Carlton "Carl" Moss (born September 26, 1948; age 50) is the principal of Tom Landry Middle School.
Appearance[]
Carl has a well-maintained, buzzcut brown hair with a somewhat receded hairline, and light peach skin. He has noticeable wrinkles due to him aging.
Carl is typically seen in his work attire, consisting of a button-up white short-sleeve shirt, a light green tie, and khakis. He also is seen wearing glasses.
Personality[]
On numerous occasions, it is suggested that Moss has profoundly changed as a person since he was younger, presumably solely because of his job as principal. In "Little Horrors of Shop," Hank insinuates that Moss was once handy with shop tools, and has since lost this ability. Moss has become more obedient and bureaucratic since he was younger. He justified his blind obedience to the irrational demands of school board as a necessary part of his job.
He frequently rejects staff demands for better teaching aids, citing budget cuts; he once referred to wood being used in shop class as a "fancy teaching aid" that the school simply could not afford. At one point, in lieu of finding creative solutions to the problems that arise at school Moss simply resigns and says, "my hands are tied", although this was short-lived.
There have been numerous suggestions that Moss' personal life is quite miserable; he briefly lives with Bill, he is an alcoholic as evidenced in several episodes, and is caught living in the school after being kicked out of his house. He has few aspirations, once noting that being a principal is "all I'm qualified for," though he appears to have diplomas from Brown University and Heimlich Community College in "No Bobby Left Behind." He was briefly suspended from his principal job in one episode, taking on a gig selling steaks. It is unknown if he was successful at this job or how long his suspension lasted.
His alcoholism combined with the stress of the job has likely impaired him mentally; explaining his lack of will to stand up and help others, only be a bystander.
History[]
Carl attended Tom Landry Middle School and Arlen High School and was on the same football team as Hank, Boomhauer, and Bill. In the episode "Bwah My Nose", Moss was seen playing center defending Boomhauer, who played quarterback. While usually only appearing in a few scenes on occasion, he had an extended role in "Bill Gathers Moss," where he reveals when he and his wife split up, she got the money and the house, while he was living in his car, however when she got the car, he had to live in his office at Tom Landry Middle School. He temporarily lives with Bill, where he gets involved with a counterfeit good supplier and sells counterfeit merchandise to students at school.
In some episodes, diplomas on the wall of his office include a Doctor of Education from a fictional institution.
In "The Powder Puff Boys" Principal Moss fakes a heart attack in order to avoid casting a tie-breaking vote at the Tom Landry PTA meeting.
Moss is the center of various minor scandals at Tom Landry Middle. He had numerous vending machines which dispensed only sugary beverages, installed to for the sole purpose of raising money for a staff vacation. Additionally, he once placed below-average (but not learning disabled) students into special education classes so they would not have to take standardized state exams, thereby fraudulently raising the school's grade for the No Child Left Behind Act.
On July 17th, 2013, Moss's voice actor Dennis Burkley passed away.
Episode Appearances[]
- Season 2
- "Hilloween"
- "Bobby Slam"
- Season 3
- Season 4
- Season 5
- Season 6
- Season 7
- Season 8
- Season 9
- Season 10
- Season 11
- Season 12
- Season 13