EXCLUSIVE
ISSUE 118 // £6.49
772055 11 605042
BUILDING, COLLECTING
XIR LEGO
1ВДГ
LEGO TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE SET
LEED JALUS: YOU'RE ЕО1ПЕ ТО ПЕЕО
A BIEEER BRICK SEPARATOR
THE UnVEILIflE OF
ТЕСНП1С mCLAREFI PI
LEED SPACE
BRINGING THEMES TOGETHER
TO EXPLORE THE STARS
QUICK BUILD
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
GREAT DEKU TREE
40TH ANNIVERSARY
ROLL OUT WITH BUMBLEBEE: j
THE FAN-FAVOURITE AUTOBOT
AND
PRE-LOVED
NEW
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse Bricktraders
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57 Catherine Street, St Albans AL3 5BN
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LEGO® BRICKS, SETS & MINIFIGURES
Your independent store in Hertfordshire UK
*	Specialists in retired sets
•	100s of minifigures
•	Brick’n’mix
•	Make a minifig
•	Polybag sets

WELCOME
t/i
This is one of those months when I am writing
the magazine’s introduction as I travel back from
Billund, the LEGO Group’s hometown. There’s a
good argument for not writing this when sleep
deprived after a few days of intense brick-related
shenanigans, but there’s an even better case for doing so -1
never feel more energised than when I have been in such an
inspiring place.
I’m not the only one who has been visiting very special
locations. Dave Cartlidge and Phil Wrighton were among the
first people in the world - outside of the LEGO Group and
McLaren employees - to see 42172 McLaren Pl from LEGO
Technic at the McLaren Technology Centre. You can see the
amazing images from their adventure and read all about what
they experienced from page 42.
During the event, the duo had the opportunity to build the
doors from the new set - but what good is a car door without
the rest of the vehicle? Blocks knows how to do satisfying mini
builds and this month there are three to choose from. You’ll
find instructions for a mini Notre-Dame, a mini Great Deku
Tree and a full sized Fabuland car. Send in pictures once you've
tackled them.
I did some building myself while in Denmark - and you can
see the results in the first of a new series of interview features
titled Build and Chat. The concept is as simple as it sounds; I sit
down with a fascinating person who works in a creative role at
the LEGO Group and we build a set together. To kick things off, I
speak to Associate Creative Lead Astrid May... and it won’t spoil
too much to reveal that the conversation was so engrossing that
we didn’t quite finish the model.
Everyone at the magazine has been putting bricks together
of course, with a new slate of reviews to help you decide which
sets to buy, which sets to skip... well, which sets to buy right
now, which to skip for the time being. Children of the 1970s and
1980s are well catered for with 21350 JAWS and 10338 Bumblebee,
while lockdown gamers can find out whether Animal Crossing
successfully translates into LEGO sets.
There’s no doubt that space is fertile subject matter for LEGO
sets and Daniel Meehan tells us exactly how he led a group of
intrepid designers, in an entirely new approach, to explore the
stars across a variety of themes. While each project took their
own approach, they are more connected than you might think.
Leg godt!
What we’ve
been building...
Phil and Dave built a section of the new
42172 McLaren Pl with LEGO Design
Manager Aurelien Rouffiange in the
perfect setting - right next to the real car at
McLaren's headquarters.
At Nathan Sawaya's Art of the Brick
exhibition, Graham sat down to put
together the quintessential LEGO model -
a multicoloured house. It wasn't the most
structurally sound building.
Why wield a regular weapon when you can
complete your costume with LEGO swords?
Geneva and her sisters built a collection of
mighty medieval inspired weapons and
displayed them at Brickworld Chicago.
A big bag of bricks can only mean one
thing; a new project for Daniel. There are
quite a few tan and brown bricks in there...
what could they be for? You'll have to wait
for a future edition of Blocks to find out.
Blocks 3
CONTENTS
Z THE SORT
Z FEATURES
An ultimate partnership
The LEGO Group and McLaren demonstrate
the shared values behind their long-running
collaboration as they unveil 42172 McLaren Pl
The geometry of LEGO bricks
Why are LEGO elements the size they
are? The dimensions laid down more
than 60 years ago determine the way
that the entire System works.
Build and chat with Astrid May
Graham sits down with experienced design
professional Astrid May to click some bricks
together as they discuss her career developing
LEGO models for a variety of themes.
62 Radio, someone still loves you
Designer Hoang Huy Dang discusses
translating the power of radio into a
retro model for LEGO Icons.
Roll out with Bumblebee
What’s New and Next
Old style, new biomes
Better than gold?
11 Latest from LEGO House
What’s new at BrickLink
14 Meet... London AFOLs
Gaming Download
17 The Lost Elements
18 Screen Time
19 Ideas Latest
The Brick Debate
22 Brick Central
Driving in luxury
24 Top Ten
26 In other news...
27 Secrets we’ve spotted in...
Contest of the Month
Q&A with... Brick Hut
31 Five things we’ve learned
This LEGO Life
34 Back into space
The LEGO Group is exploring the stars across
different themes this year, with designers
collaborating in a new way to offer a variety
of unique but connected experiences.
Editor
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
A LEGO expert who can’t remember
life without the brick, Graham loves
using that knowledge to bring Blocks
to readers every single month.
Build Expert & Historian
DANIEL KONSTANSKI
Both a builder and a collector, Daniel
has extensively researched the LEGO
Group’s history, making him an
unrivalled fount of knowledge.
Build Specialist
SIMON PICKARD
If there’s a way to put two bricks
together, Simon knows it. He’s an
experienced builder who is always
discovering new techniques.
Reviews Writer
DAVE CARTLIDGE
Whether it’s from Marvel Super
Heroes, Friends, Technic or any other
theme, Dave has the LEGO build
know-how to assess the latest sets.
Features Writer
KAT REES-JAUKE
This life-long brick fan is always ready
to dig deep into the latest sets to find
out how they were conceptualised,
designed and developed.
Features Writer
ANTHONY WALKER-COOK
With a passion for fantasy sets but a
penchant for any box thatfeatures
the LEGO logo, Anthony covers every
aspect of the brick experience
Build Curator
GENEVA DURAND
A 2x2 pillar of the community, Geneva
is a respected member of the online
creative LEGO scene with an expert
eye for he best builds out there.
News Writer
RYAN EVERLETH
This LEGO aficionado has eclectic
tastes, including Star Wars, Ideas and
The Lord of the Rings. He always has a
take on the latest news.
Photographer
PHIL WRIGHTON
Models never look better than
when this prize-winning LEGO
photographer has worked his magic to
produce beautiful Blocks covers.
4 Blocks
CONTENTS
// BUILDS
SC Notre-Dame
The beautiful architectural masterpiece that
has inspired stories, poetry and paintings for
hundreds of years in miniature.
Great Deku Tree
Use these instructions to build your own
guardian of the forest, with an instantly
recognisable face, from The Legend of Zelda.
9^ Instruments
Some talented builders are able to use LEGO
bricks to recreate everyday items. These musical
MOCs are clever interpretations of a violin,
pianos, guitars and even a xylophone.
z REVIEWS
10338 Bumblebee
21350 JAWS
76273 Batman Construction Figure and the
В at-Pod Bike
76 76270 Batman Meeh Armour,
40675 Commander Cody
75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack,
75386 Paz Vizsla and Moff Gideon Battle
77046 Julian’s Birthday Party,
77047 Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities
79 77049 Isabelle's House Visit
77048 Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour,
76962 Baby Bumpy: Ankylosaurus
10368 Chrysanthemum, 10369 Plum Blossom
60317 Police Chase at the Bank
Я 60421 Robot World
31212 The Milky Way Galaxy
88 Reviews round-up
/i RETRO
104 In 2004...
BIONICLE moved into Toa Metru, a Knights’
Kingdom game was influenced by Zelda and
you could buy sets that skipped the building.
10 Time Cruising
Western brought classic movie tropes to the
brick in 1996, King Leo ruled over the kingdom
in 2000 and Han Solo was in trouble in 2002.
Vintage print ad
This advert from 1979 shows that mini models
could offer big adventures as it promotes the
smaller sets in the LEGO Space theme.
8062 Briefcase Set
Some sets are just too fancy for a box. When
LEGO Technic delivered a set that can build
a tandem-rotor helicopter along with several
other models, it came in a plastic briefcase.
11 121 Roadster
Michael Mouse is driving down the Fabuland
roads once again, in a refreshed version of his
classic blue, red and yellow ride.
11 From the Vault
Whether you know him as Zack or Jack, no
mascot screamed 1990s more than the LEGO
Maniac, a character who featured in television
commercials and the LEGO Club magazine.
Cover image: Phil Wrighton
Contributors
Matt Chiles, Will Tachick, Chris Wharfe
Thanks to.,.
The LEGO Group, featured builders,
Anna Bitanga, Bas Brederode, Brick
Central, Hoang Huy Dang, Kristina
Jacobsen, Sam Liltorp Johnson,
London AFOLs, John Longbottom,
Astrid May, Daniel Meehan, Caz
Mockett, Jordan Paxton, Aurelian
Rouffiange, Ella Russell-Kennedy,
Sara Skahill, Tobias Suhlmann, David
Tauzia, Annika Zarifian
Advertising Manager
Colin Smithson
Publisher
Tom Saunders
tom@silverbackpubHshing.rocks
+447841412199
Independence
Blocks is published by Silverback
Publishing Ltd for fans and
enthusiasts of LEGO. LEGO, the
LEGO logo, the brick and knob
configurations, and the minifigure
are trademarks of the LEGO Group,
which does not sponsor, authorise or
endorse Blocks magazine.
Distribution
If you have trouble finding Blocks
please call +447841412199 or email
subs@silverbackpublishing.rocks.
While every effort is made in compiling
Blocks, the publishers cannot be held
responsible for errors or omissions. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or any
storage or retrieval system, without the
consent of the publisher.
Blocks 5
THE SORT
ROLL OUT
WITH
BUMBLEBEE
To mark the 40th anniversary of
Transformers, LEGO Icons delivers
the fan-favourite Autobot in a set
that can actually transform
Transformers first began its journey to capturing
the hearts of children in 1984 with a line of action
figures supported by a Saturday morning cartoon.
It didn’t take long for the cars that could transform into
heroic robotic warriors to catch on and explode into a global
phenomenon. The first animated movie released two years
later and the franchise has now had too many comics,
shows and films to count, with its modem iteration being
heavily influenced by Michael Bay’s massively successful
2007 film.
As the franchise is owned by Hasbro, a rival toy
manufacturer, a LEGO Transformers theme was something
that fans dreamed of but always felt was tantalisingly out of
reach. That made it a huge but pleasant surprise when 10302
Optimus Prime arrived in 2022 with a massive LEGO Icons
model of the Autobots’ famous leader.
The LEGO Group and Hasbro have since collaborated to
not only bring the mighty Optimus Prime into the brick, but
other Hasbro properties as well, including Peppa Pig and
Dungeons & Dragons. And the warm relationship is showing
no signs of slowing down, with 10338 Bumblebee recently
bringing another LEGO Transformers set to shelves.
Optimus Prime may be the leader of the heroic Autobots,
but Bumblebee is many fans’ favourite character, beloved
for his untameable courage and spunky personality. The
character even earned himself a standalone film in 2018,
simply titled Bumblebee.
The LEGO model doesn’t try to replicate one specific
version of Bumblebee, instead choosing to take inspiration
from a variety of iterations of the beloved character. “Prime
isn’t a perfect replica, he’s the LEGO Optimus Prime,”
explained Design Manager Sam Liltorp Johnson as he
introduced the new set. “So we were quite sure this should
be the LEGO Bumblebee... we were very collaborative on
how we could deliver him as a LEGO model.
“We wanted to match the scale of Optimus because that’s
very important. They shouldn’t be the same height. Also, the
cars should display side by side.” That presented a design
challenge, as both modes needed to feel right alongside the
previous model.
The end result is a Bumblebee that scales almost perfectly
with Optimus Prime when they are both in their robot
forms, but the scaling is slightly off when transformed.
Almost the entire transformation can be completed just by
manipulating the build itself, with only one small portion
needing to be removed and placed on the robot’s back.
Bumblebee stands at a good 25cm tall when in robot
form, making him a worthy companion for Optimus Prime.
Just like Prime, Bumblebee comes with a little display plaque
featuring some information about the character, including
a mention of his bravery - the very trait that has led fans to
find him so endearing for the last four decades.
With several beloved Hasbro-owned franchises now part
of the LEGO product portfolio, it seems the sky is the limit
when it comes to opportunities for collaboration between
the two toy giants.
RYAN EVE RLETH
6 Blocks
THE SORT
Blocks 7
THE SORT
WHAT’S NEW & NEXT
q	POWERED BY...
^'BRICKSET
IcOMINGSOON
75395 Star Wars Advent Calendar
Theme: Star Wars
Pieces: 368
Price: £29.99, $44.99, €34.99
76293 Spider-Man Advent Calendar
Theme: Marvel
Pieces: 246
Price: £29.99, $44.99, €34.99
43253 Disney Advent Calendar
Theme: Disney
Pieces: 253
Price: £29.99, $44.99, €34.99
76438 Hany Potter Advent Calendar
Theme: Hany Potter
Pieces: 301
Price: £29.99, $44.99, €34.99
60436 City Advent Calendar
Theme: City
Pieces:195
Price: £19.99, $32.99, €26.99
31213 Mona Lisa
Theme: Art
Pieces: 1,503
Price: £89.99, $99.99, €99.99
71047 Dungeons & Dragons
Theme: Collectible Minifigures
Pieces: Varies
Price: £3.49, $4.99, €3.99
OUT NOW
RETIRING SOON
42172 McLaren Pl
Theme: Technic
Pieces: 3,893
Price: £389.99, $449.99, €449.99
42174 Emirates Team New Zealand AC75
Yacht
Theme: Technic
Pieces: 962
Price: £114.99, $129.99, €129.99
El 40748 Batman 8inl
Theme: BrickHeadz
Pieces: 325
Price: £24.99, $24.99, €24.99
75385 Ahsoka Tano’s Duel on Peridea
Theme: Star Wars
Pieces: 382
Price: £49.99, $54.99, €54.99
□ 75398 C-3PO
Theme: Star Wars
Pieces: 1,138
Price: £124.99, $139.99, €139.99
75393 TIE Fighter & X-wing Mash-up
Theme: Star Wars
Pieces: 1,063
Price: £94.99, $109.99, €109.99
76295 The Avengers Helicarrier
Theme: Marvel
Pieces: 509
Price: £69.99, $79.99, €79.99
31120 Medieval Castle
Theme: Creator
Pieces: 1,426
Price: £89.99, $99.99, €99.99
□	31141 Main Street
Theme: Creator
Pieces: 1,459
Price: £124.99, $139.99, €139.99
41731 Heartlake International School
Theme: Friends
Pieces: 985
Price: £89.99, $99.99, €99.99
40613 Mini Disney Palace of Agrabah
Theme: Disney
Pieces: 506
Price: £39.99, $39.99, €39.99
31209 The Amazing Spider-Man
Theme: Art
Pieces: 2,099
Price: £169.99, $199.99, €199.99
□	31210 Modem Art
Theme: Art
Pieces: 805
Price: £44.99, $49.99, €49.99
40504 A Minifigure Tribute
Theme: LEGO House
Pieces: 1,041
Price: 599 DKK
All information is correct at the time of going to
print. Prices and retirement dates may change.
8 Blocks
THE SORT
OLD STYLE, NEW BIOMES
LEGO Minecraft returns to the theme’s roots in a model
that celebrates a decade of minifigure-scale sets
Ten years after LEGO Minecraft switched
from micro builds to minifigure scale,
the theme is returning to its roots to
celebrate the milestone with 21265 The Crafting
Table. The 1,195-piece set uses far more
elements than any of the original micro builds,
but still channels the spirit of those models,
micro figures and all.
The model is made up of five individual
sections that all slot together into the large
crafting table to create a contained Minecraft
world. Those five sections manage to pack in
a whopping 12 biomes — there’s a good mix of
old and new across the chosen biomes, with
classics like a village in the plains alongside
some of the game’s newest additions, the cherry
grove and deep dark.
Two sides of the crafting table are left open so
that the micro world is visible and the inside of
the walls are built up as the sky, sun and clouds
to frame the scene — a first for micro scale
LEGO Minecraft sets.
Eight microfigures represent the game’s most
iconic characters, including Steve and a Creeper.
It’s a tight squeeze to fit all of the figures into
the build, so two stands can attach to any side
of the set, giving a comfortable place to display
the figures. The stands also have space for a
selection of stickers, some of which recreate the
game’s splash text that appears each time you
open the main menu. The two stands have four
possible attachment points, giving fans some
nice options for setting up their display.
Of course the micro world is only half the
appeal of the set. 21265 is called The Crafting
Table for a reason — the two walls and ceiling
are built up to create the iconic block. It seems
that the set doesn’t have an unfriendly angle,
letting fans enjoy it as both a large-scale model
and as a throwback to LEGO Minecraft’s earliest
days.
RYANEVERLETH
Kyan’s
take
“It has taken 10years, but
the Minecraft micro world
has really found its groove
in the Crafting Table"
It felt like the original LEGO Minecraft
micro world sets had the issue of not being
sure exactly what they wanted to be. They
were labelled as 10+ on the box, which
typically denotes that a set is designed for
children to play with first and for collectors
to fawn over second. But there really isn't
a whole lot of space to play when a set is
only 12x12 studs large and everything is
scaled around tiny 1x1 plates and tiles.
21265 The Crafting Table is
unashamedly a model for older collectors,
falling under the modem 18+ umbrella.
This has allowed the designers to improve
upon what those original microworld
models first tried to do and create a full
LEGO Minecraft world in a single box that
looks good on display.
The actual microworld itself isn’t too
different from the originals in terms of
building techniques or overall appearance
— there are only so many ways to put 1x1
plates together, after all. But 21265 makes
use of its 18+ label brilliantly, using the
crafting table build to not only hold the
micro world, but frame it with the sky.
Once again, the build is very simple, but
that doesn’t stop itfrom being incredibly
effective. The fact that the crafting table
itself looks great too is just another plus.
This is exactly what an 18+ set should
be. While it would certainly be possible to
play with it, the model is a display piece
first andforemost. The original micro
world sets struggled to find a home for
their figures, as they don't perfectly scale
with the size of the environment. 21265
solves this by having two stands for them.
You can still fit them in the world itself, of
course, but the stands make for a much
cleaner display that really elevates the look
of the model.
It has taken ten years, but the LEGO
Minecraft micro world has really found its
groove in The Crafting Table. The micro
world style works much better as a fully
committed display piece, letting older
collectors have a compact and elegant
little Minecraft display. There's a good
chance that this will end up being a
one-offset during a double anniversary
year (it’s also 15years since the game
launched), but it presents a tantalising
opportunity to bring back the micro world
style and replicate more Minecraft places
using some of the game’s most iconic
blocks.
Blocks 9
THE SORT
Better than gold?
Matt Chiles shares his wisdom from the block
market floor, cutting through the many myths
around investing in and reselling LEGO sets
Okay, I promised that we would look at a poor performing LEGO
set. Fortunately, I tend to pick LEGO sets that perform well... but
I have certainly picked some dogs, too. The majority of LEGO
sets available in any given year are investment dogs.
Let's look at a very cool set from The LEGO Movie - 70815 Super Secret
Police Dropship. Why wouldn’t anyone love this set? The LEGO Movie
was fantastic and this very cool quasi-sci-fi set came out of it. It had a
$79.99 retail price in the US and I scored one on sale at Target in 2016 for
$71.99 plus sales tax (or a gross of $77.03). It seemed like a good idea at
the time - cool theme, lots of great parts, eight minifigures and a very
nice build.
Fast forward to the spring of 2022 when I decided that this dog was
not going to gain any value and I should unload it. Off to eBay I went
and, when all was said and done, I sold it for a total of $110.55 for a gross
profit of $33.52. eBay wanted their generous cut and the shipping cost
came out of that total too. My net profit was $87.00, which was a gain of
$5.97 in profit in my pocket.
But that’s worth thinking about. That is a 7.75% overall gain, which
doesn't sound so bad... until I look at the annual return, which is 1.29%.
I am too embarrassed right now to write about the lower (and negative)
returns I have had from other sets. But you should note that by my
calculations the average inflation in the US during this time was 1.91% per
year. That means I lost money -1 did not even keep up with inflation. And
to make matters worse, the government taxed me for capital gains on that
$5.97, bringing my annual return down even further.
That initial $77.03 could have been spent on a better investment. When
you look at the time and effort (which I am not accounting for) to buy the
set, inventory and account for the set, store it securely for several years, list
the set, package the set and mail the set to the buyer... then my $5.97 does
not work out as a very good hourly wage. An investment that looks okay at
first glance ends up being a huge disappointment.
So why was this set a bad investment? There are several reasons.
Although The LEGO Movie was well loved, it is now largely forgotten. It
doesn't have the longevity of something like Star Wars or Harry Potter - or
even Classic Space. When no-one can remember the set, no one is likely
to want it. To paraphrase Confucius, the best time to sell this set was
eight years ago, but the second-best time is today.
I see no real future for this set - certainly no stellar gains. The
LEGO Movie is unlikely to have another sequel. The majority of the
parts in this set are not very rare or sought after. The minifigures
are not highly collectible, except for Batman - and there
are approximately a zillion other Batman
minifigures out there.
A quick peek at eBay shows a number of
copies of 70815 listed in the low $140s and
higher. A look at sales shows only four sold in
the last month, between $100 and $300. My
call on this is that the market is being driven
by sellers who are not eager to sell, but
there are not very many eager buyers either.
Should I have held out for a better price?
Maybe so and I probably could have... but I
am glad I got out when I did.
The thing about selling on eBay that people to tend to forget is that the
actual value to you, the seller, is 15% less than the price a set is sold for.
That means a big part of the jump a set takes in ‘value’ in the year after it
is discontinued is simply the seller trying not to lose money. If a set retails
for $100 and the next year sells for $120 on eBay, it doesn’t mean the seller
made 20% profit in just a year. It means the seller made $2 after eBay fees
of 15%, or 2% profit.
Think about the value of your time before journeying too far down the
LEGO investing rabbit hole - and don’t forget to play with your bricks, too!
The information contained in this column about plastic bricks is not intended to constitute - and should not be construed as - investment advice.
10 Blocks
THE SORT
LATEST FROM LEGO HOUSE
Everything you need to know
about the Home of the Brick, the
destination in the heart of Billund
IN THE WORLD
These mini-dolls are enjoying a cruise
around a tropical island and it looks like they
have everything they need for a luxurious
voyage. Travellers are eating ice cream,
playing table tennis and enjoying the view.
It looks like the travellers are voyaging
responsibly, as the ship seems to be powered
by enormous solar panels.
MUSEUM FIND
One of the most unusual LEGO Star Wars
Ultimate Collector Series sets is 10026 Special
Edition Naboo Starfighter, released back in
2002. It took the original version of the ship
from 1999 and updated it with shiny chrome
pieces. Those elements were discontinued
not long after its release, which is one of the
reasons it is now so desirable for collectors.
MASTERPIECE GALLERY
Loic Brun has a selection of builds on display
in the Masterpiece Gallery, including this
rhino. “If you examine my creations closely,
you will notice numerous unconventional
uses of elements,” he told LEGO House. "In
my rendition of the rhinoceros, you will notice
that dumpsters are used for the body, shovels
for the ears and a pickaxe for the horn.”
EXPERIENCE SPOTLIGHT
One of the purest spaces in LEGO House is
the Creative Lab. There’s always a specific
theme to build around, such as massive
bricks, tiny plants or spaceships. Specially
selected bricks make it easy to build
something relevant to the topic, so you can
just sit down and relax into putting the bricks
together. Most recently, the topic was ducks.
WHAT’S NEW...
A prototype space brick is on display. The
European Space Agency (ESA) has been 3D
printing bricks that are similar to classic
LEGO elements using meteorite dust, in
the hope that astronauts can use materials
on the Moon to build structures. The class
L3-6 meteorite used for the blocks was first
discovered in North-West Africa.
ON THE BRANCH
There is more than one NINJAGO scene
to be found nestled in the branches of the
Tree of Creativity, but the most tranquil one
focuses on this temple. LEGO House has
expanded 70751 Temple of Airjitzu into a full
layout. Ninja are training around the scene,
including the monkey mascot who is in
proper attire.
I Upcoming
dates
Halloween
Autumn season
LEGO House will be taken over by all
things spooky this autumn. Anyone who
visits the Experience Zones in costume
will receive a surprise gift. The theme in
Creative Lab will be building monsters,
Story Maker will have a horror makeover
with special backdrops and Halloween
themed shenanigans will be added to
World Explorer.
Fan Tours
September 9,20
October 28
November 8,18
December 9
A tour that gives fans a peek inside the
LEGO Group. The one-day experience
takes guests into the LEGO factory to see
bricks being moulded, through the home
of LEGO founder Ole Kirk Kristiansen and
then on a guided tour of LEGO House.
Special booking required, details at LEGO
House website.
Inside Tour
2025 dates TBA
Three days that offer inside access to
the LEGO Group, made up of a guided
tour of the Billund factory, build experiences
led by a LEGO designer, a tour of LEGO
Idea House, a unique shopping experience
and an exclusive, limited edition set.
Accommodation at LEGOLAND Hotel
is included.
LEGO House has exclusive prints available
at the store’s Minifigure Factory, including
this one showing the location of LEGO
House on a map on Denmark.
Blocks 11
Craft Lighting offer a large array of lights for all model makers
whether serious modellers or enthusiastic hobbyists.
All lights carry a 6 month Guarantee and have running lifespans
between 6 and 15 years making them some of the most practical
and economically viable lights on the market.
Я» 11 
Craft Lighting
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DDB FRIENDLY
THE SORT
What’s new at
What is BDP?
Q bricklink
BrickLink Designer Program is a way for fans to turn
their builds into official LEGO sets. Each year, 15 fan-
designed models will be available to pre-order as
part of a very limited production run. Sets are limited
to 30,000 copies per design.
TWO BDP SERIES 2
SETS SELL OUT
All five BrickLink Designer
Program Series 2 sets achieve
the minimum required
orders and two sell out
It seems that the reaction to BDP is calming
down, with only two of Series 2’s five sets
selling out. They did sell out very quickly
though, demonstrating that the models that
appeal most to fans are still leading to a
fastest-finger flurry.
With ordering closed, 30,000 copies of
Jonas Kramm’s Mushroom House and
Marcos Garavelli’s Brick Cross Station will
be produced and shipped to those who
pre-ordered them this winter.
The other three sets are also going
into production as they met the minimum
number of pre-orders required, but they will
be manufactured in lower quantities. As with the
other two models, Jared Le Cras’ Ominous Isle, Ties
van Asseldonk’s Logging Railway and Harry Finkel’s The
Ocean House offer very different topics, showing the breadth of creativity
that BDP can inspire.
Mushroom House has been on a long journey to become an official
model, ever since Jonas saw his MOC make it to 10,000 votes on LEGO
Ideas. The Forest Elf from Collectible Minifigures inspired the model. “It
immediately made me imagine the world that they live in. I fell in love
with the idea of making it a fantasy world where the minifigures are tiny
and live between life-size plants and fruits,” he said at the time.
Although it wasn’t selected for Ideas, BDP proved to be a success story.
Marcos went on a similar path with his train station - a previous version
almost made it on Ideas, but it wasn’t to be.
"I want to thank the entire BrickLink team for their effort and
dedication,” he said when the model sold out. “You have made me feel
really part of a team and free to make all the decisions I thought were
appropriate. In these months I have learned to understand what a final
product is and all of the processes it goes through.”
Build Spotlight
Brick engineer submitted
this stylised world for BDP
Series 2. By playing with
proportions and scale, the
model is able to incorporate
all of the quintessential
parts of a camping trip,
including cooking over the
fire, kayaking down a river
and going hiking. The use
of different green elements
gives a nicely balanced
sense of nature. Its a great
example of doing a lot in a
small space.
Important dates
August 19,2024
Series 5 sets are announced
September 16 - 27,2024
Submit builds for Series 6
October 8,2024
Series 3 sets open for pre-order
November 2024
Series 2 sets start shipping
February 2025
Series 4 sets open for pre-order
March 2025
Series 3 sets start shipping
Blocks 13
THE SORT
Meet... London AFOLs
Find out more
Caz Mockett introduces the LEGO
User Group that meets up every
month in a London pub for brick-
based activities and banter
Ambassador: Jonathan Gale
Location: London, UK
Website: meetup.com/londonafols
Facebook: LondonAFOLs
London AFOLs is a group of LEGO fans who have been getting together
to share our love of the brick for more than 11 years. As well as our
monthly in-person meetings, there are lively discussions on Slack in
between meetups, where we talk about many LEGO brick related topics.
Our LUG has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Although we have
a couple of hundred registered members, our monthly meetups usually
see between 30 and 50 attendees, depending on the subject. Some of our
members love to MOC, some prefer to collect and build sets, and we have
members with a diverse range of ages and abilities within the group.
We enjoy taking part in LEGO shows and events in and around London
and further afield, often supporting smaller local charity events with
displays of our models or helping kids build creations from our big boxes
of ‘rories’ (rhymes with two by fouries, aka 2x4 LEGO bricks). We also enjoy
collaborative builds and our members have participated in large micropolis
displays, great ball contraptions, a huge Castle build and a Moon base. We
are currently working on our models for the New Hashima collaboration
that will display at Bricktastic in Manchester next February.
We meet in the function room of a pub in central London, on the 2nd
Monday of the month and each event usually has a different theme. In
January we built the latest modular building and then auctioned off the
set at the end. Other events have featured World Book Day, puzzle night,
challenge night and trains. Our Christmas party is always very popular with
Secret Santa, a charity auction of fantastic LEGO goodies donated by the
members and of course lots of fun and food. Oh, and Christmas jumpers!
Our recent train night was an opportunity for members to bring along
lots of track and have a layout running around the floor of the meeting
room. Some folks brought some classic LEGO trains or their own MOCs.
Long-time member Alec Hole showed off his Octrain and custom
Maersk train, while others had fun building their engines and stations
during the evening. Neil Marsden used our random brick box to build a
quirky and colourful engine.
Above: London
AFOLs collaborated
to build a massive
Moon base... and it's
still growing.
Right: Naturally,
there’s a Classic Space
themed area.
London AFOLs has organised several large group displays over the past
few years. In 2023 collaboration was a castle, this year it themed to a Moon
base. Jon Gale, our ambassador, designed half a dozen different modular
sections, in two different colour schemes, then 24 of our members built a
selection of them, which can be displayed in thousands of combinations.
We each customised our own contributions to form the lunar colony. Eleven
builders were able to bring their sections together for the first outing of the
base at - rather appropriately - the National Space Centre in March 2024.
The model covered eight display tables and incorporated landing pads,
a custom monorail, a custom space train, a nursery, cantinas, a pub (with
moonshine being distilled on the premises), a rollercoaster, a greenhouse
and even a Fabuland themed area.
Even though we each built our contributions separately, we were all
adhering to the Moon base standard so when we brought our models
together they all joined up perfectly - that's the beauty of using a
recognised standard when building a collaboration. The rules provide the
structure, but there is still huge scope for individual builders to customise
their MOCs as they wish.
We were delighted that the LEGO Group offered us support for this
collaboration, and we hope to display it again later in the year at Great
Western Brick Show in Swindon - hopefully even bigger and better
than its first
incarnation.
14 Blocks
THE SORT
Events
Calendar
POWERED BY...
Great Western Brick Show (UK)
When: October5-6
Where: STEAM-Museum of the Great
Western Railway, Swindon
What’s On: GWBS returns for a weekend of
LEGO displays, activities and trade stalls.
Visit: greatwestembrickshow.com
Sheffield Brickfest 2024 (UK)
When: October 26-27
Where: High Storrs School, Sheffield
What’s On: Lots of awesome LEGO
displays, activities and traders.
Visit: facebook.com/
events/1366037694313256
Spa Valley Brick Show (UK)
When: October 26-27
Where: Spa Valley Railway,
Tunbridge Wells
What’s On: LEGO models and displays at
this heritage railway attraction.
Visit: spavalleyrailway.co.uk
Shildon Brick Show (UK)
When: November 16 -17
Where: Locomotion Museum, Shildon
What’s On: LEGO model displays, activities
and marketplace in this free entry museum
in North East England.
Visit: brickalleylug.co.uk/shildon
BrickLincs (UK)
When: November 30 - December 1
Where: Lincoln Christ's Hospital School,
Lincoln
What’s On: LEGO fan event with model
displays, activities, marketplace and large
collaborative LEGO mosaic build.
Visit: facebook.com/BrickLincs
The Magic Garden
Builder: Jackie Britton
Instagram: jackieb8888
Steampunk AT-AT
Builder: Caz Mockett
Instagram: cazmockett
A Small Slice of London
Builder: Andy Larkum
Instagram: mocerhead
Blocks 15
THE SORT
Gaming Download
THE BRICK HORIZON
A LEGO adaptation of the best-selling
video game franchise Horizon is taking
minifigures into a post-apocalyptic world
The best-selling
Horizon video game
series is taking an
unusual turn - as the latest
title is a collaboration with
the LEGO Group. LEGO
Horizon Adventures is
promising to capture the
spirit of the regular Horizon
game but with a brand-new
story and mechanics.
In the game, you travel
across a post-apocalyptic
world inhabited by strange
yet beautiful creatures in the
role of a hunter named Aloy,
as she leads a crew of adventurers on a quest to
save Earth from malicious mechs controlled by
the evil Helis and his group of sun-worshippers.
While it’s the first gaming collaboration
between the LEGO Group and Guerrilla Games,
the original combined effort was 2022’s 76969
Horizon Forbidden West: Tailneck. This time
around, the developers are taking the lead on
LEGO Horizon Adventures, as Guerrilla Games
works on this unique title with the LEGO Group’s
support. Many members of the development
team worked on the original Horizon Zero
Dawn, giving them useful experience for
reinterpreting the game’s world.
LEGO professionals were brought in to
recreate the machines and characters following
the rules of physical elements, so it’s possible to
build out the graphics using real parts. Players
will also have the options of customising their
home base, Mother’s Heart, using elements
they find throughout the game. LEGO Horizon
Adventures is around eight hours long, a much
shorter campaign than the original game, which
requires a significantly larger time investment.
This could make LEGO Horizon Adventures a
great way for new fans to discover the world,
without them feeling left out of the numerous
references and in-jokes that are in the previous
titles.
Another feature that’s fresh to Horizon but
not the LEGO games is the ability to play co-
op. Horizon is typically a solo RPG, but LEGO
Horizon Adventures will let you play with
friends at home or via online connectivity. With
both original Horizon titles focusing on themes
of hope, optimism and defending the balance
between humanity and nature, this title includes
a story loosely based on those same concepts
but seemingly lightened by the anticipated LEGO
humour.
There will be generic minifigure NPCs walking
around, the ability to build things in the world
and a stealth mode that actually allows you to
turn into the surrounding LEGO bricks. While
the main story is designed to be relatively quick
to play, LEGO Horizon Adventures looks like it
will have plenty to unlock and will encourage
replayability with regions to revisit. At present
there is no precise launch date for LEGO Horizon
Adventures, but it is expected to be released in
the last quarter of 2024.
KAT REES-JAUKE
New Fortnite
characters
Safety
First Steve
What's cooler than
a lifeguard? A shark
lifeguard! Part of the new
Safety Shark set, Steve
is taking his role super
seriously. He has the
classic red and yellow
outfit combo, along with
a warning whistle and
a strong tail so he can
quickly swim to the rescue.
Persephone
After eating six
pomegranate seeds and
tying herself to Hades for
half the year, Persephone
becomes Queen of the
Underworld in Greek
mythology. Her Fortnite
skin is a perfect balance
between life and death,
as she wears a gorgeous
black ribbed corset
threaded through with
lilac ribbons.
Joey
Caliente
Fortnite characters
always have clever
names, but Joey Caliente
may be the best yet.
For those with minimal
Spanish language
knowledge, caliente
means hot - and Joey's a
chilli. He embraces the hot vibes through a
flame decorated collar, actual bottles of hot
sauce and a fiery belt buckle.
Fortnite
phraseology
Knightly Large Keep
In LEGO Fortnite, there's a selection of kits so that
players can capture the magic of the Castle theme
with a variety of items that are available together
in the Lion Knights' Favorites bundle. The one that
immediately stands out is Knightly Large Keep, as it
is perfect for sitting at the centre of a fortress. What’s
really nice about it is that you can add many of the
smaller kits to this particular one to create your own
personalised castle. There are also some lovely little
decor packs to furnish the interior of your medieval
structures with, including items featuring the iconic
Lion Knights patterning.
RESOURCES
To build anything within a Fortnite world
and to progress your village level, you will
need Resources. Each biome contains a
multitude of Resources to find or harvest,
with some much rarer than others. That
means that your character will need to
be equipped with stronger items in order
to get rare Resources such as brightcore,
sapphire or iron. You don't have to harvest
Resources yourself though, as breaking
things can often lead to quick gains. Have
a Roller chasing you? Let them smash up
wood or rocks. Brutes can come in useful
for the same purpose.
16 Blocks
THE SORT
The lost elements
Below: The pivoting SNOT
element in its various
configurations.
Blocks delves into the many
elements and products that
the LEGO Group designed
but never released
SNOT PIVOT
In the history of LEGO bricks, studs not on
top (SNOT) elements are a relatively recent
addition to the catalogue, but there was a lot of
experimentation into sideways building parts
through the years. This example from a 1970
patent stands out as being perhaps the most
novel of them all.
LEGO patents almost always include a
description of the problem that a given brick is
trying to solve. In this instance, the language
discusses the need for children to be able to
have studs (then called pins by the company)
face outwards, perpendicular to each other. In
other words, SNOT.
This novel solution consists of two joined
plates. One is fixed while the other can rotate
around a pivot. That pivot connects to an arm
that extends from one side of the fixed plate
up over its centre. The rotating plate can then
swing up and over the pivot so that its studs
line up perfectly with either edge of the fixed
plate below.
Patents never reveal why a certain part
was not produced, but in this instance the
explanation seems fairly obvious. While the
problem was real, this is a very complicated and
inefficient way to solve it. There would be no
way to fix the pivot point, so any perpendicular
build would be free to rotate. Additionally, the
moving parts would have made production
of this element very complex. Finally, there
would have been no way to incorporate this
piece easily into a wall as it has no studs in the
standard vertical orientation.
In 1979, the bracket component (3956)
successfully achieved what this piece was
attempting to do.
йе>
Cg
F/дЗ

TRUNKS AND LIMBS
In 1987, a pair of iconic LEGO elements
were released - parts 2417 and 2423, known
respectively as the classic small and large
leaf elements. Originally created for the first
Forestmen set, 6066 Camouflaged Outpost, they
were attached to black arch elements that served
as branches. That was, however, not always the
plan. The 1987 patent for both leaves included
two other parts that were designed to pair
perfectly with the flora.
. Those unreleased elements are
two variants of tree trunks. The
first of these is a basic straight
trunk component that looks like
an elongated 1x1 round element.
Judging from the drawings it
appears that this piece would have
been approximately three bricks in
height and the same diameter as the 1x1
round brick. The second element is taller
in order to accommodate two protruding
branches with a single stud on each
Л»
Fig.2
f/e '-'S
end. These pieces can be stacked to create trees
of various heights and shapes, while the leaf
elements can attach to either the trunk or the
branches.
In contrast with the SNOT element above, it’s
unclear why these elements never launched. It
appears they would have paired perfectly with the
classic leaf pieces and little groves of standalone
trees would look great next to many buildings
across both Castle and Town. Furthermore,
building trees using arch elements required a lot
of pieces, whereas these specialised elements
would have been more efficient.
There are a few possible explanations for why
they were never produced - stability may have
been an issue, especially on taller constructs, or
colour could have been the reason - not many
parts were produced in brown at the time, or the
protruding branches may not have been strong
enough, especially as children would have
needed to press leaves down onto them.
DANIEL KONSTANSKI
Left: The two
unreleased
tree trunk
components.
Right: The
system of
leaves and tree
elements.
Blocks 17
THE SORT
Screen Time
Upcoming movies
PIECE BY PIECE LINES UP
STAR-STUDDED CAST
Pharrell Williams’ famous friends will lend their
voices to his animated LEGO feature film biopic
The most surprising
film of 2024 is
Piece by Piece, a
biopic based on the life of
Pharrell Williams. Unlike
a traditional life story, this
is being told in animated
minifigure form. The
film’s new trailer pokes
fun at the absurdity of
the concept, with Pharrell
telling his minifigure
director, "you know what
would be cool - if we tell my story with LEGO
pieces.” The director nervously laughs before
asking, "seriously... LEGO?”
The trailer takes full advantage of the LEGO
brick medium, with imaginative settings, plenty
of brick-based gags and many more stylistic
flourishes than a typical biopic. "Grateful that
Focus wanted to collaborate with us and I’m
honoured to share this with the world and bring
people into my universe," Pharrell said when the
film was announced.
"Building with LEGO bricks encourages us to
follow our imagination...who would’ve thought
that playing with these toys as a kid would
ADAPTING WICKED
Universal Pictures is bringing one of the
world’s most successful musicals to the big
screen on November 22, telling a cinematic
version of the Wicked Witch of the West’s
tragic back story for the first time.
Long before Dorothy and Toto arrive in
Oz, the Wicked Witch was simply Elphaba
(Cynthia Erivo), a young woman never
accepted by her stepfather and shunned as
everyone reacted negatively to her green skin.
The film will explore her friendship with
Glinda (Ariana Grande) and the fallout when
they discover the truth about the Wizard (Jeff
Goldblum).
Director Jon M. Chu told Vanity Fair that
he will predominantly be recreating the
fantastical world with physical movie-
making techniques: "I was like, ‘I want to do
it the way I dreamed about it as a kid when
I watched Hook. Behind the scenes, Steven
Spielberg was on a dock with a giant pirate
ship. I’m like, ‘If this is my one opportunity
to do this, I want to do that.’”
One we want...
Star Wars: The Acolyte’s stand-out character is undoubtedly Pip, the little mechanical droid that
Osha carries around on her belt. Unusually for Star Wars, the quirky little robot is hand held, so it
would be entirely possible for the LEGO design team to produce a 1:1 version.
evolve into a movie about my life? It’s proof that
anyone else can do it too.”
Pharrel is bringing his music industry cohort
with him into this venture, with Gwen Stefani,
Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake,
Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z and Snoop Dog (who turns
into an actual LEGO dog in the trailer) voicing
their blocky doppelgangers.
"I’m grateful to our partners at Focus Features
and at the LEGO Group for their belief in our
crazy mission,” said director Morgan Neville.
"We assembled an incredible team of creative
collaborators to help make a new type of film. I
can’t wait for people to see it.”
1
JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX
RELEASE DATE: October 4
WRITTEN BY: Scott Silver and Todd Phillips
DIRECTED BY: Todd Phillips
CAST: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga,
Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener
PIECE BY PIECE
RELEASE DATE:
October 11 (US) /November 15 (UK)
WRITTEN BY: ТВ A
DIRECTED BY: Morgan Neville
CAST: Pharrell Williams, Gwen Stefani,
Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland
WICKED
RELEASE DATE: November 22
WRITTEN BY: Winnie Holzman
DIRECTED BY: Jon M. Chu
CAST: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande,
Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum
Upcoming series
LEGO STAR WARS:
REBUILD THE GALAXY
WHERE TO WATCH: Disney*
PREMIERE DATE: September 13
EPISODES: 4
SHOWRUNNERS: Dan Hernandez and
Benji Samit
CAST: Gaten Matarazzo, Tony Revolori,
Bobby Moynihan, Marsai Martin, Michael
Cusack
AGATHA ALL ALONG
WHERE TO WATCH: Disney*
PREMIERE DATE: September 18
EPISODES: 9
SHOWRUNNER: Jac Schaeffer
CAST: Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Joe
Locke, Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata
Dave and Emily built an enormous, vibrant
city in LEGO Masters USA Season 2, with
twisting, towering skyscrapers that are
absolutely packed with colour.
18 Blocks
THE SORT
IDEAS
Latest
YOU’RE GOING TO NEED
A BIGGER SEPARATOR
The LEGO Group has released 21350 JAWS alongside
a fun little animated retelling of the classic movie
There have been LEGO products inspired by E.T., Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones -
and now another Steven Spielberg classic has been adapted. Jonny Campbell was
inspired to build a LEGO model based on JAWS and shared it on LEGO Ideas, where
it gathered 10,000 votes from fellow users before getting the all-important approval.
"JAWS is my favourite movie of all time, so I really wanted to recreate it in LEGO bricks,"
said Jonny. "LEGO building has always been a part of my life in some shape or form. I
actually freeze-framed JAWS as I watched it so that I could catch a glimpse of the finer
details, taking notes as I went along.
"I wanted the shark to appear as he does for the majority of the movie (as a fake
shark), so I looked at pictures of Great White sharks as well as photos of ‘Bruce’, the actual
animatronic shark used for the movie.
"It is just mind-blowing that my design is now an official LEGO set. I can’t wait to stand
in a LEGO shop, seeing a set that I have been involved with and watching someone buy it."
To launch the set, the LEGO Group shared a fun animation that retells the film’s story in
just 90 seconds, with some humorous twists - including a mercifully less grizzly end for
the titular beast. There’s even a cameo from the famous director himself, inspired by his
look from the 1970s.
Once built, the model can either displayed as a single diorama, with the shark attacking
the boat, or as separate components, with the shark on a display stand and the boat sitting
on a surface. The set has arrived in time for the film’s 50th anniversary next year.
Winning build
Inspired by LEGO DREAMZzz, fans were asked to
build a whimsical world that they'd like to visit
in their dreams. Brick Banshee came up with this
imaginative pancake world, where the minifigures
are tiny compared to the enormous sweet treats that
are dripping with syrup. It’s titled Adventure to the
Pancake King and the monarch can be spotted on his
throne, ruling over the world of sugary goodness.
Gathering support
Appropriately, given the heritage of LEGO bricks, PEAC has shared the Danish royal
yacht HDMY Dannebrog on Ideas. The lengthy model accurately recreates the
shaping and detail from the real vessel, with some instantly visible I
instances of nice parts usage.	______-1
Blocks 19
THE SORT
The Brick Debate
Do licensed sets have to be 100% accurate?
When there are new LEGO sets based on beloved movies, video games and
comic books, fans always have a strong take on whether they deliver the source
material accurately But is that what these models should even be striving for?
Kat says...
“WITHOUT THIS LEVEL OF AUTHENTICITY, THE QUESTION IS -
WHAT'S THE POINT OF A LICENSED MODEL?”
Licensed LEGO sets aim to recreate key
locations, vehicles or characters from across
a wide variety of media. Almost all of the
licenses that the LEGO designers work with
are iconic parts of pop culture, including
beloved movie franchises and best-selling
video games. Due to these licenses being
so well known, fans will notice when
something isn’t quite right, so there is no
room for error. Due to the passion of fans
who know these fictional universes inside
out, these LEGO sets need to as accurate as
possible.
Just look at what happened when 75530
Chewbacca was announced last year. Chewie
is Han Solo’s co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon and the wookiee’s design
is incredibly important to conveying his on-screen character. Fans headed
straight to their social media apps to complain about this LEGO set and
they were justified to do so. Chewie just doesn’t look right in that model.
There’s something about his face that the LEGO bricks couldn’t capture
and it throws the whole model into disarray. Yes, it technically looks like
Chewbacca, but it is not the wookiee fans know and love. This LEGO
model is a perfect example of why it is important to get a licensed set right,
because something about it being ‘off’ is extremely noticeable.
No one cares if a building seems a bit strange in a LEGO City set or if a
Friends set is too outrageous (well, some fans might suggest they ditch a
massive slide or two). Typical LEGO sets are imaginative and anything goes
when it’s all make-believe. But for outside IPs, the make-believe already
exists and there is existing content that the LEGO sets will inevitably
be compared to. Considering this opportunity for easy comparison and
knowing that the LEGO design team uses official reference material, then
there is little room for error.
Ever since the LEGO Group started to produce licensed sets with the
Star Wars theme in 1999, the designers set a high standard. While parts
availability and a select colour palette may have provided some limitations
in the early years, the set designs have been as accurate as possible using
the technology and pieces available. Licensed LEGO sets keep pushing
the limits of what can be achieved through bricks and the designers keep
making these models more authentic.
Without this level of authenticity, the question is - what’s the point of
a licensed model? The LEGO designers could simply make any models
they wanted to without the constraints of reference. It’s aiming to recreate
something as close to the original as possible that’s the challenge. Batman
isn't Batman without his iconic suit. The DeLorean would just be another
car if it didn't feature its special time-travelling engines.
Licensed sets are a very special part of the LEGO portfolio because they
aim to take iconography from across different media and recreate it using
bricks. It isn't easy and that’s what makes these sets stand out. It’s the
awe and surprise of recognising something in a totally different, plastic
medium. Without capturing that level of accuracy then the set loses its
identity and is just another LEGO model.
Licensing work as a partnership between the LEGO Group and the
intellectual property, so each design is created via a library of references
and has to be approved by the licensor before it’s even produced. While
there will be occasions when in-production movies change while the
toy is being designed, those should always be the exceptions - if fans
are buying a LEGO model of something they know, it needs to look as
authentic as possible.
KAT-REES JAUKE
20 Blocks
THE SORT
Ryan says...
“REMEMBER THAT LEGO SETS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FUN”
Licensed LEGO sets were a nearly
unthinkable concept before 1999... and then
LEGO Star Wars came along. The theme’s
unparalleled success showed the LEGO
Group the potential that sets based on
external IPs (intellectual properties) have and
there have been sets based on everything
from Winnie the Pooh to Dune.
But with every new release of a licensed
product, some fans call into question the
accuracy of the models, pointing out an
engine in the wrong place or one too many
branches on a tree. And that raises the
question — do licensed sets need to be 100%
accurate to the source material?
Back in 1999 and the early 2000s, this
entire debate was pretty much unheard of, as the parts catalogue was so
limited that it couldn’t fully replicate any of the Star Wars vehicles or Harry
Potter locations even if it wanted to. So instead of going for full accuracy,
the LEGO Group elected to create the general vibe of whatever was being
made in the traditional blocky style of the time.
Just look at 2000’s 7190 Millennium Falcon — the shaping on the cockpit
is simply bad and there are a bunch of awkward blue pieces and janky
angles. Compared to 75257 Millennium Falcon from 2019, it would be easy
to call 7190 a poor model because of its strange build and inaccuracies. And
while the build quality is certainly not the best, what 7190 manages to do is
create the iconic vessel in the classic LEGO style, which is quite impressive.
It’s certainly a fun toy.
As the element catalogue expanded exponentially throughout the 2000s
and 2010s, sets became more precise because the new variety of bricks and
colours allowed the designers to make them more accurate. And this is
where the core question comes back into play — just because sets can be
fully accurate, should they be?
I will admit that I have been on the side of calling out inaccuracies in
new sets and wondering how these could possibly have been allowed to
happen. But there comes a point when the inaccuracies don’t really matter.
If 75367 Venator Class Star Destroyer’s bridge had been placed in the wrong
spot, that would be a glaring issue. But 10316 Rivendell not having a screen-
accurate number of chairs for the council is not a big deal at all, because it
provides a comfortable number of chairs for the space while ensuring the
necessary characters have a place in the scene.
Another area where the accuracy debate crops up is in the form of play
features. The LEGO Group has a habit of adding wacky play features to
models that don’t accurately represent the source material. These can range
from practical, such as external storage for lightsabers on Jedi starfighters,
to fun, such as those giant rubber missiles from the late 2000s. Now, I
wouldn’t want a massive cannon mounted on the front of Helm’s Deep or
anything like that, but I think it’s important to remember that LEGO sets are
supposed to be fun. If having a silly play feature on a spaceship comes at
the cost of 100% accuracy, that’s perfectly fine by me.
When it comes to more recent 18+ sets, there is definitely room to
criticise and demand accuracy in the models. Something marketed as a
display item for adults should be designed as close to a replica as possible,
especially when it comes at a premium price tag and uses thousands of
pieces. But when it comes to more traditional play sets, there’s some wiggle
room with accuracy that adult collectors — myself included — should
always remember.
RYANEVERLETH
Blocks 21
THE SORT
Впек
CENTRAL
BrickCentral is an online community of
photographers who take creative photos of LEGO
models and minifigures. We've always got some
fun activities for LEGO fans to do like photography
themes, contests, tips and community projects.
Our Discord, Instagram and Tumblr communities
are home to thousands of members from around
the world who want to share and discover LEGO
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Clockwise from top left: @archiminibricks, @fourbrickstall, @murnubrix,
@taskera photography, @the aphol, @toy.story.yana
22 blocks
THE SORT
DRIVING IN LUXURY
One of the most desirable Lamborghini
sportscars pulls into the LEGO garage to
expand the scale vehicle collection
"the current range of cars is
one of the clearest ways to
observe how LEGO design
continually progresses"
EGO Icons is no stranger to stunning
large-scale vehicles. The latest addition to
the supercar garage is 10337 Lamborghini
Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole, the theme’s
first Lamborghini model. The Countach was
produced from 1974 to 1990 and the set is based
on the model first produced in 1985, named for
the four valves used per cylinder.
Using just more than 1,500 pieces, the set
captures the look of the iconic car in its sleek
white colour. The model is packed with details
authentic to the real-world ride, including its deep
dish rims, large taillights and rear spoiler. And it’s
not all just for looks, either — the trunk and hood
10337Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole is made from 1,506 pieces.
both open to reveal further details inside and the
scissor doors can lift up just like they do on the
actual car, granting access to the fully detailed
cockpit area.
There looks to be plenty here for automotive
fans and LEGO fans to love; if past Icons cars are
anything to go by, clever techniques and parts
usage will be found throughout 10337 to capture
the Countach’s unique shaping.
Being a large LEGO Icons set, it certainly does
come with a premium price tag, but it’s still a
bit cheaper than buying the real thing - and it
doesn’t require a garage.
RYANEVERLETH
Cars have always been part of the LEGO
portfolio. In fact, the first ever minifigure,
the police officer, came with a little car
back in 1978. At that point the vehicles were
blocky and basic, not even able to fit a
character inside. To see the current selection
of LEGO cars is simply incredible. It's one
of the clearest ways to observe how LEGO
design continually progresses. As the parts
catalogue has increased, so has the detail
that the models can provide, while Technic
pieces allow for more functionality (even
within System models), so each time there's
a new car, it is only more accurate to its real-
life inspiration.
For the Lamborghini Countach, there are
currently two models available. Within the
Speed Champions theme there is a brilliant
version from 2022 that captures the harsh
angles of the car at a smaller scale. This
latest Icons set is so sleek it's hard to even
notice that it's made from bricks. Yet these
different scales demonstrate how each
range of LEGO cars has its own perks. Not
everyone has the money or space for the big
Icons versions, but the Speed Champions
designs are perfect for actually racing. Ever
since the designers increased the chassis to
eight studs wide (it used to be six), they have
become more realistic despite the small scale.
Then there are the Technic sets that are
more heavily focused on the mechanics
of the actual car, like 42154 Ford GT2022,
which has the butterfly wing doors opening
correctly. This wouldn't have been possible
just a few years ago and it's astounding how
quickly the themes are progressing. It's never
a shame when a specific model is revisited
as each new iteration improves on what
has come before - no matter when you feel
the desire to build a LEGO car, it's always a
great time to start collecting these evergreen
stalwarts.
Far left: The LEGO
Group celebrated
50 years since the
company first started
operations in Spain.
Left: LEGO employees
around the world
participated in the
company’s internal
Play Day and Senior
Designer Justin
Ramsden snagged an
exclusive minifigure.
Blocks 23
THE SORT
Top 10
Reimagined
minifigures
With Johnny Thunder back
in the brick again, Blocks is
counting down other classic
LEGO characters who have
had a modem era glow up
9. Wolf pack Rogue
The Wolfpack were a band otoutlaws
and bandits who first joined the Castle
theme in three small builds in 1992.
The inclusion of the Wolfpack
Rogue in 10332 Medieval Town
Square marks the return of
this nefarious Castle faction
- although he is a wolf
without a wolfpack...
a lone wolf, if you
will. The redesigned
emblem is sharper and
more menacing than what came
before (the wolf head was rather cute
previously). The torso has some nice
printed details like the money pouch, but
the minifigure’s head design could be more
rugged or befitting of the Rogue title.
7. Black Falcon Knights
The Black Falcons were one of the Castle theme’s
earliest factions, set against the Lion Knights (or
Crusaders, depending on where in the world you’re
from). The Black Falcon faction always received fewer
sets than their enemies and in recent years their
reintroduction has been gradual, starting with two
Black Falcon Knights appearing in 21325 Medieval
Blacksmith. However, these figures are superb,
with intricate torso and leg printing revealing
chainmail underneath the iconic blue tunics.
Pauldrons and a wide variety of weapons
mark these figures as soldiers not to be
messed with, especially when compared
to the limited battle tools they had back
in the day.
10. Majisto
Majisto was a ground-breaking
minifigure - not only was he the first
wizard minifigure, but he was also
the first minifigure to use the beard
and pointed hat pieces. Since his
minifigure debut in 6048 Majisto's
Magical Workshop, he has held a long,
prestigious position in LEGO history. It's
surprising that recent imaginings of the
character, first in 10305 Lion Knights’
Castle, have been so plain. This may
be the designers paying homage to
his original aesthetic, but as the rest of
this list will show, the opportunity to
reimagine classic minifigures provides
many opportunities to respectfully
reinvent a character’s design.
8. Pippin Reed
PippiriReed first appeared as
Johnny Thunder’s companion in the
Adventurers theme - she joined the
archaeologist adventurer during his
trips to Egypt, the Amazon, Asia and
Dino Island. Given she was part of the
Orient Expedition, it’s highly fitting
that Reed made a recent reappearance
in 21344 Orient Express. Gone are the
trappings of early 2000s minifigure
design (the thin lips and scraggly
hair); now Reed dresses in a smart
teal blazer and red cloche. She’s a
thoroughly modem reimagining of
a classic character, with a delightful
1930s twist. As Johnny Thunder is
back in City, the nostalgia train is
departing once again.
№ 21344
6. Governor
Broadside
Governor Broadside was tasked
with stopping Captain Redbeard’s
pirates. He appeared in two Pirates
sets - 6274 Caribbean Clipper and 6276
Eldorado Fortress. It’s unclear whether
the Governor minifigure included
in the more recent 10320 Eldorado
Fortress is Broadside or not, but the
signs - including the red plume, golden
epaulette and bicorn hat - are
there. The difference in hair
colour across the figures, from
black to grey, might suggest
Broadside has had a challenging
few years, especially with Redbeard’s
resurgence (more on that later), but he’s
nonetheless a distinguished and stately
gentleman. Hopefully he will get to
enjoy retirement soon.
24 Blocks
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5. Ice Planet Explorer
Fans of Ice Planet 2002, a suotheme of LEGO
Space from the 1990s, had a welcome surprise when
Series 26 of Collectible Minifigures introduced the Ice
Planet Explorer. The figure’s red hair is similar to Dr
Kelvin from the original theme, but the minifigure
uses modem parts to create the robust
armour needed to live in an unforgiving
environment. The distinctive trans-
orange chainsaw is back, capturing
the all-important colour scheme that
defined the Space subtheme. As if the
return of a beloved astronaut wasn’t
enough, the robot penguin makes
this an irresistible reimagining.
3. Frankenstein’s Monster
Studios, a theme from the early 2000s, started
with sets tied into big-budget films (like Spider-
Man), but later moved to non-licensed areas,
like 1382 Scary Laboratory, which included
the first minifigure of Frankenstein’s
Monster. A later Monster Fighters set,
9466 The Crazy Scientist and His
Monster, included another iteration
of Frankenstein’s Creation - gone was
the hyperbolic headpiece, which
was replaced by a smaller (but still
highly effective) add-on. The
minifigure is wonderfully
printed with the stiches
hinting at how the
monster has been
cobbled together.
Frankenstein’s Monster
gives the term ‘My Own
Creation’ a whole new
meaning.
4. Benny
Benny was one of the core
characters in The LEGO Movie
and is inspired by the blue astronaut
from Classic Space. His minifigure might
appear simple, but that’s part of its charm
- the bright blue torso is decorated with a
faded logo from the Classic Space era and
the classic air tanks slide onto his back.
Benny’s cheerful face printing is adorable,
but what’s most distinctive about him is his deliberately cracked helmet
piece, recognising a familiar occurrence experienced by children of the 1980s.
This crack was also written into Benny’s backstory - it led to an oxygen leak,
which is why Benny is so... eccentric.
2. Vampire Knight
Basil the BatLord was introduced
in the highly memorable (if short-
lived) Fright Knights era of the Castle
theme. Basil was the leader of the faction
and appeared in seven sets. For a mid-1990s
minifigure, he was rather distinctive, with an
awesome, exclusive bat helmet and printed
cape. Castle fans were therefore very excited to get Vampire Knight in Collectible
Minifigures Series 25, who is clearly Basil reincarnated. Everything about the Bat
Lord has been ramped up to 100, whether it be the angular helmet (still with bat
wings), the piercing red eyes, the beautiful armour or the astonishing cape. He’s
a frighteningly good minifigure.
1. Captain Redbeard
Captain Redbeard made his debut appearance in 6285 Black Sea’s Barracuda. He was
the first minifigure to have a hook and a peg leg and he is one of the LEGO Group’s most
famous original characters. The pirate briefly sailed back into builders’ hearts with a
modem edition in 2O15’s 70413 The Brick Bounty, but his depiction in 2O2O’s 21322 Pirates of
Barracuda Bay was truly something special. The torso design is instantly recognisable, with
a black jacket and green ruff, but what’s especially pleasing is the face printing, in which
the Captain’s famous red beard now has a hint of grey, suggesting his advancing age. Grey
haired or not, long may he sail the high seas!
ANTHONY WALKER-COOK
Blocks 25
THE SORT
In other news...
Rounding up the rest of the month's
news from the world of LEGO bricks
NEW NINJAGO RIDE
LEGO NINJAGO World is present at most LEGOLAND parks around the world, though
each have the same design and set of experiences based on the original run of the theme
from more than a decade ago. Things are changing at LEGOLAND Korea though, as the
park is getting a new ride based on the modem iteration of the theme - NINJAGO Dragons
Rising. Little is known about the new experience outside of some concept art that hints at it
being a spinning coaster. It is due to open in 2025 and it there’s a good chance the ride will
subsequently make its way to other LEGOLAND parks.
BRICKSHELF FOUNDER
PASSES AWAY
Kevin Loch, the founder of Brickshelf, passed away on June 19,2024, at the age of 52. He
was a beloved member of the online LEGO community. AFOLs have been sharing their
sympathies and fond memories of the community that Kevin helped to build. Brickshelf
launched in 1999 as a place for AFOLs to share pictures of their LEGO creations. Long
before modem photo sharing social media was available, Brickshelf was a crucial part of
the online AFOL network. It was a unique place for fans to share builds outside of physical
events. The site hosts almost five million files, demonstrating the scale of its community.
PLAY FOR EVERYONE
“Play is never just play,” says the LEGO Group’s CEO Niels B. Christiansen, “Play
teaches children to explore... and help them gain a deeper understanding of the world
that surrounds them.” This mindset is what saw the LEGO Group commission a study
concerning the amount of time children spend playing. The company was part of a group
of organisations that championed the first annual International Day of Play on June 11,
which was then adopted by the UN. The LEGO Group hopes the day will be a reminder of
the importance of play in the lives of children as well as those helping to raise them.
BRICKS THROUGH TIME
The Museum of Gloucester opened a new LEGO display on June 29, entitled The
Brick History Exhibition, following the success of a previous Roman Gloucester in
LEGO Bricks display. Visitors will be able to check out brick-built representations of
historic events and people. It’s no exaggeration to say that the entire history of the
universe is represented, as the gallery will start with the Big Bang and go all the way to
modem day space exploration. All of the historical models on show are accompanied
by workshops and play sessions so visitors can get hands on with some LEGO bricks.
DEEPENING THE LORE
LEGO NINJAGO has grown far beyond the scope of the original three-year run planned for
the theme - and that includes an ever-growing lore that surrounds the beloved world and
characters. Creator and showrunner Chris Wyatt recently took to Twitter and answered fans’
questions, hinting at some major story twists while doing so, specifically around the show’s
main character, Lloyd. When asked if Lloyd knows what his own elemental power is, Chris
replied with: “What a good question this is. Hold onto it for a while.” He is seemingly hinting
that there may be new revelations coming around Lloyd’s power as the Master of Energy.
RYANEVERLETH
26 Blocks
THE SORT
Secrets we’ve spotted in...
75389 THE
DARK FALCON
The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy has had a bit of a
makeover. LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy follows
the misadventures of Sig Greebling as he accidentally
activates a powerful Jedi relic that rewrites history. Han Solo’s
beloved freighter isn’t doing the Kessel Run in this reality,
instead it belongs to the Sith. 75389 The Dark Falcon keeps the
iconic shape of the original ship but uses a colour palette more
suited to a TIE Fighter. It’s time to reach out with the Force to
see what is contained within this new set...
KAT REES-JAUKE
Is that Darth Jar Jar?
After putting forward the emergency vote that enables
Chancellor Palpatine to take control of the senate and
declare himself Emperor, fans have joked for years that
Jar Jar is a secret Sith Lord. The online gag has been taken
so far that when Star Wars: The Force Awakens was
announced, there was speculation that Snoke was trained
by Darth Jar Jar. It’s a wild, fun theory that has translated
into a fantastically bombad minifigure.
What has happened
to Threepio?
During Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, C-3PO reveals
that he can read ancient Sith text but it's against his
programming. A few modifications and questionable
rewiring later leads to him speaking Sith fluently. The
procedure wipes Threepio's memory bank and causes his
eyes to turn glowing red. This minifigure features printed
red eyes that may relate to that scene. It looks like the fussy
droid will also see his arm change colour again... oh my.
Surf's up!
Obi-Wan wore a Hawaiian shirt while singing karaoke,
Rey wore a huge hat to keep her cool during a galactic
cruise and now Luke Skywalker seems to have found a
fondness for surfing. He does not have a lightsaber, is
embracing a mullet haircut and has a surfboard. He is
wearing Padme’s japor snippet - will there be a Skywalker
family gathering or is it just symbolic of his hipster style?
That’snotDejarik..
It's not wise to upset a wookiee, so don't tell Chewbacca
that the Dejarik table is missing. Dejarik is the game
that Chewbacca plays with the droids as they travel to
Alderaan and it's basically space chess. Rather than
using physical pieces, holographic icons serve as the
playing tokens instead. But the dark siders clearly don't
play chess and prefer to play video games. Perhaps
games do lead to real-life violence after all...
All white threads
A Jedi version of Vader fits the theme of Rebuild the Galaxy, suggesting that in this universe
Anakin Skywalker never turned to the dark side. While this minifigure of Vader is unique,
the idea is not. There's a comic book that features this exact suit-Star Wars Infinities:
Return of the Jedi #4 from 2003. It's a story that reimagines the events of Star Wars: Return
of the Jedi, much like this collection of LEGO specials will.
Blocks 27
THE SORT
Contest of the Month
Get Involved
ROGUE OLYMPICS
Website: roguebricks.de
Instagram: roguebricks_lug
Can you build a masterpiece using 101 elements? These incredible
creations demonstrate how to use pieces with expert level efficiency
For many LEGO community competitions, bigger
is better — but not for Rogue Olympics! With a
maximum of 101 parts to work with, the key is
to make the most out of every piece.
These small creations are the perfect place for
builders to show off their creativity in using pieces in
unexpected ways — BIONICLE masks as car hoods,
wands as pagoda spires or backpacks as old fashioned
cameras.
Rogue Olympics runs for eight weeks, with a new
category facing builders each week. Prompts like
‘danger’ ‘balance’ and ‘uplift’ provide the inspiration
for builders to get started and from there on, the
results are down to imagination and sheer skill! Every
single element counts...
Build: Stay Alert!
Builder: Christian Rau
Instagram: orangerauy
Category: Danger
Build: Rincewind and Twoflower
Builder: Arne Jahnke
Instagram: versteinert_ brickcrea tions
Category: Danger
Build: The Salvager
Builder: Marcel V.
Instagram: marcel.I eg о
Category: Uplift
28 Blocks
THE SORT
Build: Mindfulness
Builder: Davide Sacramati
Instagram: abrickdreamer
Category: Mind
Build: Mystic Meditation
Builder: Markus Rollbiihler
Instagram: moriartus
Category: Mind
Build: Far East Elegance
Builder: Markus Rollbilhler
Instagram: moriartus
Category: Balance
Blocks 29
THE SORT
Q&A with
THE BRICK HUT
The Brick Hut is a place where
families can buy bricks, sit and
build or attend a special workshop
hris Allsopp and Kathryn Allsopp own and run the Brick Hut, a
venue in North Lincolnshire where families can spend some time
building together, whether that be creatively constructing with loose
bricks or putting a set together. They also offer loose LEGO bricks and
minifigures to buy, in addition to new and retired sets.
As an independent business, it’s unsurprising that the couple pay
careful attention to detail to give visitors a joyful experience. The
venue is even dog friendly, so your furry friend can sit beside
you while you get hands on with some bricks. Blocks
magazine caught up with Chris to find out more about
what goes on at the Brick Hut.
Blocks: What will people find at the Brick Hut?
Chris: People will find a relaxed, friendly and
welcoming environment at The Brick Hut. We strive
to make sure everyone’s experience, whether it is a
building workshop or a spurious shopping spree for
much needed parts, is as easy as possible.
What are the different ways that people can play at
the Brick Hut?
Anyone visiting the Brick Hut can play or build in several
different ways. Firstly, every table at the Brick Hut has a tray of
‘open play’ parts for creative building and play.
Secondly, we also have our ‘brick menu’ - it’s not just food and
snacks. It is a variety of more than 60 LEGO sets that you pay to build (so
after you have built it, you return it ready for another builder). Our goal is
to offer LEGO entertainment for families and friends, so the pay to build
system allows everyone to build sets for a reasonable price! Once you
have finished building, you can take a picture and we’ll then make sure it’s
dismantled and sanitised ready for the next builder.
We have organised activity workshops where visitors can build,
participate and be creative with LEGO bricks, whether it be brick stamping
(painting with bricks) or building LEGO animals. We also have our lending
library, ‘The Brick Hut at home’ scheme, which is a monthly subscription
system that allows subscribers to borrow two sets each week.
Do you also sell LEGO bricks?
Yes we also sell LEGO bricks, we have sets ranging from retired to current,
we also have a very large ‘pick a brick’ wall with more than 20,000 parts
to choose from. We sell elements by the tub and individually. We also sell
minifigures individually and have a great make your own minifigure station.
Parts of all types are very important within the LEGO hobby, especially
retired pieces as it’s common to lose or break pieces... we’ve all done it.
MOC building is very popular within the community and we see loads of
LEGO hobbyists coming to the Brick Hut with lists of parts, grabbing a part
tray and sitting with a coffee
while searching for parts. We
love seeing the creations that our
fans build.
What is the most rewarding
thing about running the Brick Hut?
The most rewarding thing
has to be seeing the creations
that families make together. We
get a sense of pride when this
happens because we do not have
a lot in the area for families to
do. People come back again and
again! When families use parts
in our open build trays, no two
builds are ever the same and
seeing the creativity come alive
as a family is amazing. We love
everything about LEGO bricks;
sorting them, building with
them, even cleaning them!
Find out more
For more information about The Brick Hut, visit thebrickhut.co.uk.
30 Blocks
THE SORT
Five things we’ve learned this month...
MOON BRICKS ARE REAL
Scientists working at the European Space Agency recently created building
bricks very similar to a standard LEGO brick. The twist? They did so using a
4.5 billion year old meteorite. They took the raw meteorite and ground it into
a dust, mixed it with a handful of other materials... to produce 3D printed
bricks. While making small bricks out of a meteorite may not sound like
the most practical thing to do, the experiment is part of a larger operation to
determine if materials on the Moon are suitable for building, with the hopes
of astronauts one day building infrastructure on location.
POINTS ARE AT LEGOLAND
Shopping for a new set or souvenir at LEGOLAND has always
come with a drawback; not earning any Insiders points. Until now.
Fans have been slowly but surely seeing the benefits of the theme
parks being owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family again and now
select LEGOLAND and LEGO Discovery Centre venues in the UK
and US are allowing fans to earn points on purchases from shops
within the parks. While the scope is limited for now, it will hopefully
expand to all of the parks and centres around the world to offer a
seamless LEGO brand shopping experience.
YOU CAN DANCE LIKE A MINIFIGURE
To celebrate the opening of its latest ride, LEGOLAND New York Resort
threw a disco party of record-breaking proportions. The ride, Minifigure
Skyflyer, takes guests around the park from above with a unique soundtrack,
which provided the basis for the disco. 704 guests took part in the event,
officially beating the previous World Disco Dance Party record of 598. The
party was led by DJ Dimension, who taught the crowd the new attraction’s
signature dance before unleashing the confetti and turning up the music.
Plenty of LEGOLAND characters were on hand to bust some moves, including
Lady Robot and Professor Brick.
THERE'S A RISK OF E-BRICK-TION
The experience of rediscovering the LEGO hobby in adulthood is a
common one — though it doesn't often result in an eviction notice.
James Bruce got back into the brick world after introducing it to his son,
but his collection soon grew to be so large that his wife ordered it out
of the house. Instead of cutting back, he built himself a cabin in his
garden to keep his LEGO collection safe. Fortunately, moving it to the
cabin hasn’t lessened his family’s love of sharing the hobby, as they still
spend plenty of time sorting through bricks and building together.
INTERIOR DESIGNERS KNOW BEST
What happens when you combine a big mess of LEGO bricks and a
professional interior decorator? Designer Nate Berkus was determined to
save his son’s room from being taken over by a LEGO brick tsunami, so he
set to work personally organising all of the pieces. The result is a fifteen-
unit storage system separating all the pieces by colour. Eternal debate of
sorting by type versus colour aside, the colourful drawers do have a nice
visual flair befitting a professional designer. And the system has proven
to be a great success, with Nate sharing that his son has kept it organised
for 11 months and counting.
Blocks 31
THE SORT
This LEGO Life
ENJOYING THE BRICK IN BARCELONA
When on a supposedly brick-free holiday, Graham stepped into LEGO Store
Barcelona and spent a while marvelling at a thoroughly themed flagship shop
“getting to see a LEGO interpretation of Gaudi’s
creativity felt entirely appropriate to the trip”
You must be old if you remember when LEGO Stores were a little
quirkier. Well, quirky might be a strong word, they weren’t all that
different to one another - but there was some variation in what
you’d find inside of them. Some old parts that had been overproduced
might be sat on a shelf available to buy loose or some particular model
might be on a really good discount.
When the number of branded stores exploded though, they
understandably became more uniform. That’s fair enough, as the LEGO
Group has a brand to maintain and it’s nice for casual fans to know what
to expect in a LEGO Store. Deep LEGO fans though are very aware that
wherever they are in the world, they’ll find pretty much the same thing in
every branch.
Except when visiting a LEGO Store in a major city. Thankfully, after
establishing a clear format for LEGO Stores, the LEGO Group was then
willing to disrupt it for big destination locations. That means that when
you’re on holiday in such a destination, it’s worth taking a bit of time away
from ‘proper’ sightseeing to check out what the LEGO Store is like.
I was taking a break from this LEGO life and enjoying a few days in
Barcelona. I came across the LEGO Store, not necessarily expecting anything
too special... but when I stepped inside, I discovered that absolutely
everything is themed around the
city and its iconography.
Barcelona is famous for its
Catalan Modernist buildings,
in particular those designed by
Antoni Gaudi i Comet. Inside the
LEGO Store, there are big builds of
some of his best-known buildings
- the Sagrada Familia and Park
Guell. An upscaled brick-built
minifigure of the architect sits in
front of one of them, reminiscent
of the way minifigure Shakespeare
hangs out at the London Leicester
Square store. Z-Blob is cramping
Gaudi’s vibe at the moment, but at
least the wacky character fits with
the wavey, organic style.
It’s not just Gaudi’s buildings
that the shop pays tribute to, but
also his mosaic technique. He
took glazed ceramic tiles, smashed
them into pieces and then placed
the shards on the surface of his
structures. The LEGO brick version
of it is very effective and captures
the decorative technique in a really
vibrant way. Clever methods have
been used to give the impression
of curving surfaces.
Antonio is the store’s mascot and appears in a few places - first, as an
upscaled minifigure near the entrance. In his hand, he holds a blocky
replica of the iconic dragon that is found at the entrance to Park Guell,
based on the LEGO chameleon element. The minifigure also appears on a
mosaic near the checkout and as part of a fun interactive screen game (you
move, the digital minifigure moves - move enough and confetti falls).
Pillars in the centre of the store have (presumably) been cleverly disguised
as a villa that is covered in decorations, including hanging baskets made
from LEGO bricks. There’s barely a place in the store that isn’t decorated with
either actual Gaudi style LEGO tiles or faux Gaudi style LEGO tiles.
Naturally I needed a souvenir and fortunately the store has Minifigure
Factory. It was really tricky choosing between some very appealing designs,
some featuring Antonio or the LEGO dragon, with even the more basic
graphics using the relevant Barca colour scheme. A luggage tag was the
only other item specific to Barcelona that was there when I visited, a plastic
tag featuring the dragon again.
The great thing about this LEGO Store being imbued with so much of
the local heritage is that I didn’t feel remotely guilty for visiting it while
on vacation. If this were just another
LEGO Store and another shopping
trip, it would have felt odd to spend
valuable getaway time looking at
LEGO sets I can see anywhere. But
getting to see a LEGO interpretation
of Gaudi’s creativity felt entirely
appropriate to the trip.
It must be the same for visitors
heading to LEGO Store Leicester
Square in London - yes, it is quite IP
heavy now, but all of the IP is relevant
to the UK capital. James Bond and
Harry Potter are both quintessentially
British stories. Spider-Man is a bit
debatable, but I suppose there was
that one film that had him swinging
around Tower Bridge.
It’s very clear that the team behind
LEGO Store Barcelona were really
inspired by the locality and it was a
really fun place to spend a bit of time.
I may lament the ‘good old days’ when
you’d find random things in LEGO
Stores, but we never had anything like
these fully themed flagship stores.
They are a real treat when you’re
visiting somewhere new and elevate
what would otherwise be just another
trip to stare at some bricks.
32 Blocks
THE SORT
Blocks 33
SPACE
Right: Senior
Model Designer
Bas Brederode,
Senior Model
Designer David
Tauzia and
Senior Design
Manager Daniel
Meehan.
Far right: Olivia
is back in 42605
Mars Space Base
and Rocket.
Below: The
largest space
themed set in
City is 60434
Space Base
and Rocket
Launchpad.
The LEGO Group is exploring the stars across
different themes this year, with designers
collaborating in a new way to offer a variety
of unique but connected experiences
Words: Graham E. Hancock
Space exploration is back. On the day that Blocks sits down
with three members of the LEGO design team to talk all things
space, China’s lunar probe has returned to Earth, bringing
back samples from the dark side of the moon for the first
time. Meanwhile, NASA is running the Artemis campaign
to establish a human presence on the Moon, with the ultimate goal of
launching missions to Mars. For the first time in decades, it feels like
everyone is looking up to the stars with optimism for the future.
Against this backdrop of renewed interest in what is beyond Earth’s
atmosphere, the LEGO Group investigated how children view space
exploration. “Interest in space has been steadily growing over the past
few years,” says Senior Design Manager Daniel Meehan. "We started
to look into it. We spoke to kids about what interested them and what
excited them about space, to try and understand how we should start to
craft the portfolio.
"Some of our early hypotheses were wrong - we were looking at space
from the angle of what we had done with LEGO City in the past, when
we had worked with NASA to do something inspired by the Artemis crew
and had quite a realistic link to astronauts, space travel and things based
in reality. Kids were telling us that space for them is about imagination,
about being playful, about aliens, about unexplored planets, about going
34 Blocks
SPACE
Blocks 35
SPACE
off and finding wonderful new worlds. That was really eye opening.
“They were also telling us that they could consume movies and
stories around space and space travel, but there was nothing that
could help them articulate those stories. That set us on the journey
of figuring out how our best loved, biggest franchises could
help children tell their stories in space.”
Instead of thinking about LEGO City sets, LEGO Friends
and LEGO Technic sets, Daniel brought together designers
from different product groups to think about how to craft the
right play sets for the right children. It was an entirely new
approach for the LEGO Group - typically, each product group
works separately, with a particular focus on that theme’s target
audience. For this unique project though, Daniel was bringing
together designers from these different areas to collaborate.
The newly formed space team built lots of test models and
tried out different colour combinations in order to understand
what would convey the right vibe. In order that children and their
parents should be able to easily decode the models, they settled
on an iconic white with black colour palette, planning to run it
throughout space models from different themes.
"We were very lucky to have a brand new colour entering the
palette for 2024 - reddish orange - and we jumped on it. It’s a very
spacey orange. From there we set a general direction for the teams
to then go and explore what space looks like in this new more
creative universe. What does it look like for LEGO City, for LEGO
Friends, for LEGO Technic?”
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
Senior Model Designer Bas Brederode and Senior Model Designer David
Tauzia were two of Daniel’s collaborators on the ambitious project. Bas
designed 42605 Mars Space Base and Rocket for LEGO Friends, while David
designed 60434 Space Base and Rocket Launchpad for LEGO City, both sets that
look at how humankind might exist on far-flung planets. As Friends and City
are both real-world themes, fans might assume they are very similar projects
to work on; in fact though, they take fundamentally different approaches to the
same subject matter.
"What happens if LEGO Friends goes to space? They are probably going to
live in space, so we focused everything on that,” says Bas. "We went through
the whole cycle of things that our characters need to live in space. If you ask an
astronaut, the number one question that they get from kids, is ‘how do you go
to the toilet?’ We actually have a space toilet here that you can open and it has
a little function.
“You also have to chill out in space, so you have your snacks, you have your
chocolate milk. What else do you need to do? You need to make your own
food, so we are growing food in space.
"They are exploring the planet. They get there with the rocket, then they
have a little rover that they can unfold. You can set up your science station
with Olivia. Everything is geared to realism.
“This is our third version of the base. I worked with Wes Talbott and Theo
Bonner on the sketch models. The first version had the domes higher up. We
had to change the format of the base because it became similar to the City one,
so we had to reconfigure it - Theo and I worked for a long time to get the right
Friends expression. We really wanted to have this bubbly feel... I tried many
different configurations.
“It was really hard to find something that would work because the pod
needed to be there, we needed to have these living areas on the front, we
needed to have the airlock. It was a like a big puzzle and I made a lot of micro
models to see which format landed the best. Then at the end of the process, I
thought to myself, ‘now I need to make an actual product out of it.’”
Once he started thinking about how children would interact with the model,
Bas had a brainwave. "Instead of configuring all these things for the kids, why
not just give them the option to do that themselves? We actually almost went
back to square one, so you can disassemble this whole base and then make
your own configuration as you’d like it to be. That is very much in line with
how space bases operate."
City sets tend to focus on vehicles, but 60434 Space Base and Rocket
Launchpad is the main base set for this year’s space collection. "At the
beginning, Corvin Stichert made a concept model. But even though it’s a base,
it should still be some kind of vehicle, so we envisioned it getting dropped
from a giant spaceship and landing with the four legs,” says David.
"If Friends takes the approach of focusing on habitation, this model is more
about working hard. The leader is running the expedition from the top, then
the work is going on in the bottom. There is a carousel in there and that's
where the astronauts have their backpacks. When it’s time to go for a walk,
they take the backpack, they take the helmet and they go out.
"We tried to create simple and not very deep stories, a little like back in the
days of the Space theme. I’m thinking about M-Tron guys... what do M-Tron
guys do? We don't really know. They collect transparent Ixls, which can be
anything, because from a kid’s point of view, this becomes very, very simple
currency. That's how we came up with the crystals. Those crystals are there
in the portfolio, we recoloured them in in this opalescent colour and maybe
that’s tire resource they are going for and that’s why they are drilling. We
colour coded them the same way as the batteries in the sets because they are
powering everything.
"We wanted to develop the story a bit and incorporate some plant life.
Everything you see here is very decodable, very precious. You can start creating
a family of things that you want to collect. Maybe you can combine crystals
with plants, maybe you need a machine for that and it can create a new type of
battery that is potentially more powerful and fuels the ship.”
THE CHARACTERS
The approach to the characters further illustrates the way that City and
Friends tell stories in different ways that are relevant to their respective
audiences. In the case of City, the team decided that there should be different
groups within the overall space mission, which they internally dubbed ‘factions’.
36 Blocks

'“Space is about imagination, about
• being playful, about aliens, about
•unexplored planets, about going off
and finding wonderful new worlds”
Blocks 37
Left: 60429 Spaceship
and Asteroid Discovery is
a 4+ set and necessitated
the development of a
simplified alien figure.
Above: Bas justified
aliens being on Mars by
including an asteroid.
Below: 60434 Space Base
and Rocket Launchpad
has interior space for the
galactic travellers.
SPACE
“The factions were very important for us. It was not about having a ‘one
outfit fits all’ astronaut, it was about assigning a role to them,” David explains.
"We wanted to make the figures very decodable, so even though we had a
very classic colour scheme, black and white, we came up with some colour
variations for them. They share the same torsos and the same legs but they
have different arms colours and their equipment is different.”
Across the City sets, there is a mining faction, an exploration faction, a pilot
faction and a science faction. In addition to the colour coded minifigures, each
faction has a leader who has a slightly different hue to their comrades.
“We also introduced a drone robot for each of the factions, representing
an archetype of what that faction does," says David. "For example, the
construction one has a drill, the pilot drone is flying, the green one is a little
robot running around in the lab doing experiments. One day was all about
‘okay, guys, stop everything - we are building robots.’"
“LEGO Friends took a slightly different approach because we have a different
consumer base,” says Bas. "One of the things that we wanted to do is continue
the lineage of [41713] Olivia’s Space Academy. When LEGO Friends came to the
growing up phase of the original five characters, we celebrated Olivia going
into space. We thought that it would be extremely fun to bring Olivia back in
[42605] Mars Space Base and Rocket.”
For LEGO Friends, models always include named characters and have more
overt storytelling. “Olivia and Julian have become astronauts after the training,
so they are on their mission to Mars. One of the comments that we got in
response to Olivia’s Space Academy was, 'wait, a LEGO Friends set without an
animal? How is that even possible?’ We did not make that same mistake twice
- we had just developed the fluffy cat, so we actually put him in a spacesuit.
“We put a lot of effort into including scientifically accurate details and space
facts.” Within the base there’s a computer terminal, with screens showing
Mount Olympus as photographed by Viking 2, Mars with its two moons, the
Curiosity rover and a fun nod to the grainy images of Mars in which a rock
looks a bit like an alien.
One of the set’s graphics required an extra level of research and insight.
"Nova, one of our new Friends characters, is involved with this space mission,”
says Bas. “If you look at [42603] Stargazing Camping Vehicle, you’ll see that
it opens up and Olivia is on a computer screen. Nova is actually giving
commands to her invention that Olivia brought to Mars.”
Another computer terminal in the space base features three different
images; a screen with Nova’s end of the video call, a little helicopter
representing her invention and a very precise, specific graph. "In reality,
there are helicopters flying on Mars, the Ingenuity Helicopter that is in the
Perseverance Rover. That is the flight path
the telemetry data from NASA that was publicly available,” Daniel
continues. "Bas came to me one day and said, ‘we’ve made this sticker. Do you
think we need to get it signed off by NASA?”’
“You have to understand, I’m a super space geek,” Bas enthuses. It was a
complete thrill for him when NASA did indeed review and approve the graphic
that the team had created for the model.
ALIENS
When LEGO fans first glimpsed the new space sets, they immediately
spotted something very curious... little green creatures for the minifigure and
mini-doll characters to encounter. “We’ve spoken to thousands of kids across
many different countries about life on other planets,” says Daniel.
“We knew we wanted aliens. This was the first time that the LEGO Group
was doing a passion theme across franchises. We wanted to make sure
that when they are together, they feel part of something bigger. It’s not like
everything’s going to look like a LEGO City model or everything’s going to look
like a LEGO Technic model.
“Aliens is obviously a huge motivator for young kids. We’ve had space sets
in the past that have had little aliens in them. When we look at the feedback
we get, the kids say, 'more aliens, more aliens,’ I went to Bas and I said, ‘we’ve
got to have aliens in this set.’ Bas was like, ‘no - there are no aliens on Mars.”'
"It’s all about science and being scientifically correct,” Bas laughs. "I was like,
‘no, no, maybe I’ll put like a microbe tile in there.' Dan told me, ‘you have to
put the alien in.’ If you ever wonder why there’s a meteorite... that’s the way the
alien or the aliens landed on Mars.”
"Everybody was happy, aliens being on Mars was justified and the kids got
the very cute alien,” says Daniel.
When testing the City sets, it immediately became apparent to David just
how desirable the extraterrestrials are. "I remember how the kids were treating
those guys. They were collecting them as kind of a token, as a resource, they
were very precious to them.”
“We started off designing the aliens in LEGO City and they had a certain
sort of style,” says Daniel. "LEGO City has its graphic style. LEGO Friends has
a different one. We needed an alien in Friends and we couldn’t just use the
City one because Friends has its own style guide. I sat down with a graphic
designer from each team and said, ‘can we come up with a style that will work
across both?’ We did and it is fantastic.”
The alien in the City sets features a decorated minifigure head piece on
top of an upside down crown piece, suggesting the otherworldly critters run
around on spindly legs. Thanks to the careful collaboration between the two
teams, its appearance fits in with both themes.
“Then we had to change the build for the 4+ City model, the one we had
was too difficult for four-year-olds to build,” says Daniel. "We made the fat
alien, which is a bit cuter. Friends was like ‘yeah, we’ll have that one.’ It's more
fun and sits nicely with the cat.
"Duplo came along - that team was making a space rocket so we made
an upscaled alien for Duplo. Art was making the spiral galaxy, so I asked the
designers to hide an alien somewhere, we made a little tiny one-eyed version.
Then Esa Nousiainen, who was doing the Collectible Minifigures said, ‘we've
got a little trophy figure that we’re going to decorate as an alien.’
“It took a bit of extra effort, a little bit of people trying things, but we created
this family of aliens and it means that now all of the aliens are consistent.”
38 Blocks
SPACE
My goal was that when
we brought it all together at .
the end of the year, it would
look great... but these guys '
took it to another level”
CONNECTIVITY
As the aliens demonstrate, for all of the differences between themes, there
are opportunities for synergy. Sets in both City and Friends were providing
models in the same scale, so an opportunity presented itself to encourage
children to look at their models differently.
Friends was developing a curvy, organic looking space base, while City
was developing a brutalistic looking space base... but they were both space
bases. "David and I have been working together for a very long time, we’re
good friends and we know how each other works,” says Bas. “We were both
working on similar concepts, the LEGO City guys needed somewhere for the
astronauts to live.
only connect to LEGO Friends sets.
"We are trying to bring everybody together in the same universe. It’s about
connecting across franchises. What better way to connect franchises than to
actually make that connection physically?"
When City went to space in 2019, the theme introduced an airlock element,
piece number 49699. It provides a clear platform for compatibility so that
children can put together modular space vehicles and locations.
"An airlock is so iconic in space stories, where you go into the building,” says
David. "Let’s make it bright orange, so it’s something that kids can see it and
"We had separately come up with the concept of pods where they live.
The Friends base is all about modularity. How do you build a base like
that on Mars? You bring your rocket and you have your modules.” The
section at the centre of the rocket can be removed from the spacecraft
and added to the building as an additional module. But that pod doesn’t
Above: Different coloured
uniforms denote different
factions in the City sets.
Right: The Friends crew
discovers some unusual,
otherworldly plant life.
Blocks 39
SPACE
notice there’s an easy way now for them to personalise their build ."
“You see immediately where the airlock elements are, so it doesn’t take much
to connect them together,” Bas continues. He used the same connectors in the
Friends set as David was using in City - but more than that, they actively made
their pods the same size so the models would be fully compatible. "The great
thing with the airlock system is that it’s not only limited to the Friends base, you
can combine these different products together into a huge, huge base.”
“We were meeting regularly, I was meeting with the teams and trying to
coordinate, making sure everyone was happy and things were going well,” says
Daniel. “My goal was that when we brought it all together at the end of the
year, it would look great... but then these guys took it to another level.”
"Our bases were not compatible because the City sets were using a module
that was one plate lower and we had to have an alignment process to make
sure that the pod for LEGO Friends fits the needs for LEGO City so that you
can exchange those pods," says Bas. "We started out with a more rounded pod
that would fit a rocket, but we made the sides the same so that you can take
this and put it on a LEGO City set. There were a lot of iterations in the design
process to make absolutely sure that we had compatibility.”
The pod needed to have flat sides for its purpose in City, but a large curved
window piece provided the rounded aspect that the Friends team required.
"We get inspired by each other’s design language,” says Bas. "We were
exchanging design solutions."
"It reminds me of the Space Police II prison,” says David. “As a kid I had
those things in my hands, you would place them on the spaceship and swap
them around.” This kind of compatibility is embedded throughout the history
of the LEGO Space theme.
Plenty of the pods appear all the way around 60433 Modular Space
Station, with different sections depicting different aspects of life in space.
"We tried to create simple and not
very deep stories, a little like back
in the days of the Space theme.
I’m thinking about M-Tron”
As if appearing in both City and Friends sets is not enough in the way of
compatibility, the pods also turn up in the LEGO Technic models. Daniel
demonstrates the way that 42181VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81 can fly in
and collect any of the pods using its rather clever function.
"You can actually fit a pod into the big [42180] Mars Crew Exploration Rover,
to extend the habitable area,” he says. "It's also minifigure and mini-doll
compatible. We don't talk about that a lot, but it’s the same with this LEGO
City vehicle. If you know your LEGO models and you have a look inside, it’s
compatible with mini-dolls. We just want kids to play with it and enjoy it.
“It shouldn’t be about whether it's a LEGO Friends or LEGO City or LEGO
Technic set, it’s should just be, ‘that’s a cool spaceship, that's a cool space base.’”
The compatible pods partly came from a desire to encourage children to take
tentative sets towards rebuilding. "You don’t have to take the model completely
apart to make it your own. That can be a little scary sometimes, a little tricky
to imagine and build what these guys can build. This is to try and help kids
explore the storytelling that they can do.”
While each theme has its own distinct models, the team took a lot of time
to ensure there were areas of similarity - it’s all LEGO bricks in space, after all.
Although seeding space across multiple themes is a fundamentally different
Left: Space sets
from Friends and
City are easy to
connect together.
Above left: Even
42180 Mars Crew
Exploration Rover is
compatible with the
pod system.
Above: 42181 VTOL
Heavy Cargo
Spaceship LT81 can
pick up the pods.
Above right: The
pods are essential
to 60433 Modular
Space Station.
Right: 42605 Mars
Space Base and
Rocket is made up
of several modules.
40 Blocks
SPACE
approach to the one from the Classic Space era, when there was a single theme
inspired by the future, the team have put their own twist on that iconic logo
across this year’s models.
“The Classic Space logo is well loved by LEGO fans and we wanted to do
it proud,’’ says Daniel. “We weren’t making a new LEGO Space theme. Using
the Classic Space logo across the themes was the right thing to do, as we were
treating it in a respectful way. We wanted it to be high quality, so we printed
the tiles because we know they will be used by fans outside of these models. It
was a very early choice and we worked on different variants of it.
“But we didn’t want to put an old stamp on new products. We purposely
stayed away from the classic colour palettes. Some people say, 'I wish they had
done it in the classic colour scheme.’ And yeah, we’ve got some sketch models
that are in the classic colour scheme, but that’s for our childhood, right?
That’s not for the new kids and we really wanted to give this its own identity.
The team has succeeded in doing that, whilst also keeping the entity of the
individual franchises alive as well.”
Seeing the sets from City, Friends and Technic together demonstrates just
what an undertaking it was for the design team and just how much they
achieved - and that’s without considering the additional involvement of Icons,
Creator, Art and DREAMZzz.
“This was the LEGO Friends team, the LEGO City team, the LEGO Technic
team and the other design teams across the business working on space. They
were doing their thing, being great design teams, running with it and sparring
with each other. I was bringing them together, trying to share when it was time
to share and letting them do their thing when it was time to be quiet.
“The research we had done was always in the back of my mind. These
things, like the story and diving into the detail, are exactly what the kids were
telling us they really wanted. When it comes to space, it’s about imagination,
storytelling, dreaming and having fun, discovering new planets. Whether
it's crystal technology or discovering aliens or sustainable life on Mars, these
concepts were hitting so many great points that kids wanted that it was
wonderful to see the team run with it.”
Blocks 41
MCLAREN Pl
AN
ultimatI
PARTNERSHIP
The LEGO Group and McLaren demonstrate the shared values that underpin their
long-running collaboration as the two powerhouse brands unveil 42172 McLaren Pl
Words: Dave Cartlidge Pics: Phil Wrighton

42 Blocks
MCLAREN Pl
Blocks 43
MCLAREN Pl
The LEGO Group has been working alongside the prestigious
McLaren car manufacturer and race team for almost a decade.
Although both companies have multiple corporate partnerships
around the globe, there is something that feels a little bit
special about this particular alliance. That’s illustrated by the
location where their latest collaboration is being unveiled - the LEGO
Group’s automotive industry partner suggested that their very own McLaren
Technology Centre in Woking would make the ideal space to reveal the new
Technic Ultimate Car Concept set.
Naturally, the LEGO Group jumped at the opportunity. What a space it is;
having been used as the backdrop for multiple live events, movies and TV
shows - including Star Wars fan-favourite, Andor - this is a truly spectacular
location. The curving lines of the Lord Norman Foster-designed architectural
statement look even more magnificent in real life than they do on screen.
It’s the ideal location for a secret launch too, away from the eyes of the
general public and only accessible to McLaren staff and select partners.
Rumours circulate among auto enthusiasts about hidden underground test
tracks and mysterious technologies that are being dreamt up inside the
facility... all of this Wonka-esque mystery and magic sounds reminiscent, in
many ways, of the LEGO Group’s Innovation House.
The main entrance is known as the boulevard - an open plan area stretching
almost the entire length of the building, populated by McLaren vehicles from
throughout history, right up to Formula One cars that raced only a few weeks
ago. When Blocks arrives, McLaren’s Chief Design Officer, Tobias Siihlmann,
is on hand and expresses those first impressions well: “When you walk
into work in the morning, down the boulevard and see all of these amazing
cars... well, it’s such a fascinating place to be.” Tobias, it seems, is a master of
understatement.
At the far end of the boulevard, there are multiple plinths shrouded
mysteriously in black cloths, but with the LEGO Technic logo giving a clue as
to their purpose. The plinths surround something distinctly car-sized, also
covered in black cloth, and the area is flanked by large screens bearing the
familiar logos of both companies.
With an assured confidence, Tobias unveils the real-life vehicle first - the
stunning McLaren Pl. “This car has the same bloodline as the Fl, it’s one of our
ultimate vehicles and I can’t believe it’s more than 11 years old. It still looks so
contemporary. You see this car here, with the big muscles and sunken sides
and raised shoulders - it’s really something special.” He’s not wrong. The iconic
car served as the debut McLaren in LEGO Speed Champions form almost ten
years ago (set number 75909). There's a sense that the close collaboration has
come full circle as LEGO Design Manager Aurelien Rouffiange unveils the
Technic version with a flourish.
“When I started working for the LEGO Group some 14 years ago I didn't see
that this would be a possibility one day. Standing here with all of you and
this car, it has been a fantastic project to be a part of," he says. The finished
set looks stunning, which is all the easier to appreciate as it sits alongside
the actual car it is based on. Clearly, a significant amount of effort has been
invested into making this as accurate as possible.
The seasoned Technic expert doesn’t attempt to steal credit for this hard
work, as he explains that LEGO Model Designer Kasper Hansen has spent
more than a year of his working life forging the Pl in LEGO bricks. Replicating
the butterfly doors that the car uses with the LEGO Technic system was one of
the biggest challenges Kasper had to overcome. It took around three months
of work to refine and perfect that particular aspect of the build. Kasper wasn’t
working alone though - having access to the McLaren team behind the car
certainly helped and the solution he settled on is every bit as ingenious and
innovative as you would expect.
Aurelien is also keen to point out that producing a set like this is a team
Above: 42172
McLaren Pl is
unveiled.
Right: Design
Manager Aurelien
Rouffiange
demonstrates the
complex door
mechanism.
Below: The rear light
cluster required some
complex Technic
problem solving.
“this car here, with the big
muscles and sunken sides and
raised shoulders - it’s really
something special”
44 Blocks
MCLAREN Pl
Blocks 45
MCLAREN Pl
effort within the LEGO Group. As the lead designer on the project, he worked
with element designers, graphic designers, building instruction specialists,
model coaches and of course Kasper, as well as all of the people who support
the design team. “It’s not just the product though," he explains. “We have
something special around the packaging and the experience. We want it to feel
like you’re putting together the real car.”
Tobias agrees, recalling one of his visits to the LEGO headquarters in Billund,
Denmark: "What I really liked was the teamwork, to get the bodywork right,
the overall feeling right.” This emphasis on teamwork is a core value that
the companies share. The McLaren staff canteen sits just a short walk away
from where this new model is being unveiled. It’s the place for everyone in
the company to grab a bite - you are just as likely to bump into Lando Norris
having a coffee there as anyone else - and the corridor that leads to this canteen
has dozens of cabinets filled to the brim with the 700 or so motorsport trophies
that the team has won since its 1966 debut. Every single one of them is on
display - none are tucked away in a driver’s luxury apartment or hidden away
in a boardroom. “We’re a team,” a McLaren rep later elaborates. "So every day
when you come here for your lunch you see what we’ve achieved together.”
More connections between the companies are revealed as Aurelien explains
Clockwise from top
left: McLaren car\^——B_
are custom built;
current Fl cars are
larger than ever,
with no regulation
governing their
overall length; Kimi
Raikkonen’s McLaren
debut in 2002
earned third place
in the Constructors’
Championship; —_
the 2019 Bahrain
Grand Prix wasn’t
memorable for
Sainz but his car
looks immaculate;
the MP4/4 driven
by Ayrton Senna
to his first Worid
Championship; the
MP4/4 led more than
97% of the laps of
the 1988 season; the
Я GTR that won Le
Mans in 1995.
46 Blocks
MCLAREN Pl
the multiple functions and engineering elements that have been added to
the Pl. “We always try to build only from the elements available, like the
automotive builders would do. Creating any new LEGO part takes at least two
weeks to prototype and try out, you can see some of them on these models.”
The plinths showcase various versions of the LEGO Pl, in various stages of the
development process, including some that use 3D printed prototype elements.
Just behind the presentation area, there are multiple R&D bays where new
elements are being designed for McLaren’s actual Fl car. Despite the desire to
reuse what already exists, some notable new LEGO elements were required
to bring the Pl to die brick including new wishbone suspension, wheel
rims and an interesting angled beam to form the A-pillar (that will resolve a
long-standing niggle that many LEGO designers have previously had to solve
in creative ways). It’s clear that having lots of engineering functionality and
technical complexity is something that drives the LEGO Technic team when
creating these ultimate vehicles.
Moving on from the presentation, attendees at the launch are treated to
a guided tour of the McLaren factory including access to some ‘definitely
no photos here please’ secret sections of the building. The passion of the
company’s employees is a key message during the tour, which means that the
recruitment process is rigorous. One McLaren mechanic was working during
the day at a large car servicing company and in the evenings restoring classic
cars with his father before he joined the renowned brand.
No LEGO launch would be complete without sitting down to put some
bricks together, so Aurelien leads an opportunity to build a sub-section of
the Pl. A bag containing papaya-coloured parts alongside the more familiar
Technic pins and beams is emptied over a communal table with an extract
of the mammoth instruction manual. A door might not sound like the most
exciting section to build, but the opportunity to put together part of a set
while hearing from the design lead behind it is a unique experience that offers
additional insight.
It’s the new elements that immediately catch the eye and the ingenuity and
Blocks 47
MCLAREN Pl
complexity of how they’re incorporated into this sub assembly is impressive;
the ‘ultimate’ moniker seems to be as well-deserved as ever. When the design
lead has finished playfully hiding key parts to slow down some of the faster
builders, he walks over to one of the plinths and returns with the boxed set.
Popping open the security tabs, Aurelien smiles as he proudly shows off the
experience that awaits the builder - the culmination of the product design and
packaging design, of all the artistic and creative influences. The teamwork he
spoke of earlier in the evening has produced something very special.
Aurelien reveals that he never expected to get into toy design but always
loved engineering and auditioned for his role by creating something
‘unexpected’ out of an existing LEGO set but, mischievously, doesn’t reveal
exactly what it was that he created. Perhaps the idea will find its way into a
product someday.
While he might not have planned to go into the toy industry, some of
his colleagues started even further from the notion than himself - as chefs,
farmers, even naval officers, as well as of course those who always dreamed
of being in Billund. As with the McLaren mechanic who renovated classic cars
in his spare time, it is their passion and curiosity that brings them together.
McLaren describes the partnership with the LEGO Group as being ‘‘united
by an obsession with innovative engineering and pioneering design.” After
spending time with them both it’s clear that these companies share similar
values, making their continued partnership entirely logical.
Building something that sounds pedestrian - a car door - leads to a sense
of anticipation about what comes next within the model. Understanding how
that door will fit onto the chassis and how the complex butterfly opening
mechanism will work are just the first of a long list of questions that will be
answered within the beautiful, sizable box that 42172 McLaren Pl comes in.
LEGO Technic doors make an excellent amuse-bouche, it turns out.
Clockwise from top
left: White prototype
elements were used
during the design
phase; months of
work went into
48 Blocks
MCLAREN Pl
Blocks 49
QUICK BUILD
Notre-Dame de Paris
The beautiful architectural masterpiece that has
inspired stories, poetry and paintings for hundreds of
years has now been realised as a sizable LEGO model.
This miniature version pays tribute at a smaller scale
Notre-Dame is probably the most famous church building in the world. Known
for its soaring buttresses and towering edifices, it was recently struck by a
heartbreaking fire. It is somewhat surprising that the LEGO Group took this long
to use it as inspiration for a set, but the wait was worth it, as 21061 Notre-Dame de Paris
looks to be another masterpiece in the Architecture theme.
Recreating the structure at a mini scale is challenging, not least when it comes to
joining the church’s front, which has to be three studs wide so the towers look right, to
its four-stud-wide back, which allows the roof to be conectly proportioned. The solution
is in the form of a 1x2 Technic brick with hole in the centre and a modified 1x1 with studs
on two sides.
Grille elements mimic buttresses and 1x1 transparent round tiles work perfectly to
replicate the famous windows. The back uses a faceted slope attached to a SNOT brick.
Building at this scale is challenging and requires clever
parts usage, including flipping bricks in directions that
they wouldn't normally be orientated in. The
LEGO Group has released many
famous landmarks through the
years in both the Architecture and
Creator Expert themes. You could
try shrinking one of those models
down to a tiny scale. What would
a Sydney Opera House or Falling
Water look like at this size?
DANIEL KONSTANSKI
Get the parts list: blocksmag.com/goto/notredame
50 Blocks
QUICK BUILD
Blocks 51
BRICK GEOMETRY
THE
EEEHTIETRY
ЕЕБП
ERIEKE
Why are LEGO elements the size they are?
The dimensions laid down more than 60
52 Blocks
BRICK GEOMETRY
LEGO bricks work so well that you don’t even think about it. Bricks
snap together, sideways building is easy and Technic beams can
clip onto pins. Even when sets include novel building techniques,
they feel intuitive and natural. There is a sense that it is all an
intentional, well thought through, building system - because
it is. Beneath what appears to be a simple child’s toy is vast network of
proportions, equations and geometry that come together to make the LEGO
System work seamlessly.
However, all of that complexity is built on just two foundational
relationships; Modules and Sections. These two go cornerstones go back,
quite literally, to the very beginning and without them the LEGO System
would not function.
The modem LEGO brick was laid down on paper by Godtfred Kirk
Christiansen and Axel Thomsen during an all-night brainstorming session
on January 23,1958. In the weeks that followed, Godtfred worked with a
company in Copenhagen to develop a patent application for his redesigned
bricks. Godtfred and his craftsmen did not have time to experiment with the
final dimensions of their new toys. In the patent he had to rely on describing
relationships and proportions, which was where the notion of Modules and
Sections was bom.
Modules are the most basic LEGO unit. They are the distance from the
centre of one stud to the centre of the adjacent stud. Conceptually, however,
it is easier to picture a Module as a 1x1 brick. The reason they are not defined
that way is because all bricks have a small air gap at their edges to facilitate
elements sliding between each other without binding. In other words, a lxl
brick is ever so slightly smaller than a Module. Visually, they are close enough
and easier to picture that way, but the true unit is the distance from centre to
centre of two adjacent studs.
The name, Module, is also noteworthy and an important clue about how
Godtfred was thinking about his tiny plastic products. Module is a term
borrowed from the masonry lexicon and refers to the set space needed for a
single brick and its mortar. Over the years, masons have developed standard
brick sizes so that the space needed for individual bricks and their mortar
are clean, whole numbers that are known as 'modules’. That will be relevant
again later.
Sections are the smallest LEGO unit. They are defined as one fifth of a
Module. In other words, five Sections are equal to one Module. At first, they
seem a clunky proportion - why an odd number? Why not make six Sections
or ten Sections equal one Module?
The answer lies in foundational geometry that the original patent
application established. Picture again the Module as a lxl brick. Moving
across from left to right, there are three structures; a stud, the brick’s near wall
and the brick’s far wall. The original patent used wall thickness as the width
of a single Section; originally, the two words referred to the same attribute.
Eventually, engineers tweaked the wall thickness so that they no longer
matched exactly, but initially there was no difference between Sections
and wall thickness. Having defined Sections, Godtfred and his designers
then derived the diameter of a stud to be three times that wall thickness.
Accordingly, walls were one Section wide and studs were three Sections wide,
hence five Sections in total across the width of a Module, one for each wall
and three for the stud.
2a
Above: This diagram
from the original
Danish patent
defines Modules
and Sections.
Left: LEGO bricks
adhere to strict
proportions and
geometry.
Blocks 53
BRICK GEOMETRY
Above: Bricks are slightly slimmer than full
multiples of Modules to create air gaps. This
isn't the case vertically, which is why SNOT
bricks will fit cleanly side by side but too
tightly when placed bottom to bottom.
1 Section
Left: A Section is the smallest LEGO unit of
measure - equivalent to the wall thickness
of an original brick.
Below left: The air gap is subtle but visible.
Below right: A standard brick is six Sections
tall, a standard plate is two Sections tall.
That geometry was key to what Godtfred was trying to patent; methods
for achieving clutch power, though that term would not be coined until years
later. The edges of studs needed to press against the walls of bricks they were
being joined to, so it was imperative that they were sized to facilitate such
contact. Sections are what make clutch power possible and they can be found
embedded in the geometry of nearly every LEGO element ever produced.
While not explicitly called out in the patent, Godtfred and his designers
made a fateful decision as they defined the remaining proportions and
eventual dimensions of the basic LEGO brick. How and why they arrived at
their final choice is one of the tantalising mysteries of this early period in the
modem brick’s story.
Based on the patent using the term Module, it seems that Godtfred, or
someone working closely with him on the project, was familiar with Danish
masonry dimensions. Considering that his father, Ole Kirk, had worked as a
contractor on multiple buildings around Billund, it is entirely possible that
the LEGO patriarch himself had passed this knowledge to his son at some
point. Regardless, the term’s presence suggests that bricklaying practices were
informing the design of LEGO bricks and may very well have been why Godtfred
and his team made their all-important decision about the brick’s height.
Danish masonry bricks have a standard size of 228mm x 108mm x 54mm
and call for 12mm of mortar at each joint. Different combinations of these
values produce nice, clean, proportions. Adding the 12mm of mortar makes
the length 240mm and the width 120mm, a ratio of 2:1. Such whole number
proportions may have been why Godtfred ultimately decided to use Sections
in defining the height of a LEGO brick. In what may have been his most
consequential design decision, it was set at six Sections.
“Modules are the most
basic LEGO unit. They are
the distance, from centre to
centre, between two studs”
Objectively, this was not a forgone conclusion. The initial patent
application was concerned, almost exclusively, with defining methods
for achieving clutch power. As such, it deals primarily with horizontal
proportions and relationships. Cross sectional or vertical views, while
included in the patent, are present primarily to illustrate how the new tubes
will interact with studs. None of the equations or narratives deal with the
height of a brick because that was not important for clutch power (as proven
by the various heights that LEGO elements have been cast in since). However,
if the height of a LEGO brick had not been a whole number of sections, then
54 Blocks
BRICK GEOMETRY
certain building techniques would not be possible.
Consider one of the best-known family of building techniques,
sideways building or SNOT (studs not on top). Two plates must be put
between each row of standard modified bricks with studs on their sides
in order for other bricks to line up when placed sideways. As with almost
all other LEGO maths, it becomes obvious when viewed through the
lens of Sections.
Modified bricks with studs on their side have the bottom of the
protruding stud start two Sections from the bottom and end, three
Sections later, one Section from the top. This means that the centre of
the stud is situated exactly three and a half Sections from the bottom of
the brick and two and a half Sections from the top. From centre to centre,
there are five Sections, or one Module, between studs.
Accordingly, only at multiples of five Sections will a brick be able
to connect across lines of SNOT studs protruding from the sides of
constructs. Two modified bricks with studs on the sides stacked have
2.5 Sections from the centre of the lower stud to the top of the brick and
then another 3.5 sections to the centre of the next protruding stud, for a
total of six Sections, which is not helpful.
However, insert two plates between the modified bricks, thereby
adding four more Sections, and the space between the centres of die
protruding studs becomes 10 Sections or two Modules and the geometry
works. Had Godtfred and his team made bricks in a height that was not
a whole number of Sections tall, then none of this geometry would be
possible and SNOT techniques wouldn't exist.
Above top: A section
from the original
patent illustrates how
clutch power works.
Above: SNOT makes
a lot more sense when
viewed in terms of
Modules and Sections.
Blocks 55
BRICK GEOMETRY
“Once you
know to look
for Sections,
they appear
everywhere
within the
LEGO System”
Once you know to look for Sections, they appear everywhere within the
LEGO System. In single stud bricks, there are no tubes - instead a single solid
bar sits in their place. The same geometry dictates that the solid bars must be
two Sections in diameter, which subsequently defines the shapes and sizes
of numerous circular elements.
Bracket components and baseplates are all one Section thick. Newer
bricks designed specifically for SNOT, which spread the studs evenly across
their faces, are 10 Sections tall. That is why bricks attached to them line up
evenly with both their top and bottom. Even the strangest of LEGO bricks can
usually be broken down into whole Sections, as they are the foundation of
the LEGO System.
The geometry of Sections and Modules has guided element designers
since Godtfred and his team laid down the original proportions in the 1958
patent. Today, those original proportions have been used alongside advances
in material science, clearly defined dimensions and key measurements that
guide LEGO designers. The terms Modules and Sections are no longer used
within the company's lexicon, but those foundational proportions still lie at
the heart of almost everything the company makes.
56 Blocks
BRICK GEOMETRY
Far left: The end
of each brick is
one Section thick.
Top left: Bars
beneath bricks
and lightsaber
blades both
measure two
Sections thick.
Above left: The
centre of the studs
on the side of the
brick are located
exactly four
Sections high.
Above: Godtfred’s
decision on
proportions made
SNOT possible
and is why all of
these constructs
line up at set
intervals.
Left: Modem
SNOT bricks place
the sideways
studs at different
heights.
Blocks 57
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JEDI BOB
IS BACK.
An obscure Jedi character who fans became
obsessed with will have a starring role in
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy
Words: Graham E. Hancock
In Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, audiences saw dozens of Jedi fight
together for the first time on screen. Alongside Anakin Skywalker
and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Geonosis Arena was full of background
characters that fans knew, such as Ki Adi Mundi, Kit Fisto and Shaak
Ti, as well as characters they didn’t. Nameless Jedi filled out the screen
to give the battle a sense of scale.
When the LEGO design team received reference for the Republic Gunship
ahead of the film’s release, everyone wanted to create the first model for this
appealing new vehicle. They had no doubt that it was going to be awesome.
Design Manager Lauge Drewes was responsible for Star Wars minifigures at
the time - and when he heard about Jedi fighting as a group, he was as excited
as the model designers were about the Gunship. The team decided that there
should be a Jedi in the Republic Gunship set, alongside the Clone Troopers and
Super Battle Droids.
"I wanted to create a generic torso that could be used for many different Jedi
Knights for years to come,” says Lauge. “But for good reasons we focused on
named Jedi Knights in the future portfolio.”
Sure enough, the Jedi minifigure that he created is the only generic
unnamed Force user to have been released in the LEGO Star Wars theme’s 25
year run. It’s easy to see how he intended for the torso to be reused; it is very
much a standard Jedi robe. If you swap the bearded head for a different head,
you have a different Jedi.
When 7163 Republic Gunship was released in 2002, the generic Jedi seemed
a great way to help populate some fairly sparse scenes - after all, the theme
was only three years old, so the minifigure collection was still fairly modest.
Legend has it that LEGO fans started to refer to the unnamed character as
'Jedi Bob’ online, leading Simon Beecroft to use the moniker in 2OO9’s LEGO
Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, which made the name official. Seeing the
minifigure in print with that name next to it really tickled LEGO Star Wars fans
in the right way, leading to a collective obsession that has only grown over the
years.
Little has been heard from Bob since he became a favoured page in the
Visual Dictionary, until now. LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy is a new
collection of animated specials coming to Disney*... and Jedi Bob is one of the
lead characters, voiced by Bobby Moynihan. "Space... time... it’s falling apart...
the building blocks of the galaxy are getting mixed up,” he portends in the
trailer. As these specials will combine LEGO creativity with a galaxy far, far
away, it’s nice to see a character from deep LEGO lore included in the story.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jedi Bob even has his own ship now - 75388 Jedi
Bob’s Starfighter. The souped-up Jedi Starfighter was inspired by Anakin
Skywalker’s Azure Angel, which was originally developed by Hasbro for the
2003 multimedia Clone Wars project. That means a starfighter designed to be a
toy has influenced another starfighter that is designed to be a toy (and appears
in toy-inspired content). It feels right.
What this all means is that Jedi Bob, after enjoying years of fan affection, is
getting his moment in the spotlight. Once, he was referred to merely as ‘Jedi’
on the box for 7163 Republic Gunship... then he was given a name... now, he
is going to be a significant, voiced character who has his own personal ship in
a high-quality piece of LEGO Star Wars animation. Not bad for a background
character with a generic torso.
Far right: The
minifigure has
been subtly
altered for
75388Jedi Bob’s
Staifighter.
Image by
Daniel Jamieson.
Right: Jedi Bob
first appeared
in 2002’s7163
Republic Gunship.
No-one could
have predicted
how popular he
would become.
Above: Jedi Bob
appears in the
trailer for LEGO
Star Wars: Rebuild
the Galaxy.
60 Blocks

RETRO RADIO
Designer Hoang Huy Dang discusses
translating the power of radio into a
retro model for LEGO Icons
Words: Kat Rees-Jauke
There was a time when the world was a much quieter
place. It wasn’t possible to listen to songs at the touch of
a button or hear a fresh version of the news every hour.
Any announcement or piece of gossip had to be physically
written down, transported to the intended audience and
then actively read. But in 1891, Nikola Tesla demonstrated the power of
his Tesla coils, which were able to transmit and receive powerful radio
signals, leading Guglielmo Marconi to invent the first ever radio. He
sent the first radio message six kilometres across the Bristol Channel in
1897, asking ‘are you ready?’ in simple Morse code.
And the world was ready for this technological revolution. Since that
basic initial communication, radios have advanced to serve a multitude
of different purposes, from sending vital messages, through sharing
breaking news, to broadcasting drama and music. Radios became
ubiquitous, found in every vehicle and every home. Today, the method
of delivery has changed as audio is usually transmitted via the internet,
but a lot of the content and formats that listeners enjoy were developed
during the traditional radio days.
AUDIO ICON
As LEGO Icons has already delivered technical marvels with a retro
twist, like 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade and 10306 Atari 2600, the radio felt like
a natural model for the theme as it seeks to replicate real world objects.
“I think it all comes down to the nostalgia aspect,” explains LEGO
Designer Hoang Huy Dang. “We love the old days. There’s something
about the designs of the 1970s and 1980s that speaks to different
generations, opening doors for us to make these types of products."
Although the radio is not based on any specific model, avoiding the
need for it to be licensed by a manufacturer, its overall design is clearly
inspired by the aesthetic of the 1970s. From its blocky, rectangular
shape to the speaker grille stretching across the entire front, it is very
reminiscent of the styles made by Roberts or Grundig during that era.
"Before we started designing the radio, we looked at multiple
references from across a range of eras to see what would make sense,"
adds Hoang, who used his background in audio product design to make
this LEGO device from scratch.
Choosing the 1970s style allowed Hoang to include several fun
technical features. Newer digital radios simply use buttons or even
touch screens, but the classic controls of the vintage style created more
opportunities for making the set functional. "Its aesthetic worked so
well and it allowed me to incorporate more working features, achieving
a great level of functionality.”
62 Blocks
RETRO RADIO
Blocks 63
RETRO RADIO
Right: At a glance,
it’s easy to mistake
the set for a real
radio.
Below right- Grille
tiles cover the front of
the model to mimic
the speaker.
64 Blocks
RETRO RADIO
MAKING IT WORK
There is a sound brick inside the radio, which is activated through turning
the right knob, as if picking a specific channel wavelength on a real radio.
Of course, the designer didn’t have the option of electricity and circuits, so
constructed a clever LEGO System mechanism instead. "We used gears, chain
links, telescopic Technic elements,” lists Hoang, who was determined to
find the best solution. "Eventually we decided on a new worm gear element
because it was so simple and worked really well. It’s a lot more efficient.”
The functionality didn’t stop there, as one of Hoang’s colleagues suggested
that the other dial should do something. “I thought it would be a great
challenge to try and figure out how to get both working. An on-and-off
switch would naturally be in that area, so fitting a gear box in there was fun,"
he continues. “I used the minifigure roller skate to stop the turn motion at
the exact place it needs to be, and it actually makes the click sound you’d
associate with this type of dial.” However, while the working features needed
to be present on the radio, there was very limited space for them inside.
To bring 10334 Retro Radio to the modem day, a phone is able to fit within
the set, so that you can play music as if is coming from the plastic speakers.
“The phone function was something we wanted to do from a very early
stage. We knew it would add an extra fun factor and be relevant for today’s
technology,” Hoang says. “But it meant that I had to design the interior with
a phone always in mind. I basically had to design around a phone, pushing
all the working functions to the very top or the sides.” Even the sound brick
is upside down, which was an intentional choice so that there would be
enough room for even the latest and largest smartphones.
ONE TO ONE
The model is at 1:1 scale, so the realistic size of the set allowed the designer
to focus on the little details. It’s nothing new for the Icons range, which has
been pushing the level of authenticity that the bricks can accomplish higher
and higher. As the parts catalogue continues to grow larger, especially with
more specialist tiles and angled plates, designers can be far more ambitious
at this scale.
"I like doing it a lot. It's very different to doing a set at minifigure scale.
There’s a lot more storytelling or play features woven into those types of
sets,” he says. "At this scale I could focus a lot more of my time looking at the
elements and the colour choices.”
Even with the replica scale and the high level of realism, the model still
needs to be visibly built from bricks. "It’s tricky!” chuckles Hoang. "The
model still needed to have that LEGO DNA. Ultimately our goal was to
recreate a radio at 1:1 scale, so that when you look at it from a distance you'd
question whether it was LEGO or a real radio. But then as you get closer to it,
you can find a few studs on the front plus the LEGO logo.”
The colour scheme helps to blur the lines between LEGO bricks and reality,
which went through several variations. “We wanted a colour that would lend
itself to a realistic model while on display,” says Hoang. "I didn’t want it to be
anything too striking and the pale blue works nicely with the white grille."
After deciding on a retro eggshell shade, he played around with a lot of
colours for the wooden trim around the dials, including some darker browns,
but ultimately the nougat complemented it the best. "The beauty of this
model is that because it’s not a licensed product, it gave me a lot of freedom
Blocks 65
RETRO RADIO
to choose the colours that I wanted,” adds Hoang, who enjoyed being able to
experiment and not having to slavishly adhere to any specific existing radio.
“I could combine colours from various radios that I liked, which gives the
model a very unique look.’”
Once the colours and details were decided upon, the final aspect of 10334
Retro Radio to figure out were the sounds. The new sound brick that the
model includes can play different audio files, adding an essential element to
this set.
“I asked the team to brainstorm what sounds to include. We wrote a lot
of songs, but most of them didn’t make the cut... so clearly we’re not good
singers!" he says. "We decided to do some newscasts and adverts instead
that would have wider appeal.” Among the unique broadcasts, there’s a new
instrumental version of Everything is Awesome, highlighting the continued
legacy of the smash hit from 2014’s The LEGO Movie. Even if the designers
couldn’t come up with a new song, they still had Emmet’s favourite tune.
The sound brick caused a slight change to the interior in order to help the
sound travel through the radio. "Because we’re dealing with plastic bricks,
there isn’t much in the way of acoustics, but inside I included some curved
slope elements to push the acoustics out of the grille,” explains Hoang.
"There’s a lot of empty room within the grille so that as much sound as
possible can come out. It's a vintage radio though, so it shouldn’t sound like a
bluetooth speaker!”
The crackling audio and classical sounds cement 10334 Retro Radio’s place
in a bygone era. No matter how much technology has developed and how
many possibilities streaming offers, radios are still beloved and will no doubt
continue to hold a special place in the hearts of audiophiles. This LEGO version
might have been designed from the ground up, but it oozes retro charm.
Above: Clever
connections allow
for an authentic
tuning feature.
Below: The set
requires a mix of
traditional and
sideways building.
Top right: Each knob
has its own function.
Middle right: There’s
space for a phone.
Bottom right: The
interior has been left
empty for a phone.
66 Blocks
RETRO RADIO
IMPORTANT
INVENTIONS
Other marvels that the
design team has bricked
40595
Tribute to Galileo Galilei
Another set that celebrates great inventions but in a compact
little display model. Galileo invented a lot of items that
revolutionised studies into astronomy and physics. While
he did not invent the telescope, he improved the lenses
and discovered four of the moons orbiting Jupiter. He also
invented an early geometric compass that resembled two
rulers joined via a curve, which could be used as a form of
calculator for scale models or even exchange rates. Many
of Galileo’s mathematical instruments are still in use today,
though modified for modem life.
21347
Red London Telephone Box
Back before everyone had access to mobile phones, being
able to contact someone was very challenging. At the turn of
the century, phones were mostly restricted to the aristocracy
or businesses. When the public telephone box was revealed
in 1924, it allowed more people access to communication.
Suddenly it was possible to phone relatives, friends or
emergency services. While the K2 telephone box was found
most frequently in the big cities, the later K6 improved rural
communication connections. This beautiful display model
celebrates this history and doubles as a phone stand.
21312
Women of NASA
The Moon landing wouldn’t have been possible without the
amazing women working at NASA. One mini build in 21312
focuses on Margaret Hamilton, who was responsiblefor
inventing software engineering and developing the on-board
flight system for the Apollo program. She’s depicted standing
next to a stack of 2x2 tiles, ingeniously representing all of the
coding that went into the software for both the lunar module
and the command module. Nancy Grace Roman, Sally Ride
and Mae Jemison are also included with their own mini
builds to convey their roles at NASA.
21327
Typewriter
This Ideas set feels like a predecessor to 10334 Retro Radio, as
it also represents a beloved piece of technology at Ы scale.
The typewriter was initially invented to support individuals
with disabilities, allowing people with visual or hearing
difficulties to be able to write. From there they became popular
with offices as an indispensable tool for writing official
correspondences and assignments. While this model may
not have any ink to write with, the keys still make the iconic
clickety-clack noises. The set includes a letter from the LEGO
Group's owner to slide through the feeder.
Blocks 67
REVIEWS
10338
Theme: Icons / Price: £79.99, $89.99, €89.99 / Recommended age: 18+ / Minifigures: 0 / Pieces: 950
Bumblebee
Now that fans have an idea of what to expect from a LEGO Transformer, is there
more than meets the eye to Bumblebee, the follow up to Optimus Prime?
GET
THIS
IF YOU
LIKED
21311 Voltron
The LEGO Group has tackled impressive,
complex robots before. Voltron doesn’t
transform as such, but the towering robot does
split into five separate mechanical marvels.
10302 Optimus Prime
Bumblebee is cool, but Optimus Prime should
be at the centre ofyourAutobots squad. The
iconic leader is a truly innovative model thanks
to the transforming function.
10252 Volkswagen Beetle
10338 isn’t anywhere near as impressive as a
replica Beetle as 10252, so if you’re a devotee of
the classic VW vehicle, then you probably need
this one in your collection too.
How do you follow up on the incredible
success that was 10302 Optimus Prime?
The LEGO Group has taken inspiration
from Hasbro again for the difficult second
album. Rather than take on a larger scale
character like Megatron or a more complex
character like Grimlock, the design team has
focused on a smaller and more affordable
Transformer, the heroic Autobot and perennial
fan favourite Bumblebee.
On paper, this is a perfect choice. Not only
is Bumblebee one of the original characters
from the 1984 line-up (known by fans as
Generation One or simply Gl) but his popularity
has endured since, with the character even
starring in an eponymous movie in 2018. The
instruction manual includes a nice synopsis of
the character and the history of this ‘brave little
bee’ - it’s clear that this version is as rooted in
that Gl timeline as 10302 was.
The exact source material is a little harder
to pin down, but with good reason. As with
Optimus Prime, the cartoon and comic book
versions of Bumblebee took a few liberties with
his looks when compared to the actual toy, not
least of which was his scale and method of
transformation.
Somehow, the LEGO design team has
managed to create a robot that has all the
hallmark characteristics of the toy, comic,
cartoon and movie and combine them into a
single package. Some purists may argue that
specific details aren’t correct, but it's difficult to
form a solid argument when those details have
varied so much.
Alongside the attractive instruction manual
is a mercifully tiny sticker sheet. There’s no
printed plaque; otherwise, only three stickers are
required for the entire model, which is great to
see in a set in this price range.
The build is swift and for the most part
uncomplicated. Given the sophistication of the
design and the mechanisms required to allow
Bee to transform, this is quite a remarkable feat.
What’s also interesting is that the build takes
an inverse approach to Optimus Prime. He was
built as a robot that transforms into his truck
form, but Bumblebee is built as a vehicle that
later transforms into a robot. It's an appealing
little twist that helps maintain your interest
throughout the entire build as familiar elements
such as heads and limbs are created but
immediately hidden away, building anticipation
for the point that the puzzle will be solved.
Stacks of black plates hold larger joint
elements in place to create the legs. Some side-
built and angled sections of yellow bodywork,
including some brand-new 4x4x1 curved
comers used for the distinctive wheel arches, are
attached to form the front of the vehicle. These
are built as two separate mirrored sections,
with each side of the front bonnet becoming
the feet of the finished robot. Hidden clip and
bar combinations help hold the leg sections
together in vehicle mode. A printed Autobot
logo can optionally be placed on the bonnet,
effectively representing the various sticker
placements that adorned the Gl toys.
68 Blocks
REVIEWS
Left: A printed
bumblebee tile
sits inside the
windscreen
Right: The
least likely can
be the most
dangerous.
Blocks 69
REVIEWS
Another new element is required to help Bumblebee take form - the
spine of the robot uses the new dog-bone-esque Technic double rotation
joint part. This creates a sort of double-jointed effect that links the torso
and legs but allows it to fold into itself when in vehicle form. It’s a neat
solution and a useful element that will no doubt be used in future sets.
More stacked black parts create the robot’s main torso, hidden
underneath a yellow cab adorned with another of those gorgeous Autobot
tiles. The main cab is unsurprisingly sealed off from view - but the doors
do open. This feature is completely unnecessary and the limited way that
only the lower half of the doors open is quite awkward.
While the lower part of the doors can open, the upper section is a solid
block of blue - the choice of transparent blue elements for the windscreen
and side windows is unattractive here, exacerbated by them not being
able to wrap around the entire car. The windscreen is also unusual as it’s
removed during the transformation process to form some bee-like wings
that are described as a jetpack. It’s the only part that does this and while
this goes against the original toy design, it’s not entirely without merit.
This moment reminds you that rather than a replica of a G1 toy, this is
something inspired by the early incarnations of Bumblebee.
The rear of the car makes use of artistic licence to good effect. Different
registration plate stickers allow the builder to display this as a Goldbug
model if desired and a spare wheel makes good use of the space with the
bodywork to create sufficient storage for Bumblebee’s head. This section
is the highlight of the entire set. Using the same sloped tile element that
was created for Optimus Prime's mouth, the printed Bumblebee face is
exceptionally good. It’s a perfect rendition of the comic and cartoon version,
complete with a slightly smirking smile and blue eyes that are enhanced
by grey detailing that emphasises the angular robotic lines of his face. A
printed yellow slope is flanked by minifigure axe elements, recoloured in
yellow, that make ideal horns. Its an attractive and pleasing section and a
huge improvement compared to the level of detail on Optimus Prime’s face.
With the final sections of bodywork and wheels attached, the vehicle is
complete... and it’s ugly. It’s most definitely a vehicle of some sort, but it
would seldom be mistaken for a car, let alone a VW Beetle, from any of its
awkward and strange-looking angles. Perhaps that’s the ultimate disguise;
Bumblebee was too synonymous with the VW Beetle shape and decided to
Right: The wheels
sit at Bumblebee’s
shoulders and feet.
Below: Black and
yellow elements
recreate the
character’s iconic
colour scheme.
Far right, top:
The joins indicate
where transforming
sections meet
Far right, bottom:
Bumper stickers give
some clues as to the
car’s true identity.
70 Blocks
REVIEWS
transform into... whatever this is.
In its defence, the G1 toy was a highly stylised version of the iconic car
too, but at this scale the differences are glaring. As a car, there are gaps and
lumps and hinges and clips and shapes that really don’t look nice - squint
hard enough and you’ll be fine, but don’t expect this to sit well alongside
your collection of LEGO Icons vehicles such as 10252 Volkswagen Beetle.
No sooner is that irritating you than you remember that this is a LEGO
Transformer and its primary form is a robot. The fact that this vehicle can
change into a robot at all is still very impressive, although anyone who has
already built Optimus Prime will find this trick marginally less spectacular.
Transforming Bumblebee into his robot form is surprisingly complicated
- around two dozen steps are needed to pop, twist, click and rotate all of
those hidden limbs into position. Instructions for transforming him back to
vehicle mode aren’t included in the manual and must be found up online,
although given the unappealing look of the car there are unlikely to be
many fans who choose to do anything other than keep him in robot form.
The most striking feature of the robot is that the chest and feet both
capture the shape and form of the G1 character well. That is further
enhanced by the balance of yellow and black and the proportions of the
legs, hips and chest that also feel spot on.
That superb head feels a little overwhelmed by the massive shoulders. The
positioning and relative size of the forearms also leaves much to be desired.
Articulation is restricted throughout the model, but this affords a good level
of stability that is helped by the use of horizontally mounted tyres under
each foot to prevent slipping. The hands and arms are reasonably poseable
though and able to hold a large blaster. The waist and legs are more limited,
however - a by-product of the transformation mechanics - but with some
work and imagination a fair range of positions are possible.
As with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee takes all of the elements of the G1
toy, comics and cartoons then blends them together to form something
that’s clearly identifiable as the character fans love but with a LEGO brick
twist. What’s disappointing is that the few shortcomings of the first LEGO
Transformers set haven’t been fully addressed here - in fact, the alternate mode
feels like a regression and is far less accurate or attractive than Prime’s truck, to
the point that it’s almost not worth transforming Bee out of robot mode.
When standing on display, robot Bee looks good from the front, but
the side and rear views are quite unappealing. The lack of articulation is
understandable, but there is a nagging feeling that this could have been
a stunning robot Bumblebee if the transformation wasn't required... and
that’s quite a sad realisation.
Putting the set alongside Prime highlights the notable improvements
that have been made, particularly with the face and the excellent printed
elements, but the overarching feeling is that this may be as good as a LEGO
Transformer will ever be. While the technical ingenuity and mechanics
required to perform the transformation are highly impressive, the novelty
is already starting to wear off. If the compromises needed mean that the
robots are slightly awkward looking and the vehicles are unattractive
then perhaps a simpler or more brick-friendly character would make a
more suitable subject. Maybe it's time for Soundwave to get a chance at
becoming a LEGO Transformer.
DAVE CARTLIDGE
An interesting build with some great new parts, clever
transformation mechanics and superb face details - but
• Э it doesn’t look great when converted to vehicle mode.
Blocks 71
REVIEWS
21350
Theme: Ideas / Price: £129.99, $149.99, €149.99 / Recommended age: 18+ / Minifigures: 3 / Pieces: 1,497
JAWS
LEGO Ideas pays tribute to Steven Spielberg's classic disaster
movie in a set that captures the film’s dramatic tussle between
deadly shark and rickety boat
72 Blocks
REVIEWS
Released in 1975, almost 50 years ago, JAWS was the movie that truly
established Steven Spielberg’s big budget credentials (he followed
it with Close Encounters, 1941 and Raiders of the Lost Ark). The
simplicity of its concept makes it the perfect film to showcase a director’s
talents, as its success as a movie comes down to the visceral filmmaking.
The film is Jonny Campbell’s all-time favourite movie, so he decided
to create a model and share it on LEGO Ideas. There were enough fans of
the movie to get behind the product idea and give it 10,000 votes - it was
then selected by the LEGO Group and turned into an official set by the
professionals.
In the transition from fan design to official model, Jonny’s form for
the boat and the great white were retained. His attention to detail and
conceptualisation was spot on, as the designers have stayed close to
what he created. Where it has changed is in the use of elements - the
same ideas have been delivered in ways that were presumably chosen to
enhance the build experience and create a more polished display piece.
JAWS is the perfect film to be realised as a LEGO set, because it has
such visceral texture. In the early 1970s, digital filmmaking techniques
were limited - even compositing was still in its embryonic phase. That
meant that Steven Spielberg and his crew had to do everything practically,
famously with a challenging mechanical shark, but also with physical
sets for the boat. Some of the most memorable parts of the movie are the
cramped quarters that the three shark-hunting leads are sitting in.
That physicality translates really well into this model. The first thing
to build is the rickety old fishing boat that is somehow going to allow
Hooper, Quint and Brody to stop the enormous shark that is terrorising
Amity Island’s waterfront. To begin with, it seems worryingly boxy as you
put together a very rectangular section.
It isn’t long though before things get more interesting, as the bow is
built as a separate section, entirely upside down. The shape is cleverly
achieved using a combination of Mixels joints and hinge plates. Once
it is attached to the main body, the build direction reverses as you
add detail to the top of it.
The boat is entirely fun to put together in general, as you add
bulk, height and put in lots of small details... even if you have
no inclination to build a rustic fishing boat, you will find
yourself captivated by every new page of the instruction
book. It’s a real revelation.
When you consider that none of the LEGO Group’s pre-moulded
hulls are used, it’s really impressive how solid the final construct is. The
designers have clearly spent a lot of time examining the movie, as it
includes all manner of details you have never noticed before.
JAWS memorably builds tension by not revealing the shark until quite
far into the movie’s runtime. Cleverly, the set does the same thing and
introduces the beast only after the vessel is complete. It’s nice to switch
things up and construct something that's completely different.
Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of SNOT building going on to create the
smooth shark, with some nice use of different slope elements to achieve
the right shape. Absolutely superb use is made of 1x4 w/ bow (66955), a
ridged element that was originally developed to represent stone infused
monsters, as the great white’s gills.
Where the shark is really clever though is the way it is designed to look
like the animal, but with a touch of movie unrealism to it... something
about the design reminds you that this is based on a movie prop, not the
actual underwater animal.
That is helped by the fact it very subtly breaks in two - a full shark can
be displayed on a stand or half of a shark can be posed coming out of a
water on the display base, which is the final section of the model to build.
The designers have taken the display format used in Star Wars and
Jurassic World for the diorama, making their black-framed base the
same width as the prior models. They have had some fun with it though,
as water is spilling over the edges and the boat juts out at an angle,
contributing to the kinetic energy of the scene.
Putting everything together on the display base is the best way to display
the model. It is absolutely beautifully judged and takes you straight back to
the film’s most iconic scene. The display stand for the shark itself is bizarre
and it’s hard to imagine anyone opting for that option, but it doesn’t use up
many bricks so can be happily put to one side.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
It is impossible to be anything other than thoroughly engaged
Q лл while building the components of this scene. Seeing it all come
-s vJ together at the end is entirely gratifying.
Main image - A
printed element
features one of the
most famous quotes
in cinema history:
“You’re gonna need
a bigger boat."
Shark - The entire
shark can be
displayed on a brick-
built pedestal.
Blocks 73
REVIEWS
76273
Theme: DC / Price: £64.99, $64.99, €74.99 / Recommended age: 12+ / Minifigures: 0 / Pieces: 713
Batman
Construction
Figure and the
Bat-Pod Bike
The iconic vehicle that speeds
through the streets of Chris
Nolan’s Gotham City is released
at construction figure scale
vZTtt/
7i/nn>
Main: Batman keeps
a low profile against
the Bat-Pod.
лад
Top right: In The
Dark Knight, the
Bat-Pod memorably
ejects from the
Tumbler.
Far right: The Bat-
Pod is well armed,
with front-mounted
machine guns.
Pics: Phil Wrighton
Almost a decade ago, the LEGO Group launched an extremely
limited edition Bat-Pod set to commemorate Chris Nolan’s Dark
Knight trilogy. Only the vehicle itself was included in the set but,
being limited to just 1,000 copies and only to VIPs through a sweepstake
contest, the resale value of the model skyrocketed. It has taken almost 10
years for the LEGO Group to release this updated LEGO version alongside
a new Batman construction figure, marking the debut appearance of a
Christian Bale Batman at this scale.
The figure itself is similar to the excellent Keaton-inspired 76259 Batman
Construction Figure, as you might expect, but the differences are notable
as well as practical. At first glance, the only obvious change might be the
large shield icon across the chest, which looks great despite a slight gap in
the centre.
Almost every other aspect of the build and the completed figure is
different, however. From the armoured legs through the utility belt to the
cowl, every element has been tweaked and made Bale-like. The armour
across the arms is particularly pleasing and the nimble hands (which they
need to be, given they’ll be gripping onto the handlebars of the Bat-Pod
later) are well-formed and easy to adjust.
A pivot at the waist is nicely overlaid with wedge tiles to create an
armour (or maybe an eight-pack?) effect and the fins on each forearm
are much more subtle and effective than the Keaton version. The set also
has a fresh approach to the colour balance, with more dark grey elements
complementing the predominantly black areas - this can be a double-
edged sword, particularly where black plates overlay the grey sections and
give a somewhat unfinished look.
This is an excellent construction figure that surpasses the Keaton version
in its accuracy and flexibility. The only niggle would be that the fabric cape
hasn’t been updated to reflect the latest aesthetic.
As for the Bat-Pod, this is a stunning recreation. Given its scale, the
requirement to have a construction figure pilot it and the intrinsically
unstable nature of two-wheeled LEGO vehicles, this is a triumph. The
finished bike is even bigger than the original limited edition 5004590
Bat-Pod and has a longer wheelbase to accommodate the rider.
The build starts with a minimal Technic core, overlaid with plates and
wedges that create the small amount of bodywork that the bike has.
There are very few internal or hidden areas of the bike; this means that
every element used has been carefully chosen and positioned due to its
74 Blocks
REVIEWS
visibility on the finished model. Where this economy of parts is especially
important is the front axle assembly - a complex series of angled Technic
beams connect to the large wheel hub with several protruding connectors,
where a series of front-mounted guns are attached later.
This is just one of the areas where the Bat-Pod improves on the
previous version; the original bike only had a couple of overlaid plates
and bars to represent the ride’s weaponry, whereas this build has a
much more realistic and industrial aesthetic. Different grey elements
are neatly combined to create some excellent greebling whilst retaining
the look of the movie version, yet still finding space for a couple of stud
shooters. It’s a focal point of the bike and is satisfyingly well designed
and fun to build.
The core of the bike, including the awkwardly positioned handlebars, is
also cleverly put together and despite using one of the set’s few stickers to
achieve its detailing, the overall effect is great, particularly when Batman’s
hands are clipped into position. The rear wheel is equally clever in its
construction too - it has to be a freely rotating section with exposed
footrests for the figure to clip onto, which must have made for quite an
engineering challenge; yet again, the solution is elegant and effective.
The use of minifigure seats as Batman’s knee-rests is especially pleasing
and also practical for holding the figure in the correct position. Mounting
the Batman figure onto the bike is a little clunky at first, justifying the
instruction manual devoting its last half a dozen pages to showing the
correct way to achieve it.
Whether attached to the Bat-Pod or standing alongside it, the figure
looks great and is the perfect scale for the bike. The vehicle itself looks
terrific with or without its rider - it is sturdy, well-balanced and a very
convincing replica of the movie version that is cleverly designed and
rewarding to build. Could these have been released separately? Technically
that would be possible, as neither the Batman figure nor the Bat-Pod are
complementary builds for the other, but it’s the combination of two very
well-designed components that works to such a hugh standard here.
DAVE CARTLIDGE
^2121 A superb vehicle improves on the original in every area and is
q э then enhanced by a great construction figure, making this
OO a must have for any Bat-fan.
Blocks
REVIEWS
176270 |
Batman Mech Armour
Theme: DC / Price: £12.99, $14.99, €14.99 / Recommended age: 6+ / Minifigures: 1 / Pieces: 140
The Dark Knight hasn’t been short of mech armour in
his comic book adventures - or for that matter his
many LEGO incarnations. With just about every
character from every franchise getting a new LEGO
mech, it’s only right that Wayne Enterprises
shows them how it should be done.
The formula for these mechs is tried
and tested, with little variation here. Large,
specialist elements do the bulk of the work. A
nicely printed 2x2 tile with the iconic logo adorns
the front of this particular cockpit and the excellent
use of gold modified plates, clips and ingots leads to a
pretty cool utility belt. These little details help to sell the
visual identity of what would otherwise be a cookie-cutter
mech. Judging by the price and complexity, these sets are designed
first and foremost for playability.
When it comes to the ubiquitous stud shooter, it doesn’t feel out
of place on the arm and a neat brick-built batarang fits nicely in the
opposing hand. Large Technic bodywork plates are used on the rear of
the mech to represent wings, with a sizable jet on the back of the torso
providing the actual flight.
It’s not too surprising that the included minifigure is a generic Batman
and not a new variant for collectors to get excited about. While this could
be disappointing, there’s a definite feeling of joy with this mech and the
build is reasonably enjoyable while not being particularly challenging -
at a pleasingly low price point.
DAVE CARTLIDGE
Verdict
Of all the characters to get a mech suit, Batman makes the
£ q most sense. While the build process is super straightforward,
О 37 the resulting toy is just as fun as you would hope.
40675
Commander Cody
Theme: BrickHeadz / Price: £9.99, $9.99, €9.99 / Recommended age: 10*/ Minifigures: 0 / Pieces: 147
While Captain Rex is undoubtedly the most beloved Clone Trooper
among fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there’s also a lot of
affection for Commander Cody. As the leader of the 212th Attack
Battalion, he has bright orange markings on his armour, giving him a vibrant
appearance. This BrickHeadz figure is based on his look from the animated
series.
As ever, the basic template for the character is a simple construction of
SNOT bricks, with plates and tiles then added around the outside until he
resembles Obi-Waris faithful buddy. Items such as his utility belt and knee
pads are brick-built, with a printed piece delivering his armour markings.
Where Cody gets a bit more interesting is when it comes to his helmet. Two
sub-assemblies form the front. The first uses a printed slope piece, with lxl
round tiles with holes alongside it to provide texture and effectively convey the
helmet’s tech. The second sub-assembly forms the shape of the visor, which
is the most recognisable thing about the character’s bucket - once attached,
a lxl with bar points downwards to meet the printed slope for a lovely bit of
constructed detail.
Armoured characters often work well in BrickHeadz and the focus on the
oversized helmet in this set will give you a smile when it's complete. As usual,
this model won’t give you an especially rewarding build experience, but if you
like the character then it’s a fun set to add to your never-ending Star Wars
collection.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
Verdict
61
Commander Cody’s oversized helmet adds a bit of interest
to building this BrickHeadz character and gives him an
appealing final form too.
76 Blocks
REVIEWS
75373
Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack
Theme: Star Wars / Price: £19.99, $19.99, €21.99 / Recommended age: 6+ / Minifigures: 4 / Pieces: 109
There are some sets that, at first glance, look easy to make fun of -
and that’s the case with 75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack.
Inspired by Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 3’s concluding
story, which sees the warrior clans go up against Moff Gideon’s forces to
reclaim their planet, the set builds part of the caverns that they traverse
while on their mission.
Given that this model only contains slightly more than 100 pieces, it’s
a small slice of the underground base. That means it’s mainly made up of
haphazardly arranged slope pieces to mimic rock formations... but if you’re
going to be army building with this set, that is what you need. The more
sets you buy, the bigger the environment you can build for the minifigures.
And those minifigures are great. The Imperial Commandos are covered
in detail, capturing many key aspects of their armour as seen on screen.
The helmet printing is on point, but unfortunately the shaping is a bit off.
In the show, their buckets seem to riff off what their Mandalorian enemies
wear - but these LEGO versions are too bulky to capture that.
Two Mandalorians are included; a regular Mando trooper and a Mando
Nite Owl trooper. While they have similar decoration, there are subtle
differences to mark them apart. The Nite Owl trooper’s helmet is particularly
cool, with a special visor shape that’s unique to that clan. Both buckets are
pleasingly scuffed up as if the characters have seen some action.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
Verdict
Like many battle packs, the minifigures are the reason to grab
this box. If you’re recreating scenes from the show, the bricks
will come in handy too.
75386
Paz Vizsla and
Moff Gideon Battle
Theme: Star Wars/Price: £34.99, $39.99, €39.99/
Recommended age: 7+ / Minifigures: 4 / Pieces: 289
One of the most impactful moments in the third season of Star
Wars: The Mandalorian is when Paz Vizsla makes a heroic last
stand to save his fellow warriors but is brutally cut down by the
Praetorian Guards. The key aspect of the scene is the door that separates
Paz from the rest of the heroes - and that’s what the whole set is built
around. It allows for a nice setting that looks good when populated by
minifigures, but it’s not the most interesting build.
Of course the characters offered here are irresistible. In the show, Paz
Visla is a hulking Mandalorian and the LEGO version conveys that through
an armour element, a bulky backpack and a huge weapon. His helmet
printing is absolute perfection.
As for Moff Gideon, the hissable villain is also delivered to an
exceptionally high standard, with very detailed printing across the torso
and legs. The special helmet element matches what appears on screen,
with key details incorporated to ensure this is a distinctive minifigure. The
only drawback is the lack of cape for the character.
Two Praetorian Guards round off the set, again matching the source
material very well. Their unusual helmets are represented particularly
successfully. In a fun touch, plain red head pieces sit under their buckets.
75373 is half the price of this set, so it’s easier to justify buying a slightly
dull build for the minifigures - here though, you really are paying for the
model as well as the minifigures and it’s a shame it’s not more interesting.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
________Star Wars doors are pretty cool, but they are still doors.
/Г Л Fortunately, the exceptional minifigures give you the excuse
О x you need to buy this set.
Verdict
Blocks 77
REVIEWS
77046
Julian's Birthday Party
Theme: Animal Crossing / Price: £12.99, $14.99, €14.99 / Recommended age: 6+ / Minifigures: 1 / Pieces: 170
There’s always cake in Animal Crossing. Just moved to the island?
Have a cupcake. Feeling under the weather? Have another cupcake.
It’s your birthday? Have a cake. Every islander knows how to
celebrate the little things in life. While this set is focused on snazzy
unicorn Julian, it’s easy to customise for any other Animal Crossing
character.
Julian is a unicorn villager who has been a staple in Animal Crossing
since New Leaf released in 2012. He’s apparently inspired by Julius Caesar,
which makes sense as his birthday is on the Ides of March.
Julian’s minifigure perfectly captures his love of astrology in
a beautifully printed galaxy jacket that’s got lots of metallic
Left: What could
be inside Julian's
present?
highlights. He looks just as bright and bold as he does in the
game. He also wears a LEGO party hat in pearl gold.
The party itself uses a gorgeous array of pastel colours for the
decorations and food, with the inclusion of the cherry blossom
really tying everything together. Quite a few techniques have been
borrowed from the Friends range, especially when it comes to the
table and selection of cakes. As for the gifts, there’s a blockiness
that really captures the graphics of the game.
Considering this is a party though, it’s a shame that Julian
doesn't have any other villagers to celebrate alongside. As an
entry-level set in the Animal Crossing theme, this model is
aesthetically very pleasing, but there’s a lack of storytelling
and other villagers to enjoy a slice of birthday cake.
KAT REES-JAUKE
^22] A really sweet set that uses pastel colours
£ л effectively, but doesn’t feel anything like a
3 ТГ party with just one attendee.
77047
Bunnie’s Outdoor
Activities
Right: Tartan
is Bunnie’s
signature style.
Below: Bunnie
can sleep in the
tent or warm
herself by the
campfire.
Theme: Animal Crossing / Price: £17.99, $19.99, €19.99 / Recommended age: 6+ / Minifigures: 1 / Pieces: 164
here is an awful lot to explore across the wilderness and islands that
exist in the Animal Crossing world. Unique biomes offer new resources
to make recipes or crafts and to find creatures for Blathers to display in
his museum. 77047 Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities captures some of this spirit
of adventure, but highlights how LEGO models are very different to computer
graphics.
It’s a nice build that’s very quick to come together. The use of the Super Mario
plates gives the model a lot of round contours, which imitates the graphics of
the Animal Crossing landscape relatively well. Some new round lxl and 2x2 tiles
brilliantly represent the fossils that players can dig up in the game. But there’s a
lack of anything to really do with the finished set. It’s a pretty but basic landscape
- and not much else.
There’s only one butterfly for Bunnie to catch and there’s not even a sticker to
suggest a fish waiting in the river to be caught. A few Bells are hidden under
a rock, but there’s no way to redeem this LEGO currency in the actual game.
Everything that players collect or find in Animal Crossing has a purpose, but
that’s not something that translates into a LEGO set.
Of all the LEGO Animal Crossing sets, this is probably the least exciting
and really needs to be combined with another from this wave to be
properly enjoyed. While Bunnie may be exclusive, there's not much
else that’s enticing, so this one is probably only for completists.
KAT REES-JAUKE
Without being able to do the things you can
rrj in the game, this set has a lot of style but not
3 L/ much substance.
78 Blocks
REVIEWS
77049
Isabelle's House Visit
Theme: Animal Crossing / Price: £34.99, $39.99, €39.99 / Recommended age: 6+ / Minifigures: 2 / Pieces: 389
Animal Crossing is all about building a home for your character,
customising the interior and making a garden that will be the talk
of the island. There are neighbourly rivalries and plenty of gossip.
Yet without the story of the game, how does that translate into a LEGO
context? While 77049 Isabelle’s House Visit captures some elements of
the Nintendo classic, it’s a confusing mixture of styles.
The build uses elements usually reserved for the 4+ range alongside
techniques that feel reminiscent of a Friends set. That means that some
areas of the model are very simple, while other parts are more interesting.
Ultimately it's a bit of a mishmash. The graphics in Animal Crossing are
charmingly cute but actually very detailed with lots of texture - and this
model just doesn’t live up to that. Some parts are nicely detailed but other
areas of the model appear very flat.
It doesn’t help that the house is so small. Adding more architectural
detailing would have been much easier if the building could open up
on hinges, like 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit. While the open
back does encourage role play, it also means that the furniture is squished
into the limited space. There is little room to pose the minifigures inside.
Animal Crossing has many features for you to customise your home,
but the only things possible with the pieces in the box are moving the
furniture around or swapping out the windows. It would have been nice to
have some opportunities to add rugs or paintings.
On the exterior, the garden is a nice area and there are surprisingly
more Animal Crossing references outside the house than in it. There is a
workbench for making recipes, complete with a slingshot to bring down
the present balloon. A newly printed 2x2 suggests hidden treasure that
needs to be dug up, while the little basket to collect some apples is a nice
touch. It’s a shame there isn’t some type of graphic on the mailbox to
suggest someone has sent Fauna something.
Both minifigures are unique to this set and are beautifully detailed.
Fauna is a doe and is wearing a little fur lined jacket, with some spots
printed on the back of her head to imitate the markings on a fallow
deer. Isabelle is inspired by a Shih Tzu and is secretary to the mayor
in earlier Animal Crossing games, though is now a Civic Consultant in
New Horizons. Her clothing is very much business attire, with a plaid
cardigan complementing her dark blue skirt. The option to accessorise
these minifigures with flowers or party hats is really nice and adds to the
storytelling.
As a game, Animal Crossing is driven by its overarching story and
quests. Without those goals, this LEGO version falls flat. If this model had
been designed more like a Friends set, with lots of details to encourage
play, then it would be much more successful. Instead, it’s a lacklustre
house that is trying too hard to be something it’s not.
KAT REES-JAUKE
Without many opportunities to customise the home,
л Q this model struggles to feel like an authentic representation
x > of Animal Crossing gameplay.
Above: There’s
a snug space
inside, with
a bed, table,
kitchen area
and clock.
Right: Fauna
gives her
friend a warm
welcome.
Blocks 79
REVIEWS
77048
Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour
Theme: Animal Crossing / Price: £24.99, $29.99, €29.99 / Recommended age: 6+ / Minifigures: 2 / Pieces: 233
Kapp’n the kappa, a river spirit in Japanese folklore, is always happy
to take players on a voyage to mysterious islands of Animal
Crossing, where anything might be lurking. Along the way he’ll
sing a sweet song as his boat cuts through the water. 77048 Kapp’n’s Island
Boat Tour offers a lot of fun and storytelling between two cantankerous
characters.
Although the boat is standard minifigure size, a lot has been packed into
such a small space. The engine is mounted on a turntable so it can be tilted
around to combat the tides, while a lamp at the front can light evening
voyages. Kapp’n has got a travel flask to stay hydrated and there’s a new tile
showcasing а К. K. Slider vinyl (he’s basically the biggest recording artist in
Animal Crossing).
The beach is an appealing paradise. Stylised palm trees dot the shore
^un’sea and sandwiches are all packed into a surprisingly
£ q detailed little model. If you have been thinking of this theme as
3 О Fabuland 2.0, the detail level here proves otherwise.
Baby Bumpy:
Ankylosaurus
and use green minifigure heads as coconuts. Deck chairs offer a place to
sit for both characters, with snacks within easy reach. Marshal the squirrel
looks adorably grumpy. His expression suits his sulky nature in the game
and the character is somehow wearing a cable knit vest in the heat. There’s
also a little hermit crab that uses a LEGO ice cream element for its shell.
Beautiful tropical islands and adventuring to distant shores are huge parts
of Animal Crossing gameplay and are represented well in this set. If you like
some of the more obscure villagers, then this is definitely one to get.
KAT REES-JAUKE
Theme: Jurassic World / Price: £19.99, $24.99, €24.99 / Recommended age: 7+ / Minifigures: 0 / Pieces: 358
Jurassic World tends to focus on dinosaurs that want to eat everyone. The new Jurassic World: Chaos Theory animated
series shows a softer side to these creatures, which 76962 Baby Bumpy: Ankylosaurus captures in an adorable model.
What’s so striking about this set is that it’s a completely brick-built dinosaur. LEGO Jurassic World typically opts for
moulded creatures, so this build takes a lot of inspiration from the Creator range. After building a sturdy torso, there are a lot
of exposed studs left for attaching the distinctive armour plating of the ankylosaurus.
Bright turquoise works really well with the tan and sand green. It makes Bumpy very colourful
and quite similar to his animated appearance. As no-one knows what colour this dinosaur
was in reality, it’s nice to have a vibrant hue. The head is built as a separate construct
using some fascinating techniques that wouldn’t be out of place in an Icons set.
LEGO lightsaber rods are mounted into round 1x2 plates, which connect the snout
seamlessly to the rest of the face. Then newly printed 2x2 round tiles make the
eyes expressive and give Bumpy his personality.
Attaching the head reveals why the model uses a turntable - pushing it causes
the tail to swivel and move. The fun little function works well. The clubbed tail
uses new hinged pieces to let it swing in a full 180-degree arc. While Bumpy may t
be aimed at younger fans, he’s a dinosaur everyone needs in their collection.
KAT REES-JAUKE
There are not many brick-built dinos in this theme and
*77 Bumpy uses fascinating techniques for a cute model. If
(-L you like Creator animals, you’ll like this set.
80 Blocks
REVIEWS
10368
Chrysanthemum
Theme: Icons / Price: £24.99, $29.99, €29.99 / Recommended age: 18+ / Minifigures: 0 / Pieces: 278
There are quite a few varieties of chrysanthemum, but when you see the most familiar
one, you instantly know it as a rather distinct flower. The LEGO Group is adding the
varietal to the Botanical Collection with 10368.
The plant pot uses a similar construction method to 10369 Plum Blossom. Several Technic
axles stick out of the top of it, with dark green cross axle extensions then creating the plant’s
stalks. It’s fun to see a couple of palm leaf elements used as large leaves, even if they are not
especially convincing for this purpose.
Three different methods are used to convey the actual chrysanthemum flowers. The
smallest, barely open flowers utilise an upside down 2x2 round tile combined with an
element originally designed to be a minifigure scale cupcake case. It’s simple but definitely
works.
It’s more interesting to build the blossoming flower of course, with claw elements attached
to the octagonal bar frame. As long as they are carefully positioned, these really do capture
the unusual way the petals look before the flower comes to full bloom.
Most visually appealing of the three and most accurate to the real-life flower is the
blooming head, which also uses what could be a gimmicky element. The banana piece is
included in three different shades - sometimes such a part looks too conspicuous, but here
it works absolutely perfectly. There is something additionally amusing about a Minions hair
element placed so effectively in the centre of the flower, then surrounded by bananas.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
ДЩД	the different flower heads be in different states of bloom
*70 ensures that this attractive display set is also engaging to build.
( О The set continues the series’ tradition of excellent part usage.
10369
Plum Blossom
Theme: Icons / Price: £24.99, $29.99, €29.99 / Recommended age: 18+ / Minifigures: 0 / Pieces: 327
Commonly known as plum blossom, Prunus mume blooms at the
beginning of the year and features distinctive oval leaves. It’s the
national flower of the Republic of China and the LEGO Group is often
keen to release models that will appeal to consumers in that part of the world.
Smaller than many previous Botanical Collection sets - but of course larger
than the builds in 10329 Tiny Plants - the set has a unique method for building
the container. Unikitty tails, which have proven to be an incredibly diverse element,
create ornate feet for the pot. A layer of SNOT bricks in the centre allows two sets of
curved elements to give die impression that the base isn’t even a LEGO construct.
The plant itself is very simple to build. Technic elements create winding,
curving branches. The orientation of them has clearly been carefully considered so
that the plant looks organic.
Theoretically, the flowers will be interesting to build - but they are incredibly simple
and anticlimactic. The red circular elements that are supposed to convey petals are
built in a way that is much too flat to represent the real-life flowers. Because of the
construction method, there is little scope to adjust them to your liking.
A crown sits at the centre of the flowers but is too large relative to the petals. It’s
completely out of scale. Unlike 10368 Chrysanthemum, 10369 Plum Blossom is
completely unconvincing as the plant it is supposed to recreate. It’s a real shame that
the model’s focal point is so unsuccessful.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
Even though the branches are effective, the disappointing
ry flowers look entirely unconvincing. If you buy this set, be
( ready to rebuild them yourself.
Blocks 81
REVIEWS
60317
Theme: Qty / Price: £89.99, $99.99, €99.99 /
Recommended age: 7+ / Minifigures: 6 / Pieces: 915
Police Chase
at the Bank
The crooks are determined to get
the money, whether they have
to rip out the wall, drill through
the cash machine or sneak in
through the skylight
Fans are often looking for eveiyday buildings to incorporate into
their town layouts... but City has never been known to deliver such
locations without also packing in as much action as possible. On
that basis, 60317 Police Chase at the Bank doesn’t just deliver a bank - it
delivers a bank in the middle of a heist with a hefty response from law
enforcement, as the name suggests.
The building itself makes up a relatively small part of the set, which also
contains three chunky vehicles and a portion of road (the latter takes up a
good amount of the model, as is typical). The bank is probably the simplest
build in the box, with large wall panels getting its height up quickly.
There are some fun touches though, such as two removable wall
sections. These are cleverly built in a specific shape, with a gap in the same
shape built into the wall - so instead of the criminals pulling out a neat
square, they pull out a more convincingly haphazard section of wall. The
sections are cleverly placed so that something worth stealing sits behind
each one - a trolley of cash in one case and a safe in the other.
Previous City banks have been variable in terms of including relevant
interior detail, but this one is pretty successful. There’s an ATM, sacks of
cash (left next to the window?!), the aforementioned trolley and safe, a
securely gated vault, plus a lavatory. In a fun touch, removing the ATM will
expose whichever minifigure is taking a bathroom break. Toilet humour is
alive and well in this theme.
In addition to ripping out the walls, the thieves can enter the bank via a
hidden roof hatch or the skylight. The fact that there are so many options
for robbing the bank shows the designers trusting children to play out the
story they want to, rather than being too prescriptive.
Things have changed since City’s big relaunch in 2005 - back then,
you’d be lucky to get one criming for the police to track down in a
set. Three bandits are included in this model, all dressed in the same
uniform to demonstrate their team spirit, although their eye masks give
away their nefarious intentions. They have brought hardware with them
to assist in their operation, including a drone, as seems to be obligatory
in large City models.
More significantly they have a vehicle that is disguised - poorly -
as a cleaning company’s truck. The interior includes a van mounted
platform lift that can unfold, along with a chain and a drill. The chain can
obviously pull the wall sections away, the platform can get the villains
to the heights they need to reach and the drill cam presumably wreak
whatever havoc is necessary.
Two police vehicles follow the colour scheme and style that is common
within the theme. The van has space for the driver and either additional
officers or captured bad ‘uns in the back. The large helicopter has a lot of
interior space for a pilot, passengers and a captured robber. In a fun touch,
one of the net launching elements is attached to its side.
City sometimes uses very simplified vehicles, sometimes more
sophisticated vehicles. In this case, they fall somewhere between the
two ends of the spectrum; they are engaging to build and result in quite
pleasing forms, but they do not surprise along the way and don’t live up to
the more sophisticated looking vehicles in your collection.
What is nice about the wheeled vehicles though is that they are the
same size, so are absolutely perfect to play out a chase with... not than any
self-respecting adult LEGO fan would do that. The road outside the bank
encourages that kind of action, with the addition of a tree, bench and traffic
light adding to the drama of a high-speed pursuit taking place against the
backdrop of eveiyday life.
For a child who wants a satisfying LEGO set, it’s easy to see how this
82 Blocks
REVIEWS
would be successful. It’s beautifully balanced, with the bank at the centre of
a dramatic story that sees the thieves carrying out a heist, then the police
turning to apprehend them with both ground and air force.
If you’re an adult fan though, or even an older child, you probably
already have a decent number of police vehicles... after all, City and Town
before it are both known for having a better police officer to citizen ratio
than any nation on Earth. What you’re coming to this set for is the bank
and perhaps the fun criminal minifigures - but they are such a small
part of this set that you’ll struggle to justify paying hill price for it. With
that noted tough, this is a more satisfying build than you’d think and is a
tremendously fun model.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
It’s probably the bank that will attract to you this set, but it
/7*7 is a lot of fun overall. The build isn’t too simplified and the
О I completed model is packed with story.
Blocks 83
REVIEWS
60421
Theme: City / Price: £89.99, $99.99, €99.99 /
Recommended age: 8+ / Minifigures: 8 / Pieces: 986
Robot World
Listen to the music, ride the thrilling
coaster and play some games at a
fun-filled attraction that features
some very familiar iconography
This model is absolutely wild. It’s a futuristic themed roller coaster
with an arcade underneath it and a DJ blasting out tunes at the
top - with a massive mech at its centre. Clearly it’s more than just a
ride, but not quite a full theme park either... perhaps a single themed area
at a park?
In case you’re in any doubt as to whether the mech is removable, it’s
the first thing you build - and it is just like building any other LEGO mech
(well, not the really simple ones that are popping up at the moment). Using
a variety of white elements you put together a mech that doesn’t just pay
homage to Exo-Force, it specifically recreates 7700 Stealth Hunter using
the modem parts palette - a stealth redux for the theme. That the designers
seized on the opportunity to include it is amazing.
Assuming you don’t pop a minifigure in the mech and get distracted, it’s
then time to build the main model. This is not a simplified City build either
in its finished look or in its construction process, which is apparent from
the beginning. As you layer up the base, it is being shaped in a very specific
way that will allow it to be framed by the roller coaster track while also
maintaining an angular, futuristic form to fit with the theme.
Building it up, the central wall section holds the weight of most of the
structure, but some 2x2 round pillars reinforced with Technic cross axles
also provide support. Technic constructs are also cleverly pinned in place to
support the higher levels of coaster track without getting in the way of the
track below - it’s expert level use of space.
Introduced in 2021, the support girder element (6488176) is put to work in
a clever way, pinned in place over the gaps in the walls. While those gaps
are rounded using archways, the circular pieces make them look... circular,
implying that the coaster is travelling through portals.
Those elements are in medium azure, as are the lines that are built
around the edge of the black walls. Particularly when combined with the
bright yellowish green track and transparent purple panels, this really sells
the concept that this a sleek, purpose-built, futuristic sci-fi inspired setting.
It feels like the vibe of an arcade you would love to visit, even if it seems
there has been no funding for such lavishly themed teenage-focused
locations since the 1980s.
The DJ at the top of the model is a slightly odd choice as it isn’t common
to find a DJ at a theme park ride - but the character seems to be a robot, so
perhaps this is an animatronic minifigure. Fortunately, the target audience
of children won’t care, but as an adult fan it’s nice to be able to rationalise
these things (if you want to get into actual character names, it is in fact the
mysterious No Face from the LEGO City No Limits series).
Given the arcade that’s housed within the structure, it makes sense that
there is a game controller sitting at the top. That’s a fun item to construct,
with some nice sideways building capturing the shape appropriately.
As for the gaming area, there’s even more nostalgia packed into it.
There are two computers set up for competitive play, with the stickered
screens revealing a BIONICLE game. There's also a dance battle machine,
appropriately robot themed, with a large screen revealing how the players
are doing - Clockwork Robot from 8827 Collectible Minifigures Series 6 and
the robot from 31111 Cyber Drone are the avatars.
Then each of the two arcade machines is inspired by a retired LEGO
theme - namely Alien Conquest and Ultra Agents. The colour schemes are
appropriate and they are nice, vibrant additions to this area.
It’s impressive how well the design team has woven these nostalgic
throwbacks into the model without taking anything away from it. If you
didn’t know anything about them, it would just seem like a fully rounded
world with some existing franchises within it. While they will undoubtedly
dominate the fan discussion around this set, the model itself more than
stands up without them.
This set is surprising on several levels. It looks absolutely fantastic
whether you’re a City fan or not - this looks as good as some Creator
models. It pushes LEGO coasters to the next level - never have they weaved
in and out of a building to this extent while maintaining an interesting
track. Then it also creates a cohesive theme around the ride in a way that
feels more all-encompassing than was the case in 31084 Pirate Roller
Coaster.
If you enjoy nice looking LEGO models and sending minifigures around
thrill rides, then this is a set worth adding to your collection.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
A contender for the best City set of 2024, 60421 Robot World is
Q zS fun to build, visually accomplished and a delight to play with. It’s
О О clear that every aspect of it has been carefully considered.
84 Blocks
REVIEWS
Above: The
minifigure
attendant at Robot
World has a subtle
Exo-Force logo on
her uniform.
Left: The games
in the arcade
pay homage to
BIONICLE, Alien
Conquest and
Ultra Agents.
Blocks 85
REVIEWS
31212
Theme: Art / Price: £169.99, $199.99, €199.99/ Recommended age: 18+ / Minifigures: 0 /Pieces: 3,091
The Milky
Way Galaxy
LEGO Art incorporates
science into a set that
zooms out further than
ever before to capture
the entire galaxy
Sitting near the centre of the Milky Way, Earth resides in this spiral
galaxy that’s estimated to be more than 13 billion years old. Its
name is thought to be derived from how the dense band of bright
stars look like milk splashed in the sky, though mythologies across
the centuries have linked the Milky Way to different events. In Greek
mythology it was Hera, Queen of Olympus, who created the Milky Way,
but it’s also known as the Silver River in Chinese and its Gaelic name
translates to Great Fence of Stars.
Those numerous names belie how cultures have been entranced by
this galaxy for centuries. On clear nights it’s possible to look up and see
the Milky Way brightly shining in the sky, with advancements in space
technology providing the population with more information about the
galaxy that we call home. That theoretically makes 31212 The Milky Way
Galaxy a perfect set for any space enthusiast, but this is not a build that
will appeal to everyone. There are repetitive sets, there are repetitive sets...
and then there is this set.
As this model aims to incorporate a lot of details, it’s big. At more than
a metre long, its surrounding frame relies on plenty of 16x16 plates, which
surprisingly use very few Technic pieces to add extra strength to the
canvas. This basic rectangle suggests just how expansive the model will
eventually be, and while it looks relatively simple, this is unlike any LEGO
Art set that has come before. It is completely based on different textures
and greebling.
Greebling is a term originally coined for the random details that are
added to props in sci-fi movies and has been lovingly adopted by the
LEGO community. It can refer to any type of intricate, textured detailing.
31212 is a greeble fest. Rather than the typical smooth, mosaic style
that was used in Art's earliest sets, The Milky Way Galaxy embraces every
weird LEGO element, stud and plate that it possibly can. While 31208
Hokusai: The Great Wave used texture to a certain extent, it was only
added at the very end to bring extra dimensionality to the crashing waves.
By contrast, the Milky Way uses it across all 15 of its baseplates.
There are LEGO bullion bars, grilles, angled roof bricks, window frames
and a whole host of completely unexpected parts. It’s the most three-
dimensional image the LEGO Art designers have created. Yet this leads
to a build that will ultimately divide fans. It is horrifically repetitive and
tortuously fiddly.
Having to continuously check the parts placement in order to be sure
that all of the little details are in the correct positions becomes incredibly
frustrating. When you realise there are 15 individual squares that follow
the exact same process, you may start to question why you didn’t just buy
a map of the galaxy instead.
While most of the texture is entirely random, there are some places
where the build is more deliberate. A fun meta reference is that The Crab
Nebula, an aftermath of a supernova, actually uses one of the new crab
pieces. A LEGO flame element in dark pink captures the Pillars of Creation,
where new stars are forming, really well as the area looks nebulous in
space imagery.
A little alien is hidden within all of the bricks, hinting at life that
scientists may discover in the future. However, these prominent features
only make up a fraction of the build and are ultimately lost in the finished
model. It's a shame they weren’t labelled, like the position of Earth is, and
that more actual galactic references were not included.
No matter how much the stars fascinate you, this set will very quickly
become a grind. While the vast amount of greebling was an interesting
idea for such a model, 31212 did not require the texture it provides. This
could have been a very effective image with far fewer parts. Less is
sometimes more and the finished picture seems too abstract. It captures
the general shape of the Milky Way quite nicely, but the different coloured
bands of the spiral are lost to some of the excess detailing. Even from afar,
this piece of LEGO Art looks more like an impressionistic blob rather than
a swirling galaxy.
There’s no way to orient certain galactic features and what references
are included are almost impossible to find once the model is complete.
Adding to the frustration, each little piece is easily knocked off as you push
all of the plates into position, with the frame warping until a few Technic
pins secure it properly. While previous LEGO Art sets have felt solid
enough to put on a wall, 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy seems worryingly
fragile. Considering the black hole sized price tag, there are far better LEGO
sets available that offer a more satisfying build.
KAT REES-JAUKE
This set reached for the stars, but the mission’s concept was
0/2 flawed from the outset. The frustrating build process leads to a
О О model that doesn’t represent the subject matter successfully.
86 Blocks
REVIEWS
Left: 31212 The
Milky Way
Galaxy is packed
with surprising
elements.
Below left:
Look out for the
hidden alien.
Below right:
The crown piece
marks the spot.
Blocks 87
REVIEWS
90-100 An exceptional set that does something special, original or innovative.
80-90 A top tier LEGO set that is close to perfect, showing what the System can do.
70-80 Strongly recommended, a very good LEGO set providing a really enjoyable build.
60-70	A decent set that will offer a satisfying experience, but may have a few flaws.
50-60 Still recommended by Blocks, but expect an average and pedestrian build.
40-50	Perhaps worth buying, but a set that falls below the usual high LEGO standards.
25-40 A disappointing set that might have some redeeming qualities.
1-25	A set that’s only for the dedicated collectors; there are many better options.
REVIEWED
THIS MONTH
I SET		SCORE
10338 Bumblebee	Icons	73
21350 JAWS	Ideas	90
76273 Batman Construction Figure and the Bat-Pod Bike	DC	83
76270 Batman Meeh Armour	DC	59
40675 Commander Cody	BrickHeadz	61
75373 Ambush on Mandalore Battle Pack	Star Wars	62
75386 Paz Vizsla and Moff Gideon Battle	Star Wars	64
77046 Julian’s Birthday Party	Animal Crossing	54
77047 Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities	Animal Crossing	50
77048 Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour	Animal Crossing	58
76962 Baby Bumpy: Ankylosaurus	Jurassic World	71
10368 Chrysanthemum	Icons	78
10369 Plum Blossom	Icons	27
60317 Police Chase at the Bank	City	67
60421 Robot World	City	86
31212 The Milky Way Galaxy	Art	36
Buy these sets
blocksmag.com/goto/lego
NEXT
MONTH
Is Simba the pride
of the Pride Lands?
I ATBLOCKSMAGCOM
Read the Blocks review of the colourful Creator
31157 Exotic Peacock, which can also be rebuilt as
a butterfly and a dragonfly.
88 Blocks
ТО WIN TRANSFORMERS
BUMBLEB
л
Subscribe to Blocks magazine today to be in with a chance of winning
10338 TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE
One lucky subscriber will be drawn at random to win the set.
Everyone who subscribes to Blocks by September 4,2024 will gain entry
into the next and all subsequent monthly draws. Existing subscribers will
also be automatically entered into every draw. Good luck!
This competition is open to anyone who subscribes to a Blocks Magazine subscription, except employees of the Promoter, their families, agents or anyone professionally connected with the Promotion.
Each participant can only enter once during the Promotion Period. The competition will be open from 9.00am (BST) on July 31,2024 to 5:00pm September 4, 2024 (the “Promotion Period"). Any entries
outside of the Promotion Period will not be counted. One overall competition winner will be chosen by the Publisher of Blocks Magazine. The decision of the Promoter in relation to the Promotion is final. No
correspondence will be entered into. No information regarding entries or judging will be disclosed to any third party not involved in the conduct of the Promotion. The prize is not transferable, re-saleable
or exchangeable. There is no cash alternative. The promoter reserves the right to substitute any of the prize products subject to availability. Winners will be announced in a future issue of Blocks magazine
and on our social media pages. Winners must respond to notification of their prize within 48 hours otherwise the right to claim the prize will be lost and the promoter reserves the right to re-award the
prize(s). No entries from agents, third parties, organised groups or applications automatically generated by computers will be accepted. No incomplete or corrupted entries will be accepted. Any entries not
in accordance with the entry instructions will be rejected. Any entries containing offensive or inappropriate content will be removed. By entering participants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound
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and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Promoter & Data Controller: Silverback Publishing Ltd
Blocks 89
QUICK BUILD
Great Deku Tree
Build your own guardian of the forest from The Legend
of Zelda using these instructions. Despite the scale, the
wise tree’s distinctive face is still instantly recognisable
After years of waiting, fans can finally get their hands on an official LEGO The
Legend of Zelda set - 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-l. With an amazing set of
figures and references it’s the perfect first model for fans of the series. The
Legend of Zelda finally joining the LEGO pantheon inspired this miniature model
that shrinks the wise tree down to a handheld model, just right for sitting on the
comer of a desk, shelf or table.
In every incarnation seen throughout the franchise, the Deku
Tree looks like an old man. Branches as shaggy eyebrows are
key to that appearance, so this entire build is scaled around
that area. Double 1x2 curved slopes in olive green mimic
the eyebrows. Curved wedge slopes then form the
moustache and a quartet of flower stems angled out
from the top of the head depict the crown of branches
that look like the tree’s hair when topped with leaves.
The entire build is constructed around a centre of
SNOT bricks with studs facing in all directions for
each of the four sides to attach to.
Saying that The Legend of Zelda is full of
inspiration for possible LEGO builds would be a gross
understatement. From creatures to locations across
three decades of games, the options are almost endless.
A mini Korok Village to scale around the tree or a soaring
rendition of Hyrule Castle would both be great fun to build
and would look fantastic on display.
DANIEL KONSTANSKI
Get the parts list: blocksmag.com/goto/greatdeku
90 Blocks
QUICK BUILD
Blocks 91
CREATE
Instruments
Build: Making Waves Through the Ages
Builder: Oskar Eriksson-Lee
Flickr: _Regn
Year: 2021
Build: Grand Piano
Builder: Isaiah Durand
Instagram: isaiahdurandearl
Year: 2018
92 Blocks
CREATE
Instagram: kos_brick
Year: 2015
Blocks 93
BUILD & CHAT
Build & Chat with...
ASTRID MAY
Blocks magazine Editor Graham E. Hancock sits down with experienced design
professional Astrid May to click some bricks together as they discuss her career
developing LEGO models for a variety of themes, from Classic to Disney
“I wanted to make something concrete, something you can
find in everyday life - toys that go all around the world”
When Associate Creative Lead Astrid May sits down with Blocks
magazine to talk about her almost decade-long career in LEGO
design, she selects 31148 Retro Roller Skate as the set to build
during the conversation.
Her extensive LEGO portfolio includes models from Disney, Trolls and
VIDIYO, plus many 4+ builds, covering all manner of themes including
NINJAGO, Toy Story and Friends. Before getting into all of that though, a
decision is made to ditch the classic paper instructions and make the most
of LEGO Builder’s ‘build together’ function.
Astrid May: You want to use a paper BI [building instructions]? Because
if you want to build together then we have the app.
Graham E. Hancock: I have it on my phone I think. LEGO Builder, here
it is.
Astrid: It’s quite fun, but we can literally build together at the same time.
I have the French version.
Graham: It never occurred to me before, but it’s so nice that there’s no
language barrier, even if we have different versions of the app.
Astrid: I can already start with my bricks. Ah, you have the same step!
Graham: How confusing... it’s the same as yours?
Astrid: It is the same, but it’s another part.
Graham: Oh, I see, we’ll join them together later. I should trust the
technology! Did you have LEGO bricks growing up, Astrid?
Astrid: I had lots of Duplo. It’s so nice now because I’m a mom and I can
give my own Duplo to my baby.
Graham: You kept it all?
Astrid: Yeah, yeah, [laughs] I’m a collector. So I played a lot with Duplo,
not so much with LEGO System because in the 1990s there was not so
much for girls. I think I started quite late with Duplo. I was a kid who
just enjoyed building. I remember I had a shelf where I could put all my
models, but I wasn’t so much role playing with them.
I would have loved to get all of the LEGO Friends and Creator we have
nowadays back in the day. I used to play with other toys.
Graham: What kind of Duplo things did you have?
Astrid: I had like a farm, a zoo and just random bricks. I had one LEGO
box. It was LEGO Scala, it was a villa with a very interesting System
character that was this high [indicates around 15cm]. We don’t do those any
more today. But that was it for actual LEGO boxes.
Graham: Although you didn’t have many LEGO bricks, did you have any
other creative pursuits as a child?
Astrid: I did many things. I was really the arts and crafts kind of kid. I
loved to paint, to make jewelry with pearls, also cooking, anything with my
hands. I think for me it was all part of play.
Something super cool my parents did is that every Wednesday we would
go to the library and pick 10 books. Every week it was a refreshing moment.
Most of the time I was picking cooking or arts and crafts books. It was
unlimited access to new ideas. I should do it now, I should go back to the
94 Blocks

BUILD & CHAT
library every Wednesday
Graham: As a child, you don’t realise that you have a phenomenal
amount of time to read that you’ll never have again in life!
Astrid: And I was lucky, I'm the daughter of two teachers. In France, I
went to school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and had Wednesday
off, so I had a break in the week, my parents had the same. The holidays
and the summer holidays lasted for two months. With my parents, it
contributed to me being able to explore, to build, to cook, to play in the
garden.
My grandparents were farmers, so I had the chance to spend a lot of
time in gardens, building a house in a tree and all of that. Very classic and
cliche, but still very good memories.
Graham: At what point did you realise that you could take all of this
creativity and turn it into a career? When did you become passionate
about design?
Astrid: Actually quite late I think. In France, if you’re a good student,
you are highly encouraged to do some engineering studies or maths and
physics. I started university to study maths, physics and chemistry through
a very specific French system called ‘Classe preparatoire’. Basically for two
years you just train for access to the most prestigious, famous schools.
At the beginning I felt like 'yeah, I want to be an engineering chemist to
create formulas,’ but quickly realised it was really lots of science and lots of
boring things. Then around 19,20 years old I was like, 'wait, I don’t want to
do that.’ My parents said, ‘you’re going to pick a job you’re going to do for
10762 Belle’s
Story Time is
an example
of a 4+ model
packed with
nice printed
parts.
your life, so pick something you like.’ At that time, I was lucky enough to
study in the city where there was a good private design school. While I was
studying science, I was talking with a student and the school was hosting a
three-day workshop, where you get a chance to make something. I was like,
'this is what I want to do, to study design.’ So quite late, but it’s never too late.
Graham: That doesn’t sound late at all, some people spend a decade in a
career they don’t enjoy before they realise they should retrain.
Astrid: Inside the LEGO Group there are lots of different profiles, but I
have an education in Industrial Product Design. But it’s not necessary, you
can also come with a different background.
Graham: What was that education and training like?
Astrid: The big thing that was nice in our school is that we were
collaborating with real companies and people, they were not fake projects.
For example, we worked with a company making kitchen appliances. I
think always having a foot in the real world was inspiring, because what
you think about might become real. As a designer, it’s how you motivate
yourself, when you see what was in your mind physically there.
One project was a partnership with a hospital. It’s very meaningful when
you start to work with kids and in those kind of contexts. Something I
liked during my studies is I had the chance also to do an internship abroad
in Australia. Having a chance to talk with people from different cultural
backgrounds or with different educational backgrounds, you also find that
a lot here at the LEGO Group - that highly motivates me.
Graham: What was your path to working for the LEGO Group?
Astrid: I think it’s a lucky coincidence that I loved LEGO building as a kid,
many people come to the company because they knew from the beginning
that this is what they wanted to do. For me it was more like, ‘why not?’ I
was freshly graduated and I had an interest in working with kids. Also, you
have lots of different paths in design, I didn’t want to make a fancy chair or
furniture. I wanted to make something concrete, something you can find
in eveiyday life - toys that go all around the world. My best friend who I
was studying with applied first and said I should apply too. The plan was
Graham: So am I passing this section to you?
Astrid: Yeah.
Graham: Brilliant. There you go.
Astrid: I applied, in a really open-minded way.
There was a workshop where I built some things
and I just fell in love.
Graham: What was it like relocating to
Denmark?
Astrid: I was just coming back from an
internship in Australia so it didn’t feel that far away
from home! I really remember when we had the
recruitment workshop when I applied, I was in a
building and I asked, 'where is the city centre?’ ‘We are in it.’ I was like ‘oh!’.
At the beginning I was quite surprised to see how a big company like the
LEGO Group is not located in a big city. But this also attracted me because
I grew up in the countryside and I really enjoy being in nature. This was
stay two or three years. Now it is nine years later!
96 Blocks
BUILD & CHAT
Above: LEGO Builder has
an option that makes it
simple for two or more
people to build together,
constantly giving each
person something
different to build.
Far left: When she
started her career at
the LEGO Group, Astrid
worked on 4+ products.
Left: 43205 Ultimate
Adventure Castle brings
five different Disney
characters together.
Lower left: Many 4+
models, like 41160 Ariel’s
Castle, make use of die
large slide element.
“we were collaborating with
real companies and people,
they were not fake projects”
Blocks 97
BUILD & CHAT
Above: Growing up,
Astrid had a LEGO Scala
set. The theme featured
dolls that are much
larger than a minifigure.
Below: Having two
sets of hands isn't
speeding up the build
process while deep in
conversation.
Right: Astrid included
a model of her parents’
dog in 10704 Creative
Box as one of the
inspirational models.
perfect for me.
When I started working, reflecting on it now, the beginning was
like being a kid in a toy shop. In Denmark they pay lots of attention
to ergonomics, you have this fancy desk, it can go up and down.
You can have coffee for free and there are baskets with fruit, it is a
very good working environment.
I was also very exhausted because I had to manage another
language that is not my natural language. You have to remember
as well that here we have a pile of bricks, but in Innovation House
we have a brick stock with il of the elements with all of the shapes
and colours. It look a long time to remember where things were in
there. There was a lot to remember and processes to learn, it was
also bit intimidating because I came to the LEGO Group without the
background of building super complex models -
Graham: I suppose if you haven’t been building with the System,
there are a lot of unfamiliar, interesting pieces to understand.
Astrid: You know, we have the brick separator. That was in the
recruitment workshop. I didn't know what it was for, so I put it in
my build and everyone was like, ‘wow, that’s super creative. You
incorporated your brick separator.' I was like, ‘what’s a brick separator?’
Graham: [Pointing at the app on his phone] What is it telling me
to do here, because we’ve put those two bits together now?
Astrid: I’m continuing building, I’m not sure.
Graham: I don’t understand because it told me to pass it to you.
Astrid: So maybe it was me to give it to you...
Graham: I think we got confused between who is the dog and
who is the dragon, [laughs]
Astrid: Yeah, I think I was supposed to give it to you.
Graham: We’re back on track! What project did you start on when
you joined the LEGO Group?
Astrid: When I started, it was called LEGO Juniors and Classic, it
was all together. LEGO Classic still exists, but now LEGO Juniors is
called LEGO 4+. And I’m back at the project now again, after trying
some different things.
Graham: Oh wow, you’ve come back around to it?
Astrid: Yes. For me it’s a very energising project because you get a
98 Blocks
BUILD & CHAT
chance to really focus on preschoolers, four-year-old kids. We are exploring
what the best building experience is when you’re four years old. For
City, Friends, Disney, Jurassic World, we have access to so many different
themes... we just have to make sure we nail the building experience for
little hands and young builders. That was my first project.
Graham: I am giving these to you this time, we’ve got it the right way
round.
Astrid: You’re giving me everything...
Graham: I knew there must be a reason why I built those! So on 4+, do
you spend a lot of time with kids to understand what their building level is
at this age? And then how do you translate that to crafting a model that will
meet their needs?
Astrid: First, it's really important that we
go to schools, we visit kids. We have lots of
iterations about building something, we put
it in their hands and see if they can build it
by themselves. This theme has existed for
more than 10 years now, so we have a list of
building techniques we know they can and
can’t achieve. We will avoid Technic elements
for instance, we’ll avoid using asymmetric
elements, we won’t include very small one by
one plates. Building with bricks is better than
building plates on top of plates.
There can be an assumption that it’s hardest to make 16+ or 18+ models,
but there are lots of challenges when making a model that has to look like
something, but with fewer options for how to build it. Also, while making it
fun, cute and including simple functions.
We are supported by coaches. At some point in the process, when
you think you’re good with your model, we spend a few hours building
the model with coaches, who are there to make suggestions. We also go
through the build with colleagues who will make the instructions, to really
anticipate the building steps, because sometimes you think something is
easy to build and you will build it in your hands - they will be like, 'no, for
“that’s part of a
designer’s job sometimes,
you create things that
don’t make it to market”
this age group you have to build on the table.’
Graham: I only recently came to appreciate just how much things like
hand dexterity come into play, through seeing my nephews growing up. Do
you work closely with the element designers to come up the special parts
that are specifically designed with young children in mind?
Astrid: We work closely with element designers because we have
specific elements we only use in our project, for instance a big car chassis
or a big plate that gives an easy start for young preschoolers. We also work
closely with the graphic designers because we are the only project that
doesn’t use stickers, because we know it’s too difficult for such a young
audience to handle and place the stickers correctly. Adults like to get the
nice, printed elements we have in our boxes.
So there’s a lot of collaboration with different
people with different skills, then also with the
different projects because you will see LEGO 4+
City or LEGO 4+ Friends - all of those sets are
done in our project.
Graham: It must keep things interesting to
jump from one thing to another thing and have
them be completely different.
Astrid: I love it. Some people might prefer
to stay on the same thing, it depends on your
personality, but for me it’s better when it’s
never the same. When I am asked what a typical day is like, there is not a
typical day... you can work on dinosaurs on a Monday and a fire truck on
a Friday.
Graham: How do you incorporate play throughout the model, so that
children enjoy the building process? Many children must be introduced to
LEGO building through the 4+ sets.
Astrid: The play actually is really part of building. We know for four year
olds, it’s a lot to say, ‘build for one hour and you have to wait one hour.’ What
you notice is actually building is part of play, they can pick up a character
and start to play with it. We really try to push what we call modularity in our
Blocks 99
BUILD & CHAT
models, so you can achieve just a part of a build, a part of a house or just
building a vehicle, to play with right away. It’s okay not to build bag number
two or three today, you can do it tomorrow or another time.
Graham: Do you remember the first time you had a box out in the world
and how it felt? Did you go to a toy shop and find it?
Astrid: Yeah, of course. Now, I’ve stopped doing it. But every time I went
back to France, I was looking for the models. It was not the first one, but I
remember one occasion when I was going to the supermarket, there was
a little kid and he had pocket money - he picked a box I made and he paid
by himself!
I don't remember the SKU number of the first box I did. It was a LEGO
Juniors beach environment, you had the boat and the small house [10747
Andrea and Stephanie’s Beach Holiday].
Another one was a LEGO Classic box [10704 Creative Box] where you
have some tiny builds and a pile of bricks, the builds
give a starter of what you could do and stimulate your
imagination. I remember having a lot of freedom. I made
my parents’ dog, a fish, a mobile phone... lots of tiny
builds. As a designer, sometimes you try to put a bit of
your story and your memories into the LEGO build.
Graham: With those classic boxes, is your main task to
come up with lots of different inspiration builds?
Astrid: Yeah, but also things like the way the bricks
are sorted. I think that’s still the case now. Here, with this
Creator set, the bricks are
sorted for each sub build,
for each part of a build. But
in Classic, the bricks are
sorted by colour, so you’ll
have to come up with what
a blue build could be, what a
yellow build could be, what a
yellow and green build could
be. It’s a bit of a different
Above: 10747
Andrea and
Stephanie’s Beach
Holiday.
Right: VIDIYO
was a short-lived
theme for children
to use to make
their own music
videos, with sets
like 43111 Candy
Castle Stage.
process, you’re exploring lots of different animals and vehicles, I remember
having a big table with lots of models, then you have to narrow it down to
a selection that fits in the box, fits in with the target building skills.
Graham: Choosing the elements must mean having to make big
decisions. Because you’ve got to have wheels and things to start children
off, but then you can’t have too many wheels, because you don’t want
them to feel limited to building cars.
Astrid: It’s lots of that. We know from experience that young kids like
wheels, doors, frames, a little fence, recognisable elements. But there is
criteria that helps you to pick. You have a price. You have the kids’ building
skills. You have the weight of the box. It's one thing to build something for
fun over a weekend... it’s another thing to build a box for the market.
Graham: Where did you move to after you worked on 4+ and Classic?
Astrid: I moved to Trolls, it was super colourful and fun, but it was just
for one year.
Graham: What was it like working with such an
imaginative world? I remember it being really unlike any
other LEGO theme.
Astrid: It was really neat and it was so nice to work
with textiles. The challenge with Trolls was to bring
organic plants and herbs and flowers, with these very
square bricks. But the biggest challenge was to work with
an external partner who has a defined universe and
characters. You have to translate that into a toy. Of course,
you are trying to represent
the world as closely as
possible to the movie, while
not forgetting how kids
will play with it. Because
sometimes you can make
a very nice 1:1 reproduction
from the movie, but what
are the functions? Where is
the fun? You need to think
100 Blocks
BUILD & CHAT
about how the kids will interact with it. It’s finding the right balance.
Graham: After Trolls, was that when you worked on VIDIYO? A bit like
Trolls, the sets in that theme were really colourful and vibrant.
Astrid: I worked on [43111] Candy Castle Stage, a very small set. But
yeah, lots of effort there was really anticipating how you can interact with
your model and the app, having this function you can activate to make
something happen in the app. You had this big head and speakers on top
of the model. I had to also make sure that if you didn't have a phone, you
still had something fun to play with.
Graham: Because that theme was so new, did you do a lot of sketch
models for it?
Astrid: Yeah, we always start big. Then you have to reduce a bit because
there are many different factors that affect the final set. Because the model
has a lot of things to move around, you have to make sure it's strong and
stable. You have a lot of transforming things.
Graham: Did you design anything for VIDIYO that didn’t make it out?
Astrid: Yes... bigger and more wild models. But that’s part of a designer’s
job sometimes, you create things that don’t make it to market. Sometimes
we fail. But it’s okay to fail, reflect back, then understand and learn from it
- you try to make it better for the next time. I’m a model designer so most
of my creations go to market, when you are in concept design and work
much more ahead of the process, you work on many more things that will
never go to market.
Graham: What did you work on as part of the Disney team? That is such
a broad theme, it has really expanded over the years.
Astrid: Exactly. I’ve seen the evolution and especially last year, when
they celebrated 100 years of Disney. We started off really focusing on Disney
Princess, now there is so much more, things like The Lion King. When I
joined the project, I was really trying to focus on one movie at a time, like
The Little Mermaid or Frozen. But one model I loved to work on was the big
[43205] Ultimate Adventure Castle, which is a castle that mixes five different
princesses into one, it was really fun. It was a bit also challenging, taking
more time to collaborate with Disney, because it was going in the direction
of how kids play, mixing different universes in one toy.
Graham: Each princess is completely unique, so how do you then distil
their different characters into a single model?
Astrid: The body of the castle covers everyone, then we made sure every
princess has a room and tiny icons that reflect their totally different stories
and universe. It was a very nice one to work on, I like it because I also think
about how much I would have loved to have it as a kid. A big thing was to
be able to close it and open it like a dollhouse, we had a key that you can
lock it with.
Graham: And now you find yourself back on 4+ - what is it like going
back to the project that you started on at the LEGO Group?
Astrid: We are lucky in Denmark to have a big maternity leave, so I was
away for almost a year - it was a big change.
A lot has happened, of course we are using new elements and we are
doing more models now. But the essentials are the same - four-year-olds
haven’t suddenly managed to build things that are more complex, we still
have to make sure there is a good building experience. What has changed
is the diversity, all of the external franchises that we can work with now.
My role has evolved now, I am the Associate Design Lead, so I’m helping
designers to build the models rather than having a specific model that
is assigned to me. I really like sharing my learnings and my experience,
I really like this process of collaborating with different designers and
personalities... but I’m still not 100% used to
not building myself. I have this creative
work, but in another way.
Above: The movie
Trolls World Tour
inspired 41252
Poppy’s Air Balloon
Adventure.
Left: Astrid and
Graham finish up
with a partially
built roller skate.
Blocks 101
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RETRO
2004
8601 Toa Vakama
BIONICLE was into its fourth year on shelves by 2004 and was busy reinventing
the wheel all over again with Toa Metru, its third generation of heroes since
2001. Heading up the pack was 8601 Toa Vakama, the spiritual successor to the
legendary Tahu. And while they were rocking a new aesthetic, what really helped
these figures stand out from their predecessors were the small refinements to the
standard BIONICLE template; the mask connecting with a sturdy axle rather than
a fragile stud, the head using a ball joint for better articulation and the addition of
an elbow joint. Small victories.
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4748 Ogel’s Mountain Fortress
This legendary Alpha Team set is emblematic of
a time when the LEGO Group prioritised size over
detail and density (in other words, the antithesis
of the current approach). These 436 pieces form a
sprawling fortress thanks primarily to that giant
three-dimensional baseplate and it looks pretty
imposing with its skull-shaped facade. But what
really stands out here are the traits that have
always been top priority for original LEGO themes -
playability and storytelling. Stowed inside are labs,
a mineshaft and a crane, while the headline feature
is a gate of flaming swords that can only be opened
by shooting the nose of the skull.
10132 Motorised Hogwarts Express
For a brief moment in the mid-2000s, the LEGO Group’s solution to
beefing up a redesigned set was slapping a motor on it and calling it a day.
That revolutionary approach led to two different releases for Hogwarts
Expresses in 2004 - a static version for £35 and a motorised version for £90.
Today, you have to buy all of that extra gear separately. It was definitely
worth saving up for the all-singing, all-dancing train, which includes a
pretty substantial Hogsmeade Station, a full loop of 9V track and all the
motors and controls you need to make it run. Muggle magic, you know.
104 Blocks
RETRO
LETTING LEGOLAND GO
"Play trends changed, and we failed to change. We were not
making toys that were sufficiently interesting to children.
We failed to innovate enough.” Those were the words of the
LEGO Group’s former Executive Vice President of Marketing
Mads Nipper, reflecting in 2009 on the company’s flirtation
with bankruptcy in 2004. That year the LEGO Group posted a
loss of £174 million and took drastic actions to right the ship
- including selling off its LEGOLAND parks, including the
original Billund destination, to Merlin Entertainments. The
LEGO Group owners KIRKBI eventually acquired Merlin in
2019, bringing the deal full circle.
UNLEASH THE KRAGLE
It seems unthinkable now, but the LEGO Group did actually try to sell glued models at
LEGOLAND parks in 2004. That’s right - all of the satisfaction of displaying a LEGO model, but
without the peaceful, calming activity of actually building it. The three statues - a wizard, dragon
and pirate - all came ready made in display cases and were impossible to disassemble. The
best part? The packaging suggests they each include a ‘Model Builder Certificate’. Unless it was
declaring that you definitely did not build this pre-assembled and glued model, that feels a bit
like those certificates that ‘confirm’ you own a piece of land on the Moon.
Meanwhile, outside
of the LEGO bubble...
HIGHEST GROSSING MOVIE
SHREK 2
BEST SELLING ALBUM
CONFESSIONS (USHER)
BEST SELLING GAME
GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS
BEST SELLING BOOK
THE DA VINCI CODE (DAN BROWN)
EURO CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING TEAM
GREECE
Biggest Set
10134 Y-wing Attack Starfighter (1,473 pieces)
420
SETS RELEASED
Back when LEGO video games were in their (relative) infancy, developers THQ tried to paste the
brick over The Legend of Zelda’s top-down action-adventure format in LEGO Knights’ Kingdom.
The gameplay loop involved picking one of four characters to control, then running through
levels while attacking Shadow Knights and solving basic puzzles. It wasn’t the most stimulating
experience and it certainly wasn’t a long one, but the devs found ways to pad things out with a
tournament mode. This was 2004’s sole LEGO video game release and it was only available on
the Game Boy Advance. It was a weird time to be a LEGO gamer.
CHRIS WHARFE
Classic Catalogue
Blocks 105
RETRO
TIME CRUISING
Travelling back through the years to look at some of the most memorable LEGO items
THEME
MINIFIGURE
ANIMATION
1996
WESTERN
2000
KING LEO
2002
THE HAN SOLO AFFAIR
In the mid-1990s, the LEGO Group started
to expand its portfolio of homegrown
themes, looking beyond the tentpoles
of Castle, Space, Pirates and Town to
see what other classic story tropes the
company could dig up and turn into sets.
Among those early efforts was Western
(also known as Wild West), which pulled
on the threads of the American West and
classic Western movies with cowboys,
Native Americans, bandits, forts, guns,
cannons, horses and more.
This approach was typical of those early
LEGO themes, which relied on the staples
of their inspiration rather than taking any
major creative risks. But their output was
all the better for it, and Western was no
different - see 6762 Fort Legoredo, a fully-
enclosed base that sprawls in all directions
with only 673 pieces, or 6763 Rapid River
Village, a Native American settlement that
pulls away from conflict to focus on day-
to-day living.
In fact, none of the sets to include
Native Americans featured other
Western factions, as the LEGO Group was
seemingly conscious even then of how it
was representing this fractious period in
American history. It’s perhaps for potential
sensitivity issues that the theme has been
pretty much dormant in the decades
since, occasionally rearing its head in
small ways through The LEGO Movie or
BrickLink Designer Program (to give two
examples).
In the end, Western only ran for two
years (beyond a brief resurgence of three
re-released sets in 2002), but it made such
an enormous impact in that short window
that it’s fondly remembered by most LEGO
fans over the age of 30 today. Despite the
short run, many of Western’s new and
original pieces survived well beyond the
theme, including its revolvers, rifles and
kepis - used for LEGO Star Wars Imperial
officers for years - and even its gold bugle,
which popped up in a couple of other late
1990s and early 2000s themes.
While the LEGO Group had only started
dipping its toes into licensed themes
by 2000, some fans have speculated
that external influences can be found
elsewhere in the company's portfolio
around that time. Take King Leo, for
example, whose distinctive appearance
bears an uncanny resemblance to one
Sean Connery - who played King Richard
the Lionheart, potentially inspiration for
the character, in the 1991 movie Robin
Hood: Prince of Thieves.
While the LEGO Group has never
outright confirmed that connection, Leo
and a couple of his Lion Knights did
pop up in LEGO Island 2 with Scottish
accents. Make of that what you will. Either
way, this leader of the first generation
of Knights’ Kingdom was at the centre
of a solid narrative crafted around the
tum-of-the-millennium theme, with a
wife (Queen Leonora), daughter (Princess
Storm) and an arch-nemesis.
Leo’s rival was Cedric the Bull, a
former Lion Knight who had attempted
an unsuccessful coup against his king.
The pair were pitted in frequent conflict
throughout the Knights’ Kingdom range,
most notably in 6091 King Leo’s Castle, but
they were also both included in 6095 Royal
Joust (Leo let one of his lackeys do his dirty
work there, mind.)
The good King Leo appeared in five
different Knights’ Kingdom sets in total, all
of which were released in 2000, and the
smallest of which was the simply titled
6026 King Leo (though it actually included
both Leo and a bull knight). And while his
printed legs are neat, continuing the design
from his torso, he’s most memorable for
his super shiny chrome gold crown - a
colour that’s now reserved exclusively for
rings being taken to Mordor.
Confusingly, Leo turned up again in 2002
on a LEGOLAND photo frame, this time
sporting a bull knight helmet. Maybe Cedric
managed to overthrow the kingdom after all.
This slice of vintage animation marked a
couple of major milestones for a galaxy
far, far away in 2002.
It was the first LEGO Star Wars
brickfilm, and - at least according to
filmmakers Spite Your Face Productions -
was the first licensed Star Wars short since
the saga began in 1977. That’s a pretty bold
claim to fame.
But what is really impressive about this
classic clip is how the humour is imbued
into every frame, now emblematic of the
LEGO Group’s tone of voice as a whole.
The short film sees Princess Leia,
Chewbacca and R2-D2 attempt to rescue
Han Solo after Darth Vader has encased
the smuggler in carbonite, leading to a
madcap chase through the hallways of
Cloud City in which the frozen smuggler
changes hands more often than the keys
to 10 Downing Street. There are also
appearances from Luke Skywalker, Lobot
and Boba Fett.
There’s something especially nostalgic
about loading this up on YouTube in 2024
(search for it, you’ll find it), with those
retro yellow-headed minifigures, original
Darth Vader and Boba Fett helmets, plus
that classic printed Han Solo in carbonite
brick. But while the LEGO bricks might be
dated, the stop-motion techniques that
brought it all to life are timeless.
You can't help but wonder if there was
any intentionality with the timing, as 10123
Cloud City was released the following
year, bringing all of the key movie scenes
to the brick in a single, sprawling model.
The creatives behind the short would
have probably been grateful to have the
characters from that set, especially the
Bespin Leia minifigure.
If you’ve never seen The Han Solo
Affair, it genuinely is well worth seeking
out. Whether it’s Princess Leia staring
at the space where Han used to be or
Chewbacca’s close encounter of the Darth
kind, the three-minute movie manages
to pack in so many memorable moments
that it’s not only the very first LEGO Star
Wars brickfilm... but also one of the best.
CHRIS WHARFE
106 Blocks
RETRO
This advert from 1979 shows off some of the smaller sets in the then-new LEGO Space theme.
LE(,()LANI)>Raiiiiifahit.
•	•	♦	«	a

vom Start bis zur Landung
in frvmden Welten.
889 Neu!
Radarwagcn
897 Neu!
Mobile
Raketen-
AbschuB-
rampe
305 und 306 Neu!
Basisplatten mil Kratern und
Landekreuzen fur Raumfahrzeuge.
885 Neu! Raumgleiter	Aslronaulen-
mil Aslronaut	Auto
LEGOLAND Raumfahrt
Das Bau- und Spielprogramm
fur spannende Weltraum -Abenteuer.
Blocks 107
RETRO
8062
Theme: Technic / Уеап 1994 /Average selling price new: £140 / Average
selling price used: £37 / Recommended age: 9-13 / Minifigures: 0 / Pieces: 403
Some sets are just too sophisticated for a box. When LEGO Technic
delivered a set that can build a tandem-rotor helicopter along with
several other models, it demanded a plastic briefcase
The mid-1990s was an interesting time for LEGO Technic. The theme
was starting to realise that, if the vehicles it offered were going to
look the part, then some new elements would be necessary. Until
the new beams arrived though, the theme would have to make do with
shaping the vehicles using the classic bricks with holes.
8062 Briefcase Set is a great example of shaping a model using the
bricks. The main attraction in the set is the helicopter, which has a black
base and yellow body. The yellow bricks are often pinned into place and
then angled, so you are in no doubt that this is a tandem-rotor aircraft.
Given the limitations that come with this type of building, such as ensuring
the studs don’t clash with other pieces, it’s very impressive that the
designers were able to get this much out of them.
Three chunky wheels are built into the bottom of the aircraft, so it can
come in for a landing and immediately move along the ground. Those
classic large tyres are incredibly satisfying to place over the wheels.
Although the LEGO Group tends to avoid military models, the
helicopter that it brings to mind is the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, although
it isn’t a super close match for it. As LEGO Technic sets weren’t licensed
during this era, even if a particular vehicle provided inspiration for a
model, it tended to go no further than serving as starting point. The
colour scheme ensures that, even if vaguely similar, this model cannot be
understood as a military vehicle.
Building all of that black and yellow is a good reminder of why designers
now include a greater variety of colours in sets. It gets tricky sorting
through the parts when there are only two different colours in the set
(aside from some grey for the various technical pieces).
Because Technic sets of this era only built the frames and didn’t utilise
panel pieces, you can see the entire interior. This is intriguing for the
engineering minded, as you can see how the two dials at the front of the
model work. One operates both propellers at the same time, while the
other slowly lowers the door at the back.
As was common at the time, the instructions also show how to motorise
your helicopter. It was nice that this was considered, as it takes some
ingenuity to figure out how to automate the functions in modem sets.
Always having it clearly laid out made it all the more tempting to go out
and buy the motorisation set.
There are six alternative models that the set includes full instructions for
- a hockey stick and net, a handcar, a rowboat, a motorcycle, a flatbed and
a six-wheel loader. Similar to the helicopter, they take advantage of angling
bricks to create entirely different vehicles. While the hockey game is
unusual subject matter for the theme, the rowboat is perhaps the strangest
as it has you actually build the character rowing as well as the boat itself.
For a quick build, the motorbike looks rather cool as it's very compact
and uses no extraneous elements. On the other end of the spectrum, the
108 Blocks
RETRO
flatbed truck is pretty much as clever as the helicopter - it has hand of god
steering, an opening ramp at the back and a tilting function for the cab.
The loader is similarly well stacked when it comes to working functions,
with a moving boom lift, opening and closing grasping claw, plus hand of
god steering. This is probably the most impressive of the builds in terms of
what it can do once complete.
In the context of other sets that were released in 1994,8062 Briefcase Set
does suffer a bit by comparison. Because it builds multiple models, none of
the finished artefacts look as good as other sets in the theme, which could
of course focus their pieces entirely on one model (well, Technic has always
offered a secondary model, but two models are still easier to deliver than the
many options this set provides). It was much more common though back
then for Technic to provide sets that could build several items and inspire
children to try new things. 8062 feels like a spiritual successor to 1990’s 8064
Universal Motor Set and 1991's 8074 Universal Set with Flex System.
What makes this set quite unique is that it doesn’t come in a box - it
comes in a plastic briefcase. It fits the 1990s aesthetic for the theme really
well, cast in black with a yellow lid. The lid lifts up to reveal a removable
storage tray. There are then multiple black inserts that you can use to split
up the storage tray briefcase base, creating two spaces for organising bricks.
There’s a measuring space in the front of the case, where you can rest your
Technic axles to check if they’re the right length.
Unfortunately the plastic used wasn’t necessarily chosen for its longevity,
so 30 years later the inserts have a habit of popping out and the sample
used here has warped somewhat. It’s a fun piece of brick history though
and an example of the LEGO Group doing a different type of packaging. For
children, it made the set feel premium and special.
This is a fun set from a different era of Technic. It’s easy to imagine how
exciting this would be for a Technic loving child, thanks to both the plastic
case designed to cause that ‘cool’ reaction and the many sets of instructions
that come with one collection of bricks.
GRAHAM E. HANCOCK
Blocks 109
RETRO
121
Theme: Fabuland / Tear: 1979 / Average selling price new: £59 / Average selling price used: £6 / Recommended age: 3-7 / Minifigures: 1 / Pieces: 22
Roadster
Michael Mouse is driving down the Fabuland roads once again, in a
refreshed version of the classic blue, red and yellow ride that immediately
captures the magic of the whimsical vintage theme using modem parts
Fabuland is a beloved theme among AFOLs who grew up playing in its magical world of
anthropomorphic animals. Running for a decade from 1979 to 1989, the theme straddled the
line between Duplo and System with a host of cute characters who populate its bustling village.
Michael Mouse was part of the first wave of sets with his fancy Roadster, which was released under
two different set numbers -121 and 328.
The quaint theme’s aesthetic was marked by using the classic LEGO colours, so this build retains that
same palette. In the early years, almost all Fabuland models were made of basic elements alongside
specialised pieces to make the sets easy to build.
The original car was primarily made of 2x4 bricks with special windshield and door elements along
with the car’s frame. This modem version makes those blocky lines more realistic using modem
curved elements, while retaining the original colour scheme. The subtle double curves of the original
windshield element require the use of a hidden hinge piece.
Fabuland retains a devoted fan base to this day and has been referenced in both Monkie Kid and
NINJAGO. There are lots of other classic vehicles in the theme - once you have built this one, it would
be fun to create some more to go alongside it.
DANIEL KONSTANSKI
Get the parts list: blocksmag.com/goto/fabulandcar
110 Blocks
RETRO
Blocks 111
NEXOTOYS.COM
We are constantly adding new items to our website,
visit now, follow online or see us in person at a show
FOLLOW US @NEXOTOYS
10% off next order, will not stack with other offers, one use per customer.
RETRO
FROM THE VAULT
THE LEGO
MANIAC
No mascot screamed 1990s more than
the LEGO Maniac, a character who
featured in television commercials and
the pages of the LEGO Club magazine
Left: In the 1990s,
the mascot was
designed as an
illustrated character.
Below left: This foam
head was part of the
walk-around version
of the characterfrom
LEGOLAND.
Bottom left: First
called Zack, the
character’s name
was changed to Jack,
then back again.
During the 1980s and 1990s, unlike other toy lines, the LEGO Group
had an issue with capturing the attention of children. The brand
lacked a unifying character to promote the product range around.
Most other toy lines from this era had television shows and with them
lead characters who could also serve as spokespeople. He-Man and Barbie
were at the forefront of toys, but even breakfast cereals had recognisable
characters like Tony the Tiger.
With their generic universal smiles, there was no distinction amongst
minifigures other than the clothes they wore. That hampered their ability to
anchor Saturday morning television commercials. Some sort of persona was
needed - and the LEGO Group’s US marketing team came up with a solution.
It began with Zack the LEGO Maniac, who was soon renamed Jack. The
character starred in a host of LEGO commercials over the best part of a
decade, depicted
as the zenith of
all things that
impressionable
1980s and 1990s
kids perceived
as cool. He wore
denim jackets,
had aggressively
styled hair,
rocked a pair
of sunglasses
- even when
inside - and
wore high top
shoes on his feet. The term ‘LEGO Maniac’ was actually being thrown
around prior to Zack/Jack, as it was used to describe generic LEGO super
fans in older commercials.
The problem was that the various incarnations of the character couldn't
last long because of the pesky problem of children growing up. Using Zack/
Jack in other media wasn’t a viable option when he was portrayed by a live
action child, so the company came up with a fresh version of the mascot.
A new, illustrated character was never given an actual name and simply
dubbed 'the LEGO Maniac.’
He emerged at around the same time that Mania Magazine replaced
Brick Kicks as the US LEGO Club’s bi-monthly magazine and his tenure
lasted the entire length of that publication, from 1994 until 2002. During his
time as the company’s US mascot, the LEGO Maniac appeared in comics,
introducing new lines such as Adventurers and Star Wars, served as the
company’s spokesperson in commercials and walked around as an actual
meet-and-greet character at LEGOLAND California.
During the 1990s, he was everywhere and a whole generation of
American kids would easily be able to identify him on sight. He kept many
of the aesthetics from the Zack/Jack days, most notably the sunglasses that
he always wore either over his eyes or on his head.
The LEGO Maniac was retired during the crisis of the early 2000s when
a lot of regional marketing operations were shut down and consolidated as
one global effort coordinated from Billund. The concept of a mascot didn’t
disappear, as the new worldwide magazine featured a character named
Max - the 1980s/1990s aesthetic was gone for good though, with the LEGO
Maniac taking his spiked blonde hair and shades with him into obscurity.
DANIEL KONSTANSKI
Blocks 113
REBUILD THE GALAXY
THE WILD NEW LEGO STAR WARS ADVENTURE STARRING DARTH JAR JAR
Also inchidinn ________________________
MODDING MEDIEVAL VILLAGE • HARRY POTTER SET REVIEWS
114 Blocks
BRICK
Ж DARLINGTON
Borough Council
JOURNETS
16 JULY-6 OCTOBER
Embark on an interactive LEGO®
journey into the world of road, sea, air,
space - and of course, rail - at Hopetown
Darlington, the north’s newest visitor
attraction. Using one million LEGO
bricks, this transport-themed journey
guarantees creations to amaze and
inspire, including models appealing to
rail heritage enthusiasts, transport fans
and LEGO® lovers alike.
Find out more at
www.hopetowndarlington.co.uk/
whats-оп/Brick-Journeys
О Hopetown Darlington
[&] hopetowndarlington
X hopetowndarl
Created and constructed by
LEGO® brick artist Warren Elsmore!
H Hopetown
Darlington
WWW.MINIFICS.ME
consequences following from such customisation/modification.