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 also the father of actress Olivia Olson.
Olson has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards. Five of these were for his television writing, and two were for his songwriting. He also won an Ace Award for his TV writing.
About Martin Olson
Early Life and Inspiration
Martin Olson grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. His brother, Thomas Olson, is an actor in films and on stage. His daughter, Olivia Olson, is a singer, actress, and author. Martin decided he wanted to be a comedy writer when he was a boy. He was inspired by comedian Brother Theodore on The Merv Griffin Show. Later, Theodore even wrote a quote for the cover of Olson's first book, Encyclopaedia of Hell.
Starting His Comedy Career
Olson started writing jokes for comedians before there were many comedy clubs in Boston. When he was young, he would send jokes to famous comedian Rodney Dangerfield. Later, Olson sold his first comedy material to local "Gong Shows." This was the start of his career as a comedy writer.
Boston's First Comedy Clubs
In 1977, the first comedy club in Boston opened at the Charles Theater. Martin Olson became the house piano player there. He also performed as a comedian, playing guitar and introducing other funny guests. Olson worked with many comedians who became his friends. These included Lenny Clarke, Bobcat Goldthwait, Steven Wright, and Denis Leary.
The Barracks and TV Shows
Olson and comedian Lenny Clarke became roommates. Their apartment became a famous place for comedians visiting Boston. Olson wrote for Clarke, who was very popular in Boston. Their apartment was even featured in a TV special and a documentary about the Boston comedy scene.
Later, Olson became the piano player at another comedy club called the Ding Ho. There, he helped create Lenny Clarke's Late Show, a late-night TV comedy series. This show became very popular with a small group of dedicated fans.
Moving to the West Coast
Olson moved to San Francisco and then to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he and his wife, Kay Furtado, raised their two children, Casey and Olivia Olson.
Writing for Cartoons and Movies
In Los Angeles, Olson became a head writer for several HBO comedy specials. He also wrote for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He was a head writer for many animated TV shows, often working with his comedian friends. One of these 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.
The Idea Behind SpongeBob
While working on Rocko's Modern Life, Olson's office was next to his friend Stephen Hillenburg. Hillenburg later created SpongeBob SquarePants. Olson read an educational comic book Hillenburg had made about a sea sponge. Olson strongly encouraged Hillenburg to create an underwater TV series based on his book. This idea became the famous SpongeBob series.
Olson also wrote or directed several stage plays in Los Angeles. He worked with his writing partner, Jeremy Kramer, on shows like Comic Strip Live for Fox. He was also a producer for Penn & Teller's TV show, Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular.
Olson sold comedy movie ideas to big studios like DreamWorks and Warner Bros.. He wrote a funny book called Encyclopaedia of Hell. Warner Bros. bought the rights to make it into a movie.
He has worked with many other writers and artists. He helped write screenplays for films like Veronica's Daughter and Family Disorder. He also wrote for Disney's TV movie Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension. In 2016, Olson wrote for Disney's Milo Murphy's Law. In 2017, he helped write the story for Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, a new movie based on the popular Rocko's Modern Life series.
Acting Roles
Sometimes, Olson acts in shows himself. He has appeared in live-action parts of SpongeBob SquarePants. He was also in the documentary When Standup Stood Out. Olson voices the character 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, on the show.
Music and Songwriting
Olson has been nominated for an Emmy Award twice for his songwriting. He has written or helped write 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 the Disney 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.
At Disney Studios, Olson co-wrote songs with Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh. He also worked with Bobby Lopez, who co-wrote songs for Broadway's The Book of Mormon and Disney's Frozen.
Many different artists have performed Olson's songs. These include Clay Aiken, Chaka Khan, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Kenny Loggins, Ian McKellen, and his daughter, Olivia Olson.
In 2013, Olson released a CD with his daughter Olivia called The Father-Daughter Album of Unspeakable Beauty. Their new album, Hey I'm Not Dead Yet, is set to be released soon.
Books He Has Written
Olson's funny book, Encyclopaedia of Hell, was published in 2011. Warner Bros. bought the rights to make it into a movie. His children's book, The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia (2013), became a #5 best-seller on the New York Times list. His latest book, The Enchiridion/Marcy's Super-Secret Scrapbook, was co-written with his daughter Olivia Olson.
His fourth book is The Conquest of Heaven. Olson also wrote two collections of poems, Hitler's Dog and Imaginary History of Reality.
Awards and Recognition
Martin Olson has received seven Emmy Nominations:
- Five for his television writing.
- Two for his songwriting.
His Work on TV and Film
Television Shows
- Lenny Clarke’s Late Show (1980)
- The New Adventures of Beans Baxter (1987)
- The Power of Choice - PBS (1988)
- Monsters (1989)
- Little Dracula (1991)
- Comic Strip Live (1992–1993)
- Rocko's Modern Life (1993–1996)
- The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–1996)
- Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys (1996–1997)
- Extreme Ghostbusters (1997)
- Monster Farm (1998)
- Mad Jack the Pirate (1998)
- Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (1998–1999)
- Gadget & the Gadgetinis (2003)
- Camp Lazlo (2005)
- Phineas and Ferb (2007–2015)
- The Twisted Whiskers Show (2009)
- Johnny Test (2011)
- Wild Grinders (2012)
- Milo Murphy's Law (2016–2019)
- Phineas and Ferb (2024-2025 reboot)
Movies
- Elf Bowling: The Great North Pole Elf Strike (2007)
- Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011) (Additional Writing By)
- We Wish You a Merry Walrus (2014)
- Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling (2019)
