About Dan

Dan Rubin has been an AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) since he became an adult. He joined the larger AFOL community on LUGNET in 2003, and that was also the year in which he attended his first BrickFest. Dan largely builds space MOCs, so it should come as no surprise that he is also the Main Admin of the forums at Classic-Space.com. He is also the creator of the Galactic Inquisition space theme. Dan has been a member of the LEGO Ambassador program since the third cycle of the program. Read more about the program here. You can check out Dan's LEGO creations on Flickr.

Posts by Dan

Φrion 2

Stefan (Brainbikerider) has built an excellent little starfighter, that really takes shape in an interesting direction. Using 1×1 rounds, he’s made a nice curve shape, and mated it to a central core for a rather original aesthetic. While the technique the generate that curve has been used in castle towers for years, it’s great to see it adapted to use in space.

The use of stickers from the Power Miners line also adds a great sense of detail to the ship. Be sure to check out some of the other photos, to see how it looks from other perspectives.

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I Actually Really Do Like Cars.

I made an April Fools Day post saying that I was only going to blog cars, because they were the only creations I liked anymore. That wasn’t entirely a fabrication, as I really do like cars.

This red affair by Allister McClaren (Captain_Underpants), for instance, is quite nice. It looks like a cross between a race car from the 60s, like the Chaparral 2J and a modern supercar.

Fradel Wishes You a Happy Easter

It may be a Hoppy Easter, actually, as the mecha that Fradel Gonzales (slice151) has built has some pretty beefy looking legs. I picure this thing as leaping and bounding across the battlefield, not plodding like most mecha.

My favorite part of the so-called Easter Whambit, though, is the cute eyes on the cockpit. It’s the perfect camouflage to blend in with those chicks. I’ll have to ask Fradel what a Whambit is, though.

Tsing Starfighters

Johnny Frye (Dr. X) has built a couple of neat starfighters. They’re both meant to have been built by the Japanese in the early days of star travel.

If you look closely, you can see that the Tsing-Nasu (below) is an improved version of the Tsing-Yoichi (right). This improvement is attributed to an evolution in design by the minifig designers, but it can also be ascribed to the builder himself. The Yoichi was his first attempt, and the Nasu is his attempt to improve on that first design.

I respect when a builder takes the time to revise a creation, and try to improve it, even if the original was quite good to being with.

Peter Reid’s Wasteland

I guess things aren’t too bad in Peter Reid’s (legoloverman) view of the post apocalypse.

Witness the tire swing hanging from the charred tree. Either it was added since the tree burned, or whatever caused it wasn’t bad enough to melt the rubber. Either way, I think there’s a positive message to be found in this photo, even the description reads “End of days…”.

LEGO Alien Back-story Comic

Ever since I started posting my various tan alien creations, people have been asking more background on the aliens and the creations.

I’ve finally gotten around to making one up, and telling it. I tried something new, and have created a comic describing illustrating the initial encounters between the aliens and the Galactic Inquisition.

It’s my first foray into LEGO comics (or any other kind of comic writing) so I hope it reads well, and I’m sure folks will let me know if it doesn’t. [Edit] Folks have asked, so I’ve started putting up photos of the new stuff that I created for this comic.

Starfighter Contest Results

The results have been announced for the Show Us What You Got Contest over on Flickr. As one of the judges in this contest, I must say that this was an extremely tough choice. There were so many fantastic entries that it was hard to narrow things down and produce only four winners.

I’ve posted a mosaic of all the entries below, and you can check them all out in the entry thread. Don’t forget to check out the First, Second, Third, and Fourth place winners, as well.

Disney World Seamonster

Nathan Proudlove (Proudlove) has built an adorable seamonster. He says that it’s based on one in Disney World. I’ve never been there, so I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the model. I can say that it’s awesome, though.

LEGO Wants Fan input on the next City Set [News]

Big news for fans of the LEGO City line. The company is soliciting fan input on the upcoming line. It sounds pretty exciting to me. I’ve also tried the URL provided by LEGO, and it doesn’t work yet. They say we can start voting tomorrow, April 3. I, for one, will be there. Here’s the press release from LEGO:

The Future of LEGO® CITY Lies With the People

-Polls open for excited fans to vote on proposals for expansion of LEGO CITY in 2010-

LEGO CITY (April 2, 2009) – Architects and planners of LEGO CITY are at odds over which section of the booming metropolis should be developed next. After a Town Hall meeting was held on April 1, fraught with debate and indecision, CITY officials will open the polls to let residents solve the dilemma. The future of LEGO CITY is up for vote starting Friday, April 3 at Toysrus.com/LEGOvote.

Parks and Rec vs. D.O.T.
Sociologists and environmentalists are rallying around the LEGO CITY Parks and Recreation Board’s plans to create a new CITY SQUARE that focuses on encouraging active play, family togetherness, resident interaction and open green spaces as a means of making LEGO CITY attractive to potential residents and business owners. Details of the new City Square have not yet been released.

LEGO CITY’s Department of Transportation officials submitted two proposals for review and decision. The first, a PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CENTER, fosters more use of public transit and reduces traffic on the roads. The second, a TRUCK STOP to provide rest and comfort for truckers, is badly needed as LEGO CITY’s industry and commerce growth rates are sending an increasing number of large trucks in and out of the CITY limits. Neither plan outlined specific details.

CITY officials believe all three of the proposals hold merit and could be implemented with great attention to detail and fun.

Call to Action
Anyone with a vested interest in the future of the LEGO CITY is encouraged to log onto Toysrus.com/LEGOvote to help select the next phase of development. From April 3 through April 24, voters will find information and instructions about casting their ballots. Once the polls are closed and a theme is selected, CITY officials and Toys“R”Us executives may foster dialogue with residents over the specifics of the winning proposal. In 2010, public opinion will reign supreme when the new set launches in August exclusively at Toys“R”Us and LEGO stores nationwide.

“Generations of children of all ages have been building cities since LEGO bricks appeared 51 years ago,” said Søren Torp Laursen, president, LEGO Systems, Inc. “To achieve our goal of incorporating more consumer insights and wishes to our LEGO products and experiences, we’re once again partnering with Toys“R”Us to collect public opinion and comments to pick a theme that will help inspire kids around the world as they continue the city building tradition.”

Power to the People
This is the second consecutive year that LEGO fans have been asked to help choose a theme for an exclusive set in partnership with Toys“R”Us. In 2008, fans chose the LEGO Star Wars™ The Home One™ Mon Calamari Star Cruiser™ set, which will be released later this year to mark the 10th Anniversary of LEGO Star Wars.

# # #

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through its products, which can be purchased in more than 130 countries. Visit www.LEGO.com
LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2009 The LEGO Group.

April Fools: NeoClassicSpace.com hacked by Ugokin Alien Invaders!

Invaders from another galaxy, the nefarious Ugokin have taken over www.neoclassicspace.com. They have hijacked the site for their own nefarious needs, and are using it to spread propaganda of their alleged victory over the Federation.

April Fools: I like cars.

So much so, in fact, that I recently built one. It’s been so popular, that I’ve decided not to build anything but cars anymore. Since I’m still admin on classic-space.com, I’m going to convert the forums to be all about LEGO car creations. There will be emphasis on classic cars, and on trunk space. I’m also now only going to blog car creations, and only if they aren’t as good as mine. I’ll probably have to sell all of my space minifigs on BrickLink, so that I can buy more wheels.

Blade Runner Pod-Racer

Over on Flickr, Larry Lars has posted an entry in FBTB’s pod racer contest that I love. It’s a mash-up of a pod-racer and a spinner from Blade Runner.

He’s done a fantastic job with it, capturing all the little details from the original. I think that might even be Edward James Olmos in the driver’s seat. It’s too bad she won’t live!