Alex Hirsch

Alex Hirsch
Born Alexander Robert Hirsch
(1985-06-18) June 18, 1985
Piedmont, California, U.S.
Residence Los Angeles
Nationality American
Alma mater California Institute of the Arts
Occupation
Years active 2008–present
Known for Gravity Falls

Alexander Robert Hirsch[1] (born June 18, 1985) is an American writer, animator, voice actor, and producer. He is best known as the creator of the Disney Channel/Disney XD animated television series Gravity Falls, where he provided the voices of Grunkle Stan, Soos, and Bill Cipher, among others. He also earned BAFTA and Annie Awards for the series. In 2016, Hirsch co-authored Gravity Falls: Journal 3 which appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list for nearly a year.

Early life and education

Hirsch was born in Piedmont, California in 1985. He graduated from Piedmont High School where, as a junior, he won the school's annual Bird Calling Contest in 2002[2][3] and appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.[4]

He went on to attend the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)[5] where he created a variety of projects and short films including his senior film, "Off The Wall," which combined animation and live action. He also spent the summer of 2006 working in Portland, Oregon on a later-scrapped animated film for Laika.[6] He graduated from the college in 2007.[7]

Career

Hirsch's first job after graduating from CalArts was as a writer and storyboard artist for The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack on Cartoon Network where he worked alongside fellow CalArts alumni, J. G. Quintel, Pendleton Ward, and Pat McHale.[8][9] He would go on to develop the pilot for the Disney Channel series, Fish Hooks along with Maxwell Atoms and future Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland.[6][7][10]

In 2012, Hirsch created the series Gravity Falls for the Disney Channel. The show, set in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, premiered in June 2012[11] with a voice cast including Jason Ritter, Kristen Schaal, and Hirsch himself.[6] Over the course of the series, he provided the voices of Grunkle Stan, Soos,[7] Old Man McGucket, Bill Cipher, and many other minor characters.[12] The show was moved to Disney XD in 2014.[5] It would go on to win a BAFTA Children's Award[13] and an Annie Award in 2015[14] and was nominated for several other awards (including a Peabody Award in 2016).[15][16] Hirsch ended Gravity Falls in February 2016 to pursue other projects.[17]

In July 2016, Hirsch threw a global treasure hunt[18] (known as "Cipher Hunt") for Gravity Falls fans with clues hidden throughout the world including in the United States, Japan, and Russia. The goal of the hunt was to find a statue of the Gravity Falls character, Bill Cipher. After two weeks, fans of the show discovered the statue in Reedsport, Oregon. The hunt coincided with the release of Hirsch's tie-in book, Gravity Falls: Journal 3,[19][20] which eventually appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list for nearly a year.[21] A Gravity Falls graphic novel written by Hirsch was officially announced in July 2017.[22]

Outside of Gravity Falls, Hirsch has done voice work for a number of projects including Phineas and Ferb,[23] Rick and Morty, and as the announcer for the Chelsea Peretti special, One of the Greats.[24][25] In August 2016, it was announced that Hirsch was co-writing the new live-action Pokémon movie, Detective Pikachu, alongside Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel writer Nicole Perlman.[26][27] In February 2017, Hirsch was added as a story contributor to Sony's upcoming animated Spider-Man film,[28] Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.[29]

In February 2018 Hirsch used his twitter to announce the new Gravity Falls graphic novel, through a series of puzzle pieces that he would release throughout the day.[30] Put together the puzzle pieces revealed the cover of the graphic novel Gravity Falls: Lost Legends; 4 All-New Adventures which was written by Hirsch and is expected to be released July 24, 2018.[31]

On August 27, 2018, Hirsch signed a deal with American streaming company Netflix for a multi-year deal, according to Variety.[32]

Personal life

Gravity Falls was inspired by Hirsch's own childhood experiences with his twin sister during their summer vacations. He places many of his real-life experiences in the show, like living in Piedmont and trick-or-treating with his sister as kids.[33] Mabel Pines, one of the lead characters of Gravity Falls, was inspired by his twin sister, Ariel Hirsch.[34] In the series Mabel gets a pet pig, just like his sister had always wanted when she was a kid.[35] In 2017, Hirsch, along with Justin Roiland and Ethan Klein, helped raise over $200,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief via a Twitch charity live stream.[36][37]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorProducerScreenwriterActorRoleNotes
2006Off the Wall[38]YesYesYesYesWallbyShort film
Imaginary Friend[39]YesYesYesYesWally
2018Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse[29]NoNoYesNoStory writer
2019Detective Pikachu[40]NoNoYesNoOriginal draft

Television

YearTitleProducerScreenwriterStoryboard
artist		ActorRoleNotes
2008–2009The Marvelous Misadventures of FlapjackNoYesYesNo
2010–2014Fish HooksNoYesYesYesClamantha
Fumble
Additional voices		Also creative consultant and co-developer
2012–2016Gravity FallsYesYesYesYesGrunkle Stan
Soos Ramirez
Old Man McGucket
Bill Cipher
Additional voices		Creator, writer and executive producer
2013Phineas and FerbNoNoNoYesOfficer Concord the Juice Time Juice Box Flavor CopEpisode: "Terrifying Tri-State Trilogy of Terror"
2015Rick and MortyNoNoNoYesToby MatthewsEpisode: "Big Trouble in Little Sanchez"
2016Wander Over YonderNoNoNoYesOld Man
Soosy Du
Additional voices		Episode: "The Cartoon"
2018Star vs. the Forces of EvilNoNoNoYesBen FotinoEpisode: "Booth Buddies"
We Bare BearsNoNoNoYesInternet TrollEpisode: "Charlie's Halloween Thing 2"

Video games

YearTitleRole
2014Disney Infinity: Marvel Super HeroesAdditional voices
2015Disney Infinity 3.0Additional voices[41]

Bibliography

Publication year Title Original publisher ISBN Notes
2016 Gravity Falls: Journal 3 Disney Press ISBN 9781484746691 New York Times Bestseller,[21] co-written with Rob Renzetti
2018 Gravity Falls: Lost Legends Graphic Novel Disney Press ISBN 1368021425
ISBN 978-1368021425

Nominations and awards

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2015 Annie Award Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children's Audience Gravity Falls Won [14]
2015 BAFTA Children's Award Best International Series [13]
2016 Annie Award Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children's Audience Nominated [16]
2016 Annie Award Best Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production Alex Hirsch [16]
2016 Peabody Award Excellence in Children's/Youth Programming Gravity Falls [15]
2017 Annie Award Best Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production Alex Hirsch [42]

References

  1. ↑ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461
  2. ↑ Burress, Charles (June 7, 2003). "Piedmont High atwitter over quack attack / Rookie squawkers take grand prize in birdcalling contest". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Piedmont High School Annual Bird Calling Contest". Piedmont High School. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  4. ↑ Schwarz, John (May 21, 2015). "That time the Gravity Falls creator was on Letterman". Bubble Blabber. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  5. 1 2 Lin, Joseph C. (August 1, 2014). "Disney's Gravity Falls Creator on How to Create a Show for All Ages". Time. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Owen, Rob (June 14, 2012). "'Gravity Falls': Inspired by Boring, Ore.? It's true". The Oregonian. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Adams, Erik (September 28, 2012). "Comedy Showrunners Week: Alex Hirsch on the real in the unreal of Gravity Falls". A.V. Club. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  8. ↑ Kaiser, Vrai (July 14, 2017). "Interview: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Talks About Disney's Censors, Pacifica's Parents, and Future Plans". The Mary Sue. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  9. ↑ Lange, Ariane (September 15, 2014). "Inside The Marvelous Mind of Thurop Van Orman". BuzzFeed. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ Gonzales, Dave (August 9, 2016). "The best Easter eggs from Rick and Morty season 2". Geek. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  11. ↑ Barnes, Brooks (August 18, 2012). "An Undercurrent of Darkness, Even at Disney". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  12. ↑ "11 Gravity Falls facts that will blow your kid's mind". SheKnows. February 12, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  13. 1 2 Barraclough, Leo (November 23, 2015). "Alex Hirsch's 'Gravity Falls' Wins BAFTA Children's Award". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  14. 1 2 Pedersen, Erik (January 31, 2015). "42nd Annual Annie Awards – Complete Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  15. 1 2 Lewis, Hilary (April 12, 2016). "Peabody Awards to Honor David Letterman, 'The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,' Names Finalists". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  16. 1 2 3 Giardina, Carolyn (February 6, 2016). "2016 Annie Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  17. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (December 31, 2015). "'Gravity Falls' Finale Set For Feb. 15 on Disney XD". Variety. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  18. ↑ Lasan, Chan (August 16, 2016). "Gravity Falls Season 3: Alex Hirsch Hints Upcoming Series!". Movie News Guide. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  19. ↑ Velocci, Carli (July 20, 2016). "Gravity Falls Fans Get One Last Code to Break and It's a Doozy". io9. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  20. ↑ Velocci, Carli (August 3, 2016). "After Just Two Weeks, Gravity Falls Fans Complete Incredible Global Cipher Hunt". io9. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Children's Middle Grade Hardcover". The New York Times. July 23, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  22. ↑ Means Shannon, Hannah (July 15, 2017). "Alex Hirsch Says A Gravity Falls Graphic Novel Is in the Works". Comic Con. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  23. ↑ Campbell, Nakeisha (May 26, 2017). "Guess Who?: Meet the Actors Who Voice Your Favorite Disney Channel Animated Characters". M Magazine. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  24. ↑ Vasquez, Romeo (November 7, 2015). "'Gravity Falls,' 'Rick and Morty' Share A Common Universe; Crossover Possible in 'Gravity Falls' Season 3". Franchise Herald. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats (2014 TV Special) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  26. ↑ Chitwood, Adam (August 16, 2016). "'Pokemon' Movie Lands Marvel Vet Nicole Perlman, Alex Hirsch as Writers". Collider. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
  27. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (December 14, 2016). "Legendary Taps Herbert W. Gains As EVP Physical Production, Hires Two SVPs". Deadline. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  28. ↑ Gonzalez, Umberto (February 28, 2017). "Sony's Animated 'Spider-Man' Movie Adds Alex Hirsch as Story Contributor (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  29. 1 2 Oh, Sheryl (December 11, 2017). "'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' Trailer Introduces Miles Morales". Film School Rejects. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  30. ↑ "Through Mysterious Puzzle Pieces, Alex Hirsch Revealed the Cover for the First-Ever Gravity Falls Graphic Novel". Oh My Disney. February 16, 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  31. ↑ "Gravity Falls: Lost Legends | Disney Books | Disney Publishing Worldwide". Disney Books | Disney Publishing Worldwide. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  32. ↑ "'Gravity Falls' Creator Alex Hirsch Signs Netflix Deal". Variety. August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  33. ↑ Adams, Erik. "Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch previews the show's new season by recapping its first". AV Club. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Disney Channel Medianet". Disney Channel Medianet. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  35. ↑ Larsen, Peter. "'Gravity Falls' brings quirky comedy to Disney Channel". The Orange Country Register. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  36. ↑ Gutelle, Sam (September 6, 2017). "H3h3productions Raises Over $100,000 With Twitch Live Stream To Support Hurricane Harvey Relief". TubeFilter. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  37. ↑ "H3 Podcast Hurricane Relief Campaign Featuring Justin Roiland and Alex Hirsch". Tiltify. September 6, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Disney Channel Medianet". Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2012.
  39. ↑ "Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls) – Imaginary Friend".
  40. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (December 11, 2017). "The Detective Pikachu Movie Starring Ryan Reynolds Now Has A Release Date". GameSpot. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  41. ↑ Avalanche Software. Disney Infinity 3.0. Scene: Closing credits, 5:39 in, Featuring the Voice Talents of.
  42. ↑ Nolfi, Joey (February 5, 2017). "Zootopia, Kubo and the Two Strings win big at Annie Awards". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
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