Blocks Editor Graham E. Hancock shares an update on the future of BrickJournal beyond the magazine’s final issue in July.
Hello Blocks and BrickJournal readers,
This update is to let you know how Blocks, the monthly magazine for AFOLs, is working to continue the legacy of BrickJournal, the original LEGO fan publication.
BrickJournal published its first edition digitally 2005 and transitioned to print in 2008. This year, Editor Joe Meno passed away, leaving the LEGO fan community with an incredible body of material that celebrates and champions creativity. The final issue of BrickJournal will be Issue 92, which will ship to subscribers in July.
I did not know Joe Meno well, but have huge respect and admiration for what he accomplished with BrickJournal; I know how challenging editing a magazine is! There are many facets to ensuring that a new magazine arrives regularly that are hidden behind the scenes, beyond the obvious task of filling the pages with interesting, engaging features.
I also recognise that the LEGO ecosystem we have today is built on the foundations that Joe and other key members of the community built in the 1990s and early 2000s. Without passionate fans establishing BrickJournal, early conventions, BrickLink, blogs, forums and relationships with the LEGO Group, we would not have Blocks magazine, websites, regular events, YouTube channels, short form stuff and the other mediums that we access the hobby through.
On that basis, Blocks has arranged with the publisher of BrickJournal to fulfil subscribers’ remaining magazines. For example, if you subscribe to BrickJournal and have two issues left after 92, we’ll send you two issues of Blocks magazine.
We will also be introducing a new BrickJournal section in Blocks – we are still in the very early planning stages, but the goal is to keep the spirit and heart of Joe’s magazine in this section, to focus it on the AFOL community’s endless creativity.
I’d like to reassure Blocks readers that the magazine will continue in the same style and tone you are accustomed to – this is one section that will complement our existing coverage of brilliant MOCs. Our Create section will continue to offer one of my favourite regular features – our deep dive into an impressive build that includes a Q&A with the builder and a callout spread that highlights impressive techniques used within the model.
And for BrickJournal readers, welcome! As I say, I will be working carefully and thoughtfully to capture what made the magazine special, albeit in a condensed format. It’s a challenge I am enjoying and I am sure, with the talented contributors to Joe’s magazine, it is something we can pull off successfully.
I’ll share more as we get closer to running the first BrickJournal section, but in the meantime I want to reiterate my respect for Joe’s incredible body of work, and gratitude to Twomorrows Publishing and Joe’s family for having faith in us to keep the spirit of the magazine alive.
Remember, if you’re not sure if the magazine is for you, it’s not too pricey to order a single issue or a three-month subscription and give it a try. Short form videos are great to pass the time, but when you sit down with a long form magazine, you can really get deeper into the hobby and know that it is time well spent.
Leg godt!
Graham E. Hancock
Editor, Blocks magazine