Lego Creator Expert

Last updated
Lego Creator Expert
Lego Creator Expert Logo.jpg
The current rendition of the Creator Expert logo, tagged including the Lego Creator logo.
Sub‑themes Aircraft, Sculptures, World Buildings, Trains, Maersk, Modular Buildings, Vehicles, Fairground, Winter Village, Space, Vestas and Botanical Collection
SubjectAdvanced models
Licensed from The Lego Group
Availability2000–Present
Total sets79
Official website

Lego Creator Expert (also referred to as Lego Expert or Creator Expert) is a series of Lego construction toys aimed at a demographic of adolescents and adults. Beginning in 2000 without an established logo or icon, Creator Expert features models such as aircraft, sculptures, and world buildings, selling as exclusives with numerous specialized elements and complex building techniques. Creator Expert is considered a challenge to both the target audience and Lego designers. All Creator Expert sets are classified into specified sub-themes, however the entirety of Creator Expert is classified as a sub-theme of Lego Creator.

Contents

History

Background

Advanced Lego models began being featured in the mid-1980s under the Lego Model Team subtheme (a subtheme of Lego System) and were discontinued in 1999 (with the exception of a re-release in 2004). Future advanced models received packaging without a logo and sold as Lego exclusives, beginning with the Statue of Liberty set in 2000. [1] In this timeframe, multiple subthemes were released, such as the Modular Buildings, [2] a series of resident, retail, and restaurant buildings introduced in 2007; and Winter Village Collection, a series of winter-holiday themed models, sometimes delving into deep fiction, [3] introduced in 2009.

Creation

In 2013, advanced models were officially classified as under Lego Creator Expert, a subtheme of Lego Creator, and received their own logo (which was updated multiple times in the future), beginning with the Palace Cinema modular building. [4] This established theme of advanced models was considered to help shape Creator Expert's reputation for unorthodox techniques and distant design from typical models, with old exclusives receiving updated packaging and being merged into the newly created subtheme.

Older exclusives, such as set 10214: Tower Bridge, were merged into the newly created subtheme Lego Tower Bridge Image.jpg
Older exclusives, such as set 10214: Tower Bridge, were merged into the newly created subtheme

Retirement of branding

In 2020, Lego announced that they will be retiring the Lego Creator Expert branding and replace it with 18+. The Lego Group cited the reason as to make it easier for adults to see which sets were meant for their age range. The Lego Creator Expert theme remains, however, boxes do not feature the logo and feature an all-black design. [5] [6] [7]

Sub-themes

Even though most sub-themes are not official and are rather classified by the majority of the Lego community, some, such as the Modular Buildings, are officially classified and recognized by the Lego company.

Aircraft and Sculptures

In the early 2000s (decade), Lego created various uncategorized exclusive sets relating to aircraft and sculptures, beginning with the Statue of Liberty and Sopwith Camel sets, which eventually evolved into sub-themes themselves. These sets featured large-scale sculptures and planes based on real-world aircraft, such as a model based on the Wright Flyer. [8]

While the Sculptures sub-theme ended shortly one year after its debut, the Aircraft sub-theme continued; with three consecutive sets from 2001—2003 and two sets in 2006 and 2012, where the subtheme officially ended with an overhaul of the original Sopwith Camel set. [9] [10]

World Buildings

In the early-to-mid-2000s, more sub-themes were created. World Buildings, a sub-theme centered on recreating famous landmarks (similar to Lego Architecture) began with a set depicting the Eiffel Tower. [11] The sub-theme has continued on, with releases such as the Old Trafford—Manchester United and Colosseum sets. [12] [13]

Set 10253: Big Ben, a part of the World Buildings subtheme Lego Big Ben.jpg
Set 10253: Big Ben, a part of the World Buildings subtheme

Modular Buildings

In 2007, Lego released the Café Corner modular building. The set depicted a near 2,000 piece, three-story structure that gave the builder the option to remove individual floors to access the interior (which was empty) accompanied by minifigures and semi-complex building techniques. In the following time, one set was released consecutively each year mirroring the original design of the Cafe Corner, creating an official sub-theme and rapidly gaining popularity amongst its target audience of adults and teenagers with its assortment of retail, real estate, eatery, office, and other buildings, becoming one of the most renowned Creator Expert subthemes.

On 27 November 2020, the 2021 modular building was revealed as being a large three-story police station with a donut shop and newspaper stand on the sides. Released on 1 January 2021, it is the sixteenth set in the Modular Building line. [14] The side of the building features a large poster for "Soap 'n' Suds", a reference to the laundromat featured in the Brick Bank set.

Vehicles

In 2008, an exclusive model was released depicting a Volkswagen Beetle 1960 'Charlotte' model. In following years, numerous large-scale sets mimicking real-life motor vehicles were released such as the Volkwagen T1 Camper Van, James Bond Aston Martin DB5, and the Fiat 500. [15] [16] [17] Since 2014, at least one set has been released every year, therefore beginning an organized sub-theme. [18] In 2016, Lego introduced a re-release of the Volkswagen Beetle that was released in 2008. [19] [20] The sub-theme has continued on, with the most recent release being a model of the Porsche 911, a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car, in 2021. [21]

Set 10220: Volkswagen T1 Camper Van, a part of the Vehicles subtheme Lego Creator Expert Volkswagen T1 Camper Van.jpg
Set 10220: Volkswagen T1 Camper Van, a part of the Vehicles subtheme

Winter Village Collection

In 2009, a sub-theme named Winter Village Collection was introduced, focusing on winter-holiday themed sets. Since 2009, Lego has been releasing one set every year such as the Winter Village Market, Santa's Workshop, and the Winter Village Fire Station. [22] [23] [24] [25] In 2015, Lego introduced a re-release of the Winter Village Toy Shop that was released in 2009. The sub-theme has continued on, with the most recent release being the Elf Club House in 2020. [26] [27]

Fairground Collection

In 2009, Lego released the Grand Carousel, marking the start of a series of sets depicting attractions found in amusement parks such as the ferris wheel and the roller coaster. [28] [29] All sets offer the builder the option to use additional Power Function or Powered Up elements to enhance the playability of the set such as automation, music, and sound effects. [30] [31] In 2020, Lego released the Haunted House, featuring the sub-theme's name, Fairground Collection, for the first time, thereby making the sub-theme official. [32] [33] [34]

Set 10247: Ferris Wheel, part of the Fairground Collection subtheme Lego Ferris Wheel.jpg
Set 10247: Ferris Wheel, part of the Fairground Collection subtheme

Botanical Collection

In 2020, Lego announced that a sub-theme named Botanical Collection would be introduced with two sets to be released on 2 January 2021. The two sets are Flower Bouquet and Bonsai Tree. [35] [36] On 2 May 2021, Lego revealed the Bird of Paradise set to be released on 1 June 2021. With 1,173 pieces, it is the largest Botanical Collection set. [37] [38] [39]

Other sub-themes

Other sub-themes include Trains (sets depicting various types of trains), Maersk, Vestas [40] and Space (a small amount of sets revolving around spacecraft, also including real-life models). [41] [42] [43]

Design

Set 10234: Sydney Opera House Lego 10234 Sydney Opera House.jpg
Set 10234: Sydney Opera House
Set 10276: Colosseum Lego Creator 10276 Colosseum Display @ Lego Store Taipei.jpg
Set 10276: Colosseum

Challenges

Creator Expert designer Jamie Berard has commented multiple times on the challenges of set design. The Sydney Opera House set was mentioned as one of the most difficult sets to design, and past attempts had always resulted in failure. [44] [45]

Prior to that, Jamie Berard also mentioned Green Grocer was a difficult model to design, and became one of his favorites due to the set's result. [46]

Café Corner was also commented as a difficult model to design due to piece limitation. The designer, Jamie Berard, wanted to add a bicycle piece into the set but the machine was temporarily broken, and he also had to work with instruction designers to implement set techniques onto the instructions since most were different from regular set design.

Reception

Fairly high reception has been provided to Creator Expert. Newsweek praised the Taj Mahal set, [47] [48] [49] due to its design, construction, and high piece count. Also, a reviewer named Joe Meno pointed out that the Green Grocer modular building had clear instructions and "so many fun surprises and tricks used in the model."

In 2019, Roller Coaster set was awarded "Toy of the Year" and also "Playset of the Year" by the Toy Association. [50]

Controversy

There has been controversy in the Lego community amongst which sets are considered a part of Creator Expert, and, if so, which sub-theme.

In the Winter Village Collection sub-theme, there has been a dispute whether Holiday Train is a part of the sub-theme. Some of the Lego community argues it lacks being in consecutive order with the sets from 2009–2019, while the rest of the community argues it still sparks a holiday atmosphere and, therefore, should be included in the sub-theme. [51]

In the Modular Buildings sub-theme, there was a long-term debate with the Market Street modular building. The debate was whether it was a part of the sub-theme, matching all of the characteristics of a modular building, yet being targeted toward lower age, lower piece count and is categorized as "Factory" as it was designed by a fan. However, the debate has thought to come to an end after Lego announced it as part of their modular building line in their 10-year anniversary celebration.

See also

Related Research Articles

Lego Space

Lego Space is a Lego theme that features astronauts, spaceships, and extraterrestrial life. Originally introduced in 1978, it is one of the oldest and most expansive themes in Lego history, and contains over 200 individual sets. It was marketed under the Legoland banner until it became Lego System in 1992.

Lego City Lego theme

Lego City is a theme under which Lego building sets are released based on city life, with the models depicting city and emergency services, airport, train, construction, and civilian services. Legoland Town is one of the three original themes that Lego produced upon its launch of the Lego minifigure in 1978 along with Castle and Space. The Town brand was briefly replaced with Lego World City in 2003 and 2004 before it was simply rebranded as Lego City in 2005.

Lego Spider-Man is a product range of the Lego construction toy, based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. When the theme first launched in 2002, it was inspired by the Spider-Man film released the same year and was part of the Lego Studios line. Additional sets were released two years later, based on the film's sequel, Spider-Man 2. The theme was discontinued before the release of Spider-Man 3, and the rights were sold to rival MEGA Brands, who entered a multi-year licensing deal with Marvel Enterprises, giving them the rights to produce 'playsets, vehicles and other building-themed products' based upon various Marvel characters for their Mega Bloks toys.

Lego Creator is a Lego theme for generic models. Creator sets have few specialized bricks to create buildings, creatures, vehicles, and robots. Some sets featured instructions for three different possible builds from the bricks included and most sets in recent years have used the 3-in-1 label. Creator is also a parent theme to Lego Creator Expert, a Lego subtheme for adolescents and adults featuring advanced building techniques and large piece counts, mostly known for Modular Buildings and detailed vehicles. Creator also has had several other subthemes such as X-Pods and mosaics.

Lego Art is a Lego theme introduced in 2020. It offers sets based on iconic personalities and characters in pop culture, allowing builders to reproduce them in a mosaic-like format using Lego 1x1 studs. Following the launch of Lego DOTS, a theme mainly targeted towards children, the Lego Art theme is the second 2D tile creative concept to be launched by The Lego Group in 2020.

Lego Games was a product range of the construction toy Lego. The theme was first introduced in 2009. The Lego theme was discontinued by the end of 2013.

Lego Modular Buildings

Modular Buildings is a series of Lego building toy sets introduced in 2007, with new sets usually being released annually. Created in response to feedback and suggestions from the Adult Fans of Lego (AFOL) and Teen Fans of Lego (TFOL) communities, the sets in this series are generally intended for more advanced builders. Most sets contain more than 2,000 total pieces and make use of unorthodox building techniques not usually used in previous official Lego sets. In contrast to most Lego sets aimed at children and adolescents, the suggested age of most sets in the Modular Buildings series is 16 years or older. The Modular Buildings sets have been received with positive reviews and are considered by Lego designers and fans as "toys for adults".

Lego Super Heroes is a theme and product range of the Lego construction toy, introduced in 2011. The line features DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Pixar's The Incredibles franchises. Lego Batman existed as its own franchise from 2006 to 2008 before the official DC "Super Heroes" brand name was launched in late 2011. Lego Spider-Man first appeared in 2002, based on the Spider-Man film and its sequel, while sets based on the broader Marvel Comics universe were first launched in April 2012 to feature alongside the 2012 film The Avengers. Meanwhile, sets based on Pixar's The Incredibles were launched in June 2018 to feature alongside the 2018 animated film Incredibles 2.

Lego Ideas Online program by Danish toy manufacturer LEGO

Lego Ideas is a website run by Chaordix and The Lego Group, which allows users to submit ideas for Lego products to be turned into potential sets available commercially, with the original designer receiving 1% of the royalties. It started in 2008 as an offshoot of the Japanese company Cuusoo, named after the Japanese word 空想 kūsō.

Lego Disney is a Lego theme based on the various Disney Princesses and Disney characters involved in different Disney films. It is licensed from Walt Disney Pictures. The theme was first introduced in 2016 and was re-branded theme from the Lego Disney Princess line in 2017.

Lego Agents Lego theme

Lego Agents was a Lego theme that was first introduced in 2008 after the discontinued Lego Alpha Team theme. The theme was inspired by James Bond as well as various spy movies. The 13 toy sets in the theme's release were split into three waves. In 2009, the theme was re-branded as Lego Agents 2.0. It was discontinued by the end of 2009 and replaced with the Lego Ultra Agents theme in 2014.

Lego Ghostbusters is a Lego theme based on the Ghostbusters franchise. It is licensed from Columbia Pictures. The Lego Ghostbusters theme was first introduced in 2014. The first set was released in 2014 as part of the Lego Ideas theme. Later, a set based on the Ghostbusters' firehouse was released and one set based on the Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. The Lego Group also used this license for character and level packs in the Lego Dimensions toys-to-life video game. In 2018, a set was released as part of the Lego BrickHeadz theme. In 2020, another set was released based on Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Lego Hidden Side Lego theme

Lego Hidden Side was a Lego theme that was first introduced in 2019. It took place in the fictional city of "Newbury" and linked Lego playsets to an app of the same name, which was used to hunt, capture and collect ghosts according to the principle of augmented reality. The series came on the market in 2019 and, after the discontinued Lego Dimensions and Nexo Knights series, represented another attempt by The Lego Group to link digital and real game worlds. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2020.

The Lego Movie (Lego theme) Lego product line based on The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie(Lego theme) was a Lego product line based on the 2014 film The Lego Movie. It was licensed from The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation. The theme was first introduced in 2014 to coincide with the release of the film, along with The Lego Movie Video Game. Further sets were produced to coincide with the release of the second film in The Lego Movie franchise, titled The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2019.

The Lego Ninjago Movie(Lego theme) was a product line based on The Lego Ninjago Movie, the third film of The Lego Movie franchise. It was licensed from The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation. The theme was introduced in 2017 as part of a licensing and merchandising programme associated with the film. Alongside the release of the Lego sets, the programme included the release of several promotional short films and The Lego Ninjago Movie Video Game. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2019.

Lego Unikitty! Lego theme

Lego Unikitty! was a Lego theme based on the same name of the animated television series. It is licensed from The Lego Group and Warner Bros. Animation for Cartoon Network and the series stars the character of the same name from The Lego Movie and its sequel, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. The theme was first introduced in 2018. The product line was discontinued by the end of 2019.

Lego <i>Cars</i> Lego theme

Lego Cars was a Lego theme based on the Disney·Pixar's Cars film franchise. It was licensed from The Walt Disney Company and Pixar. The theme was first introduced in 2010 for Duplo Cars sub-theme based on the Cars film was released as part of the Duplo theme. In 2011, Lego Cars 2 sub-theme based on the Cars 2 film was released as part of the Lego System and Duplo theme. In 2017, Lego Juniors Cars 3 sub-theme based on the Cars 3 film was released as part of the Lego Juniors and Duplo theme.

Lego Brick Sketches Lego theme

Lego Brick Sketches is a Lego theme that recreates iconic characters as stylised portraits. The theme was first introduced in 2020. Following the launch of Lego DOTS, a theme mainly targeted towards children, the Lego Brick Sketches theme is the first bas-relief portraits concept to be launched by the Lego Group in 2020.

Lego BrickHeadz is a Lego theme that recreates iconic characters from themes like DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Star Wars and Disney as buildable characters. The theme was first introduced in 2016.

References

  1. ↑ "Win the LEGO® Statue of Liberty from Guinness World Records 2019". Guinness World Records. October 29, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  2. ↑ "LEGO Systems, Inc. Unveils Hundreds of Building Sets and Complimentary Digital Experiences to Champion Imaginative Play in 2017". PR Newswire . February 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ Fahey, Mike (September 12, 2019). "Lego's Gingerbread House Holds Disturbing Secrets". Kotaku . Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  4. ↑ "LEGO Creator Expert Cinema Palace (10232) Press Release". The Brick Fan. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  5. ↑ "LEGO ditches Creator Expert branding in favour of 18+ marking". Brickset. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  6. ↑ "LEGO's new adult product strategy: Why LEGO is retiring Creator Expert [Feature]". The Brothers Brick. 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  7. ↑ "LEGO's retired Creator Expert theme finally has a new name". Brick Fanatics. 14 June 2021.
  8. ↑ Whiston, Nadia (10 December 2018). "Win the LEGO® Wright Flyer from Guinness World Records 2019". Guinness World Records. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Sopwith Camel press release". Brickset. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  10. ↑ LEGO 10226 Sopwith Camel. May 7, 2012 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ "LEGO Architecture Eiffel Tower Revealed". The Brick Fan. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  12. ↑ "Celebrating 110 years of Old Trafford - iconic stadium gets its own LEGO® set". Lego. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  13. ↑ Gallucci, Nicole (November 16, 2020). "Lego unveils new Colosseum set, its largest yet, with 9,000-plus pieces". Mashable . Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Three-Floor Police Station Joins the Lego Modular Buildings Collection". Lego. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  15. ↑ "Review: LEGO 10252 Volkswagen Beetle". Jay's Brick Blog. 2016-07-14. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  16. ↑ LeBlanc, Cameron (July 18, 2018). "There's a LEGO Version of James Bond's Aston Martin and Yes, It Has An Ejector Seat". Fatherly . Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  17. ↑ "LEGO Celebrates the Iconic Fiat 500 in New Creator Expert Release". HYPEBEAST. 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  18. ↑ "Creator Expert | Vehicles". Brickset. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  19. ↑ "LEGO Creator Volkswagen Beetle (10252) Officially Announced". The Brick Fan. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  20. ↑ "10252 VW Beetle press release". Brickset. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  21. ↑ "Lego Car Family Adds A New Version Of A Legend: Two-In-One Lego Porsche 911 Turbo And 911 Targa Set Revealed". Lego. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "LEGO Creator Expert Winter Village Market (10235) Revealed". The Brick Fan. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "LEGO Creator Winter Village Santa's Workshop (10245) Officially Revealed". The Brick Fan. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  24. ↑ Farshtey, Gregory; Lipkowitz, Daniel; Hugo, Simon (2020-10-01). LEGO® Minifigure A Visual History New Edition. Dorling Kindersley Limited. p. 189. ISBN   978-0-241-50202-0.
  25. ↑ "LEGO Creator Winter Village Fire Station (10263) Officially Announced". The Brick Fan. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  26. ↑ "Creator Expert | Winter Village". Brickset. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  27. ↑ "Celebrating 10 Years Of LEGO Winter Village". BricksFanz. 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  28. ↑ "LEGO Ferris Wheel Release Date, Box & Piece Count!". Bricks and Bloks. 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  29. ↑ "LEGO announces 10261 Creator Expert Roller Coaster!". Jay's Brick Blog. 2018-04-26. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  30. ↑ "Creator Expert | Fairground". Brickset. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  31. ↑ "A Look At LEGO.... Fairgrounds". BricksFanz. 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  32. ↑ "LEGO Haunted House Adds Another Amusement Park Classic to its Fairground Collection". LaughingPlace. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  33. ↑ "LEGO 10273 Haunted House revealed as next set in the Creator Expert Fairground Collection [News]". The Brothers Brick. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  34. ↑ "LEGO designers discuss 10273 Haunted House". Brick Fanatics. 14 May 2020.
  35. ↑ Martinus, Danial (December 31, 2020). "These LEGO plants are for people who want flowers that will never die". Mashable . Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  36. ↑ "LEGO® DESIGNERS INTERVIEW: 10281 BONSAI TREE". New Elementary. 10 March 2021.
  37. ↑ Tran, Allen "Tormentalous" (2021-05-02). "LEGO Botanical Collection Bird of Paradise (10289) Revealed". The Brick Fan. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  38. ↑ "LEGO summer 2021 sets unveiled: Botanical Garden and more". 9to5Toys. 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  39. ↑ "LEGO 10289 Bird of Paradise designer video explores the set's roots". Brick Fanatics. 2 June 2021.
  40. ↑ "Out Of The Vault & Available Soon To Fans - The New Lego Creator Expert Vestas Wind Turbine". Lego. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  41. ↑ Pearlman, Robert (May 30, 2019). "The Lego 'Eagle' Has Landed: NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander Revealed". Space. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  42. ↑ "The LEGO Group kicks off global program to inspire the next generation of space explorers as NASA celebrates 50 years of moon landing". Lego. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  43. ↑ "The Lego Group Joins Forces With Former Astronaut Dr. Kathy Sullivan To Launch New Lego NASA Space Shuttle Discovery Set". Lego. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  44. ↑ "LEGO Creator Expert Sydney Opera House (10234) Revealed". The Brick Fan. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  45. ↑ Sydney Opera House - LEGO Creator Expert - Designer Video. June 15, 2013 – via YouTube.
  46. ↑ "Green Grocer Set Now Available". Brickset. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
  47. ↑ "LEGO Creator Taj Mahal (10256) Officially Announced". The Brick Fan. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  48. ↑ "LEGO Creator Taj Mahal (10256) Designer Video". The Brick Fan. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  49. ↑ "Taj Mahal available now". Brickset. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  50. ↑ "2019 TOTY Winners". The Toy Association.
  51. ↑ "A Home for the Holidays". The Lego Brick Guy. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.