In Episode 40 of Tales From The Brick, Jon (8 Bit Bricks) sits down with Sam Aquillano, founder and editor of BRIKA Magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to LEGO art, design, and the artists behind it. Sam shares how LEGO was part of his creative life from childhood through his career as an industrial designer, and how building with his own children eventually brought him fully back into the hobby.
Sam takes us behind the scenes of BRIKA Magazine, from an idea sketched out on his phone during a family vacation to launching the first issue in December 2025. He explains why he believed there was room for a premium print magazine devoted to LEGO as an artistic medium, how conversations with other AFOLs helped validate the idea, and why creating a physical publication people actually want to keep was important from the beginning.
The conversation explores how Sam finds the artists featured in BRIKA, the importance of telling the human stories behind their work, and the mix of photography, sculpture, mosaics, digital art, instructions, and other forms of brick-based creativity found in each issue. Sam also talks about working with artists including Kelly Bartlett, Eko Nwoko, Jeff Sanders of Brick Bending, Kate Hunter, and Shelley Corbett, as well as BRIKA’s regular features like Assemblies, Constructibles, and The Missing Piece.
Along the way, Sam discusses discovering the larger LEGO community through BRIKA, attending his first LEGO conventions, the surprising resurgence of print magazines, and his goal of helping LEGO gain greater recognition as a legitimate artistic medium. He also gives a preview of what’s ahead for BRIKA as the magazine enters its second year and continues telling the stories of LEGO artists from around the world.
Find Sam Aquillano & BRIKA Magazine:
• Website: brikamag.com
• Instagram: @brikamag
• BRIKA Magazine app: Available on iOS and Android
To find the best LEGO deals, check out the Bargain Bricks app.
View the video version of this podcast at talesfromthebrick.com.
Until next time… play well.
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