Capt. Thomas Foolery

My only criticism would be that I wish you went the full ten panels - cause I wanted more! Very humorous entry with some great plays on words - I really enjoyed it.

Ahoy, all ye Devils, Black Sheep, and Really Bad Eggs! An hearrrrrty thanks for all the kind compliments, the words of encouragement from Red Coats, and the delusions of Blue Coats (Surely, I jest! You Blue Coats have been so kind and complimentary that I wish you no ill will - as the history has proven, I don't have to! You'll all blow yourselves up, drown yourselves, or set yourselves on fire if us Red Coats simply leave you alone.) As for whether Admiral Wallace can be a reputable source (following accusations that he's a turncoat, a pirate, or a Red Coat in disguise), I assure you that he's an impartial, reputable man reciting a factual history. Also, such accusations on your part hurt his feelings. So how does the Admiral know what he knows? Simple. Interrogating pirates, as the Admiral is wont to do, can give you delightful insights into the effectiveness of your troops. Once again, thanks all for looking! I appreciate the comments. Fair winds and following seas, Capt. Thomas Foolery

Ahoy, me fellow rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves! I humbly present, for thy ocular enjoyment...Capt. Thomas Foolery's Scintillatingly Scurvy History of the Coats! [serialized for your pleasure.] An aaarrrrrty thanks for reading, ye' scurvy dog! Yours very truly, Capt. Thomas Foolery

Thanks, lads! For a rowdy crew of scurvy knaves, you sure know how to make a first time MOCker feel welcome. I appreciate all the kind comments!

Yar. Tis a monstrous, gorgeous, beautiful behemoth of a ship you've created thar! The sheer scale of it is impressive, but I love that you took the time and effort to make one of the sides hinged so that all that fantastic detail below decks was revealed. Hmmm. If you were to read that last sentence metaphorically, it sounds rather perverted. But I assure you, twas only your ship I was complimenting. Kudos on a fantastic job!

Ahoy, Villains, Knaves, Rogues, Rapscallions, Scallywags, Ne'er Do Well Cads, Devils, Black Sheep, and yes, even you, the Really Bad Egg. Hope you enjoy my pitiable attempt at devising a MOC worthy of looking at. For many more pics, please visit my Flickr page: Capt. Thomas Foolery's Flickr Page Thanks for the look. Fair winds and following seas, ye scurvy scoundrels.

Name: Capt. Thomas Foolery Allegiance: Rum. Oh, and the Redcoats too.

Wow! Thanks for the pics. Very excited about this series - much moreso than the one already coming to the states in a few short weeks. Although, to be quite honest, I REALLY, REALLY don't like that LEGO wastes the opportunity to have 16 stellar new minifigs by always including a couple throw-aways that very few people want as various versions already exist. You know who I'm talking about. I'm looking at you scuba diver and spaceman (although the ray gun is nice) in series 1 (possibly even ninja - even though I like ninjas, I already have several - and cowboy). And the celebration of mediocrity that is the Adventurers series rip-off explorer/butterfly catcher (?) and police officer in series 2. I suppose in some way, it brings balance. When you have something as new and awesome as the Spartan or zombie, you have to offset it with something, well...kinda lame. I just wish every minifig brought maybe not the same level of excitement, but at least a significant level of excitement - no matter which one you open. I'm already dreading all the crash test dummies, scuba divers, and spacemen I'm going to be invariably getting. PS - I am totally loving the new minifig headgear coming our way. A beret! A freaking sombrero! Decorated, no less! A Spartan helmet! Now I wish they'd just come out with a nice Derby/bowler hat.

Phenomenal review! Thanks for taking the time to so thoroughly review and share! I can't wait till these hit the US. SO MANY MOC opportunities! Thanks again for the generous review and enjoy those minifigs!

I'd have to agree with the sentiment that this looks like one of the better sets, but probably not the best. Don't know if I care for the minifigs having faux-painting/scuffing on them, though getting five figs is pretty cool. Thanks for the review. Nice to see it so far in advance.

Excellent point! At first, I was quite pleased with the bar code news even though they won't be in the US for awhile and the codes don't apply (obviously, someone will do the same here in good time). Now, I'm kind of hoping someone doesn't decipher the bar codes. Not only does it remove the thrill and surprise of it, it robs the casual AFOL of getting good ones like zombies. And the children! Think of the children! Those poor children! (I say this now, but I'll totally knock over a preschooler to get the last one of these in the store.) So thanks for the different viewpoint. I'm actually looking forward to the surprise of it all. Of course, I say that now, but after I get my 17th Crash Test Dummy in a row, I might turn to the dark side.

Wow! This is fantastic! Love the lines. Love the feel. Great job! You captured the spirit of the Justice League exceptionally!

I'm frightened and confused. Change does that to me. If anyone needs me, I'll be outside yelling at the clouds. Pretty sleek new design. Feels odd for the time being, but that's because of that whole change anxiety I mentioned.

Legonator is right on this one! Although, I have to disagree with him about Sallah's head. I'm gonna have to side with indianajones in thinking the new PoP Sheik head achieves a better Sallah in terms of skin tone and expression. At least in creating a Last Crusade Sallah. Is there a different Werewolf torso from the Studios line that I'm unaware of? I'm still not understanding how this would make an accurate torso for anyone in the Indiana Jones universe.

Jeez! Just look at the sheer volume of new pieces and molds! Looks so much more impressive laying them out like that in the forum. That's why it won't matter in the least that most people won't see this movie or could care less about it - the bricks are making converts of us all! At least to buy the LEGO sets, that is. I still won't see this movie.

I don't know if obscenities are discouraged in these forums, but this makes me want to swear profusely. Out of wonder, out of jealousy, out of amazement. Truly, truly phenomenal. I've always admired those who can successfully construct a new world of their own through the brick. You've definitely achieved that here. I almost get the feeling that Disney Imagineers spent years constructing a Medieval Village Theme Park. As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there."

Thanks for the tip - it's a good suggestion but I had tried it already with less than spectacular results. Trolls are just a wee bit altitudinally advantaged over monkeys.

If I were a talented MOCist, I would insist on tackling several scenes from the Swamp/Fountain portion of the book. Particularly, during the "botanical" attack as they leave. That whole segment of the book seems designed for LEGO MOCification! So, we've now got one other person who has read or is reading On Stranger Tides...any other takers?

How about a "fleshify your pirate MOC" contest? Although, now that I think about it, simply suggesting that we use fleshies on here would encourage most members to force me to walk the plank. I would be interested, though, in seeing what the many talented people on here could come up with if limited to only combinations of the licensed fleshies for minifig crews. Another idea would be to have a community type build based off a mutually agreed upon pirate book or movie. I know not many people have read it, but the book On Stranger Tides is ripe for MOCs as it has many memorable scenes that would be perfect for LEGOfication. Of course, that would require everyone to read it and I doubt people are willing to commit that much of their time. Unless, someone were to simply list the scenes and page numbers for reference. Ha! I completely missed the two posts above mine. Great minds must think alike. And we already have one other person now who's familiar with On Stranger Tides!

Lately, as I've been manning my pirate ships for MOC pics, I've found that I'm disappointed with the number of different pirate torsos there are out there for this most recent line. When I was buying them, I was excited about the blue vest/red striped shirt and the one with the buckle. But now, when you have more than 8 pirates in one place, it really does start to look laughably redundant. It's like the pirate version of the Clone Wars. And changing up heads doesn't seem to help all that much, though it does a little. Back to the old school stripey shirt crews, then! Although, they do look kind of funny together. Let's get a wider variety of vests, frock coats, and ascots!

I hearrrrrrrrtily agree with the prevailing sentiment on board here - fantasy elements = good. Because, let's be honest here. None of us are truly fans of 100% historical pirates. That's like admitting you're a fan of rape, murder, arson, torture, and a great number more unsavory things that a human can do to another human. The allure of piracy is rooted very firmly in its fantasy elements. Buried treasure, maps where X marks the spot, walking the plank, hidden tropical coves populated with mermaids, voodoo zombies, etc. All of these have very little place in the reality of pirates as our conceptions of pirates are mostly founded on what Hollywood has indoctrinated us with. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just another great story to tell. I, for one, am kind of perplexed by those who are obsessed with recreating 100% accurate historical elements through LEGO. For me at least, it doesn't seem like a very worthwhile venture. (If you do it, that's fine - just not my cup of tea, er...rum) I find it far more interesting when people create rather than re-create, so long as its recreational (how's that for clear logic). Capturing the essence of the Golden Age of Piracy is far more exciting than simply making a copy of it. I think that's why so many people on here make references back to the PotC ride at Disney. It's completely inaccurate as a historical portrayal, but the adventurous spirit and the fantasy that drives it are all there. So please, LEGO, keep introducing more fantasy elements to the Pirates line. If you don't like them, we always have the option of using them as mastheads instead.

A Mediterranean Buccaneer? They prefer to be called Corsairs. I learned that lesson the hard way. Sniff, I miss my left hand. Anyhoooo.... I've found that Dastan's pants make a very buccaneering bottom to the new Captain Brickbeard torsos. Looks like a shiny sash! Ooooo! Shiny. I actually quite like the look, even if it is sans peg leg (though you could swap out the other leg for the peg on Dastan's leg assembly). Though I have absolutely no intention of seeing PoP, I love these sets! They are ripe for providing great set pieces and elements for those scurvy scallywags that sail to the far reaches of the world.

I agree wholeheartedly with the first sentence. May your birthday be merry and bright. However, as a good pirate, please ignore that subsequent sentence and it's misguided directions. You will only help yourself by killing brain cells. For as an ancient Native American proverb goes, the herd is only as fast as its slowest bison. By that logic, simply kill the slow bison/brain cells, and your brain will be both streamlined and faster. And obviously, better. My recommendation: Goslings Old Rum Many a gill cup of it. Fair winds and following seas on the anniversary of the day your mother expelled you from her uterus!

Call it a character flaw, or a brilliant example of my awesomeness, but I'm a purist. No painting of parts. So instead, I'll patiently wait until the day comes that a tiny red vest is created or the pirate monkeys start wearing vests. The lesson: never give up on your dreams.

Change frightens and confuses me. If you need me, I'll be under my desk, curled into the fetal position, weeping and gently rocking to and fro until the header looks the way it's supposed to again. PoP is certainly an odd theme for me. I'll likely buy all of the sets even though I have no interest in it as a video game and absolutely no desire whatsoever to see the film. But based on all the new elements, colors, and minifig parts perfect to making a more complete Indiana Jones universe, I adore this theme. Time to return to under the desk. [sniffles]