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LEGO CUUSOO: The Wizard of Oz set

by Thita (admin) on August 25, 2013

Today I would like to show you a really nice project on LEGO CUUSOO, based on The Wizard of Oz. As you probably know, CUUSOO is a platform where LEGO fans can submit ideas for future LEGO sets, and if they reach 10,000 votes from the public, LEGO will consider the set for production. The next deadline for reviewing eligible projects by the CUUSOO team is September 1st (so yeah, just a few days!), and this particular project is almost there, so if you like it as much as I do, please vote! 🙂

The LEGO Wizard of Oz project was created by Jeremiah Boehr to coincide with the upcoming 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz movie. It was posted on LEGO CUUSOO a little over a month ago and it already has over 7,000 supporters. The set focuses on the Road to Oz, and recounts the story of Dorothy’s journey to see the Wizard – as she meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and encounters the Wicked Witch of the West – and finally arrives at the Emerald City gates. Here is what Jeremiah says about his LEGO CUUSOO project:

“Growing up I watched the 1939 The Wizard of Oz, and enjoyed the timeless characters and magical story. Also, the memorable phrases like “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” and “There’s no place like home” are frequently applicable to my hometown of Kansas City, as the city sits on the border of Kansas and Missouri. My passion for LEGO and the city I live in have brought together an idea to bring the iconic film The Wizard Of Oz into the world of LEGO, realized by this product concept, on the eve of its 75th anniversary. The Road to Oz is a set designed to complement the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City’s The Wizard Of Oz display that includes Dorothy’s farm, her visit to Munchkinland, the Emerald City, and lastly the Wicked Witch’s castle. My goal with this design is to capture the iconic scenes and magical moments of the original film that fans of all ages could build and play with at home.”

The minifigures that would accompany the LEGO Wizard of Oz set are: the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy’s dog Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, Dorothy, and the Cowardly Lion.

In the first vignette of the LEGO Wizard of Oz set Dorothy meets the Scarecrow for the first time. After an encounter with the apple trees, Dorothy finds the Tin Man as well.

In the second vignette of the LEGO Wizard of Oz set Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man run into the Wicked Witch of the West at the cabin. Watch out for the fire! Next they run into the Cowardly Lion who jumps out from his perch in the forest.

In the final vignette of the LEGO Wizard of Oz set the group arrives at the Emerald City gates, but not before falling asleep in the poppy field. Will the Wizard help them? All sections of the set can be attached together to create a long yellow brick road or side by side to create a wider road.

I believe this LEGO CUUSOO project has a great potential not just for achieving the required 10,000 votes, but also to become an actual LEGO set; it depicts scenes from a much-loved story to coincide with a milestone anniversary, it has play-features, a modular design, lovely minifigs, and it is not too large to be affordable. If you would like to help this LEGO CUUSOO project to make it before the fall deadline, you can vote here (if it doesn’t meat this deadline, there is no loss, you can still vote, and it will be reviewed at a later date): VOTE FOR LEGO WIZARD OF OZ

What do you think? How you like the LEGO Wizard of Oz project? Did you vote for it? Would this be a set you would buy? How do you like the minifigures and scenes in the set? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section! Also, if you have any questions about the project, Jeremiah is happy to answer them. Just ask below. 😉

For currently available LEGO sets that were originated by LEGO fans from LEGO CUUSOO check the Online LEGO Shop.

If you would like to learn more about CUUSOO and see other featured projects, check out the following related posts:

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Brick Breakdown: LEGO Castle Dragon set

by Thita (admin) on August 24, 2013

in LEGO Castle

(Written by William)

In this Brick Breakdown series I review official LEGO sets, from the perspective of looking at interesting building techniques we can all learn from. Today we will be looking at the #70403 LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain. You can check out the previously discussed LEGO building techniques found in official LEGO sets at the end of this article. 🙂

I have to start out by saying that I’m a huge LEGO Castle fan, and I always look forward to new LEGO Castle sets; especially big fantasy creatures like dragons! Honestly, I was expecting more from the LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain set; something bigger and more substantial. However I do understand that the dragon elements cost a lot to produce and they are ultimately worth about half the price of the set. But because I do like dragons, I will let my disappointment go for the sake of that big beasty. And I would say that if you are planning to pick up LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain, you pretty much need to have the same perspective – mainly because what you build is closer in size and detail to a $30 set than a $50 one. Like I said before; the dragon adds a lot to the price tag. That’s not to say the design is bad, just be prepared that what you end up building is smaller than you might expect. But enough with the griping and time to look at the techniques! 😀

➡ SELECTING THE TONE OF YOUR LEGO MODELS

Dark, forbidding places have an abundance of tone. At a glance you can easily tell whether a place is good or evil. For example look at the Tower of Orthanc in the LEGO Lord of the Rings series. Once you see it, there is no surprise that the wizard is a badguy. So the question is how to come up with the right tone for your LEGO model?

#70403 LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain Review

It all comes down to how we associate various things. In the LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain set there are a lot of barbs and pointed slopes – these are things we associate with claws and teeth. There are also old vines and spider-webs – these are things we associate with age and ruins. The colors on the bad side are dark-gray, black, and red – representing scary unknown, and sinister things – while on the good guys side we get friendlier colors. This bit of contrast also works on the level of the equipment used by the minifigs. The badguys have weapons that are a darker metal than the good guys. All of this represents tone; which gives your creation character.

➡ THE ASYMMETRY OF EVIL

Asymmetric building with LEGO is the technique that has you constructing one side of a model different from the other. This is a really great technique for creating something that needs to look random – like elements of nature. However, when used in a building, it often comes across as the structure being under some evil influence.

#70403 LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain Details

This idea comes from how we as humans perceive beauty. Symmetrical features are how we identify balance and a sense of attractiveness. So when you throw in something a bit off-kilter or lopsided, we start thinking of the thing as ugly. In general, something that is evil should be ugly to us. Now look at the LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain model; one side is taller than the other. Also, one side is wider than the other. Meanwhile, we use the small bridge as a dividing line to compare the two sides because it is one of the most symmetrical things in the set. Ultimately we get a building that looks evil – now you know why.

➡ APPLYING WHAT YOU LEARN

One of the biggest benefits of LEGO is that it allows us to create and tell stories out of our imagination. Character and tone are important elements in how these stories come across to others. Knowing how to express what we want to convey with shape and color is a fundamental aspect every good LEGO builder should have a grasp on. And when you do, your LEGO models will stand out all the more.

Interesting fact about asymmetry being evil; LEGO had a number of parents complain about their Blacktron space series. They said that the sets were too evil and they didn’t want to expose their children to that type of influence. Little did the parents know, but LEGO never thought of that series as evil. They merely built asymmetric structures in dark colors. It was the parents’ own associations with these features that made them think it was evil.

So what do you think? How do you like the LEGO building techniques in the LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain set? Do you pay attention to the tone and symmetry of your LEGO creations and what kind of mood do they convey? Feel free to share your own experiences, tips or ask questions in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the other reviews in this series:

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LEGO CUUSOO: The Wizard of Oz set

Brick Breakdown: LEGO Castle Dragon set

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