It's looking like there will be three events in Salt Lake in October at three different Wal-Marts. Current plan is one Friday night, October, 2nd, and two on Saturday,October 3rd. More on this as I learn more.

Greg

The news today is that it looks like there will be at least one more book in 2010. LEGO Company has asked me to write one for the first half of next year. I don't know the word count as yet.

As far as I know, it will be published in Europe by AMEET. It will not be published in the US by Scholastic, but we are looking for another publishing partner here. If we don't find one in time, the book will most likely be serialized on the BIONICLE website, so US readers will still get to read it.

More on this as it develops.

Greg

-- The BIONICLE movie has evidently been completed by Tinseltown Toons and turned over to Universal. Congratulations to Sean Derek, the folks at Tinseltown Toons, and particularly Kristy Scanlan who was so nice to work with there.

-- I am in talks about doing an appearance in Salt Lake City, UT in October to help promote the movie. More on this as it develops. And, of course, I will be at Comic-Con again this year.

-- Two of the three stories for the Papercutz graphic novel are done, as is the 2009 AMEET BIONICLE guide.

Greg

Just a friendly reminder...

Those of you familiar with Biosector01 know it is one of the most informative BIONICLE sites out there, with a staff that works tirelessly to get it right. And they make it clear up front that the site is for canon information, not theories, not guesses. They do their best over there to police the site, but they can't be everywhere. And unfortunately, some folks don't pay attention to the "canon" rule.

Case in point -- a BZPer put me on to the baterra entry this morning, which stated that the baterra had lived in peace until the Skrall invaded. That is incredibly far from the truth, and nothing has been written to suggest that. It also said the baterra reside in the Black Spikes, which is also not true. One was spotted there, doesn't mean they live there -- in fact, the first reference to them stated that they were following the Skrall, not that they lived in the mountains.

It's small stuff, maybe, but it sows confusion, especially when future canon contradicts it. So please, for the sake of the BS01 staff -- if you know A and you know E, don't take a wild guess at B, C, D and post it like it's official. Theories belong on BZP, not over there.

Thanks,
Greg

A few pieces of news:

-- Just completed a new 10-page Hydraxon comic story that will run in BIONICLE Graphic Novel #6, from Papercutz.
-- It looks likely that GN #8 will be an all new comic story, set on Bara Magna, as opposed to just collected comics ... more on that as it develops.
-- AMEET, the people who made the excellent Makuta's Guide to the Universe, are going to be doing a similar book on Bara Magna, which I will be writing between now and early summer.

Greg

I just had it confirmed that the BIONICLE Makuta's Guide to the Universe book I wrote for AMEET will be available in the US, through LEGOShop.com and in LEGO brand retail stores.

Greg

... That I will be offline for the next week due to work, so will not be able to get messages here or answer Q's. I will get back to things when I return.

Greg

Well, I just finished what will most likely be the last US BIONICLE book for the foreseeable future -- the movie novelization of BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn, based on my story and Sean Derek's excellent script. It went very quickly -- unlike past movies, there were no big plot holes I had to fill in the book, because Sean did such a thorough job. All I added was a few extra bits to explore what happens after the movie ends and a little more on Tuma to explain his motivations. (I still have two more parts to write for The Crossing, the BIONICLE story I am doing for my good friends at AMEET.)

I have started answering q's here again, though I don't know how much I will be online between now and March as I have to go out of town for a week for work and won't have access to a computer (I don't think). It sounds, though, that with the Toyfair news, you guys have plenty to talk about without me

Sooooooo ... I am off to have breakfast and then play some Marvel Ultimate Alliance until my wife wakes up

Greg

Two fun things that happened this week --

1) AMEET sent me author's copies of the English-language version of the Makuta Guide to the Universe. Hardcover and printed on glossy paper, this blows away every BIONICLE book ever done in terms of the quality of the publication. They did a spectacular job and I am very proud to have my name on this.

2) I got to see about three minutes of finished animation for the 2009 movie yesterday. It was a big action sequence. With all due respect to the folks who made the first three movies, this makes MOL, LOMN, and WOS look they were done by kids with fingerpaint. The animation is crisp, detailed, fluid, the action is fast-paced and exciting (actual explosions and everything ), and everyone at LEGO who has seen it is really excited. And this wasn't even the BIG action from the end of the picture, this was simply an early sequence from the first third of the movie.

Greg

Lots of questions on the various inhabitants of the BM universe and whether they are bio-mechanical or not. I held off answering until I could consult with the story team, but now have an answer for you.

As you know, MU characters are bio-mechanical. A Toa or Matoran or Dark Hunter, etc. is normally about 85% mechanical and 15% organic (the organic being muscle tissue, lungs, etc.)

BM characters are also bio-mechanical -- however, they are more like 85% organic and 15% mechanical (note that helmets and armor do not count as part of the mechanical, since they are just equipment that can be put on or taken off. I am talking actual permanent mechanical parts of the body.)

So BM beings are closer to, for example, an organic being who happens to have some mechanical implants, as opposed to a largely mechanical being who happens to have some organic elements.

Greg