Interview: Martin Olson and Olivia Olson and All Things ‘Adventure Time’

Marceline the Vampire Queen in “Adventure Time”

Martin Olson is a great comedy writer. And Olivia Olson is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and actress. It was a lot of fun to get to interview them both in a casual conversational style. I had a good idea about what I wanted to ask them. I had notes about the dynamics of a father and daughter working together. I had notes on Martin’s career going back to his founding of the legendary “Boston Comedy Scene.” I had notes about Martin’s writing for, and Olivia’s acting in, “Phineas and Ferb.” And, of course, I had notes upon notes on “Adventure Time.”

Vanessa in “Phineas and Ferb”

The new book by Martin Olson, “The Adventure Time Encyclopedia,” is a nod to his impressive “Encyclopedia of Hell,” from 2010, and is the ultimate source of knowledge on all things “Adventure Time.”

Now, wait for a moment here, and let’s back it up. “Encyclopedia of Hell” is a whole world to itself. This book is a manual for demons to prepare for Hell’s invasion of Earth. It’s a wonderful vehicle. As Martin Olson points out, “This is working from Mark Twain’s version of Satan. This is the most beautiful satirical platform to work from since all bets are off and you can satirize everything.” Check it out here.

Olivia Olson is well known for his musical talent but there’s no getting around the fact that she also has tons of fans of her role as Marceline the Vampire Queen. And that’s very cool. It’s an honor, really, and Olivia wears it well. At one point in the interview, I posed a question to Olivia from my own daughter, Emma, who was curious about how Olivia channels her vampire character and Olivia provided an inspired response. It lead to an interesting discussion on the power of fiction.

Getting back to “The Adventure Time Encyclopedia,” it does a remarkable job of describing the narrative underbelly of the show and all the activities on the postapocalyptic land of Ooo. Primarily, you have profiles that go into heavy detail on all the main characters, followed by smaller profiles on the wide assortment of minor characters. There are also a number of other features, including maps and descriptions on the many kingdoms and various miscellaneous treats. But, the great thing about this book is how it takes everything that may appear chaotic and gives it a more orderly form. No doubt, there is much to keep up with on a show that is far more than just about a boy and his dog, as you can see from a look at Season 5 here.

It sure looks like there’s room for a whole other book on this subject and maybe that will happen. For now, you’ll be glad you got yourself a copy of “The Adventure Time Encyclopedia,” published by Abrams Books, which you can purchase here.

And to add to all the fun, Martin Olson and Olivia Olson have a new album they have just released. It is an eclectic collection that rings true in its wide range of songs. You can check out “The Father-Daughter Album of Unspeakable Beauty” on iTunes here.

And, of course, you will want to check out Olivia’s EP, “Beauty is Chaos,” on iTunes here.

Just click the link below to listen to the whole podcast interview:

And keep up with “Phineas and Ferb,” on the Disney Channel, here and “Adventure Time,” on Cartoon Network, here.