2024 Space sets

[Space78]

When I mentioned “CS” (classic space) I was referring to space sets from 1978 - 1987.  Personally, I think this works since there is no other identifying term or phrase for that time period for space sets.  When the minifigure torso and helmet/visor changed in 1987 for the “Futuron” sets, that is a clear starting point of a new theme for me.  I think we use these terms for convenience.  I agree some people us CS for a wider time span of space sets out of convenience (rather than typing CS/Futuron/Blacktron/etc.) if that is what’s meant, but it can get confusing.

[icm]

TLDR: The Classic Space subtheme is 1978-87. Sets that are classic Space are whenever and whatever you want.

1. @Space78: That is the usual, nearly universal, meaning of Classic Space as a subtheme. That is the meaning used by Brickset and Bricklink. That, and deliberate tribute sets like the 10497.

2. The next looser definition of classic Space, though not Classic Space, is the era in Tim Johnson's new book, which is defined by the use of classic smiley faces with no gender distinctions. This era ended with Space Police 2.

3. The next marker used by folks to distinguish "classic Lego" is often the introduction of Star Wars in 1999, where pre-Star Wars sets in the Space theme are "classic".

4. Finally, the loosest use of "classic Space sets", and the one with the clearest generational distinction, is just "sets that I liked in my childhood". Depending on the speaker, this can include things as recent as Galaxy Squad or the Benny Spaceship. A new user on the forum who is a member of Gen Z could call the Galaxy Squad Swarm Interceptor a classic Space set before becoming familiar with the accepted use of Classic Space as those sets between 1978 and 1987 that featured the plain minifigures with the simple torso logo and the open helmet.

In these distinctions, it's good to remember that definition 1 and definition 4 were essentially the same thing to the AFOLs who set the terms of online discussions in the early days of the public internet, in the late 1990s, as a way to contrast the sets they grew up with in their good old days to the terrible horrible awful no good sets at the time like Insectoids, Exploriens, and UFO, which now have their own generational followings, as do other subthemes now held up as "classics" by some AFOLs, including Mars Mission (2007-8).

Edited December 16, 2023 by icm

[tafkatb]

Definitions and categories will vary from person to person - some people define "Classic Space" so rigidly that only the sets with the blue/grey/transparent yellow color scheme "count"! Personally, I think of Futuron as an extension of Classic Space - in Star Trek terms, it's basically "Classic Space: The Next Generation." In this headcanon, every theme that uses some variation of the planet logo is tied together as one "franchise," even if only a specific range of sets falls under the "Original Series" category.

[TeriXeri]

Will be interesting to see what someone in the future will see as their "classic" space, as the space logo is definately used a lot more since 2022 City space again (2019 mars used a different style).

Of course 1978 will forever be the first minifig space start, but as far as themes with multiple sets per release, the most recent options that have not been standalone Icons/GWP have been under LEGO Movie 2 and City.

Catalogs used to define space, pirates, castle in fairly straightforward ways, but now things are so spread around, you actually have to go look it up and have knowledge where to look to have a complete picture.

Edited December 16, 2023 by TeriXeri

[legoturtle]

The book then dives into a chronological journey of LEGO Space, and is broken into Chapters, which conveniently act as markers for different eras of LEGO Space. Chapter 1 covers Classic Space from 1978-1987, the defining era for LEGO Space.

- JANGBRICKS

 

Top 2 images are sets from 2014 and 2015:

https://brickset.com/sets/theme-Space/subtheme-Classic

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by legoturtle

[legoturtle]

Here is also an interview from the maker of the BOOK:

https://brickset.com/article/101609/exclusive-interview-with-tim-johnson-author-of-lego-space-1978-1992

 

 

We decided to stop with Blacktron 2, largely because that was the end of the ‘classic smiley’ era.

Edited December 16, 2023 by legoturtle

[danth]

5 hours ago, Black Falcon said:

Was Futuron already called Futuron back then?

Futuron was on at least some of the boxes. Pic here. 

5 hours ago, 1974 said:

Futuron had a very clear design philosophy, uniform colours and NEW figs. Sure, the golden planet was still there but that theme did actually have it's own logo allthough sadly only used in one set (and the worst Futuron set to boot)

Are you talking about the checkered pattern on Cosmic Laser Launcher or something else?

[icm]

The Futuron monorail box is from 1987.

Futuron, Blacktron, and Space Police are listed as distinct subthemes with distinct logos in the 1990 UK catalog here.

https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=catalogues/c90uk&p=28

They are not given separate logos and names in the 1987 catalog. After all, in build styles there was a smooth transition from late Classic Space to Futuron. It is convenient to distinguish late Classic Space from Futuron by the uniforms and helmets, but prior to 1990 they were all simply Legoland Space.

Edited December 16, 2023 by icm

[danth]

34 minutes ago, icm said:

but prior to 1990 they were all simply Legoland Space.

I found this from '88: https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=catalogues/c88us

[Sir Dano]

I for one am thankful they decided to pander to 90s kids space instead of yet more boomer space pandering.

[icm]

Good catch. Clear Futuron and Blacktron labeling in 1988 - which is appropriate, because that's the first year where no new Space sets were released with the Classic astronaut.

[Aanchir]

2 hours ago, danth said:

Futuron was on at least some of the boxes. Pic here.

1 hour ago, danth said:

I found this from '88: https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=catalogues/c88us

I think this may be at least partly a matter of American marketing vs. European marketing — I've definitely seen the name Futuron much more on American boxes and in American catalogs than in their European counterpart.

Honestly, American box art in genneral often put a lot more emphasis on specific branding for different themes and subthemes, such as by including "Town/Castle/Space System" on the LEGOLAND banner in the corner or including specific subtheme/faction logos on the front of the boxes. For example, compare the American box of set 6894 (above) with the European box (below):

Maybe the American marketing department figured that the boxes needed flashier, more detailed labeling to stand out among the other popular toys they'd be competing with in American toy stores (especially since LEGO's foothold in the US and Canada was not yet as strong as it was in Europe).

Or maybe it was just easier for them to include more specific labeling on North American boxes because North America is divided up into fewer countries and languages. After all, theme and subtheme names back then could vary a LOT between different European countries. For instance, early Danish, Italian, Spanish, and Belgian catalogue listings for Blacktron sets referred to that subtheme as «Black Star», while Space Police was originally called Galax-Police in Germany and Astro Politie in the Netherlands.

Edited December 16, 2023 by Aanchir

[SpacePolice89]

2 hours ago, danth said:

Futuron was on at least some of the boxes. Pic here. 

Is that a North American box because my 6990 box is different?

24 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

For instance, early Danish, Italian, Spanish, and Belgian catalogue listings for Blacktron sets referred to that subtheme as «Black Star», while Space Police was originally called Galax-Police in Germany and Astro Politie in the Netherlands.

I remember seeing the name Alpha or Alfa for Futuron or Classic Space in a Swedish Lego catalog when I was a kid.

[Lion King]

Are you Tu guys speculating that we are going to get Moment set that is based off Futuron or Blacktron?

[Black Falcon]

4 hours ago, icm said:

The Futuron monorail box is from 1987.

Futuron, Blacktron, and Space Police are listed as distinct subthemes with distinct logos in the 1990 UK catalog here.

https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=catalogues/c90uk&p=28

They are not given separate logos and names in the 1987 catalog. After all, in build styles there was a smooth transition from late Classic Space to Futuron. It is convenient to distinguish late Classic Space from Futuron by the uniforms and helmets, but prior to 1990 they were all simply Legoland Space.

3 hours ago, danth said:

I found this from '88: https://images.brickset.com/library/view/?f=catalogues/c88us

1 hour ago, Aanchir said:

I think this may be at least partly a matter of American marketing vs. European marketing — I've definitely seen the name Futuron much more on American boxes and in American catalogs than in their European counterpart

Thank you all. I always wondered where the name futuron came from because I couldn´t find it in catalogs. The differences between NA and European market are always very interesting to see.

 

2 minutes ago, Lion King said:

Are you Tu guys speculating that we are going to get Moment set that is based off Futuron or Blacktron?

Well rumours would say it will be Blacktron, however I am still not certain how the customizing would fit in there.

[icm]

Nope, just quibbling about where to draw the line between Classic Space and Futuron! No speculation or wishlisting or rumor-mongering, just old-fashioned hair-splitting!

Edited December 16, 2023 by icm

[Lion King]

5 minutes ago, icm said:

Nope, just quibbling about where to draw the line between Classic Space and Futuron! No speculation or wishlisting or rumor-mongering, just old-fashioned hair-splitting!

Okay thanks! I just to make sure. :)

[playgood]

17 minutes ago, Lion King said:

Are you Tu guys speculating that we are going to get Moment set that is based off Futuron or Blacktron?

This is what has been reported on by BrickClicker: 10391 LEGO Moments Space, $100, 966pcs.
"The set includes a large black spaceship and two minifigures with different heads / hair to customize them."

Older themes with black spaceships include: Blacktron I, Space Police, Blacktron II, Space Police II

Most people are guessing it's a remake of the Blacktron Renegade

The only other speculation I've seen is that the torso from the Blacktron II CMF could be reused in the set. So it's possible it could be something else like  6897: Rebel Hunter which includes two figures, a Space Police II pilot and a Blacktron II prisoner. It's less likely, but would be cool to see.

Edited December 16, 2023 by playgood

[CP5670]

14 hours ago, 1974 said:

I think there's a generational gap here. Folks at my age do not call Futuron, Blacktron, M-tron, SP1/2 etc CS. Those newfangled factions/themes have a clear-cut design, look and minifigs. CS (sets) is all over the place

Exactly, CS can mean a lot of different things, either the original blue/gray/tryellow colors, anything with CS minifigs up to 1987, or anything space before 1999.

 

13 hours ago, Black Falcon said:

The question here is. Was Futuron already called Futuron back then? I mean when you look into old catalogues you don´t find a mention of that name, whereas you can find Blacktron or M-Tron. Anyways, when you look at classic space some of the later sets had different designs from the original classic space design - and some of those already have the look futuron will later have.

It seems to have only had that name in the American catalogs, and only starting in 1988. The earlier Futuron sets were kind of treated the same as late stage CS sets.

Edited December 17, 2023 by CP5670

[Aanchir]

1 hour ago, Black Falcon said:

Thank you all. I always wondered where the name futuron came from because I couldn´t find it in catalogs. The differences between NA and European market are always very interesting to see.

I definitely agree! It's part of why I enjoy spending time reading old catalogs and magazines and stuff. I feel like a lot English-language LEGO fansites and communities tend to rely on BrickLink for set/theme/character names, and since the BrickLink catalogs often default to the American names for that stuff, many of international differences in these pre-2000s naming conventions kind of get swept aside. So it's fascinating to go back and realize how differently LEGO often approached this stuff, even between countries that shared a language (for instance, while even LEGO.com tends to refer to Majisto as LEGO Castle's first named character, Great Britain and the Netherlands had named LEGO Castle characters from as early as the theme's big 1984 relaunch!)

On the topic of LEGO Space in particular, I find it really charming that many of the brick-built robots from Classic Space and Futuron had specific names given to them in German ads and catalogs, mostly starting with the letter Z: Zilu, Zazza, Zip, Zero, Zonu, Zynar, Zyr, Zör, and finally the robot twins Zwil and Ling. ("Zwilling" is the German word for "twin", so these two names are a particularly charming bit of wordplay).

No catalogs or magazines I've seen from other languages assigned these robot figures names as consistently or thoroughly as the German ones. I can't help but wonder if this naming scheme had any influence on the naming of Olivia's robot companions Zobo, Zuzu, Zobito, and Zobita from LEGO Friends!

Another fun detail is that German catalogs and ads referred to Blacktron I as [Black Space] (brackets included). And although the US and UK used the name Blacktron for the faction itself from the get-go, this 1989 UK catalog page explains that "The new Space Police with flashing lights keep law and order in the endless universe of Black and White Space" — seemingly referring to territory controlled by Blacktron and Futuron, respectively.

3 hours ago, SpacePolice89 said:

I remember seeing the name Alpha or Alfa for Futuron or Classic Space in a Swedish Lego catalog when I was a kid.

You are correct! I don't know if I've seen anything that uses that name for the Futuron faction collectively, but it was definitely used in Swedish Futuron set names pretty consistently, at least early on. Likewise, Swedish catalogs and ads initially attached the prefix "Drak" (dragon) to Blacktron vehicles and referred to the Blacktron figures at least once as "Drakmannen" (Dragon Men/Dragon People).

Perhaps this was meant to echo the historical use of the term "drakskepp" for Viking ships? But that's just a guess from my perspective as an ignorant/naive American who doesn't speak Swedish (and grew up in the 90s after the first generation of Blacktron sets had already come and gone).

Edited December 16, 2023 by Aanchir

[TeriXeri]

Yeah I love browsing European catalogs , names of sets are so different for everything, certainly not direct translations, like some castle ships having viking references, references to richard lionheart or robin hood, or just funky sci-fi space names.

[SpacePolice89]

8 hours ago, Aanchir said:

You are correct! I don't know if I've seen anything that uses that name for the Futuron faction collectively, but it was definitely used in Swedish Futuron set names pretty consistently, at least early on. Likewise, Swedish catalogs and ads initially attached the prefix "Drak" (dragon) to Blacktron vehicles and referred to the Blacktron figures at least once as "Drakmannen" (Dragon Men/Dragon People).

Perhaps this was meant to echo the historical use of the term "drakskepp" for Viking ships? But that's just a guess from my perspective as an ignorant/naive American who doesn't speak Swedish (and grew up in the 90s after the first generation of Blacktron sets had already come and gone).

That is a possibility, because the operating procedure of Blacktron is perhaps similar to that of the Vikings. I believe that in those days regional marketing teams could quite freely make up names and marketing stuff. 

[Artanis I]

At least "Classic Space" is easy to define as a single subtheme, unlike "Classic Castle" which has no clear lines, really. Everything transitioned within existing factions.

 

.

 

Regarding this rumoured set, I also thought that the Blacktron II torso could be a 'clue', with either a BII or SPII ship coming. The reason I think Blacktron I is a bit unlikely, is because we already got one of those, and it's not like TLG is pumping dozens of these actual-Space sets out for us. I'd welcome it, of course, but I think we'll get something else.

[Fenghuang0296]

On 12/15/2023 at 1:46 AM, Mandalorianknight said:

Yeah, this is shocking to me. There are a ton of colors in lego's palate, I would have loved a Coral Spaceman, or a Sand Blue spaceman, or whatever.

I’m convinced that the next colour we’re going to get is Royal Blue. Or whatever we call the colour they use for ice in Minecraft. It’s the only colour from Everyone Is Awesome that they haven’t done yet (if we ignore the slight disparity between Green and Bright Green), and they seem to have run out of primary colours to do.

I’m also still waiting and hoping for a new version of Black, and a Blue torso without Benny scuff marks. (But I’ve almost given up on that after this many years . .)

[Aanchir]

4 hours ago, Fenghuang0296 said:

I’m convinced that the next colour we’re going to get is Royal Blue. Or whatever we call the colour they use for ice in Minecraft. It’s the only colour from Everyone Is Awesome that they haven’t done yet (if we ignore the slight disparity between Green and Bright Green), and they seem to have run out of primary colours to do. 

I’m also still waiting and hoping for a new version of Black, and a Blue torso without Benny scuff marks. (But I’ve almost given up on that after this many years . .)

The official name for that color is Light Royal Blue, and the BrickLink name is Bright Light Blue! Having the monochrome fig upper and lower bodies available from Everyone is Awesome definitely makes this seem like a pretty viable option production-wise, though there's a part of me that thinks LEGO might prefer to stick with colors that would seem less like a lighter or darker versions of colors they'd already had — like perhaps, a "Teal Astronaut" in Bright Bluish Green or a "Gold Astronaut" in Warm Gold.

Black would also be pretty easy for them to bring back whenever they're ready, since not only do they have the monochrome fig parts ready to go, the black helmet and black air tanks are also still in production as of this year's sets!

6 hours ago, Artanis I said:

Regarding this rumoured set, I also thought that the Blacktron II torso could be a 'clue', with either a BII or SPII ship coming. The reason I think Blacktron I is a bit unlikely, is because we already got one of those, and it's not like TLG is pumping dozens of these actual-Space sets out for us. I'd welcome it, of course, but I think we'll get something else. 

Honestly I don't know if I'd take that as a "clue" one way or another. After all, it's just as possible that the early 90s factions in this minifigures series were chosen to shine a light on Space subthemes that AREN'T featured prominently in other current, recent, or upcoming Minifigures series or Icons sets.