Mazin

Thanx You kindly :)

Damn, don't know about other tshirts, but as a fan Kahuka Islanders that's realy an item i'd love to have ;) Great presentation. Speaking of cool items, where did You get that big pistol? Is it custom made, or did it come with any official set? Same thing about the parrot. Anyway, so how long do You intent to keep it in this place? Or is it/was it just for some event? Surely being a Lego fan You will miss being away from Your sets after a while ;)

I'm not realy sure, like i still remember my exact introduction/s to Gijoe as if it was yesterday, but with Legos and Pirates there's a bit of blur. Like i have a weird memory of playing Eldorado at someone's elses home in Paris... in 1987. But it's obvious it's not possible, so i must have messed it with something else, perhaps it was something similar and my brain must have connected it with "Eldorado" some time later ;) Anyway, just as You said, at that time i was obsessed with catalogues that would be obtainable in every toy shop or that would come with toy sets, spent probably more time with mu eyes stuck in them than playing actual toys. And my guess is i must have gotten some small city vehicle or a little space ship, cause those themes were among my first, and pictures with Pirates dioramas must have popped right into my eyes. So i'm pretty sure that's the way my dream about getting them was born. Also i had a somewhat richer, or a lot more spoiled, cousin who would collect practically every toy, comic book, movie, game on the market, so i might have already played with his Barracuda before i got any of my own. But my first set was probably 6251, at that time i was more into He-Man New Adventures, but those were more expensive and my parents were hesitant about buying me and military/mutant toys, but i got them into getting me more history/fantasy oriented Pirayes. And here it was - a small lineup of figs only, but it was enough to have a fantastic time and dream about getting more. I already a big blue cargo ship from the City, and placed some space elements as "cannons" and this served as my first pirate "galleon" :) Then i got a Castaway Raft with a shark, then my aunt, who was much more willing to throw expensive presents at me, bought me Forbidden Island and Carribean Clipper. But my Holly Grail - Baracuda - came in a weird way that wouldn't probably ever happen these days. My uncle flew from the US for Christmas, and brought me gifts, among them Lego Pirate set, guess which... another Forbidden Island :) One which i already had from my aunt, as i mentioned, so "grown up" present collectively decided that it would be stupid to have two same toys and my uncle wanted to immiately RESELL it to get my something else. As i lived in a small and rather poor town that wasn't much stuff available from the range he was opting for, but there was this market for superuberduperrich called Pewex, where they would have all sort of non-affordable toys and... they did agree to trade my already opened american Forbidden Island for something else! So i had a choice, either one of the Castles + some small set as a bonus to it OR Baracuda and just Baracuda, as my uncle had to pay few extra dollars for it. Guess this says a bit about prices at that time, and about employes of luxury shops being open to all sorts of strange agreements, no one would allow nowadays :) Anyway, no question what i wanted more and what i had to pick. Baracuda, here it was. And i built it completely by myself, when it took 2 older cousins to help me with Carribean Clipper :) And thus i lost my only chance to play with american version of lego cannons at the same time, but i didn't mind :)

But You were still lucky that Your cousin didn't break them all all loose them playing in the sandbox ;) AND that eventually You did get those back :) With my cousins, whenever i "grew" out of say matchbox cars or He-man figures etc, my parents would give them to the poorer part of my family, kinda our version of hillbillies, thinking they would enjoy stuff they couldn't afford, only to discover it upon another visit, that they would typically have it all lost within just days, discarded in an ugly way etc, so that's probably why i managed to save some other toys when i got into my "dark age" - at some point my parents simply stopped giving them away to relatives and they stayed boxed at home. And i'm happy that You've manged to regain all those lost treasures, in a sort of way :) That's my personal goal as well, tho, getting to the point where i could afford them is one problem, figuring out what those lost toys were is another :)

Very cool. Even those tree/bush works perfectly in that left corner, as if that boat was coming from there, investigating if it can serve as a cover for pirates, while ironically they approach from the open sea ;)

i love the fact that those boats realy look like if they were on the body of water, because of the reflection :) i dont know if Youve done this effect for purpose and if it looks this way all the time, rather than only ot this particular photo, but its realy something :)

Damn! and there goes my whole Steve the Skeleton idea ;)

Thanx, i'm happy You took good approach to any critique and turned it into Your favour. Even new Steve is definitely a knockout :)

Woow! :o Bravo!! These are fantastic changes. I'm sorry if i seemed to be too harsh for You, i just knew Your level of skill and here we can finally see it :) Damn. It's basically the same set, but little redecorating and home/hideout-staging does a lot of good :) Few details changed in the pier and it's outstanding, roofing is genious, and that raft and the fact that it's chained into the island so it wouldn't float away, now that's some carefull planning i envy very much! And the new plant work is a great addition, even those changed palmleaves somehow make it look better, like if Steve's life was deteriorating on so many levels, affecting the environment he's been forcifully exiled to by his fate. And the door laying in the water. Like if he had to rip it off even to get into this abandoned safehouse. Still, goold old Steve somewhow keeps his smile and he seems to be happy there. And the whole set is actually quite fun, more vibrant and more colorful than the previous attempt :) So it goes straight into the top of my list :) And oh, remember to put those new photos of the new version on top of Your post! :) At least i'd suggest doing that, cause some folks might not notice that it's different now :)

i did, thanx :) Still, i'll defend poor Steve, i know that he's sometimes called "infamous", but i don't believe he would dare messing with God and nature... surely he was framed... or to put it correctly, chained into this situation ;)

Glad to hear that. Hope Yu gonna expand this universe of Your own into other entries :)

Well it worked beautifully. Nothing wrong in basin Your own design on classic work, but hey, the whole idea is awesome and Your skills allowed You to conduct this whole creating process very nicely. Getting those instructions would be lovely! and thanx for responding! BTW... guess there is another reason to get oneself a wife ;) They come handy at times ;)

Thanx, very happy You liked it. Hopefully You will find enough time and enough passion to make that next entry :) Looking forward it :)

Thanx :) Btw i only just noticed that my post repeated itself, not sure what happened... or maybe it repeated itself for purpose as it represents my own worst nightmares, of having to write same posts twice or in the nevernding loop ;)

Yeap, i am surprised Steve's dad looks completely different tho ;) Still, i know many such cases where kids are nothing like their parents ;)

Glad that You like them. Will be very happy to see those new characters materialize into new minifigs and new stories :)

Thatnx bud, looking forward to see how it evolves :)

Hey, i have exactly the same stairs at home! :) Jokes aside, amazing amazing stonework. Not sure what that shark is doing there, but what the hell, this is the land of total weirdness so why not? Conan's writers are boring compared to it's secret and all the treasures You came up with ;) Who knew Steve's life could be so dangerous, and that pirates would be so cruel/ This story surely needs more instalments to be complete. Especially that there seems like there is a secret door into that rock, in it's lower part, by the sea, and i'm very curious to know what's inside ;) And a shark... did i mention the shark. Surely we need to know more about the shark ;) BTW... Double thumbs up for including references to Prince's "Raspberry Beret" ;)

Finally the proof that Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh used electric guitars. Thanx You! ;) Damn, this is crazy!! I don't even know what to look at praise more here - ship... or what's left of it, the way it's stern points into heaven, or the way it's destroyed front is leaning into hell... the waterfall, the base, or the character... different Steve, old Steve, but most intruiging Steve... or the story and what You based it on. Amazing amazing build. Everything grabs me by the skull. But why would You tantalize poor Steve such a way. I know i know, cause he killed a seagull. But why would he do that? He wouldn't do that. Not Steve. Damn Seagull must have done something bad to him, to his business. Damn, there's just so much stuff happening on one picture. The fact that a friendly looking old grandpa has to wear a heavy chain with a dead bitd is already a knockout... but the whole rest... especially that there's so much stuff behind him, all those letters that he won't ever send or read. Even those barrel crane kinda make it look like if that whole water was being pured out of his own vessel.

No doubt it had to be fun since You invested so much time and effort in this moc! Wow! Holly molly. This is an outstandinf piece of brickwork. I think it might me too big, too green and too rocky for some, at first, but it takes a closer look at You pics to tel the tale and discover how amazing it is. Double the fun - we have to play treasureseekers ourselve to follot the story of Steve the Treasureseeker :) And dude, being big and detailed is one thing, but this is one hell of a great job! Look at palmtrees and green work. And all that shonework. Even that destroyed gate is on point! You'reone crazy talented dude. And all those green walls, i guess it's all being taken by the jungle, literally, battlements and windows covered by moss (?), and there's green even on those warriors armor. Smart move! By including them i guess You somewhat incoporated those oriental/exotic/different era elements we talked about before the Contest started. And they are worked into this amazingly. Yet the crown is still pure gold! Nice contrast. Colorful predatory animals bring some nice color as well, like if they were marked with different tones on purpose, like in comics often character, buildings, vehicles are somewhat painted differently just for special effect. Good thing Steve managed to deal with them, but since this is a marsh/boggy terrain maybe he could obtain a boat or a raft before his quest? After all, i would dare crossing into this area just on my foot, not with those crocodiles lurking around! And he obviously need a way to carry all that treasure back. I would dig more into those anchors tho. They are too intruiging to remain nothinh more than just a sign. Maybe it could used even more to tell that that this fortress was somewhat connected to the people of the sea. Or maybe it was left here by some pirates or sailors that seeked safety in hero before? Maybe they even started this whole diminshed civilization? Like a medieval lion king and his knight who sailed for a crusade... but unwisely took the wrong turn left and crashed on nearby shore, forcing them to settle within those tribal walls? Or maybe this castle was built here by themselves and only years of rotting turned it to what it is? After all that crown and armor wouldn't be here by coincidence ;) Anyway... love the whole theme. And as i said, it DESERVES more stories, more builds. With Steve or without him, prior to his visit, with previous settlers or previours discoverers. There's just so much potential. It's like a playser designed for 50 characters, but inhabited by only one so far! ;) Oh... would forget... next to the main walled complex there's some other stone build. One with a palmtree sticking from it's back, and i think there and entry into it, sort of a cave. Could we learn more about it? Is it connectable to the main structure? Plus, we've only seen a small bit of the palace and there's surely many more corners that deserce to be shown... or maybe they are full of traps and will be risky too walk trough them... but we'll handle. Steve did, so we can't be worse than him ;)

Hm... i like Your build and the presentatin is amazing, i think that this would even look better without all the battle elements, but honestly i can't see how it conects to Steve, except of the signboard :( EDIT: ok, i see it now, after reading Your other entry, but with miniatures, it's tricky and unfriendly territory if one wants to tell any story :) With Your skills i'd totaly love to see the entire battle picture this way, tiny tiny ships damaged by pirates in a foggy or smoky environment :) But the greatest part of this set is the base itself, stunning!

Very happy I could help and that You liked them! :) And... i won't forgive You if You won't make that idea come to life ;) Can't wait to see the results!

Love the quality of You presentation and i'm not surprised because i remember Your creations from the previous last year contest, however to be honest i thought You did better job back then ;) OR maybe You towered You standards so high back then, that this one is kinda subpar to them ;) What i mean is, it's one hell of a nice build, but i think that it might be a bit too much, for a rather small set. It looks like either the hideout is too big for such a small island, or that the island is too small for such a small build. And as i remember that You did a fantastic job with greens, stones, caves, secret compartments, this one just looks rushed. The best photo for me is the last one, cause its the most interesting perspective, it shows the whole place kinda differently - the palmtree that is somewhat trying to retake that structucture, the door, roofing over the cannon is incredible, different colors of bricks here and there work well too... it's just the frond i'm worried about - walls take too much place and those windows don't seem necesary, just as that big arche over the cannon, compare it to the way Your worked with sand, it's different quality. Maybe if the island would be little bigger, where such big structure would be more justified. Since You mentioned lots of shipwrecks maybe the whole island structur could be made out of ships parts, of it would even be an actuall ship's aftercastle, only buried in the sand, rather than a brick work. Since it's a dezerted outpost, and clearly everything is run down, maybe that jetty should like more damaged as well? It's just too pretty and neat when compated to the surrounding. Or perhaps there's a reason for that, and Steve simply had this jetty rebuilt as first, as he needs it for his own operations? ;) Still, it's a nice work anyway, one has to envy Steve that he was able to raise so fast after that disaster and managed to organize himself. Many would dream to hide in such a place to escape from the crazy cilivilization ;) And a nice story... i always loved Robinsonesque themes, where the hero needs to build himself a mancave/fortess/shelter all in one, in order to survive in an uninviting location. But perhaps the story would work even better if Steve woudln't sail into the battle just like that? Maybe it was his own trade convoy that was caught into battle, and he was hurrying after it, perhaps even to warn them about the planned attack, but he was too late and so he had to share their fate?

Exactly the one You linked to :) The rade cacing car :) I might have had some other from that group, or i'm mixing them together in my memory, as a lot of sets kinda look similar to another, or they might have have reused some ideas over and over :) But back to Steve, why can't he have a dress? Maybe it calls for a story where he could be forced to pretend he's a woman... or a Scottsman ;) Obviously dressing up as a woman or Scottsman would be more pirate-friendly than racing ;) Or maybe racing but by vessels? Surely as a marchant and sailor Steve used to compete in many races to prove who'll the booze as the first one, cause, as we all know it, every merchan that brings good to the port as the first can dictate best prices, as he's bringing something locals don't have, and merchant that will follow, will be forced to be paid less as the market will already saturate by this time ;)

Yeah, i used to have it. Actually completely forgot about this set and figure, and got reminded just now thanx to You :)