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Brian Kirby

@boringstorybook.com

5.4K followers 4.2K following 5.3K posts

Author/illustrator in the Cleveland area. https://briankirbystudio.com SCBWI Ohio: North | #pbparty Finalist ‘24 & ‘25 | #kidlit booster Represented by @KaitlynLeann17.bsky.social at @Bradfordagents.bsky.social

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Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · Sep 11

Noodle & Goofball discover the worst trick or treating house.
briankirbystudio.com/portfolio

#kidlit #kidlitart

A cartoon of two aghast kids trick or treating as a hand drops toothpaste and a toothbrush into their bags

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 1h

The school’s post mentioned his name and a race (for KIDS) and Meta created multiple links for additional info, making up entire fantasies about this kid’s life and career. Insane stuff.

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 2h

@gregpincus.bsky.social and @bonnieadamson.com are the best. So grateful for #kidlitchat every week. ❤️

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 2h

#kidlitchat

bugs bunny from the looney tunes cartoon is smiling and looking at the camera with his arms crossed .

Alt: bugs bunny from the looney tunes cartoon is smiling and looking at the camera with his arms crossed .

media.tenor.com

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 2h

This is one of the string of insane things Facebook’s AI made up about this 13-year old.

's training regimen
's training regimen appears to be a dynamic
and varied program. Here are some exercises and drills that are part of his regimen:
• Full Body Warm-Up: Includes glute bridges, handstand walk drills, goblet squats, and pull-up hangs to prepare the body for intense training!'
• Tricep Hinge to Press: A combo exercise that targets triceps, glutes, and shoulders, involving a hinge forward motion with dumbbells, followed by a thrust forward into a standing position?
• Core Drills: Includes marching in place while crunching and lifting knees, as well as quarter squat kicks to engage the core and legs.?
• High Knee Raises: A cardio-intensive exercise that involves raising knees to hip level in a marching formation, aiming for 30-45 seconds per set.*
• Butt Kicks: A drill that targets the legs and glutes, involving quick heel kicks to the buttocks, aiming for 30-45 seconds per set.
These exercises suggest that
's training
regimen focuses on building strength, endurance, and agility through a combination of cardio, strength training, and mobility exercises.

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 2h

Fall seems different and busier this year, the school events and Fall sports have come in rapid succession, and we have to choose between overlapping events.

It was also 85 degrees up until this past weekend. I wonder if the Fall tropes will feel dated as the world changes. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

There was quite a bit of AI in the mood board imagery during a recent pitch party here. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

My son’s middle school friend was mentioned on the school Facebook page and under the post, the AI-generated suggestions were to explore his “training regimen” and “swimming career”.

He is 13. I clicked the suggestions and it was all made up nonsense *about a 13-year old*. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

It’s like everyone hired a total hack to make the same unappealingly styled thing. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

The contrast between the awful unoriginal AI posters and the DELIGHTFUL actual illustrator posters was striking. There was a black cats in witch hats poster that was so good. Human imaginations win. Shortcuts always lose. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

It all looks like that “ghibli yourself” trend. Bleh. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

Ohio has a month of being great but 11 months of being not as great. #kidlitchat

A tractor towing pig carts like a train under a blue sky with corn stalks in the distance

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

I was at the elementary school today and so many of the posters in the wall were AI generated. It was unpleasant to see. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

Outside Cleveland. #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

It’s a FALL OFF! Place your bets! #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

One thing that came up when I was coloring a Fall/Halloween illustration — when I was using “Fall” sepia-toned colors, I was reminded of how AI-generated images have that yellowed sepia tone look, and it took some of the joy out of using the color scheme. 😕 #kidlitchat

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

I took this on Sunday.
Ohio excels at FALL.

#kidlitchat

A cloudy brilliant blue sky with a kid in a mechagodzilla costume underneath

Brian Kirby @boringstorybook.com · 3h

Fall gives so many opportunities because it is the season most tied to actual genres - horror/mystery. You also get back to school stories — and a really specific color scheme to work with. #kidlitchat

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Bonnie Adamson @bonnieadamson.com · 3h

TOPIC: It's Fall, a new season! The light is changing, disappearing sooner. And it makes us wonder - how do you use things like the seasons or light and darkness or other nature-driven details in your work? And when you read, how do those details affect you (and the story)? #kidlitchat

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Bonnie Adamson @bonnieadamson.com · 4h

Yikes--guess what just sneaked up on me? #kidlitchat! If it is sneaking up on you, you have about 5 minutes to get ready! See you there!

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Brooke Baum @brookebaum.bsky.social · 15h

Happy #PortfolioDay --spooky edition! 👻

I'm Brooke Baum and I'm an author/illustrator currently seeking representation! You can check out more spooky (and non-spooky, if you're into that sort of thing) work at brookebaum.com.

#kidlit #kidlitart

A witch knitting a scarf while her cat shreds it behind her.

A line drawing of a girl's scared face

A black, white, and orange grid of silly Halloween cats

A boy reading ghost stories and a ghost reading human stories

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Merrill Rainey @littlerainey.bsky.social · 1d

Honored to have been asked by @temikatheartist.bsky.social and @scbwi.bsky.social to illustrate this year’s 2026 NYC Winter Conference art! THANK YOU... THANK YOU 🤗

Link to the SCBWI winter conference in bio :-)

#SCBWI #illustrator #Kidlitart #picturebookillustrator @bookmarkliterary.bsky.social

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Charlene Chua @charlenedraws.bsky.social · 15h

Hello #PortfolioDay! I am Charlene Chua & I illustrate books for kids.

🌟Open for 2026 book projects! 🌟

Portfolio - charlenechua.com
Email - charlene [@] charlenechua[.]com
Agent - Tracy Marchini, Tracy Marchini Literary

#kidlitart #illustration #PB #GN #kidlit

Cover for When You Go to Dragon School by Chelsea M Campbell, illustrated by Charlene Chua. A group of school kids of various ages and ethnicities look at a group of friendly dragons of different shapes and sizes.

Cover for Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home, by AR Capetta, illustrated by Charlene Chua. Two cute puppies with paws on a cauldron in front of a purple, witchy looking house.

Cover for Love, Violet by Charlotte Sullivan Wild, illustrated by Charlene Chua. Girl with read hair and a cowboy hat, holding a heart shape valentine, looking at another girl with a purple jacket and hat.

Cover for Things the Go Bump in the Day by Melinda Beatty illustrated by Charlene Chua. Cute blue vampire boy sitting up in his coffin bed, looking worried.

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Brian LaRossa @brianlarossa.com · 15h

Popping into #portfolioday on behalf of art directors to say thank you for sharing your work. It makes our job easier. We appreciate you.
💙❤️

Also, FWIW, I made a starter pack of hiring art-, creative-, design-directors who actively use Bluesky.
go.bsky.app/Hxoz9KX

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Michael Dashow @mdashow.bsky.social · 12h

Hi #PortfolioDay , I’m Mike and I love drawing fun, colorful characters, animals, and situations.
I'm repped by @vickyweberbooks.bsky.social
and I'm especially looking for middle grade cover work.

See more of my work at mdashow-kidlitart.carrd.co or linktr.ee/mdashow

#kidLitArt #illustration

In a spooky night-time scene, a girl - approximately 14 with shoulder-length brown hair and wearing jeans and a denim jacket - crouches on a dirt driveway and looks behind her in consternation. Behind her is a large dark house with peaked gables and spiky points sticking out of the roof and a tall tower. The top floor of the tower is lit - the only illumination in the house - and a figure is silhouetted in the window. Behind the house are fir trees and a huge full moon. the entire scene is in spooky greens and blues.

An illustration of a hippopotamus ice skating in the Olympics. She's got a lovely lavender dress on with lots of sparkly sequins on it. She looks very graceful and happy.

A panicked apprentice witch (she's human, with pink hair, glasses, and light academia clothing) makes a mess of her cauldron while being calmy advised by an older, wiser witch (who is a bear.) Aside from the exploding cauldron, the browns of the scene make it warm and cozy.

Reposted by Brian Kirby

Greg Pincus @gregpincus.bsky.social · 6h

What do you know?! It's #kidlitchat day again. We'll gather her on Bluesky at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific and chat #kidlit for an hour with all of y'all who join in. It's hope that YOU are part of all y'all this week... but if not, we do this EVERY week. See some of all of y'all soon....