Dipper Pines
Mason "Dipper" Pines[1] is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Disney Channel animated series Gravity Falls. The character is voiced by Jason Ritter, and designed by and loosely based on the childhood of series creator Alex Hirsch.[2] First appearing in the unaired unnamed pilot created by Hirsch with which he pitched the show; he later appeared in the first episode "Tourist Trapped".[3] Dipper, along with his twin sister Mabel Pines, stars in every episode of the show. Dipper is the star of the Gravity Falls series of shorts titled "Dipper's Guide to the Unexplained" and also appears in the shorts "Fixin' it with Soos" and "Mabel's Guide to Life".
Dipper Pines | |
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Gravity Falls character | |
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First appearance | "Tourist Trapped" (2012) |
Last appearance | "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls" (2016) |
Created by | Alex Hirsch |
Voiced by | Jason Ritter |
In-universe information | |
Nickname |
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Gender | Male |
Occupation | Part-time employee at the Mystery Shack |
Family | Mabel Pines (Dipper's twin sister) |
Relatives |
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Nationality | American |
Background
Dipper is a 12-year-old boy who, along with his twin sister Mabel, is sent to spend his summer vacation in his great uncle's tourist trap, "The Mystery Shack". He endeavors to uncover the secrets of the fictional town of Gravity Falls and to find explanations for assorted strange situations. He is helped by his energetic and boundlessly cheerful twin Mabel and the Shack's handyman Soos. They often end up dealing with or encountering various supernatural or legendary creatures, like gnomes, cryptids, demons, extraterrestrials, minotaurs, and Vampires. Dipper tackles these mysteries with the aid of a journal—a large, red-bound book with a gold six fingered hand and number "3" on the front cover—that he found in the forest. This journal describes many of the supernatural occurrences of Gravity Falls. In "Scary-oke", he discovers another layer of knowledge in the journal only visible under black light.
Dipper is uncommonly brave and determined for a pre-teen, and struggles with growing up. He is singularly devoted to solving the mysteries of Gravity Falls that he has discovered, which often puts him at odds with Grunkle Stan.
The adventures of Dipper and his sister are inspired by the childhood of series creator Alex Hirsch and his own twin sister, Ariel Hirsch.[4] As a character, Dipper has been critically well received.[5] He appears in various Gravity Falls merchandise, such as on clothing and in video games.[6]
Role in Gravity Falls
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Dipper Pines is a curious, clever and inventive boy from Piedmont, California, forced to spending his summer together with his great uncle Stan in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon.[7][8] He is accompanied by his twin sister Mabel Pines.[9] He is portrayed as smart, wise, gentle, conventional, and very logical, showing knowledge in various areas like history, cryptography, puzzle-solving, etc.
Although Dipper can find his twin sister Mabel pesky and annoying, he will do anything to protect her from danger. He first arrives in Gravity Falls upset with going to a small, boring town, with his twin sister Mabel for the summer,[10] but because of interest in mysteries and lust for adventure after finding the third of the three journals written by his great uncle Stanford "Ford" Pines, he starts to adjust to life in town and encourages his sister to join him in unraveling its supernatural secrets. Dipper is shown as a very organized child and often comes up with well-thought-out plans for his friends and family to follow.[11]
Throughout the series, Dipper wears a trademark white and blue cap with a symbol of a blue pine tree on the front, which he takes from the Shack's gift shop. He also wears a navy blue vest, reddish orange T-shirt, gray shorts, black sneakers, and a wristwatch. "Double Dipper" reveals that his nickname comes from a birth mark on his forehead in the form of the Big Dipper, which he hides with his bangs.[12] His given first name, Mason, is seen one time in the series briefly: in "Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons", it is written messily on the bottom right corner of a piece of graph paper when Mabel comments on Dipper's spending a lot of time with Ford. In the book Gravity Falls: Journal 3, a guide book about the series intended to be a replica of the fictional journal, Dipper tells Ford his name is Mason.[13]
Starting with "The Inconveniencing", Dipper is shown to have a crush on 15-year-old Mystery Shack cashier Wendy Corduroy. However, his attempts to win her over are usually sidetracked by accidents or supernatural phenomena. In the episode "Into the Bunker", Wendy confirms her suspicions of Dipper's crush, and though she explains that she is too old for Dipper, they remain close friends.
Behind the scenes
Dipper was based on series' creator Alex Hirsch's younger self. Mason “Dipper” Pines was voiced by the actor Jason Ritter. He first appeared on Gravity Falls in the never released pilot episode that the creator Alex Hirsch pitched to Disney Channel.
References
- Rob Renzetti (2016). Gravity Falls: Journal 3. Disney Press. ISBN 1484746694.
- Zalben, Alex (June 15, 2012). "Interview: Alex Hirsch Returns To His Weird, Monster-Filled Childhood In Disney's 'Gravity Falls'". MTV News. MTV Geek. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- "Creator Alex Hirsch Talks GRAVITY FALLS, How He Ended Up Making a Show for the Disney Channel, His Love for TV Animation and More". Collider.COM. July 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
- Adams, Erik (September 28, 2012). "Comedy Showrunners Week: Alex Hirsch on the real in the unreal of Gravity Falls". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- Hinckley, David (June 29, 2012). "New animated Disney series 'Gravity Falls' rises to an endearing level of tween cool". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
- 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 November 20, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- Schneider, Michael (August 22, 2012). "Watch My Show: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Answers Our Showrunner Survey". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- Barnes, Brooks (August 17, 2012). "An Undercurrent of Darkness, Even at Disney, By BROOKS BARNES". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- Sims, Chris (August 24, 2012). "ALEX HIRSCH ON 'GRAVITY FALLS,' MABEL'S SWEATER COLLECTION AND TV'S FEAR OF SINCERITY, By Chris Sims". Comics Alliance. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- Aoshima, John (June 15, 2012). "Tourist Trapped". Gravity Falls. Season 01. Episode 01. Disney Channel.
- Springer, Aaron (August 10, 2012). "Double Dipper". Gravity Falls. Season 01. Episode 07. Disney Channel.
- "Double Dipper". Gravity Falls. Season 1. Episode 7. August 10, 2012. Disney XD.
Wendy: The Big Dipper! That's how you got your nickname! I thought your parents just hated you or something.
- Hirsch, Alex (2016). "Weirdness Magnet". Gravity Falls Journal 3. Glendale, California: Disney Press. ISBN 978-1-4847-4669-1.