rodiziorobs

I already posted this in the general discussion forum, but here it is again: Scorpio Starstriker, reporting to for duty. Occupation: Field Researcher (Primary function: Scientist) Glad to finally be aboard! My apologies that private contracts elsewhere in the galaxy have kept me from enlisting sooner. As a scientist, I cannot wait to help understand the new worlds we will be discovering, however as a field researcher I have plenty of experience in other areas as well, which may prove useful to our Masterful and Nefarious Terrestrial Invasion Schemes! After all, they don't call us the Merciless, Awful, Ne'er-do-well Torturers and Insipid Scum for nothing!

Scorpio Starstriker, reporting to M.A.N.T.I.S. for duty. Occupation: Field Researcher (Primary function: Scientist) Glad to finally be aboard! My apologies that private contracts elsewhere in the galaxy have kept me from enlisting sooner. As a scientist, I cannot wait to help understand the new worlds we will be discovering, however as a field researcher I have plenty of experience in other areas as well, which may prove useful to our Masterful and Nefarious Terrestrial Invasion Schemes! After all, they don't call us the Merciless, Awful, Ne'er-do-well Torturers and Insipid Scum for nothing! Hopefully I can contribute to the team. And here is the thumbnail version:

Well that's definitely one of Marvel's better posters, rather than the let's-cram-everybody-in-the-movie-into-the-same-badly-'shopped-montage kind we usually get.

I love the techniques, I must say--but I don't think it serves your subject matter. Let me explain: If I only saw the image (or physical work) of this--without your description, without the poem, just the image--what would I think of it? What would I think of you, its creator? Horrified, I would think that you had recreationally decided to depict a lynching. For fun. The reason for that is that, while LEGO is certainly a viable art medium, it is first and foremost a toy. That doesn't mean it can only be used playfully, but it does mean that when you portray something as politically/emotionally loaded as this, you have to make a concerted effort to overcome the toy-like nature of the medium, which I think you have failed to do. The ghosts as Klansmen does not help your case, either. The poem, for example, uses a normally positive image of fruit and but recasts it as something dark, sad, abject, which heightens the emotional response to the tragedy of the actual event. Your build here has the potential for the same, but doesn't create that horror that the poem does, and so the effect is not, perhaps, what you intended. I wouldn't think of censoring this kind of build--quite the contrary, I think you are very brave for putting this out there, thank you for sharing!--but I do believe that the MOC itself isn't quite carrying the message you had hoped for. The poem and notes are essential to understanding your intent, but even then they don't quite make up for or fully explain what appears to be a playful scene.

undertaker

sinister

While the detail on the table is amazing, I am awestruck by the flawless illusion you have created by playing with scale--it took me a minute to realize the rest of the kitchen was also out of bricks!

I agree with this to an extent, but in TLG's case I think it's pretty forgivable. The way I see it, in the early days they only produced a handful of very basic colors, and yellow was the closest approximation to any skin color. Now, the yellow color is indelibly identified with the LEGO brand itself, but they use skin-toned figs to more closely represent those other (licensed) brands.

Agree. The figs are great, but I don't have much use for them myself. Those printed rotors, windscreen, and dark blue details, on the other hand, I could use in spades. I might get multiples and then sell the figs off or something, 'cuz I loves me them parts. This set seems to be atoning for a lot of past sins from Lego Spider-Man sets (single reused printing, GG bigfig, Spider-Trike) as well as some current ones (Sandman set).

I've actually been planning on joining MANTIS the whole time, but now that there is a bribe bag it's even better! I just haven't been near my Lego since the game was announced (well, I have this weekend, a little, but not kid-free) so I haven't had the opportunity. Hopefully later tonight or tomorrow I will get an official character up. By the way, I am not sure how sigfigs even work--I know they are a line or two at the bottom of every post (right?), but I don't have one (do I?). Also, since I always view on mobile I never see anyone else's either, so it may take me a couple tries to get it right.

Speaking personally, I don't have much use for a lot of licensed figs--LOTR and the Hobbit, for example--and often buy this kind of set without them so I can get the parts (Unexpected Gathering--so many great earthy colors and food items!) at a discount. I am sure I am not the only one. I have sometimes thought of buying sets and selling off figs, but haven't yet; it seems like a big up-front cost to me, both time and effort (listing, waiting, selling, shipping) and $ for the NIB set.

I have yet to join (soon, I hope!), but have a question: is it necessary to submit builds on a corporation's home planet in order achieve the required points to dominate it, or would that be redundant? (i.e. better to build on new planets and begin domination there instead) Oh, and I am a huge fan of coding the free builds with the first letter of the corporation--thanks!

edit: sorry, useless post here

I believe that story-wise you are correct. However, the way it was handled and portrayed on-screen lacked the kind of intensity that the first one had. He should be more threatening, but it feels as though the film itself shrugs it off and delivers some standard fare action instead. Good, but not as good as it should have been with that story. I feel like AoU and TA are opposites in a way: the story for AoU felt more organic and character-driven, but the visuals and cinematography felt choppy, gimmicky, and routine. On the other hand, while the story for Avengers was very contrived and artificial, the filming itself flows much better and is a joy to watch. I still really liked AoU, but I believe that Avengers is the better movie despite having a weaker story than its sequel. A side note: AoU's story seems to be incongruent to the rest of the MCU--it concerns itself with teasing the future, while ignoring the past, as if to say "we interrupt your regularly scheduled solo movie continuations to bring you a massive cross-over event. Because we can." Perhaps the stakes seem artificially high because we already know there will be a Cap 3 and a Thor 3, and the MCU seems like it can't wait to show us those installments, at the expense of the one we have in theaters now.

Well done, everybody! And congratulations to the winners. Especially, thanks to Bob for putting this contest together.

And Sif--you can't forget the Lady Sif. Oh, and what the heck, throw in an Odin while you're at it, with a crow. However, I doubt they will make any Thor 3 sets; it seems like if there is one movie they will pass on creating sets for it is that one, and I doubt we'll see sets for all Marvel movies they release that year. They still have to devote some resources to the Distinguished Competition, after all.

Cat A: 1 8 6 Cat B: 4 6 10 Cat C: 3 6 10 Edit: my last vote hadn't copied

Very nice, very pirate-y ship design in my mind

I got an ebay order once that was pretty strong smelling of cigarettes. I put them in hot water with dish soap and swirled them in it for about five minutes, let soak for about a half hour (until the water wasn't hot anymore), rinsed, and repeated that process two more times. After shaking the excess water off/out, I left them to air dry overnight, and they were just fine. This also happened with a ship hull, but the soaking didn't work. I had to take out the screws that hold the top and bottom together. When I pulled the pieces apart, it was like it belched out nasty smoky air, even after all the soaking. I had to scrub the interior sides pretty hard to get the smell out, then soak, then air dry disassembled for several days until I couldn't detect the smell anymore.

uncontested

more.

SPACESHIP!

Maybe we should start a new thread: who dumps their numbered bags into one huge pile before building? <raises hand>

Of

Discouraged,