Stanford Pines

Stanford "Ford" Filbrick Pines (born June 15th or 16th), also known as The Author, or simply Great Uncle or Grunkle Ford, is a paranormal investigator who came to Gravity Falls, Oregon, to study the huge concentration of supernatural activity in and around the town. After spending years cataloging his research in a series of journals, he disappeared into an alternate dimension. His writings were left as the only evidence of his existence. Years later, he is brought back by his twin brother 30 years later. Ford represents the six-fingered hand symbol associated with the Bill Cipher Zodiac, due to his polydactyly and his journals bearing the same symbol.

[History]

Stanford was born in the late 1940s to early 1950s to Filbrick Pines and Caryn Pines in Glass Shard Beach, New Jersey, 15 minutes before his twin brother, Stanley. From an early age, Ford was fascinated with the supernatural and science fiction. He displayed an abnormally high I.Q. and a rare birth defect that granted him an extra finger on both hands. Despite their vastly different personalities, Ford and his brother were the best of friends, often roaming the beach in search of adventure. Unfortunately, their youth was plagued with frequent bullying due to Ford's six fingers and Stan's wimpish characteristics, most notably from their childhood tormentor Crampelter. This prompted their father to enlist them in boxing lessons as a means of toughening them up.

As the twins reached adolescence, Ford's brains and scientific achievement expanded a contrast to his brother's disinterest in academics. The two remained close, working together on their ship (called the Stan o’ War) to fulfill their childhood dreams of sailing around the globe until Ford was summoned to the Principal's office. There, he was lauded as a genius and offered the chance to show his science fair experiment, a Perpetual Motion Machine, to a visiting team of recruiters from West Coast Tech, a prestigious university on the other side of the country. With promises of fortune and success should he be accepted, Ford became less sure of his plans with Stan, revealing to his twin that he'd seize the chance to go if it happened.

However, on the day of the visit, Ford and the West Coast Tech team simultaneously discover that the Perpetual Motion Machine has stopped moving, defeating its sole purpose. A distraught Ford discovers an empty bag of Toffee Peanuts next to his display, and mistakenly believes Stanley has sabotaged him. He angrily confronts his brother back home and doesn't interfere while his father kicks Stan out of the house, disowning him until he could pay back the potential millions he cost the Pines family. He is seen sadly looking out at his brother from the window of their shared room, before a glance at a West Coast Tech pamphlet gives him the strength to close the blinds on him.

Ford reluctantly enrolls himself in Backupsmore University, a low-ranking college whose most notable achievement is clean dorms. Despite the drawback, he set himself to the task and worked hard, completing a doctoral program three years ahead of schedule. It was during this time that Ford met and befriended Fiddleford McGucket, a genius mechanic aspiring to build personalized computers. Following the completion of a nationally ranked thesis, Stanford was awarded an enormous grant of one hundred thousand dollars, which brought an end to his studies at Backupsmore. When thinking of how to employ the grant, Ford recalled how he'd been antagonized by his six fingers all through childhood, and decided to dedicate his life to the study of oddities. He chose the sleepy hamlet of Gravity Falls, Oregon, believing it to be an area of high concentration of supernatural occurrences.

Putting his grant money to use in the construction of a large, isolated research lab in the forest, Ford was soon entranced by Gravity Falls' weirdness. He recorded his many findings first in one, then in more journals as his discoveries increased. Eventually, he realized a need to expand his work area, establishing a small, heavily protected bunker laboratory to host his more dangerous projects and experiments, such as the Shape Shifter. Ford made use of his talents and newly acquired knowledge of Gravity Falls to create new and extraordinary inventions, including the mind-swapping Electron Carpet and a mind-controlling tie designed for the masters of presidential election candidate Ronald Reagan.

By 1981, six years since his arrival in Gravity Falls, Stanford had an encyclopedic knowledge of his mysterious new home, and was in the process of writing his third journal. Unfortunately, he soon hit a roadblock, and was left without answers as to how the improbalilities of Gravity Falls had come to be. The plateau in his research led him to the discovery of a cave filled with cryptic hieroglyphics, as the message spoke of an entity containing unending knowledge. Despite the warnings about the entity, Ford repeated the incantation aloud, which summoned a triangular creature who introduced himself as Bill Cipher into his mindscape. Presenting himself as a muse, one who chose a genius intellectual to inspire once every century, Bill offered Ford a partnership: Bill would bestow his knowledge to Ford in exchange for the ability to move freely within and without Ford's own mind.

Under Cipher's guidance, Ford was introduced to vast information, learning of a parallel dimension of paranormal phenomena that had leaked into his world, which gave birth to the weirdness of Gravity Falls. With Bill's assistance, Stanford drafted blueprints to create an interdimensional gateway beneath his home, recruiting his college friend Fiddleford and his mechanic prowess for the project. As construction went underway, Ford's admiration towards Bill and his wisdom escalated into worship, which led to his collecting triangular memorabilia, such as rugs and statues, modeling his home's architecture in his image and even converting his private study to a place of worship.

As their partnership seemingly grew to friendship, Fiddleford became increasingly suspicious of the device they had constructed and of Ford's mysterious collaborator, as Ford refused to reveal Bill's identity to his friend. When the portal's first trial resulted in Fiddleford accidentally going through it, bringing back a macabre warning about "the beast with just one eye", Ford finally became suspicious as well. He resolved to continue the project however, even though he now faced it alone: McGucket, disturbed by his glimpse of the Nightmare Realm and horrified at Ford for wanting to continue, quit on the spot.

The argument led to Ford questioning his mentor. It was then that Bill revealed his intentions of merging the Nightmare Realm with their dimension, even showing Ford a glimpse the horrors that lay beyond the rift. Refusing to part with his life's work, Ford deactivated the device and created Project Mentem, a machine capable of bio-electrically encrypting thoughts, which prevented Cipher from wreaking havoc in the mindscape. Despite these precautions, Ford remained deeply paranoid and fearful of the catastrophe he'd nearly caused; he took to journaling and even amending previous journal entries with invisible ink.

With his fear of Bill's inevitable return growing stronger, Ford eventually felt the need to abandon his research and hide his journals, thus preventing details on the portal's operation from falling into the wrong hands. Hiding his second and third journals locally and converting his offsite laboratory into a makeshift fallout shelter, designed to survive an apocalypse, Ford finally contacted estranged brother Stanley in an urgent call for help.

After Stan's arrival, Ford's plight was near its end, as his final task rested on his brother's shoulders: after briefly explaining the portal and its power, Ford entrusted Stan his first journal, the only one still in his possession, and requested him to take it as far away as he could. Hurt and enraged at being summoned only to be sent as far as possible, Stan spitefully claimed he'd get rid of the journal by burning it, which prompted Ford to react in defense of his research. The brawl escalated into a fistfight within the laboratory that inadvertently reactivated the portal. As the fight neared the active portal, Stan angrily shoved the journal back into Ford's hands, which inadvertently pushed Ford into the gateway's range. While a helpless Stan watched, Ford first yelled at his twin to do something, then tossed him the journal, before disappearing through the gateway.

Ford found himself stranded between dimensions in an unfamiliar netherworld of the supernatural, something he was hardly prepared for. Ford wandered through various dimensions over the next thirty years, such as the "strangely pleasant" Dimension 52. He also came into contact with otherworldly items, such as the "highly-illegal" infinity sided dice.

[PERSONALITY]

Ford is an intellectual man who is considered an introverted and nerdy person, enjoying games which involve high levels of thinking, such as Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons. He would even go as far as to ignore the dangers of his research just to play such games (to the point where he would let a Cycloptopus bite his face when he became excited). Despite his intelligence, he is very behind the times when it comes to his own dimension, since he hasn't stepped foot in it for thirty years. He doesn't have a clue about the modern technology, or customs; he believes floppy disks are still in use, and had very little worry about giving Mabel a crossbow, thinking it's safe to give children weapons. Before he was sucked into the portal, he was shown to be paranoid and overly cautious, having a hard time trusting people due to being tricked by Bill.

Despite being very intelligent, Ford has shown himself to be very self-absorbed. This is shown by his reluctance to part with his life's work and share his scientific accomplishments with loved ones, instead relishing the image of being a solitary hero. However, Ford cared for his family, even in dire or delicate situations, such as when he and Stan fought against the other; he was apologetic for having caused a burn on his back. Another time his love for his family was shown was when Bill threatened multiple times to harm Dipper and Mabel, and was willing to let Bill take over the universe as long as he freed them.

Ford has a strong need to have his intellect recognized and celebrated, which made it easy for Bill to trick him by claiming to be a muse who chose "one great mind" every century to inspire.

He is seen as a serious person when it comes to his work in researching the paranormal. However, he genuinely enjoys his research, even in the face of danger. His years of researching the paranormal both in and out of his realm have made Ford a strong, brave individual who will face danger head on in order to ensure that the world is safe. However, after all of his years of researching the paranormal, Ford’s excitement for confirming things such as the existence of extraterrestrials have dulled.

[APPEARANCE]

Ford bears a close resemblance to Stan Pines. However, there are a few notable differences:

Unlike Stan, Ford's hair is dark gray with a horizontal silver streak along the sides of it and he possesses unusually long sideburns. His chin has a cleft and slight five o'clock shadow. Ford's nose is visually smoother than Stan's, lacking bumps. He is a central polydactyl with six fingers on each hand. Ford has a much narrower build than Stan. When he first comes out of the portal, he is seen wearing a large black coat with multiple pockets on the inside and an item that appears to be a gun rested on his back. Underneath his coat, he wears a black shirt and pants. He also dons bulky black boots, a brown belt that slings from his shoulder, a tattered cape and a gray scarf. In subsequent appearances, Ford is seen wearing a tan coat, a red turtleneck with a black belt that slings across his chest, black pants, and large brown boots coated in dirt. He has a gold dot on either side of his glasses and a crack on the left lens. Many believe the blue eye from after the end of Ford's dream in "The Last Mabelcorn" to be his eye, however this was disproved by Alex Hirsch on Twitter. Ford actually has brown eyes, as referenced in the tweet he replies to. This is also further confirmed by the fact that in thisisnotawebsitedotcom.com a document is revealed when the user types in "STANFORD" and presses the button on the computer, which shows Stanford's case report on his polydactyly diagnosis, and lists his eye color as "Brown".

[RELATIONSHIPS]

Stanley Pines - During their childhood, Stan and Ford were the closest of friends and would go out on adventures together. However, they got into a fight when Stan accidentally broke Ford's perpetual motion machine and ruined his chances to go to a superior college and as an extension a chance of a large fortune for the family. Due to this incident, Ford held a grudge against Stan for many years, and even after learning of Stan's efforts to rescue him from the universe portal. Ford and Stan eventually reconciled albeit strained. Ford allowed Stan to stay in the shack until summer ends whilst Ford kept the interdimensional rift contained and worked on finding a way to stop Bill Cipher's plans. He then told Stan that when summer ends, Stan is to return Ford's shack and identity. During the events of Weirdmageddon, after being trapped together, Ford came to recognize the troubles Stan went through for him and the twins reconciled with each other. After Stan sacrificed (and subsequently regained) his mind, the two decide to leave Gravity Falls to realize their childhood dream. When they are seen later on their ship, they seem to be genuinely happy.

Old Man McGucket - Ford and McGucket were close friends in Backupsmore University. During Ford's time at Gravity Falls, he called his old friend Fiddleford for help in researching the mysterious paranormal activities in Gravity Falls. They researched together and eventually built the Universe Portal. When they tested the machine, McGucket accidentally got sucked into the portal causing him to see something he wanted to forget, McGucket even questioned who Ford was really working for. McGucket then cut ties with Ford, and they never saw each other again (though Ford correctly suspected that the Blind Eye Society was McGucket's doing, and even wrote disparagingly of his desire to forget what he saw in Journal 3). Years later, during the Weirdmageddon event, McGucket chose to forgive Ford for the events leading to their falling out, finally mending their friendship.

Bill Cipher - Bill Cipher is Ford's ex-partner and now greatest enemy, as Bill tricked Ford into building the Universe Portal. Ford attempted to warn people who read his journal about Bill Cipher's existence and the dangers he could do to their world. During Ford's time doing research at Gravity Falls, he hit a roadblock and he summoned Bill to assist him. He considered Bill a friend due to the amount of help and knowledge that Bill shared with Ford. However, when Fiddleford McGucket was sucked into the Universe Portal, Ford realized Bill's true goal and stopped him by deactivating the portal. Ford's current mission is stopping Bill Cipher from getting his hands on the interdimensional rift and goes to great lengths in doing so (to the point where he would Bill-proof the Mystery Shack). Unfortunately, the rift has fallen into Bill's hands, therefore creating a gateway from the Nightmare realm to Earth.

Dipper Pines - Ford is an idol to Dipper as he was always obsessed with the Author of the Journals. When Dipper obtained Journal 3, one of his main missions was to learn the mysteries of the town and to find out who the Author was. When he finally meets the Author, Dipper becomes extremely excited and Ford becomes flattered that Dipper was a fan of him. With eagerness Dipper wishes to assist him yet, Ford was initially reluctant to allow Dipper to help him at all because he is a child and he didn't want Dipper to be in danger. However during their game of Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons, their common interests and enjoying the same things further strengthens their bond. Ford thinks of Dipper not only as his great nephew but a friend, Ford then decided to trust Dipper with the knowledge of a dimensional rift he sealed away, swearing Dipper to secrecy. Despite their close relation, Ford still kept secrets from Dipper about Bill Cipher, but he finally tells Dipper the truth in "The Last Mabelcorn," as he didn't want Dipper to distrust him. Due to this, he tells Dipper that no more secrets should be kept between them. In "Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future," Ford invites him to stay in Gravity Falls with him to study all the supernatural occurrences since he's getting old. Dipper accepts the offer initially, but later reconsiders.

Mabel Pines - When meeting Mabel for the first time, he was surprised but endeared, particularly by her description of his six-fingered handshake as "a full finger friendlier than normal." Ford hasn't interacted with Mabel as much as he has with Dipper, however, they are seen to be in good terms with each other. Mabel (along with Stan and Grenda) rescued Ford and Dipper from Probabilitor the Annoying despite Stan and Grenda's reluctance to do so. When Ford called for a family meeting, he allowed Mabel to find a lock of unicorn hair with which to protect the shack from Bill Cipher. Despite Ford's belief that Mabel won't be able to succeed, Mabel returns with the required item, shocking Ford. In return, Ford assures Mabel that she has a good heart.

[TRIVIAS]

Prior to Ford being created, there was an early version of the character that would become him called "Cousin Tim." The description for the character was as follows... "A grizzled but optimistic 60-something year old genius inventor and explorer who has spent the past 30-odd years trapped between dimensions. Although he can easily incapacitate most monsters or beasts with a headlock, he is totally ignorant of anything in our dimension since 1982, and would run and hide at the mere sight of a Roomba or Kardashian. While his otherworldly brilliance and grand aspirations can make him an imposing figure, he has a playful and grandfatherly relationship with 12 year old Dipper (Jason Ritter) & Mabel (Kristen Schaal), whom he hopes to teach about the hidden secrets of the universe. Or at the very least get them to explain how to open iTunes." —"Cousin Tim"

The name "Stanford" means "Stony Meadow," while "Stanley" means "Stony Clearing."

At the entrance to his father's store and family home, Pines Pawns, was an attached mezuzah.

There is also the fact that series creator Alex Hirsch and his sister Ariel, the inspirations for Dipper and Mabel respectively, are Jewish on their father's side.

According to Hirsch, Stan, Ford, and Shermie were raised Jewish. However, for him it is just his own headcanon, leaving it up to the fans to interpret it as they want.

The Book of Bill includes a section of Stanford reminiscing about Hanukkah presents and him and Stanley wearing a Hanukkah sweater, confirming that their family celebrated Hanukkah.

Ford's six-fingered hands are the result of postaxial polydactyly, a condition in which a person has an extra pinky finger on one or both hands. It is a dominant gene as well, which means that one or both of his parents passed it down to him.

Via his Reddit AMA and Twitter account, he has stated the Author is actually Geordi La Forge from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Ford is 15 minutes older than Stan, so he is also in his late sixties, but due to his appearance he appears to be younger than Stan.

Ford has 12 Ph.Ds.

In "Carpet Diem," the room with the titular carpet in it is Ford's. Stan also finds Ford's glasses on a drawer in the same episode.

In the same episode we see a prism that breaks up the light into its spectrum. In Gideon Rises, when we see a flashback of the Author writing the Journals, there is a small glint of spectrum light in the corner.

Ford is ambidextrous.

Instead of shaving, Ford sets his face on fire since he finds it to be "faster."

Ford is hiding something under his sweater.

In Gravity Falls: Journal 3, it is revealed that Ford got tattoos with a tribe of octopus-armed warrior piglets, with Ford later admitting, "[The] tattoos were among my most serious regrets. Let's just say I wear [a] turtleneck for a reason."

Ford's turtleneck was inspired by Carl Sagan's red turtleneck.

He originally thought Soos' name was Zeus.

The metal plate in Ford's head was put in surgically by an Oracle that he met in Dimension 52.

Ford's favorite snack is jelly beans and admits it is a weakness of his.

He considers Toffee Peanuts, Stanley Pines' favorite snack, to be the worst snack on earth.

Ford admires the scientist and inventor, Nikola Tesla.

Much like Soos, Ford also suspects that the mailman is a werewolf.

Ford was voted "Most Paranoid" in junior high.

Ford is the only person besides Mabel that Dipper has told his real name to.

In the Rick and Morty episode "Morty's Mind Blowers", where it's discovered that Rick Sanchez secretly stores Morty's memories, there are two memories labeled "Stanford" and "Bill C". It's likely that they are memories of Ford and Bill Cipher, since the two series are considered to occur in the same multiverse, and both Ford and Bill, have traveled between dimensions.

Ford shares many features in common with other characters in the series. With Dipper, both are fascinated by the supernatural, both were born with an abnormality, both thought Soos's name was Zeus, and both are twins. With Mabel, both like to wear a sweater, both are older twins, both are talented with art, and both are selfish. With Stanley, both enjoy adventures, both are bad with women, both share the dream of traveling the world.

In "The Last Mabelcorn," Bill Cipher stated that Ford would have a heart attack at the age of 92.

Ford and Stan are identical twins.

Polydactyly, or having extra fingers, is caused by genetic mutation. Since identical twins share exact genomes, and since Ford is polydactyl and Stan is not, it is possible that Ford's polydactyly is not genetic.

In the extra episode commentary for "Land Before Swine", Stan mentions that Ford is great at piano.

In the audio commentary for "The Stanchurian Candidate", Rob Renzetti revealed he nearly played Ford.

In Gravity Falls: Lost Legends, Stan mentions that Ford recited the digits of pi while in his sleep when he was a kid.