King of the Hill fans were shocked to hear of Johnny Hardwick‘s sad passing on August 8. this year. As the voice of Dale Gribble, Hardwick brought the gun-loving, chain smoking, conspiracy theorist extraordinaire to life, giving Mike Judge‘s beloved series some of its funniest and finest moments.
For a man that believed Area 51 aliens had teamed up with Lee Harvey Oswald to steal his mower, self-defence wasn’t a choice for Dale – it was a necessity. Dale lived every day in a dark web of conspiracy, never knowing exactly who to trust. In his mind, everyone from the Parent Teacher Association to the DMV was out to get him, and government agents were lurking round every street corner. One brilliant episode included him setting up his personal radio station, to broadcast his theories 24/7, a plan that ultimately led to his nervous breakdown.
One of Dale’s most enduring moments from the show was the use of his creative “Pocket Sand,” a self-defence strategy that was both ingenious and effective, and has become an internet meme in the years since the episode aired.
Pocket Sand deployed
In the episode “Soldier of Misfortune,” Dale’s accidental discharge at the Arlen Gun Club torpedoes his chance of re-election as its president. Dale becomes despondent, and in an effort to cheer him up, Hank and his other friends decide to hire his services as a soldier of fortune (Dale had previously run an ad in the local paper for fourteen years with no responses). Hank poses as the mysterious “Mr Big,” who hires Dale for a series of straightforward missions.
While on Mr Big’s “mission”, Dale manages to steal a stranger’s suitcase. When the stranger attempts to recover his case, Dale deploys the famous Pocket Sand, a handheld dose of sand thrown straight to a would-be assailant’s eyes, temporarily blinding them and allowing Dale to scurry away.
Horrified by the mistake, Hank attempts to make restitution, which causes a chain of events that culminates with him and his friends held hostage at gunpoint by “Mad Dog”, the gun club’s new president. Only Dale’s skills as a mercenary can save the day.
Aside from his questionable mercenary work, Dale Gribble also believed that peanuts are sentient and that the Super Bowl was pre-taped by the same people that faked the moon landing. Though King of the Hill is still set to make its long-awaited return, it’s hard to imagine how it could ever be the same without Johnny Hardwick and his legendary performance as Dale.