BrickJournal #61 by TwoMorrows Publishing

The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 61 • April 2020

9.95

in the US

Making LEGO Figures with Jae Won Lee and Eero Okkonen Patrick Biggs Andrea Lattanzio

Instructions AND MORE! 1

82658 00369

Order @ Amazon.com or SUBSCRIBE!

THE MAGAZINE FOR LEGO ENTHUSIASTS OF ALL AGES! ®

BRICKJOURNAL magazine spotlights all aspects of the LEGO® Community! It showcases events, people, and models every issue, with contributions and how-to articles by top builders worldwide, new product intros, and more. Available in FULL-COLOR print and digital editions.

NEXT ISSUE: #62 SPOTLIGHTS LEGO® TRAIN BUILDING! SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Next issue ships May 2020!

GET THE NEXT SIX PRINT ISSUES PLUS FREE DIGITAL EDITIONS!

0 202 NEWATES R

SUBSCRIBE TO BRICKJOURNAL o $67 Economy US Postpaid o $79 Expedited US (faster delivery) o $101 International o $27 Digital Editions Only Name: Address: City/Province: State: Country (if not USA): E-mail address:

Zip Code:

(for free digital editions)

#63 ships July 2020, and follows LEGO® under the sea!

TwoMorrows Publishing

10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com • Order at twomorrows.com LEGO® and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group of Companies. BrickJournal is not associated with The LEGO Group.

DON’T MISS AN ISSUE • ORDER TODAY! TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

For faster service, order online at:

www.twomorrows.com or by phone: 919-449-0344

Issue 61 • April 2020

Contents From the Editor....................................................2

People

Andrea Lattanzio: Different Places, Same Base!.......................3 Holly Webster: Making a Missing Link................................12 Eero Okkonen: Character Builder..........................................19 Riaan Pretorius: Building The Walk!........................................26

Building

Yvonne Strijbos: Dobby, the House Elf...................................34

Hongjun Youn: Bringing Bricks to Life! ...............................36 Patrick Biggs: Building Bionicle and More!....................40 Vincent Kiew: Building Figures and Animals! ...............46 You Can Build It: Rickshaw...........................................................50 Jae Won Lee’s The Romance of the Three Kingdoms..............................54 BrickNerd DIY Fan Art: Makerspace.....................................................59

You Can Build It: Mini Venator Star Destroyer....................64 Minifigure Customization 101: Making Vanda Darkflame!........................70 Community Ads...............................................78 Last Word.............................................................79 AFOLs by Greg Hyland..................................80

From the Editor: You ever try to build a person in LEGO? The easiest figures to make outside of the minifigures (which are pretty much pre-made) are the miniland scale figures that can be found at LEGOLand parks and Discovery Centers. Past that scale, it gets pretty complicated, pretty quickly.

April 2020 Issue 61

Publisher John Morrow

Editor in Chief Joe Meno

Photography Editor Geoff Gray Proofreader John Morrow

Japanese Bureau Editor Nathan Bryan West Coast Editors Ashley Glennon

LEGO Ideas Correspondent Glen Wadleigh Contributors: Patrick Biggs, Jared Burks, Christopher Deck, Vincent Kiew, Andrea Lattanzio, Jae Won Lee, Eero Okkonen, Riaan Pretorius, Yvonne Strijbos, Holly Webster, Tommy Williamson, Hongjun Youn, and Greg Hyland.

I wanted to know how to do this, and I got a few builders to help me out—they are here and have some great examples of figures to show, and there are a few techniques presented. Figure building is challenging, but with practice, some great builds can be made. It also helps if you are familiar with Bionicle sets, as they are what started the figure building theme that is now called ‘constraction.’ From Bionicle came Hero Factory, and then the buildable figures that were out for a few years. Fan builds are much more complex. So take a look at the figures and also the other builders here—our first one has been here before, but he did something different this issue: He made a series of builds using a common base! Another one built a full shopping center! So what are you going to try to build? 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 info on a subscription, you can go to www.twomorrows.com or scan below!

Website

Twitter

Facebook

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: Jae Won Lee’s rendition of Huang Zhong has beautiful detail. Photo by Jae Won Lee. About the Contents: Riaan Pretorious’s mall is seen from the east side. Photograph by Santa Bylsma.

Star Wars and all related characters and properties TM & © Lucasfilm.

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 $67 Economy US, $79 Expedited US, $101 International, or $27 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, 9001 Barb Anne Court, Springfield, VA 22152, 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 of2the LDraw suite. For more information, please visit http://www.ldraw.org.

People

Different Places, Same Base! Article and Photography by Andrea Lattanzio

I have always been intrigued by the architecture of the middle of the last century, also called Modernism, as I consider it a breaking point with the stylistic elements of the past, in particular those of before the World Wars. So it has come naturally to me over the last few years to use LEGO brick as a medium to create buildings, cars or settings that recall that architectural style. I think that style is very elegant; simple, but refined. Those who follow me know, for example, my ESSO service station, the replica of the service station designed in 1954 by the Dutch architect Dudok. It was the first creation that started my series of mid-century themed buildings that you see in these pages. I looked through many photographic books on the architecture of the second post-war period and found interest-

ing ideas for my LEGO creations. Thus was born the first MOC of the series: The Hot Dog Stand, which had great success in the AFOL community, so much that it was chosen by The Brothers Brick to enter the short list of the ten best creations of 2018. It was a great satisfaction for me. Honestly, at first I didn’t think of using the same platform to build other street food-themed MOCs, but then, with the result of the Hot Dod Stand, in February 2019 I built the Coffee Stand that combined my passion for coffee with Modernism. The third in the series was the Hamburger

Stand which I conceived after seeing the film The Founder, the beautiful movie that tells the birth of the Mc Donald’s fast-food chain. The film was an inexhaustible source of ideas for my creations.

My creations are also heavily inspired by the Googie style, a type of futurist architecture influenced by car culture, jets, the Space Age, and the Atomic Age. The style later became widely known as part of the mid-century modern style.

In the middle I also built the Agip Supercortemaggiore gas station—it is not a street food theme but has a typically Modernist architecture, with lots of glass all around. Agip is probably not familiar to you, as it is an Italian gasoline brand that built beautiful gas stations in the ’50s and ’60s.

Even those from LEGO seem to appreciate my creations of this type, so much that I had the honor and the pleasure of exhibiting my Modernist Shell Gas Station at the Masterpiece Gallery at LEGO House in Billund from September 2018–September 2019—a privilege for a few lucky builders.

The Hot Dog Stand was the first of the Street Food series; I built it in February 2018. The idea came out of looking at some buildings located in southern California spotted on the Internet. I liked the Hot Dog Man in Collectible Minifigure Series 13 and the hot dog vendors in the 17 Series, and I thought they were really cute and perfect for a street food themed MOC. The kiosk is small and is characterized by large windows and a sloping roof, on which stands the large hot dog, certainly the most recognizable element of the MOC. All around, many characters give dynamism to the whole setting. The luminous sign on the left is a tribute to the Googie style, and I inserted the body of the Hot Dog Man in it; it’s fine. In this small diorama there are some details that have become my signature for many of my creations such as the electricity poles, the candy machine, the stools, and the Coke machine. To top it off, I included a classic pick-up truck that I had previously built for my Mooneyes Headquarters.

A few months after presenting the Hot Dog Stand, I built the Coffee Stand, and this time I customized it more by adding the owner’s name: Andy’s. While the structure is completely different from the previous kiosk, the style is the same. This is characterized by glass walls and rounded corners in pure modernist style that give an elegant and retro design to the entire building. White and red are the predominant colors, to which is added dark tan for the flat and thick roof. Dark tan recalls the color of coffee. A large cup stands out on the roof; it’s one of the most distinctive features of this build. The terrace has two nice tables where customers can enjoy coffee and other sweets under the umbrellas. Tables come from Fabuland theme— love it! On the left of the kiosk there is a small table with a complete assortment of sweets, cakes and croissants. Flower pots, electricity poles, garbage bins, and other details complete the scene. Remarkable also is the big red arrow, in googie style once again. Inside the stand you can find all kinds of coffee: A Coffee machine, grinder, cups, and other utensils. Take a look at the truck delivering bags of coffee. The red/ white pick-up reminds us of classic Chevrolet and Ford period trucks. The “barista” minifigure fits perfectly in this MOC. They look great. Many people asked me for instructions and soon they will be satisfied. But that’s another story.

Last but not least, here’s my latest street food-themed creation: Andy’s Hamburger Stand.

This time I used a brand new color combo: Green and yellow, and they look great.

As I said before, the idea to build it came out of watching the beautiful movie The Founder with Michael Keaton in the lead role. Plus, I am a big fan of hamburgers, especially if served in a beautiful restaurant marked by modernist architecture. So this work joins my passion for the most famous sandwich in the world and the vintage architecture. Andy’s stand boasts a retro modernist design, with an elegant V-shaped roof, bustling terrace and Googie style signage. A large burger stands out on the roof and 8 makes sure you don´t pass this one by.

If you look closely, you will notice that the shape of the building is very similar to that of my Esso Gas Station. In fact, I was inspired by the beautiful design of the Dutch architect Dudok for Andy’s restaurant. The terrace has two nice tables (from the Fabuland series again) where customers can enjoy hamburgers and other delicacies under the umbrellas. Two Speed Champion rims are perfect for simulating the A/C unit fans.

Flower pots, electricity poles, garbage bins and other details complete the scene as usual. As an external extractor, I used an exhaust pipe from a LEGO City car. Inside the stand you can find great hamburgers of all kinds, fries and coffee. Please take a look at the hood made with four slopes 75 2x2x3 double convex—love it. On the back a guy is loading his vintage van and delivering fresh beef and vegetables. The van, decked out in Andy’s colors, is a III generation Chevrolet G-series made by General Motors from 1981 to 1983. I really love this kind of truck and I used in other MOCs.

Agip Gas Station and OM Leoncino Tanker

The modernist style spread all over the world and did not only concern restaurants and hotels, but also and above all, petrol stations. Back in the Sixties, Agip was the most important Italian gas company. Its logo was the well known six-legged dog still used today by the company, and the petrol was called Supercortemaggiore. Most of you probably remember the odd dog as Ferrari F1 sponsor back in the Seventies and Eighties. For this model, I drew inspiration from my childhood memories of classic Agip

gas stations, marked by modernist design and with that bizarre dog positioned everywhere. You could easily find this kind of building along the state highway of my country back then. And I remember them very well. The building is marked out by rounded corner and glass walls. A sloped roof completes the period design. It’s quite similar to my previous coffee stand, but this has only the front rounded glass, the other also the back ones. On the

left you can see a classic Italian light truck from the Sixties, the OM Leoncino decked out in Agip Supercortemaggiore livery. A just fueled up Vespa completes this classic Italian scene. But wait; there’s more. Don’t forget to take a look at the back side where old signs and used parts are lying all around. This is something you would almost expect to see behind the real deal. Someone had better lift that oil drum upright, though!

You can see more of Andrea’s work at his Flickr gallery: https://www.flickr.com/ photos/norton74/ or by scanning the QR code here!

People

Article and Photography by Holly Webster

Holly Webster:

Making a Missing Link 12

Promotional art for the movie, with Susan.

Holly Webster previously talked in BrickJournal #53 about her Coraline-inspired house that was submitted to LEGO Ideas. Since then, she worked on another film from LAIKA, Missing Link. She was inspired to build one of the characters from the movie, and was gracioous enough to talk about it here! As a follow-up to Coraline’s house, which I built to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the film and my own time served as an artist at LAIKA’s stop-motion animation studio, I wanted to do something just as special for this year’s release of Missing Link, which I spent a couple of years working on.

Susan in the movie... ...and the full model.

I initially planned to build a scene because there are some really stunning sets from the film that would be so much fun to recreate, but I couldn’t think of any existing minifigures that could properly represent the highly stylized characters of the film. As an alternative, I considered building a microfig vignette, but I really wanted to capture the personality of Susan (aka Mister Link), so I figured a brickbuilt figure would be a better way to accomplish that. The scale I had in mind was closer to that of the actual puppet from the film (around 16 inches tall); but as I started considering parts, I saw a magenta macaroni tile (part #27925) that reminded me of Susan’s nose, and LEGO had just released newly printed eyes with the perfect iris color (part #49479). The scale was pretty much set by just these couple of parts and I began working on the face. I don’t think I’d intended to go full body at that point, but what’s a Bigfoot without feet?! I soon realized I had to build a full body also, and next thing I knew he was looking to be about three feet tall! The biggest design challenge was getting the overall proportions, shapes, and silhouette right. The character’s proportions are cartoonish; I kept having to make adjustments to compromise between the puppet proportions and what worked with the brick-built aesthetics. LEGO can be a particularly challenging medium when trying to make rounded things. You’re sometimes limited by types of parts in certain colors, and I’ve learned to let some things go that I know don’t look perfect if I’m ever going to finish anything. He ended up not being as robust as he should have been, but trying to make him more rotund was presenting too many challenges for my deadline and budget.

The inner structure to the arm. Clips were used to create a studs-out base to build the arms and sleeves. A ball joint is at the bottom for a hand, while large click hinges are used for the shoulder.

A look inside the Technic framework that supports Susan’s body.

One of the challenges building something this big is acquiring the parts, which totaled around 6,000. I design almost everything digitally first, which helps to overcome this obstacle. Instead of hoarding parts (which I do) and being limited to what I have in stock, I try to build as much as I can digitally (mainly using Bricklink’s Studio program) and then order the parts I need for the project. In this case, I focused mostly on the outer shell of him and didn’t worry too much about designing the internal structure. I just made sure that things were lining up to proper LDU increments so that parts should fit between sections when I did the practical build. One limitation to building digitally is not being able to feel the weight and sturdiness, and working in confined areas or at odd angles can also get frustrating, so sometimes it’s more effective to figure it out as you physically build. The unfortunate part of not having a preliminary design for the structure was that it took a lot more time for trial and error, and I ended up swiftly depleting a lot of my Technic inventory. It turned into a scavenger hunt pretty quickly, trying to get the rest of the parts I needed. I painstakingly updated my digital design as I was reconfiguring things to have as reference. It was about the time my son tripped and fell onto the box containing all of the components I’d built so far, that I thanked myself for doing this. Another big challenge was lack of experience. I’ve never done anything sculptural like this, but I try to not let that intimidate me. I just kept my focus on the reference material, one detail at a time. The main objective was for him to be recognizable, and I aimed for as much of a clean and studless model as possible. I don’t like the aliased look and visible studs inherent with most brick-built sculptures. This required using a lot of slopes, curved pieces, and tiles. However, I intentionally left the vest with studs exposed for contrast and to represent its fuzzy knit properties. I also don’t have as much experience building with Technic, which made up a lot of the structure. I had to do some research and reference some System to Technic diagrams, as I was trying to connect all my SNOT built System panels to the internal Technic components. As for building out the main components, I made the tubes for the arms and legs out of handle to clip plates (Part

An arm is attached to the chest, which is a frame that is ‘wrapped’ with plates like the arm to build the shirt and jacket.

#60470 and 48336), attaching them in the round with studs facing out, connecting them together on the inside with 1 or 2 pin plates (Part# 15092 and 2476) to a combination of liftarms and Technic bricks, and on the outside with plates and bricks covered with curved pieces. I have ball and socket parts forming wrists, elbows, and shoulders. There’s a combination of more Technic bricks and liftarms forming a sort of skeleton on the inside. It was almost like building armature for a puppet. The rest of the body was essentially built like a giant Brickhead. I used a core of SNOT bricks and plates and large Technic open-center bricks and built up panels on each side with a rounded finish. A fun feature is being able to easily pop the whole face off, which theoretically lends itself to face replacement, a technique LAIKA uses to animate puppet faces!

Such big feet! A look at the foot and leg.

Coraline’s house was my first relatively large MOC to exhibit, and after traveling around a bit with it, I certainly don’t take for granted the extra bit of thought that goes into transporting. I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to connect all these components together as I was designing the character, but I knew that it was going to have to be somewhat modular for assembling and disassembling. I built it in chunks and through trial and error, I figured out where the best connection points should be. The feet and legs are basically all one section, and the belly rests just over them. I pin the legs in place like hip joints. Then the torso is placed on top, nesting inside an inset with just a few studs keeping it aligned, and that’s pinned in place around the rib area. Then the head, turntable and all, is placed on top with another pin holding it in place at the neck. Then the front chest panel clips into place, bowtie is assembled around the neck, and arms are finally (and very gently) attached at the shoulder joints. It took me a minute to figure out how I was going to leave an opening to pin everything in place as it was assembled and then cover it up. It was fortunate that I had designed the chest on clips and hinges to get the rounded shape to it, because the clips made it pretty simple to attach and detach that whole front section. Problem solved.

After everything is assembled, I then have a handful of parts I use to fill in gaps around the articulation points. I thought for a minute I could design the articulation to be posed, but quickly realized the weight wouldn’t allow for any position to be held in place. It’s different than a puppet in that I don’t really have a way of tightening up the armature. His mouth opens and closes a little, but even that requires placing a piece underneath the chin to keep it closed, or gravity pulls it open. The head does turn sideways and the fingers are poseable. The final challenge is his overall mass, which he doesn’t like to talk about because it embarrasses him a little. I tried to keep him as hollow and lightweight as possible (he weighs about 15 pounds), but I knew all along that he probably wasn’t going to be able to stand on his own since he’s copied from a very top heavy puppet (the heaviest lead character LAIKA’s ever created) that requires a rig to hold him up, so it should be no surprise that a model twice his size and weight would face the same difficulty. I deferred to our rigging department at LAIKA and we came up with basically the same solution: Put a stick up his butt. He actually doesn’t require as much support as I thought he might to stay upright; the rig just keeps him from wobbling. This was an important detail to work out before his debut at BrickCan this year. Head and chest in place.

A look inside the legs and waist. The body is set upon this and secured in place. The hands after being inserted in the arms.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the enthusiasm from fans as I’ve exhibited these LAIKA inspired models. The films from this independent studio don’t have a huge commercial presence, but there’s a substantial and excitable fanbase that very much appreciates the quirky, heartfelt storytelling and mind-blowing artistry and craftsmanship. It presents an opportunity to chat with people about filmmaking and to answer questions about our unique process. The expressions on people’s faces when they see these LEGO builds and then discover more about the insane details involved in making the movies is pretty priceless. I’m just as much a fan of the films I’ve helped to create, and even more so of my colleagues. I’m blown away and inspired by what I see at work every day, and these builds draw some well-deserved attention to this insanely talented crew. They’ve been pretty excited about these as well. I hope to continue the theme!

At a convention!

The model broken down for travel.

Susan’s head.

All characters TM & © their respective owners.

BOOKS FROM TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING

MONSTER MASH

GROOVY

MARK VOGER’s time-trip back to 1957-1972, to explore the CREEPY, KOOKY MONSTER CRAZE, when monsters stomped into America’s mainstream!

A psychedelic look at when Flower Power bloomed in Pop Culture. Revisits ‘60s era’s ROCK FESTIVALS, TV, MOVIES, ART, COMICS & CARTOONS!

(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $11.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-064-9

(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 (Digital Edition) $13.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-080-9

THE MLJ COMPANION

Documents the complete history of ARCHIE COMICS’ super-heroes known as the “Mighty Crusaders”, with in-depth examinations of each era of the characters’ history: The GOLDEN AGE (beginning with the Shield, the first patriotic super-hero), the SILVER AGE (spotlighting the campy Mighty Comics issues, and The Fly and Jaguar), the BRONZE AGE (the Red Circle line, and the !mpact imprint published by DC Comics), up to the MODERN AGE, with its Dark Circle imprint! (288-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $34.95 (Digital Edition) $14.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-067-0

SWAMPMEN

MUCK-MONSTERS OF THE COMICS

LOU SCHEIMER

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! (288-page paperback with COLOR) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $14.95 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-044-1

AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES: 1940s-1990s NEW! 1940-1944 now shipping! 1945-1949 coming in 2020!

OR -COL FULLDCOVER HAR RIES SE nting me f docu ecade o d y! each s histor ic com

KIRBY & LEE: STUF’ SAID

EXPANDED SECOND EDITION! Looks back at the creators of the Marvel Universe’s own words, in chronological order, from fanzine, magazine, radio, and television interviews, to paint a picture of JACK KIRBY and STAN LEE’s complicated relationship! Includes recollections from DITKO, THOMAS, WOOD, ROMITA SR., and others!

ISBN: 978-1-60549-094-6

MIKE GRELL:

ED AND EXP COND SE ION! EDIT

LIFE IS DRAWING WITHOUT AN ERASER

A career-spanning tribute to the master storyteller, told in Grell’s own words, and those of colleagues PAUL LEVITZ, DAN JURGENS, DENNY O’NEIL, MIKE GOLD, and MARK RYAN. Full of illustrations from SUPERBOY AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, WARLORD, GREEN LANTERN, GREEN ARROW: THE LONGBOW HUNTERS, JON SABLE, STARSLAYER, SHAMAN’S TEARS, and more! (160-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $27.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-088-5

(192-page trade paperback with COLOR) $21.95 (Digital Edition) $9.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-057-1

(176-page LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER) $37.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-087-8

COMIC BOOK IMPLOSION

IT CREPT FROM THE TOMB

In 1978, DC Comics implemented its “DC Explosion” with many creative new titles, but just weeks after its launch, they pulled the plug, leaving stacks of completed comic book stories unpublished. This book marks the 40th Anniversary of “The DC Implosion”, one of the most notorious events in comics, with an exhaustive oral history from the creators involved (JENETTE KAHN, PAUL LEVITZ, LEN WEIN, MIKE GOLD, and others), plus detailed analysis of how it changed the landscape of comics forever! (136-page trade paperback with COLOR) $21.95 (Digital Edition) $10.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-085-4

(272-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $36.95 (Digital Edition) $13.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-073-1

(176-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $26.95 (Digital Edition) $12.95

SWAMPMEN dredges up Swamp Thing, Man-Thing, Heap, and other creepy man-critters of the 1970s bayou, through the memories of the artists and writers who created them! Features BERNIE WRIGHTSON, ALAN MOORE, MIKE PLOOG, FRANK BRUNNER, STEVE GERBER, STEVE BISSETTE, RICK VEITCH, and others, with a new FRANK CHO cover!

ER EISN RD AWAINEE! M NO

HERO-A-GO-GO!

MICHAEL EURY looks at comics’ 1960s CAMP AGE, when spies liked their wars cold and their women warm, and TV’s Batman shook a mean cape!

Digs up the best of FROM THE TOMB (the UK’s top horror comics history magazine): 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, & more! (192-page trade paperback with COLOR) $29.95 (Digital Edition) $10.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-081-6

1990s VOLUME NOW SHIPPING!

TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History.

Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com

TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

ER EISN RD AWAINEE! M NO

People

Eero Okkonen and some of his work at the LEGO House. Photo by Caz Mockett

I’m Eero Okkonen. I was born in 1995 in Joensuu, in eastern Finland. I have been a LEGO builder since I was a kid, and I never had a major Dark Age. I joined the online community in 2007 and took part in my first event in 2009. It was also the first event of my LUG Palikkatakomo, the national LEGO User Group of Finland. I’m a LUG active, and participated in dozens of exhibits and events. I’m currently displaying my Circle band creation in the LEGO House’s Masterpieces Gallery in Billund, and last September I participated in my first international event (Skærbæk Fan Weekend) meeting many members of the AFOL community. I gained several new friends and had an amazing experience.

Eero Okkonen:

Character Builder Article and Photography by Eero Okkonen

I’m best known for my character builds. This is slightly confusing, as I’m a fourth-year student of architecture in Tampere University and career-wise I’m mostly attracted to buildings, which are the much more traditional subject of MOCs than little, often poseable people. There are several reasons behind this. Making character builds is rare, and it’s interesting to take the less-beaten path. I’m an old Bionicle fan, so the idea of buildable LEGO action figures has been part of my life since I was a kid. But foremost, I really like the challenge of capturing something with personality and life in it in a brick form.

The Samurai of the Garden

Medieval Japan is a constant source of inspiration for me. It’s not a very familiar subject to me, it just has such unique aesthetical traits that I find both beautiful and fascinating. The Samurai of the Garden is part of a larger diorama, “Tea Ceremony in Japanese Garden,” which also includes a character model of Maiko, an apprentice Geisha. The model reflects the difference of the world perceived by these two characters; the Maiko’s serene and peaceful world of dance, art and singing manifesting as a garden with flowers and bright lime-coloured grass, and on the other side, the old Samurai’s ragged stone garden environment of the military class, with his dual swords lying on the stones, built in dark tan, olive green and greys. The Samurai was designed for this particular scene, and the legs are built for a sitting position. However, I wanted to be able to pose it in normal, standing posture too, so I made completely poseable legs with quite realistic points of articulation. There is a double joint in the knee. It uses boat studs with TECHNIC pieces: 15100 “Technic, Pin with Friction Ridges Lengthwise and Pin Hole” and 32013 “Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Angled #1”. The former is especially very useful in poseable figures. Its pin has enough friction to keep the turning joint stable, and studto-Technic-hole connection is very sturdy overall, making the figure easy to handle. Making models sturdy helps displaying them and makes the building process much more enjoyable, as one doesn’t have to replace the falling pieces all the time. It’s one aspect of building where I’ve been getting better during the last couple of years.

As the knee needs around 150 degrees of articulation, some mass has been removed from back of the upper legs, and the knee joint connects to the very back of the lower leg. The armour under the knee is adjustable and hides this connection without adding mass to the back. As a result, the model looks bad from the back when standing; in the sitting position, which is the main way of displaying the model, this area is completely hidden. I think this example shows how posable LEGO character builds differ from more traditional fields of sculpture: they are more alive, in

a way—like sophisticated action figures. But like any works of art, they’re unique, and at least in my case, not made for any specific purpose, but just to express oneself. Patterns of the pieces were another key point on design of this creation. Inverted sand green plates were used throughout the build, representing samurai armor consisting of small armor plates. Some white flower pieces are added to them as cherry blossom decoration. The armored skirt, kusazuri, is made by connecting 2x2 plates to a net piece; the strings of the net go between two 1x1 round plates connected to each plate. The armor patterns have a clear contrast with clean, round shapes of the belt and the facial hair. I like building beards on my characters. They help making the facial features unique. This samurai has a bushy moustache made of macaroni tube pieces and a beard made of 1x2 curved slopes, known as baby bows. The eyebrows use a handlebar piece. Covering the upper half of the eye hole—the open stud of headlight brick—gives the character serious and concentrated emotion.

The head is made of a center core of bricks with studs on their sides, allowing for sideways building. The sides of the helmet are made up of small slopes framed by a wedge element with a cutout. The horns and forehead shield are clipped into place.

This model was part of a series featuring futuristic warrior women clad in black and red armor with trans-pink details. In this series, one of the key points was using unusual, exciting-shaped parts to create cool and dynamic designs. For example, on the skirt, macaroni tubes and dinosaur tail parts are used to create the feel of synthetic, flexible fabric, while the triangular studded slopes (originally used to make roofs on classic castle sets) form starkly geometric shape of an armor plate. The difference of the texture is as striking as the bold contrast between red and black. One of the most enjoyable aspects in LEGO building is the nature of the medium: It is partly ready-made stuff, boat hulls and wigs and vegetables and rocket engines and roofs, but also akin to sculpting, and spiced up with limited but still diverse pool of colors. It has features from collage making and puzzle solving, with a constant sense of invention. This creation, for example, is sci-fi warrior in suit of armor, but it uses a big castle door, hot air balloon panels, bird wings, skeleton minifigure arms, sausages, dinosaur tails, Bionicle ankle guards, minifig hands, helmet plumes and Clickits real-life bracelet strings… just to mention a few things. On HAVOC-DISSECT IV, the head and the hair are among my favorite bits. The earlier characters in this series had natural hair colors—black and reddish brown—and I wanted to preserve this aspect, as a thematical contrast to synthetic, stark armor and transparent pink weapons. Dark orange was a good hair color choice. I had had those balloon panels hanging around for some time, and as usual with new, flowing parts, hair was among my first ideas. This happens often to a character builder. I made the standard stylized female face with minifig hands as eyes. This is a technique I developed some three years ago. Making eyes on this scale is not easy. Eyes and their surroundings strongly define the facial features. I use headlight bricks for some characters, but they give often a humorous, or at least slightly caricature-like look to the character. It works well in some cases but is far from elegant; that is my goal on models like this one. It’s not an ideal situation that several builds have almost identical faces, but I try to add slight variations to it. Composition of hair and other headgear accessories also change the way the head is perceived. Here it’s tightly framed with a visor and a pair of bangs.

The balloon panel parts have an interesting set of

connection points: Two clips and one hollow stud. I connected the first ones to the head with the stud, then used some sausages to connect the second pair via the clips. This was a very fragile connection and utterly doomed. I was photographing the model outside last January, and at some point, the posing of the character was too daring, and it fell off the table into the concrete slab that is my terrace… destroying one clip from the hair. I don’t blame the piece for being bad quality: Plastic things tend to break when hitting concrete in temperatures of several minus Celsius (this is Finland, after all, and January tends to be the coldest month). Afterwards I reworked the connection to be more stable and took the rest of the photos. The diagram here shows the new version. Once again, the head is made up of bricks with side studs. However, the hair is held in place with plates with clips and bars, allowing the parts to pivot on the bars and also rotate on one-stud connections. This creates many more angles to use, and a more realistic build.

at e t b n p e U g r la Resu e b i l La wn a D and This creation is a combination of speeder and its rider. In this scale, making scenes of figures and their surroundings takes large amounts of parts and space. Despite this, it is interesting to give some context to characters. Speeder bikes (or motorbikes, or mounts) are a cool way to do this. They don’t need to be huge, but they have a very physical and concrete connection to the figure. They also pose interesting challenges on balancing the figure, especially in more dynamic displays, and on making the rider look good while mounted, but also working as an individual creation. This model is part of series currently consisting of four speeders and riders. Like previous characters on the series, Lalibela Upbeat has cool and casual clothes; open blue jacket, short magenta shirt, sand blue jeans shorts, yellow stockings, and unpaired sneakers. Bracers and kneepads implicate the sci-fi-context. Key parts were the stickered aeroplane rudders and magenta Cars bonnet piece used as the shirt; both dark blue and magenta appeared in the Dawn Resurgent speeder, which was built first, and it felt natural to continue the colors for the rider, too. I wanted to use sand blue on the shorts, as I finally had enough pieces in that color to make jeans!

The legs are an implementation of common leg design I use quite often. Three types of joints are used. There’s a big ball joint in the hip, giving large range of movement while being quite sturdy. Inside the thigh there’s enough room to hide the 2x2 modified brick. The knee uses a boat stud joint, which is the stiffest option on this scale, can be built in a large variety of colors, and as a double joint, allows around 110 degrees. The 3x3x3 cone can turn, but has a connection using a 3L axle with stud that makes it stiff. The ankle uses a small ball joint, known as a Mixel joint. Its socket is a modified 1x2 plate, which can be hidden inside a shoe. That piece is only available in light bluish grey, so it often has to be hidden. I wish they’d make it in other colors, too.

In this case the leg is built around Technic axles that are in the core inside the axle connectors—an axle can be seen as the red element in front of the yellow cone. The parts of the leg are assemblies that use Technic bricks to add the plates and slopes to define shape. The foot is much like the heads, using bricks with side studs to define the foot.

People

Riaan Pretorius:

Building The Walk!

Article by Riaan Pretorius Photography by Santa Bylsma The Walk shopping center is located within arm’s reach of town, making it an ideal place to meet and relax with friends. For families with kids, The Walk has a LEGO store. There are options for snacks and meals, as well as services such as mail and banking. There is ample parking and a bus station for those who use public transportation. Convenience, services, and fun, it’s all at The Walk… and on a table.

The Walk is actually a model that was created by Riaan Pretorius, inspired by his local shopping malls in his home country of South Africa. He has been building MOCs since 2014, but has been building sets way before then—35 years ago, when he was only 7. Back then, he played with LEGO right through primary and secondary school. When he left school he stopped building because he thought he was grown up and couldn’t do any more—he entered a Dark Age. Still, he always checked out the new LEGO sets in the local toy shops. As Riaan recounts, “Then came the year 2006 and I told myself I’m just going to buy one little set… one set became two and two became three sets, and on it went. I only built the sets and displayed them in a showcase. In 2012, I saw a LEGO exposition and I thought ‘let’s take part.’ I displayed all my now vintage LEGO sets that year and won a prize. Just then and there I decided that I was not going to be shy anymore for being an adult and wanting to build with LEGO. Since then, I switched from building sets and collecting vintage LEGO sets to building my own creations, which I enjoy a lot.” A big reason why Riaan enjoys LEGO building is that he had a dream of becoming an architect or model builder, as he is a huge fan of commercial architecture. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen—he now is a business owner. He always wanted to LEGO build as an adult but thought people would ‘think funny’ of him. When he saw all the adults displaying their models at the first LEGO exhibition he attended, he just started building and couldn’t care less what others thought about it. To his surprise, many more adults love LEGO just as much as he did. LEGO let him live his dream of designing and building amazing looking buildings.

From Riaan’s creation, it’s not to hard to figure out that his favorite theme is LEGO City. He loves the realism and what could be done in LEGO. He’s not a super-hero fan or space fan, as he sees himself as a realist. City is, for him, amazing and he would love to one day have a huge city built in LEGO. Starting such a large project was originally a problem for him. For many years, Riaan did not have the parts to build his own creations. After joining his local LEGO Users Group (LUG), he got help from some of the LUG members and was able to start gathering a collection of parts together. From there, the fun began—he was able to start building his own ideas! He recalls, “As a kid, I always built my own creations but as an adult, I wanted so much more from my model and therefore needed so many more parts to get that model to look as realistic as it could get.” Riaan’s building process begins by starting to visualize his model design in his head. From there, he will make some sketches and take notes of things that he wants to remember to add to the model. Taking notes can happen at any time—on many occasions, he will wake up with an idea for his build and have to make a note before forgetting about it.

Riaan Pretorius and his shopping center model, The Walk.

LEGO Digital Designer is first used to get the size of the front of his model in brick studs, but after that, he begins building it in real bricks. At that point, he builds his model and makes changes on it until he is happy with how it looks. Depending on the initial design and visualizing steps, he can complete a model in a week’s time, or, as in the case of The Walk, it can take much longer. The Walk took him four months to complete, as he wanted every line and shape to be perfect. What inspires Riaan to build his ideas is the real world. He tries not to get ideas from existing LEGO creations, but rather get inspiration from the real world and then recreate it in LEGO. A person that inspired him was Jason Datnow, whom he met at his first brick exhibition. Riaan was amazed by the cities he built, and Jason also helped him a lot when Riaan wanted to start building his own creations, but lacked the parts to do so. Riaan will always be grateful to Jason for getting him into the hobby, and now living his dream. For other builders, Riaan offers this advice: “Keep building. The more you build and practice, the better you will build. When I see my first creations today, I laugh at myself. I will also say collect as many parts as you can. I think many, many good builders are limited in what they can do because of not having enough parts to complete their build. I myself was very limited and in a way am still today, as I would love to build huge skyscrapers.” From building shops and shopping malls to skyscrapers— it’s all architecture. Riaan builds these models and more as an architect—a LEGO architect.

The entrance sign to The Walk. The Walk has bike parking as well as auto parking.

Riaan’s minifigure persona (called a sigfig) can be found at The Walk.

Shops in The Walk Shopping Mall The LEGO Store: The one shop we all know. The LEGO shop has a Pick-A-Brick wall. It also has a build-a-minifigure station. All the latest sets. Nice LEGO decorating on the walls and friendly staff. And a SALE sign on the window, something we never see.

PostNet: Where minifigures can post and receive their parcels. There is a printer, an Internet station, and some postboxes.

An overhead view of the LEGO Store.

The interior of the PostNet store.

Shops in The Walk Shopping Mall Krispy Kreme: After a day of shopping in The Walk, minifigures can come relax with a nice Krispy Kreme Doughnut. The shop is built to the exact colors and design of the real shop. There is also a newspaper stand so minifigures can read the latest news in LEGO town while eating.

Main Entrance: The main entrance of the mall takes you to the Information Desk. There re nice benches for Dad to sit and wait on while Mom shops. It also leads to the entrances of Krispy Kreme and Steers. There is an information board for advertising, all calming down by a water fountain to relax shoppers.

The interior of the Krispy Kreme.

The Main Entrance.

Steers: Steers is also built in the exact design and colors as the real one. Steers is a hamburger take-away. They also have a delivery bicycle for quick deliveries to hungry minifigures.

Vodacom: For all the minifigure’s cellphone needs. It’s fitted with a nice display table where phones can be reviewed. All new models are displayed in glass cabinets. A lot of cellphone accessories hang on the shelves.

The Steers restaurant is busy!

Customers look for new phones to buy at Vodophone.

Shops in The Walk Shopping Mall Standard Bank: Minifigures can do all their banking here, with a friendly welcome desk that will tell you where to go for your business. Some tellers are behind thick bulletproof glass. A security guard keeps a close eye on things—also, some security cameras help. Outside are two ATMs for after-hour money needs.

Dros: Dros is a family restaurant that serves food much like your mom’s food. Minifigures come here to eat a good meal and get a drink from the bar. They can sit inside or enjoy the sun outside. On the second floor is some live music which adds to the atmosphere at Dros. Minifigures love to gather here, so booking in advance is definitely recommended.

Standard Bank has tellers and a teller machine outside.

The top floor of Dros.

Warehouse: The Walk shopping center has three huge warehouses where deliveries are done for all shops in the mall. A close look at the warehouse.

Something’s always being improved at The Walk!

Yvonne Strijbos:

Building

Dobby, the House Elf Article and Photography by Yvonne Strijbos

Building a House Elf isn’t easy. Yvonne Strijbos should know, as she built a model of Dobby, the House Elf that befriends Harry Potter in Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets. What makes her model more amazing is that this is the first time that she tried to build a sculpture. Dobby was built on LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) as a digital entry for a Harry Potter contest, and while it wasn’t a finalist, she built him anyway. She had to modify her build, as the availability of specific parts and colors differed between LDD and actual parts. Yvonne has been a prolific builder before Dobby, though. She’s a big fan of the modular, Architecture and Castle themes. Generally, she likes highly detailed sets with many bricks. For her, the fun is in building, so as soon as a model is completed, she starts looking for the next set to build. She’s also a big science-fiction fan, so space-related sets are another favorite of hers. As a young child, Yvonne used to play with LEGO. She and her brothers used to build a town on a salon table. Back then, she thought it was a huge space to fill with houses, cars and railroad tracks, but in reality, it was only a square meter. She went into her ‘Dark Ages’ in her teenage and early twenties, although she occasionally bought space-themed sets. Her interest in LEGO was rekindled when her niece and nephew were born, followed later by her own children. Many sets were built from then on. Building her own models is a relatively new thing for Yvonne, as she has only been doing that for four years. She started when her mother passed away. Yvonne had a hard time dealing with this, so started building on her own to The initial version of the elf on LEGO Digital Designer.

Yvonne’s rendition of Dobby.

occupy her mind. This was an easy choice for her since she enjoyed LEGO building. About the same time, she discovered LEGO Ideas and found the thought of seeing her set on the shelves to be a fantastic idea. She wanted to build something that had not been done before in LEGO Ideas, so she took the LEGO catalog and noticed there were no industrial sets, and she decided to make one. One lesson she learned from this was that getting the required 10,000 votes for consideration was not as easy as it sounds. However, many people responded to her model in a very positive manner, which led to a series of product ideas and MOCs. (These will be featured in a future issue of BrickJournal.) The time it takes for Yvonne to build a model varies—once she has an idea, it can take a few days or a few months to build, depending on the size. Her main problem is that she has so many ideas that she keeps on swapping them, one after another, unable to decide what to build first. There are so many themes that she would love to try. Browsing on the Internet, she sees so many wonderful creations and she thinks, “Oh yeah, I want to try something like that.” The next page she sees a completely different theme that is just as great. She wonders, “How does one decide what theme to build first, when there are so many wonderful options?” After she decides, she starts thinking about how to build her creation. Sometimes, her children ask her while she is in thought, “Mom, are you asleep?” She replies, “Erm, no. I am trying to visualize what I want to build.” Once that picture is clear, she starts building a digital model on LDD. While the program is limited in its possibilities and sadly no longer being supported by the LEGO Group, she prefers using it over the other software that is currently available. Yvonne makes a digital version because she cannot see very well and LLD lets her zoom in as much as she wants and can make the screen as bright as she wants. Also, it is easy to swap colors and shapes on a digital model. Another factor is that she always has a back-up in case the real model breaks, or if its parts are used for something else. With the back-up, she can always rebuild it the way it was. Once she completes her digital model, she compares the inventory list of the model with her own stock, and orders online what she lacks to start building. Her inspirations are many, but if she had to choose two, they would be: Barthezz (on Flickr): Incredibly detailed and amazing models. His models based on Game of Thrones and Middle Earth are beyond beautiful.

Another angle of Dobby.

Derfel Cadaro (Luke Watkins Hutchinson, also on Flickr): Just wow—his structures, the shapes, and the colors used. Simply amazing. Her advice to builders is “Don’t give up.” She used to build tons of sets to learn new techniques, or simply look at the instructions inside. When she is stuck, she looks at hundreds of photos for inspiration on how to build. “Go over all the existing and new shapes of bricks from time to time, simply to have them in your head. Keep building new models and you will notice that each time it will get easier. Build something you are passionate about!”

Building

Hongjun Youn:

Bringing Bricks to Life!

Previous page and this page: A selection of views of Hongjun’s Skeskis, a creature from the Dark Crystal movie and TV series.

The figures of Hongjun Youn are not the usual LEGO builds. Instead of bricks and plates, his creations are made with balls and joints, the parts that are from the old Bionicle and newer constraction line of LEGO sets. He has been building for at least a decade, when the Bionicle theme was still in production. Currently, he works at a hospital as a social service agent. After his completes his time in social services, he will return to his university where he was previously studying Mechanical Systems Engineering. When he started building, he was only in grade school, and he started by building LEGO sets then taking them apart to build his own creations. He was inspired from seeing many creations on the Korean Bionicle website. This may have encouraged him to build his own models, as the site usually ran LEGO MOC competitions twice a year, and his first post on the Internet was a model he uploaded for that competition. Since then, he has built many different figures. From the figures and creatures that he has built, it’s easy to see what his favorite builds are—monsters! His favorite theme is a subtheme of Bionicle, the Barraki (released in 2007). These were evil creatures in the Bionicle universe, and Hongjun is building six creatures of his own to match the six creatures in the theme. He’s been building them for the past year and has four creatures completed. He hopes to complete the last two by the middle of 2020. The time it takes for Hongjun to build a model depends on how much thought and preparation he places in it. Size also is a factor in building. Usually it takes a month to create a MOC. If he has a specific vision of a MOC he wants to

make, construction time can take only two weeks. This time is both the time of planning and building a model. Planning doesn’t include sketching on paper—Hongjun doesn’t draw. Instead, he thinks about some ideas in his head or observes some parts and starts to build. He starts with the areas that make an impression to a viewer, such as the face. As he explains, “People usually see the face first when they meet someone. I think the way people see my MOCs works the same way, so I make the face first and fit my concept with it.” Sometimes he simulates how to make the MOC in his head and notes the parts he likes and their placement in the model. A recent technique that Hongjun has started to embrace is using cloth as a part. It was something that suddenly came up in his mind—wanting to make MOCs that don’t look like LEGO MOCs. He then realized that cloth parts could be used, and he started to consider how to make cloth-like parts. Inspiration for Hongjun comes from media: videogames, movies, and animations. For Hawker, one of his more recent builds, he was inspired by a documentary about falconry.

The hawk. Another view of the Hawker showing the use of cloth and tank treads(!).

Since Hongjun is a character builder, his advice to those interested in building figures and characters is: “When I was a beginner, these were the three mistakes I made: “Making everything too cubic: I know that it is obvious and natural. Beginners who just started to build their MOCs tend to build the way that official LEGO instructions do— but they look too linear-shaped and ignore gaps between parts. “Recommendation: Look at other people’s creations and use their approach of assembling parts. Using bar-type parts for joints, for example, is very helpful in building. “Dirty color blocking: There are many MOCs which use many colors and look clean, but there are also many MOCs that do not. That problem comes from dirty color blocking. “Recommendation: Use as few colors as possible at the beginning, only adding colors later. Take a look at other MOCs or concept art with color blocking for inspiration and direction. “Weird body proportion: Sadly, this is mostly found after photos are taken of the completed MOC. “Recommendation: If a humanoid character is being built, then a look at human anatomy would be helpful in determining size proportions. Arms and legs can be longer than usual, with the wrist reaching below the waist of the model. For non-humanoid MOCs, look for other MOCs and concept art for inspiration and reference. “Get feedback from others, and make changes accordingly. Sometimes I see some creations that only focus on size. I think that size does not really matter. What would you choose: A small MOC with great individual style and parts use. or a giant-size MOC with only a few details? I would pick the small one. Great MOCs can be made with fewer parts.” Previous page: Hongjun’s Hawker.

Building

Jayfa.

Building figures can be one of the most challenging things to do with LEGO elements. The LEGO building system did not have many parts for building things other than buildings and vehicles until the creation of the Bionicle LEGO theme. With that theme came a primary usage of something other than the LEGO stud and tube for attaching parts: The ball and socket. Possibilities for organic builds multiplied tremendously, and a few builders took advantage of the new medium to create new models and new techniques.

The Caretaker.

Patrick Biggs:

Building Bionicle and More! Article by Joe Meno Photography by Patrick Biggs 40

One of those builders was Patrick Biggs. Now 32, he has been one of the leading figure builders on the LEGO scene. Even before Bionicle and his figures, though, he was always building. His parents started him on DUPLO as a young child, and he would constantly build a big robot with roller skate feet over and over. As he only had two bricks with wheels, this was his go-to design. In the years since this simple beginning, his figure building process has, he hopes, improved. He recalls as a child being on a family trip to another US state, where he was gifted a Forestmen’s Hideout set, which became the first non-DUPLO set to mesmerize him. He was young enough that he remembers the pictograph instructions being a touch confusing. Needing to come back to them at a later period, he opted to instead simply free-build with the parts available in the set.

In elementary school he would use his LEGO bricks to build Zords and vehicles for his Power Ranger and Ninja Turtle action figures—they featured heavily in his imaginary storylines and roleplaying as a kid. Minifigures, in turn, would be super-heroes, castle MOCs were their headquarters, trains with animal faces were transportation, and they would fight villains with rebuilt planes that would share the single Aquashark windscreen he owned.

Eric.

In high school Patrick was about to quit LEGO building, but as a freshman in 2001, he was pulled back with the launch of the Bionicle theme. The single image of Kopaka, Toa of Ice, sword and shield in hand, standing in the snow, hooked him then and he never looked back. In 2002 he joined BZPower (a Bionicle-themed online community) and has been an active member of online communities ever since. It’s quite easy to see Patrick’s favorite theme is Bionicle. It runs through his blood. To this day he is still much more versed on all the expansive story and deep lore, the behind-the-scenes production factoids, the mystique, and all the aesthetics. His fascination with its figures, characters, larger-than-life mythologies and legends, along with its mix of sci-fi, fantasy, a sort of technological swords and sorcery; all of it speaks to him deeply. His love of Bionicle is strong, even as he nit-picked the story and set design for years. He still loves the theme for what it was, what it could have been, and maybe if we’re all lucky, can be again someday. Building inspiration can come easy to Patrick. He can be inspired by literally anything. He’s inspired by random pieces of fashion, especially the interplay between Eastern and Western interpretations of Old West or military garb. He’s inspired by other builders, by movies, books—even a random part accidentally left out can inspire. He’s inspired by photography, by the way a single portrait of a person can wordlessly speak so strongly to who the portrait subject is, what they do, what they want the viewer to see in the photo, why they wore what they did, why they posed like they did, and so forth. He wants his creations to convey a character, an emotion or even a mood. Do you recall the feeling you get when you walk through

a forest in the late autumn, as the sun sets and the wind blows and you zip up your jacket due to the sudden chill? Maybe he wants his creation to feel like that. Patrick is drawn to character and mood, and he wants his creations and photos to convey the same. His desire is to tell a story of expression in a build, with as little accompanying text as possible. Inspiration leads to realization, and while Patrick will start building a model with an idea or concept in mind, he has never sketched a model beforehand. Instead he usually starts at the top of the model, either by finding a good mask for a more Bionicle-inspired character, or building a unique head, and then working his way down. Work is often done in a trial-and-error manner, building up a portion just to break it back down and start from scratch. He’s notorious for fiddling with small bits for a few days after “completion” before photographing (when not working on deadline). Patrick is fascinated by people who build from a sketch—especially when the sketch and the final model align so closely! His concepts and final products often diverge greatly, though he’s usually more than okay with that. He likes his characters to tell him who they are as he builds, and sometimes he stumbles on something that isn’t what he set out to discover. That’s a part of the creative process he really enjoys. His building process can sometimes vary wildly. Patrick has had parts of MOCs sit for years after he hit a design wall, and he’s had MOCs go from start to finish in a total of four to five hours. To wit, some of his best received creations over the years have been quick-builds that were put together in small bursts of frantic inspiration; an hour one night, two hours the next day, an hour the next, and then completed! Others have been slow burns, taking days at a time just to adjust a few minor details as something just doesn’t feel right.

Ekimu.

Previous page: Captain Salvador.

Patrick’s building skill is the result of time and practice. For those just beginning to build or wanting to try figure building, he offers the following advice: “It’s cliche, but no one gets better without practice. The best thing anyone can do is simply start building and not look back. On top of that, find a community you can feel safe in and trust. I would not be here today without the support of hundreds of builders over the last two decades. My peers and friends keep me humble. We celebrate together, but we also give and take feedback in honest and open ways. If your goal is to get better, to find your voice and have fun, never be afraid of criticism and feedback. Artists who stop listening, stop refining, and stop growing, are artist who stagnate and die. Sometimes it can hurt to work really hard on a model and have it flop or to be told that something didn’t work the way you wanted, or even that a design is flat-out bad! But in my experience, the people giving that feedback don’t want to hurt or destroy you; they see your potential and your passion and they want you to be the best you can be. I would be lost without my community.” Left: Admiral Vezchert.

Below: The Headless Hipster.

Starting the body.

Adding arms.

Adding the head.

Beginning the inner structure of the stump.

Adding support to the core.

Final detailing.

‘Growing’ a Creation The Gardener is a creation that Patrick built in two parts: the Gardener himself, and the tree stump that he sits on. To make both of these, a core assembly is built. For the Gardener, his body is the central element, so it is built with Technic parts for structure and Hero Factory parts for detail. The shoulder parts were originally claws on sets. The stump is first built as a framework to make it sturdy. Clickhinges are used for structure, and they also provide studs to attach plates later. From the core, the Gardener grows out his arms and head. The arms are Technic-based, with robot arms clipped to plates with bars used as fingers. The head is plates and slopes that are built in opposite directions. The stump is reinforced with plates on the top. Inverse arches are used to make roots, and small slopes and a flower are added for final details. The Gardener.

Building

The characters of the Chinese animated series Journey to the West. This display will be touring in major shopping malls in Malaysia in conjunction with the LEGO Chinese New Year 2020 series.

Vincent Kiew:

Building Figures and Animals! Article by Joe Meno with Vincent Kiew Photography by Vincent Kiew

Once upon a time, when Vincent Kiew was six or seven years old, his father bought him two LEGO sets to cheer him up when he was sick with a high fever. The sets were Classic Space sets 926 Space Command Center and 920 Alpha-1 Rocket Base. Vincent was over the moon after receiving these sets and his high fever became a LEGO fever. He was immediately hooked, as he never played with building toys before. LEGO was a childhood toy to Vincent until he saw the Ninjago 7419-1 Dragon Fortress in 2004. The set opened his eyes to seeing that LEGO bricks could be used to build Oriental architecture. As a result, this was the first LEGO set he bought for himself as a 30-year-old kid. It took four more years before he began to build his own creations. After watching The Dark Knight, Vincent really wanted a LEGO Bat-Pod. However, the LEGO Group didn’t produce one, so he built his own. He didn’t build much after he completed his first creation. At the time, he didn’t know that there was a LEGO building community. He just thought everyone was more into collecting and building LEGO sets. It took another event to build more.

Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

Sha Wujing (Sandy), a hermit.

Tang Sanzang (Tripitaka), a monk.

Zhu Bajie (Pigsy).

Asia’s first LEGOLand theme park opened in Malaysia, Vincent’s home country, in 2012. During his first visit there, he discovered the park’s Pick-a-Brick, where people could pick and buy their own LEGO bricks and elements. He felt like a kid in a candy store, and started to pick up his love for LEGO again. Since then, he has enjoyed bringing his imagination to life through his creations.

Polar bear.

Panthera leo, or as he is more commonly known, the lion.

Vincent prefers to build his models without a sketch beforehand. He researches and thinks about what he wants to build—if he is building a horse figure, for example, he will study its shape and movement when walking, trotting and galloping. From there he will decide on its look: Should it be posing, and what pose doe he want to use? It all depends on how he would like to present the character of the horse. Depending on the scale of a model and how he envisions it built, he spends a lot of time studying and visualizing prior to starting a project. It takes him one to two weeks to complete a human or animal figurine. If the model is a building, the time taken to build depends whether it’s his design or a replica. He can build his own design in two weeks but it can take him a few months to replicate a building, as he needs to be accurate. With a building, Vincent often builds a vehicle to display alongside it, as they complement each other. In terms of inspiration, Vincent singles out LEGO designer (now Design Manager Specialist for Speed Champions) Christopher Stamp, who designed some Ninjago sets. For Vincent, Christopher made beautiful works of art that packed a punch in storytelling. Vincent offers this advice to builders old and new: “Think out of the box and keep trying. I’ve experienced running out of bricks umpteen times halfway through the completion of my models. I would then make my brain work harder and I then rebuilt, as this motivates me to keep on exploring new building techniques.”

Chocobo and Cloud Strife from the Final Fantasy videogame.

Queen Elizabeth II and her corgis.

Paddington Bear.

Donkey Kong.

Link and his mount from the Legend of Zelda videogame.

You Can Build It Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)

Rickshaw

Design and Instructions by Vincent Kiew Vincent Kiew is a builder of many themes, including City builds. Here, he has created an easy-to-build rickshaw for one of his dioramas he built in 2016. Have fun building!

Qty Color

Part

2 2 1 1 1 4 4 1 1

Reddish Brown Reddish Brown Reddish Brown Reddish Brown Reddish Brown Reddish Brown Reddish Brown Reddish Brown Reddish Brown

2412b.dat 2420.dat 3020.dat 3021.dat 3022.dat 3023.dat 3024.dat 3710.dat 4871.dat

2 2

Reddish Brown Reddish Brown

2 2 1 4 1 2 2 4 1

Reddish Brown Dark Brown Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Dk Bluish Grey Black

1 2

Black Black

Black

2 1

Blue Blue

Description

Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove Plate 2 x 2 Corner Plate 2 x 4 Plate 2 x 3 Plate 2 x 2 Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 4 Slope Brick 45 4 x 2 Double Inverted with Open Centre 13965.dat Arch 1 x 3 x 3 15706.dat Plate 1 x 4 with Plate 1 x 4 at 45 Degrees 30136.dat Brick 1 x 2 Log 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 3031.dat Plate 4 x 4 3069b.dat Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 3710.dat Plate 1 x 4 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 30136.dat Brick 1 x 2 Log 99780.dat Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Up 2397.dat Plate 2 x 2 with Angled Bars and Attached 1 x 2 3069b.dat Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 4489a.dat Wheel 2.8 x 34 with 8 Spokes with Round Hole for Wheel Holding Pin 11002.dat Plate 2 x 2 with Wheels Holder Wide with Wishbones 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 87079.dat Tile 2 x 4 with Groove

Building

Jae Won Lee’s

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms Article and photography by Jae Won Lee 54

Jae Won Lee is a Korean builder based in Korea that became a LEGO Certified Professional (LCP). It took him 35 years of building to get to this point—he started at the young age of four. Before he became a Certified Professional, he was an architect. His first LEGO Castle set was the spark for what was to follow. Inspired by his father, also a LEGO fan, he began to build and was sketching and building his own ships by the age of five. His creations back then were with his favorite themes: LEGO Castle, Space, then later Star Wars. For the Certified Professional Program, Jae Won designs art figures. This is different from other LCPs, who build LEGO sculptures and models for the LEGO Group for company-related displays and events, such as building

sculptures for a Marvel, DC or Star Wars movie opening (since LEGO produces sets for these companies). Even with building models for the company, he finds time to build creations of his own on his own time. Building a model takes him a few months. It’s a process for him, as Jae Won sketches, then builds mock-ups and continues refining until he finds the right elements for the model. Some of his most impressive efforts are in the series of models depicting characters from the Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written in the 14th century by Luo Guanzhong. Here’s a collection of photos of the models—take a look at Jae Won Lee’s work!

Ma Chao: A military general and warlord that is one of the Five Tiger Generals. Right: A close-up.

Huang Zhong: A elderly general with youthful vigor that was another of the Five Tiger Generals. Right: Another close-up.

Zhuge Liang: Chancellor and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history, known for his military strategy and reputation.

Liu bei: Benevolent ruler of the state of Hu Shan, in the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.

Guan yu: General who served under Liu Bei and one of the Five Tiger Generals. His life was eventually deified for his deeds and moral qualities. Right: With his mount.

Zhang Fei: Another general who served under Liu Bei and one of the Five Tiger Generals. He became sworn brothers with Liu Bei and Guan Yu. RIght: A close-up. Zhao Yun: Another general who served under Liu Bei and one of the Five Tiger Generals. He was a perfect warrior. Below: With his mount.

Parts List

(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Part 1 577b.dat

Color Chr Silver

Description Minifig Lightsaber Hilt with Bottom Ring 8 4536.dat White Container Cupboard 2 x 3 x 2 Drawer 1 15496.dat White Minifig Cup Takeaway 1 30408p01.datWhite Minifig Helmet Stormtrooper with Stormtrooper Pattern 6 98138.dat White Tile 1 x 1 Round with Groove 1 3062b.dat Red Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud 1 98368.dat Red Minifig Toolbox 1x3 with Handle 1 93552p01.datRed. Brown Minifig Paint Brush with Silver Ring and Green Tip Pattern 1 93551p01.datDark Flesh Minifig Paint Palette with Paint Drops Pattern 4 3070b.dat Orange Tile 1 x 1 with Groove 1 85984.dat Orange Slope Brick 31 1 x 2 x 0.667 2 3460.dat Tan Plate 1 x 8 1 3666.dat Tan Plate 1 x 6 1 4477.dat Tan Plate 1 x 10 4 11211.dat Tan Brick 1 x 2 with Two Studs on One Side 14 30414.dat Tan Brick 1 x 4 with Studs on Side 1 90398.dat Pearl Gold Minifig Statuette 1 3062b.dat Yellow Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud 2 3062b.dat Dk Bl Grey Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud 1 3068b.dat Dk Bl Grey Tile 2 x 2 with Groove 1 6141.dat Dk Bl Grey Plate 1 x 1 Round 1 18826p01.datDk Bl Grey Minifig Tool Rip Saw with Reddish Brown Grip 1 48729a.dat Dk Bl Grey Bar 1.5L with Clip without Hole in Shaft 8 48729b.dat Dk Bl Grey Bar 1.5L with Clip with Truncated Sides and Hole in Shaft 1 87580.dat Dk Bl Grey Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud 1 3062b.dat Green Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud 1 3068b.dat Green Tile 2 x 2 with Groove 1 87079.dat Green Tile 2 x 4 with Groove 1 87580.dat Green Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud 1 41535.dat Dark Green Animal Dragon Baby 1 3021.dat Black Plate 2 x 3 1 3023.dat Black Plate 1 x 2 2 3024.dat Black Plate 1 x 1 1 3062b.dat Black Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud 4 4085c.dat Black Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Vertical (Thick U-Clip) 2 4733.dat Black Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on Four Sides 1 11090.dat Black Bar Tube with Clip 4 15712.dat Black Tile 1x 1 with Clip (Thick C-Clip) 3 30374.dat Black Bar 4L Lightsaber Blade

Makerspace Design and Instructions by Tommy Williamson

About this issue’s model:

In addition to building with bricks, I build with other mediums as well. In fact the list is endless, from wood and styrene to circuit boards and 3-D prints. I’m what you call a maker; I make things. And it’s not just a hobby or time waster, it’s a deep need to create, always. And I want to share the stuff I make, and cool stuff by other makers— that’s why I created Nerds&Makers, as a place to share my non-LEGO related endeavors. I absolutely have to make things, all the time, and thankfully I have a space to do it, my makerspace. This issue’s build is directly inspired by my makerspace, from the Prusa inspired 3-D printer to the lightsaber hanging on the pegboard, it’s where I build all manner of things. I hope it inspires you to make something too. 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.

Qty Part 1 47905.dat

Color Black

1 1 1 1 1

55295.dat 55297.dat 55298.dat 55300.dat 60849.dat

Black Black Black Black Black

1 1 1 1

93221.dat 99780.dat 604549.dat 604614.dat

Black Black Black Black

604615.dat

Black

2 2 1 1 4

2453a.dat 3005.dat 3027.dat 4282.dat 4532.dat

Lt Bl Grey Lt Bl Grey Lt Bl Grey Lt Bl Grey Lt Bl Grey

2 1 2

4865a.dat 12884.dat 23969.dat

Lt Bl Grey Lt Bl Grey Lt Bl Grey

3 6

30374.dat 30413.dat

Lt Bl Grey Lt Bl Grey

1 1

61510.dat 3062b.dat

Lt Bl Grey Blue

Description Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on Two Opposite Sides Minifig Tool Hammer Minifig Tool Power Drill Minifig Tool Screwdriver Minifig Tool Box Wrench Minifig Hose Nozzle with Side String Hole Simplified Minifig Utensil Radio Boombox Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Up Minifig Tool Battery Powered Drill Minifig Tool Adjustable Wrench with 3-Rib Handle Minifig Tool Socket Wrench with Ratchet and 3-Rib Handle Brick 1 x 1 x 5 with Hollow Stud Brick 1 x 1 Plate 6 x 16 Plate 2 x 16 Container Cupboard 2 x 3 x 2 with Solid Studs Panel 1 x 2 x 1 w/Square Corners Bucket 1 x 1 x 1 Cylindrical Panel 1 x 2 x 1 Double Corner with Rounded Corners Bar 4L Lightsaber Blade Panel 1 x 4 x 1 with Rounded Corners, Thick Wall Technic Reel 2 x 1 Brick 1 x 1 Round with Hollow Stud

BrickJournal #50 is a double-size special in book format! Don’t miss this landmark edition, celebrating over a decade as the premier publication for LEGO® fans! (144-page FULL-COLOR trade paperback) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $7.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-082-3

Order now at: http://bit.ly/Brickjournal50

You Can Build It MINI Build MINI Venator Star Destroyer Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck

Hello everybody, I am very happy to join again for another building session in BrickJournal! As most of you will already know, I am not only a passionate mini model builder, but also a huge fan of the Creator theme. I enjoy the challenge to build something with a limited number of parts, and I would like to encourage everyone to try this on your own! A very common and popular set of the current Creator line is set no. 31086: Futuristic Flyer. It contains 162 pieces, out of which 60% can be used to build a neat looking Venator Star Destroyer, a quite recognizable ship from Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith. The yield of the parts used is quite high, as only the main model of most Creator sets use all pieces. Most secondary models use many fewer pieces than there are available. Although some color variations had to be taken into account, the resulting Venator Star Destroyer is accurate enough to be easily identified by every eagerly interested Star Wars fan. So, if you wanted a Venator set for Christmas this year, but received the Futuristic Flyer instead, you know can build your own instantly! I wish you happy building and see you next time!

Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)

Qty Color Part Description 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 87087.dat Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 30414.dat Brick 1 x 4 with Studs on Side 4 Trs-Neon-Orange 59900.dat Cone 1 x 1 with Stop 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3942c.dat Cone 2 x 2 x 2 with Hollow Stud Open 5 Light-Bluish-Gray 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 3 Trans-Green 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 3 Trans-Red 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 2 Dark-Red 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 6 Dark-Bluish-Gray 4085c.dat Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Vertical (Thick U-Clip) 3 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 14417.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Ball Joint-8 on Side 8 Dark-Red 3794b.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud 4 Dark-Bluish-Gray 2540.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Handle 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 14704.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Socket Joint-8 with Friction Centre 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3022.dat Plate 2 x 2 4 Light-Bluish-Gray 2420.dat Plate 2 x 2 Corner 2 White 2420.dat Plate 2 x 2 Corner 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 99206.dat Plate 2 x 2 x 0.667 with Two Studs On Side and Two Raised 1 White 3020.dat Plate 2 x 4 3 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3795.dat Plate 2 x 6 1 Dark-Red 3795.dat Plate 2 x 6 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 3034.dat Plate 2 x 8 4 Dark-Red 85984.dat Slope Brick 31 1 x 2 x 0.667 4 Light-Bluish-Gray 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 24201.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Inverted 1 Dark-Red 61678.dat Slope Brick Curved 4 x 1 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3700.dat Technic Brick 1 x 2 with Hole 3 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3070b.dat Tile 1 x 1 with Groove 2 Light-Bluish-Gray 3069b.dat Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 2 Dark-Red 2431.dat Tile 1 x 4 with Groove 1 White 3068b.dat Tile 2 x 2 with Groove 2 Dark-Red 33909.dat Tile 2 x 2 with Studs on Edge 3 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3464.dat Wheel Centre with Stub Axles 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 60208.dat Wheel Rim 16 x 31 with 6 Pegholes 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 51739.dat Wing 2 x 4 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 50305.dat Wing 3 x 8 Left 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 50304.dat Wing 3 x 8 Right 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 47397.dat Wing 3 x 12 Left 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 47398.dat Wing 3 x 12 Right 1 Dark-Red 47407.dat Wing 4 x 6 with 2 x 2 Cutout

The BrickJournal 5 Book Bundle is the ultimate book collection!

464 pages of non-stop tips, advice, and instructions for everything from turning stock LEGO minifigures into whatever you can imagine, to building custom creations from LEGO parts already in your collection! Plus: Learn the ins and outs of LEGO fandom, and how to be a part of this exploding culture of builders worldwide! The bundle includes Minifigure Customization volumes 1 & 2, You Can Build It instruction books 1 & 2, and the double-size BrickJournal #50! Normally $60 separately!

(All five FULL-COLOR trade paperbacks, totalling 464 pages)

Only $29.95 plus shipping

Pair it with a BrickJournal subscription for the perfect building combo! If you already have BrickJournal #50, get the other 4 books for only $19.95!

Order at: www.twomorrows.com

THE WORLD OF TWOMORROWS 25 ANNIVERSARY BOOK TH

In 1994, amidst the boom-&-bust of comic book speculators, THE JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #1 was published for true fans of the medium. That modest labor of love spawned TwoMorrows Publishing, today’s premier purveyor of publications about comics and pop culture. Celebrate our 25th anniversary with this special retrospective look at the company that changed fandom forever! Co-edited by and featuring publisher JOHN MORROW and COMIC BOOK ARTIST/ COMIC BOOK CREATOR magazine’s JON B. COOKE, it gives the inside story and behind-thescenes details of a quarter-century of looking at the past in a whole new way. Also included are BACK ISSUE magazine’s MICHAEL EURY, ALTER EGO’s ROY THOMAS, GEORGE KHOURY (author of KIMOTA!, EXTRAORDINARY WORKS OF ALAN MOORE, and other books), MIKE MANLEY (DRAW! magazine), ERIC NOLEN-WEATHINGTON (MODERN MASTERS), and a host of other comics luminaries who’ve contributed to TwoMorrows’ output over the years. From their first Eisner Award-winning book STREETWISE, through their BRICKJOURNAL LEGO® magazine, up to today’s RETROFAN magazine, every major TwoMorrows publication and contributor is covered with the same detail and affection the company gives to its books and magazines. With an Introduction by MARK EVANIER, Foreword by ALEX ROSS, Afterword by PAUL LEVITZ, and a new cover by TOM McWEENEY! NOW SHIPPING! (256-page FULL-COLOR Trade Paperback) $37.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-092-2 (272-page ULTRA-LIMITED HARDCOVER) $75 • GET YOURS BEFORE THEY’RE GONE! Only 125 copies available for sale, with a 16-page bonus Memory Album! HARDCOVER NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH DIAMOND—DIRECT FROM TWOMORROWS ONLY!

TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History. Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com

TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

Building Minifig Customization 101:

Making Vanda Darkflame! by Jared K. Burks

LEGO Universe: Home of Vanda Darkflame.

Projects start and stop as time, resources, creative ideas, interest, and life gets in the way. Luckily, projects can be restarted in a moment when someone finds the spare time or unlocks that one detail that derailed the project originally. When enough time has passed, these projects then become nostalgia pieces. The focus of this article today is a project that has been sitting in a near-completed state for some time. I uncovered it as I unpacked more “Harvey” boxes. For those that don’t recall, my home was flooded by Hurricane Harvey. While we were in the early days post-Harvey, we had many people helping my family to recover anything salvageable and pack it up. I am still working my way through some of these boxes. Recently I came across my Vanda Darkflame figures that I had been working on for a friend, that I had never quite finished. I forget what got in the way, but most likely, it was life. I had always liked that character, so I decided to finish her for this article and describe the process in this BrickJournal article. For those that played LEGO Universe, this will be a walk down memory lane, and I hope you enjoy it. For those that don’t recall LEGO Universe, it was a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) that was available from October 2010 to January 2012, almost 10 years ago now! LEGO Universe was an alternate universe populated by LEGO minifigures. Years ago, a team of four minifigs went on a great journey to seek the last essence of pure imagination! Doctor Overbuild, Duke Exeter, Hael Storm, and Baron Typhonus representing each of the factions went looking. This group found the mysterious planet Crux, the location of essence of pure imagination. On the planet, the greedy tycoon, Baron Typhonus, was pulled into the source, fusing with it to create a maelstrom of chaotic dark energy. Doctor Overbuild quickly plugged the hole created by the chaotic dark energy; however, the stress caused Crux to explode into thousands of other worlds. After the incident, the explorers decided to form their own factions—Doctor Overbuild creating the Assembly, Duke Exeter forming the Sentinels, Hael Storm leading the Venture League, and the Baron’s protégé Vanda Darkflame creating the Paradox. These factions worked together to create the Nexus Force in order to destroy the Maelstrom and its minions. At the beginning of the game, the Maelstrom is attacking the Venture Explorer, a ship carrying new recruits. Assembly “Imagination is the living foundation and power of all that is possible and impossible in the universe.” - Doctor Overbuild Assembly is composed of builders who believe in the power of imagination and creativity. Doctor Overbuild leads them and they use amazing creations and summoned creatures to defeat the Maelstrom. The Faction logo is an orange Penrose triangle, and the specialties consist of the Engineer, the Summoner, and the Inventor.

LEGO Faction Leaders.

Previously I created a Doctor Overbuild figure, where I sculpted, molded, and cast his armor, backpack, helmet, and visor. I also created a custom waist cape, decals, and painted many elements to complete the figure. He still is one of my favorite customs to date, simply because of how well he came together.

Venture League “Exploration is truly the essence of imagination.” - Hael Storm The Venture League is focused on exploration and its members consist of trailblazers and adventurers, going where no minifigure has gone before. Space pirate Hael Storm leads the Faction. The specialties include the Daredevil, the Buccaneer, and the Adventurer. Sentinels “Believe in your strength without abusing it. Acknowledge strength in others without fearing it.” - Duke Exeter The Sentinels are brave warriors, fighting to protect others from the Maelstrom. Duke Exeter, a famous warrior knight, heads this group of fearless heroes. The Faction specialties include the Knight, the Samurai, and the Space Ranger.

The logos of the factions in LEGO Universe. The Paradox faction is on the right.

Paradox “Paradox seeks the secrets of the Maelstrom, to destroy it from within.” - Vanda Darkflame Members of the Paradox Faction focus on turning the chaotic power of the Maelstrom against itself. The plaque at the end of Mission 19 states that they are “highly secretive and viewed with suspicion by the other Factions,” but that they are “always trusted to do the right thing.” Vanda Darkflame, a ninja and former apprentice of Baron Typhonus, leads them. The specialty kits are the Space Marauder, the Sorcerer, and the Shinobi. A ninja warrior, Vanda Darkflame’s background is shrouded in mystery, according to the game. Some sources suggest that she was an archaeologist, while others claim that she was a ninja princess. Vanda Darkflame believes that to defeat an enemy you must understand it and, if possible, turn its own power against it. She is cynical, selfish, decisive, and always fights for what she feels is right, no matter what anyone else may think about her heartless methods. While her character is very different, I believe her appearance served as inspiration for Nya from the Ninjago series. Ultimately Vanda was recruited by Overbuild, Hael Storm, and Duke Exeter to form the Nexus Force. For those that recall the game, the four leaders of Nexus Force clashed over the best way to defend the LEGO Universe, and so each created their own faction. Believing that studying and understanding the Maelstrom were key to defeating the dark menace, Vanda Darkflame founded Paradox for Space Marauders, Sorcerers, and Shinobi across the LEGO Universe. During this age of LEGO videogames, the code was fairly easy to hack, and as such the game skins were readily available, and still are available online. Using this game skin for Vanda Darkflame, I created the vector art for Vanda in order to print waterslide decals to recreate her character. The game skin included designs for her face, torso, hips, legs (including feet, which was rare at this time) and arms.

Case studies of Vanda Darkflame.

Printing these on clear waterslide film was a simple enough task, and application was also straightforward. Dip the decal in water, transfer it to the figure, coat with decal setting solution, and then allow to dry. Once dry, clear coat the figure with clear acrylic paint. For her accessories, the project became complicated. At the time, her bandana facemask was not an existing LEGO part, but as one of the benefits of a project taking so long, it now is thanks to LEGO Ninjago. Her purple swords were also not available from LEGO, but luckily, the aftermarket has helped us there, as there are now multiple sources for purple LEGO swords. These came from Minifigcat.

Vanda Darkflame inspiration.

Torsos NPC Vanda Darkflame I5.

Vanda in pieces.

The final and most complicated accessory was her hair. This hairpiece did not, and still does not, exist from any vendor. At the time, I had clay-sculpted her hair using Sculpey polymer clay. I then used Smooth-On Dragon Skin silicon rubber to mold the hairpiece. After molding, I used a pigment-able urethane resin plastic to cast the hairpiece in black. This is where things became a touch difficult. I actually used the first part from this mold to clean up and polish the part to a LEGO-like finish. I primed this part with the dark grey paint as seen in the photo. I found a few issues, so some of the primer was removed when this part was further sanded to fix these small defects. This part was again molded and cast using the same approach as above. This resulted in a very polished and clean black hairpiece that is ready for the final figure. The paint problem! Paint isn’t opaque enough an clumps on the part.

Hair Sculpt.

This is where the project stagnated originally. Vanda Darkflame has a swatch of hair that is bright purple in color. I had cast the hair in black, which worked great for everything but this swatch. I had tried four different purple paints and none of them were opaque enough to stand up on the black cast hairpiece. The purple was not bright enough or opaque enough to stand out against the black part. I then tried to under-paint the purple area with

white, but was unable to get a satisfactory result. This under-painting resulted in very thick build-up on the part and it did not adhere very well, either. I believe this was because the part was so smooth that the paint could not adhere well, so this easily scratched off the part. Being stuck, I put the figure aside. Luckily, I recently stumbled across the figure and visited a new art store, explaining my issue. The owner was able to direct me to a paint that we actually opened in the store, mixed, and applied. Success! This paint matched the color of the swords nicely and worked well with the figure. Using the paint at home, I noticed that once the paint dried, it was a touch flat in appearance. I wanted this swatch of hair to be very bright and vibrant, so I painted over the top of this paint with a pearlized plum paint, which is very thin and typically transparent. The pearlized overcoat took on the color hue of the undercoat, but made it reflect more light. This achieved the look I was after and gives the desired “pop” to the figure.

The paint solution.

Paint process: Paint the base opaque color of Medium Violet (left) and then overcoat with the Pearlized Plum (right).

Sometimes you can have all the parts and pieces in place, but with one swipe of color, the figure completely changes. This is what this figure has been missing. Vanda can now hang out with Doctor Overbuild, which I finished a few years ago.

Complete Vanda!

You can go to Jared’s webpage by going to http://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!

WHATEVER YOU’RE INTO, BUILD IT WITH

BOOKS & BACK ISSUES!

BrickJournal 50 is a special double-size book! #

A landmark edition, celebrating over a decade as the premier publication for LEGO® fans! (144-page FULL-COLOR paperback) $17.95 (Digital Edition) $7.95 ISBN: 978-1-60549-082-3

Instruction Books!

LEGO FANS! 020 NEW SUBSCRIBE TO RATE S! BRICKJOURNAL ®

GET THE NEXT SIX PRINT ISSUES PLUS FREE DIGITAL EDITIONS! o $67 Economy US Postpaid o $79 Expedited US (faster delivery) o $101 International o $27 Digital Editions Only Name: Address: City/Province: State: Country (if not USA): E-mail address:

Zip Code:

(for free digital editions)

TwoMorrows • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 Order at: www.twomorrows.com • Phone: 919-449-0344

YOU CAN BUILD IT is a series of instruction books on the art of LEGO® custom building, from the producers of BRICKJOURNAL magazine! 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, 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! (84-page FULL-COLOR Trade Paperbacks) $9.95 (Digital Editions) $4.95

Customize Minifigures!

ALL FOR $135!

BrickJournal columnist Jared K. Burks’ two books—Minifigure Customization: Populate Your World! and the sequel Minifigure Customization2: Why Live In The Box?—show a wide range of techniques you can use to alter the lovable LEGO® Minifigure! •V irtual customization, and designing decals •C ustom part modification and creation •3 -D printing and painting techniques • L ighting with LEDs or EL wire • I deas on displays and digital photography •P lus a custom gallery with tips & tricks! (84-page FULL-COLOR Trade Paperbacks) $10.95 (Digital Editions) $4.95

BRICKJOURNAL BUNDLE

Get in-stock copies of the first 50 issues for $3 each (66% off)! Includes #3, 5-7, 9-13, 15, 17-49, and double-size #50! (43 issues + double-size #50) $135 plus shipping (Digital editions are not included. If an issue is sold out when your order, we will refund $3 per missing item.) NO SUBSTITUTIONS or DELETIONS!

Order at: bit.ly/BrickjournalBundle

BACK ISSUES $8.95, $4.95 DIGITAL • US SHIPPING: $1 EACH

NEW

BRICKJOURNAL #62

LEGO TRAINS! CALE LEIPHART’s Blue Comet, GLENN HOLLAND introduces us to the L-Gauge Modular Building Standard, a look at PennLUG’s Train Roundhouse, and many other train-related surprises! Plus a “Bricks in the Middle” comic by KEVIN HINKLE, “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more! $ 9.95 • SHIPS MAY 2020!

BRICKJOURNAL #60

MYSTERIOUS, SPOOKY LEGO BUILDING! FLYNN DeMARCO’s motorized Treasure of the Snake Queen, Laika’s MISSING LINK by HOLLY WEBSTER, STACY STERLING’s HAUNTED MANSION, “AFOLs” by GREG HYLAND, “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art with TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more! $ 9.95 • NOW SHIPPING!

BRICKJOURNAL #58

LEGO WARBIRDS, PAST AND PRESENT! JEFF CHERRY’S WWII and modern fighters (P-51 Mustang and F-14 Tomcat), RALPH SAVELSBURG’S BrickJournal exclusive X-plane, MICHAEL BROWN’S F-14 Tomcat “Vandy One”, step-by-step LEGO instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art with TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more! NOW SHIPPING!

OUTER SPACE

BRICKJOURNAL #57

MICROSCALE LEGO BUILDING! Tour WAYNE TYLER’S National Mall (Washington, DC) layout, skyscrapers from ROCCO BUTTLIERE, BLAKE FOSTER’s Ugly Duckling spaceship, step-by-step “You Can Build It” LEGO instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art with TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more! NOW SHIPPING!

BRICKJOURNAL #56

LIFE-SIZE LEGO and what it takes to build them (besides a ton of LEGO brick)! HELEN SHAM’s sculptures of giant everyday items, MAGNUS LAUGHLO’s GI Joe®-inspired models, military builds by ERIC ONG, plus “Bricks In The Middle” comic by KEVIN HINKLE, “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifig Customization by JARED K. BURKS, & more! NOW SHIPPING!

STAR WARS™

NEW

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!

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 #59

STAR WARSTM THEMED BUILDERS! Travel to a galaxy far, far away with JACOB NEIL CARPENTER’S DEATH STAR, the work of MIRI DUDAS, and the LEGO® photography of JAMES PHILIPPART! Plus “You Can Build It” instructions, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art with TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, 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 #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, & more!

MECHA

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!

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!

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-by-step “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, & 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!

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!

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!

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!

SCULPTURE

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 #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 #54

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY: HSINWEI CHI and his revolutionary LEGO animals and giant robots! We also declassify other top LEGO builders’ creations, including MICHAEL BROWN’s Technic-scale F-18 Hornet! 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 #55

LEGO HEADS & TAILS: FELIX JAENSCH’s remarkable LEGO sculptures, from realistic animals to the human skull and amazing face masks! BRYAN BENSON’s detailed Kermorvan Lighthouse and how he built it from LEGO bricks. A spectacular Winter layout by DAVE SCHEFCIK! Plus: Minifigure customizing, step-by-step instructions, BrickNerd, & more!

LEGO®, the Minifigure, and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group of Companies. BrickJournal is not affiliated with The LEGO Group. All characters shown are TM & © their respective owners.

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!

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!

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!

ARCHITECTURE & MICROSCALE

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!

DINOSAURS

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!

8.95 PRINT 4.95 DIGITAL $

US SHIPPING: $1 EACH

15% OFF ONLINE

TwoMorrows. 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!

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!

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:

store@twomorrows.com

Order online at twomorrows.com

Community Ads

FOR SALE!

ORIGINAL MINIFIGURE COMIC BOOK COVER REPRODUCTIONS by GREG HYLAND

Commission LEGO™ illustrator, Greg Hyland, to draw a full-size, production-quality recreation of any Marvel or DC comic book cover using LEGO™ Minifigures!

STAR WARS #7

Artwork will be a black & white ink drawing on 11”x17” comic book illustration board. Art will include paste-up cover copy, logos, and trade dress. Email greg@lethargiclad.com for |NCREDIBLE HULK #181 information on pricing and timeframe.

Last Word So wraps up another issue of BrickJournal. This was a fun one to find builders for—organic building is something I am not familiar with, and I learned a thing or two here! I usually learn a few new things about building every issue, but this one was even more enlightening to me.

One of these guys is a brick artist. The other one isn’t.

So what’s next? Trains! That’s right, we get to talk to the gang at Brick Model Railroader about some of the things they have done and built. It’s going to be a fun issue because there’s going to be some steam trains coming, and other fun stuff. I’m looking forward to the things I’ll learn about train building, and hope you are, too! Til next issue, build on! And Happy New Year! That Joe Meno Guy

Don’t STEAL our Digital Editions! C’mon citizen, DO THE RIGHT THING! A Mom & Pop publisher like us needs every sale just to survive! DON’T DOWNLOAD OR READ ILLEGAL COPIES ONLINE! Buy affordable, legal downloads only at

www.twomorrows.com or through our Apple and Google Apps!

& DON’T SHARE THEM WITH FRIENDS OR POST THEM ONLINE. Help us keep producing great publications like this one!

ALTER EGO #163

ALTER EGO #164

ALTER EGO #165

ALTER EGO #166

DRAW #36

The early days of DAVE COCKRUM— Legion of Super-Heroes artist and co-developer of the revived mid-1970s X-Men—as revealed in art-filled letters to PAUL ALLEN and rare, previously unseen illustrations provided by wife PATY COCKRUM (including 1960s-70s drawings of Edgar Rice Burroughs heroes)! Plus FCA—MICHAEL T. GILBERT on PETE MORISI—JOHN BROOME—BILL SCHELLY, and more!

Spotlight on MIKE FRIEDRICH, DC/Marvel writer who jumpstarted the independent comics movement with Star*Reach! Art by NEAL ADAMS, GIL KANE, DICK DILLIN, IRV NOVICK, JOHN BUSCEMA, JIM STARLIN, HOWARD CHAYKIN, FRANK BRUNNER, et al.! Plus: MARK CARLSONGHOST on Rural Home Comics, FCA, and Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt! Justice League of America cover by NEAL ADAMS!

WILL MURRAY showcases original Marvel publisher (from 1939-1971) MARTIN GOODMAN, with artifacts by LEE, KIRBY, DITKO, ROMITA, MANEELY, BUSCEMA, EVERETT, BURGOS, GUSTAVSON, SCHOMBURG, COLAN, ADAMS, STERANKO, and many others! Plus FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt with more on PETE MORISI, JOHN BROOME, and a cover by DREW FRIEDMAN!

FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA (FCA) Special, with spotlights on KURT SCHAFFENBERGER (Captain Marvel, Ibis the Invincible, Marvel Family, Lois Lane), and ALEX ROSS on his awesome painting of the super-heroes influenced by the original Captain Marvel! Plus MICHAEL T. GILBERT’s “Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt” on Superman editor MORT WEISINGER, JOHN BROOME, and more! Cover by SCHAFFENBERGER!

MIKE HAWTHORNE (Deadpool, Infinity Countdown) interview, YANICK PAQUETTE (Wonder Woman: Earth One, Batman Inc., Swamp Thing) how-to demo, JERRY ORDWAY’s “Ord-Way” of creating comics, JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews the latest art supplies, plus Comic Art Bootcamp by BRET BLEVINS and MIKE MANLEY! Contains mild nudity for figure-drawing instruction; for Mature Readers Only.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships April 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships June 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships Aug. 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!

ER EISN RD !! AWA NER IN W

BACK ISSUE #119

BACK ISSUE #120

BACK ISSUE #121

BACK ISSUE #122

BACK ISSUE #123

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ISSUE! A galaxy of comics stars discuss Marvel’s whitehot space team in the Guardians Interviews, including TOM DeFALCO, KEITH GIFFEN, ROB LIEFELD, AL MILGROM, MARY SKRENES, ROGER STERN, JIM VALENTINO, and more. Plus: Star-Lord and Rocket Raccoon before the Guardians, with CHRIS CLAREMONT and MIKE MIGNOLA. Cover by JIM VALENTINO with inks by CHRIS IVY.

HEROES OF TOMORROW! Mon-El hero history, STEVE LIGHTLE’s Legionnaires, and the controversial Legion of Super-Heroes: Five Years era. Plus SEKOWSKY’s Manhunter 2070, GRELL’s Starslayer, Charlton’s Space: 1999 tie-in, Paradox, and MIKE BARON’s unfinished Sonic Disruptors series. Featuring the BIERBAUMS, BYRNE, GIFFEN, MAYERIK, SIMONSON, TRUMAN, VOSBURG, WAID, and more. LIGHTLE cover.

CONAN AND THE BARBARIANS! Celebrating the 50th anniversary of ROY THOMAS and BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH’s Conan #1! The Bronze Age Barbarian Boom, Top 50 Marvel Conan stories, Marvel’s Not-Quite Conans (from Kull to Skull), Arak–Son of Thunder, Warlord action figures, GRAY MORROW’s Edge of Chaos, and Conan the Barbarian at Dark Horse Comics. With an unused WINDSOR-SMITH Conan #9 cover.

Celebrates the 40TH ANNIVERSARY of MARV WOLFMAN and GEORGE PÉREZ’s New Teen Titans, featuring a guest editorial by WOLFMAN and a PÉREZ tribute and art gallery! Plus: The New Teen Titans’ 40 GREATEST MOMENTS, the Titans in the media, hero histories of RAVEN, STARFIRE, and the PROTECTOR, and more! With a NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED PÉREZ TITANS COVER from 1981!

SUPERHERO ROMANCE ISSUE! Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark’s many loves, Star Sapphire history, Bronze Age weddings, DeFALCO/ STERN Johnny Storm/Alicia Pro2Pro interview, Elongated Man and Wife, May-December romances, Supergirl’s Secret Marriage, and… Aunt May and Doc Ock?? Featuring MIKE W. BARR, CARY BATES, STEVE ENGLEHART, BOB LAYTON, DENNY O’NEIL, and many more! Cover by DAVE GIBBONS.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships March 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships May 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships June 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships July 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships Aug. 2020

TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History.

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #22 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #23

P. CRAIG RUSSELL career-spanning interview (complete with photos and art gallery), an almost completely unknown work by FRANK QUITELY (artist on All-Star Superman and The Authority), DERF BACKDERF’s forthcoming graphic novel commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings, CAROL TYLER shares her prolific career, JOE SINNOTT discusses his Treasure Chest work, CRAIG YOE, and more!

WENDY PINI discusses her days as Red Sonja cosplayer, and 40+ years of ELFQUEST! Plus RICHARD PINI on their 48-year marriage and creative partnership! SCOTT SHAW! talks about early San Diego Comic-Cons and friendship with JACK KIRBY, Captain Carrot, and Flintstones work! GIL KANE’s business partner LARRY KOSTER about their adventures together! PABLO MARCOS on his Marvel horror work, HEMBECK, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships Spring 2020

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships Summer 2020

KIRBY COLLECTOR #78

SILVER ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! How Kirby kickstarted the Silver Age and revamped Golden Age characters for the 1960s, the Silver Surfer’s influence, pivotal decisions (good and bad) Jack made throughout his comics career, Kirby pencil art gallery, MARK EVANIER and our regular columnists, a classic 1950s story, KIRBY/STEVE RUDE cover (and deluxe silver sleeve) and more! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (DELUXE EDITION w/ silver sleeve) $12.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!

KIRBY COLLECTOR #79

See “THE BIG PICTURE” of how Kirby fits into the grand scheme of things! His creations’ lasting legacy, how his work fights illiteracy, a RARE KIRBY INTERVIEW, inconsistencies in his 1960s MARVEL WORK, editorial changes in his comics, big concepts in OMAC, best DOUBLE-PAGE SPREADS, MARK EVANIER’s 2019 Kirby Tribute Panel, PENCIL ART GALLERY, and a new cover based on OMAC #1! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships Spring 2020

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:

store@twomorrows.com

Order at twomorrows.com

RetroFan: The Pop Culture You Grew Up With! If you love Pop Culture of the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties, editor MICHAEL EURY’s latest magazine is just for you!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Ships May 2020

RETROFAN #1

for shipping in the US.

RETROFAN #2

RETROFAN #6

RETROFAN #7

RETROFAN #8

Interviews with MeTV’s crazy creepster SVENGOOLIE and Eddie Munster himself, BUTCH PATRICK! Call on the original Saturday Morning GHOST BUSTERS, with BOB BURNS! Uncover the nutty NAUGAS! Plus: “My Life in the Twilight Zone,” “I Was a Teenage James Bond,” “My Letters to Famous People,” the ARCHIE-DOBIE GILLIS connection, Pinball Hall of Fame, Alien action figures, Rubik’s Cube & more!

Featuring a JACLYN SMITH interview, as we reopen the Charlie’s Angels Casebook, and visit the Guinness World Records’ largest Charlie’s Angels collection. Plus: an exclusive interview with funnyman LARRY STORCH, The Lone Ranger in Hollywood, The Dick Van Dyke Show, a vintage interview with Jonny Quest creator DOUG WILDEY, a visit to the Land of Oz, the ultra-rare Marvel World superhero playset, and more!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with the ’60s grooviest family band THE COWSILLS, and TV’s coolest mom JUNE LOCKHART! Mars Attacks!, MAD Magazine in the ’70s, Flintstones turn 60, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Honey West, Max Headroom, Popeye Picnic, the Smiley Face fad, & more! With MICHAEL EURY, ERNEST FARINO, ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, and SCOTT SHAW!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!

RETROFAN #3

RETROFAN #4

RETROFAN #5

THE CRAZY, COOL CULTURE WE GREW UP WITH! LOU FERRIGNO interview, The Phantom in Hollywood, Filmation’s Star Trek cartoon, “How I Met Lon Chaney, Jr.”, goofy comic Zody the Mod Rob, Mego’s rare Elastic Hulk toy, RetroTravel to Mount Airy, NC (the real-life Mayberry), interview with BETTY LYNN (“Thelma Lou” of The Andy Griffith Show), TOM STEWART’s eclectic House of Collectibles, and Mr. Microphone!

HALLOWEEN! Horror-hosts ZACHERLEY, VAMPIRA, SEYMOUR, MARVIN, and an interview with our cover-featured ELVIRA! THE GROOVIE GOOLIES, BEWITCHED, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, and THE MUNSTERS! The long-buried Dinosaur Land amusement park! History of BEN COOPER HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, character lunchboxes, superhero VIEW-MASTERS, SINDY (the British Barbie), and more!

40th Anniversary interview with SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE director RICHARD DONNER, IRWIN ALLEN’s sci-fi universe, Saturday morning’s undersea adventures of Aquaman, horror and sci-fi zines of the Sixties and Seventies, Spider-Man and Hulk toilet paper, RetroTravel to METROPOLIS, IL (home of the Superman Celebration), SEA-MONKEYS®, FUNNY FACE beverages, Superman and Batman memorabilia, & more!

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 sci-fi TV classic THUNDERBIRDS, Casper & Richie Rich museum, the KING TUT fad, and more!

Interviews with MARK HAMILL & Greatest American Hero’s WILLIAM KATT! Blast off with JASON OF STAR COMMAND! Stop by the MUSEUM OF POPULAR CULTURE! Plus: “The First Time I Met Tarzan,” MAJOR MATT MASON, MOON LANDING MANIA, SNUFFY SMITH AT 100 with cartoonist JOHN ROSE, TV Dinners, Celebrity Crushes, and more fun, fab features!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.95 • Now shipping!

SUBSCRIBE NOW! Six issues: $67 Economy, $101 International, $27 Digital Only

TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

DON’T RISK A SOLD OUT ISSUE AT BARNES & NOBLE!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com

PRINTED IN CHINA

RETROFAN #9 (NOW BI-MONTHLY!)

RETROFAN #9 features interviews with two TV superheroes, Seventies’ Captain America REB BROWN… and Captain Nice (and Knight Rider’s KITT) WILLIAM DANIELS with wife BONNIE BARTLETT! Plus: remembering the Captain Nice TV series, the Wonderful World of Coloring Books, star-studded Fall Previews for Saturday morning cartoons, an eyewitness account of The Cyclops movie, the actors behind your favorite TV commercial characters, Benny Hill’s invasion of America, a trip to the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, 8-track tapes, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by ERNEST FARINO, ANDY MANGELS, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, Please add $1 per issue and SCOTT SHAW! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.