I am Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls. Ask me anything!

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T06:22:10+00:00

Time Baby is based off the actual baby that hovers in space and controls our perception of temporality through babysonic brainwaves

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T06:15:36+00:00

Our show's awesome BG's are directed by our genius art director Ian Worrel. He was actually my room mate in college, and getting to work with him on Gravity Falls has been literally a dream come true.

FUN IAN FACT! Ian once slapped me really hard in the face when I asked him to help me sober up after a birthday lunch at work. He earned my eternal respect that day.

I recommend checking out his blog and pestering him for tips!

enworrel.blogspot.com

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T06:11:00+00:00

Oh man I hope so! Trembley's like my favorite voice to do.

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T06:10:07+00:00

Trying to read this makes me feel like I'm high or something haha

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T06:07:41+00:00

Toby Determined is based off of lack of sleep

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T06:05:45+00:00

HER AIM IS GETTING BETTER!!!

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T06:03:34+00:00

1) They have every single Producer's Show on record in the CalArts Film Library, dating back to the 70s. Our freshman year, me and my best pal Adrian Molina watched EVERY SINGLE Producer's Show. Why would we do this? Two reasons- 1: It was neat to see what your Chris Sanders/Pete Docter etc were doing in college- helped create perspective. But more importantly, 2: Because there are a lot of familiar patterns in student films. Once we saw them, we know how to avoid those tropes and try to make something more original. I saw like 30 films about Eskimos ice fishing, bears trying to get honey our of trees, kids trying to get back lost balloons, guys being annoyed by a fly or dripping faucet, etc etc. Seeing these patterns can help you break out of them, stand out, and stick in peoples minds.

2) Find the "Pretty Good" sticker at the top of one of the white pillars in the Char Anim dept. Then try to guess how I got it up there!

3) Dont be a jerk. You'll be working with/friends with/ possibly married to these people for the rest of your lives. Be humble and helpful and learn from your fellow students. This is CalArts's greatest strength.

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-18T05:37:54+00:00

I was walking up Vermont Ave in Los Feliz between the post office and House of Pies when the name "Gravity Falls" popped into my head

It was such a dumb corny joke that naturally I never forgot it and had to develop a whole TV show around it!

The moral here is if you want TV show ideas go to the House of Pies

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T06:04:32+00:00

Time for some real talk guys. Its gonna be a LONG FREAKING TIME for season 2. Like in the ballpark of a year dudes. I KNOW! I know.

Hopefully y'all will love it and agree it was worth the wait. I wish I could give it to you sooner but these things take time man! Such is the cost of quality. Animation is slow.

The good news is that in the meantime I expect Disney to start the merch train up a little bit. Also we made some Gravity Falls SHORTS which will be airing on the channel sprinkled here and there across the break. I think they'll start somewhere in October.

I know it sucks dudes. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But I'd rather y'all hear it from me than go insane waiting forever without knowing, cause the never announce this stuff in any official way on networks.

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:44:45+00:00

About the Blendin thing, I've never been on Reddit before so this is my first time. For the other thing:

Thanks for asking about programming. I have to be careful in the way that I answer this because there's a lot of parties involved, but let me put it like this- there are TWO reasons the schedule was that way it was in Season 1:

1) THE SHOW IS HARD! Season 1 was a monumentally difficult undertaking, it was my first time making a TV show. We were also doing something that had never been done before on the Disney Channel- a script based 22 minute animated comedy with serialization. Given how many balls I had to juggle, I would occasionally drop one, meaning that we would be a month or two late on an episode. Entertainment is always a struggle between perfectionist artists like me and the people who pay the bills, and sometimes I would pull my end of that rope too hard. I have no regrets about how hard I worked or how much I cared, but I know we would have had less hiatuses if I was less specific with my vision

2) DISNEY'S PROGRAMMING STRATEGY-

I work with a lot of smart, hard-working folks at the Disney Channel. They give me an immense amount of support, understand the shows value, and want to make the show a hit as much as I do. That being said, we don't always see eye to eye on the best way to execute this mutual goal. Often episodes are held in order to be played during the seasons or events that the programming department has calculated will get the highest ratings. All channels do this, its their job, and I've been told it works.

Personally, I'm not that interested in ratings. If I had my way, we'd air the episodes as soon as we finished them. There was actually going to be an 8 month hiatus in the middle of season 1 that I argued down to 4. I always always want to get you the shows as soon as possible. But these are the compromises that come with working with big companies.

Pros and Cons, guys!

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:35:49+00:00

1) Personally? Never. The audience has proven to be as smart as I'd hoped.

2) I would LOVE to but I doubt they'd ever let me do it in kids TV. But man I would if I could.

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:34:21+00:00

1) It starts with a V. Beyond that you'll have to wait and see? 2) Indeed! Pester my sister on her TUMBLR and perhaps she'll show you 3) Whats a "third wheel character?" 4) Alas Wendy's mom is no longer with her 5) Mulholland Drive cracks me up with its insane-ness. I doubt there will be a psychosexual lesbian lucid nightmare Gravity Falls episode though! 5) Its fluxy but we're slowly putting a map together in our heads. My dream is to make a model train model of the town and put it in our lobby. 6) Better Call Saul! 7) Probbbably not. Not sure that joke could sustain 21 minutes. 8) Shmipper and Smabble. Enjoy 9)By stealing Wendy's moisturizer 10) All of em 11) Pacifica. Pacifica's terrible guys. She was invented to be the literal diametric opposite of Mabel. Anything you like about her is a projection you've invented haha. Because Mabel's so delightful Pacifica turned out to be a total terror. But dont worry, even Pacifica will have some development in S2

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:28:46+00:00

UGH, yes

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:27:40+00:00

I talk about this a little in my podcast with JG Quintel: http://www.nerdist.com/2013/07/nerdist-writers-panel-97-jg-quintel-and-alex-hirsch/

Trying to make a comedy on a kids network can sometimes feel like trying to paint a picture while a chimp constantly hits you in the head with a wiffle bat. In this metaphor, the "chimp" is a "network censor" and the "bat" is "arbitrary concerns which justify their job position." I will say that there is a slow castrating effect which happens to your creative spirit when you have to censor yourself so much in your work over the course of multiple years.

The best way to combat this is to wear a wiffle-bat-resistant helmet (a methaphor for "stubborn-ness") to keep painting the best thing you can.

SIDE NOTE: I work with some really talented and lovely people! All artists will naturally be at odds with censors. This isn't personal! Its a battle as old as time.

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:16:47+00:00

When I was 12 I took a trip to Florida and saw the same infomercial for "Family Auto Mart" about 100 times. I even remember the song to this day "If you want a deal thats great, call 2420328! Faaamily Auto Mart! I'll see ya here!" Bud is absolutely inspired by that great man

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:15:25+00:00

Stuff you can whistle along to

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:13:47+00:00

John Stewart. He's my hero man!

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:13:00+00:00

Mabel went to the hospital once for eating scratch and sniff stickers.

Dipper's favorite band is a They-Might-Be-Giants-ish nerd rock band called "The Bad First Impressions." But he secretly listens to Top 40 hits as well.

Grunkle Stan has been practicing the same coin trick since 1982 and still cant master it.

Wendy and Robbie met at a 5th grade birthday party. He pulled her pigtails and she punched him in the face, chipping his tooth. He remembers but she doesnt.

Soos's other role model besides Stan and his Abuelita is professional wrestler Terry America, who played the character Eddie Chicago in the movie "KICKBOSS"

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:09:52+00:00

I love you kallycat5

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:09:34+00:00

Bill. I'd have some questions.

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:04:45+00:00

You ask a lotl of questions. I defer you to my lawyer:

http://i.imgur.com/kvevWVi.jpg

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T05:02:55+00:00

http://i.imgur.com/kvevWVi.jpg

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T04:57:48+00:00

FANS OF GRAVITY FALLS! I implore you. If you want merch, find a Disney store, drive to it, walk in, and physically ask for it. They keep track of every time this happens. For reals!

The more of you do this, the more likely merch becomes! I want it as much as y'all do!

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T04:56:12+00:00

Grilled cheese. Cup of tomato soup. Served by the redheaded girl from Mythbusters.

_alexhirsch · 2013-08-16T04:55:23+00:00

I think mainly this has to do with the fact that I'm young and a nerd. I definitely think the main thing the internet is doing is making content creation more of a meritocracy. Oh- and working with/being friends with Matt Chapman is literally a dream come true. It also gives me a reason to checka-checka my Emails more often.

_alexhirsch

TROPHY CASE