A City Park

Name of Model: City Park

Created by: Full Plate / Emil Lidé

Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/emillide/sets/72157679920181515

Details: This gorgeous city park has somehow gone unnoticed by LEGO fan blogs for the past month. It'd probably be worth diving into the tree techniques (both the axe tree technique and the microscale tree technique (used here for bushes) have been documented very well by the builder), but perhaps the most striking thing about the trees is the way one of them is eating a kite. Poor kid. Rather awkwardly (for those of us who like to write about these things, anyway), all of the photos of this model are slice-of-life scenes instead of close-ups of details. You'll have to look closely to spot these, then: there's a pair of excellent benches made using Star Wars blasters for the decorative trim on the sides, a number of decorative fence posts made with well-placed brackets, and a lamppost made with a Technic ski pole cleverly mounted on a round 2x2 tile with a hole in the center. Even the minifigure posing seems spot-on - note the reactions around the kite scene, and the way the dog is casually sniffing toward the banana peel in the garbage can.

Toy Fair 2017: DC Superhero Girls Sculptures

Name of Models: unknown

Created by: Master Model Builders working for LEGO

Found at: https://www.bzpower.com/story.php?ID=9224

Details: While the first two sculptures we featured from this year's Toy Fair were out in the lobby of the convention center, there was more to see at the actual LEGO booth. Sculptures of Supergirl and Harley Quinn as they appear in the DC Superhero Girls line made an appearance (with a similar photo opportunity background) in one of the front corners of the booth. As is par for the course, there are many exciting details here - don't miss Supergirl's shoes (detailed asymmetrically), necklace, chest emblem and bracelet or Harley Quinn's mask, buttons, and hammer. One thing that caught my eye is the extensive use of plates to keep the appearance of the sculpture very high-resolution - frequently, on a sculpture this size, you'll see plates skipped in favor of trying to get the shape right using only bricks. Here, they didn't spare that effort or expense. The result pays off, making the figures look very realistic on the whole. The faces also include some additional detail. Check out this close-up of Harley Quinn's face. Note how half-stud offsets are used extensively, the nose comes to a 1-stud-wide point, and the curvature in the lips incorporates studs-not-on-top techniques. They're small details, and they really help sell the model. Her right hand similarly makes for a study in technique (although I'd say it's less successful) - you can see the shape that the hand should take up filled with plates and bricks, but the fingers seem less distinctive. Unused space and minor changes in contour suggest the shape, and your mind fills in the rest. It's a technique that works because people who don't write blogs like this will never look at it closely enough for the illusion of a hand to dissolve. Getting back to Supergirl, there are some clever techniques in her face as well - perhaps the first surprise is that it's not the same shape as Harley Quinn's, but a completely different build. A close-up of her lips shows jumper plates used for shaping, with some of them simply having shadows above them to suggest depth. Moving up towards her eyes, you can see that her nose is two studs wide, and that another sideways section makes up the nose-adjacent part of the eyes and eyebrows.

When Bionicle Meets Architecture

Name of Model: "Mindphaser" Tactical AI

Created by: Djokson

Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/djokson/31831398012/

Details: Recently, there was a Bionicle-based architecture contest on Flickr that seems to have slipped under the radar. My personal favorite entry is this eerie combination of a Terminator-esque artificial intelligence system and a heavily-greebled spaceship interior. For all the great Bionicle- and Technic-based details in it, the highlight might just be the rubber bands representing loose wires going through the floor. The contest was run by -Disty-, a master of architecturally-minded Bionicle models who I've featured here before. While it didn't seem to get much attention (a shame that I'll take some responsibility for), the contest did attract some stellar entries. Besides the one I've featured here, the "physical" category also attracted an arched bridge by Ballom Nom Nom, an ionizer by bfahome, and the Zamor Energy Turbine (the winning entry) by Galaxus. That last one even made the zamor sphere cannon element look decent! The digital category also attracted a gem: the winning entry was this vast landscape by the aptly-named Victor. Back to the main model pictured above, though: around the head in the center, there's a really clever combination of ribbed hose around flexible hoses. Then there's the mix of axle joiners and pin joiners in the floor - it's subtle, but provides more texture than you'd see otherwise. The "System" parts used here are also extremely effective - the 8x8 grill plate blends right in with the Technic and Bionicle bits, and the upside down plates (which might be free floating) in the front corner help to make the other two walls look more like corridors. Note to everybody: build more models like this. You'd be surprised how easy it is to come across used Bionicle parts in bulk, and most parts (from any LEGO line) take on a whole new life when you have them in a large quantity.

Marking 10 Years of LMOTD

This post marks the exact 10-year anniversary of this blog. If you're reading this, you probably haven't read the very first "test post" from exactly 10 years ago, on February 27th, 2007. The first "real" post, about a brick-built Mindstorms-controlled vending machine, followed shortly after. We have some vague plans for further celebrating this anniversary - watch this space for the next month or so as we commemorate 10 years of blogging about LEGO Models on an admittedly less-than-daily basis.

A Look at the 1963-1964 LEGO Retailer Catalog for Glued Models

Name of Models: various models from 1963-1964 LEGO retailer catalog for glued models

Posted by: Olaf Blankenfeldt

Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32550323465/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32509238156/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32509234946/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32397491882/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32397486432/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32509223536/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32550297485/in/photostream/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintage-lego-toys/32170878790/in/photostream/

Details: An old retailer catalog from over 50 years ago might not sound "fascinating" to you, but hear me out: there were quite a few models in there that hold up well now (in spite of the limited part selection back then), and were positively amazing for the time. All of the models were glued and used specifically to advertise the LEGO brand and show what can be built from LEGO pieces. They include houses, boats, and street scenes, Santa with reindeer (also in that photo: more houses and several variations on models from the Doll Set), early mosaics (note the extra plates in colors where bricks weren't available yet), cars, trucks, and windmills, and planes and trains. Britain's Houses of Parliament make an appearance on the back cover. Even the ordering form is included here! Olaf Blankenfeldt has been posting a variety of interesting historical artifacts from LEGO's past. This retailer catalog is part of a cache of materials thrown away by LEGO in 2007 (according to Olaf's comments on Flickr). Speaking of LEGO history (and how we need fans to maintain it because LEGO doesn't do so consistently), Gary Istok's Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide will soon no longer be available as a download. He recently posted on LUGNET that this is because of an upcoming non-English multi volume book version coming out in the future. If you're at all interested in the history of LEGO, I highly recommend that you buy his guide while you still can.

Toy Fair 2017: Batman and Ninjago Photo Opportunity

Name of Models: unknown

Created by: Master Model Builders working for LEGO

Found at: http://www.bzpower.com/story.php?ID=9214

Details: We've got two exciting models to show you today as part of our ongoing coverage of this year's Toy Fair in New York, New York. These sculptures promoting The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Ninjago Movie were pretty difficult to get close to - as one of the main attractions in the lobby (outside the show itself) when you first walk into the Javits Center, they were very popular. Toy Industry professionals and press alike wanted to get photos of these two characters. I (Dan) was able to get a few pictures before the show opened on Saturday, and some more after closing, for a total of 84 pictures covering most of the obvious details. Some highlights in my mind: we get a mosaic of Batman's torso, minus the all-important ninth ab, the tiny gap in the fabric of minifigure capes is fully rendered in-the-brick, there's a compelling and determined pair of eyes, a few great mosaics on curved surfaces, a sculpture of the tassel element that almost needs to be seen from a distance - WAIT A SECOND - that last piece is currently only made in black! That just sounds like a LEGO Batman reference - what I'm really saying is that they may have just leaked that that element will available in dark tan once all of the LEGO Ninjago movie sets have been revealed. Now seems like a time for wild speculation. Would LEGO really make a giant version of an unreleased part if they weren't planning to release it? What's happening? I mean, there are other interesting aspects of these models, too - they continue the trend of minifigure characters being shown in a very curved, computer-animated style. The Ninjago character probably has a very interesting internal support structure running through both the sword blade and the tassel - such a dynamic character would require some hefty bracing instead of just a beam to keep it upright. You really just want to see new sets and gossip about the new movie, though, don't you? It's OK. We understand.

Closing in on 10 Years of LMOTD

Longtime fans of LMOTD may be aware that this blog has now been around for nearly 10 years. I'm not terribly interested in doing a hefty self-congratulatory post about how great we are (or were), how great an idea this blog was when I started it (before everyone else picked up the good ideas and did them better), or in posting statistics of how popular we are (which will show that we peaked in early 2011). I know we've made an impact in the community, and I'm equally aware that this blog has been flagging for a while now, even as I get more involved with other parts of the Adult Fan of LEGO community. What I would like to know is how you'd look back on ten years of seeing me (and my tiny team) attempt to write about a Fascinating LEGO Model each "Day". I don't know if we'll share these or not (it depends on what we receive), but I'd like to hear from you. Maybe there was an exciting technique you learned about here, an event you found out about through LMOTD, a model that changed the way you looked at LEGO, a funny story from meeting one of us at a convention, or a time you were proud of having your creation featured here. It's up to you - I've heard stories before, but this milestone seems like the right time to gather up what we've meant to you these past ten years. Send your stories, memories, compliments, reflections, roasts, in-jokes, rants, etc to legomodeloftheday@gmail.com - we've got some small prizes stashed that we will use to reward some of our favorite submissions.

Toy Fair 2017 - An Overwhelming Amount of Bricks

I'm back from my whirlwind trip through Toy Fair and I'm beginning to comb through photos and post some highlights. For this event, I (Dan) teamed up with BZPower's Andrew (Black Six) to try to capture as much of the event as possible. We still didn't get everything - not even all the LEGO-related things. There's just too much; it's overwhelming. Right now, LEGO is everywhere. You've probably seen some tie-in products related to The LEGO Batman Movie already, and you should start bracing for a similar onslaught of officially licensed products tying into The LEGO Ninjago Movie as well (note: we won't be posting any Ninjago Movie info from Toy Fair, since most of it is under embargo, and the rest of it was probably supposed to be under embargo as well). That's before we get into all the companies selling accessories to be used with LEGO pieces, all the clone brands trying to copy LEGO, and all of the somewhat unrelated brands operating in a similar space. We got in some solid market research to better understand how some of the LEGO items were currently excited about stack up against the competition. ...all of which is pretty interesting, but admittedly a bit distant from our usual tack here of focusing on fascinating LEGO models. Most of our immediate coverage will be posted over on BZPower, where a landing page will show you what we've posted so far. Most of the really LEGO-specific items will be covered fairly soon, and we'll share information about some of the more distant toys as time rolls on. Keep an eye out for some of my photos to eventually show up on Flickr (since no LEGO fan site really needs to cover every toy I find interesting) as well. We'll keep you posted as event coverage continues to come together.

Upcoming Events

This is far from a comprehensive list of upcoming events, but I wanted to advertise a few that I (Dan) will personally be at. We'll cover all of these: Toy Fair New York (February 18-21, New York, New York) - This famous Toy Industry Association event is not open to the public. I'll be at the event itself this weekend covering some fun and LEGO-adjacent toys. You'll be able to read about some of those fun toys here afterward. We do not expect to have access to the LEGO booth, but you know other LEGO fan blogs cover that too, right? Richland Community Library's Bricks For Books (March 4, Richland, Pennsylvania) - A fundraiser for the Richland Community Library, this PennLUG show features both displays of original creations and the opportunity to win various LEGO collectibles in raffles. Open to the public from 10 AM to 4 PM, tickets are $5 per person at the door. Maker Faire NoVa (March 19, Reston, Virginia) - Come see BioniLUG's LEGO display and play area (as well as dozens of other Maker exhibits, including two other LEGO-based booths) from 11 AM to 5 PM. Tickets ($13 per adult, $2 per child) can be bought online now, with "Early Bird" pricing ($9 per adult, $1 per child) in effect through February 17th.

Have A Fabuland-ous Valentine's Day

Name of Model: Happy Valentine's Day

Created by: Schneider Chung ("Schfio")

Found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/schfio/32898475325/

Details: Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. This is the most adorable thing you will see this Valentine's Day. The characters here are Fabuland figures - but here, the original Elton Elephant and Bonnie Bunny are only used as "gifts" that the larger, sculpted versions of the characters are giving each other. As cute as Elton and Bonnie are, the details of this model only make it more captivating. Note that the arms get thicker further away from the body to capture the curvature correctly - the "top" of each arm (actually built sideways) is made from rows of headlight bricks with 1 x 1 tiles connected to their fronts. The curved effect this creates is subtle, but an excellent use of the half-plate-thick offset you can get from a headlight brick. Clip plates hold the bunny's eyes in place and also form her eyelashes. Plates with rails fill some (roughly) half-stud-wide spaces that otherwise wouldn't look as round. The elephant's ears even achieve the difficult "cupped" effect by carefully weaving plates together in different directions - and I still can't tell how his eyes are attached. Bonnie's mouth is exquisite - a minifig cap sits on top of a precise jumper plate construction that conceals part of a set of whiskers built as a studs-up mosaic. Schneider Chung hadn't posted on Flickr for a while before this, but he remains one of the best at building in his signature studs-not-on-top style. I highly recommend that you explore the rest of his photostream. We've previously featured a few of his adorable Easter-themed animals.