The latest edition of Hispabrick Magazine is now available.
Hispabrick Magazine 004 includes:
Check out Hispabrick Magazine 004 on HispabrickMagazine.com today!
A new Dorling Kindersley book called LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
Available September 21, 2009, the book will be 96 pages long, and will include an exclusive LEGO Star Wars minifig. Here’s the full description:
In true DK style, LEGO® Star Wars™: The Visual Dictionary elucidates, illuminates, and excites even the most discerning LEGO Group, Star Wars™, and minifigure fans around the world. Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Yoda, Luke Skywalker, and more are brought to life with dozens of little-known facts and hundreds of photos, as are accessories, vehicles, weapons, and even the Death Star! Learn about the history, manufacture, and construction of the minifigures of the Star Wars galaxy, and come away a LEGO® Jedi Master.
Amazon.com is selling LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
Just in time to add regular LEGO sets to your reduced-price Pick A Brick order, the LEGO Shop online is holding a fairly huge sale, with many items 50% off or more.
LEGO Star Wars 10186 General Grievous™ is down to $30 from $90:
Sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads are $10 off in LEGO Agents 8633 Mission 4: Speedboat Rescue:
And don’t forget that there are some awesome new sets from the LEGO Shop, too. 10194 Emerald Night should be shipping soon, and 10195 Republic Dropship with AT-OT Walker
is now available.
Check out all of the discounted LEGO sets now!
Due to recent concerns over the drastic price hike of LEGO’s online Pick A Brick prices, the company has slashed the overmarked price tags while keeping the increased selection. Here is the official word from LEGO:
Dear LEGO fans,
Based on all the feedback over the past week regarding our new Pick A Brick elements and pricing we will reduce the pricing on LEGO Pick A Brick elements.There were good reasons behind our decision to raise prices of this relatively operationally complex Pick A Brick service. However, over the last week we have realised, thanks to you, that it was unacceptable to raise the prices so steeply without notice. We have acted quickly and have taken the decision to reduce the pricing on LEGO Pick A Brick elements. The prices cannot return to the original 2008 level but the increases are now much smaller. We are pleased to now offer you the biggest, most comprehensive assortment ever including:
– More colours
– Most recent doors and windows are now available in PAB and MOD
– More longer beams to enable larger constructions
– More accessories (such as hats, wigs and mini figure tools)
– More mini-figs (now with girl and child (short legs))
– More cool tires and rimsWe hope to welcome you back to Pick A Brick soon.
Your LEGO team
And with that, it’s time to shop!
BrickArms has just introduced the first wave of 2009 custom minifigure guns and accessories for sale in four different colors matching LEGO’s palette. Check out all 14 new items at brickarms.com!
We’ll be doing a full review of these new items shortly. In the meantime, you can read more about the 2009 BrickArms accessories and see pictures of prototype versions in our preview of the 2009 Brickarms Bazooka, MGL, Lewis gun, and more.
The Portuguese LEGO Users Group (PLUG) is planning an event called An Adventure in the World of LEGO, an exhibition held in Lourinhã, Portugal from April 27 – May 3.
PLUG (Portuguese LEGO Users Group) will organize a major Exhibition – “Uma Aventura no mundo do LEGO” (An Adventure in the World of LEGO).
It will be held in Lourinhã, 63km northwest of Lisbon, in a Hockey Club Pavilion (something like 8.600 sqf or 800 sqm), between April 27th and 3rd of May, 2009.
Lourinhã is also know for its Jurassic findings and is considered as the Dinosaurs capital in Portugal. Thus the inspiration for the event poster and some exposed dioramas.From Monday until Thursday, between 9am and 6pm for schools – it is expected that the event will attract around 5,000 young attendees – and between 8:30pm and 11pm, for general public. Friday and Saturday, between 9am and 11:30pm. Sunday, between 9am and 6:30pm.
PLUG will present more than fifteen thematic tables of MOCs and LEGO Sets, including City, Town´80s, Star Wars, Western, Adventurers, Castle, Classic Space, Model Team, Creator, Bionicle and TECHNIC.Besides the exhibition, there will be numerous activities, like several types Sets building and contests between PLUG members or visitors.
In the end, there will be also a trip to LEGOLAND Windsor for two adults and two children, to raffle among visitors.Just for you to know, Portugal is a country on the Iberian Peninsula, the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south, and by Spain to the north and east.
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.
The Pick A Brick at LEGO Shop at Home has increased its parts selection from 1000 to 1496. On the other side of the coin, prices for these parts have increased by up to 300%. Is this all a joke? For once I hope not, but see for yourself.
The big news from BrickFest 2009 may be more details about 10194 Emerald Night, but there’s more to come in the next few days. ;-)
In the meantime, attendees have begun uploading photos of displays and events.
Bill Ward already has 160+ photos online, while Mark Neumann and PurirideVry have uploaded quite a few as well.
The BrickFest pool is also getting refreshed with this year’s photos, so be sure to check it out — and add your photos if you haven’t!
The forthcoming LEGO Trains set 10194 Emerald Night got an early announcement last month, but the original plan was to announce it at BrickFest 2009 (happening right now in Portland, Oregon).
AFOL-turned-Designer Jamie Berard takes his turn in front of the camera to officially unveil 10194 Emerald Night to LEGO fandom:
Jamie is of course best known as the designer of amazing sets like 10182 Café Corner and 10185 Green Grocer
. If Jamie was involved in the design of Emerald Night, it’s sure to be a wonderful set!
10194 Emerald Night has been available for pre-order from the LEGO Shop online since February, and is scheduled to ship on April 15, 2009.
A few key points from the video:
Check out a second, slightly longer video of Jamie, Pierre, and 10194 Emerald Night on YouTube.
To coincide with the unveiling, the LEGO Group has also released the following additional details about the changes to the LEGO Trains system:
As a follow up to the LEGO 9V Train Communication lll, there is one change we would like to inform you about concerning the LEGO Transformer.
Due to future legal requirements and to provide a more environmentally sustainable solution, we have decided to update the current LEGO Transformer #9833.
The new Power Functions Rechargeable Battery Box #8878 that will launch in mid-April 2009 has been designed to use this new LEGO Transformer #8887. The current LEGO Transformer (#9833) will not work with the new Power Functions rechargeable battery box and will gradually be phased out.
Below is a list of the LEGO Power Functions accessories used across multiple LEGO lines which are used with the new #10194 Emerald Night Train:
#8882 Motor
#8884 IR RX
#8870 Light
#8878 Rechargeable Battery
#8879 Speed Remote Control
#8887 TransformerLook for more information on these items on www.LEGO.com in early to mid-April 2009.
Tormod Askildsen, Head of LEGO Community Development
So, what do you think of the new LEGO Trains system? Did you see this in person last night at BrickFest? Sound off in the comments…
The much-anticipated LEGO Star Wars set 10195 Republic Dropship with AT-OT Walker is now available from the LEGO Shop online.
Yes, yes, I know — I’m a couple days behind on this…
Slovenian LEGO club Kocke Klub has announced that they will be holding a second LEGO exhibition on April 4, 2009 in Ljubljana. (“Kocke” means “brick” and is pronounced COT-SKA.)
Here’s the full announcement in Slovenian:
Kocke klub v soboto, 4. aprila 2009, 10h-17h v OŠ Šmartno pod Šmarno goro pri Ljubljani organizira 02. KockeFest – pomlad 2009 – LEGO delavnico in razstavo LEGO kreacij.
KockeFest bo nudil tekmovanje v LEGO sumu, svetovno premiero novega pnevmatskega V8 motorja iz kock LEGO, predstavitev delujočih modelov LEGO gradbene mehanizacije in različnih Mindstorms robotov, makete gradbišča, vlaka, gusarjev ter LEGO Technic sete, dva igralna kotička z nagradami za najboljše kreacije in LEGO bazar ter še veliko drugih LEGO zanimivosti. Za več informacij prosimo poglejte na www.kocke.si/kockefest/.
And in English:
Kocke club will organize 2nd KockeFest – spring 2009 – LEGO workshop and LEGO creations exhibition. It will be held on Saturday, April 4th between 10am and 5 pm in primary school Šmartno at Ljubljana.
KockeFest will present the LEGO sumo championship, the world premiere of new V8 pneumatic engine made out of LEGO bricks, the working models of LEGO construction equipment and various Mindstorms robots, the mock-ups of building grounds, trains, pirates and LEGO Technic sets, two playing corners with awards for the best creations, Lego marketplace and more LEGO interesting features. For more information please visit www.silug.si/kockefest/eng_index.php.
Read more about KockeFest — and see pictures from the first KockeFest — on the Kocke Klub website.
EDIT: Kocke Klub has also released a 16-page magazine illustrating some of the best LEGO creations from members. Download your copy of KockeList and check it out! It’s in Slovenian, but LEGO is our common language, and there are lots of great pictures.