Brady

Smith

Children’s/Middle Grade Author & Illustrator

Actor & Muralist

Travels from: Los Angeles, CA

“Smith’s aesthetic and characterization has a 1990s cartoon feel, and his full-page renderings of nightmare monsters are delightfully detailed…. VERDICT: A dark and fun foray into the horror comedy genre for young graphic novel readers.” — School Library Journal

Brady Smith is a painter, actor, muralist, and children’s author & illustrator, whose books include You’re Missing It!, I’m Getting A Shark!, Bug Sandwich, and Random Acts Of Drawness! His Young Reader graphic novels include: Louie and Bear in the Land of Anything Goes, Louie and Bear Bite Back, Maxwell Dark: Nightmare Hunter, and Maxwell Dark: Bad Blood (2026 Penguin Random House).

His murals can be seen all over Los Angeles, and as an actor, you might recognize him from Parks and Recreation, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Grey’s Anatomy, to name a few.

Brady lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Tiffani Thiessen, their two kids, four dogs and twelve chickens.

Brady's Featured Titles

Bad Blood #2: A Graphic Novel (Maxwell Dark)

Penguin Workshop |

April 7, 2026

Children’s/Middle Grade

Maxwell Dark is on a mission to help kids hunt down and defeat the nightmares haunting them in this chilling horror graphic novel sequel filled with monsters and mayhem.

I’m Maxwell. Please don’t call me Max. I have a gift that I was born with, although most of the time it feels like a curse.

Twelve-year-old Maxwell Dark has the gift to enter other kids’ dreams to help them fight their nightmares. But ever since he helped Sid face the monster in her dreams, Maxwell has been plagued by his own nightmares: terrifying dreams of him turning into a horrifying monster himself.

And then he finds himself face-to-face with the Bogeyman—yes, that Bogeyman—who tells Maxwell it’s his destiny to compete to become the next nightmare king and take the throne. Suddenly his fears of becoming a monster seem more like a prophecy than a dream. Maxwell will have to wrestle with his inner demons while fighting literal demons as he battles through the dreadful competition, where the only thing worse than the prize is who he’s competing against…

Fantasy, Fiction, Friendship & Community, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Middle Grade, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Nightmare Hunter #1: A Graphic Novel (Maxwell Dark)

Penguin Workshop |

April 1, 2025

Children’s/Middle Grade

Maxwell Dark is on a mission to help kids hunt down and defeat the nightmares haunting them in this chilling horror graphic novel filled with monsters and mayhem.

A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

I’m Maxwell. Please don’t call me Max. I have a gift that I was born with, although most of the time it feels like a curse.

That gift—or curse—allows twelve-year-old Maxwell to sense, experience, and enter other kids’ nightmares. He drifts from town to town, drawn by the darkest dreams, till he can help people defeat whatever is truly haunting them. With seventy-three clients and counting, he’s seen every monster there is to face.

Or so he thinks, until he meets Sid. Sid’s dreams start off as typical nightmare fare, but soon they get weirder. Creepier. Impossible to ignore. As Maxwell goes deeper and deeper into Sid’s nightmares, he starts to realize he may be trapped in one of his very own…

Fantasy, Fiction, Friendship & Community, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Middle Grade, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Bug Sandwich

Nancy Paulsen Books |

May 23, 2023

Children’s

It’s time to bite those bugs back, in this funny tale of a bitten-up boy who’s not going to take it anymore!

The kid in this story has had it with how much bugs love him—love to bite him, that is! Now he’s determined to return the favor. But as he eagerly hunts the bugs in his backyard, he can’t help noticing how impressive they are, too—they’re basically master builders with super-strength! But will that remarkable quality be enough for him to change what’s on the menu? This wacky tale will delight young readers, who will be itching to find out who wins the buggy battle!

Animals & Wildlife, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Louie and Bear Bite Back: A Graphic Novel

Penguin Workshop |

September 13, 2022

Children’s

“The kind of book I wish I had as a kid!” – Christopher Eliopoulos, author-illustrator of Cosmic Commandos, on Louie and Bear in the Land of Anything Goes

Return to the bizarre and exciting Land of Anything Goes! Louie, Bear, and the rest of their friends must escape back to earth when a new villain comes after them in this hilarious graphic novel sequel!

Louie, Bear, and all their friends have settled into the good life in the Land of Anything Goes after their defeat of Hairy Larry. That is, until the villainous Panda Brain hits the scene and finds the Imaginator, a device that can create or transform anything the user imagines. Soon, wild things start happening: all the kids start going through odd changes, they keep getting attacked by a shape-shifting, lightning-generating monster, and the Land literally starts raining fish! Will the group be able to get home before the transformations are permanent, or will they be doomed to a new (and burrito-less) existence forever?

Animals & Wildlife, Comedy & Humor, Fantasy, Friendship & Community, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Louie and Bear in the Land of Anything Goes: A Graphic Novel

Penguin Workshop |

December 7, 2021

Children’s

“The kind of book I wish I had as a kid!” – Christopher Eliopoulos, author-illustrator of Cosmic Commandos

Get sucked in – literally – to the Land of Anything Goes with Louie and Bear, in this hilarious graphic novel filled with bizarre new worlds, crazy creatures, and a whole lot of adventure! Perfect for fans of Hilo and Cardboard Kingdom!

Welcome to the Land of Anything Goes! It’s a world filled with wild creatures, absurd chicken-boy hybrids, and oh, did we mention the giant,winged, kid-eating monster called a Cacapoop?

When Louie and his pet hamster get sucked through a portal into a bizarre new land where truly anything can happen, they have no idea the adventure that’s waiting for them. Really, they’re less focused on adventure and more concerned about the fact that Louie has turned into a wrestler, Scooty the hamster has become Bear the giant bear, and they’re now being chased across a purple planet by a terrifying monster! When they find other kids stuck on the planet too, they learn that things are even worse than they feared — dozens of kids are trapped by the dastardly Hairy Larry, and it’s up to Louie to save them all. And if that wasn’t worrying enough, Bear can’t even find a single burrito to eat! In order to make it home alive, Louie and Bear will have to embrace their destinies and save the day… or be stranded in the Land of Anything Goes forever.

Comedy & Humor, Fantasy, Fiction, Friendship & Community, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

I’m Getting a Shark!

Nancy Paulsen Books |

May 18, 2021

Children’s

The fabulous, funny story of a shark-obsessed child who’s convinced she’s getting a pet shark for her birthday.

Meet a little girl who is the biggest shark superfan around! And when she overhears her parents utter the word “shark” while discussing her birthday, her imagination is off and running! She can’t wait to be surprised by the pet shark she just KNOWS is coming her way . . . but what kind will it be? As she lists all the possibilities, her disbelieving pooch, Ralphie, tries to set her straight. But she’s not paying attention–instead, she is getting more and more excited by the beauty and variety of these awesome creatures. Finally, when her birthday rolls around, she gets a different kind of surprise–a wild shark adopted in her name. She’s disappointed at first–but ultimately is proud to play a role in helping protect the creatures she loves so dearly (and is finally listening to Ralphie–who sure knows a lot about sharks for a dog!).

Animals & Wildlife, Comedy & Humor, Friendship & Community, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Random Acts of Drawness!: The Super-Awesome Activity Sketchbook

Penguin Workshop |

February 9, 2021

Children’s

Based on the hit Instagram drawing show from illustrator Brady Smith comes Random Acts of Drawness!, a wildly silly and super random book that’s half activity book, half wacky art explosion!

Have you ever tried drawing a duck on rollerskates eating a slice of pizza? Or how about drawing with a pencil between your toes? Well, grab that pencil and get ready to let loose, because things are about to get random! Filled with prompts to bring out your wackiest inner artist and based on the Instagram series from creator Brady Smith, this isn’t just an activity book or a journal – it’s your passport to the weirdest, wildest acts of drawness you can make!

Comedy & Humor, Illustration & Graphic Storytelling, Kid-Lit: Picture Books & Early Readers

Using your imagination!

Engaging with students about how their imagination is uniquely their own and can even be used as a super power to create awesome stories.

Character creation - LIVE drawing session

Using a big pad of paper and an easel, I’ll encourage the kids to invent characters and draw them on the spot. The children can literally see their ideas come to life in real time. To make things even more fun and interesting, I’ll add an element of doing the drawing in 30 seconds or less.

Q & A

I like to open the discussion to whatever questions the students may have. Anything from how long does it take to make a book to how long have I had a mustache.

“Louie and Bear is the kind of book I wish I had as a kid! Chicken-headed people, wrestling, giant hamsters…this book has it all! Brady Smith takes us on a wonderful journey that includes pizza ducks, weird monsters, big laughs, and friendship! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I know your kids will, too!” — Christopher Eliopoulos, author-illustrator of Cosmic Commandos

“Smith (Bug Sandwich) deploys stylized cartooning rendered in psychedelic color to depict human characters (portrayed with varying skin tones) dwarfed by multi-eyed monsters, tentacled terrors, and snotty, toothy, creepy cryptids, while thick line art reinforces the frenetic feeling of entrapment in a strange and horrific place. Each chapter of this promising graphic novel series launch boasts thrills and humor that’s sure to impel readers into the next volume.” — Publishers Weekly

“Zany, expressive, brightly colored insects welcome readers right from the cover and then title page. . . . Smith’s crisp storytelling will have children on the edge of their seats, and the ebullient drawings never fail to engage. Quick, fun, and visually delightful, this tale will be enjoyed for the ick factor and the humor.” — School Library Journal

“A bug-bitten boy believes revenge is a dish best served between two slices of bread in this raucous examination of the world of backyard insects. . . . Boldly hued, animation-style artwork from Smith (You’re Missing It!) stylistically blends patterns and electric hues. Speech bubbles stemming from the protagonist . . . and from various insects provide funny asides alongside upbeat text. Kinetic scenes of the boy’s bug-catching adventures, the bugs’ intricate coloration, and notes of mild gross-out humor should prove appealing to insect admirers and detractors alike.” — Publishers Weekly

“Married actors Smith and Thiessen take playful aim at cellphone-addicted caregivers. . . . Smith’s bold pen-and-watercolor illustrations pop with tropical hues that aptly emphasize how vibrant the real world is when compared to a screen. A refreshing and opportune reminder to put down the phone and eye the butterflies.” — Publishers Weekly

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Brady’s Illustrated Journal