bluephotographs800, Author at The Brick Show

Somerset, UK Hosting LEGO Exhibit, Spartan Brick Creations

Last month we shone a spotlight on a recent issue of Blocks, one of the major independent publications covering the LEGO scene. Some of the best elements the magazine has going for it are the splendid amount of content within, including building tips, advice and MOC from some knowledgeable contributors. One of Blocks magazine’s most well-known contributors is their Build Specialist Simon Pickard, a LEGO fan and wonder-builder who has also had the good fortune of having his worked showcased on official LEGO books. He’ll also be the principal guest for a LEGO builders’ exhibition in Wellington, Somerset County, UK aptly dubbed as Spartan Brick Creations.

For a single day this weekend, the Wellington Baptist Church will be the host for what has been termed as “An exhibition of creativity in LEGO”, better known as the “Spartan Brick Creations” event. Not only is Simon Pickard at the center of attention, there will also be build showcases of brick animals as featured in the recent “LEGO Animal Atlas” book published by Dorling-Kindersley.

With an admission price of £3 per head, with children under 2 allowed in for free, guests to the Spartan Brick Creations will be able to check out the LEGO builds on display, meet and greet with Simon Pickard, try their hand at construction with the free build zone, and of course be able to purchase a variety of LEGO sets both old and newly-released from the event’s partner merchants.

Lest you forget, Spartan Brick Creations is happening this Saturday, August 18, from 11AM to 5PM at the Baptist Church of Wellington in Somerset, UK.

Check Out This Ad Video for LEGO Star Wars Snoke’s Throne Room (75216)

A lot has already been said about Star Wars: The Last Jedi and its contrasting faces – decent blockbuster and fan-lambasted travesty – that you don’t need me to reiterate them. What we can do however is join in on gushing over the LEGO Star Wars sets tying in to the film. If you could recall, way back in March LEGO uploaded a hilarious abridged video of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on YouTube, summarizing that film (and its predecessors) in just two minutes. It featured LEGO animation of what was later confirmed to be the LEGO Star Wars Snoke’s Throne Room (75216) set, now finally released.

Apparently an abridging is not quite enough for LEGO, and their official YouTube channel now has another video, a commercial for the LEGO Star Wars Snoke’s Throne Room (75216). It focuses on the three principal minifigures of the set, and the characters they represent.

The ad features three kids playacting the incredible Throne Room fight from The Last Jedi using the LEGO Star Wars Snoke’s Throne Room (75216). They eventually get into an argument on which of Rey, Kylo Ren, or Supreme Leader Snoke is the strongest. The (animated) minfigs act out what the kids think of their abilities, until the argument distracts the children from the set and cause the minifigures to look up, unsure what to do. Its always amusing to see how kids can be brutally frank and at point with their commentaries.

In addition to the Snoke’s Throne Room (75216), you may want to check as well other new LEGO Star Wars sets already out at shop.LEGO.com, including the Hoth Medical Chamber (75203), Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter (75214) and X-Wing (75218) among others.

LEGO Rumors: LEGO BrickHeadz Simpsons and Fantastic Beasts Arriving in 2019

With us now well into the latter half of the year 2018, the time will soon begin when LEGO starts teasing what they’ve got in store for 2019. But it’s not just the official announcements to watch out for; there are also the rumors that pop up now and then. If you recall, we shared a pretty neat fan made infographic/poster that shows all the released and upcoming LEGO BrickHeadz sets that we are aware of as of to date. This particular poster has even reserved several spots for two dual-pack sets, one rumored to be a revival of a previous licensed LEGO set, and the other from a more recent franchise. If rumors are indeed true, then we might be seeing a LEGO BrickHeadz Simpsons and Fantastic Beasts anytime soon.

These latest LEGO BrickHeadz rumors, which have been floating around for quite some time, have hinted at a possible LEGO BrickHeadz Simpsons and Fantastic Beasts set, and both sets being a twofer at that. We get family patriarch Homer “D’oh!” Simpson and iconic franchise clown character Krusty for one set, numbered 41632. If this one’s true then the assumption that LEGO’s Simpsons license has expired (explaining the lack of new products) may not yet be true. Moving on, there’s also a 2-pack Wizarding World BrickHeadz for Fantastic Beasts, a late tie-in for The Crimes of Grindelwald this coming November. Reportedly, these BrickHeadz figures are Newt Scamander and Gellert Grindelwald, and they’ll be packaged under set 41631.

Like any other rumors, news of these LEGO BrickHeadz Simpsons and Fantastic Beasts sets should always be taken with a bit of salt. If there is one thing that these rumors have proven is the idea that LEGO BrickHeadz are here to stay, and LEGO still has plenty of plans for this chibi, collectible subtheme for 2019. As always, we’ll keep you posted on the recent developments on these sets, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for the latest LEGO BrickHeadz news.

Fan Creates Custom LEGO Series M Madonna Minifigures for Queen of Pop’s 60th Birthday

On Thursday, August 16, Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone – better known by only her first name and the appellation of “Queen of Pop” – turned 60 years old. Media and fans everywhere are now paying tribute to her long and storied career in music. That includes Sam Hatmaker, an artist who was inspired to honor two milestones. Working on the fact that both Madonna and the LEGO Minifigure hit two major anniversary dates this 2018 – 60 for her and 40 for it – he decided to combine them by handcrafting a set of custom LEGO Series M Madonna Minifigures in honor of the Queen of Pop.

Hatmaker’s LEGO Series M Madonna Minifigures comprises of 20 minifigures of the Queen of Pop’s life and reign in the music industry. Two of these are a baby-Minifig Madonna from her birth in 1958, and the age-20 Madonna of 1978 (debut of LEGO Minifigures), during her art modeling and backup dancing days in New York, before her start with music.

The rest of the Minifigures chronicle some of Madonna’s notable songs and her different looks for each in their respective music videos, from “Material Girl” to “Vogue”. Some of them emulate skirts by using classic Minifigure slope pieces. One cheeky addition is Madonna in the buff from her controversial 1992 coffee table book (complete with appropriately-positioned censor bars).

Ask on how Madonna would react if she saw his custom LEGO Series M Madonna Minifigures collection, Sam Hatmaker remarked, “I think she would be flattered on how much respect I have for her. Madonna changed the world — and my life — in many ways. She pushed buttons and tried to open people’s minds, always with her tongue planted firmly in her cheek. She continues to make art, and push for us to love ourselves and others, and tries to make the world a better place.”

To see more of Sam Hatmaker’s artistic LEGO MOCs, check out his official website here. Happy 60th Birthday to Madonna!

LEGO Ludo Game (40198) Discovered in a LEGO Berlin Store

All of us who have followed the various releases of LEGO products would know, that the very concept of LEGO toys means that they could be used to build almost anything. Buildings and vehicles are all fine and all, but there have also been LEGO board games such as the case of LEGO What Am I (40161) and LEGO Iconic Chess (40174). The idea of having a multiplayer board game that you need to assemble first before playing is both engaging and fun. And the latest addition to this uncommon line of LEGO sets – the LEGO Ludo Game (40198) – has just been found in a LEGO store in Berlin.

In the familiar fashion of stumbling into a new and still to be officially announced LEGO set, this LEGO Ludo Game (40198) was discovered by Brickset user blade_guy while visiting the said LEGO brand store in Berlin. The brick-built board game is a fairly accurate rendition of the Ludo board, but using minifigures as tokens and replacing the usual 6-side die with a 6-number spinner on one side. With a total 16 minifigures included in the set, this is a very practical and cost-effective way to add to your random minifigure collection.

Information shared by blade_guy has it that the LEGO Ludo Game (40198) is priced at €40 on the Berlin LEGO Store. Thus far it’s the only location the item has been located in, but LEGO’s likely to break the news now that it’s publicly known. Be sure to keep tabs with shop.LEGO.com for updates on when this will be available in the US. Thanks to Brickset for the heads up.

A Look at Another Seasonal Set: the LEGO BrickHeadz Turkey (40273)

It looks like some folks are fortunate to have their hands have an early try on some of the anticipated LEGO BrickHeadz sets for the latter of part of the year. Our friends over at Promobricks, for example, had their LEGO BrickHeadz Witch (40272) delivered early at their footsteps. And like any other super excited LEGO fan, they delved right away in building this year’s BrickHeadz Halloween set. As it turned out, other than the much welcomed surprise of building the LEGO BrickHeadz Witch, the building instructions for this set also offers another surprise: our first image of the next seasonal set, the LEGO BrickHeadz Turkey (40273).

The above image was shared by Promobricks, and features the LEGO BrickHeadz Turkey (40273) slated to be available in October. Similar to previously released seasonal LEGO BrickHeadz, this brick-built Turkey comes with attachments that mimics a carrot patch, pumpkin and other garden vegetation. I’m not really sure what that yellow piece that the turkey is holding represents (and I am not inclined to think that it is a piece of turkey bone), but the way the Turkey’s wattle was recreated, even its rear feathers, are really spot on even at such a small, cute scale. The gray and brown color scheme also adds up to that Thanksgiving vibe.

There is no piece count yet for the LEGO BrickHeadz Turkey (40273), but as with other LEGO BrickHeadz sets we can expect this next seasonal set to retail for $9.99 just in time for Thanksgiving. On a similar note, we are still waiting to have our first look at this year’s final LEGO seasonal sets to celebrate the Christmas season: the LEGO BrickHeadz Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Thanks once again to Promobricks for sharing this image.

Update: I’ve opted to include the above image from Brickset which offers a better look the details of the LEGO BrickHeadz Turkey (40273).

Head Over at UK’s Smyths Toystore in the UK on Bank Holiday for Some LEGO Harry Potter Freebies

This Wednesday, June 15, is the special launch event for the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (71043) set. In line with that is the appearance of designer Justin Ramsden at the Leicester Square LEGO Store in London to graciously sign the very first Hogwarts Castle sets (71043) purchased there. But that’s not the only significant Wizarding World-related event going on for the UK this month. Ten days from now, during the British Bank Holiday weekend on August 25, retail chain Smyths Toys will be doing an epic LEGO giveaway event; that means free LEGO Harry Potter sets await!

Word of this giveaway at Smyths Toys was posted on HotUKDeals, and further details reveal that this will be going on at all Smyths Toys Superstores throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so interested collectors need only to check out the Smyths branch nearest to them. These LEGO Harry Potter giveaways are good only until supplies last.

The LEGO Harry Potter Giveaway events at Smyths Toys Superstore will go on for only three hours, 11AM to 2PM, of Saturday, August 25 during the Bank Holiday. Also happening in conjunction with the giveaways are special Potter-verse activities like wand casting demonstrations and more.

Just to reiterate, the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (71043) is now available for LEGO VIP members, and is slated for a general public release on September 1. The set retails for $400, coming in at 6,020 pieces.

LEGO Ideas – Product Idea Spotlight: This Clockwork Aquarium Needs Your Support

It hasn’t been that long since we covered a new Product Idea that had just gotten 10,000 supporters and advanced into the LEGO Ideas Second 2018 Review Stage, in particular, like the Fiat 500 F by saabfan which hit the 10K mark only this Monday. This time we’ll shine a spotlight on a Product Idea that has yet to hit its milestone, but likely deserves that support. Here we have the Clockwork Aquarium by mjsmiley, a brick-built and larger-scale version of some old mechanical toys that mimicked fish moving around in a clear container that looks like it’s filled with water. And the effect here is remarkable.

Most dedicatedly decorated aquariums tend to be filled with random knickknacks to simulate an idealized sea bottom filled with aquatic plants, bottom-dwellers and sunken goods. It’s no surprise then that mjsmiley filled the Clockwork Aquarium build with a diving helmet, starfish, crab, coral, fish, and even a replica of an Easter Island Moai. Needless to say, its a custom LEGO Ideas project that is a feast to the eyes. Watch how it works.

The Clockwork Aquarium itself is encased on a furniture platform with a bottom cabinet filled with prop fish-food and a net for the fish. A hand crank to one side animates the plastic fish within, causing them to swim around with clear-plastic bubbles over their heads. Even the jumping mini crab seems to have plans of its own for these unsuspecting fish.

As of this writing, mjsmiley’s Clockwork Aquarium has garnered 4,341 supporters, nearly half of the needed 10-K mark that would propel it into a Review Stage. It’s got 473 days left to cross that finish line, and after seeing what I’ve seen I really wish it well to make it.

From the Rumor Mill: LEGO Creator Expert Free Fall Tower (10267) Coming in 2019.

EDIT: This post has been updated to reflect the recent developments on this set, which is now widely believed to be the LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Gingerbread House (10267). ~ September 9, 2019

It seems that fans of the LEGO Creator Expert Roller Coaster (10261) set will soon have another set that perfectly goes with it. As it turns out, there’s a new LEGO Creator Expert set on the way, and it’s going to be a complementary amusement park attraction that would go well with the mammoth-sized Roller Coaster. This was first spotted on a listing at the German online LEGO retailer Brick Merge. The Brick Merge listing identifies this possible new set as the LEGO Creator Expert Free Fall Tower (10267). Here’s a screenshot of the listing just in case the brick police comes knocking at Brick Merge’s footsteps.

Regular theme park visitors will probably remember this in some major venues, where they might be alternatively called drop towers. There’s nothing like the sensation of free-fall followed by heavy deceleration. A closer look at the LEGO Creator Expert Roller Coaster’s box art suggests that LEGO may have the Free Fall Tower (10267) set already in the works. Aside from the LEGO Creator Expert Ferris Wheel (10247) which can be seen from in background located at the right side of the box, a possible silhouette of the brick-built Free Fall Tower (10267) ride can be seen in the middle.

ferris wheel background 10261 alt1 — The LEGO Creator Expert Ferris Wheel (10247) can be seen in the background of the Roller Coaster’s box art.

Could this be the LEGO Creator Expert Free Fall Tower (10267)? We’ll soon find out.

Whether this product listing is legitimate or not, it’s still something to mull over for the future, considering its possible release date of 2019. It’s understandable either way, what with a new LEGO Creator Winter Village set already on the way, plus a LEGO Star Wars Cloud City set too.

LEGO Plants from Plants (40320) Set Giveaway Ends Today in the US

Last month, The LEGO Group introduced the first proof of concept for their adopted direction in toy manufacture, the use of sustainable materials for their plastic bricks and building elements. Said proof of concept is the special LEGO Plants from Plants (40320) set, containing vegetation props made of said sustainable materials. It’s already been a while since LEGO Plants from Plants (40320) has been available as a free giveaway for a minimum LEGO purchase, but that wasn’t going to last forever. And this Tuesday will be the last day for this particular giveaway online and in LEGO Stores in the US.

Then again, if you look at shop.LEGO.com, apparently LEGO Plants from Plants (40320) has been out of stock for some time now. If so then this being the final day of its giveaway becomes moot. Do note that in the UK the giveaway of set (40320) won’t end until Friday, but they’re all out there too.

Just as a refresher, one box of LEGO Plants from Plants (40320) comes free with every minimum total LEGO purchase of $35. In the UK, buyers can even chance to get both 40320 and the LEGO Unikitty Castle Room set (5005239) in one purchase. That lasts only until Friday.