BrickJournal #85

Issue 85 • May/June 2024

D

GS

DIS

N

EY

10 0 M IN

Designing Disney Minifigures Making Your Own Sigfig!

Making MaxiFigures $10.95 US $12.95 CAN

Plus: Instructions & more!

I

FI

Minifigure!

E

looks at the

IGNING TH S E

Find us @Barnes & Noble or Subscribe!

THE MAGAZINE FOR LEGO ENTHUSIASTS OF ALL AGES! ®

BRICKJOURNAL magazine spotlights all aspects of the LEGO® Community!

It showcases events, people, and models every issue, with contributions and how-to articles by top builders worldwide, new product intros, and more.

Available in FULL-COLOR print and digital editions.

#87 ships 4!

2 August 20

NEXT ISSUE: WE SPOTLIGHT LEGO LANDSCAPING! SUBSCRIBE NOW!

#86 ships June 2024!

S

GET THE NEXT SIX PRINT ISSUES PLUS FREE DIGITAL EDITIONS!

ATE

4R

202

SUBSCRIBE TO BRICKJOURNAL

o $73 Economy US Postpaid (backing board, poly bag) o $100 Premium US (rigid mailer, faster delivery) o $111 International o $29 Digital Editions Only Name: Address: City/Province: State: Country (if not USA): E-mail address:

Zip Code:

(for free digital editions)

DON’T MISS AN ISSUE • ORDER TODAY! TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

TwoMorrows Publishing

10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com • Order at twomorrows.com LEGO® and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group of Companies. BrickJournal is not associated with The LEGO Group.

For faster service, order online at:

www.twomorrows.com or by phone: 919-449-0344

Issue 85 • May/June 2024

Contents

From the Editor....................................................2

People Juan Rodriguez Lopez: Building the Beast’s Castle..........................3 Builder Profile: Kimberly Giffen................................................8 Shaun Sheepa: Remaking Figures........................................14

Building

Alberto Micheli: Building Maxifigures!..................................21

Building Your Own Sigfig.............................29 The Making of a Minifigure.........................32 Robert8: Mad about Minifigs!

Chatting With a Custom CMF Concept Creator............................................37 BrickNerd Instructions: Builder’s Studio..............................................42 Minifigure Customization 101: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland........48 You Can Build It MINI Iron Talon...............................................56

Community AC Pin: Touring with Brick Convention 2023...............................60 Bantha Bricks: Christoph Baumann Building the Galactic Senate Chamber...........................................................66 Community Ads...............................................78 Last Word.............................................................79 AFOLs....................................................................80

From the Editor: This issue was interesting to put together.

Minifigures are an item that have their own history with the company. and were an addition that allowed builders young and old to be able to storytell with what they built.

May/June 2024 Issue 85 Publisher John Morrow

For LEGO fans, it was only logical to make figures of themselves to be a part of their builds—these became sigfigs, which are seen and exchanged at events.

Editor in Chief Joe Meno BrickNerd and Assistant Editor Dave Schefcik Photography Editor Geoff Gray Proofreader John Morrow

Japanese Bureau Editor Nathan Bryan West Coast Editors Ashley Glennon

Bantha Bricks Correspondent David Strenzler

Contributors: Christoph Baumann, Jared Burks, Christopher Deck, Isaiah Durand, Kimberly Giffen, Juan Rodriguez Lopez, LEGO House, Alberto Micheli, AC Pin, Robert8, Shaun Sheepa, David Strenzler and Greg Hyland.

Many thanks to the websites who have served as mirrors for BrickJournal:

www.LUGNET.com, www.Brickshelf.com, www.peeron.com, www.brickmodder.net www.rustyclank.com

About the Cover: A minifig casts away at a event.

Photo by Joe Meno.

About the Contents: Boba Fett in Jabba’s throne. Built and photographed by Alberto Micheli.

The minifigure also opened up new creativity—some people wanted to build larger figures or figures that had more articulation. We meet with a couple of those builders in this issue. And we get a look at the design process behind making the Disney minifigures.

So we go everywhere on this subject. I hope you enjoy the ride!

Joe Meno, editor P.S. Have ideas or comments? Drop me a line at brickjournal@gmail.com. I’m open to suggestions and comments and will do my best to reply.

P.P.S... Yes, BrickJournal has a website — www.brickjournal.com! Twitter? Yep, there too — http://twitter.com/brickjournal. Facebook? Yup — http://www.facebook.com/group. php?gid=58728699914&ref=mf.

Or you can scan the bottom codes with a QR reader!

Website

Twitter

Glossary AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) AFFOL (Adult Female Fan of LEGO) TFFOL (Teen Female Fan of LEGO) NLSO (Non-LEGO Significant Other) MOC (My Own Creation) TLG (The LEGO Group) BURP (Big Ugly Rock Piece) LURP (Little Ugly Rock Piece) POOP (Pieces­—that can be or should be made—Of Other Pieces)

Facebook

Subscriptions

SNOT (Studs Not on Top) LUG (LEGO Users Group) LTC (LEGO Train Club) MECHA (a large armored robot on legs, typically controlled by a pilot seated inside) MECH (a large piloted combat robot) DARK AGES (usually teen years, when you drift away from building) STUDS OUT (building where the studs on bricks face the viewer)

BrickJournalTM issue 85, May/June 2024 (ISSN 1941-2347) is published bi-monthly by TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614, USA. Phone: (919) 449-0344. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BrickJournal, c/o TwoMorrows, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614.

Joe Meno, Editor. John Morrow, Publisher. BrickJournal Editorial Offices: 6701 Coachman Drive, Springfield, VA 22152, USA. E-mail: admin@brickjournal.com. Send subscription funds to TwoMorrows, NOT to the editorial offices. Six-issue subscriptions: $73 US, $111 Elsewhere, $29 Digital Only, and can be purchased at twomorrows.com.

LEGO ®, TECHNIC, MINDSTORMS, Belville, Scala, BIONICLE, ExoForce, Mars Mission, World City, and other LEGO theme lines are trademarks of the LEGO Group of companies. Star Wars, The Mandalorian TM & © Lucasfilm. All articles, photos, and art © BrickJournal Media, LLC, TwoMorrows Publishing and the respective writers, photographers, and artists. All rights reserved. All trademarked items are the property of their respective owners and licensees. Printed in China. FIRST PRINTING.

2

BrickJournal and its staff would like to thank the LDraw community for the software it makes available to the community, which we use for making all of the instructions and renderings in this magazine. We would especially like to thank Kevin Clague for his continued upgrades of the LPub tool that is a part of the LDraw suite. For more information, please visit http://www.ldraw.org.

People

Juan Rodriguez Lopez:

Building the Beast’s Castle

3

The idea to design a Beauty and the Beast Castle based on the animated film came to me years ago when LEGO first released the large Disney Castle (71040). I held off on designing it then, because I was sure that an official set would be produced at some point soon. Except for the ones released through the LEGO Friends line, no such set ever materialized—at least, not to the scale or detail that I wanted. Later, after seeing the release of the Mini Disney Castle (40478), I was once again inspired to take up the project. Originally, I aimed for a similar scale and piece count. However, it soon became clear that I would need to soften those restrictions.

One of my goals was to make sure the model looked polished from every angle, and for each side to have its own finished facade, not just the front. Immediately, this posed a very interesting challenge, since some areas are not visible in the source material. To design this MOC, I had to research various other official sources, including stills from the film, posters, theme park miniatures, ceramic models, souvenirs, etc. I used my own imagination to fill in any remaining gaps. Nevertheless, the final build is most heavily based on the miniature castle built in Disneyland Paris as part of the “Storybook Land Canal Boats” attraction.

The front of the castle.

The first thing about the castle that caught my eye, when thinking about where to start, were the reddish “mansard” style roofs. Both the curve of the eave and the elongated vertical shape are notable traits that set the castle apart.

As for the color, Dark Red seemed the obvious choice. I picked the West Wing as my starting point. Using Studio 2.0, I created around twelve digital mock-ups. I used these to explore different widths and heights, as well as different techniques to capture the iconic balcony. I knew that if I could figure out this part of the MOC, the rest would fall into place much more easily. Once I was satisfied with the roof design, I ordered the parts online and waited. The resulting test model acted as a “proof-of-concept” used to check connections and overall stability.

The West Wing.

The rear of the castle.

4

The rear towers.

The next crucial element was the castle’s ballroom. I probably spent more hours designing this singular component than any other part of the build. Once again, I created several mock-ups to test various building techniques, but more essentially to explore different proportions. Given that the ballroom is likely the most recognizable architectural feature of the castle, it was extremely important that details like the cornice, the pilasters, and vertical windows came through in the final design. Additionally, it was during this stage that I settled on the color Tan for the castle’s body. I briefly flirted with the idea of using Lavender, or even Light Nougat. However, there just wasn’t enough diversity of parts in those buckets—to say nothing of costs or availability. In the end, I opted to use a combination of Tan for the walls, and Pearl Gold for the baroque ornamentation.

With those two components resolved, I moved on to the back facade. Even when the castle is built as a large-scale park miniature, the backside is typically never as attractive as the front. Oftentimes, it isn’t even fully resolved at all. This presented a great opportunity to get creative and pursue a more holistic approach to the overall build.

The hardest challenge was finding a way to successfully incorporate a large round tower along the back facade.

This round tower can be seen standing behind the bulk of the castle in almost every piece of source material. I could not leave it out. So rather than have the tower extend all the way down to the base, I opted to place it on a curved terrace. Additionally, I attached two bridges, linking the tower back to the main structure, and further strengthening the visual connection.

The Ballroom.

The rear fountain.

Afterward, I turned my attention to the side facades. For these I took inspiration from the film itself, starting with the iconic stained-glass window. Luckily for me, LEGO already had the perfect printed part (6226503) for the job: a trans-clear 1x2x2 panel with an image of the famous rose printed in the same stained-glass style. Coupled with an elaborate arch and a grouping of small LEGO roses, this window works as the focal point of the facade. On the opposite side, I decided to represent the castle’s library that is given to Belle as a gift. Based on stills from the film, I imagined what the library walls could’ve looked like from the outside. Mainly, you’d have a central chimney bounded on either side by stately double-height windows.

Next, I designed the prison tower. This is the tallest component of the castle and is likely the second most recognized architectural feature. Its main characteristic is the round sentry box attached to the top, which I captured using 1x1 modified bricks with studs on the side, plus a plain Tan minifigure head.

The prison tower.

Facade with stained glass window.

6

Castle with gatehouse.

Lastly, the castle could not be complete without the striking bridge that leads up to the main Gatehouse. I decided to use Light Bluish Gray and Dark Bluish Gray parts to differentiate those two components from the castle proper.

This version of the Gatehouse is directly inspired by the miniature built in Disneyland Paris. That rendition nestles the gatehouse among jagged rock formations, an indication of the castle’s isolation and extreme location. The different colors also added variety to the overall color palette.

Castle entrance.

Another view of the rear towers.

Five months and 2,207 pieces later, I ended up with a model that was four times the size of the initial prediction. Not exactly what I had in mind at first, but I honestly could not be happier with the finished set! I really wanted to pay homage to my favorite Disney animated film. The castle has such a huge presence throughout the story that I felt obliged to do it justice, regardless of the final piece count.

7

People

Silver Pavilions.

Builder Profile:

Kimberly Giffen Article and Photography

by Kimberly Giffen 8

Kimberly Giffen is a builder that has made impressive builds that have been seen at BrickCon (a LEGO fan convention in Seattle, Washington). Her creations are notable for detail and size—and are award-winning. BrickJournal chatted with her about her builds and building.

Kimberly has been building for over forty years. Back then, she had the LEGO Samsonite sets—and she didn’t get sets with instructions until she was nine.

When she got her initial sets, she was always about the remix. For her, it was “build it, take it apart, and build a different variation.” As a huge fan of fantasy in general, the Castle has always taken her away to another world.

As a mother of four, Kimberly realized quickly that when she would sit down to play with LEGO with them, they would tire of it, while Mom would continue building. As a result, she has blended her LEGO building into her work: she works for Bricks4KidZ as a STEM instructor. She also teaches LEGO camps in the summer and is a substitute teacher in her local school district.

There are a number of influences behind her building. Architecture is her largest influence, as her childhood dream was to become an architect. She always

loved noticing little details in a building. Another source is other builders. Kimberly spent a weekend at Bricks Cascade (a LEGO fan event located in Portland, Oregon) with a giant Japanese architecture-based MOC and went home to start researching. She wanted to find that combination of well-known, moderate size layouts and models that hadn’t been overdone in LEGO before.

After research, Kimberly’s builds start as rough sketches to get the scope and size of a build figured out. After that, she may start with elements that set the scale of the build. For example, if she knows a door is in her build, she can figure out other measurements from the door size. Sometime she will prototype challenging elements—for her, it’s often the roof line and how the slopes interact with each other. Stud.io (a LEGO building program available from Bricklink. com) is used by Kimberly to model out sections that she doesn’t have parts for on hand, which allows her to order the exact quantities needed. She tends to jump into building; however, she may have sections done in an unexpected order. She may start with a building’s roof, set it aside, and then go back and start the building itself.

Silver Pavilions’ koi pond.

9

Kimberly’s hardest build so far has been Aerith’s House. The house and scene came straight from the Final Fantasy VII video game remake, so to do it justice, she needed to get all the angles correct. The setting of this home is a garden in the middle of an industrial slum sheltered by rock cliffs, making a challenging landscape. Additionally, the house is irregular in shape, with an octagon main level with an intersecting hexagonal tower. The main level has an overhanging roof that goes into a steep pitched roof with triangular dormers. It then has a roof deck and the tower, which is topped with another challenging roof line. She had to learn new techniques to build pipes, oil tanks, scaffold, rickety bridges, a waterfall, and get these elements to connect in ways that are also angular.

A look inside the pavilion.

Aerith’s House.

10 10

The Giffen Gardens Greenhouse.

Kimberly is proudest of the build she did before the Silver Pavilions MOC presented at BrickCon 2023, named the Giffen Gardens Greenhouse. For her, it was a build that she really poured her soul into. She had lost her father, who was an avid gardener, just prior to starting. She would build something small, like a little hummingbird feeder, and think of him. She ended up building something beautiful in a time of sorrow.

This was her first build in miniland scale, which allowed for small details to shine: the stone walls can have texture, those stone walls can have grout, a door can have paneling, and fence elements can become wrought iron chairs.

Inside the greenhouse.

11

12

Furniture.

The thing that Kimberly is most proud of with the Greenhouse is the koi pond. Adding subtle movement to a MOC is an amazing thing to do, as a builder has to sit back and really think out the mechanics: How can a water surface be built in LEGO, that is suspended to have movement happen under the water? It was an element that she loved so much, that she redesigned it for the Silever Pavilion. Much of the garden in the Silver Pavilion came from taking her earlier plant designs and figuring out how she could make trees more organic.

When asked about why she builds, Kimberly replies: “I build because it is the one thing that puts me in the zone, where I am so focused that I lose track of time. I build because I love to create. I get this vision of an idea in my head and I just need to get it out. LEGO is my creative outlet—it’s a smattering of engineering challenges, it’s a perfect combination of art and critical thinking.”

The pavilion lit.

She offers this advice to builders, old and new: “Never stop growing your skills. Your first MOC may be crud, but you learn from it. Subsequent builds give you the opportunity to grow and try out different techniques. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just slightly better than the last build.

I don’t think many realize that it takes practice to become an amazing builder. I spent over a decade building with my children before ever putting my art out into the world.”

The koi pond in progress. The gears at the bottom move the fish back and forth, which are covered by transparent garage doors.

13

Building

Gandalf rides Gwaihir, a Great Eagle.

Shaun Sheepa:

Remaking Figures

Article and Photography by Shaun Sheepa

14

If you have seen some incredible figures on Instagram, you might have seen the work of brick.sheepa. These are not minifigures, but built figures that use minifgure heads and helmets in a more realistic scale. His figures and creatures come from movies and video games, and he has made instructions for others to build and explore this scale.

Brick.sheepa’s name is Shaun, and he works as a university researcher. His specialty is fluid mechanics—the science of air! This includes the aerodynamics of cars, trains and other vehicles. He also models weather phenomena such as tornadoes or hurricanes. By studying them, he hopes to better understand their behavior, so that we can reduce damage caused by these extreme events.

Shaun started LEGO building when he was about seven years old. His first LEGO set was the 1999 Star Wars X-Wing (7140). After that, he made it clear to his parents that he

wanted to receive LEGO for Christmas and his birthday.

Of course, LEGO was not cheap, so his parents didn’t like this new interest of Shaun’s. As a result, he only received LEGO on special occasions. As he grew into his teenage years, he saved most of his pocket money that he got from his parents for LEGO. Most of his sets did not stay intact for very long, as they were usually taken apart for his other MOCs. This went on for about ten years until he went to college. Since he did not bring his LEGO collection with him, he stopped LEGO building.

He returned to building during the pandemic, when he got bored at home and bought the Empire State Building Architecture set. This reignited his interest in LEGO building, so after that, he bought the Millennium Falcon, then the X-Wing, then Luke’s landspeeder. These sets never stayed intact long, as he was building MOCs. Shaun also learned how to use BrickLink, so getting specific pieces became much easier, compared to buying an entire set like he previously did. It did take him a while to familiarize himself with all the new pieces that hadn’t existed since he stopped building almost a decade ago.

Emperor Palpatine and his Crimson Guard in Shaun’s custom scale.

Minifigure scale dewback with stormtroopers.

15

Shaun’s favorite theme, if he had to choose, would be Star Wars. He’s also a big fan of Lord of the Rings, Speed Champions, and the newest theme, Dreamzzz!

As a child, Shaun had always liked physical objects that he could hold. Being able to create a spaceship that he saw on television by building it in LEGO, and having it in his hands to play around with, was very important to him.

That motivated him to build MOCs. Since the majority of his builds are Star Wars creatures, inspiration comes from the movies, TV series, and sometimes concept art. For his creature builds, Shaun researched different source materials in order to find different views of the creatures. Sometimes, the color may vary from source to source. He always keeps the aesthetic of that animal/creature from the movie or TV series in his mind, and makes sure that they turn out consistent.

The luggabeast from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The droid D-O and alien Klaud from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Designing creatures can take one to two weeks, but it really depends on the size and complexity of the creature. One of the most challenging aspects of creature building is how an organic animal with skin and fur can be represented using rectangular shaped bricks, so Shaun always starts with the head. The head is the most crucial part in representing a creature in LEGO form. For example, creatures like the Blurrg and the Dewback have a relatively straightforward body shape, which is essentially a tube/cylindrical body with legs, so it took about a week for them to be built. For slightly bigger creatures such as the Rancor and the Luggabeast, it took about two weeks.

However, size isn’t always the primary factor affecting the design and build time. One such example would be Klaud, an alien that was seen in Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker. Klaud took more than a month to design due to his small size and complex facial features. It was very The Rancor from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

16

The Bendu with Kanan Jarrus, both from Star Wars: Rebels.

challenging to find the right pieces to represent Klaud’s face; another aspect was the piece availability in the right color. Most of the time, it comes down to building the creature with what is available, or switching to a different color. This is always a difficulty in creature design, as most creatures are vibrant and colorful, but functional bricks such as modified plates and bricks are quite limited in color palette.

Another factor Shaun has is that he isn’t very patient, so he keeps his builds small. Ideally, it takes him a week or two to make a creature or figure, but as mentioned earlier, it can take longer. He just starts building until he is finished using physical pieces. It’s easier for him to judge physical size when building with real elements, as Shaun can get a better perspective on what a model should look like from all sides with a real model in his hands.

Sometimes Shaun gets inspired by certain pieces. While sorting his bricks and stacking up ‘dish’ pieces, he noticed how two of the 3x3 inverted radar dishes made the perfect bantha mouth, so he started to design a Bantha around these stacked dishes. He was really happy with how the Bantha turned out. Building around a piece isn’t always ideal when it comes to scale accuracy, as the creature build is limited by the piece itself, and cannot be scaled correctly to a Minifigure.

Shaun’s hardest creature would be the Bendu. It’s not a very famous character, and only turned up in the Star Wars Rebels animated series, in which they only appeared in a few episodes. Despite their few appearances, the character is very distinct and memorable. Shaun wanted to capture the creature in LEGO; however, the building challenge

Bilbo and Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings.

17

Shaun’s Fell Beast.

Bantha and Tusken Raiders.

was Bendu’s face. Being very delicate, any feature that was out of proportion would disrupt the build’s likeness. He went through many versions of the face, and took almost a month to finally get the face right. The rest of the body took another month to finish designing.

There’s quite a few builds that Shaun is really proud of, for several reasons. One is displayability. The Fell Beast from the Lord of the Rings series is one of them! For this particular build, he made for the first time a creature with fabric wings. He hesitated on whether he should use a solid LEGO piece or use fabric to represent its wings, and ended up using fabric, as it allows the creature to be posed with a wider range of motion. He also included a portion of the ruins for the creature to be posed on. The end result is a MOC that Shaun personally found great to display in his living room.

18

Shaun is also really proud of the development of his latest builds: what he calls his midifigures. He started making figures of Star Wars characters like Boba Fett, Darth Vader, and others. For these builds, the inspiration actually came from the helmets themselves! He always loved how detailed the helmets looked, but they looked somehow oversized on minifigures. He created a system/base for the body of the midifigure, where he is able to interchange different pieces to represent armor, or arms and legs.

However, he soon realized that they were very limited in motion. For the past several months, Shaun has been A Scout Trooper with his speeder bike.

A breakdown of one of Shaun’s midifigures. Helmets are placed on the round ‘head’ brick, or a head piece can be placed. Almost every joint can be moved on the figure like a human, except the legs cannot split open. Clips and single studs provide this articulation.

Radagast and his sled of Rhosgobel rabbits, from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

improving the design of the midifigure body to allow for more articulation. Recently, he has been building themes related to the Japanese culture, and primarily focusing on characters doing martial arts to improve articulation of his midifigures.

Shaun is inspired to build by the things he sees on TV, video games, or books, and uses LEGO as his medium.

Inspiration oftentimes just hits, and he will instantly start to build, while other times, Shaun can scroll online for days looking for his next thing to build.

Things have changed, though—as a child, he built MOCs so he could play with them, and as an adult, he builds to add to his display collection!

You can see more of Shaun’s work at his Instagram gallery: https://www.instagram.com/brick.sheepa/ or you can scan this QR code!

Another figure.

A breakdown of a later version of Shaun’s midifigures. While the head and arms are unchanged, the waist and legs have been reworked. The waist now is made of 1x2 rounded plates with holes, and the legs are attached with bars with claws. This allows the legs to not only pivot forward and backward, but also rotate to split the legs open.

Some of the posability is demonstrated in this figure.

20

Building

Alberto Micheli:

Building Maxifigures!

Interview by Joe Meno Photography by Alberto Micheli and Simon Lenz

Boba Fett in maxifigure scale, with minifigure Boba Fett for size comparison.

LEGO minifigures are items that LEGO fans collect and build— some build them in a larger scale than the originals! One such builder is Alberto Micheli. He can be seen on Facebook or Instagram showing his latest builds. He chatted with BrickJournal about his maxifigures.

BrickJournal: Please tell us about yourself.

Alberto Micheli: My name is Alberto Micheli, but my friends have always called me “Albo”, so when I first registered on social media, I simply chose Albo.LEGO as a nickname. It was just the first thing that came to my mind, and I’ve never thought it could become so important.

What do you do?

I live in Milano, Italy and am a financial analyst. I work for a financial newspaper and website (Milano Finanza).

21

How long have you been building?

Well, I would say I’ve had different “LEGO phases”.

I started as a kid in the ’80s, when my parents bought me my first sets, the Space ones (442, 452, 462, 497, 918, 928 etc.), that I still have in my collection. But then I left building as a teenager, because I was into basketball a lot at that time.

I fell in love again with LEGO when the first Star Wars sets were released in 1999–2000. I bought the first Millennium Falcon (7190) and then the first two USC sets (7181 and 7191), and many others. Then I met a girl that now is my wife, and we started travelling together, and again LEGO was not a priority anymore, even though she also likes building. We kept buying a few sets sometimes.

What got you into building as an adult?

On display with the child.

The Mandolorian.

The last “LEGO phase” came with Covid and the lockdown. We’ve had really bad times here in Italy with Covid. We have two kids, and we live in a small apartment, so I had to find something to “save my mental health.”

So I discovered the Rebrickable website, and late at night when everybody was sleeping, I started “playing” with Bricklink Stud.io software, making my first digital projects.

Since then I’ve joined Instagram and met a lot of other LEGO enthusiasts around the world who helped me a lot to improve my skills, and all this brought me back into building.

What’s your favorite theme?

Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio.

My favorite theme is obviously Star Wars. But I would say I am more a LEGO Star Wars fan than a Star Wars fan.

I love Star Wars, of course, but I’m not obsessed with it. I like watching any Star Wars movie or TV series, as a pure

23

entertainment. Being 48 years old, to me Star Wars is mainly the original trilogy, and the Return of the Jedi is my favorite movie, above all because I still remember when my father took me to the cinema to watch it!

What inspired you to start building MOCs? Mostly other designers’ MOCs inspired me to design my own. At the beginning I thought they were true artists with special skills and knowledge, but then I realized they were ‘just’ (in a positive way!) LEGO enthusiasts like me, and I started trying myself. Of course, my first projects were not that good, but I took my time to learn and improve and I’m still learning right now.

What are the inspirations behind your build?

My first projects were all related to the Star Wars original trilogy. As soon as LEGO released the first Helmet Collection series (Boba Fett, Stormtrooper and TIE Pilot), that I soon felt in love with, I started making some other helmet MOCs. My main goal has always been to design something new, something not available, and also challenging.

So I’ve made my version of Princess Leia—Boushh helmet and then Darth Vader, the Imperial Royal Guard, Lando Calrissian, and a few others.

After that, I found on Rebrickable an amazing Boba Fett bust MOC, made by a designer named Glenn Tanner, and while reading the comments on his page, I saw that many people were asking for a jetpack to add to the bust.

Admiral Ackbar.

One of Micheli’s first builds—a stormtrooper.

Cad Bane.

24

That was the challenge I was looking for—not a huge project, but interesting enough to work on. I sent Glenn my design, and he was so nice with me, he promoted my jetpack together with his bust, and from that point on, we started to chat for a while, share ideas on new projects, and also leave feedback to each other’ designs—that I believe is the most important thing if you want to improve your skills.

Boussh, Han Solo in carbonite, and Boba Fett.

Then I found a big LEGO generic figure MOC made by a designer named Aukbricks, and I realized that the size of his figure could be perfect to fit the helmets, and asked him if I could work on his design. He told me that he had no time to start a collab, so I’ve made my own version, that is obviously inspired by his, at least for the size, but is a lot different, as I’ve used many different techniques. This initial process helped me a lot, because with the new techniques that I’ve used, I was able to add a lot more details to my figures.

The first one I’ve made was, again, Boba Fett, and I could also use my previous jetpack design on it, because it was perfect to fit the new body. I’ve had so many positive reactions on this figure, that I decided to make the bodies also for all the other official LEGO helmets and then for my helmet MOCs. Then a second helmets series came out and suddenly my production got bigger and bigger. And every new figure I’ve made, I’ve always learned something new, so I constantly updated the designs, making them better and better.

I was also helped by other designers during the process, like Simon Lenz (@crafted_bricks) for example (the guy who took the hi-res photos!), who helped me to improve the shoulder/arm connection. When people started suggesting to me to add blasters and/or lightsabers to the figures, I realized that the arms couldn’t hold the weight of those weapons, and Simon had a brilliant idea to solve this issue. That’s the best part of this hobby: meeting so many people who are really enthusiasts about LEGO. There is no competition or envy in the LEGO community (mostly), just a desire to have fun together and to see beautiful things coming to life.

Boussh.

25

In the very last period, I could also attend some LEGO exhibitions here in Italy pushed by my wife, who is really supporting me together with my kids, and so I could also meet a lot of people live, not only on social media. It’s really great.

At the end, this is what inspires me most right now—the LEGO community!

How long can it take to build a MOC? It may take a few days or even weeks sometimes, depending on the complexity of the design and the time I have to spend in that period. Now that I have almost 25 maxifigures designed, I can use some parts of them for the new projects, so it takes me a lot less time now to design a new figure, but each of them has its unique features at the end.

Also, I like challenges, so the new projects are often harder than the ones I’ve made in the past. Also, I can only work late at night, and not all nights, so I had to learn to be patient, which I would not be by nature.

How do you build? Do you plan your builds or just start building until you’re finished?

Bo-Katan Kryze. The helmet of the Bo-Katan maxifigure was made

by Alexandre Berhaut (@alex_brickartuss).

As I mentioned before, I live in a small apartment, and that means I don’t have a dedicated LEGO room. Also, I don’t have a huge parts collection to work with. Therefore, I need to start every new project with a digital version.

Then I make the instructions, to check if the design can be physically built, step by step, and then I order the parts, mostly on Bricklink, to build it IRL. The good thing about this approach is that I always have everything under control. I can always look back to an old build and improve X-Wing pilot.

A scout trooper.

26

it with the new techniques that I’ve learned in the meantime, for example. Of course, it might be a little less entertaining than building the project physically from the beginning.

What was the hardest build you have done?

This is an easy answer: faces! It’s hard to build faces with LEGO—especially when you’re building a face of a specific character, that is well known by people. It’s not just a face, it’s supposed to be his/her face. That’s probably the real challenge I’m facing now. Beside helmets, I started working on some human/alien heads, because there are many cool characters that do not wear helmets in Star Wars. I’ve made the Tusken Raider, Admiral Ackbar, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Kuiil (from The Mandalorian, Season 1) and Ahsoka, who has been the hardest one probably, because she also has those white markings on the skin, that are hard to replicate without stickers.

What’s the build you are most proud of? Are there any other parts of your build that you want to focus on?

It’s probably my bust of Kuiil. I’ve loved that character as soon as I watched the Mandalorian TV series. He’s really funny in some ways. So “rude”, but also kind-hearted.

He often looks “pissed off”, like I am sometimes, but you cannot help but love him. The challenge was to replicate his attitude: his “LEGO face” should give me the same feelings I’ve had while watching the show. And I’m really happy with the result, especially because I was really close to giving it up. I couldn’t find what I was looking for and I was not sure if I could reach it. Then I decided to share a digital preview with a Portuguese friend, named Helena Anjos, that I met on the Rebrickable website and had already built many of my MOCs. She has really a good eye for details and was very helpful. She gave me a couple of ideas to improve the face, and then I also found the perfect part for the eyebrows (Plume Feather Ponytail), and suddenly Kuiil was there! Of course, I also added the body to the MOC, but the face is the part that I’m most proud of.

Kuill.

Why do you build? Do you build because you want to make a replica of something? Or just want to create? Or something else entirely?

I build mainly to relax. The great thing about LEGO is that every single piece can find its place at some point. Even if at the beginning the parts are all spread on the table, at the end you know you will be able to place them where they’re supposed to be, and this feeling is really comfortable to me. Life is often messy, especially when you’re a father of two kids. Sometimes you have to manage a problem and you don’t know if you will find a proper solution, but in the “LEGO world”, you know that at the end, everything will fall into place.

Of course, there is also a challenge motivation creating MOCs. I always try to design something more and more complex, to see if I’m good enough to reach the goal. The very last project I’ve worked on is an Indiana Jones maxifigure—that is another well known character and another “face challenge” to face. And if I am not able to reach the goal, I look for help in the LEGO community. As I said before, I have a few talented friends that I know I can trust and who help me become a better builder.

The Armorer.

27

What other projects are you working on?

I really don’t make plans; at least, not with LEGO. I need to be inspired to spend my time (late at night!) at building.

So I don’t know what I will do until I know it.

For sure, sooner or later, I’ll give a try on some other characters outside the Star Wars universe, like Jack Sparrow for example, but I don’t really know. Maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up with a brand new idea in my mind, and from that point on the “train of my imagination” will start, and won’t stop until it’s completed. Then I’ll need to recharge my batteries, waiting for a new inspiration to come!

What advice would you give to beginning builders?

I think that making LEGO MOCs is like learning a new language: the more words you know, the better you can speak. So, the more parts you know, the better you can build. I spend a lot of time on bricklink looking for new parts, and I also look at other people’s MOCs to see what parts they’ve used. For example, to design the Indiana Jones whip, I took inspiration from a tree that I saw at an exhibition. That’s the best advice I can give to beginners: being curious!

Darth Vader.

Obi-Wan Kebonbi.

And I’d also like to give an advice that is not strictly connected to building techniques, but on how to live this hobby. Building LEGO can easily become an activity to make by your own, alone in your room, but the best thing that happened to me with LEGO, especially after Covid lockdown, was meeting new friends, on live exhibitions, but also on social media. So, my second advice is, make it a “community hobby”, share your ideas with other people, and don’t be afraid of negative feedback. I’ve reached my best results accepting other people’s views and learning from them. Simply, sometimes they can see what I cannot see. For sure, you might also find some haters that just want to make fun of the others, but the LEGO community is mostly made up of cool people, so you can be sure that you’ll find, above all, a great support network.

A more recent build: Indiana Jones.

28

Building I have been in the LEGO community for over twenty years.

In that time, I started as a builder and went into events, and eventually to starting this magazine. One of the first things that I did was make what is called a sigfig (signature figure)—a LEGO avatar.

Sigfigs are a part of the fan culture because they have been representatives of not only fans, but also of LEGO staff.

Until recently, senior members of the LEGO Group used minifigures as business cards. Builders generally don’t exchange sigfigs, as they are a bit expensive.

At some LEGO Imagination Centers and Discovery Centers, you can make your own minifigure for a fee—you get a box that has an embedded card that lets you activate a station to design your torso for print. You can use the graphics provided at the station, or you can draw your own. Once done, the design is sent to a printer with minifigure torsos. When printed, the torso is given to you with a name brick and you pick the head, legs, and accessories.

However, making a sigfig doesn’t require printers or anything advanced. All you need is a design, and some items that you may have around the house. If you have a printer, there are some different options. And if you have a few minifigues, you’re off to a great start!

Designing Yourself The first step to making you sigfig is figuring out its look.

For me, it was a pretty easy thing to do. I had gotten some notoriety as the person with the camera taking pictures at events, and my favorite theme was Space. I was called the “Space paparazzi,” after the LUGNET (the online place to talk about LEGO back then) bulletin board for space builders. I was a spaceman with a camera.

Take stock of what minifgures you have onhand. The quickest way to make a sigfig is to switch the parts to your liking. My head needed to have glasses, so I got a spaceman (Explorien) and switched his head out. The helmet visor became a trans-black visor, mainly because I liked that visor better than any others I had. Everything else was pretty much the stock Explorian spaceman, so I got a camera accessory and was done!

The sigfig to one of the Master Builders at LEGO House.

Building Your Own Sigfig Article by Joe Meno

You can go much farther with the new minifigures that have been produced—each figure adds new options. You can swap the arms out to change sleeve color or bare arms, and legs can be changed to robot legs and short legs. The lower body can be changed, too—there are mermaid tails and octopus legs, and with third-party producers like Crazy Arms, you have even more options for making arms and legs for your figure.

The Minifigure Factory box and figure I got— the hat was the only one with gray hair, so I picked it.

29

Breaking Down the Minifigure

Headpieces include hair, hats, helmets, and visors.

There are hundreds of heads to choose from, including human, alien and robotic.

Neckpieces include scarves, air tanks, and backpacks.

There are legs that have different printed patterns, and a few different leg designs, such as the pirate peg leg and robotic leg.

You don’t have to have legs—there are dress parts as well as other bases.

30

Arms are removable and can be replaced with other arm types.

Only a few hand designs have been made, but the hook is the most recognized. All of these snap into the arm element.

Easy Customizing

8.6 mm

I went easy with my customized sigfig, as I only switched some parts and didn’t switch it all. At the time, I wasn’t interested in going beyond what I had with my figures. I decided to stay within what LEGO had and what I had.

11.3 mm

You can go farther, though. You can put your own art and graphics on your figure using markers and paint. You can remove the printing on a minifigure by applying Brasso (a metal polish) on a clean towel and then rubbing the print off the minifigure part by part. You can also use an eraser, but it takes quite a bit longer.

11.6 mm 5.6 mm

To decorate, you can use Sharpie markers or paint markers for simple graphics. However, if you want something more complex, making stickers is the way to go.

Stickers are easy to make if you have a printer—what you’ll need is a glossy sticker paper that is appropriate for your printer (inkjet or laser). You can use a layout or graphics program to set up your stickers. Set up a template by using the measurements here for a torso, and fit your graphics in the template. Once you have your torso set up, print it and cut to the template edges. Separate the sticker from its backing and attach to the torso. Color the edge of the sticker to match the torso, or else you will have a white edge around your sticker. If you have a die cutter like a Cricut or a Silohuette, you can use the template as a cut line for it to trim to size.

So what can your sigfig look like? Anything you want!

4.4 mm 4.9 mm 3.2 mm

My sigfig, circa 2002.

13.2 mm

7.3 mm

Dimensions for torso and leg.

Scale is 200% of actual size for clarity.

You can download ready-to-use templates at: https://brickjournal.com/extras/stickertemplatecopy.pdf (worksheet) and https://brickjournal.com/extras/stickertemplate2copy.pdf

Brickmania sells military-oriented custom LEGO sets, accessories, and stickers. These torso stickers wrap the front, back, and sides!

TYPE AND RED FOLD LINES ARE ON A SEPARATE LAYER FROM ART

TYPE AND RED FOLD LINES ARE ON A SEPARATE LAYER FROM ART These enlarged patterns are wraparounds for torsos (above) and legs (below).

The red lines are where the stickers are folded.

31

ng of a minifigure

ou know that it can take up to an entire year to design and crea e’s the idea phase, the many tests and then finalising. kes time The LEGO Groupto make each minifigure perfect! step is important ime can take up to an entire year to design and create a minifigure?

A display that showcased how the second series of LEGO Disney Collectible Minifigures were designed was presented at LEGO House in 2023. The exhibit showed how the process of minifigure design is done and also showed prototypes of the minifgures. Thanks to LEGO House Brand Communications, we were able to get photos and graphics from the exhibit.

e, up thetomany tests andtothen finalising. ke an entire year design and create a minifigure? nt to make each minifigure many tests and then finalising.perfect!

Quick drawings make each minifigure perfect!

While the team discuss the best wa

The a Quick minifigure Themaking Making ofof a Minifigure drawings

character as a LEGO minifigure, the putting pen to paper – or stylus to t the first ideas. They also look into w would fit each character.

While the team discuss the best way to capture that Did youDid know it can to up an to entire year year to design and create a minifigure? youthat know that take it canup take an entire to design character as way a LEGO minifigure, While the team discuss the best to capture that the designers start There’sand the create idea phase, the many tests and then finalising. a minifgure? putting pen the to paper – orstart stylus to tablet – to sketch character as a LEGO minifigure, designers Every step is important to make minifigure perfect!

There’s the idea phase, theeach many tests, then finalizing. the– first ideas. into which accessories putting pen and to paper or stylus to They tabletalso – to look sketch fit each character.

Every step is important to make each minifigure the first ideas.

Theywould also perfect! look into which accessories

Designing takestakes time time Designing Quick drawings

2 2 2

2

would fit each character.

1

1

mwork

esigners and other team members get together their ideas. It’s about looking into the past and which exciting characters should be explored.

Teamwork

Quick drawings

2

While the team discuss the best way to capture that character as a LEGO minifigure, the designers start putting pen to paper – or stylus to tablet – to sketch the first ideas. They also look into which accessories would fit each character.

Quick Drawings

While the team discusses the best way to capture that character as a LEGO minifigure, the designers start putting pen to paper—or stylus to tablet—to sketch the first ideas. They also look into which accessories would fit each character.

LEGO® designers and other team Teamwork

members get together to share their her LEGO® designers and other team members get together rs get together ideas.

It’sabout about looking to share their ideas. It’s looking into theinto past the and past d the past o and choosing which exciting characters should be explored. and choosing which exciting characters d. d be explored. should be explored.

33 3

4

4

Creating Models

Add some color As the best ideas are being picked, a graphic designer will take them to the next step by adding colour and small details.

Add Some Color

4

4

4

If a design is for a new accessory or hairpiece, an element designer will start the work on creating the new design as Creating a three-dimensional computer model. models Some designers sculpt theirIfmodels a design calls for a new accessory or hairpiece – an designer will start the work on creating the new by hand using polymer clay,element then scan design as a three-dimensional computer model. Some it and add the final details on their sculpt their models by hand using polymer designers clay, then they scan it and add the final details on their computers. Every time a new version computers. Every time a new version is made, it is is made, it is 3D-printed so it3D-printed can be so it can be reviewed and tested. You can see some these prototypes in the exhibition. These are reviewed and tested. You can seeofsome very close to the finalised product. of these prototypes in this article. These are very close to the finalized product.

Creating m

Creating models

If a design calls for a element designer w If a design calls for a new accessory or hairpiece – an design as a three-di designers sculpt the element designer will start the work on creating the new graphic designer will take them to the next design as a three-dimensional computer model. Some clay, then they scan If amodels design a new accessory or hairpiece a ed, a step by adding colour and small details. designers sculpt their bycalls handfor using polymer computers.

Every–tim element designer will start the work on creating the to the next32 clay, then they scan it and add the final details on their 3D-printed so it can details. design a three-dimensional computer model.

Som computers. Every time a newasversion is made, it is some of these proto re being picked, a sculpt their models hand using 3D-printed so it can designers be reviewed and tested.

You can by see very close topolyme the fin ill take them to the next

Add some color

As the best ideas are being picked, a graphic designer will take them to the next step by adding color As small the best ideas are being picked, a and details.

color

Creating models

5

The gr decora by add decora are als to blan protot

Stickers

5

The graphic designer will finalise the printed decorations on a standard minifigure template by adding any accessories that also require decoration. It’s done digitally, but the designs are also printed as stickers that’s being applied to blank minifigures and to the 3D-printed prototypes for review.

6

Keep the Standards

Scale up It’s not easy to get the shapes of a new element exactly right, so sometimes the element design team will review extra-large versions, 3 times bigger than a real minifigure. This allows them to get a close look at the details.

Throughout the process, the design of the minifigures is constantly being reviewed to make sure all guidelines are followed. This is to ensure that the quality and consistency across the LEGO range are 100% aligned.

7

Scale Up

It’s not easy to get the shapes of a new element exactly right, so sometimes the element design team will review extralarge versions, three times bigger than a real minifigure.

This allowsnew them to get it’s important to When making elements, a close lookwork at the details.with the LEGO Group’s safety experts. closely

75 7

Safety first

6

Because any new parts must go through rigorous safety and quality checks involving heating, crushing and twisting them to their limits.

Keep the standards

Throughout the process, the design of the minifigures is constantly being reviewed to make sure all guidelines Safety First are followed. This is to ensure thatWhen the making new elements, it’s quality and consistency across theimportant to work closely with the LEGO range are 100% aligned.

LEGO Group’s safety experts. Because any new parts must go through rigorous safety and quality checks involving heating, crushing, and twisting them to their limits.

8 Keep the standards Throughout the process, the design of the minifigures is constantly being reviewed to make sure all guidelines are followed. This is to ensure that the quality and consistency across the LEGO range are 100% aligned.

p

get the shapes of a new element

6

8

Safety fi WhenStick making work closely w

Because n Theany grap safetydecorati and qua and twisting th by addin decorati are also to blank prototyp

Don’t STEAL our Digital Editions!

C’mon citizen, DO THE RIGHT THING! A Mom & Pop publisher like us needs every sale just to survive! DON’T DOWNLOAD OR READ ILLEGAL COPIES ONLINE! Buy affordable, legal downloads only at

www.twomorrows.com or through our Apple and Google Apps!

& DON’T SHARE THEM WITH FRIENDS OR POST THEM ONLINE. Help us keep producing great publications like this one!

7

Safety fi

When making ne work closely wit Because any new safety and qualit and twisting the

Stickers

The graphic designer will finalize the printed decorations on a standard minifigure template by adding any accessories that also require decoration.

It’s done digitally, but the designs are also printed as stickers that are being applied to blank minifigures and to the 3-D-printed prototypes for review.

8

33

9

9

It’s always good to get feedback from people outside the core team, so the team invites other colleagues from the LEGO Group to share their opinions. On specific occasions, a handful of LEGO fans will also receive the design for review. And of course, the Disney team also Feedback Welcome review the designs and give their input.

It’s always good to get feedback from people outside the core team, so the team invites other colleagues from the LEGO Group to share their opinions.

On specific occasions, a handful of LEGO fans will also receive the design for review. And of course, the Disney Feedback welcome team also reviews the designs and give their input.

It’s always good to get feedback from people outside the core team, so the team invites other colleagues from the LEGO Group to share their opinions. On specific occasions, a handful of LEGO fans will also receive the design for review. And of course, the Disney team also review the designs and give their input.

10

10

We Introduce ...

We Introduce ...

Production time! ® TheIntroduce LEGO® Disney We ...

The LEGO® Disney Element Team The LEGODesign Disney Element Design Team 10 Element Design Team Production Time!

©Disney/Pixar ©2023 The LEGO Group

When all opinions are gathered and the necessary tweaks are made, the minifigure is finally ready for production. A molded prototype will be sent be reviewed by the team, andnecessary twe When all to opinions are gathered and the when it is approved, the production can made, the minifigure is finally ready for production.

A start! In thebefactory, the test by willthe team, an prototype will sent to bequality reviewed continue, to make sure every it is approved, the production canminifigure start! You can see s as good as the last! In the factory, the quality theseishere in the exhibition. ©Disney/Pixar

©2023 The LEGO Group

©Disney/Pixar

©2023 The LEGO Group

continue, to make sure every minifigure is as good as

The LEGO® Disney Element Design Team

The staff behind the latest Disney Collectible Minifigures is presented here, with the minifigures they worked on.

Production time!

When all opinions are gathered and the necessary tweaks are made, the minifigure is finally ready for production. A molded prototype will be sent to be reviewed by the team, and when it is approved, the production can start! You can see some of these here in the exhibition. In the factory, the quality test will continue, to make sure every minifigure is as good as the last!

Gitte Thorsen

Claudia Aybar

Ruth Kelly

Claudia Aybar

Ruth Kelly

Gitte Thorsen

Miriam Toril

Claudia Aybar

Ruth Kelly

Gitte Thorsen

Miriam Toril

Marie-Louise Japhetson

Ann Chen

Simon Wilson

Mani Zamani

Marie-Louise Japhetson

Ann Chen

Simon Wilson

Mani Zamani

Marie-Louise Japhetson

Ann Chen

Simon Wilson

Mani Zamani

Esa Nousiainen

Léa Milson

Laura Nipgard Textile Designer

Niken Hartomo Graphic Designer

34Esa Nousiainen

Léa Milson

Laura Nipgard Textile Designer

Niken Hartomo Graphic Designer

Esa Nousiainen

Léa Milson

Laura Nipgard Textile Designer

Niken Hartomo Graphic Designer

Miriam Toril

©2023 The LE

Cruella Ed Vil’s wig and Patch figure prototypes.

Pinocchio’s design prototypes.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’s head sculpts.

LEGO House Gallery: LEGO Disney Minifigures

Miguel Rivera from Coco with his guitar.

35

Pocahontas with wig prototypes.

A line-up of head sculpts used for making Stitch’s minifigure.

36

Building

Robert8:

Mad About Minifigs!

Chatting with a Custom CMF Concept Creator Article by Isaiah Durand of BrickNerd Art by Robert8

Roberto’s first collection of designs (Series A) as rendered on a bag.

I still remember the excitement (both among my siblings and in the community!) when LEGO’s Collectable Minifigure Series (CMF) first came out 2010—but even now, fourteen years and almost forty series later, there’s still tons of potential and unexplored possibilities.

I had the opportunity of chatting with Robert8, one of the first and best fan artists at straightforward, brilliant, and thorough minifigure concept art, and definitely a legend when it comes to custom Collectable Minifigure series.

Scroll on down to find out why!

Isaiah Durand: Thanks for chatting with BrickNerd about your custom CMF concepts!

Roberto: Hi everyone. My name is Roberto, but I call myself Robert8.

What inspired you to start making your own minifigure series in the first place? What was it about the CMF series that inspired you beyond other sets and themes?

Roberto’s later designs—Series U.

Back in the day, lots of people used to post their wishlist for the next regular CMF series, and so did I. It was around late 2015–early 2016 that I decided to draw them instead of just posting the list of names. At first, I was only doing it for myself, like a hobby. But then I wondered what people would think of them, and I just went ahead and posted them. And I’m glad I did because I got lots of positive feedback, which encouraged me to keep going.

Around that time I had a wishlist of 500-plus characters. I couldn’t just post random characters here and there, so I went with the idea of making waves of 16 minifigures as LEGO would do. I made the first one and named it SERIES ALPHA, but a short time later I changed it to SERIES A.

37

Has it gotten easier as you go along? Harder? Do you ever run low on ideas, or are there just more always coming and coming?

The Series U line-up.

Easier. A lot easier actually. At the beginning, I had to draw everything from zero, but as time went by, I not only became faster at drawing, but also I’ve gathered a pretty decent library of accessories and pieces. So, now I only have to copy/paste them from a different file instead of drawing them. Even after creating 30 series, I’ll still have a wishlist of around 100 characters left, as I ran out of spots to include them. So, as you can see, there was never a shortage of ideas.

Your drawings/concept art are so beautiful, real, and LEGO-like. How did you start, and how did you arrive at where you started your CMF series?

Thanks for the compliments. Back in the day, I don’t remember a lot of people doing this. Ashnflash started shortly after me and then it blew up from there. Nowadays there are countless Instagram accounts that post CMF Rabbit follower.

The Series H line-up.

The Series K line-up.

Gate guard.

Pirate queen.

A minifig advent calendar line-up.

38

Shepardess.

Storyteller.

drafts. At this point, I’m left behind because I refused to change my style, even though some people have offered to teach me how to render my characters to make them look like real 3-D pieces with a more realistic effect. I preferred to end with the same style I started, so all my characters would look the same.

Stewardess.

Folk dancer.

Dino girl.

What was the initial motivation for your series? There are so many minifigures that many LEGO fans would want!

One of the reasons I started posting them was LEGO shifting to licensed series with The Simpsons and such. I just wanted to show how many ideas were left for regular series.

You’ve also designed just over 500 new parts (some of which have since become or very nearly exactly become new LEGO elements, like the turtle, violin, lute, and so on)! I only wish all of your element ideas had become a reality! Can you tell us a little about the thought and design processes that go into those?

That’s an interesting question. I honestly try to imagine how the piece would look as an actual LEGO piece. Some pieces are easier because they are really close to the real thing, like the crook the Series F Egyptian Empress is holding. Or even the lute the Minstrel had in the same series.

Taekwondo fighter.

Some certainly seem easier than others…

There are some really tricky ones... things like feathers or such are always hard to reproduce as a solid piece. So I try to look on the Internet for references, like maybe a statue or a fridge magnet depicting the same object I’m

Dog party girl.

A few of the hundreds of parts Roberto has designed for his minifigures.

Centaur.

Bell ringer.

trying to draw. That’s how I drew the Shar-Pei dog mold from Series S: I found a picture of a Shar-Pei dog figurine and traced over it. Then I LEGO-fied it. It took me several hours to make it look right (at least in my eyes).

Which is your favorite of all those?

Pieces or minifigures? My favorite original piece might be the hunchback torso from the Series S Bell Ringer—but also the belly I made for the Series Q Expecting Mom. Those two are great pieces I think LEGO could actually produce at some point. My favorite hairpiece might be the Series R Centaur. Accessory-wise, I’d say the Series J Cerberus that came with the Underworld King.

There are a few of your minifigs that have almost exactly come out in the official LEGO CMF series (like the giraffe suit guy, piñata boy, minstrel, and so on). What is your take on that?

Expectant mom.

Underworld king.

I’m sure it’s a coincidence 100%. LEGO is the biggest toymaker in the world. I really doubt they would waste their time looking at my doodles. It’s just fanart. And also, none of them really looked like my own, except the Giraffe costume, but that’s how giraffes look, so it’s only natural they look alike.

It’s incredibly hard to have a single favorite out of so many amazing minifigures, but if you could have one of the minifigs you’ve designed turned into an official LEGO minifigure you could hold in your hand, which would it be and why?

About having a favorite minifigure: I honestly can’t. There are several I really love and I’m proud of. It’s really hard to bring myself to pick one. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm... I guess I’ll go with the Series Ñ Valkyrie.

Roberto’s Giraffe suit guy...

40

...and the official LEGO Giraffe suit guy.

Why is F your favorite of your CMF series so far? Which is your favorite official LEGO CMF and CMF series?

Roberto’s minifigure checklist for Series F.

I think Series F has everything a real CMF series needs to have: colorful interesting characters, unique collectible designs, things LEGO hasn’t made before like a ’40s-style black-and-white cartoon (although they eventually made the Disney ones, but this was before). There is not a single minifigure I’d call a filler in that series. It’s pretty similar to Series 6 in that regard. That’s why Series 6 is my favorite of the real CMFs. It’s the quintessential CMF series.

You’re almost finished with all the letters of the alphabet with your CMF series! What comes next? Any plans?

Nothing! Series Z is the end. I don’t really see myself making more of these. But never say never: I might try my hand with some licensed series here and there, but I really doubt it.

How can we get you into the LEGO CMF design team?!

There is no way. I’m not a professional graphic designer and I really doubt they’d hire an amateur. Also, there are lots of people who are a lot better than me and actually have a degree in graphic design. I have a couple of names I’d really like to see getting a job there. I’m sure they’d be great at it, and I’d be the first one to buy whatever they come up with!

Well, thanks for sharing a bit about your amazing drawings and minifigure series. I’m honestly blown away every time I start scrolling through your work. It’s so hard to stop scrolling!

The checklist for LEGO CMF Series 6.

Thanks for the interview. I wish I had more interesting things to say, but it just happens that I’m pretty dull.

Not at all, thanks for your time! I’m really excited to get the chance to share your minifigures with our readers.

Looking forward to your final series!

Roberto’s art for Series Y.

And speaking of the final series, Roberto was kind enough to share an exclusive preview of his upcoming and last CMF series with us: the Cecelia!

Editor’s Note: Since the publication of this article online, Roberto has since completed his CMF series and has gone on to designing minifigures from Batman: the Animated Series.

The Cecelia!

You can see Roberto’s work on his Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/140964690@ N06/ or you can this QR code!

41

Builder Room Parts List

(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty Part Color Description

Builder’s Studio

Design by the BrickNerd Team To celebrate the minifigure, we decided to make a studio for all their building needs. Who doesn’t need a sleek building desk for their LEGO hobby? The studio has drawers full of colorful pieces, a stack of baseplates on the floor, a nifty angled lamp, and even some awesome gear on the walls for decoration.

Some of those decorations include a Classic Space tile from the Galaxy Explorer and a LEGO logo brick from the 1970s! You can, of course, customize your studio habitat with whatever you like. Imagine a studio with the shield of your favorite Castle faction or the dark red LEGO tile from the Pick-up Truck hanging on the wall. You can customize it to your heart’s content.

One last fun build is the red rolling chair. The plump cushion is made with an inverted boat stud, and the back of the chair is made from an old-school rigid minifigure cape that hasn’t been produced in red since 1998.

All that’s left to complete the builder’s studio is to add yourself as a minifigure!

42

1

87079p50.dat Blue

2

87580.dat

Blue

1 2

11253.dat 33909.dat

Black Black

4

85861.dat

Black

1 1 1 1 1 1 2

3024.dat 3068b.dat 3024.dat 3024.dat 3024.dat 3024.dat 33909.dat

Dk Turquoise Green Bright Green Lime Bright Lt Yellow Yellow Tan

1 4 2

87079.dat 87552.dat 20482.dat

Tan Tan Dark Tan

1 1 1 6 4 5 9 2

3024.dat 35700.dat 3024.dat 2431.dat 3023.dat 3069b.dat 3070b.dat 15573.dat

Bright Lt Orange Bright Lt Orange Orange Med. Nougat Med. Nougat Med. Nougat Med. Nougat Med. Nougat

1 1 1

41539.dat 2654a.dat 3004pt5.dat

Med. Nougat Red Red

3 1 1

3024.dat 4524.dat 18674.dat

Red Red Red

8 1 3 3 2 1 1

3070b.dat 3004.dat 3008.dat 3010.dat 3460.dat 4162.dat 11211.dat

Trans Clear White White White White White White

2

22885.dat

White

2

20482.dat

Dk Bluish Grey

1

68888.dat

Dk Bluish Grey

1

93061.dat

Dk Bluish Grey

Tile 2 x 4 with Classic Space Logo Pattern Plate 2 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud Minifig Roller Skate Plate 2 x 2 with 2 Studs on One Edge Plate 1 x 1 Round with Open Stud Plate 1 x 1 Tile 2 x 2 with Groove Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 Plate 2 x 2 with 2 Studs on One Edge Tile 2 x 4 with Groove Panel 1 x 2 x 2 Reinforced Tile 1 x 1 Round with Pin and Pin Hole Plate 1 x 1 Container 2 x 2 x 1 Crate Plate 1 x 1 Tile 1 x 4 with Groove Plate 1 x 2 Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Plate 8 x 8 Dish 2 x 2 with Rim Brick 1 x 2 with LEGO Logo with Closed “O” Pattern Plate 1 x 1 Minifig Cape Plate 2 x 2 Round with 1 Centre Stud Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Brick 1 x 2 Brick 1 x 8 Brick 1 x 4 Plate 1 x 8 Tile 1 x 8 Brick 1 x 2 with Two Studs on One Side Brick 1 x 2 x 1.667 with Studs on 1 Side Tile 1 x 1 Round with Pin and Pin Hole Bar 1L Quadruple with 1L Axlehole Hub Arm Skeleton with Vertical Clip Bent 53.13

43

44

You can go to the BrickNerd website by typing: https://bricknerd.com/ on your browser or by scanning this QR code!

Advertise In FULL-COLOR Ad Rates: Color Back Cover (8.375" x 10.875", full color): $1200 Inside Front Cover (7.5" x 10", full-color): $1000 Inside Back Cover (7.5" x 10", full-color): $1000 Full Page interior (7.5" x 10", full-color): $800 Half Page interior (7.5" x 4.875", full-color): $500 Quarter Page interior (3.625" x 4.875", full-color): $300

These rates are for ads supplied digitally (PDF, JPEG, TIF, EPS, or Quark/InDesign files accepted). No agency discounts apply.

We accept check, money order, and all major credit cards; include card number and expiration date.

Send ad copy and payment (US funds) to: TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Dr. • Raleigh, NC 27614 919-449-0344 • fax 919-449-0327 • E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com

46

47

Building Minifigure Customization 101:

Article and Photography by Jared K. Burks

This BrickJournal article has been written to address the deficit in the LEGO-verse where Alice in Wonderland, a.k.a.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” are concerned. LEGO has seen fit to create the following characters in Minifigure form: Alice, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts.

This deficit is no longer tolerable; several of the most beloved characters in the book and animated Disney Classic are just absent. This will stand no more. It is the intention of this author to rectify this issue in a series of articles for BrickJournal to create and share “how to create” the key missing characters, including the Hatter, the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, the brothers Tweedle, the King of Hearts, the March Hare, and the Dormouse. I encourage all readers to watch the animated Disney Classic “Alice in Wonderland,” which is available on Disney+. As with all literary works, I am behind schedule, so without further ado, let’s begin this journey.

I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!

No time to say hello, goodbye! I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!

I believe the chapter title will proclaim the figure we are constructing today; however, for those unfamiliar with the work, please revisit the animated classic. I am using the 1951 animated film as inspiration for these additional figures, as it is from this source that LEGO has released the three characters it has sought to create (Alice, Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts). The White Rabbit has two major outfits throughout the film, and he is clearly described by Alice in the original book, which is nearly identically transcribed into the film.

Oh, Dinah! It’s just a rabbit with a waistcoat… and a watch!

The White Rabbit hurries by Alice and her kitten Dinah on his way to wherever he is going. In order to create the White Rabbit, we need a list of parts that we can use from LEGO, and those which we will need to create.

Alice’s first encounter with the White Rabbit.

48 48

so Bright light orange tor s arm d Re White hands Black umbrella m ht Lig bluish grey mediu legs (teen) s Red torso and red arm gle Bu

Cloth co Colla at r B Whit ow tie eR Pock et Wa abbit Hea d tch w ith C h R ain uff Whit e Clo th T with red H abard eart

The point of any series is to reuse elements to help tie the series together. For this one, the collar, bow tie, and waistcoat will be reused on multiple figures. This will make them appear from the same genre, and also make it easier to create so many custom figures.

I could merely throw the white tabard over the completed figure, but the collar and ruff have to change between version 1 of the White Rabbit and version 2, so I am making them as separate figures. Version 1 is from the beginning of the film where he is in his waistcoat, and Version 2 we first see in his house that Alice accidentally destroys as she grows large and then small.

Looking at our LEGO parts, these are fairly easy to gather together. There is quite a bit of design work to be done for the custom parts. We need a White Rabbit Head, Bow tie, Collar, Pocket Watch with chain, and Ruff (could have used the LEGO version, but it is fairly rare, and painting rubbery parts can be challenging). There are also two cloth elements that needed to be designed, the waistcoat and the white tabard with the red heart.

Inspiration art for the White Rabbit.

I designed some of these, and others I found sources for on Thangs.com and modified them for my needs. For example, an easy alteration to a LEGO part would be the LEGO Bugle which came with a clown. It has an air bulb honker at the end and we want this to look more like a Calvary bugle, so cutting the bulb in half will remedy this issue easily, and then a touch of paint will finalize the look.

When wanting to make something for a LEGO figure, you can design it from the ground up, modify a LEGO part, or find something on Thangs or Thingiverse to see what is available. For this article, I have used things I have found online and also designed from the ground-up. For the White Rabbit, there is a lovely head online available that “Reddadsteve” (https://www.thingiverse.com/reddadsteve/designs) has shared on Thingiverse. Specifically, the White Rabbit can be found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3043322. Reddadsteve has designed as a complete figure, and not for LEGO. This required some fairly major adjustments to the head to make it fit a LEGO torso, but also to give it correct dimensions to be in the proper scale. I use Meshmixer for these alterations, as I can cut and add things to the head to make it fit a touch better.

As I iterated the design, I had to extend the neck to allow the ruff and collar to fit on the head properly. I also had to modify the glasses and some of the other smaller details.

Working on the 3-D sculpt in Meshmixer.

The finished 3-D print.

49 49

Working on the ruff in Meshmixer.

The next element is the ruff, the fluffy collar that LEGO originally used with the CMS Shakespeare figure. This LEGO element is a rubbery part that would be quite challenging to paint; because of the rubbery texture, getting paint to adhere would be challenging. Therefore, the part was easier to 3-D print in the correct color; the only trick is how to get something that resembles the LEGO version. Luckily, Liam Moher (https://www.thingiverse. com/ferragus/designs) has created a series of Ruffs for 28mm scale miniatures (https://www.thingiverse.com/ thing:4892832). The fancy ruff is nearly perfect and only needs a few modifications to fit on the White Rabbit’s head, which were easily managed in Meshmixer. I actually made two versions: one for a regular LEGO head and one for the White Rabbit.

The 3-D print on a minifigure.

Finally, the Bow Tie—which I again could have used the LEGO version, but the colors were wrong and I needed/ wanted the bow tie to interact with the waistcoat. This meant that the bow tie needed to hang a touch lower on the torso to help hold the top of the waistcoat. So I heavily modified another one of Reddadsteve’s parts to create this, and attached it to a neck ring that again would work with the Collar I created from scratch; so a bit of extensive modifications again.

Working on the bow tie.

50 50

Bow tie prints!

The Collar was a bit challenging. I initially tested downloading the cloth 3-D file from LeoCAD and printing it.

The issue is, the plastic version of the cloth part interfered with multiple head pieces. This meant that I had to design this part from the ground-up. I did this in Fusion360. This allowed for a very custom collar that rounds out around the head to have the clearance needed for multiple characters.

Working on the collar.

Collar prints.

The final accessory that needs to be created is the famous pocket watch. This required some special details, as I felt the need to make the watch have the ability to have movable hands. So I had to create the basic watch with a chain with two movable hands. The issue is the scale, as these are very tiny parts. In order to do this, I had to make a very large base with a vertically thick hand, but giving the appearance of something thinner.

Working on the pocket watch.

A print with the numbers imprinted into the watch face...

...and a print with the numbers printed in relief.

Finally, there are various test prints in many different colors, including a metallic resin for the pocket watch.

In order to demonstrate the power of color and how we have to test print and test colors, we can look at the orange needed for the March Hare. Testing the colors can also affect how the resins print and fit. So printing multiple versions in multiple colors helps work out the details and how they work for the figures.

Test prints.

51

Heads mounted for painting.

Paint on wet palette.

Paint on rabbit head.

The Pocket Watch was the next hurdle, and I tried a few options as I designed it from lower numbers versus raised numbers. The lower numbers were much harder to paint and yielded a cluttered result. The raised numbers were easy to “color” using the same chemically resistant black Sharpie trick described above. Again, this took a bit to accept, and sometimes we get in our own way. The next bit was either painting the face white or background gold.

This is a double-edged bit, but you have to paint the face or the background first, and then use the Sharpie second to color the numbers. The hands are also easy to color the same ways as the raised numbers.

52

Designs for the waistcoat and tabard.

I have been studying YouTube videos on miniature painters to learn how to better paint smaller details on the custom elements I create. The White Rabbit head required a priming and then painting multiple details. I have learned that using a wet palette helps keep the paint properly diluted in water, as I am using acrylics, but this also keeps the paints from drying out and lets the paint flow from the brush in a better application. You merely add small amounts of paint to the wet palette, which is basically a sponge with a layer between. This allows the paint to flow from the brush and apply to the properly primed head.

The next step I learned from watching so many videos is how to layer the paint to gain the best control possible. For the White Rabbit head, I painted the blue eye glasses, pink eyes, and purple nose. After painting these bases, I could add the lighter blue to the glasses and the pupils to the eyes. The mouth was a similar area with the tongue. This leads me to the eyebrow, which is raised on the head. This raised portion makes it challenging to accurately paint with a normal paint brush, but I have found a cheat. A chemically resistant black Sharpie works well and is easy to use to color the brows. This took me a touch to come to agreement to use, as I kept trying alternatives instead of accepting the easy solution. The other trick I used was a spare LEGO head to hold the White Rabbit head while painting these details.

Painting tests on the pocket watch.

The final elements that are instrumental that need to be created are the waistcoat and the hearts tabard. Luckily, these days custom cloth is a bit easier to create. Many have gone to using inkjet printers and a Silhouette or Cricut to cut out the cloth elements. I have done a variance and went a bit old school in how I created the cloth. Cloth frays, and you must add something to the cloth to keep it from fraying. I used paint to color the cloth and to prevent it from fraying. I applied the paint with a foam brush on the white broadcloth while the cloth was resting on a glazed tile. The paint won’t stick to the tile that is glazed, and after getting a good coat, it is merely about letting the cloth dry by hanging it vertically. Once the cloth has been painted and is able to be cut, then I use a Silhouette with a

design that I iterated through many test versions to get the correct fit. I merely had to export these as a .png file and load them into the Silhouette software and cut away.

Removing the waitcoat from a cutter sheet.

The tabard was a bit easier to create, as I had a very accurate size. The heart was a tiny bit, and cutting it was a bit challenging. This was a similar process to the waistcoat.

It was merely scaling the tabard and heart to cut them out using the Silhouette. Once I had them cut out, I had to use Super 77 spray adhesive on the hearts. I then used tweezers to place the hearts on the tabard in the correct location.

CHAPTER 5 The White Rabbit

53 53

“I’m late!”

*Cheshire Cat designed by iBrickHeadz and color and part modified by Jared K. Burks.

Looking through the rabbit hole.

*Rabbit Hole and Hedge Arc designed by Joseph Meno.

Come back next issue for more Minifigure Customization!

You can go to Jared’s webpage by going to http://www.fine clonier.com/ or scanning this QR code!

And don’t miss Jared’s two books (available now at twomorrows.com).

54 54

On sale: $5 each!

The Best in POP Culture!

ZOWIE!

THE TV SUPERHERO CRAZE IN ’60s POP CULTURE

by MARK VOGER

HOLY PHENOMENON! In the way-out year of 1966, the action comedy “Batman” starring ADAM WEST premiered and triggered a tsunami of super swag, including toys, games, Halloween costumes, puppets, action figures, and lunch boxes.

Meanwhile, still more costumed avengers sprang forth on TV (“The Green Hornet,” “Ultraman”), in MOVIES (“The Wild World of Batwoman,” “Rat Pfink and Boo Boo”), and in ANIMATION (“Space Ghost,” “The Marvel Super Heroes”).

ZOWIE! traces the history of the superhero genre from early films, through the 1960s TV superhero craze, and its pop culture influence ever since. This 192-page hardcover, in pop art colors that conjure the period, spotlights the coolest collectibles and kookiest knockoffs every ’60s kid begged their parents for, and features interviews with the TV stars (WEST, BURT WARD, YVONNE CRAIG, FRANK GORSHIN, BURGESS MEREDITH, CESAR ROMERO, JULIE NEWMAR, VAN WILLIAMS), the artists behind the comics (JERRY ROBINSON, DICK SPRANG, CARMINE INFANTINO, JOE GIELLA), and others. Written and designed by MARK VOGER (MONSTER MASH, HOLLY JOLLY), ZOWIE! is one super read!

(192-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $43.95 (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-125-7 SHIPS JULY 2024!

CLIFFHANGER!

All characters TM & © their respective owners.

CINEMATIC SUPERHEROES OF THE SERIALS: 1941–1952 by CHRISTOPHER IRVING Hold on tight as historian CHRISTOPHER IRVING explores the origins of the first on-screen superheroes and the comic creators and film-makers who brought them to life. CLIFFHANGER! touches on the early days of the film serial, to its explosion as a juvenile medium of the 1930s and ‘40s. See how the creation of characters like SUPERMAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, SPY SMASHER, and CAPTAIN MARVEL dovetailed with the early film adaptations. Along the way, you’ll meet the stuntmen, directors (SPENCER BENNETT, WILLIAM WITNEY, producer SAM KATZMAN), comic book creators (SIEGEL & SHUSTER, SIMON & KIRBY, BOB KANE, C.C. BECK, FRANK FRAZETTA, WILL EISNER), and actors (BUSTER CRABBE, GEORGE REEVES, LORNA GRAY, KANE RICHMOND, KIRK ALYN, DAVE O’BRIEN) who brought them to the silver screen—and how that resonates with today’s cinematic superhero universe. NOW SHIPPING! (160-page COLOR HARDCOVER) $39.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-119-6

COMIC BOOK IMPLOSION (EXPANDED EDITION) by KEITH DALLAS & JOHN WELLS

NOW IN FULL-COLOR WITH BONUS PAGES! In 1978, DC Comics launched a line-wide expansion known as “The DC Explosion,” but pulled the plug weeks later, cancelling titles and leaving dozens of completed comic book stories unpublished. Now, that notorious “DC Implosion” is examined with an exhaustive oral history from JENETTE KAHN, PAUL LEVITZ, LEN WEIN, MIKE GOLD, AL MILGROM, and other DC creators of the time, plus commentary by other top pros, examining how it changed the landscape of comics forever! This new EXPANDED EDITION of the Eisner Award-nominated book explodes in full cover for the first time, with extra coverage of LOST 1970S DC PROJECTS like Ninja the Invisible and an adaptation of “The Wiz,” Jim Starlin’s unaltered cover art for BATMAN FAMILY #21, content meant for cancelled Marvel titles such as Godzilla and Ms. Marvel, and more! SHIPS MAY 2024!

(144-page FULL-COLOR SOFTCOVER) $26.95 • (Digital Edition) $10.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-124-0

IT ROSE FROM THE TOMB An all-new book written by PETER NORMANTON

Rising from the depths of history comes an ALL-NEW examination of the 20th Century’s best horror comics, written by PETER NORMANTON (editor of From The Tomb, the UK’s preeminent magazine on the genre). From the pulps and seminal horror comics of the 1940s, through ones they tried to ban in the 1950s, this tome explores how the genre survived the introduction of the Comics Code, before making its terrifying return during the 1960s and 1970s. Come face-to-face with the early days of ACG’s alarming line, every horror comic from June 1953, hypodermic horrors, DC’s Gothic romance comics, Marvel’s Giant-Size terrors, Skywald and Warren’s chillers, and Atlas Seaboard’s shocking magazines. The 192-page fullcolor opus exhumes BERNIE WRIGHTSON’s darkest constructs, plus artwork by FRANK FRAZETTA, NEAL ADAMS, MIKE KALUTA, STEVE DITKO, MATT FOX, WARREN KREMER, LEE ELIAS, BILL EVERETT, RUSS HEATH, THE GURCH, and many more. Don’t turn your back on this once-in-a-lifetime spine-chiller—it’s so good, it’s frightening!

(192-page SOFTCOVER) $31.95 • (Digital Edition) $15.99 • ISBN: 978-1-60549-123-3 • NOW SHIPPING!

TwoMorrows.

The Future of Pop History.

Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com

TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

You Can Build It MINI Build MINI Iron Talon

Design and Instructions

by Christopher Deck Hello everybody, and welcome back to our ongoing Mini Model building series. Today I would like to continue the storyline of last time’s building session, where we built the Crimson Firehawk from the brand new animated Star Wars series Young Jedi Adventures.

A recurring starship from the opposite side is the Iron Talon, a freighter-sized pirate transport ship. There is not much background information available yet; however, it looks like a fast and maneuverable vessel with a unique hull painting. Here we use the new half round plate and tile (part number 1745 and 1748) for the first time in a mini model! And the tile even comes in transparent color, making it a part to remember for upcoming mini model cockpit designs. So, if you’re a fan of the series or have kids who watch it, you definitely should give this vessel a try. Have fun, and see you next time!

Parts List (Parts can be ordered from Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)

Iron Talon’s Main Body Qty Color 2 Black 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 1 2 2

Part 30374.dat 47905.dat

Lt-Bluish-Gray 52107.dat Lt-Bluish-Gray 4589.dat Dark-Bluish-Gray 30162.dat

56

Description Bar 4L Lightsaber Blade Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on Two Opposite Sides Brick 1 x 2 with Studs on Sides Cone 1 x 1 Minifig Binoculars with Round Eyepiece

Qty Color 3 Lt-Bluish-Gray 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray

Part 3024.dat 78257.dat

2 1

Lt-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray

3023.dat 1745.dat

2

Light-Bluish-Gray 63868.dat

1

Light-Bluish-Gray 15573.dat

2 2

Dk-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray

11458.dat 18677.dat

1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1

Lt-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray Dk-Bluish-Gray Lt-Bluish-Gray Dk-Bluish-Gray Dark-Red Lt-Bluish-Gray Dk-Bluish-Gray

3623.dat 34103.dat 3710.dat 11212.dat 61409.dat 85984.dat 11477.dat 29120.dat

1

Dk-Bluish-Gray

29119.dat

2 2 1 1 2 2 1

Lt-Bluish-Gray 3713.dat Black 2780.dat Black 3070b.dat Lt-Bluish-Gray 3070b.dat Dark-Red 3070b.dat Dk-Bluish-Gray 2412b.dat Trans-White 1748.dat

Right Wing

Qty Color Part 1 Dark-Red 54200.dat 1 Yellow 3070b.dat 1 Dark-Red 3070b.dat 1 Yellow 3069b.dat 1 Dk-Bluish-Gray 11203.dat 2 Dk-Bluish-Gray 24299.dat 2 Yellow 24299.dat 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 43722.dat 1 Yellow 43722.dat 1 Li-Bluish-Gray 54384.dat 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 54383.dat

Left Wing

Qty Color 1 Dark-Red 1 Yellow 1 Dark-Red 1 Yellow 1 Dk-Bluish-Gray 2 Dk-Bluish-Gray 2 Yellow 1 Dk-Bluish-Gray 1 Yellow 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray 1 Lt-Bluish-Gray

Part 54200.dat 3070b.dat 3070b.dat 3069b.dat 11203.dat 24307.dat 24307.dat 43723.dat 43723.dat 54384.dat 54383.dat

Description Plate 1 x 1 Plate 1 x 1 with Handles on Opposite Ends Plate 1 x 2 Plate 1 x 2 Half Round with 1 Centre Stud Plate 1 x 2 with Clip Horizontal on End (Thick C-Clip) Plate 1 x 2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud, without Understud Plate 1 x 2 with Offset Peghole Plate 1 x 2 with Offset Peghole on Underside Plate 1 x 3 Plate 1 x 3 with 2 Studs Offset Plate 1 x 4 Plate 3 x 3 Slope Brick 18 2 x 1 x 0.667 Grille Slope Brick 31 1 x 2 x 0.667 Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Cutout Left Slope Brick Curved 2 x 1 with Cutout Right Technic Bush with Two Flanges Technic Pin with Friction and Slots Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 Grille with Groove Tile 1 x 2 Half Round Description Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667 Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 2 x 2 Inverted Wing 2 x 2 Left Wing 2 x 2 Left Wing 2 x 3 Right Wing 2 x 3 Right Wing 3 x 6 Left Wing 3 x 6 Right

Description Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 0.667 Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 1 with Groove Tile 1 x 2 with Groove Tile 2 x 2 Inverted Wing 2 x 2 Right Wing 2 x 2 Right Wing 2 x 3 Left Wing 2 x 3 Left Wing 3 x 6 Left Wing 3 x 6 Right

57

58

59

Community

Brick Convention, an event founded by Greyson J. Riley, is like none other. Filled with interactive, creative, and educational activities for the whole family, there’s something for everyone to see. And then there is so much more, as there are vendors selling anything and everything LEGO, professional LEGO artists to meet and gain inspiration from, and building zones with thousands of LEGO bricks to build with. I’m one of the artists, and this is my story!

Preview

AC Pin:

Touring with Brick Convention 2023!

Article and Photography by AC Pin

The year 2019 was quite a breakthrough in the brick conventions where I and my wife Marleth have been able to exhibit MOCs (My Own Creations). In addition to the usual events we’ve done on the East Coast, we went to Manama Bahrain, LEGO House, Skaerbaek Denmark, and the Philippines prior to the pandemic, which ground everything to a halt. As the year 2022 approached, the convention circuit restarted, and we’ve been able to do several events in Marlborough MA, Edison NJ, Landover MD, and Oaks PA. With the year 2023 looming, negotiations to exhibit outside the tri-state area from different sources were in progress in the third quarter. Finally, we decided in mid-December to go on the Brick Convention 2023 tour.

MOCs Brick Convention was an opportunity to exhibit MOCs at new locations, and gain a wider audience that has never seen or heard of ACPin. The choice was clear to bring out the very best of my iconic builds that have been the hallmarks/trademarks that are familiar to those who’ve followed my LEGO creations over the years.

LEGO House Baker’s Dozen

60

These thirteen MOCs have all been displayed at The Home Of The Brick at various times from September 2017 until September 2022. There were no Botanical sets prior to the grand opening of the LEGO House in 2017. In addition to that, there weren’t any Botanical creations in brick conventions during the same time span. These MOCs represent the breakthrough in Botanical creations before anyone else built in the theme.

LEGO Star Wars My most iconic Star Wars MOCs over the years have been featured in various blogs/magazines/books. Before LEGO House came calling in 2017, these LEGO Star Wars creations put me on the map amongst AFOLs early on.

BrickJournal Spring Blossoms BrickJournal’s cover featured my flowers in a well-timed issue hitting the newsstands at the start of the tour in Orlando. All of the Botanical MOCs featured in the magazine were prepared, and a few more creations added to complete the trifecta.

Preparation Since all the MOCs would travel from event to event with the rest of the exhibits while we fly to each location, I’ve had to rethink the packing system to be able to support the tour. Every MOC had to be accounted for, and time is of the essence to locate each creation when setting up, which is just as important when packing up during the breakdown.

The repacking of the MOCs to fit four large crates took about a month to accomplish, and the crates were then sent to the Brick Convention home base in North Carolina.

All the crates with the individual MOCs in their appropriate boxes will then travel to the Brick Convention events.

Displays and layouts packed for travel.

61

Tour Stops: There were fourteen locations in thirteen states, from the Midwest to the East coast, starting in Orlando, Florida and ending in Toledo, Ohio: March 18-19: Orlando, Florida April 15-16: Minneapolis, Minnesota April 22-23: Memphis, Tennessee May 19-21: Providence, Rhode Island July 15-16: Louisville, Kentucky July 22-23: Cleveland, Ohio July 29-30: St. Louis, Missouri August 18-20: Springfield, Massachusetts August 25-27: Greenville, South Carolina September 9-10: Mobile, Alabama September 15-17: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma September 30-October 1: Wichita, Kansas October 21-22: Columbus, Georgia October 28-29: Toledo, Ohio

Tour Schedule Though it sounds glamorous at first, there’s a lot going on to make it happen. Throughout the tour events, my wife Marleth and I have to get everything ready for every location. We’ve had a lot of experience in previous years on the convention circuit from start to finish. For the 2023 events, she suggested a different layout for all the Botanical MOCs to make them more eye-pleasing and presentable. Thus, Orlando was the primary test ground to see if everything that we’ve planned would work. Anxious to find out if everything travelled well during the transport and after unpacking/set-up, all our fears disappeared. From thence onward, we knew that we’ll be all right throughout the tour.

Event badges.

AC and Marleth taking in some sightseeing.

Each venue had a different layout, depending upon the available space requirements, which required us to adapt and be flexible in how best we can present the MOCs. The crowd flow was crucial to our layout, as we wanted to have a continuous experience for all attendees, though it was still a challenge during the sold-out sessions—but everyone was patient and there were no major issues involved.

Getting prepared for each event involves flying from our home state to the new location, living out of suitcases in hotels, shuttling to/from the airports and event locations, setting up the MOCs, public show days, TV spot interviews, meeting fans, breakdowns/packing up the MOCs, back to the hotel, and eventually flying back home. And then repeating the same process for the next event.

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

Travel day to event location Set-up day with 8-10 hrs allotted times Two public sessions (or more) Two public sessions and breakdown between 3-5 hrs allotted times Free day for sightseeing local attractions Travel day back to home location

Setting up at an event.

News Interviews Most locations had the local news media covering the events, varying in depth of reporting from live streaming to typical editing for later airtime. The only issue that has constantly plagued us was the timing when the reporters came in early, as we’re just starting to set up the MOCs. Fortunately, when we’re aware that there’s news coverage, I’d usually set-up the Theed Hangar first and the other Star Wars MOCs afterwards. Sometimes they had us recorded while the builds were still in progress, and the news coverage was made available in their own websites, YouTube, and social media after the airtimes. It’s often mentioned by the attendees that they’ve seen the news coverage, and they have been paying close attention, as they’ve repeated what I’ve said during the interviews.

FOX35 News Good Day Orlando 12 News Rhode Island WHAS11 Louisville ABC5 Cleveland FOX2 News St Louis Western Mass News ABC40 22 News Mass FOX Access Carolina Greenville News FOX25 News Oklahoma WTVM ABC9 Columbus WTVG 13ABC News Toledo

On the news!

Meets And Greets Everybody gets the opportunity to meet and greet ACPin during the sessions. Photo ops, conversations about the MOCs, and chances to buy limited edition blossoms and BrickJournal magazines featuring the MOCs were done as time permitted. Saturdays are usually sold out and it’s a bit of an issue when lines start getting longer. I’d usually advise attendees to come back and chat during the last hour when they thin out. It was a tremendous response in all locations about our MOCs, especially those who didn’t even know ACPin or My Own Creations. Fans from all ages,

63

demographics, racial and religious backgrounds, and physical/mental abilities came and enjoyed what we had to offer. Young kids were given tips on building smarter with the Five Minute rule on finding that missing brick.

Engaging the crowds at Brick Convention.

Local AFOLs and LUGs have also been integrated into the events whenever possible and event spaces were available.

They’ve brought their MOCs in various themes, and I had the opportunity to talk about them in-between sessions.

Just when you thought you’ve seen it all, there were creations that still stand out, and I’ve handed out my ACPin’s Choice bricks to them.

Long time fans who’ve followed my creations for quite some time introduced themselves, as they’ve finally been able to see them in real bricks. I couldn’t believe that they still remember my older creations, and some even traveled several hours to get the opportunity to meet. Thanks to all for making the time, and hopefully the experience, all worthwhile.

LEGO Masters In Attendance Every event had guests from the LEGO Masters show, and I’ve had the opportunity to discuss brick-related stuff with them. Surprisingly, they had already known about my creations for quite some time, and I gave them a personal tour of my gallery during breaks.

Mel Brown (S1) Nick Della Mora (S3 winner) Patrick Durham (S3) Christine Tacos Blandino (S3) Liz Puleo (S3) Tim Hutchings (S4)

tchings...

AC Pin with Tim Hu

...and Mel Brown...

ft) Patrick Durham (le tion en nv Co ick Br th wi ley. founder Grayson Ri

64

...and L iz Poleo ...

.

Blandino ine Tacos st ri h C ...and

Grayson Riley,

AC Pin , and N ick Dell a.

Like A Rock Star!

Many fans attending the events exclaim once they learn about the tour locations we’ve been to and where we’re about to go. However, I’ve quickly responded to their statements that “Even rock stars have to perform well or nobody will pay to see them!” Hopefully we’ll meet again in future events.

Recap I am so grateful to our hosts Greyson and Gio for making us feel at home throughout these events. As always by my side, Marleth has unconditionally supported all my brick endeavors throughout the years and has contributed immensely to the success of our exhibits on the Brick Convention 2023 tour.

“Build What Inspires You!”

Greyson and Gio.

The Brick Convention crew.

AC Pin and Marleth.

65

the galactic senate chamber 66

Christoph Baumann:

Building the Galactic Senate Chamber Article and Photography

by David Strenzler, Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars

Galactic greetings! We are Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars. As administrators of one of the best LEGO Star Wars-themed groups on Facebook, David Strenzler, Frank Averstegge and Eloi Parizeau witness amazingly creative builds

by Star Wars fans worldwide on a nearly daily basis.

This time, we are more than happy to introduce an extraordinary MOC builder and Bantha Bricks community member from Germany: Christoph Baumann (Brickwolf), 2022 LEGO Masters Germany finalist.

It was our pleasure to speak with Christoph about his latest, and so far biggest, project that he realized together with Tobias Nieder (BrickBob) from The Brick-Collective, Hendrik Bergmann and Philipp Thiel from JB Spielwaren, LEGO Certified Professional René Hoffmeister, Benedikt Ruhe from Brickstory, and the helping hands of the IDS Brickworld community: The Galactic Senate from Star Wars, made of nearly 500,000 LEGO bricks, with an impressive width of 4m and height of 2.6m!

The Galactic Senate.

David Strenzler: Hello Christoph. Welcome to the Bantha Bricks Files! The LEGO Star Wars community has been familiar with your skilled Star Wars-inspired designs for some time. Could you please introduce yourselves and what you do?

Christoph Baumann: I’m Christoph, and I’m 34 years old.

I’ve been back in the LEGO business for about six years. It has recently escalated from being a hobby to my main job.

This has given me the opportunity to realize big visions, such as the Galactic Senate in LEGO.

My colleagues are Tobias, also known from The Brick Collective, who creates digital building instructions and offers an extra alternative when it comes to big LEGO Star Wars models. Benedikt is known for Brickstory, one of the most successful YouTube LEGO channels in Germany. My current employers at JB Spielwaren, Hendrik and Philipp, who are also good friends of mine, basically make it possible to realize such projects at all. The Senate was intended as a special attraction for the 2023 LEGO Star Wars Days at JB Spielwaren.

Would you say that Star Wars is your favorite theme, or are there others that we might not expect?

When it comes to LEGO, of course, my interests fall into many other areas, whether it is medieval castles, pirate landscapes, or something really imaginative that has nothing to do with any franchise at all.

But I have to say, that my childhood was shaped by Star Wars. From 1999 to 2004, I had every LEGO Star Wars set that ever existed. Afterwards, I took 67

Palpatine presides over the Senate from his podium.

a 15-year break before starting to build with bricks again.

As a result, the old LEGO bricks I still have are also very Star Wars-themed, and of course that got me going again, so that’s the main theme I’m building in now.

Why have you chosen the LEGO brick as your medium of self-expression? What makes LEGO so special to you?

Well, one very special thing is that I have a twin brother with whom I spent an incredible amount of time building LEGO during my childhood. When I started building with LEGO again, it was simply the medium that relaxed me and took me back to my childhood, because I could still handle it even after a 15-year break. I quickly realized that as an adult, you can also do other things that you couldn’t do as a child with it, because you simply didn’t have the financial means to back then. For me, it’s also a clean medium with which you can try to create an organic shape from the squared bricks, for example.

Senators in their pods.

Frank Averstegge and I have already personally witnessed your incredibly impressive team effort during the past 2023 LEGO show season. As part of the IDS Brickworld community, I even had the opportunity to add a couple of bricks to this incredible construction myself. We are still blown away by your execution of the Galactic Senate!

But what initially inspired you guys to build that particular Star Wars structure?

68

As already mentioned, the Galactic Senate is a structure that was built for the LEGO Star Wars Days by JB Spielwaren. The basic idea was that we needed to create some-

thing related to Star Wars that visitors could get involved with, like giving them the opportunity to build a single pod at the event and place their own minifigure in it in exchange for our event minifigure. And that’s what makes the whole thing so special, that we can say it’s a community build that not only our own IDS Brickworld community has helped to build. It’s a build that basically everyone in the LEGO community had the opportunity to be a part of.

It was really nice to see how excited people were to say, “I’m part of it, I can put my minifigure in there.”

How did you even think about setting up such a gigantic project? How does one even begin such a process?

With a project like this, you first have to see who is on board and who has what skills. Tobias, for example, is a mechanical engineer and, thanks to digital drawing, he naturally has an incredible amount of experience in implementing ideas digitally as quickly as possible. The first milestone was that we were able to say to ourselves that we could do it. Tobias was an incredible driving force in making the whole thing digitally realizable in the first place.

I myself am a mechanical engineer who has a lot of experience in the field of statics, and would say that I am currently one of the leading designers who can realize certain

A look at the exterior supports of the chamber.

The scale of the layout can be seen here.

69

More senators, including...

shapes of this size in LEGO. And so Hendrik, Tobi, and I formed a kind of task force to, first of all, look at what the thing could cost, how big it could be, what dimensions it would take on, and how many parts it would contain afterwards. We were a very well-rehearsed team, so Hendrik, who is in charge of purchases at JB Spielwaren, was able to give us the opportunity to quickly look at the financial dimensions of the project and the technical challenges that would arise from Tobias’ and my point of view.

Can you tell us a bit about the construction of your build?

Did you use any special techniques?

We first thought about how we could design the model so that it would not only function technically, but also be as cost-effective as possible. We considered building a wooden substructure to which we could attach the front elements of the Senate, which would then form the overall picture. But we quickly decided not to, and to build the entire thing out of LEGO instead, because we are quite the LEGO purists.

The difficulty with different materials, such as wood and ABS plastic, is that they have different linear expansion coefficients. This means that you have to take into account how different materials behave at different temperatures during construction. Materials either expand or contract.

...a Mandolorian.

70

This was also a challenge when working purely with LEGO, as the plastic expands or contracts by up to half a centimeter over a length of just one meter at a temperature difference of 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

That’s enormous, and these are, of course, things that we only noticed afterwards.

Which of the design elements of your Galactic Senate are your favorite?

The most difficult but rewarding element of the basic design was the diverging helix. We have a conical shape that spirals outwards. We thought long and hard about how we could achieve this spiral, which you can also see in the Star Wars films. And that really was the biggest challenge in terms of which angles we should use to widen the height, and to create the transition between the front parts. We played around for a long time, sometimes with 5 or 10 degrees, and so on. We always had to see what the LEGO brick could do, how many degrees we could bridge without using too much tensile strength. Overall, the preparatory work, along with all of the trimmings, took about 1000 hours between the three of us.

Can you tell us a bit more about your process of designing such an incredibly accurate draft of the Galactic Senate and determining how it could be built?

You actually start with the smallest unit, and that is what the visitor is supposed to build on the day of the event: the individual pod. This basically specifies how many minifigures can fit in there and at what scale the whole thing will be built in. The next step is the attachment, meaning how this pod can be fixed onto the back wall. The crucial point was this interplay of moving from the smallest to increasingly bigger units. So, first the individual pod was designed, then the back wall, and then the basic construc-

tion. After determining how many studs were required at the back to achieve the helical structure and how the intermediate levels should be designed, it really became a question of technical construction. That was the actual process of how the whole model grew.

How do you start your MOCs? Do you build the design in a freestyle way, or do you use a computer design program to lay it out first?

Actually, I always draw on the full range of possibilities.

For example, if I go out into nature and decide after seeing a particular tree that I would like to build it, I will get to work with the bricks I have available, while holding the color scheme in mind. So, I’m not someone who will order something specifically for this one tree; instead, I quickly fall back on alternatives. That’s why I’m also very quick when it comes to implementing a design in just a few hours. That was also the case with the pod for the Senate.

I think that I completely finished the pod and sent it to Tobias and Hendrik after two to three hours. The two of them turned my design inside-out by digitizing and optimizing it so that it was not only as stable as possible in the end, but could also be produced in a cost-effective manner.

While making this build, were there any moments when you felt stuck? If so, how did you overcome that obstacle?

I think we were faced with the decision of having to stop or continue building it two or three times. For example, we only realized in the course of the project that, oops, we

Another view of the chamber.

71

Other views of the chamber.

need another 16,000 1x16 Technic bricks. If you know the Bricklink prices for such a Technic part, then you know that it is quickly 8000€ here and 10,000€ ($9000–11,000) there. And then you think, “Do we stop this now, since we haven’t ordered quite as many parts yet, or haven’t built quite as much yet, and tear it down?” But then, there was just this inner drive of “No, we have to do this now, we have already invested so much of our lives into it; it would be devastating if we stopped now.” We supported each other in one situation or another and said, “I can’t go on now, I need a week-long break.” But then, we carried on again.

As experienced builders, what advice do you two have to offer to someone who would like to build a MOC of their own?

To see more amazing builds, cool contests and giveaways and family-friendly discussion about everything Star Wars brick, check out the Bantha Bricks: Fans of LEGO Star Wars Facebook group at: http://www.facebook.com/groups/starwarsLEGOgroup or banthabricks.com or scan the QR code here!

72

I think there are basically four questions that you can ask yourself at the beginning: What do I want to build in the first place, what do I want to realize? How do I want to implement it, for example, by clearly defining the size of the model? When do I want to be finished? And of course, what am I building it for? Am I building it to put it in a display case at home or for an exhibition where I have to take the model with me? Am I building it for a LEGO store because they said, “You are such a good builder, we would like to display something of yours”? I think if you follow these questions, you’ll quickly get a good, finished concept for your MOC. That also helps me a lot personally, such as when I’m thinking about how I can get one of my builds to be exhibited in the LEGO House for a year. That would be the greatest honor I could ever receive in my life.

Are any instructions of your designs available to the public? If so, where can they be found?

The building instructions for the Chancellor’s podium in our Galactic Senate can be found on the Rebrickable page of The Brick-Collective or directly on the website of JB Spielwaren, where you can also find the building instructions for a single pod. Many designs by Tobias, fellow designers, and also some of mine, can be found on the website of The Brick-Collective.

BUILD YOUR GALAXY!

Can you already tell us something about your next big project? Do you two have any final thoughts that you would like to share with our readers?

For the next LEGO Star Wars Days at JB Spielwaren, we are already planning a model of the legendary Podracer Race on Tatooine, known from Star Wars Episode I, which fittingly will be 25 years old in 2024. Our aim this time is to get a bit more movement into it, so that the individual Podracers can also move. The entire stage sections will be modular again, allowing visitors to contribute to them.

The MOC will measure around 4x10 meters, so it will be a very large project again.

Basically, I recommend that everyone take part in such a large project once in their life, because you can learn a surprising amount from it and constantly surpass yourself.

This team had an incredible amount of fun, even though we put a total of 4000 hours of our lives into the Galactic Senate.

Pages from the instructions of the senate pods (above) and the Chancellor’s podium (below).

Chancellor‘s Rostrum

2023

BACK ISSUES! BRICKJOURNAL #84

STEFAN FORMENTANO masterminds the enormous LEGO city NEW HASHIMA, one of the biggest LEGO Fan community builds ever done! Plus builds by SIMON LIU, BLAKE FOSTER, and others! Also: Nerding Out with BRICKNERD, BANTHA BRICKS: Fans of LEGO Star Wars, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions

by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS!

BRICKJOURNAL #83

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

SUBSCRIBE! Six issues: $73 in the US $ 111 International • $29 Digital Only

BRICKJOURNAL #80

BRICKJOURNAL #79

BRICKJOURNAL #82

BRICKJOURNAL #81

Blast off deep into space with the creations of DANA KNUDSON and other top space builders, flyby the annual SHIPtember challenge, and see vehicles built for FebROVERy challenge! Plus: Nerding Out with BrickNerd, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions

by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS! It’s all the right stuff for LEGO fans!

Celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary in LEGO! Disney Castles with MARTIN HARRIS and DISNEYBRICK, magical builds

by JOHN RUDY and editor JOE MENO, instructions to build characters, plus: Nerding Out with BRICKNERD, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS!

Head to the city: Ellis City by GARETH and CATHY ELLIS, New Hasima by STEFAN FORMENTATO, and Fabuland City by STEVEN LAUGHLIN! Plus a wealth of other MOCs (”My Own Creations”) are showcased, along with: Nerding Out with BRICKNERD, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions

by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

BRICKJOURNAL #78

BRICKJOURNAL #77

BRICKJOURNAL #76

Explore the CASTLE theme with builders GUILLAUME GREUZARD and AMENK SACHO! And building castles with some of the best castle builders in the LEGO fan community! Plus: Nerding Out with BRICKNERD, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions

by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS! Edited by JOE MENO.

Create Brick Art with builders ANDREAS LELANDER and JACK ENGLAND! Learn how to build mosaics and sculptures with DEEP SHEN and some of the best LEGO builders around the world! Plus: AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-by step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more!

Celebrate Spring with AMADO PINLAC and JAMES ZHAN’s botanical LEGO® builds!

Learn how to grow a brick garden of your own with some of the best builders in the LEGO community! Plus: AFOLs by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-by step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more! Edited by JOE MENO.

LEGO® PHOTOGRAPHY, with guest editor SHELLY CORBETT! SCOTT MURPHY on how he brings his whimsical ideas to life, WENDY VERBOOM photographs LEGO minifigures meeting nature, and ARVIN COLOMA shows how to photograph LEGO in unexpected places! Plus BRICKNERD, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, building instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and JARED K. BURKS’ Minifigure Customization!

Visit the BRICK ANIMAL KINGDOM with with KEN ITO’s amazing ocean creatures, fascinating woodland creatures by MIRO DUDAS, and the animal creations of FILBRICK! Plus: Nerding Out with BRICKNERD, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more! Edited by JOE MENO.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

BRICKJOURNAL #75

BRICKJOURNAL #74

BRICKJOURNAL #73

BRICKJOURNAL #72

BRICKJOURNAL #71

The fast-changing world of MECHA! Learn how to build mechs with some of the best mecha builders in the world: BENJAMIN CHEH, KELVIN LOW, LU SIM, and SAM CHEUNG! Plus: AFOLs (“Adult Fans of LEGO”) by cartoonist GREG HYLAND, step-by step “You Can Build It” instructions

by CHRISTOPHER DECK, BrickNerd’s DIY Fan Art, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more!

Amazing LEGO® STAR WARS builds, including Lando Calrissian’s Treadable

by JÜRGEN WITTNER, Starkiller Base by JHAELON EDWARDS, and more from STEVEN SMYTH and Bantha Bricks! Plus: Minifigure Customization by JARED K. BURKS, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, stepby-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK (including a LEGO BB-8), and more! Edited by JOE MENO.

Board ANTOINE HUGUERRE’s Big Thunder Mountain! Go to Monstropolis to help Sully find Mike Wazowski in BRANDON JAMES’ Monsters, Inc factory! Plus, more intricate STAR WARS creations by builder LEE GOLDMAN, nerding Out with BrickNerd, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions

by CHRISTOPHER DECK, and Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS!

LEGO® COLOR! A mosaic by Bricknerd’s DAVE SCHEFCIK, CAZ MOCKETT and her monocolor habitats, flowers and other creations by INEZ VAQUEZ, STEVEN SMYTH’s intricate Star Wars builds, “AFOLs” by GREG HYLAND, step-bystep “You Can Build It” instructions

by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more!

LEGO® photography with Toy Photographers Blog founder SHELLY CORBETT, and photographers ASTRID HEYLAND, NATASJA VOS, and MARCO ZANCONI offer their favorite tips and tricks to make your creations look great!

Plus, STEVEN SMYTH’s Star Wars builds, instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, Minifigure Customization with JARED K. BURKS, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

#70: Islands, Hot Rods, and Outer Space!

#69: LEGO Starship builders!

#68: Women of LEGO building!

#67: Best friends & Disneyland Paris!

#66: LEGO brick photography!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

#65: Happy holiday building!

#64: Classic LEGO themes re-imagined!

#63: Undersea LEGO building!

#62: LEGO Trains!

#61: LEGO figure building!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

#60: Spooky LEGO building!

#59: Star WarsTMthemed builders!

#58: LEGO warbirds, past and present!

#57: Microscale LEGO building!

#56: Life-size LEGO!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $9.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

#55: LEGO heads & tails!

#54: Top secret LEGO!

#53: Video games LEGO-style!

#52: LEGO Certified Professionals!

#51: LEGO Steampunk!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $8.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

#50: double-size Anniversary Book!

(144-page paperback) ONLY $10 (Digital Edition) $8.99

#49 & earlier: $ 3 EACH 2.99 DIGITAL $

#49: LEGO Technic! $3

#48: LEGO Mecha! $3

#47: Undersea LEGO! $3

#46: LEGO Trains! $3

#45: Female LEGO builders! $3

#44: LEGO Theme Park issue! $3

#43: LEGO Gaming! $3

#42: LEGO Education! $3

#41: Spacethemed LEGO! $3

#40: LEGO Mecha! $3

#39: LEGO Dinosaurs! $3

#38: LEGO Cool Cars & Hot Rods! $3

#36: Microscale LEGO building! $3

#35: History in LEGO bricks! $3

#34: LEGO Comics! $3

#33: LEGO Robots! $3

#32: LEGO Art! $3

#31: LEGO bricks with character! $3

#30: LEGO Architecture! $3

#29: TECHNIC Building! $3

#28: The LEGO Movie! $3

#27: LEGO Iron Builder contest! $3

#26: LEGO Creatures! $3

#25: LEGO Medieval Castle building! $3

#24: LEGO Trains! $3

#23: LEGO Star WarsTM! $3

#22: LEGO Plane building! $3

#21: LEGO Car building! $3

#20: LEGO Superheroes! $3

#19: LEGO Events issue! $3

#18: Japanese LEGO creations! $3

#17: LEGO Space War! $3

#15: LEGO Mecha! $3

#13: Event issue! $3

#12: Back-to-school LEGO sculptures! $3

#11: LEGO Racers! $3

#9: LEGO Disney sets! $3

#5: LEGO Mindstorms! $3

#3: FIRST® LEGO League Festival! $3

GET THE NINE ORIGINAL DIGITAL ONLY ISSUES! Before becoming a print magazine, there were nine DIGITAL EDITIONS of BRICKJOURNAL, which are also available for $2.99 each!

(NOTE: These are DIFFERENT ISSUES than the ones shown above.)

TwoMorrows TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:

store@twomorrows.com

MINIFIGURE CUSTOMIZATION #1 AND #2

YOU CAN BUILD IT, BOOK 1 and BOOK 2

JARED K. BURKS shares his knowledge of the techniques he uses to alter the lovable LEGO® Minifigure into any character you can imagine! #1 offers step-by-step tutorials on decal design and application; color alteration; custom part modification and creation; plus tips on minifigure displays and digital photography to capture your custom figures in the best light! #2 presents advanced techniques: advanced decal application; custom part modification and creation; 3-D printing; advanced painting techniques; lighting figures with LEDs or EL wire; tips on minifigure displays; and a Gallery from top customizers, with their best tricks and tips!

From the producers of BRICKJOURNAL MAGAZINE comes a new series of books, compiling STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS by the LEGO fan community’s top custom builders!

BOOK ONE is for beginning-to-intermediate builders, and features instructions for LEGO creations from a fire engine and Christmas ornaments to miniscale models from a galaxy far, far away! BOOK TWO is for intermediate-to-advanced builders, with more detailed projects to tackle, from a miniscale yellow castle and miniland people, to a mini USS Constitution! Together, these books take you from novice to expert builder, teaching you key building techniques along the way!

(84-page FULL-COLOR trade paperbacks) $10.95 NOW ONLY $5 each (Digital Editions) $4.99 each

(84-page FULL-COLOR trade paperbacks) $9.95 NOW ONLY $5 each (Digital Editions) $4.99 each

Order online at twomorrows.com

LEGO®, the Minifigure, and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group of Companies. BrickJournal is not affiliated with The LEGO Group. All characters shown are TM & © their respective owners.

Community Ads Advertise With Us! RetroFan & BrickJournal Ad Rates: Back cover or inside cover: $1000 ($900 for two or more) Full-page interior: $800 ($700 for two or more) Half-page interior: $500 ($425 for two or more) Quarter-page interior: $300 ($250 for two or more)

Back Issue • Comic Book Creator Alter Ego • Jack Kirby Collector: Back cover or inside cover: $800 ($700 for two or more) Full-page interior: $600 ($500 for two or more) Half-page interior: $300 ($250 for two or more) Quarter-page interior: $150 ($125 for two or more) AD SIZES: COVERS & FULL-PAGE: 8.375” wide x 10.875” tall trim size, add 1/8” bleed. (7.625” x 10.125” live area.)

HALF-PAGE: 7.625” x 4.875” live area (no bleeds).

QUARTER-PAGE: 3.6875” x 4.875” live area (no bleeds).

Call or e-mail for frequency discounts!

Send ad copy and payment (US funds) to: TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 919-449-0344 E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com

We accept check, money order, and all major credit cards; include card number and expiration date.

These rates are for digital ads supplied (PDF, JPEG, TIF, EPS, or InDesign files accepted).

No agency discounts apply.

FOR SALE!

ORIGINAL MINIFIGURE COMIC BOOK COVER REPRODUCTIONS

by GREG HYLAND

Commission LEGO™ illustrator, Greg Hyland, to draw a full-size, production-quality recreation of any Marvel or DC comic book cover using LEGO™ Minifigures!

STAR WARS #7

78

Artwork will be a black & white ink drawing on 11”x17” comic book illustration board.

Art will include paste-up cover copy, logos, and trade dress.

Email greg@lethargiclad.com for |NCREDIBLE HULK #181 information on pricing and timeframe.

Last Word So ends this issue of BrickJournal. It had me looking through a lot of files and photos, and I happened to find this one from over ten years ago.

Yes, I was a minifigure.

This was when I ran BrickMagic, a convention that took place in North Carolina for a few years. It was a fun event that was one of the first of the year back then, taking place over Mother’s Day weekend. I did the set-up and organizing for the LEGO fans and kept things together over the event. This pic was taken at the hotel with the hotel staffers that helped out with the event.

I asked a friend (hi Debbie!) about making a costume, and before I knew it, I was off to help find material! A couple of weeks later, I got to wear it, and it was interesting. Minifigures are wide....

Just so you know—but it was fun, as I hope this issue was.

Til next issue—build on!

Get RetroFan back issues!

Many early issues are close to selling out!

Order online, or by mail include $4 US postage for the first magazine, and $2 for each additional magazine on the same order.

See back cover for subscription rates.

RETROFAN #25

RETROFAN #30

RETROFAN #31

RETROFAN #32

RETROFAN #33

The Brady Bunch’s FLORENCE HENDERSON, the UNKNOWN COMIC revealed, Hanna-Barbera’s Top Cat, a Barbie history, RANKIN/BASS’ Frosty the Snowman, Dell Comics’ Monster SuperHeroes, Slushy Drinks, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Magic memories of ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY for the 60th Anniversary of TV’s Bewitched! Plus: The ’70s thriller Time After Time (with NICHOLAS MEYER, MALCOLM McDOWELL, and DAVID WARNER), The Alvin Show, BUFFALO BOB SMITH and Howdy Doody, Peter Gunn, Saturday morning’s Run Joe Run and Big John Little John, a trip to Camp Crystal Lake, and more fun, fab features!

Featuring a profile of The Partridge Family’s heartthrob DAVID CASSIDY, THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN, LEGO blocks, Who Created Mighty Mouse?, BUCKAROO BANZAI turns forty, Planet Patrol, Big Little Books, Disco Fever, and more! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER. Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Meet the Bionic Duo, LEE MAJORS and LINDSAY WAGNER! Plus: Hot Wheels: The Early Years, Fantastic Four cartoons, Modesty Blaise, Hostess snacks, TV Westerns, Movie Icons vs. the Axis Powers, the San Diego Chicken, and more!

Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER. Edited

by MICHAEL EURY.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships June 2024

RETROFAN #26

RETROFAN #27

RETROFAN #28

RETROFAN #29

Meet Mission: Impossible’s LYNDA DAY GEORGE in an exclusive interview!

Celebrate Rambo’s 50th birthday with his creator, novelist DAVID MORRELL! Plus: TV faves WKRP IN CINCINNATI and SPACE: 1999, Fleisher’s and Filmation’s SUPERMAN cartoons, commercial jingles, JERRY LEWIS and BOB HOPE comic books, and more fun, fab features! Edited

by MICHAEL EURY.

The saga of Saturday morning’s Super Friends, Part One! Plus: A history of MR. T, TV’s AVENGERS (Steed and Mrs. Peel), Daktari’s CHERYL MILLER, Mexican movie monsters, John and Yoko’s nation of Nutopia, ELIZABETH SHEPHERD (the actress who almost played Emma Peel), and more! With ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, MARK VOGER, & MICHAEL EURY.

Interview with Captain Kangaroo BOB KEESHAN, The ROCKFORD FILES, teen monster movies, the Kung Fu and BRUCE LEE crazes, JACK KIRBY’s comedy comics, DON DRYSDALE’s TV drop-ins, outrageous toys, Challenge of the Super Friends, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns

by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

The BRITISH INVASION of the Sixties, interview with Bond Girl TRINA PARKS, The Mighty Hercules, Horror Hostess MOONA LISA, World’s Greatest Super Friends, TV Guide Fall Previews, the Frito Bandito, a Popeye Super Collector, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

The story behind BOB CLAMPETT’s Beany & Cecil, western queen DALE EVANS, an interview with Mr. Ed’s ALAN YOUNG, Miami Vice, The Sixties’ Wackiest Robots, Muscle-Maker CHARLES ATLAS, Super Powers Team—Galactic Guardians, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns

by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

RETROFAN #20

RETROFAN #21

RETROFAN #22

RETROFAN #23

RETROFAN #24

MAD’s maddest artist, SERGIO ARAGONÉS, is profiled! Plus: TV’s Route 66 and an interview with star GEORGE MAHARIS, MOE HOWARD’s final years, singer B. J. THOMAS in one of his final interviews, LONE RANGER cartoons, G.I. JOE, and more! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Meet JULIE NEWMAR, the purr-fect Catwoman! Plus: ASTRO BOY, TARZAN Saturday morning cartoons, the true history of PEBBLES CEREAL, TV’s THE UNTOUCHABLES and SEARCH, the MONKEEMOBILE, SOVIET EXPO ’77, and more fun, fab features! Featuring columns

by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Surf’s up as SIXTIES BEACH MOVIES make a RetroFan splash! Plus: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, ZORRO’s Saturday morning cartoon, TV’s THE WILD, WILD WEST, CARtoons and other drag-mags, VALSPEAK, and more fun, fab features!

Like, totally! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Meet the stars behind the Black Lagoon: RICOU BROWNING, BEN CHAPMAN, JULIE ADAMS, and LORI NELSON! Plus SHADOW CHASERS, featuring show creator KENNETH JOHNSON. Also: THE BEATLES’ YELLOW SUBMARINE, FLASH GORDON cartoons, TV’s cult classic THE PRISONER and kid’s show ZOOM, COLORFORMS, M&Ms, and more fun, fab features! Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Interviews with Lost in Space’s ANGELA CARTWRIGHT and BILL MUMY, and Land of the Lost’s WESLEY EURE! Revisit Leave It to Beaver with JERRY MATHERS, TONY DOW, and KEN OSMOND! Plus: UNDERDOG, Rankin-Bass’ stop-motion classic THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, Christmas gifts you didn’t want, the CABBAGE PATCH KIDS fad, and more!

Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99

Go to www.twomorrows.com to preview and order, including RetroFan #1-19!

TwoMorrows.

The Future of Comics History.

TwoMorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive Raleigh, NC 27614 USA 919-449-0344 E-mail:

store@twomorrows.com

Order at twomorrows.com

BACK ISSUE #153

ALTER EGO #190

ALTER EGO #191

BACK ISSUE #151

BACK ISSUE #152

MITCH MAGLIO examines vintage jungle comics heroes (Kaänga, Ka-Zar, Sheena, Rulah, Jo-Jo/Congo King, Thun’da, Tarzan) with art by LOU FINE, WILL EISNER, FRANK FRAZETTA, MATT BAKER, BOB POWELL, ALEX SCHOMBURG, and others! Plus: the comicbook career of real-life jungle explorers MARTIN AND OSA JOHNSON, FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and more!

#191 is an FCA (FAWCETT COLLECTORS OF AMERICA) issue! Documenting the influence of MAC RABOY’s Captain Marvel Jr. on the life, career, and look of ELVIS PRESLEY during his stellar career, from the 1950s through the 1970s! Plus: Captain Marvel co-creator BILL PARKER’s complete testimony from the DC vs. Fawcett lawsuit, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and other surprises!

DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES! A who’s who of artists of NEIL GAIMAN’s The Sandman plus a GAIMAN interview, Sandman Mystery Theatre’s MATT WAGNER and STEVEN T. SEAGLE, Dr. Strange’s nemesis Nightmare, Marvel’s Sleepwalker, Casper’s horse Nightmare, with SHELLY BOND, BOB BUDIANSKY, STEVE ENGLEHART, ALISA KWITNEY, and others! KELLEY JONES cover.

MARVELMANIA ISSUE! SAL BUSCEMA’s Avengers, FABIAN NICIEZA’s Captain America, and KURT BUSIEK and ALEX ROSS’s Marvels turns 30! Plus: Marvelmania International, Marvel Age, Marvel Classics, PAUL KUPPERBERG’s Marvel Novels, and Marvel Value Stamps.

Featuring JACK KIRBY, KEVIN MAGUIRE, ROY THOMAS, and more! SAL BUSCEMA cover.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Oct. 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Dec. 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships May 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships June 2024

BACK ISSUE #154

BACK ISSUE #155

BACK ISSUE #156

KIRBY COLLECTOR #91

BIG BABY ISSUE! X-Babies, the last days of Sugar and Spike, FF’s Franklin Richards, Superbaby vs. Luthor, Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine, Baby Snoots, Marvel and Harvey kid humor comics, & more! With ARTHUR ADAMS, CARY BATES, JOHN BYRNE, CHRIS CLAREMONT, SCOTT LOBDELL, SHELDON MAYER, CURT SWAN, ROY THOMAS, and other grownup creators. Cover by ARTHUR ADAMS.

BRONZE AGE NOT-READY-FORPRIMETIME DC HEROES! Black Canary, Elongated Man, Lilith, Metamorpho, Nubia, Odd Man, Ultraa of Earth-Prime, Vartox, and Jimmy Olsen as Mr. Action! Plus: Jason’s Quest! Featuring MIKE W. BARR, CARY BATES, STEVE DITKO, BOB HANEY, DENNY O’NEIL, MIKE SEKOWSKY, MARK WAID, and more ready-for-primetime talent. Retro cover by NICK CARDY.

THIS ISSUE IS HAUNTED! House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Unexpected, Marvel’s failed horror anthologies, Haunted Tank, Eerie Publications, House II adaptation, Elvira’s House of Mystery, and more wth NEAL ADAMS, MIKE W. BARR, DICK GIORDANO, SAM GLANZMAN, ROBERT KANIGHER, JOE ORLANDO, STERANKO, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, and others. Unused cover by GARCÍA-LÓPEZ & WRIGHTSON.

BRONZE AGE GRAPHIC NOVELS! 1980s GNs from Marvel, DC, and First Comics, Conan GNs, and DC’s Sci-Fi GN series!

With BRENT ANDERSON, JOHN BYRNE, HOWARD CHAYKIN, CHRIS CLAREMONT, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, JACK KIRBY, DON MCGREGOR, BOB McLEOD, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, JIM STARLIN, ROY THOMAS, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, and more. WRIGHTSON cover.

30th Anniversary issue, with KIRBY’S GREATEST VICTORIES! Jack gets the girl (wife ROZ), early hits Captain America and Boy Commandos, surviving WWII, romance comics, Captain Victory and the direct market, his original art battle with Marvel, and finally winning credit! Plus MARK EVANIER, a colossal gallery of Kirby’s winningest pencil art, a never-reprinted SIMON & KIRBY story, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships July 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Aug. 2023

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Oct. 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Dec. 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Fall 2024

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #34 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #35 COMIC BOOK CREATOR #36

RETROFAN #34

RETROFAN #35

DAN JURGENS talks about Superman, Sun Devils, creating Booster Gold, developing the “Doomsday scenario” with the demise of the Man of Steel, and more! Traverse DON GLUT’s “Glutverse” continuity across Gold Key, Marvel, and DC! Plus RICK ALTERGOTT, we conclude our profiles of MIKE DEODATO, JR. and FRANK BORTH, LINDA SUNSHINE (editor of DC/Marvel hardcover super-hero collections), & more!

An in-depth look at the life and career of writer/editor DENNY O’NEIL, and part one of a career-spanning interview with ARNOLD DRAKE, co-creator of The Doom Patrol and Deadman! Plus the story behind Studio Zero, the ’70s collective of JIM STARLIN, FRANK BRUNNER, ALAN WEISS, and others! Warren horror mag writer/ historian JACK BUTTERWORTH, alternative cartoonist TIM HENSLEY, & more!

TOM PALMER retrospective, career-spanning interview, and tributes compiled by GREG BIGA. LEE MARRS chats about assisting on Little Orphan Annie, work for DC’s Plop! and underground Pudge, Girl Blimp!

The start of a multi-part look at the life and career of DAN DIDIO, part two of our ARNOLD DRAKE interview, public service comics produced by students at the CENTER FOR CARTOON STUDIES, & more!

Take a ride with CHiPs’ ERIK ESTRADA and LARRY WILCOX! Plus: an interview with movie Hercules STEVE REEVES, WeirdOhs cartoonist BILL CAMPBELL, Plastic Man on Saturday mornings, TINY TIM, Remo Williams, the search for a Disney artist, and more! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER. Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Saturday morning super-hero Space Ghost, plus The Beatles, The Jackson 5ive, and other real rockers in animation! Also: The Addams Family’s JOHN ASTIN, Mighty Isis co-stars JOANNA PANG and BRIAN CUTLER, TV’s The Name of the Game, on the set of Evil Dead II, classic coffee ads, and more! With ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, MARK VOGER & MICHAEL EURY.

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Summer 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Fall 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Aug. 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Oct. 2024

New from TwoMorrows!

ALTER EGO #187

ALTER EGO #188

ALTER EGO #189

KIRBY COLLECTOR #89

KIRBY COLLECTOR #90

DOUBLE-SIZE ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! The Marvel side includes mini-interviews with JOHN BUSCEMA, MARIE SEVERIN, JIM MOONEY, and GEORGE TUSKA—plus “STAN LEE’S Dinner with ALAIN RESNAIS” annotated by SEAN HOWE! On the DC side: talks with CARMINE INFANTINO, JOHN BROOME, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, JOE KUBERT, & MURPHY ANDERSON—plus a GARDNER FOX photo-feature, and more!

JOHN ROMITA tribute issue! Podcast recollections recorded shortly after the Jazzy One’s passing by JOHN ROMITA JR., JIM STARLIN, STEVE ENGLEHART, BRIAN PULIDO, ROY THOMAS, JAIMIE JAMESON, JOHN CIMINO, STEVE HOUSTON, & NILE SCALA; DAVID ARMSTRONG’s mini-interview with Romita; John Romita’s ten greatest hits; plus FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, & more!

KIRBY CONSPIRACIES! Darkseid’s Foourth World palace intrigue, the too-many attempted overthrows of Odin, why Stan Lee hated Diablo, Kang contradictions, Simon & Kirby swipes, a never-reprinted S&K story, MARK EVANIER’s WonderCon 2023 Kirby Tribute Panel (with MARV WOLFMAN, PAUL S. LEVINE, and JOHN MORROW), an extensive Kirby pencil art gallery, and more!

WHAT IF KIRBY... hadn’t been stopped by his rejected Spider-Man presentation?

DC’s abandonment of the Fourth World?

The ill-fated Speak-Out Series? FREDRIC WERTHAM’s anti-comics crusade? The CIA’s involvement with the Lord of Light?

Plus a rare Kirby interview, MARK EVANIER and our other columnists, a classic Simon & Kirby story, pencil art gallery, & more!

Cover inks by DAMIAN PICKADOR ZAJKO!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

(160-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $21.95 (Digital Edition) $9.99 • Ships June 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Aug. 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships Spring 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Summer 2024

All characters TM & © their respective owners.

Focuses on great early science-fiction author EDMUND HAMILTON, who went on to an illustrious career at DC Comics, writing Superman, Batman, and especially The Legion of Super-Heroes! Learn all about his encounters with RAY BRADBURY, MORT WEISINGER, JULIUS SCHWARTZ, et al—a panoply of titans! Plus FCA, MICHAEL T. GILBERT in Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, and more!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

BACK ISSUE #150

Our oversized 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR sesquicentennial edition, featuring BATMEN OF THE 1970s!

Exploring the work of Bronze Age Batman artists BOB BROWN, DICK GIORDANO, IRV NOVICK, FRANK ROBBINS, WALTER SIMONSON, ALEX TOTH, and BERNIE WRIGHTSON. Plus: revisit FRANK MILLER’s first Batman story!

(100-pg. FULL-COLOR magazine) $12.95 (Digital Edition) $5.99 Now shipping!

2024 RATES

SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Print subscribers get the digital edition free!

Alter Ego (Six print issues) Back Issue (Eight print issues) BrickJournal (Six print issues) Comic Book Creator (Four print issues) Jack Kirby Collector (Four print issues) RetroFan (Six print issues)

RETROFAN #32

RETROFAN #33

COMIC BOOK CREATOR #33

Featuring a profile of The Partridge Family’s heartthrob DAVID CASSIDY, THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN, LEGO blocks, Who Created Mighty Mouse?, BUCKAROO BANZAI turns forty, Planet Patrol, Big Little Books, Disco Fever, and more! Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER. Edited by MICHAEL EURY.

Meet the Bionic Duo, LEE MAJORS and LINDSAY WAGNER! Plus: Hot Wheels: The Early Years, Fantastic Four cartoons, Modesty Blaise, Hostess snacks, TV Westerns, Movie Icons vs. the Axis Powers, the San Diego Chicken, and more!

Featuring columns by ANDY MANGELS, WILL MURRAY, SCOTT SAAVEDRA, SCOTT SHAW, and MARK VOGER. Edited

by MICHAEL EURY.

STEVE GERBER biographical essay and collaborator insights, MARY SKRENES on co-creating Omega the Unknown, helping develop Howard the Duck, VAL MAYERIK cover and interview, ROY THOMAS reveals STAN LEE’s unseen EXCELSIOR! COMICS line, LINDA SUNSHINE (editor of early hardcover super-hero collections), more with MIKE DEODATO, and the concluding segment on FRANK BORTH!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Ships June 2024

(84-page FULL-COLOR magazine) $10.95 (Digital Edition) $4.99 • Now shipping!

Poly mailer, backing board

ECONOMY US

Faster delivery, rigid mailer

PREMIUM US

Non-US orders, rigid mailer

INTERNATIONAL

DIGITAL ONLY

$73 $97 $73 $53 $53 $73

$100 $130 $100 $70 $70 $100

$111 $147 $111 $78 $78 $111

$29 $39 $29 $19 $19 $29

TwoMorrows.

The Future of Comics History.

TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA

No print issue

Phone: 919-449-0344 E-mail: store@twomorrows.com Web: www.twomorrows.com Don’t miss exclusive sales, limited editions, and new releases! Sign up for our mailing list:

https://groups.io/g/twomorrows

Download our Free Catalog of all our available books and back issues! https://www.twomorrows.com/media/TwoMorrowsCatalog.pdf

PRINTED IN CHINA

BACK ISSUE #149

’80s INDIE HEROES: The American, Aztec Ace, Dynamo Joe, Evangeline, Journey, Megaton Man, Trekker, Whisper, and Zot! Featuring CHUCK DIXON, PHIL FOGLIO, STEVEN GRANT, RICH LARSON, SCOTT McCLOUD, WILLIAM MESSNER-LOEBS, DOUG MOENCH, RON RANDALL, DON SIMPSON, MARK VERHEIDEN, CHRIS WARNER & more superstar creators. Cover

by NORM BREYFOGLE!