The Grid recently did an interview with animator Craig McCracken, husband to Lauren Faust. They covered a mix of shows, from Fosters Home to the new Wander Over Yonder. Mixed in there were are few quotes about Friendship is Magic. Head on over here for the entire thing, or below the break for the pony specific stuff!
Thanks to Candygram for the heads up!
On the show in general:
“I always knew the show was great,” says McCracken. “Lauren said, ‘I want to make a show for little girls that their parents can watch and it’s not stupid.’ When she grew up, everything that was made for her was never good and everything that was made for her brothers was really high-quality. Why can’t shows for girls be good?
On the Brony Fanbase:
“But the entire Brony fanbase was a complete surprise to both of us,” he admits. “One of the reasons Bronies showed up was that the show was so nice and the characters are friends with each other. There’s no angst in it—it’s not dark or brooding or cynical or mean-spirited. It’s a very positive and nice show where characters get along with each other. I think audiences are starved for that entertainment.”
On why Lauren left MLP:
“It was not an easy decision and she’s not happy about it,” McCracken reveals. “I know there were things she wanted to do with that series that she just wasn’t able to do. It’s difficult trying to make a show like that for a toy company. She had big ideas and I don’t know she was able to get them on the screen, and there’s still some frustration with that.”
Their take on Equestria Girls:
“I don’t think [Lauren]’s the biggest fan of that,” McCracken deadpans. “That’s one of those things would have made her leave anyway. If they had told her you have to turn them into human beings now and they have to go high school, she would have said, ‘No, that’s exactly what I didn’t want to do with this show.’ Lauren’s priority was telling stories and Hasbro’s priority was selling toys. It’s a different way of approaching the work and it was difficult for her to bridge that gap.”
