(CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Accomplished cartoonist Andy Price of Madison will share his creations at “Ponypalooza” at Madison Public Library on April 6 at 1 p.m.

Price illustrates “My Little Pony” comic books. “Pony fans of all ages can meet the illustrator of the sensationally popular, best-selling comic book,” youth services librarian Mandy Pinyan said. “He will sign comics. Haven Comics will sell issues for fans.”

Price graduated from the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon & Graphic Arts. He has designed licensed work for DC Comics, LEGO, Marvel Comics, Rittenhouse Archives and Innovation Comics. He and wife Alice collaborated on work for Disney.

In “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” rainbow-haired Princess Celestia rules the land of Equestria. “Her prized pupil, Twilight Sparkle, is book-smart and precocious but lacks friends,” Pinyan said. “She makes friends and encounters colorful personalities.”

Pinyan encourages individuals to wear costumes. Mascot Rainbow Dash and her friend will be in costume, “thanks to the uber-talented Judson Hudson,” she said.

“Join us for snacks, get your cutie mark painted, create your own custom pony tail and friendship bracelets and try comic writing and illustrating,” Pinyan said. (A cutie mark is like a beauty mark, appearing when a pony discovers its special talent.)

Pinyan has created a blank, three-panel comic for participants to sketch their illustrations. “Andy will demonstrate his craft, and it takes to be an illustrator,” she said. “It’ll be a neat little creative literacy project.”

“Here’s the cool thing: grown-ups love it,” Pinyan said. The target audience is young girls, but older females, called “Pegasisters,” and older males, called “Bronies,” also are fans.

Pinyan and her daughter watch “witty jokes sprinkled throughout the episodes. Even the sugary-sweet lessons are good ones. My little girl regularly quotes the show and does impressions of her favorite ponies,” she said. Nostalgia also influences fans, shown by Pinyan finding her “My Little Ponies” figures for her daughter.

For more information, call Pinyan at 256-461-0046 or email to mpinyan@hmcpl.org.