Newsweek Special Edition: LEGO - Celebrating The World's Favorite Toy

[kelceycoe]

As you can see, there isn't much information provided in these magazines. I'm not a huge fan of these "special editions" when I already own The Lego Book but I do appreciate the art and throwback to the older displays.

It's out in newsstands now and you can also buy them from E-bay pretty inexpensively (the last one was sold at a newsstand for $10.99 USD

Update: Because I knew some of you would ask I opened the other Newsweek issue up. It seldom touches on Pirates, although a repeat of mainly what's already in the books (Captain Red Beard appears in the timeline for 1989 introducing the Pirates theme) and it also has a two-page spread of Black Seas Barracuda but flipped around. But it says this ship was recommissioned in LEGO sets as Captain Jack Knife's vessel. Then it goes on to brag about how the captain's quarters (what they call the Hold below) were an easter egg many fans love.

Anyway, the issue is great as a quick reference since it had articles and interviews to how LEGOs were made, minifigure information, yet promoting the LEGO movie and Star Wars, plus it said LEGO-built gingerbread house decorations were in the White House as Obama's last Christmas decorations.

Thankfully, The Brick Fan has offered us a two-page spread on the Black Seas Barracuda and aside from nostalgia and reprinting the artwork from the original box, it offers nothing new:

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by kelceycoe

[Mister Phes]

Thank you for sharing, Kelceycoe!

On 6/11/2019 at 4:02 PM, kelceycoe said:

It's out in newsstands now and you can also buy them from E-bay pretty inexpensively (the last one was sold at a newsstand for $10.99 USD

How did you acquire your copy?

[kelceycoe]

The first one I picked up at a newsstand. I haven't gotten the second one (the one above) yet.

[Mister Phes]

I just conducted a quick search of eBay and here are what appear to be the covers - so the second cover is the one you've acquired, @kelceycoe?

[kelceycoe]

1 hour ago, Mister Phes said:

I just conducted a quick search of eBay and here are what appear to be the covers - so the second cover is the one you've acquired, @kelceycoe?

Yes I own The Toy that Changed Our Lives

[Mister Phes]

Nice work!

Please keep us informed should you acquire the other magazine.

[Aanchir]

Something interesting to me is that this is clearly the same photo from the box art for the original BSB set (same water texture, all minifigs in the same poses, same light sources, and in "new condition") — but WITHOUT the island scenery in the foreground and background. This suggests that either those were photographed separately and edited in rather than photographed as a single scene, or that during LEGO's original product shoot they captured multiple shots (one with additional sculpted scenery and one without).

Furthermore, it tells us that LEGO must still have the "raw" photographs from that photoshoot in their archives, since they could provide Newsweek with a print-quality file to use in this edition. That's really neat to know, and makes me wonder how much other archival material LEGO might have that they might surprise us by sharing some day!