tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82107638893456439062024-02-07T17:10:12.237-08:00QuinnaramaObsession, compulsion and creativity. Fisher Price Little People, LEGO, Muppets, and a Rubber Duckie...not necessarily in that order.Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-30008772072796362162013-08-10T07:20:00.000-07:002014-02-01T07:48:53.395-08:00Get Paid to Write 3 Tweets (More or Less) on Bubblews<b>Over the 4th of July holiday</b>, my brother-in-law told me about a website where he's been writing short articles and getting paid for it. Getting paid quite a bit for it. For writing small, sometimes silly things. I said, "SILLY? GETTING PAID FOR IT? I'M IN!!" ...and Adam showed me, my wife, and her parents how to sign up at Bubblews.com. We were off and running.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_ixfIKPVHWQCdrkw3bWnhUkHHLACYVasyqbnXfv3KXRylek7yuKDZYDqYpWCa2SyZ19nRKtrwqQmRxZNjXFf-kJCnKXfQAWQJuQRBLRp0u8-AT7ZqlQovCbvIt-DmuqC2dL14NlXnV6j/s1600/Bubblews+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_ixfIKPVHWQCdrkw3bWnhUkHHLACYVasyqbnXfv3KXRylek7yuKDZYDqYpWCa2SyZ19nRKtrwqQmRxZNjXFf-kJCnKXfQAWQJuQRBLRp0u8-AT7ZqlQovCbvIt-DmuqC2dL14NlXnV6j/s320/Bubblews+Logo.png" height="156" width="320" /></a><b>Here's the short version:</b> Bubblews is an revenue sharing site. They make their money from ads and page views, they share that money with the writers that generate content. You write, people click on what you write, money builds up in your account. After your account hits $50, you can cash out to your own PayPal account. It's been about six months, and so far I've cashed out about a dozen times, making around $600. Some good LEGO money for not doing much, and it ended up paying for a lot of our Christmas. </div>
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To sign up, click here: <b><a href="http://www.bubblews.com/?referral=51d63202c4daf8.40034590" target="_blank">REGISTER AT BUBBLEWS</a> </b>. Sign up (it's free) by creating a user name and password, and then clicking on the link at the confirmation email they send you. All the usual stuff we're experts at, like coming up with a profile pic--you know how the internet works. </div>
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<b>Write an article and submit it.</b> Bubblews has 15 different categories, and chances are pretty good that what you want to write will fit into one of them. There's a misc. category if you can't find one that fits. And you can really write about anything. They do have a "flag this as inappropriate" button, so I don't know how raunchy you want to make it, but hey. Worth a shot. To give you an idea of how broad-ranging your writing can be: <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/924226-comic-book-confession-i-love-aquaman" target="_blank">I LOVE AQUAMAN</a> <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/928522-a-little-bit-of-heaven-a-whole-lot-of-hell-elysium" target="_blank">ELYSIUM MOVIE REVIEW</a> <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/923004-the-art-of-sandcastles-the-joy-of-sandcastling" target="_blank">MAKING SANDCASTLES</a> <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/760562-the-problem-and-potential-of-patriotism" target="_blank">PATRIOTISM RANT</a> <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/797732-i-almost-bought-a-ukulele" target="_blank">I ALMOST BOUGHT A UKULELE</a> <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/865815-4-stages-of-a-road-trip-with-your-kids" target="_blank">4 STAGES OF A ROAD TRIP WITH YOUR KIDS</a> ...I mean, really, you can write anything. And some people do. </div>
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<b>The rules about writing</b> are pretty simple--no plagiarism, it has to be at least 400 characters to post (characters, not words--that's like three tweets), and you need to credit any photos you use. ...and that's it. Some people write poetry (honestly I rarely read those), some write personal things about their day (I don't read those often either), some write movie and book reviews, some write about politics or religion, some just write funny things. My advice would be this: Write interesting things that you would want to read. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGDLjr07qA4wgVR6TAnIcMLzymUzqOH-vJuB46FLNUhfv88qYqlNsIX7VIHgu3dB5qQIWfewG8rqR3RRhkzLYRZw9t7AIPSquKqDyqOkAhsygFqyVa2wP7IBuss3RBAT9Hc7qio2M69gO/s1600/bubblews+social+media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGDLjr07qA4wgVR6TAnIcMLzymUzqOH-vJuB46FLNUhfv88qYqlNsIX7VIHgu3dB5qQIWfewG8rqR3RRhkzLYRZw9t7AIPSquKqDyqOkAhsygFqyVa2wP7IBuss3RBAT9Hc7qio2M69gO/s200/bubblews+social+media.jpg" height="193" width="200" /></a><b>There's a social media component</b> to Bubblews, and you want to take advantage of that. A big one is that you can make Connections with other writers on Bubblews. That just means that you click a green CONNECT button at the bottom of their profile page, and then when they write a new post, you'll be notified within Bubblews. Not an email spamming you (in fact, I don't think I've had any emails from Bubblews except the confirmation and the cashout notifications), just a little counter on your page telling you how many notifications you have. You can also post what you write via a little button on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and a few other social media platforms. When you connect with someone, it's a good idea to read a few of their articles first--see if it's someone whose stuff you WANT to be reading. Leave comments on what they write, that way they know you're there, and chances are good they'll connect back with you, and read what YOU write. </div>
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<b>Some weird/interesting things</b> about Bubblews: it's an international community, and that means people are writing 24 hours a day. So you can write an article, go to bed, and it will have accrued page views, comments and money overnight. It's sort of become an addiction, seeing how much is in the bank the next morning, or after a shower, or while I'm away at work. I like it. A lot. You know how Twitter uses @ and # in ways that are hard for newbies to figure out? Bubblews is very similar, but it uses & and +. So to tag another user (it'll show up in their notifications) you use &JediKermit (for example). To tag content, you'd use +Movies or whatever you happen to be writing about. As you read on Bubblews, you'll figure it out. </div>
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<b>How much can you make?</b> I made $50 my first month, but that's probably going to be low for me. I tend to write--a lot--and about a lot of different topics. My next goal is to make $25 within the next week, and then maybe I can get to the magical cashout point within 3-4 days. There are some writers who are getting $25 a day, but I'm guessing that's rare. </div>
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<b>If you like to write</b>--at all--you should sign up and check it out. Bubblews is also one of the more....forgiving online writing sites I've seen; they'll take you under their wing and help you with your writing as you're learning. My wife (&Tulips721 on the website) has always been kind of hesitant with her writing, but she's getting better and more confident as she goes, and has made about $100 in the same month. And she's not giving it to me. </div>
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<b>Go ahead and sign up</b>, check out the site, and start writing. There are a lot of these startups that are around for a year or two and then fizzle out--but I've cashed out about $600 by now that tells me this one works. For now. I'm not sure how long it'll last. So bring it. <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/?referral=51d63202c4daf8.40034590" target="_blank">REGISTER AT BUBBLEWS</a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnhvZWyPB9349H5Ov3l4LSZV0b-2kovJmea_4VRbE9AD7vrTj_IDhi7LRsBmaWa6491ZrMgIqX6RznDnwVSEwGUxFb46rrWdJ22M_b1AJkMJhsYDErYBAzMtPNbdvelrE2ZudGd1NSu59/s1600/QPR+Pipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnhvZWyPB9349H5Ov3l4LSZV0b-2kovJmea_4VRbE9AD7vrTj_IDhi7LRsBmaWa6491ZrMgIqX6RznDnwVSEwGUxFb46rrWdJ22M_b1AJkMJhsYDErYBAzMtPNbdvelrE2ZudGd1NSu59/s1600/QPR+Pipe.jpg" /></a></div>
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And yeah, you should definitely connect with <a href="http://www.bubblews.com/account/52487-jedikermit" target="_blank">&JediKermit</a> . He's the most handsome and the best. </div>
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Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-88564681067280586862013-05-11T07:13:00.000-07:002013-05-11T07:13:38.495-07:00Muppet LEGO: I like it--how do I vote for it? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lately I've had a few questions from from people who have viewed the Muppet LEGO proposal, but aren't sure how to vote for it. So here are some instructions on how to do it. Hopefully this will help you out. The first step of course is to go to the <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/11050" target="_blank">Muppet LEGO page</a> of the LEGO CUUSOO website. Click on the big green Support button. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMuDKu_DAFBR756y812w2EU_OqnNoo29lBjZKQCis40ML5nE6z6-rc0vyoFOKwU7p9DRv26jMMKTH7WGp90BNF2aKZxUTxkSbBp0rrEuFG9W-l82pzFZy5C0HLIINc3Ryj2Pnlq21m3_o/s1600/Cuusoo+how+to+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMuDKu_DAFBR756y812w2EU_OqnNoo29lBjZKQCis40ML5nE6z6-rc0vyoFOKwU7p9DRv26jMMKTH7WGp90BNF2aKZxUTxkSbBp0rrEuFG9W-l82pzFZy5C0HLIINc3Ryj2Pnlq21m3_o/s320/Cuusoo+how+to+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here you'll have a choice to make. If you're already on either Facebook or Twitter (which you probably are) you can click on one of those. You follow the same steps of "do you agree that LEGO CUUSOO can access your blah blah blah" that you do for any other thing you click on as a registration through Facebook or Twitter. My experience with LEGO CUUSOO has been that they don't post anything on your wall, friends walls, etc; but some people don't like even the semblance of a big Danish toy company accessing their friends. I get it. </div>
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If you don't want to take the Facebook or Twitter route, follow the steps on the left that say "NEW to LEGO CUUSOO?" -- you need a user name, password and email. I've been using CUUSOO for just over a year, and I can tell you I've never received any sort of spam or reminder or anything except the activation email. If that's a concern for you, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh154JMa29IpdFov20NHvy7NR8weU3nDamREku6DjL7ADPBIvMzXieuY_ImZi6KvtLNiGNH-nwotlN_X_dj7ca0q2HVY2S_sHe5M7_cxOpJkAzSLwFMyNpk9jYAeEpV9lxo1uxR_DDPMuJY/s1600/cuusoo+how+to+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh154JMa29IpdFov20NHvy7NR8weU3nDamREku6DjL7ADPBIvMzXieuY_ImZi6KvtLNiGNH-nwotlN_X_dj7ca0q2HVY2S_sHe5M7_cxOpJkAzSLwFMyNpk9jYAeEpV9lxo1uxR_DDPMuJY/s640/cuusoo+how+to+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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After entering your information and hitting "Sign Me Up!" It sends you an activation email. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiMPO-JTEv7zqsbEgOM07QRreklqYoSkQhWeNjRvqULYdCM9-EA9azpUAFW-oDtpU0bbi2WHdSKxLCjOANGfDsfSmxza_HgGkSMqO4KMTdimws5sZd6aJ5jw4Fpm0xLihrK-jfOrdV9tX/s1600/cuusoo+how+to+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjiMPO-JTEv7zqsbEgOM07QRreklqYoSkQhWeNjRvqULYdCM9-EA9azpUAFW-oDtpU0bbi2WHdSKxLCjOANGfDsfSmxza_HgGkSMqO4KMTdimws5sZd6aJ5jw4Fpm0xLihrK-jfOrdV9tX/s640/cuusoo+how+to+3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Go to your email and click on the link, it will bring you to the page below. Click on the "Discover page" link. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3firWJZoWkulHn1ABtgRPyRR5heSuCPxy2RBLtEiSSSzZfXyRGscwnuXw4mMPv1a8_RmYU9oJWqx9RRTzr6GZbVJ-Vgvk3HDs_qJ9NUWaRwH1zN0wCiaprdo9yza6phx2O3ViBZYk-xJf/s1600/cuusoo+how+to+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3firWJZoWkulHn1ABtgRPyRR5heSuCPxy2RBLtEiSSSzZfXyRGscwnuXw4mMPv1a8_RmYU9oJWqx9RRTzr6GZbVJ-Vgvk3HDs_qJ9NUWaRwH1zN0wCiaprdo9yza6phx2O3ViBZYk-xJf/s640/cuusoo+how+to+4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's a lot of awesome ideas on the Discover page, but you don't care about them right now, because you want to vote for the Muppets. So in the Search Projects window, just search for "muppets." <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3NyoXKWgoEnYNIjvXZhdr_rx6p2e5uaQQf_SWna-0lNf0BOoYgIC5B4JQzYzu0ReqL_nCOPm008eMzDpHcRoBEGum0Rfg1xZYpAArEDj6u1EhWbZmrLgIr8ogTorrnSXRKOyxFCWP4Ag/s1600/cuusoo+how+to+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3NyoXKWgoEnYNIjvXZhdr_rx6p2e5uaQQf_SWna-0lNf0BOoYgIC5B4JQzYzu0ReqL_nCOPm008eMzDpHcRoBEGum0Rfg1xZYpAArEDj6u1EhWbZmrLgIr8ogTorrnSXRKOyxFCWP4Ag/s320/cuusoo+how+to+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Only one project comes up, and you should click on that one. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQA333_saXe1WKR940zfvhJyOhsCw2QlCUgYmNkZ3QBNiuOBRvt8kmqFKwuh64youqQDiu6onqZQr6DTleH54Mbj7OU5FKohejb_1LatZaJaeXUqDcbswBhUsAgd8tLKWY7V-tSmleSit/s1600/cuusoo+how+to+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQA333_saXe1WKR940zfvhJyOhsCw2QlCUgYmNkZ3QBNiuOBRvt8kmqFKwuh64youqQDiu6onqZQr6DTleH54Mbj7OU5FKohejb_1LatZaJaeXUqDcbswBhUsAgd8tLKWY7V-tSmleSit/s320/cuusoo+how+to+6.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click on "Support" again. Don't worry, because you're logged in as a CUUSOO member now, it won't ask you to register all over again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMuDKu_DAFBR756y812w2EU_OqnNoo29lBjZKQCis40ML5nE6z6-rc0vyoFOKwU7p9DRv26jMMKTH7WGp90BNF2aKZxUTxkSbBp0rrEuFG9W-l82pzFZy5C0HLIINc3Ryj2Pnlq21m3_o/s1600/Cuusoo+how+to+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMuDKu_DAFBR756y812w2EU_OqnNoo29lBjZKQCis40ML5nE6z6-rc0vyoFOKwU7p9DRv26jMMKTH7WGp90BNF2aKZxUTxkSbBp0rrEuFG9W-l82pzFZy5C0HLIINc3Ryj2Pnlq21m3_o/s320/Cuusoo+how+to+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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It asks you for your country, your gender, and profession. You don't need to click on the box at the bottom that collects data on the weirdos that vote for these things. But you can if you want. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0tt7dbG82CTLJoultdpNtwvxtfPtY8dA0JtYzkk8jtvV9DySyPdA6miHWEQ6en1xDOaceCTD7H-ykvUJYm9AVyXH0x1HxzYf6ARjDRU0WHazzvoxWYJ1Bf4avE1IGjklCd6cHEfQ8OHb/s1600/cuusoo+how+to+7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0tt7dbG82CTLJoultdpNtwvxtfPtY8dA0JtYzkk8jtvV9DySyPdA6miHWEQ6en1xDOaceCTD7H-ykvUJYm9AVyXH0x1HxzYf6ARjDRU0WHazzvoxWYJ1Bf4avE1IGjklCd6cHEfQ8OHb/s400/cuusoo+how+to+7.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I know a lot of people get to this point and they aren't quite sure what to enter. The site asks you three questions: How much would you pay, how many would you buy, and why are you supporting this? For my proposal, I have Muppet sets at several different price points, from about $8 to $60. If you think you'd buy say, a $20 set, just put that. If you think you'd spend $5, put that. $500? Groovy. I don't know if it matters. <br />
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When it asks how many you'd buy--if you'd "buy them all," put a high number, which in this case would be 10. If you think you might buy one, because you have an irrational love of Kermit the Frog (who doesn't, really?) just put a 1. <br />
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The rationale--"why you like this project"--is all you. Pour out your Muppet-loving soul. You could also say something like "maybe if this reaches 10,000 votes, he'll shut up about this whole thing." Acceptable. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s1r138Ey0eMrX9Zkwn4v_EScHsqT4td2ON4O1NJ_iPVmANlCE-NnB3RVgSBHRfft4oXHELWutqePSYXrrsLti2g8_l7B2-OxjakKerLhjdROafcsJCURUKJyglHgdvL1MbaEsd6t44VI/s1600/cuusoo+how+to+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s1r138Ey0eMrX9Zkwn4v_EScHsqT4td2ON4O1NJ_iPVmANlCE-NnB3RVgSBHRfft4oXHELWutqePSYXrrsLti2g8_l7B2-OxjakKerLhjdROafcsJCURUKJyglHgdvL1MbaEsd6t44VI/s640/cuusoo+how+to+8.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then click on "Support," and you're done. You've done your part. Then you need to find ten other people--friends, family members, pets (if they have an email address), ex-girlfriends, boyfriends and spouses, strangers in bars, children on playgroun--wait, I'm getting off track. Share the idea with others. If just one person believes in you, and all that. </div>
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Now a sneak preview of what's coming next:</div>
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Because I can. And we should. And LEGO should. They have a license with Disney for the Muppets, and with Star Wars--it's possible. If you vote. Go to <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/11050">http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/11050</a>, vote for it, and share with others!Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-52336828430198167002013-03-24T19:05:00.000-07:002014-04-04T06:40:30.018-07:00Join Our Team for the MS Walk in Salt Lake City April 26<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b>Dear Friends</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (and enemies, acquaintances, family members, ex-family members, churchy-types, not-churchy-types, Facebook friends, Tweeps, Muppet freaks, stalkers, former students, random people who stumble across it...)</span></div>
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<b>Please Join Our Team.</b></div>
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<b>My wife Melissa</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (who you may know or may not, depending on which category you fall into above) was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, nine years ago. For those of you that don't know what it is, the short version is that your body attacks your own central nervous system, destroying the myelin "insulation" that covers the nerves of your spinal cord and brain. You can get a better understanding of the different kinds of MS here: <a href="http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/what-is-ms/index.aspx" style="font-size: 100%;">http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/what-is-ms/index.aspx</a> ...it's a pretty simple description of it. </span></div>
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I have to say, that with the many different ways that MS can hurt someone, we've been fortunate. Melissa's biggest symptom right now seems to be fatigue. That doesn't sound so bad, and there are certainly effects of MS that would be harder to deal with. Essentially, she's in bed more than she wants to be. Some days that's okay, other days it's very frustrating for her. She still manages to work her job (which she loves) up at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, 20 hours a week. She still manages to do things like help get the boys to their soccer games, and help other people with things that they need. But sometimes we need help too, even when we don't know how to ask for it. </div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">In 2011 we decided to sign up for the </span><b>Salt Lake City MS Walk</b> for the first time. We had about twenty family members and friends and co-workers who did it with us. It was a fairly cold April morning, and as we were driving downtown, we were worried that we'd dragged people into something that was going to be miserable. It turns out that the three mile walk was a lot of fun. Starting at the Gateway, the route loops up into the Marmalade District, and then back down to the Gateway. And there are thousands of people walking with you. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFoaDKYGmYLp1Pa8Au7on4eURMYyclSftznLhwxRiHzdQ6LTNbgKPG63qYYpfG481qdK8BgTaeB90urWdL3cnJtw0IuoUqOlrIYu7uE3veIEQnA7UyfHLdjJcojg5vj3-v6_X1gGdHChP/s1600/MS+Walk+SLC+Photo2.jpg" style="font: 100% Georgia, serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFoaDKYGmYLp1Pa8Au7on4eURMYyclSftznLhwxRiHzdQ6LTNbgKPG63qYYpfG481qdK8BgTaeB90urWdL3cnJtw0IuoUqOlrIYu7uE3veIEQnA7UyfHLdjJcojg5vj3-v6_X1gGdHChP/s400/MS+Walk+SLC+Photo2.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731953257749846530" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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(pictures by my friend Sean Hansen, who happened to be out taking pictures of downtown that day)</div>
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(Another picture by Sean Hansen) (Cool, right?) (I know)</div>
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Each year, we've tried to get more people to come, and we've added about 20 people each year. Our goal is much more to support Melissa more than to raise money. Last year we had about 60 people walking with us, and we raised about $900 in donations. Which was great. We dressed up like heroes--Melissa was Batgirl, I was Aquaman, the boys were Finn from "Adventure Time" and Robin, because Carter likes being the sidekick instead of the superhero. Less pressure. <br />
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<b>So here's the deal. </b>We really try not to talk about the MS thing too often. Sometimes it's too sad, sometimes I feel like it's just frustrating for people, because when they say "what can I do..." there's really nothing they can do. Well, this month there's something you can do. Sign up for our team for the MS Walk. </div>
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<strong>How you do it: Go to </strong><b><a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=10857646&pg=personal&fr_id=23100">http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=10857646&pg=personal&fr_id=23100</a></b> ....that takes you directly to Melissa's team, which is called "CAPED CRUSADERS." At the top of the team roster is a link that says "JOIN TEAM." Click on it, and sign up. The walk is April 26th, at 10:00 AM. We'll probably be down there at about 9:00 AM, and I think we're meeting in the area of the fountain towards the north end of the Gateway. We're going to wear capes instead of being superheroes again, because any excuse to wear a cape, you know?</div>
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<b>There's no entry fee</b>, there's no gathering pledges or sponsors. You can donate money to the cause of course, but it's not required. We're not buying the T-shirts for our team--if you wanted to buy the t-shirt, instead take that ten bucks and donate it. For our family, it's more about raising awareness than money. Whether you realize it or not, you do know someone that has MS. There's a lot of effort going into finding a cure. There are currently medications available that help treat the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease, but no cure. We're optimistic that someday, thanks to efforts like the MS Walk, there will be a cure someday.</div>
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<b>Your Excuses:</b></div>
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<b>1) "Well, I don't really feel like you want ME to join your team..."</b> I do. I really do. If you feel like we're not close enough that I'd want to see you there on Saturday, you're wrong. That kind of support, from anyone, means a lot to me. If you know me well enough to still be reading this, you know the kind of jerk I am, on the surface, and for about fifty layers beneath that. Somewhere, deep inside, I'll appreciate it, more than I'll ever be able to express. Because I have Issues. </div>
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<b>2) "I already have something that Saturday..."</b> I'm sure you do. But you can GET OUT OF THAT by coming and doing THIS! I'm partially kidding with that. We're all very busy, we have a lot of stuff going on. If you can't make it down there for a few hours on a Saturday morning, I understand. You should know that A) it really was fun last year, and B) you get that good feeling/brownie points with the deity of your choice, and C) it's kind of a fun walk through a part of Salt Lake City that most people haven't even seen. That last part is for you architecture/urban planning nerds in the audience. </div>
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<b>3) "I don't even live in Utah, you idiot..."</b> Ah-HAAA! If you don't live in the Beehive State, you really should. It's not as bad as you think. Except for all the bees. And by bees, I mean Mormons. Not really. I mean, there are a lot of them. Us. Whatever. IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN UTAH, I suggest the following course of action: A) there's probably an MS Walk that's close to you. You could sign up for that, and the karmic support will be like a burning lamp that lights my very soul. Or, you can just tell me you signed up for it. I'm not going to know. B) you can donate to the Caped Crusaders team by going to this link <a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=10857646&pg=personal&fr_id=23100">http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=10857646&pg=personal&fr_id=23100</a> and clicking on the orange "Donate to Melissa" button on the far right thermometer-looking thing on the page. Honestly, we're not doing it for the money. We set a goal of $500 for the whole team, but it's really more about the support. For those of you that are out of state, this could be a way to show that support. Five bucks. Ten bucks. If you're going to donate more than that, then I'll just say that Quinnmas (my birthday) is June 12th, and I really like LEGO and Muppets.</div>
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<b>4) "I already signed up for the MS Walk with a different team..."</b> That's awesome. I'm glad you did. And I'm saddened because that means you probably know someone else with MS. Support them. Stop by our little team on Saturday and say hi. Don't hug me or anything. I can't handle that. </div>
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I think that's kind of it. If you have other questions or concerns, you can either e-mail me or send me a message on Facebook or Twitter or whatever. Your support would really mean a lot to me, to Melissa, to my boys. I really really hate MS. If there's anything we can do to stop it, it'd be nice to have some help. </div>
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Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-2506376283654809532013-02-14T11:40:00.000-08:002013-02-14T11:40:23.498-08:00DC Comics LEGO - Lois Lane, Black Canary, Green Arrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Today is Valentine's Day. I like Valentine's Day a lot more now than I used to. I'm married to a hot wife, have two boys who are just starting to figure out the V-Day thing and will probably be much more successful at it than I ever have been, or ever will be. They're both kinda players, now that I think about it. In any case, I figured it would be a good day to highlight a few super-couples that I made out of LEGO.</div>
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Superman was finally part of a LEGO set in 2012, and I picked him up and dig him lots. But he didn't have a Lois Lane with him. There will be a Lois Lane with the new Man of Steel LEGO sets coming this May, but super-love can't wait that long. So I made this Lois Lane to go with him. Awwww. That's her um, phone in her hand. Or iPad. Or iPad Mini. It's something shiny, okay? </div>
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Another super-couple I've liked for a long time now is Green Arrow and Black Canary; they're always on-again off-again, and I honestly don't know their current status in the DC Universe. Green Arrow is on the CW series "Arrow, and that's good for him I suppose...and there's a Laurel Lance character on there who might possibly maybe become a Black Canary eventually. Anyway. Here's them. And no, I didn't use her fishnets costume. Not yet. Maybe later. It *is* Valentine's Day... </div>
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<br />Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-6607967191069754532013-01-30T21:36:00.002-08:002013-01-30T21:36:19.688-08:00LEGO Batman: Enemies <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
With all of my obsessive compulsive problems with how LEGO isn't releasing every single character from across more than 75 years of DC Comics history, I've gotta say I have no complaints about how they've handled the villains of Gotham City. Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, Bane, Killer Croc...all the A-Listers are covered. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Then again, me being me...I wanted more. Batman has the best (or worst?) villains in comic books, and even beyond the A-Listers, I wanted more. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpibhFjJCPJL2WrucWaVciScgozQB11CToCVQKl0P5hSDcUehkJYkGkqhmAQGWCv8U5axFMNofoZ4m3drPP7xHhmFlBokmnJvtqik3f1jPu-r6F1SdGs6kh5GcSwhChTY62QclKElUSOgY/s1600/DSCN3234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpibhFjJCPJL2WrucWaVciScgozQB11CToCVQKl0P5hSDcUehkJYkGkqhmAQGWCv8U5axFMNofoZ4m3drPP7xHhmFlBokmnJvtqik3f1jPu-r6F1SdGs6kh5GcSwhChTY62QclKElUSOgY/s320/DSCN3234.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<i>Left to Right, Front to Back: Red Hood, Black Mask, Mr Zsasz; Firefly, Mad Hatter, Killer Moth; Hugo Strange, Hush.</i><br />
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<br />Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-13062642464792661602013-01-26T07:39:00.000-08:002013-01-26T07:39:33.295-08:00LEGO Batman: Allies<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi6GhQirk-7K3LZ_pIBBEGcbmKwrESd8sT4q96jFLX-23Shwd087QVX2hZMQBy8q_XCEWHF_ViTZRIBuoNwESgTS21uvbltj_2-_5TaxLm2Qp3dMthDuI-LKHmR5yuEOShGbcPIoafc8Y/s1600/DSCN3227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi6GhQirk-7K3LZ_pIBBEGcbmKwrESd8sT4q96jFLX-23Shwd087QVX2hZMQBy8q_XCEWHF_ViTZRIBuoNwESgTS21uvbltj_2-_5TaxLm2Qp3dMthDuI-LKHmR5yuEOShGbcPIoafc8Y/s400/DSCN3227.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huntress, Batman, Robin (Damian Wayne) Nightwing, Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon</td></tr>
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As a lifelong fan of Batman, and a nearly lifelong fan of LEGO, when LEGO announced a Batman line in 2007, I was immediately onboard. LEGO did a great job with Batman for a few years, and then restarted the line last year, expanding it to include the rest of the DC Comics universe (Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman etc.). <br />
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But when you've known Batman as long as I have, you need something more. So I've updated some of my Batman LEGO customs and added some new ones. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batman, Red Robin, Huntress, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Commissioner Gordon</td></tr>
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The Batman Family has changed and expanded over the years--the Robin I grew up with also grew up, so Dick Grayson, once the Boy Wonder, has become Nightwing. LEGO released him in one set about five years ago, and the only thing I changed about that minifigure was the hair. The others are all new, including Tim Drake (the third Robin, now "Red Robin), Damian Wayne (the current Robin), and a personal favorite of mine, Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. I updated my Huntress and Commissioner Gordon minifigures to give them the "light flesh" faces instead of yellow faces, since the LEGO Super Heroes line uses more realistic skin tones than classic LEGO does. LEGO has finally released a Commissioner Gordon this year, in a set based on The Dark Knight Rises...I'm thinking I'll keep my cartoon/comics based version around too.Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-60772374755377286842012-09-09T21:04:00.000-07:002012-09-09T21:04:37.124-07:00My Proposal for Muppet LEGOSo if you know me at all, you know that I'm a fan of the Muppets, and I'm also a fan of toys. And in my opinion, there aren't many better toy companies out there than LEGO. I really didn't discover LEGO until I was a teenager, but once I did, I never really let it go. <br />
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Last year LEGO debuted a sort of crowdsourcing way to get ideas for new sets--fans could make proposals with text and images, put them on a <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/11050" target="_blank">LEGO CUUSOO</a> website, and then if a proposal received enough votes, than the LEGO people would look at the practical business issues of getting the set made. My proposal is about the Muppets. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdN_y26iWcRkdsoeUj2eYsKc71Yqiok_QnL-tF7JH9bIpW5gb6-XcumDALrSHYpRUcpNklVwNyKdqIsWholn7EUiEtMp606LEU6jnWeTleQno4vNIs26NjxhDthh9rYmjT8_uq0pKmWyg/s1600/Mill+Hollow+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdN_y26iWcRkdsoeUj2eYsKc71Yqiok_QnL-tF7JH9bIpW5gb6-XcumDALrSHYpRUcpNklVwNyKdqIsWholn7EUiEtMp606LEU6jnWeTleQno4vNIs26NjxhDthh9rYmjT8_uq0pKmWyg/s320/Mill+Hollow+129.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Camilla, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear</div>
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The Muppets have been a part of my life since my childhood, and despite their toy-like nature (they are puppets, after all), they haven't ever been presented as any part of a building set. I think there's a lot of potential there. There could be minifigures, playsets, vehicles, and other ways to bring the magical mayhem of the Muppets home. The key is showing LEGO that these could work. So I put together my own version of Muppet Minifigures...there are 24 so far, and another couple of dozen in the works. Why? Because I'm obsessive. And compulsive. And sometimes, obsessive-compulsive. </div>
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Here are a few more pictures of the minifigures:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4nuZs4I4e9tD19e3hj39WLzgob065Ydl1ROXODlXSQIOWTSuGEIsQp4wePc1vGV3DUzUN5pvIV2jgkEap7iBSehFsj9Ak0Yxv4YL8WgmNmU0gbTlERDsILnHvgUn9zfjj-Y3b-5amPmO/s1600/100_0941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4nuZs4I4e9tD19e3hj39WLzgob065Ydl1ROXODlXSQIOWTSuGEIsQp4wePc1vGV3DUzUN5pvIV2jgkEap7iBSehFsj9Ak0Yxv4YL8WgmNmU0gbTlERDsILnHvgUn9zfjj-Y3b-5amPmO/s320/100_0941.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Electric Mayhem (and Rowlf)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTXJGxVSRJ_BFYp_yJCgW_3sdmzNC_tKsP1vOG7cg0YGPVIHh28Cr0wSQLtOWZ9bvcYR-RwGWNQV5ECpmphuX6ITC6bseM5mEp407wBr2HD3NczssNAP_Umyn8QLJj4orUzwhd8O6y_CN/s1600/Mill+Hollow+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTXJGxVSRJ_BFYp_yJCgW_3sdmzNC_tKsP1vOG7cg0YGPVIHh28Cr0wSQLtOWZ9bvcYR-RwGWNQV5ECpmphuX6ITC6bseM5mEp407wBr2HD3NczssNAP_Umyn8QLJj4orUzwhd8O6y_CN/s320/Mill+Hollow+130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Scooter, Rizzo, Stunt Gonzo, Chickens, Pepe</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQAONbgb1h8IYpnOQvHpsgHqQJ70d51rZM5SvemGYBmo-XAC2L72gpEAcdZfQrmwHuxi_NaSRLaNJrH_N8smlY4jrFlbdTG-4mqWr2agEKWbIjH4D7Gt3avnnEarAqrAy-NUwCprlY5Be/s1600/Mill+Hollow+133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQAONbgb1h8IYpnOQvHpsgHqQJ70d51rZM5SvemGYBmo-XAC2L72gpEAcdZfQrmwHuxi_NaSRLaNJrH_N8smlY4jrFlbdTG-4mqWr2agEKWbIjH4D7Gt3avnnEarAqrAy-NUwCprlY5Be/s320/Mill+Hollow+133.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bunsen, Beaker, Sam Eagle, Swedish Chef, Waldorf and Statler</div>
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These are understandably rougher than the "real" versions that LEGO would make, but I wanted to show that it would be possible to make Muppets in the same size as LEGO minifigures. I've also been working on LEGO Digital Designer computer-rendered versions of some key sets, like the Muppet Theater, the Swedish Chef's Kitchen, and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's Laboratory. ...and I've got some rough sketches of the Pigs in Space Spaceship and the Electric Mayhem Bus and some other things. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKu6TFqsKbdG-XhgnTVEIXf10x4CUGjXc8BYltaafhsaKte1eCdZnNSBx0YjBSfjmHE7EzshPrZfDqeHCqoru5qOsK3wkY5lYlpgR9pLOHszYdcGJHj0F9CMpJTADjM2TprOK_CxrSU51K/s1600/Muppeet+Kitchen+LEGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKu6TFqsKbdG-XhgnTVEIXf10x4CUGjXc8BYltaafhsaKte1eCdZnNSBx0YjBSfjmHE7EzshPrZfDqeHCqoru5qOsK3wkY5lYlpgR9pLOHszYdcGJHj0F9CMpJTADjM2TprOK_CxrSU51K/s320/Muppeet+Kitchen+LEGO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Swedish Chef's Kitchen</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IZlh23Cd1KaWUBzME0fz20mKGB-a3rGSyqAj6rskqr9BbQBCfLC0rv6JyWl5zIE62oOcYzIZ5QdCQqHfNJGMkPZseWxFMC3bSWwr3XyfAuj5FSpviOHSMKN_Dr7SgQBAwqWWG5UJojFm/s1600/Muppet+Labs+LEGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IZlh23Cd1KaWUBzME0fz20mKGB-a3rGSyqAj6rskqr9BbQBCfLC0rv6JyWl5zIE62oOcYzIZ5QdCQqHfNJGMkPZseWxFMC3bSWwr3XyfAuj5FSpviOHSMKN_Dr7SgQBAwqWWG5UJojFm/s320/Muppet+Labs+LEGO.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Muppet Labs</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuON6e0bjYWKrqfORnhNpwiEpCeTAnqLufDD_NJO-oybgztmulKJTuJ23bHV80R67O2YE4vqSPfDaHU6lBqzooKbRXtA316tcE2RcCf7wyevlZ-Mll32hrLZ9BpzCyJJklID6wS9iorrjG/s1600/Muppet+Theater+513a-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuON6e0bjYWKrqfORnhNpwiEpCeTAnqLufDD_NJO-oybgztmulKJTuJ23bHV80R67O2YE4vqSPfDaHU6lBqzooKbRXtA316tcE2RcCf7wyevlZ-Mll32hrLZ9BpzCyJJklID6wS9iorrjG/s320/Muppet+Theater+513a-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Muppet Theater</div>
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The key at this point is getting the word out. As of this writing, more than 1,000 people have voted for the Muppet LEGO proposal, which is fantastic--it's enough to get noticed by LEGO. To get the official review, it needs 10,000 votes. Which seems like a lot. It is a lot. I'm hoping there are enough fans of the Muppets and LEGO out there to get it made. If you're interested, go to the link for <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/11050" target="_blank">Muppet LEGO</a>, register, and vote! It won't sign you up for all kinds of spam, it won't cost you anything, it just demonstrates that you support the idea. You know you want to. </div>
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A few more sketches to leave you with:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlK7bpwOmN4nlR0-GuEACDtbXJ2jS-IoqMqNTjBL8CD19IE1_jx62D74co7uAwIzioOh9mkl-NRWbSJVpQRX5XjcxkPYCA_TXulKHR_grAycNt7rogbNrAKkbn1v5UoPoifMesZSfY_kwX/s1600/Recently+Updated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlK7bpwOmN4nlR0-GuEACDtbXJ2jS-IoqMqNTjBL8CD19IE1_jx62D74co7uAwIzioOh9mkl-NRWbSJVpQRX5XjcxkPYCA_TXulKHR_grAycNt7rogbNrAKkbn1v5UoPoifMesZSfY_kwX/s320/Recently+Updated.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Pigs in Space spaceship, the Electric Mayhem Bus, Great Muppet Caper Hot Air Balloon, Gonzo's Stunt Cycle, and the Muppet Theater</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bjeV1OusATRDABbVz52xsp7w-Z88gxdERdmWYfuyyhEHniokYsRUGXG71SbK8UXjE0F1atjeG-y8yoXIG76cWInD-Rf8TKo3lQF8FyYUjggL6y0onNa9cnx19-rxwqR6f2Wp9XxZt9pf/s1600/Muppets+Cuusoo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bjeV1OusATRDABbVz52xsp7w-Z88gxdERdmWYfuyyhEHniokYsRUGXG71SbK8UXjE0F1atjeG-y8yoXIG76cWInD-Rf8TKo3lQF8FyYUjggL6y0onNa9cnx19-rxwqR6f2Wp9XxZt9pf/s320/Muppets+Cuusoo2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A bunch of Muppet minifigure sketches. More to come. </div>
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<br />Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-55136111246418397062012-05-04T20:17:00.000-07:002012-05-04T20:17:45.196-07:00Avengers Fisher Price Little People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So, like just about everybody else on the planet, I'm a little excited about the Avengers movie that's in theatres. I've been watching Iron Man and Thor and Captain America with my boys leading up to the Big Movie, so I've had Marvel's superheroes on my mind. Which is unusual for me, simply because I'm really more a DC Comics guy. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, those guys. </div>
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Anyway, after being prompted by a friend's 5 year old son, I thought it was time to branch out and make some Avengers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM249kW3B4ehbQkCH6_agSpEkKNRMlSIxYR3WBuLaQ4Wy8cyDfdCJiwuJfDHP0qWvRj-PFGkKDGGrAumZvUFfNq43Gwq3svqNicLHK5VGzB27PFgKgAJhyphenhyphenxu9asnGXlMvIGEHhnKItXwzi/s1600/100_0927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM249kW3B4ehbQkCH6_agSpEkKNRMlSIxYR3WBuLaQ4Wy8cyDfdCJiwuJfDHP0qWvRj-PFGkKDGGrAumZvUFfNq43Gwq3svqNicLHK5VGzB27PFgKgAJhyphenhyphenxu9asnGXlMvIGEHhnKItXwzi/s640/100_0927.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't show this part very often, but here are my sketches for the Avengers Fisher Price Little People.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAx2eDuCI1rn-KJX8xtz5rWZlWC8QRRXppqMtfX6eR4oVq31C29upxMogVHQEUCTCUrYv_E9_Cso6IhSTgvyPyVcxEHX22S6BLjFLwypJuoYikfRoUcCAHMMWjTt_O9EX4yoAxsJNNPpB/s1600/100_0932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpAx2eDuCI1rn-KJX8xtz5rWZlWC8QRRXppqMtfX6eR4oVq31C29upxMogVHQEUCTCUrYv_E9_Cso6IhSTgvyPyVcxEHX22S6BLjFLwypJuoYikfRoUcCAHMMWjTt_O9EX4yoAxsJNNPpB/s320/100_0932.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then the victims--the raw materials that will become the Avengers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8r1iO2LJzvAwLUdJyle1_NLJDNrp3TpD3pDOwY1VlpvXxLwkLlYsh2WQgHjZS-C3Auz-KoF2uFgIgcL5p5St7ZUbRA1lRPRBfQcuxoYubTGxcRwUTJx_S6HqPvjwnFJjCAS8RZWaMR6E/s1600/100_0936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8r1iO2LJzvAwLUdJyle1_NLJDNrp3TpD3pDOwY1VlpvXxLwkLlYsh2WQgHjZS-C3Auz-KoF2uFgIgcL5p5St7ZUbRA1lRPRBfQcuxoYubTGxcRwUTJx_S6HqPvjwnFJjCAS8RZWaMR6E/s400/100_0936.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Nick Fury</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWP6S1H18YGE7WRsUJ2aSl91NaIcXqVRl_affdLHez2oOl1iEtQcWamrJAa-0qIyqJxXuecVTpZ35_EAvjpPw0qdr6HyMH8WXBHNx5h03Q687zVaP5B1kqrf7x2lVuBB6KQap7modEKBZ/s1600/100_0937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWP6S1H18YGE7WRsUJ2aSl91NaIcXqVRl_affdLHez2oOl1iEtQcWamrJAa-0qIyqJxXuecVTpZ35_EAvjpPw0qdr6HyMH8WXBHNx5h03Q687zVaP5B1kqrf7x2lVuBB6KQap7modEKBZ/s640/100_0937.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and Hulk. </div>
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I decided to add the winged helmet to Thor and the little wings to Captain America's headgear. I guess I like winged hats. Go figure. I think Iron Man and Captain America turned out best. Hulk...needs some work.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pXyp7kg9gYYsrIiQFBgwQ2p4yOa7IDB1Jiork4pC_mSg18THJ5OEc0-xGufUqy2tnNPhkj76reK65s4lAHWzsUkMFTI5OmGL4rh2Qkoy102V8WolviH8VFqPI2i0utFwjmHFSawUqIsc/s1600/100_0938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pXyp7kg9gYYsrIiQFBgwQ2p4yOa7IDB1Jiork4pC_mSg18THJ5OEc0-xGufUqy2tnNPhkj76reK65s4lAHWzsUkMFTI5OmGL4rh2Qkoy102V8WolviH8VFqPI2i0utFwjmHFSawUqIsc/s640/100_0938.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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All seven Avengers together. Hope the movie doesn't suck.</div>
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<br />Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-70912530743765715912012-01-22T19:38:00.002-08:002012-03-01T04:33:30.567-08:00G. I. Joe Fisher Price Little PeopleI never had any GI Joe action figure when I was a kid. I was very much a Star Wars kid, so my action figures were all Kenner, all the time. But I loved the GI Joe cartoon, up until about the time they brought in Sgt Slaughter and Serpentor and all those other characters. So really, probably only the first two seasons of the cartoon or something. <div><br /></div><div>Still, GI Joe was fun. Stalwart heroes, ridiculous villains, and a nice moral at the end of each episode, so you could overlook all the guns-a-blazin' over the previous 24 minutes. This is one of those shows that, once I started making Fisher Price Little People versions, I wouldn't stop, so I decided to stick to three heroes and three villains:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq_D7FsOt9xVUiKVm_e1FnvQWY0BRyARbx20x_Um2rnturz-pVF4xJ02nQquHkKxWtsst0Hnqbn_YpKQ3MQCnWmTGOAUCYqSy4S0FJTaSdbsltVoO9mgeyNfdZEz3RHHp7U2NGZRoqnEj/s1600/100_1651.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq_D7FsOt9xVUiKVm_e1FnvQWY0BRyARbx20x_Um2rnturz-pVF4xJ02nQquHkKxWtsst0Hnqbn_YpKQ3MQCnWmTGOAUCYqSy4S0FJTaSdbsltVoO9mgeyNfdZEz3RHHp7U2NGZRoqnEj/s320/100_1651.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700667017986737330" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes; Cobra Commander, Destro, Baroness</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I like how they turned out, although Destro's collar isn't quite right; Scarlett does have a long ponytail not in view in that particular picture. Anyway. I made them. So now you know. And knowing is half the something-something. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-24303625447321171302012-01-22T19:34:00.000-08:002012-01-29T10:25:01.740-08:00Bear in the Big Blue House Fisher Price Little PeopleMy very first customized Fisher Price Little People were based on Sesame Street characters. Shortly after that, I made some Muppet Show Little People, and eventually I got around to Fraggle Rock (not a series I grew up with, but fun all the same). <div><br /></div><div>A production that I ended up really enjoying was Bear in the Big Blue House. Initially it ran from 1997-2007 on Playhouse Disney, and you can still find it on various channels and on DVD from time to time. Centered on a core family of characters, and developed by the Jim Henson Company, it has a lot of the same magic that Sesame Street and the Muppets in general have. By the time we had our own children, I loved Bear in the Big Blue House, and so of course I decided I had to make some Fisher Price Little People of the main characters.</div><div><br /></div><div>More than some of the other properties that I made figures of, there are radically different body shapes and sizes, from Tutter--a small blue mouse, to Bear--an enormous full-body puppet along the lines of Big Bird, to Luna, a floating moon that sings a goodbye song with Bear every night. (Still one of my most favorite songs, and I included Luna in our <a href="http://www.quinnarama.blogspot.com/2010/04/toy-room-mural.html">Toy Room Mural</a>.) So I had to depart from the usual Fisher Price Little People design more radically than usual, but tried to keep that same design sensibility in place. So here's the result:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhef7a-IDSHLK4Cyd7gOD6ssyJu8eCW2v9R92vZ0zqgzvXu4YjdGx-Wcd_lh-tv2Diqy37A2In8UdtwYSTy-ur6F9jghPJ2uj4FvXEDEK-uFgxlg5nzqtAa-FT_dgz1BD8nZL3hP7oj1Cnn/s1600/100_1649.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhef7a-IDSHLK4Cyd7gOD6ssyJu8eCW2v9R92vZ0zqgzvXu4YjdGx-Wcd_lh-tv2Diqy37A2In8UdtwYSTy-ur6F9jghPJ2uj4FvXEDEK-uFgxlg5nzqtAa-FT_dgz1BD8nZL3hP7oj1Cnn/s320/100_1649.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700666084929548914" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(From left to right) Bear, Tutter, Treelo, Pip and Pop, Ojo, and Luna</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-60332769138317574752012-01-22T17:32:00.001-08:002012-01-22T17:50:23.398-08:00Custom Action Figures of the 1990s...<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Well, this is kind of embarrassing, but I'll share it anyway. Because I'm an over-sharer. While going through my files on my computer, I found these pictures from sometime in the late 1990s. There had been a line of action figures that included some members of the Justice League, b<br />ut not all. Total Justice gave us Batman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and then a few bizarrely random characters like Huntress, Black Lightning...and...I forget. <div><br /></div><div>Because that wasn't enough, I decided to buy up some other ation figures and repaint them as I saw fit. Blame some of the amateurishness on the 1990s, some on my developing skills, and some on the pictures...which were taken on my parents' front porch. Wow. </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5HHdOy-h_ncs6Ci_81rgrtiCAqurdIbNl-i-zkhXXTXfYdnX5qF_IECriyRcIUz8Xt1scNzTW5MfpQtPwlAWez3X4kJE_F0CXe_K2dktjvPe9elb7rZMcGQZ4bUlosHuMnj6xx55qkRL/s1600/titans.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5HHdOy-h_ncs6Ci_81rgrtiCAqurdIbNl-i-zkhXXTXfYdnX5qF_IECriyRcIUz8Xt1scNzTW5MfpQtPwlAWez3X4kJE_F0CXe_K2dktjvPe9elb7rZMcGQZ4bUlosHuMnj6xx55qkRL/s320/titans.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700634881215934146" /></a>The Teen Titans: Starfire, Arsenal, Troia, Flash, Nightwing, Tempest, and Changeling. Wow. That was one of my favorite superhero teams, and versions of it still are. Love the Titans. </div><div><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5YAvlhat1hIMeTS9NMPW6b6QH2wZTe16NVAq3BFhp7BWB8w4WJ8SNv7TfJpFIBp4PCuQyby41_-KI2BmtBQtUhzB15gasFe2cGYLgQuL5mLw62QQkoCoMACNuJufJNFTGf_oGhTRyD0f/s320/aztekmeta.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700634764196347218" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 257px; " /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKN-WRTpbQpffyRDbyPUZux5XUhSCq_Z7Gv2Gdxy8VUhSylmbw9zwdnFvqC3Pmlblwu2QT8v6eZu3UYAZWQhP7hKd_X9QfaNMlyY5K6SXSe_X-bJVI648oMj59CpT0M6WezQ35pWlYyRK/s1600/jsa.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: center;">Aztek and Metamorpho. It's best not to ask. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKN-WRTpbQpffyRDbyPUZux5XUhSCq_Z7Gv2Gdxy8VUhSylmbw9zwdnFvqC3Pmlblwu2QT8v6eZu3UYAZWQhP7hKd_X9QfaNMlyY5K6SXSe_X-bJVI648oMj59CpT0M6WezQ35pWlYyRK/s1600/jsa.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKN-WRTpbQpffyRDbyPUZux5XUhSCq_Z7Gv2Gdxy8VUhSylmbw9zwdnFvqC3Pmlblwu2QT8v6eZu3UYAZWQhP7hKd_X9QfaNMlyY5K6SXSe_X-bJVI648oMj59CpT0M6WezQ35pWlYyRK/s320/jsa.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700634761333938130" /></a></div><div><br />This one is more interesting to me than others, just because I don't remember making most of them. But hey kids, it was the 90's There was CRAZY stuff going on. So that was the Justice Society, and included... Hawkgirl, Hourman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, Black Canary, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Spectre, Flash (Jay Garrick) and Wildcat.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKN-WRTpbQpffyRDbyPUZux5XUhSCq_Z7Gv2Gdxy8VUhSylmbw9zwdnFvqC3Pmlblwu2QT8v6eZu3UYAZWQhP7hKd_X9QfaNMlyY5K6SXSe_X-bJVI648oMj59CpT0M6WezQ35pWlYyRK/s1600/jsa.jpg"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03UZv0g2I617atIXNcHeKsR8dgKVisyEE9RCxFBcDAxoGSjB4_7CeW_44RVtC4W17OFSqeR-chRty54zpv_E14b5raqxAkt5g1Dh9bGwsFB4K0zaRGSSDriPGof3DbNYZi7HtF7VEmq88/s1600/marveletc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03UZv0g2I617atIXNcHeKsR8dgKVisyEE9RCxFBcDAxoGSjB4_7CeW_44RVtC4W17OFSqeR-chRty54zpv_E14b5raqxAkt5g1Dh9bGwsFB4K0zaRGSSDriPGof3DbNYZi7HtF7VEmq88/s320/marveletc.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700634754124428546" /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span ><br /></span></div></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "></div></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03UZv0g2I617atIXNcHeKsR8dgKVisyEE9RCxFBcDAxoGSjB4_7CeW_44RVtC4W17OFSqeR-chRty54zpv_E14b5raqxAkt5g1Dh9bGwsFB4K0zaRGSSDriPGof3DbNYZi7HtF7VEmq88/s1600/marveletc.jpg"></a><br />This is just an assortment of characters. No real rhyme or reason. The Wonder Twins, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Supergirl, Firestorm, and...the Ray? I don't remember that at all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03UZv0g2I617atIXNcHeKsR8dgKVisyEE9RCxFBcDAxoGSjB4_7CeW_44RVtC4W17OFSqeR-chRty54zpv_E14b5raqxAkt5g1Dh9bGwsFB4K0zaRGSSDriPGof3DbNYZi7HtF7VEmq88/s1600/marveletc.jpg"><div style="text-align: center;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br /></div></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_eJq7znV917vS49mLPrjBze4V3R6cXU0-Zp2AX4w6skbazoFCNvypHi5n-GDWIp1szUXUxL3zmQpJdiUQvfFLuktZow3on_jwclG7aR8LW4PBL5QOKrallYzjFoB89VgPtXrhEGis7Ps/s1600/newgods.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_eJq7znV917vS49mLPrjBze4V3R6cXU0-Zp2AX4w6skbazoFCNvypHi5n-GDWIp1szUXUxL3zmQpJdiUQvfFLuktZow3on_jwclG7aR8LW4PBL5QOKrallYzjFoB89VgPtXrhEGis7Ps/s320/newgods.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700634749175302418" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03UZv0g2I617atIXNcHeKsR8dgKVisyEE9RCxFBcDAxoGSjB4_7CeW_44RVtC4W17OFSqeR-chRty54zpv_E14b5raqxAkt5g1Dh9bGwsFB4K0zaRGSSDriPGof3DbNYZi7HtF7VEmq88/s1600/marveletc.jpg"><div style="text-align: center;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br /></div></a><br />Some New Gods: Lightray, Orion, Big Barda and Mr. Miracle. I actually liked how they turned out, although you really can't tell how awesome they are from the photograph. </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03UZv0g2I617atIXNcHeKsR8dgKVisyEE9RCxFBcDAxoGSjB4_7CeW_44RVtC4W17OFSqeR-chRty54zpv_E14b5raqxAkt5g1Dh9bGwsFB4K0zaRGSSDriPGof3DbNYZi7HtF7VEmq88/s1600/marveletc.jpg"><div style="text-align: center;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br /></div></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeIeXSLHQboraatI_nTjJxzlT-7s7fDHm4GB6LIyqbMJBYv2GtsVuuZ6ghjAQp9I8MxE5ZwXu-KSky2kr2FFEAUbwkmzosq_Tfh3HQsVdDVns7sDXCp8KUAwRUU58C_qaV1HLFQNQx6V/s1600/women.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPeIeXSLHQboraatI_nTjJxzlT-7s7fDHm4GB6LIyqbMJBYv2GtsVuuZ6ghjAQp9I8MxE5ZwXu-KSky2kr2FFEAUbwkmzosq_Tfh3HQsVdDVns7sDXCp8KUAwRUU58C_qaV1HLFQNQx6V/s320/women.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700634747049517570" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>And then some ladies...too often overlooked. I mean come on. It's Wonder Woman. She deserves some credit. So in that picture we have Fire, Ice (a favorite team-up from the Justice League International comics) Wonder Woman (that tiara. ouch), Oracle (Barbara Gordon, former Batgirl, now computer genius in a wheelchair...with Agent Scully's head. Great.), and Tomorrow Woman. Who looks to be turning Japanese. I really think so. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wow. Sorry about that blast from the past. I feel kinda dizzy now. I think we need more Fisher Price Little People to cleanse the palate.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsSGv2qSsOaTDE99Yb8o4k__IsgEcSPeUO-MqWaAiIqL05YXA14POupqDtJwPwhgOSGMjFJFsgRVWR5Lh5AV_9DcQGWMd5mNYMMV_7AjTN4pEsGkIqg0_nNn36TewmDkdog-LNfSYti2t/s320/FPLP+Mola+Ram.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5700637881188225122" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px; " /></div></div></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">Ahhh. Better. </div><div style="text-align: center;color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-53810953140993140942012-01-20T17:20:00.000-08:002012-01-20T17:24:53.441-08:00My and My Fisher Price Little People on TVSo several years back, a friend of a friend (of a friend) of a co-worker told some other people about my weird hobby of mutilating Fisher Price Little People in the name of art. Or the name of obsession. Either way. Anyway, I ended up a human interest story at the end of a newscast. Better than being on the news for other reasons, I suppose.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZFME93Vn9_M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-35760340388183733422012-01-05T20:46:00.001-08:002012-01-05T21:10:09.933-08:00Rubber Duckie in Washington DC (2011)<div>Last month I got to go to Washington DC for a conference, and of course, Rubber Duckie came along. A few snapshots of him about town....</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviKyIBAQA5EcZ8CXscm24TDNUa0fWT9d4tN_prY3H_gQKZ6vmsIOYz4cUEwTh9uw4zeWzfAxowf2qoFh5jOE3ECyP74bPp45Y0BjRJ3WzPoDjTb97Bs5-jBlcQsq6V2YEvH0y0AiOe-Tg/s1600/100_0751.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviKyIBAQA5EcZ8CXscm24TDNUa0fWT9d4tN_prY3H_gQKZ6vmsIOYz4cUEwTh9uw4zeWzfAxowf2qoFh5jOE3ECyP74bPp45Y0BjRJ3WzPoDjTb97Bs5-jBlcQsq6V2YEvH0y0AiOe-Tg/s320/100_0751.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694379125634986546" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The Supreme Court Building...right after we left a woman started yelling at the security guards. I heard the words "duck" and "justice" and "bathtime" and just hurried along the way. </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZXGyqDd61Ya5aDczaMkwUvDG9xkV0rTRBpbN-z6O15L2MB1Tt02BuqlcNFANW08-w5Befe7SobVlqdiG2LDE0qATo0YvUPJUxZrdthxlJXxEX-Id-qmyk4ADfowkEcVAWm2cYlaDpAWt/s1600/100_0753.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZXGyqDd61Ya5aDczaMkwUvDG9xkV0rTRBpbN-z6O15L2MB1Tt02BuqlcNFANW08-w5Befe7SobVlqdiG2LDE0qATo0YvUPJUxZrdthxlJXxEX-Id-qmyk4ADfowkEcVAWm2cYlaDpAWt/s320/100_0753.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694379124467268306" /></a><br />Across the street from the U.S. Capitol. I love the building, but think a lot of the people inside are kinda idiots. Still. Nice dome. Baby. <div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv1cCiozHg5zmlz2Y6b0ENJ0rpZgzF4S5OyyAmYig11pdPwSHp6DzEn6F1wa7o5nXzD4oVyGZX6OxAk8CGHFbPnjuv0F9C1Qg8kN4PgKS9ewrTFddDV8fMtlzt84MRDpYVwfiLlixkTmV/s1600/100_0754.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAv1cCiozHg5zmlz2Y6b0ENJ0rpZgzF4S5OyyAmYig11pdPwSHp6DzEn6F1wa7o5nXzD4oVyGZX6OxAk8CGHFbPnjuv0F9C1Qg8kN4PgKS9ewrTFddDV8fMtlzt84MRDpYVwfiLlixkTmV/s320/100_0754.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694378456064076994" /></a><br />I had been to Washington DC several times before ever visiting the Library of Congress, but it is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been in, ever. I love the Beaux-Arts style of over-the-top ornamentation. I wouldn't want my house done in that style, but when I visit something as internationally significant to history, science, literature and culture as the LOC, I want to be impressed. They do it right. </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2OZKmwA9Wwe4Iimpt1wdjRChyphenhyphenflkzJ11W08U35j_MC0NO83QODtu1J_rcP6BkaPatsFzTkagVOdSa6NKaiQNdER3oIuPYI92RYgkKVS8NpAE6w5HbtEOw3QztQp7pvuqmCQp0aOm3DCm/s1600/100_0759.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2OZKmwA9Wwe4Iimpt1wdjRChyphenhyphenflkzJ11W08U35j_MC0NO83QODtu1J_rcP6BkaPatsFzTkagVOdSa6NKaiQNdER3oIuPYI92RYgkKVS8NpAE6w5HbtEOw3QztQp7pvuqmCQp0aOm3DCm/s320/100_0759.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694378447250695074" /></a><br />The Washington Monument just before sunset--it turns out that this same evening, Kermit the Frog was helping the Obamas light the National Christmas Tree or something. And I was right there. I knew it was a good night. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgiGWjAGf_9BV2y0aiaA1b6cFViaR0z3KbAOgAc1eoEj4ob586NcSuIIOpREiqIjE8HkVz6SGsuGvLGIGDWaXoir-_oA8NkEDF6txdb8dL6cUZxbdzrCSELrGF3HhUyznaG8ChyphenhyphenZk6ld-/s1600/100_0761.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgiGWjAGf_9BV2y0aiaA1b6cFViaR0z3KbAOgAc1eoEj4ob586NcSuIIOpREiqIjE8HkVz6SGsuGvLGIGDWaXoir-_oA8NkEDF6txdb8dL6cUZxbdzrCSELrGF3HhUyznaG8ChyphenhyphenZk6ld-/s320/100_0761.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694378440002287186" /></a><br />This is the most recent memorial dedicated on the National Mall--it's the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and it's located adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial along the tidal basin. It's an interesting experience, walking through the cleft rock and then into a sort of open plaza dominated by an MLK statue, with quotes from him engraved on walls of stone. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRFolSzuj09l9bFJqDzHyGZ6_JM_Rsw8EoJT1vL5aal0pTS59qlydcSEhyvAs0zEt8qUbzYkxlN5VCiwtduKYLfGAEZ8iDLwsg6KFnmTXgMlQV7NTfRa2AHh3ADbkhWSN-z9RzwIC6aUp/s1600/100_0767.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRFolSzuj09l9bFJqDzHyGZ6_JM_Rsw8EoJT1vL5aal0pTS59qlydcSEhyvAs0zEt8qUbzYkxlN5VCiwtduKYLfGAEZ8iDLwsg6KFnmTXgMlQV7NTfRa2AHh3ADbkhWSN-z9RzwIC6aUp/s320/100_0767.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694378434606059138" /></a><br />Something I loved seeing was the numbers of African American kids and couples and families there running up to the statue to get their picture taken in front of it. Not that Martin Luther King is just "theirs," or that the other monuments and memorials in DC are any less important to people of color--but this was something special. I had to wait several minutes to get a clear shot of Rubber Duckie--because MLK is his hero too. </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIA9xzvZXF3OrmV1v3N2zHGjYMPoOnWbOXKdCDQjereGutVsfwvn_dCP8-5KhyJRoSdzuhzsxlAMPKenL6sNQlpua24Tyng7uY_-e6GkmsdcHOlMqtzLGAENS51hzXg3lvbMV0ub3O15j/s1600/100_0777.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIA9xzvZXF3OrmV1v3N2zHGjYMPoOnWbOXKdCDQjereGutVsfwvn_dCP8-5KhyJRoSdzuhzsxlAMPKenL6sNQlpua24Tyng7uY_-e6GkmsdcHOlMqtzLGAENS51hzXg3lvbMV0ub3O15j/s320/100_0777.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694378428666140290" /></a><br />The most disturbing/possibly disrespectful photo of this trip: inside Ford's Theater. The site of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. I'd been outside before, but never made it in for a tour. I happened to have time before I flew out, and Rubber Duckie and I got in and enjoyed the presentation. It was sad, moving, and poignant. And then I took a picture with my Rubber Duckie. The lit balcony behind R. D. is where Lincoln was shot, and then the stage below. No disrespect was intended.</div><div><br /></div><div>Besides, we've done worse.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-66881298310124192992011-11-29T19:40:00.000-08:002011-11-29T19:56:21.066-08:00"The Muppets" Fisher Price Little PeopleAfter seeing The Muppets twice last week, I realized that something was missing in my life. It was making my own Fisher Price Little People versions of some of the breakout characters. At some point, I had made Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, the Electric Mayhem, Rowlf, Scooter, and everyone else I felt was important; now with this new movie, I had to add three more characters: 80's Robot, Walter, and Uncle Deadly.<div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrPVNP3mUniBQ-4PPkz92WFgg-c8p_iwk5-3zL4eh0awPzsQI59DoHXmZpYOVODNFOmmw1IzxRFsowna2aHcc-3zY2eMEJY4LqEpQJmE-Vqa_F7tZYAgyhhrh_A1wXcVs-9L1Bx0do3ao/s1600/100_0736.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrPVNP3mUniBQ-4PPkz92WFgg-c8p_iwk5-3zL4eh0awPzsQI59DoHXmZpYOVODNFOmmw1IzxRFsowna2aHcc-3zY2eMEJY4LqEpQJmE-Vqa_F7tZYAgyhhrh_A1wXcVs-9L1Bx0do3ao/s320/100_0736.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680629674610963170" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">80's Robot, Walter, Uncle Deadly</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76C13l0NbJxmhRLcrqXk491YL89nJSpCeQkxd3mhOeaMDm6TgP5QwEHA__0cHX-Uxw2_VRnAPY-XH5W-numq_XdxzOu1yZors1gZFT1tdd7zG1NzpvhYZ3o0cxyzGt1I3LcAoElXcgDMw/s1600/100_0738.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76C13l0NbJxmhRLcrqXk491YL89nJSpCeQkxd3mhOeaMDm6TgP5QwEHA__0cHX-Uxw2_VRnAPY-XH5W-numq_XdxzOu1yZors1gZFT1tdd7zG1NzpvhYZ3o0cxyzGt1I3LcAoElXcgDMw/s320/100_0738.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680629669637069458" /></a>80's Robot is one weird little dude, but he stole several scenes. I love his retro design, his dated offerings of Tab and New Coke, and his sweet sweet modem. It wasn't until looking more closely at his design on Muppet Wiki that I noticed some of his details, like a floppy disk drive in his torso. While perhaps not technically a Muppet, and more a remote control, since he's voiced by Muppet performer Matt Vogel, he's Muppety enough for me. </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgae0SKGBCYGHIVigDNCvYoAuVMH6SWWRcjl-06yCwRD7m-qfXLUHFVAnmuPMMXfdcnjOx3nQPFjbpXv8ijW7j0vIso3Jy50tdA4uLqAhzytSnTHdSzrFnxa5zWf_XyLQvpZ970CkXlfze4/s1600/100_0741.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgae0SKGBCYGHIVigDNCvYoAuVMH6SWWRcjl-06yCwRD7m-qfXLUHFVAnmuPMMXfdcnjOx3nQPFjbpXv8ijW7j0vIso3Jy50tdA4uLqAhzytSnTHdSzrFnxa5zWf_XyLQvpZ970CkXlfze4/s320/100_0741.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680629666096771858" /></a>Walter is the character I was most worried about in this new movie--the biggest role in the movie, and a total newcomer. Watching him, I recognized myself over and over and over--an obsessed Muppet fan who wants to see them succeed, and is willing to do anything to make it happen. I decided to put him in his Kermit the Frog t-shirt; I would have included his Kermit watch too, but since Fisher Price Little People don't have any arms, that would have made for awkward placement. </div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2jWGcQfiIGhydCJUSzJVJK1o2qXWjyWoSqBCyIH4_w7l35g6PPlGRJdtREkyzMQgsnqMzGAGvDLg_4Vx9oWgMRqb2wDDH6uv7fiWv8SHTJCt6Jo5hRbuyoQaSIjGagDFQ6euZNyJNNnF/s1600/100_0744.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2jWGcQfiIGhydCJUSzJVJK1o2qXWjyWoSqBCyIH4_w7l35g6PPlGRJdtREkyzMQgsnqMzGAGvDLg_4Vx9oWgMRqb2wDDH6uv7fiWv8SHTJCt6Jo5hRbuyoQaSIjGagDFQ6euZNyJNNnF/s320/100_0744.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680629661456060226" /></a></div><div>Uncle Deadly, while not a new character, has been absent from the Muppet family for decades, and even when he was around, he was always lurking in the shadows. Another of Matt Vogel's new characters, he was a henchman to the villain in the movie, and has to decide if he's a Muppet or not. I've always loved his creepy look, and I think he turned out okay, given my elementary school sculpting skills. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you haven't seen The Muppets yet, you really really should. It's funny, it's sweet, it's got some great new characters, and all the old ones that you've missed. It's good for your heart. Like oatmeal. But less messy. Usually.</div><div><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-69152973535029124332011-11-26T02:17:00.000-08:002011-11-26T03:52:15.317-08:00The Muppets (2011)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwopTvxmARBch6KNPz2EGby3OH7imqw8miJVi_a7B38V6gy0EqSAbhmVH3KoNo404Wkj-hyz5EIlCj-UX_y50cBI7bApQfwYHfsbLP6mkLH6ZhJMoCh5GN03aWN5QwEBBdjItPMaPIU1P/s1600/QuinnMilesCarterMuppets.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwopTvxmARBch6KNPz2EGby3OH7imqw8miJVi_a7B38V6gy0EqSAbhmVH3KoNo404Wkj-hyz5EIlCj-UX_y50cBI7bApQfwYHfsbLP6mkLH6ZhJMoCh5GN03aWN5QwEBBdjItPMaPIU1P/s320/QuinnMilesCarterMuppets.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679269580945306834" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've been a fan of the Muppets for as long as I can remember. A true child of the 70's, I grew up watching <i>Sesame Street</i>, and some of my earliest memories involve Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, Grover and Kermit the Frog. Ah, Kermit. When people ask me who my favorite Muppet character is...a question that comes up more often for me than it probably does for you--my response is usually something along these lines:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>"Well, I love Gonzo. Gonzo's like a brother to me. I understand him, I love him. But Kermit is what I aspire to become. A leader, a friend, a kind, generous, loving person." Those of you that know me know that I have a long way to go to becoming more Kermitlike, but that's my aspiration. I literally look up to a puppet. Part of that is the role Jim Henson had in taking the puppet-television format and folding into something both educational and entertaining; part of it is his larger vision of peaceful harmony with people (and species) that are different from you, so evident in <i>Sesame Street</i>, <i>The Muppet Show</i>, and <i>Fraggle Rock</i>; part of it is simply that I think the Muppets are funny and make me happy. So when Jim Henson passed away two decades ago, I think I probably took it harder than was psychologically good for me. And it's taken some time to get over that loss. It's only been since getting married and having kids of my own that I'm able to watch <i>A Muppet Christmas Carol</i> without spiraling into a period of mourning (good thing I don't drink)(yet) for both Jim Henson and performer Richard Hunt, who died shortly after Jim did.</div><div style="text-align: center; "></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Each new Muppet project after Jim passed away moved me a little more into accepting a "new" Kermit, and eventually a new Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, etc. If I want the Muppets to continue being "alive," then I need to accept new performers for old favorite characters...but I want them to be performing something good--something I want to see, and recommend to friends without couching it in "well, it's good for me, because I'm a Muppet fan." And even though each new project--<i>Muppet Treasure Island</i>, <i>Muppets From Space</i>, <i>It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie</i>, and even <i>Muppets Wizard of Oz</i>--had moments that were great, on the whole, they're weaker than any of the "Jim Henson era" movies. Until now.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "></div></div><div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkDr_pyMJYYWZBEsJaI2pXBjYOUfwQoaJ8ZBJAjP5z1P0_iuKin6WZiRtFMQyx-JifXJOps322Oq8HuVxyM1dpnRpalNB7SfpU5_vx1hDGPw3ZTSAlEK3JkvdyqNJpLNqpAnYW4Kk4Mm4/s320/TheMuppetsFB.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679269574198196418" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 177px; " /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Muppets</i> opened about 72 hours ago, and I've already seen it twice. I'm sure I'll see it at least one more time in theatres before it's off the big screen. Most people who see movies or watch television have seen trailers or commercials for this movie over the last few months, but obsessed Muppet fans like me have known about the pitch and planning and making of this movie for four years now. The anticipation, excitement, and fear has been building for that long. Which can make the first viewing more an exercise in checklists than anything else. "How many lines will Rowlf have?" "Will Janice say something inappropriate about nudity?" "Will Crazy Harry get to blow something up?" ...when it's twelve years between Muppet movies, there are a lot of pent-up lists.</div><div><div style="text-align: center; "></div></div><div><br /></div><div>To get to the review part of things, I loved it. I loved this movie. I don't think it was perfect (for some reasons I'll get to in a minute), but I loved it. It made me happy. It reminded me of all the many reasons I love the Muppets. I laughed out loud, I was moved, it made me reflect on my own life in ways that I didn't think a Muppet movie would.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I loved that instead of playing pirates or Dickensian urchins or Munchkins, the Muppets are themselves. They're back. And that incldues characters that haven't been seen much since Jim Henson and Richard Hunt passed away. Scooter, Rowlf, Janice, Sweetums, Dr. Teeth--they've all been relatively mute for about twenty years. Seen in the background, but mostly absent. They're back, and they have new performers, and Scooter in particular has as much to do here as he's ever had in any Muppet movie. Even though those characters aren't, and will never be, as high profile as Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, or Miss Piggy, they're part of the family, and to have them missing in action for twenty years was sad. Having them back is a major win for Muppet fans.</div><div><div style="text-align: center; "></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Even more remarkable is the incredibly obscure characters that writer/co-star Jason Segel got rebuilt and back into the movie that haven't been seen since the earliest days of The Muppet Show: Uncle Deadly, a blue dragon-like character is a major villain in the movie; the singing duet Wayne and Wanda get a big laugh when the power goes out; even the freakishly enormous (bigger than Sweetums) Thog. After every Muppet movie/tv special up until this point, I've found myself saying, "yeah, it would have been better--more Muppety--with this character, or that character..." Not this time. I was amazed at how many characters were worked into this production.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHdVLqW0pvOcLOS_6Pl65LeIyXdGpFNYA-VBqq29uyWF5qEZokbJOQGZZiY1_O2ZGDXLv7kf50WemOo_rgYfJnCpIhMelzc3hLF-Fhd7131EeIfVWP21XBNYMpNchLOfBwhFxma8511K-/s320/TheMuppetsRainbow.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679269575096856322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 173px; " /></div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The songs, written by Bret McKenzie (from <i>Flight of the Conchords</i>) are fun, funny, and very...Muppety, even when the Muppets aren't the ones singing them. My favorite new song is probably "Life's a Happy Song," which both opens and closes the movie. Others are the heartbreaking "Pictures in My Mind" that Kermit sings, and the song "Man or Muppet," which hits the nail on the head a little too precisely for my comfort. Which made me laugh at myself, and Jason Segel, and Walter. More on him in a second. There are also versions of some of the Muppets' greatest songs: "Rainbow Connection," "The Muppet Show Theme," and "Mahna-Mahna" are all in the movie, so there's a good chance there'll be something there for any Muppet fan, old or new.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyS7TNIwFObcsZDSGfskdMV6Yf6j6VXrZ2-NfZb4UKS4Y87wt9pU2WNQ1rhcRwK4-IwYJNYVUcmImuQCCjFdycKj365obz9-5GZ8Dz6BNSU4HGCXU7DdcazOEe-5IdIIeGxmuuQ4gSGwO/s320/TheMuppetsWalter.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679269568378195298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px; " /><div></div><div><br /></div><div>There's one new Muppet character worked into the mix, and I was prepared to hate him. Walter is Gary's (Jason Segel) brother in the movie, and he's a Muppet fan. Like...a huge Muppet fan. Like...me. And my weirdo internet friends. He has Muppet stickers on his bed, and posters on his wall, and a Kermit watch, and shelves full of Muppet toys. He has dreams about Muppets, he wants to be a Muppet. And holy crap, it's like Jason Segel (who seems a bit like Walter himself in interviews I've seen with him)(frog bless him) gets what it's like to be that guy. I was waiting for a joke to go too far, or for a dig to be too personal, but man. Walter IS me. And even if you're not a Muppet fan, you understand that level of love and fandom for whatever it is that you love--through Walter. He's a sweet, well thought-out character who seems as real and human as anyone else, but still as silly and fun as the Muppets themselves are. He's got a simple design, but it's really the writing, and the amazing performance by Peter Linz that makes Walter live. I went in with a big chip on my shoulder, because how DARE they try to push some new kid into my Muppet family, but I ended up loving him. And it didn't take long. </div><div><br /></div><div>My only real problems with the movie are things that I think are so nitpicky and obsessive and fannish that they wouldn't be noticed by, or wouldn't annoy, your average moviegoer/casual fan of the Muppets. And that's just that several elements of the plot are recycled. "Let's get the gang back together and put on a show" is part of <i>The Muppet Movie</i>, <i>The Muppets Take Manhattan</i>, and<i> It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie</i>. And that's an enjoyable part of those movies. I didn't feel like I needed to see it again. That said, the way they handle it in The Muppets, and the twelve years since they've been on the big screen, make it a little more poignant. And doing it via montage made it pretty darn funny. Then there are things on my own personal checklist, like me wanting Janice to say something inappropriate, or Gonzo being a little wackier, or wanting Link from Pigs in Space to have a line or two...things that don't matter nearly as much as the big picture.</div><div><br /></div><div>That big picture is that the Muppets finally feel like they're back. For possibly the first time ever, I don't think I ever thought, "well, this isn't the Jim Henson Kermit, this is the Steve Whitmire Kermit." He was just Kermit. And it didn't matter that Frank Oz wasn't involved, because Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear and Animal are in good hands, and they are funny, and poignant, and loved. This is the Muppet movie I've been waiting for. Not just for four years, but for twenty. I'm so glad Jason Segel pushed for it. I'm glad Disney made it. I'm glad the performers did such an amazing job with it. They put everything they had into this one, and it shows. I'm proud to be a fan of such a great movie. Thanks guys. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/C4YhbpuGdwQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-23023187950898944392011-07-07T19:13:00.000-07:002011-07-07T19:37:08.857-07:00LEGO Star TrekI had to wait until 1999 for LEGO to start making <em>Star Wars</em> toys, and when two of my favoritest things came together, well, it was worth the wait. I'm not holding my breath and waiting around for LEGO to make <em>Star Trek</em> toys, because I don't think the market's there for it. But wow. If it were, I'd be first in line. A line filled with other geeks, obsessing over tiny pointed ears and phasers. For now, these customs will have to do.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDDGB3jnJadwGIOyQOEQSQlvwGDK5vaXar9Q-BAws-DCy8PT3vub5ocC6TcZpDMGnRQ9oxvVPBAJYqsgA-NLisnnLgY_wBmZLR3sjjvqr2omIEK_sQ7Cd2xGcJSRKcUQK6vEu0C8b4PAD/s1600/100_1366.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626800330360632610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDDGB3jnJadwGIOyQOEQSQlvwGDK5vaXar9Q-BAws-DCy8PT3vub5ocC6TcZpDMGnRQ9oxvVPBAJYqsgA-NLisnnLgY_wBmZLR3sjjvqr2omIEK_sQ7Cd2xGcJSRKcUQK6vEu0C8b4PAD/s400/100_1366.JPG" /></a>Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy -- one of my favorite trinities. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4Ci3kks80ok0kzVlxd5hFx-RliNrAoDZGzAmd49ZQzqosTNK7TzgsaZMG6_ACXV8L5T2NN0OcEZN5wFzSGtAjBGCeli2pHzV7RsH6h8xXV1HlWVA6HpkYryMfWqvuYNGB23rQpA0D3zm/s1600/100_1367.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626800048061049986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4Ci3kks80ok0kzVlxd5hFx-RliNrAoDZGzAmd49ZQzqosTNK7TzgsaZMG6_ACXV8L5T2NN0OcEZN5wFzSGtAjBGCeli2pHzV7RsH6h8xXV1HlWVA6HpkYryMfWqvuYNGB23rQpA0D3zm/s400/100_1367.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div align="center">Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura. <br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52EicyLs6KUKk5x7qD3TvjTXN-GAwuktkXxFuhFZnImr2hlniXCQvfZ8CDRZ2OcbHMvofIPb05efkJizOd_dFnRWwBpOiP87sc4RN3PEXvgXdpqZ9EZaBi8yb-q7MG_d7jZRTTUYR4VtY/s1600/100_1369.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626800037137374482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52EicyLs6KUKk5x7qD3TvjTXN-GAwuktkXxFuhFZnImr2hlniXCQvfZ8CDRZ2OcbHMvofIPb05efkJizOd_dFnRWwBpOiP87sc4RN3PEXvgXdpqZ9EZaBi8yb-q7MG_d7jZRTTUYR4VtY/s400/100_1369.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div>A little bit of backup from Nurse Chapel, Yeoman Rand, and Transporter Chief Kyle...or possibly just a Red Shirt to die on an away mission. Depends on how the day is going. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gZ_noVD0F-EAt06CmiqxLM_ofPnHiN6bJlR3Y2LNHLr5rT-09LjsXSAixrjJ1mO4RrfzanWabz5lxmelvoZcZcfE3iIUvNO793NQa7oA6y7x0OvXaUm1fGQpVg-O8sgiEctTVtTogyLw/s1600/100_1371.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626800023104301858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gZ_noVD0F-EAt06CmiqxLM_ofPnHiN6bJlR3Y2LNHLr5rT-09LjsXSAixrjJ1mO4RrfzanWabz5lxmelvoZcZcfE3iIUvNO793NQa7oA6y7x0OvXaUm1fGQpVg-O8sgiEctTVtTogyLw/s400/100_1371.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div>The biggest challenge for me this time around was the hairpieces. The men were pretty straightforward, but the women had distinctively 1960's hairstyles that I wanted to try to represent. So I sculpted new hairpieces for all three women. Janice Rand's beehive was the most elaborate, but I think it's also the most successful of the three. Most of the time she was just delivering coffee to Captain Kirk, but she can still rock the 'hive.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DviVColgu2rHh8OEIRQxTddOn60qTBrYU_PsZPQfdpaUtToAruSojjsQB5baAcu7pfmEUeWWfOy8NROCsMT5BIy8j_Z_C6qD_KtHCBKu2SvEcgkZfreqm1QWnWqSYC6W7pomJljLTZ_P/s1600/100_1372.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626800021554134354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DviVColgu2rHh8OEIRQxTddOn60qTBrYU_PsZPQfdpaUtToAruSojjsQB5baAcu7pfmEUeWWfOy8NROCsMT5BIy8j_Z_C6qD_KtHCBKu2SvEcgkZfreqm1QWnWqSYC6W7pomJljLTZ_P/s400/100_1372.JPG" /></a><br />I do like how Uhura turned out--she has her own hairpiece as well, and I added those green hoop earrings to the sides of her head. It's a good look. She deserves the best.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tn1NiVzS8C5GnrGnYvQa6Y9VUQCW2FXRx3pi6HYkv8Jq0mqjRiSjOCi40DKqb7-b_zRzxbeI8b04jJz7yjHCx1bb4lwqz60_l5TLkNS28IEvSlABu7-V50OU2zgz6doM19DU-43Vh5Yi/s1600/100_1374.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626800014624698274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tn1NiVzS8C5GnrGnYvQa6Y9VUQCW2FXRx3pi6HYkv8Jq0mqjRiSjOCi40DKqb7-b_zRzxbeI8b04jJz7yjHCx1bb4lwqz60_l5TLkNS28IEvSlABu7-V50OU2zgz6doM19DU-43Vh5Yi/s400/100_1374.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div align="center">Boldly going where no minifigure has gone before!</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">The problem of course is that my OCD is having a hard time letting this be a complete set. Where's Captain Pike? Dr. M'Benga? Sarek and Amanda? And what about the villains? Klingons, Romulans, Tholians, Khan, Gorn...well, let's just say that if I started, I wouldn't stop. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">And then there's Picard, Riker, Data, Geordi, Dr. Crusher, Counselor Troi, Worf, Wesley, Tasha, Guinan, Ro, Q, Borg, Sisko, Kira, Dax, O'Brien, Quark, Odo, Bashir, Dukat, Cardassians, Rom, Nog...I need to stop.</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Live long and prosper, OCD. Live long and prosper. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-22072459285327943562011-04-23T18:09:00.000-07:002011-04-23T18:26:21.669-07:00Doctor Who Fisher Price Little PeopleI swore I'd never do it. But after acknowledging that friends and family members were right, and I should have been watching the British sci-fi series Doctor Who for the last five seasons, I finally got on board. And now that I have...I need to start making some good Doctors. As is fitting for a time traveling television show, I'm starting with the last Doctor first, and I'll get around to others later. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU0lXyaISUekJA1q5LPI-ZUOqwdR4hnvjVgumnuE9c1gCf6lrUH41i03w2K1au6fm0gBTCAfGUXTvxj6r_BF6njFlmt4X-TCw6JRJwP6OxXlxeYP9U4InKIDiYbD1nNsgLNgA30w5UCqJ/s1600/100_0848.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598951809859351794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU0lXyaISUekJA1q5LPI-ZUOqwdR4hnvjVgumnuE9c1gCf6lrUH41i03w2K1au6fm0gBTCAfGUXTvxj6r_BF6njFlmt4X-TCw6JRJwP6OxXlxeYP9U4InKIDiYbD1nNsgLNgA30w5UCqJ/s400/100_0848.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center">River Song, The Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Williams</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2cblPp7s_hKUlUuiDgdrHslkSCG7GEcL0eLrk59ZM8srC_XG1SgJGX9LwW7_D5XEfdkQH-hLdtEiSx4a1y9GJ_zM-08gOCBz9UKJjP1LkIOb8HLNUSgR8aDs7adIMAP__ldmkkPxM1Ua/s1600/100_0849.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598951807569381618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2cblPp7s_hKUlUuiDgdrHslkSCG7GEcL0eLrk59ZM8srC_XG1SgJGX9LwW7_D5XEfdkQH-hLdtEiSx4a1y9GJ_zM-08gOCBz9UKJjP1LkIOb8HLNUSgR8aDs7adIMAP__ldmkkPxM1Ua/s400/100_0849.JPG" /></a> </div><br /><div>River Song is a character that's really grown on me. We first met her in a few episodes in a previous season, and each time we see her, the mystery deepens. As portrayed by Alex Kingston, she's smart, funny, and every bit a match for the Doctor. I chose to make her in a Season Six costume, partially just because I dig the Western thing she has going on. She's got a gun in a holster on one hip, and her own sonic screwdriver on the other. The biggest challenge was her hair--the insanely beautiful curliness of it, and the fact that it changes color depending n what light she's in. The Doctor (Matt Smith) was another challenge, and another hair sculpting issue. But he came out okay. I tried for a tweedy texture in his coat, but don't know if I really achieved it. In any case, bowties. Bowties are cool. <br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX1oUndpxywXt_-aNX9Qs16QsDeyPChVxFCzpIdFNC8MEdrNUJS-3LAvdOgb4ULe3J8WO6LGGDQc5D-OG8voFIsmJ81WamF15-JVK9tJIyGEh8v2uS9yW1UKD4uV5bxyJEODuIhUEySo0/s1600/100_0850.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598951806335157890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX1oUndpxywXt_-aNX9Qs16QsDeyPChVxFCzpIdFNC8MEdrNUJS-3LAvdOgb4ULe3J8WO6LGGDQc5D-OG8voFIsmJ81WamF15-JVK9tJIyGEh8v2uS9yW1UKD4uV5bxyJEODuIhUEySo0/s400/100_0850.JPG" /></a><br />Amy and Rory were both easier in a lot of ways...Amy's short short skirt was easy enough, and I like the red scarf. Rory was another matter--I wanted his red shirt and black puffy vest from the Vampires in Venice episode, but have YOU ever tried to make a vest for a person with no arms? I have. And I might have failed. But it was either this or the Roman Legionnaire, and I didn't want to do that. Rory's Rory. His nose. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Coming soon: more Doctors. More companions. Villains. Tardises. T.A.R.D.I.S.es even. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-35974957515707210922011-02-05T14:49:00.001-08:002011-02-05T15:17:43.838-08:00LEGO Death EatersI like a fair fight. So when I ended up with Harry Potter, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, and dozens of other Hogwarts heroes, I needed to bolster up the ranks of the Death Eaters to try and even the odds a little. <br /><br />Here are the results. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZ5bfmGX5HzeEogVmG_Jz4n3lXuqVlbcva07uv0CTw1bCHoM84X798HiNCzEi_cLTwgY6mWMhgXM2kczdxSjgQkHtk3e9antyI9qjVVfVM4Ba26Webk13brYe2IiKWgMjeUNNlNY6b39S/s1600/100_0699.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570342521404868978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZ5bfmGX5HzeEogVmG_Jz4n3lXuqVlbcva07uv0CTw1bCHoM84X798HiNCzEi_cLTwgY6mWMhgXM2kczdxSjgQkHtk3e9antyI9qjVVfVM4Ba26Webk13brYe2IiKWgMjeUNNlNY6b39S/s400/100_0699.jpg" /></a><br />Four random Death Eaters, flanking Voldemort (I know LEGO has released a few, but this custom was easy enough to make...)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxvZKmGiN1rg5t3yO5UjaBxKHhl_qvG-x5ZMZYvsl9uaWB94xIiXPkR1C_JSxTp4MQMc1gbBQ3ntQw6pKHm-M3IV4Nch8-VQCBEhO1c5BCaPuDryv8aNIa8l8eoGoEHAdZB53_AnZhxE3/s1600/100_0701.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570342516483479538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVxvZKmGiN1rg5t3yO5UjaBxKHhl_qvG-x5ZMZYvsl9uaWB94xIiXPkR1C_JSxTp4MQMc1gbBQ3ntQw6pKHm-M3IV4Nch8-VQCBEhO1c5BCaPuDryv8aNIa8l8eoGoEHAdZB53_AnZhxE3/s400/100_0701.jpg" /></a><br />Together with his psycho almost-girlfriend, Bellatrix LeStrange...played by my psycho almost-girlfriend, Helena Bonham-Carter<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Y1-A9S6mzNIAQbn7eRDmCkAsZc-kAD6B0SR7VCVudzxN0KIrfeehsEJRhO79xjCRoOi7cC_Cc6c4KiJl2NTvKCnUlT4t9_M-BT348jKtb9GYbvAS47G28TkYfnM_Ys46ry-kmiB1CWpX/s1600/100_0702.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570342514085519890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Y1-A9S6mzNIAQbn7eRDmCkAsZc-kAD6B0SR7VCVudzxN0KIrfeehsEJRhO79xjCRoOi7cC_Cc6c4KiJl2NTvKCnUlT4t9_M-BT348jKtb9GYbvAS47G28TkYfnM_Ys46ry-kmiB1CWpX/s400/100_0702.jpg" /></a> </div><div>My custom-made Scabior minifigure, based on the most recent movie, alongside LEGO's official Fenrir Greyback minifig. </div><div><br /><br /><br /> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKgN5xYDhTNZqfYYLOkvtcVYeM0RK4tFDwg_4pgc2TK8mgksDUEtqbwHXeFTipcQA2kw36z-k4__5eA8nvfXKKzKdltM4ATJZKxNN3Q84qB6iknAos6FUKebMWkyv7scPsfZRXsnsz0ed/s1600/100_0706.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570342502701677618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKgN5xYDhTNZqfYYLOkvtcVYeM0RK4tFDwg_4pgc2TK8mgksDUEtqbwHXeFTipcQA2kw36z-k4__5eA8nvfXKKzKdltM4ATJZKxNN3Q84qB6iknAos6FUKebMWkyv7scPsfZRXsnsz0ed/s400/100_0706.jpg" /></a> </div><div>And my lovely two-toned Narcissa Malfoy, alongside Lucius Malfoy. Where's Draco when they need him? Let's say...Hogwarts. <br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhed1j4JXpC0cAFYXfEeKI0u_xz0EccS1twI4qgOTI5hj8REQYUXjWQTkcCDe4tBR1Kxrw5c64MNMKvG8enP0s7GiVl_iTVD11nlldHTu9WgoPsPkXmoju_ptTkgWnkimSsQ4HPPClBsLLC/s1600/100_0708.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570342498753313810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhed1j4JXpC0cAFYXfEeKI0u_xz0EccS1twI4qgOTI5hj8REQYUXjWQTkcCDe4tBR1Kxrw5c64MNMKvG8enP0s7GiVl_iTVD11nlldHTu9WgoPsPkXmoju_ptTkgWnkimSsQ4HPPClBsLLC/s400/100_0708.jpg" /></a><br />The Death Eaters on the march. Mudbloods and Muggles, beware!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div><div></div></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-79933073053756321182011-01-23T06:23:00.000-08:002011-01-23T19:45:53.070-08:00Toy Story LEGO: Mr. and Mrs. Potato HeadI love Toy Story. Since 1995, when Pixar first rocked my world, every Pixar movie has been a masterpiece--but the Toy Story family of characters is still the best of the best. Last year when LEGO started making Toy Story sets, I looked forward to completing that family, and they were off to a good start with Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and Bullseye, Rex, Hamm, and even the Little Green Army Men and the Aliens from Pizza Planet were all made pretty quickly. They soon came home, and it was like Andy's Toy Box all over again.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tUvdQkA-CYC92k0F0grKfYzHOJ_umJcl_ab7KAFu70DwVC0YGnnDu7i5r_qum5T2qSuftwgecQ9DyuOsY2N0uwXXyBEI-HUeiIo3wl2KORpGxwVoXVxwsSj9RH0T-aQj4svl-HdmSDwb/s1600/100_0690.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565531769812107730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-tUvdQkA-CYC92k0F0grKfYzHOJ_umJcl_ab7KAFu70DwVC0YGnnDu7i5r_qum5T2qSuftwgecQ9DyuOsY2N0uwXXyBEI-HUeiIo3wl2KORpGxwVoXVxwsSj9RH0T-aQj4svl-HdmSDwb/s400/100_0690.jpg" /></a>The Official Toy Story LEGO Minifigures... </div><br /><br />But there were a few of those family members missing. Mattel was able to fill in some of the gaps with their Toy Story Buddies line of action figures--close enough to the LEGO scale and style that Bo Peep and Slinky Dog fit right in, even though LEGO isn't making them as minifigures. <br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXUbA3HkKxX8OWSfuhX7MkocaFRVx3L2i8wjXH5_65Gzxx6KWV0Lw0Qu-pFXl1wYS7kANlTc_pwq0krOuLYWfuqIJB_-uiqGg6JrRxpjUjduHj4Yqly41ByFBIP-FVlS9qVS_BxDzJWR6/s1600/100_0691.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565531417804998162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLXUbA3HkKxX8OWSfuhX7MkocaFRVx3L2i8wjXH5_65Gzxx6KWV0Lw0Qu-pFXl1wYS7kANlTc_pwq0krOuLYWfuqIJB_-uiqGg6JrRxpjUjduHj4Yqly41ByFBIP-FVlS9qVS_BxDzJWR6/s400/100_0691.jpg" /></a> Bo Peep and Woody<br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE01evNre8QasNxSS2T11ydxjFpklVz2aoKWaOfLkjisz_3kCdayFHU1ZSwBecr05Unz5Jksw8hEb5d5PbkVKT7JkbK3vPs-fTy9kL7Z4a6rfVDNueLn9cteorBzITs0y11nKKei76auJ0/s1600/100_0692.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565531413402702626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE01evNre8QasNxSS2T11ydxjFpklVz2aoKWaOfLkjisz_3kCdayFHU1ZSwBecr05Unz5Jksw8hEb5d5PbkVKT7JkbK3vPs-fTy9kL7Z4a6rfVDNueLn9cteorBzITs0y11nKKei76auJ0/s400/100_0692.jpg" /></a> Slinky Dog joins Rex and Hamm<br /><br /></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">The real heartbreaker was the lack of Potato Heads. I'm assuming Hasbro was asking for too much money, or that the legalese between Hasbro, LEGO, and Mattel was too complicated for a "minor" character, but that sarcastic tuber has been in all three of the Toy Story movies, and Mrs. Potato Head in the last two. They're a sweet and disturbing couple, and should be a part of the Toy Story LEGO lineup! </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">They weren't included in the LEGO sets, so I thought I'd try my luck with the Toy Story Buddies from Mattel--no dice. So then I shopped around on eBay for Potato Head keychains, figurines--anything that would fit in close enough to the LEGO minifigures to complete my little plastic family. The closest thing would have towered above Woody and Jessie, and after months of looking in vain, I was left to my own devices. Here are the results:<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZsIG3rNpW6NCmp9z-PuVKjJQWej60s9ncWnHoJokxJ5bZheZ_DYyJa24KG-Ip0q2kGB6j8vzSapPkBp5URxhPBpbPK8e0MaQfoSd3TDfOvXyzVm1YuoUr7xFGZehJsxJ3CZrEnQhPX4S/s1600/100_0693.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565531410392368018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZsIG3rNpW6NCmp9z-PuVKjJQWej60s9ncWnHoJokxJ5bZheZ_DYyJa24KG-Ip0q2kGB6j8vzSapPkBp5URxhPBpbPK8e0MaQfoSd3TDfOvXyzVm1YuoUr7xFGZehJsxJ3CZrEnQhPX4S/s400/100_0693.jpg" /></a> </div><div>Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are sculpted completely from Sculpey polymer clay, and are baked around a set of "stubby" LEGO minifigure legs. This lets them stand on LEGO baseplates with the other Toy Story characters; even though the rest of the potato-shaped figure isn't LEGO, I wanted part of them to fit in with the others. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWO9j-FpPlWIMO3WX4K0zlvBHLqBaRjFsZlh0FEOWSmSqcqALLh0iE-XAiq2OTDi6Zk9Y-AVDhhy9a0UIGz5ed3rTUnMEVZeFSVJAh7zOacs0t1fSveksqMUD3Z_I4VJBj2Blmk_Vr3cV/s1600/100_0695.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565531405687414434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWO9j-FpPlWIMO3WX4K0zlvBHLqBaRjFsZlh0FEOWSmSqcqALLh0iE-XAiq2OTDi6Zk9Y-AVDhhy9a0UIGz5ed3rTUnMEVZeFSVJAh7zOacs0t1fSveksqMUD3Z_I4VJBj2Blmk_Vr3cV/s400/100_0695.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div>The size was a tricky issue--the scale of the Toy Story LEGO minifigures is inconsistent, with the Army Men being the same size as Buzz Lightyear, and the the Aliens being just a shade shorter. Woody and Jessie scored with unique long arms and legs, and--it's a crap shoot. I wanted the Potato Heads to be shorter than Buzz Lightyear (a standard minifigure) and taller than the Aliens, who are their adopted "children." ...and it's not until you've sculpted a Potato Head yourself that you realize what a disturbing, disproportionate, and bizarre creature they really are. Those lips... *shudder*</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>My other problem was their arms--in the movies, as on the toys, they have spindly long arms with gigantic white hands. That wasn't going to work in either LEGO or Sculpey form, so I compromised and gave them big white hands that are on either side of their body-head-torso-potato. Weird.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Anyway. Once they were finished and painted and "home" with the other figures, I pretty much love them. I think they're some of my favorite custom work I've ever done--not necessarily the quality of the work, but the empty spot that they fill is one that needed to be filled. And now...they're home. <br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cYNBMm029FSHNfgnggDzgbQhuK67rQiC_1H1oUcQME0nwMPr76AIjCZca1o0fOCo6AJLK1hUMF96DpDnAP98F-woiMo7Ij1QkWD3h0qv3qZjLyM88j_d5YuiL6ae099DpQJWy-pEWLwI/s1600/100_0698.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565531397190417138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cYNBMm029FSHNfgnggDzgbQhuK67rQiC_1H1oUcQME0nwMPr76AIjCZca1o0fOCo6AJLK1hUMF96DpDnAP98F-woiMo7Ij1QkWD3h0qv3qZjLyM88j_d5YuiL6ae099DpQJWy-pEWLwI/s400/100_0698.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div><br /><div><div></div></div></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-80305014972069085552010-11-24T08:05:00.000-08:002010-11-24T08:16:25.528-08:00He-Man Fisher Price Little People"I am Adam. Prince of Eternia and defender of the secrets of Castle Grayskull. This is Cringer, my fearless friend. Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said, 'BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!'"<br /><br />You've gotta love opening credits with plot exposition. He-Man, Gilligan's Island, The Brady Bunch, The Facts of Life...okay, maybe not that last one. In any case, I watched He-Man way more than I should have, especially considering I was in my upper elementary school grades when He-Man came out, and should have been past it. I used my younger brother as an excuse, but I was really the one who wanted to watch it. Swords, magic, fantasy, weird bird-people...it was sweet. <br /><br />And then I decided to make some Fisher Price Little People out of them. These are very hit and miss. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWFavIjutkX3kLk2S3oyK6V2f2v5_Vw3O2I4RDntW3bFr4PbY9fsVH8HrzPOXmu-q5VLrf9-QKB0TMDEYT0dlPNRsW6oQcKvFm3L7KtlySH4x1fmBGv6PSW9wgQWjW7H4dnNFjRCRNbBv/s1600/100_0229.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543148983970510082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWFavIjutkX3kLk2S3oyK6V2f2v5_Vw3O2I4RDntW3bFr4PbY9fsVH8HrzPOXmu-q5VLrf9-QKB0TMDEYT0dlPNRsW6oQcKvFm3L7KtlySH4x1fmBGv6PSW9wgQWjW7H4dnNFjRCRNbBv/s400/100_0229.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center">He-Man, Man-at-Arms, and Teela </div><div align="center"><br /> </div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILP4LoR_0CxxT524QWq2hF16Hnn6qmN-KDfBLEson2g1Qv5fU9t_uQXGrdbnUe3ZMLhqfj2-Wtg9fKlRAHEu_S0z4kllgzEPtiiWplOgc0Yj5cx895wQHsgYKmGsFA_bKohddggfgl8JK/s1600/100_0230.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543148975094370866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILP4LoR_0CxxT524QWq2hF16Hnn6qmN-KDfBLEson2g1Qv5fU9t_uQXGrdbnUe3ZMLhqfj2-Wtg9fKlRAHEu_S0z4kllgzEPtiiWplOgc0Yj5cx895wQHsgYKmGsFA_bKohddggfgl8JK/s400/100_0230.jpg" /></a> The Sorceress, Ram-Man, and Orko</div><div align="center"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDDoetjuyc6d138l0raa6DihPTpbFv8klaUnDge11y-5Pije3hz7YZ8n6MkrmP8RkJc_jz2lhS2aEUOkMfFcXukvHr7ywxdIzpkN-L7LbBwhyQvfZdetU-YLeaPvcNboSp_i85zWDc1ac/s1600/100_0231.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543148960896417106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDDoetjuyc6d138l0raa6DihPTpbFv8klaUnDge11y-5Pije3hz7YZ8n6MkrmP8RkJc_jz2lhS2aEUOkMfFcXukvHr7ywxdIzpkN-L7LbBwhyQvfZdetU-YLeaPvcNboSp_i85zWDc1ac/s400/100_0231.jpg" /></a>Skeletor, Evil-Lyn, Mer-Man and Beast-Man<br /><br /><div align="left">I've gotta say, Mer-Man might be one of my best likeness ever, and Beast-Man my worst. What's up with that guy? And who at Lou Scheimer Productions and/or Mattel gets royalties for hyphenated names? Because...wow. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Next up: LEGO something or another. Probably. Maybe socks.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-64857565274358958232010-11-20T05:33:00.001-08:002010-11-21T06:22:59.274-08:00Rubber Duckie in DenverI was in Denver for the first time in almost ten years last summer, with a group of teachers. The workshop took us on a field trip, but most of the time was spent in downtown Denver itself. Rubber Duckie had a pretty good time. <br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541626677627991282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil4kFaiR4QI9f0QZDLZMCbYKw3o2S0yfKQl3NzppPJxxt8hW2MUfS8f0OYOUvsV0TlNaN9AjlqCwM7vBcZ3_LnUm4E6d9OmF9e4JEHNEHUPRsnq-ETEEx-n4jteafK3zMNw_LZuqhyphenhyphennwc3/s400/100_0494.jpg" />Leadville--the Silver Dollar Saloon, where we had lunch. I think Molly Brown worked there or something. Yeah, let's say she worked there.<br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541626673641744690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrgg8ZBBotoJbvaPZ8ZpfR911iFxU3QobJ1fq5Va8phT_fy-i-dYArYC9JEAx5vgsaYxTslb7jCW45RIoqvXgnIwvSJDNahDA-ccAJAaIui8wCxYhnnfBUmPLdbv2Dw7uXwLE-NULLYzw/s400/100_0491.jpg" /> Also in Leadville--the Tabor Opera House. When they finally track me down, I'll be hiding in the prop room in the basement. Watch out for traps. <br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541625935182101234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJZGd59_OaohWAcEQJN6vs-AZu0ocr62-bCbPtMR3pa_GxwwdbYH7w8eRI_a1ceWv-LV1m22F8ebaQi8pf1BR70Zk5lqdyh98HJSDnFQNUsHZonqzo11Lu_iJNbhDwxIWEbfiQv8MjUXf/s400/100_0459.jpg" /><br />The weird clock tower on the 16th Street Mall. There's a cabaret that runs in the basement. We were a little too scared to check it out. </div><div><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541625927341042082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf8uxI8R-n6_ocD2bYcI0fayMjAwm38yTBLIG3M7gr44SqyB1uui1RZRZjrXOPEY5Ox1ld-7GeUeen1PWGI7mVOPi_2aV-giKDHq_BKCobxBgpukD-KCAbEUA3QhveUtDnakHw3xYM_yL/s400/100_0452.jpg" /></div><div>Larimer Street in Lodo--lots of nice old brick buildings and overpriced cafes. The bookstore around the corner is awesome, although there was a frightening man singing "Let's Get Physical" in the bathroom. I don't...think he was talking to me.</div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541625918238115634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpYbXzJR2xSJskowgtvUGOiSPDkXNh25myQOTxw2Pt_gfuY3OiU6CCGBQIlUfAz0pm9QJMk4Q3sbBx59Q6jndk40zQ84THqBNz4iXhPywQ0HCVaJDci8hF7NRO3aFu3sHZ0jNYEY0SErz/s400/100_0447.jpg" /></div><div> </div><div>The old Tivoli Brewery, now the heart of the Auraria Campus. Nice campus--I just didn't want to be stuck in it all week.</div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541625915546693410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gK4fwp95VNlrFVe0pSBBL5NoYpkvev5tlb58YqjG770rbrO8znAD4k1n0ATiXyNjlB8QyS3r-VkFo1ZpSy-x-dUIB9kNaeqbPIz3Q1QPayKfrRpp0GyEYiZ1Sk9wfqB4AwwqrpQTnWjy/s400/100_0446.jpg" /></div><div> </div><div>Denver skyline--as a Salt Laker, I was a little jealous of their tall buildings. But as a Salt Laker, they should be a little jealous of our mountains. Booyah!</div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541625938064899250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtLQiX7hjb-TO9pD4XYnYZGg-YRww6Hs71YwAvdL8Kr9vEGpe0R-pePzhyphenhyphenrvI1HVSR4PUNLgrb82FMNvTnhvstRr8DvR6ZP6yyyJ2cgzA6fTU9MHanLVb00mcA1TTuuilvLGnK2ughdQM/s400/100_0485.jpg" /></div><div> Buffalo Bill's grave on Lookout Mountain. Hey, at least I didn't climb the fence and put Rubber Duckie on the headstone!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541626685089759266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceaHc_k2U9mVg6rZ-yH5P3wusVeCpjCX1QK-OOgqBn6JU3EoPuINYlBxcxHITvpBCVOU7dn8QBIO9N1ldnQ8bw1czlxsYekiYmrZTkWzEo8MgYt47pYZQvDgTb8fINdilKW7BccOfHjTX/s400/100_0487.jpg" /><br />The view of the prairie from Lookout Mountain. <br /></div><div>Denver was a good time--I was just back there last week, and even with the cold and snow, it was still fun. Nice people, fun restaurants, great buildings. </div><div> </div><div>Next up: Fisher Price Little People of a 1980s variety. </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Rubber Duckie in Denver</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-21649711126259009342010-10-29T01:54:00.000-07:002010-10-29T02:34:44.741-07:00Muppet Carrot<div><div><div>One of my all-time favorite episodes of <em>The Muppet Show</em> guest stars the late Gilda Radner. A hilarious comedienne who managed to fit in quite nicely with the chaos of the Muppets, she has a cutting wit that was way ahead of its time.<br /><br />On <em>The Muppet Show</em>, she ends up singing alongside a seven foot tall talking carrot. Like this:<br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KsCMEx9lmh4?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KsCMEx9lmh4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div><div><br />Quite the cliffhanger, no? You can see the entire thing on Season 3 of The Muppet Show. Or fish around on YouTube. Anyway. A few years back I was feeling the ambition of the young, and thought, "I want a seven foot tall talking carrot to be amongst my Muppets..." and set about making one.</div><div> </div><div>Most of the customized toys I make are simply toys I buy at the store, then I chop pieces off of them, slightly modify them using Sculpey polymer clay, and then reassemble them, paint them, and introduce them to their new friends. Not unlike Sid, the mean neighbor kid from <em>Toy Story</em>, but with better intentions. Usually. I hope. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I'm not a sculptor--I'm a cartoonist. And I'm not really a cartoonist. I'm a doodler. So tackling something as complicated as a giant Muppet Carrot seemed like it would be difficult, but like I said above, I was young and ambitious and hadn't been beaten down by the world enough yet to know any better. So I set about making the Muppet Carrot.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>For the Carrot to be oversized but still in a toyish scale, I decided it had to be just over a foot tall. That's waaay too much Sculpey to use to make a toy out of, and it's not like there are many plastic carrot toys that would have fit the bill. So I tried an experiment--getting a styrofoam cone from a craft store, carving it down a bit into a carrot shape, and then coating the carrot with Plaster of Paris. I hadn't ever used it before, but it seemed like it would work. Around the lower part of the carrot, I buildt a tuxedo with Sculpey. Brilliant? I thought so. Until, to cure the Sculpey, I put it in the oven at the usual 225 degrees:</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533393352075970674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8f1yvEb7onSzJSpXKtL0fvDIMabSK92l3ENQnWbXTcI4uU_WflkU3JhTbYifWJqFId7ztcEFohhz2NyUm45hqnE-p9j39Hw-JPeXMS_a7ybTOQy_6OrakyBjrkWPQ-NpVOKSyEGW-0Ijv/s400/carrot4.jpg" /></div><div> </div><div>As the Sculpey cured, it contracted a little bit at the same time the styrofoam was expanding. This caused all sorts of fractures inside the carrot, and I had to start all over again. I mean, even Kermit the Borg was shocked. So you know that's bad. Fozzie doesn't look that shaken by the events. He must know that a happy ending is around the corner. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I used the same strategy, but made the tuxedo a little thinner, and fixed a few things I didn't like about the sculpt anyway. I found some plastic fronds that seemed carroty enough for his greens, painted the heck out of him, and <em>voila</em>! Which is French for CARROT! </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533393369583412210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHRxTl1C3NZZKgxmdssO0eX3VPyYA026Td9bWNVHClYSIEU_2M_jOiWfWQtilOtjcMPxpN2mATQ3snCXavtcbSw8gSSlYPUcbNEprHrLQVPheFZT8n9HlLVudL_2QqxMMlvzGUQKKnqHK/s400/carrot5.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div>Yes, he's standing on my bathroom floor. Don't judge me. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533393363166380066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5uZfhyAZxF6qrnsTR0IrjoMHO-1-C8PS8DCbAGDCKUFTe_MKWeJr5ok-lnTvLJe3_6bjv-Ib9fDrwDh5d83wORdC6i7M6MAf8FkjY53OPkDOOzWXHVV17V8WbE9-nZtYeL3lRB102G-o/s400/carrot6.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>His eyebrows and moustache were sculpted separately and then attached; it seemed a Muppety enough approach. His beady eyes are just push pins. In this picture you can see all of his open, styrofoam pores that I didn't seal over well enough with the Plaster of Paris. Curse you, digital cameras!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533393364806854594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdK3lpg6YwYmMTDDBiQgGR1UmQ8scU25m92K4UevBH_f4L75FXCvTXfiPteY9QoEiNB2-BZfEopWJZ9U1RAUWD9gMkga2yOEwmzNq26e6PiL0GveYyl1gkIJnzlo2KlLRMiPxoksKEuLk/s400/carrot9.JPG" /> <div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The Muppet Carrot being welcomed into the group by the gang. Including the Swedish Chef, who I'm sure has some unsavory (actually, they might be savory) plans for the poor fellow. Beaker's still in freak-out mode. But when isn't he? </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5533393358304215282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL37xi7KaAEzSoTrVicK9Oy4GsRyeHdisGvy5lJfrHhwyMjelUym0FGrIgBLlj7DZItxDAVANEf0lLmzng7b0OQ4O5Fjo564XMpyb1Q8DQlzs8vxo_txPUaNZOgc8HAtqA35yL6brK4K5/s400/carrot99.JPG" /></div><div><br /> </div><div> </div><div>Then backstage at the Muppet Theater, adding to the general mayhem. Not Electric Mayhem, although he hasn't ruled out a performance with Dr. Teeth and the band. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Next: Rubber Duckie back on the road!<br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-29997162411110758222010-10-21T04:52:00.000-07:002010-10-21T05:04:19.939-07:00A-Team Fisher Price Little PeopleI haven't seen the recent A-Team movie yet, and I might live the rest of my life without ever seeing it. For me, the A-Team was everything it should have been back in the 80s: action, adventure, a little bit of conspiracy, a cool van, and explosions. <br /><br />Really, they could have called it the "B.A. Baracus and Murdock Team" and I still would have watched it. Mr. T was intense, awesome, and inspired one too many little boys to get unfortunate haircuts and wear gold chains, but I still loved him. More than him, I loved the one member of the A-Team I most aspired to be: the is-he-crazy-or-just-funny "Howling Mad" Murdock. Dwight Schulz was and is very entertaining, plus he got to fly the helicopters and planes and death machines that the team appropriated now and then. I didn't care much about prettyboy Face, although I did like it when a plan came together under Hannibal's leadership. <br /><br />Anyway, in the interest of recreating my entire media childhood via Fisher Price Little People, here ya go:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sauWha5VENvopIUMxHj6xB1PI_DtDNcB4SLw83_s4qC701UNJEqoSwcRpCoo9ST_DPivWQfFnK8IYDxIkA84YF5d_NQ20xwoW-0R4X3IOELlcbkolTbbCF62I7LwAdUCqjgQpL42Plc-/s1600/100_0228.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530467086845949458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sauWha5VENvopIUMxHj6xB1PI_DtDNcB4SLw83_s4qC701UNJEqoSwcRpCoo9ST_DPivWQfFnK8IYDxIkA84YF5d_NQ20xwoW-0R4X3IOELlcbkolTbbCF62I7LwAdUCqjgQpL42Plc-/s400/100_0228.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center">Hannibal, B.A. Baracus, Murdock, and Face</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Coming soon: more stuff. And junk.</div><div> </div><div> </div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-86125891292175058282010-09-11T06:28:00.000-07:002010-09-13T04:46:29.565-07:00LEGO Batman VillainsWhen LEGO announced that they were making Batman building sets a few years back, it was several of my geeky dreams coming true. But because enough is never enough, I realized that to complement the Bat-villains they were producing, I'd have to build some of my own. With mixed results. Now that the Bat-license seems to be on hold, we may have seen the last of the Batman LEGO sets (although the video game still seems to be selling strong), so these may be as close as I get to the real thing. <br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvFIupWCf6S-noda890n0xAKOag524gtIc9LLhK_-xfKqOdVQp5YEA-l3RC7NtssQtVzRRJXdRvoBvKajriRB249X7M_gexj3tz8XDJKdmUzOE5LhQj6IluUjawF0g5mlEOGSihthPmCB/s1600/Clayface.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516360956148705890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvFIupWCf6S-noda890n0xAKOag524gtIc9LLhK_-xfKqOdVQp5YEA-l3RC7NtssQtVzRRJXdRvoBvKajriRB249X7M_gexj3tz8XDJKdmUzOE5LhQj6IluUjawF0g5mlEOGSihthPmCB/s400/Clayface.JPG" /></a> Clayface may be the grossest LEGO guy I've ever attempted...here's he's a LEGO construct with lots of Sculpey put on him, baked, and painted. Not my best effort...and yet that's kinda what Clayface looks like. Uh...clay. </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi007d6D_r0-9QkH5Tz9FRrCPhSRqM3t1el190EP1D3SixYNyKKUCl-bCmPfPEswqBeh-Esl2PdvqPz-Aa8UtxuitkTK4y9JmZxPHXsIFpZ9OQfbAycc9al4lEzsJELc96TjbodQ4uqzcku/s1600/Ras-Talia.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516360946894936962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi007d6D_r0-9QkH5Tz9FRrCPhSRqM3t1el190EP1D3SixYNyKKUCl-bCmPfPEswqBeh-Esl2PdvqPz-Aa8UtxuitkTK4y9JmZxPHXsIFpZ9OQfbAycc9al4lEzsJELc96TjbodQ4uqzcku/s400/Ras-Talia.JPG" /></a>Ra's Al Ghul and Talia...he's in need of a cape. <br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOstyXUNjOy_AOAiI2Y8k2jTPIQRNZ3rXxnRn5omYIi-t5gFxecqniblDHmmlfbcGH7WQAAuOmRH8-0dJtDRM1w-qoFvDWIC-uT_l0bshJ4ohiH5RiapDM_kim5_MSyIFXyc62ox_cpSE_/s1600/Firefly.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516360940418426210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOstyXUNjOy_AOAiI2Y8k2jTPIQRNZ3rXxnRn5omYIi-t5gFxecqniblDHmmlfbcGH7WQAAuOmRH8-0dJtDRM1w-qoFvDWIC-uT_l0bshJ4ohiH5RiapDM_kim5_MSyIFXyc62ox_cpSE_/s400/Firefly.JPG" /></a> Firefly--a simple custom that turned out pretty sweet.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcnfsL-EVMa33JHmcvBOJDlhy-tVwO5tbkkddR1kuS2-Tby07bx45njOd3YDHw8WIX1IYs-oJNMs5S3IdDjn0SKsTrFxxw4-tZ6AyQdxS_79go3w5X-9cHhlUW8BJmwhWQiVTpN9s9F_7/s1600/Mad-Hatter.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516360493390782626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcnfsL-EVMa33JHmcvBOJDlhy-tVwO5tbkkddR1kuS2-Tby07bx45njOd3YDHw8WIX1IYs-oJNMs5S3IdDjn0SKsTrFxxw4-tZ6AyQdxS_79go3w5X-9cHhlUW8BJmwhWQiVTpN9s9F_7/s400/Mad-Hatter.JPG" /></a> Mad Hatter. I think I went overboard on his hat. <br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBrod4VrjoaGtjgNTBx1Dd8OSPcrXdzc24xvTwKvqws1XrFfTK0BTI4xsC6kZj0xz4cPD_wt4Mcu7IEh3Ix8UEmqPV0vMa0FDoGPEsp5Sl02Xc9s99OQsDDQnBi3RRalJF4rS9U5NFACq/s1600/Black-Mask-Harley-ManBat.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516360484638575282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBrod4VrjoaGtjgNTBx1Dd8OSPcrXdzc24xvTwKvqws1XrFfTK0BTI4xsC6kZj0xz4cPD_wt4Mcu7IEh3Ix8UEmqPV0vMa0FDoGPEsp5Sl02Xc9s99OQsDDQnBi3RRalJF4rS9U5NFACq/s400/Black-Mask-Harley-ManBat.JPG" /></a> Black Mask, Harley Quinn (made before the official minifig came out in the second wave of Batman sets), and Man-Bat. I really wish they had produced an official one of him. He's using a Werewolf head, which is biologically inaccurate, but it works well. <br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEBgUSQrjtvwKw_D9ETUMw_ZYFFtKnV4QH-F_wuoyouuMNVBDrY6GAoat37Vc2-Kq-rsU42hxW6alowoNCFT5e0U9G1M6ybw7Mto2i4fGcz6eX8k7ZrleQWLUSq91E_6mB7xlrK3rR7IS/s1600/Zsasz.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516360473531476578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEBgUSQrjtvwKw_D9ETUMw_ZYFFtKnV4QH-F_wuoyouuMNVBDrY6GAoat37Vc2-Kq-rsU42hxW6alowoNCFT5e0U9G1M6ybw7Mto2i4fGcz6eX8k7ZrleQWLUSq91E_6mB7xlrK3rR7IS/s400/Zsasz.JPG" /></a>Mr. Zsasz, a Bat-villain who cuts himself with a new tally mark every time he kills someone. I at least had the decency to give him underwear...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4PB1tZijrf2o_1Bp6P3mFvLmuKyPbhhRlLIdqnpQj-wJ-rBpJre5wiDWltahEb0kCblLsCFZpruqMIofLprgnj9GPp-7jqXuTOjsbZCweC5Dcb24Kj0JN7aWhfwG4jpGCD3ax5Atcb5N/s1600/2007_1009Image0062.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516360470107799218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv4PB1tZijrf2o_1Bp6P3mFvLmuKyPbhhRlLIdqnpQj-wJ-rBpJre5wiDWltahEb0kCblLsCFZpruqMIofLprgnj9GPp-7jqXuTOjsbZCweC5Dcb24Kj0JN7aWhfwG4jpGCD3ax5Atcb5N/s400/2007_1009Image0062.JPG" /></a>The official Bat-Villains mixed in with my customs...a fairly frightening group. No wonder Arkham can't keep things under control. <br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJwtywnFIWK86S8sAedrs6RChx1BLQhdBSzPD8vMJWUm_c8POY2Zo-Boy0O20ezKLIWFuANUloYdolFenWarDN4GS3cMCc8Koyymu7Uxbyy0HXtCS50WKoDf38kU1oM_rx-KPJA8bOE9p/s1600/2007_1009Image0063.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8210763889345643906.post-33157842394917521022010-08-29T06:39:00.000-07:002010-08-29T06:54:13.007-07:00Rubber Duckie at Bryce Canyon National ParkA few weeks ago we used the excuse of a half marathon to visit Bryce Canyon National Park. It's only about an hour's drive from our family's cabin in Southern Utah, but we haven't taken the time to go visit. I had been there myself when I was a pup, but my wife and kids hadn't ever been there. So we took a little look-see. Rubber Duckie hasn't ever been there either, so he came along for the ride. <br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510827679405560690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQY3GQJ6QyBRDLZTiaRWHqS00OaiEoj0ZeXl7jKvwjdy6rxhjK7KpxALuVkmPifsg5akLw-rgK7RJNE3O-XUxH4N6ybVV8MJdZw-okEDVRNljbwOLnGYfUlDKuOyMPde3XGKv_GS5QScY/s400/100_0615.jpg" />At Bryce Canyon, as at the Grand Canyon and other Southwestern sites where you have a big dropoff, you always have people standing precariously on the edge of a thousands-foot cliff. In the case of Bryce Canyon, they mostly seemed to be European, in their California rental cars on their way around the "Grand Circle" of National Parks in Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. They seemed to be having fun, even at the 8000 foot elevation. Where's the biergarten when you need it?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tujUJi458ruQ-qZROBNWoDeI1E1j5MY3GKTFljhvaXd9VMtf9TRZdqFCQGD4ArPdihl4A4BRHAUzyxwx5DhIxro9IzYkE5-wrBYYveiFOZj-NUaY0e3JChVxGwGjGVorOG-hZWMnZcBC/s1600/100_0646.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510827714509028626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tujUJi458ruQ-qZROBNWoDeI1E1j5MY3GKTFljhvaXd9VMtf9TRZdqFCQGD4ArPdihl4A4BRHAUzyxwx5DhIxro9IzYkE5-wrBYYveiFOZj-NUaY0e3JChVxGwGjGVorOG-hZWMnZcBC/s400/100_0646.jpg" /></a> From Left-to-Right: Carter, Rubber Duckie, and Miles. Rubber Duckie is in an enormous footprint which we were pretty sure was a Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti, my brother-in-law, whatever. <br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0AkjYe7BIA79TDpuzGLpXakv0wo09UiaZ4kksbmaLl_LbY0Xp11mpwIXqwdzGJzCNj-fAWGmYEyfV1i59dqfV4jDk8sx-0IyKBr2RaJ07nRfL8ngSdm25db4QZs2iEQGezgccoygYKu-/s1600/100_0633.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510827698248216690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0AkjYe7BIA79TDpuzGLpXakv0wo09UiaZ4kksbmaLl_LbY0Xp11mpwIXqwdzGJzCNj-fAWGmYEyfV1i59dqfV4jDk8sx-0IyKBr2RaJ07nRfL8ngSdm25db4QZs2iEQGezgccoygYKu-/s400/100_0633.jpg" /></a> "Back up just a little bit more...little bit more..."</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vdHUV1tiKmT9aUP5SFWFVNAdefoDw9IbzmhwUnkeMU0TW-GMCz2QaY02iF3aXZft_s8Kkmf1xlaHqCPOkiWMEPF3KnZMTJwEDfLw5vGqnqTTFZCICGBMo9u5nWjcu3FhvaTVd6j4EC5B/s1600/100_0624.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510827696915849186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vdHUV1tiKmT9aUP5SFWFVNAdefoDw9IbzmhwUnkeMU0TW-GMCz2QaY02iF3aXZft_s8Kkmf1xlaHqCPOkiWMEPF3KnZMTJwEDfLw5vGqnqTTFZCICGBMo9u5nWjcu3FhvaTVd6j4EC5B/s400/100_0624.jpg" /></a> Blue skies, orange rocks, a yellow duck. It doesn't get much better. <br /><div></div><br /></div>Quinn Rollinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15917936608131020999noreply@blogger.com0