Pumping Iron: Winners Announced

The wait is over! The results are in, the creations have been ranked, and it's time to reveal just who walks away with the prizes from the Pumping Iron contest!

As usual, the top place models were all within a few points of each other - although this time the first place finisher had a good 20 point lead.

I've listed the rankings for the top 20 models - if your model didn't make that grid, you can always claim that your build captured spot #21. I won't argue.

To jump to the winner's grid, click the logo!

I'll be contacting the winners in the next few days to arrange for shipment of your prizes.

Thank you again to everyone who participated! I hope to see all of you again when we announce our next contest! (Probably next week sometime)

Pumping Iron: GRID IS FINALIZED

The Entry Grid is now FINAL! We have an amazing SEVENTY ENTRIES for our judges to sift through - I'm working up the spreadsheet to be sent out now, and hope to have results back in a week or so.

In the meantime, talk about your favorite entires here - anything inspire you to try your own version? Anything strike you as particularly clever?

(Just don't bash anyone's effort - all our builders deserve respect.)

Pumping Iron: The Final Hours

The Entry Grid has been updated again - we're almost at 60 creations! You still have a few hours to get things submitted - but personally I'd rather be out watching the Iron Man movie.

(Remember, you HAVE TO SEND ME AN EMAIL following the entry instructions to get on the grid. Don't just post a comment, it won't count. And it has to be in my inbox by 2:22am Eastern Standard time on May 3rd.)

I don't envy the judges this time - there's some really funny and creative stuff on the grid. Picking the winners is going to be a tough job.

Pumping Iron: Second Grid Update

I've just posted the next four models (#8-11) to the the Entry Grid. Like last time, I've started creating multiple pages for the entries - 10 per sheet - to help with load times.

Remember, entries must be in my mailbox before 2:22 AM (Eastern Standard Time) on May 3, 2008.

Pumping Iron: First Grid Update

I've just posted the Entry Grid for the models submitted so far. Remember, entries must be in my mailbox before 2:22 AM (Eastern Standard Time) on May 3, 2008.

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.

Workbench

I had a request in comments yesterday to create a page showing what I'm currently working on in the Workshop. Not a bad idea at all. Sadly, I know that the odds of me keeping such a page up-to-date is somewhere between slim and very unlikely indeed. But here in the Blog? Well, I could see that happening.

So, here's a teaser pic of a couple of in-progress projects. They're not on the workbench in this shot (I had to clear that for Comic photos) but you get the idea.


I'm currently working on several prop-sized comicbook-themed models. Look for a grand unveiling of a new feature in early December, most likely.

Speaking of LEGO, I realized there was a nice themed part that'd work well in the logo for November. Too bad I don't own it!

That's The LEGO Turkey. It was last seen in an expensive Belville Princess Castle set back in 1999. Now selling for $35+ on the secondary market. That's one pricey piece of plastic!

Of course, even if I did have it, it'd have the same problems as the Giant LEGO phone - Belville accessories are much too large for Minifigs to interact with comfortably. (In other words: That's a Turkey the Size of MAN.)

The drumsticks did survive going mainstream,though. They've been a frequent accessory in the Viking sets in recent years, and I'm pretty sure they show up in next year's Castle offerings as well.

Here's to hoping the rest of the bird is re-released as well.