Announcing My First LEGO Set!!
What fun! I just found out from our marketing guy on Friday that I can finally talk about the first sets I worked on for 2007! Woo-Hoo!!

Oh where to begin... Before I say anything, I just want to lower your expectations a bit. Years ago I learned a valuable lesson from the first Batman movie. Everyone was telling me how amazing it was and how I absolutely had to go see it. As a result of having such high expectations, I was doomed to see the movie as a letdown. It was only years later that I was truly able to appreciate the movie as the terrific after-school special that it was.

The list below represents different sets for early 2007 that I've contributed to in some capacity. I've labeled them differently to highlight the fact that some of my models include building instructions while others are just for inspiration.

If labeled 'INSPIRATION' the model will only appear in picture form on certain pages of the building instructions. These models will not have instructions on how to build them.

If labeled 'ALTERNATE' the model was built using only pieces available from the main model on the front of the box. These models include building instructions and are often shown as smaller pictures on the front and back of the box.

If labeled 'MAIN' the model is the largest of the set and is the focus of the front box-shot. Building instructions are included. All alternates and inspiration models are built using only the pieces from this model.

Here they are!


4916 Mini Animals

ALTERNATE 'Turkey'
ALTERNATE 'Dinosaur'


4917 Mini Robots

ALTERNATE 'Magic Crazy Cat'


4918 Mini Flyers

ALTERNATE 'Biplane'


4939 Cool Cars

INSPIRATION 'Tele-handler'


6163 Creative Building

INSPIRATION 'Dragon with Knight'


4953 Fast Flyers

MAIN 'Swing-Wing Jet'
ALTERNATE 'Hovercraft'
ALTERNATE 'Helicopter'
INSPIRATION 'Speedboat'
INSPIRATION 'Space Shuttle'

If you're looking for one set that has the most jamie bang for the buck, the Fast Flyers is your best bet. It's my first set, so I'm particularly proud of it. Please be sure to run out an buy cases of them :)

The main model is an f-14 type stunt show plane complete with swing-wings, working wing and tail flaps, working landing gear and huge air intake and exhaust engines. My friend Nathanael dared me to make a hovercraft as an alternate, so the first alternate is indeed a hovercraft with hidden wheels beneath so that it can roll around and steer on the floor. The second alternate is an Airwolf-style helicopter. It is meant to be the easiest build of the three, so the functions are limited to spin-able main and tail rotors. I'm hoping at least one of the three models on the box front will tempt $20 out of the pockets of some eager kids and adults!

The inspiration models are pretty fun too. The speed boat has some cool detailing while the Space Shuttle has working bay doors and a functional robotic arm and orbiting satellite. I'm also lucky to say that LEGO legend Steen Sig Andersen created a fantastic Cargo plane as the final inspiration model in the set.

I will be unveiling the Fast Flyers at LEGO World in the Netherlands next week. LEGO asked me last week to join a team of representatives for the week long event. Although I will only be there for the long weekend, you should definitely stop on by and say hi if you're in the neighborhood.

I know a lot of you will be asking for pictures of the new sets, but that will have to wait for a couple of weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to grab some for an upcoming post where I talk all about my experiences at LEGO World.

Considering that it use to take two years to send a product to market, I'm grateful to already be able to talk about the stuff I worked on. I can't imagine what it must have been like back then. I mean it's just been over 10 months and I was about ready to burst having to wait! Of course, now we're already working on some way-too cool 2008 products, so this could be a rough year for me ;)