Mabel Pines

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Mabel Pines
Gravity Falls character
Mabel Pines, as depicted in Gravity Falls.
First appearance
Last appearance
Created byAlex Hirsch
Based onAriel Hirsch
Voiced byKristen Schaal
In-universe information
GenderFemale
OccupationUnpaid intern at the Mystery Shack's gift shop
FamilyDipper Pines (younger fraternal twin-brother)
Relatives
  • Grunkle Stan (great-uncle)
  • Stanford Pines (great-uncle)
  • Sherman Pines (grandfather)
  • Filbrick Pines (great grandfather)
  • Caryn Pines (great-grandmother)
NationalityAmerican

Mabel Pines is a fictional character and one of the two lead characters of the Disney Channel animated series Gravity Falls. The character is voiced by Kristen Schaal, and designed by the series creator, Alex Hirsch. She is inspired by Hirsch's own twin sister, Ariel Hirsch. Mabel first appeared on the unreleased, unnamed pilot created by Hirsch which he used to pitch the show; she then appeared on the first episode "Tourist Trapped". Mabel, with her brother Dipper Pines, stars in every episode of the series. Mabel also has two series of shorts dedicated to her: "Mabel's Guide to Life" and "Mabel's Scrapbook", appearing in the shorts "Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained" and "Fixin' it with Soos", and music video "Call Me Maybe Mabel".

Several alternate reality versions of Mabel are featured in Rick and Morty media and Gravity Falls: Lost Legends, in particular Mortabel Pines–Smith, a composite character of Mabel and Morty Smith featured as a recurring character in Lost Legends, the Rick and Morty episodes "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind", "The Ricklantis Mixup", and "Rickmurai Jack", and the video game Pocket Mortys, as well as the Anti-Mabel, Mabel's archenemy.

Background[edit]

Mabel is an energetic 12-year-old girl (she and her brother turn 13 at the end of the series finale) who is sent with her brother to spend her summer vacation in her great-uncle's tourist trap called the "Mystery Shack". She helps her brother Dipper as he endeavors to uncover the secrets of the fictional town of Gravity Falls and to find an explanation for the strange situations they experience. They are helped by the handyman that works there, Soos, Wendy, Dipper's crush and the twins' best friend/co-worker, and other characters throughout the series. The situations that they encounter include dealing with various supernatural or legendary creatures, like gnomes, cryptids, demons, aliens, minotaurs and the ever nefarious Bill Cipher.

Mabel is both fun and brave, as well as determined in whatever she sets out to do. Like her brother, she struggles with growing up and wants to be seen as more than she is. She is smarter than she often is portrayed and will always look out for her brother, no matter what.

The adventures of Mabel and her brother are inspired by the childhood of series creator Alex Hirsch and his own twin sister.[2] As a character, Mabel has been critically well received.[3] She appears in various Gravity Falls merchandise, such as on clothing, in video games,[4] and in music videos.[1]

Role in Gravity Falls[edit]

Kristen Schaal voiced Mabel in the series.

Mabel Pines is an energetic and optimistic girl from Piedmont, California, forced to spend her summer together with her great uncle Stan in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon.[5][6] She is accompanied by her twin brother Dipper Pines. Their parents aren't revealed in the show.[7]

Mabel wears a variety of colorful sweaters and skirts. She is a self-proclaimed arts and crafts master, going so far as to make a wax figure of her uncle Stan with the leftover wax of a melted figure during the episode "Headhunters". She grew to like Grunkle Stan and he likes her, too, and is often protective of her and Dipper.

Mabel is boy-crazy and dislikes anyone who opposes her brother. She has a pet pig named Waddles who she won in the episode "The Time Traveler's Pig".[8] Despite seeming as just being there for comic relief, Mabel is frequently instrumental in helping her brother solve the mysteries of Gravity Falls and played a pivotal role in all three of the fights that the twins have had against the main antagonist, Bill Cipher, to the point that Dipper says that he has no chance of defeating Bill without Mabel's help.[9]

Show and character creator Alex Hirsch has stated on occasions that Mabel is much smarter than she seems, saying in a 2013 Reddit AMA that:[10]

"Mabel's not stupid. She's a ham! There's a big difference. Mabel's love of goofing off is a natural force of her personality, but she can still understand when people she cares about need help or are in danger. Don't just make her a catchphrase machine. She really cares about the people around her. (Secret: Mabel's secretly jealous that her brother's better academically than she is)."[10]

Alternate versions[edit]

In the episode "Close Rick-counters of the Rick Kind" of the animated series Rick and Morty, twin boy and girl versions of protagonist Mortimer Chauncey "Morty" Smith, modelled after Dipper and Mabel Pines, are featured in the background of the episode in Easter egg cameo appearances, subsequently named as Mortipper and Mortabel Pines–Smith by Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch,[11] and featured as playable characters in the role-playing video game Pocket Mortys. After the duo cameoed again in the third season episode "The Ricklantis Mixup", Mortabel returned on her own in the Gravity Falls: Lost Legends storyline Don't Dimension It by Hirsch and Serina Hernandez,[12] depicted as one of the many alternate versions of Mabel trapped in a pocket dimension, who join the primary reality Mabel in confronting the Anti-Mabel. Mortabel is next seen in Rick C-137's "crybaby" backstory flashback in the fifth season finale "Rickmurai Jack", in which a younger Rick had stolen technology from Mortabel's own grandfather, as she had been exiting their family's garage along with her and Mortipper's sister Summer, and is not present on the Citadel when it is destroyed.[13]

In the graphic novel Gravity Falls: Lost Legends storyline Don't Dimension It by Alex Hirsch and Serina Hernandez,[12][14] on an expedition through the forests of Gravity Falls to check for any dimensional rifts in the aftermath of "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls", Mabel falls into a wormhole when retrieving Waddles, and ends up in a pocket dimension along with other lost Mabels of the Multiverse (including Mortabel). However, as all of the various Mabels are too preoccupied with their own tasks, none are able to help Mabels return back to her dimension, as Grunkles Stan and Ford attempt to track down Mabel through the multiverse. Meanwhile, Mabel meets another Mabel who closely resembles her and shares her determination to leave the dimension. Both work together to retrieve a flare gun and manage to alert the Grunkles to their location. However, the other Mabel locks Mabel into an outhouse, revealing herself to be the Anti-Mabel, an evil version of her, and intends to take over another Mabel's life and her dimension. The Grunkles, unaware of the switch, pick up the Anti-Mabel. Getting out of the outhouse, Mabel tries to get help from the other Mabels but becomes aggravated when they are too preoccupied too help. Coming to realize just how similar to past actions of hers they are like, Mabel manages rallies the other Mabels for help in defeating Anti-Mabel. En-route back to their dimension, the Grunkles are overpowered by the Anti-Mabel, who seeks to conquer the multiverse. Mabel and her alternate versions arrive, fighting against the Anti-Mabel while rescuing Stan and Ford. The Anti-Mabel is overpowered and the Pines ejects her into space. Dropping the Pines off at the rift leading back to their dimension, the other Mabels thank them for their help before returning to their home dimensions. Upon their return, the Grunkles seal the rift and Mabel apologizes to Dipper for her past actions and gives a blue journal with a pine tree on it which she got from Mabipper (a composite version of the siblings) and hopes to start new adventures together.[15]

Behind the scenes[edit]

Mabel is based on series' creator Alex Hirsch's own twin sister Ariel Hirsch. Growing up, she had a personality that was close to that of Mabel's, similarly to Alex having one that was like Dipper's.[7] Mabel was voiced by actress Kristen Schaal. Alex has stated in the past that Kristen was always his first choice as the voice of Mabel. She first appeared in the unreleased pilot made for Gravity Falls in 2010 by House of Cool Studios, which Alex Hirsch used to pitch the series to Disney Channel.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Schaal, Kristen (September 25, 2020). Call Me Maybe Mabel Gravity Falls Parody 😍 | Broken Karaoke | Disney Channel Animation. Disney Channel. Retrieved September 25, 2020 – via YouTube. Mabel from Gravity Falls, is looking for some summer romance! Any takers? Anyone? No seriously, anyone.... Check out Mabel from Gravity Falls singing "Call Me Mabel," a parody from Carly Rae Jepsen's song "Call Me Maybe!"
  2. ^ Adams, Erik (28 September 2012). "Comedy Showrunners Week: Alex Hirsch on the real in the unreal of Gravity Falls". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  3. ^ Hinckley, David (June 29, 2012). "New animated Disney series 'Gravity Falls' rises to an endearing level of tween cool". Daily News. New York. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  4. ^ Galang, Gel (August 16, 2013). "Top and Upcoming iOS Apps to Play: 'Plants vs. Zombies 2,' 'Gravity Falls,' New Game from Candy Crush Saga Dev and More". International Business Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  5. ^ "Watch My Show: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Answers Our Showrunner Survey". TV Guide. August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  6. ^ Barnes, Brooks (August 17, 2012). "An Undercurrent of Darkness, Even at Disney". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Sims, Chris (August 24, 2012). "Alex Hirsch On 'Gravity Falls,' Mabel's Sweater Collection And TV's Fear Of Sincerity [Interview]". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  8. ^ Adams, Erik (31 July 2014). "Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch previews the show's new season by recapping its first". The A.V. Club. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  9. ^ Wilkins, Alasdair (October 26, 2015). "The Weirdmageddon comes to 'Gravity Falls'". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  10. ^ a b _alexhirsch (August 16, 2013). "I am Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls. Ask me anything!". r/gravityfalls. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Hirsch, Alex [@_AlexHirsch] (April 3, 2017). "Something reeeeal familiar about these Mortys #Mortipper #Mortabel" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ a b Hernandez, Serina (Kiki-Kit; _Serinaaa_) (26 July 2018). "Anonymous: You could have made mermabel. Made mosterfalls canon. We coulda had it allllll (I don't actually care i love ur work and I love u) @kiki-kit: oh i tried! she may not be a mermaid but [image of Mortabel Pines–Smith]". Tumblr. Retrieved 26 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Rick's Crybaby Backstory – Rick and Morty – adult swim. Adult Swim. September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021 – via YouTube. Morty injects himself with Rick's downloaded brain and learns Rick's tragic backstory.
  14. ^ Hirsch, Alex [@_AlexHirsch] (July 31, 2018). "Gravity Falls: Lost Legends ARTIST APPRECIATION THREAD! 7) Don't Dimension It was drawn AND inked AND colored by the UNBELEIVABLE @_Serinaaa_, another fan suggestion who'd never been published before & single-handly nailed this story. Massive APPEAL & so much life in her poses – a thrill to work with this crazily talented up-n-comer!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Hoover, Natalie (August 21, 2018). "With 'Gravity Falls: Lost Legends,' Alex Hirsch Proves Again He Knows Exactly What His Fans Want". Study Breaks. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
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