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ChocolateFrogs

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Blog Entries posted by ChocolateFrogs

  1. ChocolateFrogs
    If you've seen me walking around with one of my two messenger bags (probably at a convention) then you know of all the buttons in my collection. But since I probably only have one bag with me, you haven't seen all of them! And if you haven't met me then you're missing out on this spectacle. The collection started with buttons for sale from anime conventions' Artist Alleys, and have expanded thanks to comic shops and other events.
     
    I've got a pretty nifty button collection:
     

     
    And that's not everything! I also have a handful of buttons on my lanyard at work (Barnes and Noble) featuring things we sell, like a LEGO pin, "Don't Panic," Ravenclaw crest, TFIOS clouds, and a TARDIS button.
     
    Not to mention that my old computer is decked out with all kinds of stickers (Relient K, Hogwarts crest, LEGO logo, and even a Stargate SG-1 patch). The only reason I haven't put new stickers on my new laptop is because I've been collecting so many that now they won't all fit!
     
    The buttons are always a conversation starter and I'm always looking for more. In fact, I already have a couple of new ones! SO MANY!
     
    Yes, I'll be at BrickFair so you can ogle at a bag (and donate to its contents ).
     
    -CF
  2. ChocolateFrogs
    Hanging out with 55555 today and tomorrow! There's a small LEGO display going on called Scouting for Bricks in Leesburg, VA, where AFOLs (and kids) display the MOCs and the money from the public visiting fee supports the local boy scout troop putting it on! I was pleasantly surprised to see Fivey was there and made me realize I really should have coordinated with him to see if he was going to a local thing.
     

     
    We've been having some fun (like going to Free Comic Book Day during lunch), not to mention displaying the only quality Bionicle MOCs there.
     
    Of course, I couldn't leave BZP out:

    (Not to mention my BZP staff shirt!)
     
    Haven't seen Fivey since BrickCon. I should hang out with local BZPers more often.
     
    If you're in the NOVA area and want to see some neat MOCs and meet some BZPers, plus support a good cause, come on by Sunday!
     
    -CF
    (These photos were uploaded from my phone. I hadn't used the Flickr app yet, but it was useful. The filter I used for improving the lighting/colors gave it the weird curve on the edges, making me roll my eyes like one does at such phone filters.)
  3. ChocolateFrogs
    When it's time to call in the heroes, you assemble a few extras from your collection to amass a grand team.
     
    What does that include? Cyborg, Supergirl, Aquaman, the Superior Spider-Man*, Agent Venom, Namor, Maria Hill, Wasp, Ant-Man, and Rogue!
     

     

     

     

     
    And a little revisioning to War Machine?
     

     
    Finally, a WIP of Hawkman:
     

     
    The mace is from Brick Forge. They're awesome.
     
    Coming soon: Green Arrow, Iceman (actually just Electro. Maybe I'll find some white hair.), and some new Doctor Who minifigs. I've got the official Flash fig (and Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter), but if only I could get some sort of Green Lantern fig...

    -CF
    *Still a WIP
  4. ChocolateFrogs
    A new collaborative display appeared at BrickFair VA 2012: The Pharaoh's Labyrinth! Led by a WAMALUG member, this display drew its inspiration from Indiana Jones and The Mummy (among other things I'm sure) as explorers led an adventure into the newly uncovered pyramid entrance that led them to a pharaoh's tomb, but not without first testing them with and endless amount of perils as they wound through the Pharaoh's Labyrinth!
     
    I brought a small addition to last year's display, Pharaoh's Scuba Tank, but I'm working on some more additions for this year. Take a gander:
     

    Wrong destination!
     

    Lined up with another section.
     

    A work in progress, this large 32x32 stud display has since been filled up with tiles along the floor and will house something larger than minifig baddies for our fearless explorers when it goes to a smaller display in a few weeks! I have even bigger plans for this portion come BrickFair in August.
     

    Everything lined up at a LUG meeting yesterday.
     
    Between this and a few other ideas, I'll be working on, and bringing, quite a few new MOCs to BrickFair this year!
     
    -CF
  6. ChocolateFrogs
    Man, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was awesome! If you have any inclination to see what the best Marvel superhero movie put out (not counting The Avengers) looks like, you owe it to yourself to see it.
     
    For those that have, I present some commentary:
     
     
    -CF
  7. ChocolateFrogs

    D F T B A

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    IS

    ANYONE

    HERE

    A

    NERDFIGHTER?

     
    -CF
    (I've been figuring out this entry for years. But, I've been watching the Vlogbrothers since April 2011 and John Green is one of my favorite authors. I figure that now they're better known, but I could be wrong.)
  8. ChocolateFrogs
    Alright, let's get to it:
     
    60006 Police ATV

    Because a getaway wheel-barrel is the best getaway vehicle.
     
    76014 Spider-Trike vs. Electro

    Literally the only reason to buy this set is for Electro, for some reason; or if you haven't picked up a Spider-Man fig within the past ten years of Spidey sets, but even then the other sets are better.
     
    2014 Hero Factory

    Three words: LEGO Pacific Rim
     
    70128 Braptor’s Wing Striker

    That bat looks like a Ferengi.
     
    (If you like these I'll think of more. Have any of your own?)
     
    -CF
  9. ChocolateFrogs
    I'm a "90's Kid," so various LEGO themes from that decade are close to my heart. This most definitely includes the space themes, especially Exploriens. So without further ado, I give you my Exploriens Orion Class SHIP: The Exuberant.
     

    (Microspace. Minifigs would be so cramped in something like this.)
     
    You'll notice it looks different on the other side:

     
    This Neo Exploriens ship was inspired by the Orion of Stargate Atlantis, and boasts a length of 103-studs and about $140 in BrickLink orders as well as use of my own pieces (a SHIP has to be over 100 studs long). At BrickFair 2011 I even lit it up:

    (It's just taken me three years to finally take photos, but even with these I think I'll try another shot at it at the end of the month.)
     
    This currently resides at the LEGO Store at Potomac Mills in Woodbridge, Virginia, in WAMALUG's Window to the Community display for March:

    (See more.)
     
    You've seen the other Neo 90s Space ships I've posted these past few days, including Insectoids, Robo Force, UFO, and Ice Planet 2002. All of these Neo 90s MOCs pay homage to the original themes but explore building with pieces, colors, and techniques of the present.
     
    While I've built various space ships between this big guy and now, it still remains as one of my best works and a source of inspiration for me, making me want to build another, and better, SHIP.
     
    Those of you who knew this blog entry was long overdue, thanks for being patient. I hope everyone likes it!
     
    I've made a topic in the forums, but I don't mind if you post here too/instead.
     
    More pictures can be found on BrickShelf and Flickr.
     
    -CF
  10. ChocolateFrogs
    Two more Neo Micro Space MOCs for a display! I have fond memories of both Robo Force and Insectoids and couldn't resist making some advanced designs in micro scale for them! I still have an Insectoid mask hanging on my wall and the Robo Raider is (99%) still built!
     
    So, joining my Neo Micro 90s Space fleet with Ice Planet and UFO are these two:
     

     
    And I assure you, there's bigger stuff coming!
     
    -CF
    (Gosh how can I take better photos? )
  12. ChocolateFrogs
    Remember back at the end of summer I reported that Marvel was releasing various comics with variant covers featuring classic covers redone with LEGO figs? Turns out they were going to be ratio variants and thus rarer (and more expensive) than the usual cover price. (Ratio variants are sold one for every 25 normal covers a retailer orders, or whatever the ratio is. This makes them rare and acceptable for the retailer to sell them for a higher price.)
     
    Well, go forward a few months to now, and I am now the proud owner of two of those! (For a significantly lower price than if I bought them for $20 each at my local comic shop.) The total for these two was $21. I was surprised, but happy, that they were less on Ebay.)
     

     
    I'm going to give one to BrickFair for the silent auction supporting the Slade Child Foundation, the question is, which one? Which one do you think would garner the highest bid amongst AFOLs?
     
    Pros of the Spidey cover:
    -Marvel's #1 poster-boy.
    -Action scene.
    -Including an arch-nemesis.
     
    Pros of the Wolverine cover:
    -Marvel's #2 poster-boy.
    -Close-up with those claws.
    -Better art (imo).
     
    And then I'll probably frame the other one (once I get around to framing my other favorite covers too).
     
    -CF
  13. ChocolateFrogs
    I dropped the ball on posting this during the first week or so of the new year, but I've also dropped the ball on reading a bunch so far this year. Luckily a "year" is just a social construct of time and as long as I'm happy reading and getting things on my shelf completed it's ok if I need a moment to get my groove back.
     
    I'm not going to list out all the books I want to read in 2014, especially because new books pop up and I read some of those and thus don't get around to a few others. But here are the ones I'm most looking forward to:
     
    -Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest--I just started this steampunk adventure for a tumblr book club, and I already love the writing style! About time I read this (though luckily, I've only owned a copy for a year. Some of these are even older.)
     
    -S. by J J Abrams--I'm 100 pages into this too. If you don't know, it is an adventure story of a man names S. who is piecing his life together, while at the same time written in the margins are two college students writing back and forth getting to know one another while also trying to figure out the mystery of the author's life (not Abrams, the author of the story).
     
    -Garden of the Beasts, Devil in the White City, and Thunderstruck, by Erik Larson--I should have read these last year, since two are borrowed from my grandma and Devil has been recommended to me too often. There aren't too many other non-fiction books on this list.
     
    -Quiet by Susan Cain--OK, another non-fiction book. I should have finished this by now, but regardless of that I'm quite looking forward to this book about introverts.
     
    -Return of the King and the Hobbit--Because I should have read these by now. (I read the Hobbit for 9th grade, but want to again before the third movie. But first I need to read King; I just finished The Two Towers in December.)
     
    -Good Omens by Neil Gaiman--I'm making my way through Neil Gaiman's bibliography, and I plan on reading this with a friend.
     
    -Dresden Files--I should really start this series soon.
     
    -Hitchhiker's Guide Books 5 and 6 (and Salmon of a Doubt)--Again, why haven't I read these?
     
    -The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson--I own all three. Hopefully I'll read them all in one month. Soon.
     
    -Game of Thrones--This was a gift, and I plan on starting it after I finish LOTR.
     
    -The Harry Potter series--It's about time I reread these. I'll probably buy the movies and watch each one as I finish a volume. (I haven't read books 3, 4, or 5 again since they first came out.)
     
    -Shada, a Fourth Doctor Doctor Who story by Douglas Adams--Should be wonderful!
     
    -Snow Crash, Dune, Cloud Atlas, Windup Girl, The Warlords of Mars, some Sherlock Holmes, and Solar all make this list too, among others.
     
    The goal now is to make enough time between work, other duties, socializing, sleep, comics, and tv.
     
    Anything here pique your interest? What are you hoping to read this year?
     
    -CF
  14. ChocolateFrogs
    Look who I found hiding with some other figs on display on my shelf:
     

     
    Looking forward to seeing Benny, and all the other characters, on Sunday night. You know, when there is the lowest chance of little kids in the theater because school is the next day.*
     
    -CF
    *Because a midnight showing or something at 10 PM wouldn't work for me.
  15. ChocolateFrogs

    In His Element

    By ChocolateFrogs,

    I was inspired to go out into the snow today and take a picture of an Ice Toa in his natural environment:
     

     
    I built this guy about six years ago (as well as the rest of his team) and even wrote a short story around him (I was originally going to write an epic, and I built the Toa team central to it). Short story shorter: During an epic battle to save his land, after his other five Toa teammates have fallen, he releases a nova blast of ice, stopping the threat but being encased in a cocoon of ice. Now, millennia later, he has thawed (Captain America-style), only to have icy protrusions become a part of his armor, affirming his icy nature.

    The team of six I built is not his original team that perished, but a new team he has become a part of. More details to follow when I finally take decent pictures of all six.
     
    Is Koji a good name for a Toa? I seem to think so.

    -CF
  16. ChocolateFrogs
    I have a small obsession with collecting books.* Working in a bookstore, my employee discount makes for tempting impulse-buys, leading to having about 100 books but having only read about 40% of those.** A full bookshelf looks nice. It's impressive. It's a finish line goal; me always knowing I'll have something to pick up immediately upon finishing a book.
     
    But it does seem like I should slow down my book-buying until I actually finish a lot of these. Especially when a handful of these are borrowed or gifts.
     
    Here's what my bookshelf looked like in August. (Oops, procrastination.) Today it's a little different, but I pretty much gained a lot of graphic novels and a few novels, and about 15 are lent to a friend. So this is still fairly accurate.
     


    (That last pic is my comics.)
     
    And some LEGO on the other shelves:

     
    See anything you like? Have just as many (or more) books piling up as me?
     
    In a few days I'll reflect on what gems are on this shelf I have read this year, and what next year holds for my reading anticipation.
     
    -CF
     
    *I also have an affinity for hardcovers. Just look at this binding of The Night Circus! (The American Gods 10th anniversary edition has a beautiful binding too!)
     
    **Surprisingly, a lot of these books aren't from work, but gifts or collected over the years. I've learned to stray away from impulse-buys, especially since I probably won't read it for a few months.
  17. ChocolateFrogs
    2013 was a good year for me in reading. I only read about 20 or so novels, when I really wanted to read more than that, but I'm sure that was more than my four years of college combined (due to classwork), and was greatly stemmed from my realization after graduation that I suddenly had more time to read (and boy did I take advantage of that once the summer hit).
     
    Here are my favorite reads of 2013:
     
    -American Gods by Neil Gaiman: The most brilliantly-written books I've read. It's fantastic.
     
    -The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: This is a book I would recommend for any avid reader, anyone who enjoys a good story.
     
    -The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Beautifully written, with some well-written characters and great scenery. Great imagination put into this.
     
    -Redshirts by John Scalzi: Hilarious sci-fi parody.
     
    -Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: An exhilarating action movie in book form. For fans of video games and virtual reality.
     
    -Batman: Arkham Asylum (A Serious House on a Serious Earth) by Grant Morrison and, more importantly, art by Dave McKean
     
    -I finsihed reading The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman: Best graphic novel series ever.
     
    -Saga vol 1 by Brian K Vaughn: Described as a cross between Star Wars and A Song of Ice and Fire, it's pretty much awesome.
     
    -Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (and, to a lesser extent, but still enjoyable, Fangirl). Both well-written in their own right, but I think I like Eleanor and Park more. I even met the author and had her sign an X-Men comic (a central prop in E&P).
     
    -A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (I got to meet the author at the National Book Festival!).
     
    I also read a few duds (as well as just quit some partway through). IMO you'd be better off not reading The Cassandra Project, The Archived, or Best of All Possible World.
     
    What does 2014 hold in store? I'll be posting about that next!
     
    -CF
  18. ChocolateFrogs
    Often heard, especially in retail, like the bookstore where I work, is that giving a gift card seems "too impersonal." And that makes sense. If you know the person well, then, theoretically, you should know which book/game/CD/LEGO set/etc to get them as a gift. I helped a friend choose out a LEGO set for our friend, and I found something I know he didn't have but would enjoy. Other times, I might have, say, my brother's Christmas list, so know what to get him.
     
    But on the other hand, knowing exactly what they want can be tough. Often customers (especially relatives and family friends) don't know what someone has already read (for my example), or has a hard time pinpointing what to buy someone. When it's easy, great. When it's hard, I feel a gift card says you know the person well enough to shop at that store.
     
    Plus, in my case at least, receiving a gift card to someplace I shop frequently is great because it means I can buy stuff without expense to me. (Like when my parents got me a gift card to my comic shop for my birthday.)
     
    Point being, sometimes it's just as great giving someone a gift card and reliving a bit of their spending, or letting them choose exactly what they've been wanting for a while but haven't told anyone.
     
    -CF
  19. ChocolateFrogs
    Might as well say it sooner rather than later: I don't plan on going to BrickFair Alabama in January or Bricks Cascade in March. I need to buy a new computer as the new year rolls over* and probably a new bike come springtime (mine got stolen in September).
     
    Convince me to go to a springtime/summertime convention within a few hours drive? Go for it. But a whole day's drive mid-south or flight out west (as wonderful as Portland and its inhabitants are) isn't a good idea for me.**
     
    -CF
    *This thing is 5+ years old!
    **Make it rain money and then we can talk plane fare.
  22. ChocolateFrogs
    After seven years, the title is finally official! I am the Piraka Fusionist!
     
    It's still built! It even came to BrickFair this year! I'll probably bring it to BrickCon because why not?*
     

     
    It's nowhere near a decent MOC, especially after I've built other, better things, but this guy has to have a special place in my heart, and there isn't anything I'd change about it. (Well, that tail's tip is pretty ridiculous. Hey, I was 16.)
     
    Just go look at one of my posts and look at my new, fancy title!
     
    -CF
    *Luggage. That's why not.
  23. ChocolateFrogs
    I have a handful of favorite comic book artists: Chris Bachalo, Stuart Immonen (those All-New X-Men covers, am I right?), Dave McKean, and recently Jae Lee in Batman/Superman (apologies to Jack Kirby, though I'll soon read some FF comics drawn by him), but none of them have drawn my #1 favorite cover ever.
     
    See, now and then a comic might get published with a blank variant cover made from hard stock paper, the purpose being for commissions, presumably from a well-known comic artist visiting a convention (or your 2-year-old who likes Batman). I took a slightly less orthodox approach and handed my comic over to a friend.
     
    Don't take this notion lightly. This was a paid commission (in various terms), but it was worth every penny. And, while everything comes with a price, I'm sure she'll be up for earning a bit of cash for commissions if you just drop her a PM.
     
    Without further ado, this is the lovely Lady Kopaka's fantastic, wonderful, too-good-for-words-like-those-raptors drawing of Batman and Superman on Batman/Superman #1, N52, published in June.
     


     
    I especially like how the capes flow with their length. And the backgrounds for each character. And the attention to detail, like Clark's t-shirt instead of his suit since that's what he has in this issue.
     
    Now I just gotta figure out how to frame this!
     
    -CF
    (Seriously though, send her a PM and see if she has the time for commissions. She likes making money off of her talent.)
  24. ChocolateFrogs
    The BrickFair withdrawl really hit me hard this year, as I love you all (well, most of you, not you, and you're ok... you know who you are ) and as such strong bonds were formed and reformed saying goodbye until who-knows-when was really hard.
     
    But what I especially realized as I left everyone after our final dinner was how much fun we are compared to my local friends and friends from college. Maybe because I see them more often it's not as tough, or maybe because I know them so much better it's no question I'll see them again soon; but really it's more about how much of an awesome time I have with BZP and how average hanging out is with my usual friends.
     
    I guess we just party hard (BZParty?) at the big get togethers instead of keeping it average.
     
    Can't let my local friends see this post thought. XD
     
    -CF
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