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I'm constantly amazed by all the great things people build with LEGO. Our
eclectic hobby is a rich and expressive nexus of art, science, and humanity.
I've often wished there were a simple way to share this amazement with
people outside the hobby. Unfortunately, most outsiders never see even a
glimpse into our world. They've seen Legoland or maybe a few toy store
displays, but remain completely unaware of treasures like Eric Harshbarger's
working life-size grandfather clock, Eric Kingsley's nursery room railway,
or Henry Lim's colossal brickasaurus.
If there's one thing to be learned from going to public events like train
shows and NWBrickCon, however, it's that visitors are blown away by what
they see. And they look at LEGO with renewed curiosity when they realize
that the artisans aren't LEGO employees but regular people.
I want to tap this curiosity and help these people find our community's most
delicious mind candy. I want to take them on a lavish pictorial excursion
into our world and show them who we are, what we do, and why we do it.
So I'm writing a book -- a coffee-table-style photo book with large, rich,
colorful photographs and text both biographical and narrative. The gist of
the book is "adult LEGO enthusiasts and the amazing things they do and build
with LEGO," but it also covers offline social aspects such as events, clubs,
and gaming. Titles under consideration include:
Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
A LEGO Way of Life
Masters of the Brick
Artisans of Brick
The Unsung Art of LEGO Building
The Magic of LEGO Building
Why do I think I can write this book? First, I love working with people
and I relate to LEGO fans. Second, I enjoy writing and photography and I
believe I can communicate well through words and pictures. Third, I think I
have a well-rounded understanding of the hobby. Fourth, this feels like the
right time in my life to do this and I have a job with a flexible vacation
schedule. Fifth and finally, I've toyed in my head with the idea of doing
something like this for several years and I'm very excited that it's finally
possible for me.
So far, it's been a great pleasure working with Lindsay Braun, Tom Duggan,
Joe Comeau, Shaun Sullivan, and Sun Yun, all of whom have been outstanding
sports. A small sampling of photos of Tom's and Sun's work, and a few
NWBrickCon and NELUG BrikWars photos, are available here:
http://www.lugnet.com/~1/Book/
This sampling gives a flavor of the types of photos I'm after. Although I
made people the main focus here, the book will hold a better balance between
the two.
I look forward to meeting more people at BricksWest! I leave for LA in the
morning and will be staying some with Henry Lim and Ron Kittle. If you're in
town for the event and are interested in being a part of this book, by all
means please find me. I'll be wandering around a lot with camera in hand.
If you live in the area and are interested, just help me get to your place.
--Todd
Mini-FAQ:
Q: When will the book come out?
A: Most likely sometime in 2004. I'm hoping to have enough put together
for a manuscript draft and book proposal in April or May, then begin
searching for an agent to sell the book to a publisher.
Q: How many people will be in it?
A: My goal is in-depth meetings with 100 people. Pending approval of
additional photos of people and creations at events like BrickFest,
NWBrickCon, and BricksWest, the works of as many as 200 people may be
included.
Q: Where are the people from?
A: Initially, Boston (where I live). I'm starting to branch out to other
cities in the United States. After that I'll visit other countries
including Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Japan.
Scheduling is dependent upon airfares.
Q: What did you use to take the pictures?
A: Photos taken July through December 2002 used a Canon PowerShot G2 and
Canon SpeedLite 550EX & 420EX external strobe flashes. Photos taken in
2003 use a Canon EOS D60 digital SLR body and a variety of lenses
(EF 20mm f/2.8 USM for wide-angle shots; EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
for general model shots; EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM for super-close shots;
and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM for various medium telephoto shots), Canon
SpeedLite 550EX & 2x 420EX external strobe flashes, two Photoflex
umbrellas, and various homemade flash bonnets, diffusers, bouncers,
paper backdrops, and white LED arrays. I shoot most of the close-up
photos at f/11, f/16, and f/22 with off-camera flash units.
Q: When did you start writing the book?
A: I haven't actually done very much writing yet. Most of the book will be
photos. I began taking photos for the book last summer just before
BrickFest, then spent the following months improving my photographic
technique. I took about 1000 photos at BrickFest, 1500 photos at
NWBrickCon, and a bunch more at two NELUG events. As ideas gel, I'll
probably start writing body text in a month or so. I'll probably post
snippets from time to time for critque.
Q: Do you have all the legal issues worked out?
A: For some aspects, I'll need to hire an attorney specializing in
photography and publishing to review a few things. I will need to get
signed documents from people who were photographed in their homes or
other private venues prior to completion. However, in the United States
my understanding is that it is legal to publish photographs of people
(even children) taken in public areas without written consent. It's a
gray area, though, and laws vary from country to country. It's possible
that some photos for which I am unable to obtain a release signature will
not make it into the final product. As to the title of the book, it's a
point to discuss with the legal professionals at LEGO.
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Message has 25 Replies:
 | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Wow. This is going to be amazing. Your pictures look even better than they did in Seattle, and that's saying a lot. I absolutely can't wait to see how this unfolds. This book is going to be an amazing boost to an already excellent LEGO community. [ (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Hey Todd! Sounds awesome! Don't forget community fads (Spiffcraft, Pods, minis, etc) community projects (Moonbase, Medieval Market) and community slang (MOC, SNOT, BURP, etc)! Jeremy (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) WOW!! Oh, I love this! You know, this project is better than pre-sliced bread!! Being on the inside and having the exposure and experience that you do Todd, this should make for a must have in the same line as all the official sets we consider (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Way cool! I'd love to have paper printed high quality photos of AFOL creations and people! (...) I don't know about US but here in Sweden photos of people in the background is OK, but as soon as they become one of the main things in the photo you (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Todd, this is a fantastic undertaking, If I can put in my two bricks worth, I like these two titles, depending on the feel of the publication, light hearted or more serious, respectively: (...) The Photography is fantastic, Sign me up for a copy. If (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) < </excerpt> I'm so happy to see this announcement! As you already know, I have absolutely zero doubt that this project will be a stunning success. Your sense of photographic esthetic is remarkable, and it's no coincidence that most of the (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| I look foward to this book, however I have one concern that the photographs may end up being very US centred. While my gut feeling is that probably about half the AFOLs (not that it is just about AFOLS) are based in the US there are many other (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) Todd, this is just great-- I'm doubly disappointed to be missing BW this year, as I'd just like to shake hands and say "well done." I'll certainly be in line to purchase the finished product; the photos showcased thus far indicate high (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| This looks like a great idea. But I have a few questions regarding this. Do you plan to make a profit from this? It seems like this will take a lot of money and time to complete. Is it neccesary to do a live interview? I mean, some of us might be in (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) Todd this book sounds great! I look forward to buying this book.I am humbled by the builders out there.I am but just a simple builder and can't wait to see all those great creations out there all in one place.Chris Leach MichLTC (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Hello Todd, When you're planning to visit The Netherlands, please contact me. I live in Amsterdam, 45 minutes from Schiphol Airport. I'm a collector of custom sets, and I would like to help you contact active and interesting members of our (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) <snip> Of the suggested titles so far, I like this one best. This sounds like a very ambitious project, and if you do plan on travelling all over the world for it, I must say I will be very impressed if such a book really could be on the store (...) (22 years ago, 12-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) Todd, Of the selections above, I like the first one best. I think it does the best job of highlighting both the people and their creations. There's more of a "human interest" element to the title. My two cents :) One variation on it for your (...) (22 years ago, 13-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Todd, I wish you much good fortune and strength in the publication of this book. What a great idea!! I'll definitely be counting myself among those eagerly awaiting your work, and look forward to the day when I can hold it in my hands and while away (...) (22 years ago, 13-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Todd, First of all, best of luck! This is a fantastic idea, i truely hope you can pull it off. I'll count myself as someone who will buy this book when it comes out. I myself am an amatuer photographer, who is just starting to take the steps to sell (...) (22 years ago, 13-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) This is something that is important to parents of LEGO building kids, potential adult fans of LEGO, and to just about anyone else who gets a kick out of saying, "wow, that's cool." I don't often point friends at the LEGO.com site to show them (...) (22 years ago, 13-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Todd, If you ever happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area while you're still meeting people for the book, I'd love to be a part of it. I and my colllection will have a 5-minute spot on the Home & Garden channel on their show "Ultimate Collectors" (...) (22 years ago, 13-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| (...) WOW!!!! Do you want my credit card info right now or should I go ahead and mail you a check????? This is really exciting news Todd, and I can't think of anyone better than the co-founder of LUGnet to tell this story! Your photographs are (...) (22 years ago, 13-Feb-03, to lugnet.books)
| | | Re: Blockheads: Regular People, Amazing Creations
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| Hi Todd, The idea of a book like this sounds very, very good and interesting. I just learnt about your project while browsing through the pages of Lugnet and saw that you live in Boston. I'm from Argentina but live in Boston too, I'm an architect (...) (21 years ago, 22-Feb-04, to lugnet.books)
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