the enigma that is badger

I first posed the idea of custom Pirate weapons in this thread, and if you have ideas for what type of accessories you'd like to see BrickArms produce to compliment the new Pirate line, that's the place to post them. And yes, everyone at BrickArms is very excited about the return of Pirates, not only to see the rebirth of a line many of us grew up on but also the potential custom accessories that could wonderfully compliment it. If you want to see something, post in that thread and I'll pass it on to Will! badger

Just wanted to give a big thanks to those that mentioned Will Chapman and BrickArms. I provided Will with a link to this thread, and he was exceptionally honored. Really, Will gets a tremendous boost from hearing how much fans love his work; it really inspires him to produce even more great accessories! As for a "niche," I can't get into specifics just yet, but I can say that Will has a lot of great ideas for the future that will expand BrickArms into new, exciting places. Thanks again!

Thanks! The PRC might have problems, but at least . Still, should anything go wrong, at least .Let's say I, too, have been enlightened on occasion, and while you get what you pay for, some of what's to be had are interesting variations on familiar themes. badger . . . . who to this day remains trapped in Black Lodge

To be fair, the intellectual copyright laws in China are similar to those in the United States. What differs is the enforcement of those statues. However, in recent years China has faced significant pressure from both the US government and private businesses to take a stricter stance of copyright violations and there have been a few key instances of Chinese agencies cracking down on bootlegging. Given the size and scope of the problem, though, major change on the issue is likely to take both time and considerable amount of effort. Keep in mind to that depending on the area of China, government infrastructure and resources can be extremely thin, and enforcing international copyright law ends up fairly low on the list of priorities compared to providing basic services. While China certainly has a large, seemingly ever-expanding role in international affairs, it's still very much a developing country with most of its population still rural and living in extreme poverty. With spotty government oversight, a deep pool of cheap labor, and established trade relations with major markets, it's little wonder many bootleg operations originate or choose to locate there. badger

Mutual intelligibility is a much bigger issue with the Chinese family of languages/dialects (bit of a fuzzy issue on the distinction between the two, as far as I've read and heard from natives) than with English. Variations of modern English differ in accent, a few spellings, and idioms, but for the most part are identical. Depending on the Chinese dialects/languages you're comparing, intelligibility can range from complete to practically nil. I know someone who speaks Shanghainese and Mandarin perfectly, but they're for the most part completely lost when it comes to Cantonese. I might want to physically assault people that inquire if they can "axe" me a question, but it's clear more or less we understand one well-enough as if any two people speaking any variety of English. With Chinese, that's far from a given.

An ancient Chinese parable: During the Han dynasty of China, there was a man named Zhu Maichen. As he was poor, his wife left him to seek a more successful husband. Later, Zhu Maichen's fortunes changed, and he was appointed to a high office. One day while traveling, he met his wife and her new husband on the road. She begged for him to take her back as his wife. Zhu Maichen splashed a bottle of water onto the ground and said when she had returned the water to the bottle, he would permit her to return to him. Soon afterwards, she committed suicide. To this day "spilt water cannot be retrieved" is a Chinese idiom for an irrevocable action or decision. I've had to do my fair share of subtle misdirection now and again, and it's been more experience that it is exceptionally effective in at least muddying the waters enough that people aren't sure what to believe. The debate isn't now if the list is accurate but how accurate it really is. badger

"New sets? NEW SETS???!!! . . . You guys will still always have a place in your heart for me, right? I mean, I started the whole deal. Who was in the first Pirate set you bought, huh? Who's always been there for you over the years? Oh, first sign of some new, attractive Pirate figs, and off you go runnning. Fine then! Have fun with your kraken! I know when I'm not wanted! . . . oh, please take me back! I promise I'll command lower prices on Bricklink with new figs around, really I will!" It's ok, Capt. Redbeard; you'll always be the first and best LEGO Pirate captain in my book! badger

I appreciate all the kudos folks, but like I said, I'm just passing on what someone already posted. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the info but thought it was important enough to pass on. Personally, I dig the (what I hope are subtle) fantasy element of the sets, namely the kraken. When TLC tested ideas for the new Castle line, humans vs humans didn't nearly do as well with younger builders than humans vs fantasy. From the set names (assuming they're accurate) I think we can assume TLC is trying to find a balance between pirates vs soldiers and humans vs beasties of the murky depths. Like I've said before elsewhere, TLC has done a great job satisfying both their core audience and AFOLs the past few years, and I have no doubt they'll continue to do so. badger

I did include Pirate Survival in the list above (it's the first one listed) and Soldier's Arsenal is listed as a Castle set as I didn't add that one. badger

Thanks, but I can't take credit as I found a link to that site here. Still, am I the only one who finds the Pirate sets the best news on that page? I think not! badger . . . . ok, so Taun Tauns rock too

Gentlemen, we have scored! So, anyone else excited? Edit by Hinckley: I'm so excited I deleted the list! Hooray! We've removed the list for various reasons. I will say no more EDIT: No worries at all! Like you, I'm exceptionally glad this was removed. badger New pics courtesy of metalandi: EDIT Bonaparte: Pictures added to first post

No worries at all! I'm a big fan of animation in general, and a HUGE fan of Adult Swim. Robot Chicken isn't my favorite show on right now (that would the Venture Bros), but it's still one of the better ones on right now. For those of you clicking on the site to watch the Pyramid scene, check out these shows as well: - Venture Bros - Shin Chan - Metalocalypse - Squidbillies FYI: The Youtube vid is going to work for anyone in the UK as it's the Adult Swim UK's channel. badger

If you go to the Adult Swim website, you can watch the clip. Just do a search using "LEGO" and it'll pop up (along with the "Babel" parody). I saw this awhile back, and it still makes me grin considering how much they hit a few MOCing issues right on the head. Of course, it's clear they didn't have Bricklink in ancient Egypt! badger

Very nice fig, although your double helix is twisting the wrong way. Assuming it's mean to be B-DNA, the most common confirmation of the DNA molecule, it should have a right-handed twist rather than the left-handed twist (Z-DNA) you've pictured here. Then again, you could always say her studies involve methylation! Also, the "pearls on a string" gene model is extremely outdated. Ha, molecular biology humor! Seriously though, great work! badger

I actually visited Beijing a few years back, and this is a spectacularly sized and accurate MOC. Keep in mind, though, this is only one building (albeit a very large one). The entire Forbidden City complex contains many such structures, along with several gardens, giant statues (the ones the Allied forces didn't steal) and other artwork (the Nine Dragon Screen being a highlight), and major gates into the palace. My personal favorite area is a little pavilion that Qianlong had built on a small, steep hill in a garden the center of the complex. One important lesson: if it's later in the day and you're backing up to take a picture as you're leaving, be sure and look behind you. I came about three feet away from backing into the procession of soldiers escorting the Chinese National Flag in for the evening. But then again, what's a vacation without nearly causing an international incident by accident? badger

Glad to hear TLC is finally on much more solid financial ground. From the presentation I saw at BrickWorld, it's clear the company has a very clear, focused plan for the future that involves a combination of exciting licensed lines with a return to core LEGO themes and values. A few years back, I was barely involved with the AFOL hobby, but a combination of my growing interest in custom accessories and the return of TLC to form drew me right back in. Really, if Indy was such a huge seller, I'd be very, very surprised if the line didn't get at least one more set of releases. True, it's not likely another Indy film will be around to support new sets, but considering the first wave of Indy sets released prior to the premier of Indy IV was based on films released over twenty years ago (wow, do I feel old), I have no doubt new sets based on both the original trilogy and KOTCS will find the same broad audience. badger

Believe me, the two are far from mutually exclusive. Once you start dating, !But yes, it's nice to get a witch (maybe with the term sorceress is more accurate for this fig since she looks younger?) that isn't a aged hag. No offensive, Fright Knight Witch! badger

Like I said, it's just an alternate explanation that I once heard. The story certainly has its holes, but then again, the fact those parts are only available in volume from certain sellers does raise some interesting questions regarding from where and how those sellers obtained those parts in such volume. badger

Many have seen images of the upcoming BrickArms Lewis Gun accessory, but here's one neat application of the item: once you take off the removable magazine (pops right off and on) from the accessory, it becomes the T-21 Blaster Rifle used by Sandtroopers! Here's the standard TLC Sandtrooper toting his custom weapon: Reference image for the T21 blaster rifle Actually, it makes complete sense since the original T-21 prop was built from an old surplus Lewis Gun. Amazing what you can find laying around Elstree Studios! Just for fun, an image comparing the TLC Blaster Rifle, BrickArms Lewis Gun prototype sans magazine, and the Little Armory Heavy Blaster Rifle: A reminder that this is prototype, and it may or may not reflect the design of the final production accessory. Still, don't expect the design of this item to change that much in the final product. Also, the release date for this item is still not finalized, but Will is hard at work on other fun and exciting new accessories. I'll keep you all updated as much as I can! badger

I've heard a somewhat less innocent explanation for the differently-colored "official" pieces: the story as it was told to me involved a TLC employee who had a habit of sticking around the factory after hours, injecting molds with colors that pieces aren't usually found in and then sneaking the parts out to sell on his own. Apparently this went on for awhile until the individual was caught, but with the volume of parts that was produced, they still float around the secondary market. The "mold test" cover story, I'm told, was developed to spare the company embarrassment. Mold tests? Under the table entrepreneurship? Only the Shadow knows, and Alec Baldwin isn't telling unless he gets full custody. badger

Fantastic work! Really, you've captured the essence of the scene from FFDM (by far my favorite of the Dollars trilogy) perfectly. My only suggestion would be to add the scared hotel employee fleeing the scene. Excellent job! badger

I don't know why TLC is calling this a Factory Set as it clearly represents the first of a new American Graffiti licensed theme. Why? Because Harrison Ford demands more minifigs based on him, that's why! Seriously, those are some excellent cars and should it prove within my price range, I may have to pick this one up (depending on how much blood I can ring from my stone of a credit card after the DSII inflicts its monetary damage). badger

There's an entire board for discussing BrickArms products, sharing MOCs that use them, and making suggestions for future accessories: the BrickArms Forums. If you have an idea you'd like to share, that's the place to do it. There's already a very extensive thread about HALO-related weapons here, so if those items interest you most, that'd be the place to post about it. badger

Will did produce a Needle Gun accessory to compliment a custom Chief minifig that was a BrickWorld exclusive: However, the complexity of the item (multiple molds and overinjection are used to produce it) means that it will never see mass production or wider availability. There is one currently available for bid on eBay here. In terms of other HALO-inspired items, there are no specific plans for any future accessories of this type. However, the BA-M5 and BA-M6 have proved to be very popular, and Will certainly will take this into account when he decides what items to design and produce in the future. badger

Given the more mature nature of the HALO franchise, not to mention the fact LEGO already has one extremely successful sci-fi license, it's extremely doubtful TLC would ever consider a HALO theme of sets. However, many custom accessory sellers currently offer the type of items you've expressed an interest in. Brickforge offers a "Space Marine" armor set, Saber-Scorpion offers a decal set to produce a brick-built Elite, and BrickArms offers the following minifig-compatible weapons: BA-M5 Assault Rifle BA-M6 Magnum badger