Early on August 3 , multiple group — some families with young children — gathered in the lowly metropolis of Reedsport , Ore. , with a population of just over 4,000 hoi polloi . In the heart of a Ellen Price Wood , in the darkness of night , they stood with their phone , taking photos and dwell - streaming the discovery of a triangular , mechanical man statue . OnePeriscopeof the journeying and discovery had a total of over 29,000 viewing audience .
Some even dared to excite the statue ’s manus .
We ’ve found a statue ! ! ( credibly the last ones there tonight , going again tomorrow!)#CipherHunt@_AlexHirschpic.twitter.com / M0u1WL0vJg
— ~ Chloe ~ ( @TsunamiHolmes)August 3 , 2016
The Gravity Falls fandom has taken on a living of its own . The Disney XD cartoon ran for only two season , but since its completion in February , has seen an uptick in popularity that has n’t gone unnoticed by God Almighty Alex Hirsch , who desire to reward the fan with something befitting the show ’s creepy-crawly , mysterious tone .
“ I wanted to reward the fans who are still celebrating the show , ” Hirsch differentiate io9 by phone Wednesday . “ I have a unequaled opportunity [ so I presented this ] last talent , a leave-taking mystery . ”
Hence the creation of the Cipher Hunt : a global scavenger hunt for buff . The mission was to encounter a statue of Bill Cipher , the toon ’s main opponent , by keep up hint posted by Hirsch on Twitter . If you ’re new to the Gravity Falls fandom , you could show more on the basics of thesocial media scavenger hunt , which brought fans together overTwitter , Tumblr , andRedditto fix the mystery , crack the clues , and discover Cipher . It was an unbelievable feat that spanned continent , with some clues record up in Russia , Japan , and in Los Angeles . you may check out thisReddit megathread , which documents the total journey .
CipherHunton our way to Reedsport@_AlexHirsch@billthe8thpic.twitter.com/XlmzM2O6Jk
— CipherHuntingFamily ( @mypresidents)August 3 , 2016
So for two weeks , people traveled all over , cracking codes and solve puzzle . After multiple clues , the concluding one : a tear in the original parchment that was cut in the outline of the wood in Reedsport , according to Google Maps .
DAY 13-#CipherHuntis COMPLETE ! Our magnificent fans cracked the cipher & discovered the mapping lead to Reedsport OR!pic.twitter.com / bTj5eJu2Oo
— Alex Hirsch ( @_AlexHirsch)August 3 , 2016
Those that descended on the statue during its first nighttime were not only contact with a substantial - biography avatar of Bill Cipher , but also a box of hoarded wealth . at heart was some fake money , a smaller statue of Bill , a delineation of the Pines family , and a USB that let in an audio content from one of the show ’s eccentric . Also at bottom were some message from Hirsch that you could only read under a black twinkle , which was provided .
https://twitter.com/embed/status/760727359930699777
Also inside was a poll and cincture to be get into by the next mayor of Gravity Falls . A fille , who was the first one to bump it , is now “ canonically the mayor of Gravity Falls , ” according to Hirsch .
We made it!!!#CipherHuntpic.twitter.com / ryZTyRU79L
At one point , a baby didder Bill ’s hand , which in the show is basically the equivalent of draw a muckle with the hellion .
A#DemonBabyjust shook Bill ’s hand ! ! BILLS SPIRIT NOW LIVES IN YOU , CHILD#CipherHuntpic.twitter.com/49EWPa4vVi
Hirsch would n’t detail how long the hunt took to plan , but allege that he installed the statue eight months ago in Reedsport , making a deal with a mankind who had an excluded place in the show ’s locus . So the statue realise in the final scene of the finale was indeed the real one . There was surmisal immediately follow the series terminate that it could be veridical , and it just so materialise the fans were correct .
The popularity of the result was surprising even to Hirsch . He consider after the finale the sizing of the fandom would stagnate , but the opposite happened . “ The biotic community has swelled in size , ” Hirsch enunciate .
The hunt coincided with the loss of Gravity surrender : Journal # 3 , a tie - in Word of God that hit bookstore shelf last week . Since then , it ’s been sell out on Amazon and has arrive at number one on the New York Times Bestseller ’s List in the “ Middle Grade Hardcover ” division , something else to score home just how his show resonate with viewers . The combination of code break and interactivity online only add to the show ’s complex characters and charming Pacific Northwest circumstance .
“ There ’s something about the interactivity of the show in the age of Twitter and Tumblr that makes people feel like they ’re part of the story , ” Hirsch aver , speculating about why the show is so popular . “ In some case , I ’m a type too . The show has taken on a liveliness outside of television . ”
The search would n’t have been near as popular without the cyberspace . In the wake of other real - human beings experience such a Pokémon Go , it ’s brought the great unwashed together out of doors of electronic computer monitors and goggle box screen . Hirsch equalize the fury to being “ camp counsellor for 300,000 kids at once . ” It ’s a mint of fun and rewarding , but crazy .
“ The net is a corporate mind and together they ’re smarter than any one someone , ” he said .
The statue would ’ve remain in its everlastingly home if not for a humble spat between two Oregon properties , however . Hirsch say that he made a raft with the man whose property house Cipher , but a dispute between him and a neighbor over where the borders of the land were located caused Cipher to be “ arrested ” by police .
There goes Bill … @_AlexHirsch@TheMysteryofGF#CipherHuntpic.twitter.com / oJyhlqJAme
https://twitter.com/embed/status/760891508924952576
accord to Hirsch , the entire incident was a “ dull miscommunication ” that the local constabulary take in pace , even offering to facilitate install it somewhere else .
“ [ The law officer ] was quite impressed by the awing duration of this Leigh Hunt and how Alex had chosen Reedsport for the last position . He happily say that he would try his right to keep it dependable and get it back into a public plaza if possible , ” allege Twitter user Sunbeam Pines , who was at the scene when the statue got remove .
So people who require to make the pilgrim’s journey to Oregon will have to await until Hirsch finds a new spot for it . No word on where it will be yet , or if there will be a secondary scavenger hunt — Hirsch is busy with other unrevealed projects , as much as he would like to make another one — but it definitely will have a new home .
https://twitter.com/embed/status/760942700250005504
As for whether Hirsch will do something like this again in the future , it depends on his schedule . What was most touching for him — and something that he gushed about over the phone multiple time — was the playfulness people were having over the hunting . mass solved obtuse , ridiculous clues and broke cue and connected with citizenry in other commonwealth just to discover a statue .
In an email to io9 , Sunbeam want to thank Hirsch for the travail he put into the event and to the lover for the event itself .
“ I had followed it the entire way of life through , waiting for a consequence for us to be able to take action mechanism . Well , we had our second . We witness the statue and helped save Bill Cipher ! Not only that , we helped make Gravity Falls story . But , it could n’t have been done without the entire fandom . They abide us through streams and help actually find the statue ’s location . I ’m really respect to have a part in the # CipherHunt and I desire to avail Gravity Falls go on ! This experience wo n’t be one that I ’ll forget , and I am so thankful to Alex Hirsch for make it ! ”
The internet is a strange and grand piazza .
“ The pointlessness of it inspires the warmth , ” he added . “ I ’d rather live in a world where there are treasure hunts to find a statue in the woods than one where everyone remember something like that is too hard . ”
CipherHuntpic.twitter.com/UjTIQHysYx
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