Martin Olson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin Olson
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Olson in 2023
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| Born | April 2, 1956 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Comedy writer, television producer, author, composer |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Children | 2, including Olivia Olson |
Martin Olson (born April 2, 1956) is an American comedy writer, television producer, author, and composer. He is known for his unique ideas and was an early part of the Boston comedy scene. He is the father of actress Olivia Olson.
Olson has been nominated for six Emmy Awards. Five nominations were for his television writing. One was for his songwriting. He also won an Ace Award for television writing.
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Martin Olson's Early Life and Inspiration
Martin Olson grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. His brother, Thomas Olson, is an actor in movies and plays. His daughter, Olivia Olson, is a singer, actress, and author.
When Martin was a boy, he decided he wanted to be a comedy writer. He was inspired by comedian Brother Theodore on The Merv Griffin Show. Later, Theodore became a fan of Olson's first book, Encyclopaedia of Hell. He even wrote a quote for the book's cover.
Martin Olson's Comedy Career Beginnings
Olson started writing jokes for comedians before Boston had many comedy clubs. As a young man, he sent jokes to famous comedian Rodney Dangerfield. Dangerfield always sent them back with a polite note. Years later, Olson worked with Dangerfield in Las Vegas and they became friends.
Olson first sold his comedy ideas to local "Gong Shows." This is how his career as a comedy writer began.
Boston Comedy Scene: How It Started
In 1977, Sean Morey opened a comedy school in Boston. There, Paul Barclay and Bill Downes met Olson. They decided to start a comedy show at Boston's Charles Theater. This became the first comedy club in Boston.
Olson became the house piano player there. He also performed as a comedian. He had a very serious, funny act, playing the guitar. He would host other comedians as his unusual guests. Olson worked with many comedians who became his friends. These included Lenny Clarke, Bobcat Goldthwait, Steven Wright, and Denis Leary.
Olson and comedian Lenny Clarke became roommates. Their apartment was known as The Barracks. Many comedians stayed there when performing in Boston. Olson wrote for Clarke, who was very popular. Their apartment was featured in a TV special about Boston comedy. It was also in the documentary When Standup Stood Out (2006).
When Barry Crimmins started the second comedy club, the Ding Ho, Olson played piano. He and writer Jim Harris created Lenny Clarke's Late Show. This was a late-night comedy series on TV-38. It was hosted and co-written by Clarke. The show was very unusual and gained a small but loyal following. After two years, Olson and Clarke were fired for airing some controversial segments.
Moving to the West Coast for Comedy
Olson took his show tapes and drove to San Francisco with comedian Don Gavin. By chance, the 1980 San Francisco Comedy Competition was starting. The first prize was $10,000. Olson helped Gavin audition and reach the finals.
In San Francisco, Olson met Kay Furtado, a writer. A year later, they married in San Francisco. Comedian Michael Pritchard performed the ceremony. Olson and his wife moved to Los Angeles. They raised two children there, Casey Olson and Olivia Olson.
Martin Olson's Writing and Directing Work
In Los Angeles, Olson became a head writer for several HBO comedy specials. He was also a staff writer for the Screen Actors Guild Awards for three years. He co-wrote a successful series for Comedy Central in London.
Olson was also a head writer or staff writer for many animated TV shows. His comedian friends often voiced characters in these shows. A notable show was Rocko's Modern Life for Nickelodeon. He was also the head writer for the first season of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb.
While working on Rocko's Modern Life, Olson's office was next to Stephen Hillenburg. Hillenburg later created SpongeBob SquarePants. Olson read Hillenburg's comic book, The Intertidal Zone. It featured a sea sponge character. Olson strongly encouraged Hillenburg to create an underwater TV series based on his book. This idea became the SpongeBob series.
Olson wrote or directed several unique stage plays in Los Angeles. These included "The Head" and "The Idiots." He worked at theaters like the Comedy Central Stage and the HBO Theater. Olson and his writing partner, Jeremy Kramer, were head writers for Fox's Comic Strip Live. They also wrote for the Screen Actors Guild Awards and The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat. Olson was also a producer for Penn & Teller's FX show Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular.
With help from his agent, Olson sold comedy screenplays to major studios. These included DreamWorks and Warner Bros.. He wrote the funny book Encyclopaedia of Hell. Warner Bros. bought the film rights. Olson co-wrote the movie script for his book, titled D-Men.
Olson has worked with many writers and artists. He worked with special effects director Phil Tippett on "Veronica's Daughter." He also worked with Bobcat Goldthwait on "Sightings." Olson was a contributing writer and songwriter for Disney's TV movie Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension. In 2016, Olson was a staff writer for Disney's Milo Murphy's Law. In 2017, he co-wrote the story for Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling. This was a highly anticipated return of the classic Nickelodeon series.
Martin Olson's Acting Roles
Olson sometimes acts in shows. He has appeared in live-action parts of SpongeBob SquarePants. He was also in "Don't Watch This Show" by Bobcat Goldthwait. He appeared in the documentary When Standup Stood Out. He also played an Indian yogi on The Tonight Show with Bobcat Goldthwait.
Olson voices Hunson Abadeer, also known as "The Lord of Evil," on Cartoon Network's Adventure Time. His real-life daughter, Olivia Olson, voices his character's daughter, Marceline the Vampire Queen. Olson also appears in videos by his friends Garfunkel and Oates and Melinda Hill.
Martin Olson's Music and Songwriting
Olson has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his songwriting. He has also been nominated for an Annie Award for songwriting. He has written or co-written over 350 songs for TV and movies. He has sung on TV shows like SpongeBob SquarePants and Phineas and Ferb.
His funny songs have been featured on many TV series. These include Rocko's Modern Life and Phineas and Ferb. He wrote eight songs for Disney's TV movie Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension. He also wrote four songs for the Disney+ film Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe. Olson and director Bobcat Goldthwait co-wrote the theme song for "Don't Watch This Show."
At Disney Studios, Olson co-wrote songs with Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh. He also worked with Bobby Lopez, who co-wrote Broadway's The Book of Mormon and Disney's Frozen. Olson, Povenmire, and Marsh wrote a song for Disney's Milo Murphy's Law with Grammy-winning songwriter Mike Stoller. They also wrote songs with Kate Micucci.
Olson's songs have been performed by many different artists. These include Clay Aiken, Chaka Khan, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Kenny Loggins, and Ian McKellen. His daughter, singer-songwriter Olivia Olson, has also performed his songs.
Olson's latest CD, The Father-Daughter Album of Unspeakable Beauty, was released in 2013. He wrote and recorded it with his daughter Olivia Olson. Their new album, Hey I'm Not Dead Yet, was released in 2021.
Martin Olson's Books
Olson's funny book Encyclopaedia of Hell was published in 2011. Warner Bros. bought the film rights for it. A French version was published in 2016.
His popular children's book The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia (2013) reached #5 on the New York Times Best-Seller List. His latest book, The Enchiridion/Marcy's Super-Secret Scrapbook, was co-written with his daughter Olivia Olson. It was released in 2015.
His fourth book is The Conquest of Heaven. It is a mystical history book from the future. It talks about the secrets of the universe. Conquest is a follow-up to his first book.
Olson also wrote two collections of poems, Hitler's Dog and Imaginary History of Reality. These are available for free online.
Awards and Recognitions
Olson has received six Emmy Nominations. Five were for his TV writing, and one was for his songwriting.
Selected Works
Television Writing
- Lenny Clarke’s Late Show (1980)
- Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996)
- The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1996)
- Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (1998–1999)
- Camp Lazlo (2005)
- Phineas and Ferb (2007–2015)
- Milo Murphy's Law (2016–2019)
- Phineas and Ferb (2025–revival)
Film Writing
- Elf Bowling: The Great North Pole Elf Strike (2007)
- Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011) (Additional Writing By)
- Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling (2019)
