The Magazine for LEGO® Enthusiasts of All Ages! Issue 27 • February 2014
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What Happens When the Best LEGO Builders Compete Online?
N O IRLDER BUI
A BRICKJOURNAL SPECIAL FEATURE
12
Interviews, Instructions, AND MORE! 0
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NEW ISSUES: THE RETRO COMICS EXPERIENCE!
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FOCUSING ON GOLDEN & SILVER AGE COMICS
C o l l e c t o r
CELEBRATING THE LIFE & CAREER OF THE “KING” OF COMICS
THE PROFESSIONAL “HOW-TO” MAGAZINE ON COMICS, CARTOONING & ANIMATION
THE MAGAZINE FOR LEGO® ENTHUSIASTS!
ALTER EGO #123
BRICKJOURNAL #28
DRAW! #28
KIRBY COLLECTOR #62
KIRBY COLLECTOR #63
Learn what went into the making of The LEGO Movie and other brickfilms with moviemaker DAVID PAGANO, chat with brickfilmers The Brotherhood Workshop, sit in on a talk with the makers of LEGO: A Brickumentary, a look at MINDSTORMS building, minifigure customization by JARED BURKS, step-by-step “You Can Build It” instructions by CHRISTOPHER DECK, AFOLs by GREG HYLAND, & more!
FAREL DALRYMPLE shows how he produces Meathaus and Pop Gun War, director and storyboard/comics artist DAVE BULLOCK dissects his own work, columnist JERRY ORDWAY draws on his years of experience to show readers the Ord-way of creating comics, JAMAR NICHOLAS reviews the latest art supplies, plus more Comic Art Bootcamp by BRET BLEVINS and editor MIKE MANLEY! Mature readers only.
KIRBY AT DC! Kirby interview, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, updated “X-Numbers” list of Kirby’s DC assignments (revealing some surprises), JERRY BOYD’s insights on Kirby’s DC work, a look at KEY 1970s EVENTS IN JACK’S LIFE AND CAREER, Challengers vs. the FF, pencil art galleries from FOREVER PEOPLE, OMAC, and THE DEMON, Kirby cover inked by MIKE ROYER, and more!
MARVEL UNIVERSE! Featuring MARK ALEXANDER’s pivotal Lee/Kirby essay “A Universe A’Borning,” KIRBY interview, MARK EVANIER and our other regular columnists, a look at key late-1970s events in Kirby’s life and career, STAN LEE script pages, unseen Kirby pencils and unused art from THOR, NICK FURY, HULK and FANTASTIC FOUR, plus galleries of ETERNALS, BLACK PANTHER, and more!
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ALTER EGO #124
ALTER EGO #125
ALTER EGO #126
ALTER EGO #127
DENNY O’NEIL’s Silver Age career at Marvel, Charlton, and DC—aided and abetted by ADAMS, KALUTA, SEKOWSKY, LEE, GIORDANO, THOMAS, SCHWARTZ, APARO, BOYETTE, DILLIN, SWAN, DITKO, et al. Plus, we begin serializing AMY KISTE NYBERG’s groundbreaking book on the history of the Comics Code, FCA (Fawcett Collectors of America), Mr. Monster, BILL SCHELLY and more!
We spotlight HERB TRIMPE’s work on Hulk, Iron Man, S.H.I.E.L.D., Ghost Rider, Ant-Man, Silver Surfer, War of the Worlds, Ka-Zar, even Phantom Eagle, and featuring THE SEVERIN SIBLINGS, LEE, FRIEDRICH, THOMAS, GRAINGER, BUSCEMA, and others, plus more of AMY KISTE NYBERG’s Comics Code history, M. THOMAS INGE on Communism and 1950s comic books, FCA, Mr. Monster, and more!
Golden Age “Air Wave” artist LEE HARRIS discussed by his son JONATHAN LEVEY to interviewer RICHARD J. ARNDT, with rarely-seen 1940s art treasures (including mysterious, never-published art of an alternate version of DC’s Tarantula)! Plus more of AMY KISTE NYBERG’s exposé on the Comics Code, artist SAL AMENDOLA tells the story of the Academy of Comic Book Arts, FCA, Mr. Monster, and more!
Second big issue on 3-D COMICS OF THE 1950s! KEN QUATTRO looks at the controversy involving JOE KUBERT, NORMAN MAURER, BILL GAINES, and AL FELDSTEIN! Plus more fabulous Captain 3-D by SIMON & KIRBY and MORT MESKIN— 3-D thrills from BOB POWELL, HOWARD NOSTRAND, JAY DISBROW and others— the career of Treasure Chest artist VEE QUINTAL, FCA, Mr. Monster, and more!
1940s WILL EISNER/”BUSY” ARNOLD letters between the creator of The Spirit and his Quality Comics partner, art and artifacts by FINE, CRANDALL, CUIDERA, CARDY, KOTZKY, BLUM, NORDLING, and others! Plus Golden Age MLJ artist JOHN BULTHIUS, more of AMY KISTE NYBERG’s History of the Comics Code, FCA, Mr. Monster’s Comic Crypt, BILL SCHELLY, cover by DANIEL JAMES COX!
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TwoMorrows. A New Day For Comics Fans! BACK ISSUE #72
BACK ISSUE #73
BACK ISSUE #74
BACK ISSUE #75
“Robots” issue! Cyborg, Metal Men, Robotman, Red Tornado, Mister Atom, the Vision, Jocasta, Shogun Warriors, and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, plus the legacy of Brainiac! Featuring the riveting work of DARROW, GERBER, INFANTINO, PAUL KUPPERBERG, MILLER, MOENCH, PEREZ, SIMONSON, STATON, THOMAS, WOLFMAN, and more, behind a Metal Men cover by MICHAEL ALLRED.
“Batman’s Partners!” MIKE W. BARR and ALAN DAVIS on their Detective Comics, Batman and the Outsiders, Nightwing flies solo, Man-Bat history, Commissioner Gordon, the last days of World’s Finest, Bat-Mite, the Batmobile, plus Dark Knight’s girl Robin! Featuring work by APARO, BUSIEK, DITKO, KRAFT, MILGROM, MILLER, PÉREZ, WOLFMAN, and more, with a cover by ALAN DAVIS and MARK FARMER.
“Bronze Age Fantastic Four!” The animated FF, the FF radio show of 1975, Human Torch goes solo, Galactus villain history, FF Mego figures… and the Impossible Man! Exploring work by RICH BUCKLER, JOHN BUSCEMA, JOHN BYRNE, GERRY CONWAY, STEVE ENGLEHART, GEORGE PÉREZ, KEITH POLLARD, ROY THOMAS, LEN WEIN, MARV WOLFMAN, and more! Cover by KEITH POLLARD and JOE RUBINSTEIN.
“‘80s Independents!” In-depth looks at PAUL CHADWICK’s Concrete, DAVE SIM’s Cerebus the Aardvark, and RICHARD AND WENDY PINI’s Elfquest! Plus see ‘80s independent comics go Hollywood, DAVID SCROGGY remembers Pacific Comics, TRINA ROBBINS’ California Girls, and DENIS KITCHEN’s star-studded horror/sci-fi anthology Death Rattle. Cover by PAUL CHADWICK!
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Issue 27 • February 2014
Contents
From the Editor....................................................2
People Welcome to the Joker’s Funhouse! ......4
Building BrickNerd’s Do It Yourself Fan Art: Star Wars Mouse Droid............................16 You Can Build It: Mini Corellian Corvette............................19 Making a Collaborative Build: Cycycles!..............................................................22 Minifigure Customization 101: Thinking Oustide the Box When You Are Outside.......................................................26
Community Iron Builder:An Introduction..................31 The History of Iron Builder........................32 Iron Builder Gallery........................................52 An Iron Builder Timeline............................56 Timeline Gallery...............................................66 Community Ads..............................................78 Last Word..............................................................79 AFOLs......................................................................80
Community
BrickJournal readers, indulge me for a moment. Let’s take a little time-travel trip back to our childhoods. Cue the 1960s Batman theme in your mind...you know the one: “Nananana Nananana, BATMAN!” I can see it now: we are riding our bikes (I mean Batmobile) through the local park. Suddenly, our best friend (who happens to be the Joker) cuts us off from behind a tree. A choreographed fight ensues. BIFF! BAM! SPLAT! THWACK! The fight ends and we both speed off on our Batmobiles to the Batcave, where Mom has lunch ready...
Welcome to the Joker’s Funhouse! Article by Paul Hetherington Photography provided by Paul Hetherington and Carlyle Livingston II
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Paul Hetherington with the Joker’s Funhouse.
I had a good imagination back then, and still do. That was the Batman of my childhood, based on the campy, Pop Art-styled 1960s Batman TV show. As kids, we just assumed that was the way Batman was. As adults, we learned that this show wasn’t the most accurate portrayal of the Batman and Robin characters.
Decades later, in the 1990s, I was at a toy store and came across some action figures from Batman: the Animated Series. I was instantly drawn in by the packaging graphics and the style of the characters. Over the next few years, I managed to collect the entire line. I also became very impressed by Mark Hamill’s portrayal of the Joker as I watched the show. Fast forward to 2008, when I went to see The Dark Knight. While I thought Mark Hamill’s voice acting was great in the animated series, Heath Ledger took the character of the Joker to the next level in the movie. For me, it was the first time I began to more fully understand the Joker’s character. I was fascinated by how far the Joker will go to torment Batman for his entertainment. I credit this movie for planting the seed in me to eventually build a LEGO Batman creation. I think the feel of LEGO Batman lies somewhere in the middle of the Batman franchises detailed above. I don’t think that Batman and Robin are as campy and light-hearted as the 1960s TV show. I also don’t believe that LEGO Joker is as coldblooded a killer as portrayed in The Dark Knight. In my vision, the Joker lives to execute elaborate set-ups designed to lead Batman and Robin to a predictable outcome: the punchline! Like the A-team TV show from the ‘80s, you would see the bad guys get knocked down and thrown off buildings, then you would always see them hobble away to fight another day. This is the spirit in which the stories within the Funhouse are presented.
Section 3: Rocket Ride
Section 2: Funhouse Interior
Section 1: Entrance Gate An overview of the Joker’s Funhouse.
The Design Process...
I was very happy to discover that LEGO was bringing the Batman line back to stores in 2012. As soon as I saw the sets, I instantly bought a copy on the Joker’s Funhouse. In that moment, visions of a large, very detailed Funhouse MOC started filling my imagination. However, it is one thing to decide to build a funhouse, but it’s quite another to have a specific layout with all the animation points and transportation issues worked out. My creations can take a bit of time and work to flesh out, but the Joker’s Funhouse was fairly quick to come together. Driving time is where many of my ideas come, and I had about three hours to finalize the Funhouse details in my head while returning from Seattle one day. From my research, I knew that the Joker’s Funhouse was mainly a concept from the Batman video games. Luckily for me, there didn’t appear to be a definitive version, so I felt I could exercise some artistic license in creating my Funhouse. There was one LEGO Batman image that really stuck in my mind: a view from the cockpit of the Batwing. Situated out over the ocean, it is flying toward the Joker’s carnival. In the distance, you can see that it is located on a pier. There are twisting roller coaster tracks, brightly colored tents, and assorted amusement park rides in disrepair. Images like this one helped me come up with the overall look and feel for my Funhouse. I decided to build the Funhouse in three sections: section 1 is the entrance gate, which would be on one side. Section 2 is the Funhouse interior, which would be a lightbox with two floors that would feature three motorized vignettes each: a lower floor with a tilting floor, animated plants, a swirling acid vat, and a teacup ride, and an upper floor with a hiding character, a Jokerin-the-box, and a moving word puzzle. Section 3 (on the other
side) would have a rocket amusement ride. Finally, I would add a curved roller coaster track on top to finish the main structure. This approach allowed me to use three sets of Batman and Robin minifigures. I thought of the Funhouse as a storytelling progression from left to right. As part of the design process I am always thinking ahead to ensure that there is room to add all the motors and gears that will power the moving features. In this case, building the Funhouse on a pier allowed for an eight-brick high space underneath the floors where these could be situated. It also meant that I could add in some oceanfront, which provided a much-needed organic element to the Funhouse. I wanted to give the ocean a very murky and cold look. During this phase of planning I did many image searches on abandoned warehouses and piers, as I knew that I wanted the Funhouse to appear very rundown and deserted. When it comes to LEGO building, tiles are one of my favorite parts. My building style has evolved where most things I create tend to be studless, where only a few studs are showing and most are covered with tiles or other smooth parts. I like this style because of the clean lines that it affords. Ironically, I also think there is more potential for texture when the studs are covered up. For the Joker’s Funhouse, the tile I used was the dark purple 1x2 tile. This became the Funhouse’s Most Valuable Piece (MVP—a running joke I have with my MOCs), as it was the part that allowed me to feature so much purple on the entrance and in the walls of the Funhouse. In a stroke of luck, the Pick-a-Brick wall at my local LEGO Brand Retail store had this part a few months before I began construction. Back then, I didn’t know exactly how it would feature in the Funhouse but I knew 5 that a purple tile was definitely a Joker-style piece.
Mouse Droid Design and Instructions by Tommy Williamson
About this issue’s model:
Tommy Williamson is no stranger to BrickJournal, having been featured previously for his Jack Sparrow miniland scale figure. Since then, he has gone farther into building, making some remarkable Star Trek props and other models. He’s now doing a new column for BrickJournal: DIY Fan Art. Here, Tommy takes a little time out from his busy schedule to make a model of his choosing for the magazine. What is he busy on? Tommy’s now a LEGO community blogger with his own website: BrickNerd (www.bricknerd. com) As he says, “I’ve been a fan of LEGO all my life, and got into the AFOL scene about 8 years ago. I decided it was time to take my unhealthy obsession to the next unhealthy level and start a fan site. Not only do I cover great MOCs and LEGO news, I host a bi-weekly web series. I also do reviews and feature artist bios and interviews. If you’re nerdy about the bricks, BrickNerd is for you!”
Anyone that knows me knows I’m a Star Wars fan. I have been since I was nine years old, and I will be forever. I still have vivid memories of the first time I saw the film with a small group of friends. And I remember all of us laughing out loud when this curious little robot was patrolling the halls of the Death Star only to come face-to-face with our heroes, and sent fleeing with a roar from Chewbacca. I’ve had plans to build a mousedroid at several scales for ages (one of my ever-growing list of MOCs to build) but never had time. Well, I’ve finally designed one at this scale, and here it is. I hope you enjoy it.
You can find BrickNerd’s website by going to www.bricknerd.com or scanning this QR code!
Parts List (Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color)
Qty Part Color 4 87087.dat Black 2 3010.dat Black 2 30414.dat Black 2 3002.dat Black 1 2456.dat Black 2 3937.dat Black 2 6134.dat Black 24 3794a.dat Black 2 3623.dat Black 2 6157.dat Black 4 3021.dat Black
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Description Brick 1x1 with Stud on 1 Side Brick 1x4 Brick 1x4 with Studs on Side Brick 2x3 Brick 2x6 Hinge 1x2 Base Hinge 2x2 Top Plate 1x2 without Groove with 1 Centre Stud Plate 1x3 Plate 2x2 with Wheels Holder Wide Plate 2x3
Qty Part Color 1 3033.dat Black 8 85984.dat Black 2 4460.dat Black 4 3685.dat Black 6 2555.dat Black 12 2412b.dat Black 4 63864.dat Black 2 2431.dat Black 2 6636.dat Black 4 30028.dat Black 4 30027a.dat Black
Description Plate 6x10 Slope Brick 31 1x2x0.667 Slope Brick 75 2x1x3 Slope Brick 75 2x2x3 Double Convex Tile 1x1 with Clip Tile 1x2 Grille with Groove Tile 1x3 with Groove Tile 1x4 with Groove Tile 1x6 Tyre 8/40x8 Slick Smooth Wheel Rim 8x8 Round Hole for Wheel Holding Pin
1
2
4x 4x
2x 1x 3
1x 4
2x
4x
5
2x
24x
6
2x
2x 2x
17
Building
Making a Collaborative Build: Cycycles! Article by Gregory Coquelz and Joe Meno Art by PixelFox Instructions by Joe Meno
In 2114, the miniaturization of anti-G modules not only revolutionized personal transportation, it also opened a whole new world of possibilities for motor racing. As one would expect, it was indeed only a matter of time before these modules would be fitted into racing type vehicles. The technology marked the end of the F1 era and the beginning of the Cycycles era. The prototype architecture was very simple really: a single-person vehicle equipped with an anti-G module, two thrusters and two flaps for maneuverability —very fast and very dangerous too. The initial designs were restrained to about 2,000HP but modified versions quickly appeared on the secondary market. If the official races are nowadays kept under strict surveillance by the Cycycle Federation, all bets are off in the street racing world where “legal” racers are nowhere to be found. These modifications unfortunately very often result in the contestant’s own demise… A few weeks ago, Joe Meno approached us at a North Carolina LEGO Users Group (NCLUG) meeting with his first Cycycle prototype. The model was the result of a recent insomnia bout and he had brought it with him to share with the group. Very quickly, we started brewing an idea around the small racer. We had a public display coming up at the NC Comicon and it occurred to us that this would make a good subject for a collaborative build. A few minutes later it was decided that every LUG member taking in a part in the show would bring his/her own racer along with a standardized pit stop built on a 16x16 base in order to form a larger layout. What started out as a simple idea turned out to be one of the highlights of our display and the public’s response was very enthusiastic. The model itself made a good choice for a project like this one; first it was small enough to be easily put together in a couple of hours with a handful of pieces and two, it had just about enough versatility to be customized to everyone’s own style and preference—Space, Fantasy, Super-Heroes or Castle!
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Both elements contributed in creating a diverse yet coherent layout. There are already plans for the next show to try and engage the public into the concept even more by running real races based on the visitors’ votes.
Parts List for the Cycycle
(Parts can be ordered through Bricklink.com by searching by part number and color) Qty
Part
Description
Color
Qty
3
99781.dat
Bracket 1x2 - 1x2 Down
Light Bluish Gray
2 44302.dat
Hinge Plate 1x2 Locking with Dual Finger on End Vertical
Light Bluish Gray
2 44301.dat
Hinge Plate 1x2 Locking with Single Finger on End Vertical
Light Bluish Gray
1
30031.dat
Minifig Handlebars
Black
1
3024.dat
Plate 1x1
Black
4
4073.dat
Plate 1x1 Round
Dark Bluish Gray
1
3023.dat
Plate 1x2
Light Bluish Gray
4
3023.dat
Plate 1x2
White
4
3023.dat
Plate 1x2
Red
2 60470a.dat Plate 1x2 with 2 Clips Horizontal (Open U-Clips)
Red
2 3794b.dat
Plate 1x2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud
Light Bluish Gray
3 3794b.dat
Plate 1x2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud
14 3794b.dat
Plate 1x2 with Groove with 1 Centre Stud
2
Plate 1x2 with Handle Type 2 Red
48336.dat
1 3839a.dat
Plate 1x2 with Handles Type 1
White Red
Red
Part
Description
Color
1 92280.dat
Plate 1x2 with Single Clip On Top
Light Bluish Gray
1
3666.dat
Plate 1x6
White
2
3022.dat
Plate 2x2
Red
2
2444.dat
Plate 2x2 with Hole
Red
1
3021.dat
Plate 2x3
Red
1
3020.dat
Plate 2x4
Red
2
3034.dat
Plate 2x8
Red
1
54200.dat
Slope Brick 31 1x1x2/3
Trans Clear
2
54200.dat
Slope Brick 31 1x1x2/3
Red
2
54200.dat
Slope Brick 31 1x1x2/3
Black
3
54200.dat
Slope Brick 31 1x1x2/3
White
1
3665.dat
Slope Brick 45 2x1 Inverted
Red
2
50950.dat
Slope Brick Curved 3x1
Red
1
3070b.dat
Tile 1x1 with Groove
White
2
2412b.dat
Tile 1x2 Grille with Groove
Black
4
2412b.dat
Tile 1x2 Grille with Groove
White
2
3069b.dat
Tile 1x2 with Groove
White
2
3069b.dat
Tile 1x2 with Groove
Black
4
3068b.dat
Tile 2x2 with Groove
Red
1
41770.dat
Wing 2x4 Left
Red
1
41769.dat
Wing 2x4 Right
Red
Wing 3x4 with 1x2 Cutout with Stud Notches
Red
2 48183.dat
23
Building Minifigure Customization 101:
Thinking Outside the Box When You Are Outside!
When this article series started, there was little to no minifigure customization occurring. At most, AFOLs, TFOLs, and CFOLs (Adult, Teen, and Child Fans Of LEGO) were mixing and matching official LEGO elements in an attempt to create unique minifigures. I have even written about this form of purist customization before and with a bit of imagination you can achieve some excellent custom figures. However, today customizers abound and aftermarket items are everywhere. These items and the aftermarket suppliers seek to fill every void in the market and find their own unique niche where they can offer something no one else can. While they are doing quite well at this, there is still one place where they can never really fill the need: your own imagination. Just as customizers once picked up LEGO and started modifying it, decaling it, painting it, cutting it, customizing it, I recommend you take that same keen eye to these aftermarket items. Make them your own. Today’s article is going to be about modifying some of these aftermarket items, from something that was originally meant to be used as something else, into something unique. Some of these examples will be a bigger stretch than others. Take inspiration and show us what you think up. Don’t settle, this is what drove customizing during its infancy; create your vision with any piece of plastic, cloth, or whatever. Just because these aftermarket companies are producing cool new pieces to go outside of the licensed LEGO box, doesn’t mean that you have to stay confined to their box either! This article is meant to be inspirational instead of directly educational. This is to demonstrate what you can do when you listen to your imagination. As the point of the article is to inspire I hope you take it and start creating new and different items, customizing everything.
Modifying Decals by Jared K. Burks and Michael Marzilli
There are two easy ways to modify decals; change the colors or apply them in unique and unexpected ways. Several customizers who use decals I have made have applied them in ways that I never envisioned, creating totally new figures. Others have requested color alterations yielding completely new and stunning results. The examples I am going to share here resulted in a combined effort of mine and Michael’s. While trying to create a Star Wars Republic Commando by the name of Gregor we decided to modify the color scheme and created the Skittle Squad. The Skittles utilize backpacks and helmets from Arealight’s Custom Works Shop.
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Figure 1: The Skittle Squad.
26
The Skittle Squad also demonstrates another skill that requires thinking outside the box: applying decals when no template exists. There is no template for Arealight’s RC backpacks. This requires trimming and fitting as you work your way through the backpack. Using the decal softening solution to conform the decal to the surface requires tricky skill; if the decal overlaps itself it will be visible and detract from the final result. This sort of application takes time and patience as well as a skilled hand. Also many of the aftermarket parts don’t exist in the colors we needed, which meant finding paint matching LEGO colors.
Figure 1a - e: Individual Skittle Squad members.
Another example of this sort of cut-to-fit application is Michael’s camo-wearing Mandalorian. This decal set was designed for a clone trooper with a specialized clone helmet, not a Mandalorian helmet. Michael started with a printed transclear helmet that he painted around the printed area, then modified and cut the decals to fit and apply. After modifying the decals to fit the Mandalorian pieces, Michael applied the Mandalorian decals on top and then painted specific parts of the figure to complete the creation. This started with a printed helmet and jetpack from Arealight, but wasn’t complete until painted and modified decals were applied. As an example Michael has replicated the process in the second part of Figure 2.
Figure 2: Camo Mando.
2a. Step by step in creation of a similar figure. Helmet color was altered with paint; decals were cut to fit and applied. Then camo was added to the torso and legs, but clone bits were covered using Mando designs to create the custom Camo Mando.
27
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Jared’s all-new sequel on minifig customizing!
The original Minifigure Customization: Populate Your World! book (still available) shows a wide range of techniques you can use to alter the lovable LEGO® Minifigure. Now, BrickJournal columnist Jared K. Burks presents the sequel— Minifigure Customization2: Why Live In The Box?—offering more advanced techniques to alter minifigures: • Virtual customization, and designing decals • Custom part modification and creation • 3-D printing and painting techniques • Lighting with LEDs or EL wire • Ideas on displays and digital photography • Plus a custom gallery with tips & tricks! Don’t live inside the box—populate your world with any alien, superhero, historical, action, horror, or science-fiction figure you can “just imagine”!
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30
In a sea of contests, one brawl stands head and shoulders above the rest. A contest of Thunderdome-esque building skills where two builders enter, one builder leaves. In this dread arena, dreams are crushed and blood is spilled in the purest of mano-a-mano competitions. That contest is IRON BUILDER.
The rules of the Coliseum are simple and few. Having received a batch of ‘secret ingredient’ parts, the duelists build their hearts out for a month and then put their fate in the hands of the esteemed judges. The criteria are Building Skill, Presentation and Part Usage. To the winner goes the title of ‘Iron Builder’, the love and admiration of his peers and a trophy built by the defeated. To the loser goes eternal shame and a giant Jack Stone Fan Club medallion that must be worn about his neck! It’s not a contest about who can read the rules of the contest best, it’s not a contest about rare prizes and free LEGO sets; it’s a pure contest about two gladiators challenging their imaginations and stretching their building skills to the breaking point.
There is no place to hide during the intense month of brick battle, as the contest from beginning to end is under the real-time watchful eyes of the online Flickr community. What follows is an issue filled with the intense history of the Iron Builder contest, interviews with many of the talented builders and competitors, and inspired photos of the amazing competition MOCs. Enjoy!
Guy Himber, a.k.a. V&A Steamworks Co-Chairman, Iron Builder
“Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition— in having put forth the best within you.” Henry J. Kaiser, father of American shipbuilding
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Community
An Iron Builder Timeline
August 15
August 16
The Brothers Falworth (Mark and Steve Erickson)
Timeline by Joe Meno
Entries by Mark and Steve Erickson and Sean and Steph Mayo Photography provided by the Ericksons and Mayos
The Iron Builder match for August 2013 was between, for the first time, two teams of builders: the Erickson brothers (known as the Brothers Falworth) and the Mayos, Sean and Steph, also known as Siercon and Coral. They were given the following as the seed part at Brickfair Virginia:
Over the next month, from August 15 to September 15, the teams built. And built. And built. Here’s a timeline of all the models that were built in that match, with comments and insights from the builders. At the end, there’s a gallery with some closeup and different photos of some of the outstanding builds. Enjoy!
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The Good Morning Monster was a playful way for us to start off the competition. What a wake-up call! The minifig represents Sean, and the green spikes made really great claws!
We decided to continue the monster theme with Duel in the Deep! The figs represent ourselves, fighting the monster that is the Iron Builder. This time the spikes became flippers on the ocean beast!
We got nearly fifty Flickr comments about that pool of ketchup. Everyone thought this picture was of real food until they looked again! Hold the Mayo!
Siercon and Coral (Sean and Steph Mayo)
As the Ericksons and we both built flowers in a “teaser” speed build just before the actual round began, we wanted to quickly start the contest off with a build that used the idea in a more refined way.
Oscar! This MOC just fell together. It was one of our best builds that took the least amount of time. It started from wanting to create scales or skin for a dragon and morphed into fur.
One of our friends said to build a pineapple! At this point the rose, Oscar, and this MOC were all speed builds, as our strategy was to heavily invest our time into future builds for the last week. This piece was also an opportunity to honor outstanding AFOL Nannan Zhang.
August 17
Well...we just watched Jurassic Park...so a giant dino eye seemed the thing to do. Red snake pieces became veins and the green spikes form the iris.
We wanted to use the green spikes in an architectural detail, thus the train bridge. And the mini-trees too!
We wanted to keep the audience and Sean and Steph guessing about what we would do next, so we tried new themes, styles, and techniques we had never attempted before. This Tribal Warrior is made on the same scale as the displays you see at LEGOLand!
August 18
After visiting the Statue of Liberty the month before Iron Builder, her ladyship’s crown immediately inspired us to make a 150-stud high replica of the monument.
We had built half a meal and the wine glass on the first day of the contest and were saving it for later; when we woke up in the morning to see their food and ketchup! But since they “got there first” we wanted to get this off our plate, and threw the rest of it together so we could post it after theirs.
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August 15
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Who doesn’t love Oscar the Grouch? And with a little bit of a MEME thrown in there, he was a fun way of implementing “trash talk” (literally!) into the contest. We used three hundred of the seed parts in this MOC, with a LEGO card for the soda can.
August 19
Phineas and Ferb is one of our favorite cartoons. We don’t have kids yet, but we’re still young enough at heart to sit and watch it without ‘em! Sometimes you can find us building LEGOs on the floor with Phineas and Ferb playing in the background. We made sure the MOC included both Perry the Platypus and the cool kids inventing their crazy gadgets.
Building several MOCs for this contest either in Forced Perspective or with loose connections really helped save us time in the long run. This build plays only to the frame of the camera to try and gain the effect of a full scene with a single screen. So, though the display as a whole wasn’t transportable, little bits like Perry were able to stay intact. At the end of the day, it was really a fun build, a blast to do, and another day of Iron Builder behind us.
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