Gravity Falls Wiki
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'''Dr. Stanford "Ford" Pines, Ph.D.''' (born late 1940s ā€“ early 1950s in [[Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey]]),<ref name="Ep212" /> also known as The '''Author''',<ref name="Ep202" /> is a mysterious paranormal investigator who came to [[Gravity Falls, Oregon]], to study the huge concentration of supernatural activity in and around the town. After spending years cataloging his research in a series of [[Journal (disambiguation)|journals]], he disappeared into an alternate dimension, his writings the only evidence of his existence.
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'''Dr. Stanford "Ford" Pines, Ph.D.''' (born late 1940s ā€“ early 1950s in [[Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey]]),<ref name="Ep212" /> also known as '''The''' '''Author''',<ref name="Ep202" /> is a mysterious paranormal investigator who came to [[Gravity Falls, Oregon]], to study the huge concentration of supernatural activity in and around the town. After spending years cataloging his research in a series of [[Journal (disambiguation)|journals]], he disappeared into an alternate dimension, his writings the only evidence of his existence.
   
 
His identity and whereabouts were a central mystery of the ''[[Gravity Falls (TV series)|Gravity Falls]]'' series until the middle of the show's [[Season 2|second season]], when he was revealed to be [[Stan Pines|Stan Pines']] long-lost twin brother who vanished into an alternate universe after a falling out with his brother caused him to stumble into the [[universe portal]].<ref name="Ep211" /><ref name="Ep212" />
 
His identity and whereabouts were a central mystery of the ''[[Gravity Falls (TV series)|Gravity Falls]]'' series until the middle of the show's [[Season 2|second season]], when he was revealed to be [[Stan Pines|Stan Pines']] long-lost twin brother who vanished into an alternate universe after a falling out with his brother caused him to stumble into the [[universe portal]].<ref name="Ep211" /><ref name="Ep212" />

Revision as of 20:36, 24 July 2015

Dr. Stanford "Ford" Pines, Ph.D. (born late 1940s ā€“ early 1950s in Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey),[1] also known as The Author,[5] is a mysterious paranormal investigator who came to Gravity Falls, Oregon, to study the huge concentration of supernatural activity in and around the town. After spending years cataloging his research in a series of journals, he disappeared into an alternate dimension, his writings the only evidence of his existence.

His identity and whereabouts were a central mystery of the Gravity Falls series until the middle of the show's second season, when he was revealed to be Stan Pines' long-lost twin brother who vanished into an alternate universe after a falling out with his brother caused him to stumble into the universe portal.[7][1]

History

Early Life

Ford grew up in the town of Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey, along with his twin brother Stan. At one point, the two brothers found a broken ship in a cave along the beach, which they decided to rebuild. They named the ship the Stan O' War. To toughen them up, their father, Filbrick, made Stan and Ford take boxing lessons.[8][9] At one point in his childhood, Ford and Stan observed the seaside while swinging on a swing.[7]

S1e20 where to hide

The Author brainstorms hiding places for his journals.

In the 1970s, a year before college, Ford had built a perpetual motion machine for a science fair which impressed all of his teachers. Because of this machine he got a chance to go to the best college in the USA, West Coast Tech. But in his anger over Ford leaving, Stan accidentally broke Ford's machine and any chance of going to his dream college. The next day, when the college admission team came, they denied Ford entry into the college.

Ford ended up going to Backupsmore University, where he worked twice as hard. He went from undergrad to PHD in just three years, and ended up earning a grant for his scientific research. Ford decided to study anomalies, inspired by his own anomalous six-fingered hands. He learned that the location in the world with the highest concentration of anomalies was the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Ford settled in Gravity Falls and built his home with the help of some locals.

Ford dedicated six long years to studying the supernatural secrets of Gravity Falls.[2] His discoveries were recorded in a series of three journals emblazoned with a drawing of a six-fingered hand, representing his own.[7][1] Ford felt that the biggest mystery of Gravity Falls was where its anomalies came from, and came to the conclusion that a dimension of weirdness was the source, and it was leaking into Earth's dimension. Ford decided to build the Universe Portal to take him to that dimension.

Ford recruited a college friend, Fiddleford McGucket. With the two of them, the Portal was completed and was activated for a test run. However, McGucket was taken by the portal and was almost pulled in completely. He was pulled out by Ford, but McGucket believed that the portal could bring about the end of the world based on what he had seen. McGucket quit the project and erased his memory of it with his memory erasing gun.[10] Ford began hearing whispers shortly afterwards.

S2e2 lab

The Author's secret bunker.

At one point in his stay within the town, Ford summoned and befriended Bill Cipher, deceived by the demon's seemingly affable nature.[11] He soon saw through Bill's facade and sought a way to defeat him, and he was seemingly successful. As his work in Gravity Falls continued, Ford found himself increasingly paranoid and fearful, developing a fear of an unknown entity referred to only as "He." Now writing in his journals via invisible ink,[12] Ford took extreme security measures and created an underground laboratory serving as a fallout shelter, keeping it hidden beneath the Gravity Falls forest.[2]

Sometime around 1982, Ford called his brother, Stan, over to Gravity Falls, feeling he was the only person left he could trust. Ford instructed Stan to take Journal 1 and hide it as far away as he could, all the way on the other side of the world. However, Stan was angry that his brother was telling him to leave after they had just seen each other for the first time in ten years, and the two began to fight. Stan accidentally activated the Portal and pushed Ford into it. Before he was completely sucked in, Ford threw Journal 1 into the hands of Stan Pines, and the Portal deactivated itself. Stan began a search for the other journals so he could reactivate the Portal, spending thirty long years hunting for their knowledge.[13] Stan remained among one of the few people aware of the journals' power, the others being Gideon Gleeful, who was able to locate Journal 2,[14] and eventually, Dipper Pines, who located Journal 3.[2]

During the events of "Gideon Rises", Stan was able to locate all three journals and use them to activate the Universe Portal again. It would remain active for all of season 2, and during the events of "Not What He Seems", a countdown initiated to the Portal's complete activation, a tremendous event. Gravitational anomalies spread throughout town as a result, and on the completion of the portal, Ford reappeared from the Portal after thirty years spent trapped inside.

Season 1

S1e1 dipper opening secret compartment

Dipper finds a journal.

In "Tourist Trapped," Dipper unwittingly stumbles upon his third journal and becomes entranced by the information it contains, and he quickly begins to use this knowledge to aid him in his encounters with the supernatural.

In the episode "The Time Traveler's Pig," the author can be seen sticking his head out of the snowy Mystery Shack.[9]

The next on-screen appearance of him is in "Dreamscaperers," where he can be spotted in Stan's memories, sitting in the background, and holding a book over his face.[9]

Eventually, Dipper and his family become entangled in Gideon's quest to learn the Author's secrets[15][16], convinced this knowledge would give him unprecedented power that would allow him to take over Gravity Falls. Gideon nearly achieves his goal of gaining all three journals in "Gideon Rises," but is stopped by Dipper and Mabel. His defeat enables Stan to seize possession of Journal 2, and Dipper's revelation of his ownership of Journal 3 lets him complete this same goal.

Season 2

S2e2 shoulder

The Shape Shifter impersonates the Author.

After learning about the invisible ink in his Journal[12], Dipper leads his friends into the Author's bunker to search for clues on his whereabouts in "Into the Bunker." There, they come face-to-face with the mysterious figure's 210th experiment, the Shape Shifter. After successfully recapturing the beast, they emerge with their greatest lead yet: the Author's laptop (which actually belonged to Fiddleford McGucket, as later revealed) .

In "Sock Opera," Dipper devotes himself almost excessively to cracking the password for the laptop. After innumerable failed attempts, he makes a deal with Bill Cipher, but is tricked into letting the demon take possession of his body. Bill destroys the laptop to prevent Dipper from coming any closer to finding out some "major answers" and attempts to do the same to Journal #3, but is stopped by Mabel.

S2e7 old man mcgucket wrote the journals?!

Dipper concludes Old Man McGucket is the Author.

In "Society of the Blind Eye," after discovering that the laptop was manufactured by McGucket Labs, Dipper becomes convinced that Old Man McGucket is the Author of the books. In his confrontation with the elderly man, Dipper learns of the mysterious Blind Eye Society and goes to look for them. Recovering McGucket's stolen memories from the Society reminds him that he worked side by side with the Author (and that the laptop belonged to him, not the author), and begins trying to remember the man's identity.

In "Northwest Mansion Mystery" McGucket succeeds in fixing the laptop, and discovers a countdown to an "Imminent Danger" which McGucket refers to as the end times.

File:S2e11 author revealed.jpg

The Author revealed.

In "Not What He Seems," it is revealed that Stan has been collecting radioactive waste, for the purpose of powering a doomsday device, and the twins encounter an old newspaper article which claims Stan Pines to be deceased. Contrary to this incriminating article, it is discovered that Stan Pines is at least the direct brother of, if not, the one mentioned in the article who is actually alive. At the same time as this discovery the author of the journals is definitively identified, after his emergence from a portal in the center of the aforementioned "doomsday device," by Stan's reference to him as his "brother."

In "A Tale of Two Stans" Stanford, Dipper, Mabel and Soos ask Grunkle Stan about everything that's going on, so he explains in backstory (see in Early Life) after Stan's tale, After the story is told, the government agents descend on the. Stanford takes Dipper's mind erasing gun and amplifies it, also connecting it to the speakers outside so the effect is broadcast all around the Shack, making the agents forget about this entire operation. He later talks to his brother, telling him he can have the house for the rest of the summer, but after that he will give him his name back and his house. In return, Stan tells Ford to stay away from Dipper and Mabel.

Appearance

S2e11 six fingers

Ford's hand.

Ford bears a close resemblance to Stan Pines. However, there are a few notable differences: He has brown hair which is only partly grey, and only has a few hairs on his chin whereas his twin's is covered in grey stubble. He is seen wearing a large black coat with multiple pockets on the inside, and an item that appears to be a gun rested on his back. Underneath his coat, he wears a black shirt and pants. He also dons bulky black boots, a brown belt that slings from his shoulder, a tattered cape, and a gray scarf. He is a polydactyl, having six fingers on each hand.

Sightings

Season 1

Shorts

Season 2

Quotes

"It's hard to believe it's been six years since I began studying the strange and wondrous secrets of Gravity Falls, Oregon."
ā€”The first entry in Journal 3 ("Tourist Trapped")

"Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed. I'm being watched. I must hide this book before he finds it. Remember: in Gravity Falls there is no one you can trust."
ā€”Tourist Trapped.

""When fighting the Gremloblin, use water... only as a last resort as water will make him much much scarier!" AH! Who writes sentences like that!?"
ā€”Dipper Pines reading one of the pages in Journal 3 (Boss Mabel")

"If my suspicions are correct, this is the work of Fiddleford. Does he really have to go to such great lengths to forget?"
ā€”A deciphered entry on the Blind Eye Society in Journal 3 ("Society of the Blind Eye")

"The portal when completed will open a gateway to infinite new worlds and herald a new era in mankind's understanding of the universe. Plus, it will probably get girls to start talking to me finally."
ā€”An entry on the Universe Portal in Journal 1 ("Gideon Rises")

Trivia

File:S1e20 Another book.PNG

The Author's symbol, a six-fingered left hand.

Gallery

Click here to view the image gallery for Ford Pines.
Click here to view this page's gallery.

  1. ā†‘ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "A Tale of Two Stans." Matt Chapman, Josh Weinstein, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Sunil Hall (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. July 13, 2015. No. 12, season 2.
  2. ā†‘ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Tourist Trapped." Alex Hirsch (writer) & John Aoshima (director). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. June 15, 2012. No. 1, season 1.
  3. ā†‘ "The Time Traveler's Pig." Aury Wallington, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Joe Pitt, Aaron Springer (directors). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. August 24, 2012. No. 9, season 1.
  4. ā†‘ Stan's Brother
  5. ā†‘ 5.0 5.1 "Into the Bunker." Matt Chapman, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Joe Pitt (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. August 4, 2014. No. 2, season 2.
  6. ā†‘ "Gideon Rises." Matt Chapman, Michael Rianda, Alex Hirsch (writers) & John Aoshima, Joe Pitt (directors). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. August 2, 2013. No. 20, season 1.
  7. ā†‘ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Not What He Seems." Matt Chapman, Jeff Rowe, Shion Takeuchi, Josh Weinstein, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Stephen Sandoval (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. March 9, 2015. No. 11, season 2.
  8. ā†‘ "Dreamscaperers." Matt Chapman, Tim McKeon, Alex Hirsch (writers) & John Aoshima, Joe Pitt (directors). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. July 12, 2013. No. 19, season 1.
  9. ā†‘ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Stan's Brother
  10. ā†‘ "Society of the Blind Eye." Matt Chapman, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Sunil Hall (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. October 27, 2014. No. 7, season 2.
  11. ā†‘ "Dreamscaperers." Matt Chapman, Tim McKeon, Alex Hirsch (writers) & John Aoshima, Joe Pitt (directors). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. July 12, 2013. No. 19, season 1.
  12. ā†‘ 12.0 12.1 "Scary-oke." Matt Chapman, Jeff Rowe, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Rob Renzetti (director). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. August 1, 2014. No. 1, season 2.
  13. ā†‘ "Society of the Blind Eye." Matt Chapman, Alex Hirsch (writers) & Sunil Hall (director). Gravity Falls. Disney XD. October 27, 2014. No. 7, season 2.
  14. ā†‘ "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel." Zach Paez, Alex Hirsch (writers) & John Aoshima (director). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. July 6, 2012. No. 4, season 1.
  15. ā†‘ "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel." Zach Paez, Alex Hirsch (writers) & John Aoshima (director). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. July 6, 2012. No. 4, season 1.
  16. ā†‘ "Little Dipper." Tim McKeon (writer) & Joe Pitt, Aaron Springer (directors). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. September 28, 2012. No. 11, season 1.
  17. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (November 22, 2014). Tweet Number 536054960018825217. ā€œ1) Make hoax 2)Upload to 4Chan 3) Post angry tweet about "leak" 4) Delete tweet 5) Let internet do restā€
  18. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (November 20, 2014). Tweet Number 535308123259408384. ā€œThe author of the journals is Geordie LaForge. That is now law. It can't be undone.ā€

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V - E - H - D Characters and Creatures in Gravity Falls
Characters
Main Bill Cipher | Dipper Pines | Gideon Gleeful | Mabel Pines | Stan Pines | Ford Pines | Soos Ramirez | Wendy Corduroy
Supporting Abuelita | Agent Powers | Agent Trigger | Blendin Blandin | Bud Gleeful | Candy Chiu | Deputy Durland | Grenda Grendinator | Lazy Susan | Lee | Manly Dan | Nate | Old Man McGucket | Robbie Valentino | Shandra Jimenez | Pacifica Northwest | Preston Northwest | Priscilla Northwest | Sheriff Blubs | Sprott | Tambry | Tats | Thompson | Toby Determined | Tyler Cutebiker
Minor Alex Hirsch | Anti-Mabel | Ascot and Dickie Sibling | Billy | Blind Ivan | Bobby Renzobbi | Carla | Carla McCorkle | Caryn Pines | Charlie (kid) | Charlie (talk show host) | Crampelter | Davey | Deuce | Donna | Doug | Earl | Emma Sue | Emmet and D'Shawn | Ergman Bratsman | Fertilia Mecc | Filbrick Pines | Gabe Benson | Gary | Ghost-Eyes | Gorney | Grady Mecc | Granny Sweetkin | Greg and Janice Valentino | Handlebar Bros. | Hank | Harry Claymore | Jean-Luc | Jeffy Fresh, Byrone, and Rosie | Jimmy | Jorge and Rico | Justin Kerprank | Killbone | Lolph and Dundgren | Marcus, Kevin and Gus | Mariah | Marius von Fundshauser | Mayor Befufftlefumpter | Melody | Meredith | Mikey R. | Mr. and Mrs. Pines | Mr. Poolcheck | Mrs. Gleeful | Nathaniel Northwest | Nicolas | Quentin Trembley | Reggie | Reginald | Rich | Rosanna | Santiago | Sassica | Sergei | Shmipper and Smabble | Steve | Stretch | Sue | Tad Strange | Table Mabel | Tate McGucket | Thistle Downe | Tyler's mother
Unnamed characters America guy | Angry lady | Aquatic restaurant cook | Bats Biker | BeeblyBoop's clerk | Billy's mother | Bus Driver | Charlie's mother | Corn costume guy | Corn maze girl | Greasy's Diner cook | Greasy's Diner shopkeeper | Greasy's Diner waitress | Hank's son | Hank's wife | Log Land girl | Mattress King | Mecc children | Meredith's crush | Mummy Kid | Pacifica's Friends | Pizza Guy | Pool Jail kid | Pop Pop | Principal of Glass Shard Beach High School | Prison Counselor | Reggie's fiancƩe | Soos' cousins | Soldier Kid | Summerween Superstore worker | TV Reporter Lady | Unnamed bald biker | Unnamed bearded fisherman | Unnamed beautiful woman | Unnamed big-chinned man | Unnamed big-nosed man | Unnamed biker | Unnamed blonde boy in teal | Unnamed blonde girl with pink bow | Unnamed blonde man in pink | Unnamed blonde woman in blue | Unnamed blue sweatshirt woman | Unnamed bouncer | Unnamed boy in blue | Unnamed boy in green | Unnamed boy in teal | Unnamed brown cap boy | Unnamed brown vest fisherman | Unnamed buck-toothed fisherman | Unnamed buck-toothed girl | Unnamed cat lady | Unnamed chubby man in black | Unnamed chubby boy in blue | Unnamed workman | Unnamed cook | Unnamed doctor | Unnamed elderly man | Unnamed fanny pack man | Unnamed fanny pack woman | Unnamed fisherman with glasses | Unnamed football players | Unnamed girl in blue | Unnamed girl in light blue dress | Unnamed girl in pink | Unnamed girl with a ponytail in pink | Unnamed girl with a ponytail in purple | Unnamed girl with glasses | Unnamed girl with purple sweater | Unnamed goth | Unnamed gray mustache man | Unnamed hiker | Unnamed hillbilly | Unnamed lawyer | Unnamed librarian | Unnamed "Lil' Stanley" fan | Unnamed lumberjack | Unnamed mailman | Unnamed man in black | Unnamed man in blue | Unnamed man in blue shirt | Unnamed man in blue vest | Unnamed man in brown | Unnamed man in cat sweater | Unnamed man in green | Unnamed man in pink | Unnamed man in red | Unnamed man in white | Unnamed miner | Unnamed mother and baby | Unnamed mustache man in red | Unnamed news anchor | Unnamed Northwest butler | Unnamed old man with a white visor | Unnamed old woman in pink | Unnamed old woman in purple | Unnamed pigtailed girl | Unnamed pointed nosed woman | Unnamed propeller cap boy | Unnamed puffy haired boy | Unnamed purple cap boy | Unnamed red cap man | Unnamed red vested woman | Unnamed rich man | Unnamed rich son | Unnamed scout lady | Unnamed singing hippie | Unnamed soul patch man in blue | Unnamed soul patch man in green | Unnamed sweaty man | Unnamed taxi driver | Unnamed ticket seller | Unnamed traveler | Unnamed turtle guy | Unnamed veteran | Unnamed woman in blue | Unnamed woman in blue overalls | Unnamed woman in green | Unnamed woman in orange | Unnamed woman in overalls | Unnamed woman in purple | Unnamed woman in teal | Unnamed woman in yellow | Unnamed workman | Upside-Down Town boss | Woodpecker guy
Groups Discount Auto Mart Warriors | Football players | Globnar Tributes | Tourists | Pioneers | Real people | Unseen characters | Alternate Universe Versions of Mabel
Animals Cheekums | Donald, Sandy, and Mr. Cat Face | Gompers | List of animals | Northwests' dog | Waddles
Creatures
Species and groups Arachnimorphs | Creatures of Weirdmageddon | Cursed Egyptian super termites | Dinosaurs | Dipper clones | Disembodied hands | Eye-Bats | Fairies | Floating Eyeballs | Flying skulls | Geodites | Ghosts | Giant Vampire Bats | Gnomes | Leprecorns | Lilliputtians | List of creatures | Little green men | Mabeland inhabitants | Manotaurs | Merpeople | Pan-dimensional beings | Plaidypuses | Snadger | The Undead | Unicorns | Wax figures
Resident creatures Archibald Corduroy | Baby pterodactyl | Bat Boy | Big Henry | Bigfoot | Candy monster | Celestabellebethabelle | Chutzpar | Cooler monster | Cycloptopus | Franz | Giant eyeball | .GIFfany | Gobblewonker | Gremloblin | Gremularth | Hide Behind | Island Head Beast | Leaderaur | Lilliputtian head knight | Lilliputtian pirate captain | Limby Jimmy | Ma and Pa Duskerton | Mr. What's-His-Face | Multi-Bear | Octavia | Paper Jam Dipper | Polly | Pterodactyl | Rumble McSkirmish | Sev'ral Timez | Shape Shifter | Sister Mary Hilda Miley | Summerween Trickster | Tentacle Monster | Thing 26 | Tracey and Quattro | Tyrone
Non-resident creatures Axolotl | Chamelius Pendraggin | Darlene | Kraken | Love God | Mermando | The Oracle | Purple Spy | Queen of the Manatees | Sarcasti-Pup | Space lizard
Fantasy creatures Aoshima | British dog man | Centaurtaur | Clay monsters | Dippy Fresh | Ernesto | Flavor Pups | Footbot | Griffin | Hand Witch | Hot Elf | Impossibeast | Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein | Ogres | Probabilitor the Annoying | Shimmery Twinkleheart | Stuffed Animal Tree | Waffle Guards | Xyler and Craz
Creatures from the future Cyclocks | Time Baby
Creatures from the Nightmare Realm 8 Ball | Amorphous Shape | Bill Cipher | Creature with 88 different faces | C-3-lhu | Giant Ear | Hand Monstrosity | Hectorgon | The Horrifying Sweaty One-Armed Monstrosity | Keyhole | Kryptos | Lava Lamp Guy | Paci-Fire | Purple spider with arms in his mouth | Pyronica | Teeth | Zanthar
Sentient objects Cursed Doors | Mailbox | Tumbleweed Terror