Pop Mythology Pop Mythology: Movie, Book, Comic reviews & commentary
Season 8 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is well underway, and the Brony fandom shows no signs of slowing down. At Whinny City Pony Con 2018, I chatted with screenwriter M.A. Larson as he signed autographs. Here’s what I learned about him, his fans, and the show.
1. The Monopoly dog made him a writer
For a high school writing assignment, Larson wrote a Hero’s Journey story from the point of view of the Monopoly dog playing piece. His paper got an “A.” A writer was born.
2. Fan adore and shower him with gifts
During the hour I sat with Larson, fans lavished gifts on him, especially chocolate. The tally: Reese’s peanut butter eggs, bars of dark chocolate, Gatorade Energy Chews, jelly beans, a giant Hershey’s kiss, Hershey’s miniatures, a cookie featuring Larson’s OC, a Rarity figurine with a homemade pillow, hand sanitizer, and a box of industrial Sharpies.
3. Fans tease him
Larson, a Minnesota native, was at Super Bowl LII to see his beloved Vikings fall to the Philadelphia Eagles. The first fan to greet Larson showed up wearing an Eagles jersey and a “Super Bowl Champions” baseball hat. This fan called himself “Philadelphia Eagles.” Another fan showed up with a badge that read “N.A. Larson” – meaning, “Not Actually Larson.” He takes all of this with good humor, though. More than the teasing, Larson’s fans gushed about their favorite episodes, quoting lines he wrote. He finds it all very gratifying.
4. He’ll sign anything
Elevator in a Baltimore hotel? Your arm? A pie? Larson has signed all these things, and more. He’s famous for autographing anything you put in front of him. A Brony dressed as Tree Hugger asked Larson to sign the bandana covering his dreads. He did. Before signing his autograph, Larson always asks, “Who’s your favorite pony?” He includes a line he wrote for the pony along with his signature.
5. Animators, not writers, control the backgrounds
I talked with Larson about the beloved background jokes and characters. Turns out the writers don’t create those. Derpy’s first appearance? Animators put her in. The Big Lebowski characters in “The Cutie Pox”? That was the animators.
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