Amazon US Now Has 2011 LEGO Sets

With all of the new releases at different outlets recently, I couldn't remember if this was new news or not. If I am reposting, just consider this a reminder...

Many of the new 2011 LEGO sets are now available at Amazon.com (US) including Ninjago, LEGO Star Wars, and Atlantis. What is noteworthy here is that shipping is free on orders over $25 USD.

So if you don't live near other brick and mortar outlets who have the new sets, or you want to place a smallish order and still save on shipping, it looks like Amazon has you covered.

See it all at the 'new LEGO' page on Amazon (note that Ninjago has it's own separate page and link).

The Old Girl Still Has Somethin' Left to Offer

It's hard to believe that LEGO Atlantis is likely entering into it's final lap soon (I mean they do find the Temple of Atlantis in 2011, after all). The 'villian' minifigs from this series have a been both unique and inspired.

Numbers:123456789 placed a couple of pics up on his Flickr stream earlier today showing off a couple of figures from the Temple of Atlantis set. As you can clearly see the helmet of the Series 2 Spartan has returned, this time completely in pearl gold. Although not shown here, the head is reversible so you can present a gold face or a man's face if you so choose.

Numbers also has some good pics of the Crab Monster in its full crustacious glory. Check them all out on his Flickr stream.

LEGO Atlantis Hammerhead Minifigure

It's a slow news day in The Nation, citizens. Tuesdays are typically chock full of tasty treats. Chris Doyle rescues us from that '2:30 feeling' with these great shots of the LEGO Atlantis Hammerhead fig.

How much you wanna bet this will show up again on the deck of the Flying Dutchman (I'm still betting on this being an exclusive, unannounced set) when LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean comes out?

Chris has some more great shots of set 7977, Seabed Strider, on his Flickr stream.

LEGO City NASA Moon Buggy

I'm still not sure what to call these new LEGO City/Space sets that have partnered with NASA (are they LEGO City, LEGO City Space, LEGO City NASA...I don't know!). Any who, pictures surfaced over the weekend of the impulse set of the line, Space Moon Buggy. 

Expected to cost around $6 USD, it comes with one of the white Atlantis headgear with gold visor (Emile fan's rejoice). You also get a fig and a chainsaw blade element. Not bad for a value set.

Even if the gold visor is the only element of interest, the low price of this set should ensure that BrickLink will be awash with them, keeping prices low.

You can check out more about this set at Brickset and Toys N Bricks.

More 2011 Box Pics on Brickset

If you look in the comments section of this post on Brickset, one of the members has posted several additional 2011 LEGO box art designs from various themes including Atlantis, Pharaoh's Quest, and NinjaGo. 

If you ruin your eyes and try to look at the details you might see some interesting things, namely a gold Spartan helmet (yes that Spartan helmet), a minifig sarcophagus element with lid, an interesting green sea-fig creature, 'Crabman', a chain and scythe weapon, and much more. Again, these pics look official, but you just never know until you have them in your hands. It would also appear that the Collectible Minifigure elements aren't as 'exclusive' as we once thought...

UPDATE: As Huw mentions below, he's updated Brickset with a lot more 2011 pics with more detail than just the boxes. Head on over and check them out. I've also 'favorited' (Is that a word?) many of the minifig-centric sets on Flickr too.

(Via Brickset)

Quick Hits: While You Were Out

>initiate Cygnetron 3000 auto blogging system...

>...command?...Cygnetron 3000 shutdown...password?...

>...password confirmed..returning control to human overlords...ha...ha...ha...

Very funny Cygnetron. Remind me to update your humor AI chip next time I'm out. That's the last time I purchase an 'auto blogging system' on Woot!

Greetings citizens! I'm now in the process of getting up to speed now that I'm back from vacation. In the grand tradition of cramming a lot of information into one bite-sized post, I give you 'Quick Hits - While You Were Out' edition...

As I'm sure you all know by now, LEGO.com updated their website recently. With that came new mini-sites for NinjaGO and Pharaoh's Quest. The NinjaGO site appears to have content that will unlock over time, while the Pharaoh's Quest teaser unveils itself in a similar fashion to what was used when the Atlantis line first launched. Both lines have strong custom potential. I'm also now convinced that JasBrick is a minifig designer for TLG, unbeknownst to him. Thanks to Brickset for getting me up to speed.

Bricktober is in full swing at Toys R Us. Not only are there great deals each week on LEGO items, there's a new vintage minifigure magnet available for LEGO purchases above $20 USD. We are now in week three and the minifig magnet this week is a City Fire Chief (picture via Toys N Bricks). Like other LEGO magnets, the figure can be removed from the base. If shopping online, be careful on how the various deals 'stack'. Brickset reports that the minifig promo and the BOGO 50% off deal may not 'play nice' together.

Nannan Z. has kicked off the 2010 Creations for Charity event in support of Toys for Tots. The various LEGO creations donated will be auctioned off to raise money for this worthy cause. It would be fantastic to see a good turnout from the custom minifig community. Click through to the link above for more details.

In customization news, Tin_7 was on a roll recently with new designs for his Last Airbender series and new Iron Man customs. Lots of great stuff to peruse and admire. Justin puts in a lot of effort into his work and it shows. He also has some fantastic designs for Quidditch uniform decals for houses other than Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Legoagogo was recently honored with a post on The Brothers Brick for his vignette focused on a Stormtrooper's wardrobe dilemma. Mark continues to 'wow' by combining great composition and lighting with wit and humor. Case in point? Take a look at his alternate view of the closing scene from Empire Strikes Back.

Before the break, I mysteriously mentioned 'the triumphant return of a familiar custom house'. The 'custom house' in question is Amazing Armory Ltd. and customizers like JasBrick and Pedro have been giving us a taste of what's to come. I've been talking with Hazel Tam, who heads up this outfit, and I'm happy to say that what he's shared with me about plans for the future are sure to astonish. All I can say for now is that these items will be available very soon, and you can purchase yours at United Armory and FireStar Toys (link above), to name a few.

Tiny Tactical has been on a roll recently. Not only have their latest products like the Panzerschreck, Handy Talkies, and TL-122 flashlights been selling out, they have recently announced even more new and innovative products. The new stuff includes a M9A1 anti-tank rifle grenade that works with a BrickArms M1 Garand Rifle, a minifig-scale wristwatch, and a cricket signal device. Pictures of the forthcoming items can be seen on Flickr. You can also visit the Tiny Tactical BrickLink store today.

There's a lot more to see from the past week on my Flickr favorites. I'm still working on catching up on all the great stuff out there. Apologies if I missed something in the process. I'll also be posting some new pics soon of recent BrickForge and TT deliveries.

That's all for now, citizens. Back to getting this show on the road...

Cygnet

Minister of Information

Ugly Duck Command Center

Minifig Nation

2011 Set Rumors: Atlantis and Pharaoh's Quest

So I've been seeing some interesting images on the interwebs recently regarding the new LEGO sets for 2011. Atlantis will be back next year as our intrepid explorers continue to seek the lost underwater city. There are some images of a 'man crab' minifig that look quite nice. One of the more interesting features are claw appendages that open and close, but fit in the arms like a standard minifigure hand. I'm guessing this gent, as well as some of the other beasties from Atlantis, may 'reappear' in the Pirates of the Caribbean line as part of Davy Jones' crew.

The next set of rumored pics are for a series called Pharaoh's Quest, which seems to me like Atlantis only set in the desert. Lots of cool minifig parts rumored for these sets, including Anubis heads, khopesh swords, scarab shields, scepters (but not the snake scepter as seen with the Series 2 Pharaoh), and interesting headdresses.

Any way you cut it, I think 2011 is shaping up to be another big year for TLG.

Summer, I Miss You Already

Although I much prefer Fall weather, this pic from Chris McVeigh (AKA powerpig) makes me think fondly of those Summer days at the beach.

At a minimum this is a cautionary tale about polluting our oceans. If we aren't careful the sharks will sprout legs and don skimpy bathing suits while terrorizing our surfing communities.

If you like what you see here, check out Chris on RedBubble where you can purchase this as a print or card. He also has several other prints and t-shirt designs, so check it out when you get a chance. 

(Via powerpig's Flickr stream)

Family Bricks' Gets Shiny

Family Bricks enjoyed the BrickArms chrome sword pack so much he decided to design several custom minifigures to show them off. The knight shown here was one of my favorites. It makes me think of the line from Gaston in Beauty in the Beast, "I use antlers in all of my (weapon-making)..." You can check them all out on FB's Flickr stream (link below).

He's also designed a special forces unit for the Atlantis crew utilizing several customization techniques. Check both sets out.

(Via Family Brick's Flickr stream)

Quick Hits: Big News Around the Minifig Nation

It looks like it's going to be one of those mornings...in a good way.

Eurobricks member Klaus-Dieter claims to have had a peek at the 2011 retailer catalogue. No pictures have been shared, so I'm couching these as rumors for now.

First up are early details on Series 3 and 4 of Collectible Minifigures. It would seem that Series 3 will debut in January 2011 and may include the following:

• Fisherman
• Ferrari driver
• Mummy
• Sumo Wrestler
• Female Dancer
• Samurai
• Hawaiian Girl
• Baseball Player
• Fantasy Elf
• Native American Chief
• Alien
• Male Singer
• Doctor/Surgeon
• Gorilla
• Snowboarder

The sixteenth figure was not seen. A Series 4 release date is set for April 2011, but no details on its contents.

There may be a new theme that mixes collectible trading cards and minifigures called NinjaGO. The details were sparse other than 'it has ninja minifigs' and 'it's not a historical theme'. TLG recently announced a collectible trading card game in conjunction with LEGO Universe, so this doesn't seem too far fetched.

Although I typically overlook City themes, it would appear the classic Space theme hinted at during Steve Witt's presentation at BrickFair will be a City subtheme. Much of the set descriptions sounded more like Earth-based command centers like NASA, instead of being set in space itself. There were also details about a new Police subtheme (how much crime actually happens in LEGO City?).

There were some additional details on 2011 Star Wars and Atlantis but they lacked a lot of information.

Also on Eurobricks member Omnicron had a more detailed review with pics of the BrickForge booth from BrickFair. There are more pics of the new 2010 product, as well as details around new production colors. The biggest news item was the The Forge and customizer Shmails will be combining forces to offer custom figs! There may even be a new website/store forthcoming to sell them. There's an entire set of pictures you can view of these new, limited-edition figs here.

More to come later today citizens...

(Via Eurobricks)

Question: What Elves Stand 6footFour?

Answer: These Elven Heroes.

Elves never received the official LEGO treatment when Castle dipped it's toes into the fantasy realm last year.

A mix of Forestmen, Atlantis, Kingdoms, and Prince of Persia, these warriors are 'kewl'.

The Dagger of Time is really making the rounds in the elvish arsenal these days. It actually does bear a resemblance to the BrickForge Elven Blade (albeit shorter). I also love the treatment on the staff. I really wish TLG could be a little bit more inventive with their magical equipment. A 4L bar can only take you so far...

(Via 6footFour's Flickr stream)

The Life Aquatic with Clumsy Pete

The first time I had heard about these serialized vignettes by Bart De Dobbeaer titled The Life Aquatic with Clumsy Pete, was when Brickspace announced they had reached their 1ooth and final episode. Running for over five months now, the vignettes recounted the humorous adventures of Pete and and an intrepid group of undersea explorers. The 99th vignette didn't place Pete in the best of situations. Perhaps Bart will return someday to continue the story.

The vignette shown here is number 100 and features nearly all of the cast and crew. I would recommend popping a bag of corn, set Bart's Flickr stream to slide show, and be prepared to laugh. Here's hoping we'll hear back from Bart (and Pete) in the not to distant future.

(Via Brickspace)

Are You Not Entertained?

Sir Nadroj salutes those about to die with this killer historical MOC. These custom gladiators are a great mash-up of various LEGO themes like Kingdoms, Atlantis, Indiana Jones, and Prince of Persia.

If you click through to Jordan's Flickr stream you'll also see a great Emperor minifig giving the thumbs down symbol flanked by two Roman guards...not to mention the fantastic Colosseum vignette!

(Via Sir Nadroj's Flickr stream)

Scenes from a LEGO Store: May 2010

This last Sunday I visited my local LEGO Store in Southwest Ohio. I was hoping to pick up one of the exclusive LEGO Kingdoms battle packs, specifically for the dragon faction.

Both Kingdom's battle packs were present and retailing for around $15 USD. I almost pulled the trigger, but then I noticed that one of the plumes was out of the great helms, making a 'plink-plink' noise when it contacted other parts of the figures. I don't want to cry "Chinese plastic", but it was enough of a concern for me to place it back on the shelf. If this is not a personal concern or issue, they are quite nice and you get a good variety of armor and accessories.

All of the LEGO Toy Story 3 sets were in attendance, as well as some of the early releases from unlicensed themes such as Atlantis, World Racers, Space Police III, and of course Kingdoms. Wave two of the LEGO board games were also there, not seen at other retail outlets previously.

In LEGO Star Wars news, the infamous Admiral Ackbar magnet set was there, including the overpack sticker to correct the spelling errors.

As I was checking out I chatted up the cashier, mainly inquiring about the Collectible Minifigures due out soon. The cashier confirmed that, in fact, you can only buy five packs at a time at the store. It would seem there are concerns that some may buy them all up for the secondary market. No confirmation as to if the figures will be behind the counter as well.

I continue to be disappointed in the LEGO Store experience as an AFOL. Although I recognize that I'm not the target demographic, I find it somewhat surprising that other retailers, like Toys R Us, actually have the product before them and sometimes at a lower price point. Yes, key chains, magnet sets, and some product are truly unique to the bricks and mortar store, but will that drive repeat business? Now that the VIP program applies to LEGO Shop @ Home purchases in the US, I may stop driving the 45 minutes to get to my local store.

LEGO World Racers in 3-D?

Nick W. dropped us a line about this pic of the upcoming LEGO World Racers minifigures. World racers looks to be a mash-up of the Racers series with a touch of Agents thrown in for good measure.

What intrigues me about this design are the dual colored goggles. Comments online have compared them to 3-D glasses. Although I don't know much about the line, so far, its not completely out of the question that 3-D might play into the theme somehow (aside from the obvious fact that LEGO are inherently 3-D). If you've seen recent LEGO Club magazines or bought an Atlantis set, you'll know that 3-D stories and movies have played a role in marketing that line. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

(Picture from BenLego's Flickr stream)

Aquaraiders Skeley In Portal of Atlantis

Daoudbazaar, Eurobricks member, has a visual review of set 8078, Portal of Atlantis.

Although the Naga Warrior is the real draw here, there's a fun little bit of nostalgia that comes with the set...an Aquaraiders skeleton!

It looks like this Aquaraiders diver went a little too deep in search of treasure. A bad case of the bends and a few fish nibbles later, this diver became a shadow of his former self.

(Picture from Eurobricks)

LEGO Atlantis Minifigure: Naga Warrior

Now Showing
The Naga Warrior is exclusive to set 8078, The Portal of Atlantis. This will be the first time that a Naga Warrior has been in the LEGO universe.

Minifigure Parts and Accessories
The Naga Warrior is composed of five parts: head, torso, legs, helmet, and armor. All of these items are brand new.

The sand green head has a mer-man print with large blue eyes. All the better to see you with my dear...

The torso has front and back print of a bare and scaly chest with a cross piece on the front and back. The torso print could stand alone without the breastplate.

The legs are also a sand green with what appears to be a print of waist armor covering the outer thighs.

The helmet is truly superb, almost having a spartan-like quality to it. The bronze colors would look just as good on a custom gladiator as it would on the Naga's noggin.

The breastplate armor would also look good in a wide variety of custom applications.

The weapon of choice for the Naga is the standard trident (part 92289).

Army Building Potential
There's a lot for collectors to want in multiples with this figure, but with nearly a $100 USD price tag for the set, the potential is lower. The ABP for this figure is moderate, if only for the difficulty to getting multiples affordably. Now if a magnet set were to be offered in the future...

Big Draw
The helmet and armor are the big draws here, with the figure itself a close second. Expect prices for all of these to high once they hit the secondary market.

(Pictures from Eurobricks)

Karf Oohlu's Got Character(s)

Keith Goldman has been conducting a series of interviews with prominent AFOL builders over on The Brothers Brick. On Monday he talked with Fedde (aka Karf Oohlu) about his process and his creations.

This prompted me to checkout Fedde's Flickr stream where I found these albums dedicated to custom 'characters'. While not all of them would qualify as minifigures, the fig is featured in many ways. My favorite was this custom mer-man warrior combining elements of Harry Potter, Castle, and Atlantis. A cool little stand to boot. Based on what I've seen, don't be surprised if Karf Oohlu makes the occasional appearance here.

(Picture from Karf Oohlu's Flickr stream)

Ladybird Books Offers Atlantis Squid Warrior

The folks at Brickset.com have discovered these Ladybird activity books in the UK featuring LEGO Atlantis. There are two books available at afforable prices and each comes with one minifigure.

Although the Shark Warrior is easy enough to come by at reasonable prices, the Squid Warrior from The Gateway of The Squid (set 8061) currently averages $12.69 USD on BrickLink. It even comes with a trident!

Click on over to Brickset for more details.

(Picture from Amazon UK)

Possible LEGO Brickmaster Books to Contain Minifigs

Singapore Blog, Simply Toys, reports that two new DK LEGO Brickmaster books may be on the horizon.

One book would be focused on LEGO Star Wars themed models while the other would center on Atlantis. Each book/brick combo would have around 140 bricks and two minifigures.

Clearly the two sets featured on this draft cover for the Star Wars book can't be built with only 140 pieces. These are likely placeholder images. The Kit Fisto minifigure image may also be a placeholder. There's no other information regarding what the two Star Wars minifigures will be.

The Atlantis book is showing a ship date of Q3 2010, while the Star Wars book will be out for the holidays.

(Picture from Simply Toys blog)