| “ | What do they expect when they buy things from the back of a van? | „ |
| ~ The Van Shopkeeper responding to Gumball's comment about selling people cursed objects. |
The Van Shopkeeper is a minor antagonist in the Cartoon Network animated sitcom The Amazing World of Gumball. He is a mysterious individual in Elmore who sells cursed, reality-bending items with no known origin. He does so through a red van that Richard calls the "Awesome Store."
He is voiced by Alex Jordan.
Appearance[]
He is a shadowy humanoid with two slanted, glowing eyes, though his full body has never been shown on screen. He is consistently seen within a dirtied red van.
Personality[]
He is a callous and somewhat amoral character who has no qualms about selling dangerous items to strangers. While he occasionally warns others about the dangers of the objects he sells, he often does so inadequately, such as when he forgot to inform the Wattersons about the powers of their new fridge in "The Possession," or when he gave Rob the Universal Remote before asking what his true intentions were. He is also somewhat deadpan and sarcastic. Despite this, he is not explicitly malicious, and even tries to stop Rob from using the remote for revenge after learning his intentions, claiming that it "cannot be used for evil," and also assists the Watterson siblings in defeating the Game Child. He is also generally polite to his customers, and occasionally speaks theatrically or cryptically when describing his store. However, his attempts to appear mysterious or alluring often fall flat due to the antics of the other characters interrupting him.
Biography[]
Season 3[]
- "The Puppy:" He sells Richard the Evil Turtle which proceeds to terrorize the Watterson family before going on a rampage around town.
Season 4[]
- "The Origins:" His first physical appearance. He sells a young Darwin to Richard, but not before warning him that the fish is more special than what he seems.
- "The Disaster:" He attempts to sell Rob the universal remote, but later tries to take it back after learning he intends to use it for evil. Eventually, Rob deletes him from existence, and proceeds to use the remote to ruin Gumball's life.
Season 5[]
- "The Rerun:" He asks Rob to pay for the Universal Remote after he destroyed it.
- "The Console:" He sells Richard a Game Child console and is implied to be the main antagonist of the game that Gumball plays on it. He later appears again after being falsely targeted by the Watterson siblings, explaining to them that he is an ally, and that true villain of the game is the console itself.
Season 6[]
- "The Shippening": The police investigate his store for its mysterious and possibly illegal items, cursing numerous officers in the process. He eventually escapes by driving away recklessly, and accidentally drops the magic Cartoon Network notebook on Sarah's front yard, which allows her to alter reality.
- "The Possession": After the old fridge that he previously sold the Wattersons caused Richard to be trapped in an icy wonderland of memories and nostalgia, he sells them a new one. He implies that the new fridge is an ordinary one, but after they drive off, he remembers an important detail about it, but it is too late.
Known Items[]
- The Evil Turtle, a protective yet ruthless animal that ends up going on a rampage.
- The Universal Remote, a powerful artifact that can alter time, reality, and the episode itself.
- Darwin
- The Game Child, a video game console that transports its user inside the game.
- Fertilizer that turns its user evil.
- A phone that takes control of its user.
- The Cartoon Network notebook, a book that allows its user to change reality by writing things inside.
- A doctor's license.
- An umbrella with a thunderstorm inside.
- A possessed doll, presumably by the spirit of a young child that can possess its wielder.
- A magic lamp which makes anything the holder wishes for become real.
- A duck-pegasus hybrid.
- An ordinary pair of glasses.
- A magical fridge that functions as a repository for memories and emotions, within which exists a winter wonderland.
- Another magical fridge with unknown capabilities.
- A bookshelf that alphabetizes dreams.
- Fireworks.
- Many miscellaneous items.
Trivia[]
- The van shopkeeper has no official name, but his store is referred to as the "Awesome Store" by Richard.
- According to the shopkeeper, the interior of the Awesome Store has multiple floors despite appearing like a single-story van.
- He claims that the Wattersons, particularly Richard, are his favorite customers.
- The Awesome Store is likely a parody of the horror book/film Needful Things by Stephen King, which focuses on a shop that sells collectibles and antiques.
- It has been speculated by some fans that his items originate from the Void due to their mysterious nature and incongruence with Elmore.
External Link[]
- Van Shopkeeper on the The Amazing World of Gumball Wiki
- The Awesome Store on the The Amazing World of Gumball Wiki
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 Villains
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Wilson Family Yoshida Family Elmore Junior High Students and Staff Members Elmore Citizens Others | ||