Monthly Archives: April 2010

Collectible Minifig Series 1 barcode decoder (European edition)

Important Update: The decoder highlighted in this post only works for the packaging in Europe! For one that’ll work in both North America and Europe, see the Collectible Minifigure barcode decoder for US & EU.

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With the upcoming and highly anticipated collectible minifigs, there’s lots of discussion on how to determine which minifig is in each mystery pack. Fortunately, the German website bricks.inof.de has posted some very useful info. Apparently, there is a second barcode on the back of the packaging that is unique for each minifig. You can now print a page showing which barcode corresponds to which fig!

Note: the set of barcodes are different for those released in the US and UK, and the above decoder applies to the packs release in Europe in May. But I’m sure someone will make a new version for the US and UK ones when they’re out, which I believe is in June.

Via Brickset.

Frakking Sweet!

Stefan has built what is quite possibly the best Battlestar Galactica Viper I’ve ever seen. I realize that I’m risking life and limb by saying that, but I’m willing to take that risk. Ryan can beat me up at Brickcon if he wants to.

I want one so I can run up and down the hallway swooshing it around. Bea-ut-i-ful.

Lego Battlestar Galactica Viper

Herbie Rides Again!

Herbie is one of my favorite “movie” cars. Tyler did a perfect job…with the added bonus of PowerFunctions! Lovely, lovely build.

Lego Herbie PowerFunctions Lugnuts Challenge

This was built for Lugnuts 30th Challenge, which is inspiring some awesome cars, if you ask me….which of course you didn’t.

Mont St. Michel

Arthur Gugick is a genius, this is a well established fact. His latest creation, a recreation of Mont St. Michel, simply reinforces the idea.

Lego St. Michel

Let’s visit the Village.

As I prepared to move back to our regular programming, this gorgeous layout by Lugpol member Ciamosław Ciamek caught my eye. Built around a couple of expanded Medieval Market Village buildings, this layout has it all.

Lego Lugpol Castle Medieval Village

Check out all the pics for some really nice details.

The best of nnenn: Novvember

If I had to choose only one legacy to remember nnenn by, it would have to be Novvember. Novvember is the month of the Vic Viper, and surely no one can forget nnenn’s daily debut of a new VV in November 2008. When I interviewed nnenn on this project, I began to appreciate the beauty of variations on a theme. I asked him when he would stop building spaceships, and he told me he would keep going until he has exhausted every possible configuration. I didn’t think it was possible, but neither did he.

The other side of Novvember that I will remember is the community participation that took place. The VV map below of everyone’s contributions for Novvember 2009 shows the extent of its success. You can see more at the Vic Viper Flickr group.

To celebrate the life and work of nnenn, don’t forget that there will be Vic Viper fly-ins at all the major US LEGO conventions this summer and fall:

You can ship a VV to be displayed or bring one in person. Please contact Keith Goldman if you’re interested (Legomankeith AT aol DOT com).

Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.

The best of nnenn: IATTAR

Nnenn‘s IATTAR fad continued the racing bandwagon launched by the cave racers and mech racers. Tack on some treads to a cockpit and you’re pretty much good to go. See what people have built in the IATTAR Flickr group over the past year and a half.

Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.

The best of nnenn: The Divine Intervention

Nnenn built two SHIPs in his time, the first was The Divine Intervention, a black-hulled beauty that packs two deadly sets of missiles. The most astonishing fact is that he built it in only two weeks.


Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.

The best of nnenn: UT-16 Pygmalion

Posted on behalf of Peter L. Morris – all words are his.

Nate and I enjoyed each other’s company. Or at the very least, I enjoyed his company. I found him thoughtful, sincere, with just the right amount of eccentricity to make things interesting. Of course, we also enjoy building starfighters. His designs often caught me off-guard, forcing my mind in new directions.

My all time favorite is the UT-16 Pygmalion. In form it is beautiful, with an insect vivacity that makes it seem as though it will leap from the screen. It is diminutive, but carries a monstrous weapon, giving it the look of both predator and prey. In short, I love it because it is a paradox. It is also one of the few creations of his in which the name relates in some small way to the backstory.

Nate and I shared the habit of deconstructing MOCs once they were photographed and he once remarked how interesting it was that our MOCs derive their permanence from the virtual (jpegs and MLCAD files), while the real brick is the temporary.

In keeping with that tradition, the Pygmalion is one of his creations I built in MLCAD, with the hope of one day bringing it to ‘life’ via the virtual world.

Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.

The best of nnenn: fighter map

Nnenn‘s first fighter map posted in mid 2008 shows just how prolific he was. I have come to expect a new model from him every week. This means that from the time we announced his passing until now, nnenn could’ve posted a new creation. It’s often when we are deprived of something that we realize how much we miss it.

Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.

The best of nnenn: ‘Tropicana’ PA-24 custom

Nnenn is known for his colorful creations, but his Tropicana racer takes the psychedelic cake. Good sci-fi creations rarely have this many colors, but nnenn makes it work in a way that wows us. This is one of his most colorful creations, and no doubt many still remember it after seeing it two years ago.


Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.

The best of nnenn: Verbotian Strider

It is one of my personal pet peeves when a builder becomes famous for one thing and never does anything different. Nnenn was very well-known for his starfighters and was often accused of never branching out. However, in his case, this accusation was unfair and untrue.

If you browse through his Flickr photostream or his Brickshelf gallery, it becomes very clear that he built many other things than his iconic starfighters. This particular one has always made me laugh. I love the whimsy.

Lego Nnenn
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.