Fabletown is the fictional, clandestine community of "Fables" resident in New York in the
Fables comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
universe. It exists in two locations, one being Bullfinch Street -- as in Bullfinch's Mythology -- in the
Upper West SideThe Upper West Side is a neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River above West 59th Street....
of
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
, and the other on a large farm, protected with magical spells that repel non-Fables (generally referred to as
MundaneIn subcultural and fictional uses, a mundane is a person who does not belong to a particular group, according to the members of that group; the implication is that such persons, lacking imagination, are concerned solely with the mundane: the and ordinary...
s, or, informally, "Mundys") in
upstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York, but the term "Upstate" is sometimes used to refer to the whole of the state besides New York City...
.
Fabletown was founded prior to the British acquisition of the town, when it was known as
New AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that later became the city now known as New York City.The town outside of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in the New Netherland territory which was situated between 38 and 42 degrees latitude of the Dutch Republic as of 1624...
, putting the founding date somewhere between 1625, when New Amsterdam was founded, and 1665, when the name was changed to New York, in all probability towards the latter end of that period, when an influx of people would be less remarked on.
The
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
Fabletown is restricted to Fables who are, or can pass as, normal humans.
Fabletown is the fictional, clandestine community of "Fables" resident in New York in the
Fables comic bookA comic book is a magazine made up of narrative artwork, often accompanied by dialog and often including brief descriptive prose...
universe. It exists in two locations, one being Bullfinch Street -- as in Bullfinch's Mythology -- in the
Upper West SideThe Upper West Side is a neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River above West 59th Street....
of
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
, and the other on a large farm, protected with magical spells that repel non-Fables (generally referred to as
MundaneIn subcultural and fictional uses, a mundane is a person who does not belong to a particular group, according to the members of that group; the implication is that such persons, lacking imagination, are concerned solely with the mundane: the and ordinary...
s, or, informally, "Mundys") in
upstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York, but the term "Upstate" is sometimes used to refer to the whole of the state besides New York City...
.
Founding
Fabletown was founded prior to the British acquisition of the town, when it was known as
New AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that later became the city now known as New York City.The town outside of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in the New Netherland territory which was situated between 38 and 42 degrees latitude of the Dutch Republic as of 1624...
, putting the founding date somewhere between 1625, when New Amsterdam was founded, and 1665, when the name was changed to New York, in all probability towards the latter end of that period, when an influx of people would be less remarked on.
The Farm
The
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
Fabletown is restricted to Fables who are, or can pass as, normal humans. Non-human-looking Fables are restricted to the facility known as the Farm, which is resented by many of them, as they feel that, regardless of the Farm's comforts and large size, to quote Posey of the Three Little Pigs, "it
is a prison,
because we aren't allowed to leave!"
The current administrator is Rose Red who took over the position from Weyland Smith after the revolt initiated by Goldilocks and the Three Little Pigs.
Government
While Fabletown is run, ostensibly, along democratic lines, in practice many of the same people have stayed in office for centuries, at least until recently. The longtime mayor was Old King Cole, who delegated much of his work to his deputy mayor. A number of fables have served as deputy mayor, including
Ichabod CraneIchabod Crane is a fictional character in Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, first published in 1820. According to a notation by Irving, the character of Ichabod Crane was based on a schoolteacher named Jesse Merwin, whom Irving befriended in Kinderhook, New York in 1809...
, who held the position for 115 years and
Snow WhiteSnow White is a major character in the comic book series Fables. Her character is based on two myths recorded by the Brothers Grimm, Snow-White and Rose-Red and the more famous Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.-Early life:...
, who took over in the mid 1990s after Crane's resignation to avoid charges of
sexual harassmentSexual harassment is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment may be illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
and embezzlement. The sheriff of Fabletown was The Big Bad Wolf, now known as
Bigby WolfBigby Wolf is a major character in the comic book series Fables. He is the Big Bad Wolf of legend and served as the sheriff of the exile community known as Fabletown for several hundred years...
, who had acquired the ability to assume human form. Bigby was hampered in his work by the agreement that had made him part of the Fable community; many of the less-human Fables had suffered his predations in the "Homelands," and one part of the compromise that was struck to allow him to join the others in the New World was that he should never, ever be allowed on the Farm under any circumstances whatsoever. This would later become a sore point, because his own children would be confined to the Farm, meaning that he could never visit them.
Cole was eventually ousted by the actions of Prince Charming. We find out that there has not been an election in modern times. Charming wanted the job of Mayor because of Bluebeards treasure which, with Bluebeard dead went into the town coffers to be spent by the mayor. He made some campaign promises, particularly with respect to providing free glamour spells or transformations to non-human Fables, allowing them to pass as human and so be able to leave the Farm. Unfortunately, he neglected to consult with
Frau TotenkinderFrau Totenkinder is a fictional character in the comic book series Fables, created by Bill Willingham. Leader of the magicians of Fabletown, Totenkinder represents many of the unnamed witches found in tales and legends...
and the other resident magic-users before making this promise, leaving him in an uncomfortable position when they informed him that they were already close to the limit of what could be managed and that there was no way that they could mass-produce the spells as he had unwisely promised. His inability to live up to these promises has led to frequent calls for his resignation, but he remains in office for the time being. Neither Snow nor Bigby were willing to work alongside the new Mayor; both resigned, with Bigby going into self-imposed exile and Snow moving to the Farm to look after their children. Charming has appointed Beauty and the Beast to take their places as Deputy Mayor and Sheriff respectively. Both are settling into their roles and Charming seems to be a fit leader, as he was raised to be king and well understands sacrifice for duty.
Institutions
Only a small number of Fables actually work in the government (Snow White explains early on that Fables generally don't believe in big government). Many run their own Fabletown businesses, which include:
- The Chateau d'If
The Château d'If is a fortress located on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul Archipelago situated in the Mediterranean Sea about a mile offshore in the Bay of Marseille in southeastern France...
Fencing Academy, owned by Edmond DantèsEdmond Dantès is the protagonist and title character of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.Dumas may have gotten the idea for the character of Edmond from a story which he found in a book compiled by Jacques Peuchet, archivist to the French police. Peuchet related the tale of...
.
- Edward Bear's Candy Shop, which specializes in honey-based treats. It may or may not be run by a character from Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, commonly shortened to Pooh Bear and once referred to as Edward Bear, is a fictional bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
.
- The Glass Slipper Shoe Store, owned by Cinderella.
- I am the Eggman Diner. According to Bill Willingham
Bill Willingham is an American writer and artist of comics.-Biography:Willingham got his start in the late 1970s to early 1980s as a staff artist for TSR, Inc., where he illustrated a number of their role-playing game products...
, this is not based on the BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
song"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips...
. The business is run by Vulco of the Crow brothers.
- Nod's Books, which sells, among other reading materials, a variety of comic books aimed specifically at the Fable market. Many of these have titles that are puns on existing comic books (examples include the Red Hood Returns and the Uncanny Oz-Men).
- The Branstock Tavern. Named after a legendary tree from Norse mythology
Norse, North Germanic, or Scandinavian mythology comprises the myths of North Germanic pre-Christian religion.Most of the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled in medieval Iceland in Old Norse, notably as the Edda....
into which OdinOdin , is considered the chief god in Norse paganism and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon Wōden and the Old High German Wotan, it is descended from Proto-Germanic *Wōđinaz or *Wōđanaz.The name Odin is generally accepted as the modern translation; although, in some cases, older...
plunged a powerfully magical swordIn Norse mythology, Gram is the name of the sword that Sigurd used to kill the dragon Fafnir. It was forged by Wayland the Smith and originally belonged to his father, Sigmund, who received it in the hall of the Volsung after pulling it out of the tree Barnstokk into which Odin had stuck...
. It may be run by SigmundThis article is about the mythological hero Sigmund, for other meanings see: Sigmund .In Norse mythology, Sigmund is a hero whose story is told in the Volsunga saga. He and his sister, Signy, are the children of Völsung and his wife Ljod...
or another character from the same story.
- The Yellow Brick Roadhouse, a reference to the yellow brick road
The road of yellow brick is an element in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, with additional such roads appearing in The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz...
from The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical / fantasy film directed mainly by Victor Fleming from a script by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, Edgar Allan Woolf, and others and based on the 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum...
.
- Web n' Muffet's Market, owned by Little Miss Muffet
"Little Miss Muffet" is a nursery rhyme, one of the most commonly printed in the mid-twentieth century. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20605.-Lyrics:-Alternative Lyrics:...
and her arachnid husband, Mr. Web (the spider made over into a human form; he was accidentally killed by Ghost, the zephyr cub of Bigby and Snow White)
- Grand Green Florist Shop.
- Lewis Antiques, which is supposed to house a wardrobe in the back, presumably from The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 120 million copies in 41 languages...
.
- Ford Laundromat, run by a washer woman, which is a reference to the bean nighe
The bean nighe , is a Scottish fairy, seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld. She is a type of bean sìth .-Legends:...
.
- Stone Soup, a high-end restaurant named after the magic stone soup
Stone Soup is an old fairy tale in which strangers trick a starving town into giving them some food. It is usually told as a lesson in cooperation, especially amid scarcity...
.
- N. Rhyme Construction, who handled the rebuilding process after the Battle of Fabletown.
The Fabletown hospital is the Special Research Wing of the Knights of Malta hospital, run by Doctor Swineheart, aided by the redoubtable
Mrs Sprat"Jack Sprat" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19479.-Lyrics:The most common modern version of the rhyme is:...
. The Woodlands, which houses the Fabletown government and has several floors of apartments, is the most prestigious address in Fabletown. There is a years-long waiting list to get housing there.
Wolf Manor
As a retirement package to Bigby for his years of service, he was given the Valley of the Big Sleepers, since it was now empty of its sleeping giants and dragons. This way, Bigby could have a big patch of land to live on that's not in the city nor on the farm and he can raise his children with Snow White. Currently, Snow and Bigby live in a mansion, constructed by Boy Blue and many others as a wedding present, on the property with their children. Nobody is allowed into Wolf Valley without permission.
Secrecy
Fabletown has always been kept deeply secret from the mundane authorities. During the Battle of Fabletown, Snow White enlisted the various Fable magic-users to create a thunderstorm and various other illusions to keep the mundanes from seeing what was going on. Fabletown has its own system of laws, including capital punishment or imprisonment at hard labor on the Farm for criminal Fables, or those who reveal their true nature to Mundanes.
With this in mind, many Fables have specific restrictions on their activities, designed to avoid giving away their nature. The most prominent example of this is
Rapunzel"Rapunzel" is a German fairy tale in the collection assembled by the Brothers Grimm, and first published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales...
, who is barred from spending more than 25 minutes with any mundane because of her rapid hair growth. She is also required to have three haircuts a day.
Fabletown East
Not content with the vast lands he held, the Adversary has begun a major push into the Arabian Fable lands. As a result, a delegation led by Sinbad arrived at Fabletown to negotiate a possible alliance. The proceedings started poorly when the two sides clashed over the Arab's slaves; they got much worse when one of Sinbad's sorcerers released a djinn with orders to kill Fabletown's top officials.
Frau TotenkinderFrau Totenkinder is a fictional character in the comic book series Fables, created by Bill Willingham. Leader of the magicians of Fabletown, Totenkinder represents many of the unnamed witches found in tales and legends...
used her magic to stop the djinn, and though Kay was able to determine that Sinbad did not order its release, the Arab leader was still blamed for bringing it to Fabletown. This was construed as an act of war, and the Fabletown government decided that Sinbad would be banished for life. The only way he could return was as a head of state; thus Prince Charming suggested that the Arabs form Fabletown East. Though it is a distinct state, Fabletown East's charter is heavily based on New York's. Old King Cole was selected as ambassador; when he arrived, he discovered that the Arab fables still lived in mythic (not mundane)
BaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is coterminous. Having a municipal population estimated at 6.5 million, it is the largest city in Iraq and the second largest in the Arab World....
, which was as yet untouched by the Adversary. Currently, Fabletown East is fortifying itself for a battle with the Adversary and preparing, if necessary, a controlled, orderly flight to the mundane world. In addition to Sinbad and Cole, its known residents include
Ali BabaAli Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
and
AladdinAladdin is one of the tales of medieval Arabian origin in the The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland .-Synopsis:The original story of...
.