The development of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic series marked a transition for Lauren Faust, who shifted from feature film animation to shaping television narratives. Born in 1974 in San Jose, the American animator and screenwriter has built a career spanning film, television, and game design, while consistently collaborating on projects across multiple major production studios.
Early Career and Training
Faust attended Severna Park High School before enrolling at the California Institute of the Arts from 1992 to 1994. She entered the professional industry as a character layout artist for The Maxx, an MTV series. Subsequently, she joined Turner Feature Animation and Warner Bros Feature Animation. Her early film credits include animation work on Cats Don't Dance, Quest for Camelot, and The Iron Giant.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Television Production and Collaboration
In 1999, Faust transitioned into television production at Cartoon Network Studios. She served in various roles, including storyboard artist, screenwriter, and supervising producer, for projects such as The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. She frequently collaborates with her husband, Craig McCracken, contributing to his series including Wander Over Yonder and Kid Cosmic. Beyond these partnerships, she developed Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls and the 2019 reboot of DC Super Hero Girls for Warner Bros.
Recognition and Game Development
Faust’s work has earned industry nominations, including an Emmy nomination in 2004 and an Annie Award nomination in 2005. She shared a Primetime Emmy in 2009 for the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends special, Destination: Imagination. Her interest in character design extended to gaming; she designed characters for the fangame Them's Fightin' Herds, which emerged after Hasbro issued a cease and desist for My Little Pony: Fighting is Magic. The title reached Steam Early Access in 2018, though active development concluded in 2023.
Recent Projects
By 2021, Faust was working on an animated series for Netflix titled Toil & Trouble. The project was cancelled by August of that year following leadership changes within the studio. In April 2022, she confirmed she retained the rights to the material and was seeking new distribution for the concept.
Fast facts
- Born: 1974, San Jose
- Citizenship: United States
- Educated: Severna Park High School, California Institute of the Arts
- Member: Writers Guild of America West
- Notable Work: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, season 1
- Spouse: Craig McCracken
Questions readers ask
Did Lauren Faust work on The Powerpuff Girls?
Yes, she worked on the series as a storyboard artist, screenwriter, and supervising producer.
What happened to the Netflix project Toil & Trouble?
The series was cancelled in 2021 due to a leadership change, but Faust retained the rights to the show.
Achievements
- Notable work: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, season 1
