LEGO Ideas has finally waded into the question for the ages. A debate which might split our fandom beyond repair…
Are you Team Edward or Team Jacob?
But perhaps there is something, after all, that can unite these two opposing forces. And perhaps it comes in the form of this incredible LEGO Ideas set, originally submitted by fan designer Nick Micheels AKA “LobsterThermidor”!
A couple of the many, many, (many) Easter eggs featured in this set pay tribute to Nick, as our very own LEGO designer Laura Perron explains: “The license plate on Bella’s truck is Nick’s birthday, there is a book on the coffee table in the living room where the cover is inspired by artwork done by Nick, and there is an album cover in Edward’s bedroom that is inspired by Nick’s LEGO IDEAS username.”
So, we thought we’d catch up with Nick to hear about the process and see what he thought of the final build…
“I was honestly surprised by the level of involvement I was afforded for the project,” Nick explains.
“I assumed I would be more of a spectator to the process, but my interactions with the LEGO designer team – Laura Perron, Jordan Scott, and Ashwin Visser, as well as other LEGO Ideas team members – were extremely positive from the very beginning. I had the pleasure of monthly development meetings and received messages throughout. I could tell that this team was passionate about the project and really cared about my thoughts and input as a collaborator. This all began with Laura assuring me that she is a huge fan of The Twilight Saga… I knew the final product was in good hands!”
Laura, our LEGO designer agrees. “It was so much fun to dive into the details with Nick. Both of us being hardcore fans meant that no detail was too obscure and we were on the same page about which Easter eggs to include. I often needed to extend our online calls because we would talk over the scheduled time – we were both just so excited!”
We asked Nick about some of those Easter eggs...
“Some requests of mine that I am very proud made it into the final build include the sticker of the Loch Ness Monster and a reference to Bella’s 18th birthday scene from The Twilight Saga: New Moon in which she receives perhaps the most pivotal papercut in cinematic history!”
“My favorite parts include the roof of the top floor,” Nick continues, “which utilizes an elegant sideways building technique to create a solid and stud-free structure that captures the roof’s angles without running into any issues where tiles would not be able to work well with wedge-plates. It is a simple, yet inspired solution.”
“I also love the way that the model successfully captures the various angles of the architecture’s façade, from the entryway to the jutting exterior of the middle floor.”
Laura, for her part, shares Nick’s love of the set’s architecture. “I hadn’t had the opportunity to build a large LEGO house before, so it was really exciting to have this chance. The Cullens chose a house with big windows because it’s the one place they do not have to hide, and that applied to the construction of the house too! Every line is deliberate and elegant, so each brick and angle needed to be carefully considered as well.”
“First and foremost, we wanted this set to be accurate to the film franchise, with as many Easter eggs as possible. But it was also a great opportunity to deliver a large, beautifully sleek piece of modern architecture into the LEGO portfolio. I am very happy that we were able to fulfill both wishes.”
Anything else from our fan designer, Nick?
“I would be a fool not to mention the amazing minifigure designs as well – impeccably represented by the super talent of Ashwin Wisser, who was able to successfully make Edward sparkle!
“Ashwin was even able to include a nod to a previous LEGO Ideas submission of mine (“The Landscape Photographer”) by creating a sticker of a black and white landscape photo coffee table book.”
“I could not be more happy with the final build as the fan designer, as a fan of The Twilight Saga, and as a LEGO fan!”
And finally – the question you’ve all been waiting for... are our designers Team Edward or Team Jacob?
“I moved to Denmark 8 years ago from Canada, and I brought with me a box of mementos from my childhood,” Laura tells us. “I went through it recently and found I had brought a sizable collection of Twilight items, including the movie ticket from the 2008 screening. This series brought me a lot of joy through the years, witnessing Bella and Edward’s love story over and over again. So... I am Team Edward!”
There you have it, folks!
By
MexMittens