Dale Gribble

Dale Alvin Gribble is a fictional character in the Fox animated series King of the Hill, voiced by Johnny Hardwick. A neighbor of Hank Hill, he is characterized by various eccentricities such as his paranoid belief in conspiracy theories. He often resorts to elaborate and shaky plots in lieu of physical strength (being a longtime chain smoker). He works for himself, mostly as a pest exterminator, and is a personal gun fanatic.

Production
Daniel Stern was originally offered the role of Dale Gribble, but declined due to a salary dispute. Stephen Root also auditioned for the role, but later stated that "it didn't feel right"; Root ultimately was cast as Bill Dauterive. The role of Dale was eventually given to Johnny Hardwick.

Portrayal
Hardwick has described Dale as fancying himself as a William S. Burroughs, a Hunter S. Thompson or a Jack Nicholson type who thinks he knows all the angles. He believes most tabloid beliefs and urban legends, distrusting virtually every authority figure.

Dale enjoys drinking beer with Hank Hill, Bill, and Boomhauer. He has other unhealthy habits such as chain-smoking cigarettes (a habit he has maintained since childhood) and drinking Mountain Dew. He has a paranoid nature, which extends to his home and family. He has coded scenarios should he ever come under threat (no matter how absurd or unlikely). His own home is rigged with various extensive security and surveillance features. Yet for all his documentation of goings-on, he never deduces that his wife, Nancy Gribble, has been in a sexual relationship with John Redcorn, and that the adolescent Joseph Gribble (who strongly resembles Redcorn) is their biological son. Nancy has a full-time job and pays most of the family's bills, while Dale cooks and cleans. He is seen to be a musician in some episodes.

Dale was in the same grade as Hank in school (and Hank was born in 1953). He is almost never seen without his signature Mack cap (under which he is balding) and prescription eyeglasses with sunglass lenses on a hinge except on rare occasions where he is forced to remove them. He has a slightly raspy voice. Amongst other trademark quirks and phrases, he utters "G'h!" when he is startled or learns something that feeds into his paranoid nature.

Dale has a conspiratorial knowledge of the workings of the U.S. government, the legal system, and bureaucracy. He uses this knowledge to assist his friends but has a habit of horribly misconstruing information. Dale is occasionally depicted attempting to construct a guard tower in his front yard. His obsession with conspiracy theories can sometimes cause him to be very selfish or double-cross his friends, although in the end he usually reconciles with them. His schemes also tend to run out of steam or collapse.

While Dale is boastful and often outgoing in his schemes, he invariably turns into a coward at the slightest sight of trouble, being quick to give up his accomplices. He typically thinks his misfortunes are malicious attacks upon him. He expresses contempt for Hank's wife, Peggy Hill, who often tries to help him; when the two are occasionally forced to cooperate, they do so well.

Dale runs his own (probably illegitimate) extermination business, Dale's Dead-Bug, for which he drives a white Dodge Caravan nicknamed "the Bug-ebago", which has a large plastic queen ant figure on the roof. He is not above resorting to explosives to deal with pesky targets.

Family
In contrast to his usually shallow demeanor, Dale is fiercely devoted to Nancy and Joseph. He blames himself for all of the problems Nancy herself caused between them while she was cheating on him. However, he often fails to show much romantic interest. Dale is very attentive to Joseph's needs and feelings, and is never afraid to express his affection for him. At the same time, he is often quite incompetent and misleading as a father figure.

Dale's mother is deceased and he was estranged from his closeted homosexual father, Bug Gribble, after witnessing him kissing Nancy on the lips on their wedding day (as depicted in "My Own Private Rodeo").

Physical abilities
Dale is physically frail and lacks athletic abilities. For instance, while his high-school friends were on the football team, he was the towel manager.

He is remarkably scrawny with a slight beer gut, but claims to have "catlike reflexes" and can be agile when a situation calls for it (such as hopping a fence). He is a capable knife thrower, but he has bad marksmanship. He also takes part in competitive eating.

Due to a prolonged exposure to toxins (due to both his smoking and insecticide use), Dale has gained an advanced immunity to poisons and toxins.

Dale's physical weakness is paired with his determination to outsmart adversaries, often utilizing his elaborate security features.

Politics
Dale is an outspoken supporter of the Second Amendment and owns countless guns. He lacks marksmanship, but jumps at a chance for a backdoor sale of his many firearms.

Dale summarized his paranoid view on guns rights as: "Guns don't kill people; the government does." He has either libertarian or conservative leanings. Dale refuses to pay taxes, does not vote, and occasionally prints his own currency. He is protective of private information such as his Social Security number. Despite his passionate dislike of government, he has received unemployment benefits under his alias "Rusty Shackleford" (for which he allegedly has a birth certificate of a deceased individual). In the episode "Dale to the Chief", Dale is disillusioned when he reads the entirety of the Warren Commission report and realizes that it makes sense when compared to the Dallas sites (as opposed to supporting John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories). Dale then veers into extreme patriotism, at the expense of his friends, but failures at the department of motor vehicles lead him to a more neutral view of government.

Reception
The character of Dale Gribble and Hardwick's portrayal have received positive reception. Following Hardwick's death in August 2023, Cartoon Brew regarded Gribble as "iconic", with the companies Hulu and 20th Century Animation releasing a statement after his death saying that Hardwick "gave life to one of our most iconic characters". Critics and reviewers from other entertainment blogs and websites have similarly discussed the character in positive terms.