Category: LEGO Ideas

LEGO Ideas “Galaxy of Celebration” Contest Ends Entry Input; Fan Vote 1 Starts Jan. 27

When was the last time we covered a Contest on LEGO Ideas? Apparently it was way back in November. An average LEGO Ideas Contest duration tends to be just over two months. Roughly one month of that time would be spent allowing Ideas members to submit entries. The most recent Contest on the other hand ran twice as long in terms of Idea Intake. We could pretty much understand, given the medium being requested by the Contest. Taking LEGO Star Wars sets/characters and doing brickfilm of them celebrating Earth Holidays “Star Wars” style? It’s a lengthy production process true; but this week it finally ended.

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January 13 marked the end of taking entries for the LEGO Ideas “A Galaxy of Celebrations” Contest. While there were little to no Idea Input in the first few days, ultimately over 120 brickfilms were submitted. These videos depict the Star Wars cast celebrating various holidays, from Yuletide to Father’s Day to (naturally) May the 4th. From the final batch of brickfilms, a LEGO Ideas review will select 20 submissions for a fan vote. The fan vote will choose four especially great brickfilms for further review. These will move onto a second fan vote where a grand winner will emerge.

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The first fan vote winners (4) will receive a LEGO Ideas tote bag, UCS Republic Gunship (75309) and AT-AT (75288). Of course, all entrants will want to be chosen as the grand winner in the second fan vote. For their efforts the final victor gets the hot UCS AT-AT (75313). That would explain why the brickfilms just exploded well into December 2021. Let’s look forward to this Contest’s first fan vote starting January 27 until February 3. We’ll have an idea on what to expect for our four winners then.

Legendary Concorde by Orbiter88 Gets 10-K Support for LEGO Ideas First 2022 Review

There was a time when people who have become used to air travel were fascinated with flying faster than sound. Supersonic commercial passenger flight became an aspiration for air carriers since the 1950s. The concept was realized by the former USSR and collaboration between France and the UK. For the Soviets, they rolled out the Tupolev Tu-144; for UK-France, they fielded the Concorde. While supersonic transport was initially cool, problems quickly arose. Wear-and-tear, noise, sonic booms and rising fuel costs led to the retirement of SST aircraft by the 2000s. They never got any successors.

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Despite the abortive supersonic experience, SSTs continue to fascinate airliner aficionados long after they retired. That would explain LEGO Ideas member Orbiter88 creating a brick-built Concorde aircraft, and why it just got 10-K support.

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“The Legendary Concorde” depicts the Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde which first flew in 1969 and served 1976-2003. The aircraft features retractable landing gear and the signature tilting cockpit nose. It also boasts British Airways livery on its portside and Air France at starboard side.

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The model can be freestanding on its landing gear, or displayed via a provided adjustable stand. For the most part the build is seamless, like any high-quality plastic-model aircraft.

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The Legendary Concorde becomes the second entry to get into the LEGO Ideas First 2022 Review Stage. Its predecessor the Third 2021 Review Stage ended earlier this week with 36 product ideas gaining 10-K support.

LEGO Ideas First 2022 Review Stage Begins with “Forestmen Secret Inn” 10-K Support

As we’ve reported prior, the LEGO Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage closed earlier this week. By the end of it, 36 product ideas gained 10-K support for inclusion in the group review. That much was detailed in a LEGO Ideas Blog post this past Monday. We’ve had the pleasure of covering each submission. The concepts vary in idea, theme and licensing, although most were building sets in some form. But before we get to that, we also noticed that a new product idea with the support milestone has appeared. It’s now the inaugural entry to the First 2022 Review Stage.

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Facebrickup tips the hat to LEGO’s building and medieval-theme fandoms with “The Forestmen Secret Inn.” It features expies of Robin Hood and his Merry Men in their secret lair, an inn hidden within the forest. The building features some mechanical gimmicks like fold-out awnings and opening from the back to reveal the interior.

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Our not-Robin is accompanied by two other Forestmen and a Forestmaid managing the inn. He even gets a partner stag to sell the Forest atmosphere. As for the inn, the details are great. We get three stories plus loads of furnishings and props for a lived-in feel.

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In summation, this is a great start for the newest LEGO Ideas Review Stage, the first this year. Meanwhile, the 36 product ideas of Third 2021 Review Stage should indeed be being reviewed now. Their earlier brethren from Second 2021 might soon be getting their final verdicts for official LEGO set-dom soon. You can check the remaining under-review submissions from year 2021 here. With that done, here’s a summary of the Third 2021 10-K sets:

Third 2021 Review Stage Submissions:

“Garden and Greenhouse,” “It’s A Wonderful LEGO Life” Last 10-K Entries for Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage

It was only a matter of time before LEGO Ideas closed their Third 2021 Review Stage. After all, the period actually overlapped into the start of 2022. In any case this review stage indeed came to an end over the weekend. Of course, some last few product ideas managed to gain the necessary 10,000 supporters to join the batch. As expected, we have more building/structural submissions trying to run the Review gauntlet to official set-hood. One is a sprawling set to complement the LEGO Botanical line. Another is a product idea we recommended for support last year, and got it.

The Garden and Greenhouse

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First, let’s look at The Garden and Greenhouse by 10K Club member kris_kelvin. The product name itself is a giveaway of what to expect. But even those expectations would be shattered at what the creator came up with. We get a sprawling complex, to scale with minifigures, half covered with gardens and the other dominated by said greenhouse.

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LEGO plant pieces dot the set providing plastic flowers and vegetables. Creator kris_kelvin sees The Garden and Greenhouse as a complementary structure to LEGO City neighborhoods. Nothing says a LEGO community supports “local food” like a garden/greenhouse providing fresh veggies within reach.

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It’s a Wonderful LEGO Life

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Another 10-K product idea that got into the Third 2021 Review Stage is, as we said, one we featured. Last November, “It’s a Wonderful LEGO Life” by Jason and Jane Middaughs saw some press attention. Now, it’s got full support. This brick-built set depicts iconic Holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring James Stewart. The Middaughs (twrt0es on LEGO Ideas) created the submission to celebrate the movie’s 75th anniversary back in 2021. Even if it passes review later on, the set’s a bit delayed. But it’s better late than never.

In Closing

Keep following us here on The Brick Show for a wrap-up of LEGO Ideas’ Third 2021 Review Stage. Or perhaps we’ll feature the first 10-K submission for the First 2022 Stage, whichever comes first.

LEGO Ideas Sonic (21331) Fan Designer Presents Alt-Build Tips for Eggman Figure

January 1, 2022 saw the release of LEGO Idea set #39, Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone (21331). This highly-anticipated item was based on the brainchild of Ideas contributor Viv Grannell, aka toastergrl. As with some previous Ideas sets, this final product features significant changes from its original version. It now depicts the original first level of “Sonic the Hedgehog” (1991) on the Sega Genesis. Grannell’s submission had been based on the updated Green Hill Zone from 2017’s “Sonic Mania” nostalgia title. This change, toastergrl doesn’t mind. In fact, she even has her own suggested alterations of the released product.

As The Brick Fan tells it, Viv “toastergrl” Grannell has provided alternate building instructions for LEGO Ideas 21331. These alternative steps can be downloaded on LEGO MOC platform Rebrickable. They involve designs for the brick-built Dr. Eggman/Robotnik figure. Grannell’s original ideas for the Eggman figure featured articulation, lost in the Ideas Sonic set for stability purposes. Thus, these MOC instructions add/change pieces to 21331’s Eggman figure to give him moveable arms and a bushier mustache. And indeed, the resulting alternative build looks more action figure-like, if somewhat less stable.

Grannell adds on her Rebrickable account that she has more alternative ideas for Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) coming up. So stay tuned there for possible Green Hill Zone layout rebuilds, and Badnik designs beyond the featured Moto-Bug and Crabmeat. The basic set was already customizable by connecting multiple copies end to end. Therefore, all these comes as a natural progression. And if you haven’t gotten LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) yet, then go fast! Why wait any more?

Another LEGO Ideas 10-K Submission: “Sheriff’s Office” by Lucky

Building sets remain king among the 10-K-supported submissions for LEGO Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage. Original or licensed-IP, their combined numbers simply outstrip every other product idea genre in this grouping. Judging from the quality of what we’ve been seeing however, we may not want it any other way. It does make choosing one to favor (outside the judging) difficult though. They’re all so awesome. And this new submission from Ideas member llucky muddles the “sure” fan favorites even further. It may be another original without a licensed IP basis. But who can say no to this level of detail?

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“Sheriff’s Office – Wild West” by llucky is another complex, detail-heavy building set aspiring to pass review in LEGO Ideas. Looking at the images we feature here, we can confidently say this product idea earned its 10,000 supporters. The Sheriff’s Office building is a two-story brick-built structure, familiarly designed in the Old-West architectural aesthetic.

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Serving as both workplace and residence, the sheriff holds office and keeps crooks locked up in the first floor. The second floor contains his meager quarters and a strongbox for money and other valuables. The office also boasts a two-side balcony for observation and necessary defensive purposes.

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The set is populated by six minifigures: sheriff and deputy, two passing cowboys and two hostile bandits. Two minifig horses and a buildable vulture add atmospheric accents to the scene. Variouslarge props from the rainwater barrel to the horse-cart and sheriff’s desk are full of painstaking detail.

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Rest assured, Western aficionado LEGO collectors will have a grand time posing, displaying and playing with this set. For that to happen however, it must prove its worth in the 34-strong Third 2021 Review Stage. It ought to wind down this early 2022.

LEGO Ideas: bulldoozer’s “Gremlins” Gets 10-K Support

Amblin Entertainment brought us some memorable film characters brought to life by puppetry. Aside from E.T. himself, they also gave us Gizmo the Mogwai and his antagonistic accidental offspring, “Gremlins.” The original 1984 film was a dream-team collaboration featuring pre-“Harry Potter” Chris Columbus, Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg himself. The 1990 sequel even featured a Gremlin made out of LEGOs. Since then, LEGO and “Gremlins” have occasionally teamed up. Look no further than “The LEGO Batman Movie” and the now-defunct “LEGO Dimensions.” But a new more-lasting tie-in could be in store. First, this 10-K submission from a 10-K member must pass muster in LEGO Ideas.

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Celebrated Ideas member Ivan “bulldoozer” Guerrero needs no extensive introduction. His master building skills gave us LEGO Ideas #32, 123 Sesame Street (21324). His creations tend to get 10-K support or win in Ideas contests. Now, his latest fully-supported product idea brings the world of “Gremlins” to brick-built life. This set depicts the home of the Peltzer Family, whose son Billy becomes Gizmo’s one-time owner.

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The house features four rooms: living room, kitchen, Billy’s bedroom and the workshop of his dad Randall. Snow and Holiday decorations abound, a reminder that “Gremlins” is a Christmas movie.

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In terms of minifigures, bulldoozer gives us six. Billy Peltzer is joined by girlfriend Kate, Gizmo’s keeper Mr. Wing, Gizmo himself, and three gremlins born from him.

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These three are led by Stripe, so-called for his white tuft of hair. Billy’s other friend Pete also joins in, as a microfigure dressed in a Christmas tree costume. A wide variety of included props make references to not just the 1984 original, but its 1990 sequel. This is yet another license-IP contender for the LEGO Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage, which carries over to this early 2022.

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Watch: LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) Gets a Nostalgia-Filled Video

So yeah, we can expect LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) to sell like hotcakes when it launches January 1. That much is certain considering that the set is primarily targeted at adults. And why shouldn’t it be? Many collectors gunning for this 39th LEGO Ideas set would have grown up with Sega’s mascot videogame character. Aside from the usual LEGO news outlets, even gaming sites like IGN have covered this wonderful item. Many of these features even went with videos of 21331, as photogenic as it is. Needless to say, LEGO won’t be falling behind in promoting its own.

Brick Fanatics tells us that LEGO has released a promo trailer for the Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog set (21331). It’s no designer vid, but one that really calls to the franchise fan in every LEGO collector. We see a first-person POV of a fan playing “Sonic” videogames across the decades. He starts with the original 1991 game on his Genesis and a CRT TV. Then he moves to a Sega Game Gear title. Next, he’s playing Sonic on the last Sega console the Dreamcast. The guy even ignores a call from one “Amy” on his period-appropriate Nokia. Several fast game-gen transitions later, the POV dude puts a “Sonic” minifig on a familiar-looking LEGO Ideas set.

If you grew up in the 1990s playing Sega Genesis and claim this didn’t touch you, we name you liar. It’s easily the most nostalgia-powered commercial for any retro-aesthetic product yet devised. Not only is LEGO Ideas Sonic (21331) assured of selling, there’s also the possibility of collectors getting multiples. Making the pieces comprising Green Hill Zone connectible end-to-end is a stroke of genius. Come January 1, 2022, LEGO collectors have “Gotta Go Fast!”

NASA SR-71 Blackbird by Brickerbeard Gains 10-K Support on LEGO Ideas

At this point in time, the LEGO Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage now boasts 32 10-K-supported product ideas. The latest addition to this batch for product review comes from a build first submitted only in February this year. Indeed, we have another product idea that garnered the necessary 10,000 supporters in less than a year. This new entry to the latest review stage also increases the number of notable vehicle builds in the selection. While not a fantastical design, the real-world aesthetic and proper minifigure scaling gives it some strong points. Now take a look at this NASA SR-71 Blackbird.

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This new 10-K Ideas submission is the brainchild of Brickerbeard. As made obvious, this is a LEGO model of the famed Lockheed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. The so-called Blackbird saw action in high-altitude recon during the Cold War decades. When it was initially retired in 1988, NASA took two SR-71s for suborbital supersonic flight tests until 1998. Brickerbeard used around 1,650 LEGO pieces to recreate the aircraft in just the right scale to seat two minifigures. He also went for additional accurate details. The NASA livery is spot on. The same goes for the pilot-navigator team, based on NASA SR-71 operators Edward Schneider and Marta Bohn-Meyer.

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This NASA SR-71 product idea may seem barebones with just the plane and two minifigs. But in Brickerbeard’s case, the simple approach is best. We’ll have to wait and see if this 10-K submission makes it through the Third 2021 Review Stage. Said review period will end sometime early 2022.

LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) Listed Online at Last

To better pace our daily LEGO news, we at The Brick Show put this off as much as we could. But now we’re spreading the word. A Mexican retailer put it up online the day before. But now, LEGO finally has its official product listing. We’re talking of course about the 39th LEGO Ideas set: Sonic the Hedgehog (21331). Brickset gives us this happy news of a long-awaited set. While some details were revealed in the box image from the Mexican retailer, now we have a clearer picture. Let’s have a look at the final evolution of Viv “toastergrl” Grannell’s original product idea years ago.

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For starters, the name “Sonic the Hedgehog” says plenty from the original “Sonic Mania – Green Hill Zone.” Both original and finished product depicts the iconic Green Hill Zone game area. But Grannell referenced the remade version from 2017’s “Sonic Mania.” The official LEGO Ideas set instead looks back to the original 1991 “Sonic the Hedgehog” on the Sega Genesis. Dr. Egmman/Robotnik is back on his Egg Wrecker instead of the Death Egg Robot. Apparently the layout was also designed so it could be expanded by multiple Ideas Sonic (21331) sets. The Sonic minifigure also sees a slight overhaul from its original outing on “LEGO Dimensions.”

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From Sonic, to Robotnik, to the Badniks and terrain, LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) is a love letter. For LEGO builders who felt the need to “Gotta Go Fast” since the 1990s, January 1 couldn’t get here fast enough. And with that, we go to the product details themselves.

LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog – Green Hill Zone (21331)

1,125 pieces | 1 minifigure | $69.99 | coming January 1, 2022

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Celebrate a pop culture icon and showcase the gameplay of a true classic with this LEGO® Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog™ – Green Hill Zone model (21331). Enjoy quality time with no distractions, recreating authentic details of the Green Hill Zone, including a palm tree, bridge loop, rings, TV screens, Dr. Eggman’s Eggmobile and a spring for Super Sonic Jumps.

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  • Recreate the Green Hill Zone in LEGO® bricks – Recapture the magic of Sonic the Hedgehog™ with this LEGO Ideas model of an all-time classic platform game level (21331)
  • Iconic characters – A Sonic the Hedgehog™ LEGO® minifigure, plus brick-built figures of Dr. Eggman with his buildable Eggmobile, Moto Bug with 2 face options, and Crabmeat
  • Authentic obstacles and details – Build a palm tree, bridge loop and lever-activated spring for Super Sonic Jumps, plus 7 rings and 2 buildable TVs with 5 screen elements and 5 sticker options
  • Collect Chaos Emeralds, just like in the game – Earn an emerald for every build you complete and display all 7 on the stand with Sonic

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