Steampunk: Entry Grid

Due to technical issues (like, oh, my not confirming you could post images in blog replies...) we've had to tweak the entry process for the Steampunk in 50 Bricks contest.

The only change is that I dropped the "post a sample photo" requirement. All you need to provide commentary and a link to your photos in the entry thread - I'll be taking care of making up a grid of contest entries as I've done for other Reasonably Clever contests in the past. If there's a photo you want to be sure I use as your sample, please make sure I know. (And if you need changes to the way things are displayed on the grid, also just drop me a line.)

It looks like it's going to be a very tough competition - I've just compiled the first 23(!) entries.
You can take a look at them on the Official Entry Grid.

If you've entered and I didn't include your creation, please email me again - I don't think I missed anyone, but it's been a busy couple of days.

Remember: You have until the 15th to post or email me with your entry!

Steampunk: Post your Contest Entries Here

This is it, gang! The time has come to share your Steampunk in 50 Bricks creations! Check the rules by clicking on the logo if you're unsure of what you need to post. If you're having problems, you can also email me and I'll help you get things entered.

Workbench: The Bean There, Done That

This week's comics let me take advantage of a setting I built years back for the Cups Suit of the LEGO Tarot. For today's strip I had to add on a new section (with a door).

I thought some of you might be interested in seeing the whole layout, so here it is:



If you click on the image, you'll open up a new window with a much larger view.

The yellow tabs along the top of the wall are joins where I can remove sections of the outer wall for easier photography.

Workbench: Scout thingie

I was inspired by the engine on the 7672 Rogue Shadow and thought I'd try my hand a a "vertical half circle drive". This build is about 60% complete - at this point I consider the basic shape roughed in, but all the detail work needs serious help. Plus, I need to build an actual cockpit. Still, I did say I'd post my workbench in-progress photos from time to time, so here you go.

Rear view showing the drive design copied from the RS. Of course, I'm using a larger half circle, so the styling isn't quite the same. The side engines are for atmospheric flight - I may ditch them as they really ruin the thin saucer shape I was going for.

Side view.

3/4 view - you can see the pilot is just sort of stuck to the floor. Controls will be added soon...

The cockpit does open, though.

A better look at the Stage Set

By request, here's a better look at the full "Stage" set from the new story arc in Reasonably Clever's Reasonably Clever Web Comic.

Click the picture above for a very huge version that lets you see a lot of the detail.

I'll take some more supporting shots later this week.

Snack Size Serenity: Version 3

I had to spend some serious time in the workshop this weekend just sorting through the piles of stuff that had accumulated. I parted out a couple of sets, cleaned off the workbench, and generally tried to get things back into a mode where I could get some actual creative building done.

One thing I did find time to do was to tweak the design of the Snack Sized Serenity model a bit. Ever since LEGO introduced the new turbine-style jet engines I've wanted to incorporate them into the model. Here are the results:

I have to say, I like these better than the X-wing engine mounts I had been using. I also replaced the plain grey radar dish on the top of the midsection with a pre-printed version from a Spider-Man set. (It was originally the front of a vault that Doc Ock was breaking into.)

Here are a couple more shots of the tweaks. Don't know if I'll bother to update the building instructions - it's a fairly easy change to the side engine mounts and a complete replacement of the side engines...nothing too complex.

(But still enough to call this a new version!)

December Transformation Challenge: DETAILS!

All the details are up for the December Challenge. Click here to see the page, or just read about it here.

Holiday Transformation Challenge
The final Reasonably Clever Challenge of 2007 is here!

Your job? Build a Holiday Themed Transformer out of LEGO bricks!

Maybe you'll make a Decpticon tree that changes into a robot. Maybe you'll create an Autobot Santa who is also his own sleigh.

Use your imagination, or just watch all those sappy Christmas movies that are on constant rotation on TV these days and drink heavily. It's all the same to us!

Whatever you build, you need to send (CLEAR!) photos of it, along with a short text description to bat_hero@hotmail.com by
Midnight, December 31st!

Entries will be judged on three criteria:

Holiday Mode (25 points)
Robot/Alternate Mode (25 points)
Coolness (50 points)

Enter as often as you like, international entries are welcome.

Why bother? Because you might just win...

1st Prize: LEGO set 6208: Star Wars B-Wing Fighter!
(no box)

or one of THREE 2nd prizes of a Bionicle Inaka 8727 -Toa Jaller

What are you waiting for? Time's running out...go BUILD!

Oh! And here are a couple of Wallpapers for your desktop. Each is at 800x600. Click to open.

Holdiay Transormation Challenge

Details will be up tonight, but I wanted to announce this latest Challenge before time got away from me...



The basic premise is to build me a holiday themed item that transforms somehow. Maybe a Santa who becomes a sleigh, or a tree that turns into a robot. Be creative!

Entries due by December 31st - that gives everyone a chance to build with any new LEGO bricks they get for the holidays...

Anyway, watch the Blog for more details tonight!

Mars Re-Mission: Contest is Closed!

Well, the deadline for entires has past - the Mars Re-Mission contest has come to a close.

We had seventeen entries from a total of thirteen different builders. A pretty decent turnout, and some amazing models.

The last three entries were:

• Jordan Cross' Third entry, a combination of his past two with some extra features. Makes me think of the larger Mars Mission sets - they're pretty much just combos of the smaller sets as well.
  
• Dene Quest presents what happens in the daylight hours while people are waiting for the discos to open with his Space Race set.
  
• Finally, Doug7172 shares his Space Limo Cruiser - a ship with a pleasingly different look from the other models submitted.
  

* *

Click on the pictures or links to see the individual entries.

Winners will be announced on November 22nd. Do you have a personal favorite? Discuss it in the comments!

Mars Re-Mission Entry: DISCO Robot

I wasn't sure there were too many themes left to explore in the Re-Mission contest. Still, I was hoping that I'd get a few last-minute "didn't want to give anyone else ideas" type entries might arrive...and sure enough...

Check out this awesome DISCO Robot from master builder Chris Edwards!


(As always, click on the image to view the full entry page.)

Mars Re-Mission: The Final Days

Remember, friends, the deadline for entries to the

contest is this Sunday, November 18th! (Click on the logo above to learn more!)

Mars Re-Mission Entry: Disco Platform

Jordan Cross is back with another moving entry to the Mars Re-Mission contest.

This time, Jordan has come up with a giant Disco Platform.


(As always, click on the image to view the full entry page.)

My only concern? Jordan is only 12 and he's putting Pole Dancers on the wings of his ship. Ah, youth, where have you gone?

Jordan also submitted a short video of his first entry in motion - I need to compress the size a bit, but I'll be posting that shortly.

Mars Re-Mission Entry: MXXX-33 Cruiser

With less than two weeks to go, TK-1420 presents us with another sweet entry:


As usual, if you click on the image above you'll get to see the full contest entry page.

The competition may be tough (and getting tougher!) but c'mon, there are some sweet prizes up for grabs. Get to building!

Workbench

I had a request in comments yesterday to create a page showing what I'm currently working on in the Workshop. Not a bad idea at all. Sadly, I know that the odds of me keeping such a page up-to-date is somewhere between slim and very unlikely indeed. But here in the Blog? Well, I could see that happening.

So, here's a teaser pic of a couple of in-progress projects. They're not on the workbench in this shot (I had to clear that for Comic photos) but you get the idea.


I'm currently working on several prop-sized comicbook-themed models. Look for a grand unveiling of a new feature in early December, most likely.

Speaking of LEGO, I realized there was a nice themed part that'd work well in the logo for November. Too bad I don't own it!

That's The LEGO Turkey. It was last seen in an expensive Belville Princess Castle set back in 1999. Now selling for $35+ on the secondary market. That's one pricey piece of plastic!

Of course, even if I did have it, it'd have the same problems as the Giant LEGO phone - Belville accessories are much too large for Minifigs to interact with comfortably. (In other words: That's a Turkey the Size of MAN.)

The drumsticks did survive going mainstream,though. They've been a frequent accessory in the Viking sets in recent years, and I'm pretty sure they show up in next year's Castle offerings as well.

Here's to hoping the rest of the bird is re-released as well.

Mars Re-Mission Entry: DiscoRobo

Here's a mysterious entry...it arrived via a forwarded message, with no information other than a single large photo.

The photo, however, did identify things a bit. Here's the first third of it:

To see the rest, click on the photo above, or just click here.

Notice that both the Human and Martian figures are used - this appears to be a "Dancing With the Stars in the Stars" entry.

Mars Re-Mission Entry: the Mix-TBL

Ian Healy, creator of the Adventures of the S-Team, has submitted a swanky entry to the Mars Re-Mission contest. However, it is a bit of a spoiler for some of his upcoming strips. As such, I haven't included a photo of his entry in this blog post.

You'll have to follow this link to see his MiX-TBL in all its glory.

(It's only a *mild* spoiler. I think. But I know some of you are purists....)

Mars Re-Mission Entry: The Funkatron2001

Another new take on the Astro Fighter - this time builder Scott Albert presents us with a mech-like application. His creation? The Funkatron2001.

Scott included a 3meg GIF of the Funkatron2001 in action, so I took the liberty of condensing it down to a 300k AVI. (Probably could have gone even smaller with it, but that was the only converter I had handy this morning.) No sound, but well worth your 16 seconds.

Click the link or photo above to see his full entry page, and to watch the video.

Sooper pimpin' Mars ReMission Lounge Chair

Another day, another sweet entry into the Mars Remission contest.

Today, RC-Regular TK-1420 shares with us his Sooper pimpin' Mars ReMission Lounge Chair.

His entry is in the form an ad - and a bit too large to show the full image on the blog page. So take a moment and check out his entry page here. You'll be glad you did.

Mars Re-Mission Entries

I have two more entries to the Mars Re-Mission contest to share with you this morning. Both were submitted by RC Regular takua-777.

First up is his "MX Fighter."



(As usual, click on the image to go to the full entry page.)

I'd gripe about the lack of theming, but his second entry fares a lot better in that area. It's the "2 Man Disco Walker"



So far we've had a stationary, flying, and now a walking DJ Stand. I'm hoping someone comes up with another peaceful/funky rebuild of this set, and quick!

One other thing the similarity of these early entries points out: If you've got a clever build idea, you might want to submit it sooner rather than later. Otherwise it quite possible someone's going to beat you to the punch...

Also, just in clarification, builders are NOT going to lose points for using MORE than just the base kit. HOW you make use of the base kit parts is the key. As long as you use the parts, and use them well, you'll do fine. (I've updated the main contest page with this note as well, just in case.)

Anyway - thanks to takua-777 for his entries!

And to the rest of you: Get To Building!

Mars Re-Mission Entry: Dance, Baby, Dance, Mobile Astro Disco

The third entry to the Mars Re-Mission contest has arrived! This time the party goes mobile, as Wolf Read (with an assist by his 5 year old daughter) shares the Dance, Baby, Dance, Mobile Astro Disco



Click on the pic to see the complete entry!

Entries to the Mars Re-Mission contest

The first two entries into the Mars Re-Mission contest were posted today.

The first, the KWS Scorpion Striker, was submitted by RC-Regular, Zack. Not sure he read the "theme" quite right, as this isn't quite the non-violent solution I was hoping for. But it's still a nice piece of work. You can click on the pic to see the full entry page.




Next up was an entry from newcomer George Fox. His entry, the Starlite Disco DJ Station, is right on in terms of theme. In fact, it seems almost lifted right from the contest rules. Again, you can click through for more views.



There's still plenty of time to get in on this contest - for full rules and instructions, check out the main contest page!