ANTHONY DANIELS TALKS LEGO C-3PO ‘CELEBRATING THE 1989 BATMOBILE ae ae a WETEST f 2 aie «6p % Za TECHNIC assy 73) RS < TetA NEW CARD BATTLING GAME, BASED AROUND A VARIETY OF FUN, BRICK BUILT CHARACTERSISSUE 63 / JANUARY 2020 MEET THE TEAM ia ee Cover Pie: Phil Wigton CconraisuToRs. Katy Ward, Ale Hole, Darel Jamieson, Rob Damiana Ed Mack, David Wel, Wil Freeman, dna Wheeler, Chis Wight, James Ward, Mike Freeman, Netane She Josh Gina, Rob Damil Mite Michel leroy Becket WE'RE TAKING THE FIRST WAVE OF EPISODE IX SETS TO TASK ART EDITOR ath Wood, Hype Creative PRODUCTION hve What, Graham Hancock THANKS TO Kin Eleaee Thomson, Kale rs Fak 2a Kobe, ConeLUG, Cam Ponza Anthony Dana; Powel Kul, Carter Wize Buk, Nay Sui Wout il, Jonas kamen, Truman Cheng, Manvel Nesamento, Patek Massey. Ea SherbockPablshing lor fone ond orthusarte SF LEGO. LEGO, the LEGO logo, he brik and {eb confowstions, and the minibgue are trademark ofthe LEGO Group, which doesnot sponso, horas or endorse Bloke magazine, Ifyou have trouble fring Blocks peat al 7881 {da199 or eral siboBaierbocpublahing rock, While every effort mada n comping logs, the publeers cannot beheld resonable for tors or omissions. lights reserved. No pst of ‘hs publetion maybe reproduced or taramtted inary for orby any means, electronic or brany storage review sytem, thot the onret ofthe pubsher TAA t:7 As es escia WELCOME debut in cinemas is a milestone. Yes, some lof you have been here before: first i 83, then again in 2005, each time supposedly marking the end of the Skywalker Saga. But this is apparently really actually it this time. And what better way to mark the occasion than by sitting down with the man who's been there through it ll? ‘Anthony Daniels has now filled C-3PO's golden shoes for 10 Star Wars movies, one LEGO movie, and countless small-screen adventures. From page 30, we chat to the man behind one of the saga’s most enduring characters, while recreati protocol droia!s exhaustive journey in LEGO bricks. ‘As you might have gathered from our cover, we're also taking the first wave of Episode IX sets to task from page 44 Elsewhere, we ring in the first issue of 2020 with exhaustive coverage of the new 1989 Batmobile in Month in LEGO, celebrate the thriving high street (no, really) from page 70, and stroll down memory lane with the Forestmen on page 94. Enjoy the issue, and if you're reading us for the fi (or the first time in a while), don’t miss out on our great subscription offers on page 68. B: ANY MEASURE, The Rise of Skywalker's Chris Wharfe Associate Editor SUBSCRIBE NOW! TH Ces OF 11 SEE PAGE 64 FOR DETAILS.CONTENTS ses sss REGULARS 6 LEGOTALK ‘Areeview of ron Man's warckobe, and your ‘thoughts on the 1989 Batmobile |8 COVER 30 YEARS OF THE BATMOBILE ‘The latest DC Super Heroes st aims straight for the nostalgia crowd), and it's a beauty 11 LEGO ORIGINALS Ever wanted an oversized wooden minfigure to.all your vary ov? We're not judging. 12 THE YEAR OF THE RAT Chinese New Years a new staple inthe LEGO calendar, now avaliable worldwide. |\4 THE BLOCKS CONVERSATION Kale Frost talks up stud shooter triggers and shows off his enormous Xmas build 8 TOP TEN ‘The new Batmobile is stunning, but where does it rank against the res? 20088 LEGO Senior Design Rok Zgalin Kobe chats allthings Architecture, for scales to skyines. 186 IDEAS SHOWCASE Mary Poppins gets the LEGO treatment in Guillaume’ impressive Ideas projec. 188 MONTH IN Mocs Pav Massey goes nto detail on his incredible cate build "110 REBUILD CHALLENGE (Chris gets stuck nto some building, The results are... wel, 90 for yours 4 Blocks January 2020SUBSCRIBE NOW! 12 lxues forthe price of 11! f& facebook. com/blocksmag piemeettr tt @blocksmagazine fer door arpimeat w: wanwublocksmag.com See page 60 for detail FEATURES 30 COVER THE LIFE OF C30 As Episode IX aves in cinemas, we chat to ‘Acthony Daniels about his stored career. 56 COVER TESTING THE LIEBHERR How well does the new 42100 Lieber R 9800 hold up inthe real world? {62 BUILDING BLOCKS “The 1980s saw the LEGO Group go from strength to strength with Kir Kel atthe helm. 70) MAKING A LEGO LIVING The high sveet is ave and well -at least where independent LEGO shops are concerned. 94 BLOCKSTALGIA We joumey back through time to remember a much loved Classe Castle subtheme, REVIEWS 40 IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER The thrdargest Star Wars set of all ime looms into view. Ist worth the dosh? “ RESISTANCE AWING ‘Anather Star Wars A-wing, Been there, done ‘that ut you might stil want this one, 43 KYLO REN'S SHUTTLE Like Ben Solo (maybe), the LEGO Group gets shot at ecemption with this updated shut, 50: (MILLENNIUM FALCON Hf you somehow don't own a LEGO Millennium Feleon by now, the wait has paid off. 52 DROID COMMANDER Set your dreds axaln’ with this 8OOST- powered Star Wars to. 54: LIEBHERR R 9800 EXCAVATOR £399 is alot of money, bu ifyou have it to spare, the Liebherr won't let you down TECHNIQUE "78 PIECING TOGETHER PILLARS Simon introduces us to mutiplo ways of constructing pills big and small 94 PIECE PERCEPTION “Thi microphone may look lke its just doing its jb, but i's also concealing another purposeRounding up the brick conversation each month. E-mail graham@blocksmag.com to share your views Aa HI BLOCKS! I received 76125 ron Man Hall lof Armour for my bithday and decided | ‘would share my review with you Lets start with the build, The hall tslf is modular and thus can be configured in hundkods of ways. There ae also two separate builds that can be joined using “Technic pins. One is 2 mult-screen computer ith dosk and coffee cup (because ever superheroes need a break and ofcourse, no hall of amour would be complete without the feonic platform where Tony tare transforms into ron Man = and yes spins. ‘On tothe six miniigurs. Tree of them are exclusiva to this et. Thee ae two Cuter for those of us that ae amy builders, and | certainly am), The highlights of Unfortunately, lgoris the worst part ofthe Thanks for sharing your thoughts Finn, we this stare the on Man MK 1, Iron Man MK set in my opinion, but there are ways to build are glad you enjoyed ths set 20 much! This 5, lon Man MK 41 and ron Man MK SQ suits. replacement version using only the pars month you can read the Blocks verdicts “The MK 1 suit features amaingly detailed that come in the set In ttal give the sat 98 on the new sats for Star Wars: The Rise of Printing, while the MK50 suits amazing out of 100 ‘Skywalker Graham isthe best ut in my collection, Finn errr uiecmtn acive BOVaUTLALIONIING®. eav ED ie tt a a o 8 4 Blocks January 2020, won: blockmag omLEGOTALK READER REACTIONS We round up your thoughts on the LEGO Group's latest Batmobile. 30 years on, does it still hold the allure it once did? earners peers eis init THE on BATMOBILE! # JAMIE HOGGARTH imilm GOING TO HAVE TO SELL BODY PARTS THI CAN'T MISS THIS! MICHAEL HODGSON Eten Skorsky -70 Firehawk L.A. County Fire Edition by Adtien Pecquet won blocamag com January 2020 Blocks 7MONTH IN LEGO 30 YEARS OF THE™ BATMOBILE : Messages eR outs i O(a Straight from Billund, apparentlyMONTH IN LEGO fi minfigures, A ed place the Dark Kn ° le ll the right reasons, and already looks w and Kim B dont the dark, brooding(SM MONTH IN LEGO This month: is the new wooden minifigure worth buying? Q) ini T's A WAY FOR FANS TO DISPLAY THEIR PASSION WITH PRIDE = Ithastaken the LEGO Group far too long to explore the company’s heritage, and a wooden item is the perfect way to do that. Thisnew piece fits in well wth the LEGO Originals Print, which algo dale ito the Billund archives for inspiration, Fans have vaited 3 long time for classic LEGO iconography to be used inthis way. The wooden material is fone thing that makes the product special, but the choice ofa miniigure is relevant too. Something about the blocky character being ‘oversized works, and while that may have been done before in plastic ithas never been done in sucha stylish way. This wooden minifigure isa way fr fans to display their passion with pride, to the point that even those with only a passing interest inthe brick wil find ithord not te be tempted by ths icon of cidhood. Ss init MY MONEY COULD BE SPENT MUCH BETTER ELSEWHERE © The wooden minfigure i ame. What exact am | supposed to do with this? About the same size a8 a LEGO clock its too small to be a display piece of any meri, and while | understand the reason forthe plastic hands, they jst look strange. Apparently, the intent isthat | decorate t myself | completely lack the skis to do that. Anything I tied would completely deface this expensive bit of czaftsmarship beyond recognition. This would be destined to sit as aglorfied paperweight collecting dust on my desk at home. Considering that, fr the same price, I could bbe 80% of the way to @ modular building, orall the way to any but the largest of Star Wars sts, it seems my money could be spent much better elsewhere. | would love to on a wooden LEGO product, but one fom the 19408 = not this. iil A THREE-FIGURE PRICE TAG IS COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE "5 ‘What do you get the AFOL who has everything? An oversized wooden minfigure, apparently, Unfortunately, at its current cost, its hard to imagine anyone choosing this cover actual LEGO bricks. £30 an easy ak. £50 just about justifiable. A tree figure price tag, onthe other hand, is completely Unreasonable, pecially given is only five times the size ofa minfigure~ the images make itlook prety large, but you might fend up finding yourself cisappointed by ts diminutive size. Isa shame, because even with its jaring plastic hands, this is really oo! figure that would make fora wonderfully understated display piece, whether at home or in your office, ksblank canvas, meanwhile, is an open invite to unleash your creativity ~ but heavily dependent on how much you trust your own attic kl, ll leave the painting supplies where they ae £00 wooden Miniigure ‘ourine on Bale EOS 12+ 130%,{M MINIFIGURE OF THE MONTH // BATMAN, ‘The Bttakeover ft kaue's Moth n LEGO section woud’ be complete without spotting the Duk Knight himel 75139 1969 Bambi’ Batman rating of ral beauty f ot playbay with moulded col and ape element ath receating the bod Bos deg. LEGO ORIGINALS fares The LEGO Group is diversifying its portfolio with a the LEGO Corttied) nod to the past “T'S ALL ABOUT NOSTALGIA AND BRAND HERITAGE. The frst product to launch under the LEGO Originals umbrella is 853967 Wooden Minifigure, andi’ a sure sign of things to come forthe theme, f you've been keeping up with our Building Blocks series, youll know that the very first LEGO toys were hancrafted from wood by Ole Kik Kristiansen inthe early 1930s. Inthe middle ofthe 20th century the company turned its attention to plastic, and the resis histor. 2. 17'S THE BRAINCHILD OF ROOM COPENHAGEN. ‘You might recognise Danish design company Room Copenhagen from its other licensed LEGO products, ‘which ince (but arent limited t) storage Eick, wall hangers, ice cube trays and lunchboxes, Now, its teamed up with the LEGO Group for what the companies are caling an extension of the LEGO play experience, 9, THE WOODEN MINIFIGURE IS DESIGNED TO BE DECORATED. ‘You'll notice thatthe 5:1 upecaled minfigure, which stands at 20em tall and Tem wide, is completely blank. The LEGO Group ishoping that fanswill buy the minfigute and decorate it to ther preference, rather than creating 8 wooden version ofa single minfigure {and therefore narrowing its audience). Ths does rely heavily, though, on your own artistic talent “4, NOT EVERY PART OF THE WOODEN MINIFIGURE 'S WOODEN. Wondering vty the hands are yellow? That’ because they plastic, and the only ariculated par of the figure, so as to grasp ary brick built accessories you 860 fit to construct for your new wooden pal. A polsbag with 29 bricks is included inthe box to get you started, along with instructions for five diferent ‘models. Evan when its creating a product designed selely fr display, the LEGO Group just couldn't let go ofthe need for playabily. 5. T'S A MILESTONE PRODUCT FOR THE LEGO Group. The last LEGO product to combine both plastic and ‘wood ina single release was 1130 Bedtord Firetuck, which launched a mighty six decades ago in 1959. That ‘makes thie collectors piece rather spacial, and it cares a collectors’ price tag to match. You can get your hands on the Wooden Minifigue right now =f you're prepared to part with an eye-natering £109.99 forthe statuesque display piece MONTH IN LEGO i {RUMOUR MILL// WHITE BASEPLATE Re been 12 yearssince we at a 9 32x32 white baseplate non cfical pod, and even than you had to by LEGO Racers et to get: Fortunately for busing Hot bate bulders, the mh) Pat's epotedy retuing to tre 2 astandsone product, NEWS IN BRIEF les all change in Professionals program, ‘as anew member from Canada has joined the Entry stage, while members from China and Hungary have graduated tothe full LCP program. Corified Professionals {are recognised brick builders, lensed by the LEGO Group to carry out bul project. FIT FORA PRINCESS, ‘The line-up of offical, LEGO magazines is ‘getting a new tle in 2020, wth LEGO Disney Princess joining the likes ‘of LEGO Batman, LEGO Star Wars and LEGO CITY on supermarket and newsagent shelves, fi follows precedent, the new mag should offers cheap way to get your hands on mini-dolls AWARDS SEASON The Toy Retailers ‘Association has named 75957 The Knight Bus ‘sone ofits top 12 toys for Christmas 2019, while five LEGO sets have ‘earned nominations in the 2020 Toy ofthe Year awards including 75810 The Upside Down for Specialty Toy of the Year, ond 75253 Droid ‘Commander fr STEM! STEAM Toy of the Year SECOND ONE TO Leco ‘Country muse star (Chris Stapleton has collaborated with the LEGO Group for his latest music video. The clip, for his new single Second ‘One To Know, features minifigure versions ofthe band batting with LEGO ninjas and dragons. January 2020 Blocks 11MONTH IN LEGO THE YEAR OF THE RAT The LEGO Group is doubling down on its Chinese New Year celebrations for 2020 80105 Temple Fai willbe ‘evalable worldwide ‘rom January ‘THE LEGO GROUP stoked controversy atthe beginning of 2019 with the announcement of ‘three Chinese New Year sets - nat because the subjects remotely taboo, but because the sets were glorious, and they were only to be released inthe Asia-Pacific market. Uproar from LEGO fans around the world led to an announcement in Apri that going forward, region-exclusive sats would eventually be released worldwide Now, the company is making good on ‘that promise with ts 2020 Chinese New Year sets, 80104 Lion Danco and 80105 Temple Fer which wl launch in Asia-Pacfc markets ote 42 Blocks January 2020 ‘on December 26, ond globally on January 10, Both sets ae representative ofthe kind ‘of attention the LEGO Group is paying its biggest growth market, because on paper they looknerecible Lion Dance includes 2 percussionists’ stage, ‘traditional Chinese temple gate, and five im WE WERE INCREDIBLY THOROUGH WITH OUR RESEARCH WHEN DESIGNING THE SETS #8 wonderfully detailed lon figures, hile Temple Fair recreates a sprawing scene common 0 Chinese society around the lunar new year. ‘The temple, market stalls and chery blossom ‘wees are populated with 13 miiigures and a baby, making for an expansiva- and colourful = display, “We were incredibly thorough with our research when designing the sets,’ said their ‘designer, Markus Rolbtler. Far the Chinese Now Year Temple Fai, we looked closely at the types of things vendors sellin the market ‘tals and al ofthe various goods on offer’ The focus for Markus wasn't just on authenticity, but playability. Both sets incude amazing minfigures and details to encourage role play. The Lion Dance set comes with many interesting play features. For example, you ‘can fully pose the lions and you can aso open ‘and close their mouths to help recreate the spectacular dances we all know and love”MONTH IN LEGO fi i > BLOCKS PITCHES /'66 BATMORILE “Tho 1969 Batre a wel and good (oy which we mean ite well good), but t's ony got usharkaring for more Bet goodness. ‘White eld love astandlone release ofthe minifigure-seale 1966 Batmabie, weld ove asupersid version even more espeially ‘Ftcame wit bckbult Adam West igure to dive > RUMOUR MiLL// OLD TRAFFORD ‘Tre LEGO GROUP hs put nko paper on a contact with Manchester United although there's no word on the $gning fee -or even contract duration ~for the club's now Star player. Rumour asi though, thatthe deal wil see therelense of Crestor Expert sie Old Trafford stadium BUILDING A NEW HO The new LEGO campus has opened its doors. You have questions, [What i thie, some kind of LEGO university? No, don't ot the term ‘campus! fool you - it's really just a new workspace designed to house Biluns 2,000 LEGO employees. I's been in the works forfour "years, and its first phase officially opened atthe end (of October Five hundred employees have already ‘moved into the new building, withthe other 1,500 due tomove across by the end of 2021. So why ist called a “eampus"? ‘Aside from its hip Silicon Valley-eeque branding, the new building is more than just a workspace. As ol as traltionsl office arees, the campus includes lounges, play areas and outdoor parks, al of which are open to the public. Once it's finished in 2021, the ‘campus's contra area called "People House’ - will Incorporate a fitness contre, arts and crafts workshop, café, auditorium, and even accommodation for visiting employees: that a huge LEGO brick on the roof? Ikisindeed - the campus's designers, CF Maller Architects, have imbued the structure with LEGO from top to bottom. There are LEGO bricks in the walls and entryway, and the entre $4,000-square foot space wil ‘eventually have nt one, but two enormous yellow bricks on the buildings’ roots. we have answers So the employees will be working for LEGO, in Leco? Basically, yes. Tho aim with the now campus was to ‘miror the design language and ethos ofthe LEGO Group, withthe architects given permission to adept ‘playful approach to their designs. The tear has worked hard to create a workspace that reflects our values and insis a sense of fun’ said CEO Niels B. Christiansen. ‘Our mission is to inspire children, so i's Important we provide our talented colleagues with an ‘environment that is playful and inspires creativity and innovative thinking.” How does building an enormous new campus square with the LEGO Group's planet promise? Good question, concerned citizen. Half ofthe campus's energy is being supplied by more than 4,000 solar panels, which cover the roof ofits parking garage. The buildings roofs, meanwhile, are home to Sedum plants, which absorb water - and willbe used to irigate the campus's green spaces ‘And the building interiors have been constructed using @ special ‘aypsum fibre board materia’, which apparently requires 2 fewer tonnes of steel due to its strength, saving 650 tonnes of CO2 emissions. There's no word on whether the company wil be offsetting the rest of the energy required, though. I (GABE Pe Piel Reed ABAD INVESTMENT The LEGO Group family ‘owners private holding {and investment company lost $150 milion ina single day in Novernber, after one ofits key investments backfire. A profit warning issued by Danish offce-servce firm ISS A/S wiped 20% ‘off the company's market value ~ bad news for KIRKBI AS, which owns ‘around 15% af IS. BUILDING SHANGHAI Merlin Entertainments has announced a second LEGOLAND park for China, ust weeks after announcing the firstin Sichuan, LEGOLAND Shanghai will open sometime after 2023, as Merlin ~ much like the LEGO Group - provtises aggressive growth inthe region. LEGO BATTLEFRONT Keon videogame fans have mashed up their favourite LEGO Star Wars characters with Star rs: Batlfront I The madding community has ‘added delightfully plastic Yoda and Battle Droid kin to the shooter, ‘along with LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga character icons BRICK MACY'S The LEGO Group debuted anew Brick Changer float at this year’s Macy's ‘Thanksgiving Parade in New York City. The leat depicts an enormous pert-turkey,partcragon painting a monochrome, brick-bult canvas with bright LEGO colours, signtying the creativity behind the company. January 2020 Blocks 13,MONTH IN LEGO We shoot the brick breeze with prominent AFOLs. This month, prolific builder and LEGO MASTERS Australia contestant Kale Frost talks Classic Space, funding LEGO through LEGO and a very special Xmas build What's the most versatile LEGO element you own? Speaking aa builder and creator not calecto that’ a loaded question. All LEGO is versal, Seeing it as such is par of the key to bing a great croator Not just seeing a part as what it was xginlly for, but having something you wish to buld and using whatever the best, Par forthe job might be. Its about seeing possibilty. And as an example, | might be the ‘only person to have ever ordered stuc-shooter triggers in bulk, because they make beautiful greebling and architectural detail I you could resurrect one theme, what would it be? Classe Space. Very specifically, os Neo-Classic Space. The LEGO Group has struggled with creating ts own IP over recent years, and had Kal’ ator ul is thi = Impressive and enormous Christmas copay in Adelaide 1 Blocks January 2020, clficuy making lasting space theme, partly because ofthe juggernaut that isthe Star Wars licence (which | ave, make no mistake) But think the love i there for a Neo-Classc Space theme because is an existing IP that IT WAS SO HUMBLING TO SEE PEOPLE RESPOND TO MY WORK THAT WAY has amazing potential, Use Benny as the entry character, and really tap into that idea of explozation, adver vs. ev, but the sense of play and wonder we all have from childhood. Is what a lot of |AFOLs, and the parents buying for their own children, grew up with What's your ‘one that got away"? | would have soi the Ghostbusters HO. actully built mini version of t because coulda afford the ral one, Then | put up 2 How to bil video for it on YouTube, which gt 400,000 views, and lad to me being sent 3 cheque from them that allowed me to buy the real thing, Which was jut so awesome, and so humbling to ee people respond to my work that way What are you building right now? lust wrapped up a big one (no spoilers about the next one}: a scene showing alife-sizo Santa with minfigure elves coming to life and creating Christmas around him. tll be on cdepay in Adelaide’ Rundle Mall until 2020,MONTH IN LEGO. {RUMOUR MILL // POSING PIECES By the time you read ths, you might have aeady sen 20205 Inep of DC Sper Horoorsts but ot, theres a eur floating arn at theyre 9g t Indudo transparent laments to pose you minigue. i > ACCESSORY CORNER / FROZEN II KEYRINGS Bsbeonawhesines the LEGO Group inrodveed any nowhoythgs too loking toad alte nowneso yur eye Ar Elnard ‘edie nom for E199 pice ASN, Set costdbo just thetic. The rin dol and erm, whatever Os are 28 3306 2013 “The total ‘The number | The only year umber ofpiecesin | since the of LEGO thelargest | launch of OC Batmobiles | Batmobile Super Heroes across System, | to date, that hasn't DUPLO, retail | 76139 1989 | seenanew sets and Batmobile | Batmobile polybags used aver 150,000 bricks, and was just an amazing project to work on. very happy with how is tuned out What's the most recent set you bought? What did ‘you think oft? | suppose | should use that question to give a quick plug ta my YouTube CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS /e fire up the Bat-computer to do the Bat-maths behind the Caped Crusader’s car collection 8 45 £239.99 The number | The number | The price ofDcv ofpieces in | of the most series and | thesmallest | expensive et moviesthat | System tornelude a have drectly | Batmobile, | Batmobile, inspired “EGO the polybag | 76052 Batman Bstmobles 30161 lassie TV Batmobile | Series ~ Bateave that | build ther ‘out of the bos’. As a creator ook for diferent things ina set, and often that’s how to improve upon them. What's top of your to-buy fst? I'ma huge geek, and the 1989 Batmobile has a special place in my heart. Yeah, you know where this is going Fight? And justin time for channel - wwew.youtube. I MIGHT BE THE ONLY civisimas too! comMrostbricks ~ where PERSON TO HAVE EVER [review sets and share ORDERED STUD-SHOOTER hstsyour ultimate building tps. buy alot cof ses, usually just for the pats inside andor minfigures, but its very ore Kate's sn TRIGGERS IN BULK ‘dream build/MOC? Again with ‘no spoilers" = there's a world ecord attempt 've had my eye on, parhapa t's time ta make it wali? Im always bulding something, and you ean find my latest builds by folowing me on Instagram at Frostricks, or on my websita at wa frostbricks com, Reena STILL HIDDEN The frst wave of Hidden Side sets for 2020 has been revealed, with six new models set to debut inthe augmented realty theme in January including a lighthouse, beach buggy, airplane, subway station and fairground STORE SPRINGS. ETERNAL ‘wo new LEGO Stores have opened doors forthe fis time in Birmingham and ‘Amsterdam. Blocks ‘was in attendance for Birmingham’s opening weekend - come back next issue fora closer look inside the store, which has promised 3 couple offirsts forthe official LEGO shopping ‘experience, STOCK TAKE LEGO.com now as an inventory checker in the UK and US, so you can find out ifa set instock at yourlocal LEGO Store before heading there. At the moment, doesn't coffer a specific number, but hopefully that feature will be added to the too! ‘eventually, EMINILAND No MORE Merlin Entertainments is pling the LEGO Star Wars Miniland display ‘out of all its LEGOLAND parks on January 6 including Califorria, Billund, Windsor and Malaysia. There's confirmation on what will pace the displays, but their removal may have something to do with Disney wanting ‘exclusivity over Star Wors attractions in theme parks January 2020 Blocks 15MONTH IN LEGO SHIFTING INTO GEAR The LEGO Group has partnered with the BBC for its latest Technic set. We've got the lowdown WHEN THE LEGO Group announced » partnership with Top Gear in September ts e2sy to sae why the community response was a collective “huh? twas obvious we weren't going to get minfigurs of curent presenters Paddy McGuinness, Andrew Flintoff, Chris Hari and Sabine Schmitz, lat alone ts most famous tro of Clarkson, Hammond and May, ut what else would be the point of calaboration with the show, given its only concerned with ers the LEGO Group could eee valent T'S ACTUALLY A TECHNIC SET. Cast all thoughts of miniigures aside, because 42109 App-Contalled Top Gear Rally Car jins an ever-growing line of licensed Technic sets, ts moniker doesnt exactly rll of the tongue, but the LEGO Group is hoping it wil ral straight of shelves when it aunches on December 26 At 463 pieces for £124.99 for $129.00), though, it looks like the Top Gear tax ie giving Disney 2 run forts money, even with a large motor, an XL motor, and a Bluetooth contolled smart hub in the box. ‘THIS 1S THE THIRD CONTROL+ MODEL. Following inthe tracks (and wheels) of 42099 {xd XTreme OfF-Roader andl 42100 Liebherr R 16 Blocks January 2020, 9800, the Top Gear Rally Car vill be operable though the LEGO Groups atest remote tech, CONTROL+. That means you'll need to download an app to your smartphone to get itworking, but the vade-of is much greater contol over every single facet of the se, along with programmable commands akin to Intop' branding. Boost, I'S PACKED WITH FUNCTIONS. (Once you've downloaded the CONTROL+ ‘app, which s currenty available on 105 and Andicid, the rally car vill offer accelerate, reverse gyo control, and multiouch contolMONTH IN LEGO > RUMOUR MILL > Key auore // TheLEGO Grovgsjouney inate Spdervereeloks sat to contnusin2020.wth | "gives me ioe of mind tbe abl to continue bung my fedora sporting Spide-MunNekmoligaeruncuedtobepatofanupcomng | relationship wih The LEGO Group. Utne ny goals Danish eave. The LEGO design ea learnodto NieCagesnterpetatoncfthechaactern | tership’ The vise of LEGO Batman rales announcement Boitehtanimated move ‘she host of LEGO MASTERS USA 40433 1989 Batmobile Reena Isone 1989 Batmobile somehow not quite enough. anything, ita shame sucha stunning model was | | mNEW FOR 2020 toscratch your Bat nostalgia cravings, even when said | reacly avaliable to 20 few — we'd have loved to have: Just before we went Batmobile is» 3,306-piece besst? Then youright | seen this a a regular etal release Inst, youllhave | | toprint, a slew of now ‘want to head to your secondary marketplace of choice | t0 rely on aftermarket sellers f you dent spxing forthe | | sets were revealed for for 40423 1989 Batmobile, a LEGO.com/LEGO Store- | latest cract-to-consumer DC Super Heroes tin its 202, including (out not ‘exclusive sft-wth-purchase that was available to early | fist few days.on sale. Whatever price the market sets | | limited to! another Star investors in its bigger brother, 76139 1989 Batmobile. | fori, though, itll very likely be worth splashing the | | Wars Xwing (snooze: a While the smaller mods piece count wasn't cath for serious Bat fans (Creator monster truck! confirmed atthe time of writing, t looks to be roughly minfigue sale, comprised ofa east few hundeed pans. You'll have to add your own Batman minfigure behind the wheel ‘at if you're investing in this particular st, then chances are you have atleast cone of those alread, fnot your own Batamy, burgervan combo igen a Friends baking compettion (as Folly Pocket syle Disney Princess boxes (ferent 2 Tels: World Tour dance party (gers amin version ofthe i Techie CLAS XERION NS te: and a CY sata Joop (puma) Well have reviews for youin the ds eee DISNEY MINUS Disney's new streaming service, Disneys, has launched in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The UK and Germany, meanwhile, will have to wat unl at least March 31 to find ‘out what happens in The Mandilorian Fingers crossed no spolery LEGO sets launch before fiomthe) | thes. functions. You'l algo find plenty of challenges anc es the result of several months of har achievements to complete and unlock inthe app, 0 andi B8C Studios teams, and we can't wait to see slong with ‘inspirational videos’ We'te not sure ton the shelves soon, I CUT-PRICE MOSAIC tae een bale inn IT LOOKS LIKE THE TOP mesive moni our GEAR TAX IS GIVING DISNEY A RUN FOR ITS MONEY #! ‘own face but ae put off by the price ofthe LEGO Groups oficial method ‘ef doing so, consider popping over to Beri, ‘The German LEGO Store's Mosaic Maker, ‘which frst debuted in the flagship Leicester Square store in 2016, has had a price reduction from €11999 10 €9999, which definitely warrants hopping ona fight, (Okay, maybe well just take any excuse fora haliday) what that means tly butt probably won't be 2 motivational tak From Paddy MeGuiness. Als IT WAS CO-DESIGNED BY THE LEGO GROUP AND BBC TOP GEAR, Back and forth between the LEGO Group and its partners is nothing new, but is not often that said pparnerhas a direct handin a mode! design ‘es exciting to have collaborated with LEGO Technic on this andi avery natural fit fort said Jason Easy, Head of Licensin o Top Gear brand, UK, BBC 5 os.MONTH IN LEGO TOP TEN BATMOBILES We bust into the Batcave to rank the best of Batman's LEGO rides over the past 13 years Words: Chris Wharfe Pics: The LEGO Group ‘actly vided fara bt we loved # jogged, enguer bodywork The take on the Batmobe eas underated ate source materi The golden alloys {EGO version captures it surprising hr seale-athough a couple and wans-orange windsereen inject some very welcome clou nt ts design = of speci mauled windscreen pe ssvoly~ even whietsight st adda with Sat twadtonal dark colour scheme we ut ced, adit, but ‘ry front wheel ook barely ot Batman only works in black the dilforence hee ‘colour foal complementary to cartoon syle, land very very very dark grey), remember? pariuarly given the cars exaggorstedshasux ‘This enormous, sking and original interpretation ofthe Dark night’ wheels ranted by a Brek-bule Satembler, sports Batloge hubcaps and has an aggressively low profile ~ making ‘Rone ofthe leaker rider the Caped Crszadar has aver boon ‘dopicted av aiing, Only he wasnt here, at last n LEGO for, ‘eeaue this 1 08oepiece sat warfed minfigoe sel, and oid oat the Bargain pica of jst £4999 back 2006. ‘We've had plenty of rnfigreseae Sumebles tht share the Keston obi thm ination ight NoWNhJargualnaaod 3761 Te mas fue Poas Eoape batts queen Baraat ‘ies Dat Brant atte beat sos yr tke sone foes fon the 989 Car wero ny 260 et con inte Coleco ae 48 Blocks December 20196 MONTH IN LEGO The LEGO Batman Movie brought a slew of orignal Bat designs othe table, tnd the Derk Knight's ride was no exception. The resultant ie bursting with Bet personality to match Wil Arettscutlanieh tke onthe character: eight Ir competaly acjetabe thanks t nda controled front and roar als, ho thoes ean suing out 90 degrees, and wicket on the side gloriouyprsant tae "he Speedwagon’ Clear, LEGO Cinematic Unverse Bats big fn of Mino rockers REO. Even the wider atc’ lve up to expectations the real om of okerlond hed myriad Batmobies, and precssly one Joker themed carnival in 2012 6857 The Dynamic Dv Funhouse Escape But the hitand-miss play features fd unneting bud on offer meant Jokeiand's eponymous models faded into the background next to seriously impressive motor forthe Caped Crusader, ‘which sted on sar versions but edd « rage at erp the front Sidew nod to Tn Buns mos Chstpher Nolan rewrote BU Knght tog sntnan at tended tw DC he eal of weapons and vee. haTunblrargusay more Satan than Batol, Tic hnas th prec cote forthe BC Soper Herod theme's a seedy Secs toconsror ven 2016 Ths cas ungue, engl shape wakes fcr elec bud cxpeece nds ttsed nodal at cles saprog ith dene being cron ower man of ack rons The LEGO Group criminal dosed of one ofthe mostanted and mastcone Batmotles behind a £240 paywall but you de get an entire Batcave with for that price The rato sot an aloud incredible lve ltr to the Adam ‘Wee rated 1960s Sstman TV serie, but the black-and red Batmobile wae Saye going to be the highight With enough rom for both Batman andthe iboy wonder the LEGO Group completly knocked tout ofthe park with this ‘nef you missed out onthe full, you owe te your nner Batfan to at Teast place together theca (ond print your own sicker Tes hard to argue withthe ‘oftimate’ moniker: this four Bstvehides hone, ncuding a Batmobile, Bxttank Batwing nd Bate, Only one of those sub-esembion wally {halifes for thal, bs the combined timate Batmobile iSmore than the sum of ts parts Wheehng ths monster ‘round yur ng quarterly vce the lou nd your ning uate: ely evokes eri Ue ony it have bu th atorihing recreation of oe of Bstra's eee tert anna hateny the leae eee More ‘most iconic rides as already caimed pole position inthe LEGO Group's best sega ey meee te ony The 800 pare Mew Batmobies at arin our view Ks ge, Ws dae, Ks wholysuthene, and ee itso doubt going stright to the tp of every Sscerning OC fan's wish it. og com December 2019 Blocks 19a). A _—§£| ALL ABOUT ARCHITECTURE We chat with Senior Designer Rok Zgalin Kobe about skylines, stories and scales in LEGO Architecture ‘Words: Chvs Wharf Pes: Chie Wharf, The LEGO Group HERE AREN'T MANY LEGO themes that can claim to have been running for 13 years, but withthe launch of 21051 Tokyo and 21052 Dubai in January, Architecture gleefully accepts that (very specific) crown. The brainchild of Adam Reed Tucker has come a long way since those fst ‘wo Chicago based models, 21000 Sears “Tower and 21001 Joha Hancock Center in 2008. We caught up with the curent master ofthe theme, Rok Zgalin Kobe, to find out the reasons behind the theme's longevity, and what goes into cresting a successful skyline, Blocks: Architecture ie stil going strong ‘years after it was first introduced. Why do ‘you think its so welLloved? Rok: We provide the visual story to get you ‘more immersed in the place, exploring it while you're building it. LEGO Architecture i nat about play it’s a display model at the end of the day but alot of efor. goes into making the building experince teal enjoyable and surprising utilising new bulding techniques, interesting facts, inking the LEGO model to the exiting building, and so forth, So you can see where the added value in Architecture ies How do you communicate that story in sets ‘hat arent usta single location or building? If you look at, let say, the Vegas skyline — the shines aren't just a collection of single buildings; we ty to create a story and capture the feo of the city Las Vegas isan oasis inthe desert. You have the greenery and water and lights and entertainment coming out of the desert, as you would experience it coming through the oad, diving past the ‘Welcome te Las Vegas’ sign, driving past the big hotels lon the street, then ariving to Fremont Steet and the old part of Vegas. So you've got abit of stoyteling ther, and that goes for allthe slylines toa bigger or lesser extent In Paris, you're traveling along the line of the Champs-Elysées, the beginning ofthe 20 Blocks January 2020 Louvre, past the Grand Palais, you wil see the Eifel Tower and Tour Montparnasse to the left inthe distance, then past the teeing the avenue to the Arc de Triomphe. So the locations ofthese buildings correspond to how they are inthe oty ‘San Francisco layers views ~ if you stand on the shore, you would see the bridge in that way, soit ike a posteard view, you stand on adiiferent spot, you would see Alcatraz Island, and if you turn around you'd see the downtown with the layering of skyscraper, the hills with the trams roling up and down the hile, the ‘painted lacs’ by the side of is THERE ARE MANY REQUIREMENTS THAT. ONE MIGHT NOT THINK OF THAT GO INTO A LEGO SET @ the park. sa layering ofimages, not only a collection af simple icons. Butt aleo about capturing the feel ~ you've got the waves hitting the shore, you've got the cable ears running up and down the street, so you've got the feel ofthe place as well ‘What's the selection process like for 2 skyline? ‘Theres quite abt of exploration before we actually build anything. Ihave to fst make sure that the main icons can be captured, and then decide on the composition, which icons to choose, what the size would be, to correspond to the price point So there are {quite afew factors that you're narrowing down during the proces. How do you determine the scale for the skylines? Do you start with one bulding and then scale everything elze toi? Yeah, or vce versa, Perhaps you find that one building cannot be scaled tothe rest and then you star from there. You cannot let the ‘adel explode in sie, £0 t0 speak, £0 you're limited by the biggest building there is inthe slyline set. That one sts the scale in certain ‘terms, then whather its LEGO representation can be done within that module or not. So the LEGO System itself plays a crucial imiting role in what can actually be done. But then you're trying to see how things work together. snot 8 one-way process. You can hit serious rood blocks inthe middle, where you might want to start again oF approach things froma diferent angle from tie to time How much freedom do you have to give more depth to the skylins? Since setting the ules to begin with... | mean, there's nota set of rules that has been putin place, but have the liberty to break them = where needed, of course. We're ‘nying to make them s0 that they fe with one another, so that theyre part ofthe same family, but where it makes sense ~s0 that we don't have 2 two-dimensional presentation of the building —we can add dapth or height. Is ‘whatever work forthe scene that wee trying to represent [What are some of the challenges that come at building in microscale? Even though you use some very small laments, the set at the end ofthe day stil has to be stable, even though is wafer thin. So there's quite a few considerations that ‘you would’ normally think of. It mustn't presenta stabbing danger during any step ofthe building process ~ god forbid a ke accidentally falls So there are many requirements that one ‘might not think ofthat go into @ LEGO set, especialy with a theme lke Star Wars thas to be strong enough but fragile enough — just ike the buildings themselves. They have to sway in earthquakes and the wind, but be stable enough to survive itmMONTH IN LEGO ConnLUG Cam Panczak introduces us to a Connecticut- based LEGO User Group that prides itself on its inclusivity and event displays Words: Chris Wharfe Pics: ConnLUG, Cam Panczak ‘Where ie ConnLUG based? \Wi'te based in Connecticut, but we have members fom New Jersey, New York, and throughout New England, How many members are in the LUG? There are 45 active members Who isthe ambassador? Cam Panczakis the Present and Ambassador How and when was it formed? CConnLUG ws formed in 2011 under the farmer name LUGOCT (pronounced LUG ‘o CCT), and rebranded in 2014 as ConnLUG. Its started by Kevin Hinkle with only a handful of members who met atthe South Windsor Public Library, and has grown into the ‘organisation that is today How often do you meet? (ffcial monthly meetings are held on the thie Saturday of every month, but members meet for informal gatherings each week, and also for public events and displays. ‘What do your meetings involve? Like many LUGs, ConnLUG meetings offer members the oppoctunit to receive news from the LAN, draft pre-chosen sets for parts, and participate in regular build challenges, What sets our meetings apart are our MOC and Tl events, our set reviews, and our special events, Members are encouraged to participate in any and all events, where they have the ‘opportunity to showcase their bulls, review ficial sets, demonstrate building techniques for other members, or be part of one-ofakind build events and challenges. ‘Are you involved with any local shows? Connl.UG has a busy show schedule each yeas In addition to large public events like WHAT IS A LEGO USER TNO TES [A group of AFOL, eecagnised by the LEGO Group "Non-profit diven by volunteers A supportive envionment of lke minded individuals Wieleomes ll ability levels Hosts regular meetings to discuss ideas, news and builds Crgarises and participates in public evens and conventions ‘Works with the LEGO Group through their appointed Ambassador WE WERE ALL ALONE UNTIL WE REALISED THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF AFOLS AND TFOLS LIKE US BrckF ai, we ae involved with many local events suchas: Bing Comic-Con in Springfield, Massachusetts; community build events with the Middlebury Public Library in Middlebury, Connecticut; and most notably, the Festival of Trees and Traditions atthe Wadsworth ‘Atheneum in Hartford, Connectiut, where ConnL.UG displays are seen by thousands of vistors thoughout the holidays ‘What's your favourite thing about being part of the LUG? ‘The best part of being in ConnLUG is without 1a doubt the people. You will not find a group cof more genuine, enthusiast, or talented LEGO people. We freely share our ideas and xeativity with each other, and sive to help inspire each member to grow and succeed a= builders and as people. Has the LUG reached any milestones or done anything you're particularly proud of? Yes, definitely. While | am always proud of ConnL.UG and our members, lam very happy 10 say that we put together an amazing csplay 23 BrckFair New Jersey on Halloween this yer, and our Lightoray of lexanca’ MOC won Best Lighted MOC 2019, We had excellent ppricipation and representation at this event, which was just another example ofthe concertad efforts of our members to support cone another, What are the benefits of joining a LUG like ‘yours? Are there any costs involved for members? “The benefits are many. Besides the event suppor that members receive for event pricipation and build challenges, each member hs the opportunity to participate in special evens ouside ofthe monthly meetings ike the battle bots event that we hosted in August, or any of he ‘Build the LUG' evens thoughout the year, where members get access to infinite bricks to build with They also receive LUG benefits like AFOL Discount Shopping Days a the local LEGO Brand Real stores, and the opportunity to1 Boy ii ConnlUG members witha deplay ‘at Bing ComicCon 2019. J) sai ‘AConntUG bbe a part of the annual LUGBULK order for some amazing parts large quantities. W ‘so the only LUG in our area that allows teen (TFOL members aged 13-17 to join. We give fur young adult members the same benefits asall adult members too. Beyond that, there is simply the chance to be par of a greater community of like-minded builders and LEGO fans, We were all alone unt we realized that there are lots of AFOL and TFOLs like us. (Our membership cost is $24 per year, which .g00s towards supporting the LUG, paying for expenses, and geting us to events. ‘Are you a member of any other LUGs? Iso, which ones and why? fam nota member of any other LUGs, but we have afew members who are. There are 8 number of reasons why someone would be though, be it geographic location, convenionce, or familiarity with other members ofthe LEGO community, ‘What plans do you have for future events? Wie rounded out our 2019 with Nauay Con ‘on November 10, our annual holiday party fon November 16, nd our favourite annual event, The Festival of Trees and Traitons a the Wadsworth Atheneum, which ran from [November 29 through December 8, 2020 wil have even more events and opportunites for ‘our members ‘What's the best show you've ever been to? We've had some great events this year and just wrapped up BrickFair New Jersey, where we won the coveted Brickee Award, However, Sone ven minigures need too ound. rckFair Virginia 2019 was our fist major public event, and t gave ConnLUG some ‘reat exposire It also forced us to use what we brought with us, lusting some creative solutions ta make ithe best csplay that we could, BrickFair New England 2017 isa close second, and our annual Wodsworth show i in a category all on its own What's your personal favourite LEGO theme/set? (Would the LUG generally MONTH IN LEGO Sani mene sar agree?) Ww, tough question! My personal favourite theme would have to be Model Team, specifically the Highway Rig set from 1986, Hoved tis theme and the sets ingpired me ta build the way that do today |aleo love Techni, but know that ConnLUG does not always share that sentiment. Most of our builders love the modular sets or minfigures, 0 would say that my favourites dif rom 1 average ConnLUG memberMB THIS LEGO LIFE | Konstanski THE OLDEST LEGO BOOK Daniel had LEGO books before there were LEGO books, including one title that he has never seen mentioned anywhere else across the fandom “WRITER B10 Lelong LEGO abesive pasionate about falecing With a threugh Inowiedge of LEGO over the yoo he Blocks sore, REMEMBER QUITE distinctly the ‘day thappened, in no small part because it was 0 random. fiend cof my mum's had dropped by, and upon her departure was informed she had left a small gt because she “enew | was into LEGO’. To my surprise it was a small hardcover book, Today this would be ‘a non-event in many ways; Books on the brick proliferate, with multiple instances released by diferent publishers each year, “This, however, was 1988 decades belore the boom in LEGO publishing, Inadvertent, "had been gifted with one of the earlost LEGO books ever published. To this day, have never seen this delightful ttle tile mentioned elsewhere ‘The randomness of my acquisition was 8 bellwether forthe randomness of the book. 1 isis TODAY IT SITS AMONGST MUCH LONGER BOOKS IN MY LEGO LIBRARY, BUT HAS PRIDE OF PLACE AS THE OLDEST ‘would love to know the story of how iteame tobe. The mystery begins immediately with the publisher, Siver Burdet, which has been defunct since 1999, but during the ‘80s and "905 was 2 prolific source of textbooks for classrooms. Beginning in 1986, it published a series titled ‘Where does it came from... Only four enties were released. The fst three make a modicum of sense as a group, especialy within the context of products for children’s assrooms: banana, water, and sweater, oF read another way: food, water and clothing, That lagical sequence only ‘makes the fourth entry stand out more starkly: the LEGO byick Such a hard break fom the other subjects must have been the result of the authors personal interest, or perhaps her 24 Blocks January 2020 Pics: Daniel Konstansi, The LEGO Group childeen’s, inthe product tha flowed from the halls of Billund, Apparently, the LEGO Group sanctioned itto0, a8 the oficial lago appears temblazoned right on the cover, "Where does it come from? LEGO brick’ is ‘8 charming ttle that walks readers through, in rather exquisite detail, the production process of bricks from start to finish, Even today have yet to encounter official published material that covers how bricks are made more ‘thoroughly. What is alec fascinating now i the snapshot in time its pages reveal, Pieces are sorted and bagged by machine, but sets are shown sil being packed by hand, The level of accuracy tothe LEGO Group's production lines in the “BOs means tha site visits ~ or copious reference photos - must have been part ofthe authors process, ‘Such photos, however have no place between the covers of Where doesit come from? LEGO brick’. Amazingly, the entire book ilstrated by hand ~ from the opening scene, which depts a massive oil rig drawing the crude raw materials that wll ukimately become bricks 0 the final page, where 3 pair of children and thei mather are enjoying a variety of new sets following a birthday pany, while dad cleans up the mess of cake and wrapping paper. Humorousy, this final scene gave me unredlistic expectations when itcomes to grandparents, Te illustration shows grandparents building on the couch, and one ofthe lines says, ‘Even grandpa is having a go." On our next family visit to my grandparents, | brought ths book and a set 0 my grandfather could share inthe fun. Let just ay it didnt play out the same way a8 the author described. While not works of art by any stretch of the imagination, the sheer numberof ilustrations and level of detail included could not have been inexpensive to produce. They also don't depict any actual sets, including in a sot of panels that show a toy store | weasured this book asa child ~ fist because LEGO books were s0 rare at that time, and second because there was no other source for information about how the bricks loved sa much were produced. | can stinctly remember flaunting my knowledgeTHIS LEGO LIFE i ll ofthe production process to my friends, who were also LEGO maniacs. Schoolyard currency ie funny thing, to be sure. Today it sis wedged amongst much longer books in my LEGO library, but has pride of place as my oldest entry Several times through the years | have tried to fin re about ‘Where does it come from? LEGO brick’, to no avail. As far a my research has found, these four books are the only ones inthe series, and the and it fakes people to sort these out. The workers in the packing line put the instructions, different bags and loose pies into the special boxes. Slowly, jumbled heaps of bricks turn into castle sets or cor, train or fire-station sets. sole published works ofthe author, Diane Tipple. She had to have official participation from the LEGO Group, and the degree of diference from the other subjects she covered imply she or someone from the publisher sought permission from Billund, If anyone knows more ofthe story, drop us @ line here a Blocks m Here are the machines. Each has a mold inside in the shape of a particular brick. Can you see the pipes carrying the plastic pellets? Inside the machine the plastic is heated up until it’s soft and then squeezed through a nozzle into the mold. In no time it cools and gets hard, the mold opens and there’s the finished piece.MB THIS LEGO LIFE Maen NOSTALGIA TRIP Graham questions whether the LEGO Group's focus on the past “WRITER B10 Ling term LEGO fon fe specialang in evenhing t from Petes Str ‘los, th of wot ARP) sour F EVER THERE was 2 LEGO set that I dice’ know how much | wanted nti saw i it would be 76139 1989 Batmobile. Every now and again the LEGO Group manages to surprise with set that pays nostalgia strings I did't know were thee to’be played. When Chyistopher "Nolan's Batman Bagin arrived in 2005 to remind me how much | loved Batman, | revisited Batman: The Animated Series ond was delighted with how well t held up, ‘When it came to the occasional watch ‘of Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, I never quite acknowledged the imprint they ‘made on me. Butts because of those movies, both of which I watched way too young, that Batman made such an impact, and is 2 character continue to enjay when his stories are wellexecuted. I can real watching the first one dozens and dozens of times on a VHS tape that had been carded when the fm was on TV. So yet again, the LEGO Group has managed to find a set that was no doubs chosen 38 8 ed my cxact demographic, just months ater doing the same with 75936 Jurassic Park Trex Rampage. While | have done well at resisting ‘most ofthe Batman sets over the years, on the basis that my limited storage space is already full of Star Wars sets, a recreation ofthe classic result of market search that deters Batmobile this authentic had to bein my collection How for wll the LEGO Group pursue this kind of nostalgia, though? The recent LEGO eas Friends 21319 Central Perk set seems to have ticked the right spot for lt of fans, asi is constantly going out of stack on the official LEGO website, and seems to have arrived justin tine for a huge wave of nostalgia for the series. But does the 1990s sitcom move people in the same way thatthe 1989 Batman ‘movie does? Or the same way that other means too much looking back eta) ANY pera. FUN, THE MORE OF Bi a 51 LESS IMPACTFUL THEY BECOMEclassic fm, such as Ghostbusters or Back to the Future, da? The question then becomes, does that matter? Should the quay ofthe subject, matter be taken into account alongside the number of people who rememiberit affectionately? Even the LEGO Groups own back catalogue is mined for nostalgia, withthe Pirate Bay sot s00n to arrive from LEGO Ideas, yet again feeling like itis squarely targeted at me Tapping into nostalgia forthe 30-year-old theme, fans willbe able to ov a modem iteration of Pirates, which for mary wll be ther childhood favourite, Resurecting classic themes has been dane before with smal giftwith-purchase products, such 38 5002812 Classic Spaceman Minigure and the Bricktober Vintage Minfigure Collection set, More explicit, Benny the Spaceman was introduced in the fst tale for The LEGO Movie as 1980s-something space guy’, not at all shying away from the nostalgia aszociated with the character: Clasic Space i regularly tapped up as 2 way to encourage adults to reminisce while spending money. While these many throwbacks ar fun, the more of them there a, the less impactul they become. There i also the risk that by looking back so much, there is less locking forvard, With fewer new, nondlicensed themes introduced each year, and few lage non: licensed directto-consumer sets, is hard to EVEN THE LEGO GROUP’S OWN BACK CATALOGUE IS MINED FOR NOSTALGIA, WITH THE PIRATE BAY SET SOON TO ARRIVE imagine the LEGO sets that chien vill have nostalgia for 20 yeas from now, Wil Tals ‘World Tour be fondly remembered? NINJAGO has clearly touched so many children that it il be positively remembered, but there are few ather new themes that THIS LEGO LIFE ate bringing new settings, characters and ‘opportunities to children and! fans inthe current line-up, Which themes are the Space, Castle and Pirates of today? The recycling of ideas is reflected in pop culture general as fm studios rely on twied-and-tested franchises for big-budget tentpole movies rather than risking resting anything new, while streaming services rely (0 old sitcoms such as Friends and The Office to draw in auciences ready to binge, When considered inthis content, is less surprising that the LEGO Group is seeking to bask inthe warm glow ofthe past. ‘uti it relly fair to criticise the LEGO Group for basing too much on nostalgia? ‘Ate al, big chunk ofthe reason that fans enjoy LEGO in the fist place is because it has a link to childhood memories. Perhaps it ‘only appropriate thats hobby that throws ‘back to childhood should offer an escape into nostalgia filed world, best viewed through roso-tinted glases, Rather than analyse it ‘any further, Il probably just ply with my Batmobile.MB THIS LEGO LIFE Wh: GO BIG OR GO HOME As LEGO sets continue to push price point boundaries, Chris ponders where it will end WRITER B10 Expevenced journalist, wath long addetion to LEGO, Star Wars aed Super Heroes, Bloc’ esidet ronthemer HAT WILL BE the fist £1,000 LEGO see? It ‘might sound insane to imagine ay single model commanding a fourfigue sum, but cast your mind back to pre-October 2017. In those days it fle equalyriciculous to imagine anyone waking into a LEGO Store, spending £850, and walking out wth just one set, How naive we all were ‘When 75192 Milennium Falcon arived just over two years ago, though, it seta precedent: no price is beyond the reach of the LEGO Group, and based on how quickly it flow off shelves, no's any pxce beyond the reach of AFOL, Even the, it fellike the Falcon was 0 iconic - and ts UCS predaceseor so lfily regarded ~ that maybe we could lust make an exception for 75192. Surely there was no ‘way the LEGO Group would place that kind of ‘burden on aur budgets again any time soon ‘Then the plastic curain was lifted off 175252 Imperial tar Destroyer, and everything changed (again). £680 was ne longer a one-off price point reserved soley forthe Star Wars saga's most wellknown spacecraft. Now, i's threatening to bacome the new norm for UCS sets (a conclusion not disparaged by 75248 “Tantve IV lack of Utimate Collector Series branding, despite its £179.99 price tag) “The orignal large-scale Falcon was famously designed without a budget in mind, os Jens Kronvold Frederiksen developed the made! on his own, then worked it inta a retail set. tthe time ofits elease in 2007, it was the largest and most expensive LEGO set ever released, ‘When its successor launched a decade later i Claimed both those records for tzalf,by some ‘margin. Butts impact has been lessened slighty by 75252: now ft feels like £650 inthe cling for LEGO sets, but simply an ination cof where well end up in five 0° ten years Uni the Death Star relaunched in 2016 with its eye-natering £399.99 price tag =n itso controversial, given how litle it fered to the £274.99 variant that had stl been on shelves just year before —the most expensive LEGO Star Wars set had been 10221 Super Star 28 Blocks January 2020 Destroyer, released in 2011 for an asking price cof £349.99 In ive yoars, the mast you could expect to spend on one set increased by £50, ‘A year late, itrocketed up by £250. All this isto say that the LEGO Group hadnt been building up tothe Falcon release by testing the waters incrementally, and that made the set a proving ground forthe company. Could the market bear that kind of exorbitany-prieed set? You don't need me 1 tll you the answer to that question, The inevitable result, though, is thatthe company SURELY THERE WAS NO WAY LEGO WOULD PLACE THAT KIND OF BURDEN ON OUR BUDGETS AGAIN ANY TIME SOON ®! has taken the Falcons success a a sign that, it can just keep pressing on with enormous, bankcbreaking sats. How long do you think twill be unt we see 18 £700 LEGO Star Wars et? Or £8007 Even typing those out doesn't feel as iculous as just the suggestion of ther once dic. And the Star Destroyer has proved that theres no limit fon sets that could take those slots. We don’t need to wait another 10 years fr the next LUCS Milennium Falcon remake - theoretically, any Star Was ship could claim the crown for ‘most expensive set ever (until the next or, expecially ithe LEGO Group keeps designing sets without a prior budget in mind, ‘The Death Stari might have only weighed in at £249.99 when it was released in 2008, but 15 yeas on, what price could we expect 10 8e fora revamped version? Ifthe Death Star playset gets another go-around, maybe with an externa shell o give it spay options too, the cost could easly get out ofhand ~ and that's before you even get tothe vehicles the UCS line has ignored so far If you've ever come up with your own wish ist for Billnd’s designers, you probably know what Im building tovards here Yes, ifany set could warrant that £1,000 price tag, its the ATA, ts been famously Cverlooked inthe LEGO Star Wars themes top- ofthe line range for years, and the common line of thinking arsong the fan community has been that is ue to how many pieces would be required to allow it to boar its ov weight. Ina world where wily excessive port counts are becoming the norm, however, it now fels lke that ATAT is growing increasingly possible and even likey ‘Willthe AFOL market bear that kind of expense? Based on how quiclyit snapped up the Falcon, my quess is yes. The Star Destroyers price-to-pece ratio seems unfavourable at fist lance, but that aso doesn't seem to have put people of pking it up fmaybe we're al wing up tothe fact that ‘there are more complex factors involved ina sett individual valu) it proves as successful 28 the Falcon, then Il theow my hatin the sing and say that we should expecta £700+ set by 2021 ~ maybe 3 revamped Death Star, or an ersing beyond any imaginable scale ‘Aer that? Well the ATA, ofcourse.a THIS LEGO LIFE mm i isin. THE COMPANY HAS TAKEN THE FALCON'S SUCCESS AS A SIGN THAT IT CAN JUST KEEP PRESSING ON WITH ENORMOUS, BANK-BREAKING SETS "%(MB ANTHONY DANIELS THE LIFE OF C-3PO As The Rise of Skywalker wraps up the epic saga, the man in the golden suit shares his story - while we showcase his extensive journey in LEGO bricks Words: Graham Hancock Pest Daniel Konstansk, Pawel Kwil, Carter Witzanburg, Apr Haesler,DK Boks, Lcashim (OUR DECADES AFTER the release of what was then simply ded Star Wars, the saga is coming roan end. Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker concludes the epic journey that began in 1977 and has endured in pop culture ever since, with finale that promises to