True North Country Comics presents Brian McLachlan’s top 10 go-to comic books and graphic novels.
Brian is part writer, part artist, but all cartoonist. He’s the author of the ILA-award winning book Draw Out The Story: Ten Secrets To Creating Your Own Comics, the picture book What Noise Do I Make? and graphic novel Ticket To Space. For over a decade, he’s written Owl Magazine’s “Alex and Charlie” comic. Brian frequently does appearances and visits with schools, libraries, comic conventions, art festivals, book festivals and more.
Here’s Brian McLachlan’s top 10 go-to comic books and graphic novels:
1. March Grand Prix by Kean Soo
“It’s Fast and the Furious meets Hello Kitty! How can you turn that down?”
2. Glorkian Warrior series by James Kolchalka
“This is this is the silliest, most nonsense filled kids comic I’ve read, and its my kids’ fave. The new books are coming out as Glork Patrol from a different publisher, but if you can get the older, thicker ones, they’re even better.”
3. Rutabaga: Adventure Chef by Eric Colossal
“This adorable chef tracks down mystical ingredients to make masterful meals in a funny, fun, story with heart.”
4. InvestiGators by John Green
“If your kids are done with Dog Man, this series is the most sensible follow up. Very silly with positive messages.”
5. Margo Maloo by Drew Weing
“Creepy, funny, and cute with a city setting cartooned with such a sense of real-ness that the world feel so well realized it’s incredible.”
6. The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell and more
“Each chapter follows a different kid in the neighbourhood, letting us see through so many different perspectives, taking full advantage of a variety of writers.”
7. Witch Boy series by Molly Ostertag
“A grounded series about coming of age and discovering yourself against a supernatural background.”
8. Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
“The art is deliciously good and the story of a parent who eventually supports their kid is a such a fresh one, after so many daddy issue heroes.”
9. Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham
“This coming of age biography makes excellent use the form, using beautiful and deep visual metaphors to make us feel the moment more than just observe it.”
10. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
“Yang is always amazing, but getting a book for bookish kids about how sports can be worthwhile is a great lesson in empathy building.”
You can discover more about Brian on Twitter at @McLachlanBrian and online at brianmcl.com