Hosting LEGO creations - some thoughts and questions

I've received a few emails in the past week asking about free hosting for LEGO images, and for more places where they can post about their own creations.

To that end, I'd like to offer my own couple of pieces of advice, and then see if you guys have anything to add or suggest.

First, image hosting. If you don't have your own website (or prefer to use someone else's bandwidth...) the best LEGO solution is probably http://www.Brickshelf.com. They don't allow HTML uploads, but they do offer a very nice, structured, and FREE storage space for your images.

If you're looking for somewhere to write up your creation, though, you'll need to move to something more advanced.

MOCPages.com seems to be very nice, but I don't know much about setting up things there. Any gurus feel brave enough to post an email address were we could direct questions?

Beyond that, the solution would seem to be to start your own blog and post about creations there. This blog is run via Google's Blogger service at http://www.Blogger.com. It has a few hiccups, but works okay for me.

If that seems like too much, you might look at joining some other LEGO forums that allow and encourage people to post their creations. Lugnet, Classic-Space.com, and From Bricks to Bothans are a few examples - there are tons more. You'd probably need to combine forum membership with a brickshelf account to host your photos, though.

Well, that's my off-the-cuff advice. Anyone have something else to suggest?

New Contest: Pumping Iron

Iron Man. You know him. You love him. You wish LEGO would pick up the license and make toys based on him. But you also know that just isn't going to happen.

Iron Man. Cooler than Batman because he's completely bullet proof. And he can fly.

Iron Man. The basis for this month's contest. (So if you honestly don't know who Iron Man is, here's the Wiki on him.)

Over the years, Iron Man's armor has undergone a number of changes. It's been rebuilt, streamlined, melted-down, rebuilt again, modularized, customized and optimized.

One of the coolest ideas about Iron Man, though, is that he has prototype armor designed for special missions. He has a Deep Sea armor. Stealth armor. Space Armor. An armor designed to fight the Hulk. Heck, there's probably even a prototype somewhere of his EZ-Bake Oven Armor.

Your challenge this month is help Iron Man tackle a tough job by designing and building a Special Mission Armor Set.

What special mission? That's up to you. Maybe he's on an Ice Planet. Or fighting Ninjas. Or
Pirates. Or Pirate-Ninjas. Maybe he's just having trouble cashing a check. Surprise us.

This contest runs from April 1st until May2nd - just in time for the US opening of the new Iron Man film!

Sound like fun? Well, we're just getting started!

When it comes to Custom LEGO Weapons there are none better qualified to judge than Will Chapman, founder of
This Tony Stark of LEGO builders will be rating all entries on the key quality of Special Mission Functionality.

Will has also donated weapons from his new mold, not available to the public until mid-April!

Want to learn more? Check out these links!

• Full Contest Info, Including the PRIZE LIST
• The Entry Grid! (with a Sample Entry to get you thinking!)
• Brickarms - because you know you need to know more about them.

Episode 398

Read the comic here.

Starting off a week of "behind the scenes" strips.

Episode 397

Read the comic here.

Not really a season cliffhanger (that happened today over in S-Team), but still a good "tune in next week" bum-BUM-bum moment.

Episode 396

Read the comic here.

This is another strip that assumes you have some Dr. Who knowledge. If you don't get today's punchline, and would like to, check out this wiki article.

With regret.

I rarely post any personal stuff into this blog, but unfortunately this is something I need to share.

Longtime visitors to this site will remember Bela - the hard luck kitty. There was a time a couple of years ago when finances were very tight at my home, and readers contributed to help pay a massive vet bill for him.

I'm sorry to share that Bela is no longer with us. We lost him today to kidney failure.
This happened at the same time that our eldest cat, John, had also reached a quality-of-life point of no-return, due to age, thyroid, and kidney issues.

We said goodbye to both of them this morning.

As you can imagine, I'm not doing too well with things at the moment. I'm ahead enough on the comic that the next couple weeks will go up without interruption. Maybe by then I'll find things funny again.

But not right now.

I've disabled comments on this post - I'm really not up to discussing things on-line right now.

If you have an animal companion, give them an extra hug today. You'll be glad you did.

Episode 395

Read the comic here.

I guess the hairball isn't fooled by Whiskey's wig either.

Reader Mail episode

We're fast approaching Episode 400 - and the end of the first "Episode" of the new Brick House series. Before the next big arc starts, I thought it might be fun to have a couple of strips where Whiskey (and other cast members) could answer some Reader Mail.

The problem, of course, is that I don't have any reader mail to have them answer.

If you've got a question you'd like to have answered by a character (as opposed to me babbling about it here in the blog) post it here. You might just end up with your question being a part of the strip for all time.

Episode 394

Read the comic here.

The reveal of the creature. As usual, Whiskey is less than impressed.

Buy-Me-Mizer: Springtime Sale

There's a new Sale at the Buy-Me Mizer - now through April 30th, you can earn some fun bonuses with multi-figure orders.

Order 3 or more figures, and you'll get figure stands for every figure in your order.
Order 5 or more figures, and I'll pay shipping costs.
Order 10 or more figures, and I'll include an extra figure. (I'll design it for Maximum FUN)

Why the sale? Taxes are due, and it seems like every prize from the Steampunk Contest is being shipped overseas. (First prize is going to Romania, for example. ROMANIA!) So my LEGO fund is...how shall I put this delicately...depleted.

I'm also working on a "Townbuilder" Mega-Pack for when those "Stimulus Checks" start arriving the in the US. Watch for details.

Episode 393

Read the comic here.

Why is that in a horror-movie type situation, there's always that one guy who runs off to confront the monster?

It's nice that Whiskey's character is well established enough that I didn't need to pen any "Boy, Donut is being an idiot" dialog for him. If you've been following along at all you just know that's what's going though his head...

Tomorrow: Another new set, and the first in-strip view of the creature.

Steampunk Winners Announced!

Reasonably Clever's LEGO Steampunk in 50 Bricks or Less contest has reached the end and the results are here! This was an amazingly close contest - and once again everyone who took part is to be commended!

Here's what our Celebrity Judge Jake von Slatt of The Steampunk Workshop had to say:

"Thanks everyone for giving me this opportunity! I was amazed and surprised at the number and variety of entries, when I first read the contest rules I thought 'what can you do with only 50 bricks?' Turns out you can do a lot! The top cluster of entries were pretty tightly matched, and on a different day any one of them might have come out on top. But it's clear that everyone put in a lot creative effort and I'm pleased to see that the Lego-istas (Lego-folk? Lego-nattii?) are such a vibrant part of the Steampunk world!

Cheers,

Jake."

• The Top 13 Models
• A listing of all the entries

I'll be contacting the winners over the next couple of days to arrange for prize selection and distribution.

Once again, a hearty "Thank you" to all who participated, and I hope to see you all again in our next contest. Details on that will be announced April 2nd!

Episode 392

Read the comic here.

It may be insane logic, but I figure if you're reading Brick House you wouldn't be satisfied with anything less.

And now, as a special treat, a spoiler image! Click here if you want to see what broke out of the Cryo-Tube. (You'll see it next week regardless - but I thought it'd make a nice EasterEgg for the die-hards.)

New Clearance at Shop@Home

For my US readers, LEGO Shop@home has some new goodies on clearance.

In particular, the 4916 Mini-Animals, 8146 Nitro Muscle, and several of the mini-fig scaled Bionicle Sets (8925, 8926, and 8927) have joined the lineup.

This is in addition to the recent drool-worthy cuts on the UCS Star Destroyer and Death Star II...those marked down to a mere $199 each. (Still out of my price range at the moment, but it's fun to dream.)

I'm not up on what other nationalities have had on clearance before today, but there's probably some new stuff showing up for everyone. Post info in comments if you care to...

Episode 391

Read the comic here.

I like the strange balance between the sheer goofiness of the idea of Whiskey's hair coming to get them...and how creepy panel four turned out.

LEGO: Whence Serenity?

There's been a recent batch of posts and emails wondering if I've abandoned the Serenity projects. It's true I haven't had a lot of time to work on things in recent months, but that's all about to change.

I just placed an order for an updated set of Serenity Blueprints - once they arrive, I'll be putting in some serious work on the mini-fig scaled Serenity. The plan remains to build that monster one set at a time; to finish with a modular construction that has plenty of play areas and remains as slavishly devoted to the series/film as possible.

First up will be the cargo bay - a necessary point of origin as all the other sets/hull exteriors will have to fit around it.

And, yes, I'll still be trying to document the build in MLCad. It goes against my building style, but I know if I don't I'll never hear the end of it.

As to the new mid-scale version, I've been staring at the half-completed drive section for a while now and I'm really just not happy with it. I'm going to be taking another swipe at designing it soon as well.

Hope that satisfies some of you.

Episode 390

Read the comic here.

And here you thought I was making this stuff up as I go along.

Episode 389

Read the comic here.

Today, a special treat for those of you who disliked Whiskey's "new look." Doesn't Whiskey look happy now?

Episode 388

Read the comic here.

Seems logical to me.

Steampunk: Grid Update - Honorable Mentions

In order to help load times, I've broken up the entry grid into nine parts, with around 10 creations per page.

The final page contains the entries that didn't make the final spreadsheet for one reason or another. I still wanted to showcase the effort those builders made; I consider all of them "Honorable Mentions".

Thank you once again to all the builders - this contest couldn't have happened without you.

Steampunk: Final Entry Grid is Up

I've just uploaded the final entry grid for the Steampunk in 50 Bricks or Less contest. We had a grand total of 83 legal entries* - a record for Reasonably Clever. Thank you to all who participated!

I'll be mailing off the scoring spreadsheet to Jake von Slatt shortly - winners will be announced once he's had a chance to complete things and send it back to me.

*Unfortunately, I did end up having to remove a few models due a lack of parts list/grid as the rules required. We had over 90 models enter the contest.

Buh?

There seems to be some confusion in the blog comments, so here's a clarification - the deadline for Steampunk entries is midnight *tonight*, March 15th, Eastern Standard Time. Right now, by my clock, it's six in the morning. You guys still have all day to get entries in.


My apologies if my wording confused anyone. I see now why other folks have picked seemingly goofy times like "1:24 am" to end their contests.

Still, if you've looked at any of the other recent blog posts about the contest, it's been pretty clear when I intended to close the threads.

Eh. Doesn't hurt to be sure.

Steampunk: Problem entries

I'm working up the spreadsheet that I'll be sending to our judge - and I'm marking the entries that haven't met the "show your parts" requirement. Remember: If you don't have either a shot of the parts spread out or a text list of the elements your entry will not be counted. I'm being lenient on this - if you've made an effort to show/list you'll be fine, but please check the list below, just in case. Just giving a total part count IS NOT ENOUGH.

I'll be updating this post as I build the chart in hopes of catching the attention of any problem builders before the entry deadline. Which is tomorrow at midnight (EasternST). Just sayin'.

All entries submitted as of 9:00am on 3/14 have been posted to the grid. If I missed your entry somehow, please let me know asap. Thanks.


Part lists needed:

• Entry #13 By: ArielJ (Mobile Missile Platform (MMP))
• Entry #14 By: ArielJ (The Fabulous Flying Thing)
• Entry #15 By: ArielJ (When Themes Collide (AKA Pohatu on steam))
  
• Entry#16 By: ArielJ (Imperial Army Landing Ship)
• Entry #18 By: Yellost (Jet pack Flier)
• Entry #21 By: takua777 (a steam suit )
• Entry #22 By: takua777 (steam chair)
• Entry #54 By: Roren42 (speeder)

Requests:

• SirNadroj, would you break your flicker stream into a few sets (one-per-entry) so the judge has an easier time of finding the right photos?
  

Post your entries here: Post #2

The first entry post is really quite full - so, to keep from missing anyone, here's a fresh post to enter in. (Previous post is now locked)

Episode 387

Read the comic here.

Okay, I admit it. I stretched out that scene about as long as I possibly could without telling you guys what was really going on. I wrote deliberately vague dialog for Donut, added a gusher of a scalp wound for a blood source, and kept Whiskey's head juuuust out of frame.

All to do the forum regulars a bit of fan service and get rid of Whiskey's new hairdo.

Now what possible use Donut have for Whiskey's hair? Is there a plot-driven reason for this scalping? Well, you'll just have to turn in next week to find out.

Episode 386

Read the comic here.

Don't you just hate it when they break into a show to tell you an "important news update" about something you could care less about? And rather than stopping the tape, they just let the show you were watching run so you miss all the good parts?

Yeah, me too.

Wrote this strip this morning, after reading my usual morning funnies. When I told my wife about it, her horrified reaction? "If you post that strip, people will know you read For Better or For Worse!"

(Actually, I've bitched about FBoFW here in the past, so that wasn't really much of a shocker.)

If you don't read FBoFW, you might want to check it out today, just to see the most depressing, non-romantic end to a decades long romantic storyline that has ever been written.

Steampunk: Grid Update

The Entry Grid for the Steampunk contest has been updated with ten more creations. This brings the entry total to an astounding 49 models - with more on the way, I'm sure.

A couple of rules clarifications - if you're wanting to cut up the rigid hose that LEGO makes, that's okay, as LEGO does that themselves. Each individual snippet of tube counts as its own element.

The 2 part lever (base and handle) counts as a single element, as that's how LEGO counts it. If you break it up to use the parts in different places, then count it as two parts.

Same thing with the 1x2 hinge brick - for the purposes of this contest, if you use it as a complete assembly then it's one element. If you break it up and use each part individually...then it's two parts.

You have until midnight EST on the 15th to submit your entry. There are some great LEGO kits awaiting the winners!

Episode 385

Read the comic here.

Possibly the most disturbing strip I've created so far.

Episode 384

Read the comic here.

A small joke for Browncoats in panel four.

Steampunk: Entry Grid Update

The Entry Grid for the Steampunk contest has been updated with seven more creations.

Just a reminder, but please include a photo of your creation in "a grid of parts" style, or provide a text listing of the pieces you used. If I can't find either when I'm putting together the Judgment Spreadsheet for our Celebrity Guest Judge, you'll be disqualified. Just sayin'. (I'm going to start compiling that spreadsheet this week, so I can post a warning for anyone who's already entered. But I expect there'll be a rush of last-day entries, and those folks won't have a second chance to provide that part list...)

You have until midnight EST on the 15th to submit your entry. There are some great LEGO kits awaiting the winners!

Episode 383

Read the comics here.

Yes, that's another new set. What's going to happen to Whiskey and Scotch just couldn't occur in the main control room set I'd already built.

Considering the infinite space Donut has to work with inside the revamped Brick House, it was tempting to name this "Medlab Seventy-Six." Sadly, that was too long a phrase to fit nicely into the frame.

A few readers have asked about the oil can Donut had back in Episode 380. It's part of a "wheel of tools" that LEGO includes with race and city sets from time to time. The drill, hammer, and wrench in today's offering are from the same wheel. (Although this time in grey plastic.)

Steampunk: Grid Updated

The Entry Grid for the Steampunk contest has been updated with eight more creations. This is really shaping up to be a tough competition!

Remember, you have until midnight EST on the 15th to submit your entry. There are some great LEGO kits awaiting the winners!

Episode 382

Read the comics here.

I knew Donut was being a bit too nice.

Episodes 380 and 381

Read the comics here and here.

For the non-chefs: Thyme
For the non- Doctor Who fans: Time Lord

Sorry yesterday's strip is late. Real life got in the way.

Steampunk: Entry Grid

Due to technical issues (like, oh, my not confirming you could post images in blog replies...) we've had to tweak the entry process for the Steampunk in 50 Bricks contest.

The only change is that I dropped the "post a sample photo" requirement. All you need to provide commentary and a link to your photos in the entry thread - I'll be taking care of making up a grid of contest entries as I've done for other Reasonably Clever contests in the past. If there's a photo you want to be sure I use as your sample, please make sure I know. (And if you need changes to the way things are displayed on the grid, also just drop me a line.)

It looks like it's going to be a very tough competition - I've just compiled the first 23(!) entries.
You can take a look at them on the Official Entry Grid.

If you've entered and I didn't include your creation, please email me again - I don't think I missed anyone, but it's been a busy couple of days.

Remember: You have until the 15th to post or email me with your entry!

Strips up early, updates Tuesday.

Heading out of town in the morning - I'll be back mid-day on Tuesday. I've posted the comics, but there's not much I can do about the contest entries until I get back. Nobody panic, it'll all get sorted out.

Episodes 378 and 379

Read the comics here and here.

For Monday and Tuesday. Don't peek unless you wanna. After you do, here's a place to discuss.

Steampunk: Post your Contest Entries Here

This is it, gang! The time has come to share your Steampunk in 50 Bricks creations! Check the rules by clicking on the logo if you're unsure of what you need to post. If you're having problems, you can also email me and I'll help you get things entered.