My local LEGO club, SEALUG (the Seattle LEGO Users Group), will be putting on a display at Emerald City Comicon in two weeks at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. Day and weekend passes are going fast, so get your tickets now if you want to join us there.
With over a hundred active members, SEALUG is one of the largest LEGO fan groups for adults in North America, and we know how to put on a display! You can see photos of our display from last year in my photosets on Flickr, and in the group pool.
Newcastle Upon-Tyne’s own snaillad has constructed one of the finest Cafe Corner style buildings to date with his “Avenue Saint-Jaques”. According to the builder, Saint-Jacques is based on the Haussmann style which is found in most of central Paris.
Flickr user Iomedes has been on a roll lately, offering up two outstanding spacecraft for your viewing pleasure. First up is “PROJET 55 : UBURO class stealth dropship”, inspired by the work of concept artist and futurist Syd Mead.
And finally, The “HELGHAST starfighter” has gone through some significant changes (most notably the wings) over the past few weeks and the final result is very satisfying.
Millie McKenzie, better known to most viewers as Leda Kat, takes one of the best moments from the otherwise forgettable 2011 film Paranormal Activity 3 and translates it into an eye-catching LEGO diorama. I realize this model doesn’t exactly qualify as new (it was posted 12-5-12), but I just recently discovered it and I’m willing to gamble that many of you missed it too. Leda has a large catalog of great models, so be sure and click through her photostream if you have the time.
The next set in the Ultimate Collectors Series of LEGO Star Wars sets brings back the X-wing – 10240 Red Five X-wing Starfighter. Due out this May, the set will include 1,558 pieces and retail for $200 here in the States.
I’ve upload all the official photos to Flickr, and here’s the designer video as well:
Here’s the official info from LEGO:
10240 – Red Five X-wing Starfighter™
Ages 16+. 1,558 pieces. Build the ultimate LEGO® Star Wars™ X-wing Starfighter! US $199.99 CA $249.99 DE 199.99€ UK 169.99 £ DK 1699.00 DKK
Collect and create the most highly detailed LEGO® Star Wars™ X-wing Starfighter ever produced. This iconic starfighter is featured in many of the most exciting Star Wars battle scenes, including the decisive battle scene above planet Yavin™. Recreate the moment when Luke Skywalker’s X-wing delivered the proton torpedo that led to the destruction of the Imperial Death Star! With 1,558 pieces, this realistically detailed model features opening wings and cockpit, a special display stand, data sheet label and R2-D2.
Includes R2-D2 atromech droid
Features highly authentic detailing, and opening wings and cockpit
Includes 1558 pieces
Measures over 10″ (26cm) high, 20″ (52cm) long and 18″ (46cm) wide
Includes display stand and data sheet label!
Available for sale directly through LEGO® beginning
May 2013
Programming note: Although this info was supposed to go out only after 1 PM PST, one of LEGO’s official channels leaked the story early, so our post is online a few minutes ahead of schedule. FBTB has the amusing tale of the “Worst. Product launch. Ever.”
The latest modular LEGO building isn’t officially out until next month, but if you’re a LEGO VIP Program member, you can order 10232 Palace Cinema today. Make sure you’re logged in over on LEGO.com before clicking through from here.
We recently received a press release from the administrators of a new LEGO fan community dedicated to the popular new theme, LEGO Friends. The site is called FriendsBricks.
We are a worldwide community of Friends fans: Our members are AFOLs, TFOLs, Parents, Sisters and Brothers — some seasoned LEGO fans & builders, and some newly discovering the love of building through Friends bricks. Our core purpose is sharing creations, reviews & news. Since the January 1st, 2012 launch of LEGO Friends, Heartlake City life has been inspiring us. Stop by www.FriendsBricks.com and join in the Friendship!
If you are a fan of LEGO Friends you should go check it out!
While I’m obligated every time I highlight graffiti to say that I don’t condone vandalism, I love to see great street art. This photo by clockity shows the artist’s progress as he squeezes Wolverine in between some larger pieces.
Have any of our readers in Brighton seen this in person? Know who the artist is?
One benefit of getting together with other LEGO fans at local club meetings is that you get to hear the thought process that goes into their LEGO models. Shawn Snyder (Flickr) has been building fantastic character sculptures for years — remember his amazing Predator bust? — and lately he’s been bringing his figures to SEALUG meetings long before he posts them online.
One of his recent figures is the villainous Venom, here taking down Spider-Man. Venom’s brick-built spider logo and teeth are particularly nice.
What’s fascinating about Shawn’s building style is that he says he never starts with a particular scale in mind. He always starts by working at building a head until it looks right, and then he works his way down (or not, in the case of his large-scale busts). Shawn’s characters are also nearly always articulated, and he incorporates structural support to enable dynamic posing. My brain just doesn’t work like that.
Since it looks like we missed it when he posted it after Emerald City Comic Con last year, here’s Shawn’s awesome Altaïr from the original Assassin’s Creed.
I can’t wait to see what he’ll bring to the SEALUG display at ECCC this year, in just a couple of weeks.
I really miss the heyday of Japanese LEGO mecha builders a few years ago, where it seemed like a stellar new mech appeared online almost constantly. Growing up with Gundam and Macross on TV in Japan (well, when I was allowed to watch TV by my missionary parents…), giant robots piloted by impossibly chiseled youth still hold a special place in my heart.
Thankfully, I can still get my Japanese LEGO mecha fix from builders like LEGOROBO (legorobo:waka on Flickr). His AFA-8 Cynomys walker is full of crazy angles and believable details whose purpose I can only imagine. Just check out those toes!
