Jump to content

ChocolateFrogs

Premier Reporters
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    7,190

  • Joined

  • Days Won

    1

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by ChocolateFrogs

  1. ChocolateFrogs
    The Bricks Cascade LEGO convention took place this weekend in Portland, Oregon. After hearing from friends how it's worth visiting, this year I was able to see for myself!
     
    At about 200 AFOL attendees, it was a little small for what I was used to. But that meant a much higher chance of snagging deals, getting into some games and taking home some freebies.
     
    On Friday I played the Mixels Mix Up, where players combined two Mixels sets into something else (using all the pieces). I got third place in the judging (and more free sets)! And then on Saturday I got second place in the one-handed speed build with a City set! (No prize.) And since everyone was guaranteed to win a big set, I won the latest iteration of the Mos Eisley Cantina set! There were a few other perks due to support LEGO has started contributing to conventions.
     
    There were plenty of cool MOCs on display (pictures coming soon to the front page), some big, some small, and something that stood out in every theme. Keep in mind the con was "tiny" by my usual standards, but MOCs were still impressive both for the attendees and the public.
     
    Speaking of the public, Micah tipped me off that local Marvel Comics scribe Matt Fraction was visiting on Saturday. Due to my wishful thinking (wishful hoping) that he would, I wore my Hawkeye #3 "Because boomerangs" t-shirt, met him and had him sign it! (Majhost is down, so no pictures.) He immediately recognized the shirt to which I said it was my favorite issue. It was really cool meeting him since I missed out at New York Comic Con.
     
    For me, the main attraction has become less on MOCs and sales and more on hanging out with friends! Getting to the West Coast has different advantages than the East Coast, so I was able to see some friends I haven't seen in years, and some friends I haven't seen in months. Other members also attended, so making new friends was just another perk. You know who you all are. It was great to be able to spend time with everyone, and I think I divided my time appropriately (and hanging out as a group was great too).
     
    I also made sure I took some time to hike the famed great outdoors of Oregon. On Monday xccj and I hiked Eagle Creek and then stopped by Multnomah Falls. Due to the weekend's rain, all the waterfalls along the Eagle Creek trail were at full blast and made for some amazing scenery. Absolutely beautiful. It was great to be able to go hiking and get some fresh air, something I hadn't done in way too long.
     
    And now, another fun event has come and gone. I wholeheartedly recommend seeing if there is a LEGO convention or similar event in your area (even if going is a committed day trip) for any country. BZPower aims to have a large presence at many of the US-based conventions, discussed in our Event forum along with the goal to display your MOCs!
     
    My next big event will be BrickFair VA in August, but I plan on building some more between now and then. Events like this rejuvenate my inspiration to build something different and, if I really want to aim towards some awards, big and unique.
     
    Until then, leg godt!
     
    -CF
  2. ChocolateFrogs
    He didn't turn out exactly how I would have liked, but a custom torso extending its length and reducing the neck will better match his long arms (which have to be that way if I want the layered CCBS otherwise it won't look like encompassing armor) and fix that.
     
    But I don't think those changes will come before Bricks Cascade, which is a shame because there's a whole super hero theme going on. Luckily I just built another hero which I'll hopefully post quickly.
     

     
    (Yes it's a terrible photo but it's a WIP so ha.)
     
    I've been itching to use that mask for Iron Man's gold/black armor since October.
     
    -CF
  3. ChocolateFrogs

    Shiny Cunning Hat

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    I learned how to knit three and a half years ago so I could make a Fourth Doctor Scarf from Doctor Who. I recently picked up the knitting needles again to make my own Jayne Hat from Firefly:
     

     
    How's it sit? Pretty cunning, don't you think?
     
    It's actually a tad smaller than I'd like, so I think I'll make a second, better one over the summer.
     
    -CF
  4. ChocolateFrogs

    Bioni-Barfs

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    I built a few small things to show off my early-received Bionicle pieces at December's WAMALUG* meeting (remember?). While that's not much to brag about now, I still enjoyed breaking out the Bionicle pieces and trying a few things out, and at the very least making use of new masks, weapons, and ideas.
     

    I had been wanting to use Gali's new golden mask (especially on red), and saw this as a great chance. (Hand design borrowed from Bundalings.)
     

     

     
    You've heard of Figbarfs? Fiddling with minifigs to see what gets made? Think of these as Bioni-barfs.
     
    And I've been doing a little bit more building too. I should have some new stuff for BrickFair!
     
    -CF
    *My local LEGO Users Group
  5. ChocolateFrogs
    As I see my mom's classic Winter Village display, I'm suddenly regretting not collecting the winter sets LEGO makes just like these. This will have to do:
     

     
    Because really, that's an impossibly absurd amount of snow.
     
    -CF
    (This almost as great as me putting a TARDIS in the Creche under the tree.)
  6. ChocolateFrogs

    First!

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    You know when you're working on something cool hoping it never gets usurped by official things? Well, I just want to go on record as having made Green Arrow, Cyborg, Supergirl, Captain Cold, and Hawkman minifigs.
     
    Because.
     

     
    Hehe.
     
    Seriously though, I'm becoming obsessed with making my own figs from DC and Marvel comics, and have a list of 20 more I want to make. Good guys, bad guys, known or obscure. And as soon as I figure out water-slide decals, they'll look even cooler.
     
    -CF
  7. ChocolateFrogs

    Boooooooooks!

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    The good news is I organized by bookshelves that I've improved the storage capacity, mostly by stacking mass markets up and putting hardbacks behind other hardbacks. (Sure, I can't see all the mass markets at once, but I've put the important ones on the top.)
     
    The bad news is I will probably just have to lay any new books out flat on top of stacks rather than spine out.
     
    The good news is I probably shouldn't be buying any more books anyway?
     
    The bad news is I have about 60 unread books.
     
    The good news is I'm working on reading books I believe I'd be inclined to give away/lend which means they won't be on my shelves then.
     
    The bad news my structure of reading every day in 2013 kind of fell to pieces in 2014 with LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, LEGO building for a March display and then BrickFair and then a non-existent January 2015 display.
     
    The good news is I want to change that and read every day and hopefully knock out a bunch of those books!
     
    The bad news is I'd feel kind of bad not reading books given to me as gifts or books I've bought (so, all of them), which means I'm not going to just ignore some in favor of others.
     
    The good news is: books!
     
    -CF
  8. ChocolateFrogs

    Things to Come

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    Showed off some things at WAMALUG yesterday. LEGO comic covers, custom purist minifigs, and some experimentation with the new 2015 Bionicle parts:
     

     
    I also got to hang out with 55555 after, continuing to prove that meeting people from the internet isn't a bad life decision! (Seriously though, kids, be careful.)
     
    More photos to come!
     
    -CF
  9. ChocolateFrogs
    Chima has some great humanoid, anthropomorphic animal characters, and the sets are really cool too.
     
    But we all know LEGO could do more. We've seen snakes in Ninjago. Atlantis had some great aquatic life minifigs. The Collectible Minifig Series has had their fair share of animal figs. So let's see the exploration and go deeper into the jungle:
     

     
    Not only can we dive deep with some stingrays (and sharks, which I don't have), but buzzing around with bugs makes sense too. Mosquitoes and other creepy-crawlies found in the jungle.
     
    But let's not stop at things like snakes and lizard-men. Embrace mythology and throw in the legendary Lost Griffon Tribe (and maybe search the maze for the Minotaur, but watch out for the Medusa (or rather, don't watch out)).
     
    And of course, let's have some samurai pandas.
     
    Time to make some Chima MOCs?
     
    -CF
  11. ChocolateFrogs

    Comic Con Loot

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    Between all the great comic writers and artists at New York Comic Con last weekend, there were more than a few I wanted to meet. I was able to get some great artwork and even a few autographs, all of which make some of my comics prized possessions in my collection.
     

     
    I first saw Ben Hatke's book Julia's House for Lost Creatures at work two weeks ago, and have since been hand-selling it to customers and I even requested some of Hatke's Zita the Spacegirl graphic novel series with the popular rise of kids' graphic novels. I was delighted when I heard he would be at NYCC, and even more so when he gave me this small sketch planning out a page in the picture book before doing the larger painting. Awesome!

     
    Another artist I've greatly enjoyed for a about two years is Yale Stewart and his webcomic JL8, with 8-year-old Justice League members. I picked up some prints for my siblings and myself, and commissioned him to draw on my blank Swamp Thing cover. We haven't seen Alec Holland's green avatar in the comic, and as far as I know this is the only JL8-version of him around (so far). It's definitely a favorite.
     
     
    I was debating the logistics of standing in line just to get an autograph, but there's something rewarding in meeting someone you appreciate on an entertainment level in the form of a signature. I stood in a few lines, but for the most part simply had to say "hi" at a booth in Artists' Alley. And man, it's really cool being able to do that. I couldn't get some of the big names (Scott Snyder, Dan Slott, Geoff Johns, Matt Fraction) since they weren't signing or their lines were too long, but I was able to get some stuff from writers and artists I really like:
     

     
    Jeff Lemire is my favorite writer at DC Comics, so meeting him was amazing. (Better yet, the next day it was announced he'll be writing Hawkeye for Marvel in March 2015!)
     

     
    Swamp Thing is also one of my favorite characters, and I was able to get artist Yannick Paquette's autograph on Issue #0 and rising writer Charles Soule's autograph on a great cover of his Swamp Thing run (he's set to start a Marvel exclusive contract early next year).
     

     
    Other creators I met were Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato from The Flash, Andy Lanning from 2008's Guardians of the Galaxy, Ben Templesmith of The Squidder (his own title), artist Ivan Reis from Aquaman and Blackest Night, and Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder from Rocket Girl.
     

     
    Finally, the LEGO events on Thursday yielded me some quality time with some CEE Team members, including Julie's business card minifig and some great building parts! The pioneer Duplo came from the new Flatiron LEGO Store's opening weekend celebration!
     
    Of course, the best thing I took away from the weekend was the memories made by hanging out with good friends. (Or is it the LEGO? Priorities, hmm...)
     
    -CF
  12. ChocolateFrogs
    Marvel: No secret identities!*
    DC: This small piece of fabric covering their eyes protects their identity!
     
    Marvel: Legacy characters!
    DC: Maybe some legacy characters.
     
    Marvel: New tone in character, new costume!
    DC: The same costume for 50+ years.
     
    Accurate? Or am I being too harsh on DC?
     
    Have any more?
     
    -CF
    *To an extent
  13. ChocolateFrogs
    Usually I build a set and take it apart a few days later for the pieces. And while the Milano has plenty of great pieces I want to use, I decided to spare it for a while and show it off.
     

     
    While usually any sets I decide to keep around are displayed on my shelf, the Milano is pretty big. Luckily I've got this plant hook in my ceiling to take advantage of!
     
    I've hung stuff before at the LEGO Store displays I've done, so I knew fishing line would work and the best way to coordinate it.
     
    Looks good!
     
    -CF
  14. ChocolateFrogs

    BIONICLE "Reboot"

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    All this quibbling over a reboot or a continuation of the Bionicle story has been getting overdramatic, IMO. I feel I have a much more simpler take on it that doesn't negate the 10-year story we've all deeply loved:
     
    Think of the "reboot" (as it will inevitably be) in terms of an alternate universe (despite LEGO probably not ever admitting it's like that or doing a "crossover."). Look at Marvel and DC comics. They all have a main universe for most of their stories, but then they've branched out to other universes with the same/similar characters but with a few different traits in their characterization/portrayal/origin.
     
    For example, many Marvel stories take place on "Earth 616." This is essentially our own universe but with superheroes. Every now and then we see someone hop over to another universe, with changes like other people being alive/dead that are dead/alive on Earth 616 or the social status/business position or someone (like a bad guy) being different. In 2000 Marvel started a comic book line called with the Ultimate universe, the Earth 1610 version of Marvel heroes. Things were different, but similar. Fans could enjoy the different stories now able to be told without worrying about continuity or repeating the exact stories (though sometimes the original story is retold with a twist somewhere).
     
    DC Comics currently has Earth Prime and Earth 2, and every now and then we see Earth 3, or Earth 23, etc. Earth Prime is our Earth but with heroes and stuff, and Earth 2 currently has experienced a slightly different timeline. While there are many heroes that are recognized, they are vastly different from the Earth Prime heroes we know. They are getting entirely new stories without risk of rehashing things. Similar elements still might appear though, just with little tweaks.
     
    So, I expect the same kind of treatment from Bionicle. We're going to see many similar things that remind us that yes, this is the Bionicle world we feel comfortable in. But we're also going to see many new things, from character armor* to bad guys and goals. Some of that is obvious with the whole "Mask of Creation" thing, some of it just might be wishful thinking in the hopes for change, familiarity, and some changes that are rooted in the familiar. Takua might not be the Herald of the Mask of Light, for example, but we might see the Avohkii pop up eventually. See what I'm getting at?
     
    While a continuation of the story would be a great way to take what we know and grow with it through new stories, seeing a reboot will still take the familiar and still make new stories. And it makes it accessible to new fans ready to take in the new mythology.
     
    -CF
    *Armor/looks isn't that big a deal. Superheroes change their outfit looks all the time. Even the Toa Nuva did it in 2008.
  15. ChocolateFrogs

    Yaaaar!

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    Ahoy! We can't be forget'n that today be International Talk Like a Pie-rate Day, aye?
     
    Be sure to put yer sea-legs on an' wave at that horizon over yonder, and don't forget to give your timbers a good shiverin'!
     

     
    Savvy?
     
    -CF
  16. ChocolateFrogs

    Mass Quantities

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    Being in a LUG has its perks!
     

    My favorite portion of this is 50 white lightsaber hilts!
    I'll probably use the tan for another Pharaoh's Labyrinth, unless xccj and I make another Warehouse 13 collab, in which case it'll turn into a pyramid. The 1x2 grey and white slopes will probably be used on future space MOC endeavors.
     
    I also got these leftovers after our March LEGO event at work:

     
    Luckily these are sorted. I still have a large box (for me) of pieces to sort soon.
    -CF
  17. ChocolateFrogs

    LEGO Buttons!

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    The LEGO button market is something that is truly lacking. I have some, I know some friends who have some, but I heard quite a few lamentations at BrickFair this year about how the lack of LEGO buttons is disappointing.
     
    It just so happens that a friend has a button maker, so we punched these out, and a few others, at WAMALUG after BrickFair:

     
    So who wants them? I think there's a real market for LEGO buttons at the BrickFair Yard Sale. $2 each, and deals if you get 5 or 10 or a large bunch. All kinds of themes, including whatever LEGO catalogs from the mid-2000s I have lying around contain.
    Except...what's the legality of selling these? They are LEGO's product images, yet I want to repurpose them for my own profit. Where do I start to figure it all out?
    (That said, PM me and I'll get you the Joker, Emmet, and Wyldsyle buttons for $5 (+ $2 shipping) and the Gandalf, Elrond, Urak-Hai and dead King for $8 (+ $2 shipping).)
     
    I have a handful of LotR/Hobbit instructions, some superhero stuff and some LEGO Movie stuff, plus a bit of Hero Factory and maybe a few other things. I also have some catalogs ranging from 2000 to 2013, including Rahkshi and Metru Nui, plus my own instructions dating back from the 90s to today and anything LUG members give me for the button endeavor.
     
    What kind of buttons do you want to see? These are an inch-and-a-quarter, which I think is perfect.
     
    -CF
  18. ChocolateFrogs
    UPDATE: BrickFair display photos!
     
    It has been an ambition of mine to build as accurate of a Stargate as I could, and I'm ecstatic to finally have built one! Check out my topic in SBC to comment.
     

     
     
    My BrickShelf has a few more photos, and my Flickr has the pictures featured currently.
     
    This particular diorama is designed to fit right in with the Pharaoh's Labyrinth display at BrickFair VA 2014, as another portion of the Egyptian rooms leading to the pharaoh's tomb and treasure, such as the other two vignettes I've made.
     
    Speaking of, here is what it looked like with everything else!

    (And my TARDIS.)

     
    Next, I need some golf clubs to recreate the best episode ever!
     
    -CF
  19. ChocolateFrogs

    BF14 Loot

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    I strayed away from vendors most of the time (though next year I'm going to consciously allot some funds for sifting through parts bins for chunks of colors), but bought a few things that were on my mind and a few other things that popped out at the Yard Sale (non-vendors selling their stuff one/two evening(s)).
     

     
    Some of that was free, some of that was traded, and some of that was bought. Not a bad deal there though, and I'm happy with my yield.
     
    The crazy ax on the left is from Crazy Bricks' Munchkin stuff, as a prototype. Winners of my Munchkin card games Thursday afternoon also won a grey prototype piece! The specialty weapons are either from BrickArms (they have some cool sci-fi guns if you look past the young kids fawning over the military stuff), BrickForge, or BrickWarriors.
     
    I also got a Star Wars planet for a dollar, for another hot air balloon. I was also able to get a pack of the Studs trading cards which included a few favorite builders of mine, so that was a win!
     
    I don't know where that white smiley minifig head is from (help!), but I'm sure it's worth more than I paid for it.
     
    More BrickFair stuff to come!
     
    -CF
  20. ChocolateFrogs
    This year I've managed to build for ten different BrickFair themes. I was hoping for more, but time got the better of me.
     
    Still, I like my ten:
    -Bionicle
    -Space
    -Micro
    -Wind/ Air (this year's theme)
    -Pop Culture
    -Pharaoh's Labyrinth
    -Other
    -Mini-Con
    -Steampunk
    -Great Ball Contraption
     
    That said, my GBC module still has some kinks to work out and was not displayed. I'll continue to work on that, as well as some things for themes like Castle and Mosaic to display in even more themes next year!
     
    I better get building, but first I have some sorting to do.
     
    -CF
  21. ChocolateFrogs
    I've been ambiguously revealing my progress on this for the past few weeks, but here it is, my completed Great Ball Contraption module:
     

     
    Unfortunately it still has some kinks to work out. Luckily the GBC coordinator is a WAMALUG friend and very enthusiastic about the GBC, so is more that happy to help me and anyone else fix up their modules before the public arrives on Saturday. Will we get it fixed? I hope so, but at this point I wouldn't be surprised if we keep it hidden until next year. It's just caused me so much stress the past week trying to figure it all out, I've just stopped caring at this point and want to enjoy the Fair without dedicating my time to this. (I should have done something less ambitious for my first year.) But hey, who knows? Maybe he'll have the magic touch and help me fix it.
     
    -CF
  23. ChocolateFrogs
    Except not? (That title actually kind of works now that I've written my entry.)
     
    Progress on what is to come:
     

     
    But man, I turned it on the other night and everything flew apart (not everything). I've still got work to do!
     
    But I took a quick break from this to build two other small things weighing me down as "I have to get this done before BrickFair too!" so now almost all my focus is on this. (Almost all, because I still have all kinds of things I want to make.)
     
    -CF
  24. ChocolateFrogs
    Or both? (I don't think both is a responsible option.)
     
    Last year I went to BrickCon for the first time, and it was awesome. I saw friends I hadn't seen for years, met new friends, experienced a convention on the other coast and got to visit Seattle again after too long away. I even got to visit Oregon for the first time through Portland which was also really cool. I had been planning on going back, even getting a rewards credit card for redeeming a portion of a plane flight bill.
     
    But friends had been calling me to BricksCascade in March as well, in Portland. Slightly smaller, lots of prizes and free LEGO giveaways, plus the chance to visit another convention. It all sounds like great as to be expected.
     
    But with all the tugging, I haven't chosen a direction (aside from West and slightly North). Help!
     
    I am also considering skipping any of the plane travel and heading up to New York Comic Con in October. It sounds awesome, I know Sisen is going, and it'll be great to be engaged with all the LEGO stuff TLG has put there.
     
    -CF
    The other option is sticking on this coast and going to BrickFair in October, or BrickFair in January. Decisions decisions.
×
×
  • Create New...