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BrianMcLachlan
@brianmcl.com
2.6K followers 2K following 4.5K posts
Website: http://brianmcl.com
COMPLETE THE QUEST: http://bit.ly/3xLnMp7
Comic Tutorial Videos: http://bit.ly/3EvX8CX
shop: http://brianmcl.threadless.com
Author of Spruce Street Squad in Owl Magazine
he/him demi/ace
#KidLitArt #TTRPG
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brianmcl.com
BrianMcLachlan @brianmcl.com · Jul 4
Intro Post: I'm the cartoonist of Complete the Quest: The Poisonous Library, the 1st RPG graphic novel & Draw out the Story: Ten Secrets to Creating Your Own Comics. I also write Owl Magazines' monthly Spruce Street Squad comic, and have cartooned for Nickelodeon, The Nib, the New Yorker and more.
The cover of Complete the Quest: The Poisonous LIbrary. A yellow dragon person in purple robes stands back to back with a black woman who is a sun priest as they battle magenta throny tentacles. In the background they are aided by a short green flowerkin rouge, a flying bird-suited druid, and two blue-haired dwarves. They are in a dark grey cave with blue and purple crystals. A blurb reads "Part comic, part game, all joyous adventure - Ryan North" The cover of Draw Out the Story: Ten Secrets to Creating Your Own Comics by Brian McLachlan. The cover features a dragon, battling heroes, a burglar, a rocket ship guitar, a talking pine tree, two kid pirates, a dog chasing a cat (both in airplanes), a barfing cloud and a hand holding a pencil that's a magic wand.
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
ellisjrosen.bsky.social
This weeks newsletter: sketchbook doodles and rejected ideas
Sketchbook Secrets: Rejected Cartoon Ideas & Creative Insights
A New Segment
ellis-newsletter-06cc2e.beehiiv.com
January 17, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
beautifulsausage.bsky.social
A cartoon by
Adam Douglas Thompson
January 17, 2026 at 10:48 AM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
nanosounds.bsky.social
Ten years have flown by, and I’m so thankful for all the laughter and tears, the nat 1s and nat 20s, our beautiful, inclusive community and the friendship I have with these gorgeous people ❤️
highrollersdnd.bsky.social High Rollers D&D @highrollersdnd.bsky.social · 3h
Happy 10th Birthday to us! Can you believe it? Come celebrate with us on stream tomorrow - but in the mean time, here’s a blog post with a few words about this astounding milestone! www.highrollersdnd.com/post/high-ro...
High Rollers' 10th Anniversary!
Today marks our TENTH anniversary! What an incredible milestone!
www.highrollersdnd.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
ellisjrosen.bsky.social
January 16, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
kappatater.bsky.social
Limbossibly
January 17, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
juliusgoat.bsky.social
It exposes directional alignment; you still seek to limit, not expand, who is allowed to be human. Yes, you have set your limitation more inclusively than our fascist gang of white supremacists; it doesn't mean you're not also setting limitations & they'll use your limit as long as it serves them.
soozuk.bsky.social Sooz Kempner @soozuk.bsky.social · 8h
I can't trust politicians who are anti-trans. Not because I'm "only searching for perfection" which is what centrists will be accusing me of for the rest of my life, it's because if you're not pro-trans you'll be garbage on lots of other issues too. Being anti-trans NEVER exists in a vacuum.
January 17, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
brianmcl.com
Gag 241: Pun!
Two Victorian gentleman look at a blackboard with detailed designs for a submersible vehicle. One exclaims "Unfathomable!"
January 16, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
deswalsh.bsky.social
Spitalfields Market Square, London E14

A K67 Kiosk

#reference #propreference #buildingreference
A K67 Kiosk
August 19, 2025 at 12:09 AM
brianmcl.com
The Aquatic Gathering "hydro box" mural by Ksenyia Tsoi in the Esplanade
#Toronto #StreetArt #PublicArt
A 1 floor addition to a building that's been painted ln an undersea world in a children's picture book style, soft and cartoony but without dark outlines. A yellow submarine has a banner that reads The Esplanade. A pink jellyfish has a sign that reads Everyone is welcome here. A Shark has a party hat and a noise maker. A literal cat fish has a glass bubble helmet. A goldfish has a car. There's a derpy angler fish, green and purple seahorses, a snail, axolotl and more
January 16, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
coreybrickley.bsky.social
Boromir from the movie The Fellow ship of the rings thinking out loud about the one ring, with the caption "Perhaps we could give the ring better training."
January 16, 2026 at 3:25 PM
brianmcl.com
Awesome! I'm so happy to hear!
January 16, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
barilleon.com
I've gotten a lot of questions over the last two weeks about how I got my job. I actually wrote a post almost a year ago about how I became a prolific freelancer. This will take you 95% of the way down my path. The other 5% is being in the right place at the right time:
barilleon.com/ttrpg-indust...
How I Got into the TTRPG Freelance Industry - Barilleon's Web Zone
How TTRPG freelancer Leon Barillaro got gigs writing for tabletop game companies. Advice for those who'd like to begin their careers.
barilleon.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:12 PM
brianmcl.com
More alleyways
Went out for a walk yesterday and I think this is my best photo. Love the contrast of snow and beachy Garfield mural.
#Toronto
January 16, 2026 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
charlenedraws.bsky.social
Happy ‘Appreciate a Dragon Day’ to all who celebrate! 🐉

#dragon #AppreciateADragonDay #kidlit #kidlitart

Cover for Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon, by Kat Zhang illustrated by Charlene Chua Cover for When You go to Dragon School, by Chelsea M Campbell illustrated by Charlene Chua
January 16, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
ironspike.bsky.social
For the record, when I need facial plane reference, I use William Nguyen's models on ArtStation. They have adjustable primary and secondary lighting, and can be rotated to be viewed from every angle.

Male Head: www.artstation.com/artwork/GX3Ax1

Female Head: www.artstation.com/artwork/6a0Par
January 16, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
meloteaart.bsky.social
Mid month planner doodle check in~ making a cozy little neighborhood

#art #sketchbook #doodle
Fountain pen ink drawings in blue and dark teal drawn in each square in a hobonichi type planner. Each drawing is a different type of building creating the illusion of a housing neighborhood
January 15, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
tomrkobayashi.bsky.social
外神田 / Sotokanda
January 16, 2026 at 1:59 PM
brianmcl.com
Gag 241: Pun!
Two Victorian gentleman look at a blackboard with detailed designs for a submersible vehicle. One exclaims "Unfathomable!"
January 16, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
artmonkeymg.bsky.social
Commissions are open!

Here are my standard rates and some examples!

DM or email [email protected]
#commissionsopen #characterdesign #dnd
November 14, 2024 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
brianmcl.com
Gag 240: I wish I'd learned flute in music class because it was lighter and funkier than I prioritized at the time.
At the gates of Heaven a young woman struggles to hold up a tuba. St Peter explains "Our harp and trumpet sections are full"
January 15, 2026 at 2:14 PM
brianmcl.com
I'm really proud of working for Owl putting out puzzles, games, tongue twisters, and regular comic scripts for Spruce Street Squad. It's so cool to work for the people that published me as a kid. #KidLitArt
An overland map of ice dungeons called North Quest where Pizzard the Pizza Wizard explores 9 different puzzle rooms hosted/guarded by characters like Snakewolf (anagram of snowflake), Douglas the fir tree druid, a tongue twisted door and sphinx lynx. A double page spread of kids rushing out of a school with the headline School's Out. There is an Ostrich Unmasking Turtle, Olive Unzipping Tent, Ogre Unbuttoning Tuxedo, Octopus Unwrapping Tractor, Onion Underlining Tornado (on a white board), Orangutan Unloading Truck (cardboard boxes), Orange Unboxing Toys (with a webcam setup, rocket, car, top and giant robot, Orca Unlocking Treasure or Trunk, and Owl Unplugging TV. A puzzle where kids had to find things that started with L M and K. A lynx miscounting kids lined up for an amusement park ride in a castle. A lemur meeting knight. Lamp magnifying kitten. Lock missing key. Lemon massaging koala. Lion munching kale. Leaf mending kite. Lollipop marking ketchup at the hot dog stand. Lizard measuring kiwi at the prize winning fruit stand. Lighthouse melting kettle. Lobster matching kangaroo (with the patterned shirts they wear) Spruce Street Squad comic with the kids having antics at Halloween
January 15, 2026 at 7:10 PM
brianmcl.com
I was consuming an unhealthy amount of Hilarious House at the time.
January 15, 2026 at 5:59 PM
brianmcl.com
And improved even more since Owl and Chickadee fist published my art at age 8.
A green man with spiky red teeth and arms so long they go past his short legs. dressed in purple and red. a red cheeked kid in a red snowsuit building a snowman with a pipe and hat against a blue sky with white snowflakes. 3 different peppermints, a cane, a disc and a stick drawn with all the precision you'd expect from an 8 year old.
January 15, 2026 at 5:14 PM
brianmcl.com
It feels like not long ago I made an illustration for Owl's 30th birthday but my art says "yes" you have improved 20 years worth from this.
January 15, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by BrianMcLachlan
owlkids.bsky.social
‼️ IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY 🎂 (and a big one) ‼️

We're kicking it off with our #AnniversaryLogoReveal, featuring OWL's original Owl! 🦉

Stay tuned all year for fun content ... we look forward to celebrating with you! ❤️🎉

#Birthday #Anniversary #50 #50Years #OWL #1976 #2026
Image shows Owlkids logo and OWL 50 anniversary logo side by side. Text reads: giving a hoot about reading for 50 years!
January 15, 2026 at 4:01 PM