tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37774206117375631452024-03-12T22:00:51.224-07:00Meta Brickshoundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-70707217807521883662019-11-30T14:07:00.003-08:002019-11-30T14:07:41.718-08:00The End of the JourneySo I managed to finish all thirty Vic Vipers.<br />
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I still had to edit them and name them.<br />
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Naming was going to be pretty easy, or so I thought. I was just going to pull up a list of Japanese flowers and name most of them that way. But that wasn't so easy after all. Most of the lists I found only had a dozen or so words. Something I overlooked in that plan was the fact that most flowers are named after their colors. And so most of the lists I pulled up were useless with all the pinks and other duplication.<br />
<br />
What about butterflies? I found a couple I could use.<br />
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What about gems and minerals? Again, a few worked ok.<br />
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But after two days of searching, and some of my own creativity, I managed to get all thirty Vic Vipers named.<br />
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Then the editing. Turns out, my early photoshoots at the beginning of the project weren't so good. I was missing some important shots. But I was able to do a little editing magic and got most of the shots that I needed. I have six profile shots of all but one vic, that one only has five, somehow. These will be put together as schematics, like nnenn did and then loaded to Brickshelf. Throughout this past month I didn't load anything up on Brickshelf, but everything will be resized to a smaller, more manageable frame and placed there.<br />
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A HUGE shout-out to Peter Morris. He was there from the beginning. Available to bounce concerns off and talk about some stuff. He encouraged me when I was in doubt.<br />
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For some people this might not be a big deal. But it was important for me to do this. To see it through and pull off the big finish. A lot of people probably didn't like these Models very much, they weren't very detailed and had no functionality beyond the hinged windshields. Some very obviously could have benefited from some more time on the shelf and a Bricklink order or two. But most importantly, I'm not nnenn. Or any other of the builders I've drawn inspiration from in the past. I'm not as good as they are, I never have been and likely never will be. Sure, I like some attention, but I know where I stand in this "hobby". At the end of the day, I do what I like and I do it for me. Sometimes I even like what I've done.<br />
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If you ever want to do something like this, just remember, nnenn did it in about six weeks, it took me about six months...your results may very.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-31193508528779856032019-11-24T17:10:00.000-08:002019-11-24T17:10:55.487-08:00Going SmallSo, Novvember: thirty MOCs, thirty days. That was my goal. It might have been just about anything in any style. I chose to emulate nnenn. There is a simplicity to those old builds. Easy to dive in and get going. And that was my ultimate motivation; to get building again.<br />
<br />
Nnenn said something like this; the more you build, the better you get and the more often you build, the faster you get. He also said that after taking a break from creative endeavors, people often found that they had gotten better.<br />
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I don't know if these ideas work for everybody, but they seem to work for me. He said a lot of stuff like that. The guy was educated and was willing to share. A lot of people are more like, "Go look it up for yourself."<br />
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I used to believe that I could get my own education free from my local libraries...but I never did. Most people never will. I don't know exactly why that is, but I think nnenn understood it. There's something to the social aspect of sharing information, ideas, and knowledge.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this is the second time I challenged myself to build quickly. Both times I've grown as a builder. I have some MOCs to share from before this challenge, but everything that comes after will be better in some way. I'm more familiar with my collection again. I've placed several Bricklink orders to fill out specific areas in my collection that were lacking (GREEN!). I've rediscovered old techniques and stumbled across new techniques. My editing has improved a hundred-fold from six months earlier.<br />
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It is my opinion, and might not be shared by everyone, that it is better to produce more often than let everything lag seemingly forever. This works for ME. I am comfortable with this way of doing things. If I were writing a novel, I might have a different philosophy.<br />
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Halfway through my challenge, I only had about eight Vic Vipers completed. I had already begun skimping on engineering, now I was considering building smaller also. I sent a message to Peter Morris and said that I wasn't happy with how things were going, that I might not get all thirty MOCs done. And if I didn't finish, I might not want to share anything at all.<br />
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I sat down and a made a list of ideas, hoping it might serve as a guide and help me focus on a few specific ideas. And I started building smaller.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-52109901608254891712019-11-16T21:49:00.002-08:002019-11-16T21:49:46.637-08:00Devil in the DetailsThe first wave was finished. I had plenty of time left but I was going to have to build faster. The photography had already been tweaked for efficiency but the engineering was holding me back. WiPs were sitting around for tweaking and Bricklink orders. Also, the wife was reminding me that I had a family to spend time with, and some house projects to finish. Suddenly, I was starting to work more weekends, mostly Saturdays, but also some Sundays.<br />
<br />
How did nnenn do this?<br />
<br />
I took some time to research his Novvember project. Found the online interviews, which I had read years ago but forgot about. Throughout my project I was also studying his Bricklink and Flickr. The <a href="https://www.brothers-brick.com/2008/11/30/interview-with-nnenn-on-novvember-interview/">Novvember interview</a> was an eye-opener for me. He said that he started building his Vic Vipers two weeks before November. That means he built all those vics, photographed, edited, and posted (with write-ups and names and some backgrounds) in a six week period.<br />
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Six Weeks!<br />
<br />
Are you kidding me?<br />
<br />
I had just spent six weeks building five, with no names or editing!<br />
<br />
Another thing that stood out in that interview was his statement about how the quality of the builds suffered near the end. This was something I had noticed while studying his Flickr. I hadn't really noticed it before, while he was actively posting years before (too star-struck, I suppose). But while everything has its own uniqueness, the quality diminished on some of them. I remember thinking, early in my project, that he wouldn't have posted some of those Vics under normal circumstances, but with a deadline looming...<br />
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I was going to have to build faster. I wasn't going to get more time. I had to spend time with my family and more hours on the job.<br />
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So I chose to drop the engineering time. Less cleverness and detailing.<br />
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Knowing I was going to have to spend less time on engineering was sobering. I enjoyed adding detailing to my MOCs. I was well aware that some of my earlier stuff was lacking in detail. Maybe I could make up for it with the designs.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-27095381354627225532019-11-16T21:47:00.000-08:002019-11-16T21:50:56.263-08:00The First WaveThe Big Plan.<br />
<br />
Thirty Vic Vipers. Spring was just starting, I could still see my breath. Build them up and have them all photographed by October. Do all the editing, then start posting in November.<br />
<br />
Easy! Plenty of time!<br />
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I put together an assembly line of sorts. About fifteen cockpit frames and assorted old WiPs that could be converted to Vic Vipers. I took a couple of pics and posted them for Peter Morris. I had already told him my intention and wanted to show some early progress.<br />
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So I started The Green Vic (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/31141626@N06/49012066377/in/dateposted/">Maw-Sit-Sit</a>). And realized the limitation of my green Lego supply almost immediately. That WiP went up on a shelf and three Bricklink orders had to be made to finish it. It would take the better part of three weeks.<br />
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On to the Yellow Vic (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/31141626@N06/49063803347/in/dateposted/">Kigiku</a>). It was inspired by a smashed toilet paper roll of all things. The most engineering went into this one. At least two weeks was spent building and rebuilding. First there was no colorful striping, then I changed the striping, then i added the detailing. Each time I changed it I had to disassemble and rebuild it. I didn't show it very well on Flickr, but there is a large gun underneath. The gun, the forward "intake" and the rear thruster, as well as the cockpit are all connected by an interior support spine. The spine collapsed on me once, shattering the entire build in my hand and spilling its innards all over the table. That was a rage quit. Done for the day. Next day, rebuild, finish, photoshoot.<br />
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The first few Vics were photographed poorly. It had been about eight years since I had done a full photoshoot and needed to relearn the steps. I had a tripod but it was difficult to set it up. So many adjustable points. To save on effort, I simply turned the models to get the profile shots, then adjusted the angle of the camera to get other shots. Unfortunately, more dynamic shots were forgotten. I took about five pics of every angle which was completely unnecessary. Eventually I realized I didn't need the tripod. My camera display has two brackets in the center of the image. They turn red if the camera moves while shooting, green if not. After some experimentation I found the brackets to be very reliable. Red brackets were blurry, green brackets were sharp. Now I could do all my shots without having to setup and adjust the tripod and use far fewer pics.<br />
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My first photshoot was an afternoon of five Vics. No names. Just files named with colors for reference. It had taken the better part of six weeks to finish the first five. According to my math, I was going to have to step up the build time if I was going to finish by October for editing.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-69867731612583940602019-11-16T20:47:00.000-08:002019-11-16T20:47:41.853-08:00The Big IdeaIt was May 17, 2011. That was when I posted my last finished MOC before going on hiatus once again. A few years ago I actually had a small building spree but didn't quite finish anything to post. I did share a few things with Peter Morris, StarFighter Builder Extraordinaire, and accidentally posted a WiP, but I finished nothing for almost eight years.<br />
<br />
Wow.<br />
<br />
How does that even happen?<br />
<br />
Family, Life, Work, Video Games, Netflix, Depression...<br />
<br />
...the passing of nnenn.<br />
<br />
It was a strange time. Nnenn's passing left an empty spot inside me. We weren't friends in the same sense that Peter and nnenn were. I was prodding him a lot. He never initiated a discussion with me or shared something without me asking. In fact, some things I linked to him about schmups, he told me to share them with Peter. Not that he was trying to get rid of me, but he wasn't as into schmups as Peter was and he just wanted to make sure Peter was involved with that sort of stuff.<br />
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Nnenn was like my highschool English teacher. I was hungry for something and he had what I needed at the time. So I asked a lot of questions and he was willing to answer. This back and forth went on for at least a year although sometimes there could be two weeks between replies. He was a stay-at-home dad and artist after all.<br />
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I think above all, he was an encourager.<br />
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During that time I was mostly unemployed. My Lego had been in storage for about a year while we "settled" with in-laws and my desire to start building "nnenn-style" was growing to a fever pitch. Finally the Lego came out and off I went. Before I knew it I went an entire month with one MOC a day: built, photographed, edited, posted. Quality of MOCs? Yeah, right.<br />
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But one MOC a day, no matter the quality, changes how you build. Makes you a better builder. And a faster one. The second year of the November Vic Viper challenges, I produced five MOCs, the third year was ten. Those are some fast MOCs.<br />
<br />
But then nnenn was gone. Then we moved into our own home and I started a new job (going on nine years now). My family continued to grow (eight children so far) and money grew tighter. Auto problems, bill problems, Life...<br />
<br />
I tried to keep building. That third year of Vics though...without nnenn...every post seemed empty of joy. It was like I was on autopilot. I posted the Fringe Blade, my highest-viewed and most faved MOC and I had a moment of pleasure...but it faded quickly. I tinkered some more but couldn't bring myself to finish anything. I posted a few things for Peter then left the bricks untouched for a couple of years.<br />
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One summer, about three or four years ago I tried to pull myself back into the builds, put some more WIPs together, posted a couple more for Peter then stopped again.<br />
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The joy just wasn't there. The drive and motivation was missing.<br />
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For four or five years I bought sets, put them together, then tossed them aside. Finally, this spring, as winter was waning and I could still see my breath in the air, I started disassembling and cleaning and sorting and reorganizing. And as I made progress, I took pictures and posted them up. And something happened.<br />
<br />
I started to get excited.<br />
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As I finished I started to take breaks and look through nnenns Bricklink and Flickr. Then I was looking through the Starfighter group. I had a Thunderforce WiP from Peter's Thunderforce Starfighter challenge that had been tossed about for years.<br />
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I could finish that.<br />
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And I could finish this other WiP.<br />
<br />
Then that one.<br />
<br />
And before I knew it three WiPs were completed. But I had new ideas now. I was going to start building Vic Vipers. Thirty of them. And I was going to get them photographed and edited and I was going to post one a day. Just like nnenn did.<br />
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And that's exactly what happened.<br />
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I'm half way through Novvember 2019 and I feel like the best is yet to come. I hope you've enjoyed the models so far and stick around for the rest. Come back here if you can spare the time, I'd like to share my journey with you.<br />
<br />houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-37591905504575115222014-04-27T23:43:00.002-07:002014-04-27T23:44:08.862-07:00Slowly but SurelyThree years gone by already.<br />
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That's when I posted my last finished build to Flickr.<br />
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I've built several WIPs since then but haven't been able to finish anything.<br />
<br />
I have REASONS.<br />
<br />
But the ball is finally rolling again. Last weekend I took several big steps to getting things going again. Cleaned up the build space in the garage. Fixed up the table. Built a table shelf and a wall-mounted shelf. Bought speakers for my laptop and wireless mouse and keyboard...just in case. Bought a chair. The chair is just a place holder until I get some carpeting on the cement floor. Need a nice rolling chair with armrests so I have more freedom of movement and can lean into my thoughts.<br />
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This weekend I bought some cleaning materials and more bins and drawer units. Then began sorting and cleaning.<br />
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I have over three years of resorting to do. My kids completely destroyed my organization. That's what happens when you stuff your Lego into a corner and don't maintain it properly for a long period. Some of the bricks are being thrown away...it's nightmarish thinking about what my kids put some of those bricks...and minifigs...through.<br />
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Lots of dust, cobwebs, even signs of rodents passing through. After I get everything reorganized and cleaned up, then I can finally start to sort through the past three years of Lego purchases that I've built and tucked away in large bins and boxes. Pretty sure I'm gonna have to get more storage before I'm done.<br />
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I think the most difficult thing about sorting a collection of this size is trying to figure out what to do with all the parts I have no intention of using. They have become scattered across several drawers and bins and will be consolidated into just a couple but what should I do with them? I have two drawers of Bionicle parts, a bin of plants, a bin of animals and several drawers of randomness. It's a silly question, really. I will keep them and mostly forget about them just as I've always done. Because once in a while, when rummaging through those drawers and bins of random, unused part, I find something useful for a build.<br />
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Not sure when I'll actually return to building. I surely have a few weeks left of sorting and cleaning to do first. Then I need a new camera. The one I was using three years ago has fallen into the hands of my kids...houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-80561631422001108852014-04-15T00:27:00.001-07:002014-04-15T00:27:23.630-07:00Theory Crafting: Blizzard BlocksAs everyone knows, Mega Bloks was awarded the Blizzard World of Warcraft license. It came, it went...it fizzled out? The 2014 toy fairs have come and gone with no indication of new World of Warcraft Mega Bloks sets...perhaps in the coming Christmas season? Regardless of any forthcoming sets or not, Lego fans and many Blizzard fans, wanted Lego to have this license. Was Lego even interested in it? Is World of Warcraft kid-friendly enough for Lego? Did one party or the other bulk at the cost? Was accurate detailing a defining factor?<br />
<br />
Lots of questions and no one is talking. I've tried to research this topic several times over the past few months and I just can't find any discussion at all. The only thing I can find are release notes from the first and second wave launches and some old discussion on the World of Warcraft forums...largely lamenting that Lego did not get the license.<br />
<br />
So I have a theory...or two.<br />
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I think Lego wanted this license bad enough that they produced prototype molds. When the deal fell through, they reused the molds in the 2013/2014 line up.<br />
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The Lego Mixels have new tiny ball joints. Those ball joints turned up in a Chima mini line called Legend Beasts, which include minifigs...mounted on the small, highly posable beasts. A bird, an alligator, a gorilla, and a couple of felines, all offer themselves up as mounts for the minifigs. And as anyone in the know is aware, World of Warcraft is full of mounts for their characters to ride.<br />
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It is interesting to note that the ball joints that make these tiny mounts possible likely didn't exists until around the same time that Blizzard decided to shop around for a building block representation of their game elements. It wouldn't be the first time that Lego used something much later than the prototype was first leaked. I remember seeing a transparent skeletal horse a long time ago, then a few years later, I saw it in Lego sets with proper coloring. It takes time for a part or set to go from conception to shelf.<br />
<br />
So, what if Lego had developed the ball joints for a World of Warcraft line, then needed to find something else to do with them? Another question might be, which came first, the Mixel or the ball joint? Perhaps the Mixel was just the result of a brainstorm session that Lego designers attended to figure out what to do with the molds from a failed product pitch to Blizzard?<br />
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When I look at the Lego Chima Legends Beasts, I see World of Warcraft mounts.<br />
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Likewise, when I see the Hero Factory Invasion From Below monster heads, I see World of Warcraft dragon heads. I suspect that with a little more investigation, we might find more recent molds that could have fit nicely into a World of Warcraft line.<br />
<br />
But, what's done is done. If Mega Bloks is doing well, they will continue with the line for a few more years, if they failed, then Lego and Blizzard both would translate the failure to mean that there simply is not currently a market for Blizzard Bricks.<br />
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I'm happy with Mixels and Chima Legend mounts. But honestly, what could have been...might have been really awesome.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-67013745501759775382014-04-14T16:21:00.000-07:002014-04-14T16:21:00.992-07:00What has Lego Done Right Recently?A lot.<br />
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Their minifigs are more detailed than ever before and include many more accessories than in the past. Their line-up is more robust than it has been in years. There was a time if you wanted city sets you better be satisfied with either fire, or police, or construction, or...but now things are different. I don't really care for most of the fire-fighter sets that are currently available but I absolutely loved the airport fire truck and purchased it. I may even buy another one or two copies. Most of the other first-responder type of sets and vehicles aren't my cup of tea right now, although their current coast-guard lineup looks interesting. But guess what...I've purchased a few of their city-themed trucks this year and plan to buy more. Lego's city theme is robust, full of variety.<br />
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The Ninjago line is packed with futuristic machines.<br />
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Chima is full of mystical animal warriors.<br />
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The classic-space revamps are still going strong, though a little sparse on the sets. We've had Space Police/Blacktron, UFO, and Insectoids with both UFO and Insectoids being mashed up together with a Futuron revamp in the form human defense units. What's next? Classic Space itself in the current movie line-up. Not much, but enough to give enthusiasts a chance to vote with every dollar they can.<br />
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Hero Factory looks very interesting and I just bought my first sets from that line. Too many interesting things in the sets to ignore it any further. Hero Factory minifigs..."bugs"...hope they give us more of that.<br />
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Mixels are poised to change everything about Lego's small price-point sets. Give me a line of bots/mechs/alien beasts and I will keep buying them. I even have to put up a whole separate post just to illustrate the potential of the parts in this line.<br />
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Friends...my daughters love this stuff!<br />
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Of course the licensed themes are doing well, for the most part. Star Wars still going strong, Tolkien themes still selling, Super Heroes...why did this take so long?<br />
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The Simpsons, Cuusoo, Architecture, Technic, Mindstorms, Trains, Ultimate Collector's, Cafe Corner...so much to choose from.<br />
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It's not just that I like everything Lego is doing right now, because I don't, but there's so much to choose from and so much of it is fantastic, how can you decide what to buy? I certainly can't afford everything that I want from Lego. <br />
<br />
Years ago, Lego was bloated beyond their means. Too many licenses that weren't paying off, too much merchandising that was unrelated to the brick, too many colors to maintain, more molds than could cheaply or efficiently store and maintain...it was a mess and they almost went out of business. But this time around, they've been more cautious and at least know what to do if they start loosing money and have to pull back a little: break some molds, discontinue some colors, cancel some themes, let some licenses expire...<br />
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Lego hasn't done everything right, but recently they've done a great job and I hope they can it up.<br />
houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-4757837412812127082012-04-01T17:34:00.002-07:002012-04-01T17:41:22.360-07:00Lego Misses the BoatSo, I recently read that Mega Bloks managed to snag a Blizzard license. I've seen pre-lim images of the upcoming World of Warcraft line and read that a Star Craft set was sold at the last Blizzcon event.<br /><br />So now Lego has missed three of the biggest merchandising trends: Halo, World of Warcraft, and Star Craft.<br /><br />We know it's not because of the violence or dark-toned themes inherent in the stories because Lego recently agreed to ten more years of Star Wars, in spite of the darkness and violence of The Clone Wars animated story.<br /><br />So what happened? A Warcraft or Starcraft collectable minifig line alone would be enough to pay for the license fees. <br /><br />At this point it must come down to politics. Maybe the license owners just don't like Lego. <br /><br />Maybe Lego's turnaround wasn't what they wanted or maybe the level of detail in the product.<br /><br />Whatever happened, Lego missed the boat. And so did Lego fans.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-11979993756941577322012-04-01T03:26:00.002-07:002012-04-01T03:37:06.816-07:00Lego vs. ViolenceAfter watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars Umbaran story I have come to the conclusion that Lego can no longer claim to have an issue with violent or dark-toned properties. Long after those episodes aired, Lego agreed to ten more years of the Star Wars license. <br /><br />The Umbaran story has it all: soldiers being crushed and cut in half or eaten, an execution, even a suicide bomber. One scene shows an enemy combatant struggling to breath through a cracked helmet and a Clone Trooper pointing a gun toward his head then pulling the trigger.<br /><br />This article isn't about trying to get Lego to pull out of the license because of the violence, it's about the Lego company's hypocrisy. <br /><br />Don't tell us that a military theme would be too violent, you already have that with the Clone Wars. You've had it for a while but this particular story is so extreme in its graphic depictions and dramatic effects that I wonder if kids should even be watching the show at all.<br /><br />My point, perhaps not clearly written, is that if The Clone Wars is not too violent or dark for Lego, then I don't see how much of anything else could be either.<br /><br />Lego is not allowed to use that excuse as a crutch anymore.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-19546231788746874042012-03-18T00:55:00.002-07:002012-03-18T01:16:58.623-07:00Lego Space Issues (Part Two)I hadn't planned on doing a series for this particular topic, but some more thoughts came to mind.<br /><br />Earlier I mentioned that UCS-scaled ships outside of the Star Wars line might be cool, but what about larger space ships in general?<br /><br />I'm looking around my Lego wall and there are several Lego Star Wars ships sitting around and they are all of a larger size than the general space-themed lines tend to get. I've complained before about the conflict-in-a-box issue. When you put resources into multiple vehicles and accessories, you take away from the main feature of the set. <br /><br />What if, instead of forcing the blue viper ship into an $80 set (which was designed with a "jail", rover, and alien ship besides the main defense vehicle), the viper ship had been redesigned as a stand-alone $40-$50 set? I'm looking at my revamped Star Wars Arc Fighter and wondering why Lego thinks they have to force the main themes to have all that action packed into the box when stand-alone vehicles can sell very well on their own.<br /><br />I understand that they've done their market research and that the main themes are designed with a younger audience in mind. I can't help but wonder why Lego won't add a few higher priced, stand-alone models into a few of their play themes...test the waters so to speak. They take so many more risky gambles that a couple of test sets couldn't hurt that badly if they failed to sell. <br /><br />This train of thought is incomplete. It has a few holes. For instance the Mars Mission line went bonkers near the end of its shelf life and a few really cool things happened with it. On the other hand, the Space Police line sort of fizzled. The limo was interesting but really deserved a larger budget and the "transformable" police cruiser thing had a nice profile but turned out to be an abomination once built. There should have been a high-end police bus model in this theme instead of the shallow base (which had some really great parts but was otherwise rather pointless)<br /><br />Obviously I'm speaking as a model builder of sorts. I can make my own stuff if I'm unhappy with what Lego produces. I'm just saying, "Hey, I actually like some of these sets as limited kit models and would like to buy more." I don't mind following instructions if I'm building something cool.<br /><br />Just give me more cool.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-31225436052450671272012-03-11T05:06:00.002-07:002012-03-11T05:23:26.273-07:00Lego Space IssuesI'm ready for something original.<br /><br />So far we've had a revamped Mars line, revamped Space Police, and now revamped UFO. If they continue with this trend we are likely to see a revamped M-Tron next. Why M-Tron and not another theme? Because Mark Stafford has stated that M-Tron is one of his favorite classic space themes. And in one of the Brickjournal magazine issues there is mention of a spacy dumptruck that they can't show us yet. <br /><br />I know that M-Tron (and the "M") was all about magnates, but I suspect that the theme could make a reappearance as a space-construction/mining theme. Or at the very least a resource management/gathering one.<br /><br />Otherwise, we might see a new Ice Planet theme, lot's of fans have been waiting for one and were quite disappointed when Lego missed the campy tie-in with the actual year. <br /><br />Blacktron was given a nod with the recent Space Police pirates, Unitron and Spyrius were kind of small and I am unfamiliar with their stories. Robo-force (or whatever) was also small and might work as a new mech line, but please, no classic-styled robots.<br /><br />Insectoids? I didn't really like that theme though I bought some to boost my collection straight out of my dark age. Although I could see the theme working with Lego's new anything-goes attitude regarding minifigs. Give us an insectoid alien nemesis with some cool ships and vehicles (not insect-based, with the exception of a multi-legged mech or two). I think we might go for that.<br /><br />UCS scaled space ships outside of the Star Wars line. That would be really cool. Would anyone buy them though? UCS works because its Star Wars. The Cafe Corner series works because the buildings are quality designs. So...a UCS-scaled space ship would have to been done right. What if it were based off a Classic Space design? Imagine a giant Uranium Search vehicle, or Alien Moon Walker...or FX Star Patroller? Something bigger? Why not?houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-67593009512351270392012-03-11T04:59:00.002-07:002012-03-11T05:05:06.760-07:00Where's My Universe?I can't believe Lego let Lego Universe die like that. There should have been a boat load of sets supporting the game. This was a huge missed opportunity and Lego should be ashamed of themselves.<br /><br />I didn't play the game so I don't know what kind of adventure stories might have been involved, but Lego Universe should have been able to spawn several lines of product. <br /><br />All that money and investment time simply flushed down the toilet.<br /><br />I doubt that Lego will ever take a shot at the online gaming market again, unless it involves a licensed product of another company.<br /><br />Can't win them all, I suppose, but wow, this should have been the most awesome thing ever.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-83670850738527010382012-03-11T04:45:00.002-07:002012-03-11T04:59:35.885-07:00Hits and Misses From 2011Just a quick rundown of my predictions for 2011 and how they turned out.<br /><br />"I think we will be seeing a third release of the new Space Police."<br />Didn't happen. Got a revamped UFO line instead. Not bad, mixed blessings.<br /><br />"I suspect Power Miners is at its end."<br />Gone. I did hope for more lime parts and we got them in Ninjago.<br /><br />"I suspect, as many others do, that the Star Wars line will continue."<br />Ten more years. Still comes at a premium price, still loaded with new parts that can be spread across other themes and colors. Nice alternative until Lego decides to give us more original stuff in the Lego Space line.<br /><br />"Hmm...Creator, Racers, Technic, Town/City, all still going strong. Even Bionicle, though it has now been relaunched as a new franchise with a new story and new characters will likely continue to do well. If only those silvery parts would be produced in solid grays..."<br />Same old, same old. Still wishing for more silvery parts to appear in proper greys.<br /><br />"Prince of Persia and Toy Story will likely not see new sets next year, but that's a long time from now. Well, not so much really, by August/September we will see leaks of 2011 sets, so not so far off I suppose. Still, you never know. Being a Disney license anything could happen. Would like to see some other Pixar stuff though..."<br />Both lines are done but we got Cars...I think, suddenly I'm not sure what the release date for those sets was...<br /><br />"Indiana Jones seems to be on hiatus, supposed to be a fifth movie in the works so we might still see more from this line."<br />Lego moved on to it's original adventures line with Pharohs and now Dinosaurs. Good move.<br /><br />"Won't miss Pirates" I did some odd rambling on this one but I mentioned Pirates of the Caribbean and that's what we got. <br /><br />"Lego Universe...we will see some sets come from this game, mark my words on that. There is no way in God's green Earth that Lego would design an entire digital world full of Lego creations without intentions of putting some of that stuff on the shelf."<br />This needs a post of it's own. Not only was I dead wrong but Lego missed a HUGE opportunity.<br /><br />"So, we are left with Atlantis, I suppose. It is a very nice line."<br />Gone but not forgotten. <br /><br />Not a bad score, I was right more often than wrong. I guess that's a win?houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-12478800446327942352012-03-11T04:33:00.002-07:002012-03-11T04:44:45.712-07:00Say What?Did I really go an entire year without a post? <br /><br />Yes. <br /><br />Yes I did.<br /><br />Went through a lot this past year. <br /><br />Got a new job. It was pretty tough for me, very physical and I was on twelve-hour shifts. Had some weekend time but was too exhausted to do anything with my hobbies. Played some World of Warcraft and pouted a lot. Besides, the Legos were in the garage and it was unheated in the winter and uncooled in the summer. <br /><br />Had some emotional issues to work through. Still working them out. Thankfully my wife is understanding and my kids are sort of easy to please...mostly.<br /><br />Been using a CPAP machine for Sleep Apnea for about eighteen months, lost a LOT of weight, about eighty pounds. I almost died before getting a sleep test and the diagnosis. Had no idea how close I was. The nurse came in and ended the test within about an hour and a half. Said I was 'off the chart" then hooked me up to a machine for the rest of the night. Best sleep I could remember having for years.<br /><br />Lego is in the house now, still not really building. Caught up on a lot of sets I had missed throughout 2011. New job meant more money but had a lot of catching up to do so I couldn't buy any sets for most of the year.<br /><br />Job changed to eight hour shifts and now I'm working six and seven days a week. This is my third day off in about six weeks. Having time after work is a mixed blessing. Sometimes would rather have the whole weekend off. Still getting used to the extra daily time.<br /><br />So that's about it, I suppose. Got lots of Lego thoughts to share in upcoming posts.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-88236342281875962942010-12-29T15:45:00.000-08:002010-12-29T15:47:07.847-08:00Alien ConquestDano supplied us with some more leaks over on Flickr and I have to say, Alien Conquest is looking pretty good. Will have to see more finalized images before commenting on the details, but who doesn't like UFOs and strike teams?houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-45065411656515214542010-12-23T14:52:00.001-08:002010-12-23T14:57:59.345-08:00Minifigs (Part Two)I finally came across some series three minifigs. But they were at Toys R Us and they had a dollar mark-up...at $3.99 each, I can be more selective and get what I want from Bricklink rather than taking a chance at getting something I don't want.<br /><br />Something funny about these collectible minifigs though. They are still flying off the shelves.<br /><br />In an earlier blog post I proposed that Lego take the collector's market more seriously and invest in it more. Well, they did it with these minifigs. The thing is, I had a different picture in mind. I thought there would be a handful of ultra rare figs that I might have to purchase from Bricklink, but I would be able to get most of a series in stores. Turns out that I (and Lego) vastly underestimated the demand for these figs. You can't hardly find any at all. Three series in with a fourth on the horizon and you have to count yourself very, very lucky to find any at all.<br /><br />That's not the picture I had in mind when I first wrote about Lego collectibles. So, I won't be trying to complete any of these series. I will have to be happy to just have more options when populating my models. And that is by no means a bad thing.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-56503869255735729242010-12-23T14:44:00.000-08:002010-12-23T14:51:56.281-08:00Breaks are Good.I've been really prolific these past months. But, sometimes, you need to take a break. Nnenn once said that being prolific is good, but taking a break then coming back into full swing often results in a jump in creativity and skill. Kind of like the time of proliferation is a plateau of sorts, the break is a dip, and the return is a spike that takes you higher than the last plateau was. That's how I interpret it anyway.<br /><br />So, I sent a Flickrmail to Mark Sandlin a couple of weeks ago and he reminded me that breaks are good. So, I took it to heart. It helps that my building space is the garage and it's unheated and we're in the middle of winter here. So, a couple of coincidences leading to a break.<br /><br />Hope to be back at it soon though. I will have a heater or two in that garage before the end of winter.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-38173915585607744082010-11-04T16:21:00.000-07:002010-11-04T16:25:43.407-07:00MinifigsI finally found some collectible minifigs in my town. There was a single open box of series 2 at one of my local Meijer stores. I picked up three packs. Then I went back for more but the box was gone. I did find one lone, forgotten pack hiding amongst a jumble of odds and ends in an end cap basket though, so I got that one.<br /><br />All told I scored two Egyptian snake guys, a mime, and the disco dude. The color quality (or lack of shine to be specific) doesn't bother me at all. I am quite happy with the figs. I only wish I could find more at retail prices. Bricklink sucks with the double and more prices.<br /><br />Oh well. Can't have everything.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-28681627575107070392010-11-04T16:19:00.000-07:002010-11-04T16:21:44.946-07:00NnovvemberIt is the third year of the annual Vic Viper challenge. I am not doing so well. Sure, I've got something going, but it's taking far longer than it should. Probably because I am also being distracted by World of Warcraft at this time.<br /><br />At any rate, I'll have a few offerings to share by the end of the month. I'm sort of playing with the idea of saving the models until later in the month for a group shot and maybe some sort of action shots. We'll see how I feel about that as the days go by.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-47818249226031608912010-05-30T21:14:00.000-07:002010-05-30T21:20:48.931-07:00Space Police Three Base CritiqueSince I am going off of a review from Eurobricks, this is nothing more than a critique of what was shown.<br /><br />I am not as impressed with the final results of the set as I was with the initial pictures.<br /><br />Some nice parts though, I will be sure to get them from Bricklink.<br /><br />So, what is the problem? Well, really, it is just what it is supposed to be, an action platform. The problem with large base sets is that most of the details are more suggestive than real. If this number of parts had been used to create a single ship or other vehicle, there would be much more detail, making it a much more enduring model. But because it is an action set, most of the details have been set aside in favor of...action stuff.<br /><br />A uniquely designed and functional garage door with black and yellow garage door parts, more "jail cell" parts, and a bunch more white. That is what this set is.<br /><br />The land vehicle's windshield and the base's blue curved windows are must-haves though.<br /><br />Unfortunately, that is about all this set has going for it.<br /><br />A shame, really. The two largish space ships yet to be seen might be far more interesting to build.<br /><br />Here's hoping for the best.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-61183781282860669992010-05-21T12:19:00.000-07:002010-05-21T12:28:30.807-07:00The Itch That You Can Not ScratchI almost bought a couple of the new Toy Story 3 sets this week. It was something new on the shelf...something different. And I wanted them.<br /><br />Fortunately, I was able to remind myself that I am only after parts or particularly interesting builds. The sets that had caught my eye were neither good parts packs or interesting builds.<br /><br />There are, in fact, only a very few sets I want to purchase and build for the remainder of the 2010 line-up and they are not out yet. Oh, and the collectible minifigs. Then it is the long wait for the 2011 sneaks/leaks/previews. I can only hope that I have enough money for the upcoming sets, at least two Space Police sets, maybe three that I want, a couple of Atlantis sets. I might be interested in the World Race series, but I will certainly need to scrutinize those in hand first.<br /><br />But sometimes, even when you have the semblance of a plan, you see new product on the shelf and you just "have to have it". It can take an act of will to just walk away. <br /><br />What I wanted would have cost me forty dollars. What would have got was less than ten dollars worth of parts that I might use anytime soon. Better to blow forty on Bricklink orders for parts that I know I will actually use soon. I have had this philosophy for a few years now, it is interesting that the "gotta-have-it" itch still comes up from time to time.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-25231241751684621282010-05-17T23:24:00.000-07:002010-05-17T23:29:53.580-07:00Minifig Collector's SeriesIt is hard to believe that they actually did it. I've written before about how I would love to see Lego get more into the collector's market. They will likely be playing it safe, of course, equal numbers of figs produced, but if this is successful, who knows what they will do next? <br /><br />And why would it not be successful? Well, just because something sells well does not mean it is profitable. These figs are completely unique. Unique printing, unique accessories, unique packaging...all of that uniqueness comes with a cost.<br /><br />But who knows?<br /><br />I do not think I will be seeing these on any shelves in my area. I know that if they come to say, 20-25 figs to a box, I will be buying boxes at a time, or at least half a a box at a time...<br /><br />The problem is that other collectors will be doing the same. <br /><br />Anyway, it is nice to see Lego "go there" finally.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-39189162127920888212010-05-06T23:06:00.000-07:002010-05-06T23:20:22.044-07:00High HopesReally looking forward to some of the summer sets this year. Hope I will have some extra cash on hand to buy a couple of them. If not, there's always Bricklink to get the new parts, but sometimes I just like to build sets.<br /><br />The upcoming Atlantis and Space Police III sets are really looking good. Pretty sure I will not be getting all the ones I would like to build, but it will be fun reading the Eurobrick reviews when they emerge.<br /><br />At the end of the summer we should be seeing 2011 product pics "leak" onto the web. Lego has been doing a really good job these past three years or so with their new lines and parts. Can they keep it up? I think they can. Would really love a line with more "exotic" colors like medium blue and orange or something. More dark purple would be great too. But I'm not a fan of the big sets with only 8-10 parts in exotic colors that only serve to give a vague shape while covering the framework.<br /><br />Atlantis is almost all red.<br />Mars Mission and Space Police is almost all white.<br />Power Miners is almost all lime.<br /><br />There were some recent town sets with orange trucks but only a couple of them were suitably priced. Have to hit Bricklink for the new-ish orange parts from those sets.<br /><br />Meh, I've made my point.<br /><br />I think the World Race line is going to be a sleeper hit. No one is talking about it and we have not seen any really good images for it yet. When we were talking about it earlier in the year, people seemed to get the line mixed up with Lego Racers. Sorry, not the same thing. World Race is whole different thing. Anyway, I think I'd like to have a couple of those sets as well...money permitting.<br /><br />Anyway, next year could be another really good year, even if it is mostly more of the same that we have seen this past year.<br /><br />Mark Stafford let slip on Flickr (somewhere) that he is working on a "secret project". I can not help but believe it is going to be some really nice stuff. I am a little excited even though technically, he is always working on something secret in Denmark.houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3777420611737563145.post-75442541358989316882010-05-06T22:50:00.001-07:002010-05-06T23:05:38.375-07:00Distracted!All of my current Lego projects are on hold due to distractions. Between the wife and I we've picked up three jobs (been unemployed for a while) and they will all be over by the end of June. So we're very distracted by the scheduling storm we've found ourselves in (we only have on vehicle, so we have to borrow one from a relative) and just because we're both working doesn't mean we can let the kids raise themselves!<br /><br />It's just been crazy. I've got five wips set aside for my nnenn tribute and one new wip of my own. <br /><br />Another Lego blogger is apparently desperate for cash after being without work for some time and he is trying to sell his collection. Forget that! Seriously, how much could I get for my whole set-up bins/towers and stock? Maybe 2-3k dollars if I did everything right and got the best deal possible. And how long would that last? I would be very upset if I sold my stuff then three months later found myself in the same hole but now without a suitable hobby to help relieve the stress. So, forget that.<br /><br />If you must get money from somewhere, here are a couple of tips to follow first, before selling your stuff:<br /><br />Cut off the internet connection. Get your fix at the library.<br />Cut off the cable/satellite t.v. <br />Cut off the cell phone plan (take the hit, you should have known better to begin with) and replace it with a cheap thing and buy minutes as you need them. If you stray out of range, then you've gone too far, you don't have gas money for that kind of road trip!<br /><br />If you've already done all that, consider plasma donations! Maybe even sell a few organs.<br /><br />Ok, I don't know if any of that is funny or not, but I tried. <br /><br />Honestly, I don't know how we kept the internet hooked up and avoided selling anything all this time. But man, it would totally suck if I had to sell my Lego to keep food on the table...houndhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12461545986646322317noreply@blogger.com0