Blocks magazine

Building, collecting and customising your LEGO

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Tag: LEGO Friends

Five must-read LEGO features in Blocks Issue 73

Posted by Tom Saunderson in NewsLeave a comment

Harry Potter takes the cover for Blocks Issue 73, but there’s more than a stroll down Diagon Alley to be found in the latest issue of the LEGO magazine. The new issue also contains exclusive interviews with the LEGO designers responsible for Friends sets and new elements, a look back at LEGO Western and top tips for building LEGO items to use around the home.

How to build LEGO coasters, tissue boxes and household items

That’s right! The latest how-to guide provides a look at decorating the home with LEGO builds. Why settle for that boring and flimsy tissue box from the shop, which doesn’t look great, when you can turn it into an oversized LEGO brick? And wouldn’t it look better to whip your business cards out of a smart LEGO holder? Find out how to put these fun items together – they make for a perfect lockdown project.

Nostalgic LEGO advertising

LEGO advertising has drastically evolved over the years, with this special feature looking back at some classic print advertisements from back in the day – several of which are reproduced as full pages. As advertising evolves through the decades, it becomes increasingly apparent why classic LEGO Castle and Space themes are no longer part of the mix.

How the LEGO Friends team designed a jungle adventure

In an exclusive interview, LEGO Friends Creative Director Fenella Blaize-Charity reveals how her team of creatives came up with the latest adventure for the Heartlake City gang. From designing organic shapes and rope bridges to deciding the new animals to include, Fenella shares fascinating insights into what goes into coming up with an adventurous subtheme like Jungle. We even sneak in a few questions about the Summer Fun Water Park set…

Back to the LEGO Old West

LEGO Western has a special place in the hearts of many fans, which will make this month’s Blockstalgia feature a real treat. The Sheriff minifigure is back in town as the Blocks team looks back at these classic sets, picking out some favourites and highlighting what made LEGO Wild West such a memorable range. The section also includes brand new instructions showing how to build cacti, a campfire and a saloon table – all in a modern LEGO style.

Updating LEGO elements

How does LEGO part design work? It’s a question we all want the answer to but is hard to answer in the abstract. To reveal the secrets of element design, the LEGO Group’s designers reveal how they took the Technic projectile launcher and redesigned it to better fit the sets that it is used in today. It’s a great example of how some parts, rather than simply disappear, evolve into something new.

To get Blocks every month – at a discount and earlier than the shops – order a 12-month or 24-month subscription. Direct debit payment options are available too, to find out more get in touch via subs@silverbackpublishing.rocks.

Blocks magazine Issue 73 takes a wizarding tour of LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley

Posted by Tom Saunderson in NewsLeave a comment
LEGO Harry Potter Diagon Alley features on the cover of Blocks magazine Issue 73

With the new LEGO Harry Potter 75978 Diagon Alley offering an enormous, detailed recreation of the unforgettable location, Blocks magazine takes a tour with LEGO Design Manager Marcos Bessa and provides an in-depth review of the new set.

The latest issue of Blocks magazine – Issue 73 – is available now direct from www.blocksmag.com and in those UK shops that are open. With lockdown in the UK and other restrictions around the world limiting where fans can buy the magazine, there’s no better time to set up a subscription, with a direct debit payment option now available worldwide.

Once the LEGO Design Wizard Marcos Bessa has provided a tour of 75978 Diagon Alley, the set gets a Blocks review along with the other new LEGO Harry Potter releases. That’s not all though, as Blocks demonstrates how to build Gringotts Bank at a scale to match the new set so that the street can be extended.

A look back at how advertising has evolved – and how the LEGO Group has kept up with it – reveals why classic themes like Space and Castle do not exist today. It’s not just a fascinating read, it’s illustrated by classic LEGO print adverts from decades gone by, reproduced as full pages as they would have been back in the day.

LEGO Friends returned to the jungle this year, introducing animal pieces including updated elephants and all-new sloths. LEGO Creative Director Fenella Blaize Charity reveals how the team came up with this latest animal adventure subtheme and developed creatures that would add to the LEGO menagerie. 

It’s not just the set designers who play a key role in the world of LEGO product development though, as the all-important Element Designers also make a huge impact on the building experience. In an exclusive interview, Blocks finds out how a classic shooter element is redesigned to make it better fit within the system.

This issue also includes top tips for building elegant household items using LEGO bricks, including coasters, business card holders and tissue boxes – these will serve as great entry point projects for those spending more time at home over the next few weeks.

Blocks Issue 73 contains plenty more fantastic LEGO content, including a look back at LEGO Western in Blockstalgia, an upscaled Joker minifigure model in Month in MOCs and Avatar: The Last Airbender in Ideas Showcase.

Be in with a chance of winning one of ten LEGO Harry Potter 75968 4 Privet Drive sets! To be entered into the latest prize draw and to get Blocks magazine delivered every month – ahead of the shops – visit www.blocksmag.com and check out the money-saving subscription deals available.

Everyone who subscribes to the print edition by December 1 will be in with a chance of winning (existing subscribers will automatically be entered into the prize draw).

To get Blocks every month – at a discount and earlier than the shops – order a 12-month or 24-month subscription. Direct debit payment options are available too; to find out more get in touch via subs@silverbackpublishing.rocks.