In addition to the large-scale, theme-specific collaborate displays that BrickCon has become known for throughout the LEGO fan community — from sweeping Castle landscapes to Great Ball Contraptions that would make Rube Goldberg envious — BrickCon 2010 will also feature several new and returning favorites.
If you’re still thinking about attending, you only have a few days left to register and guarantee custom-engraved bricks in your registration packet. If you have registered, don’t forget to also register your LEGO creations by filling out MOC cards. MOC cards help theme organizers plan for the necessary space, and more importantly make your creations eligible to win convention prizes.
Each of BrickCon’s group builds is designed to be accessible to every registered attendee (sorry, no contributions during Public Hours), regardless of how big or small your LEGO collection is, and whether or not you’ve even started building yet!
Big in Japan
Zombies are so last year (and the year before)… The Brothers Brick’s official collaborative display this year takes its inspiration from the history, mythology, and pop culture of Japan. In keeping with the organic way we’ve put together layouts in years past, we’re not asking you to follow any particular standard, timeline, or even scale. We’ll have life-size ninja weapons, a minifig-scale rendition of the village from Seven Samurai, Ochre Jelly’s wonderfully unique homage to Hayao Miyazaki, the return of Mecha Godzilla, and whatever else inspires you to build something that’s … Big in Japan.
If you’re trying to think of an easy way to contribute something, consider building small for Big in Japan.
A Micropolis module isn’t parts or time intensive, and it’ll bring me one step closer to my dream of a microscale LEGO map of the entire Japanese archipelago. (I’ve built seven more modules after posting Micro Tokyo there on the right.)
Please sound off in the comments with what you’re planning to bring for Big in Japan, just so we don’t end up with three Mount Fujis.
Bricks of Character
Debuted at Bricks by the Bay earlier this year, Bricks of Character is “a Lego building theme featuring brick-built models of well known characters from film, television, literature, history, politics, or even just your imagination. Anything so long as it has personality, and isn’t just posed mini-figs” (*ahem* not that there’s anything wrong with posing minifigs).
Read more about Bricks of Character in the official announcement post on The Living Brick.
Nnenn Memorial Vic Viper Fly-in
BrickCon 2010 is sure to be a lot of fun, but it’s also going to be bittersweet for many of us.
Following fly-ins at BrickWorld and BrickFair, the Vic Viper Fly-in at BrickCon will be the last fly-in to memorialize the influence and legacy of Nate Nielson, who died in a car accident earlier this year.
Though Nate lived here in the Pacific Northwest, nobody in the LEGO fan community had ever met him in person (or even knew his real name), but we all said that this was the year we were going to convince him to attend BrickCon. That can’t happen now, but members of Nate’s family will be in attendance, taking in our tribute to this legendary builder.
I’ll be coordinating the fly-in, but Keith Goldman — who was so instrumental in organizing the earlier tributes to Nate — will also be attending BrickCon, and I’m sure I’ll be leaning heavily on his experience.
Operation Bricklord: Europe at War
I’ve personally invested a great deal of my own building energies lately in preparing an invasion force for Operation Bricklord: Europe at War.
“The setting is a battle-torn town with a canal running through it – much like the fictional town of Ramelle at the end of Saving Private Ryan, for those of you who are familiar with that film – in mid-late 1944, almost immediately post D-Day. Therefore, little details like planes with invasion stripes and such would be extra accurate!”
What’s next?
- Register for BrickCon, if you haven’t already.
- Register your LEGO creations too, by filling out MOC cards.
- Sound off in the comments if you’re bringing something for Big in Japan, and ask any questions here about the Vic Viper Fly-in.
- Stop reading and go build some more!
So I keep seeing MoC work for apocalypse theme builds showing up on Flicker and notes saying that they’re working on the Apoc colaborative display for BrickCon. I haven’t seen anything on the website about an apoc theme this year. Is this a different Brick Con?
Whatever apoc build the kiddies are building for isn’t one we’re involved in. If they think there’s a “Zombie Apocafest 2010”, they’re gravely (and hilariously) mistaken.
Thanks, Andrew.
And I’ll also be hosting the “Tommy Williamson Minifig Amnesty Bucket” at the Bricks of Character table. Just bring all your wretched minifigs along to the convention, drop them in the bucket, and I’ll happily set fire to them.
It’s the only way to be sure….
;-)
Hi Andrew,
As mentioned before, my 1/144th scale Gundam will be there. I hope it can be somewhere close to your Micropolis and mimic the Gundam statue currently on display in Shizuoka Japan. I’ll also have a small 4 inch samurai “peteframe” type figure. So yes, building small for Big in Japan is what I did.
I’ve got a hedgerow diorama for Op:B that I’m almost done with, and I really need to buckle down and finish painting my Wehrmacht and Airborne infantry.
I’m bringing my own Nnenn tribute VV, and am also bringing a RAID VPR on Mark Stafford’s behalf. If Nate’s family will be there I would be happy to give them both to keep, should they desire.
This reminds me that I need to send mail to Iain to ask some questions about Bricks of Character. (And I’ve still got your $15 set aside! :)
Ironically, I am /not/ likely to be contributing anything to Big in Japan simply because I already have so many commitments. The irony comes from the fact that I used to translate Japanese manga and for several years was a minor celebrity in Yuu Watase fandom.
This Brickcon is going to be /awesome/.
When is the deadline to fill out MOCcards? I haven’t finalized the design or name of my MOC yet.
I’m sad that I have nothing collaborative to share this year, but i’m looking forward to seeing the final products!
Nannan, if i remember correctly, they were still printing up MOCcards right up until Thursday. Not sure if that’s the case this year. They also had hand written cards for late entries.