The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 15 • June 2011
8.95
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in the US
Building Mecha! Builder Profiles LEGO Staff Interviews Mecha Instructions AND MORE!
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If you missed the Festival, you can still take home some of the magic! Tulip Kit $12 (plus $2 postage in the US)
Limited Edition BrickMagic event set designed by BrickJournal editor Joe Meno. Contains 113 LEGO® pieces, plus full instructions.
!
CHOKING HAZARD! Contains small parts. Not intended for children under 3.
This is not a LEGO® Product. These are re-used LEGO elements that have been repackaged or altered from their original form. LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this product. The LEGO Group is not liable for any loss, injury or damage arising from the use or misuse of this product.
Raleigh
2011
Limited Edition
MERCHANDISE
Happy Brick T-Shirt 16 $
(Adult XXL size $18. Add $3 postage per shirt in the US)
“Be the Brick” and let the world know that LEGO makes you happy with the BrickMagic event shirt! It’s preshrunk 100% cotton, with print on both sides. Available in Red, Blue, and Green. Sizes: Youth Medium & Large, Adult Small, Medium, Large, XLarge, and XXLarge. Quantities are limited, so order online or call to insure we have your size and color in stock.
Logo Patch 2 $
(plus 50¢ postage in the US)
This embroidered patch (shown here actual size) is the perfect complement to any jacket, vest, bookbag, or other fashion item.
Congratulations to Gordan Grguric, winner of $1000 and an Annual Pass to LEGOLand Florida! If you’re ordering several items or live outside the US, order online and save on shipping costs!
E CHALLENG
Gordon’s MOC won “Best of Show” in the BrickMagic Challenge at the 2011 BrickMagic Festival, and will be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue of BrickJournal! Stay tuned to www.brickmagic.org for details on 2012 events and your chance to win!
Order now at www.twomorrows.com
TwoMorrows Publishing • 10407 Bedfordtown Drive • Raleigh, NC 27614 USA • 919-449-0344 • FAX: 919-449-0327 E-mail: twomorrow@aol.com • Visit us on the Web at www.twomorrows.com
Issue 15 • June 2011
Contents
From the Editor.........................................................................................2
People
In His Words: Schneider Cheung.................................................3 A Word with Jørgen Vig Knudstorp..........................................8 Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen: Growing With the LEGO Group...............................................10 Builder Spotlight: Brian Cooper.................................................14 Builder Spotlight: Fradel Gonzales..........................................18
Building
Alternate Building: Super Speedster (#5867)..................22 The Maersk Train Arrives.................................................................24 Minifigure Customization 101: Gray Market Accessories ......................................30 You Can Build It: MINI Bounty Hunter Ship...................................34 You Can Build It: Jack Sparrow.........................37 Producing Plastic Power Tools............................45 Japanese Mecha: A Gallery....................................48 Building Japanese-Style mecha......................54 You Can Build It: Micro Mecha and Repair Bay.....................60
Community
Building in Billund............................................68 The Pod Races Return!...................................70 From the LEGO Idea House: The Beginning of Plastics...............................75 Community Ads................78 Last Word..................................79 AFOLs........................................80 Right: A mecha from Saito Yoshikazu.
From the Editor: Ever wanted to build one of those Japanese robots? The ones that have human pilots? I have, and I never understood how the best ones were made. Until now.
June 2011 Issue 15
Editor in Chief Joe Meno Photography Editor Geoff Gray Business Manager and Proofreader Carin Proctor Proofreader Rob Smentek European and LEGO Group Bureau Editor Megan Rothrock Japanese Bureau Editor Nathan Bryan West Coast Editors Todd Kubo Ashley Glennon
Contributors:
Christopher Deck, Nathanaël Kuipers Kristian Hauge, Megan Rothrock, Geoff Gray, Schneider Cheung, Brian Cooper, Mark Neumann, Fradel Gonzales, Jared Burks, Kevin Hall, Saito Yoshikazu, Jordan Schwartz, Hadley Scrowston, Mark Stafford, Tommy Williamson, and Greg Hyland. Many thanks to the websites who have served as mirrors for BrickJournal:
This issue is the Mecha Issue, with some photos and some thoughts on how to build those robots by the people who are known online for their work. There’s also some other things in the mag, such as an interview with some people you may or may not know, and some instructions on how to build a pirate that you may recognize. That’s part of the fun of running this magazine — I can ask the best people in the LEGO fan community to help me explore their themes. And if I’m lucky, I’ll pass on what I discovered with you. Have fun reading!
Joe Meno Editor P.S. Have ideas or comments? Drop me a line at admin@brickjournal.com. I’m open to suggestions and comments and will do my best to reply. P.P.S. Yes, BrickJournal has a website — www.brickjournal.com! Twitter? Yep, there too — http://twitter.com/brickjournal. Facebook? Yup — http://www.facebook.com/ group.php?gid=58728699914&ref=mf. Or you can scan the bottom codes with a QR reader! P.P.P.S. If you want info on a subscription, you can go to: http://twomorrows.com/ index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78&products_id=616 or scan below! Website
Subscriptions
www.LUGNET.com, www.Brickshelf.com, www.peeron.com, www.brickmodder.net, www.rustyclank.com
About the Cover: Left Top: Spacecraft by Saito Yoshikazu. Left Center: mecha built by Takayuki Torii Left Bottom: mecha built by Zizy Right: Japanese builder Sukyu.
Glossary AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) NLSO (Non-LEGO Significant Other) MOC (My Own Creation) TLG (The LEGO Group) BURP (Big Ugly Rock Piece) LURP (Little Ugly Rock Piece)
POOP (Pieces—that can be or should be made—Of Other Pieces) SNOT (Studs Not on Top) LUG (LEGO Users Group) LTC (LEGO Train Club)
LEGO®, TECHNIC, MINDSTORMS, Belville, Scala, BIONICLE, ExoForce, Mars Mission, World City, and other LEGO theme lines are trademarks of the LEGO Group of companies. All articles, photos, and art are copyright BrickJournal Media, LLC 2008, TwoMorrows Publishing and the respective writers, photographers, and artists. All rights reserved. All trademarked items are the property of their respective owners and licensees. Subscriptions are $57USD Media Mail, $75 Canada, $86 International Surface, $128 International Airmail and can be purchased at www.twomorrows.com or payment sent to: TwoMorrows Publishing, 10407 Bedfordtown Drive, Raleigh, NC 27614 USA. The editorial/advertising office address for BrickJournal is: BrickJournal Editor, 5600 Oak Meadow Lane #1108, Raleigh, NC 27612 USA or admin@brickjournal.com. First Printing. Printed in Canada. ISSN 1941-2347. BrickJournal and its staff would like to thank the LDraw community for the software it makes available to the community, which we use for making all of the instructions and renderings in this magazine. We would especially like to thank Kevin Clague for his continued upgrades of the LPub tool that is a part of the LDraw suite. For more information, please visit http://www.ldraw.org.
Name: Schneider Cheung (Schfio/Schfio_factory) Age: 38 Country: Hong Kong
People
I’ve been a diagnostic radiographer in a regional hospital since 1995. At the beginning, my main duty was taking general X-ray radiographs on patients. However, I’m now mostly involved in the field of Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). As both specialties consider cross sections — either a transverse, sagittal or coronal cut — of a body, I gradually became interested in observing the change of the cross section along the contours of a body during the examination. Also, everything could be divided into voxels. All of these assist me on the “Legolization” of any object. As a result, my career made me interested in LEGO sculpture building. As a child, my first LEGO sets were probably promotional gifts from powdered milk products, because a LEGO set was very expensive 30 years ago. I could only get LEGO pieces by asking my mum to buy a brand of powdered milk product. Although those gifts contained several simple LEGO pieces, it was easy for a child to be attracted by the toy. Perhaps my creativity started at that time. Although I lost interest on this hobby during my high school ages, I returned from those Dark Ages 5 years later! In 2004, I attended a local LEGO building contest in Hong Kong. Luckily, I won the champion through building a landmark of HK: the Peak!
In His Words:
Schneider Cheung
Article and Photography by Schneider Cheung
Afterwards, I became totally immersed into “LEGO”! Apart from LEGO building, I’m a LEGO collector too. I collect LEGO keyrings, especially the rare old promotional ones.
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People
Above: Kjeld at his office in Billund..
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen:
Growing with the LEGO Group (part 1 of 2 parts) Interview by Joe Meno and Megan Rothrock Photography by Joe Meno
The LEGO Group has within its staff a few people that are recognized outside of the company. The most well-known is Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the owner of the company. He is the third generation of Kristiansens that have grown and watched over the company since its beginning. BrickJournal’s editors, Joe Meno and Megan Rothrock, were able to have a conversation with him during the 2010 holiday in Billund. This interview is literally a look at Kjeld’s career and how he grew with the company. Because of the length of the interview, this is part one of a two-part series, which covers his start in the ‘70s to the ‘90s. Joe Meno: You started work at the LEGO Group from your youth to the present. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen: That’s true. When I am asked about how I grew up with the LEGO Group and the LEGO® product, I always say that we grew up together. The LEGO Group was just starting to make plastic products when I was born and its focus on “LEGO System in Play” from the mid-’50s coincided with me being very eager to use the product. I spent a lot of time as a child and later on, during the ‘60s, building. I loved building. To begin with, of course, it was very simple houses and structures we built because we didn’t have the clutch power, we didn’t have the combination possibilities, and we didn’t have that many different elements. I still remember in the late ‘50s there were only a few elements. I loved to build ships, for instance. I loved to build - after the first Sputnik was sent into orbit... Megan Rothrock: You built rockets! I built rockets and I was fascinated.
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The big thing for me was in the early ‘60s when we invented the wheel.
JM: I was going to ask about that. As you were building, it was one of those things, where it was like, while you were building a house and other things, you were just thinking, “There’s gotta be something else...” Yes. JM: There’s more building, as we (LEGO Fans) do, “ I wish there was another piece that could do this...” Exactly, and of course I loved the possibilities there because then you could — I could — build a lot of different cars but I liked building big cars also. You probably have seen the big red one in the Idea House. JM: Yeah, when exactly was that one built? The picture that’s there with my father and myself - it says 1976. I think it’s actually a few years earlier. But still, the car was built already back in ‘63 or ‘64 while I was still going to school. When I came home from school, I went to the model department... JM: ‘Cause you could (smiles)... ...and worked on this project for quite a while. Actually, there were two different models that I made. The one on display is the second one.
Kjeld’s car model.
I needed a lot of special elements also that weren’t there at that time. So I cut and glued... JM: You modified! ...and modified. Why not? And in this sense, maybe, I think I gave some inspiration also to the developers. We didn’t have a formal product development department at that time. There were those that were working with building models and so on and finding out which new component we needed. Maybe my father and these people were inspired by seeing what I was building. JM: So when did the Product Development Department come into being then? I remember when; it was in the late ‘60s. ’67 - ’68, yes, we made a formal product development department. It coincided also with when we had the wheels, we had the motor, and we had the trains. I think it was when we decided to go more into broadening the base...we used to have very limited assortments. We had gift boxes and supplementary sets. And in the ‘60s, slowly but steadily, we moved more and more into model boxes also, which started from the mid ‘60s. The more we saw that it was growing, the more there was a need for a formal process for product development. JM: By this time — mid-‘60s to early-‘70s — you were in college... about this time you were starting heading into getting a job here. Well, that was in the 70s, yes. I finished my education in ‘72, with an MBA from the International Business School in Switzerland (IMD). I have maintained a strong relationship with my business school in the meantime, being on the board (of Directors) for many years. Now Jørgen Vig (Knudstorp, LEGO CEO) has taken over that seat. I think that IMD is a fantastic business school. So I was in Switzerland and this coincided in 1973 with the fact that we had a building there which we had taken over that was too big for just the sales office for the company – so my father’s idea was to move the technical head, who was in fact Swiss but had lived in Denmark for many years, back to Switzerland to this place where we had our office and start up a small
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Set Review
The Maersk Train Arrives! Article and Photography by Geoff Gray Additional art provided by the LEGO Group
When LEGO Systems announced the upcoming release of a new train set based on the Maersk line, the community got very excited. I immediately contacted the company and asked to have a copy to write a review for the magazine. I felt that this would be a great set, and I was basing that off of just a couple of photographs. I was not disappointed.
THE SET I love the LEGO Train models and thoroughly enjoy building large layouts involving city/train. This is also one of the more popular themes for AFOLs to build combined layouts (In 2005, 13 different AFOL train clubs put together a display that was 50’ by 70’, had 30 different active train and monorail lines, and used an estimated 2.7 million elements. It was the largest LEGO train layout ever made at that time). I also love many of the promotional sets TLG releases. So when I got the news that a new train set was coming out that tied into Maersk, I was really excited. In the back of my mind, I had already set a high standard for what this set should be like, but after getting it, my expectations were well exceeded. The box contains a number of sharp pictures of the train from many different angles. This gives you a very good idea about what the train will look like when finished. The details put into the locomotive and the truck are very well thought out. I have seen a number of diesel/electric locomotives by both TLG and very talented fans, but the realism of this one makes it the best diesel locomotive design I have personally ever seen. There were many things that caught my eye as I built the set and looked at the overall design and packaging. The very first thing I noticed was that the instructions and sticker set came in a separate plastic bag, with a cardboard insert, to keep everything flat and unwrinkled. It may just be coincidence, but I mentioned my desire to see packaging like this in another review I did a couple years back because I was tired of getting stickers that had come off the sheet and dealing with instruction books that were crumpled or creased. The next thing that I noticed was the quality of the stickers. I am usually hesitant to put stickers on my sets because I don’t like how the sets look later when the stickers start to pull away or fall off. I cannot be sure, but I get the feeling with this set that the stickers will stay in place for a long while. The “truck” under the front part of the locomotive uses a different build style and different wheels than the trucks under the back and the trucks under each car. As
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I built the model, I realized this was to accommodate the use of the LEGO Train Power Functions motor. The wheels use TECHNIC axles so power will pass to the wheels, and the wheels have rubber flanges where they meet the track to provide extra grip. All of the other wheel sets use the common round metal axle, which rolls very smoothly and provides very little friction. The locomotive is designed so that a few pieces can be removed and the power functions motor set can be inserted. Instructions for this are at the back of the second instruction book. The setup allows the motor under the train, the insertion of the battery pack in the engine compartment, and an IR receiver to hide just in front of the engine compartment. Also, since I have been playing with LEGO trains for a very long time, I still use the older 9V control system, so I decided to come up with a design to equip the train with that particular motor. I have included the instructions here.
“It will be a collectable set down the road, and it is also one of the best non-TECHNIC sets I have built in many years.”
There is a lot more than this to like about the set, and when all is said and done, I think it will be a very popular set, and one you should get your hands on. It is bound to be a collectable set down the road, and it is also one of the best non-TECHNIC sets I have built in many years.
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Building
Minifig Customization 101:
Gray Market Accessories Article and Art by Jared K. Burks
Figure 1: Examples of Hasbro parts for use with LEGO custom figures. Bouush Leia is created by using the helmet. I also made use of the Bouush weapon by cutting part of the Hasbro weapon and gluing it to some LEGO elements. Before we had the Endor Rebel hat the Hasbro option was also available.
Figure 2: Jamie “Morgan19” Spencer’s collection of Non-LEGO elements for use in custom figure building.
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This series has been primarily concerned with teaching how to create custom figures and all the accessories needed to outfit your figure. This isn’t always practical and until recently (with the creation of the Collectible Minifigure Series) LEGO accessories were fairly limited. So when you can’t or don’t want to create every part of the figure from scratch, it is time to look to the grey market of LEGO-compatible accessories. This is actually quite a large field with about 15 main contributors beyond the LEGO clones: Bestlock, Cobi, Megabloks, and Oxford. To begin this discussion, please consider that many of the accessories created by the clone brick and action figure companies including: Bestlock, Cobi, Games Workshop, Hasbro, Medicom Kubrick, Megabloks, Oxford, Sidan, Stikfas, and many others are very compatible with LEGO figures. Several customizers have used hats, weapons, capes, and other odd parts to complete a custom figure. One of the easiest ways to make a LEGOized Star Wars Bouush Leia figure, for example, is to use the Hasbro action figure helmet over a LEGO head. This can be a very economical way to get the needed accessory, especially if you don’t have the time to make it. Buy the action figure or yes, one of the other companies’ sets. I know many wouldn’t touch their inferior bricks, but get over it if you need that accessory item (Also you can use those bricks to build your molding boxes instead of destroying your LEGO bricks). Commonly, many of these “other” companies’ accessories are sold on eBay and a few, like Sidan, are readily available on Bricklink (www.bricklink. com/store.asp?p=Minifig.Cat). Several of these other companies have themes in line with LEGO and where they succeed, in my opinion, is more artistic accessories. Instead of a plain straight spear it might have detailing or be slight crooked. This detail could help make your custom figure unique. One of the best customizers at using Action figure accessories is Jamie Morgan19 Spencer. Just check out his Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/people/ morgan19/. Also check out his stash of non-LEGO parts he pulls from (photo below). With knowledge of the LEGO Clones and action figure market we turn to the Grey Market, manufacturers that specifically create accessories that are compatible with LEGO figures. To summarize, I have created a table below of all the vendors, their speciality, and their store location. This is not an exhaustive list of where you can buy items; many of these groups have distributors. To locate a distributor close to you, please check their websites or run a Google search for their names and you can find one in closer proximity to save on taxes and possible import fees. However, whenever possible I always try and buy directly from the manufacturer for the best service. Navigating these sites can be very time-consuming, so understanding your needs before visiting can be helpful. I suggest using search functions on the sites when possible.
Grey Market LEGO Compatible Manufacturers Manufacturer
Owners
Amazing Armory Hazel Arealight Bluce Hsu BrickArms Will Chapman BrickForge Kyle Peterson Brickmodder/Lifelites Rob Hendrix BrickTW Kevin Chu Custom Brick & Minifig Christo Fine Clonier Jared Burks Little Armory* Jeff Byrd MinifigCustomsIn3d Andreas Holzer MMCB Mark Parker Roaglaan Stickers Tim Fortney Saber Scorpion Justin Tibbins The Little Arms Shop Unknown Artist Studio Victor Sobolev
Web Address
Decals
Parts Cloth Mods
bricklink.com/store.asp?p=AMAZING ARMORY X Arealightcustoms.com X brickarms.com X brickforge.com X brickmodder.net, www.lifelites.com shop.bricktw.com X myworld.ebay.com/christo7108 X X fineclonier.com X X littlearmory.com X shpaeways.com/shops/MinifigCustomsIn3d X mmcbscapes.servaus.net X roaglaanscustoms.com X saber-scorpion.com X thelittlearmsshop.com X unknown-artist.com/product X X
X
Amazing Armory
Amazing Armory offers a line of highly detailed military pieces that range from helmet accessories to highly-detailed weapons. Most with a Science fiction/video game twist.
Arealight Customs
Arealight Customs make fun and high quality custom accessory for anyone who enjoys customizing their own minifigure creation. Custom parts are made of high quality ABS and many are available pre-printed.
BrickForge
BrickForge provides the community with a unique assortment of custom minifigure accessories. Their catalog of over 100 specialized elements and 20 vibrant colors spans many themes including fantasy, historical, modern, and sci-fi, allowing minifigure enthusiasts to construct a variety of impressive characters.
BrickArms
BrickArms sells WWII, modern, and sci-fi weapons, accessories, and helmets. All are made of injection molded ABS, and are available in multiple colors including gunmetal and electroplated chrome. BrickArms also sells custom-printed minifigures, complete with matching accessories. BrickArms sells over 100 different weapons & accessories, weapons packs, and custom minifigures.
Brickmodder/Lifelites
Lifelites Custom LED lighting kits and accessories allow for lighting modifications to be added to your MOCs, minifigures, and other scale models.
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You Can Build It MINI Model
MINI Bounty Hunter Ship Design and Instructions by Christopher Deck Hello everybody, I am glad to join again for this great issue of BrickJournal. Today I want to build a new starship type which was introduced during the second season of the Clone Wars TV series in the episode “Bounty Hunters”: the gunship Havoc. This vessel was originally a SS-54 light freighter, manufactured by Botajef Shipyards, who also built the AA-9 Coruscant Freighter seen in Attack of the Clones. The front sections of both starships are similar to each other. The Bounty Hunter Gunship is a highly manueverable craft due to its large and flexible engine pods, a feature that is of course included in this MINI model. The smooth curves of the design have been realized using curved bricks and slopes. Some other important details are included — all six laser cannons! It was not easy to attach the two forward-mounted double laser cannons without exceeding the original dimensions. The model therefore uses an unconventional connection technique by sticking binoculars on 1 x 1 clip plates. With that our little model is finished. I wish you happy building, and hopefully see you next time! Yours, Christopher Deck.
Parts List (Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty 1 2 4 1 2 2 3 1 2 2 1 4 1 1 1 2
Color Yellow Dark-Bluish Gray Dark-Bluish Gray Dark Green Light-Bluish Gray Dark-Green Black Light-Bluish-Gray Yellow Light-Bluish-Gray
Description Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 Brick 1 x 1 Round with Fins Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side Brick 1 x 2 Cone 1 x 1 Cylinder 2 x 2 x 2 Robot Body Minifig Tool Binoculars Town Plate 1 x 1 Round Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Light Type 2 Plate 1 x 1 with Clip Vertical Type 3 Trans-Clear 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3023.dat Plate 1 x 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3794.dat Plate 1 x 2 with 1 Stud Dark-Green 3460.dat Plate 1 x 8 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3022.dat Plate 2 x 2 Yellow 4032b.dat Plate 2 x 2 Round with Axlehole Type 2
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Part 44728.dat 4588.dat 87087.dat 3004.dat 4589.dat 30361.dat 30162.dat 6141.dat 4081b.dat 4085c.dat
Qty Color Part Description 4 Light Bluish Gray 4032b.dat Plate 2 x 2 Round with Axlehole Type 2 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 2444.dat Plate 2 x 2 with Hole 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3021.dat Plate 2 x 3 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 3795.dat Plate 2 x 6 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 61409.dat Slope Brick 18 2 x 1 x 2/3 Grille 2 Dark-Bluish-Gray 50746.dat Slope Brick 31 1 x 1 x 2/3 2 Dark-Green 4287.dat Slope Brick 33 3 x 1 Inverted 1 Dark-Green 3039.dat Slope Brick 45 2 x 2 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 47457.dat Slope Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Triple with Two Top Studs 2 Dark-Green 50950.dat Slope Brick Curved 3 x 1 1 Dark-Green 44126.dat Slope Brick Curved 6 x 2 1 Dark-Bluish-Gray 32000.dat Technic Brick 1 x 2 with Holes 2 Black 2780.dat Technic Pin with Friction and Slots 2 Dark-Green 3068b.dat Tile 2 x 2 with Groove 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 43723.dat Wing 2 x 3 Left 1 Light-Bluish-Gray 43722.dat Wing 2 x 3 Right
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Community
Japan is home to most of the best mecha builders in the world. BrickJournal’s Japanese Bureau went out and contacted them to show their work. Here’s a gallery of models along with some thoughts on mecha building from the builders. Some builders say to “Not be too concerned with scale” or “focus on movement” but more important that that is just to “build as much as one can on a regular basis.” Find your own style and then build as much as possible and you will find new possibilities. —zizy (mecha at left)
Japanese mecha: A Gallery Compiled by Saito Yoshikazu (Japanese LEGO Ambassador) Translated by Nathan Bryan, (www.brickzen.com)
When building original models, I try to think about the “overall balance” and “volume” of the silhouette. In selecting parts, I look at the “natural flow of the surface” and making “compelling details.” Using LEGO one can make “rigid” models. —SHINOBU TSUNEKI (Viper above)
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When I am creating my own models with LEGO, I try to be careful of the shape of the parts, and how natural I can make the details. Always try to make “Something only you can make” and not copying other builders. —YUTAKA MINOWA (Hardsuits above)
Only in LEGO are these mecha Possible. —TOSHIYA TANAKA (mecha above)
My style, even through “mecha” is to reproduce an object realistically. Even if it comes from a fantasy world, with LEGO parts one can reproduce it and then add additional parts to emphasize the reality of the model. —Shinya Fujita (Spacecraft left)
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Introduction
Building
Building Japanese-Style Mecha
Article and Photography by Saito Yoshikazu (Japanese LEGO Ambassador) Translation by Nathan Bryan (BrickZen.com)
mecha taking flight to save the planet (again!) Every mecha needs a little friend.
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In order to talk about Japanese mecha building techniques, one must first understand the special environment of the builders. Japan is a world-renowned anime powerhouse, however there are no science fiction dramas for adults such as Star Trek, Babylon 5, or Battlestar Galactica. Mainly, just kids programs like Gamen Rider are made. So in Japanese Anime what kind of mecha appear? In American mecha, ships such as the X-Wing from Star Wars or the bodysuits of the Matrix or Avatar are standard. However, for the Japanese, robots that are humans ride in and control (In Japan they are called “Real Robots”) mainly appear. The“Real Robot” boom started with the Mobile Suits that appeared in Gundam. From there suits that could “transform” and
change their shape came out in Macross and many new design elements became established. It is this environment that most Japanese builders are inspired and it is inevitable that this became the base they used for building.
Design
Before thinking about the how-to-build, here are a few things to be careful about when building Real Robots. First is the ratio of each part. This is not an absolute, but the body to leg ratio should follow the golden ratio (1/1.618) or the silver ratio (1/1.1414). In other areas, this same ratio should be used. Next is considering range of movement for making poses. In Japan there is a mecha designer named Katoki Hajime. Most of the robots he draws have them standing with their legs positioned a bit more than shoulder width. Fans have named this pose the Katoki-Tachi (Katoki Stand) and it is very popular. Therefore it can be said that the in most magazines, this KatokiTachi pose is used. Hence, when building Japanese style Real Robots, the legs must be able to not only move forwards and backwards, but open up to the sides as well. One more feature is that along with having a human form, the human form should be “armored.” The best reference would be that of an American football player. Shoulder pads, elbow and knee protection as well, any “additional armor” to enhance protection when fighting, is good. That is the basic design aesthetic about Japanese Real Robots.
Robot Construction: Head
Some different head models, with rear views above.
Similar to building an animal, when building a robot, it is best to start construction from the head. The reason is simple. It is fairly obvious, but when finishing the build and attaching the head to the body, what do you do if the body proportion is too large? What if it is too small? One would need to remake one or the other. Since many people pour their energy and heart into making a original head that stands out, the only thing to do is remake the body. To keep this problem from occurring, it is better to start building from the head. In designing the head, the first thing to think about is the area of the eyes. In anime, the “Main Camera” is expressed by either a Twin Eye or Mono Eye area. Either one can be used, but generally the main characters (and their allies) use a Twin Eye construct, and the Mono Eye is used for the enemies (especially underlings). This is because the Twin Eye type gives the impression or being technically or financially of a higher quality.
A head model above, and an exploded view to show part placement at left.
In the actual build, for a Mono Eye, a good starting place is a 1 x 1 round plate (#4073) or Round 1 x 1 with Towball (#3614). Especially the #4073 is good because it can be used vertically or horizontally. Personally, I also find the car lever (#4592) to be handy. A Twin Eye build is a bit more difficult. The larger one makes it the easier it is, but for small builds the choices are limited. For example a standard way to express the Twin Eye is have facing forward at the corner of 1 x 1 plate (#3024) or 1 x 1 tile (#3070) on each side. Note that if you use the 1 x 1 plate (#3024) or 1 x 1 tile (#3070) for a Mono Eye design, you run the risk of having a flat design The design outside of the eyes will become one of the core aspects of your model, so use your best creative freedom to create something really original. Areas such as the ears and jaw help highlight the facial characteristics. An easy to use part is the 1 x 1 plate modified with tooth (#49668).
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