When writer and producer Alex Hirsch created the children’s show, Gravity Falls, there was no way he could’ve predicted the large fanbase his animated story would gather. In the early summer of 2012, Disney Channel aired the very first episode of Gravity Falls, a show that focuses on twins Dipper and Mabel, who spend the summer at their Grunkle (great-uncle) Stan’s house and experience a variety of supernatural occurrences. Somewhere between a comedy and a mystery, this Disney show enchanted audiences of all ages with its charming characters, witty writing, and unique storyline. The mystery, ambiguity, and easy-to-swallow cosmic horror for kids made plenty of exciting fan groups of children and adults arise and churn out fan theories, artwork, and more. Even over ten years later, Gravity Falls continues to enthrall fans everywhere.
Fan art for the show can also be found on sites such as Reddit, Tumblr, and DeviantArt. Depictions of scenarios viewers never saw or would see from Hirsch are common on these sites. This includes drawings of the characters as they look ten years older, comic strips of the characters embarking on a new adventure, or art depicting a character doing something that never canonically happened. Other standard art pieces found include the characters drawn in other art styles unique to the artist or, surprisingly, different depictions of Bill Cipher (who is a talking triangle in the show) as a human. Most Gravity Falls fan art is incredible to see and often generates good talking points in comment sections.
Any popular show brings out the inner cosplayers in some people, and Gravity Falls is not immune to this. On Tumblr, searching “Gravity Falls Cosplay” brings up a lot of results. Some of the popular costumes are of Dipper and Mabel, Grunkle Stan, or the human version of Bill Cipher. Some people also take it upon themselves to dress up as the iconic background characters such as reporter Toby Determined, normal guy Tad Strange, and mean girl Pacifica Northwest.
Deciphering the Mysteries
One of the allures of Gravity Falls was the mystery surrounding the supernatural midwestern town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Woven throughout the show and the video games were hidden messages that could be deciphered into actual sentences that nodded to different theories or foreshadowed certain events. On top of the cryptograms, the slightly spooky elements surrounding the creator of a mysterious set of journals Dipper finds and the otherworldly being known only as Bill Cipher generated a lot of questions before the reveal of the journal’s author & Bill’s defeat. Naturally, this led to the creation of numerous fan theories.
On YouTube, a quick search of "Gravity Falls theories" will turn up plenty of results dating from 2012 through 2023. Youtuber Keyan Carlile posted a video in 2022 titled “The Forgotten Gravity Falls Theories” where he and a friend, dressed up as Dipper and Mabel and seated at a site related to the show, go over different fan theories created when Gravity Falls was still on air. Some theories they discuss range anywhere from “Mabel’s secret clone” to “Grunkle Stan is going to die”. Of course, the theories were debunked by the time the show ended in 2016, but videos like Keyan’s offer a refreshing look into the past theories some people actually subscribed to.
Another video similar to Keyan’s is “The Secrets of Gravity Falls [Hidden Messages, Codes, & More!]” posted by someone known as Lewtoons in 2013 when the show was still on the air. Lewtoons discusses some of the secret messages Alex Hirsch included at various times during the episodes. Hearing a man who loves Gravity Falls so much talk through his theories, decipher cryptograms, and analyze the animation choices is heartwarming and really shows how dedicated fans were to uncovering all the hidden gems the show had to offer. A look at the comment section of this video reveals just how many people from the past ten years through the present day love and appreciate everything about Gravity Falls.
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| Lewtoon's Comments |
Fan Art: Fan-Made Episodes & More
Gravity Falls was only two seasons long because Alex Hirsch “wanted Gravity Falls to have a mystery that had a real answer, an adventure that had a real climax, and an ending that had a real conclusion for the characters [he] care[s] so much about” (Smalexsmirsch, 2015). Of course, plenty of fans respected his decision but longed for more episodes of the show they loved so much. As a result, fan art and fan-created episodes were made to satisfy the want for more character-related content. On YouTube, artists would create full episodes or tiny shorts involving their favorite characters engaging in a new mystery. A popular video posted on the account MysterySeeker is “Gravity Falls: Deep Woods- Deep-Rooted Misunderstanding” which is a 32-minute long fan-made episode with an overwhelmingly positive response.
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| Depiction of Dipper & Mabel on their 23rd Birthday @Pomodoko |
Cosplay Craze
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| Bill Cipher Cosplay @lady-eva-designs |
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| Cosplay of Mabel mimics a scene from the show @MargotHime |
It’s easy for most people to cosplay as the characters because, in the show, they all wear relatively normal clothes. But some people take it a step further and create their own props, such as the journals or Mabel’s pet pig. Others simply go all out for their characters and put extensive work into ensuring their costumes are exactly right down to the last detail.
These costumes are worn for a variety of reasons outside of people's homes. Gravity Falls always has a panel at Comic-Con, so many fans show up decked out in their cartoon best, ready to show off their interpretations of the characters as they ask Alex Hirsch or the show's voice actors questions. Halloween is another popular time for Gravity Falls lovers to come out of the woodwork and put on Mabel's pink star sweater. Sometimes, people have photo shoots where cosplayers try to copy a scene from the show or otherwise mimic a character’s trademark expression. No matter what the occasion is, all forms of this cartoon cosplay capture the show's playful essence and make for really entertaining pictures.
The Lasting Impact of Gravity Falls
Personally, Gravity Falls majorly impacted my youth and early teen years. I was raised on corny Discovery Channel shows about ghost hunting or aliens that made me love everything supernatural or mysterious, so when Disney released a kid's show centered around those very things, I was immediately intrigued. Although I was too young to be a part of the various communities dedicated to the show, my family and I would devise our own theories and discuss what we liked about the show over dinner, often joking that I was the triplet to Dipper and Mabel since we shared the same birthday. I bought a Gravity Falls book Disney made and played the Nintendo game Disney released, “Legend of the Gnomulets”. Even though I’m not into cosplay or fan art, I still appreciated the show for what it was like many other fans out there.
Gravity Falls is undeniably timeless, and no doubt the fans will exist for many more years, creating art and discussing old theories to keep the mysteries and loveable characters alive for a long time. Alex Hirsch truly developed a remarkable cartoon that fostered plenty of fan communities who will always appreciate the Falls.
References
Carlile, Keyan. "The Forgotten Gravity Falls Theories" YouTube, 4 Aug. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D98kY0ZSTMY&t=295s
"Confusion Hill", https://www.confusionhill.com/
Lady-eva-designs. "Remember this dress?" Tumblr, 15 Jan. 2023, https://www.tumblr.com/lady-ava-designs/706574107556429824/remember-this-dress-what-if-i-told-you-it-was-so
Lewtoons. "The Secrets of Gravity Falls [Hidden Messages, Codes, & More]" YouTube, 20 Sept. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x2-ptd2jMs
MargotHime. "Thanks for all your love on our Gravity Falls cosplay <3 here's more pictures :)" Reddit, 26 Nov. 2023, https://www.reddit.com/r/gravityfalls/comments/183g3ex/thanks_for_all_your_love_on_our_gravity_falls/
MysterySeeker. "Gravity Falls: Deep Woods- Deep-Rooted Misunderstanding" YouTube, 31 Oct. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reDj53ZAzls
Pomodoko "Happy 23rd Birthday, Dipper and Mabel!!" Tumblr, 31 Aug. 2022, https://www.tumblr.com/pomodoko/694139582800969728/happy-23rd-birthday-dipper-and-mabel
Shmalexsmirsch. "Goodbye Gravity Falls" Tumblr, 20 Nov. 2015, https://www.tumblr.com/shmalexsmirsch/133619326491/goodbye-gravity-falls
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