The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 42 • November 2016
8.95
$
in the US
Looking and Learning at LEGO Education
WeDo Robots! Reviewing the New TECHNIC Porsche! Modular Building! Instructions AND MORE!
ISBN-13: 978-1-60549-071-7 ISBN-10: 1-60549-071-7 50895
9 781605 490717
Meet Milo: WeDo’s Spokesbot
We’re In Canada Too! St. John’s, NL
EVANSVILLE, IN Phoenix, AZ
Issue 42 • November 2016
Contents
From the Editor...........................................................2
People
Bruce B. Heller’s LA City Hall..................................................................3 will.i.am gets his own Minifigure!.....................7 Sneak Peek: Benjamin Hann’s Mech Bay............................10
Building
Technic Set Review: Porsche 911 GT3 RS............................................12 Making Modular Castles!....................................19 Making Futuristic Modular Interiors!...........25 Minifigure Customization 101: Minecraft!..................................................................31 You Can Build It: MINI Resurgent and Imperial Star Destroyers.........................36 BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art: MINI Space Shuttle and Crawler.....................40 Godspeed John Glenn.........................................44
Community
The JUNO Diaries: How 3 Minifigures Made it to Jupiter!.....46 Ultimate Builders Competition.......................52 LEGO Education and NASA: Space Explorers!....................................................55 Redoing the WeDo.................................................61 A Talk with Colin Gillespie: Leading LEGO Education Forward............68 Pavel Mikush’s Universal Assistant Robot for People with Visual Disabilities...............72 Community Ads......................................................78 Last Word.....................................................................79 AFOLs.............................................................................80
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From the Editor: Hi! You’re going to be surprised with this issue.
November 2016 Issue 42
There’s a lot more building than usual in this issue, with two modular ideas and two models to build—and the modular articles have build instructions too!
Publisher John Morrow
We also carried over a couple of items from the previous issue that we ran out of space for, and added LEGO Education’s work with NASA to fit with the other articles, as well as the story behind the JUNO minifigures.
Editor in Chief Joe Meno
Photography Editor Geoff Gray Proofreader John Morrow
Japanese Bureau Editor Nathan Bryan West Coast Editors Todd Kubo Ashley Glennon
LEGO Ideas Correspondent Glen Wadleigh
Contributors: Lotte N. Anderson, Michael Brandl, Jared Burks, David Calkins, Steven Canvin, Christopher Deck, Yannick Dupont, Colin Gillespie, Benjamin Cheh Ming Hann, Paul Hartzog, Bruce B. Heller, Michael Kalkwarf, Pavel Mikush, Hanne Hylleberg Ravn, Brian Williams, Tommy Williamson, and Greg Hyland.
Speaking of minifigures, we also talk about another minifigure that was made for a celebrity, will.i.am. He was presented with a figure of himself at a function that you’ll read about here. There’s a review on the Porsche set that came earlier this year, and some other neat articles, so sit down, relax, and then... Build on! Joe Meno, Editor P.S. Have ideas or comments? Drop me a line at admin@brickjournal.com. I’m open to suggestions and comments and will do my best to reply. P.P.S... Yes, BrickJournal has a website — www.brickjournal.com! Twitter? Yep, there too — http://twitter.com/brickjournal. Facebook? Yup — http://www.facebook. com/group.php?gid=58728699914&ref=mf. Or you can scan the bottom codes with a QR reader! P.P.P.S. If you want info on a subscription, you can go to: http://twomorrows.com/ index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78&products_id=616 or scan below! Website
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About the Cover: LEGO Education’s Wedo 2.0 is a new way to teach and learn in classrooms. Photo courtesy of LEGO Education. About the Contents Page: Michael Kalkwarf’s castle modules come together to make an outpost. Photo by Erik Bell.
Glossary AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) NLSO (Non-LEGO Significant Other) MOC (My Own Creation) TLG (The LEGO Group) BURP (Big Ugly Rock Piece) LURP (Little Ugly Rock Piece) MECHA (a large armored robot on legs, typically controlled by a pilot seated inside) MECH (a large piloted combat robot)
GUNDAM (sci-fi media franchise featuring giant robots or “mecha”) SNOT (Studs Not on Top) POOP (Pieces—that can be or should be made—Of Other Pieces) LUG (LEGO Users Group) LTC (LEGO Train Club) DARK AGES (usually teen years, when you drift away from building) STUDS OUT (building where the studs on bricks face the viewer)
LEGO®, TECHNIC, MINDSTORMS, Belville, Scala, BIONICLE, ExoForce, Mars Mission, World City, and other LEGO theme lines are trademarks of the LEGO Group of companies. All articles, photos, and art are copyright BrickJournal Media, LLC 2016, TwoMorrows Publishing and the respective writers, photographers, and artists. All rights reserved. All trademarked items are the property of their respective owners and licensees. Subscriptions are $55 Economy US, $66 Expedited US, $87 International, or $23.70 Digital Only and can be purchased at www.twomorrows.com or payment sent to: TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614 USA. The editorial/advertising office address for BrickJournal is: BrickJournal Editor, 5610 Briar Oak Lane #510, Raleigh, NC 27612 USA or admin@brickjournal.com. First Printing. Printed in China. ISSN 1941-2347.
BrickJournal and its staff would like to thank the LDraw community for the software it makes available to the community, which we use for making all of the instructions and renderings in this magazine. We would especially like to thank Kevin Clague for his continued upgrades of the LPub tool that is a part of the LDraw suite. For more information, please visit http://www.ldraw.org.
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People
Bruce B. Heller’s
Los Angeles City Hall Article by Joe Meno
For animation artist Bruce B. Heller, it took a movie to get him back into building. The movie? The LEGO Movie, of course. For him, the movie was a love letter to the brick and his childhood, so it wasn’t long before he picked up the bricks again. He also bought the Master Building Academy sets, which validated the building habits Bruce had in childhood, and supplemented them with new ones. He also started collecting at least one set of every theme that was out—and he found so many new elements compared to the time he built in the ’90s. However, the MBA sets played a big part in his current project, Los Angeles City Hall.
Colin Gillespie, President of LEGO Education North America.
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An overhead view of City Hall.
It didn’t take much building for Bruce to start this project— in fact, he only did a couple of custom models beforehand. From those small models and the MBA sets, he learned some of the techniques that he used in the City Hall model. He wanted to build City Hall because he wanted to build something with the bricks in the Architecture Studio set and wanted his model to be iconic and recognizable. While he was considering what to build, he was ridesharing in LA, so he saw amazing buildings every day.
Apparently, the prototype was recognizable, as Nate Hayward, a Public Projects Manager at City Hall, saw it and invited Bruce to a tour of the actual building. There, Bruce was inspired to build a better and more accurate version of City Hall. To do this, he researched the building and the surrounding area, where he made a discovery: the building was on a hill. This would make building the model more challenging, as the ground floor on one side is actually the third or fourth floor on the opposite side of the building.
Once he chose his subject, it took him one night to make a prototype. He started with the tower, which is recognizable from shows such as Dragnet and sci-fi flicks. If he could get the tower to look right in the smallest scale possible, the rest would fall into place.
He began building in LEGO Digital Designer but reached a point where he needed to build in real brick to figure things out. Working too small and dense made moving stuff around hard. By the time he had built the tower and its wings in LDD, he was also building with real brick and rebuilding
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as he found better methods of building certain effects. Each time, he had to take apart sections of the whole model, which became frustrating. As a result, he started to build in modular sections, which made things much easier to work with. If he wanted a section to be longer or taller, he could just pull it off in one big chunk and replace it with a better section without having to take apart any more. The last part that Bruce dealt with on the model was the landscaping. Since he is an LA local, he took his dog to City Hall to map the landscaping on graph paper. Every tree, palm tree, sculpture—everything was mapped out. The model was completed in nine months with lots of stops and starts, and has many ingenious building techniques. To make the hill surrounding the building, Bruce used 2x2 plates stacked in a thick layer to make a flexible wall (also known as brick bending). The plates are only attached in a few places to allow the plates to flex. The base also has a grid of Technic bricks at its core to provide support. As a result, a person can hold the model at one end, and the model will stay straight. The windows on the tower angle in slightly and are 1x1 plates on a 2x10 plate that is attached to a hinge that is where the tower and wings meet. The palm trees are flex tube cut to various lengths. They are ‘planted’ down on reddish brown 1x1 plates with flower petals, and topped with the same in reddish brown and green. The top 1x1s are upside-down, and all of the trees are different, as Bruce made them up as he went along. A look behind the construction of the tower windows. Construction of the side entrance.
Construction of the corner, showing sideways building.
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There is one detail that Bruce added that he calls “insane.” He built a walkway that hugs the building on three sides, that connects the stairways to each other, as it does on the real building. An observer on the street wouldn’t see this because there is a small wall that borders it. The walkway itself is sand red, which is a very rare color in LEGO and only available in tile as a 1x6 tile. He had to use this size tile and nestle it in panels to make the walkway. This required some clever building, as the tiles on the corner panels offset the tile edge in two directions by half the thickness of a plate. To make it even more complicated, panels have no studs, but the tiles are not loose: they are attached to the building foundation using brackets and headlight bricks. There are still some finishing touches left on the model. Now, Bruce is building a hollow base that has openings with minifigures of important people in the building’s history inside, such as the first mayor, the mayor at the time of construction, the architects, the first African-American mayor, the first female council member, the current mayor, and the current council member of the Historic Core of Downtown LA, of which City Hall is a part. The base would be about 6 inches tall, and completion is set to be before displaying at BrickCon Seattle. He would like to thank those that helped him, including LUGOLA (LEGO Users Group of Los Angeles) and his lifelong friend Tim Grey for donating money to complete the model.
The “insane detail.”
After that, Bruce hopes the model finds a home at the actual City Hall. His next project is already being planned—a crowdfunded build of the Southwestern Law School, a tan and sand green Art Deco building which used to be a Bullocks department store that opened in 1929. The building was designed by the same architect that designed City Hall, as well as Union Station and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which held the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games. All of the buildings are iconic, so Bruce is planning to build all four.
Bruce Heller with his model.
An overhead look at both the model and the real site.
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You can view Bruce’s Flickr gallery by going to https://www.flickr.com/photos/144563400@N02/ or scanning this QR code!
will.i.am
People
Gets His Own Minifigure Article by David Calkins Photos by Ben Gibbs and Joe Meno Have you wondered what it would be like to get your very own minifig? Obviously, this is no small feat. There are fewer than 100 minifigs of real people in existence (not movie characters, but actual people). LEGO Education recently honored professional musician, producer, inventor, and educational philanthropist will.i.am with his very own minifig. While most people know that will.i.am is a highly successful musician, few know that he grew up in a poor neighborhood of Los Angeles and is an entirely self-made millionaire. Although he grew up in the Estrada Courts housing projects within the poor Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA, his mother wanted to ensure he grew up to be great, so she sent him to John Marshall High School to help him focus on music and technology. Well, you probably know the rest of the story. He went on to co-found the Black Eyed Peas and has had numerous #1 songs and ubiquitous airplay. What most people don’t know is that Will never forgot his roots.
An important part of Los Angeles Unified School District is their after-school program, LA’s BEST. One of the things that LA’s BEST recognizes is that one of the most important parts of a child’s daily life isn’t just in-school class hours, but the 3-5 hours between the end of the school day (about 2:30) until their parents get home (between 6 and 7pm.) LA’s BEST is a structured after-school program serving over 200 schools in LA, helping to keep kids excited about learning and to keep them off the streets after the normal end-of-school bell rings. One of their most successful programs is with LEGO Education. Using everything from StoryStarter for early elementary to MINDSTORMS sets in their middle schools, LA’s BEST does an excellent job of continuing to educate kids after the normal school day—and with MINDSTORMS—to get them curious and involved in programming and technology. What most people would never know, is that this is how Will got started with the technology that supports his music. And he hasn’t forgotten that.
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In the past several years, Will has been exceedingly generous in his support of LA’s BEST, as has LEGO Education. Last year, LEGO Education donated over 200 MINDSTORMS sets, playfields, and programming licenses to LA’s BEST to help keep kids involved in learning and to get them programming. Will.i.am also donated a large sum of money to train teachers and buy extra equipment to ensure LA’s BEST was the best it could be. As a result, LA’s BEST bestowed will.i.am the 2016 Children’s Champion Award, and David Calkins of LEGO Education the 2016 Corporate Partner Award. To celebrate the honorees for their commitment to creating brighter futures for children, LA’s BEST threw a fête at the Fairmont hotel to celebrate both the awardees as well as the many kids whose lives have been improved by LA’s BEST. 400 people were invited from all aspects of the program. The students who were included got to show off their MINDSTORMS robots as well as their singing, dancing, and artistic abilities—all learned and nurtured through LA’s BEST.
David Calkins’ Corporate Partner Award
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Minifigures For Everyone
Now normally at events like this, it’s enough to have a wonderful lunch, accept the awards, and go on with your day. But this event deserved something special. Minifigs for everyone! While it certainly would have been easier to just order 400 Batman minifigs for everyone and leave it at that, LEGO Education decided to do something much more special for Will for all of his dedication and philanthropy: Make him his own minifig. Working with both his manager and his designer Lor-e Phillips (when you reach will.i.am’s level of success, you get your own designer), LEGO worked to create a custom minifig for Will. He has a very special suit style created just for him by Lor-e, who helps Will to create his “look.” This suit, along with Will’s logo, was incorporated into the torso and leg design. Then several photos of his face were used to create the signature LEGO minifig look for the head piece. Finally, a stylish black fedora and a microphone were added to complete the look of a musician on stage. This was all done without Will’s knowledge (to be a surprise for the event) in addition to his award from LA’s BEST.
And this was to be a very special minifig indeed. Most collectable minifigs now come with a 4x3 black plate on which the minifig stands. To make these gifts to the attendees even more special, the plates were printed front and back with both will.i.am’s signature logo, the LEGO Education logo, and individual serial numbers on each plate— from 1 to 400. Will of course got #1, David Calkins of LEGO Education got #2, and Eric Gurna, president of LA’s BEST, got #3. The remaining 397 were randomly distributed to attendees at the event— students, teachers, volunteers, and donors alike. No Comic-Con minifig was ever so lovingly made, nor so graciously given out. But the most gracious thing of all was Will’s speech after the lunch. Most awardees under these circumstances are content to thank the organization which honored them and go home. Not Will. He thanked every teacher he had from the first grade on—by first and last name (yes, there were tears.) Several of these teachers were in attendance. He personally thanked them and noted how they had each coached him, how they specifically inspired him, and how they all helped to make him the man he is today. Can you name every teacher you’ve ever had?
Will was also amazingly gracious to all the kids who were there—taking the time to genuinely listen to all their stories, look over their projects, and just be a regular guy who truly appreciates both education and those people dedicated to education who strive to improve the lives of kids. And that is how you get your own minifig.
Each minifigure plate has its own number from 1 to 400.
I certainly can’t.
Genuinely
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Sneak Peek
Sneak Peek: Benjamin Hann’s Mech Bay Sometimes a photo transcends the models that are its subjects. This photo was taken by Benjamin Cheh Ming Hann, who was in BrickJournal two issues ago. This is a work in progress, with more detailing to be built and added. There have been other photos posted since of this diorama, but none have looked as realistic as this one. BrickJournal will be talking to Benjamin when he completes the mech bay.
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TECHNIC Set Review
Porsche 911 GT3 RS Article by Geoff Gray
Photography by Geoff Gray, Porsche and The LEGO Group
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On April 25, 2016 The LEGO Group announced the upcoming release of set number 42056, the LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The set was officially released for purchase on June 1, 2016 in certain markets, and will be more broadly available in August, 2016. The set was designed by Andrew Woodman and Uwe Wabra (their biographies, along with the full text from an interview provided to BrickJournal by The LEGO Group can be found here). The LEGO Group partnered with Porsche AG to design and release this model. BrickJournal was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of the set from The LEGO Group, and the following article reflects Geoff’s opinion of this set.
Picture of the set’s box. Courtesy of The LEGO Group.
Item Pieces Dimensions Model Scale Price
About the Actual Car To fully appreciate the beauty of this model, you also need to know a little about the real car. While I am not an expert in high end sports cars, I do know a little about them and I love learning more. When I found out that I would be receiving a set to review, I immediately went to Porsche’s website and started digging into the specs and details about the real car itself. Porsche has done a good job of exposing details so that you can drill into several different key design and engineering aspects of the car. For instance, the engine is designed with two oil pumps per cylinder, plus two more at the crankcase. This is so that oil stays flowing to all parts of the engine regardless of the G-forces being applied “especially in the presence of the powerful lateral and longitudinal forces that can be experienced on the racetrack” (http://www.porsche.com/ usa/models/911/911-gt3-rs/drive/dry-sump-lubrication/). Another interesting feature on the car is called Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK). It is a double-clutch transmission that allows the accelerator pedal to remain depressed while the driver shifts gears using buttons on the steering wheel (http:// www.porsche.com/usa/models/911/911-gt3-rs/drive/ porsche-doppelkupplung-pdk/). This feature is especially important to call out since the LEGO model contains the shifters on the steering wheel assembly. Although I doubt I will get a chance to take one of these beauties for a spin on a test track, I can still dream about it. I had a couple of opportunities to drive a 1984 911 Carrera 3.2 Cabriolet (my parents bought one the first year it was released) and I could tell how well it handled. My father had participated in road rallies when he first moved to South Carolina, racing a 1958 Triumph TR-3, so I learned a few tricks about handling and driving from him. Reading about this new machine, I can only imagine how well it must handle.
42056 2704 22.4” by 9.8” by 6.7” ~1:8 $299.00 US
“When we started our initial drafts in 2013, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS project remained top secret. Therefore, I had to build the first LEGO version using photos of the camouflaged prototype of the original from the internet. The first LEGO prototype was ready in a matter of weeks.” Quote taken from an official LEGO interview with Andrew and Uwe.
Pictures taken from the Porsche.com website.
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The Model The LEGO version of this car is every bit as impressive as the machine it represents. The designers spared no effort to create a masterpiece, and I do not use that word lightly. Not only is this a great set with tons of cool build techniques, it also has appeal to people who are purely interested in the car and the company that designed it. Opening the building instruction book, you find that the first 36 pages are dedicated to a history about Porsche, and the story of the project to design this particular car as a LEGO model. The photography in the book is awesome and rivals that of the pictures on Porsche’s real website. The design of the model is set up to reflect the realworld assembly of the vehicle itself.
Designer Video The LEGO Group has released a nice Designer Video on the car that I encourage you to watch: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=L5wy0YhCuuA
Model Website http://www.lego.com/en-us/technic/porsche-911-gt3-rs
“Looking at the LEGO® Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS model, I’m impressed that they have managed to create the distinct curved lines of the Porsche 911. I know how difficult it is to shape the softer lines with LEGO® elements.” Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, VP Motorsports and GT Cars at Porsche
The model includes a few unique features, such as: • The iconic rims of the car, which the company says will not be used for any other model. • A very nicely constructed product box that is suitable for collecting. • Working paddle-shifter gear changers on the steering wheel box. • A 1x4 tile with a unique serial number. Using this number, you can unlock downloads only available to owners of the model, including a certificate of ownership and some really nice graphics distributed as A4 high-res PDFs, 1920 x 1080 wallpapers (landscape) and 1242 x 2208 smartphone wallpapers (portrait). Screenshots of the LEGO TECHNIC website showing the interactive page (top two screens) and the page where you can enter your unique serial number. Picture of my unique serial number tile.
Blueprint outline of the LEGO TECHNIC model, viewed from the top.
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The Build DHL showed up at my house on May 19 with a 12-pound package, containing one of the coolest sets the company has ever released. I was in the middle of doing my full-time consulting job (luckily I was working from home that week) but had to take a break to crack the seal on the box and look inside. I was not disappointed by the packaging and the urge to get cracking on this thing was pretty strong. I finally tore myself away from the box and went back to work <sigh>. If you can avoid pulling out the special rims and tires for the car and putting them together first (without even looking at the instruction book), then you are more restrained than I am. I had to check out the wheels. The rims were specially designed for this model alone and (according to the Designer Video) will not be available anywhere else. Once I got past those, I settled into the build. I noticed that all of the inside boxes were not sealed with tape or glue, so I could easily empty the contents of each and keep them in mint condition. I do not save a lot of the set boxes, but this one will be stored inside the shipping box to preserve it. I grabbed box #1, dumped out the contents, and started sorting. I did a fair amount of sorting up front because I knew I would not be able to build the model all in one or two sittings. (In my defense, I am trying to close out my fiscal year for work and my older stepson got married on May 29, so I was a man divided.)
The build was fairly straightforward for a complex TECHNIC model. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. As with any TECHNIC model, you need to keep a steady pace and an eye on the elements you use. I always grab all of the items for a step before building the step. The first box of the build is by far the largest and most complex. The entire chassis and drive train are contained in this part. The model assembly starts around the center of the gear shifter box and works its way out backward (toward the transmission and engine) and forward (toward the steering box and dashboard frame). The transmission is fairly wide and flat, allowing the system to mimic the behavior of the Porsche Doppelkupplung transmission and still keep the profile low. The shifter box only controls the engagement link between the transmission and the motor. The options are Forward, Neutral and Reverse (exactly the same as in the real car). The motor sits behind the rear axle and differential. It is a 6-cylinder power plant, but not a typical V shape. Instead the cylinders are set apart by 180 degrees, 3 per side. This allows the motor to maintain an extremely low profile and to keep the center of gravity very low (again, just like the real car). The details in the model’s engine are really nice.
Above: Unboxed and ready to dive in for the build. Above Right: The transmission assembly. Right: The rear half of the finished chassis
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I took the above photo with a cell phone since I had forgotten my camera. It shows the frame just before it goes onto the chassis. The picture below was taken after I got back home. I intentionally disassembled the frame and seats to get the two components. With the seats added, the frame was much harder to separate from the chassis.
Close-up of the engine. The suspension is fairly beefy as well. There are two large stiff springs per wheel and the axles are mounted to the rims with Technic 3-pin Steering Wheel Hubs (#92909). The front wheels use the accompanying Steering Wheel Hub Holder (#23801), which I am sure will show up in other sets, but as of this writing, currently only shows up in this set (according to the Bricklink inventory website).
The wheel hubs and front steering hub holders. The model after completing the first three boxes.
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With box 1 completed, I packed up some stuff and headed up to Pennsylvania to spend a few days with my sister, niece and nephew. Since they all love LEGO, I figured I would take the car up there and do some more work. Of course, I ended up getting pulled into other things and my nephew tore into box 2 and started building the car’s frame and interior. Once the frame was built, we dropped it onto the chassis and locked it in place. It was right at this time that I realized I had not packed my camera (arrrggghhh). Oh well, we snapped a few pictures with a cell phone and continued to play. I decided to save boxes 3 and 4 for when I got back home. Box 3 was when the car started to resemble a Porsche. The Technic 3x13 curved panels (18944) are sweet. Currently they are only in four sets, and each set has them in a different color. However, I suspect we will see more of these beauties as time moves on. The build consisted of the two rear wheel wells and quarter panels, the rear bumper, the back part of the roof, and the front trunk. I didn’t waste any time getting into box 4, which consists of the front bumper, front wheel wells, doors, rear hatch to the engine, and the iconic spoiler.
Left: A partial example of the paddle shifter mechanics in action. There is a lot more that happens internally to sync the shifters, but this shows the basic premise. Above: The newer style universal joints used to connect the paddle shifters to the transmission.
Right: The mechanics of the transmission, showing how one of the clutch rings immediately engages as the other one is disengaging.
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Right: The front bumper, showing details of the fog lights and angled intake grills, along with other details about the model. Photo courtesy of The LEGO Group. Bottom: A close-up of the rear bumper after completing box #3.
Conclusion When I looked at the way the different pieces fit together to create a flowing shape, I was blown away by the design. I can design some fairly technical sets, but I could never combine technic panels and other basic pieces in a way that represented such a smooth and iconic shape so well. Once the car was fully assembled, I just stared at it for a long time. I set it down on the coffee table and would change the angle every few hours and just continue to stare at it while I was in the family room. I remember the first time I felt this drawn to a LEGO Technic model. It was in 1999, and I had just purchased the Super Street Sensation (8448). I saw it listed in the LEGO catalog as “coming soon” and immediately started saving my money. It was the first large LEGO set I had ever built, and it blew me away with its detail and working transmission and its “sleek lines.” The thing that’s funny is that it doesn’t have any sleek lines itself. It just uses the combination of well-placed panels and soft rubber hoses to convey the design. Since that build, I have thoroughly enjoyed other Technic car models; I have most of them, including the Silver Champion (8458), a couple of the Ferrari models (8653, 8386), the original Supercar (8880), the new Supercar (8070), and several other vehicles. The Porsche 911 model stands out at the top of the list for all of these sets, and is officially going into my list of all-time favorite sets.
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My All-Time Favorite Sets
I love most LEGO sets, and I would be hard pressed to rank which ones I like more than others, so I do not try to maintain any lists other than inventory. However, a few sets really stand out in my mind for various personal reasons. In order to be on this list, a set must hold some special meaning or have some specific feature that grabs my attention. Here are my all-time favorites, listed in numeric order (and, yes I do own every one): •
1831 - Maersk Sealand Container Lorry
•
5571 - Giant Truck
•
6991 - Monorail Transport Base
•
8369 - Dirt Crusher RC
•
8448 - Super Street Sensation
•
8880 - Super Car
•
42056 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Building
Making Modular Castles! Article by Michael Kalkwarf Photography by Erik Bell Instructions by Joe Meno
I really did not play with LEGO as a kid; I got into building castles through my two young boys. It started with me building alongside them and quickly evolved into staying up late on Saturday nights to build them a new spaceship or castle. I have always had a weakness for castles and spaceships since I was a kid. I work in the technology industry where modular reusable code blocks are always a consideration. It was a natural step to start building space ship parts that were modular so that without staying up too late I could have something new for my kids to play with the next day.
After a while my kids asked me to build them a castle. My first castle section included the same LEGO TECHNIC pinhole design that I had used for my modular space ships. Since I have always been building for my kids, making it fun to play with as well as durable were always my primary design criteria. I quickly realized that I could not build a new castle section in an evening so I started thinking about making many small modules. I did a bunch of research to find a modular castle system that used small pieces allowing you to quickly rebuild a fun to play with castle in a short period of time. I was more interested in finding a way to build a castle for my kids than designing one. I was very disappointed that I was not able to find what I was looking for. In May of 2015 I started experimenting and having my kids and their friends play-test what I had built. By September I had a system that we were all very excited about. I decided to display for the first time at BrickCon where I was able to work with the visiting kids to help them build a castle how they wanted, and leave with a picture of their castle. It was a lot of fun and convinced me to pursue this idea further.
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Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Plain Top Wall
Qty Color Part 2 Dark Bluish Gray 2453.dat 3 Dark Bluish Gray 3455.dat 2 Dark Bluish Gray 3676.dat 4 Dark Bluish Gray 30071.dat 1 Dark Bluish Gray 41539.dat 1 Dark Bluish Gray 85984.dat 8 Light Bluish Gray 2420.dat 1 Light Bluish Gray 3009.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3010.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 3022.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3040b.dat 3 Light Bluish Gray 3622.dat 1 Light Bluish Gray 3659.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3665.dat 8 Light Bluish Gray 3700.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 3710.dat 5 Light Bluish Gray 30071.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 63864.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 92593.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 93792.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 98138.dat 9 Light Bluish Gray 98283.dat
Battlements
Qty Color Part 2 Dark Bluish Gray 3008.dat 4 Dark Bluish Gray 3009.dat 4 Dark Bluish Gray 3010.dat 2 Dark Bluish Gray 3035.dat 8 Dark Bluish Gray 3062b.dat 6 Dark Bluish Gray 3660.dat 4 Dark Bluish Gray 3665.dat 8 Dark Bluish Gray 3676.dat 16 Dark Bluish Gray 30136.dat 1 Dark Bluish Gray 41539.dat 8 Light Bluish Gray 3003.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 3022.dat 20 Light Bluish Gray 3023.dat 16 Light Bluish Gray 3048b.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 3068b.dat 20 Light Bluish Gray 3069b.dat 16 Light Bluish Gray 3659.dat 8 Light Bluish Gray 3666.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 30136.dat 16 Light Bluish Gray 85984.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 87580.dat 10 Light Bluish Gray 93792.dat 6 Light Bluish Gray 98283.dat
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Description Brick 1x1x5 Arch 1x6 Slope Brick 45 2x2 Inverted Double Convex Brick 1x1 Plate 8x8 Slope Brick 31 1x2x0.667 Plate 2x2 Corner Brick 1x6] Brick 1x4 Plate 2x2 Slope Brick 45 2x1 Brick 1x3 Arch 1x4 Slope Brick 45 2x1 Inverted Technic Brick 1x2 with Hole Plate 1x4 Brick 1x1 Tile 1x3 with Groove Plate 1x4 with Two Studs Brick 1x2 Tile 1x1 Round with Groove Brick 1x2 with Embossed Bricks Description Brick 1x8 Brick 1x6 Brick 1x4 Plate 4x8 Brick 1x1 Round with Hollow Stud Slope Brick 45 2x2 Inverted Slope Brick 45 2x1 Inverted Slope Brick 45 2x2 Inverted Double Convex Brick 1x2 Log Plate 8x8 Brick 2x2 Plate 2x2 Plate 1x2 Slope Brick 45 1x2 Triple Tile 2x2 with Groove Tile 1x2 with Groove Arch 1x4 Plate 1x6 Brick 1x2 Log Slope Brick 31 1x2x0.667 Plate 2x2 with Groove with 1 Center Stud Brick 1x2 Brick 1x2 with Embossed Bricks
Double Gate House
Qty Color Part 2 Orange 6126b.dat 2 Dark Orange 6105.dat 2 Dark Orange 64644.dat 2 Metallic Gold 6141.dat 2 Dark Bluish Gray 2453.dat 2 Dark Bluish Gray 3005.dat 1 Dark Bluish Gray 3027.dat 2 Dark Bluish Gray 3032.dat 1 Dark Bluish Gray 3034.dat 1 Dark Bluish Gray 3035.dat 2 Dark Bluish Gray 3676.dat 5 Dark Bluish Gray 30071.dat 2 Dark Bluish Gray 43888.dat 4 Dark Bluish Gray 90258.dat 6 Light Bluish Gray 2420.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3003.dat 1 Light Bluish Gray 3009.dat 10 Light Bluish Gray 3010.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3022.dat 11 Light Bluish Gray 3023.dat 1 Light Bluish Gray 3034.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3035.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3069b.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3298.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3308.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3455.dat 3 Light Bluish Gray 3460.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3581.dat 5 Light Bluish Gray 3622.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3665.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3666.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3678b.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3684.dat 6 Light Bluish Gray 3700.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 3710.dat 8 Light Bluish Gray 4216.dat 1 Light Bluish Gray 4477.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 30071.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 30237.dat 2 Light Bluish Gray 60479.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 63864.dat 8 Light Bluish Gray 92593.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 93792.dat 4 Light Bluish Gray 98138.dat 6 Light Bluish Gray 98283.dat
Description Minifig Flame with Rim Door 1x4x8 with 1/4 Circle Top Minifig Telescope Plate 1x1 Round Brick 1x1x5 Brick 1x1 Plate 6x16 Plate 4x6 Plate 2x8 Plate 4x8 Slope Brick 45 2x2 Inverted Double Convex Brick 1x1 Brick 1x1x6 Round with Square Base Brick 2x2 with Slots and Axlehole Plate 2x2 Corner Brick 2x2 Brick 1x6 Brick 1x4 Plate 2x2 Plate 1x2 Plate 2x8 Plate 4x8 Tile 1x2 with Groove Slope Brick 33 3x2 Arch 1x8x2 Arch 1x6 Plate 1x8 Brick 1x1x2 with Shutter Holder Brick 1x3 Slope Brick 45 2x1 Inverted Plate 1x6 Slope Brick 65 2x2x2 with Centre Tube Slope Brick 75 2x2x3 Technic Brick 1x2 with Hole Plate 1x4 Brick 1x2 with Groove Plate 1x10 Brick 1x1 Brick 1x2 with Clip Vertical Plate 1x12 Tile 1x3 with Groove Plate 1x4 with Two Studs Brick 1x2 Tile 1x1 Round with Groove Brick 1x2 with Embossed Bricks
Double Gate House
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Plain Top Wall
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Battlement
Half Battlement (3 Sides) - build 2X
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With the parts that are assembled in the previous pages, the gate section shown here can be built by stacking the modules as shown. I decided to add more modules to this and as of now have over 20 modules that can be combined to make a limitless number of castles. I also submitted this project to LEGO Ideas as a Creator set, where it can be found at the following link: https:// ideas.lego.com/projects/148797. If you want to build these immediately, though, you can send an e-mail to admin@brickjournal.com, title: Modular Castle. You’ll be e-mailed a PDF file with parts lists and instructions to all the modules in this set. Happy building!
Some examples of cap modules.
Some room modules.
A completed gate section using the modules in this issue.
Building
A double-length interior module.
Paul Hartzog is a dad, husband, musician, drummer, futurist, and programmer, who has been building since the first set he got, the Moon Landing set 565-1, in 1976. In those years he has built models to fit his love of design, so he has built modern houses, sports cars, and futuristic sci-fi. He also loves sharing and community and is one of the creators behind the LEGO Moonbase standardm way back when in 2002. Building things that will inspire others to build nad share, either individually or collaboratively, is another interst of his. He spends a lot of time grabbing images online of design— modern houses, sports cars, futuristic sci-fi movie interiors, spaceships, concept art, other people’s lego builds There’s a lot to be inspired by (in terms of building) for Paul. His latest project is building modular interiors. When asked what inspired him to work on interiors, he answers, “Several things. First, I love sci-fi interiors. Second, other systems that use modular designs—movie sets, game engines and textures. Third, a frustration with how long it takes to build things because I obsess over details. I needed a faster system.” For Paul, the real breakthrough in his design ideas came from videogame design and forums like polycount. As he notes, “In videogame design you simply can’t model everything, so you have modular shapes and textures that get mapped onto those shapes. It’s very efficient.” What are some of the highlights of his designs? Detail. Paul obsesses over detail. It really slows him down, but he feels happier with his results. He likes music that can be listened to many times, and still have new things to be discovered in it. The same goes for LEGO builds that he likes—he appreciates “many views” and always seeing something new. Paul’s modular design is simple but not complete. There are still some kinks to work out: the base, the height, connecting, stacking, etc. At this point he would love to attempt a community build. He states, “It’s not as simple or easy as Moonbase, but I think some dedicated builders could do something fun, and I think with more people involved, the evolution would go faster than simply me alone.”
Making Futuristic Modular Interiors! Article by Joe Meno Photography by Paul Hartzog Instructions by Joe Meno He continues, “My dream is to do a ship interior and then put a hull around it. I’m actually using Space Engineers as a test environment for building right now, where I am attempting the same thing. I test a lot of ideas in Lego Digital apps also.” For new builders, Paul offers this advice: • The motto around my house with me and my kids is this: “Building is re-building.” • Don’t get discouraged. Keep evolving and trying new things. Learn from others. • I love the way that LEGO turns so-called mistakes into learning opportunities. If something falls apart, make it sturdier; if it is ugly, make it more stylish. As a dad, I think there is an important life-lesson there.
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Building a Module
Here is an example of Paul’s work, a single unit module titled FabLab Azure. Each module is broken into sections that fit into the frame: wall, floor, and supports. The walls and floors are 8x8 studs in size, making it easy to make different configurations. The floor fits in the module bottom and fits into place. The walls are attached with studs that are on the top, then swung into place. The supports fit on the studs on the module supports. Modules can be placed together to make longer interiors or chambers. Walls and floors can also be customized to whatever look is desired.
Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Single Unit Module
Qty Part Description 2 2454.dat Brick 1x2x5 8 2555.dat Tile 1x1 with Clip 2 3004.dat Brick 1x2 5 3005.dat Brick 1x1 2 3021.dat Plate 2x3 2 3022.dat Plate 2x2 4 3023.dat Plate 1x2 7 3024.dat Plate 1x1 1 3034.dat Plate 2x8 5 3068b.dat Tile 2x2 with Groove 8 3069b.dat Tile 1x2 with Groove 4 3070b.dat Tile 1x1 with Groove 2 3460.dat Plate 1x8 4 4162.dat Tile 1x8 2 4477.dat Plate 1x10 2 6636.dat Tile 1x6 1 14719.dat Tile 2x2 Corner 4 63864.dat Tile 1x3 with Groove 4 85984.dat Slope Brick 31 1x2x0.667 2 87079.dat Tile 2x4 with Groove 4 87087.dat Brick 1x1 with Stud on 1 Side 5 87620.dat Brick 2x2 Facet 4 92946.dat Slope Plate 45 2x1 1 3020.dat Plate 2x4 3 3034.dat Plate 2x8 5 3795.dat Plate 2x6 3 40244.dat Staircase Spiral Axle 2 98138.dat Tile 1x1 Round with Groove 2 30374.dat Bar 4L Light Sabre Blade 1 3032.dat Plate 4x6 2 3034.dat Plate 2x8 2 3460.dat Plate 1x8 1 3710.dat Plate 1x4 1 3958.dat Plate 6x6 1 41539.dat Plate 8x8 1 87609.dat Plate 2x6x0.667 with Four Studs On Side and Four Raised 3 2420.dat Plate 2x2 Corner
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Color White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White White Dark Bluish Gray Dark Bluish Gray Dark Bluish Gray Dark Bluish Gray Dark Bluish Gray Trans Medium Blue Black Black Black Black Black Black Black Light Bluish Gray
The completed interior module.
Qty Part Description 4 2450.dat Plate 3x3 without Corner 1 3003.dat Brick 2x2 4 3024.dat Plate 1x1 1 3070b.dat Tile 1x1 with Groove 2 3460.dat Plate 1x8 4 3710.dat Plate 1x4 6 4070.dat Brick 1x1 with Headlight 4 4162.dat Tile 1x8 2 4477.dat Plate 1x10 1 6190.dat Bar 1x3 2 6636.dat Tile 1x6 1 10202.dat Tile 6x6 with Groove and Underside Studs 4 14719.dat Tile 2x2 Corner 2 30374.dat Bar 4L Light Sabre Blade 2 60479.dat Plate 1x12 4 96910.dat Gold Ingot 4 98138.dat Tile 1x1 Round with Groove 2 30413.dat Panel 1x4x1 with Rounded Corners 2 87580.dat Plate 2x2 with Groove with 1 Center Stud Wall and floor panels.
Color Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Light Bluish Gray Blue Blue
Main Module
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Wall Section
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The wall is inserted by fitting the top studs and swinging the section into place.
The supports can be attached on the side studs on the module support.
The floor falls into place and can be secured by pressing into place.
Support Pipe
Floor
Support
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Building a Star Trek-themed Module
Here is another example of an interior, this time based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. This time, the look is cleaner, without pipes and junctions showing. The wall panels are stacked 1x4 bricks with side studs. 1x8 tiles are placed to make the wall strips. The divider strip is a 1x8 door rail plate, then the 1x4 bricks with side studs are used again. The short walls use 1x2 bricks with side studs and rounded slopes to make the wall strips.
The door is built sideways, using the 5/2 relationship: 5 plates equal 2 studs in width.
The style of dividers were built into the module using slopes and rounded slopes. This also applies to the door wall, which is thick enough to fit the door itself.
The floor panels are only two plates in thickness, with a layer of tiles on top of the bottom 8x8 plate.
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Building
For inspiration for this particular article, I looked to my eldest daughter Branwen, who has been completely taken with all things Minecraft: playing Minecraft, building LEGO Minecraft, and even watching Minecraft videos. She is consumed with the videos as she constantly learns something new about the game that inspires her creativity. Branwen has gravitated to watch one particular presenter, Joseph Garrett, otherwise known as Stampylonghead or Stampy Cat. His videos can be found here: https://www. youtube.com/user/stampylonghead While I know little of Minecraft beyond what I have picked up hearing Garrett’s videos running in the background I do know that he has a very unique Minecraft character, Stampy.
Minifig Customization 101
Minecraft! Article by Jared K. Burks
So I decided to make my daughter a Stampy Cat Minecraft figure and show everyone here how I did it.
What Color is Stampy?
I started this figure by trying to determine what color Stampy is in a LEGO context. As this figure is for my daughter, I showed her all the available color options (Orange, Medium Orange, Bright Light Orange, and Yellow). I was hoping she would choose yellow or orange as there are Minecraft heads available in both of these colors. Branwen decided that Stampy was Bright Light Orange. Luckily there are complete figure parts available in Bright Light Orange, however there isn’t a LEGO Minecraft head available in that color. So I had two options: To paint or to mold and cast a Minecraft head in this color. If you have ever tried to color match LEGO elements, you are aware of just how difficult it can be due to how color changes in different lighting environments. I wanted something more hard wearing as this is for my daughter, so I decided to mold and cast.
Some reference of Stampy Cat.
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I am going to be covering multiple techniques in this article (pressure molding, pressure casting, and decal design and application). As such I am going to go over the details quickly; if you want or need more information, please see the videos, or for the most detail, my books on Minifigure Customization. My focus for this article will be on the processes I used to create the figure and how decisions were made at the various steps.
Making a Block Head Mold
Color matching.
Head on the block. By using a 2x2 tile with a hole cut in the middle, the head can be easily supported while casting. This blocks the interior space while creating the first half of the mold. Simply use the tube on the bottom of the tile as a guide to cut the hole.
The mold box.
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Molding the LEGO Minecraft head presents an interesting challenge due to its size and shape. The head is one of the departures in the typical LEGO system as it is 1.5 bricks wide; typically LEGO works in thirds (3 plates to a brick, for example). As always in mold design, you want to conceal the part lines, which means you want the two-part mold to separate on an edge of the part you are molding. For the Minecraft head, this is at the bottom edge of the head, so you can’t see any imperfections created along the part line. With this knowledge, I started trying to build a mold box that would allow me to mold the bottom side of the head first, so I could include the fill tubes. Fill tubes allow the resin into the mold and air out of the mold. In order to accomplish this task, I would need to completely embed the head in either clay or bricks. Since the head is 1.5x1.5 (height is irrelevant) bricks, this presented a complication. Then it hit me that I was overthinking the problem. This is commonly the issue when creating a custom figure; it is easy to get locked into a thought process and ignore a simpler or easier way to create. I could have spent many hours digging into this issue and trying to solve this problem, which is possible given headlight or jumper bricks. Simply put, it wasn’t worth the time. By putting in a bit more thought and looking at the problem from the other direction, I found a better way. The other direction was literal. By molding the outside of the head first, it allowed me a way to hold the head and still get the part line I was after. In order to mold this way, I had to hold the bottom of the head (not the bottom of the neck) against a flat surface or I had to fill the bottom of the head with a special non-curing clay that is messy. I decided to sacrifice a LEGO tile. By cutting a hole in a 2x2 tile I could hold the head flush against the tile, which blocks the interior head space, while creating the first half of the mold. Luckily there is even a guide on the bottom of the tile to show where to make the hole. So I brought out my rotary tool (Dremel) and cut a hole. Now I needed to place this inside a 4x4 space. I need the extra studs around the tile to give lock and key registration of the two-part mold. So I built a 6x6 box out of LEGO around the 2x2 tile that I then plugged the Minecraft head into—now to figure out how much and what type of mold rubber to use. How much is simple. Measure the box in centimeters; length, width, and height. Here is the key and one of the reasons the Metric system rules: Cubic centimeters (cm) = milliliters (mls). Therefore, length x width x height = volume. I use two types of mold rubber, both from Smooth-On: Dragonskin platinum cure silicon and Oomoo 30 tin cure. Dragonskin is a very stretchy and flexible rubber that is great for imbedding parts. Oomoo 30 is great for rigid molds that need more structure. Given
the large amount of rubber that needs to be inside the head—as there is a void in there—it was a tough call as to which rubber would be better. When trying to get the part out, the Oomoo might tear as it simply isn’t as flexible, so I went with caution—as I don’t need many parts—and used the Dragonskin because of its flexibility. So I now know the volume I need and the rubber to use. Both Dragonskin and Oomoo 30 are one-to-one by volume mix ratio rubbers, so I simply take the total volume and divide it by two and I use that much of part A and part B and mix them together. Given the size of the mold, each half will need approximately 40 mls total, or 20 mls of part A and 20 mls of part B. In order to complete the mold making process, once you have the two parts, you mix them together, being careful to mix, but not whip. If you whip the two parts together, additional air will be introduced in the rubber and this air can cause problems. Once mixed, with walls of the container scraped, transfer the mixture to a new container and mix a bit more. This helps to ensure proper mixing and achieve full strength silicon rubber. Now that the two parts are mixed, let’s discuss pouring the rubber into the mold box. Specifically, there is a method to pour the rubber into the mold box, which does help remove any air introduced in the mixing. Pinch the edge of your mixing cup to form a spout, and then raise the cup 6-8 inches above the mold box and pour a very thin stream into the corner of the mold box. This thin stream stretches the rubber and causes the airbubbles to break or pop as the rubber enters the box. This will remove any large bubbles from your mold. To further improve the process, I mold under pressure. Recall that liquids have little compressibility, but gases are, as they are, less dense than any other states of matter. As the mold rubber is placed under pressure, the air bubbles, full of gas, are compressed into non-existence, but the liquid rubber essentially isn’t compressed at all. Pressure improves both the strength and quality of the mold. This means you need a pressure pot in order to compress the silicon rubbers in this way. For this section of the article, please pay special attention to the video (see end of this article) where these steps are shown in detail. The second half of the mold is created in a similar fashion. The first half of the mold is removed from the box and any extraneous silicon material is removed. Once it is removed, the mold surface that will touch the other half of the mold is coated in mold release; this allows the two parts to be separated—otherwise the silicon would bond with itself and you wouldn’t be able to separate the two halves. After the mold release dries, I add fill and air vents. These are simple styrene rods that get attached to the part via superglue, that allow the resin to enter and air to exit the mold during casting. These are critical and I find the smoother that these are, the better fill you get. If you were to cut or rotary tool create these, they would not be as smooth and might introduce surfaces that create voids or bubbles during casting (adding the resin to the mold). So by creating these when the mold is created, the best results are yielded. This means you need to have a good understanding of how the mold will sit during casting and how resin will enter and air will exit, so voids are not created. With experience you will become better at this, but it may require a bit of trial and error.
Figure 4: Part one of the mold.
Figure 5: Part two of the mold. Notice the fill and air tubes protruding from the mold. These are used to fill the mold with resin and allow the air to escape.
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Making a Color Block Head
Now that we have a mold of the LEGO Minecraft head, we can work on casting the head in various colors. This requires an understanding of how colors are mixed. Orange, a secondary color (green, purple, and orange), is a mixture of red and yellow (primary colors). In order to create Bright Light Orange, we need to determine what colors are present and at what ratio. When we think about red and yellow and how they would affect the color orange, red would darken the orange and yellow would lighten it. So we know that if we start with a standard orange pigment that is a 1:1 red to yellow, we need to shift it towards yellow; however this likely isn’t enough. White will be needed to finalize the color. So for Bright Light Orange I ended up with the following ratio mix: 2 parts Orange 3 parts Yellow ½-1 part White
Trial and error...
...then a match!
With this recipe I was able to get a very close match to LEGO Bright Light Orange. Trial and error determined the mixture. In order to incorporate it into the resin, we need a quick discussion of the resin. I use Smooth-On Color Match 325, which is a 3 minute pot time, 10 minute cure time, twopart urethane resin. Much like the silicon rubbers, this is a one-to-one mix ratio product. Part A is sensitive to air, so pigment is mixed into part B, which has Part A mixed into it just prior to injecting into the mold. So following the recipe above, pigments were added to the resin. One has to be cautious as too much pigment can introduce moisture into the resin, which can cause foaming and destroy the part you are seeking to create. In order to combat foaming, as I live in a high humidity area, I cast under pressure. This is done for the same reasons I mold under pressure, to crush gas bubbles in the resin. This yields solid parts that can be cut or sanded without fear of exposing subsurface voids. Again, for this section of the article, please pay special attention to the video (see end of this article) where these steps are shown in detail.
Don’t miss Jared K. Burks’ two books Minifigure Customization: Populate Your World! and its sequel Minifigure Customization: Why Live In The Box? (both available now at www.twomorrows.com)
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Making the Face
This means all that is left to complete the custom figure is to create the artwork designs to print on decal film that match his Minecraft character. As Stampy’s face is very specific, I had to decide to depart from the LEGO design-sized pixels and keep the pixels on Stampy’s face consistent with his design. This means that the pixels in my design are slightly larger than LEGO’s used in the other Minecraft sets. I just measured the LEGO head and counted the pixels in the design and determined the height and width of each pixel. I then created a template and I simply colored the boxes appropriately to create the design. While this seems simple, keeping the colors consistent and in line with LEGO’s designs can be a challenge. Once I created the designs, I printed them on waterslide decal film and transferred the film to the LEGO figure. Even though I had to alter the pixel size, I think Stampy is right at home inside the LEGO world! You can view Jared’s webpage by going to http://www.fineclonier.com/ or scanning this QR code!
NOTE: This article series has focused on educating readers on how to create custom figures, but I wanted to take it a step forward and infuse the article with even more information and expand my normal format by including a video. When the video is complete it will be available on my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCE6CeB9npymeEC5MsEcon0g
Stampy Cat LEGO figure complete with decals.
Come back next issue for more Minifigure Customization!
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You Can Build It MINI Model
MINI Resurgent Star Destroyer and Imperial Star Destroyer Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck Hello everybody, I’m glad to join you again for the newest issue of BrickJournal! Today we want to continue building the vessels from the latest Star Wars movie: The Force Awakens. We already built the new Incom T-70 X-Wing Starfighter some issues ago, and now want to take a look at the new Resurgent Star Destroyer, the First Order’s successor of the infamous Galactic Empire’s Imperial Star Destroyer. From the first moment when the Resurgent Star Destroyer Finalizer crosses the screen, you notice that this must be a new type of Star Destroyer. The intimidating dagger-shape is typical for Star Destroyers, however there are some remarkable differences compared to the Imperial Star Destroyer.
First, there is a kind of ram at the very bow of the ship, an extension which is not part of the dagger-shape. Second, there is a large horizontal gap along the equator of the ship. While the second feature is quite easy to design in brick, it took me a while to figure out how to realize the “ram bow” section, finally ending up with two clickyhinge plates. With almost 3000 meters in length, the Resurgent Star Destroyer is a little less than twice the size of the Imperial Star Destroyer which is 1600 meters long. As a bonus we will build an Imperial Star Destroyer which is to scale with his larger cousin. My favorite part here is the rounded 1x1 plate with open stud. It allows us to attach a 1x2 plate in centered orientation on top of it where the studs of the 1x2 plate resemble the shield generators of the Star Destroyer. I wish you happy building, and see you next time!
Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Resurgent Star Destroyer
Qty Color Part 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 2654.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 60471.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 30383.dat 4 Dark-Bluish-Gray 4073.dat 3 Trans-Light-Blue 4073.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3023.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3710.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3666.dat 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3022.dat 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 2420.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3021.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3021.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray u8200.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3795.dat 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 2419.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3031.dat
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Description Dish 2x2 Hinge Plate 1x2 Locking with Dual Finger on Side Hinge Plate 1x2 Locking with Single Finger On Top Plate 1x1 Round Plate 1x1 Round Plate 1x2 Plate 1x4 Plate 1x6 Plate 2x2 Plate 2x2 Corner Plate 2x3 Plate 2x3 Plate 2x4 with Square Underside Studholes Plate 2x6 Plate 3x6 without Corners Plate 4x4
Qty Color Part 4 Dark-Bluish-Gray 85984.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 32474.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3701.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 32002.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3709b.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3070b.dat 4 Light-Bluish-Gray 43723.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 43723.dat 4 Light-Bluish-Gray 43722.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 43722.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 48183.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 54384.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 54383.dat 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3933.dat 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3934.dat
Description Slope Brick 31 1x2x0.667 Technic Ball Joint with Axlehole Blind Technic Brick 1x4 with Holes Technic Pin 3/4 Technic Plate 2x4 with Holes Tile 1x1 with Groove Wing 2x3 Left Wing 2x3 Left Wing 2x3 Right Wing 2x3 Right Wing 3x4 with 1x2 Cutout with Stud Notches Wing 3x6 Left Wing 3x6 Right Wing 4x8 Left Wing 4x8 Right
Imperial Star Destroyer
Qty Color Part 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 99781.dat 3 Dark-Bluish-Gray 4073.dat 3 Trans-Light-Blue 4073.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 85861.dat 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3023.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 4596.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3623.dat
Description Bracket 1x2 1x2 Down Plate 1x1 Round Plate 1x1 Round Plate 1x1 Round with Open Stud Plate 1x2 Plate 1x2 with 3L Extension and Stud Hole Plate 1x3
Qty Color Part 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3022.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 87580.dat 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 85984.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 92946.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 41770.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 41769.dat 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 43719.dat
Description Plate 2x2 Plate 2x2 with Groove with 1 Center Stud Slope Brick 31 1x2x0.667 Slope Plate 45 2x1 Wing 2x4 Left Wing 2x4 Right Wing 4x4 with 2x2 Cutout
Resurgent Star Destroyer
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Imperial Star Destroyer
You can view Christopher’s webpage by going to www.deckdesigns.de or scanning this QR code!
www.brickcoaster.com
Custom Roller Coaster Tracks, Sets and Accessories
Tommy Williamson is no stranger to BrickJournal, having been featured previously for his Jack Sparrow miniland scale figure. Since then, he has gone farther into building, making some remarkable Star Trek props and other models. He’s now doing a column for BrickJournal: DIY Fan Art. Here, Tommy takes a little time out from his busy schedule at BrickNerd.com to make a model of his choosing for the magazine.
MINI Space Shuttle and Crawler Design and Instructions by Tommy Williamson
About this issue’s model:
I’ve always had a deep respect and admiration for the American space program and NASA. My earliest childhood memory is sitting on my dad’s lap as a toddler and watching a live transmission from space. I live just a few miles from where the West Coast shuttle launches were supposed to happen, but that program was scrapped after the Challenger tragedy. It was also always my hope to get to Florida for a shuttle launch, but the one opportunity I had got scrubbed for weather, so I never saw one of these lovely birds launch in person. This little MOC is a small tribute to all the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve this country’s space program.
Parts List
(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Qty Color Part 1 Trans Clear 3062b.dat 2 White 2450.dat 1 White 3020.dat 1 White 3023.dat 8 White 3062b.dat 4 White 6141.dat 2 White 4081b.dat 4 White 4589.dat 1 White 6192.dat 1 White 30602.dat 1 White 44661.dat 2 White 54200.dat 1 White 99781.dat 6 Orange 6143.dat 1 Orange 30367a.dat
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Description Brick 1x1 Round with Hollow Stud Plate 3x3 without Corner Plate 2x4 Plate 1x2 Brick 1x1 Round with Hollow Stud Plate Round 1x1 with Solid Stud Plate 1x1 with Clip Light Type 2 Cone 1x1 Brick 2x4 with Curved Top Slope Brick Curved Top 2x2x1 Tail 2x3x2 Fin Slope Brick 31 1x1x0.667 Bracket 1x2 - 1x2 Down Brick 2x2 Round Type 2 Cylinder 2x2 with Dome Top with Blocked Stud
Qty Color Part 4 Dk Bluish Gray 2412b.dat 2 Dk Bluish Gray 3005.dat 1 Dk Bluish Gray 3020.dat 1 Dk Bluish Gray 3023.dat 2 Dk Bluish Gray 3069b.dat 1 Dk Bluish Gray 3460.dat 6 Dk Bluish Gray 3666.dat 1 Dk Bluish Gray 3794a.dat 2 Dk Bluish Gray 4070.dat 2 Dk Bluish Gray 30039.dat 3 Dk Bluish Gray 32028.dat 8 Dk Bluish Gray 32523.dat 1 Dk Bluish Gray 41539.dat 1 Black 3023.dat 1 Black 3176.dat 2 Black 6141.dat 4 Black 6558.dat 2 Lt Bluish Gray 4510.dat 4 Lt Bluish Gray 32529.dat
Description Tile 1x2 Grille with Groove Brick 1x1 Plate 2x4 Plate 1x2 Tile 1x2 with Groove Plate 1x8 Plate 1x6 Plate 1x2 without Groove with 1 Centre Stud Brick 1x1 with Headlight Tile 1x1 with Groove Plate 1x2 with Door Rail Technic Beam 3 Plate 8x8 Plate 1x2 Plate 3x2 with Hole Plate Round 1x1 with Solid Stud Technic Pin Long with Friction and Slot Plate 1x8 with Door Rail Technic Pin Joiner Plate 1x2x1 & ½
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A look at the tail.
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Building
Godspeed, John Glenn Article by Brian Williams
On the morning of February 20, 1962, a lone Atlas rocket stood precariously atop Launch Complex-14 at Cape Canaveral Florida, its mirror-like metal skin reflecting the rising Atlantic sun. In the cramped capsule named Friendship 7, sat astronaut John Glenn waiting patiently for the launch order, just as he had done 11 times before over the preceding two months. Delays and setbacks had plagued America’s new space program and everyone knew what was riding on this flight. Russian rhetoric against the United states was escalating. The Kremlin had launched the first man-made satellite in 1957… and then beat America again by launching Yuri Gragarin into Earth orbit in 1961. NASA responded a month later by launching Alan Shepherd into space, but not orbit. So now it was up to John Glenn’s Friendship 7 to prove America could equal the Soviets, and give hope to the free world fighting Communist aggression.
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As a LEGO builder, I’m drawn to historical subjects. Modeling historical events is a great way to learn history. And modeling in LEGO is a great way to share that history with new generations. So when I saw John Wolfe’s Saturn V and crawler transporter a few years back, I decided to build a rocket myself. But which one? There were so many choices. So I started with a little research. The 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing was the big one: the apogee of America’s space efforts and a story that hasn’t been approached since. But a minifig scale Saturn V wouldn’t fit in my room... not to mention the time and brick it would take to build. (Besides, John Wolfe already brings his Saturn V to Chicago area shows!) Of course, the Mercury 7 astronauts represent a fascinating tale that brings back fond memories of the film adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s epic novel The Right Stuff. Watching this again I was struck by the use of real historical footage for the rocket launches—such power and majesty with flames shooting every which way. I also like the retro ’60s charm and styling. The bright red Service and Egress Towers... the gleaming stainless steel were so photogenic. And then there was the person of John Glenn: so energetic and affable. Glenn was already a celebrity before joining the Mercury program when he completed the world’s first supersonic transcontinental flight in 1957. He would later go on to become a United States Senator, and would return to space once again in 1998 to become the oldest man in space too. And so I decided to model Friendship 7 in brick. I worked through several concepts including a maxifig scale Friendship7 Capsule, a large rocket with cutaway interior details, and a micro-scale depiction of the entire Launch Complex 14. Ultimately, I settled on a minifig scale version of the rocket, and just enough of the Launch Complex and Egress Tower to show the flames. I could light the flames with high power commercial LED lamps (meaning very bright), so I used two powerful LED lamps delivering 600 lumens to illuminate the blast exhaust and flame trench from the rocket motors. The flames were built with four layers of transparent bricks. For more detail, I simulated the stainless steel skin on the rocket by having the body panels chromed.
The gantry, which folds up 45 degrees, just like the real one.
To complete the model, I built a scrolling green LED message board on front announcing “God Speed John Glenn - February 20, 1962” reminiscent of Times Square marquee for that day.
Liftoff! Lamps light up the transparent bricks and flames, creating a realistic effect.
The end result is a frozen moment in time where the space race was just beginning, and where hope and determination defined our first steps into the unknown. A closer look at the space capsule, Friendship 7.
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LEGO History
This is my story from the time I worked at the LEGO Group and got to work on what I personally believe was my single-most coolest accomplishment! My childhood was filled with science-fiction, the last throes of the Apollo program (I remember the gumball collector cards with the astronauts) and tall tales of technological advances in robotics and space exploration. Years later, my life would be replete with those two favourite subjects, when in 1998 I landed a job at the LEGO Group as Senior Designer at the newly established LEGO MINDSTORMS® (LMS) team. At my first job interview for the position, I told my future boss that I wanted that job or to become an astronaut. Knowing I could not pass the PE or had the skills for the latter (I had to be honest to myself...), I pushed to make the first—and I did. My story about the JUNO project took place when I was acting as the LEGO MINDSTORMS Community Manager—dealing with all the LEGO robotics fans across the world. My previous track at LEGO had seen me work as Senior Designer and then Design Manager for MINDSTORMS, followed by a stint as Senior Designer in DUPLO. Later on I returned to LEGO MINDSTORMS in a whole new capacity, as Marketing Manager for the brand. I transitioned into the Community Manager role for a few years before leaving the company in 2013. Chapter 1: First Contact It started one day in the Fall of 2010 at lunchtime in the cafeteria in the PMD (Product and Marketing Development) building in Billund. Standing in line to pay for my food, I bumped into Vicki Stoltz, who at the time was Marketing Manager for LEGO City. NASA and the LEGO Group had signed a Space Act Agreement in 2010 with the purpose of creating an educational initiative called Bricks in Space, where LEGO would deliver some experiments made with LEGO bricks for astronauts to carry out on the International Space Station (ISS). In 2011 the LEGO City team would have their little Space Shuttle sent up to ISS on Space Shuttle launch STS-134* scheduled for February of that year. Being ever the space buff, I asked Vicki how things were going with the cooperation and the mission to send up the little shuttle. She told me that STS-134 was supposed to be the last Space Shuttle flight and it had been postponed to May 2011, and that there would be a multi-day LEGO building activity set up around launch time at the Kennedy Space Center for the public who came to watch, and that the launch would be attended by President Obama himself.
PMD Cafeteria. Image credit: Bosch + Fjord.
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What really got my attention was that Vicki also mentioned that NASA had another launch coming up of a deep space probe called JUNO. They had suggested LEGO should be involved in the project, mainly because the chief scientist on the project was keen on getting LEGO on board, literally. JUNO’s destination: Jupiter, the biggest planet in the Solar system. Ping! I was stoked! I sooo wanted to be involved in that project! I asked Vicki who I needed to talk to in order to facilitate this particular part of the collaboration, and she pointed me to my old friend Lotte N. Andersen from LEGO Education. Due to the educational nature of the cooperation with NASA, LEGO Education was involved in
developing the projects for the astronauts to carry out on the ISS, and Lotte was the POC (point of contact) from her department. Lotte knew a little more about the JUNO mission. The space probe was being developed by the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) in San Antonio, Texas, and Scott Bolton, the principal investigator on the project, had a son who was crazy about LEGO, so he was very excited to learn from NASA that there was a direct relationship with the LEGO company. He wanted LEGO involved in whatever way possible. Furthermore, Lotte told me that our primary contact person at NASA was Debbie Rivera, in charge of Strategic Alliances at NASA HQ in Washington, D.C. and Lotte would make the introductions so I could get involved. A few days later I had successfully made contact with Debbie and we began to discuss the extent of the involvement. Chapter 2: Initial Preparation/Brainstorming Now that I had established contact with Rivera, I began to bombard her with questions about the possibilities for LEGO—from the actual items we could put on the probe to LEGO-related models and other merchandise. As this was a side project compared to the Bricks in Space initiative, Debbie deferred me to have this conversation with Scott Bolton instead and suggested we should set up a conference call with Scott and discuss what the LEGO payload on the probe could be. To be proactive, I wanted to create an idea catalogue with LEGO models and/or projects that could be going on the space probe, and what significance the object(s)/ projects would have. One idea I had was to have an open, public competition for kids who could post a suggestion of what [LEGO model] should travel to Jupiter, or have a website where kids could type in their name, which would then be put on a CD or DVD, so a little part of you would travel into space. The latter idea had been used before, and is still being used in educational space projects, so it was not really a novel thing to do. To get a better variety of creative input, I reached out to my brain trust of international LEGO MINDSTORMS fans to ask for ideas of what we could put on the probe. As I had not yet talked to Scott Bolton, I was fantasizing that maybe we could have some kind of LEGO MINDSTORMS robotic experiment on the probe… But first, I wanted to challenge the fans by letting them guess which upcoming space exploration project I was talking about. To help them on their way, I gave them a very indirect clue, in the form of these four letters: LNPH. There was a long of list of current and upcoming space missions that year, but I had given the group a hard time with it, and though they came up with all sorts of creative solutions, they did not get my twisted clue... Can you guess what the connection is? The explanation can be found at the end of this article.**
To make it easy I chose standard hair pieces, so it is no coincidence that Jupiter is practically Professor Dumbledore from LEGO Harry Potter… Nobody in the company raised any flags over that, so there it is—Albus D. made it into space! —Steven Canvin
Note: It has to be said that I have been prone to come up with twisted names for projects, both internal [LEGO-only] and projects involving our group of MINDSTORMS AFOLs, and I hope you can all forgive me retrospectively! It was fun! Once I revealed which space mission we were talking about, we started brainstorming; without knowing what we were allowed to add to the probe, we started bouncing ideas. I was keen to explore what kind of active elements we could come up with. An ‘active’ element was defined as a LEGO-fied element/set-up that could possibly conduct its own experiment at Jupiter, e.g. detect radiation or magnetic currents, and possibly send information back to Earth. The group quickly concluded that: a.) it would be quite costly to modify existing LEGO elements or create special elements to survive the very harsh environment in space, and in particular around Jupiter, which has some very strong radiation and magnetic fields that can easily fry electronics; and b.) any such elements would have to be isolated from the very sensitive instruments on JUNO in order to have a neutral effect on them. Scott Bolton confirmed that when I asked—any LEGO payload could not be active in any way, but would have to be 100% passive and have zero effect on the instruments. Chapter 3: Brainstorming with NASA and SWRI I wanted the payload to be ‘obviously LEGO’, have a strong symbolic value and also be fun. One source of inspiration was the golden records that the Voyager probes are carrying—having left the outermost reaches of our solar system after traveling for
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nearly 40 years. The records have drawings of a man and woman on them, pointing to which planet they came from, and if any inhabitants of other planets find these records and figure out how to play them, they can hear sounds from Earth; among others, whale songs and humans speaking in different languages. Creating a LEGO version of such a record was an idea—like a plaque with some kind of greetings written on it. It could be very symbolic but not very LEGO-like, unless it was a LEGO plate with studs on it. From related past space projects I knew that NASA would not be too happy with a plate with a lot of LEGO studs with the ‘LEGO’ name printed all over them. It would be too commercial. Another source of inspiration came from previous fictive space missions to Jupiter— like the now iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey movie (1968), where the good spaceship Discovery and its astronauts travel to the Jovian system and encounter an alien intelligent artifact in the form of a perfect black enigmatic slab. The most notable players in the movie were the astronaut Dave Bowman and the spaceship’s erratic AI, named HAL9000. Just for kicks, I included references to 2001 by suggesting a LEGO version of HAL, which is basically just a red light/camera lens, and a minifigure version of Dave Bowman. However, HAL did not have the strong symbolic value, and would not really be very LEGO-esque. But the idea of using the minifigure, which was as iconic as the 2x4 brick, made sense, so I expanded on that idea. Many space projects have cool acronyms created by the researchers to give their missions catchy and sexy names, but the JUNO project could not have any other name (and no, it is not an acronym). The name JUNO is the direct reference to Roman mythology: the head of the Roman gods is Jupiter and his wife is Juno. The gods would live on Mount Olympus, above the clouds, and and on a good day be able to peer down on us humans and occasionally come down to ‘mingle’ with us. Jupiter (Zeus) was prone to do exactly that and hoped to get away with it under the cover of the clouds. But naturally Juno (Hera) had that one superpower that she could see through the clouds and discover the tricks Jupiter was up to—and give him an earful about it when he came home.
Initial brainstorming notes for Juno, Jupiter, and Dave.
So, the JUNO probe has the most appropriate name, as its instruments will be looking through the very dense cloud layers on Jupiter and discover more about the true composition of this gigantic planet. With that in mind, it made sense to have two figures that could represent both Juno and Jupiter. Juno’s design was relatively easy: I wanted an elaborate hair style and a tool in her hand. The most logical would be a magnifying glass—though it could double as a frying pan, her tool of choice for whacking devious Jupiter after one of his escapades. Jupiter had the power to create lightning, so the task was to give him a lightning bolt in his hand. Most head gods in ancient mythologies are depicted as white-haired old men with long beards—and Jupiter was no different. To make it easy I chose standard hair pieces, so it is no coincidence that Jupiter is practically Professor Dumbledore from LEGO Harry Potter. Nobody in the company raised any flags over that, so there it is—Albus D. made it into space! I had also been informed by Scott that his Italian research partner who had developed an instrument for the probe had created a plaque that bore a quote from the old scientist most associated with Jupiter, Galileo Galilei. Galileo was the first to train a telescope on Jupiter in 1609 and discovered the four inner moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto—also called the Galilean moons). His discoveries about the Moon and the planets challenged the rigid perception of the time that the whole universe revolved around the Earth. Because Galileo literally rocked our world, he is also accredited as being the father of modern science… Galileo definitely deserved a spot on Juno, so he was our third passenger. NASA and Scott approved these choices.
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Three figures were in the bag, but I had another in mind. We will get back to that one later.
Chapter 4: Getting Funding for the Project As you can read from the story so far, this particular project now had nothing at all to do with LEGO MINDSTORMS and robotics, which was my primary field of operations at LEGO. I was committed to make this happen—but not all things come for free. I had to fund the creation of the figures. When I worked in marketing, my boss had taught me that as a default, I did not have a budget (though I had one)—which led me to be very creative in getting things done with no or little money. This project was no different. It was something I had taken on for the fun of it—it was not really part of my job and it was not in the budget… so my first objective was to find out how to get the figures created and how much it would cost. I have to tell you that the LEGO company is truly a very innovative and creative company. There are several departments dedicated to experimenting with materials and find new ways to develop elements and products. I got in touch with one such department in LEGO Engineering, that as the name implies is in charge of all major engineering tasks in the LEGO Group—from developing new moulding techniques to materials sciences and investigation. I contacted the department that develops new moulds and tools and explained the project, and asked for an internal quote for the development of four one-of-a-kind minifigures that would travel into space and never come back. The department head came back to me with the price tag: 150,000 Danish Kroner (appr. $30,000 US). Hm. The price did include getting a spare set of the figures made, but the challenge was finding the money. Suffice to say, this quote was just a little shy of my full-year budget in my primary job! But, I had in previous years pulled stunts like this, and found money for various extraordinary activities. The LEGO Foundation and the Ole Kirk foundation donate money to charitable and many other deserving causes around the world, but would also consider applications for funds for internal marketing- and business-enabling activities. I had previously had the good fortune to get funding for projects that did not have any otherwise, by applying to the two Foundations. Among others, I got money to establish LEGO’s participation in the international Google Science Fair the first two years (2010, 2011), and likewise to fund the participation of a big group of robotics fans at the World Robot Olympiad finals, in Abu Dhabi (2011) and later in Kuala Lumpur (2012). Off I sent my application the foundation’s board, with an explanation about the project and asking for $30,000. Knowing that Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who would personally sign off on all approved applications, was as keen on space projects as I was, I was crossing my fingers for a green light.
Preliminary minifigures.
I did get a letter that my application was approved, but that I could only get half the amount—75,000 Danish Kroner (appr. $15,000). I passed on the message to the Engineering department that I had funding, but only half of what they had asked for. I was worried that they would only be able to create one or two figures and thus water down my ambition—and what I had proposed to NASA. But it was my lucky day—the department was so excited about this extraterrestrial project that they promised to deliver all figures for half the price! They designated Senior Engineer Ulrik Solbjerg Lund as the one to create the figures from my directions. Now we could get moving on sending off our small travelers. Chapter 5: Getting the Figures Made It has to be said that the figures could not be made out of their natural material, plastic—as any plastic would disintegrate in space because of the extreme cold of -273 degrees Celsius. Likewise it was possible that any object not made of metal could shake loose during the launch and possibly cause damage. It is a common issue with rocket launches.
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Scott Bolton gave us a few alternatives of metals to make the figures out of, and gold was not one of them. I had considered going for that, but it was both utterly cost-prohibitive, too heavy, and not on the list from NASA. Aluminium was the preferred metal, because it was light and also the cheapest of the metals we were allowed to use. I would soon learn that aluminium is not just aluminium. There are many different grades of aluminium, coming as different types of alloys, meaning other metals are mixed in. It was of the utmost importance that the aluminium was as pure as possible. It had to be what is called ‘Space-grade’ aluminium. Space-graded aluminium has to be very pure (minimized mix of other metals) not just because of keeping its strength (the mix of other metals can make it weaker), but also because it should not have any magnetic properties. This was particularly important for JUNO’s sensitive instruments. JUNO carries two instrumental arrays used for measuring Jupiter’s magnetosphere, and it was very important that absolutely nothing would interfere with the readings, so the figures should not be something that could cause any concern! With Scott’s specifications in mind, we got to work turning out the models. I had given Ulrik the dummy figures, and directions for what the figures should be holding in their hands; Jupiter should have two lightning bolts, Juno should hold her magnifying glass, and Galileo should have a telescope—and as an extra, a mini-Jupiter. From what I know, the lightning bolt and the little Jupiter globe are two truly unique LEGO elements not produced for any other purpose. Pretty cool! Well done, Ulrik! The football minifigure that was cut from the group.
Chapter 6: the little figure that did not make it… As JUNO would arrive in the Jovian system during the summer of 2016 where the UEFA Championship (the European football championship event) and the Rio Olympics would take place, I suggested adding a figure that would represent sports. My thinking was that we could possibly tell a good story in 2016 with having an athlete represented out in space, as kudos to the big sports events of that year. Furhermore, in Greek mythology, Zeus/Jupiter was the most important of the Olympic gods, and legend has it that the demi-god Herakles (Hercules) staged the first [ancient] Olympic Games in Zeus’ honour, in turn making Zeus/Jupiter the protector of the sports.
The initial group: Juno and Jupiter...
To balance the gender mix I proposed a female football player. Ulrik in LEGO Engineering molded a minifigure girl, complete with a ponytail and kicking a football and the number 9 on her jersey. My inspiration for the female football player came from my niece Kristine, who had been playing football since age 6, and made it on the Danish national female football team. Kristine got to play 76 national matches, in the Champions League, and won gold at the 2003 Youth Olympic Games. She would always play with the number 9 on her back. We had the four figures produced and I sent two sets of them to Scott in Texas for testing, and hopefully getting them on the probe. One set was for the actual tests and could be expended, and one set was for deployment on the probe. At this point in time we were only a few months away from the launch of the probe, and the figures had to make it to Texas where the probe was being assembled and getting prepared for transport to Kennedy Space Center (or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as it called now). They had to get into the pipeline of pre-flight tests and getting put on the probe.
...and the football player and Galileo.
As you can see from the photos, the figures is standing on a flat round base. In talks with Scott I had to find out how he expected to put the figures on JUNO. The answer was easy—they would be glued on! They were bonded with the probe using a very strong epoxy glue. Chapter 7: The Other Historical Launch Let me circle back to where my story started about the little Space Shuttle that was destined to fly on a big Space Shuttle and go to the ISS.
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The Shuttle launch STS-134 was the big and last one—under the auspices of the US President. On the Causeway at Kennedy Space Center, LEGO had a tent set up for building activities for the public. My good colleague from the Community team, Camilla Torpe, was facilitating a Build the Change session; kids would be given a small
base plate and access to bins of bricks, so they could use their imagination to build their idea of a spaceship or a space habitat. In liaison with Debbie Rivera from NASA, Camilla had meticulously planned the building session, which was frequented by active NASA astronauts and thousands of kids. The hope was to get some good photo ops when the President would come by the stalls on the Causeway as part of his visit. Unfortunately, the launch was scrubbed for another day and the President cancelled his visit at KSC. Still, STS-134 was later successfully launched and the little LEGO shuttle with it. NASA had one more trick up its sleeve—STS-134 was not the last Shuttle mission. The administration had a contingency launch, STS-135 on the clipboard. Its launch window got pencilled in the calendar for July 8, 2016. Cutting a long story short, we ran Build the Change for two days in the Visitor Center, and my lifelong dream to see a spaceship launch came true! The Space Shuttle Atlantis took off on July 8th on a 12-day mission to the ISS. I got to see my very first and the very last Space Shuttle launch. It was awesome! Scott Bolton was visiting KSC to talk about the launch of JUNO which was only a month away, and we got to meet face-to-face for the first time. He told me that the hardest work he had with the NASA officials was to get the LEGO minifigures approved to go on the probe! He had to fight and justify why they were coming on the trip, and they gave in—but the football player had not been deemed to fit the mission profile and had to stay home. Chapter 8: Travelling Through Space... On Friday, August 5, 2011, JUNO took off from Cape Canaveral on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. I had been invited to come to Florida to see the launch up close, but the budget was not there, so instead I saw it via NASA’s live webcast while peeling potatoes in my kitchen back in Denmark. The flight path took the probe well out beyond Mars’ orbit before coming back to Earth in the October 2013 flyby to get a good boost sending it out towards Jupiter. After nearly a full 5 years and 2.80 billion kilometers (1.74 billion miles) of traveling, JUNO entered orbit on July 4, 2016. JUNO will spend 7 months orbiting Jupiter in an elliptical orbit that will make it come really close to Jupiter every 14 days to collect data. To withstand Jupiter’s very hostile magnetospheric radiation, all critical onboard electronics are shielded by a 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) thick and 180 kilos (400 pounds) heavy titanium shell.
JUNO lifts off.
The probe is also the first to fully run on solar power during its mission. Given that the sun’s power at Jupiter is only 4 percent of what we get here on Earth, it is pretty impressive. Scott Bolton proudly declared that they wanted to be environmentally friendly and not use the nuclear power plants other probes typically use. To cap off this story, I can only say that I am very proud of having made the minifigures that have traveled the farthest distance and at the fastest speed [so far]! The JUNO mission is expected to end next year in 2017, and it will go out with a bang! The probe will be directed to crash into Jupiter for the grand finale, recording the last data as it dies in the gas giant’s dense atmosphere. And our minifigures will be along for the ride! So, to paraphrase a quote about the rebels from the Star Wars universe: “They will be in the right place at the right time, naturally they will become heroes!” *STS is the abbreviation for Space Transportation System—the official term for the Space Shuttle project. **LNPH was my interpretation of the phonetic spelling of EL-En P-Age = Ellen Page, the young Canadian actress who had her breakthrough in, you guessed it, the movie Juno.
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Community
Ultimate Builders Competition by Michael Brandl
In 2001, LEGO did a competition in Austria, Germany and Switzerland called The Ultimate Builders Competition. The aim was to build a robot for the astronauts of the ISS, the International Space Station. The main rules were: 1) Use only the parts from three specific LEGO sets: • Robotics Invention System 1.5 • Ultimate Accessory Set • Exploration Mars Builders could use unlimited amounts of any parts of these sets, but... 2) the robot had to fit in a box 30x30x30 cm and must not weigh more than 1.5 kg. Each builder was allowed to build the robot as a single piece, or modular with up to four pieces. The astronauts would then connect the pieces together at the Space Station. 3) The programming language used? Freestyle: any programming language was allowed!
Muscle Trainer My idea was to build a muscle trainer for the astronauts, because when a crew member is stationed for a longer time at the Space Station in a zero gravity environment, their muscle mass will decrease. This muscle trainer was attached to a person’s upper arm and and he or she had to bend and stretch their lower arm against the resistance of a number of rubber bands. There was a clever motor-driven joint in this muscle trainer to relieve pressure after each move of the astronaut. The muscle trainer was built by a team from Austria, Germany and Switzerland The jury decided to award my Muscle Trainer with a special mention!
Munich, Germany, Jury for the competition.
The “Muscle Trainer” Team: (front) Simon Frei, (back row, left to right) Steve Matter, Mike Brandl, Martin Humel.
Contestants delivered ideas initially to LEGO and they chose ten suggestions, and returned the requested material to the contestants. After that those ten participants (or teams) met at the Siemens Forum in Munich, Germany to show their robots to an international jury, which included people like Soren Lund, LEGO Mindstorms Director.
The Muscle Trainer 52
Jitter FROM THE PRODUCERS OF BRICKJOURNAL: The winner of this contest was a little flying robot called Jitter, built by a German father and son, Konrad and Bastian Schwarzbach. Its mission was to fly through the Space Station and collect litter.
LEGO fans: You Can Build It!
The most important part of this robot was its engine ... an impulse engine. There was an eccentric lever rotating YOU CAN BUILD IT isframe, a new and ongoing series instruction inside a moveable when theofrobots hit a wall custom building, from books on the art of LEGO during its flight, the frame will slide and thethe eccentric producers of BRICKJOURNAL magazine! Spinning off from lever will hit the frame, and therefore gives an impulse BrickJournal’s popular “You Can Build It” column, these action to thebooks otherare direction. Thenothing winners were invited to FULL-COLOR loaded with but STEP-BYRussia to watch a rocket deliver robot to the Space STEP INSTRUCTIONS by some of thetheir top custom builders inStation! the LEGO fanastronauts community.there had fun with the little LEGO The BOOK ONE offers instructions for custom creations robot! ®
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Interview by Joe Meno Photography and art provided by LEGO Education Lotte N. Anderson has been with the LEGO Group a little more than ten years. She has been in LEGO Education all this time but has been in different positions. She was part of Development and part of developing the WeDo back in 2008-2009 when it was launched. While she has been in the development side, she is now more on the marketing and sales side. BrickJournal was able to chat with her about LEGO Education’s recent work with NASA.
BrickJournal: I wanted to talk with you about how the LEGO Group is working with NASA, so the first question is how long has the company been working with NASA? It seems to be a lot longer than I thought it was, based on some of the information I have read. Lotte: The LEGO Group had worked with NASA on and off for many years. When I started working with NASA from the LEGO side, it was 2010, and before that I was told, NASA was in contact with Tormod Askildsen. I know that Tormod was working with NASA on putting two astronaut minifigures on the Mars Rover in 2004. It was Opportunity—the two minifigures were Biff Sterling and Sandy Moondust, and they were on the Mars Exploration Rover. Before that, and I don’t know if it was directly with NASA on the ISS, they had RCX robots working—I saw a video a long time ago. (See article in this issue - Ed.) The NASA program was in 2010 because LEGO City was launching the newest Space launch, and the fact was that NASA found it much more beneficial to promote education and see how NASA Education and LEGO Education could work on especially making STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education more fun and interesting for younger students. So what we did was at the same time that LEGO City launched their shuttle, we had a program with NASA— we had several of our models sent to the ISS with activities for the astronauts to do, different activities with the models in space tested in microgravity, 55 where the students could test the same model in the classroom.
And that was at 2010. How many projects were there?
A page from the Gyrobot’s workbook.
We had eight different models from LEGO Education sent to space. Each model had one activity and were more or less one hour of work per activity for an astronaut on the Space Station. I must admit I was kind of surprised they wanted to go with it, because an astronaut hour on the Space Station is quite expensive. We started with eight different activities there, and in 2012, with what we called Phase 2, where we did three extra activities. We did two WeDo activities and then we did a LEGO MINDSTORMS Education activity with the NXT.
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The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education activity was quite a big one, a one-hour activity, with several hours for the assembly and everything, so it was quite a big activity. The activity was also where we came up with a specific model just for this. Lee Magpili, one of our designers, just started with LEGO Education back then, and he got onboard and actually designed this model. We got a fan— Martyn Boogarts from Holland—to create all the building instructions for us on that. Creating building instructions and creating models through LEGO for sale is one thing, but doing it for different activities like this is just not possible within year. Since this was not a model for sale, we had Lee design it and had Learn how a gyroscope will respondhalf in amicrogravity. Martyn do the building instructions. He also worked together with Lee with designing the final model.
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So what was the model of? It was an NXT model and it could be built from a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT retail set as well as a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Educational set together with the resource set we had. It was called Gyrobot. There’s a 15-minute video on YouTube with the astronaut doing the activity testing the model. It’s very, very cool. I think what was really lovely about that final project with the NXT model was that we actually did involve some of the community to help us, like Martyn. Back then, we just got our team started onboard, so that was really cool. What was the WeDo project that was taken to space? We had two models. One was the spinning top—that was really, really cool, and the other one was the airplane— what you call the flying rescue. The spinning top, that just turned around and around, just hardly ever stopped.
The Gyrobot, which was built in space and in classrooms.
It was in 2012, where we did most of the events. There was a lot of work to do with NASA in sending the LEGO bricks in space. There are so many guidelines you need to follow and so many restrictions. There needed to be a lot of things tested by the staff they had on the ground to make sure the astronauts are helped all the way through. The process of what activity to ask them to do was extensive: they wanted a full resource book, a script, they wanted everything down the last bit. Everything they wanted written down and it was not easy to prepare that. What we actually did experience… One time, there was one astronaut,
Don Petit, he’s a very interesting man, he’s very much into scientific things and testing things in space. He actually wrote me an e-mail from the Space Station. He wrote me an e-mail to ask if he could actually play with the LEGO on his own time and spare time and do some new cool stuff with it. It was very cool and we of course agreed to that. There are some different videos where he’s doing some really neat stuff. Some of our people are still talking to him about how he can do different things with some of the different elements that he has and had in space. He’s really cool and he was very thankful. There was one video where he takes the whole book and manual we One of the LEGO Space models sent to be built in space. Parts were glued for safety reasons. put together and says, “My idea of LEGO is that you need to think and be creative and you need to throw the manual away,” and that is what he did! You just see the manual floating away out in the air and see him start building on his own. He was very much into using LEGO in space and there are one or two videos on YouTube as well. He has one called Science of the Sphere (Episode 10: 1.21 LEGOwatts) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDHI-01gSmE He’s very great, very creative thinking with all the things he does. He also thinks very different compared to the other astronauts, because he’s thinking out of the box constantly instead of trying to follow this manual step-by-step. With the LEGO brick, that is essentially what we want. We want them to be thinking more out of the box and creative. That was very, very great for us to experience. There are LEGO elements in orbit right now… Yes there are. But there’s one thing: We don’t know how much. We agreed when the activities were done they could do with the things whatever they want. They kept some of it onboard because it is a fact that the astronauts do like to have things to play around with. There was a Danish astronaut that was on the Space Station just last year and he also brought some LEGO with him. So there is LEGO up there.
The completed vignette.
From what I have read, the LEGO is basically kept in a container and they build inside the container. I guess it’s like a hood or something that they can put their hands in to keep the parts from floating around. We had a lot of discussion back and forth, we may have spent a whole day in Houston to find a solution on how the astronauts could build these models without having bricks all over the Space Station. They were afraid the astronauts would swallow the parts or they would go into the ventilation system. There were so many things so we agreed, because we didn’t just want to send final glued models, we wanted them to build something on the videos. We agreed to have them build it in a little container, that plastic container that you put your hands in the gloves. We agreed to that but that’s another thing where Don Petit, he just ignored it. He had double-sided tape and put that on the work table and then put the little LEGO elements on the tape so they stuck to that double-sided tape, so he could pick one element at a time and it wouldn’t fly anywhere. That’s pretty cool! That was a very simple solution and very cool. He’s something else. We did suggest using different LEGO plates and sticking the LEGO elements to the plates and they could pick it from there, but they didn’t approve that so they wanted it inside the container. It was fair—they had to consider the astronaut’s health and safety and they didn’t want to cause any problems anywhere. Another thing where we really had a discussion was when we got into the robotics part with both WeDo and LEGO MINDSTORMS Education.
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Flight Engineer Satoshi Furukawa building a complete LEGO model in a protective hood.
Building wasn’t very easy.
They actually wanted us to change the colors on the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education software because we could not show green, yellow and red onscreen because those are specific warning colors on the Space Station, so they would not allow the astronaut to see these colors anywhere else! That was where we said, “No way. If that is not the case, then we won’t do this. We cannot change software and software colors.” It should be clear what the astronauts are working on. So we got our way on that one. That was a very hectic discussion. It’s not an easy ball game to work with NASA because of the many security and safety restrictions they have. You guys had an ISS Space Station model that you sent up for the astronauts to build. I asked about that when it was first shown. What was funny was that model won’t work on Earth because of gravity. Nope. That would probably then be the rarest LEGO set out there. Definitely.
Furukawa with the completed ISS model.
I’m getting more and more fascinated by how you worked with the astronauts because of all of the approvals and how Petit decided to skirt the rules. What were some of the other strange things you had to deal with? Some of what I already mentioned, so there’s a whole discussion of how to build in space, and they wanted the models glued. I think what was weird was that the staff on the ground in Houston that we worked with for several day-long meetings are the ones that prepare everything for the astronauts. But it turned out that when the astronauts actually got to the Space Station and started working with different models, they never wanted all these instructions and very detailed manuals or anything. They just wanted to do whatever, like Don Petit and another astronaut we worked with, a female astronaut named Suni Williams. What we did was since she was first one to start working with sets, we actually did send her all the sets before time and before she went up there, she had the opportunity to sit down and build and test all of these models and activities with her son, who was eight at the time. She got to have some mom time with her son and it was good. That’s what we tried to do—whenever at all possible, we tracked the astronauts assigned to it and sent the sets to them to work with it. It was always difficult because of, you know how the last shuttles, they got delayed, so that also meant that suddenly when our sets got up there, their appointed astronauts had gone home at that time. We had astronauts from Japan, from the Netherlands, and Russia also working with our sets, as well as American astronauts.
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I think it was great that it could be such a doable project, really. We did try to also get permission to send up a pneumatics set—we wanted to test that, but that could not be allowed because of the metal in the pneumatics pump. That was very quickly cancelled. It was very much about safety. We did send them a whole lot of boxes of LEGO elements to test. We also built models for them but they needed to test… some models had a little bit of glue for some parts together and they would test the glue as well. So this started in 2010 and it wasn’t until the end of 2011 that we got our sets to the Space Station, due to all the testing. NASA is
quite a big organization when it comes to all that. Do you get any feedback from astronauts besides Pettit? No, Pettit was actually who returned several times, and a few months ago sent another request that he wanted to use some of our sets in some different connections to do with education in the classroom. We haven’t seen him and we are talking to them right now about that. He also wanted to write a book about scientific methods and comparing microgravity to what happens in the classroom. We haven’t finalized anything with him yet and we are of course excited to see what that could bring.
Another LEGO Space set sent to the ISS.
It’s very interesting because he’s thinking out of the box like he does. He’s very creative in problem solving. He covers all the values we have with LEGO and LEGO Education with what education should be like—testing, testing and testing even more and coming up with new solutions. We also have worked closely with Leland Melvin, who is a former astronaut and is the head of NASA Education. He has been to Denmark and to different conferences around the US as well, where he has been part of our symposiums and different events talking about the importance of education. We’ve done a lot in connecting LEGO Education with NASA Education. We did hear back from Suni Williams when she got back home, but it’s nothing official at all. We had a lot of good feedback, so what we did—the activities were done by astronauts on ISS. They were filming it and then we had the video on the website legospace.com, and then the teachers could download these videos and download the teacher guide. We had some student worksheets as well, and they could do the same activities with the students in the classroom—talk about space and microgravity, and start talking about “imagine what would happen in microgravity with this model,” and then they would watch the video and they would actually see what would happen. So we got all of these activities on video for the students to see in the classroom and compare their work. That was pretty cool. That’s excellent. A fun thing regarding the astronauts: We actually also did some minor activities with them where we had them build an exercise bike and toilet and different things, and we had videos where they were showing us around the Space Station and showing us what the toilet in the Space Station looked like, and where they exercised. They actually exercise two hours a day, so they were showing us how they have the exercise bike and how they need to tie themselves down to be able to sit on it. They showed us how they sleep and their sleeping bag, and then they built these little minimodels of the different things on the Space Station. We have provided some LEGO bricks to build that as well. It’s very much to ignite the minds of these children to understand how simple it is when it comes to science and engineering, and actually how interesting it is up there, and its reality and its not just something on TV. That was the main prompt to kick it off—to have the children understand how this is reality, and if you work hard at school and excel in engineering and science, it’s actually very interesting, and try to get their minds on how much it means, and little things as well as bigger things. The thing is, the hard part is sometimes to get the children into it because they look from the outside and think “Ah no, it’s too hard” and “No, I’m gonna fail,” instead of getting the children to jump in and make it interesting to them. To me, that’s the hard part, and that is some of the things that we work with: How can we make this interesting? How can we get them to jump onboard? Because a lot of children are afraid of failing, and we need to fail to become successful really, so that is what we preach.
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What are your future plans with LEGO Education and space? One thing with EV3, we have the Space Challenge set, where we worked with NASA on that, with some of the NASA engineers on some of the projects. That is the next direction to go; sometimes what we see is that NASA can make and can sometimes overcomplicate things. That was, to me, what we saw as the hardest problem: to make sure that things were not overcomplicated.
SpaceActivities Age 8+ Teacher’s Notes
In collaboration with NASA
When we want to write different curriculums for the teachers to use in the classroom, we need to make sure that it’s simple and not complicated to get started, and that is sometimes the hardest part with NASA. That’s also why they are working with us, because they realized it was little bit too complicated and advanced and maybe not colorful enough for what they delivered. But it’s hard—as you know, working with NASA has also turned out to very US-oriented. A lot of the major programs have markets—like Russia has their own agency and Europe has the European Space Agency. Japan has their own and so does China. So working with NASA has been very US-based and that is the hard part. We had turned out not to be global. LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the/sont des marques de commerce de/son marcas registradas de LEGO Group. ©2012 The LEGO Group. 190912
MINDSTORMS® GyroBot
In collaboration with NASA
Age 10+ Teacher’s Guide
Well actually, I started seeing stuff from the European Space Agency. They started showing models from their Rosetta program. I take it that you want to expand out internationally. We have some from our European people. I have been working with the European Space Agency and there have been different events going on where we have worked closely with the Danish astronauts in the Scandinavian markets, and they have also been doing some other events around. So it’s whatever shows up. It’s not developing a new set or anything; it’s what comes up, and we may do events together when we can benefit each other in some different areas. There is not a big development thing going on now with the space agencies. Our people in Russia with Roscosmos have done some things. One thing they did where we participated was that we had some LEGO sets from space on the Space Station from NASA…we had a big building event going on in Russia where they actually had the Russian astronaut stream live to talk to the children and answer questions and everything. It’s very cool when you have these possibilities, but it’s very much from one country to another, where they are and what they can do. For you, what was the most fun project you’ve done?
LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the/sont des marques de commerce de/son marcas registradas de LEGO Group. ©2012 The LEGO Group. 190912
SpaceActivities Age 8+ Teacher’s Notes
In collaboration with NASA
I think Phase 2, where we did the robotics part with WeDo and LEGO MINDSTORMS Education. I think it was the most challenging because there were so many things when you send hardware to the Space Station. There were so many things they needed to check and everything and check with the software colors and all this... that was the most challenging part, but the best part. You have no idea how we felt when we saw the video of that MINDSTORMS model in space. For Lee and I who designed the model with Martyn, it was really good. It was hard work and we actually managed to get it out and it was awesome. We wrote special activities and everything for this model, so I would say the robotics part of this with WeDo and MINDSTORMS is of course what I remember most. One day I was working at home and then received an e-mail that said “Greetings from the Space Station”—that is probably what I will remember most! I still keep that e-mail in my mailbox. No one should ever delete that, but it does also say never go public with this. I’m not going to forward this to anyone, but I’m going tell you, I don’t know if you can imagine getting an e-mail that says, “Greetings from space!” That’s really hard to top, that’s all that I can say. And that is because we were told constantly from all these people in Houston where we worked, we were told all the time you can never be in contact directly with any of the astronauts. You’re not allowed to, cannot talk directly to them, blah blah blah… but Don Pettit, he didn’t care. He talked directly to us, so there you go.
LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the/sont des marques de commerce de/son marcas registradas de LEGO Group. ©2011 The LEGO Group. 040906
Teacher’s Guides for the LEGO Education Space activities.
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LEGO Education
The heads of WeDo 2.0 development (from left to right): Yannick Dupont—Senior Content Specialist, Hanne Hylleberg Ravn—Senior Marketing Manager, and Louise Aagard, Concept and Design Lead for WeDo 2.0.
Redoing the WeDo! Interview by Joe Meno Photography provided by LEGO Education 2016 was the year WeDo 2.0 was released by LEGO Education. A generational change from the first WeDo set, WeDo 2.0 was almost completely redesigned. BrickJournal interviewed Hanne Hylleberg Ravn, Senior Marketing Manager and Portfolio Lead on WeDo and Elementary Science; and Yannick Dupont, Senior Educational Specialist on WeDo (responsible for the content in the app) to talk about the redesigned set and software!
BrickJournal: First, let me say I played with the new WeDo 2.0 set and I can tell you that I am very happy with it. Hanne: That’s good! It’s a big improvement on the older version, which was an okay set, except for the fact that I was at a school that didn’t have computers that could run the software. What drove you to go from a USB-tethered system to a Bluetooth system? Hanne: That’s a good question. I think in general and also to set the scene, I don’t know how familiar you are with LEGO Education and how it’s linked to LEGO. WeDo 2.0 is part of LEGO Education, which is a part of the LEGO Group. We are making these solutions for classrooms for teaching within different areas. So, of course, our driver for this one was to develop a solution for elementary science. So to do that, we looked across the whole spectrum of how we make the best user experience for that. One of the parts of that experience is the hardware, but you can see there’s not only the hardware, but the software and also the content, which you could say we put equal weight to. So I think from specifically addressing your questions about the hardware, there were different reasons to go in one direction. One of them was the trend of having tablets and iPads—these things that are get61 ting into more and more schools, especially in an elementary perspective
where there might not be computer labs, etc. but more of a sharing thing, so maybe students bring their own devices. The tablet was certainly one of the big trends that has moved into schools. Being available on those platforms kind of drove us in the direction of something not tethered, but also something that at the same time could give that good experience of using it in connection to a science classroom or science project. The components of the WeDo 2.0 (from left to right): The SmartHub and battery box, the motor, a motion and proximity sensor, and a tilt sensor. When in use, the SmartHub has a light above the green button to indicate it has been linked to a tablet or computer.
I’m also very impressed with the new package, but with it there are some questions I have concerning some design changes. For the basic WeDo 2.0 I know that the battery pack and the basic interface have been redesigned and I understand why you did that. But why is the motor factor so different? Hanne: So, you mean the look and the design of the motor? Yes. It’s actually better than the Power Functions motor. Hanne: I can start by talking about the design of it, so I think the biggest change in that one is how there’s now studs on top… so it’s easier to build with. That was actually a product innovation driven from the age group focus, to be able to easily build it into different models. The stackable thing is something that when you are seven years old is easier to cope with. So that was one of the main drivers for the change in that one. Yannick: Yes. You could say that WeDo 2.0 uses system-based building with very, very few Technic elements in it. That’s mainly because a seven-year-old or eightyear-old or ten-year-old has much more potential in that way of building. Having studs on top of the motor was something that we were looking for. Another thing you have introduced that is different is the plug for the wires. It’s actually a slightly better solution than the MINDSTORMS clip. Is that going to be something that is going to be exclusively WeDo? Hanne: No, that’s the new LEGO Power Functions plug which has been optimized to be able to be a better way of meeting future needs. I’m not saying that we will be changing the MINDSTORMS tomorrow, but the group is looking in general to improve this plug, so going forward we will transition into something that has its benefits. Great. That’s good to hear. Hanne: Whether that is this year or in ten years, we don’t know. There will be a transition period to it. How long was WeDo 2.0 in development?
One of the many models that can be built with the WeDo. This one is a puller.
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Hanne: To be honest I don’t even know exactly. It’s a bit difficult to say on a year or month basis... it slowly starts up and then it is more of an elaboration on different directions, so be honest, I’m not sure, but several years. I’ve been playing around with the WeDo 2.0. I really enjoy playing with the interactive factor with it, because with a tablet, like you said, and the system, it’s a simple matter of building and doing. That’s something that started to happen with LEGO MINDSTORMS and you guys pushed it a little harder. How do you and LEGO MINDSTORMS interact, for lack of a better term? Is there any interaction between you and the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education team on materials or innovations?
Hanne: I can start by saying that LEGO MINDSTORMS Education is also used as part of LEGO Education in the middle school area, so of course from a whole continuum of exploration we want to make sure that we develop something that makes sense to follow through. I think that goes both with the hardware and the software, but also definitely with the content and user experience you have. Yannick: Yeah, I was going to comment a little bit in the same way where we deal with schools, but we deal with different students because of the age group and because of their development stage. We also deal with different teachers, with different backgrounds and also different goals, so while we aim for education, we aim for using the LEGO bricks in an educational context. We also make decisions on different parameters. The LEGO MINDSTORMS Education team is sitting in the same room as we are, so we obviously talk to them a lot just to make sure we don’t introduce something that is not in line with their ideas. Unlike the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education system, you have one motor and one sensor basically—what have you guys done with that internally that is really noteworthy? Which model was the most interesting in your opinion? Hanne: I think we each have our own favorites. Yannick: Can I pick a couple? Sure, this is an open question! Yannick: MILO, which is the face of the box or the build that we hope that everybody enjoys to do when starting with WeDo 2.0 is this science explorer/science rover that should be curious and explore where no one can go. I think it has this very cute factor, very emotional factor. It’s a build that can be done in around 10 to 20 minutes so it’s actually a fast and very fun build and it covers a lot of the apportions that are embedded in the software, so I think this one we spent a lot of time discussing, arguing, and enjoying doing this one. There’s probably also from the curriculum perspective, I had a lot of fun explaining the pull robot, so this is the project called pulling which is bringing some of the concepts about forces and friction. I had a lot of fun doing it in workshops and seeing kids also dealing with this guy, so I think curriculum-wise it’s a very, very cool one.
MILO, the mascot of the WeDo 2.0.
Hanne: There were two I could put a couple of words to: The earthquake one because it’s such a good topic and going all the way back to the foundation of why we at all started with this concept. It’s really to develop the problem solvers of tomorrow and gaining that motivation and engagement in the elementary science classrooms. One way to do that is by bringing some projects and topics to them that they can really relate to and can motivate them. It can sound a bit hard, but topics like earthquakes coming into an elementary classroom is really when they feel, “Okay, we can make a difference—let’s try to find a solution to this” and they feel its real-life relevant, so even though you could say they are just playing with LEGO, they are actually feeling that they are investigating solutions to real-world problems. And that’s something that brings a lot of motivation to a classroom. It’s also a really simple build and a really simple program, but when it simulates how the Richter scale is changing and the houses are falling—I think that’s really a good model. Hanne: I know our model designer Pelle really likes the flower. I know he spent really a long time because we wanted that model and we wanted to work with the curriculum. So it took him quite a long time, but I think it’s very much the function, the mechanism that he made that was made around that one. I think you can see how wide it is because it can be used for a flower, but it can also be used for a crane.
A bee and flower. The bee ‘flies’ in a circle until it’s over the flower.
Earthquake simulator. The motor moves the ground plate back and forth, knocking the buildings on the plate over.
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A Glance at the WeDo 2.0 App The application that is included with the WeDo 2.0 is a fully-featured programming environment and learning program.
The documentation guide for this on the iPad is much more extensive than what I saw in the previous version. I find it appealing on two levels: One is I just love the index because I just love exploring the builds, as it were, but I also love the challenges that you guys have posted on there. Like you said, it makes the kids think of other solutions and try to implement them. Who designed all those? Hanne: All the models? Yes. Hanne: They were done by Pelle. We have a lot of model designers that work together in getting inspiration, but mainly from him. There’s just a different variety of models that were done and were impressive. Not only with the earthquake model, I think it was the Mars Rover model; that one I ended up building too because I just loved its look and function.
The software environment opens to either guided challenges...
...or open challenges.
The LEGO Educational system starts out with WeDo 2.0 and progresses to LEGO MINDSTORMS Education. You use the same type of program, it’s just that one is much more basic than the other. The key to it was how it interacted with another item: computer, table, whatever… up until now with both systems you had to have the computer. Now both them can be run pretty much from the tablet. Was this planned or was this one big happy accident? Yannick: We always look for the best experience in the classroom scenario and for that experience to happen—if you have a background in teaching or in school a lot, there’s a lot of kids and there’s a lot happening, so it has to be simple, it has to be efficient, has to be reliable. We would never promote something that has issues of any kind. We want to help the teacher implement these science projects as easy as possible. The choice of Bluetooth Low Energy once it was developed was something we felt was strong enough to build on. I don’t know if it’s the egg or the chicken; I don’t know which one came first. Our choice wasn’t necessarily the technology; our choice was as always, helping the teacher, helping the students to have the best experience possible in the classroom. What were some of the possibilities that you guys basically chose not go with?
There’s also a build library to help students and teachers build different models.
Programming
Programming is simply dragging and dropping program blocks to form a sequence line.
Starting a program is just as easy—you just click the green arrow. The sequence line can be as long as you desire, as the program runs on the tablet or computer, and then sends commands to the SmartHub by Bluetooth.
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Yannick: I think again the big question was, are we removing the wire or are we keeping it? We explained before that schools have moved to something else as technology progresses. There’s also again the simplicity of the tablet that makes it very easy to handle for students, for kids of that age group. Teachers are also very comfortable with that type of technology; there was no USB port on an iPad, so we found our way through the teacher to the classroom. What’s the feedback that you have gotten about the WeDo 2.0 so far? Hanne: It’s really been very positive, so it’s been really good. You learned yourself that we are launching with the Bluetooth Low Energy Connection. When you launch a new product and you are following the new technology which was picked because that gave absolutely the best experience, it also comes with its own constraints because when you use Bluetooth Low Energy, you need devices that have Bluetooth Low Energy. When we are in a school market, that can also be a challenge for schools because they might not have the newest technology. So there’s pros and cons on that one; however, we weighed the best possible user experience, what was highest on that one, and chose to use that technology. It gives the best live interaction, it gives the best battery consumption, and so on. So it’s been very positive in general. Are there any items you wished for, or do you plan to do any additions to the WeDo 2.0, like supplemental sets? Hanne: I think we are all really happy with what we can do now with the goal we had, which was to create a solution where we can enable teachers to make this impactful science teaching that is digitally enhanced, without them having to be specialists. Because it’s not necessarily either programming software or science specialist teachers we have in elementary science. So for that purpose we feel really happy with both the opportunities and limitations that we have right now. To your question about any plans, right now our main focus is on finding out if this also works the way we anticipated. So whereas prior to January we were focusing all our energy on developing this, all our energy is now on, you could say, monitoring—is it working as anticipated, and if not, then find out reactions to it.
Have you had any issues come up? Hanne: Well, a few more technical related to different operating systems, so when we launched, we launched on both iOS and Android on PC (Windows 7, 8) and Mac, which was a lot of operating systems at the same time. Especially in a world where, for example, Android is an operating system that is so diverse you would find a million different devices running Android… so the whole Q&A of making sure it works on all devices was a challenge. Unfortunately we see a lot of Android devices which are more low-end devices where their low energy connection is not as strong. Since we do rely on a good connection, we have had some issues there we have had to look into. It’s more in the technical perspective. I would think that you have built a pretty solid system. I haven’t had any problems except for one thing, and I would categorize it as a whiny problem, in that when you have multiple WeDo 2.0 SmartHubs running, they all have the same name on the Bluetooth system. I’ve been in a place where there have been three or four running and when a person starts one up, it has the same name as all the other ones. Is there any way to rename a WeDo 2.0 SmartHub? Yannick: Yeah. In that place where you see the name, which we call the connection center, you have to long press, so if you’re on a tablet, with a long press you can rename it so they can have all different names. Good. That’s something that I haven’t explored yet apparently. So have both of you done classes? Or have you watched classes? Hanne: From a teaching perspective, you mean? Yannick has a teaching background. I’ve been to so many classrooms I feel I almost have but no, I have no teaching background. But of course due to this, I have been working with the elementary science area for six, seven, eight years, and of course spent a lot of time in classrooms both in general, and also in testing this concept. So how did the testing go? When you first started testing, what were the things you noticed you had to revise? Or did you start with a really good test and did a bunch of tweaking here and there as testing continued? Yannick: It was perfect the first time! (laughs) We tested on multiple aspects. We tested for the teacher, so we test if the teacher understood what we are trying to do, if we are helping the teacher, if it’s clear, if the material we have been providing is of the right level. Then we tested also on the students because they are the second piece of the puzzle or equation, so does the student understand what the teacher wants him or her to do? Where are the places that they can be creative, where they can take their learning skills further? Again, we’re not about telling every kid exactly what to do. We like when kids take the problem or take a scenario and then explore it a little on their own path, so we want to check to see if that happens. A couple of adjustments were made along the way. Having someone with a teaching background in the team (which in this case is myself) but also in other projects like LEGO MINDSTORMS Education is always good. To have the expertise within the teams makes it really a team effort. Some great inventions have been made because some people of different backgrounds have come to another one, like engineers going to medicine or vice versa. In this case, it happened also where we found some places where we needed a fix and the solution came from a team effort. So that was really, really nice to see. There has been a lot of evolution of the curriculum of the concept itself of what exactly we are doing with the brick. If you have the time to scan the teacher’s guide from the app, you might have found things on investigations, designing and modeling, which really brings these skills upfront.
Playing with MILO.
Astronauts in different suits at the mobile radar station.
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We’re using the bricks to design solutions to represent phenomenon and to investigate facts or physics or elements. Now that we have launched, it seems that it’s very obvious or very natural to explain that, but it took a long time to get focused on these. It’s harder and it has definitely taken some time to reach that level. Any interesting things that happened during the development of the WeDo?
The WeDo 2.0 set was released at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where it quickly garnered awards.
Hanne: You mentioned yourself the Design Library where we have all these different builds. That was something that came into place because our focus was to support teachers. Our learning philosophy with LEGO Education is very much towards this open-endedness and enabling the kids to find their own solutions, so we don’t want to put everything in their hands with the solution. But on the other hand, that’s what also creates safety for an elementary teacher that needs to do a 45-minute science lesson. So I think that was one of the first places where we were a little bit torn because we spent a lot of time in classrooms finding out what was needed. We kind of concluded that there was a need of guidance and a need of support. At the same time we had to dig into our learning philosophy and how we want kids to learn, and how we want to give them what we call ‘hard fun’; it should be fun but they also may have to fail—failure is a chance to learn, so they should really try that out. We were a little bit torn in what do we do—do we do guided projects or do we do open projects? That is very much why you will find both types here with an equal split, and also why we then supported the open projects with this design library. We give the open-endedness but we also give a sneak peek or ways to get to a library where they can get more support if they need it. But you can take it one piece at a time. Yannick: If I can add a little—it’s not post-launch, but it’s not pre-launch. If you look at the Predator and Prey project, we experienced that one in many scenarios in events before in classrooms with adults with kids. This project shows a lot of the potential to bring curriculum relevance about the science that is happening between two animals, but also a lot of creativity and a lot of collaboration when you build an animal. It may be a true animal but may be also a totally fake animal that comes from your imagination, but still having this story to tell. Explaining why such behaviors are like that in real life in this project really brings a lot of energy in a classroom, and a lot of motivation, so that’s very, very pleasant and very fun and very nice to see. The rest of the WeDo team (front row, left to right): Wenting Liu, Content Specialist for China Hanne Hylleberg Ravn, Senior Marketing manager Yannick Dupont, Senior Content Specialist Jonas Børjenson, Project manager Steen Skriver Kloster, Marketing manager Louise Aagard, Concept and Design Lead Pelle Normann Petersen (Back row), Senior Design Manager Karen Frost Sørensen, Project Manager Thomas Rose, Master Trainer Manager Mai Rosthof, Associate Marketing Manager.
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LEGO Education
A Talk with Colin Gillespie:
Leading LEGO Education Forward! Interview by Joe Meno Photo Provided by LEGO Education
Colin Gillespie, President of LEGO Education North America.
Colin Gillespie has been very fortunate to have worked for LEGO for 16 years. Beginning in 2000, his first job was Brand Manager for the US on Bionicle, where he launched a very successful platform for building and role-play using Technic elements. After that, he worked on a number of other brands, including Technic as well as lesser known products like Roboriders. He moved in 2002 to the UK and was one of the brand directors over Europe North, which included Nordic countries, Benelux, UK and Ireland, and in time became the UK Marketing Director over the LEGO portfolio. In 2005 he returned to the US and ran a group called Customer Marketing where the idea was to do whatever he could for good customers like Toys R Us, Wal-mart, Target and the like to have great retail programs. After that he became the senior director over TRU and also Amazon, and led some of the global relationships in those accounts. From there, he moved over to Direct to Consumer and managed the global marketing for the LEGO brand retail stores and LEGO Shop at Home websites, which were in 23 countries at the time. His next role was a move to Germany to become General Manager for Direct to Consumer Europe.
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After that he wrote a consumer market strategy for Brazil, and then most recently in 2013 he got the job to head up LEGO Education North America, which is where he is right now. As a result Colin has been really fortunate to have worked in sales, marketing, strategy, and general management all the 16 years that he has been at the LEGO Group. BrickJournal was able to chat with him briefly by phone about LEGO Education.
BrickJournal: Can you tell us about LEGO Education and how long it has been around? Colin Gillespie: Over 35 years ago, we noticed that teachers were using LEGO bricks in the classroom to inspire and engage their students. And then we were creating curriculum so they could improve their student’s ability to compete, improve their student’s performance against standards and more. Because we listened to that community, we decided to create a division 35 years ago, just after 1980, called LEGO Education. We created the division because we felt like we could be the multiplier effect on this idea if we had it as a formal part of what LEGO was about. We operate in just over 40 countries as LEGO Education and as you know now, we offer learning solutions for teachers and students in the humanities, was well as in 21st Century skills and a core division around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). That’s how it started out and we now operate as a sales and marketing organization around the world, or to dealers around the world, depending on the country. It’s got a good legacy over 35 years. How have you seen the growth of LEGO Education in the years that you have been running it? We have had double-digit growth for many years, and that’s one of the reasons why we have consolidated the business and brought it to Boston. We want to make sure we can continue to make that growth. We have had good growth in 2015. It was a flatter year with a lot of change in the business: our moving to Boston, as well as an education industry where the new educational acts called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) took some time to be approved. It was meant to be approved in late September, but it waited until December. There was a softer education industry last year in the US, but generally overall across the world we grew in 2015 just as we did in 2014, and we expect great growth in 2016. What’s the largest driver? LEGO MINDSTORMS Education is a major driver of our business, and has been so since it was introduced in the late 1990s. It is one of our most important ways to create an engaging experience. What’s so cool about MINDSTORMS is that it not only allows you to build with physical bricks, it allows you to build using coding, so it’s digital creation and it lines up really, really well with what’s required now in terms of inquiry-based learning, in terms of robotics, in terms of coding, and other STEM requirements and next generation science standards. It is a major part of our business and it’s extremely important not only to us, but for our teachers who like to use LEGO Education to enable their students to succeed. I bought some MINDSTORMS NXTs and that’s how I got into LEGO Education. It was initially robotics. I then got into FIRST® LEGO League and that was the beginning for me. That’s fantastic. Did you hear about the statistic that 10% of the incoming class at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) participated in FIRST® LEGO League? The MIT folks at FIRST Championships told us that. And it’s not just FIRST, but FIRST® LEGO League. And you know that FIRST® LEGO League has 29,000 teams around the world in 80 countries, and it’s just great to know that a lot of those guys and women are going to MIT.
A FIRST® LEGO League team at the 2016 World Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.
That’s great. FIRST® LEGO League I would assume is the main driver behind the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education? Ah, no, no—I would say that FIRST is a great driver of LEGO MINDSTORMS Education and a really important strategic partnership from the late ‘90s with Dean Kamen. However, the main drivers for LEGO MINDSTORMS Education in volume and success are the middle school teachers using it within the classroom or for other enrichment programs. FIRST is a good part of it, but the main driver is the demand by these teachers to want to create an engaging STEM experience. We see a lot of fantastic stories take place in all these middle schools when they realize its a way to engage their students, increase participation in class, decrease absenteeism, and improve outcomes for their students. I did not know that.
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Absolutely. It’s used in and out of the classroom based on the science curriculum and engineering principles. We find that those middle school teachers—we’re in about 30% of middle schools across the country and around 12% of the elementary schools—offer a lot of room to still be utilized in the classrooms around the country. We have some penetration, but we think there’s an opportunity, and the teachers agree. Even as we are lining up with the new Every Student Succeeds Act—it’s coming up in 2016-17—the idea of student engagement is a very important and monitored element. Teacher engagement will be monitored as well as STEM-related products. For all those reasons, we think LEGO MINDSTORMS Education has a lot of opportunity in 2016 and beyond. How has your previous experience helped? It’s been great and what’s really been nice is that I’ve been able to touch a lot of portions of the value chain, which is what we are good at. What I believe in the LEGO Group is taking the consumer experience from what makes a recommended experience with the consumer all the way up to what we need to do internally and operationally and innovatively to make something great happen. I am fortunate to say that I have been in a lot of that customer journey. I’m just surprised that you started in Bionicle! Some of the Bionicle launch apparently rubbed off on what you do now, especially because it’s story-based, like Bionicle—LEGO Education has a set used for creating stories called StoryStarter.
The LEGO Education station at FIRST® Championships. Teams and visitors could program and play with the WeDo 2.0.
Yeah, I would say that the most important thing that I got from the Bionicle experience is an unrelenting respect to the end user. When we launched Bionicle, it was all about meeting that young LEGO builder where they were, and that time it meant the skateboard park. At the time it meant a website contest. At the time it was an authentic partnership with DC Comics. So what I really learned back then was that if you put the end user, the consumer, the young builder first, then you’ll probably do pretty well. When we look too in and not look out at our customers and consumers is when we need to work harder. That’s what I learned with my Bionicle experience by being out there with these kids. This was before there was anywhere near as much if any social media, so there was still socialization at the time in a big way at the skateboard parks and other youth events. We were learning and meeting the consumer where they were and then giving them an authentic brand experience. That’s what I learned. But to that question about stories, one of my favorite questions a reporter will ask is: Aren’t you giving them the story already? Shouldn’t it be more open-ended? I always say: If someone is learning to write, one way to do that is have them read Harry Potter first, because you get inspiration from the stories that we utilize. Now it just so happens in LEGO Education the stories are going to be contributed through the curriculum or what is being studied in the classroom, and then it becomes alive through the LEGO bricks, like in StoryStarter. Or you can create a story and attach it to the bricks. I started building around the time that Bionicle was launched and I have the first series. What was neat for me was that yes, you gave it a story for all the characters and all, and my answer to the story being provided is that I didn’t pay attention too much to the stories themselves—the comics and so forth. I actually paid attention more to the characters. What did you like about the characters? Just the elements! I liked Kopaka. I just loved how that character was presented. For me the stories came from playing with the characters, so the stories are great in starting things off, but for me it was actually having the characters that was most important, because then you can figure out what to do with them. That’s a good reason why, over time we’ve included minifigures in some of the different sets for LEGO Education, like StoryStarter. It allows children to identify with the minifigure and then create an environment and a story they can then later write about.
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I’ve seen that in action and its pretty interesting to see. What’s funny about LEGO is that the kids always want the minifigures to begin with, so you have to play with that first. Once they get beyond that, they can get to telling the stories. It’s been interesting watching how kids play with StoryStarter. The idea of the relevance of building and the relevance of creating a story as a graphic novel on the iPad has connected really well with children, especially in second to fourth grade, who as adverse learners, may not have been as engaged with writing or reading if they didn’t have the tactile and the visual element and also the collaboration element where they are involved in a storyteller experience with one or two other individuals. What they are doing is that they are basically touching, they’re hearing, they’re seeing, and then they are debating and collaborating on the final end product. That makes it a much richer learning experience that they will be able to hold on to and build off of. I agree. I have seen that happen and it’s impressive. How was StoryStarter developed?
Building with StoryStarter and...
I love and enjoy the US market. One of the things we realized is that we had an opportunity beyond science, technology engineering and math to add value to the classroom. We observed teachers using our bricks in courses other than the traditional STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). We noted that if people could build stories using LEGO bricks in a play materials fashion, in the traditional LEGO experience you receive on a holiday or a birthday, then how can we translate that into the classrooms? We asked and worked with over 535 individual teachers in order to develop the solution, as well as make sure that it aligned with the Common Core State Standards, and in addition it aligned with a reasonable and a relevant curriculum for each of the 50 states. As it relates to a US experience, that’s where it came from, and we also talked to teachers around the world to make sure it was a really robust solution. What are your thoughts on WeDo 2.0?
...writing with StoryStarter.
WeDo 2.0 is driving a big part of our success right now. It is even, one could say, exceeding expectations. What’s driving a lot of that is that now it is a wireless untethered experience. You saw it at the World Championships; it’s giving children much more opportunity to experiment in new ways without being wired. We found that it’s also the general improvements to the coding environment, and there’s a whole new generation of WeDo users now, so it’s being very well received by teachers and students. In fact, we just announced that it will be an integral part of FLL Jr. in the future. I think that is going to expand how the younger elementary age competition encourages even more creative learning, playful learning, collaboration, while you’re doing coding as well as building the actual WeDo 2.0 robot. Really successful, really fun. We’re very humbled by how well this has been accepted by the teacher community. I was thrilled to hear about it! What do you like more about it? Well, what drove me bananas about the old version was not necessarily the tether—I didn’t mind the tether, but it had to have a laptop with it, and I am at a school where the laptops were awful. Once you took care of that, which is what you did with this, you did it with a much better solution than I would have ever thought of. I became very excited about what was going on. Once I saw them running around and operating, I just thought, “Yeah, I wanna play with it.” The tablet experience became important to you. Yes. We’re introducing Chromebooks for LEGO MINDSTORMS Education and WeDo 2.0. We think that with the penetration of Chromebooks—chromebooks are in well over 60% of schools in the US. With that penetration, we want to make sure we’re really relevant, and we think this will be a nice compatibility addition as well. The full set.
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Community
Pavel Mikush is a 15-year-old student in Kiev in Ukrainian school. He has many hobbies, such as computer programming, robotics, guitar, soccer, studying English and German, traveling, and visiting technical and automobile museums. His curiosity about science and technology grew into a serious interest when he began LEGO building as a child. This led to competing in science competitions, where he won second place in the 2015 Intel International Competition by presenting a team project with his friends. As a result, Pavel is looking at his life from a different perspective, thinking about how he could expand his knowledge and skills to become a scientist and implement his ideas. One idea took root after seeing blind people in the street and realizing how challenging it is for them to vary their daily routes.
Pavel’s robot being prepared for use.
Pavel Mikush‘s
Universal Assistant Robot for People with Visual Disabilites Article and Photography by Pavel Mikush
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Side view of the robot. The side motors are for actuators that let the robot climb stairs and curbs.
Pavel began researching the problems that visually impaired people have traveling from place to place. He noted that they move in their homes, cross their street and travel using a guide dog or other assistance. However, guide dogs cannot fully ensure safety of movement on stairs, crosswalks or curbs. To solve these problems, Pavel designed and built a prototype guide robot (a Universal Robotic Assistant for People with Visual Disabilities) using a MINDSTORMS EV3 with Internet access and a GPS. From the MINDSTORMS EV3 he used a color sensor, servomotors, the Intelligent Brick, and infrared sensor. The brick controls the motors and they, in turn, set the mechanical part of the robot into motion. The brick itself is controlled by the user using voice commands or by pressing the start button on the robot. After testing, Pavel developed a guide robot that responds to voice command and has crash-free movement, including moving up and down stairs and curbs. It also is connected to the Internet and can use its GPS, so users can choose a route by GPS or other means. A user has a cane attached to the assistant as well as a wireless headphone with microphone for voice commands. The robot can also tell the time and level of charge remaining for it to the user.
Front view of the robot, showing the curb and stair detector.
In terms of mobility, the robot can climb stairs and curbs. With sensors, it can detect methane and traffic exhaust for pollution levels and also wait at crosswalks until the street is clear of traffic. Using the USB port on the EV3, the robot can also charge mobile devices. The robot itself can run for 24 hours between charges. The prototype was completed and tested in 2016 and has Pavel and his robot. been presented at the 2016 Google Science Fair. Pavel truly believes that a guide robot will be a significant helper. He dreams of implementing the robot and making it accessible to people with visual needs. Pavel’s future plans are planning to improve the robot’s software and components reliability and developing new projects to help people. At 15, he’s off to a good start!
Rear view of his robot showing phone attached.
You can see video of this robot in action at this link: https://youtu.be/GW3Vrf8guMc or use the QR code here!
You can view Pavels website at: http:// paveldevelopment.strikingly.com/ or use the QR code to the left.
Announcing
BrickJournal Building Sets!
Designed by BrickJournal’s Editor-in-Chief Joe Meno, these are the beginning of a series of custom sets inspired by the themes and builders featured in the magazine! Microscale Space Shuttle with Stand: 50 pcs. $10
Microscale Attack Helicopter: 109 pcs. $20
You can find out about these sets and upcoming sets at: www.brickjournal.com/sets
Poseable Dog: 57 pcs. $12
Building Sets
For those who want to do more than read BrickJournal!
This is not a LEGO® Product. These are reused LEGO elements that have been repackaged or altered from their original form. LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse these products. The LEGO Group is not liable for any loss injury, or damage arising from the use or misuse of these products.
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Last Chance for T-Shirts! Only $5! LEGO fans: You Can Build It!
Relive the fun and excitement of the BrickMagic LEGO Festival with our BrickMagic t-shirt and embroidered patches, while they last!
T-SHIRT
(yellow preshrunk 100% cotton, with 4-color printing on front only)
YOU CAN BUILD IT is a new ongoing series of instruction books on the art of LEGO® custom building, from the plus shipping producers of BRICKJOURNAL magazine! Spinning off Sizes: Youth Small • Youth Medium • Youth Large only from BrickJournal’s popular “You Can Build It” column, these FULL-COLOR books are loaded with nothing but STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS by some of the top custom builders in the LEGO fan community. BOOK ONE is for beginning-to-intermediate builders, with instructions for custom creations including Miniland figures, a fire engine, a tulip, a spacefighter (below), a street vignette, plus miniscale models from “a galaxy far, far away,” and more! BOOK TWO has even more detailed projects to tackle, including advanced Miniland figures, a miniscale yellow castle, a deep sea scene, a mini USS Constitution, and more! So if you’re ready to go beyond the standard LEGO (shown actual size) sets available in stores and move into custom building with the bricks you already own, this ongoing series will quickly take you from novice to expert builder, teaching you key building techniques along the way! plus shipping
FEW LEFT! ONLY $5 each
PATCH
$1 each
(84-page FULL-COLOR Trade Paperbacks) $9.95 • (Digital Editions) $3.95
BOTH BOOKS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!
TwoMorrows—A New Day For LEGO Fandom.
TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com
SUBSCRIBE TO BRICKJOURNAL! GET THE NEXT 6 ISSUES— PLUS FREE DIGITAL EDITIONS!
FOR LEGO® FANS! BRICKJOURNAL #43 NEW!
LEGO GAMING! IMAGINE RIGNEY shows his Bioshock builds, NICK JENSEN talks about his characters and props from HALO and other video games, and GamerLUG member SIMON LIU builds LEGO versions of video game characters, spaceships and more! Plus: AFOLs ("Adult Fans of LEGO”) by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
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BRICKJOURNAL #39
BRICKJOURNAL #38
BRICKJOURNAL #37
OUT OF THIS WORLD LEGO! Spacethemed LEGO creations of LIA CHAN, 2001: A Space Odyssey’s Orion space plane by NICK DEAN, and Pre-Classic Space builder CHRIS GIDDENS! Plus: Orbit the LEGO community with JARED K. BURKS’ minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
LEGO MECHA! How to build giant robots and mechs with builders BENJAMIN CHEH MING HANN and KELVIN LOW, and SETH HIGGINS shows us his amazing transforming LEGO robots! And even cyborgs love Minifig Customization by JARED K. BURKS, step-by-step "You Can Build It" instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, DIY Fan Art by BrickNerd TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons, and more!
LEGO DINOSAURS! Builder WILLIAM PUGH discusses building prehistoric creatures, a LEGO Jurassic World by DIEGO MAXIMINO PRIETO ALVAREZ, and dino bones by MATT SAILORS! Plus: Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, stepby-step "You Can Build It" instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, DIY Fan Art by BrickNerd TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons, and more!
LEGO COOL CARS AND HOT RODS! LEGO car builders Stephan Sander, Jordanian Firas Abu-Jaber, and Andrea Lattanzio! Plus: Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-by-step "You Can Build It" instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd Pop Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
STAR WARS! Amazing custom ships by ERIC DRUON, incredible galactic layouts by builder AC PIN, a look at the many droid creations built by LEGO fans—truly, the LEGO Force has awakened! Plus JARED K. BURKS on minifigure customizing, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95 Now shipping!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
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(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
BRICKJOURNAL #36
BRICKJOURNAL #35
BRICKJOURNAL #34
BRICKJOURNAL #33
BRICKJOURNAL #32
MICROSCALE BUILDING! With JUSTIN McMILLAN’s micro house and other buildings, a look at the MICROSCALE Standard by TwinLUG, and featuring some of the best microscopic LEGO work from around the world, plus JARED K. BURKS’ minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
HISTORY IN LEGO BRICKS! LEGO pro RYAN McNAUGHT on his LEGO Pompeii and other projects, military builder DAN SISKIND on his BrickMania creations, and LASSE VESTERGARD about his historical building, JARED K. BURKS on minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
TOMMY WILLIAMSON on the making of his YouTube sensation BATMAN VS SUPERMAN, BRANDON GRIFFITH’S COMICBRICKS PROJECT recreates iconic comic book covers out of LEGO, JARED BURKS and his custom Agents of SHIELD minifigs, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
LEGO ROBOTS! A talk with MINDSTORMS EV3 builders MARC-ANDRE BAZERGUI and ANDY MILLUZZI, designer LEE MAGPILI, CHRIS GIDDENS with his amazing robot sculptures, plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, other looks at MINDSTORMS building, and more!
LEGO ARTISTRY with builder/photographer CHRIS McVEIGH; mosaic builders BRIAN KORTE, DAVE WARE and DAVE SHADDIX; and sculptors SEAN KENNEY (about his nature models) and ED DIMENT (about a full-size bus stop built with LEGO bricks)! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, MINDSTORMS building, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
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BRICKJOURNAL #31
BRICKJOURNAL #30
BRICKJOURNAL #29
BRICKJOURNAL #28
BRICKJOURNAL #27
Building LEGO bricks WITH character, with IAIN HEATH and TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Manga-inspired creations of MIKE DUNG, sculptures by Taiwanese Brick Artist YO YO CHEN, Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS building, and more!
LEGO ARCHITECTURE with JONATHAN LOPES, a microscale model of Copenhagen by ULRIK HANSEN, and a look at the LEGO MUSEUM being constructed in Denmark! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS building with DAMIEN KEE, and more!
TECHNIC hot rod builder PAUL BORATKO and editor JOE MENO diagram instructions on adding functions to your models, shoptalk with LEGO TECHNIC designers, and more surprises to keep your creations moving at top speed! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, and more!
Learn what went into the making of The LEGO Movie and other brickfilms with moviemaker DAVID PAGANO, chat with brickfilmers The Brotherhood Workshop, sit in on a talk with the makers of LEGO: A Brickumentary, a look at MINDSTORMS building, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, & more!
GUY HIMBER takes you to the IRON BUILDER CONTEST, which showcases the top LEGO® builders in the world! Cover by LEGO magazine and comic artist PAUL LEE, amazing custom models by LINO MARTINS, TYLER CLITES, BRUCE LOWELL, COLE BLAQ and others, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, & more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
BRICKJOURNAL #21
BRICKJOURNAL #20
BRICKJOURNAL #19
BRICKJOURNAL #18
BRICKJOURNAL #17
LEGO CAR BUILDING! Guest editors LINO MARTINS and NATHAN PROUDLOVE of LUGNuts share secrets behind their LEGO car creations, and present TECHNIC SUPERCAR MODELS by PAUL BORATKO III and other top builders! Plus custom instructions by TIM GOULD and CHRISTOPHER DECK, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” section, and more!
LEGO SUPERHEROES! Behind-the-scenes of the DC and Marvel Comics sets, plus a feature on GREG HYLAND, the artist of the superhero comic books in each box! Also, other superhero work by ALEX SCHRANZ and our cover artist OLIVIER CURTO. Plus, JARED K. BURKS’ regular column on minifigure customization, building tips, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!
LEGO EVENTS ISSUE covering our own BRICKMAGIC FESTIVAL, BRICKWORLD, BRICKFAIR, BRICKCON, plus other events outside the US. There’s full event details, plus interviews with the winners of the BRICKMAGIC CHALLENGE competition, complete with instructions to build award winning models. Also JARED K. BURKS’ regular column on minifigure customizing, building tips, and more!
Go to Japan with articles on two JAPANESE LEGO FAN EVENTS, plus take a look at JAPAN’S SACRED LEGO LAND, Nasu Highland Park—the site of the BrickFan events and a pilgrimage site for many Japanese LEGO fans. Also, a feature on JAPAN’S TV CHAMPIONSHIP OF LEGO, a look at the CLICKBRICK LEGO SHOPS in Japan, plus how to get into TECHNIC BUILDING, LEGO EDUCATION, and more!
LEGO SPACE WAR issue! A STARFIGHTER BUILDING LESSON by Peter Reid, WHY SPACE MARINES ARE SO POPULAR by Mark Stafford, a trip behind the scenes of LEGO’S NEW ALIEN CONQUEST SETS that hit store shelves earlier this year, plus JARED K. BURKS’ column on MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION, building tips, event reports, our step-by-step “YOU CAN BUILD IT” INSTRUCTIONS, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
BRICKJOURNAL #11
“Racers” theme issue, with building tips on race cars by the ARVO BROTHERS, interview with LEGO RACERS designer ANDREW WOODMAN, LEGO FORMULA ONE RACING, TECHNIC SPORTS CAR building, event reports, instructions and columns on MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION by JARED K. BURKS, MICRO BUILDING, builder spotlights, LEGO HISTORY, and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
BRICKJOURNAL #10
BRICKJOURNAL #9
BRICKJOURNAL #8
BRICKJOURNAL #7
BrickJournal goes undersea with looks at the creation of LEGO’s new ATLANTIS SETS, plus a spotlight on a fan-created underwater theme, THE SEA MONKEYS, with builder FELIX GRECO! Also, a report on the LEGO WORLD convention in the Netherlands, BUILDER SPOTLIGHTS, INSTRUCTIONS and ways to CUSTOMIZE MINIFIGURES, LEGO HISTORY, and more!
BrickJournal looks at LEGO® DISNEY SETS, with features on the Disney LEGO sets of the past (MICKEY and MINNIE) and present (TOY STORY and PRINCE OF PERSIA)! We also present Disney models built by LEGO fans, and a look at the newest Master Build model at WALT DISNEY WORLD, plus articles and instructions on building and customization, and more!
We go to the Middle Ages, with a look at the LEGO Group’s CASTLE LINE, featuring an interview with the designer behind the first LEGO castle set, the YELLOW CASTLE. Also: we spotlight builders that have created their own large-scale version of the castle, and interview other castle builders, plus a report on BRICKWORLD in Chicago, ands still more instructions and building tips!
Focuses on the new LEGO ARCHITECTURE line, with a look at the new sets designed by ADAM REED TUCKER, plus interviews with other architectural builders, including SPENCER REZKALLA. Also, behind the scenes on the creation of POWER MINERS and the GRAND CAROUSEL, a LEGO BATTLESHIP over 20 feet long, reports from LEGO events worldwide, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
BRICKJOURNAL #26
BRICKJOURNAL #25
BRICKJOURNAL #24
BRICKJOURNAL #23
BRICKJOURNAL #22
CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL with builders SEAN and STEPHANIE MAYO (known online as Siercon and Coral), other custom animal models from BrickJournal editor JOE MENO, LEGO DINOSAURS with WILL PUGH, plus more minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and more!
MEDIEVAL CASTLE BUILDING! Top LEGO® Castle builders present their creations, including BOB CARNEY’s amazingly detailed model of Neuschwanstein Castle, plus others, along with articles on building and detailing castles of your own! Also: JARED BURKS on minifigure customization, AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and more!
LEGO TRAINS! Builder CALE LEIPHART shows how to get started building trains and train layouts, with instructions on building microscale trains by editor JOE MENO, building layouts with the members of the Pennsylvania LEGO Users Group (PennLUG), fan-built LEGO monorails minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, microscale building by CHRISTOPHER DECK, “You Can Build It”, and more!
STAR WARS issue, with custom creations from a long time ago and far, far away! JACOB CARPENTER’s Imperial Star Destroyer, MARK KELSO’s Invisible Hand, interview with SIMON MACDONALD about building Star Wars costume props with LEGO elements, history of the LEGO X-Wing, plus our regular features on minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!
LEGO PLANE BUILDING! Top builder RALPH SAVELSBERG takes off with his custom LEGO fighter models, there’s a squadron of articles on Sky-Fi planes by FRADEL GONZALES and COLE MARTIN, find instructions to build a Sky-Fi plane, plus our regular feature on minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, other step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
BRICKJOURNAL #16
BRICKJOURNAL #15
BRICKJOURNAL #14
BRICKJOURNAL #13
BRICKJOURNAL #12
Focuses on STEAMPUNK! Feature editor GUY HIMBER gives a tour with a look at his work, DAVE DeGOBBI’s, NATHAN PROUDLOVE’s, and others! There’s also a look at the history of LEGO Steampunk building, as well as instructions for a Steampunk plane by ROD GILLIES! Plus our regular columns on minifigure customization, building tips, event reports, our step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, and much more!
Looks at the LEGO MECHA genre of building, especially in Japan! Feature editor NATHAN BRYAN spotlights mecha builders such as SAITO YOSHIKAZU, TAKAYUKI TORII, SUKYU and others! Also, a talk with BRIAN COOPER and MARK NEUMANN about their mecha creations, mecha building instructions by SAITO YOSHIKAZU, our regular columns on minifigure customization, building, event reports, and more!
Discover the world of stop-motion LEGO FILMS, with brickfilmer DAVID PAGANO and others spotlighting LEGO filmmaking, the history of the medium and its community, interviews with the makers of the films seen on the LEGO CLUB SHOW and LEGO.com, and instructions on how to film and build puppets for brick flicks! Plus how to customize minifigures, event reports, step-by-step building instructions, and more!
Special EVENT ISSUE with reports from BRICKMAGIC (the newest US LEGO fan festival, organized by BrickJournal magazine), BRICKWORLD (one of the oldest US LEGO fan events), and others! Plus: spotlight on BIONICLE Builder NORBERT LAGUBUEN, our regular column on minifigure customization, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, spotlights on builders and their work, and more!
A look at back-to-school sculptures by NATHAN SAWAYA, LEGO builder MARCOS BESSA’s creations, ANGUS MACLANE’s CubeDudes, a Nepali Diorama by JORDAN SCHWARTZ, instructions to build a school bus for your LEGO town, MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION by JARED K. BURKS, how a POWER MINERS model became one for ATLANTIS, building standards, and much more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR mag) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
TwoMorrows. BRICKJOURNAL #6
BRICKJOURNAL #5
BRICKJOURNAL #4
BRICKJOURNAL #3
Spotlight on CLASSIC SPACE SETS and a look at new ones, BRANDON GRIFFITH shows his STAR TREK MODELS, LEGO set designers discuss their work creating the SPACE POLICE with PIRATE SETS, POWER FUNCTIONS TRAIN DEVELOPMENT, the world’s TALLEST LEGO TOWER, MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION, plus coverage of BRICKFEST 2009 and more!
Event report on the MINDSTORMS 10th ANNIVERSARY at LEGO HEADQUARTERS, Pixar’s ANGUS MACLANE on LEGO in filmmaking, a glimpse at the LEGO Group’s past with the DIRECTOR OF LEGO’S IDEA HOUSE, event reports, a look at how SEAN KENNEY’s LEGO creations ended up on NBC’S 30 ROCK television show, instructions and spotlights on builders, and more!
Interviews with LEGO BUILDERS including cover model builder ARTHUR GUGICK, event reports from BRICKFAIR and others, touring the LEGO IDEA HOUSE, plus STEP-BY-STEP BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS and TECHNIQUES for all skill levels, NEW SET REVIEWS, and an extensive report on constructing the Chinese Olympic Village in LEGO!
Event Reports from BRICKWORLD, FIRST LEGO LEAGUE WORLD FESTIVAL and PIECE OF PEACE (Japan), spotlight on our cover model builder BRYCE McGLONE, behind the scenes of LEGO BATMAN, LEGO at COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL, FIRST LEGO LEAGUE WORLD FESTIVAL, plus STEP-BY-STEP BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS, TECHNIQUES, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR mag) SOLD OUT (Digital Edition) $3.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $3.95
TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:
store@twomorrows.com
Order at twomorrows.com
77
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Last Word I got this pic at St. Louis at the FIRST® Championships. I was there to report on the event and a local team that was one of the teams selected to compete. As events go, this is one of the most fun events of the year. It’s not because of any displays, because there really aren’t any MOC displays at all. The kids have booths where they show the projects they made for the competition and a little bit about their culture and home. It’s not because there are LEGO robots everywhere (which there are—including the bot you see here—not the one with glasses). LEGO Education was here, and it was here that the idea for this issue actually was started! It’s because the place is full of positive energy. While there is a contest going on, it’s not against teams—the kids compete against the clock and themselves to bring out their best. And it’s an energy that has to be felt to be believed. MILO doesn’t like me going into his personal space.
It’s an energy I need to pass on to others. Many people paint the world in dark colors and point to a future that has no hope. I don’t believe that at all. As long as there are people pushing to be their best, there will always be hope. And every April, I see that at FIRST. I see hope. Joe Meno
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COMICS MAGAZINES FROM TWOMORROWS ™
A Tw o M o r r o w s P u b l i c a t i o n
No. 3, Fall 2013
01 1
BACK ISSUE
ALTER EGO
82658 97073
4
COMIC BOOK CREATOR
DRAW!
JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR
BACK ISSUE celebrates comic books of the 1970s, 1980s, and today through a variety of recurring (and rotating) departments, including Pro2Pro interviews (between two top creators), “Greatest Stories Never Told”, retrospective articles, and more. Edited by MICHAEL EURY.
ALTER EGO, the greatest ‘zine of the ‘60s, is all-new, focusing on Golden and Silver Age comics and creators with articles, interviews and unseen art. Each issue includes an FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America) section, Mr. Monster & more. Edited by ROY THOMAS.
COMIC BOOK CREATOR is the new voice of the comics medium, devoted to the work and careers of the men and women who draw, write, edit, and publish comics, focusing always on the artists and not the artifacts, the creators and not the characters. Edited by JON B. COOKE.
DRAW! is the professional “How-To” magazine on cartooning and animation. Each issue features in-depth interviews and stepby-step demonstrations from top comics professionals. Most issues contain nudity for figure-drawing instruction; Mature Readers Only. Edited by MIKE MANLEY.
JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR celebrates the life and career of the “King” of comics through interviews with Kirby and his contemporaries, feature articles, and rare & unseen Kirby artwork. Now full-color, the magazine showcases Kirby’s art even more dynamically. Edited by JOHN MORROW.
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(100-page FULL-COLOR mag) $10.95 (Digital Editions) $4.95
BOOKS FROM TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: The 1950s
BILL SCHELLY tackles comics of the Atomic Era of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis! (240-pages) $40.95 • (Digital Edition) $12.95 • ISBN: 9781605490540
1960-64 and 1965-69
JOHN WELLS covers two volumes on 1960s MARVEL COMICS, Wally Wood’s TOWER COMICS, CHARLTON, BATMAN TV SHOW, and more! 1960-64: (224-pages) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $11.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-045-8 1965-69: (288-pages) $41.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.95 ISBN: 9781605490557
The 1970s
JASON SACKS & KEITH DALLAS on comics’ emerging Bronze Age! (240-pages) $40.95 • (Digital Edition) $12.95 • ISBN: 9781605490564
us new Ambitio FULLf o series ERS ARDCOV COLOR H nting each docume f comic decade o tory! book his
The 1980s
All characters TM & © their respective owners.
KEITH DALLAS documents comics’ 1980s Reagan years! (288-pages) $41.95 • (Digital Edition) $13.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-046-5
COMIC BOOK FEVER
GEORGE KHOURY presents a “love letter” to the comics of 1976-1986, covering all that era's top artists, coolest stories, and even the best ads! (240-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $34.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-063-2
MODERN MASTERS
SPOTLIGHTING TODAY’S BEST 25+ volumes with in-depth interviews, plus extensive galleries of rare and unseen art from the artist’s files! (120-page trade paperbacks with COLOR) $15.95 (Digital Editions) $5.95
MONSTER MASH
THE MLJ COMPANION
(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $13.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-064-9
(288-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $34.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-067-0
Time-trip back to the frightening era of 1957-1972, and explore the Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze, when monsters stomped into the American mainstream!
Documents the complete history of Archie Comics’ super-hero characters known as the “Mighty Crusaders”, with in-depth examinations of each era!
TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History. Request a free catalog! TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 • 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com
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