September was a busy month for LEGO events, from the Seriously Huge spaceships of SHIPtember to the colorful minidoll-driven ships of Friendshiptember, but another community challenge just wrapped, and it’s the most inclusive one of all – We Arrr Family! The event invites anyone to create a pirate crew of at least 3 characters with the one requirement that all be different skin tones, species, or LEGO line. Join us as we sit down with the captain of this merry event, Llano (femmefromtheblock), and parlay about the event’s origins and celebrate this year’s amazing scallywags.
TBB: Thanks for having this parlay with us, Cap’n Llano. Perhaps you could start by telling us how the #wearrrfamily challenge began?
Llano: I’ve been obsessed with Pirates since I was a little kid. While I got rid of most of my childhood LEGO collection, my handful of small pirate sets I kept. What started as a love of the fantastical idea of pirates became a fascination with their (admittedly romanticized) history.
Reading about how pirate crews were tolerant of gay relationships, safe havens for escaped slaves, and democratic societies in a time of monarchs was eye opening. Several notable women were also not just pirates, but leaders of huge fleets of pirate ships. As a queer, mixed race, trans woman, I could see myself reflected in parts of history I wasn’t taught in schools.
I coined We Arrr Family in 2021 in the height of lockdown which was when, in the absence of in-person community, I really found the online LEGO community. Tricky LUG, a group founded by my friends Flynn & Richard from US LEGO Masters season 1 helped spread the word by cohosting. That year the challenge was just to share anything Pirate related with a great assortment of taverns, ships, and minifgs.
Fast forward a few years, with life back in full swing, I didn’t have as much time for building as I’d like, which lead me to focus more on customizing minifigures. This opened my eyes to the vibrant community of fellow minifig customizers and inspired me to reintroduce We Arrr Family in 2024 with an emphasis on the pirate crew.
TBB: Why is it important that each character have a different color?
Llano: We Arrr Family is a celebration of diversity and togetherness exploring the theme of chosen family. Pirates, fans of LEGO, and the queer community all have that in common; regardless of our differences, we are united by common interests and goals with a bond that can be stronger than blood.
Although it’s changing with shows like One Piece and Our Flag Means Death, so much of pirate representation has been whitewashed. The same goes for much of LEGO’s representation, showing pirates as homogeneous yellow skinned crews. It’s important to me to show pirates as diverse not just for historical accuracy, but also to make fans of LEGO from every background see themselves reflected in a hobby and theme that so often forgets them.
Of course, LEGO builders being a creative bunch, we didn’t just get the range of natural skin tones you find in licensed themes and Friends sets, we got the full rainbow of goblin and alien pirates, every creature under the sea, brick-built and Bionicle pirates, even vintage Homemaker, Fabuland, and Technic figures all made an appearance in We Arrr Family. I welcome the unprecedented
creativity and diversity.
TBB: How did you feel about the participation this year compared to years past?
Llano: 2025 saw over 80 entries, about 20 more than last year with several participants turning in multiple crews. Both years blew my expectations out of the water and I can only imagine what next year will bring! It’s a challenging time for many, so to see the community come together and celebrate diversity has been incredibly heartwarming.
TBB: What makes a great pirate crew?
Llano: There’s no wrong way to assemble a pirate crew. I love the completely wacky groupings with nothing in common just as much as I love the aesthetically and thematically linked crews. As long as you’re able to instill a sense of character in each figure and show them working together despite their differences, you succeeded.
TBB: Do you have a favorite crew of your own creations?
Llano: The pirate trio I posted on the 1st of September may be my favorite because of how much it surprised me. Monochrome sculptures in wood, stone, and gold are not at all what I had in mind but still fits the brief. When inspiration strikes, you have to listen.
A selection of this year’s pirate crews from the community
