Head Creator Mike Judge Met Grim Reaper | Letterman

Mike explains the inspiration behind his characters, the awkward encounter with Grim Reaper and more.
(From "Late Show," air date: 12/23/1993)
#beavisandbutthead #mikejudge #letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman KZbin Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanly-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.

[@MelancoliaI]

The man is a national treasure.

[@marceloheyde]

Word’s treasure actually 😂.

[@leozavala1149]

Treasure uuuhuhuhu

[@morbidmanmusic]

can you count? 2 people.... who is the treasure..?

[@andreygazarian1732]

That guy's kool uhuh

[@keithmoten8918]

He is

[@keefriff99]

Poor Mike…he is nervous as hell and ready to flee that stage screaming, lol.

[@tylerrobinson5490]

Leave him alone. He’s more a man than you, anyways.

[@chambatips3619]

Didn't seem like it

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

​@@chambatips3619 😂

[@KvS1248]

I wouldn’t say run of screaming, but he was a bit shy, seems like a really nice guy :)

[@RyanSaundercook]

@@chambatips3619 he's a famously shy interviewee

[@Panhorst]

I was 15yrs old in 1993 and watched the show. Now I am 46 and watch the reboot on Paramount+. The show is timeless.

[@awieszze...]

Me too

[@Snk13_ty]

Hellz yea

[@RK-eo8gl]

Yep, the new episodes are great. They continued right where they left off. Personally, I think the new episodes are much more funnier.

[@Guitargreat]

Yep I was 2 years older than you, god wish I could go back!

[@uno3863]

😂😂😂Same

[@rockturtleneck]

I dismissed Beavis & Butthead until I saw this interview back in the day and realized I needed to give it a look. Letterman's assessment that they are so pure is spot on. Also love when Dave says "I could have done that" and Judge replies "Yeah, but I thought of it first." That has stuck with me through the past 28 years.

[@keefriff99]

I’m a huge rock/metal fan and was 17 in 1996…you would think I’d be the perfect target for B&B but they never really grabbed me. Mike Judge is an awesome talent and very smart though.

[@billschlafly4107]

I caught that distinction too. I never really cared much for the Beatles having grown up well past their hey day. But then someone said, "they were the first" boy band. That's when I started to understand the power of being first.

[@michaelmclaren1333]

Dave played buttheads Dad in the first movie. I LOVE the new season on Paramount+ in 2022

[@System-ly6de]

@@michaelmclaren1333 the new season is very good, that n smiling friends at goated rn

[@carlmarks8170]

@@billschlafly4107 The Beatles, a boy band??? Shut up, dill hole...

[@shiny_swan]

Mike's normal voice is a blend between butthead and a young hank hill

[@OlviMasta77]

And neighbour.. Anderson?

[@Suhi254]

@@OlviMasta77 ...An old Hank Hill. I suppose Hank Hill is in the middle of those two.

[@paulorufalco]

LOL

[@Gamevet]

@@Suhi254 Anderson is not an old Hank Hill. Hank Hill just so happens to sound like old man Anderson.

[@RK-eo8gl]

​@@OlviMasta77Poor Tom Anderson. He seemed like a great neighborly guy but beavis & butthead were too dumb to notice.

[@intrepidvirgo938]

“See…but I thought of it first “. Great comeback MJ.

[@randallshelton1630]

He looks so nervous it’s like he doesn’t know or understand how talented he really is

[@dingo-irl]

his anxiety is so palpable and endearing but also definitely shows itself in a lot of what he’s worked on. it’s inspiring that he took a feeling we’re all familiar with such as being awkward and uncomfortable and used it as a vehicle for his genius.

[@nelsonnoname001]

Mike Judge is a secret but yet unconscious well known National Tresure - An exceptional person, much respect and love

[@chambatips3619]

Coming from a guy with a profile pic like yours is almost an insult hahaha

[@timhendrix414]

I can tell you coming from Holland, Mike is an international treasure, to me at least, the dude also created Office Space i mean, brilliant!

[@chaddavis7228]

It's funny his natural voice sounds like hank hill.

[@WTFG78]

That's a good observation, I tell ya hwat.

[@Shane-5150]

"Good eye, Bobby"

[@StoneColdMagic]

I noticed that as well. Bwaaaaaah!

[@lthoang101]

Sometimes he sounds like Butthead too

[@stpaulimdog]

If you listen to him enough depending on the situation he can either sound like Hank Hill or Van Dreissen.

[@sammysouth8372]

People like Mike Judge make me feel happy about being from here

[@jonnya3425]

You have a lot to appreciate and be thankful for. Don't fall for the trick and think otherwise.

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

Definitely one of the best things to ever come out of ABQ.

[@bengabeneedalife]

Mike Judge is an underrated comic genius. His mannerisms remind me of a young Sam Raimi a little.

[@carlosj.morillo6729]

Mike Judge is only 3 years younger than Raimi

[@MarkoMancilla]

@@Synthysynthsynth and his shows are successful

[@yeahright302]

dumb comment for sure!!he is not underrated at all.must be just you!!!wtf

[@zenpanda25]

Mike Judge also wrote and directed the great film Office Space (1999)

[@trailingupwards]

He also directed the documentary Idiocracy in 2006

[@allendracabal0819]

@@trailingupwards Documentary. Nice.

[@goldenjav2954]

He also played a character in the movie. Joanne's boss. The one constantly hounding her about her "flair".

[@37Kilo2]

He's created so many great works. BnB, Long of The Hill, Idiocracy, Silicon Valley. Love this dude.

[@rodrigobarraza]

Long of the Hill is definitely his best work.

[@kotv1027]

huhuhuhuh you said long

[@rodrigobarraza]

@@kotv1027 LOL, I stand by my words 😂

[@Nate-vi4ft]

He’s awesome! So glad the world has Mike judge

[@tylerseboe]

It’s rare when David seems genuinely interested in a guest…I get the sense he actually liked the show.

[@JoeKerr420]

Dave - I could have done that Mike - We got a part in the movie for ya

[@bitwize]

Can confirm, anytime someone finds out that you can do Beavis and Butt-head voices, people will ask for them ALL THE TIME. Somewhat heartening to know it happened to THE voice and creator of the characters back in the day too.

[@macstar2010]

He seems really shy but is naturally funny. Genius

[@joeybonin7691]

He was just getting started here. I am so glad he decided to go this way instead of engineering.

[@unclegrandfather1]

Mike Judge's natural voice sounds like if A.I. put like a half a dozen of these voices together...what I mean is, it's awesome that this amazing artist/writer/voice actor could distill his voice into so many distinct and memorable character voices ❤

[@enutrofdude]

This is a quiet dude who stands back and observes the weirdness and idiocy in the world around him; inwardly, he will parodize it all because adding entertainment value helps. People call him a "national treasure", and I agree. However, other people have the same tendencies and are called "loner weirdos" instead. "Loner weirdo" isn't much of an insult, though. It's just another way of acknowledging that another person's own thoughts and imagination are way more interesting and entertaining to them than your company could ever be.

[@mrcali68]

4:25 In the history of the show, this is one of the greatest lines EVER!

[@chuckbangers2590]

Part of the charm of Beavis and Butthead is the fact that they came from a guy like Mike Judge.

[@jupitercrash777]

I miss the 90s.

[@summer-west]

Amazing how you can hear all the character voices blended into his “on Letterman” voice. 😂

[@hifiman4562]

I knew a couple guys in high school metal shop (mid 80s) that were like beavis and butthead. The teacher was always scared they would cut their finger off.

[@justinstewart3248]

He looks so nervous in this interview. Hands moving around, the body language.

[@sampreece3900]

Captain Obvious strikes again.

[@johnhamill7358]

Yeah, but he is happy to talk, let out stuff about those 2 dickheads.

[@Peter_1986]

I think most people would be a bit nervous in front of an audience during a television broadcast; especially if they are introverts, and Mike Judge strikes me as quite introverted.

[@actremix]

What about it?

[@Internet_Enjoyer]

Mike Judge & David Lynch MVP of 20st century.

[@Astral_Dusk]

The satire of Dave and Paul for the reveal was hilarious omg hahaha

[@olds97lss]

Would have been cool if he actually had them go through a top ten list of something.

[@craigroaring]

He has balls. He's obviously very nervous but is able to push through. Letterman seems to be aware of this and is conducting the interview in an as comfortable manner as possible. Great interview.

[@LePetitChatNoir79]

Mike Judge is a genius. 😄

[@Piggy-Oink-Oink]

I was almost a B&B writer..but MTV said "We can;t DO what You wrote-we will get hate mail" LOLOL I considered it a compliment.

[@jeffreyklaproth7794]

Even today now that i’m a college professor occasionally I go back and watch the Beavis & Butthead episodes my friends and I would watch in college. Also, I enjoy watching and have more respect for Lettermen that he embraced and laughed at B & B ridiculously stupid funny episodes, while other people of this status shunned them. I think B & B have mostly a male fan base because we’re reminded of ourselves at fourteen and knew guys that were really like them.

[@Cegros]

Of course we are. The inspiration for one of the two is now a nuclear engineer. Also, Mike’s first job out of school was working on the self-testing system of the F/A-18 fighter jet

[@fanda6122]

i think dave always had a soft spot for losers and ne'er do wells, "you want lids on these", his taco bell sketch, his fondness for norm. he "got" it right from the beginning, while much of the media didn't understand. beavis and butthead was always supposed to be the notepad doodles of a demented kid.

[@jbratt]

Dave used to have a great sense of humor.

[@halseyknox]

When he did Buttheads voice his facial expression sort of morphed into Buttheads

[@samgod]

Both these guys, Dave and Mike, are comedic geniuses!

[@salmanskippy]

Mike Judge rocks. Beavis and Butthead rock. No doubt.

[@LicksoftheLegend]

Nick bowcott is the guys name if anyone is wondering. He ended up doing columns with guitar world magazine and now he works for sweet water.

[@dinorocker8647]

I know, I saw a necklace medallion of a Grim Reaper on his neck and I later on was like "Is this guy from Grim Reaper.", later on I found out I was right, now I've heard of 'em, not really into 'em, I'm more of a casual metalhead.

[@foxysilver549]

Yep. Sadly Steve Grimmett has passed.

[@corvustiberius3591]

Mike Judge seems pretty cool.

[@user-zp6ky3vt7t]

I missed the original! Thanks for posting! Hehe

[@user-cj3gr1ox7v]

Beavis has had moments of intelligence, IE, in Beavis & Butthead Do America, when they are trying to take the TV home. When it falls down the steps and breaks, Butthead says”that was cool”, and Beavis says “no it wasn’’t!😂

[@keithfulkerson]

Paramount uploaded the first new episode to their KZbin page.

[@stijnvandamme76]

lol, his normal voice sounds like the teacher David Van Driessen

[@4gegtyreeyuyeddffvyt]

Mike Judge is like ah cool uh huh huh huh

[@BrentDArnold]

Propane and propane accessories. Taste the meat, not the heat. Tell you what.

[@84sp84]

Is it just me, or is Hank Hill just bubbling under the surface with Mike at any given moment?

[@wadew3623]

Fun interview, and I guess I learned that the guitarist for Grim Reaper has a great sense of humor.

[@LukasMatejka-du5hb]

I'll never understand how Grim Reaper never made it big in US..... brilliant band..... Steve Grimmett R.I.P.

[@adrianaslund8605]

They were kind of cheesy. But people who are into hair metal singers with impressive vocal ranges really respect the band. In general that kind of metal has way more of a fanbase in europe and south america for some reason.

[@catjudo1]

I think their music was pure NWOBHM, but their appearance, especially as they went on, looked too much like the hair bands of the time. Their music sounded kind of like Tygers of Pan Tang, at least in the catchy rock factor, and at times even like Maiden, but good lord they looked terrible and their videos were laughable. To me, it put them in this no-man's land between good metal and bands like Poison and Warrant.

[@BigSmoke-bu6ib]

Even moreso out of context, hearing anyone make the argument "The Japanese haven't beat us at that" has aged so well it hurts

[@Hennessysupremacy]

It’s good for the world as a whole that B&B-Head are coming back.

[@JJC991]

Poor Mike looked so nervous

[@Lobsterboy300]

Letterman will always be the best late night host

[@bababooeymonkey6549]

Just like your mom is best at late night. 😂

[@ApathyBM]

You can tell he actually watched the show

[@threatassessment606]

Nope it's Leno. 😶

[@rishaa682]

No

[@allendracabal0819]

You're g&dd@mn right.

[@erikdanielsen2691]

Never stop laughing of B&B, new move funny too, hope will come more new stuff😀

[@clownbasher2911]

Letterman kicks ass HUHHUH HUH HUH!

[@rblauson]

I’ve got news for anyone reading this. Mike Judge is a genius.

[@RedNightDragon1]

Anyone notice how when Judge put on the Butthead and Beavis voices, his facial features suddenly became teenage-like?

[@propagandalfx1976]

Kurt Cobain famously didn't care about rock reviewers, but the band admitted to being afraid that Beavis and Butthead might someday goof on one of their videos🤣 thankfully they always got the boys up on the couch windmilling and throwing the baphomet🤟

[@briangriffin74]

Yeah but I thought of it first." Legend.

[@BuckFlicks]

Beavis and Butthead will never not make me laugh. When I’m old and dementia has set in and I’m having a bad day, just show me old Beavis and Butthead episodes (with the videos) and I’ll have a better day.

[@tinyPaleBlueDot]

Yeah, them watching videos was a huge part of the show. I feel like I'm getting ripped off when I watch any of those collections on DVD that don't include them watching videos. I thought them watching videos was brilliant because it allowed them to say things that were more insightful and clever than kids like that would actually be. For instance, in the Groove is in the Heart video they love it when Bootsy Collins appears. I don't think kids at that time would know who Bootsy was.

[@marsoblivi0n945]

37 and happy beavis and butthead are back. My daughter is loving it as well. The new generation that aren’t whack loves it too!

[@Rjensen2]

Yes, the videos are a bit much, but Grim Reaper is an awesome band.

[@magiclifecinema1989]

The world: Becomes Idiocracy Mike Judge: "But I thought of it first"

[@rwmorey71]

I remember watching this on its original air date and laughing my ass off! One of my favorite bits from Letterman.

[@BookClubDisaster]

I remember hearing a commercial for it on the radio before I saw it and thinking, "Oh my God this is the show I've waited my whole life for!".

[@nortorioustxc4359]

“Got dangit Bobby”

[@ferretyluv]

I disagree. Beavis seems to has sense but Butthead shuts everything down.

[@KaBoomChannel]

LOL Mike sounds just like Butthead in his normal voice

[@frankieboy8414]

No.

[@dominiquesantander469]

Everybody says that but I don't hear it.

[@ryanp6999]

No, he sounds more like Hank. lol

[@johnspinelli9396]

Obv lol he's the one who voices and made Butthead

[@Outlawgurl24]

I hear it

[@societydwellingifd8080]

*Rip Steve Grimmett*

[@mike_dodane]

Good god, I can’t unsee Hank hill every time he speaks

[@krisstopher8259]

Man, what a gem. Never seen this one before, lol

[@themysteriousdomainmoviepalace]

Very impressive!

[@careercriticalthinker]

Judge has been the goto guy for future animated artist like SouthPark creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone consulted with Judge about their own series.

[@JavierCR25]

He’s so polite and composed. Loved the Grim Reaper part those were super funny

[@regissuchma5764]

Thank you Mike judge for giving us Beavis and butthead and king of the hill

[@mac2708]

The funniest dudes are always the most awkward and nervous

[@snoogiebug]

My hero

[@RickMichaels-if5eq]

I remember that episode! I’m dying from laughing!🤣😵🪦

[@PhunnyMunny]

Personally, I like Beavis more

[@michaelmclaren1333]

2022 season is the BEST and I think the second movie is better than the first lol

[@amrakarmaMisanthrope]

Mike Judge...American icon.

[@finishin.my.coffee8780]

Nick Bowcott seems like a good dude.

[@pkj77]

i like them back then but not enough to watch all episodes...but now its kinda fun watching them again as a 45 year old i was i believe 14 when we got MTV in Denmark where i live

[@jamesb1988]

Skip the old stuff, it's pretty bland/slow. The newer episodes are absolutely HILARIOUS. Definitely check them out.

[@garrethboland5646]

Haha "But I thought of it first". Got em.

[@SaltyAlaskan79]

You can tell he's really nervous.

[@from1978]

Mikes body language is really similar to Harmony Korine

[@christopherhuff3123]

Grim Reaper was awesome!😂 Shout out to Nick Bowcott the guitar player and Guitar World magazine!

[@joeljohnson3676]

Letterman was the voice of Butthead's Father!

[@reko3103]

You must give me your TP

[@ingolf1980]

I am the great Cornholio!! I need TP for my bunghole!!

[@kilotorch]

Are you threatening me?

[@dianewinters8628]

My son's a fan

[@davidlambert6171]

Now I see where Beavis and Butthead hairstyle inspiration came from.

[@LeeDaOne]

Anybody else notice a ghostly huge fan of mike judge manifesting? at 45 seconds

[@jpbuckle6845]

Dang it Bobby!!!

[@ckmoore101]

As a metalhead who was in high school during Grim Reapers "heyday", I am slightly offended. I don't remember their videos being that bad.... And no, i haven't yet rewatched them to confirm. Ignorance is bliss..... lol

[@Warboss_Thrakka_Snazzfingas]

Who's here after seeing the Beavis and Butthead SNL skit recently?

[@roccoryan]

To think that B&B captured what was deemed the worst of teenagers of that generation.... and they are actually better and wiser than teenagers of today 🤣

[@ontologicallysteve7765]

It's the rapid and steady decline of each consecutive generation. Yesterday's immorality is today's morality (and vise versa).

[@LionsReignofDomination]

If bevis and butthead had a baby it would look like mike judge

[@kowanmcgarry]

Interview from 30 years ago. Time flies.

[@allendracabal0819]

Utterly shocking.

[@simplysarah0310]

@@allendracabal0819yes it is 😩 I was a teen then! Crazy.

[@MiC-T]

Beavis' Dad is the guy at the beginning of Paul McCartney & Wings "Listen To What The Man Said"

[@jimmccormick6091]

its 2024, and all of that materioal is DECADES old, and I just laughed my ass off at teh Letterman parody.... again......

[@andreabradley5837]

A friend of mine randomly calls me to ask if I need TP.

[@mattheudamushightower2310]

You can tell he has social anxiety in his interviews.