In case you're one of those people who have never watched Star Wars, let me explain the location which is the subject of this LEGO® summer Star Wars set, 75052 Mos Eisley Cantina: it's a seedy bar crowded with exotic alien creatures from the wrong side of the space-tracks, a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" where booze-fueled tempers continually boil over into senseless violence, usually resulting in death or dismemberment. In other words: the obvious choice for a child's toy.
Can LEGO® get any more popular? Er, yes. A few months ago, the pilot issue of a new printed magazine about the LEGO hobby appeared on shelves in UK newsagents, called Blocks. It proved popular enough for the publishers to go monthly, and the first issue will be on shelves this Thursday 23 October 2014. I'm quite excited, as I've contributed, so wanted to give it a plug in case you'd not heard of it.
It's not the first ever LEGO fan magazine of course; brilliant publications like BrickJournal and HispaBrick have been around a long time now. But with its wide distribution, Blocks aims strongly at casual/burgeoning fans as well as the hardcore fans. It takes a broad view of the LEGO world, giving the hobby of collecting equal placing alongside sets, building, and the non-ABS worlds of online and print. Whether it's your cup of tea or not, Blocks is an interesting development that I certainly think will bring awareness of the depth and breadth of the AFOL community to a much wider audience... yay, more AFOLs!
It's been the most pleasant and consistent summer in England that I can recall since I arrived here two decades ago, but now October is here it feels like the sun may finally be gone. So it's a great time to hang on to a little sunshine by breaking out a Friends set, 41034 Summer Caravan, which is full of my favourite Friends hue, Medium Azure.
Our summer of Chima continues into autumn with another review from Scott Barnick (Aanchir), who is well-known for his love of LEGO® colours and constraction... and just to add to his geek credentials, he's also a Brony.
Hi again, readers! I’m very happy to bring you a review of 70144 Laval’s Fire Lion, one of this summer’s new LEGO Legends of Chima sets. This set was carefully selected on account of its great selection of new elements, including a few designs you rarely see in traditional stud-based LEGO themes.
Chris Salt (Oblong Pictures) is a stop motion and CGI animator who most recently created those thrilling Exo Suit teaser clips. New Elementary has been lucky enough to publish "exclusive first looks" at his work before, but today we're luckier than ever! Chris has reviewed 76020 Knowhere Escape Mission and has arranged for none other than Groot himself to assist.
The people who design LEGO® sets for movie licences have a tough job. With a big tentpole blockbuster, the film is often still being edited in the weeks running up to the premiere. The first run of sets has to be on the shelves long before then, so how do you decide what to use from the collection of concept art, stills and storyboards available to you?
A few weeks ago I collated some of the basic parts that The LEGO® Group (TLG) have released in new colours amongst this summer's wave of new sets. Now, as summer fades away, I'm doing the same for some of the curvier parts. In TLG's database, which sites like Brickset use, all the parts I've chosen are categorised as "Bricks with Bows" whereas BrickLink (BL) distinguish them as "Slope, Curved", "Brick, Modified" and "Brick, Arch". Just to confuse you all even further for the sake of brevity, I like to call them bows and arches.
Returning for another review today is Jeremy Williams (Bricking It) who is not only sticking with the Legends of Chima theme; he's sticking with the icy world of Sir Fangar!
This review continues the Chima theme from my last review, in which I looked at Sir Fangar’s wheels (well, paws actually). Today I’m looking at his pad; his Ice Fortress, a set full of playful traps and some rather nice new elements, too. Let’s begin.
Our second review of an Ultra Agents set comes from Scott Barnick (Aanchir), who many of you will recognise as an active member of several LEGO® fan forums. Scott has an excellent knowledge of many aspects of LEGO, especially the colour palette.
Hello, readers! Today I will be reviewing set 70162 Infearno Interception from the new Ultra Agents theme! This theme is similar on some levels to one of my favorite themes, the Agents theme from 2008, but its subject matter is more overtly futuristic, taking visual cues from various sci-fi movies. And to create this new and unique aesthetic, the LEGO designers packed the theme with lots of great new elements and recolors. Let’s take a look!
I had a mild argument with a (non-AFOL) friend earlier this year. He swore blind that when he was a kid in the '70s, he only had about seven different types of LEGO® parts; all basic rectilinear bricks. He liked to build windmills. "How did the windmill turn?" I asked. He conceded that he must have also owned wheel parts.
The release of 21050 Architecture Studio in the UK this month seems to have sparked another glut of ill-researched articles spouting the same old lines that bore every AFOL that reads them to tears... or rather, to online ranting. My turn today!
Renowned Neo-Spacer Tim Goddard (Rogue Bantha) takes a look at 70163 Toxikita's Toxic Meltdown today, and creates his own toxic meltdown of sorts...
This is a cracking set from the revised Agents line, now called Agents of Shield. No, sorry, Ultra Agents, not affiliated to Agents of Shield in any way. The set has a nice selection of basic and interesting parts and is minimal on the ugly structural elements that have plagued many sets of late.
: it's a seedy bar crowded with exotic alien creatures from the wrong side of the space-tracks, a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" where booze-fueled tempers continually boil over into senseless violence, usually resulting in death or dismemberment. In other words: the obvious choice for a child's toy.
, which is full of my favourite Friends hue, Medium Azure.
and has arranged for none other than Groot himself to assist.
