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So here's a story about two Mech builders living on opposite coasts with
like minds and how Q came to visit.
I "played" with Lego ever since I was a kid. I first started building
Robots/Mechs as a serious endevour
when I was around 18 years old. It was around this age when I realized that
I could use Lego as a medium
to create anything I wanted. With that in mind I began to create specific
purpose built creations.
This was a departure from all the Cars, Trucks and Space ships I always
enjoyed making. I had my sights
on working for Lego at the time and I tried to use my ability to get a job
with them. I found out that
getting "in" was'nt easy. This was somthing I let go of as time passed. I
instead built for my own purposes
and began to learn about how I could share my creations with others. I
started to participate in a
community based Artist Studio Tour. This is a self guided walking tour that
the public could go and walk around
and see the various Artist studios and see the Artwork and the studios where
the work was created.
This was and still is a staple of the exhibits I do. I've participated in
this particular event for
close to 10 years now. So I found a way to share what I do with others. I
met alot of very talented people doing
these shows and received a great deal of encouragement. Alas, none of them
were into Lego. I always knew there were
others that were into Lego, maybe they did'nt build Robots like I do but
maybe into Lego in general.
I mean TLC was'nt just making this stuff for me! Plus with all the technical
elements, I supposed that someone
in the world was building with this stuff besides me. Evan the Mania
Magazine featured some basic but fun creations.
I saw this as the first way to get exposure. For some reason my creations
never made it in, evan the Dune buggy pix I sent.
So I continued to build Robots inspired by Sci-fi and my own twisted
imagination. I also continued to to find new ways to
get exposure. By the time I was 25 I had tons of muscian friends. This was
great because in themselves they are very
creative people and some of them began to invite me to see them play and
display my Robots in the clubs where they were
playing. Other friends of mine took up Poetry or Spoken Word while others
began forrays into other open mic and
Wrap sessions. They too asked me to display while they were on stage. This
was (and still is) and exciting time.
As my buddies got more and more show dates I got to display, and then later
I started to get asked myself to display.
Bars and Music clubs are a strange place for Lego. While most people related
my Robots to childhood memories of playing
with Lego, some were just Drunk and I had to be careful with the clumsy
ones. Having 200 people a night say
"whoa look at that!" Has really left me with some great memories. This was
the birth of the Legomaster as I came to be known.
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=2817
As time went on I still felt the lack of anybody who really knew about what
I was doing. I mean evan if I met someone who
was into Castle, we could still "talk" Lego. I was still determined to build
and push the limits of what I was doing.
It was at this time around 1995' I decided to build the hardest thing I
could think of; The Praying Mantis.
At 6 feet long and almost 3 years to build it was an acomplishment I am very
proud of. I built it to show what I could do,
but more importantly I built it to show what Lego was capable of. I felt
that evan if I never encountered someone who
builds in the style I do at least the Mantis and the other Robots might help
to inspire younger folks to build in this way.
Robots are the future and Lego has put Technology in the hands of everyone.
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=3632
About a year or so after I completed the Praying Mantis I began to Build
(renovate) my first house with my sweetheart Cindy.
I put Lego aside for a year and a half. It was difficult. Mostly because I
had all these ideas running around inside my head
and I was'nt able to build them. Let's face it when your "Living room" has
no walls and Romex electrical wire is hanging out
of the studs, you gotta have priorities. I literally had to build a work
space from bare wood and sheet rock. I dreamed of
the day when the house was completed and I could get back to a normal life.
We roughed it for quite sometime. At one point,
when we first moved in we had a bathroom sink and a toaster oven. That's it!
All my possesions were in storage.
It was now 1999, life was getting back to normal. Mindstorms commercials
were all over TV. I still did'nt own a Computer.
I was determined to build my next generation of Robot. Fully mechanical and
Robotic in everyway. So I had to buy a Computer.
With my first Mindstorms set and nearly $500 in Parts, motors and Sensors, I
got to work building the big Mech-bot.
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4473
With the new computer came surfing the net. I spent a great deal of time
searching for others that build Lego. I visited many
web sites. I realized that just because I personnaly did'nt know anyone that
build Lego, the internet was the place to show
and get to know others that do. I remember Mark Sandlin and Mladen Pejic
were the first peoples web sites I encountered that were simular
to what I do. I was estatic! But I still wasn't familiar enough with the net
or e-mail to begin correspondance.
I made a decision to focus on my Mech-bot and not daddle around on the net.
The reason was simply that if I spent time looking
around the net I would loose time working on the Robot. So I left the
internet alone for a time, instead focusing on my project.
While building a Six foot Mechanical Robot dwindled my supplies, and Lego
for some infinite wisdom stop selling Black Technic Beams
in bulk. I was hardpressed to find them. I started looking on e-bay. To my
surprise tons of Lego was for sale. This is how I
eventually came to correspond with what seemed to me people who were into
Lego. Folks like Chris Weeks, Brian Cooper, Bob Sardelli
encouraged me to show my creations on Brickshelf. I had no idea what they
were talking about. But this was something I had to
check out. I realized that I really did'nt have good pix of my creations and
that my computer skills were growing, there was'nt going
to be anyone to hold my hand while I tried to figure out how Brickshelf
worked. I pushed on. Then I began to notice the Lugnet Icon.
Lugnet, what the..... oh wow. Look Freaks like me! Just kidding. Luck led me
thru the groups and I began to see that I found people
just like me! and It only took 30 years of my life to do it! I noticed a
sub-group called Mecha. I couldn't belive it. It's like
giving a hungry man a mouth to eat with. I limited my research into Lugnet
to quite times at work. I started to see that this was a
diverse community made from all walks of life and all ages. Some folks had
the privledge of being involved for a while and some
folks were new just like me new and intrigued!
I saw the Mechs that Mark and Mladen built again. I saw lot's of other great
creations as well. Just becasue I fancy Tech stuff and Robots
dos'nt mean I was'nt suitably impressed by what I saw. Poeple make a great
deal of creations as diverse as the Lug community itself.
I also saw that some folks were having a great time writing fantasy like
stories about space themed Lego and it was great.
Groups for Robotics, RCX, Space and Mecha. It was alot to take in. I did't
post at first, until I was comfortable with the process.
One day I noticed a particurally great creation called "02 Mech" by Bryce
Mcglone. This was the single most inspiring design I had seen
aside from Mladen's Mirage and Brian's Gundams. I said to myself this guy
will know where I'm comming from!
As time went on I began to introduce myself to Lugnet. It was hard at first.
Comming to town billed as the Legomaster was somthing I was'nt
sure was a good idea. I never named myself that. It was a name given to me
by friends during the years I showed my Robots at clubs in the NYC/NJ area.
None the less I did. Not having great pix of my Robots did'nt help. But I
pressed on. I began to see that a number of groups were already in full swing.
Mostly regional Lug groups like Lugola and the differnt Train groups. I
tried to get involed in Gardenslug, my local Lug group, but alas, not much
going on there. (I'll change that)
I managed to put some halfway decent pix of my Robots on Brickshelf, Bryce
Mcglone and some others were very supportive. Evan taking the time to send
personal e-mails asking questions about the Robots. This was great! I
totally fell into this. I kinda did'nt expect it. I was'nt sure how to react.
For years this was all I wanted and boom it was starting to happen. As time
went on I started to get my Brickshelf account to look the way I wanted.
Better pix and detail sots were starting to make their way into my folders.
I felt like people were starting to see what I do. I felt so glad to be
able to share what I do with other like minded people. I sent an appeciation
letter to the Lugnet and Brickshelf founders.
At home I continued to build my Big Mech Bot and now Vision Command was
enabling my Robot see and interact with it's surroundings purely from visual
stimulus. My good freind Mr. Lexx decided to throw an Art Show based on
Technology. We had done Art Shows together in the past. So I was glad to
participate when he asked me. I posted about the show on Lugnet hoping to
attract anybody that lives nearby to the Jersey City Manhatten area.
One of the people that showed interest was Bryce Mcglone. He told me that he
lives in California and that he would not be able to make it to the show.
But he did want to tell me good luck and that he thought what I was doing
was special and he thought is was very cool and important for our building
style.
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=3886
We started to correspond about what we do. Aside from Brian Cooper he was
the only other person building Mecha on a comprable scale and I thought that
this was indeed rare and an honor to communicate with him. Turns out that we
had more in common than we thought. Having a desire to build with Lego
was just the start. We both belived that pushing the limits of Mech design
was central to why we build Lego. We both have our own reasons for why we
started.
I mean hey I like Lego in general but my preference is toward inspired
Mecha. Mee toooo he charged! Bryce asked if I had any Video of My Robots in
action.
It turns out that a friend of mine is starting to make a documentry on the
life and times of the Legomaster. The film is more about why I do what I do
and why
I am driven to do it, rather than just about my creations. Soooo I told
Bryce I had video of my Praying Mantis at CBGB's famous Rock'n Roll club.
The Mantis is
on stage while my other friend "Dam Why" aka Neil preformed his wild Poetry
while a band plays in the background. I sent him the video and he was happy.
(mee too)
He then told me "Hey waht's your address, I have a...um surprise I would
like to send you" Ok trust and trust alike I said.
*---Quetzalcoatl Visits the Legomaster---*
I get to work one evening and there are Two boxes from Bryce in the lobby
waiting for me. I figured they were videos or somthing, cause Bryce threw me
a hint
and said I'll like the videos prior to getting the shipment. He totally
faked me out all the way and the man keeps a good secret! When I picked up
the boxes
I heard Lego moving around inside. I figured he sent me all his extra black
Lego as a gift or donation towards building the big Mech bot since he knew I was
having trouble getting materials. No no no I opend the boxes and to my utter
shock and disbelief Quetzalcoatl was packed neatly into two boxes and lay there
infront of me! I was blown away. I could'nt belive it. I had no Idea. More
so why did he do it? I never evan dreamed of somthing like this. And Q is such a
beautiful creation! I was completely flabergasted. Infront of me was an
outstanding example of Lego as Art.
Well as you can imagine I called Bryce in person as soon as I could. I
walked around in a haze. I spoke to him about his reasons for sending Q to me.
He told me that he wanted me to see Q in person. See how it was constructed.
Since I never saw another Mech ever in person, he wanted me to experience Q
for myself. He also told me that he always wanted to send one of his mechs
to the right person. Some one who was just as "crazy" about building Mecha
as I was.
He said that by sending Q to me was his way of expressing a mutual
admiration for our style and drive to push the limits of building. He was
understandably
nervous about sending his creation thru the Mail. He took a chance...a worth
while chance sending Q to me. We both used to work for UPS as it turns out
and we both
know what can happen to packages first hand.
I pledged to get Q repaired and up and standing with my other Mechs. I had a
bunch of stuff goning on and I did'nt expect the surprise so I had to get some
side projects (RG Mech) completed then I'd start to work on Q. What Bryce
has done is amazing. Q is out of this world. It uses Thowbot gear boxes and ball
joints as well as click hinges in a way I would'nt have dreamed. I sort of
left these out of my collection because I was focusing on Motorized
articulation.
It was a treat to see this joint tech because it works really well. Bryce is
the King of the Throwbot Gear box, Ball joint, and Click hinges. We made a
joke calling
them cheater parts. He felt that the ThrowBot line was sort of the bastard
stepchild of the Technic community and he wanted to build somthing with
them. Big Blue, 02 Mech
and Q are all based on these concepts. Besides who would think to use
umpteen billions of Yellow Pod fins the way he did or those Brown Droid
fighter parts that cover
Q's tail? Well he did and I could'nt be happier. Again pushing the limits.
Having never seen Q before in person made it interesting to reconstruct.
Bryce said he wouldn't have sent it to me if he did'nt think I could put it
together.
Along with new shoulder armor that I never saw, most everything was crushed.
Except the main body, which is solid and well constructed. The tail is
fantastic!
It has the ability to be a worthy sculpture on it's own and together with
the main body of Q it brings about a whole new sense of design.
Q is more than the sum of it's parts.
I got Q up and next to my other Robots. I posted group pix on brickshelf:
All your Yellow Pod Fins belong to us
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=5226
So there you have it, a story of me and how I came to Lugnet. A story of
meeting people and trusting. I ask you all as you read this to imagine how
special it would be
to be honored in this way. What if your a Train buff and the one of the
people you hold in high regard sent you one of their masterpieces. Or if you
love Caslte and you
were finally able to meet a great castle builder by studying his work. What
has happened here on Lugnet and what has happened between two Mech builders
is a special thing.
I admire all of you who have had the fortune to meet others of the same ilk.
To attend Lug meetings. To know how to make a Web site and derive joy from
positive feedback.
To this end I want all of you to know that we are all special and you never
know who is out there just waiting for a chance to express themselves. It is
my particular joy
to begin to know all of you and experience your creativity by seeing the
creations you all have made.
And If I hav'nt said it enough, thank you to the founders of Lugnet and
Brickshelf. You know why I love you.
As I make way for new things in my life, I will always be thankfull to the
system I have chosen as my medium to create.
Thank you Lego.
Sincerly Eric "Legomaster" Sophie
Bryce Mcglone's Mecha:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=817
Quetzalcoatl by Bryce Mcglone:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=3722
Eric Sophie's Mecha:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=Legomaster
Quetzalcoatl Visits the Legomaster
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=5226
Please visit these folders and feel free to let us know what you think all
comments are welcome.
As for Bryce, he tells me he is in the process of changing his e-mail with
Lugnet, so until the Admin gets back to him
he's not able to post right now. His thoughts are with us and this post.
Thank you all.
Eric
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