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About

I’m Brian—cartoonist, illustrator, and visual documentarian. I helped shape Emily the Strange, co-ran the Smokey’s Tangle gallery, and create comics, characters, and records of real places. This site brings together my fictional worlds, non-fiction projects, and about to launch: a newsletter, Now That Looks Like Fun

Which Me Am I?

The Cosmic Debris Years: Illustrator, Writer, Copywriter, Graphic Designer, Art Director, 1999–2006
Chapters: Brian Gets A Job: From Art School To The Art Department, 1995–1999 | Emily the Strange | Oopsy Daisy | Boyz on Da Run

Brian & Emily: From Emily The Strange Stickers a Girlfriend, 2002–2025
Chapters: Tickle Attack | Smokey’s Tangle | Posters | Smokey’s Tangle Books

My Neighborhood Projects: Turning my Neighborhood Into A Fantasy Theme Park, 2010–2025
Guide Book: Temescal Now 2023

The Oopsy Show Returning to an abandoned character and further development on Oopsy Daisy and efforts to escape the existential crisis awaiting her at every turn. 2018–2024
Chapters: Oopsy | Gora | Sydney | Princess

Stranger Returns: Returning to a character and reckoning with how we fit in each other’s life after I exorcised the character, 2019–2025
Chapters: New Design | Animations | New Fan Art | Strange Cat Art School

This Is How I Draw Cats Now & Other Things: Trying to find a meaningful path towards both creating something worth following and worth continuing in drawing series with a new tool Apple Pencil on iPad, 2022–2025

Press

2015 Mark, Julian “Radically Sharing Temescal, A group of artists, hackers, and other creative people have launched Omni Commons, a new community resource center in North Oakland that they hope will be an antidote to gentrification.” East Bay Express, Jan 21, 2015 Link

2009 Woo, Stu “Oakland’s Temescal Goes From Rundown to Reborn, How Local Merchants Found Success After Years of Work to Attract New Businesses and Reshape Their Neighborhood” Wall Street Journal, December 3, 2009. Link

2007 Virella, Kelly ”The Strange Drawings of Brian Brooks, The artist behind Emily the Strange attempts to exorcise his creation from his art.” Eastbay Express Feature, October 31, 2007. Link

2004 Elder, Sean “Oops, they went goth! My daughter and her friends are suddenly wearing plaid miniskirts and carting around Living Dead Dolls. What do black lipstick and snap-on dog collars mean to a 10-year-old?” Salon.com, APRIL 13, 2004 Link

2001 Smith, Brian. “Zine Buddha, Local artist Brian Brooks watches his work go from sticky barroom floors to flying off international clothing racks”. Phoenix New Times Feature, May 10 2001.Link

2001 Searleman, Eric. The It Girl: As Emily Flourishes, Millions Turn and Face The Strange. Arizona Republic, March 29 2001. Link

1999 Athitakis, Mark. “Riff Raff, Morrissey Gets Colored Black on the Outside, Because Black Is How He Feels on the Inside”, SF Weekly, October 13 1999. Link

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