(Written by Ernest)
Today I would like to show you a book I have been reading and is an excellent reference and interesting read for LEGO fans of all ages, LEGO Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History. The book was actually released last year but it hasn’t lost its popularity, and with the holidays coming up you might want to put it on your wish-list or get it as a gift for someone else. 🙂
How are LEGO minifigs made? Why are they yellow? How did the first minifigs look like? All these and many more questions are answered in this fascinating book on the history of LEGO minifigures from 1978 up to now. Below is the official description of the book:
Collect the complete visual history of the LEGO Minifigure! Learn more than ever before about the LEGO minifigure! Trace the history of this fun little creation through time as it evolved in every theme and every year. This full-color collection features great visuals with fun facts, designer secrets and details you won’t find anywhere else. Makes a great must-have gift for minifigure fans! Features 256 full-color pages of LEGO minifigure history and photos. Learn the fun facts and design details of the minifigure, from its creation to today! Makes a great gift for minifigure collectors!
The book is written by Gregory Farshtey and Daniel Lipkowitz, and published by DK Publishing – known for their very high quality LEGO related books. It is full of large and crisps pictures of minifigs through time, along with interesting historical details and fun facts. It is divided into five sections according to the decades minifigures have been produced: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. The sections are color-coded so it is very easy to find the content you are searching for.
The LEGO Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History book is hard-cover and includes 3 minifigures inside the front cover: a LEGO City robber, a LEGO City townsperson and a LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper. None of the minifigs are unique, but it is still nice to add them to your collection.
Besides some basic information about each minifigure, there are also “Did You Know?” sections showing weird-but-true-facts that are really interesting. The book also includes which set the minifigs come from, which is quite useful when you are trying to locate a particular minifig.
It is really interesting to see that although the basic minifigure design remained the same for so many years, there has been so many changes too; facial expressions, hair and headgear pieces, and even skin-color! Also, while the first minifigures were either just plain or had stickers for decorating the torsos, now minifigs are fully printed not just on the front and back of the torsos, but also on the legs and arms – thanks for the advancement of printing technology! However the original simple minifig with the smiley face is still very popular and included in various LEGO sets.
Although the book doesn’t include every single minifigure ever made (that would be an incredible feat!) it does give an excellent review of each time-period with plenty of examples and just enough information to keep the book interesting for both young and old LEGO fans. I highly recommend it for LEGO for LEGO fans who enjoy a good book.
The LEGO Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History book is available at book-stores and also on Amazon. You can get it here: LEGO MINIFIGURE YEAR BY YEAR ON AMAZON
If you have the book already feel free to share your own review on it in the comment section below. What did you find most interesting? How did you like the information provided? And what about the pictures? Would love to hear your opinion, and it helps out other readers as well. Also, if you would like to list your favorite minifigs, you are welcome to do so! 😉
And you might also like to check out the LEGO Books section for more book reviews, or select from the following related posts: