The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide

If you’ve followed my blog at all over the last few years, or perhaps seen some of my models on Brickshelf, then you’ll already know that I LOVE fire apparatus modeled in LEGO bricks. When it comes to my own designs, I tend toward 4-stud wide models, as they remind me of the LEGOland series of kits from the 1970s.

However, I spotted this amazing fire engine on Brickshelf the other day and wanted to share it here. I love the detail and the overall look of realism that the builder has achieved. I would love to see a model like this released as an official LEGO set.

Every so often I stumble upon a mention of my book on a website. Or I spot a model that someone’s made using techniques found in ULBG. But it’s not all that often I spot a pic of myself somewhere that I didn’t know it had been posted.

Here’s an interesting page, that includes a picture of me and my CN Tower model.

Some of the other models I’ve seen before, but several were new to me. I especially like the picture of Holger Matthes and his Stuttgart Television Tower.

I thought this was an interesting movie tie-in:

Here’s a link to the page for the LEGO product.

And here’s a link to the movie itself, starring Dustin Hoffman.

I don’t recall the LEGO set getting much press… at least I don’t remember seeing it show up in any of my Google news alerts over the last few weeks and months.

But the movie looks fun. The set looks very interesting. So we’ll see what happens.

Allan

Check out this posting on LUGNET announcing the arrival of RailBricks magazine.

According to Senior Editor Jeramy Spurgeon, “RailBricks is a dedicated LEGO® Train Hobby Magazine similar to Model Railroader. Each issue will strive to advance the LEGO® Train Hobby by providing a FREE online publication created by LEGO® Train fans that focuses on various aspects of the LEGO® Train Hobby.”

It’s good to see more writing about the LEGO hobby finally starting to emerge. I have said before, and continue to believe, that this hobby is lacking when it comes to the amount of writing that represents it. Most hobbies (model trains, coin collecting, quilting, water color painting etc. etc.) often have not just one but several monthly printed magazines and shelves full of books in the library related to the hobby. So I’m glad to see new LEGO-related books and periodicals appear as I think it helps build the hobby as a whole.

Allan

OK, the title of this post sounds like a commerical, I admit that.

But have you seen this new set (#4955):

I happened to see it in a local store today on my lunch hour. Check out the product page on LEGO.com for more details. Specifically, look at the price and how many pieces are included. If you ask me, I’d say that’s a really good value. And those tires! Six very cool, well-sized wheel/tire sets. I might just have to pick one of these up come pay day.

Allan

Yesterday I sent in the first two sections of my new book to No Starch Press. This book has gotten off to a slower start than I’d hoped, but things are finally rolling. We’re hoping for spring 2008 as the publication date.

Stay tuned for more details!

Allan

I think most of us knew this already, didn’t we?

But the LEGO Serious Play program is something I do think is a good idea.

AB

I wondered if this event would get some additional coverage once it was started. And I’m happy to read that it is.

I had originally hoped to make it down to the CNE to see the event, but I won’t be able to unfortunately. It does look like a lot of fun though.

Allan

Here are some more details about LEGO’s record setting attempt tower build going on at the CNE this year.

AB

Take a look at this great Brickshelf gallery showing just how well the Cafe Corner theme/style can be taken.

AB

I was a little worried the other day, when I first saw this mentioned on LUGNET, that it might just be a rumor or a practical joke.

But it would appear that The LEGO Group has indeed secured the rights to release Indiana Jones themed LEGO sets.

If you think back to 1998 and how well the Star Wars license did (specifically in drawing adults back to the hobby) I can only hope that this new series will be successful also. You can argue that LEGO should be developing their own themes and characters, and in fact I would probably agree with you. But you can’t get around the fact that more people buying more LEGO sets (for whatever reason) is a good thing.

I, for one, would love to see a model of the map room from Raiders of the Lost Ark. You know, the one where Indy goes to figure out the location of the Well of Souls. But there’s really not much ‘action’ that happens there, so I’m not sure other fans, especially kids, would be as interested in that as I would.

But the press release does mention a set based on the escape from the temple and the now classic boulder scene. Of course… he escapes one peril only to fall into another. But then, that’s what makes that movie so much fun, isn’t it? Raiders is easily my second favorite movie of all time behind Star Wars. In case you were curious.

Allan

Remember a little while ago I posted an entry about a really cool LEGO Vic-20?

Well, Joe Meno made sure that the instructions for it got included in the most recent edition of BrickJournal. I’m pretty sure I have about 75% of the parts I need to make one. So I’m slowly trying to figure out which ones I need (or need more of) and I’m going to order them from Bricklink. I think it would be really funny to have this model sitting on my desk next a a “modern” computer.

Allan

I saw this tugboat on Brickshelf the other day and was struck by how realistic it looked, without using a huge number of specialized pieces.

With the exception of some of the railings and other fittings, the majority of the model is formed of basic bricks, plates and slopes… my favorite type of LEGO parts.

So check out the rest of the gallery for more shots of this excellent model.

Allan

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I LOVE the LEGO sets from the 1970s, being that they were the ones I grew up with as a kid.

So you can imagine my delight when I saw Thomas Main’s posting on LUGNET the other day announcing that he’d created microscale versions of two of my favorite sets, including the hospital (#555):

If you love these sets even a little, you owe it to yourself to read Thomas’s post and then check out all the models that he’s posted on Brickshelf.

Allan

I was going through some of the stats for my website today and noticed a hit coming from someone who’d searched Google for the phrase, “how to make a LEGO sphere". Apotome.com comes up in the results, as the book contains instructions to make a sphere, but I noticed another site that I’d forgotten about that also came up in the results. That site belongs to Philippe Hurbain.

Here’s his amazing multi-color sphere built with nothing more than the contents of one of the old blue 3033 tubs.

After looking around Philippe’s site for a minute I noticed that he’s also the co-author of a new book called Extreme NXT about the newer LEGO Mindstorms system. Congratulations Philippe, I wish you great success with your book!

Allan B.

Another of my favorite models found while surfing Brickshelf was this amazing vic-20 recreation:

See the rest of the gallery here.

The Vic-20 was my first computer when I was a kid. Yes, I’m that old.

I should have noted yesterday that these Brickshelf finds are posted here in no particular order and with no ratings of any kind. These are just things I’ve spotted that I really liked. And because of my posting scheduled to this blog the images may have been on Brickshelf for months or years before I remember to post a note here. But better late than never, right?

Allan B.

Every couple of days I like to cruise through the recently added pics on Brickshelf. And more often than not I spot something that makes me say to myself, “wow, I wish I’d built that.” And every time I think I’ve been as amazed as I can be… another model comes along that makes me think again.

So I decided that from time to time I’d post a note about a model that caught my eye. To get started, have a look at this amazing hotrod created by a builder named Biczzz.

Enjoy!
Allan

Even after ten years of using the interenet it still amazes me how it enables people from countries around the world to connect to each other and to information posted by people they’ve never met.

So as I watch the statistics for my website I’m always fascinated by the wide range of countries that are represented by the visitors. Here’s a screenshot taken this morning that helps illustrate what I’m talking about:

It’s also interesting to look at how they came to apotome.com (what search engine they used and what search words they entered) but being able to take such a high-level view and see where they are… well, that’s pretty cool.

Allan

I happened to see this amazing Brickshelf gallery the other day. Take a minute to browse through the pics posted here. I love the details in both the buildings and the vehicles. Fantastic stuff!

Allan

I love posting about new issues of BrickJournal being available.

And Issue #6 has just rolled off the virtual presses:

Be sure to read Joe’s announcement on LUGNET to find out where to download your copy… for free!

Allan

‘Tis the season I think…. to be writing articles about LEGO and its products. My Google alerts usually pick up on stories about the LEGO Star Wars video games, or a LEGO robotics competition, or some city comptroller in Boise, Idaho who’s name just happens to be LEGO.

But lately it seems there’ve been a bunch of articles actually about the LEGO company and its products. Here’s one that appears on the Businessweek.com website.

There’s also a mini slide show that shows the actual manufacturing process of LEGO elements.

Enjoy!
Allan

Maybe you’re wondering about buying this book but you’re not entirely sure what sort of things you can learn by reading it. That’s fair. It’s often hard to judge how useful or interesting a book is until you actually have it in your hands.

If you’re wondering about ULBG, then you might want to start off by taking a look at one specific page on my website that shows you a lot of detail about what’s Inside the Book.

Or, if you want a much more visual example, you might want to take a look at the Miniland scale Napoleon character built by Didier Enjary. He used some of the ideas presented in Chapter 4 of ULBG and created a wonderful model that you can see by clicking here.

I hope you’ll take a look at his work and if you do, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I love the instructions he created. I am pretty sure I’ll soon be building one using the steps he’s provided.

Allan B.

This is an interesting article:

Taking Their Blocks and Playing Toymaker Elsewhere

This was obviously not an easy decision for the LEGO company. It has dramatically affected the lives of many people in Billund, Denmark. While it may (hopefully) represent a turning point for the company on its road back to profitability it’s still sad to think of the huge change that has happened for those folks.

On the lighter side the article mentions and quotes Jamie Berard, a LEGO employee I had the good fortune to meet at Brickfest this past summer. If you want some good LEGO readin’ (and other topics too!) be sure to check out Jamie’s blog: The SideShowJournal.

AB

Joe has called this one “The BIG Issue” and for good reason. There is a lot of writing, photos and fun packed into this latest issue of BrickJournal.

I got a little more involved with BrickJournal since Issue #4 was released. I am now doing some of the copy editing (checking punctuation and spellling… that sort of thing) and therefore was lucky enough to get to read some of these articles before the issue was complete. If you even think you’re possibly a LEGO fan you owe it to yourself to download this issue and read it. If you’re sure you’re a LEGO fan you have probably already downloaded it…. so what are you doing reading this blog right now?

If you haven’t already, click on the picture above and you’ll find links to a number of download mirror sites. Then cuddle up with your laptop and enjoy some LEGO fun.

I’m going to enable comments on this posting if you want to leave a comment. I’d love to know who’s reading BrickJournal, what you think of this issue and how it’s affected your interest in the LEGO hobby. Look for the word ‘Comments’ to the right of this text and click there to leave your feedback.

Oh, I almost forgot. If you flip to page 91 you’ll also find my latest model instructions. This one ended up a bit bigger than anticipated, but is still a relatively small (though not ‘micro’) model. It’s also the first time I’ve used an actual image (of the actual model subject) in one of my instructions.

Enjoy!
Allan B.

I can’t believe how quickly this event pops up each year. But it’s almost here again!

Yup… this is the last call for people to display at The Hobby Show in Toronto (near the airport) on the weekend of November 3, 4 and 5.

Read more about it here and also here for lots more details.

And don’t forget to email me with ANY questions you may have. We really want to get as many people out as possible. Remember, it’s a low-stress, non-competitive weekend of nothing but LEGO chit chat and fun. How can you go wrong?

Hope to see you there!

Allan B.

My Google alert pointed me to this article today:

Building a Career, (Lego) Brick by Brick

You get a great behind-the-scenes look at the world of Master Builder Eric Hunter.

I’ve read a bunch of news articles about adult builders, or even those like Eric who’ve made LEGO their career. But this article caught my eye as it seems particularly well-written and handles the entire “LEGO as a hobby/career” issue with respect; not just making it into a silly story at the expense of the subject.

Allan

There’s not much time… but still time enough to let us know that you’d like to come and display some models at The Hobby Show (Toronto, ON - Nov 3, 4, 5/06)

One of the best things about a show like this is getting to see what other people bring as well. For example, some people bring the whole world:

Click to see Derek’s globe model

If you’d like to get a sense of the display, here are a few more pictures from last year’s show:

Photos from the LEGO display - Hobby Show 2005

So are you thinking you’d like to join us? The invitation is open to any adult LEGO builders from around the Ontario area.

Email me with any questions, or to reserve some table space

Looking forward to seeing new and old faces alike!

Allan

I stumbled upon this wonderful little model the other day:

If you click on the image above you’ll head over to MOCpages and you can see the yellow submarine that Dave Teague’s 9-year-old daughter built. Next to one of the images you’ll find a very kind reference to ULBG. I think it’s fantastic to see a talented young builder who has taken one of the techniques from the book and used it to create her own original model. That was one of the key ideas I had in mind when writing the book - that people would use the information to explore their own ideas - so it’s fantastic to me to see it actually happening.

AB

Yes, Brickfest 2006 finished up about 3 weeks ago, but I’m still posting about it. It was my first Brickfest and there was enough to see and then talk about that I didn’t figure it would all fit in one blog entry. (Suddenly I feel like Doogie Howser writing one of his journal entries at the end of each episode - do other bloggers ever get that feeling?)

O.K. back to Brickfest….

On the Saturday afternoon I did a book signing for a couple of hours. As previously mentioned here, Rick Sellers was extremely generous in offering to give up some of his afternoon to help sell books. That allowed me to concentrate on spelling peoples’ names correctly. As you may know, both the Saturday and Sunday afternoons were open to the public with paid admission. And since Rick and I were set up across the lobby from the entrance to the grand ballroom (where many of the models were displays) it helped to generate quite a bit of foot traffic. A number of these folks either recognized the book (from the net or seeing it in a store) or were interested enough right then to buy a copy.

There were also several BrickFest attendees who had brought their copies from home. Of course, I was more then delighted to sign those ones. Thanks to everyone for your support!!

Now a few pictures. Thanks to my wife Kathie who played the role of paprazzo for part of the afternoon. Most of the photos below were taken by her.

Bill Pollock had a larger-than-life copy of the book’s cover mounted and displayed in the lobby. Yes, for an author this is pretty much the height of cool.

A young reader with his newly defaced…. er, autographed copy of the book.

Several people asked for directions, no kidding. Mostly to find the other room with models displayed in it and also to find the Brick Bazaar. But despite our best attempts neither Rick nor myself could answer the million dollar question, “where is the popcorn?” Since everyone was smelling the distinctive aroma of freshly popped kernels.

Rick Sellers = #1 super helper of the day. Thanks again Rick!

My biggest fear was misspelling the name of the person for whom I was autographing the book. Amazingly I think I made it through the entire afternoon without doing that once.

Bill Pollock who tirelessly promoted the book all weekend and without whom you wouldn’t be reading about the book signing.

The young girl with the large pick-a-brick cup was later seen balancing it on her dad’s head. My wife still laughs at that memory.

More folks who paid to get in to see LEGO models and were hit with my live infomercial as they exited the display room.

You may not recognize Jeremy Kirsch but you will eventually hear more from him. He’s the Director/Co-Producer of an upcoming documentary film called LEGO Nation. I’m really looking forward to seeing the final product!

One of my goals for the book was that it would appeal to not only adult builders getting started in the hobby but that it would also find an audience with younger readers. I think it succeeded.

Allan B.

This note’s for you!

[This is a reposting, with edits, of my previous invitation. But hey, it’s my blog I can repost as much as I want. ]

As I review the web stats for apotome.com I often notice hits coming from different cities in Ontario. From Windsor, Waterloo, London, Guelph, Toronto, Ottawa and many other great places. Don’t worry, I’m not tracking you. I just find it interesting to see so many hits from this region of the country. And since I know you’re already reading my blog, this message is for all of you folks across Ontario.

This is a personal invitation to you (adult LEGO builders) from me, to join in the LEGO display that will be part of The Hobby Show in November, in Toronto Ontario.

For those who may not be familiar with the show, let me go over a few quick details:

- This is a 3-day show featuring many different hobbies showcased for the public. Typical attendance is about 25,000 people over the 3 days

- Our LEGO display is just that…. a display only. It’s not competitive and there’s no pressure to bring anything in particular. Bring one big model. Bring several small ones. It’s up to you. But the fun part is having a place to show off your models and spend a few days talking with fellow LEGO builders from this region

- The show is very inexpensive for participants. We’re working hard to keep costs to an absolute minimum. A limited number of show passes are available free for those bringing models for display. But please get in touch right away if you want to qualify for a free pass. They will go quick. You can still attend no matter what, but late notices may be required to purchase a weekend pass to the show. And as noted, there should be few if any other costs (besides your food and coffee!)

- You can attend for one, two or all three days. Of course, it’s the most fun to be there for the whole weekend but that’s just not always practical for everyone. So let us know when you can be there and we’ll work the display around your schedule.

That’s about it. If you have other questions please do let me know and I’ll do my best to address any concerns you have. As noted, this is a personal invitation to all of you Ontario builders who may be thinking about coming out to a public event for the first time. I was hesitant at first myself. Until I organized the first Hobby Show LEGO display (2003) I’d never done a public show. But it went really well and I had a great time. I now have a number of new friends who I otherwise wouldn’t have met. This year marks our 4th appearance as a group and should be our best ever. That reminds me of one more item. The “group” that I speak of is really just an ad hoc gathering of people who do this one show a year and then leave you alone for the rest of the year. LOL That’s right, there’s no dues to pay, no meetings to attend, no email discussion lists to keep up on. This is just three days a year that are opened up to anyone who may not get to bigger (and more expensive) events such as Brickfest. So if you’re looking for a very low-stress weekend of LEGO fun, then this show is for you.

Please email me at: HobbyShowLEGO (at) apotome (dot) com

Remove the usual spam blocking methods, of course.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you and then meeting you in November!

All the best,
Allan B.

As the owner of a nearly 75 year-old Underwood manual typewriter
I was, of course, delighted to see a model like this appear on Brickshelf:

I love this model not only for its retro theme, but for the incredible use of slopes,
arches and other parts that give it such a clean and elegant appearance. Wow…

I’m enabling comments on this post (something I don’t normally do) and I’d love
to hear your thoughts on this really cool model.

AB

A few weeks ago I was invited to do an in-store appearance at Bricks and Blocks in Waterloo, Ontario. If you live in southwestern Ontario and you’ve never been to Bricks and Blocks (in Windsor, Cookstown or Waterloo) then you must make plans to get there. These stores are as close to an official LEGO store as we have in this area. They sell LEGO sets and nothing but LEGO sets. It’s paradise for a LEGO builder of any age.

So how do you stand out in a store filled with LEGO goodies? Well, one way is to build a really tall model. That seems to get their attention. At least it did yesterday when I set up my CN Tower model in the store. In fact, as I was assembling the 3-legged base I turned and looked over my shoulder, astounded to find 10 - 12 people watching me work. This kind of freaked me out, but it really got nerve-wracking as I went to add the top 1/3 of the tower (including the large pod section and the upper portions of the core) and realized that if I dropped it then all these people were going to get more of a show than they’d bargained for. LOL

Thankfully the final assembly went without a hitch. I’d had some practice the first time I built a LEGO version of the famed tower. That was back in late 2003 but that copy ended up only 9 feet tall. This new version, with a completely redesigned pod section, topped out at just over 10 feet tall.

I will be taking more pics of the model and posting those later. As well, I’ll post a more complete write-up about yesterday’s instore. For now, I hope you’ll enjoy this picture. It’s much taller than it is wide (kind of obvious, huh?) so at least on my screen it seems to actually be appearing next to the entry previous to this one. But that works… since that entry was an announcement about the instore. For the record… I’m the shorter one on the left.

Allan

If you can’t have fun when you’re picking your subjects for LEGO models, then what’s the point, right?

For whatever reason I never had a Mr Potato Head when I was a kid. So now that I’m an adult I figured, “why not build myself one out of LEGO bricks?”

So I did:

He was built for display at a one-day Toy, Train and Doll show back in May of this year. But I had so much fun building him I thought I’d share.

He’s sort of based on a blend of the different versions/styles of Mr. Potato Head from over the years. So he may not look like one specific Mr. Potato Head that you’ve seen, but hopefully he reminds you of the toy in general.

All the best,
Allan B.

It’s time to download another issue of The BrickJournal!!

Publisher Joe Meno announced today that the newest issue of BrickJournal is available. Once again, I was happy to contribute a small article. I hope you’ll take a minute and click on the link above (or click the picture) and download a copy.

Allan B.

If you’ve read my blog over the last few weeks, you know I’ve talked several times about the great episode called ‘Block Party’ that appeared on Corner Gas recently.

I was delighted to get even more information, via email, from Robin Sather. He told me about his connection to the show and with his permission I’m reposting the email here:

Hi Allan,

Just happened to browse by your note on the Corner Gas LEGO episode a couple of months ago! Too cool, huh?

As it happens, the show’s art director and I spoke a year ago about this episode, when they were planning and writing the season, and setting up their summer shooting schedule. At that time, they pegged Brickville DesignWorks to build the city for them, and probably to consult on the rest of the episode. I’d helped with a similar project (see “Nostalgia Boy” on our gallery page). Us Brickville guys said, “Cool! Just say when!". So, we left it at that while they continued their planning.

As time went by, it turns out that the internal set decoration and props department got so excited about this episode that they decided they wanted to do it all themselves! So, Brickville was no longer needed. As far as I know, there were no other “known” AFOLs involved with it. However, the project probably spawned a few new ones!

Too bad for us, but by the sounds of it, the show personnel all had a great time with it.

So, there’s the story!

Robin Sather

I agree, it is too bad that Robin wasn’t able to be directly involved in the show, but I also agree that it seems to have turned out well. I think that’s an interesting reason for not getting an assignment like that.

Be sure to drop by Brickville DesignWorks to find out more about Robin and his partners Scott and Paul.

AB

Thanks to an email from a LEGO builder named Shaun I was able to get in touch with Dennis Jackson from Dark Thunder Productions. As it turns out they were the company behind the animated LEGO segment featured in the Corner Gas episode called ‘Block Party’ that I’ve written about previously.

Dennis was kind enough to send me an email with some details about his company and their part in the episode. Here is what he had to say, posted with his permission:

We are currently shooting our stop-motion series entitled, “Wapos Bay",
for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and the National Film Board
of Canada. It is not, however, with Lego. My wife and I own our production
company Dark Thunder Productions and we have been doing stop-motion
projects in Saskatchewan, Canada, off and on, for the last eight years. We
received a call last summer from the producers of Corner Gas about the
Lego dream sequence of Hank and were asked if we could shoot and
animate the piece. We had just finished our pilot episode for Wapos Bay
and had the technology to do the job in High Definition. We shot the piece
at the Saskatchewan sound stage in Regina where they were still shooting
the other episodes of Corner Gas. We brought our two boys and they met
most of the actors and we also drove to Roloeux, Saskatchewan where they
shoot their exteriors. It was a lot of fun. Their art department built
the town out of Lego and the Corner Gas set attached to the Ruby
restaurant. We shot for two and a half days and delivered the shots in
HD 2 weeks later. It was great to work on this exciting Canadian series
and they’re great people working on that show. Thank you for your
inquiry on behind the scenes.

Thanks again to Shaun for passing along the information that helped me find Dennis. And special thanks to Dennis for filling me in on the rest. Be sure to visit the Dark Thunder Productions website to learn more about their work.

Allan B.

Three of my favorite things.

And this blog entry on Forbes.com shows how all three of those things came together at recent gathering in New York.

One of the questions debated was, “how can we get our kids to think and act more creatively?” I think the LEGO building system is a natural answer, but there’s more to it than just plastic building bricks. There’s how the kids interact with those bricks, how the parents/mentors interact with the children and how childrens’ own lack of creative inhibitions should be supported and not hindered.

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time at the Bricks and Blocks store in St. Jacob’s, Ontario watching kids building with huge tubs of 2x4 LEGO bricks. What amazed me was the determination and focus these kids had in building simple walled structures, sloped roofs and tall towers. The only things that seemed to distract them were reminders from parents about how soon they needed to leave to attend to whatever other plans they’d made. But the interest was there. And I personally feel that folks who claim that today’s kids don’t have long attention spans have possibly not spent enough time watching their kids build with LEGO bricks.

In my mind, part of the answer to getting kids to think more creatively is simply to not prevent them from doing so.

AB

I hope everyone caught tonight’s episode of Corner Gas called “Block Party".

Once again, here’s the synopsis from the show’s website:

http://cornergas.com/episodes/?volume=12&issue=87

I was hoping they wouldn’t make fun of building with LEGO bricks, but rather
would have fun with the idea. And I think they did just that. The show was
great. Not a single mention of the word “legos", but rather a lot of use of
“LEGO blocks” and even “LEGO bricks".

When Hank showed Brent the ‘almost’ completed version of his model I really
began to wonder if any adult fans had helped prepare for the show. It was a
very cool model and looked, at least to my eyes, like someone with lots of
minifig scale or train layout experience had helped build it. Anyone out there
willing/able to come forward and talk about being involved? Maybe they did it
themselves, but maybe they had help. It would be fun to know either way.

And then close to the end came a big surprise. Some LEGO animation. If you
missed this, you really missed not only a good Corner Gas episode, but an
excellent bit of brick parody. Again, it suggests to me some involvement from
the fan community but that’s just my feeling.

Send me an email if you know anything about the behind-the-scenes happenings
that went into this episode.

I hope lots of people saw the episode. Proof again of what a great show this is.

Allan B.

If you’re a fan of the hit show Corner Gas then the title of this posting probably doesn’t strike you as all that odd. If you’re not a fan of Corner Gas, why not?

This is a show that brought scripted comedy back to TV at a time when “reality” television was everywhere. And it proved, once again, that Canadians are funny people. But there’s a true-to-life sensibility to the show that can appeal to many non-Canadians as well. So if you’re not watching, why not? You’re missing some great entertainment.

I’ve linked to a pic from the Corner Gas website below… you can see how much fun this episode looks like it’s going to be:

You can also read the synopsis of the episode on the official Corner Gas website. The episide entitled ‘Block Party’ airs Monday February 20, 2006 on CTV.

Enjoy!
Allan B.

I found one of the new X-Pod sets in a store yesterday and of course had to pick one up to see what it was like. The first thing that caught my eye was the new outer packaging for the set itself. if you remember the first two series of X-Pods you know that they were shipped in a heavy plastic blister pack sealed with NASA-grade packing tape. They would sit on a shelf if nicely arranged but were really meant to hang on pegs like packages of batteries or something like that.

Fast forward to 2006 and the new X-Pods have a new look for their outer packaging. Check this out:

Now they’re wrapped in a nice boxboard shell. The X-Pod set itself is still in a plastic ‘cup’ inside, with the top and bottom lid as always. This new outer package opens up like a bag of chocolate chip cookies and you pull the set out.

I noticed a couple of things right away.

1) The instructions have gone from the mini-booklet style to a fold-out pamphlet style as shown here:

2) The X-Pod container itself was STUFFED! I mean I had trouble actually getting the bag of parts back in the shell to take this picture:

The part selection is really good, at least in the one I bought. Here’s the parts, including several of the tiny 1x1 slopes that came out last year.

I wish I could have included those little slopes in the Brickopedia but the .dat file I needed hadn’t yet been created.

So I started the post asking if this packaging change was good or not. On the whole I’d say, “yes” it was. I like the outer packaging a lot and I think it will actually help the sets sell. I’m not as crazy about the pamphlet style instructions but they’re not the worst thing in the world.

You’re probably wondering… is it a good set to build? You bet! See below:

All the best,
Allan B.

In a previous posting I discussed the Brickopedia found in Appendix A of my book. I was pleasantly surprised (and flattered) that Ben Fleskes used the Brickopedia as a starting point for a discussion on LUGNET about a more comprehensive parts reference tool. Rather than reposting my thoughts here, I’ll direct you to the thread on LUGNET so that you can get the full picture.

Click here to head over to LUGNET —–> Brickopedia discussions

Allan B.

I was contacted recently by a writer for an east coast American newspaper. Among his questions was one that really got me thinking. He asked, “What is your favorite Lego memory (specific
creation as a kid)?” So I let my mind drift back nearly 30 years and came up with this fond memory:

This was my first robot. My only robot really, as I can’t recall ever making another one. As you can see by his chest plate his name is “A". Pretty clever, huh? And he moved perfectly well, so long as you pushed him. I think there were about a dozen 2x2 wheelsets beneath that square base.

My mom is probably better able to date the picture (hi mom! ) based on the wallpaper in the background, but my guess is this was around 1978 or 1979.

Now…. roll the clock ahead about a quarter of a century. Same builder… same hobby… bigger models. Here’s what I mean:

What I find perhaps most interesting about this little memory exercise is that the 9-foot tall CN Tower that I built in 2003 likely contains at least one or more 1x6 white bricks that would have at one time been used to create “A". I ran short just near the end of the tower build and had to raid my childhood collection (normally stored separately) for a few of those pieces. Come to think of it…. I’m not sure I ever put them back. LOL

Allan B.

I have to say, working on articles/instructions for The BrickJournal is just as much fun as it was writing The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide. It gives me a chance to explore models and ideas that I wasn’t able to include in the book for one reason or another. In the case of the second issue of BrickJournal I created the complete instructions for what I’ve called The Mini Constellation. It’s a model inspired by LEGO’s original 1978 model of the U.S.S. Constellation.

I updated the color scheme to match the real ship as it exists today. It was refurbished in the late 1990s and is currently painted in a somewhat brighter palette than the original set was designed to show. Additionally, as the name suggests, my model is quite a bit smaller than the original official set.

Have I got you interested in knowing more about The Mini Constellation? If so, please click on the image below and then download (and read!) the latest edition of The BrickJournal.

Before I forget, I want to say that not only is it great to be a contributor to the BrickJournal but it’s equally wonderful to just be a reader. This is a huge and important project that Joe Meno has undertaken, if you ask me. This hobby - LEGO building/collecting - has been too long without a magazine to both represent the community and allow the community to communicate with itself. The internet has obviously played an important (if not critical) role in bringing adult builders out of the shadows and letting them know that there are others who enjoy the same pastime. But having a true magazine marks the beginning of a new chapter where the hobby can begin to document its activities and accomplishments. That documentation them becomes the historical record of the people and their creations. That is a task that is as critical as it was to first bring builders together. And the results so far (BrickJournal issues #1 and #2) show that not only was this community ready for such a magazine, but it was ready to make the magazine as amazing as some of the models that we’ve all seen over the years. I can’t wait for issue #3!

And as always, if you have comments (either about my BrickJournal contributions or about The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide) then please don’t hesitate to email me. My email address is:

ULBG [at] apotome [dot] com

Of course take out the words in the brackets and replace them with the appropriate symbols. I’d love to hear from you!

Best regards,
Allan B.

If I could have picked one thing that I thought LEGO should release but that I never thought they would release, it just might be set #3600…. and as the title of this post suggests, the set appears to contain elements suitable for creating a LEGO version of where you live.

Actually, the front of the tub reads, “Special LEGO bricks - 1200 pieces - Build your own house”

Here’s a link to the only picture I’ve so far seen of this set:

http://www.brickset.com/search.aspx?Set=3600-2

I can’t tell you how excited I am at the mere concept of this tub. I think it’s a clever and maybe even a bit risky move for LEGO to take. There are those who might argue that in the 21st century world of iPods, handheld video games, DVDs and so on that kids might not be interested in building their own house out of LEGO pieces. And to those who would argue that point I would say, “I think you’re wrong.” Take a few minutes to talk to a kid or their parent(s) and you’ll find out that kids do indeed still want to build something as 1950s as their house, or their school or whatever they can dream up. Kids might be exposed to more technology today than 25 years ago, but they’re still kids.

Allan

The other day I noticed that The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide had been referenced in the Wikipedia article about LEGO. It mentions the book title and ISBN number but leaves it up to you to find out more (such as how to order). That’s o.k. It’s just nice to have it mentioned there.

AB

Have you got a great Brickfest experience you want to share? If so, be sure to check out the contest that was announced on LUGNET yesterday. Joe Meno, the Editor/Publisher of BrickJournal and my friends at No Starch Press have worked together to come up with a neat contest that could see you winning a copy of The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide. The contest closes September 9, 2005 so be sure to sit down and relive your fav Brickfest moment soon!

Allan

O.K. sometimes it’s the little things in life that make you smile. I just recently discovered a podcast called “BimPCast". You can find the website here:

Now let me back up. I actually just discovered the whole idea of podcasting, thanks to BimPCast. Yes, I know I’m behind the times, but I only just got an MP3 player about 6 months ago, so I’m getting up to speed as quickly as I can.

So this past weekend (Aug 12 - 14 / 05) was Brickfest but unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend. To my pleasant surprise, BimPCast was there in the guise of Steven Combs and his delightful co-host Nikki. I was thrilled to listen to their light but insightful reporting on many of the events over the course of the three days. Once the weekend was over, I went back to the Bricks in my Pocket site and downloaded some of the older podcasts.

I was listening to show #10 featuring an interview with Joe Meno, Editor of The BrickJournal. Of course, back in the spring I’d written a short piece for the first issue and during the course of the podcast I was surprised to hear Steven mention my instructions for the fire engine. It was just one of those little moments in life, as noted above, that make you smile. So thanks Steven!

Regards,
Allan B.

I hate keeping secrets. So I’m glad that this one is no longer a secret.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you check out issue #1 of The BrickJournal. It was my pleasure to write a short article and set of instructions for the premier issue. But more than that, I believe this is a valuable addition to the LEGO hobby and I think Joe and the rest of the crew did an incredible job pulling this off.

Once you’ve downloaded your FREE copy of the magazine, be sure to check out the ad for The LEGO Builder’s Guide. Sorry, I couldn’t help but put in a plug for the book.

Regards,
Allan B.

It thrills me to see LEGO sets like this:

LEGO Shop: Make & Create: Building Bonanza (4886)

Not only is it a set comprised of many common parts (with a few specialty parts of course) but it’s a good set comprised of many common parts.

It’s my feeling that anyone who would buy and enjoy that set will also be a fan of The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide.

UPDATE: Dec 13/05
When I finally got a chance to build this set I was pleased to see that my initial feelings about it had been right. It reinforces many of the ideas and techniques presented in the book. The house in the official LEGO set actually shares some similar construction techniques with the train station I used in Chapter 3 of ULBG. Though I didn’t realize this until the book had already been published.

AB

A while ago I posted my thoughts about one of the new parts that has found its way into the new series of X-Pod sets. And as much as I like the X-Pod concept, I recently picked up a couple of new Racers sets that are just as much fun and wouldn’t you know one of them also includes the new slope.

My favorite one from this series is seen on the left (Flame Glider - set #8641). The car on the far right is the Street Maniac (set #8644). Of course, the car in the middle is set #611, all thirteen pieces of it. What an amazing difference the styling of 4-wide car models has undergone in the last 30 years.

What excited me the most, beyond the realistic look and feel of the new cars was the fact that they were 4 studs wide, but most definitely not scaled or designed for minifigs. I think the minifig has really been a mixed blessing for LEGO over the years. While it’s given them a small character(s) to inhabit a make-believe world it has also given them some models that appear to have been entirely designed around this little unrealistic figure who is nearly as wide as tall. The fact that these new Racers are nearly the same size as the old Police Car that was my very first LEGO set is truly wonderful. It shows me that great LEGO sets are still (and have always been) possible with or without the minifig as a driving force in the design process.

Later!
Allan

I picked up a couple of the 2005 X-Pods yesterday. I’m a big fan of this series of little sets. I think it still has great potential to continue to grow as a budget-priced series that anyone can afford.

What really got me excited about the Orange ‘Arachno Pod’ set (#4413) was the inclusion of 4 of this piece:

Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3

I think it first appeared last year in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Locomotive. If you haven’t seen this part in person yet, imagine the smallest slope you’ve ever seen (probably a 1x2 45-degree?) and then imagine one even smaller. Basically, it covers the stud it gets mounted on and that’s about it. It’s just about 2 plates high, but just.

Despite its tiny size I think this piece still qualifies as one deserving of ‘classic’ status. That is to say I think this element looks like it could have existed for years, fitting in with any other slope elements from years past. It’s not particularly a one-use element, though I think finding uses for it will be both interesting and challenging.

I suspect I’ll pick up a few more X-Pods this year to get more of these pieces, but will probably buy some indivually off Bricklink as well. Although looking at the prices currently being charged for them, I’m not sure that’s the most economical way to go about it. LOL

Regards,
Allan B.