Q&A: 'Eddie Munster' shares life stories

Butch Patrick was part of a popular American television show, "The Munsters," which could be seen Thursday nights from the fall of 1964 to the spring of 1966.

Patrick, 69, was cast in the role of "Eddie Munster," the kid in the Munster family.

Patrick was in Clovis this weekend for Draggin' Main.

Q: What brings you here to Clovis? How did you hear about Draggin' Main?

A: My agent told me about it so I came. It's my first time here. I've been to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Truth or Consequences, Madrid.

Q: Are you a "car guy?"

A: When I was a kid on "The Munsters" I got to hang around George Barris, great car designer. He designed the Munster Coach and Dragula on The Munsters, the Batmobile and many others. When I turned 16 my first car was a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang.

Q: What do you drive to the grocery store?

A: I have a GMC Denali I drive around. It's also the vehicle I use to tow my trailer around when I go to events.

Q: You have some of the vehicles from "The Munsters" television show?

A: I have a replica of Dragula. The original Dragula, a dragster with a coffin as its body, belongs to a guy in my car club in New Jersey, Deadman's Curve Car Club. The original is 300 horsepower, mine is 500 horsepower. I have a motorcycle called the Eddie Chopper. It's what I call Munster inspired.

Q: Was there a rivalry between "The Munsters" and "The Addams Family"?

A: We had a friendly rivalry. It didn't hurt when it came to the press. We were on Thursdays, they were on Fridays, so people who liked our kind of shows could see both.

We'd say the difference between the shows is "The Munsters" were people who looked like monsters. "The Addams Family" were monsters who looked like people.

Q: Who did you enjoy working with on the show?

A: I liked working with everyone, but especially Fred (Gwynne) and Al (Lewis). Because the three of us got along so well (as grandfather, father and son) we were a believable family unit.

Fred was a talented guy, easy to get along with. He gave me acting tips.

Q: You have met a number of famous people in your career. Does someone stand out as bigger than life?

A: I met Walt Disney, that was a big to-do to me.

I met Rod Serling, he was so knowledgeable, it seemed to me as if he had alien DNA in him.

I met Evel Knievel when we did a commercial together, we became friends.

David Copperfield and I are friends. I've been to his house. Not many other people have. He bought some Munsters collectibles and he invited me over to his house.

Q: So what became of your acting career?

A: I really didn't want to go into acting. I wanted to be a Funny Car driver. When I was a kid I hung around the ballparks because my stepfather was pro-baseball pitcher Ken Hunt. When I was 16 to 21 years old I hung out at the drag strip.

Q: You had an addiction problem?

A: For 41 years. I've been sober for over 12 years. Many different substances, but I never did heroin. I never used a needle. It started in the 1960s, the countercultural movement, hippies; it was acceptable to be into certain drugs.

Q: Do you have something to share with folks who have an addiction problem?

A: If you have issues, address them. Help is out there. It's a disease and you can address it. If I can do it, you can do it.

Q: What are some of the far-flung places on the planet where you've been?

A: I've been to Australia three times, South America, Europe, every state except Alaska.

I'm going to Ecuador for a tattoo convention and I look forward to seeing Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands while I'm there.

Next year I plan on going to Africa. I want to see the pyramids while I'm there.