Related reads:MapleStorySEA Celebrates 20th Anniversary With Massive Summer Updates
LEGO has officially revealed its first Wallace and Gromit-themed set.
The set depicts the iconic British duo in their vintage motorbike and sidecar with references to the stop-motion movies and original clay designs. The set is up for preorder on the online LEGO Store, priced at $99.99 with a release date of October 1.
The Wallace & Gromit set is the newest addition to the LEGO Ideas line, a program where fans can submit their own original set designs. After a series of fan-voting, LEGO ultimately picks some submissions to turn into official sets.
The Wallace & Gromit set was originally designed by Sébastien Esnault and submitted to the 90s Throwback – The Next Chapter challenge, where it took home the Grand Winner prize. The official LEGO version of the set looks pretty darn similar to the original build, having simply refined the faces of the iconic duo as well as the structure of the motorbike.
To accompany the set’s reveal, LEGO released an interview with the original Fan designer on their blog. Esnault felt thematically inspired by the duo’s humor and inventiveness, and explains his specific approach to building them in brick form: “To recreate the distinctive clay look, I deliberately chose the most rounded LEGO elements wherever possible.”
The official set includes 1038 pieces, mathing out to slightly over 10 cents ber brick. It’s also marked as an 18+ set intended for adults, so expect some level of complexity.
Wallace and Gromit first used this version of the motorbike and sidecar in A Close Shave, where it’s eventually revealed to have emergency flying features. The plane features don’t seem to have made the LEGO cut, but the shape, color, and license plate are all loyal to the original design.
Images on the LEGO website show off some smaller details, including goggles that Gromit can actually wear and a dedicated motorcycle that can open and close. Easter eggs inside that hatch include box of orange crackers in the style seen throughout the series as well as a diamond referencing the iconic heist from The Wrong Trousers.
The LEGO listing has videos demonstrating some poseability in the duo’s heads and arms. Designer Esnault highlights the effort put into each character’s expressions, saying “It only takes a tiny change in their angle to transform Gromit’s expression from curious to amused or worried.” It doesn’t seem like you can fully separate Gromit or Wallace from their vehicle, however, so don’t expect this set to fill the void of action figures.
Blythe (she/her) is an Audience Development Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
Related reads:You Better Have The Space for LEGO’s Longest Set Ever, The Star Wars Executor Super Star Destroyer
1 Comment
Pingback: How Kelly Clarkson Signed Off Her Talk Show After 7 Years - Comic Vibe