The latest 10K Club Interview takes into the Australian wildlife! Meet King of Crocs, and their Steve Irwin & Majestic Crocodile project. Inspired by their love for nature and crocodiles! Show your support, and find out more below.
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Where are you from?
Athens, Greece.
- How old are you?
I am 22 years old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I am currently studying Public Health on University.
- What hobbies do you have?
Reading, watching movies and documentaries, and of course, Lego!
- How and when did your interest in LEGO products come about?
What brought me to the world of Lego was the Legends of Chima Lego theme, approximately 5 years ago. After some time, I started searching other Lego themes, and now I am a general Lego fan …
- What is the LEGO hobby to you? What does it mean to you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games or 'just' watch the cartoons.
I could say that I enjoy Lego in almost all of its versions. Making and displaying MOCs, watching some TV shows, interacting with the Lego community, playing Lego video games… So many amazing aspects of Lego!
- What is your favorite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
My favorite Lego theme was, and still is, Legends of Chima. I consider it very underrated. What fascinates me the most in Chima is its concept : animal species forming different civilizations and interacting with each other. As a big animal enthusiast, it is amazing to see how each animal tribe embodies real animal characteristics in their culture. My first MOCs were all Chima vehicles.
- What is your favorite official LEGO set ever? Why?
That’s a hard question. I have many sets I love, most of them from the theme of Chima or animal related. I would probably say that the Majestic Tiger (31129) and the newly released giraffe from the Wild Safari Animals set (31150) are my two favorite sets, simply because of their ability to fully capture the magic of the animals. And from what I have seen on the online reviews, many others agree with me.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I am a big fan of Steve Irwin and his work. Tribute sets for important figures of the past, like Women of NASA (21312) and gift-with-purchase sets like Jane Goodall (40530) gave me inspiration to make a set idea to honor him. I found it essential to also make a model of his (and mine) favorite animal, a saltwater crocodile. And not just a simple crocodile, but an accurate recreation of it, one that will show the majesty of the animal that Steve always praised. That’s how I started.
- How long was the process of making the project, and what did you have to research as well? What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
It took me almost two years to finalize the design.
That’s mainly because of my perfectionist nature, which pushed me to review the model again and again. I was constantly comparing it with pictures of real saltwater crocodiles, in order to ensure the proportions were right, and the colors realistic. To get an idea of how many phases the model went through, I made approximately 1500 renders of it on Studio.
Another major thing that took me some time to get right, was finding a proper way to place Steve on the model. I tried many options, like placing the minifigure on the crocodile’s back, on a boat or a platform, feeding the croc. But, in the end, I went for a more minimalistic approach, with his own part of the stand, along with a smaller croc.
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What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
One of the biggest challenges was to make the model sturdy. I did a lot of testing with physical bricks to check how strongly every section was attached to each other. The hardest part to recreate was the head. In order to achieve the right proportions, I needed to work with limited space, while at the same time, I had a lot of details to include. - If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell them? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I would probably tell my past self to try building the model in physical form sooner. I did the mistake of building it in physical form at a pretty late stage, and when I realized how many connectivity issues it had, I needed to make a lot of modifications. I am sure I would have avoided all this, if I had just tested everything earlier.
- 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?
I believe that two years are quite a long time for a project of that size, but I am very satisfied with the result. The time I spent actively promoting my idea on the internet was quite short in comparison, only a month. After that, I let it carry itself away to the goal of 10,000 supporters.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes, and how long did it take?
It took me less than five months to reach 10,000 supporters. I was checking the progress almost every day. When the final goal was reached, I felt great excitement, but also relief, knowing that I did the best I could for my project.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The model consists of 870 parts.
- What is your favorite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I have two favorite parts. The first is the crocodile head. I’m proud of the accurate proportions, the interlocking teeth and captivating eyes. Another favorite part is Steve’s minifigure, because it makes my idea something more than just a beautiful animal. Steve adds passion to the model, as an icon of excitement and love for crocs and wildlife in general. He could make you love even the most dangerous animals. I feel that the combination of him with the big croc, is perfect to celebrate passion for wildlife.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I used Bricklink’s Studio 2.0
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
I used Studio PartDesigner, to make the minifigure and also the prints of Steve's name and the species of the croc.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
- I would advise giving yourself enough time to review and reconsider your idea. You can have a break for a few days or weeks, without thinking of your model, and when you examine it again, you will possibly notice some errors or things you could add.
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I promoted my project on Reddit and Facebook, in communities associated with Lego, animals and Steve Irwin.
- What is your favorite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own, of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I have a lot of ideas I love, but one of my favorites is Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, by @7.studs. It’s not just the fact it has a crocodile, I think it’s objectively an amazing looking model with really fun details and cool part usage. I could definitely have it on my bathroom.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
One of the best things on this platform is the interaction between the creators of ideas and their supporters. It's heartwarming to see all those beautiful comments, that congratulate you, advise you and support you. A general tip for someone that wants to upload an idea is to think what’s their target audience. Who will be more interested in this idea? Divide them in categories, prepare some promotional approach for each category, and search about them on various social media.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint what that might be?
I don’t have plans for another product idea yet, but I think I will continue taking part in challenges.
By
BrickSon