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10K Club Interview: SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE RAVENWOOD MANSION by Tobnac

Scooby-Doo fans, where are you? Build this LEGO model, ready for the Mystery Inc. Gang’s next big adventure. Read all about the SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE RAVENWOOD MANSION by Tobnac right here in this interview!

ABOUT YOURSELF

  1. Who are you?
    My name is Tobias Mats Silwing.
     
  2. Where are you from?
    I’m from Sweden.
     
  3. What do you study or do for a living?
    I’m currently a student, studying architecture at KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) in Stockholm. I plan to apply for a job at LEGO when I have finished my education, because I’ve noticed a lot of the designers have an architecture background. I thought LEGO Ideas was a good start to build a portfolio, see if I enjoy it, and find out if other people enjoy my creations and ideas!
     
  4. What hobbies do you have?
    My main hobbies are video games, and creative design through LEGO, model making, CAD programs, and drawing, etc. I have recently begun working out as well, which I enjoy a lot. 
     
  5. Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
    Not yet. I am trying to build one through my LEGO Ideas submissions.

     
  6. Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
    I think one of the first MOCs I ever made in Studio 2, a Lord of the Rings MOC, is one of my favorites. I found out afterwards that the LotR IP isn’t allowed as a submission now, so sadly I could not post it.I tried to make it as a diorama, because I have a lot of the Star Wars diorama sets and I love the style of them.

    I was very happy with this MOC, for multiple reasons. One is that it’s made with parts that exist in those colors, so one day I can order the parts and actually build it! Another is that everything on the Balrog is connected by ball joints, so it can be posed in multiple ways. I am also very happy with the Balrog of Moria’s looks and size. It really fits in scale and has a lot of the key features.

    The Scooby-Doo! and the Ravenswood Mansion submission is another favorite. I have loved Scooby-Doo since I was a child, and gothic architecture has always fascinated me. I was pleased with everything in this set, although I did miss adding a chimney for the fireplace…
     
  7. How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
    Ever since I was a kid. The interest came from liking to have creative freedom, and also enjoying problem solving and designing stuff. I have always drawn and sketched, as well. I get really attached to designing things. Hence, my interest in architecture now. So, I think the endless re-playability and design of LEGO as a concept stuck with me. A set rarely stayed together for long with me, I always modified and built my own things. I also like the challenge and problem-solving element of designing my own LEGO sets. I love puzzles, and I even love math because it’s a puzzle to be solved. You have rules that limit and challenge you, but other than that, you can do it however you want, just like with LEGO. Your only limitation is the pieces themselves. It is a mentally challenging and stimulating puzzle.

    I also played and built a lot with my dad, which created some fond memories for me. Having quality time with him. He helped me when I got stuck, but didn’t give me the solution. Instead, he guided me and let me do it myself. This gave me a lot more knowledge about how to tackle problem solving.
     
  8. What does the LEGO hobby mean to you? How does it fit into your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
    It means a lot, especially from my childhood. I’ve also run a Bricklink store for a few years, which is fun! My whole living room is covered in LEGO. I also got caught up on the architecture skyline sets recently and managed to get them all. I just love collecting and building, especially sets based on movies or comics.


    This hobby has been with me all my life. If I was ever bored, I just poured out my LEGO bins and started to create something. It was always so amazing. Now I mainly enjoy the UCS sets from Star Wars. These big builds with complicated techniques always fascinate me and throw me right back into my childhood. Such a great feeling!
     
  9. What is your favorite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
    I started with LEGO at around 3 years old. I loved Bionicle at first, that was my first favorite theme. Especially the big castle Tower of Toa, although it was a playset. Otherwise, the Rahkshi really stuck with me.

    I then moved on to Star Wars, which is still a favorite of mine. I have a lot of UCS sets, probably most of them. They are amazing craftsmanship. I especially love the Executor Super Star Destroyer (10221). I remember seeing it in the stores as a kid and wanting it so bad, but I couldn't afford it. Then some years ago, a sealed set came around locally, and I just had to buy it. After waiting 10 years to build that set, it did not disappoint at all!

    The next theme I really enjoyed was Spider-Man. I still remember my favorite set from when I was 5 years old was Spider-Man's Street Chase! Although small, the figures and playability of this set was all a kid could ask for!

    The next theme is really close to heart – the original Batman series. I can’t describe my love for it. I remember a friend and I playing the LEGO Batman game after school on the PlayStation 3, and it was so good. Today I have every single figure from the original Batman series from 2008 on my shelves in a new condition. The Batcave playset is among my absolute favorite sets.

    One theme that I got caught on after that was Indiana Jones, which is still my favorite theme to this day. I was close to having all those sets, and I loved them. I had so much fun with the first version of the Temple of the Golden Idol set (Temple Escape, 7623), so that was an instant buy when a second version was released not long ago.

    After that, Ninjago caught my interest. What kid doesn’t love ninjas and dragons?

    I then fell in love with the Pirates of the Caribbean theme. Pirates, treasure hunting, mythical monsters…

    After this came a break in my LEGO interest, when school started and I had to get more serious. I also played video games a lot more. Then in 2020, when Covid-19 came around, I picked up the interest again and it continues to this day.
     
  10. What is your favorite official LEGO set ever? Why?
    It is so hard to choose just one set when you have had so many over the years! I think I have to choose the first Indiana Jones: Temple of the Golden Idol (Temple escape, 7623). It had so much playability to it. It was easy to access everything, easy to play with, and a very iconic scene from the movie. I especially liked that when the door shut it triggered the boulder to start rolling, just like in the movie!

     
  11. What is your favorite LEGO element? Why?
    think I might go with the small Technic Link Tread (3873). I always liked the vehicles you could create with these. You can also get clever with them. They can work in spaceships, as technical details like in the Star Destroyer (75252). I think I like them so much because of the flexibility, and that you can adapt them in length to create so many different shapes.

     
  12. Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
    Henrik Andersen. The amazing UCS sets he has designed for Star Wars are so fascinating. One of my all-time favorite UCS sets is the Star Destroyer (75252), it’s so amazingly detailed and really well done with the tricky shapes and making all the gaps so small. I also enjoyed building the latest AT-AT (75313). Another amazing creation from him, to have such a big set hold structurally and still get an interior that is easy to access. A big achievement in my eyes.

     
  13. Is there one or more particular LEGO websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
    I do see a lot of LEGO on TikTok and Instagram.

 


ABOUT YOUR PROJECT

  1. Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
    I have always liked gothic architecture. My all-time favorite video game is Bloodborne, which takes place in a gothic Victorian-era city named Yharnam. Although the Bloodborne IP is understandably branded inappropriate for LEGO Ideas, I just love that aesthetic, especially all the ornaments and big ominous buildings.

    My project first started out as a haunted castle or mansion, which would be a unique white-and-brown tower. Then somewhere halfway through the building process, it just felt to me like was a Scooby-Doo set! It couldn’t be anything else. So, after adding more traps and, of course, a kitchen in the building, there it was.

    I have always found Scooby-Doo amazing, especially the animated movies and series. I sadly missed out on the original series of Scooby-Doo sets. I did, however, buy the Mystery Machine afterwards, and now I have all of the Mystery Incorporated sets on my shelf!

    Looking back at them, they were clearly aimed toward kids and focused on playability. What I wanted to do with this Scooby-Doo set was to appeal to the older audience as well, and I think I can safely say I achieved that, now it has reached 10K supporters. I would like to think of this set as a hybrid, a nice-looking display piece and a fun playset.

    I am really happy with the way this set turned out. People have pointed out that a little Mystery Machine would have been awesome, maybe even better than the tree. However, I went a bit over the piece guideline, so I wasn’t able to add to it. That would be a welcome addition if all goes well in the review!
     
  2. How long did the process of making the project take and what did you have to research? What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
    This might be hard to believe, but not long at all! I created the file for the set in Studio 2 on December 23rd, just before Christmas. It was approved on the 29th of January, after a bit of back and forth where I had to prove that the artwork in the submission was created by me and not stolen from the internet. So about three weeks from start to finish. I worked in the evenings, because school had started at the beginning of January.

    The only preparation I did was a sketch of how it would look, which is included here. In terms of research, I didn’t do much because I already had plenty of knowledge and references gathered over the 3.5 years I have studied Architecture. I have also watched a LOT of Scooby-Doo! And what is a Scooby-Doo set without a haunted house and a trapdoor?
     
  3. What special challenges or frustrations did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
    The roof, without a doubt! To get all the angles right, while also securing it properly, was much harder than I thought. Especially the smaller triangle roofs on the front, and then connecting them to the bigger roof, because that gave me two angles in different directions that need to be aligned and without a big gap between. There were a lot of places where this needed to be fixed. In the end, after a lot of trial and error, I think it looks very nice.
     
  4. If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him/her? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
    What a challenge the roof would be! Also to start from the bottom and work my way up, because I created a shell of the complete outside, and then filled the inside. I think it would be easier to integrate the traps while building the outside, rather than fitting them in afterwards. This was mainly because my sketch was only of the front and the outside, so I didn’t know what to do with the inside in the beginning.
     
  5. How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
    It took roughly three weeks, working in the evenings. I was a little surprised at how happy I was with the submission, considering it had taken such a short time to create. I’m usually quite harsh about what I create and really want to make it the best.

    I posted the submission on a Facebook group and the Ideas subreddit on day one, and then I did no more promotion. So, the promotion took just a few minutes in comparison to all the hours the model took.
     
  6. How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
    It felt crazy that my second submission and my fourth MOC ever in Studio 2 would reach that level of support, and so fast. It skyrocketed on the LEGO Ideas site. It reached the 100-mark in the first 24 hours, after five days it was at 1000 already. It received Staff Pick on day seven I believe and got 400 new supporters that same day. And by March 15th it got its final supporter! It took close to six weeks, which to me is CRAZY fast! That was an average of 240 supporters A DAY! I still can’t believe it, especially with no big promotions. I don’t have a YouTube channel or any sort of platform to help gain supporters, which makes me even more happy about it. People liked my set that much. My biggest and humblest thank you to every single supporter!
     
  7. Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
    I have around 3,700 pieces in this build, according to Studio. I did ask about this and the Ideas support team repeated the guidelines, that as long as it doesn’t look too big, it’s fine. The piece count is really a guide to limit size, not for exact pieces.

     
  8. What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
    My favorite technique is the same as the hardest part, the roofing! For the top triangular part of the roof at the front, I used the same technique as the Natural History Museum set uses. I feel like using the same technique as an official LEGO set is the safest way to go. I did have to modify it quite a bit though, to fit inside my small front roofs.


    My favorite feature is the kitchen. It has everything – a realistic side entrance like the older mansions had for staff, a big fridge that opens with a huge burger inside for Shaggy and Scooby, plus a big trap door leading to who knows where… It really screams Scooby-Doo to me. 
     
  9. If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
    I used the free Studio 2 software and rendered it inside of the program as well. I am very familiar with CAD programs from my education, so I easily grasped the basics. However, I am yet to learn the more advanced features.

     
  10. If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
    I actually have zero stickers in this build, just some printed pieces that already exist. You could probably add some details with stickers, like cracks in the facade or some monster eyes lurking somewhere, but I haven’t yet learned how to do this.

    I would create them in Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator to get a vector format. The cover I made for my submission was created in Procreate on the iPad, with the Apple pen. So, it’s kind of hand-drawn.

 


ABOUT LEGO IDEAS

  1. Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas Product Idea?
    I would say really try and make something that looks realistic in a way. That includes imaginary spaceships, too! You can make something imaginary that still follows some realistic style and logic. For example, my study gave me a head start into designing houses and buildings because I know a bit about floorplans, different styles of architecture, etc. That helps me create something that is coherent and looks believable. Even though this house doesn’t exist, it looks real and believable. At least, I hope so! Giving a sense of realism to the build, even if it’s something imaginary and fictional, goes a long way I think.


    If you plan on doing something that is a little out of your expertise, do some research. It might seem boring and a waste of time, but trust me, you will waste more time doing trial and error over and over until it works. Even a sketch as simple as mine helped as a guide to follow. It is easier to have a starting point and change it along the way, rather than not even knowing where to start.

    And of course, having a really strong idea is always key.
     
  2. What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
    I posted a link to my submission on a Facebook group and a subreddit. These are very useful, and you can find amazing creations there as well!

     
  3. What is your favorite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
    It must be the ISS Space Station! I love space and astrology; they’ve always fascinated me. I was going to do one myself, until I saw that set existed.

     
  4. What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
    The feedback. To me, reaching all this support so quickly helped me gain a perspective from people on what is good and what is not. They don’t know me, so it’s completely honest support, feedback, and comments. You get both validation on what you did well, as well as feedback on what can be improved and ideas for what to add. I really like that part.
    I would say just do it! Don’t be scared. Not every build will reach the 10K, but every build that isn’t submitted definitely won’t! Upload everything that you feel would make a good set, and then with feedback you can improve over time, and maybe one or more submissions will reach the goal. You won’t know unless you try!
  • scooby-doo and the ravenwood mansion
  • tobnac
  • 10k club interview
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