Issue 85 • May/June 2024
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Designing Disney Minifigures Making Your Own Sigfig! Making MaxiFigures $10.95 US $12.95 CAN
Plus: Instructions & more!
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Minifigure!
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IGNING TH S E
Issue 85 • May/June 2024
Contents
From the Editor....................................................2
People Juan Rodriguez Lopez: Building the Beast’s Castle..........................3 Builder Profile: Kimberly Giffen................................................8 Shaun Sheepa: Remaking Figures........................................14
Building
Alberto Micheli: Building Maxifigures!..................................21
Building Your Own Sigfig.............................29 The Making of a Minifigure.........................32 Robert8: Mad about Minifigs! Chatting With a Custom CMF Concept Creator............................................37 BrickNerd Instructions: Builder’s Studio..............................................42 Minifigure Customization 101: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland........48 You Can Build It MINI Iron Talon...............................................56
Community AC Pin: Touring with Brick Convention 2023...............................60 Bantha Bricks: Christoph Baumann Building the Galactic Senate Chamber...........................................................66 Community Ads...............................................78 Last Word.............................................................79 AFOLs....................................................................80
People
Juan Rodriguez Lopez:
Building the Beast’s Castle
3
The idea to design a Beauty and the Beast Castle based on the animated film came to me years ago when LEGO first released the large Disney Castle (71040). I held off on designing it then, because I was sure that an official set would be produced at some point soon. Except for the ones released through the LEGO Friends line, no such set ever materialized—at least, not to the scale or detail that I wanted. Later, after seeing the release of the Mini Disney Castle (40478), I was once again inspired to take up the project. Originally, I aimed for a similar scale and piece count. However, it soon became clear that I would need to soften those restrictions. One of my goals was to make sure the model looked polished from every angle, and for each side to have its own finished facade, not just the front. Immediately, this posed a very interesting challenge, since some areas are not visible in the source material. To design this MOC, I had to research various other official sources, including stills from the film, posters, theme park miniatures, ceramic models, souvenirs, etc. I used my own imagination to fill in any remaining gaps. Nevertheless, the final build is most heavily based on the miniature castle built in Disneyland Paris as part of the “Storybook Land Canal Boats” attraction.
The front of the castle.
The first thing about the castle that caught my eye, when thinking about where to start, were the reddish “mansard” style roofs. Both the curve of the eave and the elongated vertical shape are notable traits that set the castle apart. As for the color, Dark Red seemed the obvious choice. I picked the West Wing as my starting point. Using Studio 2.0, I created around twelve digital mock-ups. I used these to explore different widths and heights, as well as different techniques to capture the iconic balcony. I knew that if I could figure out this part of the MOC, the rest would fall into place much more easily. Once I was satisfied with the roof design, I ordered the parts online and waited. The resulting test model acted as a “proof-of-concept” used to check connections and overall stability. The West Wing.
The rear of the castle.
4
People
Silver Pavilions.
Builder Profile:
Kimberly Giffen Article and Photography by Kimberly Giffen 8
Kimberly Giffen is a builder that has made impressive builds that have been seen at BrickCon (a LEGO fan convention in Seattle, Washington). Her creations are notable for detail and size—and are award-winning. BrickJournal chatted with her about her builds and building. Kimberly has been building for over forty years. Back then, she had the LEGO Samsonite sets—and she didn’t get sets with instructions until she was nine. When she got her initial sets, she was always about the remix. For her, it was “build it, take it apart, and build a different variation.” As a huge fan of fantasy in general, the Castle has always taken her away to another world. As a mother of four, Kimberly realized quickly that when she would sit down to play with LEGO with them, they would tire of it, while Mom would continue building. As a result, she has blended her LEGO building into her work: she works for Bricks4KidZ as a STEM instructor. She also teaches LEGO camps in the summer and is a substitute teacher in her local school district. There are a number of influences behind her building. Architecture is her largest influence, as her childhood dream was to become an architect. She always
The Giffen Gardens Greenhouse.
Kimberly is proudest of the build she did before the Silver Pavilions MOC presented at BrickCon 2023, named the Giffen Gardens Greenhouse. For her, it was a build that she really poured her soul into. She had lost her father, who was an avid gardener, just prior to starting. She would build something small, like a little hummingbird feeder, and think of him. She ended up building something beautiful in a time of sorrow. This was her first build in miniland scale, which allowed for small details to shine: the stone walls can have texture, those stone walls can have grout, a door can have paneling, and fence elements can become wrought iron chairs.
Inside the greenhouse.
11
Building
Gandalf rides Gwaihir, a Great Eagle.
Shaun Sheepa:
Remaking Figures
Article and Photography by Shaun Sheepa
14
If you have seen some incredible figures on Instagram, you might have seen the work of brick.sheepa. These are not minifigures, but built figures that use minifgure heads and helmets in a more realistic scale. His figures and creatures come from movies and video games, and he has made instructions for others to build and explore this scale. Brick.sheepa’s name is Shaun, and he works as a university researcher. His specialty is fluid mechanics—the science of air! This includes the aerodynamics of cars, trains and other vehicles. He also models weather phenomena such as tornadoes or hurricanes. By studying them, he hopes to better understand their behavior, so that we can reduce damage caused by these extreme events. Shaun started LEGO building when he was about seven years old. His first LEGO set was the 1999 Star Wars X-Wing (7140). After that, he made it clear to his parents that he
The Bendu with Kanan Jarrus, both from Star Wars: Rebels.
challenging to find the right pieces to represent Klaud’s face; another aspect was the piece availability in the right color. Most of the time, it comes down to building the creature with what is available, or switching to a different color. This is always a difficulty in creature design, as most creatures are vibrant and colorful, but functional bricks such as modified plates and bricks are quite limited in color palette. Another factor Shaun has is that he isn’t very patient, so he keeps his builds small. Ideally, it takes him a week or two to make a creature or figure, but as mentioned earlier, it can take longer. He just starts building until he is finished using physical pieces. It’s easier for him to judge physical size when building with real elements, as Shaun can get a better perspective on what a model should look like from all sides with a real model in his hands. Sometimes Shaun gets inspired by certain pieces. While sorting his bricks and stacking up ‘dish’ pieces, he noticed how two of the 3x3 inverted radar dishes made the perfect bantha mouth, so he started to design a Bantha around these stacked dishes. He was really happy with how the Bantha turned out. Building around a piece isn’t always ideal when it comes to scale accuracy, as the creature build is limited by the piece itself, and cannot be scaled correctly to a Minifigure. Shaun’s hardest creature would be the Bendu. It’s not a very famous character, and only turned up in the Star Wars Rebels animated series, in which they only appeared in a few episodes. Despite their few appearances, the character is very distinct and memorable. Shaun wanted to capture the creature in LEGO; however, the building challenge
Bilbo and Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings.
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Building
Alberto Micheli:
Building Maxifigures!
Interview by Joe Meno Photography by Alberto Micheli and Simon Lenz
Boba Fett in maxifigure scale, with minifigure Boba Fett for size comparison.
LEGO minifigures are items that LEGO fans collect and build— some build them in a larger scale than the originals! One such builder is Alberto Micheli. He can be seen on Facebook or Instagram showing his latest builds. He chatted with BrickJournal about his maxifigures. BrickJournal: Please tell us about yourself. Alberto Micheli: My name is Alberto Micheli, but my friends have always called me “Albo”, so when I first registered on social media, I simply chose Albo.LEGO as a nickname. It was just the first thing that came to my mind, and I’ve never thought it could become so important. What do you do? I live in Milano, Italy and am a financial analyst. I work for a financial newspaper and website (Milano Finanza).
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So I discovered the Rebrickable website, and late at night when everybody was sleeping, I started “playing” with Bricklink Stud.io software, making my first digital projects. Since then I’ve joined Instagram and met a lot of other LEGO enthusiasts around the world who helped me a lot to improve my skills, and all this brought me back into building. What’s your favorite theme?
Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio.
My favorite theme is obviously Star Wars. But I would say I am more a LEGO Star Wars fan than a Star Wars fan. I love Star Wars, of course, but I’m not obsessed with it. I like watching any Star Wars movie or TV series, as a pure
23
Building I have been in the LEGO community for over twenty years. In that time, I started as a builder and went into events, and eventually to starting this magazine. One of the first things that I did was make what is called a sigfig (signature figure)—a LEGO avatar. Sigfigs are a part of the fan culture because they have been representatives of not only fans, but also of LEGO staff. Until recently, senior members of the LEGO Group used minifigures as business cards. Builders generally don’t exchange sigfigs, as they are a bit expensive. At some LEGO Imagination Centers and Discovery Centers, you can make your own minifigure for a fee—you get a box that has an embedded card that lets you activate a station to design your torso for print. You can use the graphics provided at the station, or you can draw your own. Once done, the design is sent to a printer with minifigure torsos. When printed, the torso is given to you with a name brick and you pick the head, legs, and accessories. However, making a sigfig doesn’t require printers or anything advanced. All you need is a design, and some items that you may have around the house. If you have a printer, there are some different options. And if you have a few minifigues, you’re off to a great start!
Designing Yourself The first step to making you sigfig is figuring out its look. For me, it was a pretty easy thing to do. I had gotten some notoriety as the person with the camera taking pictures at events, and my favorite theme was Space. I was called the “Space paparazzi,” after the LUGNET (the online place to talk about LEGO back then) bulletin board for space builders. I was a spaceman with a camera. Take stock of what minifgures you have onhand. The quickest way to make a sigfig is to switch the parts to your liking. My head needed to have glasses, so I got a spaceman (Explorien) and switched his head out. The helmet visor became a trans-black visor, mainly because I liked that visor better than any others I had. Everything else was pretty much the stock Explorian spaceman, so I got a camera accessory and was done!
The sigfig to one of the Master Builders at LEGO House.
Building Your Own Sigfig Article by Joe Meno
You can go much farther with the new minifigures that have been produced—each figure adds new options. You can swap the arms out to change sleeve color or bare arms, and legs can be changed to robot legs and short legs. The lower body can be changed, too—there are mermaid tails and octopus legs, and with third-party producers like Crazy Arms, you have even more options for making arms and legs for your figure.
The Minifigure Factory box and figure I got— the hat was the only one with gray hair, so I picked it.
29
ng of a minifigure
ou know that it can take up to an entire year to design and crea e’s the idea phase, the many tests and then finalising. kes time The LEGO Groupto make each minifigure perfect! step is important ime can take up to an entire year to design and create a minifigure? A display that showcased how the second series of LEGO Disney Collectible Minifigures were designed was presented at LEGO House in 2023. The exhibit showed how the process of minifigure design is done and also showed prototypes of the minifgures. Thanks to LEGO House Brand Communications, we were able to get photos and graphics from the exhibit.
e, up thetomany tests andtothen finalising. ke an entire year design and create a minifigure? nt to make each minifigure many tests and then finalising.perfect! Quick drawings make each minifigure perfect! While the team discuss the best wa
The a Quick minifigure Themaking Making ofof a Minifigure drawings
character as a LEGO minifigure, the putting pen to paper – or stylus to t the first ideas. They also look into w would fit each character. While the team discuss the best way to capture that Did youDid know it can to up an to entire year year to design and create a minifigure? youthat know that take it canup take an entire to design character as way a LEGO minifigure, While the team discuss the best to capture that the designers start There’sand the create idea phase, the many tests and then finalising. a minifgure? putting pen the to paper – orstart stylus to tablet – to sketch character as a LEGO minifigure, designers Every step is important to make minifigure perfect! There’s the idea phase, theeach many tests, then finalizing. the– first ideas. into which accessories putting pen and to paper or stylus to They tabletalso – to look sketch fit each character. Every step is important to make each minifigure the first ideas. Theywould also perfect! look into which accessories
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would fit each character.
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mwork
esigners and other team members get together their ideas. It’s about looking into the past and which exciting characters should be explored. Teamwork
Quick drawings
2
While the team discuss the best way to capture that character as a LEGO minifigure, the designers start putting pen to paper – or stylus to tablet – to sketch the first ideas. They also look into which accessories would fit each character.
Quick Drawings
While the team discusses the best way to capture that character as a LEGO minifigure, the designers start putting pen to paper—or stylus to tablet—to sketch the first ideas. They also look into which accessories would fit each character.
LEGO® designers and other team Teamwork
members get together to share their her LEGO® designers and other team members get together rs get together ideas. It’sabout about looking to share their ideas. It’s looking into theinto past the and past d the past o and choosing which exciting characters should be explored. and choosing which exciting characters d. d be explored. should be explored.
33 3
4
4
Creating Models
Add some color As the best ideas are being picked, a graphic designer will take them to the next step by adding colour and small details.
Add Some Color
4
4
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If a design is for a new accessory or hairpiece, an element designer will start the work on creating the new design as Creating a three-dimensional computer model. models Some designers sculpt theirIfmodels a design calls for a new accessory or hairpiece – an designer will start the work on creating the new by hand using polymer clay,element then scan design as a three-dimensional computer model. Some it and add the final details on their sculpt their models by hand using polymer designers clay, then they scan it and add the final details on their computers. Every time a new version computers. Every time a new version is made, it is is made, it is 3D-printed so it3D-printed can be so it can be reviewed and tested. You can see some these prototypes in the exhibition. These are reviewed and tested. You can seeofsome very close to the finalised product. of these prototypes in this article. These are very close to the finalized product.
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Creating models
If a design calls for a element designer w If a design calls for a new accessory or hairpiece – an design as a three-di designers sculpt the element designer will start the work on creating the new graphic designer will take them to the next design as a three-dimensional computer model. Some clay, then they scan If amodels design a new accessory or hairpiece a ed, a step by adding colour and small details. designers sculpt their bycalls handfor using polymer computers. Every–tim element designer will start the work on creating the to the next32 clay, then they scan it and add the final details on their 3D-printed so it can details. design a three-dimensional computer model. Som computers. Every time a newasversion is made, it is some of these proto re being picked, a sculpt their models hand using 3D-printed so it can designers be reviewed and tested. You can by see very close topolyme the fin ill take them to the next
Add some color
As the best ideas are being picked, a graphic designer will take them to the next step by adding color As small the best ideas are being picked, a and details.
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Creating models
Building
Robert8:
Mad About Minifigs! Chatting with a Custom CMF Concept Creator Article by Isaiah Durand of BrickNerd Art by Robert8
Roberto’s first collection of designs (Series A) as rendered on a bag.
I still remember the excitement (both among my siblings and in the community!) when LEGO’s Collectable Minifigure Series (CMF) first came out 2010—but even now, fourteen years and almost forty series later, there’s still tons of potential and unexplored possibilities. I had the opportunity of chatting with Robert8, one of the first and best fan artists at straightforward, brilliant, and thorough minifigure concept art, and definitely a legend when it comes to custom Collectable Minifigure series. Scroll on down to find out why! Isaiah Durand: Thanks for chatting with BrickNerd about your custom CMF concepts! Roberto: Hi everyone. My name is Roberto, but I call myself Robert8. What inspired you to start making your own minifigure series in the first place? What was it about the CMF series that inspired you beyond other sets and themes?
Roberto’s later designs—Series U.
Back in the day, lots of people used to post their wishlist for the next regular CMF series, and so did I. It was around late 2015–early 2016 that I decided to draw them instead of just posting the list of names. At first, I was only doing it for myself, like a hobby. But then I wondered what people would think of them, and I just went ahead and posted them. And I’m glad I did because I got lots of positive feedback, which encouraged me to keep going. Around that time I had a wishlist of 500-plus characters. I couldn’t just post random characters here and there, so I went with the idea of making waves of 16 minifigures as LEGO would do. I made the first one and named it SERIES ALPHA, but a short time later I changed it to SERIES A.
37
Has it gotten easier as you go along? Harder? Do you ever run low on ideas, or are there just more always coming and coming?
The Series U line-up.
Easier. A lot easier actually. At the beginning, I had to draw everything from zero, but as time went by, I not only became faster at drawing, but also I’ve gathered a pretty decent library of accessories and pieces. So, now I only have to copy/paste them from a different file instead of drawing them. Even after creating 30 series, I’ll still have a wishlist of around 100 characters left, as I ran out of spots to include them. So, as you can see, there was never a shortage of ideas. Your drawings/concept art are so beautiful, real, and LEGO-like. How did you start, and how did you arrive at where you started your CMF series? Thanks for the compliments. Back in the day, I don’t remember a lot of people doing this. Ashnflash started shortly after me and then it blew up from there. Nowadays there are countless Instagram accounts that post CMF Rabbit follower.
The Series H line-up.
The Series K line-up.
Gate guard.
Pirate queen.
A minifig advent calendar line-up.
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Builder Room Parts List
(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Part Color Description
Builder’s Studio
Design by the BrickNerd Team To celebrate the minifigure, we decided to make a studio for all their building needs. Who doesn’t need a sleek building desk for their LEGO hobby? The studio has drawers full of colorful pieces, a stack of baseplates on the floor, a nifty angled lamp, and even some awesome gear on the walls for decoration. Some of those decorations include a Classic Space tile from the Galaxy Explorer and a LEGO logo brick from the 1970s! You can, of course, customize your studio habitat with whatever you like. Imagine a studio with the shield of your favorite Castle faction or the dark red LEGO tile from the Pick-up Truck hanging on the wall. You can customize it to your heart’s content. One last fun build is the red rolling chair. The plump cushion is made with an inverted boat stud, and the back of the chair is made from an old-school rigid minifigure cape that hasn’t been produced in red since 1998. All that’s left to complete the builder’s studio is to add yourself as a minifigure!
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1
87079p50.dat Blue
2
87580.dat
Blue
1 2
11253.dat 33909.dat
Black Black
4
85861.dat
Black
1 1 1 1 1 1 2
3024.dat 3068b.dat 3024.dat 3024.dat 3024.dat 3024.dat 33909.dat
Dk Turquoise Green Bright Green Lime Bright Lt Yellow Yellow Tan
1 4 2
87079.dat 87552.dat 20482.dat
Tan Tan Dark Tan
1 1 1 6 4 5 9 2
3024.dat 35700.dat 3024.dat 2431.dat 3023.dat 3069b.dat 3070b.dat 15573.dat
Bright Lt Orange Bright Lt Orange Orange Med. Nougat Med. Nougat Med. Nougat Med. Nougat Med. Nougat
1 1 1
41539.dat 2654a.dat 3004pt5.dat
Med. Nougat Red Red
3 1 1
3024.dat 4524.dat 18674.dat
Red Red Red
8 1 3 3 2 1 1
3070b.dat 3004.dat 3008.dat 3010.dat 3460.dat 4162.dat 11211.dat
Trans Clear White White White White White White
2
22885.dat
White
2
20482.dat
Dk Bluish Grey
1
68888.dat
Dk Bluish Grey
1
93061.dat
Dk Bluish Grey
Tile 2 x 4 with Classic Space Logo Pattern Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud Minifig Roller Skate Plate 2 x 2 with 2 Studs on One Edge Plate 1 x 1 Round with Open Stud Plate 1 x 1 Tile 2 x 2 with Groove Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 2 x 2 with 2 Studs on One Edge Tile 2 x 4 with Groove Panel 1 x 2 x 2 Reinforced Tile 1 x 1 Round with Pin and Pin Hole Plate 1 x 1 Container 2 x 2 x 1 Crate Plate 1 x 1 Tile 1 x 4 with Groove Plate 1 x 2 Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Plate 8 x 8 Dish 2 x 2 with Rim Brick 1 x 2 with LEGO Logo with Closed “O” Pattern Plate 1 x 1 Minifig Cape Plate 2 x 2 Round with 1 Centre Stud Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Brick 1 x 2 Brick 1 x 8 Brick 1 x 4 Plate 1 x 8 Tile 1 x 8 Brick 1 x 2 with Two Studs on One Side Brick 1 x 2 x 1.667 with Studs on 1 Side Tile 1 x 1 Round with Pin and Pin Hole Bar 1L Quadruple with 1L Axlehole Hub Arm Skeleton with Vertical Clip Bent 53.13
Building Minifigure Customization 101:
Article and Photography by Jared K. Burks
This BrickJournal article has been written to address the deficit in the LEGO-verse where Alice in Wonderland, a.k.a. “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” are concerned. LEGO has seen fit to create the following characters in Minifigure form: Alice, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts. This deficit is no longer tolerable; several of the most beloved characters in the book and animated Disney Classic are just absent. This will stand no more. It is the intention of this author to rectify this issue in a series of articles for BrickJournal to create and share “how to create” the key missing characters, including the Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, the brothers Tweedle, the King of Hearts, the March Hare, and the Dormouse. I encourage all readers to watch the animated Disney Classic “Alice in Wonderland,” which is available on Disney+. As with all literary works, I am behind schedule, so without further ado, let’s begin this journey.
I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!
I believe the chapter title will proclaim the figure we are constructing today; however, for those unfamiliar with the work, please revisit the animated classic. I am using the 1951 animated film as inspiration for these additional figures, as it is from this source that LEGO has released the three characters it has sought to create (Alice, Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts). The White Rabbit has two major outfits throughout the film, and he is clearly described by Alice in the original book, which is nearly identically transcribed into the film.
Oh, Dinah! It’s just a rabbit with a waistcoat… and a watch!
The White Rabbit hurries by Alice and her kitten Dinah on his way to wherever he is going. In order to create the White Rabbit, we need a list of parts that we can use from LEGO, and those which we will need to create.
Alice’s first encounter with the White Rabbit.
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so Bright light orange tor s arm d Re White hands Black umbrella m ht Lig bluish grey mediu legs (teen) s Red torso and red arm gle Bu
Cloth co Colla at r B Whit ow tie eR Pock et Wa abbit Hea d tch w ith C h R ain uff Whit e Clo th T with red H abard eart
The point of any series is to reuse elements to help tie the series together. For this one, the collar, bow tie, and waistcoat will be reused on multiple figures. This will make them appear from the same genre, and also make it easier to create so many custom figures. I could merely throw the white tabard over the completed figure, but the collar and ruff have to change between version 1 of the White Rabbit and version 2, so I am making them as separate figures. Version 1 is from the beginning of the film where he is in his waistcoat, and Version 2 we first see in his house that Alice accidentally destroys as she grows large and then small. Looking at our LEGO parts, these are fairly easy to gather together. There is quite a bit of design work to be done for the custom parts. We need a White Rabbit Head, Bow tie, Collar, Pocket Watch with chain, and Ruff (could have used the LEGO version, but it is fairly rare, and painting rubbery parts can be challenging). There are also two cloth elements that needed to be designed, the waistcoat and the white tabard with the red heart.
Inspiration art for the White Rabbit.
I designed some of these, and others I found sources for on Thangs.com and modified them for my needs. For example, an easy alteration to a LEGO part would be the LEGO Bugle which came with a clown. It has an air bulb honker at the end and we want this to look more like a Calvary bugle, so cutting the bulb in half will remedy this issue easily, and then a touch of paint will finalize the look.
When wanting to make something for a LEGO figure, you can design it from the ground up, modify a LEGO part, or find something on Thangs or Thingiverse to see what is available. For this article, I have used things I have found online and also designed from the ground-up. For the White Rabbit, there is a lovely head online available that “Reddadsteve” (https://www.thingiverse.com/reddadsteve/designs) has shared on Thingiverse. Specifically, the White Rabbit can be found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3043322. Reddadsteve has designed as a complete figure, and not for LEGO. This required some fairly major adjustments to the head to make it fit a LEGO torso, but also to give it correct dimensions to be in the proper scale. I use Meshmixer for these alterations, as I can cut and add things to the head to make it fit a touch better. As I iterated the design, I had to extend the neck to allow the ruff and collar to fit on the head properly. I also had to modify the glasses and some of the other smaller details.
Working on the 3-D sculpt in Meshmixer.
The finished 3-D print.
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You Can Build It MINI Build MINI Iron Talon
Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck Hello everybody, and welcome back to our ongoing Mini Model building series. Today I would like to continue the storyline of last time’s building session, where we built the Crimson Firehawk from the brand new animated Star Wars series Young Jedi Adventures. A recurring starship from the opposite side is the Iron Talon, a freighter-sized pirate transport ship. There is not much background information available yet; however, it looks like a fast and maneuverable vessel with a unique hull painting. Here we use the new half round plate and tile (part number 1745 and 1748) for the first time in a mini model! And the tile even comes in transparent color, making it a part to remember for upcoming mini model cockpit designs. So, if you’re a fan of the series or have kids who watch it, you definitely should give this vessel a try. Have fun, and see you next time!
Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Iron Talon’s Main Body Qty Color 2 Black 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 1 2 2
Part 30374.dat 47905.dat
Lt-Bluish-Gray 52107.dat Lt-Bluish-Gray 4589.dat Dark-Bluish-Gray 30162.dat
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Description Bar 4L Lightsaber Blade Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on Two Opposite Sides Brick 1 x 2 with Studs on Sides Cone 1 x 1 Minifig Binoculars with Round Eyepiece
Qty Color 3 Lt-Bluish-Gray 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray
Part 3024.dat 78257.dat
2 1
Lt-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray
3023.dat 1745.dat
2
Light-Bluish-Gray 63868.dat
1
Light-Bluish-Gray 15573.dat
2 2
Dk-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray
11458.dat 18677.dat
1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1
Lt-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray Dk-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray Dk-Bluish-Gray Dark-Red Lt-Bluish-Gray Dk-Bluish-Gray
3623.dat 34103.dat 3710.dat 11212.dat 61409.dat 85984.dat 11477.dat 29120.dat
1
Dk-Bluish-Gray
29119.dat
2 2 1 1 2 2 1
Lt-Bluish-Gray 3713.dat Black 2780.dat Black 3070b.dat Lt-Bluish-Gray 3070b.dat Dark-Red 3070b.dat Dk-Bluish-Gray 2412b.dat Trans-White 1748.dat
Right Wing
Qty Color Part 1 Dark-Red 54200.dat 1 Yellow 3070b.dat 1 Dark-Red 3070b.dat 1 Yellow 3069b.dat 1 Dk-Bluish-Gray 11203.dat 2 Dk-Bluish-Gray 24299.dat 2 Yellow 24299.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 43722.dat 1 Yellow 43722.dat 1 Li-Bluish-Gray 54384.dat 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 54383.dat
Left Wing
Qty Color 1 Dark-Red 1 Yellow 1 Dark-Red 1 Yellow 1 Dk-Bluish-Gray 2 Dk-Bluish-Gray 2 Yellow 1 Dk-Bluish-Gray 1 Yellow 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray
Part 54200.dat 3070b.dat 3070b.dat 3069b.dat 11203.dat 24307.dat 24307.dat 43723.dat 43723.dat 54384.dat 54383.dat
Description Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 with Handles on Opposite Ends Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 2 Half Round with 1 Centre Stud Plate 1 x 2 with Clip Horizontal on End (Thick C-Clip) Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Plate 1 x 2 with Offset Peghole Plate 1 x 2 with Offset Peghole on Underside Plate 1 x 3 Plate 1 x 3 with 2 Studs Offset Plate 1 x 4 Plate 3 x 3 Slope Brick 18 2 x 1 x 0.667 Grille Slope Brick 31 1 x 2 x 0.667 Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Cutout Left Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Cutout Right Technic Bush with Two Flanges Technic Pin with Friction and Slots Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove Tile 1 x 2 Half Round Description Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667 Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 2 x 2 Inverted Wing 2 x 2 Left Wing 2 x 2 Left Wing 2 x 3 Right Wing 2 x 3 Right Wing 3 x 6 Left Wing 3 x 6 Right
Description Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667 Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 2 x 2 Inverted Wing 2 x 2 Right Wing 2 x 2 Right Wing 2 x 3 Left Wing 2 x 3 Left Wing 3 x 6 Left Wing 3 x 6 Right
Community
Brick Convention, an event founded by Greyson J. Riley, is like none other. Filled with interactive, creative, and educational activities for the whole family, there’s something for everyone to see. And then there is so much more, as there are vendors selling anything and everything LEGO, professional LEGO artists to meet and gain inspiration from, and building zones with thousands of LEGO bricks to build with. I’m one of the artists, and this is my story!
Preview
AC Pin:
Touring with Brick Convention 2023! Article and Photography by AC Pin
The year 2019 was quite a breakthrough in the brick conventions where I and my wife Marleth have been able to exhibit MOCs (My Own Creations). In addition to the usual events we’ve done on the East Coast, we went to Manama Bahrain, LEGO House, Skaerbaek Denmark, and the Philippines prior to the pandemic, which ground everything to a halt. As the year 2022 approached, the convention circuit restarted, and we’ve been able to do several events in Marlborough MA, Edison NJ, Landover MD, and Oaks PA. With the year 2023 looming, negotiations to exhibit outside the tri-state area from different sources were in progress in the third quarter. Finally, we decided in mid-December to go on the Brick Convention 2023 tour.
MOCs Brick Convention was an opportunity to exhibit MOCs at new locations, and gain a wider audience that has never seen or heard of ACPin. The choice was clear to bring out the very best of my iconic builds that have been the hallmarks/trademarks that are familiar to those who’ve followed my LEGO creations over the years.
LEGO House Baker’s Dozen
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These thirteen MOCs have all been displayed at The Home Of The Brick at various times from September 2017 until September 2022. There were no Botanical sets prior to the grand opening of the LEGO House in 2017. In addition to that, there weren’t any Botanical creations in brick conventions during the same time span. These MOCs represent the breakthrough in Botanical creations before anyone else built in the theme.
Setting up at an event.
News Interviews Most locations had the local news media covering the events, varying in depth of reporting from live streaming to typical editing for later airtime. The only issue that has constantly plagued us was the timing when the reporters came in early, as we’re just starting to set up the MOCs. Fortunately, when we’re aware that there’s news coverage, I’d usually set-up the Theed Hangar first and the other Star Wars MOCs afterwards. Sometimes they had us recorded while the builds were still in progress, and the news coverage was made available in their own websites, YouTube, and social media after the airtimes. It’s often mentioned by the attendees that they’ve seen the news coverage, and they have been paying close attention, as they’ve repeated what I’ve said during the interviews. FOX35 News Good Day Orlando 12 News Rhode Island WHAS11 Louisville ABC5 Cleveland FOX2 News St Louis Western Mass News ABC40 22 News Mass FOX Access Carolina Greenville News FOX25 News Oklahoma WTVM ABC9 Columbus WTVG 13ABC News Toledo
On the news!
Meets And Greets Everybody gets the opportunity to meet and greet ACPin during the sessions. Photo ops, conversations about the MOCs, and chances to buy limited edition blossoms and BrickJournal magazines featuring the MOCs were done as time permitted. Saturdays are usually sold out and it’s a bit of an issue when lines start getting longer. I’d usually advise attendees to come back and chat during the last hour when they thin out. It was a tremendous response in all locations about our MOCs, especially those who didn’t even know ACPin or My Own Creations. Fans from all ages,
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the galactic senate chamber 66
Christoph Baumann:
Building the Galactic Senate Chamber Article and Photography by David Strenzler, Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars
Galactic greetings! We are Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars. As administrators of one of the best LEGO Star Wars-themed groups on Facebook, David Strenzler, Frank Averstegge and Eloi Parizeau witness amazingly creative builds by Star Wars fans worldwide on a nearly daily basis. This time, we are more than happy to introduce an extraordinary MOC builder and Bantha Bricks community member from Germany: Christoph Baumann (Brickwolf), 2022 LEGO Masters Germany finalist. It was our pleasure to speak with Christoph about his latest, and so far biggest, project that he realized together with Tobias Nieder (BrickBob) from The Brick-Collective, Hendrik Bergmann and Philipp Thiel from JB Spielwaren, LEGO Certified Professional René Hoffmeister, Benedikt Ruhe from Brickstory, and the helping hands of the IDS Brickworld community: The Galactic Senate from Star Wars, made of nearly 500,000 LEGO bricks, with an impressive width of 4m and height of 2.6m!
The Galactic Senate.
David Strenzler: Hello Christoph. Welcome to the Bantha Bricks Files! The LEGO Star Wars community has been familiar with your skilled Star Wars-inspired designs for some time. Could you please introduce yourselves and what you do? Christoph Baumann: I’m Christoph, and I’m 34 years old. I’ve been back in the LEGO business for about six years. It has recently escalated from being a hobby to my main job. This has given me the opportunity to realize big visions, such as the Galactic Senate in LEGO.
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BRICKJOURNAL #85
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My colleagues are Tobias, also known from The Brick Collective, who creates digital building instructions and offers an extra alternative when it comes to big LEGO Star Wars models. Benedikt is known for Brickstory, one of the most successful YouTube LEGO channels in Germany. My current employers at JB Spielwaren, Hendrik and Philipp, who are also good friends of mine, basically make it possible to realize such projects at all. The Senate was intended as a special attraction for the 2023 LEGO Star Wars Days at JB Spielwaren.
Would you say that Star Wars is your favorite theme, or are there others that we might not expect? When it comes to LEGO, of course, my interests fall into many other areas, whether it is medieval castles, pirate landscapes, or something really imaginative that has nothing to do with any franchise at all. But I have to say, that my childhood was shaped by Star Wars. From 1999 to 2004, I had every LEGO Star Wars set that ever existed. Afterwards, I took 67