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Quentin Trembley III is the forgotten founder of Gravity Falls, Oregon and the 8½th President of the United States of America, whose silliness has prompted his erasure from history.

History[]

Early Life[]

S1e8 trembley landslide

Trembley wins the election in a literal landslide.

When he was young, he met George Washington, who, according to Trembley, "chased [him] around and spanked [him] with a paddle for three hours."[2]

Decades later, he won the 1837 presidential election due to an actual landslide that killed all the other candidates, hence becoming the 8½ President of the United States.[2]

During his administration, he issued the "Depantsipation Proclamation." His logic behind this was that "pants are about restrictions," which goes against America’s values of freedom.[3] Trembley also waged war on pancakes and appointed six babies to the Supreme Court. While he was president, he learned that one should never arm wrestle with a hammerhead shark, but should appoint them Secretary of Defense (as, apparently, he did)[3]. His State of the Union speech featured the quote: "The only thing we have to fear is gigantic, man-eating spiders!". After trying to eat the White House, Trembley was driven from office.[3] His departure from the White House consisted of him eating a salamander and then jumping out of a window.[2]

After he was kicked out of office, he escaped to the Gravity Falls valley by plummeting off a cliff on a horse at high speed[2], probably because he rode horses backwards so that he could see where he had been[3]. Trembley then founded the town of Gravity Falls and wrote the town charter while suffering from the resulting concussion[3]. Because of him, the charter contains many odd rules[6].

Some time later, Trembley encased himself in a block of solid peanut brittle, believing it to have life-sustaining properties (which it actually did), in an attempt to achieve immortality. He left a trail of clues throughout the town that led to a secret chamber under Gravity Falls cemetery, where he and many historical artifacts were stored. His body was lost until the events of "Irrational Treasure."[2]

All references to Trembley's time in office were erased from the historical records, save for one film reel. Instead, a local idiot named Nathaniel Northwest was credited as founder of Gravity Falls, and William Henry Harrison was credited as the Ninth President of The United States of America.[2]

Approximately 30 years before the beginning of the series, Ford Pines became aware that Nathaniel Northwest was not the true founder of Gravity Falls, and attempted to discover the true founder's identity. Like previous investigators, Ford was not sufficiently silly to decipher Trembley's trail of clues, although he did discover the first; a cryptic manuscript which he placed in Journal 3. His grandniece Mabel would eventually discover that the manuscript became a map if folded into a hat.

Season 1[]

S1e8 Hail to the Chief

Dipper finds Trembley's peanut brittle encased body.

In the summer of 2012, Dipper and Mabel Pines set out to find the true founder of Gravity Falls, and they eventually find out that Quentin Trembley was the founder. Sheriff Blubs shows them a short video detailing the actions of the embarrassing eighth-and-a-half president. It is then revealed that he encased himself in peanut brittle to survive until somebody finds him. Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland then load him, the twins, and all evidence of the president into a crate on a train to be taken to Washington, D.C.

S1e8 Defiance

Trembley and the twins on top of the train.

Blaming herself for being captured, Mabel breaks off a piece of the peanut brittle casing, freeing Trembley from his self-proclaimed "delicious tomb". He promptly announces himself to the twins and then rips off his pants. He notices his surroundings and unsuccessfully attempts to break out of the crate using his President's Key, to no avail. Eventually, he and Mabel attract the attention of a woodpecker, which breaks down the crate. They're chased by the Sheriff and his Deputy, but when it's revealed that Trembley never legally resigned as the President of the United States, Dipper realizes that, technically speaking, Trembley was still the president. Quentin then orders Blubs and Durland to cease chasing them, and go on a vacation. After they escape, he makes Mabel an official congresswoman and gives Dipper the President's Key, which can open any lock in America.

In "The Time Traveler's Pig," he is referenced in Grady Mecc's exclamation that Fertilia has given birth to two more children.

Season 2[]

In "Scary-oke," a photo of him appears on Dipper's bulletin board.

In "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls," Trembley is seen during the end credits sitting on a horse backwards, the same way he found Gravity Falls.

Personality[]

S1e8 depansipation proclamation

Trembley declaring the Depantsipation Proclamation.

Quentin Trembley, who is legally insane[6], could be described as a silly but enigmatic man.[6] He revels in the odd; as it was displayed during his presidential term, when he carried out several absurd and crazy policies. When he wrote Gravity Falls first laws, he continued this trend leading to Gravity Falls' strange laws. He could be quite intelligent, as he designed an elaborate albeit silly series of clues to lead to his body. Also, his idea that a solid peanut brittle encasing could sustain life in suspended animation was correct.

Appearance[]

Quentin Trembley appearance

Trembley, despite his personality, does not look out of place for his time period (except for his lack of pants). He has a very tall, thin head, with a long and pointed nose, and keeps his light brown hair in a relatively simple haircut; his sideburns flowing into his very distinct almost mutton chop-like facial hair. An extremely small pair of spectacles rest atop his nose, although he may not need them to see, as they don't seem to cover his eyes.

He wears a fairly normal suit with a mustard yellow bowtie, popped collar, and bronze button, but no pants, due to his dislike of them, opting instead to simply only wear a pair of pale beige drawers. The only other article of clothing he wears is a pair of pointed, black spats, along with a pair of dark grey socks. 

In Journal 3, he describes himself as being "14 stacking-turtles in height and forty-bleven trembley-quarts in diameter. Dipper admits as to having no idea what he means by this. 

Sightings[]

Season 1

Season 2

Quotes[]

"The only thing we have to fear is gigantic, man-eating spiders!"
—Quentin Trembley

"This is going to take the silliest plan ever conceived."
—Quentin Trembley

"I ate a salamander and jumped out the window."
—Quentin Trembley describing how he left office

"...And then he chased me around and spanked me with a paddle for like three hours! Bottom line, George Washington was a jerk."
—Quentin Trembley

"Well, we didn't fit through the hole. Let's rebuild the box and try again!"
—Quentin Trembley

Trivia[]

  • Quentin Trembley is based upon Teddy Roosevelt in one of Alex Hirsch's student films at CalArts, entitled Teddy Roosevelt: You So Crazy.
  • He is Alex Hirsch's favorite character to voice act.[7]
  • The likeness of his head is on the -12 dollar bill, which is said to be "less than worthless." The "this is worthless" and "less than worthless" is a popular meme template.[2]
  • Trembley's appointment of six babies to the Supreme Court is actually theoretically possible. There are no constitutionally mandated requirements of any sort to be a Supreme Court Justice, even legal qualifications, age or competency. Appointing babies was completely within Trembley's constitutional authority. However, the U.S. Senate would have to confirm his appointments, which would be unlikely.
  • The quote from his State of the Union speech ("the only thing we have to fear is gigantic, man-eating spiders!") is a reference to Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous quote from his first inauguration speech, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
  • Trembley won the 1837 election, but there was no presidential election in 1837 according to official history. The records say that a presidential election took place in 1836, when Martin Van Buren was elected, and the next one in 1840, when William Henry Harrison was elected.
    • Trembley's term would've started in 1838, and it's likely that it finished on the alleged day of William Henry Harrison's death, in April 4, 1841. It would've lasted a little more than 3 years. This would mean that official history also lies in regard to Van Buren's term, which would've finished earlier.
    • According to official history, President William Henry Harrison took office on March 4, 1841, and died only 31 days into his term, leaving the office of President of the United States vacant for the first time in history, which prompted a constitutional crisis on his succession. Apparently, what really caused this crisis was Trembley being kicked out of office.
    • In the end, William Henry Harrison's successor as President was his Vice President, John Tyler. In reality, Tyler would've actually been Trembley's successor.
  • His favorite food is waffles, and his favorite color is "triangles."[3]
  • Despite not having officially resigned from his position, Trembley would still no longer be president in real life simply due to his term having ended.
  • At the 2014 Gravity Falls San Diego Comic Con Panel, Alex Hirsch said that "Trembley will return when America needs him most."[8]
  • Trembley clearly violated the Constitution by appointing Mabel Pines as a congresswoman without her being elected, as stated in Article 1, Section 2, "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature." Therefore, Trembley has broken his oath to protect the Constitution by violating it.
    • A provision of Article 1, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, known as the Title of Nobility or Emoluments clause, states that "No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state." Either Trembley has violated the emoluments clause by using the titles 'Sir' and 'Lord' in his name (titles of nobility not used in America and illegal for any United States official, let alone the president himself), or he has accepted those titles from a foreign monarch with the consent of the Congress, which would be unlikely, or already had that title before taking office.
  • The abbreviated suffix "Esq." means "Esquire," which, in North America, is "a title appended to the surname of a lawyer," and, in Britain, "a polite title appended to a man's name when no other title is used, typically in the address of a letter or other documents."[9]
  • In "Irrational Treasure", he attempts to box a bald eagle.

Gallery

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References[]

  1. In order to have met George Washington, he should have been alive in 1799 (the year of Washington's death). After being freed in 2012, he would be at least 213.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Irrational Treasure." Tim McKeon, David Slack, Alex Hirsch (writers) & John Aoshima (director). Gravity Falls. Disney Channel. August 17, 2012. No. 8, season 1.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Dipper's and Mabel's Guide to Mystery and Nonstop Fun! by Disney Book Group. October 7, 2014. Published by Disney Press. ISBN: 978-1484710807.
  4. Survived plummeting off a cliff at high speed and only gave a momentary cry of pain after a serious blow to the head
  5. Able to leap backwards from standing onto a horse several feet away
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 I am Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls. Ask me anything!. Reddit (August 16, 2013).
  7. I am Alex Hirsch, creator of Gravity Falls. Ask me anything!. Reddit (August 18, 2013).
  8. Gravity Falls 2014 Comic Con. YouTube. Squirrel On A Wire (Jul 31, 2014).
  9. Definition of esquire in English. Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved on June 21, 2017.

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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 fiancée | 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 | 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 | 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 | Xyler and Craz | Waffle Guards
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
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