Category: LEGO Ideas

Among LEGO sets, those of the LEGO Ideas line aren’t what one might term as “regular releases.” New Ideas sets depend on product ideas that gained fan support and impressed reviewers. And even then some time might pass between set announcement and actual launch date. But we digress. We may recall how back in February, LEGO Ideas chose “Sonic Mania: Green Hill Zone” to become a set. Back in September we caught scattered info on its product details: set number 21331 and an early 2022 release. Now, courtesy of German LEGO news source Promobricks, we have box art images too.

Said images were discovered by Promobricks on Mexican online market platform Mercado Libre. Behold LEGO Ideas #39, Sonic the Hedgehog (21331). Despite being dropped from the name, this is still clearly Sonic’s Green Hill Zone, originated by Viv “toastergrl” Granell. The set depicts an iconic stretch of the original “Sonic the Hedgehog” videogame’s first area. We have a grassy course spanning a short bridge, stage checkpoint and one loop. Sonic must navigate this course while collecting his power rings and TV-monitor power-ups. Standing in his way are crab- and beetle-type Badniks, with their master Doctor “Eggman” Robotnik. It looks like a LEGO Super Mario set but given a “Sonic” makeover.

The Mercado Libre retail listing prices LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) at about 2,699 Mexican pesos. That’s a bit pricier than the rumored European pricing months ago, of around €69.99 (the above converts to €115). The release window apparently remains the same, early 2022. If this set goes the way of Ideas #03 Minecraft, LEGO could create a new line to complement LEGO Super Mario. Gamer collectors can dream.

For aspiring builder-members of LEGO Ideas, almost any subject or franchise not touched by LEGO before has “set potential.” Builders could drum attention for IPs that might be considered obscure outside their core fandoms. We can see this in some submissions of the Third 2021 Review Stage. Who can readily remember the “Short Circuit” duology of 1980s sci-fi comedy films? Outside its native Finland (and adoptive home of Japan), who knows of the adorable “Moomins“? In the LEGO Ideas product idea stage, none of it matters but the set build. Now, it’s a 1960s-80s young-reader detective story series’ turn to impress.

The Three Investogators

If you know other youth-sleuth detective series beyond “Nancy Drew” and “The Hardy Boys,” you’ve probably read “The Three Investigators.” Created by Robert Arthur, the investigators are three teen amateur detectives living in coastal California. With the initial patronage of iconic film director Alfred Hitchcock, the Three Investigators tackled mysteries from 1964 to 1987. Despite cancellation in the US, the franchise has continued internationally, particularly in Germany. LEGO Ideas member Valkon created a brick-built rendition of the investigators’ office/headquarters. This product idea just gained 10,000 supporters over the weekend. Now the impending scrutiny of the review team awaits it.

Junkyard Office

Readers of “The Three Investigators” would recall the titular team working out of a trailer inside a salvage yard. Valkon brings the setting to life in one of the busiest building sets yet depicted in LEGO Ideas. The trailer’s front yard is littered in random junk, with a table saw, birdhouse and bikes. Our heroes Jupiter Jones (German “Justus Jonas”), Peter Crenshaw (“Shaw”) and Bob Andrews operate their business inside the trailer. We see accurate depictions of their office, photography darkroom and multiple secret entrances as described in the books. “Three Investigators” fans would certainly love to see this become an official LEGO Ideas set someday.

When it comes to American fast-food chains that have been known worldwide for so long, McDonald’s easily comes to mind. Considered one of the pioneers of modern fast-food restaurant service, McDonald’s stood out from the rest thanks to iconography. Foremost among the chain’s symbols are the so-called Golden Arches. At present the phrase means the stylized yellow “M” logo. But in earlier years they meant the actual gold-colored arches decorating McDonald’s restaurants since the 1950s. That original aesthetic is brought back to brick-built life in a product idea by adammark. His work is the latest 10-K supported LEGO Ideas submission.

The “McDonald’s Franchise 1955-1969” gives a nostalgic look at a piece of global Americana from earlier times. This McDonald’s building is a walk-up burger stand where motorists can park, order their burgers and drive off. Said building, and its roadside sign, sports the telltale golden arches identifying the franchise.

Ideas member adammark sought to make the 50s-60s design as authentic as possible. The interior reflects the “Speedee System” layout including burger grill, soda fountains, beverage multi-mixer, condiment lazy Susan and more. Five McDonald’s employees operate these facilities: two cashiers and three cooks.

But what’s a restaurant without customers? That part’s covered too, with adammark providing three patrons on two vehicles. A grizzled farmer grabs his midday snack on his pick-up truck. Two high-school sweethearts enjoy their burger date aboard their convertible. If that wasn’t era-authentic then we don’t know what is.

In summation, “McDonald’s Franchise 1955-1969” provides a new building to slot into a LEGO City neighborhood. The added two car mini-builds are a sweet bonus as well. This work by adammark totally deserves its 10-K support. Now we have another strong contender for passing the LEGO Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage.

LEGO Ideas is an idea platform for proposing sets featuring franchises that are not yet LEGO-licensed IPs. And sometimes, you can judge from Ideas how much the LEGO fandom, or at least the Ideas membership, want something. Check the date of submission for a product idea. Now take note of the date when it received 10,000 supporters. The shorter the gap (for a licensed IP submission), the greater the fan demand especially if LEGO hasn’t already. If this latest addition to the Third 2021 Review Stage is any indication, builder fans want LEGO Stargate.

The “Stargate” franchise began in 1994 with an MGM sci-fi action film. It spun off into a 1997 MGM Television series that aired on Showtime, then Sci-Fi/SyFy a full decade. Top-secret military adventures using an ancient “Stargate” portal, connecting worlds across the galaxy, proved a hit with audiences. LEGO Ides member CaptainMutant, channels that hype into a brick-built love letter to the franchise.

This product idea depicts the Stargate device on its mounting within USAF Stargate Command in the Cheyenne Mountain complex. Given that the “Stargate SG-1” series will turn 25 years old in 2022, getting 10-K support for this build makes for perfect timing.

In addition to the Stargate itself and the entry ramp, CaptainMutant’s product idea includes a buildable vehicle and minifigures. We have Col. Jack O’Neill, Capt. Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and rebel Jaffa Teal’c. They’re joined by Daniel’s pet cat Schrodinger and the MAL probe. The latter was added to the submission by CaptainMutant to celebrate 5-K support. And let’s not forget the Go’auld Jaffa invaders at back.

Additional props include tools for each Stargate operative and a Naquadah generator. Looking at this build, one can’t help but express support for a LEGO Stargate theme. This could be the beginning.

And now, let’s take a look at this new product idea on LEGO Ideas to gain 10-K support. It may be the last one to do so until around early January of the New Year. Why? We’ll get to that later. Anyway, this 10-K submission adds a new entry for the Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage carrying over to 2022. It also goes into a niche theme in a product ideas batch that’s dominated by building/structural sets. Even better, this product idea has a utilitarian function beyond looking like a beautiful brick construct. Here are the “Magic Bookends.”

At first glance this looks like a bunch of books made out of LEGO bricks. It might even draw comparisons to some play-sets that open from and close into book form. That must certainly be what its creator, Ideas 10-K Club member Brick Dangerous, wants you to perceive, but no. You actually take the build apart at the middle to put in some real books. The two halves keep them upright as bookends should. These Magic Bookends even include minifigures, elves that apparently turned the brick-built books into their houses. This is definitely a solid example of LEGO balancing art and function.

Still wondering why this LEGO Ideas submission may be the last for 2021? Well, the Ideas website currently has a popup notification regarding submission of product ideas. If these happen between Friday, December 17 and January 3, 2022 (a Monday), then they’ll run into “high moderation times.” The Ideas staff will be taking a Holiday break after all. They might not be able to vet new submissions and confirm 10-K support passers. That means some product ideas might just wait.

Hoping for a new 10-K-supported product idea on LEGO Ideas to report on kind of backfired for us. Anyway, with this double-header of a feature we would’ve covered all recent additions to their Third 2021 Review Stage. The prevalence of “cool building” set submissions remains unchanged, barring some notable exceptions.

Pirate Tavern

Ideas member Revan New gives us a product idea that evokes the classic LEGO Pirate theme plus history lesson. The build depicts, like its name, a tavern used by pirates as he imagines from the Caribbean island of Tortuga. Now a tourist destination in Haiti, Tortuga was a notorious pirate haven in the 17^th Century. Revan New does add some anachronistic steampunk elements to the Pirate Tavern, but they only enhance the appeal.

Indeed, the mix of 17^th-Century architecture with steam tanks and pipes, plus a complex winch crane, is eye-catching. The Pirate Tavern also looks like it stands on water, with access by boat on the front-door dock. LEGO Pirates is alive and well in this product idea, should it pass review.

Orchid

LEGO somehow netted flower lovers among their fans with their many buildable floral sets. JamesZHAN looks to channel that brick-built botanical aesthetic with his arrangement of white orchids. This product idea was originally conceived in 2018, when JamesZHAN had it displayed at the LEGO House Masterpiece Gallery. Some issues he cited with the set’s weight and balanced were fixed in his LEGO Ideas version.

The Orchid build depicts a White Orchid plant with a Sinocrassula Indica growing at its feet. Both plants are “potted” in a large white 2×2 LEGO brick. The white orchid has seven flowers in bloom and six buds. All in all, this is an epic LEGO floral build that collectors of LEGO Botany and Creator would love to pick up.

And that’s that! The LEGO Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage now has 25 product ideas with 10-K support, including these.

Still on LEGO Ideas, the number of submissions earning 10-K support for the Third 2021 Review Stage just got overwhelming. Now, we’re going 2-for-1 in features, with an original creation and a big licensed-IP build.

The Riverside Scholars by Hanwasyellowfirst

Sometimes, giving your product idea a backstory can enhance the build’s appeal for potential supporters on LEGO Ideas. We experienced this with the Steampunk Explorers submission from Caster-Troy and Max Brich. Hanwasyellowfirst does a more concise blurb on his product description, but what a description. “The Riverside Scholars” is a fantasy building set, depicting a tranquil retreat house straddling a small waterfall. Said house is home to three wise scholars studying life, the universe and everything. Their lifestyle entices a young boy from the nearby village to follow their footsteps.

The product idea comprises 2,500 pieces and four minifigs (the scholars and the boy). Riverside Scholars looks to be a “Zen” yet fun LEGO Ideas play-set that could also double as a meditation area decoration.

LEGO Ghibli by yop1172.

When it comes to prestige feature-length Japanese animation, no names come first before Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Many of their anime movies are iconic parts of Japanese pop culture. They’ve also done heavy lifting in getting mainstream Western appreciation for the anime medium. Ideas member yop1172 proposes a “mega-set” comprising four distinct builds based on four Miyazaki-directed Studio Ghibli films.

Castle in The Sky

• The first Ghibli movie directed by Miyazaki. This micro-build depicts the titular floating castle of Laputa

My Neighbor Totoro

• Ghibli movie #3 and the second with Miyazaki directing. Forest spirit Totoro is buildable to accompany the Mei minifigure.

Spirited Away

• 12^th Ghibli film and sixth Miyazaki directorial masterpiece. We have spirited-away Chihiro next to the mystical bathhouse, rendered in micro scale.

Howl’s Moving Castle

• Ghibli movie #14, and the seventh time Miyazaki was at the helm. You thought Laputa was impressive? Check out the titular (micro-scale) moving castle, in superb complexity, accompanied by Howl and Sophie.

With LEGO Ghibli, the Ideas Third 2021 Review Stage arguably has three anime-IP sets competing for reviewers’ attention. This is one set we really hope passes review. It also makes this writer think of the possibilities for LEGO Makoto Shinkai.

After a lull in new 10-K supported submissions, LEGO Ideas is getting busy again. New additions to the Third 2021 Review Stage have surged. We at The Brick Show try to give each new product idea with 10,000 supporters the coverage they need. This latest aspiring set from The Half Blood Baron can be quite topical with regards to another Ideas product. The LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (92176) celebrated the American space program. This submission pays homage to the Apollo-Saturn’s Soviet/Russian counterpart, one that remains in active use today, with generational upgrades: Soyuz.

The Half Blood Baron’s Soyuz Rocket product description points out its reliable long-runner reputation in space flight. Its most recent iterations work to ferry astronauts/cosmonauts to and from the International Space Station (another Ideas set, 21321). Soyuz refers to both spacecraft and launch rocket, the latter with its distinctive first-stage blocks. All components fit together in mechanical precision. The set has the Soyuz craft in both stored and deployed forms, depending on builders’ display preference. Within the Third 2021 Review Stage, The Half Blood Baron’s Soyuz fits in well with the JWST. If it does pass review, then the Soyuz would look appropriate displayed beside the Apollo Saturn V. LEGO space geeks should dig this.