EamonnMR

That aggressive prow just screams "ramming speed!" Awesome subtle detail between the panels too. Nice work.

Thanks! That second one is especially interesting. Does it have a lot of text or is it largely photograph? Wish it covered 92-0*

Just reviewed the other big book about lego, won't copy paste the whole thing here: https://blog.eamonnmr.com/2024/12/brick-by-brick-david-c-robertson-with-bill-breen-2013/ are there any other books on the history of Lego, especially ones that focus on the difficult period from the 90s and early 2000s? These two books had some insights but neither felt like the whole story.

Huh, had no idea the compound eye dome came in orange.

I did end up finding a copy of 697: https://oldinstructions.com/lego-ideas-book-697-released-1997/

Sad to hear about him for the first time this way. Is there a place where we can see the designers of other sets of the era? It would be really interesting to trace different designer's styles through the years, the way we can see Thomsen develop his cleverly hidden play features.

I actually think that Dreamz is pretty cool, but I loved Time Twisters and see it as a similar idea-show off Lego's flexibility by mashing together different ideas, and design models that follow a kid's MOC logic. I also will acknowledge that the design of new sets _as toys_ has gotten a fair bit better-as fun as it was to build a Mega Core Magnetizer, the technique is just a big box and wasn't terribly inspiring. For me it's absolutely nostalgia. But I think you need to expand your idea of what someone's 'time' is. I probably started with Lego in about 1997. But I still got my hands on an Ice Sat V. I still looked at 'limited quantities, order now' Starhawk II and Monorail in a slowly tattering catalogue. I saw old pieces in an idea book (I still promise to scan that if I can't find it!) My cousins had the instructions for the Magnetizer kicking around because they were older. You got glimpses, in other words, of older themes. The unattainable nature make them potent nostalgia; I was a fan of old Lego before it was even that old!

This slaps, excellent work!

It's not a natural phrasing in any English dialect I'm familiar with. I can't imagine people saying it casually. 'My Own <noun>' isn't a common construction and 'creation' isn't usually used to describe the type of thing a MOC is. But dialects change over time! I tried looking for some of the oldest threads on this site. Here's one from twenty years ago! Sure enough, MOC being thrown around casually already. So the term must date back at least that far.

For years I assumed 'My Own Creations' was a section of the Lego club mag, but I wanted to verify that and... low and behold, the section was called "Maniac Madness" and "Cool Creations" during the years I would have read it. So, where does this term come from? Was it alway AFOL jargon, or was it used in official TLG communications first? Anyone know?

Lego really threw us a bone with the 2024 space sets. Teased us with the space coaster though (they want us to build a monorail out of it.)

I loved the idea books. They kept 697 available long after all of the themes in the book were gone, if I remember right, and it was a rare early window into the types of parts available before my time. I swear someone had scans up, if not I have a copy and can scan it myself.

This chunky utilitarian craft really nails what M-Tron is about, great job!

This is fantastic. The subtile asymmetry, the octagon motif, the articulation on the robot... completely nailed the eccentric color scheme spyrius uses (three transparent colors!)

Boston is a major metro area with a much larger population. Enfield is kind of a backwater by comparison. I moved from Hartford County to Metro Boston myself, as it happens. Shame to see CT lose one of the cooler companies there, but I suppose I understand. They held FIRST Lego League events there, so I actually visited once. Memory of that period is fairly foggy but I remember being very excited to go. I remember they sold bags of random loose parts which was mind blowing.