BrickJournal #64 by TwoMorrows Publishing

The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 64 • November 2020

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Fan Tributes to LEGO Themes Piet Niederhausen’s Classic Yellow Castle Dioramas Chris Giddens and Neo-Classic Space

Visiting the LEGO House’s Masterpiece Gallery

AND MORE! 1

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Issue 64 • November 2020

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

People Chris Giddens: Pre-Classic Space Master..............................3 Jeffery Viens: Answering the Collector’s Call...................8 Andrea Girotto: Making Music and Motion with Bricks........................................................12 Piotr Pitold Maciejewski: Making Dioramas, Models and Games......................................................18

Building Sarah Beyer: Home Builder.................................................24 Builder Profile: Jaap Bijl.............................................................30

Christy Hempel’s Design with Nature, Design with LEGO........................................34 A Yellow Castle Tribute..................................40 You Can Build It: Classic Space Revisited: Small Space Cruiser.....................................49 Minifigure Customization 101: M:Tron 2020....................................................54

Community Bantha Bricks: Todd Wright’s BAAT (Battlefield Armored Assault Transport)........................................58 The LEGO House: Masterpiece Gallery 2019.........................64 Community Ads...............................................78 Last Word.............................................................79 Bricks in the Middle........................................80

From the Editor: Hi!

November 2020 Issue 64 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: Sarah Beyer, Jaap Bijl, Jared Burks, Christopher Deck, Chris Giddens, Andrea Girotto, Christy Hempel, Glen Holland, Matthew Kay, Piotr Pitold Maciejewski, Piet Niedenhausen, Trine Nissen (The LEGO House), Steven Smyth, Jeffery Viens, and Kevin Hinkle.

I’m stir crazy. Over here, I have been on lockdown because of the pandemic. I hope that all of you have been safe. It’s not been normal by any stretch of the imagination for the LEGO fan community. Conventions and events have been cancelled, so the normal meeting times and places were replaced by online gatherings. BrickJournal was held up for a month, as our distribution system was knocked out, and without distribution, all our magazines could do was sit in a warehouse. But we are back—sorry for the delay. This issue has some builders doing their take on some old LEGO themes and sets. The cover article has builder Piet Niederhausen do an entire set of mash-ups based on a classic set. Jared Burks updates some M:Tron minifigures. Piotr Pitold Maciejewski shows a Classic Space-themed ship. And Christopher Deck shows you how to build a Classic Space-themed spaceship! So sit back and have some fun—we’ve been waiting! Joe Meno 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: Piet Niederhausen’s tribute to the Yellow Castle graces the cover. Photography by Piet Niederhausen. About the Contents: A first look at Pitold’s futuristic layout. Photograph by Piotr Pitold Maciejewski 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.

Building

Chris Giddens:

Pre-Classic Space Master!

Article by Joe Meno Photography by Chris Giddens and Joe Meno In the early 2000s, a fan theme was born from revisiting the Classic Space sets of the ’80s. The question was posed: What did spaceships look like before the Classic Space models? This became the foundation of Pre-Classic Space, first created by Chris Giddens. Chris, now a Minister to Children and Families at Kennesaw First Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Georgia, still builds. His building has slowed as his family and work commitments have grown, but in 2003, he launched an astounding array of spacecraft for the then-new Pre-Classic fleet. Chris started LEGO building in the late ’70s when he got the Universal Building set (#400) and the yellow Spirit of St. Louis (#456), followed by his first space set, the Mobile

Space Lab (#801). He continued building, focusing on building a space fleet inspired by Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. While building the fleet, he saw the LEGO space-oriented sets at the time, which included LEGO City Space sets (which included Space Shuttle-related sets), Star Wars, and the NASA Discover theme (which also had a space shuttle set). Chris didn’t like these sets that much, so he started thinking about a different direction: If LEGO’s Classic Space sets were the future, with spacecraft that could hop galaxies with one engine, what would the spaceships before that look like? Chris thought about it and came up with some design ideas to transition from the LEGO City Space themes to Classic Space: • City Space sets in the ’90s were primarily white in color, while Classic Space in the ’80s was blue and gray. PreClassic Space would have white and gray with a little blue to hint at the future. • Classic Space crafts had computer slope pieces. To Chris, this mean that the computers were incredibly sophisticated—if that slope could manage a jump anywhere in the galaxy, it was powerful! The same thought applied to the engine technology. Pre-Classic Space would bridge the technology by having larger computers and engines and also showing piping and construction details on the ships—they weren’t as smooth as the Classic 3 Space craft.

• By using curved transparent parts for LEGO’s Paradisa theme, Chris added another design hallmark: the rounded forward profile. There’s some Art Deco and ’60s futurism also added to the Pre-Classic Space look. Since the theme was set during the time of the Space Race, there were the good guys (the white and gray ships) and the bad guys (black and red ships, with skulls somewhere on their ships—they were called 3vil, as in 3 times as evil). The good guys needed a leader, and Chris created Fazoom, a cross between Flash Gordon and a redneck. His sidekick was Sterling, a very British butler droid. Both of them would make a hilarious combo, and in fact Fazoom appeared in BrickJournal in its very early online issues. From all of this came over a dozen spacecraft by Chris alone from 2003 to 2005. He has also displayed the ships at many US events, including BrickFest, Brickworld and BrickFair. His building was affirmed by the LEGO Group when he and the creator of the 3vil space faction Mark Sandlin were invited to make LEGO sets in their themes

P.E.Li.C.A.N. (Planetary Expedition Light Cargo Astro Navigation) The PELiCAN is the backbone of planetary colonization in the PCS command. The PELiCAN can transport sensitive cargo with a soft touch, but she is fast enough to outrun many attack craft. She also can be equipped as a troop transport, science vessel, and temporary command base for new colonies.

Chris can be found on Instagram (Fazoom7) and on Youtube as Fazoom. You can see his videochat on Youtube, Old Gray Bricks, Thursdays at 7pm EST at https://www.youtube.com/user/ legoober or scan this QR code!

for the LEGO Factory theme in 2008. Chris’ set was Star Justice (#10191), while Mark’s was the Space Skulls set (#10192). In 2013 Chris developed Testicular Cancer, and realized just how sick he was getting at Brickfair 2013. He felt such support from the LEGO community. Many friends from across the country and even the world supported him... some even shaving their heads as Chris lost his hair to chemo. Brickfair 2014 became a goal and finish line for Chris. He returned there having finished his biggest ship to date, The Atlas. But it was the friends he wanted to see, and thank. The LEGO community is always more than the sum of its parts. Always. Here’s a gallery of some of Chris’s Pre-Classic Space models. In the years since, he has revisited some of his spaceships and rebuilt them. You can find those ships on his Flickr feed: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fazoom/.

PCS S.M.A.C. (Strategic Missile Anti Capital)

FAZOOM-O-CRAFT

This craft is basically a SLAM (Strategic Light Attack Mobile) sitting on a huge power plant to power its warp drive and weapon systems. Much of the cockpit configuration and flight controls are similar to the SLAM but it has more advanced targeting systems. While not as nimble as a SLAM, in a battle it can endure as much damage as it can inflict and still take the pilot home at the end of the day (think A-10 of space). She is made to take out cap ships and defend fleet craft like Vanguard and Tribunal. You don’t want to see a SMAC PACK flying towards your ship in the midst of battle.

The Galactic Peace Maker SP-X1 was renamed the FAZOOM-O-CRAFT by PCS engineers after the input from Captain Fazoom on its design. Fast, agile, and able to take a pounding, the craft is built for serving up steaming mugs of Justice across the galaxy. Captain Fazoom is a blend of Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers and... Larry the Cable guy. His sidekick Sterling the robot is your basic mechanical British butler who’s bulletproof, shiny and armed to the teeth.

LL-X2 Vanguard Vanguard and its class of heavy cruisers are the peacekeepers of the galaxy. Built for long range voyages and fleet command operations, Vanguard is an impressive ship. She can carry a small compliment of fighters in her bay or exploration landers. Vanguard’s shield generators are an advancement in PCS technology and her defense is based on them.

HopLab Planetary Hopper/ Mobile Laboratory Truly the meat and ‘taters of the PCS fleet. The HopLab is part Explorer, part Mobile Lab, and yes, even a fighter. Fleets of Hoplabs comb the galaxy peacefully exploring asteroids, moons and planets. It’s a ship that the Lego Space Command split into two vehicles in the Classic Space Age, combining the hoppin’ tech of Surface Hopper and the labbin’ tech of Mobile Lab.

Centaur

Atlas

The Centaur is a fast attack fleet corvette.

The Atlas is the Flagship of the PCS Fleet, taking over the role left by the loss of the Vanguard in battle against a 3vil force.

People

Jim Demer, Lisa Welchel (host of Collector’s Call), Jeffery Viens, and his girlfriend Julie Blair.

Jeffery Viens:

Answering the Collector’s Call! Article by Jeffery Viens Photography by Jeffery Viens and MeTV

Jeffery Viens is a LEGO fan whose collection was featured recently on the MeTV Network show Collector’s Call. Here, he talks about collecting and having his minutes of fame on the show.

I started collecting in the late ’90s. I was buying sets for my nieces and nephews, saw what LEGO was doing with the Model Team and Technic themes, and was hooked. My family gave me a few of the construction equipment sets as gifts, including the pneumatic combination backhoe set (#8862). In the early 2000s, I started a new career as a heavy equipment operator and my LEGO fund grew quickly. I began spending between $5000–10,000 a year on LEGO, buying anything that struck my fancy: City, trains, and even bulk sets at flea markets and garage sales. My dining room table became a LEGO train layout and I began to let my creativity flow. My collection grew quickly and started to take over more parts of my house. At the time, the running joke was that I ran Tonka trucks at work and came home to build with LEGO. In 2007, I saw an advertisement in the LEGO store for Brickworld, a fan convention. The manager suggested I look into it, and I began attending. It didn’t take long before my building would be noticed. In 2009, I achieved two world records in LEGO when I built the world’s largest LEGO Trebuchet and a smaller trebuchet that has the title “furthest Distance Thrown by a LEGO siege Weapon,” having thrown four 2x4 bricks 38 ft, 7 in. In 2014, I was one of the many builders credited in The LEGO Brickumentary film. Since that LEGO store visit in 2007, I have displayed at Brickworld every year, but I almost didn’t make it to Brickworld 2013.

The night of April 18, 2013, a rainstorm hit the Chicago area where I live. I was awakened by my neighbor knocking on my door at 4:00 am. He told me to hurry and move my cars before I lose them to the rising water. By that point, the water was ankle-deep around my house. After I moved my vehicles away from the house, water was pouring in through my back door and flowing into the basement, where I kept my LEGO collection. I started moving LEGO bins from the basement up to the main level of the house which was about five feet above ground level. I also set up tables downstairs, and placed the bins holding my layout on them. I tried stacking the bins, thinking the weight of the bricks would hold them down, but as the water rose, the stacks started floating and dumping into the water. By midday my house was surrounded by over three feet of water and my pumps were barely keeping up. I had given up saving LEGO bins when the water reached waist deep in the basement and was getting close to the electrical outlets. As I was figuring out what to do and checking on the other members of my household, I could hear more LEGO bins crashing into the water. It was devastating. We had no choice but to evacuate the home. The next day, after the water receded, I returned to the house to assess the damage. The ejector pump I had set up was still running and there were LEGO pieces scattered all over my yard. I entered the basement stairwell and all I saw was carnage. However, when I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw something unbelievable.

A display with one of Jeff’s trebuchets.

The bins holding my layout were still on the table. They were leaning badly but had remained untouched by the water. The only thing I can attribute it to was that a build I completed earlier that year, a memorial garden that was underneath one of the floor joists, had somehow kept everything in place as the water rose. However, that was the only thing that survived down there. Everything else had been underwater for over a day. As clean-up began, we noticed most of the LEGO that was submerged started growing black mold on it. At the time, I was doing shows at children’s hospitals and I had to make the hard decision to throw out all the affected LEGO. I had to dispose of about a quarter of my collection at that time, which was around $50,000 in total. Since then, I have tried to keep my collection above ground level to avoid any future losses from flooding. Since starting to display at Brickworld, I became fascinated by LEGO history. Over the years, I have collected odd and rare pieces, from eBay auctions or other means. Some of my more unique pieces include a piece of the LEGO factory facade from the Samsonite factory in Loveland, Colorado (where LEGO parts were first made in the US), a glued store display from the LEGO Homemaker series (set #262) and some wooden toys. I started building a reputation for liking unique pieces and was often offered odd items to add to my collection. This culminated one year when I offered up a “I Love Kevin Hinkle” custom engraved brick (Kevin Hinkle formerly worked at the LEGO Group in their Community Engagement staff, but now does the Bricks in the Middle fan comic)—not for sale, but for trade. I would trade for something that in my view was interesting. The bricks were numbered 1-56.

The flood that invaded Jeff’s LEGO collection.... ...and the layout that survived.

The Kevin Hinkle engraved brick (upper left) and some of the items traded for it.

Collected LEGO staff minifigures. Jeff’s collection as seen on Collector’s Call. This is only a fraction of what he has collected.

Some of the items I received in that trade were minifigures from CONN-LUG (the Connecticut LEGO User Group), Brickfair 2016, LEGO World 2016 (a European LEGO event), and a minifigure of Max (the mascot of the LEGO club and the LEGO magazine). Other trades were a brick from the moulding department at LEGO’s offices in Billlund, Denmark, a brick from one of the LEGO Factory tours, a patent pending brick that was missing the LEGO logo on one of the studs, and a milky white 2 x 4 brick that I was informed was made for a build in Germany and was never meant to be released to the public. The most unique item, though, came from my friend Alex Taylor. He traded me some LEGO that was half-melted from a fire that consumed his apartment and most of his LEGO collection. Given my flood loss, I appreciated the trade immensely. LEGO executives and managers are issued custom printed minifigures as ‘business cards.’ I started collecting those and have 19 LEGO business minifigures. My collection has the minifigures of Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen (the owner of LEGO), two minifigure versions of Tormod Askildsen (Senior Director, The LEGO Group), Tim Courtney (LEGO fan who became the first manager for the LEGO IDEAS platform), and three minifigure versions of Kevin Hinkle. I’m also completing my collection of LEGO IDEAS sets to date. Some of these sets are signed by the fan designers: the Maze (#21305) by Jason Allemann, the Big Bang Theory (#21302) by Glen Wadleigh and Ellen Kooijman, Dr. Who (#21304) by Andy Clark, and the Mars Rover Curiosity (#21104) by Stephen Pakbaz. This year I was planning to display all the sets built, including the signed sets and the first LEGO IDEAS set, the Shinkai Submarine. This isn’t the first time that I have opened and built a signed set. In 2019, I won the LEGO House Dinosaurs set (#40366) at the

Jeff’s Facts of Life layout, built specially for host Lisa Welchel, who played Blair on the series.

Brickworld auction and built it the following Sunday at the event during its public display hours. Around May 2019 the producers of Collector’s Call, a show on MeTV, contacted my LUG here in Chicago. The producers were looking for someone to profile on the show. A couple of LUG members forwarded the e-mail to me and said I might be a good fit. After some communicating back and forth, I agreed to do an episode. My girlfriend, Julie, and I now had the task of getting the house full of as much of my collection as possible. Most is stored offsite in a storage facility. We cleared bookshelves and just about every surface of anything non-LEGO. Over the course of several weeks we made trips back and forth and slowly covered every inch of my living room and office in LEGO greatness, including posters and artwork done by LEGO fans. Most of what was displayed was sets, as the show was focusing on them. July 12th was the day of filming. It was a warm day and about ten people from the Collector’s Call production team arrived, as well as Lisa Welchel, the show’s host. Lisa and the production crew were very excited to see the collection and spent the next twelve hours going through many parts of my collection. I was able to surprise Lisa by showing her a MOC of the dining hall from The Facts of Life set I made. Lisa played Blair in that TV show and I created her, Jo, Tootie, Natalie, and Mrs. Garrett in LEGO form. I also presented her with her own minifigure (a significant figure—sigfig) from the build. The highlight of the taping for me was when Lisa posed in a full-sized cardboard LEGO Movie display I set up in my living room. It was a great photo opportunity.

Lisa Welchel had a cameo in the LEGO Movie. Really!

The scariest part of the day, though, was when Jim Demer of the local Bricks and Minifigs store came to assess the value of my collection. While only half my collection could actually fit in my house, Jim and I were able to go through my collection before the day of taping. I didn’t let him tell me his assessment until that moment on the show. I wasn’t too shocked at the value—now having confirmation on the value has me concerned on how to properly protect and insure my collection. The show aired on March 15, 2020, and I had a watch party with friends and fellow LEGO fans. The party went well and I was happy with the episode. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing the cancellation of Brickworld this year, I’m looking forward to showing my sets next year. Until then, there’s always Collector’s Call! 11

People

Andrea and a few of his music boxes.

Andrea Girotto:

Making Music and Motion with Bricks! Article by Joe Meno Photography by Andrea Girotto 12

Andrea Girotto (known online as JOLLY “3ricks”—3ricks means Bricks as well as Tricks) is a 40-year-old builder and a legal assistant at a transport company in Italy. He started LEGO building in his childhood, building Space and Light and Sound sets. He stopped building at the age of 12, becoming more occupied with video games and then girls. 23 years later, he got out of his Dark Age when he found out there was so much more beyond buying and building a regular set. By then he was building Creator Expert and Architecture sets. His adoration for the Light and Sound sets returned in a very unique way. He was thunderstruck by talented builders like JK Brickworks (Jason Allemann) and Teun de Wijs, who build animated LEGO models. One day, he saw a beautiful Laputa-inspired music box by Bangoo and he decided to build his own music box with LEGO as a gift for some friends. Then he built another for his wife, then another, and another… As seen here, Andrea likes to build kinetic sculptures and automata. He calls himself a beginner since he started out with only a limited amount of mechanical knowledge. Yoshihito Isogawa’s building guides have helped Andrea a lot in the mechanical area. Andrea gets inspiration from classic automata makers and he tries, with LEGO bricks, to make something all his own: Musical, dynamic, and communicative. Creating these musical automata has become a way for Andrea to express himself. Andrea makes his creations by combining a kinetic LEGO MOC with a music box mechanism. He is inspired by different subjects, depending on his mood. Usually, his building begins when he starts thinking about an ideal movement he wants to reproduce, along with a scene and an appropriate melody or song.

From there, he starts sketching and building. He doesn’t use software to virtually build. Instead, his creations grow step by step, often changing many times from its initial design due to lack of pieces or movement not working as hoped. In his first creations, he couldn’t help ‘hurting’ some brick in order to incorporate a music box mechanism into his MOCs, but he later found ways to integrate them without altering parts. The end result is worth the effort, with Andrea’s efforts recognized online and at events. Here’s a collection of Andrea’s creations. While they do not show the motion in his work, they do show the detail and effort he places in each of his MOCs. Two of his models also have their development sketches, so you can see how Andrea progressed from idea to final model. He also gives a little background on these. THE NUTCRACKER One of Andrea’s oldest MOCs. Movement is simple: the two minifigs just spin as they dance. It represents a little theatre and the ballet. The music box plays Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite. This was built as a gift box for his wife, with two tickets for the ballet inside the little hidden drawer.

The Nutcracker music box.

The Nutcracker’s music box opens its hidden drawer.

SANTA IS COMING (OR NOT?), or “TURN IT HO-HO-HOFFF!” 2018 Christmas build. The music box plays Jingle Bells. The train runs around the tree while Santa goes up and down the chimney, having some problems with the fireplace.

Some views of the music box.

A close-up of the interior.

With lights on.

DISNEYLAND DREAMS Another gift for Andrea’s wife with another secret stash (behind Mickey) where he put tickets for Disneyland. It plays Snow White’s theme. It is a three-layered tribute to Disneyland, with the two upper layers (a carousel of minifigs and a microscale Disney Castle) rotating in opposite directions.

x. isney music bo sketch of the D Andrea’s initial

Different views of the Disney music box.

TREASURE CHEST (on Lego IDEAS) A Pirate-themed automaton. Showing a micro galleon and Caribbean Sea, all inside an opening booty chest. Waves go alternately up and down, rocking the ship. Tune: Pirates of the Caribbean. If you want to see more about this on LEGO Ideas, you can go to: https:// ideas.lego.com/ projects/07a18a3d8da7-48f5-9d3b925252d694ef or scan this QR code. The closed chest.

The open chest.

Opening.

The interior.

GAME OF THRONES: THE WALL This shows Drogon the dragon, majestically flying in front of the Wall and Castle Black. The dragon flaps its wings, moving the articulated body sinuously while playing the Game of Thrones theme. It is Andrea’s latest and most satisfying MOC.

The music box.

An overview.

A look at the dragon, showing its mounts.

Andrea’s sketches for the music box, starting at the upper left corner and the Iron Throne, which was changed when Drogon was added. The upper right section details the mechanism behind the wings and body of Drogon. The bottom left shows the angle he first thought of displaying the dragon, then the final angle. The bottom right focuses on the color choices and appearance of the music box and Drogon.

You can see Andrea’s MOCs in action at his Youtube gallery: https:// www.youtube.com/ channel/UCsru2_ nU5zNMPxP9qZPYaSA or you can scan this QR code.

People

Pitold working on his layout.

Piotr Pitold Maciejewski:

Making Dioramas, Models, and Games! Article by Joe Meno Photographs by Piotr Pitold Maciejewski

Piotr Pitold Maciejewski (known as Pitold online) is a Polish LEGO fan that has been building for over 35 years. As he recalls, since he was 12 or 13, he started building when he got his first set, the Tractor (6608) with minifigure. He had to play with just this set for the entire year until the next Christmas. Poland was depressed in the ’80s and ’90s and so his LEGO collection was very small. When the Iron Curtain collapsed, his parents were able to buy him a few more sets. His first years LEGO building, he built not only with the bricks and elements he had, but also with anything he found: paper, styrofoam or box cartons. For him, this was a creative learning and shaping experience that led him to his career, and eventually back to building. Pitold stopped building in high school and while he attended the Fine Arts Academy in Poznań, Poland. He graduated specializing in animation and became a graphic designer for advertising agencies. After graduating, he also got married and had two sons, which eventually led him back to LEGO. Careerwise, Pitold had started making advertising videos and art movies, so after leaving agency work, he and a friend started a small film company where he still works as an art director, director of photography, editor, and 2-D animator. One of their advertising campaign movies was honored with a Silver Dolphin at the Cannes Corporate and TV media awards in 2018.

As his sons grew up, Pitold began buying LEGO sets, starting with Duplo, then progressing to LEGO Star Wars. A lot of used LEGO was bought at flea markets in Poznań and Berlin. It was later that Pitold realized he was an AFOL, as his sons became adults and stopped LEGO building—but he didn’t.

An overall view.

The ground level of his diorama.

Since then, he has been combining his filmmaking skill with his building to make not only models, but landscapes and settings that look cinematic in scope. His scenes are inspired by his favorite sci-fi universes: the gothic futurism of Alien and the future noir of Blade Runner. His favorite LEGO theme is the one closest to his sci-fi interests: Star Wars. His focus began with the Millennium Falcon set (4504) which he bought in 2005, and since has modified several times (with the result being double the parts of the original). He also has an affection for the 1970s, ’80s and early ’90s LEGOLand City and Space sets, and is now collecting those in mint condition from auctions. His layout took about a year to build, done over the free time he had, which was mostly weekends and when he was in the mood to relax. LEGO building is Pitold’s ‘zen activity’—it quiets his mind and takes him to safe and uncomplicated childhood feelings. For him, the is the common reason why so many other AFOLs do the same. Plans for the layout weren’t sketched out on paper—Pitold had a few general concepts in mind when he started, but he made plans as he went along in building. When he is unsatisfied with his efforts, he rebuilds, sometimes many times. This is a completely different process from his filmmaking, as he always does a lot of planning and storyboarding before he touches the camera and starts filming. Except for documentaries, he doesn’t improvise very much. Perhaps, he thinks, that’s why he improvises in

Another look at ground level.

A panoramic view.

LEGO. He also has used LEGO Digital Designer software to build his concepts, but he has never ordered parts to make those creations. That may be his next step. With his layout, he used more than a few of his filmmaking skills. The layout is set up like a stage for a photo shoot, using lighting and cinematography tricks to set the mood for the environment. Like a movie set, the layout is built only around a restricted camera view. His layout is along a wall of his office, so it’s impossible to see it from all sides. Lighting is done using small, inexpensive LED lamps from IKEA that are sold around Christmas. These are usually battery powered, but Pitold modified them to be powered from a wall outlet. Watching the land below from the Crab.

Pitold also worked on another project, his ’pandemic quarantine project,’ as he calls it: the Crab. He started building the craft in March during lockdown, as all of his work was frozen. Like building his layout, building the Crab was very good psychotherapy for him. lt took him two weeks to build the Crab, including all its modifications and lighting it. He didn’t have to buy any new sets or parts for it— he already had all the parts on hand. When asked about the Crab’s pups, Pitold is happy to explain, as he was thinking about it while he was building. The Crab is a two-person flying workshop. An antigravity flying system gives the Crab flight and hovering capability.

For this vehicle and its owners, “electronic repairs’ is just a cover—they do cyberpunk cybernetic body modifications (a semi-criminal activity) for much higher profits. Inspiration for the Crab came from the works of Alejandro Brudisio and the paintings of Simon Stallenhag (Tales of the Loop), as well as Blade Runner.

One of the shops pierces the dark with its lights.

Pitold’s challenge in building the Crab was to build a chassis made of Technic parts and old tires, supplemented with pipes and power cables. He took care in making sure that while the model would be lightweight, it would also be solidly built and not break when handled. He also used many old parts from the classic Space sets from the late ’70s. It was amazing to him that some of the parts in the Crab were around forty years old. Another idea that Pitold worked on was a LEGO-based game. He wanted a chase game for a long time, as he hadn’t found any games that he liked on the market. One day he started to make the game for himself and his sons, and because of their interests, he set and built it in the LEGO Star Wars universe.

Inspiration came from paintings like these from Alejandro Brudisio.

Pitold developed the core idea, story and build design to the game in 2016, and his beta testers were his sons. As a chase game, there are two opposing players: a player whose goal is to take a cargo from one corner of the layout to the other, and a player starting from an adjacent corner to stop and capture the cargo. The game board is a LEGObuilt nanoscale landscape of a desert planet, with areas the players’ vehicles can and cannot go. With stops for fuel and salvage, the game is a test of resource management and strategy. The strategy scales up in combat encounters, when player vehicles and figures use LEGO stud shooters to resolve combat. Pitold wanted to take advantage of the miniature scale sets and shooters, and the shooting made the game fun for younger players. The game never got a name, as it was realized after developing the game that Pitold didn’t have the

The Crab’s interior.

rights to make the game commercially, and the playing field built was beyond the budgets of most builders. He still wanted to share it though, so he made a video of the game. If there is more interest in the game, he will create his game cards into PDF files and publish them on his account on BoardGameGeek.com.

The Crab’s box (if it ever was a set).

As a builder, Pitold has tried many things and ideas. He offers this advice to other builders, whether they are beginners or experienced builders: 1. With building, keep elements separated, at least in colors, preferably sorted further into functions and types. Don’t build on a deep-pile rug, because you will lose small parts. 2. Imagine the function of your build before you build. Build a little story in your mind around it. Ask yourself what you want to have in your collection that is not available for sale anywhere in the world. With LEGO it is possible!

Side view. Side view.

3. Don’t use too many colors. Try to combine no more than two or three main colors and treat the rest as complementary exceptions. Bright elements draw attention, so keep that in mind as you plan and build.

Lower view, showing the antigravity drive units.

Primary deck.

The game board, which is a nanoscale map. Vehicles used in combat are at the upper left corner.

4. Don’t pay too much attention to what others do; rather, look for inspiration outside the world of LEGO—from illustrations, movies, and art. Look deep into your imagination… however strange it is, the more interesting your creations will be. 5. If you want to build something bigger that you plan to keep for a while or display at an event, think about the space it takes up. Large structures gather dust, especially after completion. You won’t be able to take these models anywhere in one piece, so think about building the model in modules that can be taken apart for travel. 6. Be resourceful. The more ways you build outside of LEGO, from paper to clay to mud and sticks in childhood, the more creative resources you will have when you need them in all problem solving, not just LEGO building.

Movement is marked by player flags. Stations and wreckage are marked by different parts.

Pitold’s last observation? LEGO is quite an expensive and addictive hobby that doesn’t help you get a girlfriend. You can see Pitold’s video of his game at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=xR__ Zkz_T7Q&feature=youtu. be&fbclid=IwAR2nGls-PdXnJUllCx_onY0fvr3-Yd-NdIj3MxfeXJGAckCJgX546mvERrE or you can scan the QR code!

Another move. The terrain offers obstacles and treasures to use in the game.

Building

Sarah Beyer

home builder Article by Sarah Beyer

Sarah Beyer has been displaying and building models in Europe for only a few years, but has been showcased online and at events. A resident of Sweden, her building interests are varied, so for BrickJournal, the focus is on two of her houses. She took some time to answer our questions about her building process and style.

curry house: a calm and silent place to call home The Curry House is a great example of the thoughtfulness of Sarah’s builds. The house is completely realized, from the rounded window bay on the second floor to the swimming pool on the ground level.

Inside, there are rooms with shelves and furniture and even wall art. It’s a perfect place for a minifigure to live.

What do you do?

interiors

During the day I’m a hardworking legal counsel and in the evening I’m a LEGO architect. Well, when I’m at home I relax by designing and building modern houses—or dream homes—in minifigure scale. There is something special about clean and dynamic modernist architecture and I think I’ve found my own building style. LEGO offers both limitations and possibilities. There is a limited amount of parts and elements, but LEGO allows me to build things that would be very expensive, or even dangerous, in real life. I always put a lot of effort into the interior and furniture of my houses. The inside is just as important as the outside. They are always fully furnished with bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and so on. I like clean interior design and try not to make the rooms too crowded. When I’m working on a house project, I take a lot of photos along the way. My aim is to create pictures that would fit in an interior design magazine. I want to create a longing to live in the house.

The living room.

The kitchen with guest.

A look at the pool side and living room above. The outside pool.

Hall with stairway to the second floor.

Second floor with bedroom and walkway to the living room.

What was your first set? And when did you start building your own models? Like many AFOLs, I played with LEGO when I was a child. When I got a LEGO set for my birthday or Christmas, I built the official model once. Then I disassembled it and built my own model. I used to build villages with houses and a harbour with boats. The houses were fully furnished (of course!). One of my first sets was the Emergency Treatment Center (6380). I loved it! It was very playable with an open backside full of emergency equipment and interiors.

Here’s the living room by itself. The windows are on hinges to make a curve.

I guess I was around ten years old when I put my LEGO away and entered my Dark Ages. When I was in my late twenties or early thirties, my parents moved to a new house and found my old LEGO. I brought it to my apartment and started building again. I bought some small Creator houses and played around with the parts, but I wasn’t really committed to it then. In 2016 I had moved to a house with more space and needed a way to relax after work and take a break from the chaos that two small sons can create. I started building houses of all kinds and created an Instagram account (@betweenbrickwalls). I enjoyed being inspired by others and after a while I realized I was inspiring others too. Since then I’ve been building almost every single day.

work in progress Another look at the living room.

Here you can see some of the work behind the Curry House. The living room, with its curved window, is a different challenge than the pool below. You can also see the plates needed to make the layered stone finish.

Favorite theme?

DAisy hill

I rarely build official sets, but sometimes I buy them for parts. I was very fond of the Ninjago Movie sets as they came with many useful colours and elements. I like reddish brown, black and tan. Both the Destiny’s Bounty (70618) and City Docks (70653) contained many elements in those colours. The stickers have proved to be very useful too as they work well as modern art and paintings. The Creator modular buildings and LEGO Architecture sets are also favourites of mine. I actually read the instruction booklets and then take the parts for MOCs…

The deck corner.

interior Breakfast table.

What inspired you to start building modern houses and furniture? At first I mostly built classical modular buildings hosting shops and cafés. They were furnished, but I used chair elements as chairs and so on. Then I built a couple of modern buildings—an architecture firm and a Swedish court house. I started experimenting with furniture design and tried to achieve a clean look. My first modern home was Green Rock House. When I posted it on Instagram and Flickr, I received a very positive response and got my first feature on The Brothers Brick and other blogs. Green Rock House represented the kind of house I would like to live in myself. It was built into a rocky wall and had large glass windows on three sides. The interior was very clean and modern. When I created the furniture, I looked at elements and tried to erase everything I knew about the part and its common usage. This resulted in chairs made of mudguards and bicycle handlebars. I still prefer not to know the real purpose of the elements I use to build furniture. Since 2016 I’ve built about 25 modern homes and all of them are fully furnished with modern furniture. Sometimes I post furniture tutorials on Instagram and Flickr. I’m happy to inspire others.

Landing with bookshelf.

What is the design process for building one of your houses - do you sketch everything out and then fill it with furniture, or do you just build? I usually start sketching by hand with pen and paper before I start building. There might be one or two ideas that I want to visualize in the sketch. I create a concept with colour scheme, shape of house bodies and floor plan. Then I start building the outlines and ground floor walls. I complete one room before I move on to the next. Then I build my way up! The roof and details of the surroundings end the building process.

Where do you get your inspiration for furniture design - do you look at magazines and journals? I like to hang out on Pinterest to find inspiration for my designs, but I also find inspiration in the LEGO elements themselves. The shape and connection points are a great source of inspiration and I often sit with a box of mixed parts and try to connect them in new ways to design furniture.

Bedroom.

Another look at the landing.

Kitchen and living room.

Are there any projects you are working on now that you can talk about? I’ve recently taken part in the production of the TV show LEGO Masters Sweden, where I’m one of the contestants. It’s planned to be broadcast in Sweden this autumn. Now I’m eager to build modern houses again and I plan to integrate more Technic elements into the exterior and furniture. Technic liftarms and connectors have great furniture potential!

Is there anything that you would like to see LEGO do - perhaps new parts - to add to your building? Bars and tiles are essential if you want to build modern interiors and furniture. I’d be glad if LEGO would produce shorter bars or bars that are angled like the letter V. Inverted tiles 1x2 or 1x4 would also be very appreciated. When I’ve talked to AFOLs who prefer building official sets, I’ve noticed that there is an interest in building modern houses in minifigure scale. I think that a new theme or a modular house based on modernist or contemporary architecture would be welcome in the AFOL community.

The first floor.

Is there any advice you would want to give to new and beginning builders? The best thing you can do as a beginning builder is to experiment with different elements. Play around and find connections, shapes and patterns! I think that it’s good to start with a small MOC—maybe a 16x16 vignette— and create a scene or feeling. There are many talented AFOLs out there who create tutorials. Those are also a good way to start.

work in progress

Working on the exterior.

Working on the ground level.

Building

Jaap’s Fallen Temple.

Builder Profile:

Jaap Bijl Article by Joe Meno

Jaap Bijl is a 24-year-old builder that has been LEGO building all his life. Beginning with LEGO Primo (if you remember that), then going to Duplo, then in to the regular sets, LEGO was always in Jaap’s life. A hint of his hobby showed when he got LEGO sets for his birthday. He always built the sets, but never really played with them—he immediately started transforming and expanding them. Building in one way or another has always been something that Jaap has been doing. As a kid, he never played with his toy, he was just building with them, even if it was not made for building. As he says, “Maybe I’m just a bit stubborn.” While he never really stopped building from his childhood, Jaap thought that he had outgrown the bricks at the age of 14. He barely built then, until he stumbled upon some of the medieval builds by Derfel Cadarn. When he saw what was possible with the bricks, Jaap thought, “I want to be able to do that as well!” That became the point that his bricks transformed from a toy to an artistic medium.

When he returned to building, Jaap made medieval models and focused on being a castle builder. This began to change as he expanded his building efforts and started taking more unconventional paths, so much that the Castle

Home Sweet Home, an entry for another online building contest, Summer Joust 2019.

Agent CP-230, a creation built for an online vignette contest.

theme no longer applied to his work anymore. He just builds things he likes—if he had to place his building under a theme, fantasy would make the most sense. Being very creative, Jaap can be inspired by anything around him. For example, he has a castle build that was inspired by the shape of a fallen leaf he found in the forest. Outside of that, he follows many builders on Flickr—so many that he has a hard time picking his favorites. If he had to choose, though, Jaap credits the works of Derfel Cadarn and Legonardo Davidy for having really pulled him into creating his own stuff from the bricks. For Jaap, a build starts with an idea or starting point in his head, and proceeds to him starting to put together some bricks. From there on, he continually looks at what direction

he wants to take it and if there are parts he doesn’t like or would look better in a different way. It’s a constant process of building up, breaking down and rebuilding until he is fully happy with the result. For some of his bigger builds, he makes quick sketches, as the main build is harder to change halfway through than it is with his smaller builds. Building time for a model depends a lot on the size and complexity of the build. Some builds he creates in one try, and some have been rebuilt many times before he’s happy. The build shown on the next page falls in the last category, with over fifty hours on it. As long as he enjoys the creative process, he doesn’t really care about how much time it takes. When Jaap finally completes a build and he is totally happy with it, it’s worth the effort for him. Even uncompleted builds are not wasted time for him, as these ‘failed’ 31 creations improve his creative process and technique.

For beginning builders, Jaap offers this advice: “I would advise you to focus on what you yourself want to create and not focus on becoming good or popular or trendy. If you start building the things you love, you will be more motivated and quality will come its way. A lot of people have complimented me because of my style, but that has never been a goal for me. I just wanted to make my builds as good as possible. The quality and style has come out along the way!”

Why Purple? Purple is something of a special color for Jaap. Here, he explains his reasons behind his love of the color: “The main reason for the purple builds is because it was the only color of 1x2 tiles there was in the Pick-a-Brick wall when I visited a LEGO store. That time, I wanted to make roofs using these tiles as they, in my opinion, gave the best result. So there it started with purple roofs. Through the years I have collected tiles in other colors as well and have built creations with them, but purple has always come back into my creations.

Laguna Domicila, one Jaap’s latest builds.

“A big reason for that is that I really like the purple color. There are also other reasons why I build with purple: First, it really adds the mythical, fantasy feeling to a build that helps people go into an imaginary world. Second is that a lot of people don’t use purple pieces because they are too ‘cute’ and ‘girlish.’ I don’t think my builds look cute and girlish at all. The third and final reason for me is that I love the darkness of the purple. It might appear as a nice bright color, but it is actually pretty dark to work with. This opens a lot of options for color combinations— combined with weaker colors to make the purple itself pop or combined with stronger colors to create a nice colorful build.”

Raising the Roof To make a detailed roof, Jaap uses a technique that uses tiles, bars, plates, and tubing. All of these are LEGO elements that allow him to make a roof that has shingles that can be angled and curved, creating a very realistic roof. The top and edges are covered by another assembly. Here are the steps Jaap uses to make the roof.

1. The roof supports are built as a series of steps that are four plates high.

2. A 1x1 round plate with hole is put on each step, then a bar with clip is inserted.

3. Flexible tube is clipped on, with the tube slightly arched to simulate the roof shingles sagging.

Bar with clip

1x1 round plate with hole Flex tube 4. 1x1 plates with horizontal clips are attached to the tubing and angled downward.

1x2 tile

5. 1x2 tiles are attached to the plates and overlapped.

1x1 plate with clip

Building

Christy Hempel’s Eco-City.

Christy Hempel’s

Design with Nature, Design with LEGO Article by Joe Meno Photography and Art provided by Christy Hempel

How do you make a city? For centuries, the idea of a city was that of a specially built metropolis, where a grid is imposed on a sector of land and smoothed out and paved. From there, the city is built over the previous environment. The location of a city was defined by the benefit to citizens—a harbor city was a port of transport and travel, and a land-locked city would be a central point for goods and services of a region. The environment itself was something malleable for the city designers to work with. In the past few decades, though, this began to change. 50 years ago, urban designer Ian McHarg wrote the book Design with Nature, where he talked about designing with the ecology instead of in spite of it, joining other important books at the forefront of the environmentalist movement. People began to understand the consequences of human inventions and started looking at ways to work and build in harmony with the environment. A display in Denmark uses LEGO to present his ideas. Conceived by Christy Hempel, herself an urban designer, the display is the largest part of a budding program to bring McHarg’s insights to the public. BrickJournal talked to Christy about the program, called Design with Nature, Design with LEGO.

Designing Eco-City Before anything was built, Christy made a set of watercolor sketches showing the progression of a urban area by the sea. First using a topological map (top left), the land is defined and first developments zoned out. From there, a network of roads and rails are set up to link the developments. Each development develops its own grid to match the land it is on. Ecology becomes part of the city.

The inspiration for the program actually happened at LEGO World Copenhagen, a fan event in 2019. There, Christy looked at the LEGO city layouts that were displayed and noticed that they were all set up in a traditional grid. Buildings and streets were neatly set up as squares or rectangular sections, with any park and environmental areas built to fit the grid as afterthoughts. A little befuddled by the strict constraints of the layouts, she asked her husband Ralph (a LEGO employee) why people didn’t build more natural layouts. Ralph laughed and answered, “It would be just too hard.” Christy thought: that’s the reason that engineers give for why we don’t do it in real life. It’s easier to draw a straight line and pave and flatten and then build a city, and it seems hard to design cities around natural forms like creeks or rivers. A sketch showing farmland and natural development.

Making Rock Christy made sketches of the side of the grounds of Eco-City, showing the layers of rock that support the environment above. The color chips are the LEGO plate colors that were used.

Christy took this as a challenge. While it may be hard, if designing with the environment in mind is the better way of planning cities, how could she display it? Would anybody be interested in hosting this project? She reached out and found interest at the Økolariet (Ecology Museum) in Vejle Denmark. A site was found, but now the display had to be built. The municipality provided some initial funding to help develop the exhibition and offset the purchase of bricks. They have received an additional grant from Ole Kirk’s Foundation to support the delivery of educational workshops for

Building in progress. The rock layers are placed. Bricks are added to build a frame for plates.

children on the theme of ecological design, with help from the LEGO Community Engagement team. Constructing the model was the hardest part of the project for Christy, as she wasn’t experienced in building. She wanted to have areas in her layout that would be points of discussion. She wanted a land that wasn’t flat but have a variety of features: forests, hills, valleys, rivers and cliffs. The landscape would also extend underground and have rock layers and water systems. These different terrains would be a place to observe and consider city building solutions. She also wanted a layout

The lower terrain is built, and plates for elevation are added. Plates with a framework of bricks below are done to reduce the number of bricks needed and lighten the module.

Finishing the Build

Adding the foliage to Eco-City was easy, as there were parts that matched up to trees and greenery in microscale. Building the city blocks was more challenging, as they sometimes did not align with the natural LEGO grid. Buildings like the ones in the foreground here were raised and slightly rotated by different means.

where a person could explain why people don’t trample sand dunes and why marshes are good for filtering water. With all of the things that were to be included in the display, size became another challenge to tackle. Christy knew that the display would have some height to show the area’s geography, and she knew the museum had a display case onsite. With a glass top, it turned out that the case was ideal for the layout. It took an area of four by six baseplates, so the case also gave Christy an idea of the scope of the layout. It took a few watercolor sketches to get started, and Christy contacted a local builder to start planning the build. At first she wanted to know if the layout could be done, and after some discussion, the builder determined that the layout could be built. It was also decided here that the layout would be done in microscale, and questions came up about building in scale. How does one build a tree in that scale? What parts could make a building? Christy did some research at the LEGO House library, which had a lot of magazines and books, including BrickJournals. She began to learn about part types, and was inspired by clever designs of cliffs, trees and forests in microscale. She wasn’t

Here’s a look at the eastern side of the layout. More diagonal elements can be seen, such as the bridges and building along the coastline.

A dense city development area, with office buildings and apartments.

Touring Eco-City

Here are some landmarks of Eco-City and where they are on the layout.

going to draw something that couldn’t be built, so she did her drawings and watercolors to the scale and dimensions of the LEGO bricks. Christy’s previous experience in architecture and illustration helped her produce the renderings in the display, and also guided the layout. Going from a two-dimensional rendering to a three-dimensional build in LEGO bricks was a complete change in artistic medium.

A waterfront area for recreation.

Christy found economical ways to get parts through Bricklink, with many visits to the Pick-a-Brick wall, donations from friends, or buying used LEGO in bulk for the substructure. Christy also discovered the difference between the older gray bricks that were produced before the early 2000s, and the newer grays—the newer parts have a bluer hue which matches with the overall LEGO palette better than

the older gray. She bought a lot of the old light and dark gray to add subtle variation in the built rock. The variation isn’t seen unless a person takes a closer look, but it’s in the walls and cliffs.

Here are some areas left to grow as urban farms and markets.

In building with the gray, Christy knew there was very light gray plate that once was available, but was last produced over a decade ago. Because of the rarity, prices on that color were high, compared to the other grays, even the old dark gray parts. She found forty 1 x 1 plates in the Very Light Stone Gray, but the price was going to around $10! She did not buy the tiny plates... so it was quite a surprise weeks later when her husband Ralph found some in his cupboard in their apartment. It turns out that Ralph did a mosaic project as part of an MRI fundraising campaign at a local hospital in Canada more than 15 years ago. LEGO provided them with 1 x 1 plates in different gray shades and there were a few leftovers. These very light stone gray plates are now incorporated into Christy’s layout. The display took six months to complete and is now on display. The display is a 360-degree layout, so all sides can be seen and examined. Within the landscape resides a city built with nature as a part of its design. Because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, workshops and planned educational materials for Design with Nature, Design with LEGO were put on hold. The display stands as an impressive first step toward teaching the relationship between the environment and the city.

While there are a few roads and a light rail track, Eco-City is designed for walking and exploring. Paths and walkways replace the streets and with parks and greenways, people are invited to walk through Eco-City. When first opened, Eco-City inspired.

Inspiration can happen anywhere. For Piet Niederhausen, his inspiration was a classic LEGO set—the Yellow Castle (#375). From that set, he created nine different models, each mashing up a different theme with the set, which opened up to show the interior.

Building

Piet talked about building and his creations with BrickJournal.

Making paint.

A Yellow Castle Tribute

Article by Piet Niederhausen

The Yellow Castle set.

Yellow Castle Construction

Duke August has commissioned a new castle, and his people are hard at work on it. For no apparent reason the Duke wants it to be bright yellow, so they are painting over the natural tan rock. And a stonemason is being kept very busy carving odd-looking knobs into the crenellations... Under construction and opened up.

There was a wonderful interview with Daniel August Krentz in Bricks magazine in 2015. Daniel was an early AFOL who became the first non-Dane to work at LEGO as a designer. The article had photos of Daniel at home with his “yellow castle” set 375, one of many timeless LEGO castle sets he designed. It stuck in my mind that I’d like to rebuild one of those. The first castle started from a tiny part, the 1x1 Minecraft Eye of Ender plate. Its colors reminded me of tiles I’d seen in palaces and mosques in Istanbul. I decided the first castle would be Middle Eastern themed as a counterpoint to the European style of set 375.

Desert Castle

In the deep desert, water is the most precious resource! This castle keeps the peace at a spring, and its interior is a place of rest and beauty in the harsh wilderness. This was the first castle in this series and was originally inspired by those 1x1 printed Minecraft tiles, which reminded me of the tilework you can see in Middle Eastern architecture, such as the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. I used as many plates instead of bricks as I could in order to get a dried-out, cracked texture.

Opened up.

After that I sketched ideas for about a dozen castles and started several at once. Over several months I alternated between working on multiple castles. Each finished castle took about a month of evenings and weekends. My design process is very iterative. Unlike most media, in LEGO you can “sketch” in the medium itself and then re-use it! So the first thing I build is a rough sketch in bricks, where I can see the basic colors and shapes but there are no details yet. Then I rebuild each section several times, trying out ideas and filling in detail.

Dragon’s Castle

People think dragons like treasure. This is a misconception. What dragons really like is a warm place to sleep, and a nice crunchy human with their tea. And nothing attracts humans like a big pile of glittery treasure! So a castle designed by dragons works a bit like a mousetrap... One of the dragons.

Opened up.

Having set 375 as a basis was ideal for this design process. Each castle would have the same basic footprint with folding sides, two gates, and three towers. Each would have some playability. And I had a deadline to display at BrickCon 2019. Constraints are a great basis for design! If you asked me to just make up a castle without constraints, I’d be stuck.

Harbor Castle

Cargos and passengers from all over the world flow into this little harbor, through the gateway and over the bridge into the city. And the docks are a-bustle at all hours with unloading, loading, and trade... Interior view.

Opened up.

Blue and Red slipper.

I like to tell stories in LEGO. Each of the castles is the setting of a story; some have characters (such as the dragons) and events (such as the construction site). The undersea castle shows the story of its past where a tower has fallen and become overgrown with coral.

Undersea Castle

An ancient undersea fortress, one of its towers collapsed in a longforgotten siege, and now overgrown with coral... it looks tranquil, but beware what might have moved into the ruins...

Something moves inside the tower.

Interior view.

Opened up.

I needed to keep the castle walls about one brick thick, so they couldn’t be elaborate. Each castle received a different wall treatment, including traditional brick walls, “sun-dried” stacks of plates, a mix of plates and tiles, a mix of bricks and SNOT, “scales”, bars, and even spaceship greebling. I also incorporated a wide range of colors.

Palace of Memory

Until I was five, my family lived in a rural Austrian Schloss that was rented out as apartments to young families and retirees (what happens when a castle gets old, run down, and too expensive to maintain). This MOC is about my childhood memories there: the yellow walls, sunny arcades, and the sandbox. It doesn’t much resemble reality—but childhood memories don’t have to.

Interior courtyard.

Opened up.

The most technically challenging build was the “tree castle” which rests on seven tree trunks. These are modular so the castle comes apart for transport. To raise the “elevator” to the front gate, you turn a wheel that wraps string onto a single reel from two directions, so the elevator stays balanced.

Space Ferry 375

This workhorse of the galactic fleet ferries ground vehicles, from orbit for exploratory missions or between colonies once they are established. Inevitably referred to as “Ugly Ducklings” by their crews, these little ships may be slow and ungainly but can take a beating and land almost anywhere.

View showing the sections opening.

Rear view.

Opened up.

I finished the ninth castle just in time for BrickCon in October 2019. In fact I was still “greebling” the dragon castle on the exhibition floor during set-up. The display was a tribute to Daniel, who died in 2016. Many visitors told me stories about building classic castle sets as kids. It was great fun and I was thrilled when the “tree castle” won Best Fantasy. For new builders my advice is: consider the first version a sketch, and rebuild it as many times as it takes. If you get really stuck, set it aside and work on something else; you’ll know when you’re ready to come back.

Ost Gondoron

Long ago in an age of peace, elves and dwarves joined their knowledge of plants and stone to grow this place: Ost Gondoron, the Fortress of the Stone Trees. Long after it remained a place of peace, where scholars and leaders could gather to exchange knowledge and occasionally hammer out a treaty...

Opened up.

Interior view.

Bottom view.

You can find photos of these castles and more of Piet’s work on flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/galaktek/ or scan this QR code.

Ninjago Castle

This Ninjago-inspired castle is a quiet retreat where people go to meditate and practice their tai chi. This was a great chance to use those beautiful Earth Blue, Red, and Green parts!

Gate view.

Opened up. Interior view.

You Can Build It MINI Build

Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Color 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 2 2 2 1 1 2 5 2 4 3 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2

Part 99780.dat 2436b.dat

Description Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Up Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 4 with Rounded Corners Blue 3005.dat Brick 1 x 1 Blue 3010.dat Brick 1 x 4 Lt-Bluish-Gray 98100.dat Brick 2 x 2 Round Sloped Blue 2456.dat Brick 2 x 6 Black 3942c.dat Cone 2 x 2 x 2 with Hollow Stud Open Lt-Bluish-Gray 6231.dat Panel 1 x 1 x 1 Corner with Rounded Corners Trans-Yellow 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 Red 4085c.dat Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Vertical Blue 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 Bright-Lt-Orange 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 Lt-Bluish-Gray 15573.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Lt-Bluish-Gray 18649.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Handles on Opposite Ends Blue 3710.dat Plate 1 x 4 Black 3022.dat Plate 2 x 2 Blue 3021.dat Plate 2 x 3 Black 3795.dat Plate 2 x 6 Blue 3795.dat Plate 2 x 6 Lt-Bluish-Gray 3832.dat Plate 2 x 10 Blue 3032.dat Plate 4 x 6 Blue 15068.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 0.667 Blue 3700.dat Technic Brick 1 x 2 with Hole Trans-Orange 98138.dat Tile 1 x 1 Round with Groove Trans-Green 3070b.dat Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Trans-Red 3070b.dat Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Lt-Bluish-Gray 2412b.dat Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove Lt-Bluish-Gray 63864.dat Tile 1 x 3 with Groove White 2431.dat Tile 1 x 4 with Groove Lt-Bluish-Gray 14769.dat Tile 2 x 2 Round with Round Underside Stud Lt-Bluish-Gray 87079.dat Tile 2 x 4 with Groove Blue 3680c02.dat Turntable 2 x 2 Plate with LightBluish-Gray Top Blue 41770.dat Wing 2 x 4 Left Blue 41769.dat Wing 2 x 4 Right Lt-Bluish-Gray 54384.dat Wing 3 x 6 Left Lt-Bluish-Gray 54383.dat Wing 3 x 6 Right Dark-Azure 2412b.dat Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove

Classic Space Revisited:

Small Space Cruiser Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck

Hello everybody, and welcome to a new building session in BrickJournal! I am glad we meet again in this special issue which is about revisited themes. We will have a double challenge today by building in the style of an older theme, and additionally limiting our parts available for the build. You have guessed right—we will do an alternate build resulting in a revisited theme model. The set of choice for our little project is a newer Creator set of the year 2016 which is still widely available in the market: the “Super Soarer” jet, counting 104 pieces in total. The set has blue, black, gray (light bluish gray) and yellow (bright light orange) pieces, all we need to build in the style of the Classic Space theme launched back in the year 1979. A challenge when doing alternate builds is that you’re always short on the colors you need. As a result you often have to fill the inner structure with different colors which eventually should hide in the finished model. This will save you bricks in essential colors for the outer facing of the model. The result shows a small space cruiser with gray wings, blue hull, a small black/yellow element and trans-yellow cockpit glass. The model uses 65% of the original set’s pieces which is a pretty good quote for an alternate model. You will have a lot of Classic Space fun for little money with this set. I wish you happy building and see you next time!

The updated M:Tron team.

Building

The Sergeant

Lieutenant

Mag Tracks

The Captain

The Rookie

Minifig Customization 101:

2020 Article and Photography by Chris Campbell, Michael Marzilli, and Jared Burks

Jared Burks:

We all get our inspirations from various places. When speaking with Joe (Meno, editor of BrickJournal) he informed me that this issue of BrickJournal covered renewed/revisited themes—revisiting themes with a Fan twist, like Pre-Classic Space. Having this assignment, I reached out to fellow customizers Chris Campbell and Michael Marzilli. Chris immediately popped off with, “You should make Magnatron,” to which Michael replied, “Ooooo… I always did have a soft spot for Magnatron.” To this statement, I said, “Magnatron?” I was quickly schooled in Magnatron or M:Tron. You see, M:Tron fell in my Dark Ages; however, it was prime childhood for both Chris and Michael. Since I was going to make something from their childhoods, I decided they get to help me write this issue’s feature and design and create these figures.

Promotional art for M:Tron sets.

Michael Marzilli:

M:Tron was released in 1990, as I was graduating high school, which explains the prime Dark Age timeframe. The M:Tron theme ran for three years and was another faction introduced right behind the Blacktron and Space Police themes in the LEGO space line. In every other country, the M:Tron moniker was described in LEGO catalogs as a rescue and recovery team and thought of as a space fire brigade to accompany the Space Police, however in United States they weren’t described as such. M:Tron was simply a minifigure faction and even had the names of the sets changed in the U.S. market. The most popular sets included the Stellar Recon Voyager (or Rescue Star Cruiser outside the United States) and Mega Core Magnetizer (or Mobile Recovery Centre outside the United States). The Mega Core Magnetizer was the M:Tron’s mobile base, that served as a home, repair station, and launching/landing center.

Promotional poster, showing the Mega Core Magnetizer at the bottom left corner.

While some people may be disappointed with the lack of backstory, as a kid, I remember being elated no one was telling me who these guys were. Space Police were obvious and Blacktron was “the bad guy,” but M:Tron? They were just people in space—maybe not even humans! At this point space aliens weren’t a theme yet, so no aliens were found in the LEGO universe. That was one of my favorite parts about M:Tron—the mystery, the open-ended goal or purpose of them. They had cool vehicles and specialized tools, specifically magnets! These guys have superior technology and no real confining parameters, and that was the perfect catalyst to let a kid’s imagination run wild! Which leads the adults to a burning question: “Blacktron and Classic Space have been revisited, why not M:Tron?” There were minifigure sets that had all three minifig factions: Space Police, Blacktron, and M:Tron in them, yet twenty-some years later, the M:Tron figs are nowhere to be found. Where are they now? That’s what brought us to the idea of re-envisioning an updated M:Tron theme with a modern upgrade: M:Tron 2020. In order to propel our protagonist pioneers into the possible present, the space suit was designed based on a NASA space suit prototype (Jared’s nod to the theme), and to keep us soundly secured in a section of science-fiction, the officers’ garb was based on the Star Trek Monster Maroon uniform (Chris’ nod to the theme). Notable design features in the uniforms include updating the color scheme from regular red and white to dark red and dark blueish grey. “M” logos are added to both the officer and space suit for continuity, and as a special added treat, the design on the legs. When two members are standing next to each other, the leg designs also form an “M.” Jared created the designs in Corel Draw while Chris was able to utilize a UV printer to put Jared’s design directly on the LEGO minifigs. Another characteristic of the original M:Tron color scheme remains true to the faction, and that is the trans-neon green visors on their helmets and canopies (more on that later). Now that we took care of the updated uniforms, we looked at updating the figure themselves.

Color choices for the new minifigures.

Minifigure decorations were drawn digitally, with the final design on the left.

#D designs for the backpack, to be printed out.

The backpack after detail painting.

The minifigs were given a new unique backpack unit which Jared designed in Fusion 360, that was rendered and then printed on an Epax X1 resin printer by Jared. He added many new details to the tanks including another “M” logo and a control box below the logo. A good amount of detailing and painting went into them. They were primed and then painted black using vinyl dye. Jared would love to say that he designed the “M” logo on the tanks to be painted with this paint technique in mind, but sometimes luck or changing one’s strategy is more important. The “M” logo has a border with the classic M:Tron logo. He wanted a white border and a red M; however, this proved near impossible to paint because the lines in the M kept allowing capillary action to occur, where all of the paint was sucked into the crevasses where he didn’t want it to go. Jared decided to go with the inverse paint scheme; he diluted the paint and filled the border of the M as if it was a small lake/puddle. As the water in the paint evaporated, it pulled away from the logo rising out of the lake. This action pulled the paint with it, leaving a black M rising out of a sea of red. He cleaned up any stray paint with a black Sharpie to hide any errors and the result is a nearly perfectly painted M— luck, not skill, but he was happy with the result. As mentioned before, the decision was made to stick with the original black helmet and trans-neon green visors because we have decided to explain the weird color choice by giving it a purpose. It helped them blend in with their human counterparts, camouflaging their purple alien pigmentation with the trans-neon green visors so they could blend in with the other minifigs! That’s right, M:Tron’s dirty little secret is that they are aliens after all! Even their ships helped them keep this secret in case they removed their helmets inside, as their windscreens are always this trans-neon green. The decals for the faces were designed, again by Jared, in Corel Draw and the waterslide decals were applied to the lavender head pieces. Jared also went the extra mile with the hairstyles. Expounding on the idea that these are aliens, he thought they’d have crazy hair styles and colors and started with utilizing The Joker hairpiece; the sleep boy hair piece cast in a crazy color; and finally, a custom sculpted, molded, and cast hair piece to further exemplify the difference of what the M:Tron race looks like without their signature helmets and visors. To further vary the now known alien race, Chris found a very

The Rookie.

interesting set of tank tread legs on Thingiverse by a user named Agiblida (www.thingiverse.com/thing:3351030) and decided they should be added to a member of the crew. For those not familiar with Thingiverse, it’s a website where designers of 3-D projects share their designs, and anyone can download them and print them for free. Jared printed them on his resin printer and painted and detailed them using vinyl dye and black Sharpies before adding them to the minifig. Jared added custom blasters that have been made famous by a certain celestial nobleman that’s been seen on the silver screens. Who knows, maybe they share a gene or two! The only thing these M:Tron figures are missing are those crazy cool tools and technologies that the original figures sported. We hope this article has encouraged you to build them a few more ships, magnetic devices, and a new world with which to play. M:Tron is cool and we should have it back, darnit!

The Sergeant.

Mag Tracks.

The Lieutenant.

You can view Jared’s webpage by going to http://www.fineclonier.com/ or scanning this QR code!

The Captain.

Come back next issue for more Minifigure Customization! 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).

Todd Wright’s BAAT with crew (front row) and troops.

Bantha Bricks: Todd Wright’s

BAAT (Battlefield

Armored Assault Transport) Article by Steven Smyth, Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars Photography by Todd Wright 58

Galactic Greetings! I’m Steven Smyth from Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars. Since the community’s founding in 2016, on an almost daily basis, I have witnessed amazing and creative Star Wars builds in the best Star Wars themed building brick group on Facebook. Todd Wright was recently spotted in the Bantha Bricks community with an amazing Resistance gunship/troop transport MOC. I thought it would be great to learn more about this talented builder and his custom LEGO build. Steven Smyth: Please tell us about yourself. Todd Wright: Well, first of all, I’m a husband of 12 years, and a father of six children, three boys and three girls, ages ten and under. As with anyone who has young children, LEGO is a big part of my life. What attracted you to LEGO? LEGO has been in my life as long as I can remember. I still remember my first set, #1888 Black Knights Guardshack. I was eight years old and even have a picture of me with it! What drew you to the Star Wars theme? Of course, growing up in the 1990s, my parents showed me Star Wars very early in life. I remember building my first minifigure LEGO lightsaber out of whatever parts I could. I built my first X-Wing from various space-themed

The BAAT with wings closed.

Wings opening.

parts. Just a few months after building my own MOC X-Wing, Star Wars Episode I was announced, and with it, the LEGO Star Wars theme. I even had the first LEGO Club magazine with Star Wars on the cover! Since then, Star Wars has been my main go-to for my LEGO fix. How did you hear about the Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars Facebook community? Fast forward many, many years: I have a family, career, membership in my local LEGO group (Utah LEGO User Group—ULUG), and my very own LEGO Room in my house. I say my very own, but I have a lot of coowners under the age of ten. At one of the ULUG meetings, a member of the Facebook page saw a Star Wars Corellian freighter MOC that I had entered in an online contest. He was pretty impressed and asked if he

Wings open.

The troop bay when sealed.

Tail gunner. The troop bay with open door.

could post pictures of it in the Facebook group. I said, “Of course,” and then asked that fateful question: “Which group is that?” I have been a member of the group ever since! What do you like most about the Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars group on Facebook? The positive atmosphere and encouragement that I get from the group is a very nice change from most online communities, and I know it takes a lot of work from the admins to keep it that way! Tell us a bit about your MOC.

Another view of the troop bay.

The troop bay door, with bubble turret in front for protection.

Over the past few years with the introduction of the sequel Star Wars trilogy, I have taken it upon myself to design some fun new updates to ships that have been used throughout the Star Wars saga. As part of this, I also started my own YouTube channel to document and honestly show off my creations to anyone willing to watch. Looking on the sequel trilogy, they have yet to introduce a gunship-type vehicle (among many others of course). The Republic had the LAAT, the Rebel Alliance had the U-Wing, but the Resistance didn’t have their own yet. I decided to try to combine what I thought were the best parts of both ships into a single ship, the Battlefield Armored Assault Transport or BAAT. It needed to have a high troop-carrying capacity, moving wings, plenty of armaments, good troop protection for disembarking and be visually distinctive but reminiscent of its predecessor ships. Super easy, barely an inconvenience! You mentioned you started a YouTube channel to document and show off your creations—what is that called? TJ’s LEGO Room. What particular design features are you most proud of in the MOC? My favorite parts of the BAAT are probably the front center gunner position, the overall profile and silhouette of the ship, and downward-facing windscreen for the pilot and the troop bay, because I thought a lot about how the doors open and close. Do you freestyle build or use a digital program to design MOCs?

I am a completely freestyle building creator. Digital creations, while extremely useful and creatively freeing, never felt right to me. I’m just an old-fashioned guy I guess. I like seeing it take shape and the limitations of the parts I have feels more like solving a puzzle than painting a picture. I start with each MOC building the part that interests me the most. In the case of the BAAT I built the

troop bay and the cockpits first. I wanted high capacity and the stacked front canopy of the LAAT, so I started there. I made a few drawings at work just to see what it could look like and how to arrange the wings and weapons, but from that point, just straight to free building.

Engine detail.

Have you ever gotten to a point where you hit a roadblock in your build; if so, how did you get past it? Roadblocks are common for me, whether it is lack of parts, lack of creativity, life getting in the way, a particular design just not working, or losing interest. When I’m out of parts, I usually try to find a way around the problem by redesigning it with different parts I have on hand. More than one official set has been decommissioned in the search for these parts. In the case of the engine design on the BAAT, I actually only had two of the large wheels on hand and tried building the engines three to four different ways to avoid purchasing parts. In the end, though, I wasn’t happy with any of them. My first design was my favorite, so an additional three weeks of waiting for parts was added to my total build time. Lack of creativity is usually because I’m not enjoying that part of the build.

Troop bay rear, below rear gunner. A door opens upward to allow troops out.

You just mentioned the feeling of lack of creativity; how do you get past that feeling? In that case, I move on to a section that gets me excited, either because of the design challenge or the aesthetic that I’m excited to see come to life. This happened with the BAAT on the front gunner stations. I really had no idea what to do, so I literally built every other part of the ship, saving that section for last. Luckily, building the rest really helped inspire me to tie the ship together with the front!

Dorsal view of BAAT, showing more detailing.

Any advice for someone who has hit that wall? If a design isn’t working or you’re not happy with how it’s turning out, don’t just keep going; start over and try again. Sometimes this is really hard to do, especially if you’re really far into the actual build, but trust me, it’s worth it! I rebuilt the cockpit sections of the BAAT at least six times that I can remember with different

pieces and arrangements. I finally landed on the final version that I absolutely love! What is something else you have been working on recently? I recently was building Kylo Ren’s shuttle in close-to-minifig scale and after getting the main bridge, ramp, and engines done, I realized that I didn’t even want to have this ship in such a size. After recording a video with some new building techniques I learned from the build, I destroyed it. Life is way too short to build MOCs you don’t really love. Sometimes that means losing many hours of your precious time, but every experience is a learning experience if you take the time to learn from it!

Chin gunner flanked by bubble guns.

Thank you for taking the time for share your build, experiences and passion for LEGO Star Wars!

A look through the loading ramp, showing the carbonite rack.

The pliot has a lower bay window, allowing him to land his troops quickly and accurately.

The carbonite rack is opposite the freezer.

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Looking up to the pilot.

To see more amazing builds, cool contests and giveaways and family-friendly discussion about everything Star Wars brick, check out the Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars Facebook group at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/starwarsLEGOgroup or banthabricks. com or scan the QR code here!

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BRICKJOURNAL #66

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The LEGO® House:

When the LEGO House opened in 2017, one of the display areas was specifically reserved for LEGO fan builders. Called the Masterpiece Gallery, this would be an area that would be updated annually with creations from the best builders around the world. Selection is done by nomination from a LEGO Users Group (a group of LEGO builders that is recognized by the company), then final selection by the company. In September, the gallery is switched over to the next group.

Article by Joe Meno Photography provided by the LEGO House

The builders that were selected for 2019 converged on Billund, Denmark in late September, and over a few days, set up their models. 15 builders from around the world presented their creations and celebrated their achievement. However, when the LEGO House was closed due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, the gallery was also closed to visitors. With the reopening of the facilities in June, the Masterpiece Gallery display was extended to September 2021.

Masterpiece Gallery 2019

Above: The 15 Masterpiece Builders of 2019 1. Milan Sekiz, 2. Sven Franic, 3. Marion Weintraut, 4. Ryan Van Duzor, 5. Eero Okkonen, 6. Timofey Tkachev, 7. Simon Hundsbichler, 8. Hsinweil Chi, 9. ZIO Chao, 10. Matthew Goldberg, 11. Stephen Gofers, 12. Jason Allemann, 13. Kristal Dubois, 14. Paul Hetherington, 15. Caroline Mockett.

For those who were not able to go to the LEGO House, BrickJournal was provided photos of the many builds that are currently on display. As a result we are showing a peek of the Masterpiece Gallery. The builders were also contacted and asked about their experience at the LEGO House—here are their replies.

1. Milan Sekiz

Graphic designer and photographer from Novi Sad, Serbia

On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

Well, is there any way reaction to this can be bad? For me this was the best news this year (2019) and back then it was only March! To be recognized by the LEGO Group for something I do in my free time and do with lot of passion is a really nice feeling. Five or six years ago my I made a LEGO arm and that got a lot attention worldwide, but this is the cherry on top! Setting up at the Gallery: For me setting up was a bit exhausting. Soren and Stuart (from the LEGO House) helped me a lot, but with their help we needed five hours to set the suit up. Ryan Van Duzor and I were the last to finish setting up. But even with that in mind, it was an awesome experience because people from the LEGO House gave us a very, very warm and kind welcome, and I had a chance to meet in person and chat a bit with people I have followed on Flickr for quite some time now and have admired their work.

2. Sven Franic

Designer at the LEGO Group

On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

Some of my fan creations were chosen for the Masterpiece Gallery just weeks before landing a job with the company itself. It feels like a great way to be involved with the community as a fan one last time. I was lucky to be there and contribute when LEGO House first opened, which made me develop a personal attachment to the place. They call it the Home of the Brick, but it is also a home for the fan community. Setting up the models was a unique experience, mostly because we got to connect the dots from all the great artists we follow online to real people from far away parts the world.

3. Marion Wientraut

Trained nurse, but now LEGO model builder

On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

When I learned that I was chosen, I was surprised and of course very pleased. For an AFOL, being able to exhibit in the LEGO House is the greatest thing that can happen to you. I also found the opportunity very exciting to meet other model builders very well known on the Internet. Setting up at the Gallery: The installation of my model in the gallery was not so easy, because it is very large and consists of 31 building modules. I had sent the château to Billund with DHL (a shipping company) in four boxes, two weeks before the assembly. Two round towers broke during shipping, but I was able to reassemble them.

4. Ryan van Duzor On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

The story about my selection was as surreal as my experience at LEGO House. I entered the “Wonders of the Fragile Reef” for the first time at Bricks Cascade 2019 in Portland, Oregon. This was also the first time I had entered a MOC in any event! I had been working on the reef for nearly two years before I took it to Bricks Cascade, as I wanted it to be at a high level like many of the MOCs I had seen there in past years. I did not even know that there were awards at Bricks Cascade, but by the end of the weekend, I had won best in my theme and Best in Show! During that event, I met Jan Beyer and Stuart Harris from LEGO, and on the final day, just before I was awarded Best in Show, Stuart asked me if I would be interested in showing it in the LEGO House! Of course I immediately said yes!

Setting up at the Gallery: The gallery set-up was a bit nerve racking for me, but in the end it turned out amazing. My MOC was easily the most disassembled of any of the exhibitors and required almost an entire rebuild, as I had to transport it in many subsections and had to remove all of the corals, as they are fragile. I think it took me at least five hours to rebuild it in the display cabinet! The cabinet also had limited accessibility, so I had to actually climb in it and build the reattach the corals while inside the cabinet! The LEGO House staff were amazing and were there to help all of us with anything we needed. I would particularly like to shout out Stuart Harris, Birte Knudsen, and Søren Mølby, who were all instrumental in my experience before and during the exhibition at LEGO House!

5. Eero Okkonen Architecture student

On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

It was a great honour, as a concept—to be chosen to be one of the displayers. And at the same time, I was excited about the trip I would be about to have. LEGO as a hobby has been a very big part of my life for many years, the main hobby, but I had never taken part in conventions abroad. So in addition to the honour of being chosen, it also provided a very concrete way to broaden my hobby with bricks. Setting up at the Gallery: Our day at LEGO House was one of the best of my life, and I’m sure that I’m not the only one who feels this way! Everyone seemed to be so happy to see us, we got some unique tours and we were served excellent meals. And, of course, I was able to inspect great builders’ ways of transporting, re-building and displaying their work. I got my Circle band MOC set up in an hour or so, and the staff even helped me to untangle cords (LEGO strings) of two amplifiers of my set-up. What a lovely day.

6. Timofey Tkachev

Student

On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

I don’t even know how to describe my feelings from receiving an e-mail from LEGO House with an invitation... I think Harry Potter felt the same after receiving a letter from Hogwarts! Being able to just visit the Home of the Brick is great, but going there with your own creations is just amazing! Setting up at the Gallery: Of course most MOCs were almost destroyed during the flight, and sometimes it wasn’t so easy to fix it all. But it was a nice opportunity to see the insides of amazing creations brought by the participants.

7. Simon Hundsbichler

8. Hsinwei Chi

9. ZIO Chao

Tutor and LEGO artist

On LEGO Building:

Although I played with LEGO since my childhood, I started to build something serious at 20. My first creation was a medieval fortress, it was my childhood’s dream. I built it in two years and found LEGO parts can be the material to make a fantasy world become real. After that, I tried to build different kinds of type of creations, like Mecha, aircraft, Chinese style building, and so on. Sci-fi and historic themes are my favorite; however, I always try to build something I haven’t built before like animals, paintings, characters, and I always have fun with it. I may be addicted to LEGO, as I not only have fun with it, but also get a sense of achievement when I finish my creations. I have been an AFOL builder for 14 years; I think I will keep building, and who knows what can be finished next time!

10. Matthew Goldberg On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

Being selected for the gallery was one of the best surprises I’ve ever had. I’d never thought I’d get an invitation like that, and the entire experience was amazing and so gratifying as an AFOL and builder. All the more so because of the process of selecting the MOCs and discussing what would go into the display following the invitation. There were some long months full of anticipation between first being contacted and finally arriving at the LEGO House! Setting up at the Gallery: Setting up in the gallery was a very fun experience! My MOCs are not on a huge scale and I’d carefully packed them with lots of bubble wrap, so reassembling them was relatively quick and painless. The whole process of getting all six of them together and arranged in my section of the display was then a pretty fast process, leaving me more time to get to know the other builders installing their MOCs, and see their great creations coming back together.

11. Stephan Gofers On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

I sometimes posted a few pictures on Flickr and I was very surprised that I was invited to place a MOC in the LEGO House. This was a once-in-alifetime opportunity and I grabbed this with both hands. Setting up at the Gallery: Building up in the LEGO House was a fantastic experience, certainly to meet the other builders that I look up to myself and are my major sources of inspiration. It was a day to remember, to be with the greatest LEGO builders in the world and to discover the beautiful LEGO House together with leading designers.

12. Jason Allemann and 13. Kristal Dubois LEGO Artists, JK Brickworks

14. Paul Hetherington LEGO artist

On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

The adventure of finally getting to go to Denmark for the first time, visit the original LEGOLand, and experience LEGO House—then get to stay a few extra days to take in the Skaerbaek Fan Weekend—was an absolute dream come true! Just the thought of that blew my mind. Beyond that, knowing that the LEGO company is aware of my work and wanted to show it in LEGO House is extremely validating. I started out as an adult collector of LEGO 28 years ago. Being invited to show my creations at LEGO House is a milestone in my evolution from collector to artist. The invite was really the best surprise. It wasn’t something I was expecting or consciously working towards. It really is this experience where the LEGO House helped to make my dream of visiting Billund and the home of LEGO come true! Setting up at the Gallery: Our day started with a personal tour of the LEGO House with Stuart Harris and Mike Ganderton. That set the tone for the day. Being in the LEGO House you begin to realize the scope of what has been achieved in the many ways they showcase the brick and the community. It is a remarkable building. So to have a personal experience where I can showcase my creation in that amazing gallery in that amazing building is extremely special. On top of that you get to meet 14 like-minded AFOLs from around the world and share that experience with them. Everyone was super friendly and supportive. I instantly felt at home. It was truly one of the best days of my life! My takeaway is that no matter what you have heard about LEGO House, read online, seen in pictures and video, nothing can prepare you for how cool it all is in person. There are no words.

15. Caroline (Caz) Mockett Freelance Broadcast Engineer

On Being Selected for the Masterpiece Gallery:

I’m a member of the London AFOLs RLUG in the UK. In late January, Richard, my LUG Ambassador, asked members for links to photos of our work, as the LEGO House was looking for new exhibits. I sent him something and thought no more about it until a couple of months later when he asked me for contact details to pass on. So I knew something was afoot. I assumed it was going to be that they wanted one of my smaller builds to go in an AFOL Showcase, perhaps in the Blue Zone near City Architect, as I’m known for my microscale architectural builds. When the email arrived inviting me to Denmark to install a selection of my Micropolis modules into the Masterpiece Gallery, I could hardly believe it! A mixture of excitement, disbelief and shock is probably the best description. I had to read it several times before it even began to sink in just a little bit. I had visited the LEGO House in late February and seen the then-current exhibits in the Gallery. I thought they were all incredible, but I was particularly captivated with the work of Rocco Buttliere, which I had seen online, but never in person. As a fellow microscale worker, it was a great inspiration to see his amazing buildings. But I never dreamt that I would ever follow in his footsteps, let alone a few months later! Setting up at the Gallery: While planning my trip to Denmark, I decided I would drive my models from the UK, rather than enduring the stress of taking them by plane and worrying how many pieces they would end up in! It also meant I could take more models to display at the Skærbæk Fan Weekend after setting up at the House. So that was an adventure in itself. 2.5 days after leaving home, I arrived in Billund. The LEGO House team (Stuart, Mike, Birte and Søren) were lovely and could not have been more accommodating. We were given VIP treatment throughout our amazing day, and it was great to meet the other talented AFOLs from around the world. It was wonderful to see their incredible models in person—many of which I had already admired in photos on social media. It is a huge privilege to see your own work on display at the Home of the Brick, and I’m delighted to have been given this once in a lifetime opportunity to share my MOCs with its visitors.

WHATEVER YOU’RE INTO, BUILD IT WITH

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BRICKJOURNAL #66

BRICKJOURNAL #65

BRICKJOURNAL #63

BRICKJOURNAL #62

BRICKJOURNAL #61

How YUANSHENG HE’s creates his breathtaking LEGO® brick art photography, the many models of TOM FROST, and the intricate Star Wars builds of Bantha Brick’s STEVEN SMYTH! Plus: “Bricks in the Middle” by KEVIN HINKLE and MATTHEW KAY, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more!

BrickJournal celebrates the holidays with acclaimed brick sculptor ZIO CHAO, takes a offbeat look at Christmas with our minifigure customizer/columnist JARED K. BURKS, and decks the halls with the holiday creations of KOEN ZWANENBURG! Plus: “AFOLs” by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and more!

UNDERSEA LEGO BUILDING! RYAN VAN DUZOR’s Coral Reef, the many creations of COLIN HEMMEN’s Brickiverse, plus a look at JOHN KLAPHEKE’s scenes from the Indiana Jones movies! Also: “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!

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!

LEGO FIGURE BUILDING! JAE WON LEE’s historical and legendary characters, EERO OKKONEN’s stunning mythic figures, ANDREA (“Norton74”) LATTANZIO’s new ultra-realistic builds (including classic food stands and gas stations), “AFOLs” by GREG HYLAND, “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more!

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BRICKJOURNAL #60

BRICKJOURNAL #59

BRICKJOURNAL #58

BRICKJOURNAL #57

BRICKJOURNAL #56

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!

STAR WARSTM THEMED BUILDERS! Travel to a galaxy far, far away with JACOB NEIL CARPENTER’S DEATH STAR, the galactic work of MIRI DUDAS, and the LEGO® Star Wars-inspired 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!

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!

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!

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!

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(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

BRICKJOURNAL #55

BRICKJOURNAL #54

BRICKJOURNAL #53

BRICKJOURNAL #52

BRICKJOURNAL #51

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!

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!

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!

Russian builder TIMOFEY TKACHEV, plus what it takes to become a LEGO Certified Professional (an elite group of builders officially recognized by LEGO), with New York’s SEAN KENNEY and Australian RYAN McNAUGHT! Also: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!

STEAMPUNK, with 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!

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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!

MECHA

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 #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!

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!

GAMING

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 #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!

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!

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!

STAR WARS™

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 #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!

OUTER SPACE & UNDERSEA

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 #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!

DINOSAURS

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

store@twomorrows.com

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!

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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.

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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 It usually is an ungodly hour when the magazine is completed and sent off to be printed. There’s no reason to complain—I tend to procrastinate and I also want to get the latest builds I can find to put in the magazine. I’m also a night owl, so later actually is better for me. This will mark 73 issues of the magazine that have been published (there were nine issues that were only online), and with that, there have been roughly 5070 pages of information and 1,520,000 words printed in the magazine. That’s a lot of stuff. And there’s much more to find. Some of it hasn’t been built yet, but we are watching. Some was built a while ago, and we are looking. We’ve only scratched the surface, and we’re happy you’re along for the ride! Next issue, we spend some time on the holidays! See you then! When you realize your creation is in a really cool gig!

That Joe Meno Guy

by Kevin A. Hinkle & Matthew Kay

ALTER EGO #166

ALTER EGO #167

ALTER EGO #168

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #23

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #24

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!

Salute to Golden & Silver Age artist SYD SHORES as he’s remembered by daughter NANCY SHORES KARLEBACH, fellow artist ALLEN BELLMAN, DR. MICHAEL J. VASSALLO, and interviewer RICHARD ARNDT. Plus: mid-1940s “Green Turtle” artist/creator CHU HING profiled by ALEX JAY, JOHN BROOME, MICHAEL T. GILBERT and Mr. Monster on MORT WEISINGER Part Two, and more!

Two RICHARD ARNDT interviews revealing the wartime life of Aquaman artist/ co-creator PAUL NORRIS (with a Golden/ Silver Age art gallery)—plus the story of WILLIE ITO, who endured the WWII Japanese-American relocation centers to become a Disney & Warner Bros. animator and comics artist. Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, JOHN BROOME, and more, behind a NORRIS cover!

WENDY PINI discusses her days as Red Sonja cosplayer, & 40+ years of ELFQUEST! Plus RICHARD PINI on their 48-year marriage and creative partnership! Plus: We have the final installment of our CRAIG YOE interview! GIL KANE’s business partner LARRY KOSTER talks about their adventures together! PABLO MARCOS on his Marvel horror work, HEMBECK, and more! Cover by WENDY PINI.

TIMOTHY TRUMAN discusses his start at the Kubert School, Grimjack with writer JOHN OSTRANDER, and current collaborations with son Benjamin. SCOTT SHAW! talks about early San Diego Comic-Cons and friendship with JACK KIRBY, Captain Carrot, and Flintstones work! Also PATRICK McDONNELL’s favorite MUTTS comic book pastiches, letterer JANICE CHIANG profiled, HEMBECK, and more! TIM TRUMAN cover.

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COMIC BOOK CREATOR #25

BACK ISSUE #122

BACK ISSUE #124

BACK ISSUE #125

BACK ISSUE #126

BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH discusses his new graphic novel MONSTERS, its origin as a 1980s Hulk story, and its evolution into his 300-page magnum opus (includes a gallery of outtakes). Plus part two of our SCOTT SHAW! interview about HannaBarbera licensing material and work with ROY THOMAS on Captain Carrot, KEN MEYER, JR. looks at the great fanzines of 40 years ago, HEMBECK, and more!

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!

HORRIFIC HEROES! With Bronze Age histories of Man-Thing, the Demon, and the Creeper, Atlas/Seaboard’s horrifying heroes, and Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) rides again! Featuring the work of CHRIS CLAREMONT, GERRY CONWAY, ERNIE COLON, MICHAEL GOLDEN, JACK KIRBY, MIKE PLOOG, JAVIER SALTARES, MARK TEXIERA, and more. Man-Thing cover by RUDY NEBRES.

CREATOR-OWNED COMICS! Featuring indepth histories of MATT WAGNER’s Mage and Grendel. Plus other indie sensations of the Bronze Age, including COLLEEN DORAN’s A Distant Soil, STAN SAKAI’s Usagi Yojimbo, STEVE PURCELL’s Sam & Max, JAMES DEAN SMITH’s Boris the Bear, and LARRY WELZ’s Cherry Poptart! With a fabulous Grendel cover by MATT WAGNER.

“Legacy” issue! Wally West Flash, BRANDON ROUTH Superman interview, Harry Osborn/Green Goblin, Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Infinity Inc., Reign of the Supermen, JOHN ROMITA SR. and JR. “Rough Stuff,” plus CONWAY, FRACTION, JURGENS, MESSNER-LOEBS, MICHELINIE, ORDWAY, SLOTT, ROY THOMAS, MARK WAID, and more. WIERINGO/MARZAN JR. cover!

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TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History.

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) $4.99 • Now shipping!

OLD GODS & NEW: A FOURTH WORLD COMPANION (TJKC #80)

Looks back at JACK KIRBY’s own words, as well as those of assistants MARK EVANIER and STEVE SHERMAN, inker MIKE ROYER, and publisher CARMINE INFANTINO, to show how Kirby’s epic came about, where it was going, and how he would’ve ended it before it was cancelled by DC Comics!

HOLLY JOLLY

WORLD OF TWOMORROWS

MARK VOGER’s sleigh ride thru Christmas Celebrate our 25th anniversary with this pop culture! Explores movies (Miracle on retrospective by publisher JOHN MORROW 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life), music and Comic Book Creator magazine’s (White Christmas, Little St. Nick), TV (How JON B. COOKE! Go behind-the-scenes the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the with MICHAEL EURY, ROY THOMAS, Red-Nosed Reindeer), books (Charles GEORGE KHOURY, and a host of other Dickens’ A Christmas Carol), decor (1950s TwoMorrows contributors! Introduction by silver aluminum trees), comics (super-heroes MARK EVANIER, Foreword by ALEX ROSS, meet Santa), and more! Featuring CHARLES Afterword by PAUL LEVITZ, and a new M. SCHULZ, ANDY WILLIAMS and others! cover by TOM McWEENEY!

(160-page FULL-COLOR TPB) $26.95 (192-page FULL-COLOR hardcover) $43.95 (Digital Edition) $14.99 • Ships Winter 2021 (Digital Edition) $15.99 • Ships Nov. 2020 ISBN: 978-1-60549-098-4 ISBN: 978-1-60549-097-7

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

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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!

RETROFAN #11

HALLOWEEN ISSUE! Interviews with DARK SHADOWS’ Quentin Collins, DAVID SELBY, and the niece of movie Frankenstein GLENN STRANGE, JULIE ANN REAMS. Plus: KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER, ROD SERLING retrospective, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, TV’s Adventures of Superman, Superman’s pal JIMMY OLSEN, QUISP and QUAKE cereals, the DRAK PAK AND THE MONSTER SQUAD, scratch model customs, and more fun, fab features! (84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

RETROFAN #6

RETROFAN #7

RETROFAN #12

RETROFAN #8

RETROFAN #9

RETROFAN #10

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!

With a JACLYN SMITH interview, as we reopen the Charlie’s Angels Casebook, and visit the Guinness World Records’ largest Charlie’s Angels collection. Plus: interview with 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!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Interviews with ’70s’ Captain America REB BROWN, and Captain Nice (and Knight Rider’s KITT) WILLIAM DANIELS with wife BONNIE BARTLETT! Plus: Coloring Books, Fall Previews for Saturday morning cartoons, The Cyclops movie, actors behind your favorite TV commercial characters, BENNY HILL, the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, 8-track tapes, and more!

NOW BI-MONTHLY! Celebrating fifty years of SHAFT, interviews with FAMILY AFFAIR’s KATHY GARVER and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour’s GERI “FAKE JAN” REISCHL, ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH, rare GODZILLA merchandise, Spaghetti Westerns, Saturday morning cartoon preview specials, fake presidential candidates, Spider-Man/The Spider parallels, Stuckey’s, and more fun, fab features!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History.

RETROFAN #2

RETROFAN #3

RETROFAN #4

RETROFAN #5

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!

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/Batman memorabilia, & more!

Interviews with 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) $4.99

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

store@twomorrows.com

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