Spirit Magazine - February 2014 - (Page 66)

AS THE LEGO GROUP'S first big-budget film foray-The Lego Movie- rockets into theaters this month, it may feel like the colorful plastic brick is everywhere. And we'll be seeing even more incarnations of the little Danish toy that could: a special Lego episode of The Simpsons this spring, an official Lego documentary, the opening of the sixth Legoland Discovery Center in the U.S., and its increasing use as the raw material of fine art, not to mention a growing buzz in the media. And yet, the basic Lego brick hasn't significantly changed since it was developed 56 years ago. Sure, it comes in more colors and is sometimes accompanied by cool superhero figurines, but a brick made half a century ago still clicks perfectly with one manufactured today. So what's with all the fuss? W hen 33-year-old Stacy Sterling tells people she's into Lego, they just seem confused. "People are like, 'Oh, huh, you mean the kids' toy?' Some don't get it until they see what can be done with them," she says. The Seattle-based Nintendo employee is just one drop in an expanding ocean of adult fans of Lego, otherwise known as AFOLs, who spend untold hours and dollars building original and elaborate creations out of the toy. The Lego Group-the family-owned company that, for decades, has churned out a nearly endless supply of bricks-estimates the number of AFOLs at 250,000, most of them men in their 30s or 40s with a bent toward technology or graphic design. Teenage fans of Lego are a burgeoning group, too, bolstered in part by the rise of geek-chic. ARTISTS ON PREVIOUS PAGES 1 ANGUS MACLANE 2 CHRIS McVEIGH 3 RICKY LINN 4 JORDAN SCHWARTZ 5 HUANG SHIN- KAI 6 JAMES PEGRUM 7 MIKE STIMPSON 8 TYLER CLITES 9 PAUL LEE 10 RÁMON & AMADOR ALFARO MARCILLA 11 KATIE WALKER 12 THOMAS POULSOM 66 SPIRIT FEBRUARY 2014 In the late '90s, "two developments lured these prodigal Lego fans," writes David Robertson in Brick by Brick, his 2013 look at the company's blockbuster innovation strategies. "One was the launch of Lego Star Wars-which appealed to adult nostalgia for the movie classic-as well as the release of Mindstorms, a Lego robotics kit that tapped into grown-ups' inner geek." The more recently introduced Lego Architecture series-which immortalizes iconic buildings in plastic-consists of sets aimed at yet another segment of adults. Lego's appeal for its older fans may also stem from simple childhood nostalgia, though AFOLs also point out how simple to use and largely messfree their hobby is. When you buy a bucket of bricks, they're ready to go, no sanding, priming or painting involved. As artistic endeavors go, it's literally something a 5-year-old can do. For Mike Doyle, a fortysomething New Jersey- based graphic designer and author of the recently published art book Beautiful Lego, a family trip to Legoland California was the inspiration to pick up the playthings again. "Something clicked when I was there," he says. "So I went back to the hotel room and searched online to see whether other people were doing anything interesting with Lego. I was really shocked to see there was a vibrant community of adults, and teens too, working in the medium. My heart started pumping." Today, Doyle estimates that he has some 400,000 Lego pieces carefully stored in his basement studio, where he creates large but intricate builds and is often joined by his two young sons. "You can get into a real trancelike state while building," he says. "Time goes by, the pieces snapping together; there's a lot of little pleasurable moments in the activity of it." Chris McVeigh, a designer in Halifax, Nova Scotia, guesses he owns 100,000 pieces. Stacy Sterling figures she and her husband, Dave, have passed the 1 million mark. "Legos aren't cheap," says Jess Gibson, a Portland, Oregon-based filmmaker who has created "blocumentaries"-short documentaries on adult builders-since 2009. The 738-piece Lord Business' Evil Lair, a themed set tied to The Lego Movie, goes for $70; generally speaking, a set where each piece averages out to 10 cents or less is considered a good value. "AFOLs are invested, not just timewise, but financially," Gibson says. "And it's a big investment, for sure, so they're serious about it."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - February 2014

Spirit Magazine - February 2014
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
Revel in rum
Cozy up to Chicago
Wise Guide
Learn to slow down
The Numbers
Get briefed on Oscars history
Entertain (with) a proposal
Keep your company current
Business
Cut down on insurance confusion
Digitize your doorman
Seek success with fun and games
Go loco for Lego
Building Lego
A Fighting Chance
Your Adventure In Miami
Promotional Series: Focus on Health for All Seasons
Promotional Series: Focus on Education
Promotional Series: Focus on Franchises
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The “If” List

Spirit Magazine - February 2014