We interview Greg Farshtey, author of most of the BIONICLE® books and all of the BIONICLE comics, and now Editor-in-Chief of LEGO® Magazine. Mark of MoD and Imatron contributed the questions for this interview.

MaskOfDestiny: We last interviewed you, along with Carlos D’Anda and Randy Elliot, back in May of 2002. You have written at least fourteen BIONICLE books and twenty more issues of the BIONICLE comics since that time, and you are also now the Editor-in-Chief of LEGO Magazine. Did you think back then that you would be where you are today?

Greg Farshtey: Well, back when we last interviewed, I don’t believe the BIONICLE books existed yet. It was certainly exciting when that started, and more exciting when I got the chance to write them. It has allowed me to really immerse myself in the universe more than the comics allowed me to do.

MaskOfDestiny: Have there been any other changes for Greg Farshtey that you would like to share with us?

Greg Farshtey: In addition to taking over as Editor-in-Chief for LEGO Magazine, I have gotten the chance to be involved in a number of other exciting 2006 projects at the LEGO Company. And, of course, I was married in August to a very wonderful woman named Jackina and we are hoping to start a family in the next few years.

MaskOfDestiny: Carlos D’Anda has moved on, but you and Randy Elliot are still working on the BIONICLE comics. In fact, much of the BIONICLE comic roster (Peter Pantazis – Colorist, Ken Lopez – Letterer, Jaye Gardner – Editor, and Toby Dutkiewicz – Art Director/Design) have been in place for years now. Is this continuity unusual or the norm in the comic business?

Greg Farshtey: I think continuity is more common with writers in comics than artists. After all, Peter David worked on The Hulk for something like 12-15 years, Chris Claremont was on X-Men for ages, etc.

MaskOfDestiny: With the LEGO Group’s spinning off of its non-core divisions, it appears as though much of the public face of the original BIONICLE team is no longer officially part of the company. Is this a misperception? If not, has this been a difficult transition?

Greg Farshtey: It is a little bit of a misperception. Bob Thompson is no longer with LEGO Company, although he is still available on a consulting basis. Leah Weston is still with the company, she simply chose to move on to other projects. In the same way, the original marketing team is still with us, they have simply taken on other projects. When you oversee something as successful as BIONICLE, it is only natural that you get tapped to work on other new things that the company hopes will be equally as successful, because you have a track record.

MaskOfDestiny: Much of the online BIONICLE community view you as the final arbiter of truth in the BIONICLE universe. Is that a position you sought, or has it just been thrust upon you?

Greg Farshtey: I wouldn’t say it is something I have sought, but I think it is the inevitable result of being both the “public face” of BIONICLE and the person who is creating much of the story along with the story team.

MaskOfDestiny: Is the “Ask Greg” column on BIONICLE.com gone for good?

Greg Farshtey: Yes. It was a good idea originally, but most of the questions that came through it were either really, really basic stuff that was answered elsewhere on BIONICLE.com or complete gibberish. And it reached a point where my email box simply could not handle the load.

MaskOfDestiny: What do you do when someone asks you a storyline question for which there is no previously established answer?

Greg Farshtey: Depends on the subject matter. If it deals with something I know we can’t discuss, then I simply say I can’t answer it. If it deals with something we can address, then I come up with an answer for it.

MaskOfDestiny: The BIONICLE mythology has grown so much over the years, is it increasingly difficult to keep track of it all and to avoid contradictions? Have there been necessary changes made to previously-established storyline (e.g. to suit a new product release)?

Greg Farshtey: Not as much as you would think. Many years of reading comics has trained me to be able to keep track of complex continuity. 🙂 And we generally try as much as possible not to retcon old story, as it just makes things more confusing.

MaskOfDestiny: Congratulations on becoming the Editor-in-Chief of LEGO Magazine! What changes have you brought to the magazine? Do you have more changes in mind for the future?

Greg Farshtey: I can’t really say I have made a lot of changes to the magazine as yet. We have a really good team in place here, including writers Daniel Lipkowitz and Nicole Soscia, art director Jeremy Brazeal, and artists Toby Dutkiewicz and John Madrid. So they were already turning out a great magazine before I took over the editorial reins.

MaskOfDestiny: How difficult is it to have two editions of LEGO Magazine? Does it look like the BrickMaster Edition will continue?

Greg Farshtey: Not really. BrickMaster allows us to do something we simply did not have room for in the regular magazine, so we all really enjoy having it to work on. And yes, I believe BM will be around for a while.

MaskOfDestiny: What is a typical day like for you?

Well, I work in the office from 8 to 4 most days, writing, checking PDFs, doing paginations, going to meetings, etc. I probably spend about 70% of my time writing and 30% doing administrative duties these days. Then I go home, have dinner, and write some more.

MaskOfDestiny: What has been your most memorable day working for the LEGO Group?

Greg Farshtey: Probably the day BIONICLE #1 came out.

MaskOfDestiny: The first four Scholastic BIONICLE books were written by an established children’s book author. You have written all of the Scholastic BIONICLE books since that time. Was this the original plan, or did you have to campaign for the job?

Greg Farshtey: No idea what the original plan was. Scholastic initially, I believe, wanted to work with someone they were familiar with. Due to the tightness of the deadline, I had the shot to do Tales of the Masks. After that, the editor decided that it made more sense to have the LEGO story person writing the books, both for the sake of continuity and ease of approvals. I did not so much campaign for the job as simply make myself available to help when they needed me to.

MaskOfDestiny: With the books and comics, you have to satisfy so many different audiences: Scholastic, DC Comics, the LEGO Group, BIONICLE fans, and yourself. Is it difficult to balance these (possibly sometimes competing) interests?

Greg Farshtey: I basically have to satisfy three audiences:— the LEGO Company (more specifically, the BIONICLE arm of it), BIONICLE fans, and myself. DC does not weigh in on story, and Scholastic can but has not so far. Generally, if I am happy with the way a book comes out, the fans seem to be too —and I have been at the LEGO Company long enough to know how to balance telling a good story with showcasing new characters and sets.

MaskOfDestiny: Do you get to work on the books and comics on “company time”, or do have to work on one or both in your “own time”?

Greg Farshtey: Comics I can work on at the office, as they are part of my regular job. The books are done freelance for Scholastic, so they have to be done on my own time as I am being paid separately for them.

MaskOfDestiny: Do you receive royalties on the books?

Greg Farshtey: No, I work on a flat fee basis, which is actually preferable. I know from the start how much I am being paid and when, and I don’t have to worry about keeping track of profits and trying to calculate what I should be getting.

MaskOfDestiny: Back in our last interview, KOPAKA was your favorite character to write for/about. It has been a long time since we heard from KOPAKA. Which BIONICLE character is a recent favorite or yours to write for/about and why?

Greg Farshtey: ROODAKA has been fun, …the lead villain for next year is fun …and MAKUTA was fun in Book 10. I like to write villains a lot.

MaskOfDestiny: What LEGO Theme (outside of BIONICLE) is your favorite and why?

Greg Farshtey: There are two, but I am not allowed to discuss either yet. 🙂

MaskOfDestiny: Anything you would like to share with our readers about the future of BIONICLE?

Greg Farshtey: In 2006, BIONICLE is slated to come back in a big way. To a certain extent, it has sort of been running on its own steam the last few years, without a huge push by the company. Next year, the LEGO Company will really be throwing a lot of resources behind it again and reaffirming how important and exciting we feel the line is and will continue to be.

MaskOfDestiny: We are in the fifth year of what was at one time a twenty-year plan for BIONICLE. Do you see yourself continuing to play a major role in BIONICLE for the next fifteen years or will someone else likely pick up the reins in the future?

Greg Farshtey: Absolutely no idea. I am assuming that as long as I am at the LEGO Company and BIONICLE is active, I will get to work on it. But whether life circumstances or changes here may mean I move on from the company in the next 15 years, there is no way to predict. I am certainly not planning to leave, but life is not always a great respecter of plans. 🙂

MaskOfDestiny: If you had to walk away from BIONICLE tomorrow, what would you like to write about instead?

Greg Farshtey: Oh, well, I would love to write superhero comics, of course. And before I worked for the LEGO Company, I did novels aimed at an older audience, so I might go back to doing that.

Have a question for Greg Farshtey you want to ask? Come join our live online chat with Mr. Farshtey tomorrow night, Friday October 14, at 9 PM Eastern (1 AM Saturday UTC). Look for the AIM Chat button on our front page.