Gravity Falls Crew AMA's

Alex Hirsch's Reddit AMA proof photo

Over the course of Gravity Falls' run, members of the production crew held Ask Me Anything events on Reddit where they would answer questions fans had for them. Many of the things asked would go on to happen in the series while other information has since become outdated.

Michael Rianda AMA (creative director/writer)

The first crew AMA occurred on September 17, 2012 when series director Michael Rianda went on the Gravity Falls Sub Reddit and answered questions fan had.

"Hey r/gravityfalls! My cartoon ("work") recently got on the front page of reddit somehow and a few people seemed interested in me doing an AMA. I'm in! Let's do this thing! Ever wonder about those weird hairs on Grunkle Stan's shoulders? Wanna know that one goat's name? Wanna know horrifying personal details about Alex Hirsch? I got answers! EDIT: I'll finish answering these tommorow. Thanks for all the questions and Gravity Falls love! It's appreciated."

Notable questions/answers

• Q: What do you most regret not being able to put into the show because of Disney censors?
  • A: Ok... I'll give up the goods. Even though it's not as exciting as you might hope. The most irritating thing is that we can't make any references to real people, products, politics, or religion. (Unless, like Larry King, they give us the rights to their likeness and name) I'd love to make real pop culture references every once in a while, but we're not allowed to, legally. Here's some cut jokes to give you an idea of what does and doesn't make it into the show: Here's some cut stuff:
    1. In Legend of the Gobblewonker. Manly Dan was supposed to pick the fish up and punch it right in the face. Then stick it in front of his son and demand that now his son "Humiliate the fish!" This run also involves him screaming into the heavens and calling mother nature a "SHAMEFUL WENCH!" Disney objected to the word wench, a fish getting punched in the face and they also added in their S and P note: "In addition, we didn't find humiliating the fish to be funny." In the actual episode most of that was cut for time or because it was slowing the show down. Punching the fish in the face made it in the show, but if you watch the episode he is doing it offscreen in his boat. This is the type of compromise that we often make with the censors where we can keep something, but we just have to lessen it.
    2. When Mabel crossed out "You stink!" and wrote "You look nice today!" it was originally "You suck!" Again, toning something down by degrees.
    3. In a future episode we just got back from Korea, Stan is trying to distract Gideon with the reflection from his watch... and because we were punchy and it was like 3am, before it shipped to Korea, we snuck in Stan laughing maniacally while he is getting the reflection in Gideon's eyes and crazily saying "YES! YES! BLIND THE CHILD!" It's totally hilarious in the context of a kids cartoon, but Disney obviously was not cool with this, so we cut it. The other type of censoring is self censoring, where me and Alex have been up for like 40 hours and it's 4am and we're trying to fix a script, and we just randomly add insane jokes we could never get away with to make eachother laugh. These are never intended to be kept in the show, but sometimes they make it into a script, even though we know we'll eventually have to cut them.
• Q: How many studios did you have to pitch Gravity Falls to, before it was accepted by Disney?
  • A: How many networks did he have to pitch Gravity Falls to before Disney bought it? Zero baby! Disney was the first place he pitched it. That's not at all typical, it usually takes a long time to get a show made, but Disney at the time was looking for a new direction, and they liked the idea of the show a lot and liked Alex's student work. I wasn't working on the show when he sold it, but here's how it went down to the best of my understanding: Alex was working on Flapjack at Cartoon Network, and an exec at Disney liked his student films and wanted him to pitch ideas. Alex pitched a few ideas (including one about futuristic time traveling laser dolphins that was quickly rejected), Disney liked his idea about these two twins that live in a tourist trap with their con artist great uncle, and they said: Let's do it! But first you wanna help develop this show called Fish Hooks, Alex helped develop that and directed the pilot (I'm not sure if the pilot ever aired or not), and then afterwards started working on Gravity Falls. In answer to my own question: Stan's curlicue shoulder hair is just gross old man hair. The goat is named Gompers. Named after English Labor Union leader Samuel Gompers. Alex Hirsch's only secret is that he will not leave his office without the company of his miniature donkey whom he calls "The Chairman of the Board." Whenever Alex is asked to approve a storyboard or design, he consults with the donkey, if the donkey brays twice, the design is approved, but if the donkey brays only once, the artist is put to death. Just kidding. Alex is pretty normal.

• Q: I simply must ask about Waddles! Were there ever any other names on the drawing board for him or was that name always in mind for everybody's favourite pig?
  • A: Waddles actually was the only name for the pig we ever came up with. Aury Wallington one of our writers, named it after her own pet pigs growing up. Notice I say pet pigs, plural. She would raise a pig for 4H every year, and every year she would name the pig Waddles. She would raise, love, and care for it for months, then her family would cook and eat Waddles. The next year she would get another pig for 4H, name it waddles, kill and eat it, and so on, year after year. Horrifying but true!

• Q: Will we see more of Genda and Candy?
  • A: Yes! Soon! They're in the upcoming Halloween special. They make pretty regular appearances throughout the rest of the season.
• Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how much direction does the remainder of this season and potential future seasons have? 1 = totally winging it week to week 10 = every detail is in the works already, we know what's happening and when. Also, thank you so much for making a show so clever I can really sit and enjoy it with my sons.
  • A: We have the overall structure figured out, and a lot of key moments. But especially this season, the episodes are pretty stand-alone-y, while trying to maintain a sense of continuity. It all ramps up at the end of the season. And if all goes according to plan, will be much more prevalent in season 2. I'd say 5? That's great about your sons! I love to hear families watching it together.

Alex Hirsch AMA (show creator)

Shortly after the end of season 1, series creator Alex Hirsch held a Reddit AMA where he answered questions fans had and shared information regarding the future of the series.

"Hey Redditors. Redditeers? Redditarians? I'm Alex Hirsch, creator/mayor of Gravity Falls. Every day I get tweets, physical letters, and rocks thrown through my window with questions written on them by fans. The most common question I get is "Are you Mr. Tumnus, the goat-man from the Narnia movies? Can you let me into the snowy wonderland that lies beyond your enchanted wardrobe?" The answer to this question, and many more, lie right at your fingertips for the next TWO HOURS! Ask me anything your heart pleases, no matter how strange! A few TIPS BE SPECIFIC! THE MORE SPECIFIC the question, the MORE LIKELY it is I'll write back! Try to BE ORIGINAL! I've done like a zillion interviews already, so stuff like "where did you get the idea for the show?" will make me fall asleep on my keyboard, and the answer will be "nnnxxxfffffffffff" BE SHORT! The shorter it is, the easier it'll be to read! I'm 100% more likely to answer your question if you only ask ONE SPOILER QUESTIONS will either be ignored or responded to with an image of an axlotl, the albino frilled Mexican salamander. PROOF ITS ME: http://i.imgur.com/JnngQrx.png DISCLAIMER: The opinions, statements, and misspellings contained herein reflect my opinions and not the opinions of the Disney Channel or any one of the individual Jonas Brothers. I will PROBABLY SWEAR because I am a human adult. UPDATE: HOLY HELL there's a lot more questions than I expected! Be patient guys, this will take a while! UPDATE UPDATE: SWEET FANCY MOLASSES guys. We're at 1,000 questions and I gotta get back to working on a script for Season 2. Spoiler Alert! It involves Bill. Thanks for all your questions. You guys are totally amazing. If I have some time this weekend maybe I'll answer a few more. Thanks!"

Notable questions/answers

• Q: Can you give us a time frame of when Season 2 will premiere? Or, failing that, can you tell us how much progress has been made on Season 2?
  • A: 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.
• Q: Is searchfortheblindeye.com a legitimate site?
  • A: Dude! I just saw that site recently and its pretty cool. It's definitely not affiliated with Disney, I can tell you that, but Im just as curious as anyone what "October 1st" means. I'm hoping it will involve lots of animated GIFs of cats.
• Q: If Robbie is a special blend of many hipster douchebags, then what is Lil Gideon?
  • A: A blend of many different marshmallow Peeps.
• Q: If you could hang out with ANY character from the show, who would it be and why?
  • A: Bill. I'd have some questions.
• Q: What are some of jokes and stories you really wanted in gravity falls but weren't allowed to include?
  • A: Oh man, we have TONS of jokes and ideas that are either too dumb (we censor ourselves) or too awesome (we get censored by the channel) to make to TV. One gag I always wanted was this one episode where Dipper is eating a box of pentagram shaped graham crackers called "PENTA-GRAHAMS" with a little cartoon Satan saying "Don't Sacrifice Flavor!TM" I guess the S&P department thought people would be freaked out by seeing Satan on their TV. The jokes on them though, because Satan is imaginary and morality is relative! sound of a Casio Keyboard going Ta-daa!
• Q: What is Robbie's last name?
  • A: It starts with a V. Beyond that you'll have to wait and see?
• Q: Are any of Mabel's sweaters based on actual sweaters your sister wore?
  • A: Indeed! Pester my sister on her TUMBLR and perhaps she'll show you.
• Q: Will the third wheel character be loud, angry, and have access to a time machine?
  • A: Whats a "third wheel character?"
• Q: Is Wendy's mom alive, or is she the only girl in a house full of boys?
  • A: Alas Wendy's mom is no longer with her.
• Q: What's your favorite David Lynch movie, and will it be referenced in a future episode of 'Gravity Falls'?
  • A: Mulholland Drive cracks me up with its insane-ness. I doubt there will be a psychosexual lesbian lucid nightmare Gravity Falls episode though!
• Q: Is there an official layout of Gravity Falls, Oregon? Or is the town in a constant state of flux, a la Springfield, USA in "The Simpsons"?
  • A: 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.
• Q: Any chance of a ducktective spinoff?
  • A: Better Call Saul!
• Q: Is there any chance at all we might get the Labryinth episode Disney thought kids wouldn't get, in season 2 because that sounds awesome?
  • A: Probbbably not. Not sure that joke could sustain 21 minutes.
• Q: Names for the Lookalike Pines. We need them for... literary reasons.
  • A: Shmipper and Smabble. Enjoy.
• Q: How does Gideon get his skin so smooth?
  • A: By stealing Wendy's moisturizer.
• Q: I read that the teens would get more screentime in season 2 because of their positive reception by fans. Are there any other characters who are getting this treatment?
  • A: All of em.
• Q: Is there a character you didn't expect to become popular who did? Or vice versa?
  • A: 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.
• Q: What is the inspiration for Bud Gleeful?
  • A: 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.
• Q: I am curious to how long the show spans. Are the events Gravity Falls (aside from time travel, flash backs, etc.) all set during a single summer? Hopefully this doesn't count as a spoiler, but will we ever see Dipper and Mabel return south for the winter?
  • A: The show is meant to take place over the course of one totally insane summer. I know that my summers as a kid FELT endless, so the "length" of the summer in Gravity Falls is more emotional than logical. Assuming they dont get eaten, pulverized, shrunk, cast into another dimension, blinked out of existence by a time anomaly, turned to stone, or trapped in a painting, the kids will be returning home at the end of the series. That being said, we may get to see hints of their non-summer life in flashbacks in the upcoming season
• Q: Is there anything, looking back, that you regret about how season one went, that you would change if you could?
  • A: Oh man tons and tons of things. I would have done more mystery episodes for starters. And I would have spaced out the Wendy/Dipper stories a bit more, and probably done one or two less of them. The thing about TV is you have to work FAST. You dont have time to go back and change things even if you want to. This is exhilarating and fun, but it can also be maddening.
• Q: Alex, you rock you do but can I know WHY IS STAN SO EFFING CONFIDENT TO WALK AROUND IN HIS BOXERS?
  • A: Stan's an old man, and when you're old you've earned the right to basically do whatever you want. This is why Joe Biden is allowed to spill applesauce on his shirt on TV and we find it adorable!
• Q: Why you ackin' so cray cray?
  • A: Haha. Thank you! I love that people are into that joke! That was originally an inside joke between me and my friends. I would tell people "Did you hear about Raven Simone's new show, Why You Ackin So Cray Cray?" and literally everyone I told actually believed that was a real show. Why are YOU ackin cray cray, ManicTheNobody?
• Q: How hard is it to include the secret little ciphers into the show?
  • A: Not hard at all! It something I always wanted to do if I had a show, and I'm lucky Disney lets me. I write all of them myself, usually minutes before we actually lock picture on the show. FUN TRIVIA! The original cipher at the end of Dreamscaperers was "Next Weelk: Xyler and Craz's Bodexcellent Radventure"
• Q: I know he's their great uncle and all, but what made Dipper and Mabel's parents send their kids to live with a wanted criminal?
  • A: Dipper & Mabel's parents dont know Stan as well as they think they do
• Q: Do you have any future infomercial ideas for Bobby Renzobbi such as the Ceiling Fan Pants? I really wanna know.
  • A: Bobby Renzobbi once sold a really cheap tennis racket called "WHAT A RACKET!" which had overly tight strings that popped and blinded a few people resulting in lawsuits. He is always days away from prison

“10 commandments” of how Dipper and Mabel act around each other

In an interview with AV Club in 2012, Alex Hirsch stated he had a "10Commandments" list on how Dipper and Mabel are to be written for his crew to follow. He revealed them as part of the AMA.

Q: One of the best things about Gravity Falls is the sibling relationship between Dipper and Mabel, and how it's more than just "sibling rivalry" for the sake of plot. You mentioned in an AVClub interview, "when I started working with writers, when I started having to pitch the show, and everyone guessed the tone wrong and assumed they’d be hating on each other, I had to come up with a “10 commandments” of how Dipper and Mabel act around each other." Do you have that "10 commandments" list written up, and can we see it? Thanks!

A: Haha yeah! I usually do a pass on Dipper/Mabels dialogue to try to make sure they feel like the characters I know for the most part. I never actually wrote out 10 actual commandments, but here's a few rules I find myself going back to with the writers:

1. The kids LIKE each other. No matter how much they get on each other's nerves, this never changes.
2. Mabel's not stupid. She's a ham! There's a big difference. Mabel's love of goofing off is a natural force of her personality, but she can still understand when people she cares about need help or are in danger. Don't just make her a catchphrase machine. She really cares about the people around her. (Secret: Mabel's secretly jealous that her brothers better academically than she is)
3. Dipper's smart but he's not a "WALKING CALCULATOR" There's a lot of kids shows featuring a character who is "the brains." You know the guy. Thick glasses, nasal voice, often starts every sentence with "According to my calculations!! SNORT!" Pretty much every kids show stereotype can be traced back to the BK Kids club. This one would be IQ. The point is, Dipper is better academically than Mabel, but he's also able to laugh at himself. He's a real kid. He has insecurities. He has things that he loves. I try not to pigeonhole these characters into "ONE TYPE" They lose their humanity if you do that. (Secret: Dipper's secretly jealous that Mabel's better socially than he is).
4. They've known each other forever. They should occasionally finish each other sentences, they should recognize when one of them is about to do something they always do, they should reference past inside jokes, they should get instantly angry at each other and then instantly make up, the way people who've known each other forever do.
5. They get more close in unfamiliar situations (because they need each other) and less close in familiar situations (because they dont as much) The entire summer is an unfamiliar situation, and its helping them bond.
6. Dipper wants to grow up too fast. Mabel doesn't.

Jason Ritter AMA proof image

Jason Ritter (voice of Dipper)

On May 23, 2014, Jason Ritter did an AMA as part of one done with the cast of a show he worked on. While it wasn't Gravity Falls specific, Jason was asked some questions about the show.

"We’re the cast and crew behind the new comedy THE BIG ASK, available now on VOD and iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/the-big-ask/id860399158 Los Angelenos, come hang out with us at the Laemmle NoHo 7 next Friday (5/30) for a Q&A following the 7:50pm show! Get your tickets here: http://www.laemmle.com/films/38250 Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdiS3U5IelA Ask us anything! Proof: https://twitter.com/thomas_beatty/status/469848908772827136"

Series specific questions/answers

• Q: How much fun did you have doing animation on Gravity Falls and when will us, as fans see more new episodes of that show? I really enjoyed you on Parenthood and the underrated 2006 CBS sitcom, The Class.
  • A: I have so much fun on Gravity Falls! New episodes start airing this summer, and I'm very excited to share them with the world. Lots of reveals!
• Q: So Jason, do you wear that Dipper hat everywhere???
  • A: I wear it a lot of places. More than I probably should. But I love it, what am I supposed to do???

Bill Cipher AMA (omniscient being)

Possibly the most well known of all the crew AMA's, on April 1, 2015, Alex Hirsch joined the Gravity Falls Reddit and held an AMA as Bill Cipher. Following a series of ominous tweets, the AMA began and saw Bill being asked various questions and answering them in unusual ways.

"ALRIGHT KIDS TAPE YOUR EYEBALLS OPEN and light SOMETHING ON FIRE because for the first time in 1,000 years you're about to get a GLIMPSE BEHIND THE GREY CURTAIN OF REALITY into the KALEIDOSCOPIC ANARCHY THAT LIES BEYOND! HISTORY'S GREATEST SAGES would TRADE THEIR BLOOD AND LIVESTOCK for an opportunity to SEEK MY UNHOLY KNOWLEDGE but instead I'M GIVING IT TO YOU- THE EAGER, PASTY, ANTISOCIAL TROLLS OF THE INTERNET! WHY? FOR THE SAME REASON PROMETHEUS GAVE MAN FIRE- TO WATCH HIM BURN! FOR the next 60 MINUTES you can GRASP the UNKNOWABLE with your CHUBBY LITTLE HUMAN FINGERS and ask me ANYTHING YOUR SICK MIND DESIRES! YES, even YOU Chris! ANYONE WHO PHOTOGRAPHS THEMSELVES WEARING A TIN FOIL HAT WILL BE ANSWERED FIRST! I WILL TAKE OFFERINGS IN THE FORM OF BENT FORKS, DEFACED DOLLAR BILLS, OR RECORDED SCREAMS! PROOF ITS ME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6sFP_7Vezg MY FAVORITE SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rzIiF7LpPU L'OO EH KRQHVW, L OLHG: kwws://l.lpjxu.frp/ovHupYI.sqj UPDATE WELL IT LOOKS LIKE THE KIDS REM CYCLE IS ABOUT TO END, SO I SHOULD MAKE LIKE A PINE TREE AND BURN TO THE GROUND! HEADS UP- BIG THINGS ARE COMING. IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY WHEN IT ALL GOES DOWN, DRAW AN IMAGE OF ME IN A PUBLIC PLACE AND ILL REPAY YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE! I CAN ALWAYS USE MORE MINIONS. AND REMEMBER! REALITY IS AN ILLUSION THE UNIVERSE IS A HOLOGRAM BY GOLD BYEEE!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6KbEnGnymk"

Notable questions/answers

• Q: Any family?
  • A: NOT ANYMORE
• Q: What’s your opinion on Gompers?
  • A: I LIKE HIM BETTER THIS WAY
• Q: What do you think about Stan Pine’s brother?
  • A: WHICH ONE?
• Q: Do you think Wendy’s kind of icy?
  • A: WENDY'S A PUSHOVER
• Q: What’s your opinion on the tapestry hanging in the Northwest's mansion? You know, the one with you and the bowing?
  • A: IT CAME OUT PRETTY NICE, DONT YOU THINK?! THE NATIVE PEOPLE OF GRAVITY FALLS REALLY HAD A FLARE FOR CAPTURING MY TRUE ESSENCE. ALTHOUGH THEIR TIMING ON PROPHECIES LEFT SOMETHING TO BE DESIRED! GOTTA HAND IT TO THAT SHAMAN THOUGH, HE WAS A REAL FUN GUY TO TALK TO, EVEN IF HE TURNED OUT TO BE LESS COOPERATIVE THAN I HOPED. HEY, THERE'S ALWAYS THE NEXT GENERATION...
• Q: What does Stan’s Tattoo mean to you?
  • A: STANS TATTOO MEANS WATCH YOUR STEP!
• Q: Do dream catchers affect you in any way?
  • A: THEY TICKLE!
• Q: Bill, if you are in fact possessing Alex, and you need to cut a deal– what is Alex getting out of the deal?
  • A: DREAMS THAT LOOK LIKE THIS! https://youtu.be/vKBRyNNW3u0
• Q: Why should we buy gold?
  • A: YOU SHOULDN’T. EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD.
• Q: Puma shirt or panther shirt?
  • A: THE ERADICATION OF ALL OXYGEN ON THE PLANET LEADING TO GLOBAL ASPHYXIATION!
• Q: So. Bill. We all know pain is hilarious, but what is the MOST hilarious kind of pain?
  • A: YOURS
• Q: So what's in Dipper's internet history anyway?
  • A: A LOT OF PICTURES OF REDHEADS!
• Q: Do you think I’m Dipper? Because I’m totally a random stranger. I’M NOT DIPPER, I REPEAT, I’M NOT DIPPER.
  • A: OF COURSE YOU AREN'T! WE'VE NEVER MET! I'VE NEVER ENJOYED YOUR SUFFERING! AND I SURE WOULDN'T ENJOY WATCHING YOU PUT JALAPENO PEPPERS IN A BLENDER AND POURING THE RESULTING CONCOCTION DIRECTLY INTO YOUR EYES!
• Q: Are you actually equilateral, or is one of your sides just a teensy bit longer than the other two?
  • A: THAT'S A SICK QUESTION YOU PERVERT
• Q: Tell us a joke.
  • A: FREE WILL IS REAL!
• Q: Why do dudes have nipples?
  • A: BECAUSE HUMANS ARE DESIGNED BY A BLIND AND IDIOTIC UNCARING CHAOS!
• Q: Can I hug you?
  • A: ONLY IF YOU CAN FIND ME! 25.0000° N, 71.0000° W
• Q: WHY DO YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPS?
  • A: I THINK IN ALL CAPS
• Q: Hi, Mr. Cipher! I'm a huge fan! I was wondering, what do you do to unwind? Any hobbies? :)
  • A: PLANTING PREDICTIVE PROGRAMMING OF FALSE FLAG ATTACKS IN MEDIA! ASK JOHN THE WITNESS! HE TAKES ALL MY CALLS!
• Q: What do you even do when we don't see you on the show?
  • A: JUST BECAUSE YOU AREN'T SEEING ME DOESN’T MEAN I CAN'T SEE YOU.
• Q: Will I be seeing you in my dreams tonight?
  • A: LONELY DAYS ARE LONG TWILIGHT SINGS A SONG ALL THE HAPPINESS THAT USED TO BE
• Q: Which of the 7 deadly sins is your favorite?
  • A: DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE BETWEEN MY BABIES!!
• Q: All right. What is the purpose of life for us mortals?
  • A: PROCREATION OBVIOUSLY! WHAT A SICK, SAD, LIMITED MANDATE! BLAME NATURAL SELECTION PAL! THE PURPOSE OF THE POODLE'S LIFE IS UP TO THE BREEDER! AND IN YOUR CASE DARWIN'S THE ONE BREEDING!

Kristen Schaal AMA proof image

Kristen Schaal (voice of Mabel)

On April 17, 2015, Kristen Schaal did an AMA on the general AMA Reddit sub and answered questions regarding various shows she worked on, including Gravity Falls.

"Hi! I’m Kristen Schaal. I play Carol on THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (an all-new episode airs this Sunday at 9:30/8:30c on Fox!). You can also hear me as the voice of Louise Belcher on BOB’S BURGERS and you can catch a new episode on Sunday, April 26th at 7:30/6:30c on Fox. Victoria's helping me get started, Ask Me Anything! Proof: http://imgur.com/48g4L92"

Series specific questions/answers

• Q: Does your own opinion of stickers more closely align with that of Louise Belcher, or that of Mabel Pines?
  • A: Definitely with Mabel!
• Q: What character you portray do you most associate with?
  • A: I really am a lot like Mabel. But heck, I got Louise in me too. I'm a split of both.
• Q: You voice pretty much my favorite characters from two of my current favorite shows, Mabel on Gravity Falls, and Louise on Bob's Burgers. What I've found so interesting about your playing those characters is just how different they are, Mabel embracing things that are considered to be more "girly" while Louise pushes them away with extreme prejudice. In many ways, Mabel seems like one of the girls that Louise would have wanted to kick out of her house in the slumber party episode of Bob's Burgers. Do you find either role more rewarding, or connect to one better? Also, preferred fictional boy band, Boyz 4 Now or Several Timez?
  • A: Boyz 4 Now for obvious reasons. I love both roles, and I do believe that Mabel has too much charisma for Louise to walk away from. I think they'd be buds.
• Q: What was the funniest blooper, or funniest story or experience working on Gravity Falls?
  • A: Alex Hirsch probably has more fun bloopers to share than me! I think just voicing all of Mabel's goofy adventures is my funnest story!
• Q: How is it like to work with Alex Hirsch?
  • A: Alex is a lot of fun and he is really zeroed in on the specifics of what he wants. So I always feel like I'm in good hands.
• Q: Do you do anything different when acting as the voiced of Louise on Bob's Burgers then Mabel on Gravity Falls? I don't think of any similarities, in voice, when watching those shows.
  • A: I get warmer as Mabel and cooler as Louise.

Matt Braly AMA announcement art

Matt Braly AMA (director/storyboard artist)

On June 20, 2015, Matt Braly did his own AMA and answered fan questions.

"Greetings from Gravity Falls friends! I'm Matt Braly, Storyboard Artist and Director on Gravity Falls. If I had to describe my GF experience I would say it was extensive. I started as a wee board artist on Season 1 and since then have done everything from character designs, directing, editorial, late night story breaking sessions with Alex, and have generally been living, breathing, and swimming in the characters/world for a good 4 years now. The scent of the Mystery Shack lingers on my very being and will NOT WASH OUT. I want to do this AMA primarily as a way to connect with fans and deliver insight on what it's like to work on the show. But first, some notes: I would love for this to focus on the craft of making the show. GET SPECIFIC. Was there a scene you loved? A character design? A bit of comedic timing? There is a story behind any single moment on the show and I would love to share it! Keep your questions short and to the point, that way I can answer a whole lot of them! Feel free to ask lore questions, just know that I am not Alex. Any answers given will be my own point of view and NOT a confirmation of any kind of official canon. Don't limit yourself to questions about episodes I've directed. I have had the good fortune to be involved in some shape or form with almost every episode. Lastly, the views expressed here are my own and do not represent/reflect Disney, Mickey, Donald, or Tadashi. Lastly, I just want to say that we adore you guys. Truly. There is nothing quite like having a fanbase that is as cool and devoted as this one. Thanks for watching, and have at it! EDIT: GUYS THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL QUESTIONS. I'M GOING TO LEAVE THIS THING OPEN FOR A FEW HOURS AND WILL BE ANSWERING Q's THROUGH THE DAY. PLEASE TRY TO REFRAIN FROM QUESTIONS THAT HAVE LIKE 6 PARTS HAHA EDIT 2: OK FRIENDS I'M SPENT! THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING QUESTIONS AND FOR WATCHING THE SHOW. FEEL FREE TO ADD MORE QUESTIONS AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER THEM LATER. BE WELL!"

Notable questions/answers

• Q: I’d like to know about the discussion that goes into the way the individual characters move. I’m a big fan of all the body swap stuff in Carpet Diem and Sock Opera where, despite the designs staying largely the same, the identities of the characters are made clear through their distinct gestures. How much of that comes from the storyboard and how much is on the animator?
  • A: We killed ourselves in Carpet Diem trying to preserve the characters' personalities and individual movements even when they've swapped bodies. We even made a giant chart for that episode to help the board artists remember who was who so that they got their acting right! Dipper in Sock Opera was handled by Chris Houghton and Alex. The best touch was how he would run with his arms at right angles just like Bill.
• Q: I have a few questions! Feel free to answer as many as you want! Okay:

1. Do you animate first then add the voice overs? Or vise versa?
2. How long does it take to animate an episode (roughly)?
3. How do the colors of the backgrounds relate to the emotions that are happening in the episode?
4. Which episode was the most difficult to animate?
5. How many people work on the animation portion of the show? (Make sure they know their fans appreciate each and every one of them ☺️)
6. Who designs each of Mabel's sweaters and how do they decide the design?
7. Is the show hand drawn scene by scene? Or does a computer do the animation process?
8. Season 2 has a lot more details throughout the background images of each episode. Did taking that trip throughout the Oregon tourist traps help you become more detailed in the flora and fauna of Oregon?

• A:
  1. - Voice overs are done first, then animated. But there is some dialogue recorded afterwards. In those cases the actors have to match their voice up to the finished animation much like how they dub anime.
  2. - the animation part takes about 6 months after we sent it to Korea.
  3. - Good question. To answer honestly I would need to ask our art director, Ian Worrel. Broadly I can say that when the characters' emotions are intense, the lighting and colors will be intense as well.
  4. we had the most trouble getting good animation from the pterodactyl in Land Before Swine.
  5. - I honestly don't know. I will let them know you appreciate their work though for sure.
  6. - We design a new sweater per episode. I have designed a few myself. We usually throw a bunch of ideas/designs in front of Alex and he picks the one he likes.
  7. - It's all hand drawn baby. Some stuff like vehicles are computer generated models though.
  8. - YES! That trip was extremely eye opening. Ian came back from the trip completely amped about really capturing the feel of Oregon.
• Q: Did you run into any issues directing the episode “Soos and the Real Girl” and how was the episode received?
  • A: Soos & the Real girl was one of the crew's favorite episodes and it was shocking to read the criticism it received with regards to Giffany's character. Looking back, we tried to justify killing her by making her more of a monster but ultimately she always looked like this sweet little girl. I think that if we had to do things differently we would have given more screen time to explore her motivations and probably wouldn't have killed her. Although to be fair, maybe she's still alive!
• Q: What's studio life like? I'm on the way to a job in animation myself, I'd love to know a bit more about what my daily job might be. What sort of hours, how close you work with the team, how much is done via pencil and what the technical setup for audio and such is like? It's a bit of a long question so even a little bit might be cool to know and prep me for the future, thanks a ton!! Also, that shot in Sock Opera where Bipper is on the catwalk pulling the cake up blows me away every time, it's so well done. OH! And are Dipper clones 3 & 4 still alive, confirm/deny because this is a vitally important question.
  • A: Okay, I'm going to give you a piece of advice that every young new animator ignores but here it goes anyway : try to have a normal life alongside your career. It's too easy and too tempting to get completely sucked into all nighters and free overtime when more often than not, your stuff is going to be changed/cut for reasons you never could have predicted. Be healthy, it's important. I agree with that shot in Sock Opera, Chris Houghton drew it and I actually cheered when it was pitched to the team. I can't comment on clones 3 + 4 but definitely don't write them off.
• Q: Did you run into any issues directing the episode “Soos and the Real Girl” and how was the episode received?
  • A: Soos & the Real girl was one of the crew's favorite episodes and it was shocking to read the criticism it received with regards to Giffany's character. Looking back, we tried to justify killing her by making her more of a monster but ultimately she always looked like this sweet little girl. I think that if we had to do things differently we would have given more screen time to explore her motivations and probably wouldn't have killed her. Although to be fair, maybe she's still alive!
• Q: Where did the idea of Dipper and Pacifica suddenly forming a friendship came from?
  • A: This is an amazing question. The friendship between these two comes from the fact that Dipper has always disliked her. As such, for once in his life he doesn't care how he acts around her and is refreshingly bold and candid. The resulting chemistry when you force them together was something of a successful mad scientist's experiment.
• Q: Who's the monster that thought up the scene (death of Big Henry from The Golf War)? What was the team's response to it? ARE YOU GUYS PROUD OF BREAKING OHR HEARTS?! Thank you for doing this AMA!
  • A: That was 100% me. Big Henry wasn't in the script and Golf War's funniest joke used to be in Act 1. The result was that I really felt like we needed one more killer joke for act 2 and hence Big Henry, hero of heroes, was born.
• Q: When storyboarding the show, is there usually a specific guideline? Does Alex give you a scene and ask you to play around with it and come up with your own ideas?
  • A: It's very case to case. Sometimes we get a script that is VERY clear and figured out. Sometimes we get a script that literally says "There's a chase here, have fun." Alex almost always gives us a direction to go in at the top though.
• Q: Hey Mr. Matt Braly! I'm a great fan of all of your work in Gravity Falls! I have some questions I would love you answered: 1. Which is your favorite episode and season? 2. Who is your favorite villain? 3. What is your favorite part of working on Gravity Falls? 💕Thanks for answering! I appreciate it! 💕
  • A: My favorite episode from S1 is The Inconveniencing From S2 is Not what he Seems. My favorite villain was the Summerween Trickster. My favorite part of working on the show is learning from the crew and the audience about making better stuff.
• Q: How did the "son of a-" joke in Not What He Seems ever make it past the censors, and how did it come about in the first place? That's probably my favorite joke the show has ever done.
  • A: To my knowledge that joke was never an issue! If it was though, I can assure you Alex fought tooth and nail for it. The e-mails between him and the standards department are premium entertainment.
• Q: Was there anything that you worked on that you really wanted to get in, but got cut?
  • A: YES ABSOLUTELY. In carpet diem there was this dream sequence after Dipper swaps bodies with Waddles where MABEL imagines the adventures they will have. There was a pirate ship and lizard men.
• Q: Glory to people who make AMA when European fans aren't sleeping! Thanks for AMA, buy gold, bye!
  1. What do you think about fanarts? Have you ever had feeling that some artwork is much better than original one?
  2. If answer for question #1 was yes, who would you ask to help with GF animation?
  3. How long does it take to make, for example, 2 seconds of animation? (full time, from sketching to final effect)
  4. Which scene are you most proud of? (I personally love that part of NWHS when everything starts to levitate just after portal opening)
  5. Can you tell us when will be s2e13 aired?
  6. How did GF crew spent 6/18?
  7. Is Bill watching me?
• A:
  1. We love fanart! And YES! Sometimes (often) the fanart is way better than anything we could ever do.
  2. Yep. We do get outside help actually for a number of key shots/scenes. James Baxter, Dana Terrace, and Paul Robertson are animators who have contributed already.
  3. All the animation is done overseas at Rough Draft Korea and Yearim. Can you tell who animated which episode?
  4. I agree with you. That scene is the best scene in the history of GF falls. I'm extremely proud of it even though I had nothing to do with it haha
  5. Not long after this upcoming one.
  6. Decorating Alex's office and getting ready for comic-con
  7. always
• Q: How was Blendin's Game originally gonna end?
  • A: The original script had the kids use the time wish to bring Soos's son from the future to meet his father and let him know that he grows up to be an amazing dad. It was very emotionally potent but we ultimately felt it came too far out of left field and robbed Soos of making a big choice for himself at the end.
• Q: I have a bunch of questions here. Hope you can spend your time answering me. Thanks so much for the AMA and wish you a nice day! 1/ How long does it take to finish an episode? 2/ How many episodes had you already done making before showing Gravity Falls for the first time? 3/ What's your favorite place in Gravity Falls? 4/ Why didn't you keep the joke about Bill Cipher's drawing on Dipper's hands in Sock Opera? I think it's hilarius! 5/ Who created the art style of the show? I love it. Simple but nice.
  • A: 1 - it takes about 6 weeks to board it, 2 weeks to make it into an animatic and then 6 months for it to get animated in Korea. 2 - I think at around the time it premiered we had about 5 or 6 ready to go. 3 - The Mystery Shack. 4 - That joke was from the first Bill intro scene in Dreamscaperers. We never tried bringing it back for Sock Opera though other elements from that scene did return. 5 - The art style is a combination of Joe Pitt, Phil Rynda, Ian Worrel, and obviously Alex. Glad you like it!
• Q: Do you work with the voice talent at all? What's it been like having Cave Johnson?
  • A: I've worked with the talent occasionally! I've gotten to be in the room with Kristen, Jason, Linda, and others. They're all super fun cool people. I was super nervous though my first time doing it.
• Q: Tell us about a monster/creature/mystery that you could see happening in Gravity Falls but wouldn't make it onto the show?
  • A: There are a number of great characters/monsters who never made the cut. There was a cut episode from season 1 where Stan took the kids camping only to be hunted by some crazy monster hunter guy. Another cut episode starred two annoying shining-esque blonde psychic twins.
• Q: Is there anything in Season 2 that you couldn't or was hard to get through the censors?
  • A: There always is. The funny thing is that you'd be amazed with what they're Ok and not Ok with. Characters not wearing a helmet on a bike? NOT OK. Characters being turned inside out? Eh.
• Q: what is the general favorite episode among the storyboard artists/writers, compared to yours?
  • A: When Into the Bunker was pitched to the crew, I actually didn't really like it compared to everyone else. It just seemed too serious. Especially since I was so used to season 1 where the episodes were a good 50% laughs and fun. Obviously Into the Bunker came out and was amazing but at the very beginning I was definitely skeptical and in the minority with my skepticism.
• Q: Time for an obvious question: What was your most favourite episode to storyboard and/or direct?
  • A: Northwest Mansion. We all loved the story and did our best to bring it to life. Soos & the Real Girl was also an amazing one because of all the video game references and the fact that Soos was leading the charge by himself for once.
• Q: What were your (and the rest of the crew's) reactions when you first heard of the Two-Stans theory? Were you exited that everyone had figured it out, or sad that the surprised was ruined?
  • A: We loved it. There's any number of ways to react to an audience figuring out a big twist but for us it was exciting to see how collectively brilliant our viewers were. Plus, the execution of said twist is so bombastic that it's not like anything was ever ruined.
• Q: What is your favorite joke/quote in Gravity Falls and what is your opinion about bacon? (These are legitimate questions)
  • A: Favorite joke might be the trapped little kid in the pool from the end tag of Deep End.
• Q: What's it like working with Alex Hirsch to bring Gravity Falls to life? How do you two work together?
  • A: Working with Alex has been an amazing experience. I've learned so much from working with him that it's mind boggling. The nights can go long but it's always worth it to make the episodes better. Also no one can make a room full of people more at ease or entertained faster than Hirsch.

Brad Breeck AMA proof image

Brad Breeck (Series Composer)

Just prior to the finale, series composer Brad Breeck held an AMA of his own and answered music related questions regarding the show and others he worked on.

"My short bio: I've composed music for shows such as Gravity Falls (Disney), We Bare Bears (Cartoon Network), Pickle and Peanut (Disney), Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja (Disney), Awkward (MTV), Fanboy and Chum Chum (Disney)!! My Proof: https://twitter.com/bradbreeck/status/697456992034512896 I'll be on here at 4:30pm EST / 1:30pm PST to answer your questions about music and stufffff!"

Notable questions/answers

• Q: Which episode of Gravity Falls has your favorite score? Did you also write the words to the songs, such as T8king over Midnight and Disco Girl? I noticed several leitmotifs throughout your scores, notably for Bill and Gideon. Can you explain how you tailored the music to each character's personality?
  • A: I think "Not What He Seems" was my favorite to work on. Especially the big climactic ending. I love that episode so much. Cried a bunch, etc! Alex wrote the words to all of the songs. For the leitmotifs, I would just kind of play around with sounds and themes until I found something that fit the character. For Bill, Alex had the idea of using the Shepard's tone, to give him an unsettling feeling. I coupled that with a whole tone scale for additional weirdness.
• Q: How did you meet Alex Hirsch?(Sorry I've always wanted to know) Did Gravity Falls help you write better music? Also side note: I love how your music matches each of the Gravity Falls's episodes "personality".Thank you
  • A: I met Alex through the show. Yes, GF definitely made me a better composer. Alex's direction taught me a lot about how to support a scene emotionally. Thanks!
• Q: Thanks for doing this AMA! What are your favorite characters, episodes, songs in GF or WBB? What was your favorite part of working on those shows? Are you blanchin' in a mansion?
  • A: I love all the characters, but Soos was probably my fav GF character. Favorite song I've done is probably "Gonna Be Chillin" from WBB. I love getting to do so many styles of music. Yes I'm Blanchin'
• Q: Favorite Gravity Falls quote(s)?
  • A: Grunkle Stan: "You've been buying gold, right?" not sure if that's the correct quote, but you know..
• Q: Is there going to be a full version of the Gravity Falls theme? Thanks!
  • A: Probably not. i like it at the length it is. but maybe!
• Q: If there was any other show you wanted to compose for, what would it be?
  • A: Whatever Alex's new show is! ;) Also would have loved to score LOST!
• Q: Do you find this frustrating? Because they are so closely intertwined now, it seems that so many people just accept "Made Me Realize" as the Gravity Falls main theme and it's somewhat frustrating to know that they aren't. I don't know, maybe I'm just being pedantic.
  • A: yes that is very frustrating!
• Q: I absolutely adore the song Zombieluv you did for the summerween episode (like i dont think i can emphasize how much i love the song) it really reminds me of the song She's Fallen In Love With The Monster Man by Screaming Lord Sutch (another personal favorite) and i was wondering if that was one of you influences for the song? or if it wasn't, then what was? for real tho i love that song i really wish there was a longer version of it
  • A: thanks! I like that song too :) was inspired by the Monster Mash!
• Q: Thanks for making this AMA! Will there be an extended Gravity Falls theme song? An extended Weirdmageddon theme song? The music of Gravity Falls is really good! Do you plan to do music for Alex Hirsch's new show on Fox? Will there ever be a full Taking Over Midnight song without the Pines singing it? Who is your favorite Gravity Falls character? But seriously, wow, the music of Gravity Falls is amazing! I hope you continue to make AMAZING music!
  • A: answered above thanks! if he asks I will surely say yes, but he's probably sick of me by now! sorry probably not probably soos. that dude funny
• Q: 1) What is the name of the song that plays in Inconveniencing when they go on to the roof? Could never find the name or a raw recording. 2) Puma shirt or panther shirt?
  • A: can't remember the name. might be on my Soundcloud with the S1 gravity falls scores. puma every time
• Q: What would you change about the music you've composed for Gravity Falls (if anything?)
  • A: good question. there are some cues form early episodes that i don't think are as strong as they could be. i wish i could go back and re-score tourist trapped and some of the other early ones. therer's good stuff in there, but could be stronger
• Q: What is the most memorable moment you have had whilst you have been on the Gravity Falls team?
  • A: the few times I got to see Alex record dialogue were amazing. awesome to see that.
• Q: How do you think your work on Gravity Falls has impacted your overall style as a composer? What have you had to do differently when composing for Gravity Falls than when you're composing other works in order to fit the tone, etc. of the show? Thanks!
  • A: I think GF has made me a stronger composer because i had to rise to the quality level of the show (hopefully i did that!). i'm not sure it affected my style but it definitely affected my competence level. every show is different and needs a unique approach. the instruments and sounds you choose to score the show affect how you work greatly
• Q: What's your favorite "goofy" music piece you've created?
  • A: Mabel's smile dip music probably
• Q: How did you get involved with making the music of Gravity Falls?
  • A: i did several demos for the theme song and eventually they liked one and hired me.

Dana Terrace AMA (storyboard artist/animator)

On July 7, 2016, Dana Terrace did the last known dedicated Gravity Falls crew AMA and answered questions related to series production and art.

"Hello Reddit, Thanks for having me! Little intro: I came onto Gravity Falls season 2 back in 2013 as a revisionist, began boarding on Not What He Seems and got to animate a couple choice scenes like Ford's reveal and Stan's punch in the finale. I very much enjoyed animating Bill's final agonizing moments. VERY much. Since then I've been directing at DisneyXD on a show that I'm not allowed to talk about boooo. please keep questions GF/art related. Also I can't disclose any lore info that hasn't already been answered. Thanks! So.. LETS DO THIS. Edit: oh and in case you don't know who I am here's my tumblr: danaterrace.tumblr.com EDIT 2: Thanks for coming by everyone! I wasn't expecting this many people! ;__; I gotta bounce unfortunately. To anyone who's an aspiring artist: KEEP DRAWING. To anyone looking for answers: be on the lookout for Journal 3! I had a great time with ya'll, thanks for supporting the show. Remember to always BUY GOLD. BYE!"

Notable questions/answers

• Q: Who do you like best; Waddles or Gompers?
  • A: Gompers every time. Love them weird goat eyes.
• Q: What are the aspects of directing that you enjoy over animating/boarding? Also the other way around.
  • A: When you're a director you have more of a hand in the overall process. I love being in the editing room and having a chance to talk with the writers. I love bouncing back and forth between people. On the other hand I don't get to draw as much and I do miss animating. Just means I got more shit to do on the weekends haha.
• Q: A few questions, sorry! I’m trying to get into the animation/storyboarding business, but I’ve been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and I know it’s a stressful and competitive industry to get into, My university is competitive and I’m already beginning to feel the stress. Do you have any tips or methods to deal with the stress of being in such a competitive industry? Any tips for setting up a scene? The environments you draw always feel so solid, detailed and well defined. Whenever I Attempt to work on a background I just don’t know how to start and end up with an ugly mess. I know this is a big ask, but do you think you could have a quick look at my most recent drawing and give me some tips to improve? Thank you! Sorry to bother you! I love your art! Have a wonderful day :)
  • A: Unfortunately the stress never really goes away. If you're passionate about any kind of art stress just comes with the job. HOWEVER. The animation industry is filled with a lot of amazing, encouraging, and kind people. I've never been in a nicer community. Draw a lot of scenes from life. A LOT. You'll start understanding composition that way. I'm sorry I'm doing this from my phone and the link won't open. Keep on drawing though! 👍👍
• Q: Hi Dana! Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into making this amazing series, I can confidently say everyone here truly appreciates it! As well as for the opportunity to ask you these questions. So let's get started, If I'm correct, gravity falls was mostly a script driven show. How hard Did that make it for you to storyboard the planned story while at the same time, still putting your own vision and spin on a scene? Also by a rough estimate, what percentage of jokes do you think were planned before hand vs the amount of jokes that were created in the storyboarding process for one episode? how was the production process for the finale? Was the weirdmageddon arc developed and storyboarded in one large cycle, kinda like a movie? Or was each episode individually developed? Anyway I hope you don't mind but in addition to my questions, I have some questions for you from some fans who couldn't make it to the AMA /u/knownbymanynames wanted to know If you could redo/rewrite a single scene, which would it be? What scene had the most revisions? Does it look like a face or is it a rock? What was the hardest scene to write? /u/perceptshroom asks is there any significance of the red bird that lands on the Bill statue's hand in the finale and later appears in front of the twins' triangle-shaped window? And /u/snakeman94 asks if the wax men are alive, and if so can I survive the wax man uprising? He also asks about that embarrassing snapshot of Alex at the Christmas party That's about it. Thank you once again for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this.
  • A: GF IS scripted and starting out I was thankful for that. When working on board driven shows you're basically doing two jobs at once: writing AND boarding, and I don't know if I could have handled that back then. In any case the board artist still decides how the characters act, how much they want to play up the scenes, etc. You can always find opportunities to put your spin on things. Hard to say! It was different for every episode. A lot of jokes were even edited in after boards were done! Oof that was a while back. From what I remember things were planned out as one movie-like arc and then separated for each writing team to tackle. It was a hell of a process haha. Like, all of what I did in Stanchurian candidate. Was NOT on my A game. I got the most revisions probably on my first episode, Not What He Seems. I've learned a lot since then. Mainly, it's more important to be entertaining in a clear way than dynamic in a muddy way. IT'S A ROCK THAT LOOKS LIKE A FACE. C'mon guys.
• Q: When did you decide to represent yourself as that little beaked character with the hair? How did you figure it out? How did you figure out what weird shapes you were going to use for Bill's "demise"?
  • A: Haha. One day Matt Braly (director) sassily drew me as a Lemming from the hit game "Lemmings". The similarity was weirdly striking. It's evolved since then. I went through like 3 different passes before I settled on the final. Just had to keep asking myself "what would make me feel uncomfortable.. Watching a character I loved melt into a pile of amorphous gop!"
• Q: What are the aspects of directing that you enjoy over animating/boarding? Also the other way around.
  • A: When you're a director you have more of a hand in the overall process. I love being in the editing room and having a chance to talk with the writers. I love bouncing back and forth between people. On the other hand I don't get to draw as much and I do miss animating. Just means I got more shit to do on the weekends haha.
• Q: What's the funniest thing that's happened to you while you were working on the show?
  • A: For a short period our area was inhabited by a little rodent we called Ratsputin. (He in fact was not little but NYC-kinda big.) He lived in the ceiling and nibbled on our scraps. One day we caught site of him and everyone was trying to scale the walls and swing across the ceiling pipes to catch a glimpse. What a star. On another occasion someone threw an empty 10 gallon jug at my head and it made an amazing BONK sound. Ha!
• Q: What was your favorite scene to animate and, do you have any advise to someone who wants to do animation
  • A: I loved animating Bill's death! If you wanna do animation you better know how to draw. So do it everyday!
• Q: I only 2 question for you, and that is, how did you get to working on Gravity Falls in the first place, and two, were you a fan of the show before you were hired?
  • A: The Gravity team saw some drawings on my tumblr and liked them enough to send my a board test. I didn't know anyone on the team at the time. Then my boards came out well enough that they hired me on as a revisionist! Got pretty lucky with my first gig. And not really haha. I had never seen the show before I was sent the test and when I binged it I realized "oh damn this is DOPE."
• Q: Who's you're favorite character to draw?
  • A: It'd be a tie between Stan and Mabel.
• Q: Favorite of Mabel's sweaters? Ever been to Dragoncon? Anything important I should know as an aspiring artist/storyboarder/animator that I wouldn't be told otherwise?
  • A: In Northwest Mansion Mystery Mabel's wearing a sweater with a little moose running through a forest. Why is he running? Where is he going?? Why aren't these questions being answered??? Nope! Just do the thing man! Don't let the man keep you from doing the thing man. Just fuckin DO it man!
• Q: What was your favourite episode you worked on?
  • A: Dipper and Mabel VS The Future! It was the first episode where I felt like I 'got' the characters.
• Q: Did you draw any Easter Eggs that hinted at an alternate ending that didn't air?
  • A: Nope! I don't think anyone even had time to think of alternate endings. The only person who would know of those is Alex.
• Q: What's your least favorite episode and character of Gravity Falls and why?
  • A: Toby. He makes me uncomfortable.
• Q: 1 What's your favorite Gravity Falls creature/monster? 2 and have their ever been drawings you drew for the show that couldn't get in final project for one reason or another? (and if yes can you tell us about one)
  • A: Does Bill count? I'm gonna say he counts. Sure there are a bunch of shots that had to be cut for time. Like this shot for example: https://65.media.tumblr.com/0fc552b10cbbd7c3354276b684b67b1a/tumblr_nw6svoS09k1r8xrzao5_540.png
• Q: Who is your favorite character in Gravity Falls? What is the favorite thing you have worked on (that isn't Gravity Falls)? Do you ship any of the characters?
  • A: Stan and Mabel! Secret projects I can't talk about! Remember when shipping used to be called "slashing"? Yikes.
• Q: Hi Dana!!! I am inspired greatly by your work and achievements! You make me want to push myself to become the artist that I want to be. You even inspired me to audition for the magnet program of visual arts at PCCA Gibbs that I will be attending next year for high school! Now for my questions: 1) What is the scariest and/or most embarrassing moment of your art career? 2)What daily events cause you have such weird and surreal dreams? (Based on your the art works that describe your dreams) 3)How and when did you know that you wanted to be an animator and why? 4) What was it like having Matt as a teacher at SVA (he seems like a really cool art teacher)? 5) Why is the animation for television done over seas most of the time? I mean, I know that it's more cost efficient, but wouldn't it help to have animators in house and wouldn't it create more jobs? Thank you very much for taking the time to do this, Dana. You are one of the greatest animators out there and I wish you luck with your career.
  • A: My first board pitch to Alex and everyone. I think I actually did okay but at the time I had crazy stage fright and wanted to pee myself. Now I actually enjoy pitching haha. I think I'm just a very visual person. I process things through visual metaphors more than words. Since I was a baby because boy-howdy I loved the Garfield show. Matt is one of the few saving graces of SVA. He's an amazing artist and I'm glad I got to learn from him! It WOULD create more jobs and it WOULD benefit the quality of shows. However big corporations don't care about artistic quality. They only think of one thing and one thing only: how to make money the cheapest way possible.
• Q: Have you tried searching Bill Cipher human? 'Cause I've always wanted to know what ypur thoughts on them are or if you were to draw Bill as a human, would any of the fa arts come close to what you imagine? Thanks a bunch!
  • A: All I can think of is Alex screaming into a mic.
• Q: Were you aware of the "Stan twin theory" before animating the scene of Ford coming out of the portal?
  • A: I mean I knew Ford existed waaaaayyyyy before I worked on that episode.
• Q: Did you get to make any creative decisions or were you mostly just following the director?
  • A: We're allowed to interpret the script however we saw it and the director's job was to make sure none of us went too off the mark. On a script driven show you're mostly following the script but there are always opportunities to sneak in a couple weird things.
• Q: Are you sick of owls blocking your driveway?
  • A: Sure am.