You all know I love the Expanded Universe, and if you read my previous Smuggler's Route article featuring my pal Tyler and his Clone Army Customs, you know that I love Lego, too! You may have even seen my pieced together Mara Jade Mini Figure, such is my dedication. Well now, a fellow Expanded Universe/Lego fan needs our support. While perusing the Lego Ideas website, I found this wonderful model of The Outrider from Shadows of the Empire. Take a look at these pictures below (click the arrows to scroll):
This is a homemade, home designed set with whatever bricks the creator J.K. Bricks had available (I highly suspect parts from a certain YT-1300 light freighter Lego Set were used). This is an amazingly detailed set with Dash and Leebo Mini Figures. There are less than 100 days left to get this set to 10,000 supporters and submitted for consideration by the Lego Group, who will then determine if The Outrider will or won't become an actual set available in stores.
This Lego Ideas process has benefitted other fandoms ranging from Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future and Big Bang Theory, all of whom have used the Lego Ideas process to create popular sets for their fans. There is even a Mystery Science Theater 3000 set that has almost reach the necessary 10,000 supporters (and it, too, has about a hundred days to go). What is the Lego Ideas Project? According to Brickipedia, “LEGO Ideas, formerly known as CUUSOO, is a Japanese partner of The LEGO Group. They work with the LEGO Group to produce community supported sets. If an idea submitted to the website gains 10,000 (originally 1,000) supporters, it stands a chance of being produced as an official LEGO product."
Think of it like Kickstarter for Lego Sets. There is no up front money, all you have to do is give your support and answer a short survey. You pay the money IF and WHEN the set is produced and available in stores. If you love Lego or love to build and create, this may be another path you can choose to follow in order to help us all express our love for the Expanded Universe fandom and our demand to #GiveUsLegends. You can support this project here. There have been previous official Star Wars Expanded Universe sets, a Force Unleashed Rogue Shadow set and a few Old Republic sets such as the Republic Striker Fighter featuring Satele Shan and the Fury Class Interceptor with Darth Malgus and Sith Troopers -- even a Darth Revan Promo minifigure giveaway (see pictures below; click the arrows to scroll). But time is running out for this particular Outrider set. Less than 100 days/about 3 months are left to get to the target 10,000 supporters. I’ve seen other Expanded Universe projects not succeed on Lego Ideas. There were two Moldy Crow with Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors projects, both failed to get to 10,000 supporters. I was so heartbroken that those beloved characters couldn’t rally enough support to put that set over 10,000. Perhaps its because the word hadn't gotten out. However, the Expanded Universe community can do it if we work together. If you have built your favorite ships from the Expanded Universe in the past, pull out that ol’ tub of bricks and try again. Look into the guidlines and rules for Lego Ideas and create something we all would love. If we keep throwing Expanded Universe projects at them, one of them will succeed eventually and we will create a buzz for the Expanded Universe/Legends movement and our stories. Can’t you just see it? A Suncrusher set. A Jedi Academy Temple on Yavin IV set. Young Jedi Knights battle pack. A #TrEU Stealth X-Wing and so many more. Lego has already made a promotional Darth Revan Mini Figure, let's make an Ebon Hawk to go with him. Someone already did at a Lego Convention I went to last summer. Here is a small sample of Expanded Universe sets from Brickfair VA 2017.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you throw your support The Outrider’s way. “You never fail until you stop trying.” ― Albert Einstein To see more articles from Debbie, click here.
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