It has been more than eight years Gravity Falls Ended, but the fandom is experiencing a minor renaissance. Thanks for all that Bill of Book, New companion text (If a book with a page dedicated to Stupid Straw, a direct excerpt The Great Gatsbyand a two-page ad for tchotchkes inspired by Satanic Precious Moments (which could be considered “text”) is written by the show’s creator, Alex Hirsch. It is the first meaty part Gravity Falls Content in no time, and because of that, I’ve seen more Gravity Falls fan art all over social media in the past few weeks than in the past eight years. Judging by the near-month-long stronghold that Gravity Falls And Gravity Falls-is on relevant terms Tumblr’s weekly fandom breakdowns (and anecdotal evidence from my friends on TikTok), I’m not alone.
A a lot The fan art centers around Bill Cipher, the triangular demonic entity who narrates the book, and Stanford Pines, the mysterious paranormal researcher great-uncle of the two main characters. The book really leans into their relationship, and all but confirms that they were romantically involved. Naturally, fans have taken it and run with it, really enjoying the venomous excitement shown in the book.
But it’s not just Bill and Ford having their big moment: there’s a general revival Gravity FallsAnd all the characters are in action. (It also helps that Dipper and Mabel’s birthdays are traditionally on August 31, which means the usual annual chorus of fans wishing them a happy birthday was amplified this year.)
People are poring over the pages of a book and zoning out on small details the same way they dissected screenshots to try and predict where the show was going. There’s a lot of thought put into every frame and page – and not to mention the background gags Gravity Falls stuff, and I love seeing people pick up on the little things I missed the first time around.
But beyond those signs and signals and Alex Hirsch’s over-the-top trollingI’m just glad to remember what a wonderful show Gravity Falls is It started simply with a monster-of-the-week premise as Dipper and Mabel faced a new paranormal encounter, but eventually fans began to pick up on the broader mystery. I didn’t necessarily come across every new screenshot with my own theories, but it was always great fun watching other people do it. And since I got into the show shortly after it began airing, I could be on the lookout for clues I already knew about. (What can I say? I’m pro-spoiler.) Seeing people approach a book with the same enthusiasm reminds me of how much fun it was to read people discussing. Gravity Falls: Not just the theories, but the character relationships and all the wacky world-building that made it shine.
One of the show’s greatest strengths was how weird it could get, putting a fun spin on typical paranormal tropes. The bar was set in the first episode: Mabel developed a crush on a brooding, pale boy, who Dipper assumed was a zombie. But it was actually a bunch of gnomes in hoodies. There are all kinds of fun twists and subversions to the supernatural antics, but at the same time, the show can be very engaging. scary. It’s just a fun and enjoyable time brimming with humor and creativity. Gravity Falls Truly set the bar for what Disney Channel animation could be. Unfortunately, the folks at Disney Channel don’t seem to realize that, and other shows that followed suit, viz The owl’s house, Continue to make short changes.
But we always will Gravity Falls. And the fandom is still there – and stronger than ever, thankfully Bill of Book. Sometimes revisiting an old favorite can be a little bittersweet, like looking back at childhood summers and not quite realizing the same joy. But the new obsession proved to me, at least, that there was something special about this freak show.
Gravity Falls Available to stream on Disney Plus.
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