Mr. Elijah Timms

I fear Mirandir's down at the docks getting his feet cast in a bucket of concrete by TLG agents...

Sounds twice as good as half the things on TV these days... sign me up!

Interesting find, Oky... If you look at this post on that site, I notice some disparities between his speculation and that of Mirandir. Specifically, Mirandir mentioned the following sets: 4442 Crooks Hideout - Includes a small cabin, A police "jeep", a 3 wheel police "crosser", 2 forrest police, 2 bandits and a black and dark red roadster(I think) 4205 Off Road Command Centre - Includes an Off Road Command centre car (Much smaller than the city equvalent), a boat trailer with a dinghy, 2 forrest policemen and 1 bandit on a raft (2x4 treasure chest). In the All About Bricks post, there was no mention whatsoever of these two sets. Could the 'Hideout' possibly be the summer house, or could the Off Road Command Centre possibly be the police set? I doubt they're the same, but it's always fun to try to solve the puzzle of these upcoming sets...

Thanks for the kind words, my friends... unfortunately, the greater voting public at threadless.com looks to not get the idea, or just doesn't take too kindly to it. It seems doubtful that the shirts will get made, at least from that site. I have another site in mind that I can definitely guarantee production from, but they cannot allow me to print full-scale shirt graphics, only smaller sizes on each garment. I'll most likely be able to offer some of the Castle shield designs there, but the full torso concept may have hit a roadblock. Speaking of Castle shields, did I mention that I have a Black Falcons crest design ready to go? On a blue shirt. For whatever reason, the acceptance process at threadless ruled that the Black Falcons shield was 'too simplistic' of a design for their taste. At any rate-- thanks for the support and interest!

Wow... seems much more to be a 'Batman and Friends' theme rather than DC Superheroes. Not that I'm complaining, mind you...

Are you a Wolfpack warrior at heart?? Then I need your help, my friends... I started a new line of t-shirt designs at Threadless.com, featuring some of your favorite torso designs from days gone by. The way the site works is, people have to 'score' the shirt, and if the design gets a favorable enough score, it will then be made into an actual production piece and made available for sale. So I need you guys to get over there and vote for the shirts, and if it all works out they'll be available for you to buy! I'd sincerely appreciate any help in getting my 'Blockman' line off the ground. Click here to view and vote for the Wolfpack tee! Click here to view and vote for the Forestmen tee! Additional shirts can be seen on the same page... I apologize to the admins if this isn't the proper place to promote these-- but I only have a limited amount of time before the voting is over, and just wanted to alert the community. Thanks everyone!!

Well... kind of. I started a new line of t-shirt designs at Threadless.com, featuring some of your favorite torso designs from days gone by. The way the site works is, people have to 'score' the shirt, and if the design gets a favorable enough score, it will then be made into an actual production piece and made available for sale. So I need you guys to get over there and vote for the shirts, and if it all works out they'll be available for you to buy! I'd sincerely appreciate any help in getting my 'Blockman' line off the ground. Click here to view and vote for the RedBeard tee! Additional shirts can be seen on the same page... I'll be promoting them as well as soon as I figure out the appropriate venue here at EB! Thanks everyone!! YARRRR!

Get to the EB Safehouse! Remember this sentence very carefully: "My Uncle Has Lost His Other Shoe." Repeat, "My Uncle Has Lost His Other Shoe." Godspeed, Mirandir. Viva la Lego!

Mirandir... where are you? Was hoping to read some more revelations from your crystal ball!!

Stay on target, Red Five... Honestly, if I had to guess, I'd bet we see them stateside in TRU by Thursday. Question is, what region?

Forest Rangers + Me = Money in TLG's vault! Sounds great-- not really seeing the need for the forest firemen though. Thanks Miranir

Dang. Another Y-Wing is the last thing I need or want... but it sounds interesting. Curious to see pics, and even more curious to see price. Thanks for the info Mirandir-- and ready whenever you are for more disclosure over on the City thread, haha

Loose figs are the worst. I still have some of the figs from my '79 383-2 Knight's Joust, and unfortunately all but a few of their arms hang loose with no capability to pose. Scary to think about this happening to the all of the other figs in the collection now, and if this might happen to them in the next thirty years...

I'd definitely be up for that! Feels like a really interesting time to be a City collector.

I like the idea of smaller sets in the City line-- populate the streets without breaking the bank. I just picked up the old Garbage Truck, so it'll be interesting to see how different (and how similar) the new one will be. I kinda like the orange and green color scheme. Love the idea of the 4x4 and motorcycle trailer. I can practically see that parked outside the cabin now Ambulance is great-- hopefully this WILL be the start of a new line. The way I see it, if we see a new logo of any kind, it likely means the full-blown hospital wave hits later in the year. If they rehash the old one... hmmm, not so sure. What could that truck be about? Construction? Civilian? Hmmm...

The transmission continues... ARTICLE II. THE ENEMY (The following borrows heavily from the research of Professor HELIX and the reports of Agent Whisper.) Quite simply, there is a great deal we have yet to learn about the enemy. We do not know what they call themselves as a race, and we possess no solid intelligence regarding their point of origin. What we do know is that they departed from said origin somewhere between 15 and 45 years ago to touch down on our planet. Evidence suggests that their primary objective is either to harness the cerebral power of human beings, or to gather intelligence about our global society. The former suggests that they intend to use our race as a resource to fuel their own existence, while the latter suggests that this is an initial recon wave of a full and prolonged invasion. Physiologically, they are, at least generally, humanoid and bipedal organisms. They all possess a green, scaly epidermis but are not overly reptilian in nature. Their optical sensory organs are typically large and a deep black color, and most of their race possesses protruding dental appliances. What is most peculiar is that portions of the brain’s parietal lobe protrude from the skin; ie. you can actually see their brains externally. They appear to be universally neutral in gender, although all creatures generally possess masculine traits in their behavior and motor functions. The aliens’ internal anatomy appears quite different to homo sapiens: There are anywhere from 7 to 12 additional organs in the thorax, those of which we have no knowledge or understanding of, and there are no distinct reproductive organs to speak of. The beings possess what we believe are lungs, and they survive openly in our atmosphere, leading us to believe that they do in fact traditionally ‘breathe.’ Whether or not they absorb oxygen as do ourselves is another story. Regardless of what element they absorb, they do seem to be able to survive for much greater periods than ourselves when denied the atmosphere or otherwise asphyxiated (intel gathered by Agent RAZOR). Beyond that, they have proven to be a diverse race with great variation: quite simply, there are multiple forms that stray beyond mere cosmetic diversity. Even more prevalent intelligence implies that the variations in form typically coincide with specific roles played in their invasion strategy, which could suggest one or more of the following conclusions: a.) There are multiple races within their society, and each race is subjected to a class system that determines its role, at least in a military capacity; b.) The race is governed by wholesale genetic breeding; or c.) The race has evolved or mutated randomly into various sub-species, each of which is naturally well-suited to specific roles in the greater enemy hierarchy. Regardless of what theory proves to be correct, our sources have confirmed the following variations in the alien race or races: ALIEN FOOT SOLDIER : The aliens employ a basic grunt soldier that is humanoid and bipedal. The grunts stand anywhere from 5’10” to (unconfirmed) 6’6”, and typically weigh around 230 to 250 pounds. Their brawny anatomy is otherwise unremarkable other than the head, which is quite large in stature and possesses an enormous mandible and mouth. The mouth is filled with great protruding triangular teeth, although they seldom bite as a form of attack. We surmise that the grunt possesses a tremendous metabolic capacity, and its dependency eating large amounts of food necessitated this mutation. The foot soldier exhibits great strength and an extraordinary high pain threshold. In fact, its resistance to injury is perhaps only rivaled by its low level of intelligence, or perhaps lack thereof. These fellas just aren’t very bright, and are easily outwitted and outmaneuvered by a seasoned soldier. ALIEN PILOT : The pilot lifeform is named as such because of their almost exclusive deployment as pilots and navigators in alien space and hovercraft. More slender and with less developed musculature than the grunt, the pilot’s cranial proportions also differ greatly. The creature’s eyes are large, bulbous and protrude from each side of its wedge-shaped skull, suggesting binocular or perhaps even omnicular vision. It has a small, trapdoor shaped jaw with thin, sharp teeth. The pilot’s brain seems to be much more developed, exhibiting keen decision-making with acute speed and a natural predilection of pursuit angles and trajectory azimuths. Quite simply, they’re naturally gifted as fighter pilots. We see a great frequency of these lifeforms, perhaps more than any other in the aliens’ deployment thus far. ALIEN COMMANDER : On three occasions we have encountered the alien’s commanding officer. To our agents’ surprise, he spoke relatively fluid English and even dressed in a manner not unlike Napoleonic military garb. The leader called himself “Hypaxxus-8,” and quite simply, I find him to be an unpredictable and merciless adversary. His strategies rarely exhibits traceable patterns or even logical decision-making, which is why it remains difficult to predict and counter their actions. Physically speaking, the commander departs from the typical alien anatomy from the waist down, where the traditional bipedal structure is replaced with a cephalopodal structure of four or six tentacles. Furthermore, the head structure is radically different, featuring enormous exterior cerebral anatomy that is translucent and green in color. The commander creature is extremely intelligent, cruel, and has exhibited egomaniacal tendencies in our engagements with it. At this point we are unsure if the creature’s rank and authority is local, divisional or absolute. He might be a sector leader, or even the absolute ruler of the race itself. Personally, I think he is in charge of this particular military action (ie. Target Earth), but answers to a higher domestic authority on the creature’s homeworld, if there is one. ALIEN ANOMALY : There has been one final encounter with an alien individual that suggests a fourth variation in evolutionary or genetic development, and it is an isolated specimen. It may even be a singular mutation, for all we know. This unique being exhibits bipedal locomotion like the majority of the population, but shares the same cranial structure as the alien commander. It is neither the commander nor the foot soldier but something in between. Further complicating the situation is the fact that this individual, referred by my ADU agents as the “Alien Pirate” or even “Alien Android,” has been voluntarily augmented with cybernetic enhancements. He’s been subjected to bilateral symmetrical cybernetic upgrades. Finally, the cyborg arm displays no visible hand but a retractable tendril of some sort (it is not directly understood whether this is phenomenon is natural or cybernetic in nature). In short, this Pirate, who is something of an officer in the alien forces, defies traditional classification. Agent WHISPER has unwittingly fostered a bizarre kinship with the Pirate, and he has been ordered to continue to explore this relationship as a potential intelligence source and even ally. ALIEN CLINGER : The final species, one that we have had great and even direct exposure to, is not to our estimation part of the actual alien race itself, but rather an inferior species deployed as a biomechanical weapon. The clinger is a small, six-tentacled gelatinous parasitic creature with a single eyestock and a large gaping mouth, or what appears to be a mouth. Quite simply, they smell repulsive, and this indescribable odor has proven to be a great asset in hunting and eliminating loose creatures in the battlefield. The aliens deploy these ‘clingers,’ as we have called them, to seek out unwilling human hosts. The clinger attaches itself the victim’s head, who then loses all voluntary motor functions, and in most (but not all) cases consciousness. The enemy utilizes the clinger primarily to gather and collect humans, which are typically brought back to their spacecraft to either harness their brainpower, or scan their thoughts. Of my current team, Agents SHAMU, MERLIN, and HORNET have all been incapacitated by clingers. After great experimentation, Professor HELIX has developed an non-aqueous solution that, when injected into the host person, forces the clinger to reject him or her. We have yet to maintain a clinger that has been successfully removed from its host for anything more than a few minutes, as they typically decompose into a slimy pool of matter. PART THREE COMING SOON...

EXCELLENT!! All over that forestman!!! Nice find, Cobra!

So.... what exactly is a 'Great Vehicles' sub-theme? What else?

Bricktober, maybe...??? Next year, certainly not this year...

So it's no secret that since I was a kid, I've developed back stories for many of the themes TLG has produced. My pirates have a long history, and there's plenty of colorful characters in my Lego City. So with that being said, I've developed identities and a general concept for the ADU itself, highlighting individual personalities and allowing for an integration into the greater existing City environment. I thought you all might want to take a look: <<<DECODE TRANSMIT REQUEST SIGMA THETA ALPHA 019 APPROVED>>> STATUS DEBRIEF mark 054 To: eagle36@us.mil.gov CC: blackbearx@socom.mil.gov/adu BCC: vesper09@nasa.gov CCC: triton12@nato.org DCC: centurion7374@gmail.com From: osprey@adu.gov/atl/quadrant4 STATUS REPORT: ADU Quadrant 4 Update Gentlemen, Superior Officers, and Members of the Security Initiative, BLACKBEAR has asked me to be more forthcoming with my reports. This will hopefully be the first of such messages depending on our immediate mobilization directives and the ADU’s blanket strategy in general. Under threat of relief of command, I have been ordered to elaborate on the intelligence we have gathered in the wake of our heightened string of deployments in the greater North American sector. Our defense contractors have also asked for input on the performance of the latest ordnance and vehicles we have commissioned. Finally, I was also asked to give updates on my team and the revisions I’ve made since the West Virginia debacle (see Incident File #882213457), which I will lead with now. ARTICLE I. TEAM STATUS The team remains essentially intact. Special Agent RAZOR (Sgt. R****l T****r), drafted from DEVGRU’s BlackOps Select roster, remains my primary weapon in direct engagement with the enemy. This is quite simply an exceptional soldier, and his courage is only surpassed by his skill. He is rough, relentless, and loyal, if not always friendly, to his teammates. He exhibits unpredictability at times, but all in all I wouldn’t want anyone else leading the charge into the line of fire. Agent TEX (Capt. R**s G*****t, USAF) continues to pilot the Gunship Copter and has typically been the primary contact in all incident encounters. This combat veteran is cool under fire and has a growing knowledge of the enemy pilot’s flight behavior patterns-- I’ve asked him to begin a similar report detailing his tactical findings from his frequent air-to-air encounters with the enemy. He has a great respect for their technology, yet possesses such confidence in our ability to repel the threat that it borders on arrogance. Agent MERLIN (Corp. G***h C****y) is our new technology/computer specialist, chosen under recommendation from BLACKBEAR himself. He has proven to be as resourceful an operative as I have ever commanded, and never despairs or gives up hope before finding a solution. Smart and thorough, he’s also quite a soldier, and has recovered from his first encounter (Incident File #018384726) quite nicely. He also fits well into the team dynamic, much more so than his predecessor. Agent SHAMU (Spc. C*****r H****y) remains our transport officer despite recent disciplinary actions, and seems to have come to a new understanding with myself. He was never my primary choice for this role but does have a natural talent with the vehicles, primarily the armored mobile command unit. He’s also been serving as our communications officer in light of Agent WIFI’s recent abduction, and seems capable of handling both roles simultaneously. With the proper motivation he should be fine, and I intend to give him plenty. Agent KITTYHAWK (Spc. K*******e H*****s) is the new pilot for the interceptor shuttle. I’ve taken quite a bit of flack from both above and below for taking on a civilian pilot, let alone a female, but she has already proven to confirm my hunch about her. She’s an extraordinary pilot and a gifted dogfighter, and as we’ve learned, has her own personal motivations against the enemy as well. They’ve taken a lot from her. She also holds her own against the likes of RAZOR and SHAMU, which is no small feat. Agent WHISPER (CLASSIFIED) continues as my intelligence operative. His connections and previous training in the CIA have proven to be very useful to me, specifically in his assessment and understanding of the enemy’s technology. Incredibly, he may even be close to developing a relationship with a sympathetic member of the enemy’s camp. Strange, secretive and dangerous, I know very little about this agent but may trust him more than any other member of my team. I’ve learned to be thankful for his work, and not question how he achieves his results. Agent HORNET (Pfc. T******e B****n) is our latest weapons officer. While highly decorated in his previous military background, this soldier is a greenshirt in the ranks of the ADU and has made many tactical mistakes, one including a rather persistent clinger (Incident File #560934111). He’s one of the most precise tacticians I’ve ever commanded, but at the present time his wide-eyed apprehension of the enemy threat continues to be a liability. Finally, my team wouldn’t be complete without PROFESSOR HELIX (Dr. R****t H***x). One of the most respected minds of the ADU and the Security Initiative itself, the Professor’s work with the enemy’s physiology and terrestrial adaptation. Much of the related information below was directly lifted from his latest findings. He’s also doing great things with regards to assessing and treating victims of enemy biomechanical attacks. At times I fear his interest in the enemy’s culture borders on admiration, or even fascination, but his dedication to heightening our understanding of them is one of my team’s greatest tools. Obviously I, Agent OSPREY (Lt. W****e B****n), retain leadership of the entire 4th Quadrant ADU team. I’ve been a part of the greater ExtraTerrestrial Threat Assessment community for over twenty years, and this new infrastructure does a greater job of absorbing military personnel than ever before. Since the division has been relaunched as a public entity, we’ve seen many benefits of the regional rapid deployment model; we have yet to learn why our particular sector receives such high enemy traffic. I enjoy being on the front lines, and I am dedicated to protecting my country and the world itself. And yes, I have already confirmed with ADU Central that I will not be resigning when my retirement date matures next month. I’m in this for the long haul, or at least until the threat is neutralized. PART TWO COMING SOON!

Really excited about the Post Office!! The gazebo is really well done, and I love that round bay window done with the jumper plates. Whole lot of figs again, too!

Awesome, Grogall... have we heard pricing information yet?

Guy can dream, can't he???

Wow-- just noticed the hooves printed on the Minotaur's feet. Such attention to detail!

DAAAAAAAAAAAANG!! Outstanding choices, TLG! 1. Minotaur is outstanding-- clearly the fig to beat in the series. The horns are awesome and seem to be separate pieces... would love to see them on a Viking helm. I can't imagine another figure in this series topping this one. Could this be a hint to the possible Greek theme I've been dreaming about?? 2. The Mechanic ak grease monkey is so clever! Love the red toolbox, and the hairpiece is awesome-- could this be the harbinger of an upcoming Elvis fi?? 3. Butcher is pretty cool, especially his accessories. The cleaver is perfect and the steak is interesting-- would be well employed in the hypothetical zoo set everyone wants so bad. Personally I love his hat! 4. Leprechaun's torso is an excellent print. We saw this coming, for sure! 5. The Highlander is, surprisingly, a bit of a letdown for me. Perhaps it's just too dark, but the torso and leg print just isn't what I'd imagined. Colors are so dark. Sword is great, though. 6. Skater Girl is alright... Love the Lego Skull with pink bowtie on her hoodie. I notice that they're re-using the mime's print on her pink arms. TLG isn't stupid-- putting together a whole 'gang' of teen skaters will keep the TFOLs happy with the Minifig theme. 7. The Djinni, or 'Genie,' is VERY unique. To my knowledge it's the first lower body piece in the Collectible Minifig series that isn't a leg assembly or the woman's skirt wedge piece. This is encouraging news, and might very well hint to more in the future... No disrespect to BrickArms, but this news, coupled with the minotaur fig, might hint to a possible official Centaur figure in future series. Sky's the limit! 8. Spacegirl-- wow, that's REALLY really pink! But it's clever, and I could see this pairing up very well with the S1 Spaceman. Toss in the rest and we're off to a great start here! 9. Gray Alien-- As we discussed before, great head mold, horrible torso print. 10. Statue of Liberty-- perfect in every way. Change NOTHING. Series 6 is looking great, and depending what else is revealed in the remaining 6 might very well make this better than 5. We'll have to see-- for me the benchmark remains Series 4-- but these 10 certainly offer great potential!