Brickworld 2012 AFV round-up

This year's BrickWorld saw an extensice lineup of especially well-crafted LEGO Armored Fighting Vehicles. The "cyberpunk" setting allotted these guys some creative license, there are enough flashy futuristic bits to make them stand out from the run-of-the-mill stuff that occupies much of the near-future military genre.
Ignacio Bernaldez Carter Baldwin Peter Anderson (Shadow Viking) Forest King (KingBrick)

Here's the same vehicles participating in a brikwars game, the venue is the Pennsylvania LEGO Users Group.







Carter and Forest put together this gritty diorama, I took a moment to pose one of my Verticals for a good show.

The fad mentality

Let's talk a bit about тransformaтanks; but before I start, I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not see myself as occupying some moral high ground or expanded perspective of things- this is just what I think.

тransformaтanks (the special 'т' is very important) are microscale hybrid driving/walking tanks that are built like this. Here is the original model, uploaded by вrickart!san (one of the more talented thirteen year-olds around):



This is the only image provided, and it gets quite reduced here and on the main flickr page, so jump to here to get a better look at it. It's pretty good, isn't it? It has a sort of hunkered-down aesthetic presented in a somewhat abstract style, as many micro models are wont to be. And, of course, it uses an ingenious technique for the treads. I like it. So did Geoff:



There are a few small differences- narrower body, top turret, different colourscheme- but the base is the same. However, Geoff managed to pack more detail into the model, and that struck a chord with his viewers. Over the course of a couple of days, several other variants showed up, and by the third or fourth, there was a flickr group (wheee, it's a fad now, boys).



There's the history lesson out of the way- what's my point? I guess it's that I'm suspicious of the motives here. Maybe I'm assuming the worst of people, but it feels like some guys are in it just for the sake of being in it, and gaining that recognition. Of course, this applies to most fads (we should make a list of them all). I think some people join not to challenge themselves and see where they can take the concept, but to take the chance at only half-developing a model and delivering it to an established fanbase.

Hm. Maybe Jordan will have something more interesting to say tomorrow.

Aliens roundup

It all started when Geoff Herndon built this awesome Alien. then Kevin Fedde built a Power Loader to go with it. The two MOCs certainly look awesome together. The only problem with that is, of course, that the Alien isn't a queen. Wait, I spoke too soon.


Last but certainly not least, in an unrelated incident, "2x4" built a pretty slick Sulaco.

Brickworld 2009

If you don't want my boring commentary (and my whittling down of the 329 photos to 30) you can just go here and see all my Brickworld photos. Or, you can go here and see everyone's pictures.

On the early morning of Thursday, June 18, I packed my MOCs in the car and began the hour's drive to Wheeling, Illinois.


I arrived around 7 and picked up my Brickworld registration packet, then met up with Matija Grguric, whom I was sharing a room with. We stored my things there, as we weren't to be let into the event hall until 4 PM, and proceeded to go into the event hall anyway because we were helping distribute the pretty yellow stanchions. (note to self: don't arrive quite so early next year.)


After the stanchions were distributed, several AFOLs and a TFOL (me) headed to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center about half an hour away. Our group included Brian Kescenovitz, Nannan Zhang, the aforementioned Matija Grguric, Lee Jones, Chris Phipson, and other people whose names I don't remember and don't feel like looking up.


We had a lot of fun and took many pictures which I won't bore you with here.

Except this one, because it's cool.


We got back and I met the illustrious Shadow Viking, (seated, making gesture with both hands) along with a couple of other cool dudes who I haven't known as long and therefore don't remember their names. Well, one (seated, making gesture with one hand) is Jackson. He's pretty awesome.


REDSTORM!


Izaak Mazer is clearly the only person in this picture you should care about.


Actually, I've never met Izaak. If you're him, and you're reading this, hi. You're famous now. Only not, because nobody reads YSAB anymore. Here's a picture of Brian K's amazing AMCP module (read: the entire AMCP)

Chris Edwards's amazing action controlling diorama.

Microspacewars. Megahairwars.

Lego Lego Lego Lego Lego Lego BLUESMOBILE! Lego Lego Lego Lego Lego Lego

Waiting in line for the Lego store 50% off damaged sets sale. I bought an Amerald Night, a UCS Greivous, a Crystal Sweeper, a Thunder Driller, and a Hailfire... all for under $150.

The awesome people among us went about 100 feet away where there was someplace to sit. I also had my first Starbucks drink in a while. Good, but not $5-for-a-drink-the-size-of-your-average-can-of-soda good.

Nannan's awesome dio was there. More on that later.

Discussion of renaming "jump the shark" to "nuke the fridge" ensued.

Brian is oblivious.

Scotty... being Scotty.

Nannan fixing the laz0rb33m again.

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG PAB

For once, Tyler makes a face that doesn't involve his eyebrows being raised to an airliner's cruising altitude.

Fradel looking bored.

Peter looking like a viking. Wait, that actually fits.

Nannan is happy because his laser beam is finally stayi... WAIT WHAT WAS THAT? FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Carter gets a sideways picture because he's awesome.

Lukas gets a properly exposed picture because they turned the lights back up to where they were when I calibrated my camera.

Jordan gets a wider shot because he won't sit still long enough to get a closeup.

Kyle, Ryan and I were doing a Greivous draft. Scotty bought one of my two, so he got in on it too.

Fradel, Nick, Jackson and I went for a walk.

Nick has two faces he'll make if he knows you're tkaing a picture: SATANFACE and DEMONFACE. Speed demon, that is.

And here's a pretty picture of the wheeling water tower. Needs more missiles, though.