Just a quick reminder that NoVVember 2012 is now upon is. Help celebrate the late nnenn’s love of the Gradius Vic Viper by building your own (or more!). Post your entries here and Pascal (pasukaru76) will perform his magic at the end of the month.
Keep an eye out for further updates once the East Coast of the US recovers a little.
Novvember is the month of the Vic Viper, and the tradition lives even stronger than the previous year. Here is the fighter map by Pascal of the 255 Vic Vipers by 135 builders.
Nick Trotta’s (aka Tardisblue) newest ship combines a superb color-scheme with incredible angles and a Vic Viper flourish to help finish out Novvember. The integration of the stripes into the wings and tail is wonderfully done, and the sawtooth edges on the forward struts give this ship a particularly aggressive look. Be sure to check out some of his other sweet ships, too.
It’s NoVVember again. This one is from its host Peter Morris and Rich M (Zaximillian). I’m not sure if it’s the lines, the colours or a combination of the two but it’s got such an aggressive macho look.
EDIT: Added Rich M’s name. Missed that it was a collaboration.
It was just brought to my attention that 7066 Earth Defense HQ contains a tribute to nnenn. The decal on the Vic Viper ship is the brilliant idea of Mark Stafford who designed the set. This by itself is enough cause for me to own a copy of the set.
Photo by polywen
Even after the passing of Nate Nielson, Novvember still remained the month of the Vic Viper. This is evidenced by the 193 Vic Vipers from 88 builders shown in this starfighter map created by Pascal (pasukaru76). You can visit the Vic Vipers group on Flickr to see all these starfighters in detail.
Twisting is the first thing that pops into my head looking at this new ship by Kevin Murney (legorevolution). The prongs on the front of the ship are a fascinating new twist (pardon the pun) on the classic Vic Viper look. I’m also struck by the pod shapes on either side of the cockpit, which remind me of dandelion seed clusters.
These techniques are certain to inspire further creations down the road.
Looking at this space ship is like getting punched in the face! This Vic Viper by Kyle Slushey combines two bright colors to great effect. The green and blue contrast nicely, making the image pop in big way. He’s also included just enough patches of gray for the eye to rest on.
Many people have posted Vic Viper models recently. Most are meant for the fly-ins scheduled in tribute to the fallen builder Nnenn. Here’s one of my favorites, along with a reminder to look for the fly-in at whatever Lego fan convention you may be attending this year.
It’s a build by “The One And Only Mr.R” using my old favorite color, tan. It includes some nice compound angles, as well as an uncommonly compact shape. It also incorporates Nnenn’s favorite piece.
If you are attending Brickworld in June, you probably know that the theme for this year is space. More specifically, there are four collaboration displays designed to accommodate a variety of sci-fi creations. Here are the details:
The Modern Warfare display is a collection of infantry, vehicles, and combat-torn buildings set in a sub-apocalyptic world based on the Modern Warfare video game. If you’re interested, there’s an active Flickr group that has everything you need to know to participate, including details on how to receive a free contributor’s pack from BrickArms.
Lastly, a huge thanks to Tyler Clites for creating the graphics for the first three space displays.
Bisonfuehrer‘s Vic Viper for the Missing Man display at BrickWorld 2010 has pink bubbles that remind me of a bubble eye goldfish. It’s one of the most innovative space creations I’ve seen in a while; the use of the onion dome certainly tops the chart for creativity.
If I had to choose only one legacy to remember nnenn by, it would have to be Novvember. Novvember is the month of the Vic Viper, and surely no one can forget nnenn’s daily debut of a new VV in November 2008. When I interviewed nnenn on this project, I began to appreciate the beauty of variations on a theme. I asked him when he would stop building spaceships, and he told me he would keep going until he has exhausted every possible configuration. I didn’t think it was possible, but neither did he.
The other side of Novvember that I will remember is the community participation that took place. The VV map below of everyone’s contributions for Novvember 2009 shows the extent of its success. You can see more at the Vic Viper Flickr group.
To celebrate the life and work of nnenn, don’t forget that there will be Vic Viper fly-ins at all the major US LEGO conventions this summer and fall:
You can ship a VV to be displayed or bring one in person. Please contact Keith Goldman if you’re interested (Legomankeith AT aol DOT com).
Be sure to join us in sharing your own thoughts on Nate’s online eulogy.