The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 53 • October 2018
8.95
$
in the US
LI Li’s Pokemon!
BRICK 101:
Building Mario and His Friends Buiding Better Bricks Interview: Mario Bros. TM & © Nintendo
Baron von Brink Instructions and MORE!
1
82658 00316
6
Order @ Amazon.com or SUBSCRIBE!
THE MAGAZINE FOR LEGO ENTHUSIASTS OF ALL AGES! ®
BRICKJOURNAL magazine spotlights all aspects of the LEGO® Community! It showcases events, people, and models every issue, with contributions and how-to articles by top builders worldwide, new product intros, and more. Available in FULL-COLOR print and digital editions.
BRICKJOURNAL #54 DECLASSIFIES TOP BUILDERS’ CREATIONS! SUBSCRIBE NOW!
#54 ships November 2018!
GET THE NEXT SIX PRINT ISSUES PLUS FREE DIGITAL EDITIONS!
K-IN S LOC RATE 8 201
SUBSCRIBE TO BRICKJOURNAL o $60 Economy US Postpaid o $72 Expedited US (faster delivery) o $94 International o $24 Digital Editions Only Name: Address: City/Province: State: Country (if not USA): E-mail address:
Zip Code:
(for free digital editions)
#55 ships January 2019!
TwoMorrows Publishing
10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com • Order at twomorrows.com LEGO® and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group of Companies. BrickJournal is not associated with The LEGO Group.
MAIL THIS FORM WITH PAYMENT TODAY! TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA
For faster service, order online at:
www.twomorrows.com or by phone: 919-449-0344
Issue 53 • October 2018
Contents
From the Editor...................................................... 2
People Helen Sham’s Videogame Consoles............. 3 Martin Hartwigsen’s Technic Creations...... 8 Builder Profile: Kevin Hinkle.......................................................16 Building Better Bricks: Creating Custom High Quality LEGO Instructions...........................................18 Hail to the Baron: Baron von Brunk..............................................24 Li Li and LEGO: Building Places and Characters....................32 Staring in a Pokéball: Grant Davis.........................................................36
Building BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art: Mario’s Question Box.....................................38 You Can Build It: MINI Thranta Class Corvette.......................44 BRICK 101’s Video Game Characters .........47 You Can Build It: Super Mario Brothers’ Mario.......................50 You Can Build It: Super Mario Brothers’ Yoshi........................54 You Can Build It: Cuphead..............................................................60 Minifigure Customization 101: Creating the Characters of Coraline........66 Holly Webster’s LEGO Idea.............................71 Community Ads..................................................78 Last Word................................................................79 Bricks in the Middle...........................................80
From the Editor: This issue was interesting to do, because video games have a pretty large presence in the building community... well, a couple of games anyways.
October 2018 Issue 53
Finding the popular ones was easy, but it was tough getting different MOCs... do you have any idea how many Mario MOCs there are out there?
Publisher John Morrow
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: Julius von Brunk, Jared Burks, Grant Davis, Christopher Deck, Martin Hartwigsen, Vaughn Himber, Kevin Hinkle, Li Li, Alysa Kirkpatrick, David Pickett, Helen Sham, Holly Webster, Tommy Williamson, and Greg Hyland. Many thanks to the websites who have served as mirrors for BrickJournal:
In spite of that, this issue came together pretty well, thanks to the gang of writers and photographers that contributed. It’s always a fun treat for me to see what photos show up in my e-mail for every issue! I hope you feel the same way opening this issue—we have more instructions this time! I spotted too many small models that could be done, so off I went to make directions! Have fun reading and... welcome Kevin Hinkle’s comic Bricks in the Middle to BrickJournal! He’ll be contributing comics with Greg Hyland on the back page! Build on! Joe Meno, Editor P.S. Have ideas or comments? Drop me a line at brickjournal@gmail.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 to subscribe, go to http://bit.ly/BrickJournalSub or scan below! Website
Subscriptions
www.LUGNET.com, www.Brickshelf.com, www.peeron.com, www.brickmodder.net www.rustyclank.com
About the Cover: Mario makes the cover! Photo by Build Better Bricks. About the Contents: Luigi misses the cover! Photo by Build Better Bricks.
Glossary AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) AFFOL (Adult Female Fan of LEGO) TFFOL (Teen Female 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) POOP (Pieces—that can be or should be made—Of Other Pieces)
SNOT (Studs Not on Top) LUG (LEGO Users Group) LTC (LEGO Train Club) MECHA (a large armored robot on legs, typically controlled by a pilot seated inside) MECH (a large piloted combat robot) 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 2011, 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 $60 Economy US, $72 Expedited US, $94 International, or $24 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.
Helen Sham’s Videogame Consoles!
3 3
Article and photography by Helen Sham I believe that the childhood memories of many people include the familiar moustached face of the Nintendo character Mario. I am a big fan of Mario; when I was young, I enjoyed playing the various Super Mario games with my brother on the weekends. We could sit in front of the old 14" monitor for the entire day, taking turns to beat one round after the other, full of fun and excitement! Our fun time always ended in the evenings when my mom told us it was time for dinner. It was such a difficult moment when we had to turn off the games. I would say that I grew up with Mario in his many incarnations from the original Nintendo family computer, Game Boy, to the more recent Nintendo 3DS. I wouldn’t miss any of them! I also have been a LEGO creator for over two years now. My current projects are building large-scale models of characters that many people are familiar with. These include the very popular large size 70cm Mario and 75cm of his brother Luigi.
Some of the detail work on the consoles.
4
One day when I opened a drawer and came across one of my Nintendo devices, an idea popped into my head: “Why not use LEGO to build a Mario arcade console?” My first thought was that it might be a little boring if I only use Mario, so then I decided to choose the 1981 Donkey Kong game as my theme. I then looked for an arcade console with a 14" LCD monitor, joystick, buttons and LED lights online. Then, I used the LDD (LEGO Digital Designer) software to create my design to the scale of the unit I was going to build. It took about six hours to create the LDD file, and would require about 1200 LEGO
parts. After a few modifications, the finished product arcade console ended up using about 1500 pieces of LEGO pieces and parts in 26 hours. I actually built two LEGO arcades at the same time, one for my own collection and one that was ordered by an interested client. This LEGO arcade console was 180cm tall (the Mario version); and the other was 155cm tall (the Donkey Kong version), each with 4000 games installed. An LED light was installed behind the logo in front of the body of the arcade console; then on one side of the console a small circle signal light was built to make it look like a classic operating arcade system, with the other side a scene depicted from the Donkey Kong game. A coin insert box was placed in the front of the console to make it look like it is coin-operated. A tiny pull-out box was placed on the righthand side of the coin box which functions as a coins/candies/drink holder. It brings the nostalgic feel of playing your favorite games, while having a drink or snack within reach.
They also have a working console light.
The coin slot.
The coin/drink holder.
Luigi and Donkey Kong look at the side detail of the console.
5
Running Donkey Kong.
The most difficult step was the combination of the game unit and the actual LEGO pieces. How would you place a nine-button joystick system onto a LEGO base? As there were no black LEGO base boards available, I needed to spray black paint onto the grey LEGO base board, and drill ten holes in order to fit in the joystick and the buttons. I had to also consider the possibility of future maintenance or troubleshooting. It had to be designed for easy disassembly and reassembly. The solution was that I designed a special LEGO section in the middle of the arcade console body so that the unit can be separated into two with minimal effort. I did consider the combination of the arcade console with a chair by using approximately ¾ of the space at the bottom of the console, and install a pull-out chair, which could be pushed back in when not in use. However, due to potential weight issues, this idea was not considered. The console bottom is open. The console top is lit like its real-life counterpart.
Game on!
The console itself is hidden in the model.
Ready player one!
6
An overall look at one of the consoles.
My next project will be to build another arcade with the Street Fighter II using a 20" LCD monitor. I hope that it will be successful!
Donkey Kong guards over a console.
To see more of Helen’s products/projects, please visit her website at www.helenshamfigures.com or scan this QR code:
7
People
Martin Hartwigsen’s Technic Creations! Article and Photography by Martin Hartwigsen
Martin with his Bugatti.
8
Hi! My name is Martin Hartwigsen, I’m Dutch, single, and live in The Netherlands close to Delft in an area with a lot of greenhouses where they grow fruit, vegetables and flowers. My profession is mechanical design engineer, designing robot-like inspection tools for steel walls and welds, especially in the field of oil and gas. My age is 65 (already), but you will understand that I still feel young! My drive is that I always want to create something new and my hobbies fit this direction: Of course LEGO Technic, remodeling the house and garden, portrait painting, and making models in general. Originally I was more a fan of Meccano (a metal construction system), but when I started to help my little neighbor boy building his LEGO Technic models, I discovered the possibilities of this system and became a big fan too. That was 10 years ago.
Martin’s Bugatti 50T, and (inset) the 1:8 scale model that inspired it.
Since then I’ve built many models that you can see at www. brickshelf.com at member marthart. I place my models there not to show off, but to inspire other people.
A look at the rear of the car.
I’m mainly interested in complex mechanisms used in the Technic series, but I also built with the EV3 Mindstorms system and I even have the VW camper, Austin Mini and two Architecture models. LEGO makes it possible for me to create new things, and the challenge always is to let all functions work and to make the best resemblance compared to the original, with the limited amount of shapes available in LEGO Technic. Building the 1933 Bugatti 50T About the Bugatti: I got inspired by the scale 1:8 metal/ plastic model kit that I already owned, and thought it to be a big challenge to get the shape of this model right in Technic!
A side view with the hood open.
It took me about two months with some 12 hours a week to finish the model. Most parts came from Technic sets that I already owned and the extra parts I needed were bought on the Internet platform Bricklink. I think I spent 100 Euro for the extra parts, but if this was a LEGO set, it would cost around about 300 Euro, I guess. David with his Mk II arm.
9
Looking at the bottom to see the transmission.
All together I used some 3000 parts and the all-manual features of the model are: • Driving • 4-Speed gearbox • Steering by the steering wheel • Opening hood with fake Bugatti engine • Opening trunk with extra controls for steering and driving • Opening doors and full interior
The interior.
I placed the Bugatti at the LEGO Ideas site, but I was not very active in promoting the Bugatti there. I know from a lot of people that they liked my model and would like to support it, but don’t want to get registered at the LEGO site... that is what you have to do first to be able to support someone. The model has expired now, but LEGO came with the more modern version of the Bugatti instead. The video there shows a motorized model, but the turntables I used for the wheels gave too much friction and I had to remove the motors again! The Bugatti was built two years ago, and in the meantime I did several other projects: like another classic car, the Alfa Romeo Spider from 1932; a harvester, an eight-wheel-driven machine to harvest trees in the forest; and a Dakar race truck. This is the Bugatti link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0iP9vlbLc You can also scan the QR code at the left to see the video.
The rear exterior.
10
An overall view of the race truck.
Mammoet Renault Dakar Race Truck The Dutch company Mammoet takes part in the Dakar race each year, and this year they came out with a 1:50 scale model of the 2018 version. I bought this very detailed model with the idea to make a large-scale LEGO model of the Renault truck—mainly because it is one of the few trucks with a “nose,” but also because the rest of the body had interesting details too. The truck has a mid-motor under the seats, so under the hood (nose) you find no engine, but only shock absorbers and suspension. To get access to the motor you have to tilt the hood first, and then the cabin. The cargo side panels can be opened as wing doors, and the spare wheels in the back can be unloaded automatically. After trial and error I was able to put all these functions and details into the Technic model, which is also very scale-accurate. A bit special is the imitation leafspring suspension, using a slightly bent shaft and two springs as imitation shock absorbers at each side. Also special is the traction of the front axle: There was no space for a differential, so I used a bevel gear at a direct shaft between the front wheels, and both shaft and bevel gears move with the steering.
A rear view showing the spare tire.
11
A look at the mechanics in the bottom of the truck. With side panels open.
The remote features are: • Driving with 4-wheel traction • Steering • Opening side panels • Unloading spare wheels The manual features are: • Opening cabin door • Tilting hood • Tilting cabin • Engine with moving pistons • Full cabin interior • Leaf spring suspension combined with springs This is the Renault Truck link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGQBYWTdT7A
Opening up to see the engine.
You can also scan the QR code at the left to see the video.
Alfa Romeo Spider Touring Gran Sport 1932 Again like most of my creations I do have a model of this car. Like the Bugatti, it is a 1:8 scale model kit in metal, leather, rubber, and plastic. The brand is Pocher, an Italian company of highly detailed model cars.
12
Here, the story is the same as the Bugatti, except that I decided to make it a non-power function model. The body shape is a challenge to reproduce in Technic, because it is a convertible with a lot of round shapes, especially the back part with the spare wheels. This model also has a realistic fake engine with fake gearbox this time, and imitation leafspring suspension.
The 1932 Alfa Romeo Gran Sport.
Features are: • Driving and steering with the steering wheel • Two-sided opening hood with realistic fake engine • Opening doors • Full interior • Leaf spring suspension with fake disc shock absorbers A look with the hood open.
A rear view.
A rear view
13
The Scorpion King.
The rear view.
The Ponsse Scorpion King Tree Harvester I got inspired by seeing a YouTube video of Ponsse harvesters and I chose the Scorpion, because this really is a cool design and a big challenge to get all functions to work. I’ve never seen any Ponsse machines in real life, so that is something still to do after retirement! To start, I bought a small toy model of the Scorpion in a hobby store in Finland, so that I could measure all parts and scale them up for my large model. The actual building process started with the wheels and traction to see if everything could fit in the scale of about 1:10. Then I did the mid-section of the chassis, because a lot of functions come together there, like steering and cabin lift, roll and rotation, and the hinges for the front and rear chassis. From the beginning I wanted to make all functions remote controlled. This mid-section was the most difficult part and the challenge was to get it strong enough to hold the load of the cabin/crane combination, and that the hinge for steering did not have too much play. I think after five versions I came up with an acceptable solution, where in particular the cabin tilt was not operated by linear actuators anymore, but with a strong gearbox. This is different than in the original Scorpion and that is
14
something I didn’t like too much. But well, sometimes you have to find other solutions because in general LEGO Technic parts have too much play and are not strong enough! The rest went rather smoothly, although most of the construction was not First Time right. Altogether I used about 3000 parts, two battery boxes, 11 motors and five receivers. The remote features are: • Driving • Steering • Cabin rotation • Cabin tilt • Cabin roll • Crane lift • Jib lift • Jib extension The manual features are:
Side view.
• Opening cabin door • Opening hood • Collapsible steps to cabin • Fake engine • Tree grip and transport in cutter head. It took me about four months with some 14 hours a week to finish the model. This is the Scorpion King link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT6P3MguuE8 You can also scan the QR code at the left to see the video.
A look inside the cabin.
Building Space I do have a special LEGO room in my house, with a special desk where I am surrounded by small warehouse boxes (no drawers) in a curved rack so that all parts are organized and reachable. The bigger amount of parts is in the same boxes, but then stored in a larger cabinet.
15
People
Builder Profile:
Kevin Hinkle
Article by Joe Meno Photography by Kevin Hinkle Pokémon Trainer Red.
The Chosen 4: Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo.
Kevin is a builder of not only LEGO bricks, but creator of a comic strip about the AFOL community which, you’ll see in this and other upcoming issues! Besides that, he has built more than a few creations based on video games (including Yoshi from BRICK 101). BrickJournal was able to talk to him about his creations. BrickJournal: What do you do in real life? Kevin Hinkle: I’m a Freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator from Connecticut. In addition to producing my own web comic series titled Bricks in the Middle, which aims to bring a comedic look at the LEGO fan community, I offer my services to clients in a variety of creative mediums. How long have you been building? If you focus exclusively on my adult life, I’ve been engaging with and enjoying the LEGO hobby for the past 13 years. Did you have a Dark Age? Absolutely. As I entered into my teenage years, I was increasingly interested in other passions such as video gaming and illustration. When it became apparent that I was no longer interested in playing with my collection of colorful plastic bricks, I offered them to my younger siblings to enjoy. In hindsight, my Dark Age didn’t last very long!
16
When did it end? For some reason, the last LEGO set I acquired, before entering my Dark Age, has always stuck with me. As such, it certainly helps me pinpoint the moment in which I stepped away from the LEGO hobby... if you were to consider it a hobby from a child’s perspective. It was Droid Fighter (7111) from LEGO Star Wars, released in 1999—when the very first wave of LEGO Star Wars sets appeared on the market! I wouldn’t attempt to click two LEGO bricks back together until 2005, thanks largely to my opportune hiring at a LEGO Brand Retail Store in Lakewood, Colorado, USA. Although I mostly considered my journey back to the brick as a focus on LEGO product knowledge (to excel in my new position), I was absolutely rediscovering a love for the creative and endless possibilities of playing with LEGO bricks.
What inspired you to build your own creations? Inspiration is an interesting word in regards to this question! During my time working at the LEGO Store, I got to know the members of the local LEGO fan community quite well. Although times were certainly different for the LEGO Group back in the early 2000s, we were still quite fortunate to have an active LEGO User Group (LUG) in our area with an awesome membership who frequented our store. A running joke between one of the founding members of our local club, CoWLUG—the Colorado & Wyoming LEGO Users’ Group— and myself was “When are you going to join CowLUG?” As silly as it sounds, I didn’t feel “worthy” of joining the ranks of such enthusiastic and talented individuals for some time. I was eventually worn down and officially joined the group after enough in-store chats. The conversation then evolved into “When are you going to build a MOC?” Favorite theme? LEGO Western from the mid-1990s all the way! Who doesn’t love a good western? Not to mention they included some of the coolest play features of all time. Slide in a 1x2 tile with dynamite decal to blow up the wall on the prison? Are you kidding me!? How do you design your models—do you plan it out or do you just build? As an active illustrator, I tend to sketch out sculptural ideas onto paper before I begin working with LEGO bricks. I’ll sketch out what I’d like to see, and then attempt to recreate it with the pieces in my collection. If it’s more of a recreation of something in real-life like a vehicle or building, then I’ll just bring up or print out reference materials and start fiddling with pieces. I will say though, that I’ve also come up with some awesome ideas just by rummaging through a bin of unsorted LEGO pieces and finding that special part which strikes up a memory or thought!
Mario.
Starman Junior from Earthbound.
What’s your favorite part in building? It’s hard to beat the moment of completion! The only part of the creative/building process that I enjoy more than successfully completing an original model is that moment, somewhere into the halfway point, in which it really starts to resemble what you’re attempting to build: The moment of realization that you’re on the right track and things are working out the way you want them. What are your upcoming projects? I’ve got a number of projects I’m exploring at the moment! In addition to chewing through my mighty backlog of LEGO sets that need assembling, I have a number of sketched MOC ideas ready for brickwork. I’ve also got a long list of ideas ready to be explored via my comic series. Too much to do and not enough hours in the day! Any advice for beginning builders? Don’t be intimated by others within the LEGO fan community—we are here to support you! It can be absolutely daunting to start building your own original LEGO models, especially if you’re looking at some of the talented folks within the community who’ve been building over several years. You shouldn’t build to impress your peers—you should build for your own personal enjoyment. Build what makes you happy and don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow LEGO enthusiasts for advice or guidance. It also may help to start sorting that giant bin of LEGO bricks you have too...
17
People
Black Panther.
Cinderella Castle. Cinderella Castle.
Build Better Bricks (B3):
Creating Custom High Quality LEGO Instructions! Article by Vaughn Himber Photography provided by Build Better Bricks
18
Rocket Raccoon.
Have you ever seen an amazing LEGO creation online and wondered how you could build your own version with the parts you already have at home? Imagine if you had special high-quality instructions which would allow you to build some of the coolest custom models out there. Well, now the wait is over! Enter Build Better Bricks (B3). Created by renowned builders Tyler Clites and Sean Mayo, Build Better Bricks provides incredible custom-designed LEGO model instructions and parts lists. “Many builders can relate to their friends or family saying something like: ‘You should make instructions and sell these!’ So having heard this hundreds of times, while already doing occasional commissions on the side, we figured, why not? Well, it turns out there’s a lot that goes into it, and there’s always something just outside your wheelhouse. These things ranged from building styles, initial overhead, to programming, studio space, and of
Darth Maul.
Yoda.
course more organized LEGO than is sane. But as various programs like the stud.io, life circumstances, marketing, videography, and many other pieces started falling into place, B3 (Build Better Bricks) was created,” said Sean. Inspired by each other’s entries in online building competitions, Sean and Tyler decided to partner together after realizing they had a knack for collaboration and mutual inspiration. “We have a long history of battling against each other in many grueling LEGO competitions throughout the years. And, as both of us are the kind of people who seek to become better friends with added respect for the enemy after a long battle, we soon figured out that we work well together,” said Tyler. “The differences in our building styles, even down to organizing our pieces ‘by type’ vs. ‘color’ began to complement shared builds. Just having two different perspectives and talent trees has helped our concepts, edits, critiques, builds, motivation, etc. But at the base of all that, simply put: We’re great friends, and the absence of LEGO wouldn’t change that.” When it comes to deciding what ideas will be developed into full instructions, the B3 team considers many different factors, including “size of the end product, availability of pieces, current interest in that topic, time, and inspiration.” The custom builds take longer to design and complete than the instructions. An oliphaunt.
19
Thanos.
“Essentially, we want to create reasonablysized models that don’t take up tons of space, whose pieces are easy to get and don’t require old, rare, or expensive parts. Through that lens, we like to tackle fun and popular themes from movies, games, or shows. But honestly, creative inspiration is always key. We can sit down and start ten different builds and not always know which one is going to come together first,” they said.
They are Groot.
20
To create the custom instructions themselves, Build Better Bricks uses “an amalgamation of programs,” including LDraw/MLCad, LIC (LEGO Instruction Creator), and “Bricklink’s Stud.io program to create a file of the parts that customers can easily upload to Bricklink. That way, it’s just a couple of easy steps, to order all the parts for the model without having to browse through countless sellers looking for individual pieces. There’s even a quick partsbuying tutorial video, and estimated cost of parts for when you use the stud.io file. The end result is instructions that are on par with the instructions you would get from an official LEGO set, and ordering the parts is almost as easy as buying an official set,” said Tyler. In addition to high-quality instructions, Build Better Bricks also provides a great selection of models to choose from, such as a series of busts inspired by popular Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul, a First Order Stormtrooper, and Yoda, or Marvel super-heroes and villains like Deadpool, Black Panther, and Thanos. Other models include custom and highly detailed Nintendo characters like Mario, Yoshi, and Bowser. And Build Better Bricks features a variety of scales, too, including a miniDisney Cinderella Castle, UCS-scale model of the Milano spaceship from Guardians of the Galaxy, and a “life-sized” Baby Groot! Additionally, B3 offers “Bundles” of building instructions from several different models combined together for a lower price, such as four custom mini-pirate ships from Pirates of the Caribbean, including The Black Pearl and The Flying Dutchman.
B3 plans to add more characters, busts, and figures to their collection, inspired by “comic books, upcoming movies, and cultural icons,”they said. “We anticipate making dozens of these so that there’s a plethora to choose from, and most anyone might be able to pick out their favorites for building them at home.” In the meantime, to get a sense of the variety of models offered by Build Better Bricks, visit their website for free instructions, like how to build a LEGO Rubik’s Cube.
Yoshi from the Mario Brothers games.
Bowser’s shell and back.
Yoshi with tongue out and egg behind him.
21
Luigi.
Mario.
In terms of future plans for Build Better Bricks, Tyler and Sean were excited to further expand and complement their initial concept of custom instructions. “There are seemingly endless ideas! From hosting competitions, LEGO story and instruction books, full kits, replicas, and the list goes on,” said Sean. “I think, however, one of the first evolutions will be in creating physical models so that people have the option to just buy the kit and circumvent bricksellers.” Overall, Build Better Bricks is a great and affordable way to build excellent LEGO models with the bricks you already have at home, while also refining your building techniques and drawing inspiration from some of the world’s most talented and versatile expert LEGO builders. Visit Build Better Bricks online at https://buildbetterbricks.com
22
Toad.
A collection of Mario Brothers characters. Examples of the instructions for the Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Bust.
23
People
Mecha Link battle at the Water Temple.
Hail to the Baron:
Baron von Brunk Article and Photography by Baron Von Brunk
24
If you want to see an assortment of video game-themed models, a good place to start is the website Baronvonbrunk.com. “Baron” Julius von Brunk is an artist residing in New York who has been building video game-inspired models for more than a few years, with some of his models published in Nintendo Power magazine in 2012. Here, he talks to BrickJournal about his builds. BrickJournal: What do you do outside of building? Baron Von Brunk: Aside from assembling custom LEGO models, I’m also an independent photographer and aspiring animator. I do in fact make some animations with my LEGO pieces, and hopefully some day I’ll launch some short films of my stop-motion animation. Sometimes I incorporate my various artistic hobbies together, such as using my photography along with my graphic arts for print designs. Career-wise, I’m a professional graphic artist in New York City, and currently I design images and graphic assets for Goldman Sachs in Manhattan’s Financial District. On a daily basis, I typically develop PowerPoint presentations, including creating covers/section dividers in Photoshop. I also use Illustrator and other vector imaging programs to generate maps for investment bankers. Prior to this job, I’ve worked as a designer in a variety of fields—including consumer electronics, fashion, and even Major League sports. I started off many years ago by designing packages and labels for third-party electronic devices, and I’ve sort of bounced around between industries whilst expanding my portfolio. I’m actually completely self-taught, and never attended college. My career path has been very long and troublesome, but the way I like to describe
it, I took the “scenic route” to get where I am! How old are you? 33 years old, and I’ll be 34 in October. When did you start LEGO building? “LEGO” was actually the first word I learned how to spell as a kid—even before my own name! I received Duplo sets at an early age, then around age three in the 1980s, my parents bought me numerous LEGO sets for Christmas and my birthdays. I’ve consistently been a fan of this toy line since childhood, and even photographed some of my custom creations way back in the 1990s using old film cameras. This passion of mine predated social media by about a decade! Did you have a Dark Age? If so, what got you out of it? Oh, I definitely had a Dark Age! Although this is a hobby I’ve liked for most of my life, there was a small moment in my life when I “paused” my fascination with LEGO. I’d say this was during the early-to-mid 2000s, when I was in my late teens. This wasn’t because I grew out of it, but rather because at the time, the dominant models/themes in the 2000s-era LEGO System didn’t fascinate me like in previous years. I personally never liked Bionicle, I was never a fan of Harry Potter, I could never get into Spider-Man comics/ movies, and I always despised Spongebob Squarepants. In addition, I could never really get into the Mecha Link. Star Wars prequels as much as the originals. With the lack of selection of sets I wanted to buy, I instead focused on occasionally building creations with my preexisting pieces. Also around this time, I didn’t have a job (due to my age and my high school schedule), and the little bit of money I did have I’d use on other things like video games and food. I got back into purchasing new sets around 2005 or 2006, when the then-new medieval themes were released, along with the Vikings series. This reignited my fascination with LEGO, and I soon focused on creating models and vignettes with medieval themes. At this point I was in my early twenties, and working at various jobs which gave me more disposable income. I’d say 2007 was my definite “LEGO Renaissance”, where my love of LEGO was reborn completely, to the point where it became the dominant creative force in my life, completely reshaping my artistic hobbies and creativity. What are your favorite themes? For me, the best themes are the late-’80s/early-’90s Space or Castle. Although I played with any LEGO theme since I was young, I was always fascinated the most by spaceships and castles. I’ve had a soft spot for the classic Futurons, M:Tron, Blacktron, and Ice Planet—as well as Black Falcons, Forestmen, Dragon Masters, and Crusaders. To show this, I have two LEGO tattoos on my right arm: a red Futuron astronaut, and a green Castle Forestman! Wario.
25
Built for the LEGO City:Underground release party at Nintendo World.
The Fireflower Airship.
The Fireflower Airship’s mosaic display.
26
What inspired you to start building video game inspired models? With video game themes, I always wanted to create models like these since I was young, but at the time I was too unskilled. As a child, I would often get inspired by Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. Probably back when I was 11, I wanted to create a large replica of Dr. Robotnik’s Death Egg, but alas, lacked necessary pieces and skill level. Flash forward to around 2011, after I’ve been living in New York for about a year: I wanted to stake a claim in the geeky/nerd fandom universe by creating some memorable and monumental LEGO creations based on video games. In late 2011, I began production for my massive “Fireflower Airship”—a large replica of an airship level from Super Mario Bros. 3. Around this time, I also worked on creating the first two transforming Nintendo accessories, Domaster and Plasmashock—Game Boy and Zapper, respectively. With the positive feedback from these aforementioned models, I would go on to create many others, which eventually led Nintendo of America to contact me to create a sculpture for their flagship store in 2013.
What led you to building the transforming game consoles? An early inspiration for the transforming game consoles came about from seeing the crossover Marvel/Transformer figures from the 2000s. There was a line of toys that featured superheroes and Star Wars characters transforming into vehicles, such as Darth Vader transforming into a TIE Fighter. This inspired me to create models of Mario and Luigi transforming into a Zapper and a Game Boy. In the early Mario games, Fire Flower Mario was dressed in red and white, and in my early concepts, I planned on making the grey and orange Zapper transform into a red and white Mario, whereas the green and grey Game Boy would transform into Fire Flower Luigi. This proved dubious for two major reasons: the first is that due to space limitations, it would be physically impossible to have the robot modes resemble Mario or
Domaster, the transforming Game Boy, and Tetrawing, the transforming game cartridge.
Transformed.
The batteries were also part of the robot. Ultra Hexacon converts to a Nintendo 64 console.
Tetragon transforms from controller (below) to scorpion (above).
27
Plasmashock converts from a mech to a Nintendo Entertainment System Zapper.
The Zapper transformed.
Luigi with such detail. The other reason of course is that the Game Boy robot ended up looking short and stocky, with the Zapper being tall and narrow—which would be exact opposite body types of Mario and Luigi! Eventually I just kept the Game Boy and Zapper to be original robots akin to traditional Transformer designs, and then maintained this ascetic theme for subsequent models. And what got you into electronic lit models? With the electronic models, this started as a byproduct of my Fireflower Airship from early 2012. When I first began construction of the ship in late 2011, I decided to “dazzle” the project by installing lights to give it something special, aside from just being a huge replica. My original plan was to make the back of the ship glow with an illuminated sprite of a Fire Flower, and then to install a sound system to play the Super Mario Bros. 3 airship music on a constant loop. This was because I planned on showcasing the ship at art galleries and conventions, and the idea of a sound system with lights would make the whole ship more interesting to
Von Brunk working on the controller.
28
A close-up of his large-scale work.
The interior of the controller, with an Arduino used for controls.
Other views.
Mosaic Stone Zelda lamp. Color is achieved when light goes through transparent LEGO parts.
people who’d potentially come to see it at the shows. Sadly, due to stability issues (making it difficult to move without breaking), I never showcased the airship at any shows, and because of this, I scrapped the sound system idea at the last minute. As for the lights, however, I succeeded in installing a very crude light and battery system to output illumination for the rear of the ship. This was prior to when I had any real electrical skills, so my crude circuit barely worked, and the light output was rather dull. Meanwhile, during downtime of the airship’s construction, I made several Mario-themed models to accompany the ship at potential public art shows. One of the Mario-themed creations was a mosaic sprite lamp, using the same sort of techniques as the glowing Fire Flower sprite from the back of the ship, but to be illuminated via a lamp cord that I could plug into a wall. The design scheme for this lamp contained a cube shape with “?” block sprites. The mosaic concept was made entirely with transparent LEGO bricks, thus making the illuminated version resemble a Tiffany Lamp or a stained-glass window. Although the lamps looked cool when glowing, unfortunately the transparent LEGO bricks appeared dull and discolored when the lights were off. This led me to create a new concept of inserting transparent LEGO tiles and plates into Technic bricks, so that when
29
LEGO Luigi mosaic with sound and lights. Powered by an Arduino microprocessor, the mosaic opens like a book for access.
turned off, the lamps would still have their colors visible and vibrant. This new concept was developed by me later in 2013, and I soon created several new illuminated projects based on this “bedazzled” concept. The final designs were reminiscent of the old toy called “Lite Brite”, which allowed people to create glowing mosaic patterns using a dot matrix grid. Some of my more sophisticated and elaborate electronic creations came about as a result of always trying to outdo myself. For instance, after making projects which lit up, my next logical step would be to make projects that also play sounds in addition to lighting up. With that said, throughout the summer of 2014, I worked tirelessly to learn Arduino and program microchips to allow my LEGO projects to simultaneously glow and play music. Since 2015, I haven’t made too many electronic creations, and instead went into honing my photography skills and eventually getting better with stop-motion animation. I plan on making more electronic LEGO models in the future, but as of late I’ve mainly focused all of my time and effort into animations.
30
Close-up of the panel work.
Mosain Zelda Sprite Portrait/Lamps.
31
People
Li Li and LEGO: Building Places and Characters! Article by Joe Meno Photography by Li Li Charizard’s back.
Charizard.
Li Li is a LEGO builder who has built many different creations, but has been focusing most recently on Pokémon characters, which have been seen at events, including Bricks by the Bay in 2017. BrickJournal got to see his work and talk to him about building. BrickJournal: Hi Li Li, first things first—what do you do in real life? Li Li: I’m an Electrical Engineer. How long have you been building? I’ve been building since when I was five years old. One of my mom’s friends gave me a “basic” set as gift. I’ve always liked building toys. I had wood and plastic brick toys plus some LEGO knock-offs. But once I’ve experienced LEGO, there’s no going back. Did you have a Dark Age? If so, when? I had a Dark Age starting around 16, partly because my mom refused to let me buy any LEGO (because the box said 5-14), and also because of video games such as Pokémon Red/Blue.
32
What inspired you to build your own creations? I think building MOCs from your bricks comes naturally. The stock sets are never as good as what you have in your mind. So it prompts you to build your own. When I was a kid, I always had this “perfect” spaceship that I wanted to build. So every year I would rebuild it to make it closer to what I had in mind. (By the way, looking back, what I had in mind was absolutely horrible.)
Li Li’s Pokémon!
Li Li’s most recent builds, seen here, are his takes on the many creatures and characters in the game universe. Favorite theme? I used to like Castle the most. But now I mostly see sets as part packs. The theme that I’m most interested in recently is the Elves. These sets offer a great variety of color and rare parts. I love the theme. How do you design your models—do you plan them out or do you just build? I generally build the most iconic part of the model first, and then I’ll do some planning to get the overall shape, and then go back to build on the fly for the details. If I’m doing a sculpture, I use LDD a lot to get the shape right. I also use LDD as a simulator. For example, if I’m building a roof with a repeating pattern, I’ll do it in LDD first. Digitally I can copy and paste to quickly see how it would look. What’s your favorite part for building? My favorite part is to see the model coming together in front of my eyes. When a model is finished, for the next few days, I would stop by my LEGO room just to look at it, for several minutes, a few times a day.
Blastoise.
Tell me about your Pokémon—what prompted you to build them? How long did it take to complete them? What was the hardest one? I always liked Pokémon since when it first came out 20 years ago. So naturally it’s something that I want to build. I’ve built 16 Pokémons so far. I have a few more in the pipeline. I try to keep them roughly in proportion. So some Pokémon are bigger than the others. The bigger ones take me about 2-4 weeks to build. The smaller ones a day or two. Besides the smallest ones, most of them are equally challenging. I would say the hardest part of building most Pokémons is the eyes. The eyes really bring a Pokémon to life. If the eyes don’t look right, then the whole model would look off.
Ash.
Charmelon.
Pikachu.
33
Tell us about some other models. Minas Tirith is one of my proudest MOCs. It was an entry for a Lord of the Rings contest on MOCpages. I had to build it in two weeks, and I finished it in a week. When the inspiration stroked, I just couldn’t stop building. I was so excited. This is probably one of my fastest builds. (Website: https:// flic.kr/p/k348Eo) The Abyss Dragon is my first attempt at the Bionicle/Hero Factory system. I’m actually a big fan of the Hero Factory theme. I really like the variety and chance for “new part usage” it brings. I want to build more MOCs that incorporate Bionicle parts into system bricks. (Website: https://flic. kr/p/t5nwrt)
Minas Tirith, as built by Li.
In general, I’m interested in LEGO lettering. I’ve built a series of fonts—my favorite and most elaborate font being the Gothic font. I also like the Courier Font, which uses SNOT extensively and is a nice tool to have when building MOCs. (Website: http://mocrecipes.com/tag/lettering/)
An upper view.
The Abyss Dragon.
What are your upcoming projects? My next project besides building more Pokémons is a piece of equipment that I use quite often for my work, a spectrum analyzer. A brand new high-end spectrum analyzer could cost up to half a million dollars. Maybe someday I’ll bring my 1:1 LEGO version to work, and put it on my desk just to hear my boss say, “You can’t take this out of the lab!”
Looking at the model at ground level.
34
Any advice for beginning builders? I think it takes two talents to build good MOCs. One obviously is a good artistic sense, and the second is knowledge of the various techniques at your disposal. While artistic sense is difficult to learn, techniques are much easier. I would advise beginners to look at others’ MOCs and see how they build certain shapes. For example, if a spaceship looks smooth, see how the builder achieved that curve. Then next time when you need to build something curvy, you already know.
The Abyss Dragon head-on.
Built character fonts by Li Li: Courier (above) and Gothic (below).
35
People
Staring in a Pokéball:
Grant Davis
Article and Photographs by Grant Davis This diorama showed up online and was quickly picked up by LEGO blogs. Built by Grant Davis (one of the builders behind the LEGO IDEAS pop-up book, due out soon) , the university electrical engineering student also works for a small IT company managing and servicing software. With this creation, he came up with a creative answer to the question, “Where do Pokémon live?” He answered a few more questions for BrickJournal.
36
BrickJournal: How long have you been building? Grant Davis: I have been “Building” since I was around four years old, though I first joined the community in 2013 when I learned about LEGO CUUSOO, which became LEGO Ideas. From there, I started building and entering contests, and even had an idea approved as a set! What inspired you to build your own creations? Although, like your stereotypical artist, I do enjoy recreating things that people have seen, being able to convey emotions with images, and to express my creativity through the medium of my choice (Bricks). The thing that really drives me is new techniques and ways to connect bricks being put into action. When I sit down with a bucket of bricks, I immediately start trying to come up with a parts connection that is new, or a pattern that hasn’t been seen before. And when I sit down to build I try to combine all of those ideas, to prove to myself and the world, that they can be applied in ways which were previously not thought possible.
Tell me about your Pikachu diorama—what prompted you to build the dio? How long did it take to complete? What was the hardest part about it? I was prompted by an image I had set as my computer wallpaper for a few years, that was done by an illustrator. It took just under three weeks to complete. However, I had been theorizing about this build for over a year-and-a-half now. I had built the round ball in grey, and bricklinked the necessary hinges for the white and red about a year ago. Then I completed the outside frame, floor, and inside arches in a couple of days about eight months ago, after my Iron Builder round. Then sadly with school, I was only finally able to complete the build this summer, just in time to take to Brickworld Chicago. The hardest part by far was the wall, which is made up of 1x2 jumper plates. All of them are angled very slightly to create the curve, and held in at the ends.
Any advice for beginning builders? I think one thing that most up-and-coming builders lack is a knowledge of what has been built in the past. How are they expected to innovate, and improve upon the ideas that other builders have made, if they don’t know what those ideas are? Therefore, I think that the best thing a new builder can do is take some long leisurely strolls through other builders’ photostreams, the Brothers Brick archives, and many other places. This way they can get a sense of what has been done before in MOCs, and start innovating with their own ideas.
A look at the diorama under construction.
Additionally, if there is a single particular builder that you look up to, I suggest literally copying brick by brick one or two of his builds. Now I don’t mean copy exactly and post just under your own name, but rather treat copying someone else’s build as an exercise of picking their brain, and getting into their head to discover some of their thought processes better than you would have had by simply looking at the build. A look behind the curved wall, showing the parts needed to keep the plates supported.
You can see more of Grant’s work at his Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/93970753@N05/with/41825769785/ or you can scan the QR code here!
Mario‘s Question Box Design and Instructions by Tommy Williamson
About this issue’s model:
I know we’ve seen this built a million times, but I’ve never built one. Besides, there’s some fairly new tiles that I thought would work well, and I’m a big Nintendo fan, so here it is, the Question Cube! It’s an 8-bit classic, and you never know what you’re going to get when Mario bashes them (okay, you know exactly what you’re going to get; you’ve played this level 128 times and still haven’t gotten past that stupid Goomba). Try and build this and not have the theme song in your head—I dare you!
Parts List
(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Part Color 4 25269.dat White 12 27263.dat White 12 24 12 24
30039.dat White 2431.dat Yellow 3069b.dat Yellow 3794a.dat Yellow
8 16 20
30039.dat Yellow 87079.dat Yellow 87580.dat Yellow
8
4733.dat
16 6
30039.dat Black 41539.dat Black
38
Black
Description Tile 1 x 1 Corner Round Tile 2 x 2 Corner without Corner Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 4 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Plate 1 x 2 without Groove with 1 Centre Stud Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 2 x 4 with Groove Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on Four Sides Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Plate 8 x 8
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.
39
40
41
42
43
You Can Build It MINI Model
Knights of the Old Republic
MINI Thranta Class Corvette Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck Hello everybody and welcome back to our ongoing minimodel building series! I am glad to join again in this exciting issue which is all about video games. Video games can be found throughout all genres, so science-fiction and Star Wars in particular are no exception. One of the most popular and exhaustively developed and worked-out video games of recent years is Knights of the Old Republic, a part of the Star Wars universe which is set around four millennia before the classic Star Wars trilogy. It is full of new characters, locations and vehicles, and thus also a new playground for us as mini model builders. A common starship from Knights of the Old Republic is the Thranta-class corvette, a mid-sized capital ship used by the Republic Navy. Not only the orange/gray color scheme remind us to corvettes of newer days, but also the remarkable hammerhead-style. A similar corvette, the Sphyrna-class corvette, is used thousands of years later by the Rebel Alliance. It can be seen in the Star Wars Rebels animated TV series as well as in the Rogue One spin-off movie. You can find building instructions for the latter one in BrickJournal #48 from November 2017. Back to the Thranta-class corvette, the most tricky and interesting part of the ship is its engine block. It consists of two cross-shaped sub models which are geared into each other. I am sure you will have fun building this model. Keep on building, and see you next time!
Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Thranta Corvette Front and Middle Qty Color
Part
Description
2
Light-Bluish-Gray 4070.dat
1
Light-Bluish-Gray 52107.dat Brick 1 x 2 with Studs on Sides
2 3 1 1 2 1 3 2 4 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 1 2 1
Dark-Bluish-Gray 4733.dat
Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight
Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on Four Sides
Dark-Bluish-Gray 30162.dat Minifig Binoculars with Round Eyepiece Light-Bluish-Gray 3024.dat
Plate 1 x 1
Orange-Solid
Plate 1 x 1
Dark-Bluish-Gray 3024.dat Trans-Black
3024.dat 3024.dat
Dark-Bluish-Gray 6141.dat Light-Bluish-Gray 3023.dat
Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1
Plate 1 x 1 Round Plate 1 x 2
Light-Bluish-Gray 3794a.dat Plate 1 x 2 without Groove with 1 Centre Stud
Dark-Bluish-Gray 61409.dat Slope Brick 18 2 x 1 x 0.667 Grille Light-Bluish-Gray 3665.dat
Slope Brick 45 2 x 1 Inverted
Dark-Bluish-Gray 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Orange-Solid
93273.dat Slope Brick Curved 4 x 1 Double
Light-Bluish-Gray 92946.dat Slope Plate 45 2 x 1
Light-Bluish-Gray 4599b.dat Tap 1 x 1 without Hole in Spout Dark-Bluish-Gray 6541.dat
Technic Brick 1 x 1 with Hole
Light-Bluish-Gray 32123a.dat Technic Bush 1/2 Smooth with Axle Hole Reduced Light-Bluish-Gray 98138.dat Tile 1 x 1 Round with Groove Orange-Solid
3070b.dat Tile 1 x 1 with Groove
Thranta Corvette Engine Block Qty Color
Description
Dark-Bluish-Gray 4733.dat
Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on Four Sides
6
Light-Bluish-Gray 3024.dat
Plate 1 x 1
4 4 4 4 4 4 4
44
Part
2
4
Dark-Bluish-Gray 3024.dat Trans-Orange
3024.dat
Trans-Orange
3023.dat
Light-Bluish-Gray 3023.dat Orange-Solid
Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 2
54200.dat Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667
Dark-Bluish-Gray 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3070b.dat Tile 1 x 1 with Groove
Light-Bluish-Gray 2412b.dat Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove
45
View Christopher’s webpage by going to www.deckdesigns.de or scanning this QR code!
46
www.brickcoaster.com
Custom Roller Coaster Tracks, Sets and Accessories
Building
Super Mario and Sonic.
There are many LEGO-oriented webpages on YouTube. David Pickett runs the YouTube channel BRICK 101, where he shares videos of his LEGO creations as well as set reviews and animations. One of his longest running series is “How To Build” where he shows step-by-step instructions for his MOCs. Dave is an avid gamer, so many of his MOCs are based on popular video games. He also takes requests for MOCs from his audience, so here’s only a partial portfolio of BRICK 101’s video game characters, with notes from David. There are also instructions to some iconic characters, so enjoy and visit BRICK 101 online for more videos on building!
BRICK 101’s Video Game Characters! Article and Photography by David Pickett
47 47
Fortnite Bus I only played Fortnite once or twice before I realized I am terrible at it. However, I got over 4500 votes from my audience to build something from Fortnite, and I always listen to them, so I hired LEGO builder Mark Larson to design the bus. It’s the most iconic element of the series and I don’t build guns, so the options were limited.
Fortnite Bus.
Kirby.
Sonic and Super Sonic.
48
Kirby Kirby is one of my go-to characters in Smash Bros. I also enjoy the Kirby platformers because they are chill and relaxing. It’s a nice change of pace from the intensity of hardcore games. Making anything in pink is a challenge because the LEGO palette is still very limited. Building a sphere is also a huge challenge. So building a pink sphere is one of the ultimate LEGO challenges. I have wanted to build Kirby for years, but was very intimidated. Handing this off to brickfilmer David Pagano was the right choice. He came up with an ingenious SNOT solution for the core. Team Sonic Growing up, my family had a Sega Genesis, so I played all the original Sonic games to death. I’ve played some of the 3D Sonic games as well, but the 2D ones are where my heart lies. I really enjoyed Sonic Mania. Sonic is a really important build for me because he also represents a big turning point for BRICK 101. I’ve been taking requests for MOCs since 2011, but at first I just kind of did them in the order I received them. In mid2013, I decided to create a spreadsheet of all the requests and keep track of how many people voted for each request, and prioritize the most popular requests. Sonic was the first build I did based on popularity, and it’s one of my most viewed videos of all time with 7.5 million views.
Bowser Bowser is one of the greatest characters of all time. He really deserves his own video game where you just go around smashing things. This design started with his shell. I wanted to get the exact number of spikes onto his shell. Once I designed the shell, the rest grew naturally from there. What’s interesting about Bowser is that his size changes radically from game to game (sometimes even within one game). So this Bowser could be considered minifigure scale for some games and miniland scale for others. I generally like to keep my builds small enough that they are easy to hold in one hand, so this is about as big as I’d want to make Bowser, but I might try to make a smaller version one day.
Bowser.
Different angles of Bowser.
Alysa Kirkpatrick’s Blockheadz Another AFOL whose work has been shown on BRICK 101 is Alysa Kirkpatrick. These are her comments on her creations: “I am a big fan of Pokémon and still actively play the Pokémon video games. When the brickheadz theme first came out, I wanted to build one of the Pokémon trainers from the game to go along with all the Pokémon creations since no one had built the trainers before. I ended up picking Ash as my first one because he is recognizable by both kids and adults. Other people have built Pokémon, or pokéballs, but not that many people had built the trainers, so I wanted to focus on them since they are also the protagonists. My favorite detail to build was Ash’s spiky hair and hat. the hair is very anime-styled and something the brickheadz design can accommodate for, but had not been done in the sets at the time. And the hat is the most iconic item for any Pokémon trainer. Later on, I also built the rest of the original Pokémon team to include Ash, Mist, Brock, and their famous rivals team Rocket.”
Team Rocket.
Brock, Ash and Mist.
49
You Can Build It
Super Mario Brothers’ Mario Design by Dave Pickett Instructions by Joe Meno
Designed by Dave Pickett, this model was made for BRICK 101. As seen above with the minifigure Marios, this model can be changed to Fire Mario by changing the overalls to red and his shirt to white.
Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Color
Part
Description
2
15712.dat
Tile 1 x 1 with Clip (Thick C-Clip)
2 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 4 2
White White White White Red Red Red Red Red Red Red Red
6141.dat
85861.dat
Plate 1 x 1 Round with Open Stud
98138p07.dat Tile 1 x 1 Round with Eye Pattern 2432.dat 3023.dat
3069b.dat 3070b.dat 3176.dat
15573.dat 61252.dat 87087.dat
Reddish Brown 3023.dat
50
Plate 1 x 1 Round
Tile 1 x 2 with Handle Plate 1 x 2
Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Plate 3 x 2 with Hole
Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud
Qty Color
Part
2
Reddish Brown 4070.dat
2
Tan
3023.dat
Tan
6141.dat
2 2 2 1
Reddish Brown 6141.dat Tan Tan
4070.dat 44567.dat
2
Dark Tan
3069b.dat
1
Black
2540.dat
2 1 2 1 2 2 3 1
Yellow Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
6141.dat 3021.dat 3022.dat 3023.dat 3024.dat
3062b.dat 3069b.dat 4032b.dat
Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal (Thick C-Clip)
4
Blue
4274.dat
Plate 1 x 2
2
Blue
15573.dat
Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side
2
Blue
6141.dat
Description
Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight Plate 1 x 1 Round Plate 1 x 2
Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight Plate 1 x 1 Round
Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with Single Finger On Side Vertical Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Plate 1 x 1 Round
Plate 1 x 2 with Handle Plate 2 x 3 Plate 2 x 2 Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 1
Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Plate 2 x 2 Round with Axlehole Type 2 Technic Pin 1/2
Plate 1 x 1 Round
Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud
51
52
LEGO fans: FROM THEBuild PRODUCERS You Can It! OF BRICKJOURNAL: LEGO fans: You Can Build It!
YOU CAN BUILD IT is a new ongoing series of instruction books on the art of LEGO® custom building, from the producers of BRICKJOURNAL magazine! Spinning off 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 theBUILD LEGOITfan BOOK is for YOU CAN is acommunity. new ongoing seriesONE of instruction beginning-to-intermediate instructions ® customwith building, from thefor books on the art of LEGObuilders, custom creations including Miniland figures,Spinning a fire engine, producers of BRICKJOURNAL magazine! off from a tulip, a spacefighter (below), a street plusthese BrickJournal’s popular “You Can Buildvignette, It” column, miniscale modelsbooks from “a farnothing away,”but andSTEP-BYmore! FULL-COLOR aregalaxy loadedfar, with BOOK has even more detailed projects to tackle, STEP TWO INSTRUCTIONS by some of the top custom builders including advanced Miniland figures, a miniscale yellow castle, a deep sea scene, a in the LEGO fan community. mini USS Constitution, and more! So if you’re ready to go beyond the standard LEGO BOOK ONE offers instructions for custom creations sets available in stores and move into custom building with the bricks you already including Miniland figures, a fire engine, a spacefighter this ongoing series will quickly take you from novice to expert builder, teaching (below), a tulip, a street vignette, plus miniscaleown, models you key building techniques along the way! from “a galaxy far, far away,” and more! BOOK TWO has even more custom projects to tackle, including advanced Miniland figures, a miniscale yellow castle, a deep Trade sea scene, a mini USS$9.95 Constitution, and Editions) more! (84-page FULL-COLOR Paperbacks) • (Digital $4.95 So if you’re ready to go beyond the standard LEGO sets available in stores and move into custom building with the bricks you BOTHtechniques BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE! already own, this ongoing series will quickly teach you key building of theARE pros! (Recommended for ages 8 and above)
TwoMorrows—A New Day For LEGO Fandom.
(84-page FULL-COLOR Trade Paperbacks) $9.95 (Digital Editions) $3.95
TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: store@twomorrowspubs.com • Visit us on PARTS the Web at www.twomorrows.com GET ALL THE FOR THE SPACEFIGHTER SET
FROM BOOK ONE FOR ONLY $5.95!
Get both books on minifigure customizing! BRICKJOURNAL columnist JARED K. BURKS’ book MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION: POPULATE YOUR WORLD! shows a wide range of techniques you can use to alter the lovable LEGO® Minifigure. And the sequel, MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION2: WHY LIVE IN THE BOX?, offers even more techniques to alter minifigures! • Virtual customization, and designing decals • Custom part modification and creation • 3-D printing and painting techniques • Lighting with LEDs or EL wire • Ideas on displays and digital photography • Plus a custom gallery with tips & tricks! Don’t live inside the box—populate your world with any alien, superhero, historical, action, horror, or science-fiction figure you can “just imagine”!
(84-page FULL-COLOR Trade Paperbacks) $10.95 (Digital Editions) $4.95
TwoMorrows—A New Day For LEGO Fans!
TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com
You Can Build It
Super Mario Brothers’Yoshi
Design by Kevin Hinkle and Dave Pickett Instructions by Joe Meno This model was made for BRICK 101 by request.
Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Color
Part
Description
1
3022.dat
Plate 2 x 2
3
White
2
White
1 1 2 2 1 1 6
White White White White White White White White
54
2654.dat 3023.dat 3176.dat 3660.dat 6141.dat
15535.dat 15573.dat 18674.dat 87087.dat
Dish 2 x 2
Plate 1 x 2
Plate 3 x 2 with Hole
Slope Brick 45 2 x 2 Inverte Plate 1 x 1 Round
Tile 2 x 2 Round with Hole
Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud
Plate 2 x 2 Round with 1 Centre Stud Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side
Qty Color
Part
Description
2
2555.dat
Tile 1 x 1 with Clip
2
White
1
Red
2 1
Red Red Red
98138p07.dat 3069b.dat 6141.dat
14769.dat
2
Orange
3023.dat
2
Orange
6141.dat
2 2 2 2 2 4 4 1 6 2 2 4 2 1 2 1
Orange Yellow Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green Green
3024.dat 3023.dat 2420.dat 3020.dat 3022.dat 3023.dat
3069b.dat 3660.dat 4070.dat 6091.dat 6141.dat
11477.dat
30039.dat 47458.dat 48336.dat 85984.dat
Tile 1 x 1 Round with Eye Pattern Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Plate 1 x 1 Round
Tile 2 x 2 Round with Round Underside Stud Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 1
Plate 1 x 1 Round Plate 1 x 2
Plate 2 x 2 Corner Plate 2 x 4 Plate 2 x 2 Plate 1 x 2
Tile 1 x 2 with Groove
Slope Brick 45 2 x 2 Inverted Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight
Brick 2 x 1 x 1 & 1/3 with Curved Top Plate 1 x 1 Round
Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Tile 1 x 1 with Groove
Slope Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 2/3 with Fin without Studs Plate 1 x 2 with Handle Type 2
Slope Brick 31 1 x 2 x 0.667 Green
55 55
56
57
ALTER EGO #155
ALTER EGO #156
ALTER EGO #157
RETROFAN #1
RETROFAN #2
Golden Age artist/writer/editor NORMAN MAURER remembered by his wife JOAN, recalling BIRO’s Crime Does Not Pay, Boy Comics, Daredevil, St. John’s 3-D & THREE STOOGES comics with KUBERT, his THREE STOOGES movies (MOE was his father-inlaw!), and work for Marvel, DC, and others! Plus LARRY IVIE’s 1959 plans for a JUSTICE SOCIETY revival, JOHN BROOME, FCA, MR. MONSTER, BILL SCHELLY and more!
All Time Classic Con continued from #148! Panels on Golden Age (CUIDERA, HASEN, SCHWARTZ [LEW & ALVIN], BOLTINOFF, LAMPERT, GILL, FLESSEL) & Silver Age Marvel, DC, & Gold Key (SEVERIN, SINNOTT, AYERS, DRAKE, ANDERSON, FRADON, SIMONSON, GREEN, BOLLE, THOMAS), plus JOHN BROOME, FCA, MR. MONSTER, & BILL SCHELLY! Unused RON WILSON/CHRIS IVY cover!
Interview with JOYE MURCHISON, assistant to Wonder Woman co-creator DR. WILLIAM MARSTON, and WW’s female scriptwriter from 1945-1948! Rare art by H.G. PETER, 1960s DC love comics writer BARBARA FRIEDLANDER, art & anecdotes by ROMITA, COLAN, JAY SCOTT PIKE, INFANTINO, WEISINGER, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, and others! Extra: FCA, JOHN BROOME, MR. MONSTER, & more!
THE CRAZY, COOL CUTURE WE GREW UP WITH! LOU FERRIGNO interview, The Phantom in Hollywood, Filmation’s Star Trek cartoon, “How I Met Lon Chaney, Jr.”, goofy comic Zody the Mod Rob, Mego’s rare Elastic Hulk toy, RetroTravel to Mount Airy, NC (the real-life Mayberry), interview with BETTY LYNN (“Thelma Lou” of The Andy Griffith Show), TOM STEWART’s eclectic House of Collectibles, and Mr. Microphone!
HALLOWEEN! Horror-hosts ZACHERLEY, VAMPIRA, SEYMOUR, MARVIN, and new interview with our cover-featured ELVIRA! THE GROOVIE GOOLIES, BEWITCHED, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, and THE MUNSTERS! The long-buried Dinosaur Land amusement park! History of BEN COOPER HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, character lunchboxes, superhero VIEW-MASTERS, SINDY (the British Barbie), and more!
(100-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Ships Oct. 2018
(100-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Ships Dec. 2018
(100-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Ships Feb. 2019
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!
BACK ISSUE #108
BACK ISSUE #109
BACK ISSUE #110
BACK ISSUE #111
DRAW #35
BRONZE AGE AQUAMAN! Team-ups and merchandise, post-Crisis Aquaman, Aqualad: From Titan to Tempest, Black Manta history, DAVID and MAROTO’s Atlantis Chronicles, the original unseen Aquaman #57, and the unproduced Aquaman animated movie. With APARO, CALAFIORE, MARTIN EGELAND, GIFFEN, GIORDANO, ROBERT LOREN FLEMING, CRAIG HAMILTON, JURGENS, SWAN, and more. ERIC SHANOWER cover!
SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE 40th ANNIVERSARY! CARY BATES’ plans for unfilmed Superman V, ELLIOT S. MAGGIN’s Superman novels, 1975 CARMINE INFANTINO interview about the movie, plus interviews: JACK O’HALLORAN (Non), AARON SMOLINSKI (baby Clark), JEFF EAST (young Clark), DIANE SHERRY CASE (teenage Lana Lang), and Superman Movie Contest winner ED FINNERAN. Chris Reeve Superman cover by GARY FRANK!
MAKE MINE MARVEL! ENGLEHART’s “lost” issues of West Coast Avengers, O’NEIL and INFANTINO’s Marvel work, a WAID/ NOCENTI Daredevil Pro2Pro interview, British Bronze Age Marvel fandom, Pizzazz Magazine, Speedball, Marvel Comics Presents, and backstage at Marvel Comicon ’75 and ’76! With DeFALCO, EDELMAN, KAVANAGH, McDONNELL, WOLFMAN, and cover by MILGROM and MACHLAN.
ALTERNATE REALITIES! Cover-featuring the 20th anniversary of ALEX ROSS and JIM KRUEGER’s Marvel Earth X! Plus: What If?, Bronze Age DC Imaginary Stories, Elseworlds, Marvel 2099, and PETER DAVID and GEORGE PÉREZ’s senses-shattering Hulk: Future Imperfect. Featuring TOM DeFALCO, CHUCK DIXON, PETER B. GILLIS, PAT MILLS, ROY THOMAS, and many more! With an Earth X cover by ALEX ROSS.
Fantasy/sci-fi illustrator DONATO GIANCOLA (Game of Thrones) demos his artistic process, GEORGE PRATT (Enemy Ace: War Idyll, Batman: Harvest Breed) discusses his work as comic book artist, illustrator, fine artist, and teacher, Crusty Critic JAMAR NICHOLAS, JERRY ORDWAY’S regular column, and MIKE MANLEY and BRET BLEVINS’ “Comic Art Bootcamp.” Mature Readers Only.
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships Nov. 2018
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships Jan. 2019
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships March 2019
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!
TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History.
COMIC BOOK CREATOR #18
COMIC BOOK CREATOR #19
KIRBY COLLECTOR #75
KIRBY COLLECTOR #76
Career-spanning discussion with STEVE “THE DUDE” RUDE, as he shares his reallife psychological struggles, the challenges of freelance subsistence, and his creative aspirations. Also: The jungle art of NEAL ADAMS, MARY FLEENER on her forthcoming graphic novel Billie the Bee and her comix career, RICH BUCKLER interview Part Three, Golden Age artist FRANK BORTH, HEMBECK and more!
Celebrating the greatest fantasy artist of all time, FRANK FRAZETTA! From THUN’DA and EC COMICS to CREEPY, EERIE, and VAMPIRELLA, STEVE RINGGENBERG and CBC’s editor present an historical retrospective, including insights by current creators and associates, and memories of the man himself. PLUS: Frazetta-inspired artists JOE JUSKO, and TOM GRINDBERG, who contributes our Death Dealer cover painting!
KIRBY & LEE: STUF’ SAID! The creators of the Marvel Universe’s own words, in chronological order, from fanzine, magazine, radio, and TV interviews, painting a picture of JACK KIRBY and STAN LEE’s relationship—why it succeeded, where it deteriorated, and when it eventually failed. Includes a study of their solo careers after 1970, and recollections from STEVE DITKO, WALLACE WOOD, & JOHN ROMITA SR.
FATHERS & SONS! Odin/Thor, Zeus/ Hercules, Darkseid/Orion, Captain America/ Bucky, and other dysfunctional relationships, unpublished 1994 interview with GIL KANE eulogizing Kirby, tributes from Jack’s creative “sons” in comics (MUMY, PALMIOTTI, QUESADA, VALENTINO, McFARLANE, GAIMAN, & MILLER), MARK EVANIER, 2018 Kirby Tribute Panel, Kirby pencil art gallery, and more!
(100-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!
(100-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Ships Winter 2019
(160-page trade paperback) $24.95 (Digital Edition) $11.95 • Ships Fall 2018
(100-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $5.95 • Ships Winter 2019
TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:
store@twomorrows.com
Order at twomorrows.com
You Can Build It
Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Color
Part
Description
1
4070.dat
Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight
2
White
4
White
2
Red
1
Red
5 1 1 4 4 2 4 2 2 5 1 4 1
Red
Trans Red
Brick 2 x 3
3024.dat
Plate 1 x 1
3023.dat 6141.dat
15712.dat 58176.dat
Reddish Brown 3023.dat Reddish Brown 6141.dat Yellow
2540.dat
Yellow
85861.dat
Yellow Black Black Black Black Black
6141.dat 3021.dat 3023.dat 3024.dat
3069b.dat 15573.dat
2
Black
61252.dat
1
Black
87087.dat
2
Lt Bluish Grey
2420.dat
2 1 1 1 1 4 2 1
Black
Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey
60897.dat
2357.dat 2432.dat 3001.dat 3004.dat 3021.dat 3022.dat 3024.dat
3062b.dat 11211.dat
2
Lt Bluish Grey
15068.dat
1
Lt Bluish Grey
48336.dat
2 2 1
Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey Lt Bluish Grey
30414.dat 54200.dat 60474.dat
1
Lt Bluish Grey
60897.dat
1
Lt Bluish Grey
87087.dat
Lt Bluish Grey
Plate 1 x 1 Round
3002.dat
48336.dat
3
60
Red
Plate 1 x 2
14769p01.dat Tile 2 x 2 Round with Round Underside Stud and Black Eye Pattern
Black
1
I really wish Cuphead was available on PS4 or Switch. I don’t have an XBox and I don’t enjoy playing games on my laptop. The art style for this game is so phenomenal and it looks right up my alley. In the meantime I’ll have to settle for building Cuphead and Mugman out of LEGO bricks. This build actually came about because of a partnership I did with the short-lived brickly app. Users on the app were able to determine my next build. I always take requests into account when selecting what to build next, but this really stood out because the voting pool was much smaller. I think there were only 30-some votes total, and Cuphead won with just four votes.
Red
6141.dat
2 2
Design by Dave Pickett Instructions by Joe Meno
White
1 2
Cuphead
White
3023.dat
93273.dat
Plate 1 x 2
Plate 1 x 1 Round
Tile 1 x 1 with Clip (Thick C-Clip)
Cylinder Domed 1x 1 x 1.667 with Bar Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 1
Plate 1 x 2 with Handle Plate 1 x 1 Round
Plate 1 x 1 Round with Open Stud Plate 2 x 3 Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 1
Tile 1 x 2 with Groove
Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Plate 1 x 2 with Handle Type 2 Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Vertical (Thick C-Clip)
Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal (Thick C-Clip) Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side Brick 2 x 2 Corner Plate 2 x 2 Corner
Tile 1 x 2 with Handle Brick 2 x 4 Brick 1 x 2 Plate 2 x 3 Plate 2 x 2 Plate 1 x 1
Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud Brick 1 x 2 with Two Studs on One Side Slope Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 0.667 Brick 1 x 4 with Studs on Side
Plate 1 x 2 with Handle Type 2 Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667
Plate 4 x 4 Round with Hole and Snapstud
Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Vertical (Thick C-Clip) Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side
Slope Brick Curved 4 x 1 Double
61
62
63
64
Don’t STEAL our Digital Editions! C’mon citizen, DO THE RIGHT THING! A Mom & Pop publisher like us needs every sale just to survive! DON’T DOWNLOAD OR READ ILLEGAL COPIES ONLINE! Buy affordable, legal downloads only at
www.twomorrows.com or through our Apple and Google Apps!
& DON’T SHARE THEM WITH FRIENDS OR POST THEM ONLINE. Help us keep producing great publications like this one!
65
Building Minifig Customization 101
Article and Photography by Jared K. Burks
Creating the Characters of
Dear Laika Studios, My family and I have enjoyed several of your films without knowing of your central involvement. Specifically we enjoyed Kubo and the Two Strings and The Boxtrolls. Recently I was introduced to Coraline (for this project) and enjoyed it as well. A mutual friend introduced me to Holly Webster (one of your digital visual effects artists), who was looking for help with her LEGO Ideas project [see page 71] to create the characters from Coraline. I dove into the film, its inspiration and the characters. I crawled over the extended footage (per Holly’s direction), and discovered the inspiration and artistic vision of the film. I also found great similarities behind what I do with LEGO figures and how Laika creates the film’s puppets. Therefore, for this issue of BrickJournal I thought a letter to the studio about how I created these figures would be enjoyed.
66
For those that have not seen the film, Google’s synopsis of the film follows: While exploring her new home, a girl named Coraline (Dakota Fanning) discovers a secret door, behind which lies an alternate world that closely mirrors her own but, in many ways, is better. She rejoices in her discovery, until Other Mother (Teri Hatcher) and the rest of her parallel family try to keep her there forever. Coraline must use all her resources and bravery to make it back to her own family and life. For Holly’s LEGO Ideas Project titled Coraline’s Pink Palace Apartments (https:// ideas.lego.com/projects/e923271e-078a-4e21-8847-906d0453875d) I started creating the central characters for the film. Holly supplied some reference materials for the characters as well as her base designs, and I started working on how to create physical LEGO figures. Surprisingly, Coraline was the last figure I created, and while the simplest, gave me the most difficulty. I create most of my work with waterslide decals, similar to those found in model cars and planes. I create my own vector art in Corel Draw and print the decals using a micro-dry printer. This printer affords me several specialty inks, three of which I used on this project: white, metallic gold, and metallic cyan. Brasso brass polish, a micro-abrasive, was used to remove the printing from the needed LEGO elements. Once the LEGO elements are cleared of printing and the decals are printed, they are dipped in water to release from the backing paper. This allows the decal to slide off the backing and on to the LEGO element. This central application concept is how all of the art is transferred onto the figures. These decals are then protected through the application of a UV resistant clear gloss acrylic paint. Characters Created: • Coraline • Other Wybie • Other Mother • Other Father • Other Bobinsky • Coraline’s Doll • Cat
Holly emphasized the need for a detailed and recognizable button for the Other Worlders’ eyes. Therefore, I started with a button study to understand the level of detail possible and still resemble buttons, or this project was over before it began. This pushed the limits of my printer’s resolution. The button study helped me avoid the trap of vector art and create resolution that is not possible to print. Once this study concluded, I was pleased with the level of detail created and the easily recognizable nature of the buttons; this allowed me to take the designs Holly had created and go to the next stage: listing what needed to be done for each character.
Button test.
Other Mother:
Other Father:
Wybie:
Custom Design Decals drawn to LEGO standard altered from Holly’s work
Custom Design Decals drawn to LEGO standard from scratch
Custom Design Decals drawn to LEGO standard inspired by LEGO Firefighter
Clarified Garment Colors as Dark Grey
Altered Part Color based on Henry Selick’s Behind the Scenes
Child characters required stubbies to follow Laika’s Vertical Character Nature
Critical Monkey Slippers
Custom template created for Welding Helmet
Added Apron Details and Corrected Pocket Design Acquired Rare Friends’ Hair Piece
Features Medusa’s Hair, primed and painted brown Played with Wybie’s Motorized Bicycle
Cat: VHT Vinyl Dyed a Grey Cat Black Custom Design Decals drawn to LEGO standard from scratch
Mr. Bobinsky:
Coraline:
Custom Design Decals drawn to LEGO standard from scratch
Custom Design Decals drawn to LEGO standard from scratch with inspiration from LEGO design
The Vertical Character of the Film, requires Woody’s Legs and Arms VHT Vinyl Dyed Legs and Arms for better wear Masked Joints Needed a Blue Mustache Primed and Painted with Enamel (CAUTION) Penguin’s Black Top Hat Joker’s Purple Cloth tails Blue Head Needs MANY of the New CMS Mice (Elephant Girl)
Needs uniform Yellow Hood, Torso, Arms, Legs, and Doll Requires Vinyl Dye of all parts for matching (brighter than regular LEGO as this is Other World Coraline Coraline needs Hood from Wyldstyle and Satchel from Indiana Jones (she is one cool character Coraline Needs same Rare Hair as Other Mother Needs to be painted Blue – Primed and Painted
Coraline’s Doll: Complicated bit, Holly liked the size and shape of body of the LEGO Teddy Bear Sanded and removed nose from bear Primed Body and Vinyl dyed everything but hands and head Custom Design Decals drawn to LEGO standard from scratch for bear’s stomach, back and legs Replicating Coraline’s Rain Coat, Shirt, Boots, and Hood. Brush Painted the Doll’s Head/ Hair Darker Blue and Dry Brushed a Lighter Blue to replicate Yarn Hair Alternative Creation: LEGO Minifigure Trophy
67
Interesting bits from the creation of these figures: Other Mother
Other Father
I began by working on Other Mother. Holly had a good start on the design, but as I was watching the film, I kept deviating from the outfit colors Holly had selected; as she had used an allblack torso. This lead to some family strife as I challenged this notion, and Holly had discussions with her husband who also thought the torso should be black; but upon reflection, they both agreed on film, it was dark grey.
The Other Mother design led into the Other Father design, which brought color discussions back to the forefront. After watching director Henry Selick’s behind-the-scenes footage, I concluded that Other Father was a LEGO orange-based figure. This is because, as Mr. Selick explained, the Other world is based on work by a famous Japanese Illustrator who uses bold/wild colors, whereas the “real” world is portrayed in delicate/muted use of color. This is one of the reasons that Coraline’s Other realm is perfectly suited for the vibrancy of LEGO.
Mr. Bobinsky
Cat
After Wybie, I dove into the character I had the most fun creating, Mr. Bobinsky. He has a mouse circus and while I would have loved to have 10-15 of the mice from the CMS, this was beyond my budget for this project. I created these designs from scratch as Holly had been using an official LEGO torso for this character. Bobinsky also needed a blue mustache, which would need to be painted, and I only had an enamel rattle can handy for this shade of blue. I must caution the use of enamels, as they are just more prone to issues from my experience when applied to plastic (or during massive rainstorms, which plagued this whole 68 project).
Wybie
From Other Father I tore into Wybie, Coraline’s friend. This is where I also deviated from Holly’s inspiration and used shorter “stubbie” legs. Laika has a feel to its films that became apparent after realizing Laika had made them all. There is a vertical nature to the characters, be that Eggs from Boxtrolls, Beetle in Kubo, or Bobinsky in Coraline. This very tall group would only seem appropriate if the shortest cast members were actually shorter than the average cast members were. This means Wybie and Coraline would need to be appropriately shorter than the Other Parents, who by comparison would be shorter than Bobinsky. Wybie also wears a specialized welding helmet and has a unique electric powered motorized bicycle.
For those who have seen the film, the character of Cat is an interesting ally to Coraline. He is a stray black cat with piercing blue eyes and an oddly shaped nose. I used the scene in the film where Cat wakes Coraline from sleep to capture his eyes and nose. Cat is the simplest character I created, but I believe one of the better as I used a metallic cyan for his piercing blue eyes.
Don’t miss Jared K. Burks’ two books Minifigure Customization: Populate Your World! and its sequel Minifigure Customization: Why Live In The Box? (available now at www.twomorrows.com)
Coraline
Coraline’s Doll
After all the above were created, I was forced to face the two remaining and most difficult of characters (not because of the character designs, but because of the parts required). Coraline is featured in a yellow hooded raincoat with a satchel bag. This meant using the LEGO hood (Wyldstyle’s folded down hood), which is blue and the need for stubbies (short legs) in yellow. I discussed the use of stubbies with Holly, who was concerned that the short legs would restrict the ability to pose and animate. This wouldn’t be cool for a set based on an animated film. This concern vanished with the introduction of the new “medium” legs being released with the new Harry Potter minifigures. As LEGO doesn’t make the hood in yellow, nor do they make stubbies in yellow, I was faced with a difficult decision. If Coraline’s rain boots, hood, and jacket were three different colors, the figure would look oddly inconsistent. This meant the only way to achieve the needed color was to paint the parts. I had blue hoods on hand, which I primed white, and I used tan torso and short legs. I again used vinyl dye for the more hardwearing finish as the dye penetrates and bonds with the plastic. This lead to a brighter yellow than normal LEGO yellow, but I find this consistent with the nature of the “Other World.” Coraline has blue hair, which again was a challenge, as I only had an enamel paint in this proper color, and this Friends hairpiece is the softer LEGO material. This meant that getting paint to bond was a challenge; the hair was originally black and I needed it to be a bright vibrant blue, so I had to prime the part as well. I will caution everyone, do not get ahead of oneself. I quickly assembled the figures before clear coating the hairpieces and paid the price as the blue enamel paint rubbed off on to the hoods and heads. Allow your paint to completely dry; it isn’t vinyl dye and accumulates on the surface. Be patient! I hope that I have corrected my error well enough to conceal it; I point it out for all to learn.
This leads to the final character, Coraline’s doll. Coraline’s doll is supposed to look exactly like her. This is a challenge. I believe the minifigure trophy part would be the easiest to use, but Holly preferred the LEGO Teddy Bear. Digitally she has merely altered the look, but if I applied a face decal over the bear nose, the shift outwards would have skewed the perspective. So I altered the bear by removing the nose. I gently sanded away the nose. This is where I altered things a bit; I did not change the skin tone of the bear. I do not have paint of this color and worried normal paint would be easily damaged, so I left the hands and face the base element color of the bear (Medium Dark Flesh). This is an inaccuracy, as the bear should be flight flesh, just as Coraline is, but if the Coraline minifigure has the bear’s hand placed in hers, the paint would rub off with repetitive actions; thus some decisions are based on necessity. If time had permitted, I would have molded and cast this part in the correct color.
Through this project I also created the gift box and Wybie’s bicycle. The bicycle is almost entirely unmodified LEGO elements except for the horn. The gift box I am less inclined to show in this letter, as I don’t want to reveal this particular plot twist. Holly will have the box and I will let her reveal it at Bricks by the Bay. Here’s the original concept art.
69
The completed cast.
View Jared’s webpage at http://www.fineclonier.com/ or scan this QR code!
For those non-Laika employees reading this rambling detailed letter of how I created these figures, go watch the film—it is on Netflix—and then please back Holly’s LEGO Ideas project. It is an amazingly detailed pink house.
Thank you Laika for giving us the inspiration you breathed into Coraline’s amazingly detailed world(s). As an artisan, I am amazed at the technologies you employ and the details you achieve in your films. The behind-the-scenes footage from your films represents a treasure-trove of knowledge on how your films and puppets are created, but I would like to encourage you to have your artist and crafts people write a book about the special tricks they use to create these lovely puppets. Many of these people have discovered unique technical skills; please encourage them to share their knowledge. For example, I am still stuck (no pun intended) on the concept of dipping your 3-D printed puppet faces in a bath of superglue. I can only assume this creates a matte, smooth, and very hard and strong surface to the parts, but I want to know so much more about this small technique and so many more. Wandering your studio for a few days, chatting with your various artists, would reveal a treasure trove of techniques. I hope these figures I have created of your characters lives up to your standards and captures them appropriately. While you have many people work for months on a single puppet, I created these seven characters (14 in total, two sets: One is headed to Comic-Con for the Laika Exhibit and the other is going to Bricks by the Bay with Holly) in 18 days from start to end, all while maintaining my normal job and family life. I lost a bit of sleep, but I enjoyed the journey into your worlds.
BrickJournal #50 is a double-size special in book format! Don’t miss this landmark edition, celebrating over a decade as the premier publication for LEGO® fans! (144-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $7.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-082-3
Order now at: http://bit.ly/Brickjournal50
Holly Webster caught the public’s eye with her rendition of the Coraline’s Pink Palace, which has been submitted to the LEGO IDEAS website for public support. When her set reaches 10,000 voters, it will be placed into review as an official LEGO set. BrickJournal talked to her about her model, why she built it, and what she does. BrickJournal: What do you do with LEGO? Holly Webster: I’ve been a long-time collector for the most part. I love setting up scenes and placing figures throughout, often rotating out the themes. I customize and free build sometimes too, but not as often as I would like. I tend to design things digitally first before getting carried away with building a MOC, and of course I spend time building with my kids as well. When did you come out of your Dark Age? I didn’t have much of a Dark Age. My LEGO sets and bricks were my favorite toys when I was little and I still have all of them. I don’t recall building much in my teenage years, but I started buying sets every now and then in college as the Star Wars sets were being released, and it has ever increasingly spiraled out of control, especially after having kids.
Coraline’s Pink Palace, with minifigures!
Holly Webster’s LEGO Idea! Article by Jared Burks Photography by Holly Webster
71
A glance at the interiors.
The building in daytime (above) and night (below).
Why did you want to create Coraline’s Pink Palace? The house from Coraline is one of the most iconic images associated with our films. I was working at Laika during the production of Coraline, though working on a different film project. I was fortunate enough to see Coraline’s house on set as it was being filmed. A friend was giving me a tour and introducing me to some of the awesome animators. He pulled back the curtain, and there was this giant dollhouse up on a platform, in front of a starry backdrop, beautifully illuminated with a bunch of handmade little lights. It was breath-taking. That image has stuck with me all these years. I don’t think it was long after that I considered recreating the house in LEGO. So next year, 2019, will be Coraline’s 10-year anniversary! Not only are we excited to celebrate our flagship film, but our fifth film, Missing Link, will be released in theaters next year on April 19th. I’ve submitted the concept to the LEGO Product Ideas website to gather fan support in trying to get the set into production. LEGO and LAIKA are a perfect combination; it makes sense that anyone who enjoys the art of model construction and breathing life into their figures should appreciate a LAIKA crossover. How does Laika create the animated films? What do you do for Laika? I’m a digital visual effects artist. That’s right, in addition to our incredible practical departments, such as puppets, model shop, or landscape, we have digital departments as well. We have what we refer to as a hybrid animation process that blends live action stop-motion animation with computer generated objects and images. “Miniature” sets and puppets are fabricated and stop-motion animators move and photograph the puppets frame by frame, much of which is in front of green screens. Extending the sets digitally allows us to create more expansive worlds and adds visual detail to the stories. Visual effects are also used for elements such as smoke, fog, and water that are then composited with the live action footage. My job is to create digital assets. I model, paint, surface, and help develop the look of the objects and characters, making sure that they match the style of the film and integrate seamlessly with the practical elements. How are the characters created? How do you contribute to the worlds that they live in? The puppets are a collaboration of many different components and built in different sections, each requiring about thirty different people working on them. They are initially hand-sculpted and then cast into a mold. The armature, which is the puppet’s skeleton, is created and then silicone is cast over it in the mold. They then have very intricate costumes designed and fabricated for them, complete with their own armature. Our heads are created with Rapid Prototyping technology. The heads are sculpted, scanned, remodeled, painted and facial expressions animated digitally, also with parts for armature, then 3-D Printed in color with different sections for the upper eye and lower mouth shapes. The heads have armature for holding all the various parts in place including the face pieces, which are also 3-D printed, and are held with magnets and mechanisms for moving the eyes. Hair is then added, using an assortment of stiff, posable materials. Some paint work is done all around, adjustments made, and it’s then handed off to the animators.
72
I recreate this process, though in a very different manner, digitally for background characters. I create heads, bodies, hair, and costumes to match the look of the practical puppets, as well as build environments to accommodate them. The village in Kubo and the Two Strings is a good example of where a lot of digital characters and set extensions were needed to make it feel like a big,
On display with the real movie house set.
busy village. If the practical departments had to create everything you see there, they’d probably still be working on that film. Are there any other techniques that Laika uses that may be applicable to LEGO? One of the most interesting and fun things about working at Laika is trying to figure out how things are made. When you start looking at things closely, you start to notice how individual parts and pieces, sometimes random household objects even, come together to make these amazing creations and crazy contraptions. We blend old school techniques and modern technology to achieve a certain look, but that is ultimately to tell a story. I find this all very familiar in the LEGO world. What is obviously different about our movie-making process is that we are using many different kinds of materials and are not limited to ABS. But constructing with LEGO is often used as a form of art to tell a story. You can also build LEGO scenes and animate your minifigures, in which case the process would be somewhat similar. You come up with an idea, write a story, storyboard if possible, research and find lots of reference. Then figure out your layout, build a stage, setup some lights, place your camera, assemble some minifigures, block your timing, animate and record each frame, add rigs as needed, record some audio, remove the rigs in post, add some effects, fix everything in post, edit it all together, and you basically have something similar to what we make at LAIKA.
If you want to see this be considered for production as an official LEGO set, you can submit your vote at: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/e923271e078a-4e21-8847-906d0453875d or you can scan the QR code below!
Note: You must have a LEGO.com account to vote.
73
Don’t just read BrickJournal —
BUILD WITH IT!
Designed by BrickJournal’s Editor-in-Chief JOE MENO, these custom sets are inspired by the themes and builders featured in this magazine! Find out about these sets and upcoming designs at: www.brickjournal.com/sets
Microscale Space Shuttle with Base: 50 pcs. $10 Mini EV3 set: 106 pcs. $25
Y-bot Mark I: 38 pcs. $7 Custom watercolor commissions: $100 Prints: $15 Lucky Dog: 57 pcs. $12 Minecreep: 75 pcs. $15
Building Sets
Microscale AH-64 Apache Copter: 103 pcs. $20
Order at: www.brickjournal.com/sets
These are not LEGO® products. They 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.
20 LO 18 CK RA -IN TE S!
SUBSCRIBE TO BRICKJOURNAL GET THE NEXT SIX PRINT ISSUES PLUS FREE DIGITAL EDITIONS! o $60 Economy US Postpaid o $72 Expedited US (faster delivery) o $94 International o $24 Digital Editions Only
NEXT ISSUE: BRICKJOURNAL #54
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY: A covert Dossier on Taiwan’s HSINWEI CHI and his revolutionary LEGO animals and giant robots! We also declassify other top builders’ creations, including MICHAEL BROWN’s colossal Technic-scale F-18 Hornet! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
Name: Address: City/Province: State: Country (if not USA): E-mail address:
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships November 2018
ORDER EACH NEW ISSUE AT AMAZON.COM OR SUBSCRIBE & SAVE!
BRICKJOURNAL #52
BRICKJOURNAL #51
Zip Code:
(for free digital editions)
TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 Order at: www.twomorrows.com • Phone: 919-449-0344
BRICKJOURNAL #50
BRICKJOURNAL #49
BRICKJOURNAL #48
LEGO SCULPTURE ’ROUND THE WORLD! Russian builder TIMOFEY TKACHEV, plus what it takes to become a LEGO Certified Professional (an elite group of builders officially recognized by LEGO), with New York’s SEAN KENNEY and Australian RYAN McNAUGHT! Also: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
STEAMPUNK, with guest editor and builder GUY HIMBER! PAUL HETHERINGTON talks about his cover model “Unchain My Heart,” ROD GILLIES and his latest Steampunk work, and a look at the creations of other top Steampunk builders! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
Special double-size BOOK! Photo editor GEOFF GRAY talks to JOE MENO about the beginnings of BrickJournal, TORMOD ASKILDSEN of the LEGO GROUP interviewed, how the fan community has grown in 10 years, and the best builders of the past 50 issues! Plus: Minifigure customizing with JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
40th ANNIVERSARY OF LEGO TECHNIC! GEOFF GRAY explores Technic history, JOE MENO interviews former LEGO Set Designer SØREN HOLM about the classic Technic Space Shuttle, MICHAEL BROWN shows off his Technic-scale AH-64, and more! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
THE WORLD OF LEGO MECHA! Learn the secrets and tricks of building mechs with some of the best mecca builders in the world! Interviews with BENJAMIN CHEH, KELVIN LOW, LU SIM, FREDDY TAM, DAVID LIU, and SAM CHEUNG! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(144-page FULL-COLOR book) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $7.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
BRICKJOURNAL #47
BRICKJOURNAL #46
BRICKJOURNAL #45
BRICKJOURNAL #44
BRICKJOURNAL #43
LEGO GOES UNDERSEA! Builder MITSURU NIKAIDO shows us his undersea creatures and organic builds! Then jump aboard MARCELLO DeCICCO’s minifigure-scale warships! And see amazing architectural creations by PEDRO NASCIMENTO! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
LEGO TRAINS! Spotlight on train builder CALE LEIPHART, a look at the train layouts and models from the PENNSYLVANIA LEGO Users Group (PENNLug), BRICK MODEL RAILROADER (a new LEGO Train fan website that launched this year), and more locomotive action! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
FEMALE LEGO BUILDERS! US Architectural builder ANURADHA PEHRSON, British Microscale builder FERNANDA RIMINI, US Bionicle builder BREANN SLEDGE, and Norwegian Town builder BIRGITTE JONSGARD discuss their work and inspirations! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
THEME PARK ISSUE! ERIK JONES’ custom LEGO version of Cinderella Castle, STÉPHANE DELY’s Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle, and JOHN RUDY’s brick-built versions of your favorite theme park rides! Plus: Step-by step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons and more!
LEGO GAMING! IMAGINE RIGNEY’s Bioshock builds, NICK JENSEN’s 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: “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, MINDSTORMS robotics and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
BRICKJOURNAL #42
BRICKJOURNAL #41
BRICKJOURNAL #40
BRICKJOURNAL #39
BRICKJOURNAL #38
LEGO EDUCATION! See how schools and AFOLs build with the new WeDo, FIRST LEGO LEAGUE’s 2016 season explored (with national competitions at LEGOLand California), and robotics builders the Seshan Brothers take LEGO MINDSTORMS to the next level! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
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-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd Pop Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
BRICKJOURNAL #37
BRICKJOURNAL #36
BRICKJOURNAL #35
BRICKJOURNAL #34
BRICKJOURNAL #33
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, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
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, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, other looks at MINDSTORMS building, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
BRICKJOURNAL #32
BRICKJOURNAL #31
BRICKJOURNAL #30
BRICKJOURNAL #29
BRICKJOURNAL #28
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!
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, shop-talk with LEGO Technic designers, and more surprises to keep your creations moving at top speed! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, stepby-step “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!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
BRICKJOURNAL #27
BRICKJOURNAL #26
BRICKJOURNAL #25
BRICKJOURNAL #24
BRICKJOURNAL #23
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!
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-bystep “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!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
BRICKJOURNAL #22
BRICKJOURNAL #21
BRICKJOURNAL #20
BRICKJOURNAL #19
BRICKJOURNAL #18
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!
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!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
TwoMorrows. BRICKJOURNAL #17
BRICKJOURNAL #15
BRICKJOURNAL #13
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!
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!
EVENT ISSUE with reports from the BRICKMAGIC 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, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions, spotlights on builders and their work, and more!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95
BRICKJOURNAL #12
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, MINIFIG 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) $4.95
TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:
store@twomorrows.com
Order at twomorrows.com
Community Ads
FOR SALE!
ORIGINAL MINIFIGURE COMIC BOOK COVER REPRODUCTIONS by GREG HYLAND
Commission LEGO™ illustrator, Greg Hyland, to draw a full-size, production-quality recreation of any Marvel or DC comic book cover using LEGO™ Minifigures!
STAR WARS #7
Artwork will be a black & white ink drawing on 11”x17” comic book illustration board. Art will include paste-up cover copy, logos, and trade dress. Email greg@lethargiclad.com for |NCREDIBLE HULK #181 information on pricing and timeframe.
Last Word So I went to an event: BrickSlopes in Orem, Utah! It’s a very nice convention in a very nice place! I met so many new friends there that it was sorta like going to one of the early conventions I frequented in the early 2000s. I was keynote speaker for them, and I spoke of what we can do as a community and as individuals for the greater community. Whether we know it or not, we can do a lot to help our fellow man using the brick. An event to me is an immense talent pool, not only of builders but of many other skills... we should start applying those skills outwards. I think I made my point, and the Q and A afterwards swung off toward the history of this magazine and other things I have done. Which brings me to this picture. Bryan Pilati and his wife showed off the stuff they got from BrickFest 2006—an event I coordinated! BrickFest was one of the inspirations for BrickSlopes, and Bryan wanted a pic with me. So there it is. And that was a fun (but exhausting) event. Hopefully this issue will inspire you to build something new! Til next issue, BrickFest WHAT?!? I feel old.
That Joe Meno Guy
by Kevin Hinkle
80
Next Issue: AFOLs by Greg Hyland
POP CULTURE BOOKS FROM TWOMORROWS MONSTER MASH:
The Creepy, Kooky Monster Craze In America, 1957-1972 Time-trip back to the frightening era of 1957-1972, when monsters stomped into the American mainstream! Once Frankenstein and fiends infiltrated TV in 1957, an avalanche of monster magazines, toys, games, trading cards, and comic books crashed upon an unsuspecting public. This profusely illustrated full-color hardcover covers that creepy, kooky Monster Craze through features on FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine, the #1 hit “Monster Mash,” Aurora’s model kits, TV shows (SHOCK THEATRE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE MUNSTERS, and DARK SHADOWS), “MARS ATTACKS” trading cards, EERIE PUBLICATIONS, PLANET OF THE APES, and more! It features interviews with JAMES WARREN (Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella magazines), FORREST J ACKERMAN (Famous Monsters of Filmland), JOHN ASTIN (The Addams Family), AL LEWIS (The Munsters), JONATHAN FRID (Dark Shadows), GEORGE BARRIS (monster car customizer), ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH (Rat Fink), BOBBY (BORIS) PICKETT (Monster Mash singer/ songwriter) and others, with a Foreword by TV horror host ZACHERLEY, the “Cool Ghoul.” Written by MARK VOGER. (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $11.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-064-9
GROOVY: When Flower Power Bloomed In Pop Culture
A psychedelic look at ‘60s era’s ROCK FESTIVALS, TV, MOVIES, ART, COMICS & CARTOONS! Written by MARK VOGER.
All characters TM & © their respective owners.
(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-080-9
COMIC BOOK FEVER
HERO-A-GO-GO!
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!
MICHAEL EURY looks at comics’ CAMP AGE, when spies liked their wars cold and their women warm, and TV’s Batman shook a mean cape!
(240-page FULL-COLOR paperback) $34.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-063-2
(272-page FULL-COLOR paperback) $36.95 (Digital Edition) $13.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-073-1
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE 48-PAGE CATALOG OF BOOKS AND MAGAZINES: http://bit.ly/TwoCatalog OR CALL OR WRITE, AND WE'LL MAIL YOU A FREE PRINTED COPY!
LOU SCHEIMER
AGE OF TV HEROES
CREATING THE FILMATION GENERATION Biography of the co-founder of Filmation Studios, which for over 25 years brought the Archies, Shazam, Isis, He-Man, and others to TV and film!
Examining the history of the live-action television adventures of everyone’s favorite comic book heroes, featuring the in-depth stories of the shows’ actors and behind-the-scenes players!
(288-page paperback with COLOR) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $14.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-044-1
(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $9.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-010-6
IT CREPT FROM THE TOMB
Digs up the best of FROM THE TOMB (the UK’s preeminent horror comics history magazine): Atomic comics lost to the Cold War, censored British horror comics, the early art of RICHARD CORBEN, Good Girls of a bygone age, TOM SUTTON, DON HECK, LOU MORALES, AL EADEH, BRUCE JONES’ ALIEN WORLDS, HP LOVECRAFT in HEAVY METAL, and more from Atlas, Charlton, Comic Media, DC, EC, Harvey, House of Hammer, Kitchen Sink, Last Gasp, Pacific, Skywald, Warren, and others! (192-page paperback with COLOR) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $10.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-081-6
TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History.
TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA
Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com
All characters TM & © their respe
ctive owners. RetroFan is ™ TwoM
orrows Inc.
Inspired By The SUPER COOL Culture We Grew Up With!
#4: Interviews with the Shazam! TV show’s JOHN (Captain Marvel) DAVEY and MICHAEL (Billy Batson) GRAY, the Green Hornet in Hollywood, remembering monster maker RAY HARRYHAUSEN, the way-out Santa Monica Pacific Ocean Amusement Park, a Star Trek Set Tour, SAM J. JONES on the Spirit movie pilot, British scifi TV classic Thunderbirds, Casper & Richie Rich museum, the King Tut fad, and more! SHIPS MARCH 2019!
NEW!
RETROFAN #3 celebrates the 40th ANNIVERSARY of SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE with an exclusive interview with Superman director RICHARD DONNER! Editor MICHAEL EURY voyages to the bottom of IRWIN ALLEN’s sci-fi universe and Retro Travels to Metropolis, IL, home of the Superman Celebration! ANDY MANGELS dives in to Saturday morning’s undersea adventures of AQUAMAN! ERNEST FARINO flips through monster fanzines of the Sixties and Seventies! The Oddball World of SCOTT SHAW! unravels Marvel’s wackiest product ever: Spider-Man and Hulk toilet paper! SCOTT SAAVEDRA adopts a family of SEA-MONKEYS®! Plus FUNNY FACE beverages and collectibles, a fortress of SUPERMAN AND BATMAN MEMORABILIA, and more fun, fab features! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 • (Digital Edition) $4.95 • SHIPS DECEMBER 2018!
SUBSCRIBE NOW! Four issues: $38 Economy, $63 International, $16 Digital Only
TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History.
TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA
#2 NOW SHIPPING! TV horror-hosts ZACHERLEY, VAMPIRA, SEYMOUR, MARVIN, and cover-featured ELVIRA interview! Groovie Goolies! Creepy, kooky sitcoms Bewitched, The Addams Family, and The Munsters! The long-buried Dinosaur Land amusement park! History of Ben Cooper Halloween costumes! Super collection of character lunchboxes! Plus superhero ViewMasters; Sindy, the British Barbie; Mood Rings; and more fun, fab features! Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com
PRINTED IN CHINA
Edited by Back Issue’s MICHAEL EURY!