Tuesday, September 30, 2008

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle

Harry Potter is entering his fifth year at Hogwarts, and now you can replay important scenes from the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix book, movie, or even make up your own adventures. Legos are perfect for social play, and this Hogwarts castle set provides loads of exploration and cooperative play with 943 pieces.

The set is modeled so that, when constructed, it recreates the look and feel of the Order of the Phoenix film. Several unique rooms are represented here, including the Room of Requirement, where Harry can get just about anything he wishes (provided he walks past it three times). The greenhouse provides a place where Hermione can tend a potted mandrake, which is included. There's even a fireplace through which Harry could exchange messages with Sirius Black, only there are no owls included. The accessory pieces of the set are loads of fun. It includes orange flames, tiny goblets, trophy ribbons, jewels, magic books, charts and many other interesting pieces.
- 943-Piece playset of Hogwarts Castle
- Modeled on key scenes from the Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix movie
- 9 Mini-figures, including new Dolores Umbridge
- 2 Thestral mini-figures modeled after the large, winged, skeletal horses from the fifth installment
- Detailed, full-color diagrams help kids through every phase of construction

LEGO Creator House

LEGO Creator House

Build the house of your dreams with LEGO Creator! This spectacular set includes instructions for 3 different house models, plus all the parts you'll need to design your own original creations. Add a garage, driveway and fence in the yard - the possibilities are endless! Features plenty of pieces for roofs, walls, doors, windows, even trees and gardens! Lift off the roof to see inside! Add a mailbox, porch lights and other realistic details! Includes building instructions for 3 models and inspiration for more!

Ultimate LEGO Building Set



LEGO SYSTEM Ultimate LEGO Building Set (6166) - The building possibilities are endless! With a transparent lid and a great selection of LEGO pieces, this big storage box lets builders create at home or on the go. The colorful and classic collection of bricks also includes a LEGO minifigure, base plate, wheels and special house elements! Includes Idea Book of building instructions and inspirations! Includes a 16 stud x 16 stud green baseplate! Also includes 1 minifigure!

- This new tub features a great assortment of LEGO bricks and elements
- Includes building plate, minifigure, windows, doors and wheels
- Includes building instructions for 5 models and photo inspiration for 25 more
- New container allows for easy clean up and efficient storage - The transparent lid lets builders display their models
- 405 Pieces

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Lego Art of Nathan Sawaya


From Portfolio:

For much-in-demand artist Nathan Sawaya, the Legos he uses to build large-scale sculptures might as well be gold bricks.

Who doesn't remember growing up playing with Legos—the small, colorful bricks that can be combined to create anything from airplanes to zebras? Most kids ultimately pack up their Legos and move on. But Nathan Sawaya never did.

The 35-year-old New Yorker makes a six-figure living as a Lego artist, creating large-scale works of art using tens of thousands of the plastic pieces. Among his recent projects are a 10-foot-tall replica of the new Trump Tower being constructed in Dubai for Donald Trump, and a four-foot-tall bumblebee commissioned by Fall Out Boy bass guitarist Pete Wentz as a gift for his new bride, pop star Ashlee Simpson. He says he receives hundreds of commission inquiries every month.

Though he played with Legos like most kids, they were the furthest thing from his mind when he set out in the working world. After graduating with a law degree from New York University in 1998, Sawaya became a Wall Street attorney, earning a comfortable six-figure salary—and working in a high-stress environment. To relax after long hours at the office, he would work on art projects at night, making sculptures using clay at first, then moving into more whimsical media, like candy.

One of Sawaya's first hobbyist projects with Legos was an eight-foot-tall pencil. Friends would come over to gawk at it, and Sawaya eventually set up a website, brickartist.com, to post photos of his creations. Visitors to the site sent in requests, such as Lego renderings of portraits of their children.

The hobby became the real thing in 2004 after he won a competition sponsored by Lego to find the best builder in the U.S. He quit his job and became one of Lego's "master model builders," creating sculptures for its theme park in San Diego. They paid him just $13 an hour, but it gave him good training for when he returned to New York to create his own Lego works full-time.

Sawaya now keeps 1.5 million Lego bricks, meticulously organized by shape and color into clear bins (he buys all his Legos in bulk). He sketches his projects first on something called "brick paper"—essentially, graph paper modified for Lego shapes—and takes anywhere from a few days to a few months to build them. At any given time, he's working on three or four projects, earning anywhere from a couple thousand dollars up to six figures per work, depending on the complexity of the project and how quickly they need to be built.

For his own personal fulfillment, he also creates more avant-garde works and has two traveling exhibitions of his work.

Ironically, Sawaya says he now works more hours per week than he ever did as a corporate lawyer, although he also makes more money than he did then. Most important to him, though, is the artistic gratification he gets out of his Lego creations, particularly when he gets feedback from children who are inspired by his projects. "There are 400 million children out there playing with Legos," he says. "Who am I to say that they aren't artists too?"

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

LEGO Death Star Now Available




Battle inside the Death Star!
Recreate the action and adventure of the Star Wars movies with the ultimate Death Star playset! This amazingly detailed battle station features an incredible array of minifigure-scale scenes, moving parts, characters and accessories from Episodes IV and VI on its multiple decks, including the Death Star control room, rotating turbolaser turrets, hangar bay with TIE Advanced starfighter, tractor beam controls, Emperor’s throne room, detention block, firing laser cannon, Imperial conference chamber, droid maintenance facility, and the powerful Death Star superlaser…plus much more! Swing across the chasm with Luke and Leia, face danger in the crushing trash compactor, and duel with Darth Vader for the fate of the galaxy!


- Includes 24 minifigures and droids, plus all-new Dianoga trash compactor monster!
- Includes 6 new and exclusive minifigures and droids only found in this set: Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper outfit), Han Solo (Stormtrooper outfit), Assassin Droid, Interrogation Droid, Death Star Droid and 2 Death Star Troopers!
Also includes Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO, R2-D2, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, Emperor Palpatine, 2 Stormtroopers, 2 Emperor's Royal Guards, R2-Q5™, and mouse droid!.
- Movie-authentic Death Star environments include the Superlaser control room and target monitor, Imperial conference chamber, TIE Advanced hangar bay with moving launch rack, Emperor's throne room, droid maintenance room, detention block, trash compactor, and much more!
- Rescue Princess Leia from the detention block cell, then escape through the secret hatch to the trash compactor below!
- Reenact the final duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the Emperor's Throne Room!
- Death Star measures 16” (41cm) tall and 16½” (42cm) wide!
- TIE Advanced measures 3½" (9cm) wide!

Mrs. Puff's Boating School




Help SpongeBob learn to drive!
SpongeBob needs to get his boating license, so it's off to Mrs. Puff's Boating School! But will the school still be standing when he's done? Pull back SpongeBob's boat and let go to send him zooming down the driving course and through the brick wall.

- SpongeBob's boat has a pull-back motor!
- Crash through the wall and get past the anchor in the driving course!
- Lighthouse has a light that spins!
- Includes SpongeBob, Mrs. Puff and Patrick minifigures!

Monday, September 8, 2008

LEGO Star Wars Clock



Wake up with LEGO Star Wars!
Stay on schedule with the LEGO Star Wars alarm clock, featuring Japanese Quartz movement, a crescendo alarm, two authentic Star Wars minifigures, and a buildable blaster turret on top. A great gift for a LEGO or Star Wars fan…or just a late sleeper!

- Includes Chewbacca and Stormtrooper minifigures!

Shop At A LEGO Store Near You

Did you know there may be a LEGO store nearby? Find out more at LEGO.com/LEGOstores

If you can't find a LEGO Store in your area, click here to see our list of additional retailers.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

LEGO Taj Mahal




Build the breathtaking Taj Mahal!
The famous Taj Mahal jewel of India is known all over the globe for its incredible beauty and elegance. Now you can recreate this modern wonder of the world for yourself! Designed for experienced builders, the LEGO Taj Mahal model features advanced building techniques, rare elements and colors, and realistic details of architecture. With over 5,900 pieces, the Taj Mahal makes an awesome addition to any LEGO collection!

- Amazingly detailed model features the base, minarets, domes, finials, arches, and stairs in the front!
- Measures over 20" (51cm) wide and over 16" (41cm) tall!

LEGO Mud Hopper


LEGO Mud Hopper


No terrain is too tough!
Rough road ahead? No problem for this off-road dirt Power Racer! Use the pull-back motor and steep jump ramp to launch the Mud Hopper high into the air.

- Combine with #8493 Red Ace to make a flame racer and monster jumping ramp!
- Includes jump ramp and racer with a pull-back motor!
- Mud Hopper over 5" (13cm) long!