The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 54 • December 2018
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Builder Dossier:
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Star Wars TM & © Lucasfilm
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Issue 54 • December 2018
Contents
From the Editor............................................... 2
People
Creating Life-Size LEGO Models with Emily Corl...................................................... 3 Builder Profile: LEGO7................................... 8 You Can Build It: Microscale Bus..........................................13 Daniel Olvera: A Builder for All Seasons.......................16 Nathaniel Stoner: A Real Hero Factory!...............................20 Presenting the Real Champions of Speed: 12 Hours of Sebring.................24 Worlds Under Glass: Peter Ilmrud..........28 Mike Nieves: LEGO is Life!.........................36
Building
You Can Build It: Rebel Snowspeeder...............................41 BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art: Tricorder......................................................46
Minifigure Customization 101: Making a Voltron Minifigure...............50 Michael Brown’s F-18 Hornet...................56
Community
Scott Bowman: Launching a STEM Moon Shot...........58 Photo Gallery: Tudor Times......................64 Set Review: Rough Terrain Crane...........68 Ryan McNaught: Australia’s Brickman!..............................72 Community Ads............................................78 Last Word.........................................................79 AFOLs................................................................80
From the Editor: So what are you building? One of the things that is a real challenge is keeping up with builders and their creations. It used to be that a person could go to a few events and get an idea of what is going on in terms of building fads and creations.
December 2018 Issue 54 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: Scott Bowman, Micheal Brown, Jared Burks, Hsinwei Chi, Emily Corl, Christopher Deck, Geoffrey Gabriel, Geoff Gray, Kevin Hall, Peter Ilmrud, Stephan Lewis, Ryan McNaught, Mike Nieves, Daniel Olvera, Nathaniel Stoner, Tommy Williamson, and Greg Hyland.
That’s not true anymore. The many communities online have made it nearly impossible to keep track overall of the community. There are dozens of MOCs posted online on Flickr and Facebook every day. That’s a lot of data to go through daily. The most impressive thing now is that the community is skewing younger now—a 14-year old builder can now build as well as the older, experienced builders. That’s impressive and also a little scary. This issue shows off some builders who build a little of everything and are part of the young guns. You’ll see their building styles are different, but hopefully inspiring. 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
Many thanks to the websites who have served as mirrors for BrickJournal:
www.LUGNET.com, www.Brickshelf.com, www.peeron.com, www.brickmodder.net www.rustyclank.com
About the Cover: Some of the models and creations made by LEGO7. Photos by LEGO7.
About the Contents: Peter Ilmrud’s latest model seen without its protective bulb. Photo provided by Peter Ilmrud
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.
People
Creating Life-Size LEGO® Models with Emily Corl Walking around Emily Corl’s house, you need to always do a double-take when looking at certain objects, as all is not what it seems! You may not be able to change the channel on the television, or the blender might not blend so well. That is because these amazing items are created out of LEGO bricks.
Emily Corl with her bass guitar.
Brick ponies.
Emily has always been creating with LEGO as far back as she can remember; it is a passion of hers that runs deep. Being a very creative person, LEGO has always been one of the mediums that she works with, among others. To Emily, anything can be used to create wonderful pieces of art, but the humble LEGO brick is her favorite. Originally just building for her own enjoyment, Emily now runs her own business, “Emily’s Creations,” where she takes on commission pieces, as well as holds workshops and parties. She also does live builds online; you can normally see her putting together something amazing on her Facebook page or Instagram. Even though Emily can pretty much create almost any topic thrown at her, the models that she loves producing the most are life-size objects that you will find in your everyday life. Whether it is a television, blender, or
Article by Kevin Hall Photography courtesy of Emily Corl
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guitar, the challenge to create a piece of art that represents the real item is what Emily prefers the most. Plus, she does this using mainly just basic parts, which is no easy task. “Creating the models out of basic LEGO parts is always such a challenge to get the shape and look correct, but I do this to show that anyone with just basic parts can build anything, and I love to inspire people to do this,” Emily told us while piecing together a new build. Some of her larger creations can take a few days to complete, whereas others are put together in her local cafe as she does a live build online. One such build that Emily created live was an amazing red parrot. This model comes to life with its multicolored wings, and detailed head that seems to be staring back at you. The model was created after Emily held an online poll of whether to create a parrot or bunny: The parrot idea was more popular. “I like when my viewers and fans interact with me and help to choose what my next build will be,” says Emily. Just using some photos as reference, Emily got to work and started with the head to get the scale determined. Once again, using basic parts, the head slowly took shape, which then led to the body and how to connect it. With a suggestion from one of her viewers, the head was mounted using a 4x4 turntable, so the head could then turn around like a real bird’s. The body and wings were built sidewards compared to the head, which allowed for a better shape, and the wings to then be attached using Technic pins to keep them secure. The final model looks fantastic with such vivid colors and great detail; it is now taken to various events so everyone can enjoy it.
Emily’s parrot began as an online request, where she began building (top). The parrot took shape (center) and was completed, and is now a display piece!
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It’s easy to freeze frame when your TV and remote are brickbuilt!
Sitting back, relaxing and reaching for the television remote may not always be the best thing to do if you actually want to watch something at Emily’s house. That is because the television is made of LEGO bricks too. Built over two days, the model is a 1:1 scale version of a real television. Using plates on the back to strengthen the model, layers and layers of different colored plates, bricks and wedge plates were built up to give the impression of depth and reality for the image on the screen. Taken from one of Emily’s other favorite pastimes, animation, the television picture is that of a scene from the feature film, From Up On Poppy Hill. This large model measures around 650mm wide and stands around 550mm high, and also comes complete with a LEGO remote, which actually fools people when they first see it, as it looks so real. The tiles and curved ends give it a sense of realism, and adding numbers to the round tiles finishes it off perfectly.
A closer look at the remote.
The TV and remote.
Unikitty!
Emily with some anime-based builds.
A life-size blender, with banana.
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The bass guitar.
Emily’s love for creating everyday objects isn’t just limited to things you would find around the home, either. The bass guitar model was a challenge for her to build, as it had to be strong enough to be held like a real guitar, but also be once again made out of basic parts—and she succeeded with this awesome model. Laying out plates to get the shape and scale first, Emily then added layers of red and white plates to the shape to achieve the pattern she wanted. Using a real guitar for inspiration, she then added the neck of the guitar, and even included frets to give it a more realistic look. The head uses reddish-brown plates, and even has movable tuning pegs. Finally, the guitar strings were added using craft store string that connects to the pegs on the end to allow the strings to be tightened and loosened like a real guitar.
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More views of the guitar.
Emily’s Brickheadz.
Other than life-size models, Emily has created a wide variety of items and is known for her custom Brickheadz that are commissioned from her by various clients. Private workshops and LEGO-themed parties are always very popular and keep Emily busy in her home town and surrounding areas. You can stay up-to-date with what she is building next by visiting her Facebook page, http://www. facebook.com/Emilyslegos or you can follow her on Instagram by searching emilyslegos1. To get in contact with Emily, you can email her at emilyslegocreations@gmail.com. “Inspiring an encouraging people of all ages to be creative is very important to me, and knowing I can show them that it is possible to do anything your heart desires is one of the main reasons I do this,” noted Emily. So look for Emily’s Creations at LEGO events in the USA, and we look forward to seeing more of her life-size models at other events around the world soon. (Don’t miss BrickJournal #56 in March, with more life-size creations!)
Emily at one of her workshops.
Emily Corl. Builders busy building.
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People
Voltron’s Yellow Lion springs into action!
Builder Profile:
LEGO7 Article by Joe Meno Photography by Hsinwei Chi
Hsinwei Chi (known as LEGO7 on Flickr) is a LEGO builder from Taiwan. He’s a graphic designer and illustrator who has been involved in the magazine industry for more than ten years. He’s been in the hobby for only three years (starting when he bought LEGO sets for his daughter), but his creations have been seen by people worldwide. His work goes in all directions, from whimsical car racers to Star Wars creatures and characters. His character models come alive, thanks to the detail that Chi adds to them. With Star Wars and Harry Potter as his favorite themes, he loves building fantastic storytelling LEGO creations and making them into living flesh and blood. His creations are built to capture a single frame from a movie or capture a moment in time. Inspiration for Chi comes from a number of sources: He spent most of his childhood watching TV, reading comic books, and playing video games. Another influence on his building is Japanese anime. Some of this can be seen in some of the older mecha models Chi has built—and also in one of the more recent builds he has done, where he built the secret base to Voltron’s Yellow Lion (from the LEGO Ideas set).
Some examples of Chi’s mecha-based models.
Chi’s favorite creations are figures of pirates, Hellboy (from the Mike Mignola comic book of the same name), and Heisenberg from the TV show Breaking Bad. These are a unique scale that is larger that miniland scale—more like buildable figure scale. At this size, the detailing on a three-stud-wide face can be exquisite and can show a character’s personality. Because of that, Chi has built and will be building more figures in this scale. His most recognizable have been a series of Star Wars stormtroopers and sandtroopers. Hellboy TM & © Mike Mignola. Star Wars TM & © Lucasfilm. Breaking Bad TM & © AMC.
Sandtroopers.
Heisenberg.
Hellboy.
Sandtroopers with a dewback.
David with his Mk II arm.
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Posing a pirate.
A pirate and his stuff. Another pirate keeps guard.
Another pirate with more swag.
Chi also has built some figures and creations that are Disney-inspired, including Ariel and King Triton from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, the dinner scene from Lady and the Tramp, and even Hei Hei the rooster from Moana! Characters TM & © Disney.
Ariel and Triton.
Hei Hei.
Aladdin’s Lamp.
Lady and the Tramp.
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Another scale that he has spent time building is microscale. One of his most extensive creations is a modular road system in this scale. Vehicles are only two studs wide and road sections take up only an 8 x 8 stud area. By making different modules, a roadway can be built with intersections and overpasses. The vehicles range from buses to construction vehicles.
Road segments. A complete layout. Vehicles.
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Parts List
(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Part Color 1 3004.dat White 3 3023.dat White 2 3069b.dat White 2 6636.dat White 1 11211.dat White 1 3 3 4 1 1 3 6 1 1 1 1 1 1
Description Brick 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 2 Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 6 Brick 1 x 2 with Two Studs on One Side 3020.dat Red Plate 2 x 4 2496.dat Black Wheel Trolley 3004.dat Black Brick 1 x 2 3023.dat Black Plate 1 x 2 11211.dat Black Brick 1 x 2 with Two Studs on One Side 3021.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 3 3023.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 2 61252.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal (Thick C-Clip) 3020.dat Dark Blue Plate 2 x 4 3021.dat Dark Blue Plate 2 x 3 3022.dat Dark Blue Plate 2 x 2 3023.dat Dark Blue Plate 1 x 2 3023.dat Blue Plate 1 x 2 87079.dat Blue Tile 2 x 4 with Groove
You Can Build It!
Microscale Bus Design by Hsinwei Chi Instructions by Joe Meno
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Dogs on display.
The Hot Dog!
If asked about his favorite theme, Chi doesn’t hesitate: It’s LEGO City! He is ready to add to LEGO City for builders of all ages to enjoy with a set idea he submitted to LEGO IDEAS, his “Hot Dog Truck.” This food truck with a very distinctive sign is one of his best efforts in building in the City theme. It takes hours of drawing and sketching ideas that pop into Chi’s head before he starts building a large LEGO creation. Being a fan of digital building, Chi mostly uses LEGO Digital Designer for his builds. Occasionally, he takes inspiration from others’ creations. The challenge of building alternate models from LEGO sets is something that Chi also really enjoys. With all of the models he has built, he has displayed in local AFOL meetups in Taiwan. Looking forward, Chi is planning to attend other events, including Japan Brickfest 2019 and AFOL Festival 2019 in Shanghai.
The Hot Dog with all the fixins’.
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People
Daniel’s Bionicle creations at BrickFair Virginia 2018.
Daniel Olvera:
A Builder for all Seasons! Article and Photography by Joe Meno
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One of the outstanding builders in the Bionicle area at BrickFair Virginia this year built figures of all types—from superheroes to dinosaurs. Working full-time at a cabinet shop as a carpenter of sorts (interior remodeling, kitchens and other jobs), Chicago native Daniel Olvera spends his off-time building LEGO creatures or figures. With his display at BrickFair Virginia, Daniel showed off his skills, and he took the time to talk to BrickJournal. BrickJournal: When did you start building? Daniel Olvera: Well, around age 5, I got a red bucket of play brick on Christmas, and that started it all. However, growing up I was in and out of it till about 2005. When I received a Bionicle set, Toa Inika Nuparu—from then on it was mostly Bionicle, but I had my selection of System on hand. And so here I am, a decent builder of both realms. Did you have a Dark Age? Dark Age? What’s that? Haven’t had one yet; my mind is always overflowing with ideas and not enough time to do them all. What’s your favorite theme? I can’t really pick just one; it’s a tie between Bionicle, Ninjago, and Unikitty. Honestly, I love good color selection, and who doesn’t love ninjas? But Bionicle just runs deep in my history of building. What are your inspirations for building? Mike Nieves. His work and place in the Bionicle world was top-of-the-game. I always had a desire to get to that level, and I’d say I’m slowly on my way. It truly helps when you meet your icon, and they actually praise your work, give advice and tricks, and challenge you to pursue those greater heights. Most of my material comes from pop culture, but I also have a large stash of concept art, and my own art ideas I have to work with.
Berserk Fury, based on the ZOIDS mecha line.
When did you start making characters? Bionicle kind of opens up that world of character building, and with CCBS (Character and Creature Building System) being a huge hit, characters have always been on my list. However, only until lately have I been more leaning towards recognizable pop culture icons, such as Joker or Loki. But I’ve always wanted to be different and take the approach of creature builds as well, so my range is very wide in regards to character and creature building. What’s your favorite MOC? I haven’t made it yet. It’s like asking to pick a favorite child. I love most of my builds; there’s may be a top 15, but to put one at the peak is just hard, and I’m always challenging myself to improve. What are the challenges you run into while building? Parts that don’t exist in the color you
Overwatch’s D.Va, autographed by D.Va’s voice actress Charlet Chung.
The Hulk in battle gear. From Thor: Ragnarok. Hulk TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.
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Baryage, a Bionicle-based dinosaur.
need. During the process of building the Berserk Fury, I had only 15 usable parts to achieve all the shaping. I truly wish the best for lines with great color options to dish out new colored parts. Building-wise, if I come across an issue where a part doesn’t exist, I improvise. Improvisation is key when building because it challenges you to try new things, see what works, and what doesn’t—improve and grow your skills. When building a MOC, what’s your planning process? Most of my builds have a planning process if there is a look I’m going for, or if I need to have an inner support frame, or just overall scale. I’ll take a bit of time to do research, gather photo material, or if there is a physical model, be prepared with all kinds of angles so I can build as accurately as possible. From paper, it usually goes straight into building, and each model tends to start differently, depending on the most crucial details. But otherwise it’s just a lot of back-and-forth with materials and photos. What’s your favorite part? You’ve probably never heard this before, but it’s one of the most useful parts in my builds, because I love illegal techniques. My key part is the Technic pin with stud connection. It allows me to flip the brick orientation in a very small space without the usage of brackets. If you had a chance to make a new part, what would it be? I usually find a way to make parts work, usually trying to find creative ways to use obscure parts as well, so an entirely new part isn’t really necessary, but coming from
Deadpool, of course.
Deadpool TM & © Marvel Characters, Inc.
a Bionicle background, the Mask of Ultimate Power would be wonderful to see in my hands; also a wooden Sensei Wu minifig would be awesome to own. What models are you planning to build? Well, I have a huge list; currently, the next two years are booked with ideas, but I won’t spoil them—only the current ones. And because I delve in both System and Technic worlds, there’s a lot of variety; I love a good challenge. So currently I’m working on a kinetic sculpture of the Watcher from Horizon Zero Dawn. Afterwards I have a few Pokémon, Mega Ampharos; some Marvel characters planned, Ghost Rider, Colossus, constraction-scaled Hulkbuster, and more, so stay tuned, I guess. I have a lot planned! If you had unlimited resources, what would you build? I would probably want to swim in it for a while, just enjoy the fact that I’m sitting atop a massive quantity of LEGO, and then probably disperse it among other builders. My goal is to make enough models that my entire collection is gone, but that’s kind of hard with all the new sets and MOCs I come up with, and getting more and more brick. So I would probably stock up a decent amount of it, and then let everyone else get their fill. My whole goal of building is to inspire others to pursue new heights and to grow in their own skills. Daniel’s bionicle-scaled TIE fighter.
The TIE fighter with open cockpit.
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People
Flash and Reverse-Flash.
Nathaniel Stoner:
A Real Hero Factory! Article and Photography by Joe Meno Super-heroes shown TM & © DC Comics.
BrickFair Virginia 2018 had many builders from across the nation coming together to display and meet. One of them was Nathaniel Stoner, a college student studying for a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. As an Eagle Scout, he was introduced to first aid and other medical training, and he knew he wanted to do it as a career. When he’s not busy studying, though, he builds characters with LEGO bricks! Nathaniel’s background with LEGO is a bit different than most—he actually hated LEGO as a kid. He got a few sets for birthdays, but could never put them together without becoming frustrated. Then randomly one day when he was 15, he dumped all the pieces he owned out on the floor and built one large fortress. Ever since then, he has been addicted. So, while he hasn’t been involved with LEGO nearly as long as others, he’s been told he catches on quickly! How quick? He first joined the online community at the end of 2014, having only starting to build a short time before that. At the end of this year (2018), Nathaniel will have been building for just four years!
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When asked about favorite themes, his reply is, “Handsdown, I have to say Star Wars. Of course, that’s probably because I am a massive fan of the franchise. Other themes I really appreciate are Lord of the RIngs/The Hobbit and superheroes (naturally)!” From there, his main inspiration for building was the DC television shows that are currently airing, such as The Flash and Arrow. Eight out of the ten characters he made are directly from the TV series themselves. Nathaniel explains, “When I first began LEGO building, I only built medieval MOCs, and in 2016 I began to mix things up by tapping into other themes. By 2017 I didn’t consider myself a builder for any single theme. I wanted to produce unique models, and building full body brickbuilt characters felt like a unique challenge that I wanted to undertake after being inspired by several builds I’d seen online.” “My two collections of characters (the heroes from 2017 and the villains from this year) were both created for BrickFair Virginia, meaning that all of them would need to be transported and then displayed for viewers over several days. If I were building these only to display at home, I might have been able to use some more fragile techniques, but my main challenge was capturing the likeness and detailing of each character individually, and then making sure they were all strong enough to stand on their own, even if bumped. After some stressful experimentation, I was able to accomplish my goal.” Captain Cold, or Leonard Snart. Nightwing.
Vibe.
As of right now, Nathaniel doesn’t have any immediate plans to build more. Through all of his models, he really tries to promote creativity, and he strives to be a unique builder, meaning that he doesn’t want to overuse a subject or style of builds. After doing characters as his main summer builds two years in a row, he feels ready to move on to something new. This doesn’t mean that he won’t ever build more, but “I might just take a break, I guess you could say. These builds sure do get a lot of attention,” which he certainly doesn’t take for granted, but he builds to inspire rather than to gain attention. With his semester starting, his build time is usually limited, though his ability to dream is not. Right now he is working on an entry for SHIPtember (a building challenge to make large spaceships with LEGO), and planning to build a wearable replica of Han Solo’s belt and holster for his LEGO DL-44 blaster model. He also hopes to work on a lot more collaborations with the LUG that he helped to found (SaltyLUG)— right now they are working on plans for next year’s big layout for BrickFair Virginia.
Deadshot.
You can see more of Nathaniel’s work at his Flickr gallery: Flickr.com/ns_legodesigns or by scanning the QR code.
Green Arrow (Oliver Queen). Han Solo’s DL-44 blaster.
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Deathstroke. Ra’s al Ghul.
Batman.
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People
T
imes sure have changed! I grew up on LEGO; the Galaxy Explorer was my favorite set. As the decades went by, I forgot about those “toys,” and didn’t touch one until a little over a year ago. In my forties I instantly became hooked on the Modular series, and from there I was re-educated to the finest, most creative hobby ever devised. I was officially an AFOL. But I needed to create something myself, with the only instructions being in my mind.
Racers fly by the bystanders!
Presenting the Real Champions of Speed:
12 Hours of Sebring! Article and Photography by Geoffrey Gabriel
Some looks at the details in the layout.
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I
’ve been a motor racing fan for most of my life. When LEGO announced the Speed Champions series, I was ecstatic—many of the models were cars currently racing on the IMSA circuit, which includes races at venues like Daytona, Watkins Glen, Laguna Seca... and Sebring. Located in south-central Florida and built on an old World War II bomber base, Sebring International Raceway has been home to the most prestigious endurance race in North America since 1950—the 12 Hours of Sebring. Held annually in March, the event sports 50 cars in three different classes. They compete on an unforgiving, rough track. And for the fans, often numbering over 150,000, it is a week-long campout—a party with RVs, campers and tents. Many fans build ramshackle platforms to view the race from above. There is always plenty of food and drinks, and the after-hours activities are the stuff of legend.
Another view.
An overhead view shows the walkover bridge and graphic work needed to make the layout come to life.
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A
s an EMS professional who routinely works the Sebring race, I am intimately familiar with the track, its grounds, and the fans. When I decided to build a representation in LEGO form, I knew the essence of Sebring needed to be captured in a relatively small space. Although the model will continue to expand, it gives those who view it a nice snapshot of one of the most exciting events in motorsports.
The Speed Champions cars, as well as the big RVs, were set builds (although customized with fan viewing platforms). The “porta-potties” were ordered online, as were the vinyl decals which prove so important to the layout’s realism. The rest of the model, including the walkover bridge, was born in my brain after countless hours spent at Sebring. I’m still adding, subtracting, adjusting, and tweaking details as we speak. I estimate the total piece count to be around 5000. For six months I have labored intensely on this model, and it has proven to be very worthwhile. The 12 Hours of Sebring is one of the world’s great events, and it needed to be represented by the world’s best medium for creative expression.
Some clever touches by Geoffrey.
Another overhead view shows the RV stands and trees that were built for the layout.
Another overhead view shows off the streetwork of the layout.
It’s easy to feel the energy of a race with this layout.
Geoffrey Gabriel.
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People
Building a diorama can be a challenge. An average full LEGO layout can be the size of a table, or can be the size of an 8x8 plate (a vignette). Each size has a common problem: How does a builder keep their models and layouts dust-free? A Swedish builder found an answer. Peter Ilmud (known as Zilmrud on Flickr), a father of two kids and a wonderfully supporting wife, began building in early 2016, when he met a member of the Swedish RLUG (Recognized LEGO User Group) at a Toys ’R’ Us sale. Stunned by the fantasy creations he saw, Peter began to build his own creations. A few months later, he showed his first creations at an exhibition. After that, he began devoting time to this art form. He now builds most of his models to show at exhibitions. Because of his building, Peter views himself more of a ‘parts monkey’ than a collector. Most of the sets he buys are for sorting out parts for his MOCs. When he was a kid, he loved Space Police I and had the Spy-Trak I set (#6895) and the Galactic Peace Keeper (#6886). With those, he played and created MOCs. Using bell jars for display came from Peter wanting to build the rose from the movie Beauty and the Beast. He bought a glass dome, where it stood on a shelf. He didn’t build a rose, but when he started at his current job, he wanted to create something small to put on his desk to use as an ‘icebreaker’ when people visited his office. His first creation using this was his Microscale Castle in Glass Dome. Peter didn’t plan to photograph the model, as he wasn’t planning to take it to exhibitions. The day before his first workday, he thought it would be nice to have pictures in case the jar broke.
Worlds Under Glass:
Peter Ilmrud
Article and Photography by Peter Ilmrud
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After that, he continued to build new models—the glass dome was a great way to show a creation without it getting covered with dust. As a result, the only things he has on display at home are in glass domes. Here are some of the models he has built in glass domes, with comments from Peter.
Microscale Castle in Glass Dome As Peter notes, “It’s always nice to have something other than work to talk about in a new workplace.” The castle was built as a conversation starter at his office, “and I was so happy with the finished build, I decided to build another version!”
The castle without the glass.
The castle without the glass.
Some of the details of the model.
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MOC Twin Baby Gift “I built this for my brother-in-law when he announced that they would have twins. It’s a simple MOC, but it has a lot of details that represent the family. One detail is the Fabuland mouse; it’s the Swedish soccer team AIK’s mascot, named Gnagis.”
Under glass.
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Showing details without the glass.
Under the Surface “This is a contribution to our 2017 AFOL vs. AFOL contest in Swebrick. The only thing we had to relate to was the theme: ‘Under The Surface.’ This is not my best MOC, but I liked to go outside my comfort zone and use colors I hadn’t used before.”
The model without glass. A closer look.
Under glass and underwater.
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Steampunk Chronograph “This was also a contribution to a contest by BriXtar. After the first domes, I wanted to build a clock, like a brass clock in a glass dome my granny had when I was a kid. So I built a midi-scale steampunk clock. This time, I won the contest.”
The chronograph rear.
The face of the chronograph.
The chronograph front.
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London Minifigure Display “I bought a few Domes at the IKEA sale this summer, and I bought the small ones as well. This was much more tricky to fill up, so I did a display for my wife’s London-themed figures.” Different views yield different vignettes.
London under glass.
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A Day in Agrabah “My wife loves Disney’s Aladdin. When Disney’s CMFs (Collectible Minifigures) came out, I bought Aladdin and the Genie. So this time, I built a larger minifig display for them, with other characters from the movie.” Without glass.
Different details of the layout.
Agrabah under glass.
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Aladdin TM & © Disney.
Bullfinch in the Snow “My mother-in-law loves Bullfinches. After I gave my father-in-law a MOC for his birthday last year, I built this for her this year. It’s based on the IDEAS/CUUSOO set 21301 Birds.” As for future plans, Peter is building a new castle in a glass dome. This time he will also incorporate the dome into a larger MOC. It’ll be another world to build for Peter, and another world for us to explore. Under glass.
Another uncovered view.
Uncovered.
www.brickcoaster.com
Custom Roller Coaster Tracks, Sets and Accessories
People
Mike Nieves works as a Master Model Builder at LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Philadelphia. In his off-hours, he also builds his own models. As Mike says, “LEGO is Life!” He started building not too long after he was born—according to his parents, he started building when he was two years old. His earliest LEGO memory is building a pyramid with his dad when he was three. Of course, he continued to build and improve since then, and has been recognized online and at events for his work in the past few years, creating character sculptures. His Pokémon-based models are great examples of using Technic parts to achieve curved shapes and dynamic posing. With his technique, tigers appear as if they had fur, and dragons look menacing with their posture.
Mike Nieves: LEGO is Life! Article by Mike Nieves Photography by Joe Meno Pokémon TM & © The Pokemon Company.
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Two of Mike’s Pokémon creations: The tigerlike Arcanine (left) and Gyarados (above and bottom).
Another model he built was a Spartan from the videogame HALO. Standing at about twelve inches tall, this model had articulation that rivaled action figures, and yet was sturdy enough to stand on its own. Learning how to use parts to make curves and organic shapes for these models led Mike to begin thinking about building in a different style. He found that Technic parts, while allowing many different ways to attach and build, were limited in color and supply. This made building models expensive, especially with the complexity that he built his models with.
Mike’s Mr. Kitty (top) and a HALO Spartan (left and above) make their appearances at BrickFair Virginia 2013. Halo TM & © Microsoft.
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However, the System set of parts (the parts that are outside of the Technic theme) has a larger range of color, supply, and shapes. With System, he would be able to create the creatures and characters he wants without compromising style or color. To do this, Mike made up a very strict set of rules for modeling. For him, the point is to use simple techniques and parts to create clean shapes. To do this, Mike has reduced the use of hinges, clips, and any specialized parts. He also bases the model on the cubic faces of a brick so the parts are orthogonal to each other and not at odd angles. Tinkerbell is the first of Mike’s models to be built in this style. Instead of focusing on hyperdetail like he did before, he is now focusing on depicting character action and its pose to give the model life. Creating Tinkerbell using these rules was a challenge, as her wings, arms and neck were tough to attach in such a small area, and still be stable enough to hold together without a support structure. The end result, though, is worth the effort. Ariel (from The Little Mermaid) was built to see if the rules Mike created
Tinkerbell from different angles. Tinkerbell TM & © Disney.
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for Tinkerbell could be used in creating another character. Ariel’s hair was relatively heavy compared to the rest of her body, so her torso had to be oriented specifically to hold her hair without support. When asked why he started building his new style with Disney characters, Mike replied, “Much of what I learned about strong character design and animation came from Disney. I grew up watching Disney movies as a kid and wanted to bring those characters to life in LEGO. I’m also a huge fan of singing Disney songs all day long.” Mike is working on more figures—he just finished Ursula and would like to build Flotsam and Jetsam, her pet eels. His next project will be making Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, as he has already completed Belle. Songs of inspiration for those two include “Belle” and “Gaston” from the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack. After that, he is looking into building characters from Aladdin.
Ariel from different angles. Ariel TM & © Disney.
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Outside of Disney-themed builds, Mike is still building Pokémon models. His current project is making all the Eevee evolutions from the game. He also wants to make a pirate ship—specifically, the Going Merry from the anime One Piece. One day, he’ll get to the ship… Until then, we’ll watch Mike build characters.
Beauty and the Beast’s Belle is rendered perfectly, right down to her shoes! Belle TM & © Disney.
A mecha from the Evangelion anime. Mike is in the background talking to another builder.
Sea horse.
Red foot dragon.
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Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty 2 2 2 1 2 4 1 2 6 1 4 2 7 4 2 2 1 1 3 2 1 3 1 2 3
Color Part Description White 3957b.dat Antenna 4H with Flat Top Light-Bluish-Gray 59900.dat Cone 1 x 1 with Stop Light-Bluish-Gray 3062b.dat Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud Trans-Black 3065.dat Brick 1 x 2 without Centre Stud White 4070.dat Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight Black 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 Black 15573.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Black 3022.dat Plate 2 x 2 Black 3021.dat Plate 2 x 3 Dark-Bluish-Gray 4081b.dat Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Light Type 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 60478.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Handle on End Dark-Bluish-Gray 3034.dat Plate 2 x 8 Light-Bluish-Gray 6141.dat Plate 1 x 1 Round Light-Bluish-Gray 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 60470b.dat Plate 1 x 2 with 2 Clips Horizontal (Thick C-Clips) Light-Bluish-Gray 3710.dat Plate 1 x 4 Light-Bluish-Gray 99206.dat Plate 2 x 2 x 0.667 with Two Studs On Side and Two Raised Light-Bluish-Gray 3795.dat Plate 2 x 6 Orange 15573.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Orange Trans-Black Trans-White Trans-White White White
3623.dat Plate 1 x 3 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 92280.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Single Clip on Top 15573.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud 92593.dat Plate 1 x 4 with Two Studs 87580.dat Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Center Stud
2 3
White White
1 2 1 1 2 2 2 3
White 3021.dat Plate 2 x 3 Black 54200.dat Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667 Black 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Black 24201.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Inverted Dark-Bluish-Gray 61409.dat Slope Brick 18 2 x 1 x 2/3 Grille Orange 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Trans-Black 54200.dat Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667 Black 32064a.dat Technic Brick 1 x 2 with Axlehole Type 1 Black 3709b.dat Technic Plate 2 x 4 with Holes Black 32124.dat Technic Rotor 2 Blade with 4 Studs Black 63864.dat Tile 1 x 3 with Groove Light-Bluish-Gray 3070b.dat Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Light-Bluish-Gray 2412b.dat Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove Light-Bluish-Gray 3069b.dat Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Light-Bluish-Gray 2431.dat Tile 1 x 4 with Groove Trans-Black 3069b.dat Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Trans-White 3069b.dat Tile 1 x 2 with Groove White 2412b.dat Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove Dark-Bluish-Gray 41770.dat Wing 2 x 4 Left Dark-Bluish-Gray 41769.dat Wing 2 x 4 Right White 54384.dat Wing 3 x 6 Left White 54383.dat Wing 3 x 6 Right
2 2 1 3 2 4 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1
You Can Build It
MINI Model
Rebel Snowspeeder (Creator set 31060 Alternate Model) Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck Hello again everybody, I am really glad to have another building session with you in this issue of BrickJournal! Today’s building challenge again is alternate building! What makes this a special building discipline is that you only have a very limited parts selection to build your model. It takes some practice and experience to “see” possible alternate models when looking at a set and its parts. An incredible advantage of alternate building is that you have all pieces needed handy at once; no searching for parts is required. Our choice for today is the recent Creator series set 31060: Airshow Aces, a common set with a low price. The model we want to build with parts from this set is the popular Rebel Snowspeeder featured in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Of course, this is a model that already has been built countless times as a mini version, but as an alternate model, there are very few versions of it. Unfortunately, there are some more leftover pieces that were not used for the model than I usually have for alternate buildings, but the outcome is astoundingly recognizable, and could resemble a set on its own. The construction is quite ambitious for a mini model, as it is built on a three-wide basis and features many functions and details of the original model. It was a lot of fun to develop this model, and I hope you will also have a great time building the Snowspeeder!
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You can view Christopher’s webpage by going to www.deckdesigns.de or scanning this QR code!
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About this issue’s model:
I’ve been on a bit of a Star Trek: The Next Generation kick lately. Well, seasons above three, let’s be real: If Riker’s not sporting a beard, I’m not watching. I’ve always loved the TNG tricorder: The design is so much fun, so modular, so expandable. I thought it would be fun to have one that’s about half-scale for my desk, and with some design help from Joe Meno, I hope you’ll find it fun, too.
Parts List
(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Tricorder
Design and Instructions by Tommy Williamson and Joe Meno 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.
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Qty Part Color Description 1 3024.dat Trans Red Plate 1 x 1 1 3070b.dat Red Tile 1 x 1 with Groove 3 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 Trans Neon Green 2 2431.dat Dark Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 4 with Groove 1 3004.dat Dark Bluish Grey Brick 1 x 2 1 3020.dat Dark Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 4 2 3023.dat Dark Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 2 1 87580.dat Dark Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud 2 2412b.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove 3 2431.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 4 with Groove 1 3021.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 3 2 3022.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 2 3 3023.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 2 8 3024.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 1 1 3069b.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 1 3070b.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 with Groove 7 3666.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 6 6 3710.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 4 1 3795.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 6 3 4070.dat Light Bluish Grey Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight 6 6091.dat Light Bluish Grey Brick 2 x 1 x 1 & 1/3 with Curved Top 18 11203.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 2 x 2 Inverted with Groove 2 15712.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 with Clip (Thick C-Clip) 12 28192.dat Light Bluish Grey Slope Brick 45 2 x 1 with Cutout and without Stud 2 30039.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 with Groove 2 60478.dat Light Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 2 with Handle on End 1 63864.dat Light Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 3 with Groove
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Building Minifig Customization 101:
I, apparently like many AFOLs, recall watching Voltron as a child (successful LEGO Ideas, YEAH!). I was twelve years old when the original Voltron: Defender of the Universe show aired on TV. I grew up and forgot (as with many childhood shows) about how much enjoyment I found in the concept and show, until I was reading Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One where the legendary robot is mentioned. I even included the Voltron logo in my design for Parzival. This was a short-lived flutter of a childhood memory, but one that made the book Ready Player One all the more special for the collection of these sorts of fluttery moments; but I digress. When Netflix released Voltron: Legendary Defender, I was hooked. It had enough familiarity that I felt right at home, and yet it had a new twist that made it a bit unknown. The extra bonus is I was able to share this new show with my daughter, Branwen. The extra extra bonus: They made two kick-butt female characters to discuss with my daughter, which serve as positive figures who are both smart and techy. But let’s get back to the point of the article. LEGO, through LEGO Ideas, has given us a Voltron set; however it doesn’t have the Voltron pilots. I am not going to solve that issue completely with this article, but I am going to make one. Then I hope to encourage my daughter to help me make the others, just has she has helped me build my Voltron set, while we watched the series on Netflix. The show, LEGO set, and the start of the pilots will further the enjoyable time I have been able to spend with her. I was always partial to two characters, Keith and Lance. For today, I want to focus on the best Voltron pilot, Keith! (Sorry Lance, I am sure you will recover.) While my daughter’s version of the show is a touch different, I am going with the classics Defender of the Universe Keith. While this design is simple, there are some key points that we can discuss. I wanted to keep the figure simple, as I want the Voltron set to stand out and the paladins to stand in front. I also wanted to make the figure all white and print all of the color on the figure, so I can keep all the colors matching. An all-white figure allows me to do this, and I am not having to under-print the design with white, so anyone could make this figure. So let us get started. Please recall, LEGO is an odd scale; as such, getting a very detailed logo on the left breast of the uniform is a touch difficult, as seen in the reference photos. So even with a basic design, we have to figure out the lower limit of detail in a design, and we need to correct any error in
Making a
Voltron TM & © WEP LLC
Article and Photography by Jared K. Burks 50
Minifigure
the printing process. LEGO does this by encompassing any color where it meets another color in a 0.7 point line. I deviated from this policy for the badge, as the red and blue regions would not be possible with a 0.7 point line. I have already oversized the badge, so this limits what is possible. The split crown is likely not even visible on the final figure, even though the detail is in the design. As this is a very basic design, I want to add a few touches to make it interesting. When viewing the inspirational art, the belt has a split, and I went with the most interesting option. I also added an odd belt loop detail and an old school anime musculature to the design. The last bit is really the shoulders and boots. Big rounded details are classic anime and I wanted to keep these present. Now I struggled: Do I create anime eyes or do I stay with classic LEGO? I ultimately decided to keep the classic LEGO eyes. This is because of the helmet and the way it would interact with the expressions. Now that we have Keith, we can easily mod the colors to create the other pilots, with the exception of Allura, who would require some small modifications. Let’s get this printed and applied.
In short, dip the waterslide decals in water quickly. Allow them to sit for 60 seconds. Transfer the wet decals to the parts where they will be applied. Slide the decal from the backing paper to the figure parts and then squeegee the excess water from underneath. If advance steps are used, apply decal softening solution (or white vinegar) to the decal to help it shape to the figure. Allow the decal to dry and then clear coat with a quality acrylic gloss spray paint.
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Now that we have a decal and have highlighted some of the interesting bits, let’s set this figure apart with the best accessory, the helmet. LEGO hasn’t made a perfect helmet for Voltron, but there is one that is fairly close. The classic LEGO motorcycle helmet with a few easy modifications can be made nearly perfect. To alter the helmet, I am going to use an inexpensive metal file set from Harbor Freight, a set of flush cutters, and some higher grit sandpaper (fingernail file). I started by using the flush cutters to remove the chin region on the helmet, and then I used the nail file to clean up the area and round the edge. This gives me the basic shape of the Voltron helmet; I merely need the point above the eyes. Using two of the files, round and oval, I started with the round to create a divot around the part line of the helmet. I then used the oval file to round this out to create the point and rounded opening over to the edge of the top of the helmet. I cheated a touch here by using the Harley Quinn Figure face, as it has a similar curve to her mask. This allowed me to check my curves and keep them symmetrical. I then could have altered the decal and used it to create the visor, but since the helmet has the attachment point, I went for an actual visor. It needs to match the helmet, so using a square and triangular file, I altered the visor part after sanding it down to be smaller. To start these alterations, I used a Sharpie and the part line on the helmet to mark the center of the visor. I then kept working the visor down until I was happy. I will likely continue to work on the helmet before continuing with the other pilots.
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Well, now we have Keith—ready for his Lion and to form VOLTRON!
You can view Jared’s webpage by going to www.fineclonier.com or scanning this QR code!
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)
Come back next issue for more Minifigure Customization! 53
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.
Next issue: #55 ships in January! Subscribe now!
FROM THE PRODUCERS 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-BYSTEP INSTRUCTIONS by some of the top custom builders in the LEGO fan community. BOOK ONE offers instructions for custom creations including Miniland figures, a fire engine, a spacefighter (below), a tulip, a street vignette, plus miniscale models 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 sea scene, a mini USS Constitution, and more! So if you’re ready to go beyond the standard LEGO sets available in stores and move into custom building with the bricks you already own, this ongoing series will quickly teach you key building techniques of the pros! (Recommended for ages 8 and above)
#56 ships in March, and focuses on more life-size LEGO®! GET ALL THE PARTS FOR THE SPACEFIGHTER SET Don’t miss it! FROM BOOK ONE FOR ONLY $5.95! (84-page FULL-COLOR Trade Paperbacks) $9.95 (Digital Editions) $3.95
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
Building
Michael Brown’s
F-18 Hornet
Article by Joe Meno Photography by Michael Brown Sometimes, I get to see a model in the process of being built by other builders, who ask for building advice or parts identification. The requests for information or advice usually come with a sketch or photo of the construction in question. A builder that I have a building rapport with is Michael Brown. You may have seen his Technic Apache helicopter that was in issue #49 of BrickJournal. He builds in a scale that is not quite miniland scale, so his models are very large. The size allows him to add a level of detail that is beyond minifigure-scale building. Michael’s next build, an F-18 Hornet fighter jet, was slated to be featured in this issue, but things did not work out. As a result, the article will be coming next issue. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of the model and its construction. The plane was actually roughly built months before completion like most LEGO models are made: with plate and bricks. However, the model is repeatedly disassembled and assembled as powered components are added, such as lighting, wing tips and landing gear.
While the plane is built, it is constantly compared to an in-scale technical drawing to match wing angles and lengths. In this photo, you can see the main frame of the fuselage as well as the jet exhausts, which are geared to flare open or close like its real counterpart’s.
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At a later stage in construction, more details are defined, including the canopy. There are no LEGO equivalent parts large enough for the canopy glass, so Michael makes a custom part. He also makes a couple of other parts for couplings with a 3-D printer for the same reason.
The motors and actuators that control the exhaust vanes are directly under the tail stabilizers. The motors are at the top of the photo, while the middle of the photo reveals the actuators. These are in place to allow other functions to work, including the stabilizer flaps above.
Here’s a test of the emergency and landing lights. Flaps and wingtips are now movable, as well as the canopy. All of this is powered by Power Functions motors and actuators. The lighting system uses LEDs from Brickstuff, a third-party lighting vendor.
With collaboration comes innovation. Above, the control panels of the pilot and co-pilot were originally going to be LEGO-based with fiberoptic lights. However, after talking with Rob Klingberg of Brickstuff, Michael got an OLED display instead, seen below! The display can even be animated!
The rear of the F-18, showing the moving flaps and control surfaces. The exhaust vanes are barely seen at the bottom, but can be opened and closed.
Community
Scott Bowman:
Launching a
chnology Engineering Math Event Article and Photos by Joe Meno February 3, 2018 Art by Scott Bowman
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Scott Bowman: Rocket man.
Scott Bowman is an retired engineer surrounded by boxes at his display space at BrickSlopes, a LEGO fan event in Orem, Utah. The venue is an events center at a local college, and the display floor is the basketball arena. It’s a day before the public days (June 29 and 30, 2018), and the floor is covered with tables and assorted boxes with LEGO models of one type or another.
SATURDAY
February 3, 2018 9am-4pm BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
Scott has a group of tables in a U-shaped pattern. At the open end clustered around the table are boxes containing parts of his main model: A Saturn V rocket. He didn’t build it originally, but he starts to tell the story of its construction as he sets up its base and anchor weights. It turns out that he had a group of helpers build the rocket, which was christened the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Moon Shot. And the rocket’s first construction site? Boise State University on February 3, 2018. Scott begins his story as he’s building by talking about his inspiration behind the rocket, which goes far beyond the build itself. “STEM, or really STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) has always been a passion of mine. For my entire career, I have been volunteering for STEM-related activities and have been doing presentations about engineering as a career. Over 30 years ago, I started working with the Program for Women in Science and Engineering at Iowa State University, volunteering on their board and periodically being the chair. I did that for over 25 years until I had left the state.”
STEM Moon Shot is set to be an engaging and creative event designed for kids of all ages to become excited about Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) using a central theme of LEGO and space exploration.
Help build an
11.5 FOOT TALL model of the
Saturn V Moon Rocket!
Actual sketch as concept before design Thank you to our sponsors
“When looking to hire new engineers, and I hired a lot over my career, I was always looking for leaders and communicators. I was looking for ‘engineers that had a life.’ Art and creative endeavors like photography and writing are super ways to be more The Core of the Saturn V connected with our environment and Like the real rocket, Scott’s model our community.” stands on its own. Unlike the real By this time, Scott had set up the Saturn V, though, the model has to be base and placed in the first stage stable enough to stay up for an entire nozzles on the core armature. While weekend with the risk of a person the model is brick-built, there is an bumping and tipping it over. aluminum core shaft in the center Scott solved this problem by making of the model that will maintain the an aluminum armature that secured model’s stability as it grows taller and the rocket to its stand. The diagram taller. This also is designed to keep the for the stand is below, with photos on rocket from falling if it gets bumped. the right showing the rocket segments During BrickSlopes, the rocket will inserted. be cordoned off by a stantion to keep people from touching it. However, the core is an insurance policy against the Saturn V falling. Even with just the very bottom of the model set up, the techniques seen are pretty impressive.
PART OF THE BSU ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE FESTIVAL
FREE parking available at the Lincoln Parking Garage, on the corner of University and Lincoln. Pre-register online, and plan your day in advance by visiting http://coen.boisestate.edu/STEMExploration or Contact Leandra Aburusa-Lete at (208) 426-4432, laburusa@boisestate.edu See the event page STEM Moon Shot on Facebook.
Scott points out some of the construction methods on the Saturn V: The exterior of the rocket resembles a pixillated circle—since the bricks are not curved, they are built to mimic a curve as best as possible. The cones for the rocket engines and fairings are also done the same way with bricks, approximating the slope and curve of the various parts. A close look makes
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the shaping look jagged, but taking a few steps back allows the bricks to simulate a curve visually. Inside the body, there is a framework of Technic bricks that are criss-crossed to provide structural support. The model is made up of modular sections that are joined in a specific order, with plates and tiles being used as section dividers. Scott also points out a item he builds in each section—since he’s half Danish, he builds in a hidden Danish flag inside each section! As he is adding sections, Scott continues the STEM Moon Shot story: “I wanted to make a splash for myself and my new endeavors with IdeaBrickWorks (a company he runs). Since the (then un-named) project would have to be funded and I was building a pretty solid core of STEM work in my new home state of Idaho, making it a STEM event and getting kids involved was a natural progression of the project. Celebrating the Moon Shot was a logical step.”
Construction diagram of the Saturn V. Sections ready for insertion. The red brick was used as an alignment reference. Do you see the Danish flags?
“I am not sure when the Saturn V entered my head, but once it did, the concept of mentored teams of kids building from a detailed design made so much sense, it had to happen. Everything related to the event and design of the model started from that. I made something structured, with aligned activities and a significant finish… a real event to show off all the aspects of using LEGO to engage kids and adults!” He stops for a moment, and takes me to his laptop. After waking it up, he opens up some files for me to see. One is a flyer for the event, where the size is revealed—11.5 feet tall! He also shows some of the other activities for the event: Presentations done by him, a collaborative mosaic build of the Idaho STEM Action Center, and a LEGO building competition he designed called Design within Constraint. There was also a micro Saturn V that was distributed to each family (and hopefully each child) who participates in the event. For a oneday event, this was a full schedule. It’s during the design of the model that Scott named the event and created the logo. He tells, “STEM had to be in there of course. It was not such a creative leap to STEM Moon Shot. Moon Shot is now a very typical term for reaching beyond our current understanding, abilities, or comfort
zone. Also, I have a much-loved and often-worn “Failure is Not an Option” shirt from the National Air and Space Museum (and quoted from Apollo 13) and I loved the tall technical font. Since I was going to focus on the Saturn V, my sketching started heading toward a profile which led to the final logo concept, which a colleague of my younger daughter (who is in advertising) finalized for me.” At this time he returns to building the rocket, but brings a ladder to add the higher sections. Scott points out some of the technical highlights of the Saturn V to me as he threads the sections through the armature core, initially on the ground, but eventually climbing up the ladder. He matched up some of the sections with actual defined sections on the rocket—they were defined by grey outlines much like the grey tiles delineate the model sections. His Saturn V is built to 1:32 scale, making it bigger than minifigure scale. At this size, details can be built into the model—there are no decals for the lettering or flag graphics. The black patterns, which were used on the real rocket to determine if it spun while it was launched, were duplicated on the model. And while the model has no glued components, the interior Technic frame has screws to secure the sections to the armature. He does this as he continues upward. While adding sections, Scott continues the story: “There are programs with LEGO to provide support materials, including parts at a discounted rate, for LEGO User Groups (adult fan organizations) involved in an event. As the Idaho LUG Ambassador, I worked with the LEGO Group to secure parts for the mini Saturn V and the large Saturn V. We made a total of 1800 minikits (which had 63 bricks), and also had a mosaic that used 2300 bricks, along with the primary Saturn V model, which was composed of 32,000 bricks!”
A cross-section of the body showing how the curves were built, and the top of the Saturn V. A closer look at a section, showing the bolts that attached the segment to the armature.
The mini Saturn V models given to helpers of the build.
“Everything went smoothly with the event, except for one thing. I miscalculated the time required to build the main rocket model with the kids, as it took a bit longer to build the sections. By the end of the event,
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only the first stage was completed. I considered it a successful failure. However, this meant that another event had to be set up, and three months later, we did it! This time, it was a two-day event on May 12 and 13.” At this point, Scott comes down one last time to retrieve the very top of the rocket. Containing the Lunar Module shroud, service module, command module, and escape rocket, it’s the most detailed part of the model. Sadly, this nose section is the farthest from viewers from the height. For this reason, Scott built a duplicate to show at his table. He takes the original section and climbs up the ladder. Carefully topping off the rocket with the nose, he pauses for a moment, then climbs down. By the time the rocket was finished, more than 800 children had participated in its construction. Scott explains, “When I put the top section on the rocket at the final STEM Moon Shot event and here (at BrickSlopes), it still puts a lump in my throat. It is still hard to believe that I pulled this thing off. I have designed some fun stuff, but frankly, I am more proud of my rocket and the event than even the best building I was part of.”
The completed rocket at BrickSlopes 2018. The top section is attached, completing the rocket. A look at the built color and letter treatment.
Scott holding figures scaled to the 1:32 model.
Kyle Hutton launches his rocket. Photo courtesy of Erin Hutton.
He shows me one last photo on his laptop. It’s of a boy swooshing one of the micro Saturn V models. It’s a wonderful moment captured of a boy dreaming of riding a rocket, or reaching for the stars. Scott mentions, “I saw this picture the day after the first event and got tears in my eyes. He reminded me how special and important the event was to me.” And for all the children that helped him build, he showed them how important and special they can be by being part of something bigger than themselves. Together, people can build great things, from a LEGO Moon Shot to a real moon shot or beyond. It only takes a person to inspire the young to reach for the stars. It only takes a person like Scott Bowman.
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Community
Photo Gallery:
Tudor Times Article by Kevin Hall Photography by Stephan Lewis
A life-size Jousting Helmet.
Henry VIII.
The Tudor times were between 1485 and 1603 when Britain was ruled by the Tudor monarchs. This era was famous for such things as Henry VIII and his six wives, beautiful palaces and castles, and the plays of William Shakespeare. The LEGO® brick exhibition “Tudor Times” brings to life the great era of the Tudors which changed the face of Britain. Kevin Hall’s company Brick Galleria created this exhibit, which was held at the Galleries Shopping Center in Bristol in the United Kingdom from March 24–April 8, 2018. Along with the exhibits, workshops were held for the public to make Tudor-themed models for a display on site. Kevin Hall.
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Models included a huge 1.5m x 1.5m model of Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, a highly detailed Tudor street scene, Shakespeare’s Globe, a life size Jousting Helmet, a 60cm tall sculpture of Henry VIII based on the famous painting by Holbein, and many more iconic Tudor items. Here is a sample of the exhibition.
Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.
The Globe Theatre William Shakespeare’s theater is faithfully reproduced in bricks. Scaled to the LEGO minifigure, the model has a section cut away to show viewers the stage and seating of the theatre.
A roof view.
A side view of theatre. The inside stage.
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The castle.
Hever Castle This castle was the seat of the Boleyn family from 1462 to 1539. This was built in minifigure scale and like the Globe, has cutaway sections to see inside the castle.
A cutaway revealing one of the halls of the castle.
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The roof.
Another view of the castle.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace This is a model of the house that William Shakespeare lived and worked in for 50 years. As with the other buildings, this is in minifigure scale. What makes this house different is that its floor plan is Y-shaped. This is a challenge to do in LEGO, as the roof has to cover the change in angle. Brick Galleria made the slopes overlap to fit the roofs of the separate sections.
The rear, showing the branching of the house.
Overview.
Overhead view showing the branching room.
Front view.
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Set Review
42082 - Rough Terrain Crane Set Review by Geoff Gray Photography by Geoff Gray and the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group graciously offered BrickJournal a chance to review some of their newer Technic sets this fall, including 42082 Rough Terrain Crane. I immediately accepted the offer and I was not disappointed by the sets. This review focuses specifically on set 42082. The information in this review is my personal opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of The LEGO Group. The set is the largest Technic set released to date (by part count) at 4057 parts. The Bucket Wheel Excavator (42055) is second at 3929 parts, the Bugatti Chiron (42083) is third at 3599 parts. All other Technic sets come in at less than 3000 parts. Despite the large part count, the model (when completed) is not overwhelming. In fact, it doesn’t look like it could contain so many parts. The build was very clean, and it felt quite “balanced.” I know that is a strange way to describe a build, but despite being a technically challenging build, it seemed to flow easily. The overall model was split into many smaller sections that attached to each other and then got secured with a few extra parts. One technique the design team added to the build which was a lifesaver, was to use different colored beams on the front and rear drive-train sections. This was valuable because when those sections were attached to the middle section, it would have been difficult to tell which side was the front when adding extra pieces to the assembly. By checking the color of a few beams, I was able to tell if I was working on the proper side.
The Rough Terrain Crane.
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At A Glance • 4057 Pieces • Extends to more than 39” high • Sells for $299.99 in the US Motorized Functions include: • Crane Rotation • Outrigger Feet Extend/Retract • Boom Extend/Retract • Boom Raise/Lower • Crane Winch Raise/Lower Non-Motorized Functions Include: • 4-Wheel steering • Working V-8 engine
I took the crane to a LEGO club sorting party and the daughter of the host thought that the crane was the coolest thing ever. Here, she is using the wrench to work on one of the outrigger legs.
The two features that stand out the most to me are the crane’s massive turntable (see the section called “Building a Sturdy Turntable” on the next page) and the set of transmissions and gears that allow five different functions to be driven from a single motor. The crane’s rotation and the outrigger legs are controlled from separate shifters, one on each side of the lower chassis. The other three functions are controlled from a single shifter on top that has six different positions and neutral. Another shifter sits right beside the six-speed shifter and is used to route the power to either the lower chassis or the six-speed shifter. There are several other nice features, like a sliding pulley that helps the winch wind the cord very evenly. In all my playing with the crane, I have yet to get a tangled or uneven wind on the winch spool. The cord is also of good quality (it looks to be a woven line) and has not kinked or had any issues with holding a shape. This is an often overlooked and (in my humble opinion) very important part of a quality build. Extras like the lockers on either side of the lower chassis (with tools and chain) and the steel skid plates stored in the front part of the chassis add to the “playability” of the set. As you can see in the photo at the top of the page, being able to repair a broken outrigger with a wrench is critical to the operation of the crane.
To test the load capacity of the crane, I connected a two-pound dive weight to the hook and ran the winch. Although it was slow and sounded a little strained, the crane managed to lift the weight without incident.
A) Turn on the battery box to start the motor spinning. B) Use the main shifter to switch between the upper controls and the two controls on the lower chassis (between the wheels). C) Slide the shifter to the function you want to engage, then shift up or down to engage the function. Unlike the upper shifter, the two lower shifters can both be engaged at the same time.
Other Features: • Cab door opens • “Steel” plates for outriggers • 2 lockers with chain and tools • Adjustable mirrors
Here is the heart of the control system. (Photo courtesy of The LEGO Group)
A close-up of the V8 engine with cooling fan and oil filter. (Photo courtesy of The LEGO Group)
At 4057 pieces, and an extended height of over 39 inches, The Final Verdict The build is enjoyable, the design is solid, the playability is maximized, and the level of technical detail make this a very nice model indeed. If you enjoy cranes, or even just larger Technic sets, this one is well worth the money.
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The alternate model is shown here. (Photo courtesy of The LEGO Group)
Cockpit details are seen in this picture. (Photo courtesy of The LEGO Group)
this is the largest and tallest Technic set released to date. Building a Sturdy Turntable When designing the turntable for this model, I suspect that the designers wanted to make sure that the entire rig would feel solid and steady, would be able to be driven by a single Power Functions motor (which was being fed through two different transmission sections and was therefore already losing a fair amount of torque), and would rotate freely and easily when the closer transmission section was disengaged. If these were their goals, they were not only met, they were exceeded. This model has very little “play” when it comes to the upper half stability. Yet it easily turns and can easily be driven by the motor. The design consists of two large circular surfaces, each made from four “Technic Gear Rack 11x11 Curved” parts. The lower circle is built directly onto the chassis around a Large Technic Turntable (60 tooth, Type 3). Next, a ring of simulated ball bearings is made using small train wheels, held in place with “1L Bar with Towball” elements. This is set onto the lower circle with the train wheels sitting in the groove built into the gear racks. Finally, a second circle is made with gear racks around a frame built from three Technic rectangular beams and reinforced by several other Technic beams. The upper circle is connected to the chassis through the inner turntable, allowing it to freely spin on the simulated ball bearings. The inner frame is sturdy enough to keep everything in place while the weight of the top part is supported by the ball bearings. The switch to control the movement of the crane is on the left side of the chassis. When it is in neutral (as shown in the picture on the far left) the assembly is able to spin freely. The crane is turned by a gear interacting with the turntable in the middle, not by the teeth in the curved gear racks. 71
Community
Ryan McNaught:
Australia’s Brickman!
Article by Joe Meno Photos provided by Ryan McNaught
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Ryan McNaught is a LEGO Certified Professional based in Australia. He became known as the Brickman there because of the large-scale models he has built for events and corporate clients in the Asia/Pacific area. In 2018, he opened a traveling display: Brickman Awesome. In this show, there are 39 all-new sculptures, including animals and machines. With the sculptures are building stations, where visitors can add to the displays by building
their own time machines to display with the LEGO built TARDIS and the Delorean from Back to the Future! Shown here are a few of the models that were shown at the display. You can check www.thebrickman.com for places and dates for upcoming displays!
Back to the Future DeLorean Model made with permission from NBC Universal.
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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
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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 the LEGO fan community. BOOK ONE is for beginning-to-intermediate builders, with instructions for custom creations including Miniland figures, a fire engine, a tulip, a spacefighter (below), a street vignette, plus miniscale models from “a galaxy far, far away,” and more! BOOK TWO has even more detailed projects to tackle, including advanced Miniland figures, a miniscale yellow castle, a deep sea scene, a mini USS Constitution, and more! So if you’re ready to go beyond the standard LEGO sets available in stores and move into custom building with the bricks you already own, this ongoing series will quickly take you from novice to expert builder, teaching you key building techniques along the way!
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MECHA
WHATEVER YOU’RE INTO, BUILD IT WITH
WE’VE GOT A BACK ISSUE FOR EVERYONE! Featuring JARED K. BURKS’ column on MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION, building tips, event reports, our step-by-step “YOU CAN BUILD IT” INSTRUCTIONS, and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazines) $8.95 each (Digital Editions) $4.95 each
HOLIDAY SALE! BACK ISSUES $
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EACH THROUGH DECEMBER 20!
BRICKJOURNAL #15
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!
OUTER SPACE
BRICKJOURNAL #6
CLASSIC SPACE SETS and new ones, BRANDON GRIFFITH shows his STAR TREK MODELS, LEGO set designers discuss their work creating the SPACE POLICE with PIRATE SETS, POWER FUNCTIONS TRAIN DEVELOPMENT, the world’s TALLEST LEGO TOWER, MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION, plus coverage of BRICKFEST 2009 and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #17
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 ALIEN CONQUEST SETS, plus JARED K. BURKS’ column on MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION, building tips, event reports, our step-by-step “YOU CAN BUILD IT” INSTRUCTIONS, and more!
TRAINS
BRICKJOURNAL #24
Builder CALE LEIPHART shows how to get started building trains and train layouts, instructions on building microscale trains by editor JOE MENO, building layouts with the members of the Pennsylvania LEGO Users Group, fan-built LEGO monorails minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, microscale building by CHRISTOPHER DECK, “You Can Build It”, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #46
More with train builder CALE LEIPHART, updated train layouts and models from the 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’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
BRICKJOURNAL #40
Build giant robots and mechs with 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, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #48
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!
STAR WARS™
BRICKJOURNAL #41
Space-themed LEGO creations of LIA CHAN, 2001: A Space Odyssey’s Orion space plane by NICK DEAN, and Pre-Classic Space builder CHRIS GIDDENS! Plus: JARED K. BURKS’ minifigure customizing, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #23
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 minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #37
Custom ships by ERIC DRUON, incredible galactic layouts by builder AC PIN, a look at the many droid creations built by LEGO fans—truly, the LEGO Force has awakened! Plus JARED K. BURKS on minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
MINDSTORMS & ROBOTICS
BRICKJOURNAL #5
MINDSTORMS 10th ANNIVERSARY at LEGO HEADQUARTERS, Pixar’s ANGUS MACLANE on LEGO in filmmaking, the LEGO Group’s past with the DIRECTOR OF LEGO’S IDEA HOUSE, event reports, how SEAN KENNEY’s LEGO creations ended up on NBC’S 30 ROCK television show, instructions and spotlights on builders, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #33
MINDSTORMS EV3 builders MARCANDRE BAZERGUI and ANDY MILLUZZI, designer LEE MAGPILI, CHRIS GIDDENS with his amazing robot sculptures, Minifig 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!
BRICKJOURNAL #42
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 MINDSTORMS to the next level! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
CARS
BRICKJOURNAL #11
“Racers” theme issue, with building tips on race cars by the ARVO BROTHERS, interview with LEGO RACERS designer ANDREW WOODMAN, LEGO FORMULA ONE RACING, TECHNIC SPORTS CAR building, event reports, MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION by JARED K. BURKS, MICRO BUILDING, builder spotlights, LEGO HISTORY, and more!
STEAMPUNK
BRICKJOURNAL #51
STEAMPUNK, with builder GUY HIMBER! PAUL HETHERINGTON talks about his cover model “Unchain My Heart,” ROD GILLIES’ 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!
TECHNIC
BRICKJOURNAL #21
LINO MARTINS & NATHAN PROUDLOVE of LUGNuts share secrets behind their LEGO car creations, and present TECHNIC SUPER-CAR MODELS by PAUL BORATKO III and other top builders! Plus custom instructions by TIM GOULD & CHRISTOPHER DECK, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-bystep “You Can Build It” section, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #38
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!
DISNEY®
BRICKJOURNAL #9
LEGO® DISNEY SETS, with features on the Disney LEGO sets of the past (MICKEY and MINNIE) and present (TOY STORY and PRINCE OF PERSIA)! We also present Disney models built by LEGO fans, and a look at the newest Master Build model at WALT DISNEY WORLD, plus articles and instructions on building and customization, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #44
THEME PARK ISSUE! ERIK JONES’ custom LEGO version of Cinderella Castle, STÉPHANE DELY’s Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle, and JOHN RUDY’s brick versions of your favorite theme park rides! Plus “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #29
PAUL BORATKO and editor JOE MENO diagram instructions on adding functions to your models, shop-talk with LEGO Technic designers, and more creations moving at top speed! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, and more!
CASTLES
BRICKJOURNAL #25
MEDIEVAL CASTLES! Top LEGO® Castle builders present their creations, including BOB CARNEY’s detailed Neuschwanstein Castle, plus articles on building and detailing castles of your own! Also: JARED BURKS on minifigure customization, AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and more!
SCULPTURE
BRICKJOURNAL #12
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!
BRICKJOURNAL #18
Two JAPANESE LEGO FAN EVENTS, plus a look at JAPAN’S SACRED LEGO LAND, Nasu Highland Park—the site of 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!
BRICKJOURNAL #31
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, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #49
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!
BRICKJOURNAL #45
FEMALE LEGO BUILDERS! US Architectural builder ANURADHA PEHRSON, British Microscale builder FERNANDA RIMINI, US Bionicle builder BREANN SLEDGE, and Norwegian Town builder BIRGITTE JONSGARD! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
DINOSAURS
BRICKJOURNAL #52
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!
BRICKJOURNAL #39
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, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, DIY Fan Art by BrickNerd TOMMY WILLIAMSON, and more!
SUPER-HEROES
BRICKJOURNAL #20
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!
BRICKJOURNAL #32
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, and more!
EVENTS
BRICKJOURNAL #13
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, minifigure customization, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, spotlights on builders and their work, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #19
LEGO EVENTS ISSUE covering our own BRICKMAGIC FESTIVAL, BRICKWORLD, BRICKFAIR, BRICKCON, plus other events outside the US. 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!
GAMING
BRICKJOURNAL #34
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, and more!
BRICKFILMS
BRICKJOURNAL #28
Learn what went into making The LEGO Movie and other brickfilms with moviemaker DAVID PAGANO, chat with brickfilmers The Brotherhood Workshop, talk with the makers of LEGO: A Brickumentary, MINDSTORMS building, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
ARCHITECTURE
BRICKJOURNAL #43
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, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #53
TYLER CLITES and SEAN MAYO show you LEGO hacks to twink and juice your creations! Also, see big bad game-inspired models by BARON VON BRUNK, and Pokemon-inspired models by LI LI! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
UNDERSEA
BRICKJOURNAL #10
Looks at the creation of LEGO’S ATLANTIS sets, plus a spotlight on a fan-created underwater theme, the SEA MONKEYS, with builder FELIX GRECO! Also, a report on the LEGO WORLD convention in the NETHERLANDS, builder spotlights, stepby-step building instructions, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, LEGO history, and more!
MICROSCALE
BRICKJOURNAL #47
Builder MITSURU NIKAIDO shows us undersea creatures and organic builds! Then jump aboard MARCELLO DeCICCO’s minifigure-scale warships! See PEDRO NASCIMENTO’s amazing architectural creations! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
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$
EACH THRU 12/20!
TwoMorrows. BRICKJOURNAL #7
Focuses on the new LEGO ARCHITECTURE line, with a look at the new sets designed by ADAM REED TUCKER, plus interviews with other architectural builders, including SPENCER REZKALLA. Also, behind the scenes on the creation of POWER MINERS and the GRAND CAROUSEL, a LEGO BATTLESHIP over 20 feet long, reports from LEGO events worldwide, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #30
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, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #35
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, and more!
BRICKJOURNAL #36
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-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, and more!
TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:
store@twomorrows.com
Order at twomorrows.com
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Last Word Inspire. That’s the one thing that we can do as builders. One of the great things about going to a LEGO fan event is that we get to meet people with common interests and differing skill levels, and learn from them. We’ll learn new techniques and new parts to build. We’ll meet new people that will offer their skills and knowledge to share. And we’ll catch up with old friends and see their new creations. For the public that come in to see the MOCs all on display, it’s something different. A fan convention is a place where people bring wondrous things for others to look at and experience. For a lucky few, there’s a realization that they, too, can build and join the fans. And they will go home and find their old pieces and start building... It’s the next generation that we need to look out for. Imagine what can happen in the next 10, 20, 50 years... Especially if we inspire them. Til next issue, That Joe Meno Guy BrickFest WHAT?! I feel old.
80
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
KIRBY100
Celebrate JACK KIRBY’S 100th BIRTHDAY with an all-star line-up of 100 COMICS PROS who critique key images from his 50-year career! (224-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $34.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-078-6
HERO-A-GO-GO!
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! (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!