Cutty

A BIG thank you @holodoc for that barcode list! Printed it out just now and as soon as I see those minifig-displays around, I'll put it to good use! So much for hoping to get lots of forestmen (which I shall, now!). Zombies are a close second on my "to get"-list, but sadly only the heads and turkey drums seem worthwhile there (I'm not really fond of that city-style torso...). Anyway I wish everyone on EB best of luck on your hunt for those precious 'figs of choice! Be well all, Cutty

I love these random name-topics! My username is (obviously) inappropriate due to lack of letters, yet my real name gave me some insights (at least I should very much undertake to look into ch'an/zen-buddhism, souldn't I?): Elder Tie Zen (you definitely WILL need an "Elder Tie" to participate here!) Deer Lite Zen (is a deer only becoming enlightened "lite"?) Deer Tile Zen (tiles with deer on it...how tacky...) Deter Lie Zen (yes! keep zen-lore lie-free!) Lied Tree Zen Idle Tree Zen (like...meditating under a tree?) Diet Leer Zen Diet Reel Zen Rend Zee Tile (voice from the dark: REENNND....ZEEEE......TIIIIILE!) Nerd Zee Lite (take out "Ze" and you get "Nerd Elite"...I'm seriously disturbed right now) Red Elite Zen (<by far the best of the "zen"-ones!) Zed Eel Inert Zed Leer Nite Red Eel Zen It (yes! Let the red eel zen it...whatever "to zen" means...) My roomies real name however is a blast to play with (selection out of 280 hits): Banter Peer (definitely is that! thumbs up for anagrams!) Bear Repent (cease looting my trashcans, right now!) Bare Repent (for nudist catholics) Bra Preteen (oookay...) Bar Preteen (it's getting worse!) Reaper Bent Partner Bee (stung by cupid's insectoid helper!) Parent Beer (more like "beer parent" hehe) Entrap Beer (NOOOO!) Errant Beep Rant Beeper (definitely is that! two thumbs up for anagrams!) Ban Tree Rep (trees have too much of a reputation, so ban it!) Bar Teen Rep (never had that...) Earn Bet Rep (by doing what?) Neat Brr Pee (leaving yellow snow?) Pear Be Rent (until eaten) Rape Be Rent (for those with extreme desires) Raper Be Ten (underage sex offender!) Rare Bet Pen (gotta get me one of those!) Tan Beer Rep To finish this up and make somewhat worthwhile out of the last one I present to you: The TEN BEER RAP! (which I shall perform elsewhere...;) ) Be well all, Cutty

Just scanning over all prevoius posts here, I'll add my 2 cents anyway: All medieval-related themes TLC did in the past, well excluding those Power-Rangery-KK2 sets for obvoius reasons, tackled the essential themes prevalent in our own cultural sphere. And these are "noble knights", "distressed maidens", "wise kings", "wicked sorcerors", "deadly dragons" aso. Most of this stems from vocal and scriptual traditions dating back for millennia in some cases (dragons and heroic characters were already found in mesopotamian epics older than even the oldest texts of the bible!). On the other hand there seemed to be little variation to the medieval-themes over time, which is cool in a way given collectors, parents and children (it's still a toy, no? ) had consistency in parts, motifs and overall compatibility. Variation went rampant with KK2, which I STILL think wasn't as bad as people want to make it out to be. Introducing the now fading "Castle"-line things were rectified into a more positive direction with putting away some outlandish design-choices and introducing a more "fantasy-literature" rendition of a medieval world while still keeping a design-frame that "rings true" to actual historic medieval times. Given there are trolls (I will not call them orcs! That is foul Tolkien-speech! Bleh!), dragons and undead all with fantastic war-machines, the main human faction was quite awesome on its own. With the upcoming of the "Kingdoms"-line we see reduced fantasy-elements in favour of a more human approach, although it still remains that "ringing true"-quality over totally historic accuracy. So what's my point in churning that write-up out? The Question: Timeless or tiresome! From what I said above I think tackling themes inherent to our culture's overall scriptual tradition does make it timeless. What do superhero-comicbooks/movies do else? Same thing all over! And in rotating design-approaches over the last years TLC avoided too much tiring repetition, ALTHOUGH (!) they are a little fast in actually replacing appealing lines for something new. Tiresome? Not generally. Yet as I mentioned somewhere in another thread I am sitting here with a want for more of the fading "Castle"-theme. It doesn't feel complete in my book! And that IS tiresome at least to me. Be well, Cutty

Yay! Finally I get to disclose my true identity as the 27.5 year old Pocket Monster aficionado that I am! I remember seeing the first Illustrations of a game called "Pocket Monsters" (german: Taschenmonster! It was actually translated as that!) in a Nintendo-only games magazine (TOTAL! r.i.p.) about one and a half year prior to the game's original release in germany. What can I say? Those adorable creatures used "Tackle" on my heart, which was entirely in favour of monsters ever since primary school, and began nesting there. Needless to say me and my sister, who didn't ever got into the games, went and bought red and blue versions on day one. I'm hooked on the stuff since then! I watched the cartoon all the way up until it became cheesy around the time they introduced "Orange Islands" and I ditched exposure to it entirely. When the original gold and silver versions came out, I even "forced" a buddy from the local TCG league players to get me a US-gold-version, when he won an invitation to a NYC based TCG-tournament. I SO was the star around the turf owning a legit copy of the game (cheap Hongkong imitations were literally flooding germany at that point!). I even broke a friendship over a game... Well quite obviously a girl who claims to catch "legit" Celebi in her game without even proving it once (and having seriously f@cked up the game with random trainer-IDs on her oh so legit monsters), isn't the kind of social contact I want to have. And apart from the very esoteric branches of the franchise and also the animated series and movies (from movie #3 up), I indulged in all the major games. Currently I await my preordered HeartGold-version for DS, which is due in about 8 days (yet some people claimed Amazon in germany is a little "trigger-happy" and ships early!). Oh the goodness travelling through Johto all over again! Good times! Be good y'all!

Yay, so much goodness! I doubt however TLC would get rid of those plastic packaging. And a more widespread release in regular stores would be nice, but I fear we won't see that too soon. And again I'd LOVE to be proven wrong. (Hurray for cardboard packaged, non-preassembled battle packs!) Greetings, Cutty

As for lesser known Bat-enemies: If the back cover text of my german "Batman: Gotham Knight" copy is true, then the content of the episodes is canon for Nolan's instance of the Bat-universe. So Killer-Croc and Deadshot (and even Firefly?) have been done already. I won't discuss artistic discrepancies here because the episodes' makers were most-likely given freedom to explore the visual terrain from a widespread artistic background here. Bat-greetings, Cutty

I do not think TLC would launch such a line without exerting a serious amount of intelligence in the marketing-concept they're trying to run with. Designing such a thing around the iconic minifigure in the first place shouts "We KNOW the demand is high!". I strongly believe the scarcity of displays IS deliberately manufactured and known to TLC. Why would they satisfy a market they, most likely, plan on milking subsequently with ever more collectible lines, if the first one generates enough profit? Be well, Cutty

"SAW" - The first one. I remember being flashed by the trailer and then being bored to no end upon seeing it. It's rare I get sleepy in a cinema, yet then taking a nap would've been bliss. That MTV-cut, new-metal sheetstorm.... no never again. Thinking it spawned that many sequels and inspired other series' emerging is incomprehensible to me. "A Beautiful Mind" - Lamest. Biopic. EVER. I didn't even make me relate to any of its characters at all. "Aliens vs. Predator" - Being a huge fan of the original "Alien"-franchise and having a soft spot for "Predator (1 + 2)" I gave it a shot. LA-ME! When my brother-in-law showed me the sequel's trailer online, smirking in delight, I was seriously disgusted upon the gratuitous, yet ultimately, unnecessary graphic violence seen. I didn't even bother watching it in its entirety. "Emmerich's Godzilla" - I had great interest in this way back, went to see it and got so seriously underwhelmed. What was the purpose of that movie? Was I supposed to root for these unsympathetic characters or the creature? It failed to inspire sympathy to either... "Bay's Transformers" - I remember posting something in an appropriate thread way back, when it was coming out. Never again, never bothered with the second, will not bother with any subsequent sequels. Robot-design was solid though, given it still looks like something a human, not an alien-species, would come up with. In a positive way, unseeing Snyder's "Watchmen" is something I can not. Perfect in any way, given the limitations faced when trying to adapt that monster of a novel into another medium. Greetings, Cutty

Okay for clarification: The figures inside the blind-packaging are random, as in: you won't be able to tell by sight, feel aso. what exact figure you will get. The packages are supposedly flexible yet sturdy enough to prevent parts detection by feeling. Mentioned figure however WILL BE a complete figure, one of the 16 of those featured on the display box, the shown artwork etc. Everything else wouldn't even make sense, because showing complete figs for blind-packaged random parts could be viewed as false advertising. Speaking of which: I hardly feel this line will be that breakthrough everyone hopes it to be. Why? From what I read at other fora, those people with vitamin B, connections to retailers etc. are already trying to monopolize on entire displays, which are, by information from german 1000steine forum, SCARCE (!). It has ALSO been mentioned their ARE definitely different levels of rarity of the figures in either line, example: the diver might be way more common than, say, the cheerleader. What does that lead us to? Most people won't probably see them in smaller stores, but prices for those cool figures will skyrocket on the secondary market in a heartbeat. I guess Lego will indeed generate a mighty stream of income, yet the real fortunes go to those shady characters who get to sell them out-of-the-box on BL or Ebay... I did not make this up folks, it's just every snippet of info I could get combined. And though, I still HOPE I am WRONG on the last paragraph's forthcoming. Greetings, Cutty

It was revealed through people on other sites (I guess on 1000steine.de someone received two unopened packages early, containing the zombie and gunslinger in a complete fashion!) that the figures are NOT randomised. Period. While reading through this discussion I hardly found that rumour to hold any kind of potentiality in it, ever. Whoever set up that information was either badly misinformed or misunderstood what he was told entirely. And please, do NOT try to come up with what you believe to be arguments in favour of randomised parts. I did read through this all and found not a single sound one. Be well all, Cutty

Wow, I haven't posted here in a loooong time...but anyway: I read through most ideas and, while I see them coming from a certain justified demand for the actual included components, some appear too "static" in their play value. It's action toys Lego sells now and I, too, am not very fond of the gradual trend towards that. Anyway, there were very cool ideas mentioned: A sort of story driven collection of sets, neatly tied together by likable and iconic (nameless!) characters as in the Pilgrim's Road concept would rock! A Creator-style castle set of larger proportions is LONG overdue in my book! There simply is NO satisfying excuse as to why f.i. the Star Wars crowd gets all the sugary goodness blown up its spoiled behind with a vigour, while one of Lego's traditional core lines (read: castle-themes in general) and its fans are treated like in an almost stepmotherly fashion. Medieval Marketplace was the first faint light on the horizon I think, yet upon that Lego failed to deliver HARD. Next step would be to introduce a solid base of interesting smaller sets as long term (5+ years) door-opener for bigger sets rotating every second or third year. Fantasy-Castle's end felt too abrupt for me, left me desiring for some sort of aperitif. Then I think Lego COULD try (re-?)introducing a minifigure-scaled line themed entirely around classic fairytales (Brothers Grimms', Andersen's and the like), but make them compatible in every aspect (basic colour-schemes, factions) with the non-fantasy castle stuff. I see this buying into the girls-market and the fantasy interested boys alike. Think of parents before the shelf recognizing, say, a nonviolent "The Frog King"-playset (with a castle and well and all) and their children later gaining interest in regular castle/kingdom-lines on that basis. Synergetic marketing anyone? That fairytale-line would also bring about new cool parts to the interested castle-fan. Need an enchanted forest? Go buy castle-line's "Thieves' Foresthideout" and add fairytale-line's "Unicorn and princess" or whatever strikes your fancy. Additionally I'd like to see more individualised knights. Fantasy-castle knights were too uniform, while KK's knights were too colourful, even though they didn't have common heraldry. Find a good balance between that and BAM! - instant accurate knights! Bigger sets from either line mentioned above could be centered around a heraldic concept introduced in smaller sets later on corroborating that synergetic effect even more! Example: "The Frog King" could take place in different faction's environment than "Rapunzel", while that could potentially be same as where "Cinderella" or "The Devil With the Three Golden Hairs" could take place. I had a list of potential set ideas floating around on my hard-drive. Maybe I'll translate and post it sometime. Be well you all, Cutty

Fantastic sets. Even the Mars Mission ones. A shame though they didn't exist 10 years earlier. Fans have desired these sets for how long? TLC needs to respond to input WAY faster. These will sell awesomly well!

That`s exactly the way of thinking I do not like. Making a "proverbial smiley MF face" just for ignoring what needs adressing is the very excapism I feel is useless today. If there are problems adress them, point them out and make proposals to mend the situation. Sure this thread could use some more objectivity, as in focus on some major issues, and less subjectivity, but there must be a point to start with. I for myself would like to point out the increased tendency to run short-lived themes. Themes by the way, that are pointless and dead-ended. Example? Exo-Force, Mars Mission, which also has terrible colour-schemes, a crappy parts selection and a bullcrap background, Bionicle, that, though it harvests income and did improve design-wise, is still the ever-rotating milk-the-cow-wheel it always was. Not even the dreadful change in colours wheighs as heavy in my records as the nonsensical decisions on theme-design we saw coming to shop shelfs this year. Lines, however, that had potential for a lasting appeal (Adventurers, Vikings...) were chopped for no reason, as my local Lego-dealer of trust frankly told me. Even Lego's very own sales-agents do not understand the company's agenda. I want Lego to loosen their design-policies even MORE and give the CUSTOMERS what they WANT. Not what questionable researches with "target audiences" seem to indicate worthy producing. p.s.: Doctor Sinister, your attitude is far too positive to call you like that...more like Doctor Hippy-Happy...

I only had shortly gazed upon the picture and came to the conclusion that I have to get them. Looks as if we get seriously nice parts with the line. Thumbs up Lego! *y*

You all never witnessed the horrors of german "volksmusik" that infects the prime time program (resulting in the interesting movies being shown way late...or early, if you prefer.). I let this speak for itself. A good example of what the over 60 female crowd in germany likes. And that guy sells CDs like warm pie... p.s.: James Blunt rocks! p.p.s.: I concur on rap-music sucking!

Wholeheartedly seconded *sweet*

That was bugging me also... I had at least hoped Bumblebee would get repaired into the new camaro. Just changing upon a porny brat's request is weak storytelling at its finest. Before replying to a post quoting it, please read carefully. I administered my, now, biased opinions on the movie by limiting the incomprehensibility. I wrote "..., to me,..." which has to be enough not to insult those who want to find this movie good. Let it rest at that, because I didn't EVER insult or defame anyone for liking this movie as a whole. Different matter on its humour though (see my original post). This whole block of text was unnecessary for above reason. I never meant to change your opinion in any way. Like it, I won't. At least until it gets a proper fan recut rendering it down to a sub hour CGI-fest sans story. Well really they look a lot better when still. In motion I found it all to blur into unrecognisable decorum. Well too bad I expected much too less. And still I had been disappointed. megablock luck, eh? Which is, at its core, what the hole megablocking problem is. I guess modern hollywood flicks cater only to the ADS, pill-popping, sub 17 crowd. Which I am all not part of. So give me movies that have something to them (I don't expect a new Citizen Kane, dammit!) and I'm all set. What Hollywood gives us however is laughable. Just as 100$ to a classics student as a language and history advisor would have made Gladiator and Troy 100% better movies, hiring a small group of devoted TF-fans could have prevented this piece from blowing like it did. Wouldn't that have been a promising endeavour? :-| Fine, bill me for it. But that's not enough. If I deliberately had to lower my expectations every time I wan't to go see modern movies, I should better stop now. Your argument is a slap in the face of every movie-goer with some sense of quality. At least from my perspective having a license does indeed indicate there is already a solid fan-base established which has to be appealed before any other group or person. Pleasing the average joe can't ever produce solid outcomes. When they at least had left those juvenile pre-adolescent American Pie humour out it'd helped the movie to NOT suck a lot.

So there I was, bound to watch HP yet with no chance at vacant seats in a corresponding theater. Went to see TF instead (much to the agony and, just, whining of my sister, yet more to the likes of my brother-in-law). My two

@hewkii9 Kirke would be the sorceress who turns Odysseus' companions into swine when they, refusing to follow their leader any longer, enter her palace. Odysseus manages to counteract the same spell (induced by manipulated beverages...) by eating a herb brought to him by Hermes (at least that's what I remember). The latinized way of scribing her name is "Circe". And she's not to be mixed up with the nymph Calypso who forces Odysseus to live on her island before Hermes brings order from Mt. Olympos to set him free (after what? 40 years? Good thing he's a heros and therefore, to some extent, age-resistant ;) ) @topic Perhaps TLC should start with some collector's edition "antiquity-architecture" line and venture into a new theme from there...

So being an archeologist in the making (still :-/ ) I'd have a hell of a time with Lego doing the classics. But first one has to decide upon whether you stick to what we REALLY know about the ancient times OR if we give greco-roman mythology our vote. Mixing up sounds fine to me, yet I fear it'd blur the outcome to vehemently to "feel" true. I mean especially the design of architecture and minifigs. While it appears to be an easy task to emulate antique buildings in brick-media, there'd still be the question of whether the function of Lego's design tendencies (catapults, shooting apparati and other means of hurling potential damaging substances through the air...) would overrule accuracy in form. I begin to imagine a temple of 5 by 7 columns aso., i.e. "Teh /-/0RR0rZ" :-X :-X :-X As far as mythology is concerned I'd agree to a theme of a general "Minifig versus Monster" outlining. The classic combinations were mentioned above, yet I think it'd be wiser to stick with a storyline for a while and produce sets for that ere other stories are tackled. Explanatio: Imagine year one to begin with the prominent "Iliad & Odysseia" epics. Natural given choices for sets: Troys gate with Hektor and Achilleus battling (bigger set, perhaps with wall-based witnesses, as for instance Andromache), Odysseus at Kirke's home (his companions as swine, similar to HP's shark-head), Aias and Paris battling. Year two could focus entirely on Herakles' adventures, whereas at least here the lines' major discomfort would strike: Too many reiterations of the same fig, namely the heroes themselves so you'd be smack in another "Multiple Main Character Alias Syndrome©" Focusing however on ancient every day life would just not work under Lego's modern design guidelines. There just aren't that many catapults in greek agoras or roman fora...too bad. I see potential in a possible series of sets, yet no feasible way of pulling it off satisfactory. It's a shame.

I agree to the statement made above that it needn't necessarily be difficult for Lego to adapt the old round skellie arm design to fit the new torso mold. I think that way would have been the key to keep consistency in the design as a whole. Someone should perhaps try to customize a pice out of an old skeleton arm, with the hind ball-joint part removed, and a white clip attached. I doubt it wouldn't come out right on spot of what had been needed. So my verdict upon inspecting the corpus delicty myself: I prefer the old design.

Way to miss the coolest revelation of all times Lego! This dwarven mine looks too cool to be true...please let this not be a dream :'-) :'-) :'-)

I just thought it to be more convenient having a direkt link from the front page. Well then, never mind. But then again, why insisting on a dead link, that leads nowhere? Just get rid of it then...

I noticed the Banner of Redbean's site still points to the, now unused, redbeanstudio.net address. Could an admin change this to his new place's address (www.minifigcustomizationnetwork.com)?

And somehow I'm glad it isn't. Although a reprise of the ancient factions in a tournament-set would be nice. Evil castle is evil. For that skull design I say blame the Classic-Spacers because of their 3vil inspirations. I rather find it to be a fertile addition for any owners of Vladek's castle or the Prison-Tower set. The dragon looks most cool, yet I don't quite figure out why wiz-Ogel would employ an army of skellies AND have a pet-dragon of all things. Therefore I plead for more "alivish" evil subordinates.