16 replies to this topic

[Remus_Lupin]

For many of the AFOLs I've come into contact with, the Star Wars theme was their gateway into the world of Lego. What started as a purchase or two of iconic vehicles turned into a fully blown Lego addiction once they discovered the vast array of other themes that were out there. I'll hazard a guess that this also applies to a number of members here, but how many went in the other direction?

I watched the OT when I was a kid, but I have to confess that they didn't leave too much of a lasting impression on me. I saw the prequels as they were released, but they did nothing to reignite any bit of interest that was there. Flash forward several years to my emergence from my 'dark ages' - I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Lego SW universe, but I didn't take more than a passing interest in the theme, given my general apathy towards the films as a child. I focused my renewed love for bricks on other themes; but when you get into the habit of reading Lego blogs and forums daily, it is impossible not to notice the volume of discourse on Lego Star Wars. In fact, I started to realise that a significant amount of tacit learning about the Star Wars universe was sinking in, just by reading Lego news.

Being impressed by a number of SW sets, I decided that I should re-watch the films. Then I thought this was a terrible idea, given that my Lego interests were already pulling my budget in a number of different directions. It took a little over two years into my Lego renaissance to finally cave and watch the original trilogy. Given how long it had been since I saw the films, it honestly felt like I was watching them for the first time (some of the more iconic moments aside). Furthermore, seeing the likes of the Imperial Shuttle and the Death Star in their source material form, having salivated over their Lego counterparts for two years seemed to enhance my viewing. Upon finishing the OT, I was left wondering how 10-year-old me didn't fall in love with them all those years ago. But without Lego, I'm not sure I ever would have watched them again.

The thing I feared about re-watching Star Wars (the anguished cries of my bank balance) hasn't quite materialised (my purchase of the Death Star notwithstanding); the percentage of back catalogue that is taken up by remakes has helped, and I've just accepted that the likes of Cloud City will never happened unless a future generation is made (and with the license renewal, I guess this isn't beyond the realms of possibility).

Anyway, apologies for my long musings, but I'm interested to know how many others developed their Star Wars/Lego addiction this way rather than what I'm guessing is the more conventional order.

[Calanon]

I would still have liked Star Wars without LEGO, but LEGO certainly helped me to become a SW 'geek' considering ships got released that I knew little about.

[JackJonespaw]

My experience in both started out having nothing to do with each other. I got into Lego around '01, and saw Star Wars a little later. It wasn't until around '03 that I realized that there were Lego Star Wars sets, and then, I was hooked.

[Legocrazy81]

Calanon, on 05 May 2012 - 07:47 PM, said:

I would still have liked Star Wars without LEGO, but LEGO certainly helped me to become a SW 'geek' considering ships got released that I knew little about.

I'm the same way. I was certainly a fan before LSW. But, now I know so many characters and ships than before. I enjoy spotting characters and ships I never did before or knowing who the ones I didn't were. Like Aurra Sing for example from Ep. I.

[Lego Otaku]

I've been fan of LEGO and Star Wars... for nearly 35 years.  Long before LEGO took up Star Wars license.

[fyrmedhatt]

I really liked Star Wars from the first time when I watched it when I was 11-12 years old (right around the resurrection of Star Wars with the Special Editions and the Phantom Menace), but I wasn't too great of a fan beyond the movies. I was just entering my dark ages at the time, so I looked at the sets coming out in 1999, but I didn't have the guts to buy them as I felt Lego was too childish.

Fast forward to 2010, my first set as an AFOL was the 6212 X-Wing, which launched an interest in both Lego and Star Wars. Since then I've watched the movie trilogies several times over, and frequented sites like wookiepedia to educate myself on the various vehicles and minifigures that I had in my Lego collection, so I'm far more passionate about Star Wars now than before. I've watched pretty much every extra on the blu-ray collection, and even braved my way through the Star Wars Holiday Special (sadly so, I'd have to say...).

[DFOL]

What an interesting topic! I have been a fan of both Lego and the Star Wars movies long before Lego even introduced a Star Wars theme, so i can't say i got into the one because of the other. But i don't think i would have built such an extensive collection of Lego sets if it wasn't for the Star Wars theme. That really took me in and got me hooked.

[Daedalus304]

And here I thought I was the only one!

I had heard about Star Wars growing up but didn't see it for a while, but then in my 1999 LEGO magazine started featuring that first wave of Star Wars sets - and they were awesome. I read the LEGO Star Wars comics (With the LEGO Maniac) in those magazines countless times, and eventually got myself the X-Wing,Snowspeeder, and Speeder Bikes. I became obsessed with what little Star Wars I had access to; countless MOCs all over. It wasn't until Phantom Menace came out that I actually got to go see a Star Wars movie, and for 9-years old me it was the coolest ever. Shortly after I watched the original trilogy that just sort of started the whole thing.

I'm sure I would have seen the movies eventually without LEGO, but I'm also sure that it was LEGO that inspired my passion for it with their great sets. The original 7140 X-Wing will always be one of my favorite sets; and it held up surprisingly well as the best official minifig X-wing until the new 9493.

[augustus]

I was a fan of the original trilogy, kind of grew up with it and started to collect lego when the first wave in 1999 came out. The prequel trilogy sadly did not live up to my expectations, but still was not bad, but I did not like the current clone wars very much, I consider them too childlish. So I kind of quit the star wars and only collect lego star wars, because it gets better and better and paradoxically the clone wars line is one of my favourites  

[lockdownTF]

I've never had a massive interest outside of casually watching the films every so often. I bought the sets more cos they looked cool than becuase their star wars course minifigs with lightsabers are always a nice bonus.

[TheLegoDr]

I got into Star Wars post Lego addiction. I loved lego growing up and went into the dark ages around 1996-ish, so a bit before the licensing world. I never watched any Star Wars movies until the prequels came out in theaters and even then I only saw the first two. I had no interest in them whatsoever, but a friend wanted to go so I went with him. It was years later before I saw the original trilogy (after the first 3, so I guess in the proper order). I only recently got into the Star Wars Lego world (within the last 2 months). I don't know what compelled me to get into it since I've never been a fan really, but some of the figures are neat and it adds a little something to my collection. I still don't care about most of the sets/vehicles, but the figures are what is selling this theme to me. Naturally I didn't have the budget set up for them, so it is tough getting those and the other sets I want. Too bad TLG didn't have a lay-away option! I must just have a Lego shopping problem since I also purchased the Prince of Persia sets (on discount) and that movie was terrible. Oh well, the new SW sets will be neat and inviting with those figures. I'm waiting on a lot of the figures for potential new versions/releases in 2013 with the re-release of AOTC. We shall see..

[4WD]

Great topic!

This was definitely the case for me. I started with LEGO when I was 4 or 5, but I only got into Star Wars when I was about to turn 8 with the release of AOTC. I've been a fan since, but it was the CW TV show that really caught my interest set-wise.

[Blondie-Wan]

Like others here I fell in love with both LEGO and Star Wars, independently of one another, back in the '70s (LEGO first, then Star Wars a few years later, upon seeing the original movie). As I grew older I sadly entered the typical LEGO "dark ages," but always remained passionate about Star Wars, and like so many others it was Star Wars that first pulled me (back) into LEGO, though my interest in all things LEGO exploded from there.

However, I can say that whatever interest I have in Harry Potter has come about largely because of LEGO (and to a certain extent, my appreciation of various directors, actors and composers who've worked on the films). When the books and movies first began several years ago I already knew other adults who were into the series, and I was curious and intrigued (and it didn't hurt that TLG was making nifty sets from them), but I never actually started reading or watching the series until just a few months ago. I'm now most of the way through the movies, and aside from just enjoying them for what they are, I'm finding it gratifying to finally see all those scenes I remember first encountering as LEGO sets. I still don't think I'd call myself a "fan" of HP, exactly, but I do have an appreciation for it, and honestly it's largely because of the LEGO sets.

[Aeroeza]

I guess for me the two have always been merged with each other!

I grew up across the river from Shepperton Studios at the time Star Wars was filmed (and where our local family hairdresser was responsible for a certain princess' hairdo)!   The first thing I did after seeing the film at an Esher cinema was pull out lots of red Lego bricks and build a trash compacter for my little green army figures to contend with!!!

Now if only I could MOC like I use to do!  

[Blondie-Wan]

Blondie-Wan, on 10 May 2012 - 10:48 AM, said:

However, I can say that whatever interest I have in Harry Potter has come about largely because of LEGO

Oh, and I should add I hadn't even heard of Avatar: The Last Airbender until it became a LEGO theme.   I still have seen almost nothing of it, but I do at least have an inkling of what it's about now.

Aeroeza, on 10 May 2012 - 12:09 PM, said:

I grew up across the river from Shepperton Studios at the time Star Wars was filmed (and where our local family hairdresser was responsible for a certain princess' hairdo)!

Awesome!  

Aeroeza, on 10 May 2012 - 12:09 PM, said:

The first thing I did after seeing the film at an Esher cinema was pull out lots of red Lego bricks and build a trash compacter for my little green army figures to contend with!!!

Now if only I could MOC like I use to do!  

Same here. I was building Star Wars-esque vehicles for my "Classic" Space minifigures long, long before TLG did an official SW theme, and I made a lot more of my own creations then (though I hope to change that soon!).

[HJR]

I'm confident that without LEGO I would have bought a scale model of an X-wing one of these years, but not to the extend that I have these days with my ever growing SW-LEGO collection...

[Rook]

Well technically I knew about Lego before I knew about Star Wars. However Star Wars drew me back into Lego.