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Fallout From Confirmed LEGO The Simpsons News

August 5, 2013 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

Disclaimer: The images used in this post are from a proposed LEGO CUUSOO project and not what the official Simpsons sets will look like.

You may have heard by now but this morning, it was confirmed that LEGO will be releasing sets based on The Simpsons theme. This was somewhat of shocking news because all that we heard of it was just rumors. Now that we know there will indeed be The Simpsons sets in 2014, there are also some fallout from this major news.

Over on LEGO CUUSOO, there were projects that were based on The Simpsons theme such as B. Parsons’ project called “The Simpsons Project” that was started on March 16, 2012. We’ll just use this project as an example. If you try to go to the link, you will be greeted with “Project Deleted – This project has been removed for not following the Guidelines” label. Since there will be official LEGO The Simpsons sets coming out next year, CUUSOO has deleted all Simpsons-related project off the site. There are no traces of it anywhere on any major search engines, no cached page, nothing. The only thing that I could find was on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. The last snapshot of it active was on June 27, 2012 so we’re not exactly sure when the projects were deleted or how many supporters they had.

The point is that these projects on LEGO CUUSOO may or may not have passed the review stage if they ever achieved the needed … Continue

LEGO The Simpsons Confirmed For 2014

August 5, 2013 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

Back in March, we reported there were rumors that The Simpsons would be coming in LEGO form. Today, the rumors are now a reality. The same Danish newspaper has confirmed that there will indeed be LEGO The Simpsons sets coming in 2014. According to DR.dk with the help of Google translate:

One of the most-loved, arch American families are now emerging as LEGO figures. These are the yellow cartoon family, The Simpsons. We get both Homer, Bart, Marge and the other to look to next year, says Mads Nipper, marketing director with responsibility for product development, marketing and sales of LEGO.

The launch of the characters is a “small product news” in the beginning, but if the reception is strong enough, can quickly turn up the production. It will be a small launch, but it will hopefully be fun and exciting for those who like the Simpsons universe, says Mads Nipper.

At Top Toy with both BR Toys & Toys’R’Us in Denmark, there is no doubt that the new series is going to sell. The target audience for The Simpsons are teenagers and adults, but there are also many children who know them, says product manager at Top Toy, Carsten Nielsen. He has also seen the figures as they appear in the 2014 catalog, and he says that “they are really well made.”

At the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, we were hoping that LEGO would reveal The Simpsons since it was one of the largest entertainment conventions in the United States but it didn’t … Continue

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Bonus Models and Release Date Revealed

August 4, 2013 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

LEGO has recently revealed 12 bonus models that are designed by a group of MINDSTORMS Community Partners. All of the bonus models can be built with only one LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313) set. They will be available for download via the EV3 Software or by PDF on the minisite on the official release date of the set of September 1st. Remember that when you purchase from LEGO during the month of September, you can get the Mini Volkswagen T1 Camper Van (40079) polybag as part of the company’s September promotion.

ROBODOZ3R – Mark Crosbie
BANNER PRINT3R – Ralph Hempel
EV3MEG – Martyn Boogaarts
BOBB3E – Kenneth Ravnshøj Madsen
MR-B3AM – Kenneth Ravnshøj Madsen
RAC3 TRUCK – Laurens Valk
KRAZ3 – Marc André Bazergui
EV3D4 – Vassilis Chryssanthakopoulos
EL3CTRIC GUITAR – Daniele Benedettelli
DINOR3X – Lasse Stenbæk Lauesen
WACK3M – Martyn Boogaarts
EV3GAME – Ricardo Oliveira

ThinkGeek Build-On Brick Mug Review

August 4, 2013 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

Today, I have something a little different for my next review, the ThinkGeek Building Brick Mug. It is not an official LEGO product but can work with the bricks. I got it a few months ago when it was on sale on ThinkGeek’s website. The retail price is $19.99 for the 12 oz mug.

The ThinkGeek Build-On Brick Mug is dark grey can made from hard ABS plastic and is BPA-free. There are many holes and sockets for various building blocks including LEGO, Mega Bloks, KRE-O, K’NEX, and PixelBlocks. From my tests, LEGO bricks fit on all four sides of the mug although some bricks are a little loose especially if you put 2×2 bricks or larger on the single row studs in front of the mug. The front is even strong enough to hold a whole building. As far as actually drinking out of it, after all it is a mug, any liquid will work. If you drink something like coffee, be sure to wash it right after or else it will stain the mug. It is also recommended that you do not microwave the mug or else you will have a gooey mess. Overall, the ThinkGeek Build-On Brick Mug is a pretty nice accessory to add for your home or office.

[easyreview title=”The Brick Fan Scoring Summary” cat1title=”Design” cat1detail=” ” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Playability” cat2detail=” ” cat2rating=”3.5″ cat3title=”Value” cat3detail=” ” cat3rating=”4″ summary=” “]

September LEGO Promotions at Brand Stores & Shop@Home

August 4, 2013 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

If you’re not liking the promotions that LEGO has having for August for the FREE LEGO Galaxy Squad Mini Mech (30230) or LEGO Friends Ice Cream Stand (30106), you might want to hold off until September to buy your LEGO sets. As you can see from the image above, there are a couple of nice promotions that LEGO will be having in their stores and on Shop@Home. With any purchase of $75 or more, you can get a brand new, never released before, Mini Volkswagen T1 Camper Van (40079). The offer is valid from September 1-30. With $50 or more on Star Wars sets, you can get the Clone Trooper Lieutenant (5001709) polybag which was given out during this year’s Star Wars Days at LEGOLAND California. This offer is valid from September 1st through October 31st.

With many new LEGO sets coming out like the Sydney Opera House (10234), the Ewok Village (10236), and all of the recent Summer releases, there are plenty to choose from for the September promotions. It doesn’t say but I think you can double up and get both polybags if you spend $75 or more on Star Wars sets. If you’re thinking of buying sets this month, I would suggest holding off until September for your LEGO purchases.

**Via Brickset**

STUDS Collectible Trading Cards Review

August 3, 2013 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

During the LEGO filled third day at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con, I was privileged to meet the members of the BrickJournal LEGO as an Art Form panel, Brandon Griffith, Joe Meno, Nathan Sawaya, and Tommy Williamson. After the panel, I met up with every at the TwoMorrows Publishing booth. There, Brandon and Joe both handed me a pack of STUDS Collectible Trading Cards. If you remember from last year, Brandon started the project on Kickstarter and was successfully funded. The STUDS cards are expected to be released later this year. The Series 1 base set contains 96 base cards and a 9 card poster set. Each pack contains 8 trading cards and a BrickForge Minifig Accessory Part. Also in one of my packs was a BrickNerd sticker. There are also chase cards that you can find randomly inserted into packs such as artist autographed cards which are limited to 25 per artist, 4 micro chase cards, and sketch cards.

LEGO Creator Hot Dog Stand Polybag (40078) Review

August 3, 2013 / Allen "Tormentalous" Tran

Back in July, LEGO had a promotion for a free exclusive polybag when you spend $75 or more at LEGO stores and on Shop@Home, the LEGO Creator Hot Dog Stand (40078). This set contains 39 pieces and includes two minifigures, a bicycle, and the hot dog stand.