The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 20 • August 2012
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LEGO SUPERHEROES: Behind the Bricks
Features, Instructions and MORE! 07 0
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Issue 20 • August 2012
Contents
From the Editor....................................................2
People
Nathan Sawaya: Herobuilder!...................4 Alex Jones: A Comic Portfolio in Bricks......................6 Peter Corp: Iron Mecha..............................12 Building Comic Art with BaronSat....14 Evan Bacon: Comic Book Builder.......18 From Iron Man to Batman: Tyler Clites on Building Heroes.........20 Greg Hyland: Drawing AFOLs and More..................24 Brandon Griffith Strikes Back.................29
Building
Minifigures and New Gothopolis......36 What Happened to LEGO Universe?....................................41 Miniland Heroes.............................................50 Minifigure Customization 101: Sculpting Custom Hair from Clay..........................................................52 You Can Build It: Mini Batwing.................................................56 You Can Build It: Batmobile........................................................59
Community
Not Quite LEGO: Bring on the Bad Guys!..........................66 Cover Art: Making Issue 20.....................73 Superheroes Assembled..........................74 Inventing the LEGO Wheel.....................76 Community Ads.............................................78 Last Word.............................................................79 AFOLs.....................................................................80
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From the Editor: This issue has been something of a rollercoaster ride for me, as it started fast with a lot of interest and contributors, then it got slow with production, then it got fast with more articles and then slow with more production...
July 2012 Issue 20
Publisher John Morrow
Editor in Chief Joe Meno
Photography Editor Geoff Gray Proofreader John Morrow
Traffic Manager Elizabeth Cortes
European and LEGO Group Bureau Editor Megan Rothrock Japanese Bureau Editor Nathan Bryan West Coast Editors Todd Kubo Ashley Glennon
Contributors: Matt Armstrong, Evan Bacon, Jared K. Burks, Tyler Clites, Peter Corp, Olivier Curto, Christopher Deck, Eric Druon, Geoff Gray, Brandon Griffith, Kristian Hauge, Alexander Jones, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Craig Mathew, Carson Sangala, Nathan Sawaya, Erik Varszegi, and Greg Hyland. Many thanks to the websites who have served as mirrors for BrickJournal:
The one thing I noticed is that there is a LOT of interest in comic book heroes. It’s easy to see who is popular from what is in this issue. Batman® and Iron Man® are in this mag in at least two forms, and that is interesting for a couple of reasons: 1) There is a universal appeal to them, and 2) There is a universal appeal to build them. Batman has a lot to draw from to build, from his costume to his gadgets. Iron Man IS a gadget, so it’s logical that we try to build him. What’s really fascinating, though, is how many different versions of these characters have been made. There are a lot of Batmen and Iron Men in this issue—not because they are the same, but because they are built differently. Each builder adds their own style to making these, so take a close look and then add your style to building a hero! 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
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About the Cover: Photo and Model by Olivier Curto. About the Contents: Catalyst, a LEGO sculpture of DC Comics’ Catwoman, makes an appearance in BrickJournal courtesy of Nathan Sawaya.
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 2011, 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, $23.70 Digital Only 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, 5610 Briar Oak Lane #510, Raleigh, NC 27612 USA or admin@brickjournal.com. First Printing. Printed in the USA. 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 of2the LDraw suite. For more information, please visit http://www.ldraw.org.
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People
Alex Jones: A Comic Portfolio in Bricks! Article and Photography by Alexander Jones
My name is Alex Jones, also known as Orion Pax. I´m a construction toy designer and brick artist from Germany. My focus lies on high-end detailed constructions, models and layouts. Since my last interview with BrickJournal (Issue 2, Volume 2: Summer 2008) a lot of things have changed. I became a professional working freelance for TLG promoting and presenting my creations on exhibitions. I did lots of different projects like Back to the Future, Graffiti, and more ‘80s recreations like M.A.S.K and TRANSFORMERS. I do urban and street art exhibitions presenting companies like SNEAKER FREAKER. I recently started orionpax.de where you can see all of my projects. This article though is for another great passion I share with most of you guys. Superheroes like Batman or Iron Man are always worth a good creation....
’90s BATCAVE When I did some of my latest Graffitis I worked with lights. I thought it would be cool to transfer this idea into my other creations and the perfect way to create some mystic atmosphere. And what is better then a Batcave to get even more of that? Also at one point, every decent brick collection has enough Batman parts to make you build something with it. It is the same with Star Wars.
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For what is the reason for collecting all these nice figures when they just collect dust? They need to be in a nice vignette or diorama.
Kids want to play, I just want to look at them in the best possible way to present them and put them in a scene. Makes sense, no? I decided to use 40 x 40 studs as a base to start with. The neon light source is placed centered on the backwall. I used lots of BURPs in all directions combined with pretty much all of my dark bluish-grey slopes I had by that time to get the cave structure done. The biggest challenge was to get a good variation of levels in there. If you look closely you´ll find 40 bats hanging all around the cave. On the right side starting from the Batmobile platform, there is an elevator which leads to the suit/armory room and the stairs up to the Batcomputer and the lab on the left. The armory displays nicely with the light shining from the back. You see an old Bat and Robin suit in the center which is a homage to the old ’60s TV show. All in all, I was aiming on creating the atmosphere you would expect from a Batcave with a real dark and mystic appeal rather than the more high-tech bright action-packed cave. It took me around one week to get the whole structure to a height of 68 bricks and counts probably something between 8000 and 9000 bricks. The Batmobile that is featured with the cave is truly inspired by the Batmobile in the Burton movies. My personal favorite after the ’60s version. The part that made it perfect to build for me was the serpent basilisk body segment in black for the front turbine. The Batman figure is bigger as a normal minifigure because I used the Toy Story Woody legs and arms to fix the scale. Now it actually looks like a figure with good proportions. Also, next to the Batmobile it looks just right.
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People
A selection of Batmobiles, from movies and animated shows.
Building Comic Art with BaronSat Article by Joe Meno Photography provided by Eric Druon (BaronSat)
Eric Druon, also known as BaronSat, is a computer graphic artist, working on images and arranging them on pages, mostly for advertising leaflets. He has always loved LEGO bricks and started to make custom models in the ‘80s; then when internet exploded he found great websites and discovered he was not alone. That was in the late ‘90s, early 2000s. He builds mainly playsets, displays or dioramas, as people want to name them and of course characters, then unusual vehicles. Sci-Fi is of course a favorite theme and as an ex-Star Wars collector he always enjoys building models based on this universe. Eric built a selection of superhero creations, so BrickJournal interviewed him on those models and how he did them. BrickJournal: What got you into building superheroes? “It’s because of the comics!” ... not my fault. Like many people I read comics since my teenage years so it was obvious to combine with LEGO bricks.
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The Marvel & DC Minimates and Hasbro Super Hero Squad products somehow started the fire. BrickJournal: You have built a lot of Batmobiles—what inspires you so much about the vehicle? I may love to build dioramas, but like other guys I enjoy powerful cars. A hobby, in my opinion, can take you to another world, so building real cars from everyday life seems boring to me. Some people do that with a lot of talent but by myself, I just can’t. On the other hand, the Batmobiles are “extraordinary” and constructing such models is pure pleasure. Forget traffic, gas cost, etc. — “ride like the wind” with your brick Batmobile. BrickJournal: What led you to build a unique Batcave? Some of the elements are from the comics, but it is more your design. For the Batcave as for all my other models, the first thing I do is gather documents from all eras and types. Then I mix them (just can’t help it, my brain is where the chaos takes place), make some very rough drawings, and finally, when I start to build I just follow my mental picture... or build something totally different at the last moment because I think it’s the thing to do. BrickJournal: With the other sets you built, like Wayne library and the villain hideouts, you made play-friendly sets—is this something that you work on in your models, or do you like making display only models? I prefer display models but as I’m excited by the work of TLC designers (for decades), I try to put a little bit of action too. We all started to build with regular sets so we are imbued with this particular spirit. Also most other playsets toy brands also include action features.
Wayne Manor and the Batcave, done as a playset.
Wayne Manor as a facade.
Eric’s Batcave.
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People
Greg Hyland:
Drawing AFOLs and More! Article and Art by Greg Hyland Photograph by Joe Meno
Greg at work on a sketch.
Greg Hyland has been a fixture in the LEGO fan community—not for building, but for cartooning. As the cartoonist for BrickJournal’s “AFOLs” comic, he has become something of a jester for the community, pointing out the humor and sometimes the foibles of the LEGO hobby and its people. Joe Meno, BrickJournal Editor, talked to Greg about how he started drawing for the community and the LEGO Group. Here’s Greg’s story...
Beginnings in Comics and Bricks
I have been working as a cartoonist and freelance artist since 1991. I went to school in animation, so I learned to be an animator for about a year and a half in Toronto and realized that it wasn’t what I wanted, so I focused on comics, which was what I really wanted anyways. I was involved in a lot of the self-publishing movement in the ‘90s and got relatively well-known. It all kinda crumbled though — selling comic books is, even for Marvel and DC, incredibly difficult now. In 2000, I switched to doing my own comic which was called Lethargic Lad, and I switched it from doing a comic book to a online comic which I still do. In 2002, I was on the From Bricks to Bothans (www.fbtb.net) message boards and the guy that ran it then recognized my name and asked, “Are you the Greg Hyland that does Lethargic Lad? And if you are,would you like to draw comics for us?” I said yes, because I was pretty sure the LEGO Group followed the website. So I started doing comics and it wasn’t too much longer that I got a call from someone from the LEGO Group in Enfield (Connecticut), asking me if I wanted to start working as an illustrator primarily for the LEGO Magazine. So that’s how I started getting professionally involved with LEGO.
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Star Wars brought me back into building. I always liked LEGO but had, as the kids called it, the Dark Ages. And I remember doing a lot of comic book conventions with friends and we’d stop at Toys R Us because a lot of us collected action figures and we were in Canada, so the American stores were a lot better. I’d always end up looking at the LEGO aisle and going, “Oh, I can’t buy this”— though I did buy a lot of the Islanders pirates sets. I bought that complete line because these guys were cannibals! But then Star Wars came and I bought the X-wing and it got me back into the hobby. I originally said this is the only one I will buy and after I put it together I thought, I MUST HAVE THEM ALL. It was about six sets in the series at that point and I thought I MUST HAVE THEM ALL and no more action figures! I thought I couldn’t buy action figures and get into LEGO because it was too expensive at the time.
Getting on the Drawing Board
My first assignments were nice because they (the LEGO Magazine) asked, “What do you like? And draw what you like!” They used me for spot illustrations that they could use anywhere cause there were versions in American, German, French, and British, so they would put together a rough magazine and every language could put together their own thing and rearrange it. So they just wanted spot illustration so any language could put a caption on it. Right then, the Studio Monster sets came out and I loved the Studio Monsters, so my first job with them was drawing Studio Monsters. I was pretty happy with that. My second job with them was not as interesting because they had their NBA sports sets and they had sportscaster figures that were on the boxes and so I did a lot of sports spot
Original art from a BrickJournal article.
illustrations with those guys! It was not that interesting to do. But who cares? It was work and it was awesome. In 2003, I went to BrickFest (a LEGO fan event) in Washington, DC. I was sorta involved with a local LUG (LEGO Users Group) that was going to the event. I heard about it and thought it would be cool if I could go there and set up the way an artist would at a comic convention where they would draw sketches and commissions and sell prints. It would be unique and you know, people seemed to really like that. Here it is almost ten years later and here I am in Chicago at Brickworld just doing the exact same thing. BrickFest was a show that was within driving distance so I wanted to do that. As a result, I was asked to do things like help illustrate the programs so I got to be active in the fan community too. Illustration was a thing that no one else was really doing so I felt that a good way to help and make things different and stand out.
Creating “AFOLs”
This led to the “AFOLs” comic which was something that the LEGO Group actually wanted to do. At the time, I was approached by Jake McKee, who used to be the LEGO Community Coordinator. There was a lot of stuff going on that people may remember, like the gray color change and 9-volt train being discontinued. Fans were not understood by the LEGO staff because they did not understand why people were so upset by grays changing. They didn’t understand why people were upset with 9 volt trains going away. LEGO also didn’t seem to understand a event like BrickFest and what it was really about and what these people were doing it. Jake’s idea was: Comics convey a lot of information really quickly and people tend to remember them too. He wanted me to write and draw a comic book because he liked my
Star Wars prints from fan events.
Lethargic Lad comic. Jake said let’s approach these issues, let’s talk about fans are, what they do, and why they don’t like what they don’t like. He thought I would have the right editorial tone so he wanted me to draw a comic book that would be printed up and distributed internally at the LEGO office to educate employees. So I did “AFOLs” and they looked at it and it was distributed through the company and they liked it so much, they said, with a bit of tweaking they could do a fan version that could be given to LUGs to give out at their events to the public. And then the public might go, “Hey, we can get involved in this!” So I rewrote a lot of the strips, but we used a lot of them and then they printed up 10,000 of the comic and gave them away. They sent out cases to LUGs to distribute. The one thing that sorta happened was a lot of LUGs said, “Yeah, I want 3 boxes,” or, “We want 2 boxes for events.” Then they got kinda weird with them and said, “Oh, these are collector’s items!” and they didn’t open them or give them away. A few years later, they would be like,”We got these stupid boxes of comics that we are lugging around. Who would want them?”Greg Hyland would want them. So a lot of clubs gave me all the cases that they didn’t bother giving away. Now I have probably less than ten copies left because I ended up giving away so many. I am sure that there are still LUGs that have them or hopefully did give them away but I know of some that withheld giving away the comics. It was funny the amount of cases I was getting back. I think I only got one case from LEGO. I think a lot of LUGs got two or three. At one point I had six or seven cases of them that were given back to me at events. I know that LEGO gave them away at San Diego Comic-Con that year and that burned through a lot, so that was that.
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Building
A LEGO® Master Builder’s First Project:
Minifigures and New Gothopolis Article and Photography by Erik Varszegi
The Flash.
Dr. Octopus.
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The Joker.
Deep within the LEGO Model Shop in Enfield, there is a model that sits on a shelf. The model is actually more of a layout, and if you’re a comic book fan, you will recognize some of the landmarks that occupy this space: the Daily Planet, LexCorp Headquarters, and the Daily Bugle. What you may not know was that this model was a project by Erik Varszegi, one of the LEGO Master Builders that he did for fun. Here, he tells BrickJournal the story behind his comic book models and minifigures. This was really my first (substantial) MOC, built years before I knew what a MOC was or meant or even before I knew there was a LEGO Fan community. I put it together when I started as a model builder for LEGO back in ‘95 and built it over a period of maybe 18 to 24 months. I’d take time during an odd lunch break here or there and sometimes after work to put it together. As to why I built it? It’s really nothing more than a elaborate pencil holder. As a model builder trainee, my personal workspace was limited. I had my lift table and two rolling caddies that held all my sorting trays of LEGO brick but I needed something to store and organize my tools, glue bottles and paperwork. Some of the other builders had built organizers out of brick. Most were simple affairs with a couple sliding drawers. I took it a step further and themed it around the custom figs another builder and I were putting together at the time. That’s the real story here in my opinion. We created dozens and dozens of custom minifigs from DC, Marvel and a few other super-hero types like Space Ghost and The Tick. You name the character and we had built it.
Iron Man Mark I.
The Scorpion.
Two-Face.
Ghost Rider.
They’re really crude by today’s standards, but they were a whole lot of fun to make. No custom molded parts or water-slide decals like today’s customizers. We were cutting and pasting adhesive vinyl to create the character emblems and hacking apart elements to make new parts. Ha! As an experiment I even cut two figs down the middle and glued them together to create a “Two-Face”. I had no idea then, the lengths that customizers today to create new figs. Like I said… crude, but fun.
Avengers Assemble! From left to right: Black Widow, Ant-Man, Black Panther, Thor, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.
The Fantastic Four! From left to right: Invisible Woman (seated), Mr. Fantastic, the Thing, and the Human Torch.
The Dynamic Duo! From left to right: Robin and Batman.
The Fantastic Four fight Galactus on Four Freedoms Plaza.
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Building Minifig Customization 101:
Sculpting Custom Hair From Clay by Jared K. Burks
A figure with a finished hairpiece: Honky from the Clown Commandos.
This article is going to discuss hair — not your hair, your minifigure’s hair. The second most defining characteristic of any custom minifigure is typically what is on the minifigure’s head. Having an accurate hairpiece is critical. LEGO® has recently done a great job giving us new hairpieces, many of which can be easily modified into several different styles. This sort of modification was previously covered in an earlier article. Color alteration of LEGO elements has also been covered in the magazine. So suppose LEGO doesn’t make the hairpiece in the correct color for your custom figure. So what do you do when you can’t modify or recolor a hairpiece? Break out your clay! Time to sculpt a hairpiece; this is typically a little different from sculpting other elements due to the size and level of detail. Tips and tricks to make custom hair elements are presented here, but the best piece of advice I can offer is to sculpt. Practice improves any skill, and if you aren’t happy with your first attempt try again. I typically sculpt a part two to three times, learning from each attempt. Is each attempt a success, no, but each is a learning experience.
The Basics Types of Media (Polymer Clay versus Epoxy Putty) There are several types of clay ranging from the earthen clay dug from the ground to completely synthetic, most are not appropriate for this type of application. The major type used for making custom hairpieces is polymer clay, however, some use Epoxy putty (MagicSculp) which is similar to clay. Polymer clays will not harden till cured by low heat; epoxy putties cure by chemical means limiting your sculpting time to typically less than 24 hours. Choosing one over the other is ultimately up to your preference, however there are some basic arguments for both. It boils down to extended sculpting time versus durability. The clay will not cure till heated and the epoxy putty will be more hard wearing. If you are not going to mold and cast your part and/or you are a fast sculptor I recommend the epoxy putties, if not polymer clays.
Polymer clay has a relatively low curing temperature and remains pliable until cured. Polymer clay hardens by curing at 265 to 275 °F (129 to 135 °C) for 15 minutes per 1/4” (6 mm) of thickness in your home oven and does not shrink or change texture during the process. The curing temperature can be lowered if the clay is heated for a longer duration. You can also cure polymer clay by placing it in very hot water or surface cure it using a hair drier. Surface curing will allow you to sand your part; however without a complete curing the clay can be fragile. When properly cured polymer clays are quite strong and won’t normally break when stressed or dropped. Polymer clay is available in hobby and craft stores, and even stores such as Wal-Mart. Leading brands of polymer clay include Premo, Fimo, Kato Polyclay, and Sculpey. These clays are available in a wide array of colors so you might not even need to paint the parts you create. On top of these great options this type of clay is quite inexpensive; a small package of clay, more than enough to create many parts and can be purchased for less than $2. I prefer Sculpey firm, which is as it’s name suggests a firmer clay. This firmness makes it a bit easier to handle for me.
Sculpey Firm & Magic Sculp Epoxy Putty has many of the exact same characteristics as polymer clay with the main difference being the mechanism of curing. Epoxy putties are mixtures of two chemically different parts of putty. Mixing the two parts together initiate the chemical process of curing the putty. This curing time depends on the thickness of the putty and how well mixed. Typically 24 hours is common for a minifigure scale item. The big advantage is the durability of the epoxy putty as it will always completely cure. From here on out the article will refer to sculpting material as clay; however it could be either clay or putty. Once you get your hands on clay, play with it, work it, and get a general feel for it. Your hands are your best tools so play with some of the material and see what level of detail you can capture with just your hands, don’t forget your fingernails, they can be used to sculpt details as well. You will likely need some additional tools to create the fine details on your creations, and maybe even a texture mold (more on this shortly). I find any fine-tipped item works well including x-acto knives, paper clips, and most any other small item, figure 1. Find items that work for you. Your tools don’t have to be store bought clay tools; most of these are actually too large for this work. If you want buy a tool set, look for dental tools (Harbor Freight has some good options). Remember this is very small scale work; your tools need to be able to create fine detail. The best advice I can give you on tools is get some Popsicle sticks. Cut them into various shapes, sharpen them and try sculpting with them, they will serve you well.
Sculpting 101 Clay sculpture is generally created by one of two methods, addition or subtraction of material. These techniques are as they sound; the addition or removal of material to create detail. I started in woodcarving, a subtractive technique, and commonly find myself reverting to this method. Find the technique that works best for you. One
Figure 1. Putty and resins..
Figure 2. Tools. Several commercial clay tools as well a few makeshift items.
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Not Quite LEGO It’s time for another edition of “Not Quite LEGO” —the column that takes a look at some of the other toys out there that are “not quite LEGO.” No, we’re not talking about MegaBloks, but about other toys that are sometimes similar to LEGO, or may be of interest to LEGO fans in general!
Bring on the Bad Guys!
Spider-Man’s Rogues Gallery: (from left) Kraven the Hunter, Diablo, Dr. Octopus, Mysterio, and Sandman. Top: Vulture.
Article and Photography by Greg Hyland Art Asylum’s Minimates figures are a line of popular block figures that a lot of LEGO fans might know about (or because I wrote about them in a previous BrickJournal). They’ve done figures for a big range of characters, including Battlestar Galactica, Terminator, Halo, Universal Monsters, Back to the Future and the hit Madonna movie Desperately Seeking Susan (What, really? No, really). But their most popular line has been for Marvel Super Heroes, which is approaching its 50th Direct Market wave and over 15 Toys R Us exclusive waves. One of the things that superhero action figure collectors complain about is often the lack of villains for a line. But I’d argue that problem doesn’t exist with the Marvel Minimates line. While multiple versions of popular heroes, like SpiderMan and Wolverine are plentiful, so are villains— often sold in two-packs with the hero.
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With almost ten years of Marvel Minimates made, it would take up too much space to list all villains made, but I’d like to showcase some of the more iconic villains. Also, with the new LEGO Marvel Super Heroes sets, it’s an interesting look at figures that could show up as minifigures!
Spider-Man Along with Batman, I’d say that Spider-Man has the most interesting “Rogue’s Gallery” of all superheroes. Spider-Man villains Venom, Carnage, and Green Goblin date back to Minimates’ first wave (officially, they are all part of “Wave 2,” however the first three “waves” were all released at the same time). As someone that likes the line for its ability to assemble “teams,” I like the fact that the team of Spider-Man’s greatest
Spider-Man’s Rogues Gallery: (from left) Black Cat, the Lizard, Venom, Green Goblin, the Scorpion, and J. Jonah Jameson.
villains, the Sinister Six, can be created. The Sinister Six comprise of Doc Ock, Sandman, Electro, Mysterio, Kraven the Hunter, and Vulture. Other notable villains include the Lizard, Green Goblin, the Shocker, Chameleon, Kingpin (I still count him as a Spidey villain, not Daredevil’s!), Black Cat, Rhino, and Scorpion. And although he isn’t a costumed villain, I count Peter Parker’s boss and Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson as a “classic” Spidey villain. A version of JJJ came in Wave 7, but this figure was actually the Chameleon disguised as Jameson! A new version of Jameson came out in the recent Wave 43, and his accessories includes a Daily Bugle newspaper with the headline “SPIDERMAN: HERO OR MENACE?”
Venom transforming.
The Green Goblin has had five variations made of him (if you count Ultimate Green Goblin), but the most interesting version was the one that came in Wave 41, which not only came with a “Goblin Glider” for the first time, but came with “Unmasked Spider-Man,” a rope, and flame-blast stand, allowing you to recreate the cover to the classic comic Amazing Spider-Man #39! There have also been six versions of the popular Spidey villain Venom, including a version from the Spider-Man 3 movie line. While I’m not a Venom fan, I find a couple of these figures interesting. I like the original Venom that came in Wave 2 because it’s just plain goofy! Also, a variation of that figure was made with an extra goofy sticking-out tongue. Incidentally, that version was only released in Canada. The version that came in Wave 24, called Transformation Venom, is good because it came with so many parts. This figure allows you to convert it to Venom’s alter ego, Eddie Brock, a version of an extra-crazy Brock in mid-transformation, and lastly a final version of Venom. As a toy, this figure is really well done. Makes me almost like Venom!
Venom.
Green Goblin and Spider-Man.
To me, the key villains that are missing for Spidey are Morbius and the Beetle (and a good friend of mine desperately wants Stegron!).
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