The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 69 • September 2021
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HEAVENLY STRIKE! Nick Trotta’s LEGO® Spacecraft Takes to the Stars!
Builder Profiles: Tim Goddard Attila Gallik
INSTRUCTIONS AND MORE!
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Issue 66 • March 2021
Contents From the Editor....................................................2
Building
Community
People
Nick Trotta: Building the Shape of Space!..................20 Ben Smith: Building the Ark............................................28 Tim Goddard: Displaying Like A Master!..........................36 Hoang Dang: Building Facades and More!... ................42 Minifigure Customization 101: Scale and Perspective (Part 1).................48 BrickNerd Instructions: Baby Spaceship.............................................53 You Can Build It: Mini Mandalorian Fighter.........................57
Bantha Bricks Files: David Dickson’s Life-Size R2-D2.............64 Gearing up for FLL Hungary!......................69 LEGO® Certified Professional Feature: Wei Wei Shannon Gluckman...................72 Community Ads...............................................78 Last Word.............................................................79 AFOLs....................................................................80
Attila Gallik: Building a Future!............................................3 Bill Vollbrecht: Building Models and More!........................8 Jordan Maucotel: Micro Master!..................................................12 Sunder_59: Building SpaceSHIPs!..................................17
From the Editor: Hello there! Another two months, another issue! And this one is different, for sure.
September 2021 Issue 69 Publisher John Morrow
This time we go to SPACE! We haven’t gone there in a bit, and some new builders have come on the scene since then.
Editor in Chief Joe Meno
The cover builder, Nick Trotta, has a color sense that gives his spacecraft an identity like no other. Attila Gallik has a design sense that makes his Blacktron fighter a reinvention of the venerable theme.
Proofreader John Morrow
There’s even a talk with one of the most well-known Space builders, Tim Goddard. But there’s also a feature on the facades by Hoang Dang, and 3-D printing a largescale minifigure by Jared K. Burks, our resident customizer. Even Mickey Mouse makes an appearance, thanks to Bill Vollbrecht!
West Coast Editors Ashley Glennon
So relax and take some time out to see what inside! See you in a bit!
Photography Editor Geoff Gray Japanese Bureau Editor Nathan Bryan
BrickNerd Editor Dave Schefcik Bantha Bricks Correspondent Steven Smyth Contributors: Jared Burks, Hoang Dang, David Dickson, Christopher Deck, Dorottya Fogel, Atilla Gallik, Wei Wei Shannon Gluckman, Tim Goddard, Jordan Maucotel, Ben Smith, Steven Smyth, Sunder_59, Nick Trotta, Bill Vollbrecht, and Greg Hyland. 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: Nick Trotta’s Heavenly Strike graces the cover of this issue! Photography provided by Nick Trotta.
About the Contents: Incoming! Atilla Gallik’s Blacktron fighter heads toward us in this front view. Render by Attila Gallik.
Joe Meno, editor P.S. Have ideas or comments? Drop me a line at brickjournal@gmail.com. I’m open to suggestions and comments and will do my best to reply. P.P.S... Yes, BrickJournal has a website — www.brickjournal.com! Twitter? Yep, there too — http://twitter.com/brickjournal. Facebook? Yup — http://www.facebook.com/group. php?gid=58728699914&ref=mf. Or you can scan the bottom codes with a QR reader! P.P.P.S. If you want info on a subscription, you can go to www.twomorrows.com or scan below!
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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)
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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 2021, 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 $68 Economy US, $80 Expedited US, $103 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, 6701 Coachman Drive, Springfield, VA 22152, USA or admin@brickjournal.com. First Printing. Printed in China. ISSN 1941-2347. BrickJournal and its staff would like to thank the LDraw community for the software it makes available to the community, which we use for making all of the instructions and renderings in this magazine. We would especially like to thank Kevin Clague for his continued upgrades of the LPub tool that is a part of2the LDraw suite. For more information, please visit http://www.ldraw.org.
People
Attila Gallik: Attila Gallik, a freelance 3-D artist and illustrator, has only been building for five years, after having his interest rekindled by The LEGO Movie. After watching the movie, he did some research on LEGO but thought that he was too old to go back to building, as he did ten-plus years before. By the start of 2016, he saw that there were a lot of adult builders and/or LEGO fans who were his age and older, so he said, “Why not? I should build too; at least assemble my childhood sets.” From that point, he created some incredible builds, including spaceships and futuristic cars.
Building a Future! Article and Photography by Attila Gallik
Attila’s Blacktron fighter.
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Attila’s Space Utility Truck.
Since he’s a big sci-fi nerd, his favorite theme is Classic Space, and he started his collection with space sets. He began by modifying them, wanting them to be one-of-a-kind, something special, a bit more modern, and streamlined. Attila also wanted to explore building techniques and the design and construction changes in the decades since those Classic Space sets were first released. He’s also expanded into Speed Champions, especially the new 8-stud-wide cars, designing his own vehicles.
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Attila’s inspirations come from a variety of places—from sudden creative spikes to challenges he places on himself. He may see a form somewhere, a newspaper article, or a memory, and an idea will come to mind. For him it’s all automatic from there. It takes 1-2 weeks to a month to complete a model. He usually designs his model on Bricklink stud.io (a LEGO building program) and refines digitally, which is what takes the longest for him to do in terms of building. After this phase, he collects the parts from what he has at home and orders the rest. While he works on his real brick building tests, he usually finds a couple of mistakes or weak points which he fixes. He also designs in modular sections, so as he designs a section, he moves to the next. Once he finishes his final model, the parts are locked down and Attila rarely changes it afterwards.
A very fast police force.
While his creations all have some challenges, the hardest builds he has done have been a real vehicle (the Lamborghini Murcielago) and fictional vehicles (his Flipover Rovers). Both have extremely small spaces in which to get the form and functions right. Out of those, Attila’s favorite builds are his Flipover Rovers. He challenged himself to build really complex vehicle builds, and in terms of features and sheer size, the Rovers are his best. Made of over 3000 parts and controlled by an S-Brick bluetooth controller, these vehicles are actually two vehicles that can be switched by flipping the body over. The weight of a rover is almost 3 kg and include steering, motors, and batteries.
A truck with an interior.
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The Blacktron side of the Blacktron/Space Police Flipover Rover.
One of the Flipover Rovers is the Blacktron/Space Police Rover. On the Blacktron side, foldable blasters come out. When flipped over, the Space Police side has cells for four prisoners and also a stowable drone. With the S-Brick, the rover can be driven and steered. The second Flipover Rover is the Blacktron 2/M-Tron Rover. On the Blacktron side, there are retracted blasters and radar, along with a stowable personal speeder. On the M-Tron side, there are retractable loading arms and four storage containers. This rover also has a personal speeder that can be removed. Like the Blacktron/Space Police Rover, this uses an S-brick for driving and steering.
The Space Police side of the Blacktron/Space Police Flipover Rover.
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Attila builds for different reasons. In terms of space builds, he wants to create unique designs, which he comes up with, or modernize old space sets. In terms of cars, there are a lot of cars that he likes from his childhood, or are unique or aesthetically pleasing that are models he wants to recreate in LEGO form. Either way, it’s a great challenge for him to get certain angles and forms in such a small space. Those challenges extend into the things he has slated to build in the future. On the drawing board are 2-3 cars, space builds (mostly Blacktron, M-Tron, and Space Police I); Mechs and bases are also coming.
The Blacktron 2 side of the Blacktron 2/M-Tron Flipover Rover.
Until then, Attila has this advice to builders: “Don’t bother with negative comments, haters, and bullies. Don’t get discouraged by more experienced builders. Just practice and build what you love and experiment with the LEGO pieces… it will become a wonderful journey.”
The M-Tron side of the Blacktron 2/M-Tron Flipover Rover.
You can find more of Attila’s work at his website: http://www. thegbrix.com/ or by scanning this QR code.
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People
When asked about what he does, Bill Vollbrecht mentions a few occupations: “Freelance artist, illustrator and LEGO builder.” With 30+ years in LEGO building, he has done more than just build—he has built at the LEGOLand parks! Getting back into building as an adult when he stumbled upon a Black Seas Barracuda set at a Toys ‘R’ Us in 1990, he was blown away by how LEGO had evolved since he was a kid. Back then, he was inspired by the old Bricks Kicks LEGO club magazine. There he would find builds by the model shop team based at the USA LEGO office, located in Enfield, Connecticut. He was also inspired by the large sculptures they made, which led him to LEGOLand. Bill started as a Model Builder at LEGOLand California and was eventually given the job of Art Director for the park, where he designed the Land of Adventure and the first-ever LEGOLand Water Park. From there, he got promoted to being the Art Director/Creative Lead to design the new LEGOLand parks— and headed up designing LEGOLand Florida, Malaysia, Dubai, and Japan theme parks.
Bill’s mosaic of the LEGO early mascot.
Bill Vollbrecht:
Built topiaries.
Building Models and More! Article and Photography by Bill Vollbrecht 8
A globe by Bill.
Some views of Bill’s model of a Rose Parade float.
Bill also finds inspiration by being, first and foremost, an artist. His love of old architecture, weird pop culture, and campy off-the-wall retro stuff gets mashed up in his head until he’s able to extract it into something he wants to build. He builds what interests him and always had an affinity for the design that goes on behind the scenes at the LEGOLand parks and the Rose Parade. He explains, “There has always been a saying for writers: ‘Write what you know,’ and I suppose I’ve adopted that motto as ‘build what you know!’” With his projects, Bill considers himself a fairly fast builder. Once he’s gotten an idea and pre-visualized it, the actual build goes pretty quickly in a few marathon, hyper-focused days. He sometimes uses paper to visualize a mosaic, but everything else he builds freehand with only the vision in his head. He’s not one for pre-planning, but he keeps his ideas written down in a book. After doing a little research, if the idea is strong enough to pull him in, he just jumps in and starts building!
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Mickey Mouse and... Celebrating Mickey’s 92nd Birthday!
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...Minnie Mouse!
Of all of the models and builds that he has done, Bill has always been proudest of his Mickey Mouse build. Bill explains, “I feel I really captured his personality in the model—and I’m a big Disney nerd, so that may have something to do with it.” He followed up Mickey with Minnie Mouse a couple of years later. When asked about why he builds, Bill has a philosophical answer: “Every artist has an unquenchable desire to create. I’ve been lucky to have an incredibly strong system of friends and family that gives me the support and encouragement to do what I do. I can’t imagine doing anything else!” He also advises builders,”Follow your passion and try not to compare yourself to others. Be the best designer you can be. There are always better artists and builders around the corner—learn from them and be inspired, but forge your own path by creating what makes you happy!”
A selection of robots built by Bill.
You can see more of Bill’s creations at his Instagram gallery: https:// www.instagram. com/parks_and_ wrecked_creations/ or by scanning this QR code.
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Building
Jordan’s microscale Deep Freeze Defender.
Jordan Maucotel:
Micro Master!
Article and Photography by Jordan Maucotel
Another microscale creation.
Jordan Maucotel, known online as Elemental_Lego, is a patent attorney with a background in applied physics. He works with inventors and engineers to help them get patent protection for their inventions. He also builds LEGO microscope and space models. He started building when he was about six, with his first set being the Blacktron Meteor Marauder (#1875). He asked for LEGO for every birthday and Christmas growing up, and absolutely loved the old space themes. Coming out of his Dark Age, he was inspired by modern microscope builds. He started building a little micropolis and quickly transitioned to microscope and space and Star Wars builds, which is what he mostly does now. Jordan’s favorite theme is probably Ice Planet. The Deep Freeze Defender (#6973) is his favorite set of all time, so of course, he had to do a microscope version of the set, including some scenery to represent the original box art. When he began building again, Jordan wanted to build small scenes that were much more detailed than official LEGO sets. Shadow boxes always interested him, with the idea of fitting a whole scene or environment in a tiny space, and many of his builds attempt to capture that feeling. Inspiration for him comes from many different sources, which results in a very sporadic set of builds. He embraces this variety, though, and looks for good building tangents whenever he can! Some examples of things that have inspired his builds include: • Natural landscapes, such as Mt. St. Helens, an active volcano in his home state of Washington, that erupted in 1908, blowing off a third of the entire mountain and causing massive destruction that is still visible today.
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• Modern Artwork, such as Dom Riccobene’s woodcuts. These inspired his Rainbow Volcano build, a 3-D topological model of Mt. Rainier, with different colors showing different elevations.
Jordan’s Mt. St. Helens set of vignettes.
• Landscapes in movies in video games, such as his many Star Wars builds (like Naboo and Mustafar on the following page) and his Battle Creek map build from Halo:CE.
Battle Creek from Halo.
Jordan has a bad habit of rebuilding his models many times to fix little details, so most take several weeks to finish. This is the one reason he likes to build small— detailed builds that can be built in a day or two, like the tiny Mustafar scene shown on the next page. Not only does he get lots of variety in these builds, but they also look great displayed together as a whole set. Jordan plans his builds sometimes. If he’s doing a large microscope build, he’ll map out where elements will end up, so the overall visual balance is right. For example, he built a large microscope scene of a refining operation on an asteroid, and did much of the early planning on paper. On this model, he started mapping out the mobile refinery Rainbow Volcano.
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next to the glowing transparent ooze, then figured out where all the other vehicles would be. Then he added a little base in the foreground and rockets in the background to balance things out. It still looked a bit empty, so he added the mothership and fighters after he completed the landscape. Other times a single part will inspire a build, such as the wrench (antenna) in his micro Mustafar build. Then he builds out a first ‘draft,’ often redoing parts until they look right. Microscale is especially challenging to get the scale of different elements right.
Jordan’s refinery layout.
Jordan’s most difficult build (according to him) was probably the Mechanical Juggernaut he designed earlier this year. It’s not a huge build, but it has challenges in how the belt moves. He had to rebuild the main vehicle several times to reduce weight, as well as engineering a strong thin suspension system to hold it up. Conversely, one of his favorite MOCs is micro Gungan City. This build features one of Jordan’s favorite Star Wars scenes: the underwater capital of the Gungans. It was really fun to plan lots of interesting details in pearl gold to fit inside of the different bubbles. This build called for some very tiny Gungan subs (just two parts!) to get the scale right. He even found a place to include one of his
Mustafar.
The Juggernaut, which is on a moving landscape...
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Theed Place on Naboo.
...that can be cranked behind the layout, giving the illusion the Juggernaut is driving over terrain!
Gungan City.
favorite vintage parts (the white horse battle helmet from Professor Lupin’s Classroom—a 2004 Harry Potter set) as a skeleton of a Sando Aqua Monster. Jordan builds because for him, it’s a good creative outlet and it’s nice to work with his hands. It’s also really fun to create his own versions of scenes and vehicles that he enjoys. He always seems to enjoy the end product even more when it’s his own work. He has some projects for the future, including a couple more kinetic builds that simulate the motion of different moving vehicles. He’s also working on an artistic ‘liminal space’ model which will have an open empty pool with a far away background. There’s always a couple of microscope Star Wars builds in the mix too. For advice, Jordan has this: “Don’t let a lack of LEGO hold you back. Try using the parts you have now in different, interesting ways. See what others are doing and even try building what they’re building—you’ll learn a lot of fresh techniques that way.”
WHATEVER YOU’RE INTO, BUILD IT WITH
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People
An Emperor ironclad warship.
Sunder_59 is an 3-D modeler who returned to LEGO building about a decade ago, when he saw an old box of LEGO from his childhood. His models are of different themes, but his favorite builds are of space stuff and spaceships. He found his inspiration a long time ago in his childhood when he got a copy of the Homeworld computer game. At the time, he didn’t understand anything, as it was in English and he is Russian. However, he fell in love with the spaceships, and from there he found (and still finds) inspiration everywhere, including games, books, and films.
Sunder_59:
Building SpaceSHIPs! Article and Photography by Sunder_59
Building his creations can vary. Sometimes he can build something in an hour, sometimes it can take months. On average, though, it takes him several evenings to build a model. Sunder_59 builds organically and rarely has a plan. He just keeps a general idea in mind and lets his imagination flow. Often the model concept changes a lot during the process of building. As a result, the design changes into something completely different. When he builds large projects, such as the spaceships that LEGO space builders build in September (SHIPtember), or if he has something particular in mind, he makes rough 3-D models. Sometimes, his smaller models become bigger as he changes their design.
A paddlewheel drive for the steamship below.
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FCS Jolly Roger
Originally a Olimp-class freighter, this ship crashed into an orbital cargo transfer station. It was repaired and modified to a salvage ship.
Some of the modular buildings in John’s layout.
Once he starts building, the process can get difficult. Sometimes he struggles a lot with one element that doesn’t work well, and sometimes he encounters builder’s block, looking at an almost finished model for hours and not knowing how to complete it. He has this happen with roughly half of his builds, but usually it’s a temporary block of inspiration or imagination.
The Jolly Roger’s primary salvage arm holding some debris. A look at some of the ship’s detail.
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There are two things that are really hard for Sunder_59. One is building accurate replicas. In general, he lets his imagination carry his building and is used to this project. However, he can’t do this with a replica—it drives him crazy every time. This is why he makes replicas so rarely. The second thing is building natural models. For him, it’s easy to make all the machined surfaces with LEGO elements with rights angles and repetitious patterns. On the other hand, recreating the curves of natural forms is a very challenging task for him. When asked for a favorite build, Sunder_59 can’t say he is proud of any one of his builds more than another, but he can pick a group—his SHIPtember builds. SHIPtember is a month-long event in September where LEGO space builders build spaceships that are at least 100 studs long. SHIP is an acronym for Seriously Huge Investment of Parts. If he had to choose from one of those builds, he would choose the SHIP he built in 2018: the Jolly Roger.
Building fulfills a need for creation and is a way of dealing with stress. However, he notes, sometimes building brings more stress when things aren’t going as he wants! Sunder_59 offers this advice for builders: “Try to stay reasonable. You can generate all sorts of crazy ideas. But for me, it’s better when a model looks realistic, maybe in the distant future, but it’s still believable. It’s also useful to think of what you are doing—not just adding greebling here and there, but imagining what other elements could do, what are they made for, and so on. It’s also a good idea to know something about the thing you are building. For example, read some articles about trains if you are building a train—how it works, how it’s made, the purpose of it’s elements, and so on.”
The Jolly Roger’s bridge.
You can see more of Sunder_59’s work at his Flickr gallery: https://www.flickr.com/ photos/87587140@N07/ or by scanning the QR code here!
The ship’s shuttle bay, with support craft ready for launch.
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Building
Nick Trotta:
Building the Shape of Space! Article and Photography by Nick Trotta
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I’m an avid designer of LEGO spaceships, and most weekends you’ll find me at home (in San Francisco) working on a new creation. As constants across my builds, I enjoy interesting shaping and fun geometries. I love color work, blocking and harmonies and contrasts. I aspire for my work to feel “polished,” clean from the exterior and thoughtfully-engineered from the inside. And I relish the tactile “click” of physical parts, which I find extremely relaxing. There is one other common theme: I’m slow! Oh so slow! When I restarted the hobby in 2011, I was producing only about four ships a year. Flashing forward
Heavenly Strike Phase one: Focus on cockpit, engine, and key color blocking.
Exploring shaping with depth, facets, and a gear rack pattern.
Phase two: Working on internal frame, reworking color blocking and textures.
Phase three: Refining colors and fit.
All the final touches (including decals) in place!
a decade, the production rate has further declined: I invest just as much time at the LEGO desk, but lately I only complete about one ship every five months. I feel quite honored to be invited to be featured in BrickJournal, and I thought I’d use the space to share my personal construction process, and some tips, should you want to try out my particular (perhaps crazy) approach.
My Building Style In a nutshell, the building approach I use is “Outside-In” design. (Thanks to Are Heiseldal who I believe coined that for me!) I first focus on the exterior to confirm feasibility, then translate the “possible” into a real creation, and then polish and improve. Each of those steps balance out to about one-third of the build time. So:
Mid-design on wing section for Heavenly Strike.
The opposite side of the wing section.
Phase One: Shaping and key geometry as an empty, proof-ofconcept facade.
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I’ll start with inspirational ideas for the ship, perhaps various art and a color mood board. From those beginning inspirations, what might prove the most significant sections of the ship? Where would I like to explore something particularly new or challenging? What seems like it would be the most difficult (or maybe impossible) to engineer? Perhaps I’ll have an idea to focus on a cockpit design, an interesting pattern of color blocking on a wing, a key bit of angular work, or an engine section?
Firebreak under construction...
I’ll then start to explore each key section individually. Everything here is temporary, so I don’t bother with making it sturdy. I go right to experimentation for tough bits. Could I make this work? How would it look? Perhaps this other way would look better? Throughout this stage I tend to have bits of a spaceship’s components propped up on individual stands. The “model” is just a collection of bits and lines, with no internal frame or construction. This approach makes it a breeze to move or reposition the work. I can explore size and distance in physical space.
Firebreak
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A look at the upper level of the display, ready for expansion.
Ataraxis At the end of this stage, there’s a pretty good impression of a build I’d like to achieve, but none of it is actually real. Phase Two: Engineering, a frame, and strength. It’s real! Heading into this stage, I know it should be possible to achieve the model’s look, but not how to pull it off. So it’s time for some heavy SNOT engineering to turn the proof-of-concept into a real build. I’ll plan out an internal frame already knowing the final outward bounds, areas of likely stress requiring additional strength, and approximate center of gravity. I’ll get busy constructing and reconstructing the individual components, and (after some head-scratching) usually find solutions to attach everything while achieving the desired angles and fits. After much effort I’ll be able to pick it up as a single coherent model. Time for the last phase!
Details on Ataraxis.
A breakdown of the model.
Phase Three: Refinement through iteration, final textures and details, seeking something I’d be proud of. From here onward I’ll focus on small, iterative improvements. I’ll rework areas repeatedly, adding interest, polishing up fit, and adjusting colors. This might include adding “breakup” (contrast via color and/or texture) in areas which might feel too plain, or refining and smoothing in areas which might feel too busy.
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Resonance The internals here tend to become “layered” in a fractal way, where the build is composed of sections that themselves further break into smaller sections. I aim to find the simplest possible solution to each of the smallest sub-assemblies, and it eventually builds up into something large. As final touches in this phase, I’ll have fun bringing in some decals (I started using waterslides after a helpful class at BrickCon 2013), and lately have been exploring bling via a bit of chrome. Fun!
Building Tips Tip #1: Be fearless about rebuilding—and do it over and over! A look at the details of Resonance.
I’ll rework a model continually through the course of a build. Refinement takes iteration and exploration: you need to be willing to attack sections over and over again. Don’t hesitate to crack the model open, and try something in a new way to see if it works better! Tip #2: Minimize the time cost of rebuilds! If you assume that the model will be reworked extensively, you’ll be less likely to spend time “making it perfect” too early. Create sub-modules so it’s easy (and ideally even fun) to remove and replace sections. Take photos, so that you can confidently rip things apart without fearing you can’t put it back together. Don’t refine too early.
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Tip #3: Practice looking at your work critically! I’ll spend an inordinate amount of time critiquing an in-progress model, considering what could be improved. Are there parts of this creation bothering me? Where might there be opportunities to do something more pleasing? Consider annotating a photo: which build areas need some attention? Tip #4: Keeping creations intact encourages “taking your time” to get it right! My building style changed dramatically once I committed to keeping models long-term. Knowing that I’ll see a creation “forever” (and that it will consume precious space in the “special bookcase”!) encourages me to spend extra time on it. Any small bits that bother me now will bother me forever and ever… Tip #5: Color should come first… except for when it should come later. Color is exceedingly important to the model so it’s worth agonizing on this up front. What color scheme will you go after? Look for something that strongly contrasts, and look for adjacent colors that can complement one another. Have you chosen colors with a limited parts availability? If
A look at the details of Cloudless.
Cloudless
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Falchion so, both familiarize yourself with the color’s limitations in basic elements, and inspire yourself with fun elements in that color! This pre-work will save time and frustration in the long run. But, late in the model creation, go back and consider whether adding additional colors might add depth to the design. This might be a splash here or there, just to add emphasis or harmony. (The Heavenly Strike uses ten different colors.) Tip #6: Strive to become comfortable with half-plate geometries. Another perspective of Falchion.
You can see more of Nick’s work at his Flickr gallery: https://www.flickr. com/photos/tardisblue/ or you can scan this QR code!
There’s so much fun and power to be had using half-plate offsets! Halfplate-thick panel elements can conceal the edges of “jagged” plates beneath, unlocking new sweeping angles. Half-plate brackets can be combined to redirect stud flow in any direction, or to expose the half-plate edge for a thin pop of color. And like many other builders, I find headlight bricks and their half-plate recess such an elegant and useful design. You can also strengthen your own understanding of these geometries by examining other builders’ work. Look for surprising shapes or components, and challenge yourself to understand how it was done. Can you puzzle it out? If not, consider asking the builder! I find people are happy to share. Tip #7: Gather feedback from others! With my extroverted partner lovingly pushing me (see Adelle’s interview in BrickJournal #68, yay!), I was delighted to befriend Spacers in real-life, and these days I’ll use that opportunity for feedback. What might they suggest I do to improve? Bonus: They might send you shots of their own work-in-progress activity—what a blast!
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Building
Ben Smith:
Building 28
Ben Smith had LEGO sets as a child and space was always his favorite theme. About ten years ago he came across the LEGO Factory set Star Justice (#10191) and started tinkering with it again; which snapped him out of his Dark Age. For Ben, the big eureka moment, however, was when he discovered the LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) software. He had hardly any parts in his collection and his daughter had just been born, so it was really, really hard to find time and space to build. With LDD, Ben could fire up the computer and build for ten minutes without needing to get anything out or put away; he was also travelling a bit, so he could build in hotel rooms or even on trains! Now he continues to build almost entirely digitally, ordering parts off Bricklink to assemble the model when it’s complete; although he’s discovered it helps to build test models anytime you try and do anything with motors or moving parts! One of Ben’s latest creations is a huge build of a spaceship named the Ark. With the help of a couple of other builders, he created a spaceship that not only is internally lit, but also has a rotating section. BrickJournal talked to him about the model. BrickJournal: What was the inspiration for the Ark? Ben Smith: I had built a bunch of models with LED lighting in them, which I displayed at a LEGO show in the UK: the Great Western Brick Show in Swindon, in 2018. My display was next to another builder who had a model that was motorized, and I realized how the public were really drawn to anything that moved. So when I got back I decided to try and build something that had motors in it and had some element of movement. I only build spaceships and sci-fi stuff; so the obvious expression of that idea for me was the sci-fi staple of a ship with a rotating centrifuge to generate artificial gravity for the crew on board. How did you begin the project? I have a background in 3-D design and for my last few projects I’ve used this to rough out the model before I do any LEGO building at all. For the Ark, I built a really rough 3-D model on the computer to figure out the overall shape and how big the wheel would have to be to include the kind of details I envisioned. It very quickly became obvious this would be a pretty big model, and I decided to use a technique I’d been aware of for a little while: I would use a frame made of 16mm square steel to support it. I’m really glad I did this—I honestly don’t think it would have been possible to build a LEGO frame that could hold up the weight of the wheel safely, and allow enough room inside for the motors. The rough 3-D model used to design the Ark.
Article and Photography by Ben Smith (www.flickr.com/threeDadventures)
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The Ark is a mile-long spacecraft on a 100-year mission to colonise a distant planet. The rotating centrifuge provides artificial gravity to support a biome representing all the world’s ecosystems. Centrifuge EM field generators Docking connectors Fusion Reactor Plasma drive Cooling vanes
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What did you base the look of the Ark on? As with most of my projects, I did a lot of research finding concept art and examples from films and TV shows to guide me, but at the end of the day I just kind of make it up! I went for a kind of hard sci-fi aesthetic, so it’s not whimsical or grungy like something in Star Wars; it’s rooted more in a real-world aesthetic. I’ve never felt particularly comfortable with the heavily greebled look a lot of builders use, preferring a smooth exterior finish; so I tried to find a style for the exterior panelling that would look consistent across different sections and help tie it all together. A lot of the look was also borne by necessity— having decided to use a steel frame, I then needed big vertical radiator fins to conceal the steel bar holding the whole thing up. What was the hardest challenge?
The metal armature for the Ark, with the habitat ring in place.
Definitely the rotating centrifuge. I knew this would be the most difficult bit to build, so it was the first part I worked on. My first version didn’t have the windows on the inside and was based around Technic connectors with a 22.5 degree angle; which meant the whole wheel had 16 sections around. I worked on this for months before I realized it meant I had to have four spokes connecting the wheel to the hub, which I didn’t think looked very sci-fi. So I redesigned the whole thing to have 18 sections, and therefore three spokes (18 being divisible by three). I developed an Excel spreadsheet to help find ways of building the 20 degree angles this required, eventually building a Technic frame for the wheel that was really simple and strong. There is no steel in the wheel at all, it’s 100% LEGO and holds together really well. How did you add the movement? I had done literally nothing with motors at this point and I naively thought making a wheel turn would be really, really easy to do; so I went out and got some power functions kits—motors, battery box and the remote control. I used Technic turntables to join the wheel to the rest of the model, but—surprise, surprise—when I finally built it, the wheel didn’t turn. I spent ages trying to fix this, adding a second drive motor, lubricating the turntables with silicone, and generally pulling my hair out. Eventually I realized the weight of the wheel generated so much friction in the turntables, it was never going to work, so I redesigned the entire hub so it used a kind of bearings system—lots of little wheels mounted on the inside that turn around round bricks covering the steel. There’s very little friction and it turns really freely and smoothy.
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A look at the construction of the habitat ring.
The completed ring.
What about the lighting? I’d done a bunch of projects with lights, and with this one I decided to really go for broke and cram as much lighting into it as possible. As soon as I’d hit upon the idea of having the biomes and vegetation inside the centrifuge, I knew I had to have lights shining onto them from the hub. However, this turned out to be tricky because the whole centrifuge spins, so there’s no way of running wires in for power without them all getting tangled. Hence I ended up having to cram four AAA batteries into the hub in individual battery holders. I don’t use official LEGO lights, or any of the aftermarket products like Brickstuff; I just buy LEDs off eBay and solder them together by hand. It’s fiddlier for sure, but way more flexible and loads cheaper. I also came up with a cool spinning effect for the big fusion reaction on the back end, and collaborated with master electronics expert Rick Fornalski to furnish me with a board to drive the LEDs. A render of one of a microscale atmospheric shuttle, which was designed to plug into the docking ports here; but Ben never got around to building it.
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A closer view of the habitat ring.
You can see more of Ben’s models at his Flickr gallery: www.flickr.com/threeDadventures or you can scan the QR code here.
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What are you most proud of on the build? That it’s finished and looks consistent! It took something like 18 months from inception to completion, so after the initial 3-D design I had to work on it in sections: I would design a section in LDD, then order the parts and assemble it; whilst simultaneously turning my attention to designing the next section in LDD and so on. It was hard to keep the project going and maintain the original vision behind it over such a long period of time, but when it was all done in this piecemeal fashion, thankfully everything fit together and it all came out looking pretty good! Sadly,
The biomes before installation.
the Coronavirus pandemic has meant there’s not been any LEGO shows here in the UK for the last year; but the situation is easing now, so hopefully there will be opportunities for people to see the model in the very near future. Tell me about the Biomes. Building the landscapes and vegetation inside the biomes was entirely outside my area of expertise, so I recruited some collaborators to help: Tim Goddard (aka Roguebantha) and Tom Loftus (aka Inthert). I gave them a study model in LDD to show how much space they would have under the glass; and when I next saw them, they’d both created the most incredible models that totally surpassed my expectations!
One of the more detailed biomes.
Tim Goddard and Tom Loftus commented: “Ben put a call out for some assistance with his latest mad project and we both knew it would be something we wanted to be involved in. Once we discussed details, we were excited about the microscale biomes he wanted assistance with. We put forward the idea of each biome being a different environment to add as much interest and color to the interior as possible, and developed eighteen different ecological niches, from a deciduous forest in autumn to a tropical sea with archipelagos, to a volcano! Although the Ark is a massive structure, each environment was very restricted for space; they are about ten studs square (they are not all the same size!), but the height was the trickiest part. Fitting a varied and interesting variety of plant life no more than three bricks tall was a challenge, but an enjoyable one!”
Biomes being installed.
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Building
A collection of Tim Goddard’s robots.
Tim Goddard:
Displaying like a Master! Article and Photography by Tim Goddard
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Tim Goddard is a builder that has been on the Space scene for decades. His models have been seen online, in magazines and even in his own book. BrickJournal talked to him about his builds and building. BrickJournal: First, tell us about yourself. Tim Goddard: I am 43 years old and an analytical chemistry laboratory manager located just west of London in the UK. Currently we are a very small part of the supply chain for several Covid-19 vaccines; it is great to know that we are making a tiny contribution to getting things back to something like normal; roll on the first post-virus LEGO convention! There is nothing in my background other than a lifetime of LEGO building that has led me to do what I currently do with the plastic bricks. Building is my only artistic outlet, so that is probably why I have persisted with it through my childhood and into adult life. I brought sets from many LEGO themes as a kid, but Space was always the main one. When I was young, I created my own little universe based around LEGO space themes; each faction such as Futuron, Space Police and M:Tron had their own baseplate or two, which were connected using the venerable LEGO Monorail. The even had a council room where a representative of each theme would get together to discuss the latest Blacktron threat. I guess I still build in that universe today—it even became a published book! LEGO Space: Building the Future came about after I created a chapter in the DK LEGO Ideas book. From that, an independent publisher contacted me and along with my mate Peter Reid (Creator of the LEGO Ideas
Exo-suit) and some other friends, we created a story/art book based on our childhood fantasies! Many have said it is the best book ever printed. :-) This hobby has led me on some other exciting adventures. I have had models displayed in the LEGO house in its opening year, and I have contributed to several books and magazines. I worked with LEGO by invitation in Billund on a three-day workshop to help develop what would become The Legends of Chima line, along with some other AFOLs; that was great fun. I got to see behind the scenes of product development and was encouraged to spray and even break LEGO bricks, so we were not restricted to just thinking about parts currently available! I only really had a Grey Age as the quality of LEGO sets declined in the late 1990s and I became interested in other things. I think it was the introduction of Star Wars LEGO that prevented full darkness, and a few years after that I discovered the AFOL scene and the public displays that were put on—I wanted to be a part of that!
An Aquazone layout by Tim.
It is great fun displaying at conventions; you get to hang out with like-minded people for a weekend, as well as talk with amazed members of the public as you explain for the hundredth time that, “This model is something I have created, it is not a set, and no I do not work for LEGO.” It is really the conventions, as well as sharing my work online, that keep me building my own creations and striving to get a little bit better with every model. What are the inspirations behind your builds? The LEGO community is a constant source of inspiration; every day a new wondrous creation appears that can not help but inspire. The constant stream of amazing models
Tim’s Zycon IV.
can be a little intimidating, the quality just keeps on getting better and better, but it does push me to put a little bit extra into every build I do. I am involved in a few LUGs such as Brickish, New Elementary and the LondonAFOLs. In normal times we LondonAFOLs meet up once a month in a pub to build and talk over all things LEGO. You can not help but leave full of ideas. As well as building in old LEGO Space themes, I also enjoy dipping my toe in the Star Wars universe—the designs are just so good (Doug Chaing is my hero)! With Star Wars, I tend to create more micro-scale builds rather than minifigure-scale creations, as I find them more satisfying. Making loads of tiny ships appeals to the world builder in me. Star Wars can be restrictive as I create versions of vehicles that already exist (in a fictional sense), but LEGO Space themes can be pushed in any direction you like, so inspiration can be taken from anywhere: computer games, concept art, any sci-fi franchise really. Warhammer is a great property for an industrial look that I have looked at recently.
Tim’s version of the Galactic Explorer.
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The Millennium Falcon.
How long can it take to build a model? I guess I have no shortage of inspiration, but actually finding the time to follow through on all the ideas is a challenge. A good size model will generally take me two or three months to complete, but I will tend to leave it for a while and build some smaller things every so often. Some models can take a year from concept to completion. It can be hard to keep motivated on a creation that needs that long to complete, and builder’s block often creeps in. If you leave a model for a while, you often find that part you have been struggling with is easier to resolve. Do you design your builds on paper beforehand? Has your design technique changed since you started—do you still sketch on paper, or do you use digital building programs?
An A-Wing (above) and an Y-Wing (below).
I am a completely analogue builder; for me, LEGO is much more fun in real life, so I rarely use digital building. I do not tend to really design a model before I start on it, but I do have a clear vision in my mind of what I want to end up with. Of course, sometimes the finished model comes out completely different from the original idea! But more often I manage to get across the feel that I was aiming for. Larger diorama builds do take a little more planning, so I tend to sketch out a floor plan mainly with the aim of building in some sort of modularity to allow bigger models to be transported, although things do not always go exactly to plan.
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The benefit of not having a fixed design before you start is that you can change things as you go along. Wings not really doing it for you? Rip them off and try something different! Trial and error is very much part of my process. I might not know exactly what it is going to look like, but I know when it is right.
Panduro.
The exception to this is collaborative builds; these need careful planning to make sure sections that are the work of two builders join together. It is important to keep the feel of each section similar so that the finished work does not look like unrelated parts that just happen to be next to each other. Attention to detail like this in a collaboration helps it become something more than the sum of their parts. What was the hardest build you have done? The next build is always the hardest; starting something from scratch is always really tricky and not something I enjoy that much. Once I get going and the bones of a model start coming together, that is when it becomes much more fun. One of the hardest vehicles I have made so far was the Space Police Goliath drop ship. It was a massive project for me, it took about six months, and it spent a fair few weeks sitting on a shelf when I could not face working on it.
An explorer craft.
What made that build so hard? The two main challenges were completing a full interior whilst keeping such a big model build structurally sound. When building a cargo ship design like this, it might seem obvious to make the hanger square, but I find such a regular shape does not end up with a finally appealing look. For that reason, the main frame of the Goliath is an irregular hexagon. This is a much more dynamic shape, but creates all sorts of challenges, both structurally and because it has some unusual angles, making a clean finish that much harder.
The Blue Auk.
Some M-Tron inspired builds.
The Goliath.
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Birnham, a layout by Tim.
Another challenge with larger models is filling such a big area with greebles or a finished look. One solution to this is to design smaller panels of detail that can then be replicated multiple times if needed. Any space between the panels can then be filled in. This is a much less
daunting approach to filling a large space. What’s a build you are most proud of? Are there any parts of your build that you want to focus on—or have photos of the model and the parts that you’d like to show off? I have just finished a model I call Platform 7. This is a power generation platform used on newly discovered planets by Federation settlers. It has an industrial feel and is partially inspired by oil rig design. This is something I have wanted to attempt for a long time: a very detailed and dense industrial and futuristic design with multiple levels. It is completely covered in greebles and details from all sides—every surface, whether a wall or floor, is detailed on both sides. This made it very parts intensive and time consuming to build, but I am very happy with the result. Although this section is finished, the model is still growing. I am currently working on a hexagonal landing platform in a similar style to the platform, that I will link with a walkway; and who knows what I might build next to expand it further? Is there a build technique that you would want to show off? I am not sure if you would call this a build technique as such, but it is something I try to apply to a lot of my builds. Platform 7 has a lot of pipe work. Random greebles look good, but what I try to do is link them up and try to think of some sort of purpose for all the mechanical detail. Most of it links up from one bit of machinery to another; you can trace the pipes through the model from the spherical reactor across all levels, through floors and walls via various junctions, valves and vents. I find this sort of approach satisfying, and hopefully it is appealing to those who view the model. What advice would you give to beginning builders?
Platform 7.
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If you are just starting out building your own MOCs, the LEGO community may seem like a daunting place. The standard and complexity of builds seems to get more intense all the time, and sometimes they use many thousands of parts which are unattainable to newcomers.
But fret not, when you actually reach out to people within the LEGO community, almost without exception, they are encouraging and welcoming and happy to share some tips. Start small and gradually increase the scope and size of your builds. Small and perfectly formed models can be just as satisfying as a year-long marathon project. Over the years, the online focus has shifted from Brickshelf to Flickr, and is now becoming more fragmented. I use Instagram, which is one of the larger communities, because it is so good for sharing and communicating with others, but the picture quality is fairly poor, so I still use Flickr to post finished builds. Youtube is a massive platform for LEGO and there are lots of other ways to interact with fellow builders—consider what platform works best for you. I am often asked about how to get hold of bricks and what sort of bricks should be bought to give a good stock to create MOCs. There are lots of answers to this, but everyone has their own approach. I think the most useful piece of advice I can give is to buy what you use the most! Obvious really, but everyone has their own style (even if you are not sure what your style is), so when you buy bricks for a certain project, consider buying two or three times as many parts as you need (or more!) and your collection will start to build in a direction that will be geared towards what you use most. Of course, as any LEGO builder knows, you will never have all the parts you need for your next project, and LEGO has a habit of bringing out many new and exciting parts every year. So collecting parts, just like the building, never ends! More views of Platform 7.
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Building
Dang’s row of facades.
Hoang Dang:
Building Facades and More! Article and Photography by Hoang Dang
Growing up in the early 1990s, Hoang Dang was exposed to what he considered one of the greatest eras of LEGO. Sets under the System line-up surely made an impact on both his childhood, adulthood, as well as his career choices. Now in his thirties, Hoang has become a skilled LEGO builder, and reflects on how LEGO has been such a large part of his life.
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Hoang Dang: LEGO helped shape me as a professional. As a transportation designer/industrial designer, I have worked on projects ranging from cars and electric scooters to audio amplifiers. At the end of the day, what I do is very much related to my LEGO work: creating things. If my childhood isn’t counted, I started working on builds of my own in 2006. Back then, I made a bunch of house designs in LEGO Digital Designer, a LEGO building program. Those files were lost, and since then I have moved on to several more themes like spaceships, medieval buildings, boats, and cars. Still, it’s fun for me to realize that my building has gone full circle as my latest works are buildings again, especially the facades. I guess I’ve always been attracted to buildings and architecture. I got into building as an adult because of the direct similarity between my work and LEGO building. Sometimes, I use LEGO as a method to clear my mind and allow myself to be creative. My favorite theme to collect and build as sets are Creator sets, for sure. I was significantly impressed by the Land Busters set (#4404) that came out in 2003. That set may have single-handily kept me interested in LEGO through dark times. My favorite theme to part out is Friends! I love the colors, the new parts, and the art direction they are doing now. In my opinion, the Friends theme has been the most innovative theme in recent decades. That said, I would say I always prefer building my own creations. As much as I love to collect sets (and believe me when I say it, I have about 2000+ new sealed sets in storage), I always feel the urge to mix them all up and build something new. My inspirations mainly come from my personal background. Growing up in Vietnam during the economic boom, I was exposed to a mixture of cultures— Eastern values versus Western innovations, traditions versus contemporary. I think the ’90s was the time when Vietnamese of all ages were able to see the world in a more saturated lens, and there was so much to take in. I want my works to reflect that.
Hoang got noticed online when he began posting a series of facades based on Vietnamese Architecture. Here, he talks about the inspiration behind what has become the Vietnam Facade Collection. When it comes to the Vietnam Facade Collection, of course my direct inspirations are the actual places I have been to. Each of those builds represents a significant memory I have. Having said that, I try not to build exactly like my reference materials. I believe art works have a significant value if they can capture the general feeling of a place. I focus more on expressing my personal impression of the places, rather than trying to make a direct physical copy of them. So let’s take a quick walk through all of them!
Vietnam Facade Collection No. 1.
I have completed four pieces so far. Vietnam Facade Collection no. 1 is a french-built mansion back in the colonial times: a remarkable identifier of Hanoi. If you have a chance to visit the city, you will find these hidden relics all over the city. However, they also show a new side of Hanoi. Throughout the years, many generations have lived there and they changed their house as they see fit. You can see that at the door and windows. The metalwork represented by the light bluish gray flex hoses and bars were trendy designs back in the ’90s. Most families had those installed at their houses. One other unique feature is the new colorful tiles that indicate that this family has fixed up their interior to suit their style. A look at the back of the model.
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Vietnam Facade Collection No. 2 is still under construction. I’ll reveal it at a later time. Vietnam Facade Collection No. 3 is a place very close to my heart; my grandpa’s little shop. When I was a little kid, my Grandpa Ly ran a small convenience store in his neighborhood. It was where all the kids would visit after school to get frozen yogurt or a bánh mi sandwich. My grandpa recently passed away, so I made this dedicated to him. I don’t have a picture of his actual store, and I can assure you it didn’t look anything like what I built, but that’s not the point. I wanted to capture the vibrant colors and the happiness that was imprinted in my young mind. He couldn’t afford a sign so I gave him one. In the bigger picture, this is a story of my generation, the generation with some limited memory of the time before western fast food chains and modern convenience stores. This was our strip mall hangout.
Vietnam Facade Collection No. 2.
The store sign...
...and looking at the rear. The square holes are headlight bricks that are used to place the tiles on the front.
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A look at the rich detail of the facade.
Vietnam Facade Collection No. 4 is Hue, the capital city of Vietnam back in the colonial days. Hue is where the last royal family, the Nguyễn Dynasty, resided. My wife and I visited the old citadel for Christmas 2019 and I was impressed with its historical significance and architecture. I hope I captured the spirit of the ancient town, as I took some creative liberty with this piece. Vietnam Facade No. 5 is what I thought about when I mixed a temple near my house with a sidewalk tea shop. Overall, I was inspired by the lived-in feel in the Hanoi old quarter. There are always many things happening in one place. It’s messy, chaotic, and mysterious from an outsider’s perspective. When I created this piece, I was running out of display shelves for it, so I thought I would need to hang it up on a wall somewhere. I made it slightly thinner compared to the previous three, so it doesn’t stick out too far off the wall. I wanted to make a wooden frame for it, but no frame maker in town could do a frame that deep. In the end, I decided to build it out of LEGO also and that took up 2/3 of the cost and time… ha-ha!
Vietnam Facade Collection No. 4.
Details of the facades.
Vietnam Facade Collection No. 5, with built frame.
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My process to design and build these took a while from start to finish. The quickest is three months for the first piece, as it was streamlined and symmetrical. No. 3 and 4 took four months, but it was during Covid time and I was able to spend more time at home. No. 5 took me six months because of the midway decision to include a frame. I would say its a bit difficult due to living quite far away from any LEGO part source, so getting pieces I need is a challenge all its own. It usually takes months for the parts to get to me. You can imagine the delays. I usually work on a few pieces at a time as a result. Building the fishing boat.
Boat details.
When I start to build a MOC, I usually, if not always, start with a key feature. For example, the Tết Holiday Interior build’s key feature is the brown furniture set. For the facades, the key elements are the doors. These will determine the scale of the build, so it’s important to get them right. Once I am happy with those key elements, I will move on to imagine the full scope of the piece. I combine and mix and match elements from reference pictures I took to form a basic idea in my head for each one. That would be the beginning phase. After that I just go with the flow. If I ever feel like I’m losing the momentum, I will stop and work on something else, then come back to it once I know what needs to be changed or worked on. I try not to drag them out for too long, but it usually takes me months to finish a build. I have tried to plan out on paper for a few MOCs in the past, and it felt too much like my work, so I don’t really want to do that anymore. I guess I can do that if I really want to. I find that if I need to work on a budget and with time constraints, planning out would greatly reduce cost and wait time for parts. At the end of the day, though, as a hobby, I don’t have a deadline to meet nor a Design Manager reminding me about the budget, so I let my mind run free. My hardest build was the big Vietnam Fishing Boat (with ocean base). I was in a boat building phase for quite a while before jumping into architectural builds. Getting the hull shape down and trying to do something new with the water build was also challenging. It took several previous builds for me to get comfortable with the curved hull design—I had built five different boat designs in the past. It was my biggest build to that point and took me a year to complete.
The completed model.
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Tết Holiday Interior.
I guess the models that I’m most happy with would be that Vietnam Facade Collection as a whole, so far. If I had to pick a favorite, though, it would be the Tết Holiday Interior build, which I packed with Vietnamese cultural Easter eggs. Out of all of the elements of that build, I’m most proud of the dark brown furniture set. In terms of building, I don’t really want to make replicas. There isn’t anything wrong with doing that—replicas can be mind-blowing too. Take a look at what the Arvo Brothers have done. My builds aren’t fantasy either, and you could say they are pretty grounded. I guess what I would like to get across is simply my point of view or what is important to me, and document my impressions and experiences with LEGO. In this journey, my goal is to find my style, uniqueness, and bring a little bit of my culture to the world. It has been a learning process for me ever since I first started building. Going forward, I am continuing with the Vietnam Facade Collection. My goal is reach ten pieces. For the next one, I would like to experiment with a vertical format and see where that goes. It’s a secret, but I want to build a second floor and a balcony! I love balconies and I have no idea why I haven’t done one yet. Along with that, I overlap these long and drawn out facades with a smaller series of builds. As you can see on my Flickr and Instagram feeds, I have started doing bonsai builds and would like to keep that going too. Many of my friends have asked me to come back to building boats! First, I’m aiming to complete construction on the Vietnam Facade Collection No. 2 by Summer 2021. As a member of a small and growing builder community in Vietnam, my advice to other builders is to encourage my fellow set collector friends to try to build what comes to their minds. The most important thing is to stay loose and don’t overthink it. Not knowing is great, as I often have no clue what I am making at the beginning. This happens to me all the time. I’m not sure about other builders, but I have bins and bins of failed attempts before I am happy with a design.
The layout removed from the base.
A closer look at the seats and couch.
You can see more of Hoang’s work at his Flickr gallery: https:// www.flickr.com/photos/knowyourpieces/ or you can scan this QR code!
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Building
The marketing figure that was made for stores.
Minifig Customization 101:
When you start working in any art form, you begin by learning how to think about scale and perspective. This is one of the most challenging bits of working in minifigure customization, because LEGO minifigures are so small and their scale is not a 1:1 with our world. Their heads are too big, their hands are massive, and their torsos and legs are the same length. They are a weird-shaped figure comparatively speaking, and the scale of objects around them is much, much, larger than they would be to you or me. Just look at the LEGO apple and think about how large that would be to us. Perhaps you will recall my conversion of a Clock Superman Figure into Captain America in previous issues. I have wanted large format LEGO minifigures. Clearly, I have longed for big minifigs or Bigfigs/big figures, but these can be hard to build and time consuming.
Scale and Perspective (Part 1) Article by Jared K. Burks
No, not these figures!
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No, I do not want that abomination to LEGO—the anthropomorphized figure with so many non-moving parts and crazy steroid induced anatomical features found on no other LEGO figure. I want a true large format LEGO style minifig with its odd scale and weird proportions. Not to completely bash the current Bigfigs—the original rock monster and HP Troll made sense, as did several others—however, in 2012 when LEGO started using it for the Hulk and gave it 6-pack abs, it just did not make sense anymore. Want to see all the official figures in this category? https://youtu.be/ FVa2xQHJ9LU. These post-2012 larger figures just don’t seem to fit the rest of the LEGOverse. As such, I want a true big, giant figure that is merely a scaled version of the figure standing small at 1.5 inches or 4 cm. Not only could we build a better Hulk, we could make a Marvel Giant Man, Galactus, or Sentinel. We could also make our favorite signature figure simply larger.
Well, if you want a larger version, there are a few options. LEGO or a marketing group did produce a 19-inch figure for commercial use that was very common in stores like Toys ‘R’ Us. I haven’t seen a 19-inch figure in a store for some time, outside of eBay for hundreds to thousands of dollars. Also, these were display pieces and not meant to be interacted with or played with—they were to look pretty on the shelf. While they are pretty, they are impractical to give to a kid or take to an event to show off, as they could be easily damaged. There are also the LEGO Clock Figures as well as the more recent LEGO Wooden Figure. Both leave me wanting, for various reasons, which left me to make my own. Where did I begin? Research—lots and lots of research to figure out the details. While the figure patent is out there and available, it does not completely supply all the figure’s measurements. Also, there are several competing technical drawings that call out different bits of the LEGO figure with slightly different metrics. I am sure many of you can notice when something doesn’t quite look right in the LEGO figure, or when you are looking at a knock-off or another brand version of a minifigure. The arm angle is off, the head curve is wrong, the legs don’t taper correctly. There are a million small issues that if you are used to staring at a LEGO figure, you will notice. Also, if you are looking at a LEGO figure from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, you will know that LEGO has changed some of their own measurements since that original police officer figure, especially the fillet of the head. There are some details that LEGO even wants to forget, like the first minifigure focused feature film wasn’t The LEGO Movie; it was Clutch Powers, but I digress. Notice the Bigfigs don’t fit into the LEGO history of the minifigures below because LEGO doesn’t consider them minifigures. LEGO considers Bigfigs as creatures, which is why I suppose there are inconsistent changes in their dimensions and scale, which does not muddy the minifigure trademark.
The wooden minifigure.
Drawings showing minifigure measurements.
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Ultimaker 3-D printer.
Checking and reworking 3-D models for printing.
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This leaves us with creating our own Bigfig, which in my mind means going to 3-D printing—the easiest and cheapest 3-D printing, fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing. This means we need a STL file. STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3-D Systems. STL has several backronyms such as “Standard Triangle Language” and “Standard Tessellation Language.” Just know it is the standard file format for 3-D printing. There are two ways to get a file of this type: the first is to diligently search the web and many of the sites that host free for personal use files—Thingiverse being the largest. The second is to create your own file in a 3-D CAD program. When I did some digging, I discovered a large community that also enjoyed Bigfigs. Many of them relied heavily on the work of Skimbal, or Michael Curry. It appears that some time ago, Skimbal produced a 3-D model of a LEGO figure and placed it on several of the sites for download and personal use. This has not stopped people from printing them and reselling the results, and I can only assume it’s the reason it is hard to find Skimbal’s original figure design at this time. He has apparently removed the original figure files from most, if not all, of the websites. There are a few other alternatives, but the more I searched, the more I found flaws in the designs, and I came to the realization that I just wanted to make my own, so I would know it was correct.
Off to YouTube! Well sort of; if you need to learn a program, Fusion360 is a great one to learn. It is free for hobbyists and there are many YouTube tutorials to learn how to use the program. When I was learning Fusion360, I used ProductDesignOnline’s Learn Fusion360 in 30 Days series of videos (https://youtu.be/sZwM87-nsYA). They were about 20 minutes each and highly informative. They even use some LEGO model examples. Once you have a basic understanding of the CAD programs, the first thing you need to do is get your digital calipers out and start measuring the parts of the LEGO figure. This gets tricky because some pieces are simply so small. I would recommend taking three to five measurements of the same area from three or more parts. Take an average of all of those measurements and use that average in your model. There will be some variance due to shrinkage and measurement error, and hopefully the average will minimize the error. The second thing you need to do is to draw the figure on paper and label all the areas you measured. You will discover you missed something as you start creating your 3-D model. The single most difficult part is the fillets. Fillets are the rounded edges where two or more planes meet. There is a fillet at the top and bottom of the head above and below the face. If these fillets are off, the head will look more like a rectangle or more like a circle, instead of the way it should. Calculating these is very challenging, so printing off trial parts will likely be required. I created my design to scale with a LEGO figure and then when I wanted my Bigfig, I scaled the files up to the size I wanted. This gave me a lot of freedom to make it any size, so long as it will fit on my print bed. Technically, one could print the whole figure in place with one print command; however, this would be insanely hard to do, so I separate every part and print them individually. This also allows color variations and other changes to occur on a part-by-part printing. For example, the infill on the arms and hips might be higher since they have the stresses of movement. Once the parts are printed, I assemble them into the Bigfig. This means we have to
Preliminary prints scaled to a minifigure.
Testing printed hands.
Testing hand and arm fitting.
Torso and head print sized-up.
A closer look at the head print.
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Hand and legs are printed. The waistpiece is now added.
The slicing program.
Two-color leg prints with minifigure legs.
Two minifigure prints.
A printed figure with a flower print.
You can view Jared’s webpage by going to http:// www.fineclonier.com/ or scanning this QR code!
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talk about tolerances and part design. Since I am designing my figure at LEGO scale and then scaling it up to the size, the tolerance and any error will also scale, making it harder to dial in settings. I have my reasons, but know if you were to scale this up in Fusion360, these would be easier to control. Also, know I have taken an insanely hard path; I want all of my parts built exactly as the LEGO parts. Why is this challenging? Well, the shoulder joint is designed to be compressed and then pop back out to hold the arm at various points. Given the larger size, the plastic doesn’t flex as much because it is bigger and thicker, so this part has to be dialed in exactly—and honestly, I am near to accepting that I will have to alter this portion slightly to allow it to flex a bit more easily. Attaching the arms via rubber mallet is a bit much. Once you have your file, it is off to your 3-D printer’s slicer program. This is the program that will cut your model into XY stacked planes that add up in the Z dimension to the shape of the object you wish to create. You will also have some control here; you will likely need supports in certain areas. This means orienting your model in certain directions on the build plate will be more helpful than others, based on the types of supports you are using. This can also make removing the supports much easier. My printer features a dual extruder, meaning it has two print heads attached side-by-side. This allows me to print in two colors at one time—a feature I much enjoy for the Bigfigs, as I can make two-color arms and two-color legs, replicating the more recent alterations to the LEGO figure, and given the appearance of sleeves and boots. Ultimately, with the 3-D printer the possibilities are endless as to what you can do with this Bigfig. This is merely the first article about Bigfigs. I hope in the next article to discuss how to decorate your Bigfig and create a truly custom Bigfig of your choosing. Who doesn’t want a giant Captain America or your own BigSigFig (your own Big Signature Figure)?
Next Time: Decorating our Signature Bigfigs!
BrickNerd was a LEGO fan website that was started by Tommy Williamson. Relaunched in 2021 by Dave Schefcik and some of the best LEGO builders in the world, the site continues the mission begun by Tommy: to show the best of the LEGO fan community online with builds, interviews and articles. BrickJournal is proud to continue its partnership with BrickNerd.
Parts List
(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Qty Part Color 1 25126p01.dat White 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 3 1 2 4 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 4 2 4 1 1 2 1 1 2
Description Minifig Baby Body with Yellow Hands Pattern 3069b.dat Trans Yellow Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 30602.dat Trans Yellow Slope Brick Curved Top 2x 2x 1 24581p01.dat Yellow Minifig Baby Head with Eyes and Smile Pattern 2436a.dat Lt Bluish Grey Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 4 with Square Corners 2654a.dat Lt Bluish Grey Dish 2 x 2 with Rim 2817.dat Lt Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 2 with Holes 3839b.dat Lt Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 2 with Handles Type 2 4274.dat Lt Bluish Grey Technic Pin 1/2 4592.dat Lt Bluish Grey Hinge Control Stick Base 6141.dat Lt Bluish Grey Plate 1 x 1 Round 14181.dat Lt Bluish Grey Wing 4 x 9 with Stud Notches 15535.dat Lt Bluish Grey Tile 2 x 2 Round with Hole 15712.dat Lt Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 with Clip (Thick C-Clip) 25269.dat Lt Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 Corner Round 32059.dat Lt Bluish Grey Plate 4 x 6 without Corners 59900.dat Lt Bluish Grey Cone 1 x 1 with Stop 61184.dat Lt Bluish Grey Technic Pin 1/2 with Bar 2L 98100.dat Lt Bluish Grey Cone 2 x 2 Truncated 98138.dat Lt Bluish Grey Tile 1 x 1 Round with Groove 99781.dat Lt Bluish Grey Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Down 2432.dat Blue Tile 1 x 2 with Handle 3023.dat Blue Plate 1 x 2 3068b.dat Blue Tile 2 x 2 with Groove 3069b.dat Blue Tile 1 x 2 with Groove 15573.dat Blue Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud 16599.dat Blue Minifig Helmet Classic with Cracked Thin Chin Guard 30414.dat Blue Brick 1 x 4 with Studs on Side 54383.dat Blue Wing 3 x 6 Right 54384.dat Blue Wing 3 x 6 Left 61409.dat Metallic Silver Slope Brick 18 2 x 1 x 0.667 Grille
Baby Spaceship Design and Instructions by Geneva Durand from BrickNerd
Blue, light grey, and transparent yellow are a trio of colors that have stood the test of time. No three colors scream spaceship—spaceship!—SPACESHIP! more loudly to a LEGO fan. My philosophy is that anything that’s cool in minifigure scale must be even better in baby scale! Baby scale is a halfmicro, half-chibi scale I’ve come up with to build things like castles, boats, and airplanes for LEGO babies to ride. This “Baby Build” version of the classic LEGO spaceship is one of mini-models included in my LEGO Ideas project, which you can find by searching Baby Builds on LEGO Ideas. One kind of old-fashioned piece that I tried to use in an unusual way was the blue tile 1x2 modified with bar handle on the back of the spaceship. This is a piece with some interesting geometry, and it fits well sideways over two studs. In the front of the spaceship there is a plate 1x2 modified with bar handles—an old part that really helps evoke classic space vibes. This was a fun little build to create, and I hope you have as much fun building it. And yes, it is swooshable! You can go to the BrickNerd website by typing: https://bricknerd.com/ on your browser or by scanning this QR code!
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You Can Build It MINI Build
Mini Mandalorian Fighter Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck Hello everybody, and welcome on our next spacey ride into the lands of miniature building! Our vehicle of choice for this journey is the Mandalorian fighter which you can remember from the Star Wars series Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Mandalorian. It’s a highly maneuverable and agile ship with several possible wing positions. The landing position has the wings standing upright, and the standard atmospheric flight and space travel position has the wings in horizontal position. A third possibility is to let the wings rotate around the main body for higher maneuverability—for example, during a space battle. There is already an official LEGO mini version (#30241) for the Mandalorian fighter, but my personal opinion is that this attempt’s outcome is not completely satisfying. The proportions of wingspan and main body are way off the original design, and important
details like the rear section behind the rotating ring are missing. Admittedly, the Mandalorian fighter is a filigree and very flexible design, making it difficult to miniaturize. And of course I don’t want to pretend that the following attempt is perfect… ...but I am very happy to face this challenge with you on the next pages of BrickJournal and go through the building instructions with you! One of my favorite details is the tooth plate on top of the trans-blue cockpit glass. When you look at it from the side, you will see that the tooth plate gently continues the 1x1 slope’s angle and rounds it up. Be sure to use only Technic pins with frictions, otherwise the wings will loosely rotate in every direction. I hope you’re going to have fun with this model and all its wing positions!
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Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Main Body Qty Color 1 White 2 1 2 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1
Part Description 30367a.dat Cylinder 2 x 2 with Dome Top with Blocked Stud White 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 Trans-Blue 3024.dat Plate 1 x 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 32828.dat Plate 1 x 1 Round with Bar White 4081b.dat Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Light Type 2 White 49668.dat Plate 1 x 1 with Tooth In-line White 3794b.dat Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud White 87580.dat Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud White 3021.dat Plate 2 x 3 White 3176.dat Plate 3 x 2 with Hole Trans-Blue 54200.dat Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667 White 11477.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 32034.dat Technic Angle Connector #2 (180 degree) Blue 43093.dat Technic Axle Pin with Friction White 3700.dat Technic Brick 1 x 2 with Hole Black 6558.dat Technic Pin Long with Friction and Slot Trans-Blue 3070b.dat Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Dark-Bluish-Gray 63864.dat Tile 1 x 3 with Groove
Right Wing
Qty Color Part 1 White 99781.dat 3 White 3024.dat 2 Trans-Neon-Green 6141.dat 2 Blue 3023.dat 3 White 3023.dat 2 White 35459.dat 3 White 2420.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 2450.dat 1 White 29119.dat 1 1
White White
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32803.dat 15068.dat
Description Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Down Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Round Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 3 Inverted with Bar Hole Plate 2 x 2 Corner Plate 3 x 3 without Corner Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Cutout Right Slope Brick Curved 2 x 2 Inverted Slope Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 0.667
Qty Color Part 1 White 6541.dat 2 Blue 3069b.dat 2 White 3069b.dat 1 White 6636.dat 2 Blue 24307.dat 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 43722.dat 1 White 43722.dat 1 White 41769.dat
Left Wing Qty Color 1 White
Part 99781.dat
3 2 2 3 2 3 1 1
White 3024.dat Trans-Neon-Green 6141.dat Blue 3023.dat White 3023.dat White 35459.dat White 2420.dat Dark-Bluish-Gray 2450.dat White 29120.dat
1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1
White 32803.dat White 15068.dat White 6541.dat Blue 3069b.dat White 3069b.dat White 6636.dat Blue 24299.dat Dark-Bluish-Gray 43723.dat White 43723.dat White 41770.dat Light-Bluish-Gray 47397.dat Light-Bluish-Gray 47398.dat
Description Technic Brick 1 x 1 with Hole Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 6 Wing 2 x 2 Right Wing 2 x 3 Right Wing 2 x 3 Right Wing 2 x 4 Right Description Bracket 1 x 2 1 x 2 Down Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Round Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 3 Inverted with Bar Hole Plate 2 x 2 Corner Plate 3 x 3 without Corner Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Cutout Left Slope Brick Curved 2 x 2 Inverted Slope Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 0.667 Technic Brick 1 x 1 with Hole Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 6 Wing 2 x 2 Left Wing 2 x 3 Left Wing 2 x 3 Left Wing 2 x 4 Left Wing 3 x 12 Left Wing 3 x 12 Right
Left Wing
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Right Wing
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HOLLY JOLLY Celebrating Christmas Past In Pop Culture
MONSTER MASH
GROOVY
Time-trip back to the frightening era of 1957-1972, when monsters stomped into the American mainstream! This profusely illustrated full-color hardcover covers that creepy, kooky Monster Craze through features on FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND magazine, the #1 hit “Monster Mash,” Aurora’s model kits, TV shows (SHOCK THEATRE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE MUNSTERS, and DARK SHADOWS), “MARS ATTACKS” trading cards, EERIE PUBLICATIONS, PLANET OF THE APES, and more! It features interviews with JAMES WARREN (Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella magazines), FORREST J ACKERMAN (Famous Monsters of Filmland), JOHN ASTIN (The Addams Family), AL LEWIS (The Munsters), JONATHAN FRID (Dark Shadows), GEORGE BARRIS (monster car customizer), ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH (Rat Fink), BOBBY (BORIS) PICKETT (Monster Mash singer/songwriter), with a Foreword by TV horror host ZACHERLEY. By MARK VOGER.
From WOODSTOCK to THE BANANA SPLITS, from SGT. PEPPER to H.R. PUFNSTUF, from ALTAMONT to THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, GROOVY is a far-out trip to the era of lava lamps and love beads. This profusely illustrated HARDCOVER BOOK, in PSYCHEDELIC COLOR, features interviews with icons of grooviness such as PETER MAX, BRIAN WILSON, PETER FONDA, MELANIE, DAVID CASSIDY, members of the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, CREAM, THE DOORS, THE COWSILLS and VANILLA FUDGE; and cast members of groovy TV shows like THE MONKEES, LAUGH-IN and THE BRADY BUNCH. GROOVY revisits the era’s ROCK FESTIVALS, MOVIES, ART—even COMICS and CARTOONS, from the 1968 ‘mod’ WONDER WOMAN to R. CRUMB. A color-saturated pop culture history written and designed by MARK VOGER (author of the acclaimed book MONSTER MASH), GROOVY is one trip that doesn’t require dangerous chemicals!
(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 ISBN: 9781605490649 • (Digital Edition) $11.99
(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 ISBN: 9781605490809 • Digital Edition: $13.99
HOLLY JOLLY is a colorful sleigh ride through the history of Christmas, from its religious origins to its emergence as a multimedia phenomenon. It explores movies (Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life), music (White Christmas, Little St. Nick), TV (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), books (Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol), decor (1950s silver aluminum trees), comics (super-heroes meet Santa), and more! Featuring interviews with CHARLES M. SCHULZ (A Charlie Brown Christmas), ANDY WILLIAMS (TV’s “Mr. Christmas”) and others, the story behind DARLENE LOVE’s perrennial hit song Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), and more holiday memories! By MARK VOGER, the profusely illustrated HOLLY JOLLY takes readers on a time-trip to Christmases past that you will cherish all year long! (192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $43.95 • ISBN: 9781605490977 (Digital Edition) $15.99 • Diamond Order Code: AUG201697
Get all three Mark Voger books for just $99.95!
TwoMorrows.
The Future of Pop History.
TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • E-mail: store@twomorrows.com • www.twomorrows.com
David Dickson’s
LifeSize R2-D2
LIFE SIZE r2-d2
Article by Steven Smyth, Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars Photography by David Dickson
David Dickson’s R2-D2.
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. David Dickson is one such creative builder and recently shared his life-sized R2-D2 droid! Steven Smyth: How’s it going David? I’ve gotten to know you through the Facebook group, first with your awesome posts and then your friendliness within the community. Everyone in Bantha Bricks has been stunned by your many amazing life-sized Star Wars astromech brick builds, starting with R2D2, but for the uninitiated, please introduce yourself and tell us a little about what you do. David Dickson: Sure thing Steven, but first, I’d like to thank you for allowing me to be a part of an amazing Facebook group. Since joining Bantha Bricks, I’ve been able to see so many amazing LEGO creations. There are so many talented people in the group. It is just absolutely amazing that Facebook has brought together many Star Wars LEGO fans into once place to share all their amazing stories and creations.
I was born and raised in Florida, having moved around quite a bit and finally landing in Jacksonville in 1993, where I graduated two years later from the University of North Florida with a degree in Computer Science: “Go Ospreys!” I met my beautiful wife Mindy in 1998. We were married four years later and now have two absolutely amazing kids. Conor is 16 and Cadence is 13. I’ve been working in Information Technology my entire career. Aside from LEGO, I have a passion for reading, which typically centers around two primary subjects: Christianity and Star Wars, in that order. Would you say Star Wars is your favorite theme? Or do you have a surprise theme for us? Hah! Yes, hands down, huge Star Wars fan. My first Star Wars memory was seeing A New Hope in the theaters. I was just four at the time. As soon as the ominous Vader walked through the Tantive IV corridor, I was forever hooked! Why do you choose the LEGO brick as your medium to express yourself? My LEGO story began with Christmas in the late ’80s. Back then, the number of LEGO themes was a bit less. Since a LEGO Star Wars theme did not yet exist, my parents thought it was fitting to introduce me to Classic Space. Beta1 Command Center was my first set, then shortly thereafter, the Galaxy Explorer. Then through a great deal Rs’s front, showing some “brick bending.” of shedding my weekly earned allowance, and then later, lawn mowing money, every other available Classic Space set found its way into my inventory over time. If I wasn’t in school or outside playing, I was inside building and rebuilding my Classic Space LEGO.
The back of the droid.
Your latest build of the life-sized R2D2 droid had everyone picking their jaws up from off the ground. What inspired you to build that particular character? When I rediscovered LEGO in 2000 when the Star Wars theme was introduced, I became fascinated with the idea of bigger builds. I then made a visit to LEGOLand in Central Florida. Amongst many epic creations was a full-size LEGO R2. To be frank, my jaw hit the floor. I couldn’t believe the enormity of it. That said, I couldn’t get over how blocky it was. I realized LEGO needed to build it that way to endure the Florida sun and weather. They built it to withstand the elements. I always had a zeal for the incredible movie-accurate builds coming out of R2 Builders Club and thought that I would one day take on my own build of an authentic full-size screen-accurate R2 non-LEGO. As I stood there studying the LEGOLand R2, at that point, I had a thought, and I carried that thought all the way home for the three-hour drive back to Jacksonville, where I then went to work on documenting my thoughts on the design of what would eventually become R2-Mark-1.
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A look at the leg details to the droid.
Astomech
Can you tell us a bit about the construction, and any special techniques you used? Yes, one design technique in particular was going to be a must use aspect in order to withstand my high bar for movie accuracy. My entire build rested on the workability of the technique; otherwise I might not have moved forward. I told myself I would do a test and if the test worked, then I would push forward. So I did the test. I determined the circumference of R2’s body cylinder (thank you R2Builders club for the movie accurate blueprints!). I then BrickLinked a ton of white 1x2 bricks. After receiving them, I began connecting bricks, one by one, forming two rows of bricks connected into one long line that amounted to the length of the circumference of R2’s body cylinder. Then I simply connected the first brick of each row with the last brick of each row, creating a 1x2 two row
droid
brick circle. I quickly discovered that R2’s circumference was plenty large enough to support two rows of 1x2 bricks wrapping around to join a formed circle, and that I could replicate R2’s smooth body, versus the blocky body of the LEGOLand model. What are your favorite design elements you created for the lifesized R2-D2? Ironically, it was the integration of some Technic elements to form the small shoulder details, otherwise known as R2’s leg stabilizers. It is the absolute perfect fit of those Technic elements that I recall being very excited about. Most of R2’s exterior parts are bricks, so it was extremely exciting and often challenging when a Technic approach was needed. I really liked the way those stabilizers came out. They pop!
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How did you figure out how to build such an amazing and seemingly accurate droid from LEGO elements? A bit of luck, some really great R2 blueprints, compliments of R2 Builders Club, and a ridiculous amount of trial-and-error. I would call my resolve a bit fanatical, in that I just wouldn’t accept “almost.” In other words, if something looked almost right, then it was wrong and I reworked it again and again and again until I was satisfied. Did you freestyle build the R2-D2 or did you use a computer design program to lay it out first? Interestingly, I didn’t even bring R2 into the digital world until after I built the physical model. It wasn’t until there was overwhelming, amazing support for my physical model, and the many inquiries for instructions, that I realized he needed to be digital. I then went back into Stud.io and reverse-engineered my physical model to create and improve him digitally. I have named this digital model R2-Mark-2 which is currently under development. Were there any moments in this build where you felt like, “Aww man, I’m stuck!” If so, how did you overcome that obstacle?
Vent details on R2-D2.
Yes! Far too many to count. One such time was the gearing of R2’s dome. The sheer size and weight of the dome became an early mental block for me to overcome. I had to dig deep into my Technic skill tree to work out a gear design that I felt could withstand the stress of the weight and provide a consistent, smooth turn rate. How did I overcome? From plenty of “try this and that” and then try something else again. Many BrickLink orders later, and after some exasperating moments, I was very happy with the final design of the dome gearing. What would be your advice to anyone looking to build a life-size scale Star Wars build on their own? Think big, but then start small! Don’t try to boil the whole ocean at once. Think about one or two challenges and test out your idea in overcoming those. Then make a decision with yourself that it’s okay to not have everything worked out ahead of time. LEGO is not cement, and therefore it is not permanent. If something doesn’t work, just un-build it and try again. It’s okay to fail. Don’t let failure stop you. Do you have instructions available for people to follow along and build the amazing things you design? If you do, how would our readers go about finding these? R2-Mark-2 instructions are currently under development. Mark-2’s entire model is digital, nearly 30,000 digital pieces. However, due to the sheer magnitude and complexity of the digital model, I wanted to rebuild R2-Mark-2 physically, ensuring everything tests out before making the model available to the world. Any final ideas or thoughts you would like to add? Don’t be afraid to build your dreams. It all starts with a brick!
To see more amazing builds, cool contests and giveaways and familyfriendly 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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Community
Despite the global pandemic, building with LEGO bricks never stopped and the 2021 season of the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League Championships were held. WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB) was chosen to design and produce the FIRST® LEGO League Trophy for the Hungarian Championships. Here’s the story behind the trophy, from WLWYB Project Manager Dorottya Fogel. If you have never heard of FIRST® LEGO League before, it’s a STEM competition for kids between the ages of 4-16 around the world. The participants build mesmerizing robots of LEGO system and Technic bricks and pieces with programs included. There are six category prizes in the Hungarian competition: Best Team, Best FIRST® Core Values, Best Innovation, Best Robot Game, Best Robot Design, and Best Coach. We were chosen to design and develop the trophies for the Hungarian FIRST® LEGO League Championships 2021 season. The association who organizes the FLL Championship in Hungary reached out to us in August 2020. My team and I had the opportunity to build the project from the ground up.
The Hungarian FLL trophy, designed and made by WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD.
Gearing Up for FLL Hungary! Article and Photography by Dorottya Fogel
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Our goal was to create a trophy that is mechanical and stands out from the previously seen trophies; in other words, we aimed to think “outside of the box.” Even the first blueprints were of a box with a Technic gear that emerges from the box when one opens it, as seen on the right illustration. The implementation was the next phase. Our idea was to produce the iconic 24 tooth gear x-187 in doubled size made of aircraft grade aluminum. As one knows, the x-187 isn’t in production anymore, but the second version is, with the ID 3648. It is a similar gear as x-187 although there are a some of differences in the two Technic parts like the cutouts and the holes. A preliminary sketch of the trophy.
The old gear (x-187) is on the left and the new gear (3648) is on the right.
The next step was to find a manufacturer that could produce this LEGO part double size, from aircraft grade aluminum, professionally, in a short lead time. It was a challenge that we solved pretty quickly. There are only a few companies who could reach that level of work we were looking for in the CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) region. I searched for more than a hundred CNC machining companies, from small businesses to big ones, when I found the perfect one (located in Germany) who was able to produce the right product in a suitable lead time and budget. The box’s final design was created by Tiago Catarino. Tiago was a lead designer at LEGO for several years and later became a freelance LEGO Designer. We can proudly say that we have worked with Tiago on several projects in the past year; he has a couple of his MOCs My Own Creation) uploaded to MOCHUB where one can order those MOCs as a bespoke LEGO set. Tiago solved the design and the mechanics of the box perfectly. It’s a 10x10x10 cm (3.9x3.9x3.9in) sized box built of 205 LEGO parts. For the trophy stands, we commissioned a company to produce the stands from plexiglass. Each stand is engraved with the FLL logo, the location of the particular contest, and the different winners’ categories. Just in time when everything was produced and set, the second wave of the pandemic hit, so the Hungarian competitions’ dates were postponed and we had to wait.
The aluminum gear.
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Comparison between the source gear at left and the aluminum gear.
In late February we handed over the prototype to the Hungarian FLL organizers, so all that was needed was for LEGO Education to approve this unique trophy idea. As far as I know it’s not common that a uniquely designed trophy is used at FIRST® LEGO League Competitions, so we are really proud and thrilled that it got a green light and we’ve had this opportunity to work together with the Hungarian FIRST® LEGO League organization. In Hungary we will have five regional competitions starting in the end of April 2021 and there will be a national competition at the end of May 2021. Due to the global pandemic, the Hungarian competitions had to be postponed about three months—the original competition dates were planned to be in January 2021. At last they will be held online, safely. And to keep everyone safe, the organizers sent the trophies and the instructions to the regional participants a couple of weeks before the first event starts, so the guys and girls have the opportunity and fun time to build the trophies they are competing for.
Our whole team is looking forward to the feedback of the trophies by the participants and winners. I’m sure they’ll be really proud and happy to own this uniquely designed and manufactured prize. What is WLWYB (WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD)? WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD (WLWYB) is a EU based start-up venture and has been a key player in the secondary market of LEGO for more than twelve years. It all started when the founder, David Kokai, built the Chrysler Building and he had to search for the essential LEGO bricks on BrickLink. The building itself became a more than three meters (9ft 10in) high MOC with more than 50,000 parts. Being an enthusiast of LEGO and data analysis, he started his own BrickLink store that time in his own home. When he found out that this hobby started to become his daily work, he gave up his career (after more than fifteen years in the IT sector) and started to grow WE LOVE WHAT YOU BUILD with a small team. The team is still growing; now it’s a group of eleven people. The first bigger step was in 2017 when the idea of MOCHUB arose and then launched. MOCHUB was the first marketplace in its niche where anyone from around the world can upload their builds with instructions and parts list, and anyone around the world can order that MOC as a bespoke LEGO kit. It’s a great opportunity for several builders and designers to monetize their hobby. We are working with more than 150 designers from the well-known to the upcoming, and we have more than 500 MOCs on MOCHUB, like JK Brickworks, Ben Minder, Tiago Catarino, and Rolling Bricks. We ship worldwide and we only work with new and genuine LEGO parts. Another important year was 2019, when two major events happened. The company received a venture fund from which we could start our major growth, and after several years of preparing, we started our neurodiversity program, which includes a customized onboarding process and assigning trained office buddies to support new hires. This is a unique first in the CEE region and I assume around the globe as well. WLWYB has 4 main legs: • Two parts dealerships on BrickLink and Brick Owl with more than 30,000 SKUs on new and genuine LEGO parts. • MOCHUB, the B2B leg where we work with companies designing annual company gifts and huge designs in their office or trade shows built of LEGO parts. • And our new business line with our own developed products, which started in December 2020. Our first developed product was the Periodic Table of LEGO Colors which became a huge hype among LEGO Designers, LEGO enthusiasts, geeks and artists, and is now available in the second version. We’re always proud of everyone we work with, and place a tremendous emphasis on every LEGO artist we collaborate with. Stay tuned because we are working on our next crazy ideas, releasing new products every quarter of the year.
The completed trophy.
Community
Vertical City, celebrating the launch of Brick by Brick® in 2019.
LEGO® Certified Professional Feature:
Wei Wei Shannon Gluckman Article and Photography by Wei Wei Shannon Gluckman
“We are in a constantly changing world...” 72
Location: Shanghai, China Facebook: playabledesign Vimeo: playabledesign
BrickJournal: You started using LEGO not as a hobby, but in a professional capacity. How did that come about? Wei Wei Shannon: My first experience working with LEGO bricks professionally was through a not-for-profit organization I co-founded in 2006 called People’s Architecture Foundation (PAF). PAF, along with ArtAsiaPacific Magazine launched a two-year-long traveling exhibition and workshop, the Building Asia Brick by Brick (BABB). This was a landmark cultural and educational experience that toured the People’s Republic of China in 2007. We invited leading Asian and Pacific architects to create original architectural models from custom kits of white LEGO bricks, with the intent that the models be exhibited to raise awareness about architectural preservation in Asia. The project engaged concepts of creativity through play, and highlighted issues of urbanism, new design, and heritage awareness; all issues that affect architects in a region undergoing dramatic change and development. Building Asia Brick by Brick used a Teach Through Play approach to foster children’s awareness about architecture and urbanism. Along with all the exhibitions, we conducted a series of workshops using LEGO bricks to create a truly integrated educational and playful environment. Youngsters could interact and learn from architects and urban planners, and explore and develop their creative skills both individually and in group settings. Architects and invited local participants were on-site to explain the concepts behind their models and work with children on creating their own architectural designs, exposing them to a new way of thinking about design, building, and teamwork. How did your work with LEGO in China lead to you being an LEGO Certified Professional (LCP)? Ever since BABB, I’ve been playing with LEGO bricks to connect LEGO culture with modern Chinese culture. The relationship between the two has flourished largely because of a shared belief in the importance of play and the intensifying need for play in China. The government believes innovation is key to China’s success. Schools, meanwhile, increase focus on exam preparation, which encroaches on the space needed by children to nourish the imagination and
creativity. My personal mission has been to bring more play to China, believing that more play, not more work, will help China become a global powerhouse of innovation, and a happier place to live. Innovation is possible when people believe that the musings swirling around in their heads or tingling in their hands can be made. The bricks let them experience their innate potential to create. What happened after the first BABB tour in 2007? After the first Building Asia Brick by Brick, we continued Brick by Brick® events, which have become well known within LEGO, government, and creator communities in China. Schools and families travel from all over the country to participate in Brick by Brick events. Brick by Brick is a collective LEGO building practice and establishes a new method of playing as a public group improvisation. We use concepts of mathematics, repeating geometric patterns, combinations of small elements, and sequencing to develop the possibilities for participants to build within time and space. Bricks provide a wonderful connection with people. Through the participation of all attendees, a huge number of LEGO bricks are combined to create massive LEGO wonders. Each participant is absorbed in the play, regardless of status, professional expertise, age, and gender. The work requires equal communication, mutual recognition, just as participants interact in society. The difference at Brick by Brick is that the creativity and communication of the participants is presented in the form of artistic creation and play experiences. Can you talk about the Vertical City that you organized with other LCPs from around the world? Vertical City was a workshop celebrating the launch of Brick by Brick® in 2019 through a series of public build events promoting learning through play, and was organized by my company, Playable Design,® in collaboration with The LEGO® Group and the Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building. Participating in the event were 11 of the 19 LEGO Certified Professionals (LCP) from around the world as part of the annual LCP summit in Shanghai, and 30 local children. The participants collaborated in groups to build seven layers that were integrated vertically, illustrating that year’s Brick
by Brick/Vertical City theme which examines the use of vertical space for more sustainable living. A large public building event gained the Guinness World Record of “most contributors to a miniature city of LEGO bricks in eight hours.” The LCP community members joining the Master Workshop hail from across the globe, including Playable Design founder Wei Wei Shannon Gluckman and Shenghui Jiang from the Chinese mainland, Andy Hung from Hong Kong, Yenchih Huang from Taiwan, Nicholas Foo from Singapore, Jumpei Mitsui from Japan, Wani Kim and JaeWon-Lee from South Korea, Matija Puzar from Norway, and Ryan McNaught from Australia. How is your work particularly beneficial to the communities you work with in China? Throughout the years, my team at Playable Design® has worked with many urban and rural communities in China. I was invited as specialist to participate in the “Children’s poverty reduction comprehensive development pilot project” by Bestseller Foundation, China International Poverty Reduction Center, and the Hubei Provincial government. They were frustrated with the way in which data was being collected in the field. While lots of information was accumulating, little insight was emerging. With boxes of bricks and lots of curiosity, we traveled to some of the most impoverished villages where communication was a challenge even for native speakers. We played with bricks with the local children and adults and what they built told their stories. The bricks became a platform for them to anchor their thoughts and emotions; to express their fears and hopes, and the stories and data collected brought astonishing insights for the Children’s poverty reduction project. I have also employed bricks to facilitate connections between individuals and groups with divergent needs, interests, and agendas. I have used bricks to enliven otherwise monotonous and tense conversations around housing development plans between low-income residents, city officials, and urban planners. The bricks give equal voice to all parties and leveled the playing field. The Teach Through Play surveys and results provided records and data points to be used for future urban planning analysis. How has working with the brick changed your understanding of play? We are in a constantly changing world, where everything is possible. The rapid development of science and technology and revolutionary breakthroughs in various fields have brought many opportunities, but also bring new challenges. The knowledge and skills we learn today may not meet the needs of tomorrow. I believe play is the tool that will bring out children’s intrinsic motivation and help develop the necessary skill sets needed for them to face the challenges of the future. Play through actively exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge, and interacting with the world environment help children better create their own future. Play is more than just fun, it is a positive attitude towards life; it should be a lifestyle for humanity.
Wei Wei Shannon Gluckman.
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Classic LEGO themes re-imagined! PIET NIEDERHAUSEN’s creations based on the Classic Yellow Castle, CHRIS GIDDENS (originator of Neo-Classic Space theme), and tour the Masterpiece Gallery at Denmark’s LEGO House! Plus: “Bricks in the Middle” by HINKLE and KAY, “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS!
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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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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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!
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40th ANNIVERSARY OF LEGO TECHNIC! GEOFF GRAY explores Technic history, JOE MENO interviews former LEGO Set Designer SØREN HOLM about the classic Technic Space Shuttle, MICHAEL BROWN shows off his Technic-scale AH-64, and more! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
THE WORLD OF LEGO MECHA! Learn the secrets and tricks of building mechs with some of the best mecca builders in the world! Interviews with BENJAMIN CHEH, KELVIN LOW, LU SIM, FREDDY TAM, DAVID LIU, and SAM CHEUNG! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
LEGO GOES UNDERSEA! Builder MITSURU NIKAIDO shows us his undersea creatures and organic builds! Then jump aboard MARCELLO DeCICCO’s minifigure-scale warships! And see amazing architectural creations by PEDRO NASCIMENTO! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, & more!
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BRICKJOURNAL #46
BRICKJOURNAL #45
BRICKJOURNAL #44
BRICKJOURNAL #43
BRICKJOURNAL #42
LEGO TRAINS! Spotlight on train builder CALE LEIPHART, a look at the train layouts and models from the PENNSYLVANIA LEGO Users Group (PENNLug), BRICK MODEL RAILROADER (a new LEGO Train fan website that launched this year), and more locomotive action! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
FEMALE LEGO BUILDERS! US Architectural builder ANURADHA PEHRSON, British Microscale builder FERNANDA RIMINI, US Bionicle builder BREANN SLEDGE, and Norwegian Town builder BIRGITTE JONSGARD discuss their work and inspirations! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
THEME PARK ISSUE! ERIK JONES’ custom LEGO version of Cinderella Castle, STÉPHANE DELY’s Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle, and JOHN RUDY’s brick-built versions of your favorite theme park rides! Plus: Step-by step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons and more!
LEGO GAMING! IMAGINE RIGNEY’s Bioshock builds, NICK JENSEN’s characters and props from HALO and other video games, and GamerLUG member SIMON LIU builds LEGO versions of video game characters, spaceships and more! Plus: “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, MINDSTORMS robotics and more!
LEGO EDUCATION! See how schools and AFOLs build with the new WeDo, FIRST LEGO LEAGUE’s 2016 season explored (with national competitions at LEGOLand California), and robotics builders the Seshan Brothers take LEGO MINDSTORMS to the next level! Plus: Minifigure customizing from JARED K. BURKS’, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, & more!
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BRICKJOURNAL #41
BRICKJOURNAL #40
BRICKJOURNAL #39
BRICKJOURNAL #38
BRICKJOURNAL #37
OUT OF THIS WORLD LEGO! Spacethemed LEGO creations of LIA CHAN, 2001: A Space Odyssey’s Orion space plane by NICK DEAN, and Pre-Classic Space builder CHRIS GIDDENS! Plus: Orbit the LEGO community with JARED K. BURKS’ minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
LEGO MECHA! 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, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, DIY Fan Art by BrickNerd TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons, and more!
LEGO DINOSAURS! Builder WILLIAM PUGH discusses building prehistoric creatures, a LEGO Jurassic World by DIEGO MAXIMINO PRIETO ALVAREZ, and dino bones by MATT SAILORS! Plus: Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, DIY Fan Art by BrickNerd TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons, and more!
LEGO COOL CARS AND HOT RODS! LEGO car builders STEPHAN SANDER, JORDANIAN FIRAS ABU-JABER, and ANDREA LATTANZIO! Plus: Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd Pop Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
STAR WARS! Amazing custom ships by ERIC DRUON, incredible galactic layouts by builder AC PIN, a look at the many droid creations built by LEGO fans—truly, the LEGO Force has awakened! Plus JARED K. BURKS on minifigure customizing, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
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BRICKJOURNAL #36
BRICKJOURNAL #35
BRICKJOURNAL #34
BRICKJOURNAL #33
BRICKJOURNAL #32
MICROSCALE BUILDING! JUSTIN McMILLAN’s micro house, a look at the MICROSCALE Standard by TwinLUG, and featuring some of the best microscopic LEGO work from around the world, plus JARED K. BURKS’ minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
HISTORY IN LEGO BRICKS! LEGO pro RYAN McNAUGHT on his LEGO Pompeii and other projects, military builder DAN SISKIND on his BrickMania creations, and LASSE VESTERGARD about his historical building, JARED K. BURKS on minifigure customizing, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
TOMMY WILLIAMSON on the making of his YouTube sensation BATMAN VS SUPERMAN, BRANDON GRIFFITH’S COMICBRICKS PROJECT recreates iconic comic book covers out of LEGO, JARED BURKS and his custom Agents of SHIELD minifigs, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art, MINDSTORMS robotics lessons by DAMIEN KEE, and more!
LEGO ROBOTS! A talk with MINDSTORMS EV3 builders MARC-ANDRE BAZERGUI and ANDY MILLUZZI, designer LEE MAGPILI, CHRIS GIDDENS with his amazing robot sculptures, plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, other looks at MINDSTORMS building, and more!
LEGO ARTISTRY with builder/photographer CHRIS McVEIGH; mosaic builders BRIAN KORTE, DAVE WARE and DAVE SHADDIX; and sculptors SEAN KENNEY (about his nature models) and ED DIMENT (about a full-size bus stop built with LEGO bricks)! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, MINDSTORMS building, and more!
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BRICKJOURNAL #31
BRICKJOURNAL #30
BRICKJOURNAL #29
BRICKJOURNAL #28
BRICKJOURNAL #27
Building LEGO bricks WITH character, with IAIN HEATH and TOMMY WILLIAMSON, Manga-inspired creations of MIKE DUNG, sculptures by Taiwanese Brick Artist YO YO CHEN, Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS building, and more!
LEGO ARCHITECTURE with JONATHAN LOPES, a microscale model of Copenhagen by ULRIK HANSEN, and a look at the LEGO MUSEUM being constructed in Denmark! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, MINDSTORMS building with DAMIEN KEE, and more!
Technic hot rod builder PAUL BORATKO and editor JOE MENO diagram instructions on adding functions to your models, shop-talk with LEGO Technic designers, and more surprises to keep your creations moving at top speed! Plus Minifigure Customization by JARED BURKS, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd DIY Fan Art by TOMMY WILLIAMSON, and more!
Learn what went into the making of The LEGO Movie and other brickfilms with moviemaker DAVID PAGANO, chat with brickfilmers The Brotherhood Workshop, sit in on a talk with the makers of LEGO: A Brickumentary, a look at MINDSTORMS building, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, & more!
GUY HIMBER takes you to the IRON BUILDER CONTEST, which showcases the top LEGO® builders in the world! Cover by LEGO magazine and comic artist PAUL LEE, amazing custom models by LINO MARTINS, TYLER CLITES, BRUCE LOWELL, COLE BLAQ and others, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, & more!
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BRICKJOURNAL #26
BRICKJOURNAL #25
BRICKJOURNAL #24
BRICKJOURNAL #23
BRICKJOURNAL #22
CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL with builders SEAN and STEPHANIE MAYO (known online as Siercon and Coral), other custom animal models from BrickJournal editor JOE MENO, LEGO DINOSAURS with WILL PUGH, plus more minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and more!
MEDIEVAL CASTLE BUILDING! Top LEGO® Castle builders present their creations, including BOB CARNEY’s amazingly detailed model of Neuschwanstein Castle, plus others, along with articles on building and detailing castles of your own! Also: JARED BURKS on minifigure customization, AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and more!
LEGO TRAINS! Builder CALE LEIPHART shows how to get started building trains and train layouts, with instructions on building microscale trains by editor JOE MENO, building layouts with the members of the Pennsylvania LEGO Users Group (PennLUG), fan-built LEGO monorails minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, microscale building by CHRISTOPHER DECK, “You Can Build It”, and more!
STAR WARS issue, with custom creations from a long time ago and far, far away! JACOB CARPENTER’s Imperial Star Destroyer, MARK KELSO’s Invisible Hand, interview with SIMON MACDONALD about building Star Wars costume props with LEGO elements, history of the LEGO X-Wing, plus our regular features on minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!
LEGO PLANE BUILDING! Top builder RALPH SAVELSBERG takes off with his custom LEGO fighter models, there’s a squadron of articles on Sky-Fi planes by FRADEL GONZALES and COLE MARTIN, find instructions to build a Sky-Fi plane, plus our regular feature on minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, other step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!
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TwoMorrows TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:
BRICKJOURNAL #21
BRICKJOURNAL #20
BRICKJOURNAL #19
BRICKJOURNAL #18
LEGO CAR BUILDING! Guest editors LINO MARTINS and NATHAN PROUDLOVE of LUGNuts share secrets behind their LEGO car creations, and present TECHNIC SUPERCAR MODELS by PAUL BORATKO III and other top builders! Plus custom instructions by TIM GOULD and CHRISTOPHER DECK, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” section, and more!
LEGO SUPERHEROES! Behind-the-scenes of the DC and Marvel Comics sets, plus a feature on GREG HYLAND, the artist of the superhero comic books in each box! Also, other superhero work by ALEX SCHRANZ and our cover artist OLIVIER CURTO. Plus, JARED K. BURKS’ regular column on minifigure customization, building tips, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions, and more!
LEGO EVENTS ISSUE covering our own BRICKMAGIC FESTIVAL, BRICKWORLD, BRICKFAIR, BRICKCON, plus other events outside the US. There’s full event details, plus interviews with the winners of the BRICKMAGIC CHALLENGE competition, complete with instructions to build award winning models. Also JARED K. BURKS’ regular column on minifigure customizing, building tips, and more!
Go to Japan with articles on two JAPANESE LEGO FAN EVENTS, plus take a look at JAPAN’S SACRED LEGO LAND, Nasu Highland Park—the site of the BrickFan events and a pilgrimage site for many Japanese LEGO fans. Also, a feature on JAPAN’S TV CHAMPIONSHIP OF LEGO, a look at the CLICKBRICK LEGO SHOPS in Japan, plus how to get into TECHNIC BUILDING, LEGO EDUCATION, and more!
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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!
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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 Well, this issue is complete! Hopefully by the time you get this mag, there will have been a few LEGO events in the US. There are events happening in Australia and a couple of other international sites, but things are still a little dicey to know as of press time. I’m looking forward to the events that are on the horizon. While building is often a solitary pursuit, displaying and attending events are social by nature and are needed for the hobby to grow. It takes the spark of a builder to inspire fellow builders and new people to build. And these sparks happen at displays and events. Zoom calls have made the community closer in one respect, but it still takes the personal contact to share ideas and insights. I’m hoping to see you soon! Til then, build on! Yeah, as Jonas Kramm noted, that’s a bad place to hide!
That Joe Meno Guy
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RetroFan:
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!
SUBSCRIBE! SIX ISSUES: 68 Economy US (with free digital editions) 80 Expedited US • 87 Premium US 103 International • 27 Digital Only
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RETROFAN #14
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RETROFAN #15
RETROFAN #19
RETROFAN #20
RETROFAN #21
Interview with Bond Girl and Hammer Films actress CAROLINE MUNRO! Plus: WACKY PACKAGES, COURAGEOUS CAT AND MINUTE MOUSE, FILMATION’S GHOSTBUSTERS vs. the REAL GHOSTBUSTERS, Bandai’s rare PRO WRESTLER ERASERS, behind the scenes of Sixties movies, WATERGATE at Fifty, Go-Go Dancing, a visit to the Red Skelton Museum, and more fun, fab features!
MAD’s maddest artist, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, is profiled! Plus: TV’s Route 66 and an interview with star GEORGE MAHARIS, MOE HOWARD’s final years, catching up with singer B.J. THOMAS, LONE RANGER cartoons, G.I. JOE, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.
Meet JULIE NEWMAR, the purr-fect Catwoman! Plus: ASTRO BOY, TARZAN Saturday morning cartoons, the true history of PEBBLES CEREAL, TV’s THE UNTOUCHABLES and SEARCH, the MONKEEMOBILE, SOVIET EXPO ’77, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.
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RETROFAN #16
RETROFAN #17
RETROFAN #18
Holy backstage pass! See rare, behind-thescenes photos of many of your favorite Sixties TV shows! Plus: an unpublished interview with Green Hornet VAN WILLIAMS, Bigfoot on Saturday morning television, TV’s Zoorama and the San Diego Zoo, The Saint, the lean years of Star Trek fandom, the WrestleFest video game, TV tie-in toys no kid would want, and more fun, fab features!
Sixties teen idol RICKY NELSON remembered by his son MATTHEW NELSON, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., rural sitcom purge, EVEL KNIEVEL toys, the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Saturday morning’s Super 7, The Muppet Show, behind-the-scenes photos of Sixties movies, an interview with The Sound of Music’s heartthrob-turnedbad guy DANIEL “Rolf” TRUHITTE, and more fun, fab features!
An exclusive interview with Logan’s Run star MICHAEL YORK, plus Logan’s Run novelist WILLIAM F. NOLAN and vehicle customizer DEAN JEFFRIES. Plus: the Marvel Super Heroes cartoons of 1966, H. R. Pufnstuf, Leave It to Beaver’s SUE “Miss Landers” RANDALL, WOLFMAN JACK, drive-in theaters, My Weekly Reader, DAVID MANDEL’s super collection of comic book art, and more!
Dark Shadows’ Angelique, LARA PARKER, sinks her fangs into an exclusive interview. Plus: Rankin-Bass’ Mad Monster Party, Aurora Monster model kits, a chat with Aurora painter JAMES BAMA, George of the Jungle, The Haunting, Jawsmania, Drak Pack, TV dads’ jobs, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by FARINO, MANGELS, MURRAY, SAAVEDRA, SHAW, and MICHAEL EURY.
Our BARBARA EDEN interview will keep you forever dreaming of Jeannie! Plus: The Invaders, the BILLIE JEAN KING/BOBBY RIGGS tennis battle of the sexes, HANNABARBERA’s Saturday morning super-heroes of the Sixties, THE MONSTER TIMES fanzine, and more fun, fab features! Featuring ERNEST FARINO, ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW!, and MICHAEL EURY.
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TwoMorrows. The Future of Pop History.
RETROFAN #10
RETROFAN #11
RETROFAN #12
RETROFAN #13
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!
HALLOWEEN ISSUE! Interviews with DARK SHADOWS’ 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!
CHRIS MANN goes behind the scenes of TV’s sexy sitcom THREE’S COMPANY— and NANCY MORGAN RITTER, first wife of JOHN RITTER, shares stories about the TV funnyman. Plus: RICK GOLDSCHMIDT’s making of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, RONNIE SCHELL interview, Sheena Queen of the TV Jungle, Dr. Seuss toys, Popeye cartoons, DOCTOR WHO’s 1960s U.S. invasion, and more!
Exclusive interviews with Lost in Space’s MARK GODDARD and MARTA KRISTEN, Dynomutt and Blue Falcon, Hogan’s Heroes’ BOB CRANE, a history of WhamO’s Frisbee, Twilight Zone and other TV sci-fi anthologies, Who Created Archie Andrews?, oddities from the San Diego Zoo, lava lamps, and more with FARINO, MANGELS, MURRAY, SAAVEDRA, SHAW, and MICHAEL EURY!
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TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:
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New Comics Magazines!
ALTER EGO #171
ALTER EGO #172
ALTER EGO #173
COMIC BOOK CREATOR #26
COMIC BOOK CREATOR #27
ALFREDO ALCALA is celebrated for his dreamscape work on Savage Sword of Conan and other work for Marvel, DC, and Warren, as well as his own barbarian creation Voltar, as RICH ARNDT interviews his sons Alfred and Christian! Also: FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, PETER NORMANTON’s horror history From The Tomb, JOHN BROOME, and more!
BLACK HEROES IN U.S. COMICS! Awesome overview by BARRY PEARL, from Voodah to Black Panther and beyond! Interview with DR. WILLIAM FOSTER III (author of Looking for a Face Like Mine!), art/artifacts by BAKER, GRAHAM, McDUFFIE, COWAN, GREENE, HERRIMAN, JONES, ORMES, STELFREEZE, BARREAUX, STONER—plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, and more! Edited by ROY THOMAS.
Career-spanning interview with TERRY DODSON, and Terry’s wife (and go-to inker) RACHEL DODSON! Plus 1970s/ ’80s portfolio producer SAL QUARTUCCIO talks about his achievements with Phase and Hot Stuf’, R. CRUMB and DENIS KITCHEN discuss the history of underground comix character Pro Junior, WILL EISNER’s Valentines to his wife, HEMBECK, and more!
Extensive PAUL GULACY retrospective by GREG BIGA that includes Paul himself, VAL MAYERIK, P. CRAIG RUSSELL, TIM TRUMAN, ROY THOMAS, and others. Plus a JOE SINNOTT MEMORIAL; BUD PLANT discusses his career as underground comix retailer, distributor, fledgling publisher of JACK KATZ’s FIRST KINGDOM, and mailorder bookseller; our regular columnists, and the latest from HEMBECK!
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All characters TM & © their respective owners.
PAUL GUSTAVSON—Golden Age artist of The Angel, Fantom of the Fair, Arrow, Human Bomb, Jester, Plastic Man, Alias the Spider, Quicksilver, Rusty Ryan, Midnight, and others—is remembered by son TERRY GUSTAFSON, who talks in-depth to RICHARD ARNDT. Lots of lush comic art from Centaur, Timely, and (especially) Quality! Plus—FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT, JOHN BROOME, and more!
BACK ISSUE #128
BACK ISSUE #129
BACK ISSUE #130
BACK ISSUE #131
TV TOON TIE-INS! Bronze Age HannaBarbera Comics, Underdog, Mighty Mouse, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Pink Panther, Battle of the Planets, and Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl. Bonus: SCOTT SHAW! digs up Captain Carrot’s roots! Featuring the work of BYRNE, COLON, ENGEL, EVANIER, FIELDS, MICHAEL GALLAGHER, WIN MORTIMER, NORRIS, SEVERIN, SKEATES, STATON, TALLARICO, TOTH, and more!
BRONZE AGE PROMOS, ADS, AND GIMMICKS! The aborted DC Super-Stars Society fan club, Hostess Comic Ads, DC 16-page Preview Comics, rare Marvel custom comics, DC Hotline, Popeye Career Comics, early variant covers, and more. Featuring BARR, HERDLING, LEVITZ, MAGUIRE, MORGAN, PACELLA, PALMIOTTI, SHAW!, TERRY STEWART, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and more!
THE KIRBY LEGACY AT DC! Explores Jack Kirby’s post-Fourth World Bronze Age DC characters! Demon, Kamandi, OMAC, Sandman, and Kirby’s Odd Jobs (Atlas, Manhunter, and more). Plus: the SIMON & KIRBY Reunion That Wasn’t! Featuring BISSETTE, BYRNE, CONWAY, GIBBONS, GOLDEN, GRANT, RUCKA, SEMEIKS, THOMAS, TIMM, WAGNER, and more. Demon cover by KIRBY and MIKE ROYER!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Fall 2021
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!
(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Sept. 2021
2021
BRONZE AGE TV TIE-INS! TV-to-comic adaptations of the ’70s to ’90s, including Bionic Woman, Dark Shadows, Emergency, H. R. Pufnstuf, Hee Haw, Lost in Space (with BILL MUMY), Primus (with ROBERT BROWN), Sledge Hammer, Superboy, V, and others! Featuring BALD, BATES, CAMPITI, EVANIER, JOHN FRANCIS MOORE, SALICRUP, SAVIUK, SPARLING, STATON, WOLFMAN, and more!
SUBSCRIPTION RATES Alter Ego (Six issues) Back Issue (Eight issues) BrickJournal (Six issues) Comic Book Creator (Four issues) Jack Kirby Collector (Four issues) RetroFan (Six issues)
ECONOMY US $68 $90 $68 $46 $49 $68
EXPEDITED US $80 $103 $80 $56 $59 $80
PREMIUM US $87 $113 $87 $60 $63 $87
TwoMorrows. The Future of Comics History. TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA
INTERNATIONAL $103 $137 $103 $69 $72 $103
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KIRBY COLLECTOR #81
“KIRBY: BETA!” Jack’s experimental ideas, characters, and series (Fighting American, Jimmy Olsen, Kamandi, and others), Kirby interview, inspirations for his many “secret societies” (The Project, Habitat, Wakanda), non-superhero genres he explored, 2019 Heroes Con panel (with MARK EVANIER, MIKE ROYER, JIM AMASH, and RAND HOPPE), a pencil art gallery, UNUSED JIMMY OLSEN #141 COVER, and more!