Crossword Constructor
Bart Gold
Bart Gold is a versatile content creator with writing credits for Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, DreamWorks TV, and Jack FM. Since entering the world of crossword construction in 2021, his puzzles have appeared in the LA Times, Boston Globe, Seattle Times, and Miami Herald, along with hundreds of themed grids for puzzle apps and for sites such as Spyscape and Crucinova. He is also the puzzle master for the trivia game show Go Fact Yourself which airs weekly on LAist.
Know your constructor
What’s the most memorable puzzle you’ve ever created?
It’s hard to pick. Perhaps the best received was a suite of ten 15 x 15 crosswords I made which was a playable game of Clue. After solving, you can find a suspect and weapon in each grid word-search style and eliminate all but the guilty party and murder weapon. I’ve made theme packs in tribute to dozens of things I love, including bands, films, TV shows, actors…
What’s your all time favourite crossword clue?
The first time I had a puzzle accepted for traditional newspaper publication I worked hard to come up with clues which hadn’t been seen before in papers. The editor agreed to “Material for very thin coats” as the clue for PAINT, which was a new one as far as I could find. But I’d say overall I love theming even more than cluing. That puzzle’s theme was MixTape. Four grid spanning lines were set up with two artists each, like the split-down-the-center lines on a homemade cassette’s label. For every pair, such as LORDEPATBENATAR, there was a different mix of the letters TAPE in the middle.
What’s the best thing about PuzzleMe?
PuzzleMe has been an incredibly fun place to create puzzles. Perhaps my favorite PuzzleMe work is this puzzle edited by Will Nediger for Spyscape. There simply isn’t anywhere else that would enable me to make such a beautiful grid for electronic solving. It’s a tribute to a historic secret sea mission and the art works hand in hand with the theme for a unique overall experience. I also love the gorgeously-colored Marching Bands grids you can make on PuzzleMe’s system!