Where in the world is Willie. N. Festus? The search for one of Austin’s most iconic pieces of art

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AUSTIN, Texas — If you’ve lived in Austin for a while, you’ve probably seen the famous fiberglass bug known as Willie N. Festus. For decades, he rotated atop the Terminix pest control business near 12th Street and North Lamar Boulevard.

The big bug was the idea of pest control business owner Bill Youngblood. Willie was about 6 feet long, weighed 300 pounds and was a colorful and bizarre combination of wasp, ant, termite, plus a few more random bug-looking features.

From around 1960 until the 1990s, Willie, who had alternating blinking red and blue eyes, was a favorite of sign aficionados across the country.

But Willie led a difficult life. He had been fired upon with guns, had arrows shot at him and was even kidnapped a few times. Somehow, Willie was often the victim of fraternity pranks.

And when his years at the pest control business were over, Willie wound up at Threadgill’s in South Austin, a familiar sight at Threadgill’s Backyard music venue.

But eventually, Threadgill’s closed, and some feared that the big bug would be lost forever.

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Then, on a hot August day a few weeks ago, a man named Todd Sanders invited KVUE up to the roof of his building in South Austin. And there, tucked away in a corner, was Willie.

He looked a little rough around the edges, but he was still with us. Sanders had rescued him.

Sanders said that Willie had been a gift from Threadgill’s owner Eddie Wilson in return for having worked on Threadgill’s neon signs over the years.

“I’ve been offered a lot of money for Willie, but I would never sell him,” Sanders told KVUE News. "I am his caretaker now and he’s staying with me."

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Sanders is restoring Willie, and once he’s patched up, the bug will be hoisted atop a tall sign at Roadhouse Relics, visible to anyone who drives by Sanders’ neon business on South First Street.

Now, almost 65 years old, Willie is a survivor, clearly a bug who could not be crushed.

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