{{short description|American screenwriter and author}} {{Infobox writer | name = Mitch Larson | image = M.A. Larson BronyCon 2019.png | alt = | caption = Larson at [[BronyCon]] in 2019 | pseudonym = M. A. Larson<br />Mitchell Larson | birth_name = Mitchell Aaron Larson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|8|3}} | birth_place = [[Burnsville, Minnesota]], U.S.<ref name="star tribune" /> | occupation = Author, screenwriter, lyricist, story editor | years_active = 2005–present | notableworks = ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' }}
'''Mitchell Aaron Larson''' (born August 3, 1976 in [[Burnsville, Minnesota]]) is an American screenwriter and author.<ref name="star tribune">{{cite web | url = http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/294072051.html | title = Brony king M.A. Larson visits hometown Burnsville with new novel | first = Kim | last = Ode | date = February 25, 2015 | accessdate = February 25, 2015 | work = [[Minnesota Star Tribune]] | archive-date = February 27, 2015 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20150227040044/http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/294072051.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> Larson has written for several animated series, including ''[[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]]'', ''[[My Gym Partner's a Monkey]]'', ''[[Growing Up Creepie]]'', ''[[Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil]]'', ''[[Gravity Falls]]'', ''[[Littlest Pet Shop (2012 TV series)|Littlest Pet Shop]]'', ''[[SuperKitties]]'', 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).
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.<ref name="vice">{{cite web | url = https://www.vice.com/en/article/brony-king-ma-larson-wrote-a-satirical-novel-about-pink-princess-culture-678/ | title = Brony King M.A. Larson Wrote a Novel About 'Pink Princess Culture' | first = Hugh | last =Ryan | date = November 8, 2014 | access-date = February 25, 2015 | work = [[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] }}</ref> Larson became a popular figure within the latter show's adult and teenage fanbase of [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom|"bronies"]] and has become a frequent guest at various [[Fan convention|conventions]].<ref name="star tribune"/> He also wrote lyrics of a few songs on both ''Friendship Is Magic'' and ''Littlest Pet Shop'', and acted as story editor during the [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 5|fifth season of ''Friendship Is Magic'']]. He is credited with writing various notable episodes on the show, including "[[The Cutie Mark Chronicles]]", "[[The Return of Harmony]]", "[[Magic Duel]]", "[[Magical Mystery Cure]]", "[[The Cutie Map]]", "[[Slice of Life (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)|Slice of Life]]", and "[[Amending Fences]]".<ref>{{Cite web |title=M.A. Larson {{!}} Writer, Script and Continuity Department, Producer |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1910191/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>
In November 2014, Larson's first novel, ''Pennyroyal Academy'', was published under his M. A. Larson moniker.
== Work on ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' == M. A. Larson is most well-known for his work on ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'', an [[Animated series|animated television series]] that ran from 2010–2019 and served as the primary television adaptation of the [[My Little Pony (2010 toyline)|fourth incarnation]] of [[Hasbro]]'s ''[[My Little Pony]]'' toyline. The show's developer, Lauren Faust, had previously worked with Larson on ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' and Larson subsequently became involved with ''Friendship Is Magic''.<ref name="vice" /> He worked on the show until 2016, though the last episode written under his name aired in 2017.
=== List of episodes written by M. A. Larson === Larson is credited as the writer for the following episodes of ''Friendship Is Magic'':
* "[[Swarm of the Century]]" * "[[Sonic Rainboom]]" * "[[The Cutie Mark Chronicles]]" * "[[The Return of Harmony]]" * "[[Luna Eclipsed]]" * "[[Secret of My Excess]]" * "[[The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000]]" * "[[It's About Time (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)|It's About Time]]" * "[[Ponyville Confidential]]" * "[[Magic Duel]]" * "[[Magical Mystery Cure]]" * "[[The Cutie Map]]" * "[[Slice of Life (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)|Slice of Life]]" * "[[Amending Fences]]" * "[[List of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episodes#Season 7 (2017)|Fame and Misfortune]]"
Additionally, Larson is credited for the story of "[[Rarity Investigates!]]".
==''Pennyroyal Academy''== Larson wrote ''Pennyroyal Academy'' which was published in November 2014 by [[G. P. Putnam's Sons|Putnam]]. Larson was influenced by what he called "princess fatigue" in the popular culture during his time writing for [[Cartoon Network]] shows.<ref name="star tribune"/><ref name="vice"/> 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 [[recruit training|boot camp]] approach.<ref name="vice"/> 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 [[Sigmund Freud|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.<ref name="vice"/> 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.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/books/review/pennyroyal-academy-and-the-princess-in-black.html?_r=0 | title = ‘Pennyroyal Academy’ and ‘The Princess in Black’ | date = November 7, 2014 | accessdate = February 25, 2015 | first = Julie | last = Klam | work = [[New York Times]] }}</ref> Larson noted that his experience with the characters of ''Friendship Is Magic'' resonated in his approach with ''Pennyroyal Academy''.<ref name="vice"/>
''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.<ref name="nytimes"/> Prior to publication, the work was picked up by [[Reese Witherspoon]]'s production company, Pacific Standard, for a film adaption.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/reese-witherspoon-nicole-kidman-star-752316 | title = Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman to Star in David E. Kelley Limited Series | first = Lesley | last = Goldberg | date = November 25, 2012 | accessdate = February 25, 2015 | work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] }}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2012/film/news/witherspoon-banner-developing-princess-pic-1118051733/ | title = Witherspoon banner developing ‘Princess’ pic | first =Justin | last = Kroll | date = March 21, 2012 | accessdate = February 25, 2015 | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] }}</ref>
Larson has since written two sequels, ''The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy'' (2016) and ''The Warrior Princess of Pennyroyal Academy'' (2017).
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Portal|Children's literature}} *{{IMDb name|1910191}} *{{Twitter}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Larson, M. A.}} [[Category:American male screenwriters]] [[Category:American writers of young adult literature]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1976 births]] [[Category:People from Rochester, Minnesota]] [[Category:Screenwriters from Minnesota]]