You probably already know Brickplumber and its huge dioramas on Hoth or Endor ... The goal here is not to talk to you about these dioramas again, even if they deserve to be considered as exceptional creations, but rather to talk to you of the transport of these immense scenes.

Indeed, Brickplumber travels with his works and exhibits them for various events. Sure his flickr gallery, he shows us the different containers that were specially designed to transport his Endor diorama exhibited during the 2012 Star Wars Weekend which took place in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

We thus discover how it packs soil and vegetation, trees, the generator or even the tree-village of the Ewoks... Each container has been carefully designed and thought for its content. Those who often exhibit their creations know how important it is to organize your packaging properly, otherwise you have to urgently repair your work before the opening of the exhibition concerned ... 

Go take a walk on brickplumber's flickr gallery, you may find some ideas there to protect your MOCs during transport, and you will discover or rediscover his Endor diorama ...

Christoph Bartneck, the author of the book The Unofficial Lego Minifigure Catalog has just announced the publication of three new books:

The Star Wars Lego Minifigure Catalog : This 116-page book brings together the set of LEGO Star Wars minifigs different releases between 1999 and 2011. The Bricklink identifier of each minifig is indicated, the number of pieces, the price new and used, the reference of the head and the reference of the set (s) that contain these minifigs.  Available at a price of 22.10 € on amazon.fr.

The Harry Potter Lego Minifigure Catalog : This 48-page book brings together all the LEGO Harry Potter minifigs released between 2001 and 2011. The Bricklink identifier of each minifig is indicated, the number of pieces, the price new and used, the reference of the head and the reference of the set (s) that contain these minifigs. Available at a price of 11.43 € on amazon.fr.

The 2011 LEGO Minifigure Catalog : This book brings together in 140 pages more than 400 minifigs different released in 2011, including the minifigs of the collectible series. The Bricklink identifier of each minifigure is indicated, the number of pieces, the price new and used, the reference of the head and the reference of the set. Available at a price of 26.66 € on amazon.fr.

As far as I am concerned, you will not be angry with me for staying on my position: These very nice books are rather simplistic and have no real interest: In the age of the Internet and with sites like brick set ou Bricklink, I don't necessarily need this type of paper catalog to find the minifigs I'm looking for and I don't find myself having a good reason to leaf through this kind of directory in my spare time ...

After all, if some make their own custom minifigs, others produce equally customized machines out of their imagination, each his own ...

The Sten Junkie has embarked on the production of a Tie fighter crossed with a Jedi Starfighter eta-2 to achieve this quite charming result ... The craft can accommodate 2 minifigs and 2 Astromech droids, and it has many functions bringing a little playability to the whole.

So don't just stand there and go on his flickr gallery to discover other views of this MOC which will not necessarily please everyone but which has the merit of originality. Anyway, I love this mix of genres ...

You already know the character if you are a regular member of the forum BrickPirate. Excellent MOCeur (see his blog), LEGOmaniac also gives of its person to organize multiple contests which generally bring together a good number of participants on a wide variety of themes.

We had the opportunity to discuss face to face, and I really appreciated the calm and thoughtful side of this always deserving and often militant actor within the French community. So I had to ask him some questions to which he provides interesting answers below. Good reading.

By the way, go vote for his project presented as part of the competition organized at dwell (Click on the image above or go at this address).

Hoth Bricks: Hello LEGOmaniac, when did your passion for LEGOs go back?

LM: I've grown up with LEGOs since I was a kid. I am from the Space Classic generation and as much as I remember I never kept a set assembled! Everything was mixed in a big wicker barrel and I spent afternoons building anything and everything.
For my son's 4th birthday a friend gave my son 6187. The set followed us during the holidays and Little LM "modded" for 15 days with 300 pieces. Back from vacation, the little one was infected and I was nostalgic. This marked the start of a great adventure and everything has happened very quickly for 3 years.

HB: You are the instigator and organizer of the now classic MOCs competition called L13. How did you come up with the idea of ​​launching and running this series of competitions?

The idea comes from there: https://www.defi13.com/
My wife has been participating in this competition for years and I find it original to "impose" a subject, it forces participants to develop new techniques and to widen their minds. When I got back to LEGO, after registering on the forum, I said to myself that a small monthly topic could push people to create and boost personal production. Little by little, I told myself that if certain subjects could be sponsored by large MOCeur, it could even more push people to participate. The most astonishing was the reactivity and the kindness with which these Moceurs responded! The choice of sponsors is very personal because it reflects my “heroes of the brick”, the people I particularly appreciate for their work and their ability to adapt to any subject.
I believe that since its creation I have 12 classic editions and 6 special editions. Beyond that, it allowed many members to compare their creations to the rest of the community and to give a certain vision of the French touch in terms of LEGO.
What gives me the most pleasure is seeing the level of creations go up over the editions, the interest that members have in this competition and that people contact me to propose to illustrate the L13! The next guest should please a good number of members.

HB: You yourself participated in many competitions this year, especially on the Super Heroes theme. How do you go about creating your MOCs? Some advice for the youngest?

LM: I really enjoy participating in contests on the net when I have the time. I find it a way to confront his creations and try to surpass himself every time. The participants come from all over the planet and it is also the way to forge links with certain MOCeurs.
When I decide to participate in a contest I try to do something that I have never done before and often I make an idea board: an A3 sheet where I note my colors that I will use, real details drawn from the net, or atmospheres that make me dive directly into the intention I want to put there. Then it's hands in the tubs and forward, a glance from time to time on the board to properly reframe the mind.
For the youngest, the only advice I could give them is to give free rein to their imaginations and to feed on comments or other creations. The technique is a plus for sure but it does not do everything and it will come according to the obstacles they will encounter during their creation.

HB: One of your MOCs will be on the cover of N ° 20 of the Brickjournal. A Frenchie in a leading English-speaking newspaper, how does that inspire you?

LM: To be on the cover of BrickJournal is for me a kind of “recognition” of the community. The most rewarding being that this creation was not doomed to be presented for a contest, it was really a personal challenge fueled by the work of Avanaut (https://www.flickr.com/photos/avanaut/) or Shobrick (https://www.flickr.com/photos/47018679@N02/). Knowing that he has been noticed and appreciated gives great satisfaction. However, you should know that the MOC has been completely redone for the cover because Joe Meno and the publisher deeply wanted to have Batman face to face for the cover (how to refuse him?) Concretely I do not know if there will be a real impact on my work ahead, I will continue to do things as I always have.

HB: What are you preparing for Fanabriques? In 2012, a new project you would like to tell us a few words about?

LM: Fana 2012 will be like the previous year the way to build with 6 hands with people that I particularly appreciate for their sense of creation. Capt'n Spaulding (https://www.flickr.com/photos/-captain-spaulding-/ and its techniques, each as eccentric as the next) and 74louloute (https://www.flickr.com/photos/74louloute/ who has a superb and so original way of staging the minifigs) are people who inspire me a lot and the meeting between our 3 universes was a real pleasure as much in the creation as in the meeting. For 2012 we will do it again. The idea is there, but we still have to lay it all down and release the first modules. For the subject, it will be a surprise! We are more the type not to do like everyone else and to stand out so we will maintain our reputation! To laugh
For 2012 on the superhero program, the L13 with a special edition beyond our borders, and other projects adapted from TV series.

I told you about it in January following the appearance of this new reference on eBay, so here's also available on Bricklink this new 3-in-1 LEGO Star Wars Super Pack, the content of which may leave you perplexed as to the choice of the sets collected:

9488 - ARC Trooper & Commando Droid Battle Pack 
9489 - Endor Rebel Trooper & Imperial Trooper
9495 - Gold Leader's Y-Wing Starfighter

 This set is already available in Europe in some Toys R Us stores and you can find it at the french site from the toy merchant at a price of 64.99 €.