M. A. Larson

Mitchell Aaron Larson (born August 3, in Burnsville, Minnesota) is an American screenwriter and author.[1] Larson has written for several animated series, including Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Growing Up Creepie, Gravity Falls, Littlest Pet Shop, and most notably My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Depending on which series he is working on, he is credited as either Mitch Larson, M. A. Larson (in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and DC Super Hero Girls), and Mitchell Larson (rarely).

Mitch Larson
Larson at BronyCon in 2019
Larson at BronyCon in 2019
BornAugust 3
Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S.[1]
Pen nameM. A. Larson
Mitchell Larson
OccupationAuthor, screenwriter, lyricist, story editor
Years active2005–present
Notable worksMy Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

Larson had become interested in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic from previously working with Lauren Faust, the series' original showrunner, on Foster's Home; he was surprised by her characterization of the main characters and started writing for the show.[2] Larson became a popular figure within the latter show's adult and teenage fanbase of "bronies" and has become a frequent guest at various conventions.[1] He also wrote lyrics of a few songs on both Friendship is Magic and Littlest Pet Shop, and acted as story editor during the fifth season of Friendship is Magic.

In November 2014, Larson's first novel, Pennyroyal Academy, was published under his M. A. Larson moniker.

Pennyroyal Academy

Larson wrote Pennyroyal Academy which was published in November 2014 by Putnam. Larson was influenced by what he called "princess fatigue" in the popular culture during his time writing for Cartoon Network shows.[1][2] Brainstorming from this, he considered a children's work where many different princesses would be together in one place, dealing with having to live together. He originally called it Princess Boot Camp, where the princess characters would undergo rigorous training in a parody of a military-like boot camp approach.[2] As he began developing the book, he had read The Uses of Enchantment by Bruno Bettelheim, which analyzed works like Grimm's Fairy Tales using Freudian psychology and concluded that the darker elements of these stories enable children to help develop their emotions. Inspired by this analysis, Larson revamped his work over a six-year period to target a slightly older audience with scarier elements and with less humor.[2] The resulting book became Pennyroyal Academy, which centers on school for budding princesses and knights that train to fight approaching armies led by evil witches.[3] Larson noted that his experience with the characters of Friendship Is Magic resonated in his approach with Pennyroyal Academy.[2]

Pennyroyal Academy was well received by critics; the New York Times's Julie Klam called the work a "breathtakingly exciting novel", and despite the comparison to Harry Potter, felt the work stood on its own.[3] Prior to publication, the work was picked up by Reese Witherspoon's production company, Pacific Standard, for a film adaption.[4] Witherspoon, in her decision to pick up the work, stated that "there is a princess story that reflects the values young women truly want to embody … These princesses are strong, independent and fierce, and the knights are their match. In telling their story, Larson has created a magical universe that everyone will love to get lost in."[5]

Larson has since written two sequels, The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy (2016) and The Warrior Princess of Pennyroyal Academy (2017).

References
  1. Ode, Kim (February 25, 2015). "Brony king M.A. Larson visits hometown Burnsville with new novel". Minnesota Star Tribune. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  2. Ryan, Hugh (November 8, 2014). "Brony King M.A. Larson Wrote a Novel About 'Pink Princess Culture'". Vice. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  3. Klam, Julie (November 7, 2014). "'Pennyroyal Academy' and 'The Princess in Black'". New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  4. Goldberg, Lesley (November 25, 2012). "Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman to Star in David E. Kelley Limited Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  5. Kroll, Justin (March 21, 2012). "Witherspoon banner developing 'Princess' pic". Variety. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
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