Todd McLean — The Saskatchewan Pitmaster Bringing Prairie Fire to Texas

Name: Todd McLean

Location: Lashburn, Saskatchewan

Business: Stickburner Clothing Co.

Talent Name: Toddison, aka Carl, aka Carlos, aka That Cunt Carl

Category: Small business owner, BBQ Pitmaster

💬 INTRODUCTION

I’m from Lashburn, Saskatchewan, and I’m the founder of Stickburner Clothing Co. — a brand built for the live fire cooking community. My journey into BBQ started back in 2007 with a Weber Genesis gas grill. I’d always loved the idea of grilling, and finally got my hands on the one I’d been eyeing. I started experimenting with tinfoil packs of wood chips and quickly fell in love with smoked food. Within a few years, I was running four different charcoal smokers and grills, hosting backyard BBQ parties where I’d cook and feed friends late into the night. When we moved to a place with a bigger yard and a fire pit, the parties kept rolling. That old pit sparked something deeper — I got hooked on true wood fire cooking. There’s something raw and rewarding about managing a live fire and using it to craft a meal. Eventually, I upgraded to a larger, purpose-built fire pit and went all in. From toast and eggs to full-course dinners, everything was cooked over wood. I even bought plans from Smoker Builder and fabricated my own reverse-flow offset smoker. These days, I bounce between that and the fire pit — or use both at once. My charcoal and gas grills are still around, but they’ve taken a back seat to the real fire action.  

 🔥 THE PASSION

My talent for cooking was something personal. Like a lot of folks, I got hooked watching BBQ shows and was blown away by what people were doing. I discovered BBQ Pit Boys back when they only had a few thousand followers and started trying out their recipes. While most people around me were chasing the latest pellet smokers, I was drawn to the challenge of non-tech cooking — charcoal, fire, and instinct.

As my skills grew, I went looking for BBQ shirts that matched my passion for live fire cooking. But all I found were generic, cookie-cutter brands with the same tired slogans and imagery. That’s when the idea sparked: I’d build a T-shirt brand that actually spoke to the fire-driven community. Not long after, I found out that the guy behind Welder Nation and Troll Co. — two brands I respected — was someone I’d worked with in the oil patch for years. He didn’t come from a design or business background, and yet he built something huge. That lit the fuse. I went for it, and Stickburner Clothing Co. was born.

🇨🇦 COMMUNITY & CANADIAN PRIDE

Being a Canadian creative, especially from a small prairie town, means embracing the roots that shaped me. While most people look to the big cities for talent, I’ve seen firsthand that there’s serious skill and drive in places like Lashburn.

This part of the world — Saskatchewan and Alberta — has produced some BBQ heavyweights, guys like Rob Reinhardt and Mel Chmilar Jr., who’ve carved out full-time careers in live fire cooking, standing shoulder to shoulder with the giants from the U.S. That kind of success proves something: great things are achievable here if you’re willing to put in the work.

Being a creative from the prairies means staying grounded, pushing boundaries, and showing the world that fire burns just as hot out here.  

🚀 BUILDING THE DREAM

One of the biggest standout moments for my business was getting my first “stranger” sale through the website. Up until then, it was friends and family supporting me — bless them — but I was waiting for that moment when a true BBQ guy, someone who didn’t know me personally, would buy in. And it finally happened. Funny enough, he’s no longer a stranger — we’ve become friends, and I’ll be heading to Texas with him in early November. Life’s wild like that. On the personal cooking side, it was my time at Smoke in the Valley. Being welcomed and called a friend by people I’d followed online for years was surreal. Those new relationships are exactly why I’m heading to Texas. It’s more than just cooking — it’s community, connection, and fire-driven passion.

🤝 NETWORKING SPOT

A dream collaboration for me would be doing live fire cooking with Rob Reinhardt.

He’s a Canadian BBQ icon with a wealth of knowledge, and I’d love the chance to learn from him directly. Beyond his expertise, he’s also just a genuinely great guy. This collaboration might be happening soon… so stay tuned.

🌠 CLOSING

I’m gearing up for the Open Fire Meat-up in Hondo, Texas, where I’ll be travelling 28 hours from Regina alongside Rob Reinhardt and my BBQ competition friend Travis from Hunny & Hooch BBQ. It’s going to be an incredible opportunity to connect with the very community I built Stickburner for and introduce the brand in an authentic, organic way. Looking ahead, I have some exciting winter launches in the works, and I’m planning a big spring giveaway in collaboration with another BBQ brand (TBD). There’s a lot of fire still to come — and this is just the beginning.  

COMETS QUESTIONS:

COMET: Stickburner Clothing Co. was born out of a love for wood-fire cooking — can you take us back to the exact moment when the idea to turn that passion into a brand clicked?

TODD: Absolutely. I remember the exact moment — splitting wood out back, taking a breather, and scrolling through my phone looking for some BBQ shirts. What I found was… rough. Decent enough for a Father’s Day gift from the kids, but nothing that truly spoke to the fire-driven community I was part of. That’s when it hit me: there wasn’t a brand built solely for us. Sure, there was great gear from BBQ companies and influencers — pellet smoker brands, amazing folks like Darkside — but most of it was a spin-off from something else. Nothing felt rooted in the raw, wood-fire lifestyle. Right then, I knew I had a unique opportunity. A chance to build something from the ground up for the people who live and breathe this way of cooking. That’s when Stickburner Clothing Co. was born.

COMET: Saskatchewan has a rich BBQ and food culture. How does being based there influence your style, designs, or the way you connect with the community?

TODD: Saskatchewan is an incredible place for BBQ. We’ve got a strong community of caterers, rub makers, and competitive pitmasters who show up and get things done. Being based here influences everything I do — from the grit in my designs to the way I connect with people. This province is also home to Canada’s winningest BBQ pitmaster, Rob Reinhardt, which says a lot about the talent that comes out of this region. He’s absolutely influenced us in ways we may not even realize. There’s a raw, hardworking spirit here that runs deep, and it’s exactly what Stickburner Clothing Co. is built on.

COMET: Many people see fire cooking as just a technique, but you describe it as an art and skill. What do you think separates a true stickburner from someone just grilling?

TODD: A true stickburner shares a connection — to the fire, to the meat, and to the process. It’s not just about heat; it’s about understanding how every element interacts. We pay attention to the small details: the way the coals settle, the size and type of the next piece of wood, the color and character of the smoke. We know there’s a real difference between cookwood and firewood, and out here in Western Canada, that difference matters even more because proper cookwoods can be hard to come by. Someone just grilling might see fire as a tool — just something that gets the job done. But for a stickburner, fire is the craft. It’s an art form that demands patience, instinct, and respect. That’s the difference.

COMET: Your clothing isn’t just merch — it represents a lifestyle. How do you make sure the designs stay authentic to pitmaster culture?

TODD: I spend a lot of time scrolling through the BBQ scene, staying tuned into what’s current. I used to focus just on how pitmasters cooked, but now I pay close attention to what they’re wearing — what actually represents them. I’m not overly artsy, so my designs aren’t rapid-fire like some brands. I take my time to make sure each one feels real. My wife’s used to getting random texts from me with a new slogan or image idea — it’s how I capture inspiration on the fly. That process keeps things authentic. Every design is rooted in the lifestyle, not just the look. It’s about representing the fire, the grit, and the people who live it.

COMET: Starting a Canadian brand can come with unique challenges, from sourcing to shipping. What’s been your biggest learning curve so far?

TODD: Shipping — man, that’s been a challenge. Amazon has completely reshaped customer expectations. Everyone wants free, fast shipping, and that’s tough to match as a small brand. Add in postal slowdowns and strikes, and it becomes a puzzle just trying to get gear out the door reliably. Then there’s the digital side of things. Marketing, social media, staying visible — it’s a grind. If you stop posting, you drop in the algorithm. Suddenly, you’re not just a business owner, you’re a content creator too. It’s an uphill fight, but it’s part of the game now.

COMET: There’s a tight-knit culture around BBQ and open-pit cooking. How has the community responded to Stickburner Clothing Co., and have there been any surprising connections?

TODD: The response from the BBQ and open-pit community has been incredibly positive. When I went to Smoke in the Valley, it wasn’t to promote Stickburner — I was there first and foremost as someone who loves live fire cooking. But the brand naturally came up in conversation, and I think some pitmasters were genuinely surprised to hear that Stickburner was built specifically for them — not just for BBQ in general. These guys and gals are the hardest-working, most talented folks in the game — absolute rockstars. They deserve a brand that reps their craft with style, not just another pig face or cow outline. Stickburner is about honoring the art of fire cooking and the people who live it every day.

COMET: What’s your favorite thing about living in Saskatchewan that outsiders might not expect?

TODD: One of my favorite things about living in Saskatchewan is the people — and the space. Folks here are friendly, grounded, and always willing to lend a hand. And with fewer people than a single city like Calgary, our outdoors is wide open and easy to enjoy. You can actually find those quiet places where it feels like the land is yours alone. I’m big into backcountry canoeing, and Saskatchewan is a dream for that. With over 100,000 lakes to explore, it’s the perfect place to disconnect, paddle out, and soak in the wild. It’s not just where I live — it’s where I thrive.

COMET: If someone was visiting Saskatchewan for the first time, what’s one hidden gem or local spot you’d tell them not to miss?

TODD: Our provincial parks. No offense to the southern areas, but the further north you go, thea more stunning the parks are. Some have massive cliffs lining the lakes, waterfalls, and beautiful rivers running through them.

COMET: If you could go to any concert in Canada, past or present, which artist or band would you want to see live?

TODD: I’d want to see Maestro Fresh Wes back in 1990 when he was on fire.

COMET: What kind of music do you usually have playing in the background day-to-day?

TODD: I’m one of those people with extremes in my musical library. From hardcore punk to metal, 80s and 90s hip-hop, and mature EDM like Rüfüs Du Sol. Add in some blues, bluegrass, and old country — you never know what I’ll be listening to. What you won’t hear is pop or radio country.

TikTok: @stickburnerclothing

Website: stickburnerclothing.com

Instagram: @stickburnerclothing / @carlweberbbq