IT'S AWESOME MIX TIME THE BRICK GETS SERIOUS: WITH LEGO BABY GROOT GOING BEYOND PLAY WHAT'S NEXT FOR STAR WARS? OPTIMUS PRIME LIGHTYEAR REVIEW, BUILD A FEATURE CLASSIC & PRIZE SPACE DRAW FIGHTER REVIEWS EXO-FORCE n STAR WARS BACK n VAN GOGH TO THE n MUPPETS EPIC n PYRAMID n CACTI MECHS n 90 YEARS ISSUE 93 // £6.49 The blog dedicated to the best LEGO techniques, tips and MOCs Follow Like Comment Share Save @tipsandbricks @tipsandbricks visit tipsandbricks.co.uk WELCOME ISSUE 93 // 2022 T IT'S AWESOME MIX TIME THE BRICK GETS SERIOUS: his is really happening, right? One of Hasbro’s MEET THE TEAM WITH LEGO BABY GROOT GOING BEYOND PLAY FOR SWTHAART 'WS ANREXST? most beloved characters is actually now EDITOR // available as a LEGO model? Optimus Prime is GRAHAM HANCOCK A LEGO expert who can’t remember life without on the cover of this magazine, yet I’m still struggling the brick, Graham loves using that knowledge to bring Blocks to the shelf every single month. to quite believe this is real. OPTIMUS PRIME LIGHTYEAR REVIEW, BUILD A To help convince myself – and you, dear reader FEATURE CLASSIC & PRIZE SPACE BUILD EXPERT AND HISTORIAN // DRAW FIGHTER – that LEGO Transformers is now a thing, we are DANIEL KONSTANSKI LcLoiEfleGlelOocn toignv egLr.E WtGhOieth oy aeba strehsso,s rhoiveue gi sph aB kslnosoicowknsla'e thdeig saetbo oorfiua tn . nnnnnnRE VVSMPC9IA0YTEAUWANRC PYAR SGPTE MEWIAOTIRDGSASHRS MTEOBXEOEAC -TFPCOHHRICKCSEE tsaeltk. iMngo dtoe lt hDee sdiegsniegrn eJross wephho Pwaotrrikcekd K oynd eth uiss esdp etcoi al work on Transformers at Hasbro, so has a great BUILD SPECIALIST // perspective on the process. SIMON PICKARD Our experienced MOC expert who is a regular Fans of the right vintage for OG Optimus Prime on the show circuit. If there’s a way to build it, ISSUE 93 // £6.49 might also have fond memories of Classic Space – then he can show you how. Cover Pic: Phil Wrighton and this month’s Mod Squad shows how to take the PHOTOGRAPHER // recently released Lightyear 76832 XL-15 Spaceship PHIL WRIGHTON Models never look better than when this prize ONE OF and put that transparent yellow canopy to good use. winning LEGO photographer has worked his This all began when Ole Kirk Kristiansen started magic to produce beautiful Blocks covers. HASBRO’S making toys instead of barns, so as part of our 90th REVIEWS WRITER // MOST BELOVED anniversary coverage we share the full story of why KAT-REES JAUKE CHARACTERS IS and how he switched trades. You might know part of Kat uses her LEGO knowledge to cast a discerning eye over the latest sets to see if they are satisfying ACTUALLY NOW the tale, but we suspect there are some surprises in to build and look impressive on display. there for even the most knowledgeable LEGO history AVAILABLE AS A REVIEWS WRITER // buff. LEGO MODEL DAVE CARTLIDGE Just in case Optimus Prime doesn’t provide Whether it’s from Marvel Super Heroes, Friends, Technic or any other theme, Dave has enough mechanical action for you this month, the LEGO know-how to assess the latest sets. Blockstalgia is revisiting EXO-FORCE, the theme that CONTRIBUTORS really kicked off the LEGO Group’s love of mechs. Get Kyle Born, Anthony Walker-Cook, Chris Wharfe reminded of the anime-inspired theme and marvel at ART EDITOR what good value LEGO sets were in the 2000s. Keith Wood, Hype Creative Leg godt! PUBLISHER Tom Saunders [email protected] Graham Hancock +447841 412199 Editor // [email protected] ADVERTISING Simon Nott [email protected] +447825 618557 THANKS TO AFOLET, Oscar Cederwall, Michel Cloosterman, Josiah Durand, Calina Guerra, Sam 48 Johnson, Joseph Patrick Kyde, Joe Lam, Yoel Mazur, Mischief PR, Seth Peacock, Sandro Quattrini Sara Skahill, Ezreel Toh, Lauren Tanner, Stephen Walling, Tracey Williams, Joss Woodyard, Ryan Zacharias INDEPENDENCE Blocks is published by Silverback Publishing Ltd for fans and enthusiasts of LEGO. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the brick and knob configurations, and the minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorise or endorse Blocks magazine. DISTRIBUTION If you have trouble finding Blocks please call +447841 412199 or email [email protected]. While every effort is made in compiling Blocks, the publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any storage or retrieval system, without the consent of the publisher. © 2022 Silverback Publishing www.blocksmag.com Issue 93 Blocks 3 CONTENTS ISSUE 93 // 2022 IT'S AWESOME MIX TIME THE BRICK GETS SERIOUS: WITH LEGO BABY GROOT GOING BEYOND PLAY FOR SWTHAART 'WS ANREXST? OPTIMUS PRIME LIGHTYEAR REVIEW, BUILD A FEATURE CLASSIC & PRIZE SPACE DRAW FIGHTER REVIEWS EXO-FORCE nnnnnn VSMPC9A0YTAUANRC PYAR GPTE MEWIAOTIRDGSASHRS MTOBEEAC TPCHHICKSE ISSUE 93 // £6.49 REGULARS 6 LEGOTALK The Muppets are on Desert Island Discs and the London Bus is decorated for the Jubilee. 8 CLASSIC CASTLE The massive 10305 Lion Knights' Castle captures the magic of classic sets. 10 LEGO CON REVEALS New sets were announced during the LEGO Group's summer livestream. 12 PREP FOR AVATAR Get ready for LEGO Avatar with our handy recap of what happens in the first movie. 14 IDEAS AND ICONS There's loads going on with LEGO Ideas and there's a new name for adult sets. 16 LEGO BRICKTALES Blocks gets a taste of a new LEGO video game – is this one you'll want to play? 18 HOT TOPIC The yellow track elements in the Loop Coaster spark a debate amongst the team. 20 LEGO SONIC PLAYTHROUGH LEGO Ideas Design Manager Sam Johnson showcases 21311 Sonic the Hedgehog. 22 THIS LEGO LIFE Nostalgic sets, classic video games and pricey freebies are all discussed. 113 FROM THE VAULT The first Jurassic movie to get a LEGO set was... Jurassic Park III?! 4 Blocks Issue 93 www.blocksmag.com WIN WIN WIN WIN WIN! Subscribe to Blocks magazine today to be in with a chance of winning LEGO TRANSFORMERS 10302 f: facebook.com/blocksmag OPTIMUS PRIME. You’ll also be automatically entered t: @blocksmagazine into our monthly prize draws to win the latest and w: www.blocksmag.com greatest LEGO sets. See page 77 now! 63 60 FEATURES 28 COVER LEGO TRANSFORMERS Hear from the former Hasbro designer who found himself designing a Transformer again. 34 WHY OLE KIRK MADE TOYS Find out how Ole Kirk Kristiansen went from building barns to making toys. 66 40 COVER SERIOUS PLAY Meet the trainers who are using LEGO bricks to get teams communicating. 96 COVER STAR WARS CELEBRATION Blocks is in California to find out why LEGO Darth Vader is in his beachware. 102 COVER EXO-FORCE The beloved theme that made mechs cool gets 96 the rose-tinted Blockstalgia treatment. REVIEWS 48 COVER OPTIMUS PRIME Does this towering LEGO Transformer offer more than meets the eye? 54 STARRY NIGHT Can the LEGO Ideas set inspired by Van Gogh deliver the necessary artistry? 58 COVER BABY GROOT 58 54 There's an attempt to assess the most adorable LEGO sculpture since Baby Yoda without bias. 60 THE MUPPETS It's time for more Collectible Minifigures. 66 PYRAMID Architecture does something entirely different with this new historical model. 102 BUILD 78 MOD SQUAD 72 Take Buzz Lightyear's spaceship and turn it into a swooshable Classic Space model. 96 MONTH IN MOCS BioCup 2022 tasks builders with crafting nature based builds using the constraction system. TECHNIQUE 84 INVENTIVE THINKING Simon demostrates building tips and tricks with a series of accurate scale models. www.blocksmag.com Issue 93 Blocks 5 LEGO TALK Rounding up the brick LEGOtalk conversation each month. E-mail [email protected] to share your views f: facebook.com/blocksmag t: @blocksmagazine w: www.blocksmag.com @MINIFIGURESADVENTURES 90 YEARS OF LEGO Blocks asked social media followers to post their pictures of the 90th anniversary issue – Eric Haney shared this incredible photo that includes an enviable display of modulars, fairy lights and of course his copy of Issue 90! Keep sending in those photos and you might see yours in the magazine. INSTAGRAM SPOTLIGHT @MONSIEUR.KEK BUILD SPOTLIGHT Jonathan Grainger used the instructions from Blocks magazine Issue 90 to build a cute rendition of the famous LEGO wooden duck, designed by Keiichi Kamei. @BRICKPANDA82 6 Blocks Issue 93 www.blocksmag.com LEGO TALK MOD SPOTLIGHT Colin Barr made some special modifications to 10258 London Bus to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. 70 years ago she became the UK’s monarch and there were celebrations across the country in June. FIVE YEARS AGO THIS MONTH… Simon Pickard debuted his incredible curving road technique on the cover of Blocks magazine Issue 33, with his Monaco Grand Prix build showcasing Speed Champions sets. DESERT ISLAND DISCS In a pun worthy of The Muppets, Anthony Ludditt has shot this fantastic image that sees the new minifigures partying on a vinyl record. www.blocksmag.com Issue 93 Blocks 7 MONTH IN LEGO PUTTING THE Classic IN CASTLE The big 90th anniversary set is the LEGO castle that fans have been dreaming of The box evokes classic LEGO packaging. 8 Blocks Issue 93 www.blocksmag.com MONTH IN LEGO THE FANS HAVE spoken – and now the big LEGO 90th anniversary set has been unveiled. With 4,514 pieces, 21 minifigures and an immeasurable dose of nostalgia, 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle looks to deliver the fortress that fans dreamed of as children. At the beginning of 2021, a poll launched on LEGO Ideas to find out which classic theme adult fans most wanted to be revisited for the LEGO Group’s big anniversary set. First, there were 30 themes from the back catalogue for fans to whittle down… but then an additional vote would reveal which of the top three would be selected for the special release. More than 77,000 people voted in the first round, but for some reason the Ideas team split Castle into its subthemes – so rather than have just three options to choose from, it was decided that the votes for the various subthemes would You‘ve got bigger – be combined and fans could vote for Castle and so has a LEGO castle. alongside BIONICLE, Classic Space, Pirates or Castle. The result of that final vote was kept secret – until now. 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle is the result of the poll, offering an updated and significantly expanded rendition of a classic LEGO castle. While it is clearly influenced by 6080 King's Castle, the model is so carefully shaped and has so many added details that it’s much more than a modern version of the original. THE MODEL IS SO CAREFULLY SHAPED AND HAS SO MANY ADDED DETAILS THAT IT’S MUCH MORE THAN A MODERN VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL The set includes new torso prints for the Lion Knights, soft flags featuring lion logos, an updated Majisto minifigure and a cow. Given that the model is aimed at an adult audience, rather than offering the empty shell of battle- ready fortresses from the 1980s and 1990s, the interior of the build depicts many aspects of castle life. Fun touches include a secret entrance for the forest people, a water wheel, a kitchen, a banquet table, a dungeon and perhaps best of all, a micro version of 375 Castle – the one that started it all. Following the example set by 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay, 10305 takes the elements of classic LEGO box art, with the yellow border and stripe in the top right-hand corner. To complement the new castle, LEGO Stores offered a gift with purchase model in June – 40567 Forest Hideout. That modern version of 6054 Forestmen's Hideout takes advantage of the new forest people minifigures to offer a little hideaway using current parts, while clearly being influenced by the classic charm of those 1980s sets. n Instead of instructions, there’s 10305 LION KNIGHTS’ CASTLE WILL a storyline. LAUNCH ON AUGUST 3. www.blocksmag.com Issue 93 Blocks 9 MONTH IN LEGO LEGO CON REVEALS This year’s livestream unveiled LEGO sets from Avatar, Star Wars, Marvel and more JUNE SAW THE return of LEGO CON, livestreamed from LEGO House. The stream is intended to attract a family audience, with a particular focus on children who might be ageing out of the LEGO brick and need a reminder that it’s the best. Despite the family focus, a number of the products revealed during the energetic stream are listed as being specifically for adult fans. Here are some of the highlights... 75574 TORUK MAKTO & TREE OF SOULS LEGO Avatar was announced back in March, but since then fans have been waiting to see any products from the new theme that ties in with James Cameron’s epic film series (the second movie will be in cinemas this Christmas). This 1,212 piece set depicts the scene from the original in which Jake becomes the sixth Toruk Makto. The colour choice captures the vibrancy of Avatar, while new parts ensure that the unique physiology of the Pandoran specifies is reflected in the theme. It will be released in October – the other sets shown on these pages are coming in August. 10497 GALAXY EXPLORER It doesn’t matter that Castle was selected in the fan poll, Classic Space is still getting a look in for the 90th anniversary. 497 Galaxy Explorer has been upgraded by fan builders many times, but now it is being reimagined in an official set. It has been upscaled for the occasion so should be swooshable in adult hands – there’s even space in the cockpit for four classic-smiley minifigures. 40542 FC BARCELONA GO BRICK ME 21190 THE ABANDONED ‘member 41597 Go Brick VILLAGE Me? It was probably the best LEGO Minecraft continues LEGO BrickHeadz set released to use the building blocks in the theme, but unfortunately of LEGO bricks to build the didn’t stay on shelves as long game’s building blocks, as it should have. The scenic with 21190 The Abandoned route that BrickHeadz takes Village the latest location as a theme continues with this to expand the theme. The refreshed version of that 2018 set’s story is that the village set, this time allowing builders has been taken over by to create themselves in a FC zombies – so there’s only one Barcelona football kit. Barca thing to do with that sword. fans could even buy many Minecraft-style pumpkin copies of the set and build the heads are a fun touch in this whole squad… model. 10 Blocks Issue 93 www.blocksmag.com