Daily Bits

star wars

Star Wars Sandcrawler in LEGO

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Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) listen up! You have something new to drool over – a Sandcrawler replica made with LEGO bricks. You might be thinking, “So? So many things have been created out of LEGO!” Then again, this one is nothing to scoff about.

Made from 10,000 LEGO bricks over a span of nine months, you can just imagine the effort and creativity (not to mention the money!) that has gone into this Sandcrawler. Oh, and in case you’re wondering what the heck a Sandcrawler is – yes, I totally get it that not everyone knows everything about Star Wars, however “epic” it might be – here is the official definition from Wookieepedia: ((Wookieepedia))

Sandcrawlers were large, slow, treaded vehicles, used as self propelled bases for mining squads. Most notable example of usage of these vessels, later adapted by Jawas for their mobile homes, was on Tatooine, where bulky sandcrawlers climbing the dunes were a common sight.

This overview of the LEGO Sandcrawler gives you an idea of the scope of the project. Again, 10,000 LEGO blocks!
Sandcrawler Overview

This diorama gives the Sandcrawler some context.
Sandcrawler Diorama

And this makes use of lighting to add some drama.

Sandcrawler Lights
Sandcrawler at night, with lights

Brilliant piece of work – and I don’t think anyone will contest that. In case you want more (and I am sure Star Wars fans will want more), here is a short video clip showing the Sandcrawler in action.

The brains behind this? A guy who calls himself marshal banana on Flickr. For more photos and details, head on over to Flickr and check out the photostream.

Star Wars in LEGO: Condensed Version

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Have you ever tried telling the entire story of Star Wars to someone who has no idea what it’s about? You probably would need at least an hour and nifty story-telling skills to do the job. That or show that person this video telling a fast paced version of the story. In LEGO.

Now Star Wars LEGO is not a new thing. Try googling “Star Wars LEGO” and you will see countless results. This video is something else, though. Not only are the minifigs and the sets set up so they look really cool, but the background music and the narrative are also noteworthy. It’s not technically epic (whatever that means), but no one can say it is not funny and attention-grabbing. I can only imagine how much this kid has spent on buying all those LEGO pieces!

That is the more recent video that dzine123 uploaded, but sometime last year, he also had a similar video.

Now you can either use these videos for bedtime stories or you can actually transcribe the narrative and tell the story on your own. Either way, you are sure to have the Star Wars story understood by kids of all ages!

Darth Vader Does the Blues

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We all feel the blues sometimes. There is no need to be embarrassed or ashamed when you don’t feel 100 percent. Heck, apparently, even the supposedly indomitable Darth Vader felt the blues! I guess that with a life story like that of Darth Vader’s, one really will feel down every now and then.

What do you think the father of Luke Skywalker does when he is down? He plays the harmonica like you may never have heard before! (What? You didn’t know that Darth Vader can play the harmonica?) This is a perfect example of how music spans cultures. 😉

Here’s a funny video that can get you through the mid-week slump. It’s several years old, but it should still do the trick for those who live in 2011. 😉

A is for Ackbar: THE Alphabet Book Your Kid Must Have

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If you consider yourself a self-respecting Star Wars geek, then that title applies to you. It is no secret that I am not the biggest Star Wars fan out there, but I do recognize a cool thing when it stares me in the face; and what can be a cooler baby shower gift than a book that will forever shape an infant’s perception of what the letters of the English alphabet stand for?

A is for Ackbar is the masterpiece created by Brandon Peat, with lots of inspiration from his wife Emma. As the story goes, the idea came up when Emma was pregnant with their first child, Tycho. In the quest to decorate the nursery without having to paint the walls (yeah, renting can be a biatch sometimes), they stumbled upon the idea of creating “alphabet posters”, and being the nerds (his words, not mine) they are, Star Wars had to be the theme. Taking things one step further, the couple decided to collect the illustrations and put them together to create a baby book.

Here’s a glimpse of the artwork.

Ackbar

Non-Star Wars fan that I am, I had to look up Ackbar. Thank you, Wikipedia, for enlightening me.

Bossk

Bossk apparently means “devours his prey” – not exactly baby-friendly, but hey, we have to start them young, don’t we?

Chewie

Yes, even I knew that C would represent Chewie and C-3PO!

Nien

The narcissistic side of me would not shut up – I had to look at the letter N and share it with you all. Who the heck is Nien Nunb? Wiki says he is a smuggler…nice!

Now, how to get your hands on the book? I think they were giving copies to individuals who donated at least $15 to Tycho’s college fund, but the site now says that the drive has been closed. Here’s a ray of hope for us latecomers in the game: “If you missed out, bookmark this page, and check back in a month or two. We hope to find a new way to disseminate this collection to the masses!”

Brandon and Emma Peat: any chance copies will be out by January/February 2011? 😀