Superheroes and Frisbee Golf: The Flash

     From tablescraps to a single build to a story and a series, I bring you Superheroes and Frisbee Golf: your favorite superheroes and their powers versus the ever-fickle laws that govern the game we know as Frisbee Golf. The first hero we have up to the tee-box is the Flash. Known for his super-speed, the Flash hopes to dash his way through hole #2. However, looking at the map of the hole, it seems there stands a river in way, an obstacle that must overcome before he makes it in the hole.

     With a quick turn of his body and flick of his wrist, the Flash sends his Frisbee spinning wildly into the distance. It's trajectory seems solid, there's just one minor problem: his Frisbee is on fire.

     It seems the Flash has thrown it so fast that the speed is burning the edges of the Frisbee. It has not yet affected it's flight, however, and as it approaches the river, it appears to still be going strong.

     It continues to sail well past the river, and looks to sail right towards the hole. Could it be a hole-in-one?

     Just as the Flash begins to jump for joy and this stroke of luck (pun intended), that beautiful "ching" that comes with tossing a Frisbee perfectly into the chains of the basket was followed by a harsh buzzing sound and a clunk. What happened can only be captured in picture:

     The speed and heat of the Frisbee, the two characteristics that allowed it to sail for such long distance, caused it to not just hit the basket, but cut it clean in two. Not only did the Flash now lose his hole-in-one, but he owed the course manager some money to buy a new hole. Having superpowers wasn't always the best. "Maybe," the Flash said to himself, "I should just stick to track and field instead."

Guitar Man

     Inspired after a worship service to build a Miniland-scale guitar, the rest of the figure took shape through trial and error, and also as new visual ideas came to mind. I hope to do a series of these characters playing different instruments, but right now I have only the guitar figure. Here is just the basic figure, no fancy backgrounds:

     As you can see, I built the figure in grayscale, and you will see why later. The figure himself is simple, I was never focused on making him fancy, I planned to emphasize something else. I added an amp sort of as a prop; I wanted something for our music man to lean on. However it is in a sense "functional", as I added a cord that connects it to the guitar. The guitar is not actually held by the figure, rather, an open stud on the back of it inserts into the open hole of a Technic brick on the figure's body. Here is the reason the figure is in grayscale:

     This was the reason I wanted grayscale: it was supposed to represent the power of music. As he strums his guitar, he (and his amp) radiates color and joy, the effects of music in a cold and muted world. The pose, amp, and guitar come together to portray a sense of power, as if this one chord could rid the world of disease, suffering, and death. Though I loved the idea in my head, I feel that I didn't represent it that well in LEGO, so here is another presentation I came up with:

     I felt like this presentation mirrored that of a concert: a lone spotlight on the guitarist, the camera gazing up at the figure as if from the front row of a crowd. This is my favorite interpretation of this build, and the one I would like to replicate for my other figures as I build them. For last I have a shot of solely the guitar, the inspiration for this whole build. Sometime I'll get around to uploading instructions on how to build it.

O.S.T.R.I.C.H.

     The latest in animal military technology, the O.S.T.R.I.C.H. (short for Overland Sahara Traversing Ridable Indigenous Cavalry Herbivore) is the best in natural protection for your dominion!

     All kidding aside, this is definitely one of the more technical models I've built, especially for such a small space (all the mechanical details rest on the back of the ostrich, a mere 4 studs). Many of the bar-clip connections aren't "legal", meaning they aren't clipped in perpendicular to each other, so the model is not the most sturdy or the most easily played with, but I built it more for looks anyways because who doesn't love a combat ostrich?

     This rear view highlights details not easily seen from the main view, including the pistol mount on the back and the red banner, as well as the sand spilling out of the base. I always have trouble deciding how to "frame" my model, and while a rectangular black border is easy and not parts-taxing, it is simple and used perhaps too often for my taste. Natural borders, however, usually require parts I lack, and so I blended the two together: a black base with some sand spilling out. I think it turned out quite nice, however I feel it is better-looking from the front than the back.

     One final shot: a head-on view, showcasing the guns, rider, terrain, and base. This one build I am quite proud of, and will be the first to kick off me maintaining this website again!

Flickr Update!

     That's right! After three years off the grid, I'm back, and now I have a Flickr account to match! I will update both this blog and my Flickr account with pictures of my latest models, but if you want to see the details and techniques I use to build my models, those will stay solely on this website for time purposes. Enjoy some of my newest creations!