“ | Mmm, that's malty - but he'll never know! | „ |
~ Duff after knocking Homer out with drugged beer |
Howard K. Duff VIII is the main antagonist of The Simpsons episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer". He is the CEO of the Duff Company and the owner of the Springfield Isotopes baseball team, which he plans to sell to the Mayor of Albuquerque.
He was voiced by Stacy Keach, who also portrayed Cameron Alexander in American History X, Wallenquist in Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, Ken Titus in Titus, the Phantasm in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Robert Vance in Batman Beyond, and Lou Ford in the 1976 film adaptation of The Killer Inside Me.
History[]
Howard K. Duff VIII is the CEO of the Duff Beer company, which at some point acquired the Springfield Isotopes baseball team. However, Duff secretly plans to move the team to the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico and so makes sure that the Isotopes have a losing streak. Homer Simpson discovers his plan when he accidentally walks into a room full of merchandise for the "Albuquerque Isotopes", so Duff orders corporate mascot Duffman to stop him remembering by drugging him. It doesn't work.
Homer tries to tell the news this but the room is replaced by a trombone player. Homer then goes on a hunger strike to tell everyone the truth but no one believes him and when a bunch of people see Homer Howard K. Duff uses Homer as an attraction in the field. Homer is then hungry and is offered a hot dog and all the toppings are ones from Alberquerque. Everybody then learns the truth and Homer becomes a hero, with a redeemed Duffman attacking Mr. Duff and throwing him out of the stadium.
Many fans have confused this character with Howard K. Duff VII who would appear later in Old Yeller Belly. The difference is the Roman numeral at the end of their names. This character's Roman is found on a door label in one scene while the other character's is said by Lisa as she refers to him as the Seventh.