This Vic Viper was the first that nnenn has shown us at the start of 2008. I had to learn that this starfighter came from the the 1985 Gradius games. The player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper in this scrolling shooter, which you can actually play here. Thanks to nnenn, just about every active Lego builder on Flickr now knows what it is.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
As Josh pointed out, nnenn’s influence on the LEGO community extended past his favorite theme. Hermitage is an excellent example of his more Earth-based creations.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
Though nearly all of us knew him only as nnenn, Nate Nielson was so much more to those with whom he lived his life.
We received the following message from Nate’s family today and — with their kind permission — we’re privileged to share it with our fellow LEGO fans.
My sister Elizabeth and I want to express our appreciation and thankfulness to you and your site for the amazing tribute to our brother. All of the comments have been a comfort to us. They are difficult to read at times, because we miss him so much, but to know how loved he was, well, there are no words. What a neat community you have. I hope his legacy will live on here for as long as legos are around. Thank you for this. His personality was the same as his persona on here. He was a true artist.
Our mom and dad would also like to express their appreciation to you. All the kind words have been a help in such a difficult time. What a wonderful father, husband, brother, son and man. Your site has brought as many tears as smiles to us. This has been the most difficult time in our lives, but you have given us a little peace in the outpouring of love.
Liz and I would like to come to the Lego convention you have in Seattle this year if you think there will be a tribute to him. You were a huge part of his life and he loved all of it. Nate made lego spaceships and castles for us since we were very young. He even would, very reluctantly, build us a house once in a while. He was just a grown up kid.
We miss and love him so much. Thank you.
Emily and Elizabeth
Though the sadness is not diminished, it is perhaps some consolation to know that our voices have been heard by those to whom Nate mattered most.
If you haven’t already, please join us in adding your own thoughts and feelings to the growing tribute to Nate “nnenn” Nielson.
In so many ways nnenn‘s love of the Vic Viper epitomized what building with LEGO is: finding and creating ways to make a vast array of beautiful and varied things, limited only by imagination, skill, and budget. He was a craftsman and an artist pushing the boundaries of a seemingly limited form. There’s a certain beauty in that. His ability to combine sharp and organic forms was phenomenal.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
Posted on behalf of Keith Goldman – all words are his.
Nate turned me down when I asked him to join the crew for “Zero Hour on Highway 44”, what a diva….said something about not being inspired to build a car…and then posts this two months later. Instead…I had to go with Dave Shaddix. Think about that for a minute, I asked for nnenn, and I got Shaddix. I’ll never forgive him for that.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
As we’ve said, nnenn‘s building was as much about making fun toys for his sons to play with as it was about style.
This creation is a great example of where he really brought playability to his work. The roving city/base has a great style, and the aircraft with it aren’t shabby either. The great thing is, you don’t just get one of those things, you get them all. It looks like more fun than Autobot City, and I’m sure most kids could spend countless hours playing with this thing. I love it.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
Many remember nnenn‘s Ula-Kit 319 for its dynamic and unorthodox shape, but for others, they remember it as another spark that ignited the controversy surrounding nnenn’s use of modified and clone brand pieces. This spaceship from early 2007 was the third model from nnenn to be blogged on TBB, and already it has been noted for its non-purist construction. You can see examples in the blue tail fins, the textured inverse 2X2 slope in the cockpit, and the stickers that were meticulous cut from colored tape.
Up to this point, nnenn has been an active member of Classic Space Forums, on which he has made four posts in 2005 under his real name before assuming his anonymous identity that took over the community. He gained respect quickly from its members; but unfortunately, his notoriety as a non-purist grew at a faster rate. Later that year, nnenn would leave the forums and start fresh on Flickr, which has become his domain. In an interview on Brickjournal issue 8 a few months later, nnenn shared his views on his controversial building style.
Like the EVN mecha, this model has personal significance for me. I saw it during my freshman year in college at a time when my own building skills were still undeveloped. Seeing nnenn on the fast track to becoming a skilled builder in such a short time aroused my jealousy, and I made no effort to conceal it. From then, nnenn was my mysterious fascination. Like what Tyler Clites has said, he was Bigfoot – his image was blurry and his footprint was large. I too “despised” him.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
Naturally no one can argue that Nnenn is best known for his incredible fighters and starships. However, he did dabble in other genres as well. A friend reminded me today of this intricate set of medieval weapons.
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Understanding that nnenn built as much for his sons as for himself puts lovely microscale creations like this dropship in perspective.
It’s the perfect size for a child’s hands, with incredible play value packed into a tiny model. When I blogged this back in 2007, I remember thinking back to some of my favorite non-LEGO childhood toys that this evoked. Two itty-bitty vehicles that emerge from an adorable micro space ship? There’s not much more playable — or awesome — than that.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
I’m ashamed to admit that I sometimes dismissed Nate “nnenn” Nielson as a one-note builder, but in looking through his photostream again, I realize I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s clear his LEGO talents went far beyond mere mastery of the small starfighter.
The Wayfinder’s shape is utilitarian, but the splashes of color lend it a cheery air that might make a trip across the barren lunar landscape more bearable.
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This mecha from late 2006 was my first introduction to the works of nnenn. New Brickshelf users seldom upload high quality images of well-built MOCs. There was something special in what I saw, the mecha had a distinct stance and style. The builder knew what he was doing yet I sensed he was relatively new to the medium by inference from the construction of the legs. I also had a hunch that whoever made this was going somewhere, and fast.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.
My own favourite of nnenn‘s work is just over two years old now and a bit of a departure from his usual work. The incredible PX4-320b Ittadyma does a fantastic job of achieving a plausibility so rare in starships.
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.