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Press Release: The LEGO Group to Produce LEGO Replica of Ghostbusters ECTO-1

Friday, January 31. 2014
BILLUND, Denmark -- The LEGO Group today announced that its latest quarterly review of LEGO® CUUSOO consumer inspiration platform has designated that a LEGO Ghostbusters ECTO-1 will be produced for sale under a licensing agreement from Sony Pictures Consumer Products. The item is the sixth user-designed and submitted product to be manufactured from the LEGO CUUSOO platform after receiving the requisite 10,000 fan votes to be considered for production.

Made famous by the 1984 Ghostbusters film, the ECTO-1 was selected for production due to its broad worldwide appeal and the fact that the iconic model lends itself to challenging and creative building for both children and adult fans. The LEGO replica of ECTO-1 will include minifigures. The model is still in the final design stages and availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

Brent Waller, a 3-D Environment Artist in the video game industry from Brisbane, Australia designed the original model, which he called Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary Concept. Consumers whose LEGO CUUSOO ideas are selected for production earn one percent of the total net sales of the product.

LEGO CUUSOO is the global crowdsourcing platform that allows consumers to submit their ideas for new LEGO products. Submissions that receive 10,000 fan votes on LEGO.cuusoo.com are then reviewed quarterly by the company and considered for production. Other LEGO CUUSOO projects that have been produced for sale include: NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover, the DeLorean time machine from Back to the Future, LEGO Minecraft Microworld, Hayabusa asteroid explorer and the Shinkai 6500 submarine.

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Rock You Like a Hurricane

Wednesday, January 29. 2014
Having missed them the first time around, I'm now collecting the full set of 1/24 Kamen Rider motorcycles through eBay. Progress is not terribly fast—it's been just over a year since I added the New Cyclone—but now I'm another step closer with the Hurricane.

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Roger Harney

Thursday, January 23. 2014
Roger Harney
Roger Harney
c.1936 - January 21, 2014

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Press Release: Toys"R"Us Builds Fan Excitement For The Upcoming Theatrical Release Of "The LEGO Movie"

Wednesday, January 22. 2014
The LEGO Movie

In anticipation of the theatrical release of "The LEGO® Movie" on Friday, February 7, Toys"R"Us® will serve as a go-to destination for building enthusiasts excited to recreate their favorite scenes from the first-ever full-length LEGO adventure film. Customers will find the latest movie-inspired products in a dedicated feature shop in Toys"R"Us stores nationwide beginning Thursday, January 30. Additionally, these all-new items are now available online at Toysrus.com/LEGO. To help fans of all ages celebrate further, all Toys"R"Us stores will host a special event, as well as offer exciting gifts with purchase and a chance to win prizes, while supplies last.

"LEGO construction sets prove to be perennial favorites among our customers, and in recent years, those that allow kids and collectors to bring moments from entertainment properties to life have gained in popularity," said Lisa Harnisch, Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager, Toys, Toys"R"Us, U.S. "LEGO products have even influenced TV shows and movies with the introduction of Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu on Cartoon Network and now 'The LEGO Movie.' One thing is certain, the LEGO brand is engrained in pop culture, and we are thrilled to offer enthusiasts of all ages the broadest assortment of LEGO sets, exclusive items and special events so they can experience the magic of building right in our stores."

On-Screen Action Brought to Life – Brick-by-Brick – with Latest LEGO Movie Merchandise
Beginning Thursday, January 30, through March, shoppers across the country will discover a dedicated feature shop in Toys"R"Us stores filled with brand-new products inspired by epic scenes and fan-favorite characters from "The LEGO Movie." The themed shop will showcase nearly 20 items, from playsets that replicate action-packed adventures, to all-new minifigures and vehicles. Fans can join Emmet, an ordinary LEGO minifigure, on his quest to stop an evil LEGO tyrant from gluing the universe together. "The LEGO Movie" items currently available in-store and online at Toysrus.com/LEGO include:

The LEGO Movie Rescue Reinforcements
Available exclusively at Toys"R"Us stores nationwide and online at Toysrus.com/LEGO, avid builders will enjoy ambushing the biggest Micro Manager from the ground and air after constructing this 859-piece set. Ages 8 to 14 years.

The LEGO Movie Melting Room
With this 122-piece set, younger LEGO lovers can help Wyldstyle free Emmet from the Melting Room and the custody of Lord Business'Robo Police. Ages 6 to 12 years.

The LEGO Movie Cloud Cuckoo Palace
LEGO enthusiasts can join Emmet and Wyldstyle, and meet Unikitty, who leads all the Master Builders in this 197-piece playful paradise, while trying to avoid Lord Business' Executron, who is ready to capture Emmet after trailing the crew. Ages 7 to 14 years.

The LEGO Movie Castle Cavalry
Builders will enjoy recreating the action of an exciting movie scene with this 424-piece set. With an impenetrable castle that turns into an armored cavalry, protecting innocent civilians from the wrath of Lord Business and his men is all in a day's work for Emmet. Ages 8 to 14 years.

The LEGO Movie Metal Beard's Duel
With this 412-piece set, "The LEGO Movie" fans can help Metal Beard, who lost his body parts in a previous battle with Lord Business and rebuilt himself with old ship scraps, to overtake one of Lord Business' Micro Managers. Ages 8 to 14 years.

LEGO Lovers Assemble! Toys"R"Us Builds Excitement with Savings and Special Events
To mark the official release of the "The LEGO Movie" in theaters, Toys"R"Us will engage building enthusiasts in the following ways:


  • Gifts with LEGO Product Purchases: Beginning Sunday, February 2, customers who make a $50 or more LEGO construction purchase in-store will receive a complimentary ticket to see "The LEGO Movie" in theaters, while supplies last. Plus, on Saturday, February 8, those who purchase "The LEGO Movie" video game for Nintendo 2DS will receive a $15 Toys"R"Us Gift Card, while supplies last.

  • Calling all Little Builders for"The LEGO Movie" In-Store Event: Toys"R"Us stores nationwide will host a special event from 12 noon – 2pm on Saturday, February 8, during which aspiring builders can construct – and take home – Emmet's car. Plus, customers can try out the all-new "The LEGO Movie" video game on Nintendo 2DS.*

  • Prizes and Surprises: As part of the February 8 in-store event, attendees can enter a raffle to win one of two exciting prizes. One lucky winner at each Toys"R"Us location will receive a $10 Toys"R"Us Gift Card, while a second winner will receive the Lord Business' Evil Lair construction set.

  • And, Congratulations to the Toys"R"Us Fans & Friends Sweepstakes Winner: Earlier this month, customers across the country were invited to enter for a chance to win a trip for four to the Los Angeles premiere of "The LEGO Movie." Congratulations to Tracy B. from Indiana, who will enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience!


For the latest information surrounding "The LEGO Movie" products, special events and more, customers can visit the Toys"R"Us Facebook fan page at Facebook.com/Toysrus, Pinterest page at Pinterest.com/Toysrus or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@Toysrus).

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Lonely Soldier Boy

Wednesday, January 15. 2014
To paraphrase Gord, I like to get vintage kits from Japan as Japan had a lot of curiously odd kits that never came out in North America. One of those kits was the Armor Bike from Genesis Climber Mospeada (a.k.a. the Cyclone Battler from Robotech's third generation). It was a neat little kit, not flawless but certainly had some potential.

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Building for Girls

Friday, January 10. 2014
While talking to a friend the other night, we were discussing her daughter's upcoming birthday, and the difficulty of getting gifts for a child when their birthday falls so soon after Christmas. Knowing that I spend a great deal of time looking at toys and following toy trends, she came to me looking for some advice. I asked her what her daughter had under the tree this year, and it was as traditional as it gets; dolls, a play kitchen, princess clothes and some of her favorite Disney movies on blu-ray. It struck me that something was missing, and for lack of a better description, I will call it "the boy toys".

When I was a child, my parents were not big on the gender of toys. If I wanted a doll, I was given a doll, if I wanted an action figure, no problem. When they bought me LEGO sets, they were the standard primary colors, not the pretty pastels that were meant for girls.

I suggested that my friend get her daughter something that they can build together, old school Lincoln Logs, a LEGO set, or perhaps a model kit. The idea of a model kit intrigued her, but she wasn't sure if her daughter would be interested in building a car or plane.

This is where the fun begins, when you get to introduce someone to the vast and varied world of modeling. The options are almost endless, with there being everything from the traditional cars and planes, to the worlds of science fiction like Star Trek, to even human anatomy and structure. Although my friend is a teacher, she had never thought of the educational building of the human ear in class as model building. It surprised her to think that she has actually been a model builder for the past five years with her students.

With a quick internet search, she settled on two kits for her daughter's birthday, a detailed dog skeleton that snaps together; great for a beginner. The second is a 1/25 Dodge Viper from Revell, which she thinks her daughter will like because it looks a little like a car Barbie would drive.

If it gets her building, I will be happy to see a Viper in Barbie pink.

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2013 Year in Review

Thursday, January 2. 2014
2014 is off to a cold and snowy start, making this the perfect (if unintended) time to look back at some of the highs and lows from the past year.

After the lull that was 2012, car movies were back with a vengeance in 2013, starting right in January with The Last Stand. Fast & Furious 6, Turbo, Red 2, Rush, and Machete Kills followed, making sure we were never at a loss for four-wheeled action. There were even several great vehicles in non-car movies: the Ripsaw and El Camino in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the Freightliner in Snitch, and the Deusenberg in The Great Gatsby were all welcome additions. We even got to see some familiar faces with the Oldsmobile Delta 88 in the remake of Evil Dead and the park vehicles in the re-release of Jurassic Park.

There was some sad news in the world of car movies, too, with the sudden passing of Paul Walker in November. We also said goodbye to Roger Ebert, Annette Funicello, Jonathan Winters, Richard LeParmentier, Ray Harryhausen, Dean Jeffries, Jean Stapleton, James Gandolfini, Dennis Farina, Eileen Brennan, Karen Black, Marcia Wallace, and Hal Needham.

I had some pretty decent success in getting projects finished, including the Vampire Van, Firecracker, Optimus Prime, Paprika Aston Martin, the Slicer, Slingshot, Piranha, Indiana Jones' motorcycle with sidecar, Bumblebee, WARS, the Three Stooges' truck, the Last Stand Camaro, RAM, the Megafault Dodge pickup, Jimmy Neutron's rocket, the Karate Corvette, the Tumbler, Manta, Stinger, Supercar, the Batman and Batman Returns Batmobiles, and Bond vehicles from Dr. No and From Russia with Love. I also added several more reviews and more videos, and expect to further expand everything in 2014!

Moebius, Revell, and Round 2 continue to crank out some great classic and all-new kits, and all three made an appearance for the first time ever at NYCC. We also saw some cool new products from companies like LEGO and Mega, and GoldieBlox, one of the coolest new companies to hit the market, is continuing to grow.

All in all, 2013 was a great year for fans and hobbyists - here's hoping 2014 will be even better!

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