Thursday, December 31, 2009
and welcome 2010!
BrickJournal is still growing, and now there's a podcast available on iTunes, and there's more coming! It's a very exciting time for the magazine as new media is becoming part of BrickJournal's expanding mission.
And we're doing something else new...a new event. It'll be another chance for the LEGO fan community to meet and show their talents.
So it's a time to move forward. I am very happy and proud of what has happened so far, but more importantly, I am very happy to have met so many people this year who share our hobby. I am most excited about meeting all teh people that have yet to be discovered - the AFOLs who only lurked online and decided to come to an event, the AFOLs I know all over I will no doubt see again, and the AFOLs to be we are showing how to build and create.
So Happy New Year to everyone!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
NXT Warehouse.mov
If you were wondering what was going on at LEGOWorld from the NXT guys, here it is!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
LEGO-oriented article
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The LEGO Life
Click on the pic to the essay he wrote.
This is from one of the first LEGO builders I met, Jon Palmer. For those who are AFOLs, this will resonate tremendously. And for those who aren't, it'll give you a hint about us.
Friday, December 4, 2009
LEGO Universe Coverage
LEGO Universe is the online multiplayer game being developed by the LEGO Group. There has been coverage on LEGO.com, but here's some more information from other sites:
Zam.com:
http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=20235
Cnet.com:
http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10001743.html
EuroGamer.com:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/first-lego-universe-gameplay-details
GamerPro.com:
http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/212715/lego-universe-preview/
GeekDad:
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/10/lego-universe/
LEGO Universe is set for release in 2010.
Hat tip to NetDevil.com
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Twins Tower
One of the traditions of the holiday are advent calendars. LEGO has two currently available (well, only one in the US - the Pirate Advent Calendar is only available in Europe, which has caused much consternation elsewhere), and there are AFOLs who build their own.
One of the best known AFOL advent calendars is built by the Japanese builder MisaQa. Every year, she builds a thematic calendar - in 2005 she made birds. 2006 had her build Victorian ladies, and 2007 she did a microcity. Last year, she built mythical creatures.
This year, MisaQa starts out with a micro skyscraper. Looking forward to what she is building for the holiday!
Friday, November 20, 2009
LEGO Business Cards...
Helping the Community...
Builders contributing models for auction include: Kyle Peterson, Jason B, Michael Jasper, Don Wilson, Keith Goldman, Brian Kescenovitz, Heather Braaten, Jordan Schwartz, Dave Kaleta, Zack Milenius, Tom Williamson, Tristan Bowersox, Alex Eylar, Tyler Clites, Dan Rubin, Lloyd W, Jörg F, Jared Burks, and John B.
Current auctions can be seen here.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Buzz Build in Orlando!
Festival of the Masters is going on now at Downtown Disney, Orlando, Florida and the LEGO Imagination Center is doing a Master Build with Buzz Lightyear! Here's the reference model.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Biggest LEGO Mario ever built - Grootste LEGO Mario ooit
To the many that missed LEGOWorld, here's a look at one of the models there that *wasn't* done by LEGO model builders!
When You Wish Upon a Star...
LEGO Cuusoo is a site that has been around for a bit, but only recently got translated to English. You can read the FAQ here.
In some ways, it looks like LEGO Design byME. You can create your own set. However, there is a big difference - LC allows for the opportunity to make production runs of selected sets. The LEGO Group is an official partner in this, also.
The site is in open beta, so there are bugs, and the error messages are in Japanese, so have Google translate handy. Registration takes a few moments to do, but it allows you to vote and create wishes.
However, the idea is pretty cool - make a wish, get 1000 supporters, and your wish gets considered for a production run!
Main Street Train Station, Walt Disney World
In a few days, I will be at Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney, Orlando, Florida. It's an arts show, with chalk drawings on teh sidewalk and many, many vendors. The LEGO Imagination Center has a display from the local LEGO group to join in the fun. This year there will be a Master Build of Buzz Lightyear too!
This is one of the models on display in 2008. Built by Robin Werner, this is a nice rendition of the Main Street Train Station at the Magic Kingdom.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Competing Brands...
It was a bit ago that there were a few competitors to the LEGO brick, including the military Blockmen and of course Megabloks and Best-Lock. One competing brick that did not last was the Tyco brick. Here's an ad from them, displayed at the LEGO Idea House in Billund, Denmark.
From BrickJournal's photo archive.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Lighted LEGO Lamp Post
If you want a light for your layout....Rob the Brickmodder made some self-contained lights!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Odds and ends...
If you want to see a nice model go to this link. It's not very often that real objects are modeled, and this is pretty cool in that the model does everything but actually work.
And if you are a Mac user and play with building LEGO models with Bricksmith, there is a new version out that you can get here! I use it for making models (yes, I did build Wall-E, but it's a 2000 part model!!) and use it with LPub to make instructions.
And there is progress with the website going on...more in a bit on that.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
BrickJournal.com's New Groove
Print advantages are:
1. Very portable - you can carry around the mag at will in your bookbag.
2. Nice presentation - well, if designed correctly:-)
3. Easy to disseminate - why pass a link when you can pass a publication???
Print disadvantages are:
1. High investment - need some programs to produce content
2. Production cost is high - to make cost-effective, there have to be large magazine runs.
3. Decay - a magazine will last only as long as you take care of it.
The web as media offers:
1. Video - some displays, like the Great Ball Contraption at events need to be seen in motion to appreciate them.
2. Audio - an interview that is taped has more than the written word.
3. Space - for photos and instructions - the web is as big as we make it!
4. Interactivity - links to galleries, other pages, and more can be made...
so the question is: how can these be worked together? There's some ideas already being floated around...but the first priority is to make (or at least try to make) the website a destination for those wanting to know about the community and the magazine.
As a designer (I have a design degree from North Carolina State University), I realized early on that the web has tremendous potential for showing MOCs. A viewer can see all of a model with a video and with new media. I am planning BrickJournal to be part of this and am doing some research and development on my own some areas. Stay tuned to see what is going on:-)!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Hey! What happened?
Here's what happened and what is happening...
We switched webhosts from Near-Time, as they are changing their services to a new model. Notice was given to us about a month ago, and with that the process of receiving all the files from them was done over the next week. From there, a new webhost was found and set up, and...
I looked at this as an opportunity. While BrickJournal.com had some good things about it, I wanted to see more.
For those wondering about the subscription for the site, it's gone. The subscription was meant for a premium level of accessibility for the website and its contents, however, it was a failed experiment. The site generated a very small amount of revenue, but not enough to support the site and any content I wanted to use as enhancements. The revenue gathered was used for support of the site, but it ultimately declined to a very low level and shut off entirely by Near-Time.
So, the site as we know it is now gone. The content is now with the new webhost, but will have to be reconfigured for something new.
So what is going to happen? In the next couple of weeks, there will be some new construction going on with the website. Instead of a blog like page like it formerly was, BrickJournal.com will look like, well, a website. There will be a section devoted to the current issue with exclusive content, such as video and photos that didn't get in the magazine. A second section will have the current news items that we get from LEGO and other sources, such as DK Publishing. And a third section will have exclusive content on the site, such as video and instructions. And that's just the beginning...
And now is an opportunity for you. What would you want to see on the new BrickJournal site? Drop a line here - I'll be watching.
And I'll be putting updates on the website design - a basic design has been decided, and now refinements are going on. As we closer to launch I will be posting some layouts.
So when is launch? The goal is to have the site set up and running to cover the Festival of the Masters in Florida, in about two weeks. As new sections are completed, they will be added.
Excited? I am!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Caption Contest Winners!
by Edward:
How come I always get stuck with R2?
Where's my bikini-clad slave Leia?
by inkblob:
You can see here, the Death Ball orbiting the forest moon of Encrab.
and the winning caption of the LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Megapack
(LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary, one launch event T-shirt, one San Diego Comic-Con postcard pack, and a Darth Vader minifigure):
by wyndryder:
That's right, son. Now run up and kick it!
I need mailing addresses for all the winners to send their prize packages, so send your mailing info to: admin@brickjournal.com
Many thanks to all who entered and also to DK Publishing for providing prizes!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Caption Contest Deadline
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Caption Photo 3
Here's the last pic to caption - you can choose from one or all of them. Put your caption in the comments and the best one overall will get a LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Mega Pack, and the next three will get the Mini Pack! Have fun!
Caption Photo 2
Here's the second pic to caption - you can choose from one or all of them. Put your caption in the comments and the best one overall will get a LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Mega Pack, and the next three will get the Mini Pack! Have fun!
Caption Photo 1
Here's the first pic to caption - you can choose from one or all of them. Put your caption in the comments and the best one overall will get a LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Mega Pack, and the next three will get the Mini Pack! Have fun!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Of Sets and Contests...
I was asked about the smaller Millenniun Falcon set that came out about a month ago. I bought it when it arrived on the shelf, so a friend wanted a review.
I told him that it was a pretty nice set with a lot of parts for building other stuff. When asked if I liked this set over the Ultimate Collector's version of the Falcon, I quickly answered tha I liked the smaller much better. Why?
It's more swooshable. Really.
On another note, the contest for the Mega and mini packs is going to be a (drum roll)....
wait for it....a CAPTION contest!
I'll be posting pics late tonight, so the idea is to come up with the funniest caption - best one gets the mega prize, and the next best 3 get the mini packs. And yes, I plan to have more than one photo. So see ya soon!
Star Wars: A New Beginnng...
When the sets first came out in 1999, I was working at Disney World (Downtown Disney at DisneyQuest). I needed to get a second job to get things financially stable, so I decided to apply for a job at the LEGO Imagination Center. Working at DIsney, it wasn't had to get in at the LIC, and after training, I was placed on play area duty..outside.
One of the benefits, though, was the discount, and the first set I bought there was the first version of the Star Wars X-Wing. The set was grey and had the fighter and a support vehicle. And I opened it and built it outside the store. It was a nice day, and I just found a space in the shade and started building.
After six weeks, I left the LEGO job - it was too hot working outside. But I kept on buying sets, which led me to finding LUGNET and Ebay online, and after that I became an AFOL.
So for me, the Star Wars sets were a new beginning for me. I know that more than a few AFOLs came back to the hobby because of the Star Wars sets which one got you back into building?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Skinny on the LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Launch...
The prizes:
Well, here are the things I get to give away:
1 Mega pack - which is 1 LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary, 1 10/10/09 T-shirt (commemorating the event), 1 postcard pack from San Diego Comic-Con, and 1 Darth Vader minifigure.
3 Minipacks - which each have 1 LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary and 1 10/10/09 T-Shirt.
How do you win these? Hmmm......
Cloud City Spread
Spread 1...
Check out the BrickJournal blog for some contests - more after the pages are uploaded!
LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary Cover
For those in the US, there will be a launch event happening for this book on 10.10.09 - you can go here:
http://us.dk.com/static/cs/us/11/101009/events.html
for event sites. From the DK event site:
LEGO STAR WARS: The Visual Dictionary, which was a prominent feature this year at San Diego’s International Comic Con, will be released on October 10th at select stores across more than 65 cities.
Fans can meet and take pictures with the StormTroopers of the 501st Legion and other STAR WARS characters. The public event will include giveaways such as posters, stickers, LEGO product, limited-run LEGO STAR WARS postcard packs, and other freebies.
In the meantime, here are some spreads to look at...
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
LEGO STAR WARS Visual Dictionary Fun!
See ya soon!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Standing Small spreads
Here's a spread from The LEGO Book's companion book, Standing Small. This book is focused on the minifigure, and will be sold as a set with the LEGO Book. It's from DK, and due out in October!
Monday, September 14, 2009
The LEGO Book's contents...
Here is the content spread for DK's book, The LEGO Book, coming out next month!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Toy Story LEGO sets!
Spotted at the d23 convention in Anaheim - you can see a high res pic at this Flickr page.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
DK LEGO Books coming up
Here are some proofs of the DK LEGO books coming out in October - the LEGO Book and Standing Small (about the minifig), which are in a slipcase, the LEGO Star Wars Visual Dictionary, and the Pirates Brickmaster book, which has parts and minifigs!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Grand Carousel Preview
A review is coming soon on the set! You can order it here from LEGO Shop at Home.