Miles

I can agree to this - the new show is very enjoyable. (Speaking as someone who used to watch the original show every morning before school as well.) And as far as the Krang, I too was expecting/hoping for something like Star Wars droids. They wouldn't be a good representation of the 'skinned/human' version of the robots, but all in all a droid with a mini removable frog-sized Krang would have been perfect. I guess that's why we mod, though! I'm really liking most of this line so far!

I can't see NYCC having exclusive TMNT figures - I'd just assume they are going to be repeats of San Diego's Superheroes like last year. I'm getting pretty impatient regarding the Ninja Turtle line myself, though I scared myself yesterday with the thought that LEGO might print pupils on the new head pieces instead of leaving them just plain white like the original Playmates toy line. I wonder - would TLG follow the design of the existing toy lines, or the cartoon for inspiration? I guess it freaked me out little a bit because - with pupils - I feel they'd be a bit too cute to take seriously. Well, as butt-kicking ninjas anyways... Of course, there's no need to 'worry forward'. I'll just try to sit quietly with the rest of the bouncy AFOLs and see what the future brings.

These customizations are amazing, as are your graphic skills. Seeing these did bring up some questions for me, though. For those of us just getting into the customization of LEGO figures, do you still find that stickers are easier to apply to torsos than decals? I know that decals seem to be a bit more troublesome to apply, but is it worth it in the end? And if stickers would be an easier place to start, would you mind sharing the brand of sticker paper you used? Walking into the paper isle of an office supply store is still a bit overwhelming.

Hey, this is awesome! (Though I'm hoping we get an official version.) Love your use of that head - very creative!

ROTFL! That made my evening. I do wonder how the split into 3 films will affect LEGO's release of sets, though. I don't see it affecting the Winter 2012/2013 wave, but the potential releases down the line? Would they actually try to make more sets? Or at least have some tentatively planned if the sales from the first wave are great? The timeline from design to completion is still set at 12 months, no? I imagine that announcement threw alot of merchandisers into a bit of a panic.

Brickset.com's News page has a picture of the New Hobbit Board Game. Apparently it's out at Toys R Us already? http://www.brickset.com/ It's only a matter of time...

Wow, that's awesome! It really gives new life to that castle. (I always thought it looked a bit small as well.) What set is that baseplate from? I don't recognize it.

Thanks for the information, NickAB. The Wiki website you linked looks very interesting - I can tell I'm going to spend a fair amount of time reading.

NickAb, you're awesome! Thank you! Do you mind if I ask what program you used to make them?

I think I'll have to go the custom route for this, because I can't find any existing heads that I like. I'm wondering if someone could make a face decal for Egon Spengler from the cartoon, "The Real Ghostbusters"? Reference at the following link: http://rubberslug.s3.amazonaws.com/user/c/5df493136e94a4781195e463e86064d/vkuzsyhlnb_m.jpg The Diamond Select Minimate version wasn't too bad, that is probably a good resource as well. Link: http://ectocontainment.com/Ecto_Containment__The_Real_Ghostbusters/Blog/Entries/2011/9/18_The_Real_Ghostbusters_Minimates.html There's some incredible work on here - you guys are awesome!

Losing sleep is right! I haven't made up my mind yet - everyone's arguments are all pretty good. Perhaps I might try to swing the Fire Brigade now and attempt to get the Joust before the end of the year..? Though the Hobbit sets will be here before you know it... I feel way too old, but as long as my parents still enjoy getting their kids something for Christmas - I'm asking for LEGO!

This is incredible! I think my favorite part might be the interior of Bilbo's hobbit hole. All the little details are so much fun; I spent quite a bit of time going over each picture. Congratulations on placing!

Set 10223 Kingdom's Joust, or set 10197 Fire Brigade? I know they both won't be around much longer, so I'm getting the urge to pull the trigger - the only problem is that I can only afford one. I love historical LEGO - more castles than anything else, though lately I've been getting the urge to build my own version of the Ghostbusters' Firehouse. I'm just not sure if it'd be easier to do with the Fire Brigade as a starting point, or if I should just start buying individual bricks and following some of the plans I've seen elsewhere on the net'. I don't have much in the way of LEGO castle at all - mostly just Lord of the Rings as well as Medieval Market Village, Mill Village Raid, and King's Carriage - but I'm not sure I should be buying old sets with factions that may not be used again. Certainly trying to buy other discontinued LEGO Kingdom's sets would be very expensive. And they all have the old horses too... Help?

Huh. The 'Badger' and 'Tiger' minifigs look kind of cool - I can see all sorts of new character possibilities. At this point I don't find this theme too exciting. But then, aside from some of the snake minifigs, I never found Ninjago exciting, either. Perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised later on, but I hope not. There's too many other potentially awesome LEGO sets being released towards the tail end of 2012/first part of 2013. I'm already selling things off in preparation, lol.

Thanks Dave. That sounds...really frustrating from a designer's perspective. And I pity the person/team who has to keep track of where everything is and where it might be going. It sounds completely mad - it's amazing that they're able to be as consistent as they are.

I was a bit put off by that as well. Of course, I grew up with traditional animation, so maybe I'm stalling at the thought of watching the equivalent of a 30-minute Gieco commercial. (I never did care for that Gecko. )

I think I've got a better grasp on it now - thanks for your responses! I knew about LEGO dying their own raw material, but guess I hadn't associated it with changes to the feel of the finished product. If most of the sets are assembled in Bilund, I can only imagine the size and complexity of the facility. It must be huge!

Hey all, I'm wondering if anyone here knows how TLG splits up the manufacturing of their product? I understand that LEGO has several manufacturing facilities (Mexico, China, Denmark, ect.). My question is do these factories simply produce individual parts that are then shipped to a 'primary' facility to be sorted and packaged, of does each facility have the ability to produce products from start to finish? Is there reason to believe that certain sets or lines are produced exclusively in one factory? I suppose what got me started on this line of thinking was the new DC Batcave that I purchased awhile back. As I was assembling it, I noticed that a lot of the plastic just felt, well, 'cheaper'. Let me explain a bit. A lot of the pieces felt almost lighter and the clutch on many was not as strong as I'm used to. Depending on the piece in question, some felt a bit more brittle or flexible. It was kind of a strange experience, really. And a bit worrying, though I know this was a concern several months back on the forums (and there were quite a few threads devoted to it). I hate to even say this about LEGO, and I haven't had this problem with any other sets - so is it possible that this set was produced in a different factory than some of the others? Perhaps they haven't 'quite got the formula down' yet? (My focus here is on the distribution of manufacturing, not the worrying aspects of some of the newer sets, so hopefully this is the appropriate place for this.) Any thoughts, or illuminating information?

Interesting, I hadn't read that comment(s) yet. I've got mixed feelings about it if it's true, I guess I'll just wait and see like everyone else.

I signed up with CUUSOO just to support this - the theme is obviously a great one and has an enormous amount of potential, however, I think it was the Medusa minifig that finally sent me running over. That headpiece was designed perfectly! Awesome job!

I have a love-hate relationship with licensed themes. I find myself getting all excited over them and purchasing sets, but I always end up feeling somewhat restricted in regards to what I'm able to do with them. Maybe its my own stumbling block, but I find myself unable to break out of the canon mold established by the movie / property. With original LEGO themes, I feel much more free to do whatever I want. For example, I'm in the process of 're-designing' the Monster Fighters line to reflect my personal sensibilities and it's a blast! Maybe when I'm done I'll post some examples of my alternate sets. I think I'll always be a bit more fond of original LEGO themes, perhaps in part due to nostalgia, though the licensed themes will continue to get my heart racing with the excitement of re-enacting my favorite movie/TV/book properties. Definitely a tough topic.

I was wondering where you went, Steve. I'm glad you returned to the world of blogging - I've missed the updates to your site. Its like my 4th bookmark down in my LEGO folder. I'm entirely in your camp on all points, and I've often dreamed of finding and building some of the old classic 80's castle sets, though it seems a bit cost prohibitive at the moment. At my high point, I owned most of the Forestmen sets and all of the Wolfpack sets, though the large castles were, sadly, out of my family's small budget. Kings Mountain Fortress... *sigh* Reading through your entries, I always keep wondering just what you think of the more current line of castle sets - from the Fantasy Line to Kingdoms to Lord of the Rings and even some less obvious offshoots, like the Vampyre Castle from the Monster Fighters line. Any chance your written wanderings will take you there? I'd love to see your thoughts and comments on how the currents sets 'stack-up' sort of speak. In any event, I'll wind this down before I start spouting out the superiority of bygone days over the technichal electronic mess we now reside in. Your blog is not only a blast to read through, but truly informative as well, and I appreciate all the time you put into it. Thanks Steve!

Great review, thank you so much for taking the time to do it. In looking at your attic ladder and comparing it to the one in the designer video, something seems off. His seems to extend fully towards the ground, and yours doesn't without 'kinking'. I'm not sure why this is, perhaps an instruction error? In any event, I'll be able to take a closer look at it once I'm building my copy. I really appreciate the clarity of your photos as well. Thanks again!

What's with all this talk of price drops? I've never heard of TLG lowering their prices - unless by some odd chance the set in question gets bumped to clearance due to poor sales. I'm familiar with VIP points, free shipping deals, as well as polybag giveaways, but actually lowering the price? Has this happened? (I'm thinking maybe people are talking about retailers that sell LEGO, not TLG itself? Though if this is exclusive, doesn't that mean its just LEGO and maybe Toyrus selling it? And Lord knows, you'd need an awful lot of luck to walk out of Toysrus with a deal. )

Just some thoughts. Lego has stated that they try to choose licensed themes based on longevity. A theme needs to have an established 'track record' if you will - a history of past success as well as current appeal. I can't say whether Legend of Kora would make a good LEGO theme or not - in fact, I don't even have a clue what that is. Which might help prove my point. Ninja Turtles have been around in one form or another since the late 1980's, when I first picked up a figure from the Playmates toy line. (Though yes I realize the comics came before. ) Looking at the current and past themes, this seems to fit well. Most seem to have around a decade of success, at minimum. Lord of the Rings - really started to pick up in the literary world in the early 70's and has a strong following since in both print and television/film. (With the past ten years being perhaps more relevant in regards to the LEGO license.) Star Wars - I probably don't need to explain. DC and Marvel-based properties - again, we know these have been popular for decades. Sponge Bob - has actually been around longer than I thought (time really does fly) and is still actually very popular. Pirates of the Caribbean - I could argue that it started with the theme park attraction in the 60's, but when you think about it, the films have been around almost 10 years now, and really helped rekindle the public's love of Pirates. Harry Potter - again should need no explanation. Toy Story - another property that has thrived for the past 10 years, though apparently not quite as much as TLG was hoping based on what I heard of set sales. Indiana Jones - has an established track record, but really kind of fell off the map for most people until the fourth film, which had it's share of problems. Had it been stronger, it might have helped the line stay around a bit longer. Quite a shame it didn't. Prince of Persia - perhaps the official 'black sheep' example. There's a reason this line didn't do so well. I don't think the video game was all that entrenched in the public consciousness, and the film, well... Any other examples you guys can think of? Following this train of thought, I'm not sure a Lone Ranger theme would be profitable (though the parts would indeed be cool), but then they did proceed with POP, so who knows.