Lola & the Bus

For a first attempt at Lego Ideas, I think it hasn't gone too badly. While this project has fallen short of the ten thousand supporters needed to make it into the Ideas Review this time, it has been an experience, hopefully one that will allow me to gain better success with future Lego Ideas projects. As for Lola and the Bus, I will at some point give this project another shot, but for the moment I am working on a few other ideas that I hope you will all like and potential find worthy of supporting like you did with Lola and the Bus. In the meantime, if any of you are interested in keeping track of what I’m doing and what I’m building, etc, etc, all my social media accounts are listed below. As this is probably likely to be my last update on this project, I think I’ll leave you all with one last picture, one I planned for an update had I reached nine thousand supporters, a Microfighter based of the Rush Cleaning Services van from Episode 21 in the First Season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

flickr.com/photos/cjblkcz

instagram.com/cj.blukacz

twitter.com/CJBlkcz (my primary Twitter account)

twitter.com/VorpalRyu (my Twitter account for promoting my Lego Ideas projects)

There is less than two weeks until the time runs out for this project, but I'm not giving up yet. If we can get to one thousand supporters, it will get this project an extra hundred and eighty days, or if we're really lucky and manage five thousand, it will give Lola & the Bus practically year more to make the ten thousand. If the project doesn't end up making it to a thousand supporters before the clock runs out, I am considering resubmitting the project at some later point, but this is not all I have planned for Lego Ideas. I have over the last few months been working on a few other ideas for potential projects, so keep a look out, because there will be more stuff to vote for from me. I'd like to take this time to thank each and every one of you who has supported my project, particularly those who not only voted, but also went to social media and tried to help promote this project, while we may not make there this time, we can always give it another shot.

The set for this project currently consists of four vehicles with a total of 352 pieces. With recent changes and improvements to the designs, the overall piece count has be reduced, even with the redesign to Lola’s wheels, so that the model has flight mode like it does on the show.

The current vehicles from left to right: Lola with Phil Coulson (136 pieces), the Bus with Melinda May (67 pieces), H.Y.D.R.A SUV with Grant Ward (79 pieces) & S.H.I.E.L.D Quinjet with Stan Lee as Agent Lee (70 pieces).

While the project as it stands would make for a nice set, the current piece count, based on previous Ideas projects that have been made, indicates that this set could be expanded to six to eight vehicles. While I could just choose two more vehicles to add to the project, I felt that you, my supporters should have some say in the vehicles that make up this set. I recently promised to reveal the next two Microfighters to be added to the set and I will, but is up to you to choose them…

How do you vote? Simply post your two preferences in the comments section, much like this (example only):

PREF1 TALBOT
PREF2 FURY

Whichever vehicle is leading the vote when the project hits 5,000 supporters will be vehicle number five and the same will happen again at 7,500 supporters, giving us vehicle number six. So, on to the vehicles you, the supporters will be voting for.

Anti-S.H.I.E.L.D HMMWV [HumVee] (73 pieces)

Driven by Brigadier General Glenn Talbot. Talbot headed up the US Government's Hulkbuster Unit when General Ross had a nervous breakdown, more recently, Talbot was put in charge of a special task force to shut down S.H.I.E.L.D/H.Y.D.R.A after the H.Y.D.R.A uprising.

To vote put TALBOT as PREF1 or PREF2

Creel's Delivery Van (79 pieces)

Driven by Carl "Crusher" Creel, also known as "the Absorbing Man" for his the ability to absorb any element and turn his skin into that same element. Creel was also the man sent by H.Y.D.R.A to assassinate Brigadier General Glenn Talbot.

To vote put CREEL as PREF1 or PREF2

Garrett's Jump Jet (78 pieces)

Piloted by John Garrett, a H.Y.D.R.A Operative that masqueraded as a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent for several decades. While a part of S.H.I.E.L.D, Garrett recruited a young Grant Ward, who he trained up to be mole for H.Y.D.R.A within S.H.I.E.L.D.

To vote put GARRETT as PREF1 or PREF2

Armored Personnel Carrier (81 pieces)

Driven by a H.Y.D.R.A Trooper.

To vote put HYDRA as PREF1 or PREF2

S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier (97 pieces)

Commanded by Nick Fury, the man, the legend, the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

To vote put FURY as PREF1 or PREF2

S.H.I.E.L.D Cruiser (81 pieces)

Driven by S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Felix Blake, a fearless individual who tried to hold his ground against Dethlok, Blake was introduced originally in the MARVEL One-Shot 'Item-47' as a by the book, no-nonsense agent.

To vote put BLAKE as PREF1 or PREF2

Skye's Cargo Van (98 pieces)

Driven by former Rising Tide Hacker, now S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Daisy 'Skye' Johnson and don't worry, its just a little surface rust, that'll buff right out.

To vote put SKYE as PREF1 or PREF2

The Iliad Aircraft Carrier (49 pieces)

Commanded by S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Robert Gonzales, the Iliad was a S.H.I.E.L.D Aircraft Carrier. After H.Y.D.R.A revealed itself, Gonzales joined the "REAL" S.H.I.E.L.D, a faction trying to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D in direct opposition of Coulson's team.

To vote put GONZALES as PREF1 or PREF2

When I started this project, I wanted to have Coulson's car Lola able to convert to flight mode. In a larger scale model, the task wouldn't be too difficult, but a Microfighter scale vehicle means that a lot of parts that could help to achieve this are too large or impractical for the task. I did come up with a possible option some time ago in Lego Digital Designer, but not having the parts in real life, I didn't want to commit to using these parts until I could perform a physical test of the design. A few days ago I noticed that we got the last require parts in a set we recently bought, so I quickly assembled the parts. I can finally announce that Lola has been redesigned & now has flight mode.

Lola redesigned for flight mode, 136 Pieces (124 Pieces without Destroyer Gun).

Lola in flight mode.

Lola's new wheel assembly that allows her to go to flight mode.

This isn't the only big announcement, I am currently finalising designs & within the next week, I will have another update to reveal the next two vehicles to join Lola & the Bus (well, sort of)...

I know there are a few of you out there, trying to help gain supporters for my project and I thank you all for your support, but tonight I'd like to bring attention to one particular person who did something completely unexpected. When I logged on to Flickr this evening, I received a message that absolutely warmed my heart, for a moment there, I almost cried. One of my fellow Lego fans on Flickr had sent me a message to say he had posted about me and this project on his Facebook Lego page (http://www.facebook.com/SeboLego). Seb also has a Lego Ideas project currently trying to gather support, but he took the time out of his project to draw attention to mine. While I have been trying to help him gain more support, but I did not expect something like this in return. Thank you Seb, with a little luck, and support from people like you, we may see both our projects get 10,000 supporters. If you haven't already taken a look at Seb's project, head over to http://ideas.lego.com/projects/102084 and click support while you are there!!! :D (for more Lego Blockheads awesomeness, Seb's Flickr is www.flickr.com/photos/76462588@N04)

-CJ
 

Here it is, vehicle number four: S.H.I.E.L.D Quinjet with a cameo from the King of Cameos, Stan Lee as Agent Lee (piece count with Stan included comes to 358). I know I said that it would be announced when the project hits 6,000 supporters, but after much deliberation, I've decided that having not updated the project in some time now, my supporters deserved an update worth calling an update, so here it is.

Should you, my supporters will it, I will consider adding a final two vehicles to the project (at 3,000 & 6,000 supporters), bringing the project up to a full set of six Microfighters. Of course, these potential additions will still be in keeping with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D theme of this project (all my Microfighter design can be seen on my Flickr: flickr.com/photos/cjblkcz).

Again, for those of you out there trying to help promote my project (I know there are a few of you out there), thank you, it means so much just to have people to clicking support, let alone taking the effort to help get this project more exposure.

As my wife decided to blitz Twitter with this, I'm releasing the update early. Vehicle number three: H.Y.D.R.A 4×4 SUV with former S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Grant Ward (piece count with Ward included comes to 288).  I still plan to release the fourth vehicle details at 6,000 supporters.

A few people have contacted me about some of the other vehicles on my Flickr (flickr.com/photos/cjblkcz), should you my supporters, want it enough, I may consider adding in two more vehicles to the set, keeping in mind the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D theme to this set.

Lastly, for those of you trying to actively help promote my project (I know at least a few of you are doing so), thank you, it means a lot just to click support, let alone taking the extra effort to get this project out in the wider world.  As other are wanting to help, I have created a Facebook page & Twitter account to help with promoting the project.

facebook.com/LolaandtheBus

twitter.com/VorpalRyu

I'd like thank all of you who have supported this project so far, after all, without supporters, where would any of the projects on Lego Ideas be?  I've also done up new renders of the project, including a few for posting on social media, please feel free to share on Twitter, Facebook, etc, because the more we all get it out there, the more potential supporters this project can get.

Alternatively you can't manage to download from here, these are also on my Flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/cjblkcz/).

I thought that with two more Microfighters yet to be revealed, I might give everyone a look at the concepts that kicked this project off.

From top left: S.H.I.E.L.D Quinjet with Agent Maria Hill, S.H.I.E.L.D 4×4 with Agent Felix Blake, Skye's van & S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier with Director Nick Fury.

From top left: X-Men Blackbird with Beast, Stark Industries race car with Tony Stark, the Punisher's car & Asgardian skiff with the Lady Sif.

From top left: S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier with Nick Fury (classic), Hulkbuster Sonic Tank with General Ross, H.Y.D.R.A roadster with Dr Arnim Zola & H.Y.D.R.A Valkyrie with Red Skull.

These are just some of my concepts, I intend to render all my designs eventually & upload them to all to my Flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/cjblkcz/), but I am not happy with a few of my other designs as yet.