If you’ve ever had a chance to study one of those ancient maps of the world, you probably found your eyes bouncing from detail to detail while your smirk flashed a glimmer of wonder and fascination at our ancestors simplified understanding of the world. Hearkening back to an era when they scrawled cautions by the nature of “Beware! Here be monsters!” over uncharted waters.

But what if the maps didn’t lie and the monsters really occupied the realm past the known? What if some lucky mariners managed to survive and to return to tell the tale of their grim encounter with forces from beyond. Would we believe them?

Of course we would not, but still, anything may torment our playful mind when we dare to set sais to the world’s end, a place where imaginations run untamed. There we will find Julius and confirm his tale about a giant pirate squid ship which plunders the high seas.

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Julius writes:

Built in a little under two month for the BrickNerd “pi-RATS & BUG-aneers” contest.

Architeuthis Pirata commonly known as “Pirate Squid, Terror of the Seven Seas”. Captain Kraken and his crew of Marauding Mollusks are not passing up any opportunity to pillage and plunder.

Based on the frame of the Silent Mary, the whole bow/head section can lift up to show-off the kraken’s fearsome mouth.

Thanks to the Eurobricks community for sharing so many great builds to use as inspiration.

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The Squishy Sturdy Build

Julius settled on the idea of merging a ship with a giant squid right away after he read about the BrickNerd contest. As he is not much of a digital builder, and finds the process much less creative, he promptly ordered a bunch of parts, like the tentacles, sails, string, stickers, and a few minifigures to complete the crew, before proceeding to straight to a physical build.

The crew, compromised of various fishy folk with enough tentacles to rival Davy Jones‘ from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – certainly none of Captain Redbeard‘s crew here!

Right from the start Julius felt that there should be a play feature which allows bow/head raising. But with only two months until the deadline of the competition, finding the solution of a sturdy but playable frame structure (which would not require too many trial and error modifications) became a primary issue. To resolve the issue he cleverly stole, ahem, borrowed the well tested frame of The Silent Mary.

While building the frame, Julius conducted a generous amount of research regarding hull techniques, masts and rigging, which prompted him decided to utilise grey Technic panels for the lower hull. After completing the frame he progressed to the main deck and forecastle, and before outlining the dimensions of the upper deck and the poop deck.

The poop deck and captain’s cabin below, as well as, the squid’s tail, maw, tentacles and masts are all modular, held in place with Technic pins. Building them intentionally as separate assemblies allowed Julius to keep the overall build size maneuverable and easier to handle while building the Technic panel hull sections.

The stern required a bit of trial and error until he discovered the most suitable wedge panels that allowed smooth transitions. After the hull, the deck and guns were completed and it was time to dye the original LEGO sails (which looked far too clean for a slimy cephalopod ship – and complete the rigging with a few additional details and stickers.

With a mere 5 days until the competition deadline, Julius didn’t want to fuss over the appearance of the waves and water splashes, so he ordered four blue 32×32 baseplates and went for a simple base design. But the final result left the ship looking too lonely, and with the clock ticking, there was only sufficient time to add the outrigger canoe surrounded by a small section of waves.

After all that was said and done, can you believe that this splendid MOC did not win the pirate-themed contest? It didn’t even achieve second place, nor third… but who cares?  It was plenty fine enough for the Classic Pirates to blog, and just as fine you for to read our post… and that’s all that matters!

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About the Builder…

Julius Kanand is an AFOL who lives in the People’s Republic of China, and made his debut on the Eurobricks LEGO Pirates forum with this squidly build in the late summer of 2022. Since then we haven’t seen nor heard a word from him, so maybe the kraken latched onto him after all.  But luckily he maintains an easily available Flickr account where he regularly shares finished builds and current work in progress projects.

Based on his Flickr portfolio, he proven to be a skillful and creative builder with a broad range of interests. So if you liked the Pirate Squid, definitely check out his other work, although you’ll peep nary a pirate there. He’s also amassed collection of various science fiction builds on Pinterest, should that genre be of yer persuasion.

What do you think?

So, what are your thoughts about this MOC? How original is it? Would you like to own it? Is there a working playable interior below the decks? How many bricks and pieces went into this floating monstrosity? Don’t be shy and shoot your question – or praise – inside the LEGO Pirates forum by clicking the big red shiny button below.

Where to Buy 40589 Pirate Ship Playground?

This set is currently available for as a Gift With Purchase on LEGO.com.*

* Affiliate link provided by Rakuten advertising

Or if you’d rather buy direct without having to purchase other sets, eBay might provide the answer.

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Specifications

From the product webpage on LEGO.com.*

Inspire imaginative play for kids aged 7 and up as they have fun building this sweet LEGO® Pirate Ship Playground (40589). The pirate ship comes with a slide, a water cannon, 2 kid minifigures, a palm tree, a rotating octopus and other fun pirate-themed details. This set makes a great gift to celebrate Children’s Day or any other occasion.

• Creative play for kids – Give your little shipmates a fun building set with this LEGO® Pirate Ship Playground (40589) set for kids aged 7 and up. Makes a gift idea for Children’s Day
• Pirate-themed features – The build includes a slide, a water cannon, 2 kid minifigures, a palm tree, a rotating octopus and other fun features
• Dimensions – The model measures over 4 in. (12 cm) high, 9 in. (25 cm) wide and 5 in. (14 cm) deep

New Gift With Purchase sets have been revealed for April 2023, here is a roundup of everything we’ve encountered so far – but check back regularly for updates.

Welcome home! Here’s the second addition to the LEGO® Houses of the World collection – a beautiful North African house (40590). Build the architectural details and admire the traditional, colorful, North African interior decor. The modular design makes it easy to combine this house with others from the collection (40583, 40594 and 40599) – each available separately.

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LEGO 40589 Pirate Ship Playground includes 168 pieces, and features a pirate ship themed slide, mock beach with palm tree and an octopus. Two children minifigures dressed as pirates are also included. It has been suggested that the set will not be available until June on International Children’s Day although others speculate it’s set for an April release.

Set number:  40589
Title:  Pirate Ship Playground
Number of parts:  168
Minifigures:  2
Dimensions: The model is 12 cm high, 25 cm wide and 14 cm deep
Release Date:  Estimated April 2023
Availability:  LEGO

 

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Official Set Description

• Creative children’s toys: The LEGO Pirate Ship Playground (40589) is a fascinating building set for little sailors aged 7 and over. Nice gift idea for World Children’s Day
• Many pirate details: On the playground you will find, among other things, a slide, a water cannon, 2 children’s minifigures, a palm tree and a rotating octopus
• Dimensions: The model is 12 cm high, 25 cm wide and 14 cm deep

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What Do Yer Think?

Here we go again… another pirate-themed set which isn’t classic style…

Is this Gift With Purchase set worth acquiring? Or will you give it a miss?  Let us know your thoughts in the LEGO Pirates Forum.

Successful plunder ventures go hand in hand with illegal trade and money laundering, so where better to establish a murky business operation than in the heart of the pirate infested Spanish Main?

One such shady business can be found on the remote Van Dyke Island, the smallest of the four islands nowadays known as the British Virgin Islands. A place where intrepid sailors and other seafaring-rats (that is pirates) can safely unload their stolen goods and recuperate, all under the protection of the finest Italian mobster master builder in the Caribbean, the infamous Cincinnati.

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Cincinnati writes:

I wanted to build an island where every pirate could rest after his raid: in particular, I was inspired by the LEGO comic “The Golden Medallion“, when on page-9 Redbeard and his pirates dock on a bay to have a happy feast.

I really like all the dark colours (and in fact I used for the buildings the dark red, the dark tan, the dark bluish gray and the dark orange), because I associate them more with rustic structures of the 16-17th century. I also like the dark brown for wooden structures: if I can, I always mix it with reddish brown.

The name of “Van Dyke Island” resumes that of the homonymous island of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands which owes its name to the Dutch pirate of the seventeenth century who made it one of his refuges.

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Cincinnati’s Source of Inspiration

Did yer know in 1989 The LEGO Group published a comic book named The Golden Medallion to coincide with the launch of the LEGO Pirates theme?  Well, now yer do!

As part of their marketing initial strategy, The LEGO Group decided the LEGO Pirates theme should revolve around a narrative that fueled imaginations and encouraged hours of play. Along with The Golden Medallion comic, the following year, they released four children’s stories published by Ladybird Books.  These stories threw more fuel on imaginative fire by fleshing out the characters, along with the locations and ships they inhabited.  Some were inspired by official LEGO Pirate sets, others appear to be inventiveness of the books’ authors – or were they actually prototypes that never saw an official release?  We may never know…

In addition, background stories were printed on the box artwork, particularly on larger sets which contained a flap that opened to reveal the cursively written content. Each set had its own unique tale, although they didn’t necessarily adhere to a strict canon with the other promotional literature. Like Bo’Sun Will in the 1989 LEGO Catalogue….

Now three decades later, this cunning strategy still inspires lost boys master AFOL builders to create fantastical MOCs based on these fictional locations and vessels.

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The Build Overview

To ensure the fun never stops and access is possible to every corner of the island, Cincinnati again employed a popular, yet challenging modular building technique that had worked wonders for him in Readbeard’s House.

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The Busy Docks

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The Base Level

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The First Floor

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The Second Floor

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Return to the Redbeard’s House

Back in early 2022 Cincinnati emerged from the depths of Davy Jones locker and took the LEGO Pirates MOC Forum by storm with his reenvisioned version of 6279 Skull Island, which he named Redbeard’s House. Now, a year later he’s opened Van Dyke Island for business by amalgamating these two MOCs into one stunning creation.

Do we have here a start of yet another Pirate modular diorama? (See “Lagoon Lock-Up Revisited” by SleeplessNight and “Treasure Island” by Filibbooo)

And if so, will there be enough space at the Cincinnati’s home for future creations? We do not know, so we shall wait and see… very optimistically!

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But Wait, There’s More!

Before we return to the open waters (and daily life), Cincinnati has one last treat in the form of a demonstration video. For those who do not understand a word of Italian (other than arrivederci), YouTube offers helpful subtitles in the language of your choosing. Enjoy, and arrivederci!

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About the Builder…

Cincinnati hails to us from Italy, and one thing his MOCs and country have in common is that they are both simply drop dead gorgeous! If you like what you see, you can follow his work on Instagram and his YouTube channel where he regularly shares updates on his brick passion.

If you want to get your mitts on the instructions, visit his Rebrickable account and commit to at least one impulse purchase. It’s OK! We’ve all done it at some point – and we don’t regret a thing!

What Do You Think?

Has Cincinnati surpassed his previous MOC, or you find Redbeard’s House to be a superior build? Would you like to own this MOC? Do you even have room for it? Tell us within the comfy confines of the LEGO Pirates forum by clicking the big red discussion button below.

Greetings! Behold, Part II of the Classic Pirates multi-part saga series exploring the implications of AI Art on LEGO Pirate creations.

Throughout Part I we probed the particulars of AI art and the ramifications it has thrust upon the creative industry, along with observing general pirate-themed artworks spawned by various AI generators.

Part II’s focus shall delve into Vanestream’s efforts of tapping text-based prompts into Stable Diffusion and critiquing how effectively this machine monstrosity magics up LEGO Pirate creations.

Here be the grand index:

• Part I: An Introduction to AI Generated Art & its Consequences on Society.
• Part II: Vanestream’s experimentation with the Stable Diffusion Generator. (← You are here)
• Part III: Mister Phes’ experimentation with a variety of generators.
• Part IV: And if YOU, the reader would like to participate, we’ll cover some of your own AI Generated LEGO Pirate creations.

So without delay, bookmark this page today because we’ll be updating the above index with links to the other posts as soon as they’re published!

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Vanestream writes:

Recently I stumbled upon the trend of AI generated images, which seem to be all the rage at the moment. I thought I’d try it out with Lego pirate prompts to see what would happen. I found it interesting and lots of fun, so I thought I’d share some of the images.

Of course the images are far away from any official Lego and the MOCs wouldn’t actually work, what with unexisting pieces or just plain weird conglomerates of Lego shapes. Nevertheless I found it very interesting and inspiring.

To try it out yourself, go to https://stablediffusionweb.com and add your prompt, wait a couple seconds and AI will generate images. Perhaps this can be a thread for anyone to share AI generated pirate pictures. I’d love to see what happens!

Let’s keep it simple at first, with a simple prompt:

Prompt: Lego pirate

Notice the prompt be lacking any plural, yet we’re served three minfigs… and perhaps the arm of a fourth, albeit concealed by the rather un-piratey imposter, wearing the sombrero – or be that the brim of a gargantuan baseball cap?

The two figures towards the left are a reasonable depiction, but the faces appear a tad “drawn” as though scrawled with a felt tip pen… an el cheapo one at that! Definitely not pen forged with the craftsmanship of prestigious repute, such as a Sharpie!

Prompt: lego kraken pirate impressionist

Vanestream notes this prompt generated a minifigure which bares a resemblance to Jack Sparrow.

While the minifig itself isn’t too bad (minus the double-left hand), the accessories appear to be rather malformed.  The hat appears to have been bested by a meat grinder… and is that supposed to be a telescope in his right hand?  Looks more useful as a bludgeoning baton.  Not a hint of kraken about him, though.

Prompt: Lego pirate ship black pearl

Stable Diffusion takes the “lego” aspect of the prompt rather literally and generates an entirely brick-built ship, granted that’s not an uncommon practice these days.  Even The LEGO Group has explored this trend with release of the 31109 Creator 3 in 1 Pirate Ship which included brick-built sails, opposed to the traditional clothe sails of all previous LEGO Pirate Ships.

Sails aside, this Black Pearl has one too many colours and the stern is somewhat deflated in comparison to its robust bow.

And what be that black line shooting up from the truncated centre mast? Was it once rigging attached to the top section of the mast… then suddenly wrenched away and flung into the heavens by a hurricane?

Prompt: Lego pirate dystopia dark

Are these pirates?  These lads combine elements of modern sailors with a sprinkle of yesteryear’s WWF fashioned.

Prompt: lego pirate dystopian dark acrylic blackbeard

This barely resembles a LEGO Pirates set but it successfully captures the atmosphere of a set with a “dark dystopian” theme.

Could it be that Stable Diffusion interpreted “dystopia dark” as Dark Knight? I.e. something akin to a Batman set?

But what compelled it to generate box art without a prompt specifying it?

Prompt: lego pirate dystopian dark acrylic blackbeard moc

Not too shabby! This be a fine depiction of the legendary pirate Blackbeard, sans the hat, a tad underwhelming in comparison to hats Stable Diffusion has churned out.

The rendering of the minfig itself is photogenic while the “acrylic” prompt has been interpreted as brush strokes in the facial features.

Prompt: lego kraken pirate impressionist

Do you get the impression that Stable Diffusion lacks awareness of krakens?

This generated image be a ship run aground upon a spit of land.

It be interesting to observe Stable Diffusion has taken a crack (pun intended) at material sails, albeit poorly rigged.

Including “impressionist” in the prompt consistently produces a simulated picture frame, rather than apply the impressionist artistic style.

Impressionism was a 19th-century artistic movement characterised by diminutive, sleek, yet defined brush strokes, and open composition. With an emphasis on accurately depicting light in its varying qualities, peculiar visual angles, and the inclusion of movement. Does that accurately describe how Stable Diffusion has been generating images under that namesake?

Ok, let’s try again!

Well now, that ship have the sleekest of hulls – perhaps better suited to the Black Pearl.  The sails appear agreeable but the minifig in the foreground is amiss… has he been made to tightrope walk along an extremely narrow plank?

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Prompt: lego pirate dystopian dark acrylic blackbeard moc fort

Apparently, forts are also beyond Stable Diffusion’s comprehension, or at least when the word is tacked onto the end of the prompt.

Nonetheless, it generated a quite solid pirate minifigure with a unique beard piece and hat we’ve never seen officially released by The LEGO Group.

Odd choice of accessories though – it looks like he’s about to plant some sprouts! Is it possible to grow a fort?

Prompt: lego kraken pirate

Well, ain’t a bad interpretation for a “kraken pirate“, Stable Diffusion struck a fine balance between minifig and mystical beastie.

But a minuscule ship for a hat be an interesting choice! And be that a LEGO Necronomicon dangling from the minifig’s side?

Could Stable Diffusion have somehow confused “kraken” with H.P. Lovecraft’s “Cthulhu” and included the infamous book as an accessory?

Prompt: lego pirate ship 1970s

This be how a LEGO Pirate ship set may have been constructed, had it be released during the 1970s? During an era which preceded elements like fabric sails and such components be built entirely from bricks?

The brick-built hull isn’t too fancifully constructed but the sails and upper masts be rather dubious… the “crows nest” of the main mast is floating! And is that suppose to be a crane attached to the foremast? Or is it meant to be a tensegrity structure?

Nonetheless, Stable Diffusion appears to have made an attempt at generating Fabuland figures.  Not very effectively, mind you…  but at least it’s taking a stab towards period accurate figures.

Prompt: Lego pirate dystopia dark acrylic

This must be the next evolution of Brickheadsz which now gloat hats and detailed facial features.

But note what appears to be a signature or logo in the lower-left corner, reminding us this generated piece is perhaps a remix of existing artworks, rather than an entirely unique composition.

 

Prompt: Vanestream Can’t remember

What ever the prompt be, the resulted is a dapper minifigure with a magnificent hat! Stable Diffusion has also stumbled upon a nifty technique for beards – entwine rigging string around the minifig’s gob.

Now wait one darn second!  What be happening among the background?  Don’t tell us that corrugated wall behind the minifig is a garage roller door! Well, is IT?

And be him in the process of Force grabbing a light saber?

Prompt: lego bluecoat fort caribbean sea

Blue roof building more like it!  But in all fairness Stable Diffusion has made an effort to produce a fort-like structure overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

One aspect that does not lie in disrepute, is the software’s craftiness at seamlessly blending photographic and computer generated imagery together.  Those possessing photo editing and 3D modelling experience, sometimes gruel at the tedium of a seamlessly compositing a background image with a photo or 3D object.  Upon occasion, it be extraordinary painful align perspectives of the different elements, match the lighting and incorporate other environmental phenomena.  So it would be fantastic if AI can alleviate that future struggle.

Prompt: Lego pirate dystopia dark acrylic

Holy Toledo! For an acrylic depiction of a pirate minifigure Stable Diffusion has nailed it!

The minifigure is well proportioned without scatterings of strange, abstract accessories scattered – the presentation be neat!

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What’s In Store for Part III?

Are yer excited for another generous helping of algorithmically assembled masterpieces? Nay? Well too bad! Another shipment is being dispatched… eventually.

For Part III, Mister Phes seizes the helm to steer us through various different Text-to-Image AI generators, along with tweaking their settings.  They’re also fed visual stimulus in the form of photos of actual LEGO Pirates and page scans from LEGO catalogs to improve their offerings.

But does this piratical education help the machines to learn and generate better LEGO Pirate imagery? Well, you better read Part III to be amazed… or disappointed… one of them two.

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About Vanestream

VaneStream is somewhat of a celebrity yer know? Ok, that might be a wee exaggeration but he is a prestigious member of the LEGO Pirates Forums, much attributed to his creative output  fired into various brick film projects. If you haven’t had the pleasure of viewing the Being Pirates series, subscribe to his YouTube Channel at once and let the binge watching commence!

Yer can also find regular project updates and jaw dropping dioramic MOCs smattered throughout his Instagram and Flickr profiles. And if yer lack his creative prowess, he’s even made building instructions available via his ReBrickable account. He occasionally outputs the more modest creations, the Ol’ Pelican be a quick read if yer interest lies within smaller ships.

And while yer at it, take a peak at his official website, vanestream.wordpress.com.

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What Do Yer Think?

Do AI Art Generators pose a threat to LEGO Pirate MOC building?  Or are these musings little more than hyperbolic nonsense to entice you to read articles about the matter?

Have you attempted to use an AI Art Generator to create LEGO Pirate imagery?  If so, how did it turn out?  Were you pleased with the results?

Unbosom your encounters of this emerging menace in LEGO Pirates Forum or Classic Pirates Facebook Group and share yer own AI generated LEGO Pirate creations.

Completing a sizeable, yet visually stunning ship is a dream come true for any aspiring MOC designer.  Not many builders however, decide to sail in the reverse direction and construct a petite, yet equally impressive vessel.

Enter Vanestream, a versatile builder who’s talent knows no bounds as he stealthily leaps from land-based builds to ships and back, all while typing an award winning screenplay and crafting the necessary props for his stop-and-go pirate animation series Being Pirates.

Today we shall investigate his small ‘custom hulled’ pirate fishing boat, “The Ol’ Pelican”, because to our surprise, even the most cutthroat pirates enjoy a stint of recreational fishing between their usual pillaging and plundering escapades. Yer know, even rotten scallywags must escape the stress and anxiety of being blown to smithereens by cannon fire, or skewered mercilessly on an Imperial Guard’s pike.

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Vanestream writes:

Sturdy, rugged, fast – the Ol’ Pelican is an old fishing vessel the pirates Clint and Longsocks rely on for smaller expeditions as well as the odd fishing trip.

Being a pirate, Clint has equipped the boat with two swivel guns, leading to the Ol’ Pelican packing more of a punch than one might expect.

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The Ol’ Build

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The Secret Technique

Vanestream continues:

The model is fairly complex, sturdy and compact. Some of the building steps are not for beginners.

The rigging and sails are not LEGO components, are optional and therefore not part of the parts list.

For those interested in this small but fairly complex design, building instructions are available on ReBrickable, for the low price of just three pieces of eight. C’mon, support starving MOC designers!

If you are only interested in the building technique, Vanestream (the Ol’ veteran of brickfilms) gives valuable insights inside this speed build video.

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‘Being Pirates‘ What’s That?

Around March of 2021, Vanestream released the first episode of his brickfilm miniseries named Being Pirates. The episode proved to be a smashing hit within the brick community and many months later soon the remaining episodes followed. The complete miniseries, a total of 6 episodes, is now available for your viewing pleasure in one standalone movie.

Now, rumour has it that the sequel has been green lit by studio executives (mainly Vanestream’s friends and family) and production is well underway. You can take a sneak peak at the progress  here.

Vanestream concludes:

The Ol’ Pelican – will be part of Being Pirates II. I built a slightly different version as well so as to have a number of vessels. Tinku is the baby, he’s a big part of Being Pirates II. The toucan will also keep appearing, I really love that toucan piece.

Season 1 – Synopsis:

After they find Vane’s mysterious message, the Captain, Longsocks and Flint set out on a swashbuckling, perilous and hilarious adventure…

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About the Builder…

VaneStream is a veteran of the LEGO Pirates and Pirate MOC forums, in which he regularly (with interludes spanning several months between) shares valuable insights and Work In Progress updates about his ongoing brickfilm projects. Given the enormity of Being Pirates, he is actually a quite awesome personality within the community and an extremely prolific builder.

He is also active on various social networks, mainly Instagram and Flickr, where you can observe more of his amazing work captured in one motionless frame. For motion and animation be sure to subscribe to his YouTube Channel. As for the instructions check out his humble ReBrickable account.

Last but not least, Vanestream maintains his own fancy pirate-looking website, vanestream.wordpress.com.

What Do Yer Think?

Do you think Captain Redbeard would give his nod of approval to this old fine looking vessel? What about the speed? Is it faster than it looks like? Would you rather have this than the LEGO Ideas Sailboat Adventure? Share your thought with us in the LEGO Pirates forum, the Classic Pirates are waiting for you…

2023 Series 2

Series 2 is about to commence and here be the official announcement:

We will accept Series 2 submissions from May 15th – June 2nd. The best designs have the chance to be series 2 sets, so get those ideas flowing!

View submission guidelines.

Plot a course to the BrickLink Designer Program 2023 Series 2 blog post for further details.

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10 May 2023 UPDATE!!!

The five Series 1 finalists have been announced for crowdfunding in February 2024… and not one of them is a Pirate-themed creation!

The finalists are:

1. “Mountain Fortress” by SleeplessNight
2. “Parisian Street” by NicolasCarlier
3. “The Old Train Engine Shed” by Mind_the_Brick
4. “The Snack Shack” by Skeletuhr
5. “General Store – Wild West” by llucky

Let’s extend our congratulations to these talented builders!

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2 April 2023 UPDATE!!!

Voting has closed for Series 1 and the Bricklink Designer Program Team will review the entries during April and May, 2023.

The BDP Design Team will review all designs and pick 5 finalists. Our team checks every design for building experience, brand fit, and crowd favorites.Check back in early May to find out which we choose!

Furthermore, the Bricklink Designer Program will be accepting Series 2 submissions starting May 15th, and Series 3 submissions in September.

Read on if you’re curious to learn of the Series 1 Pirate submissions…

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The BrickLink Designer Program has risen from the depths prompting the Classic Pirates to round up all the LEGO® Pirate submissions to make yer life easier!

Your mission is to vote for as many fan designs as yer please before 31^st March 2023 at 12pm Pacific Time

Bricklink instructs yer to “Use an emoji to vote” but the interface involves clicking a voting button with an emoji icon.

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The LEGO Pirate Submissions

Here be a round up of all the entries that may tickle yer fancy…

“Imperial Outpost” by Legobouwer

A small outpost, manned by several soldiers to keep an eye on the pirate’s movements. The model is modular to make access to all the areas easier. In the tower there is a storage room, weapons room, an office and a small bedroom.

Built with 3888 bricks, integrating as much details as possible such as a gate that can be opened, weathering of the walls, wooden support beams, debrie on the beach and some plant- and animal life.

“Ghost Ship” by Jacob Horn

Rising from the depths and draped in seaweed, it sets out for adventure once more! The undead captain and first mate may not feel the crisp sea air in their hair, but they still thirst for adventure, and being dead won’t stop them.

“Working within the limitations of the BDP palette allowed me to not overthink this design. Forced to work without premade hulls afforded greater flexibility on the size of the ship. A main focus that I had was to use colors that evoked the early pirate themes from the late 80s and 90s.”

“The Crimson Outpost” by Brick Jester

The Crimson Outpost is located on a small island not far from the pirate town Port Sauvage somewhere in the maze of Caribbean archipelagos. The tower of the old pirate fortress stands firmly, withstanding the waves, and can be seen from afar.

I’ve always been fascinated by the old Lego Pirate sets, I love the ships, but was under the impression that the pirates were never getting any proper buildings. My intention is to change that.

“Pirate Fort Island” by Space Police

A small pirate fortress used by a band of renegade pirates.

I got inspired by my pirate sets and a similar fortress I built with real bricks for the Imperial Soldiers.

“Captain’s Hideaway” by JBuildsBricks

Off on a distant abandoned island fort in the seven seas lies the Captain’s Hideaway, where Pirate Captain Sierra Blackwood and her crew have settled themselves.

“The Captain’s Hideaway features everything the Blackwood crew needs, including the Captain’s Quarters, barracks for the four crewmates, a storage room for supplies, a strategy room for plotting the crew’s next adventure, observation and defensive decks, and a dock for ships.”

“Black Fortune” by BrickMOCBay

Arrrr….The Black Fortune pirate ship…  It started as a modification of one of an older design and turned out to be built almost from the ground up. Model consists 3980 parts with 10 minifigures included. Dimensions: 89 cm / 35 inches long  |  57 cm / 22.5 inches high  |  24 cm / 9.5 inches wide.

The main focus was to have the right amount of detail inside and outside and catch the perfect pirate vibe from the Golden Age of Piracy without going overboard but still have some of movie like feeling.

“The Driftwood Gangs Hideout” by Moccer Mommy

Ahoy you landlubbers!  Let me take you on an exciting adventure full of gold and sea salt. We accompany Lady Morgan Davis who is on a rescue mission. Her childhood friend, Stede Brickus, has been kidnapped by the Driftwood Gang and taken to a deserted island.

The set contains 6 minifigures for action-packed pirate adventures.  In addition, the set is packed with numerous play features that work smoothly. These action features such as a working crane with a cage, a destructible prison cell and wall piece, a blast function on one of the watchtowers, movable tentacles, and a secret treasure hidden behind swiveling stairs, invite you to play and discover.

“The Skull Island” by Zinnn

The Skull Island is a modern take on the concept of a treasure island discovered and repurposed by pirates.

It has bats hanging from a ceiling, spooky spider guarding the weapons and a skeleton that serves as a warning to anyone willing to loot the cave.

“Imperial Brig” by Arselus

Welcome to the Imperial Brig. It is inspired by many classic LEGO pirates sets and a general interest in pirates and adventures on the high seas.

The Imperial Brig consists of 2024 parts total and 5 minifigures: an imperial officer, two imperial soldiers, and two pirates, one in the brig, and the other attempting a daring rescue. Its nostalgic yellow, dark-red, and white color pattern would fit nicely next to modern or vintage sets.  The Imperial Brig would be a perfect display set for classic pirates fans!

“Croco Island” by Marcel V

Laying in his cosy cabin, Captain Pete just wants to spend his remaining days peacefully on Croco Island“. Palm trees, a sandy beach and the gentle breeze from the ocean, everything could be fine. But arrr, those young rivaling pirates try to get hold of Captain Pete’s treasure! Good thing he’s well prepared: Not everything is as it seems…

Have fun defending Croco Island“ and trap the enemies inside the treasure cave. Use the cannon to disperse the pirate ship or just relax at the beach and have some tasty coconuts. Maybe Captain Pete can also become friends with the young pirates and the trio can sail away to find even more gold hidden out there?

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Timeline

To ensure smooth sailing, Bricklink has devised an “interactive” timeline which you can interact with on the Series 1 Voting Landing page.

Or if yer prefer it all laid out before yer very eyes…

Create your designs

December 9, 2022
Design your models in Studio but be sure to follow the Submission Guidelines.

Open Submission

February 1 — 28, 2023
Submit your models to Bricklink during the 4-week window before the deadline on February 28, 2023 at noon Pacific US time.

Crowd Support

March 7 — March 31, 2023
BrickLink invites all members to vote for their favorite submissions. This crowd vote weighs in alongside the Bricklink Designer Program’s internal selection criteria which influences the designs chosen for crowdfunding.

Review

April — May 2023
The Bricklink team will review each design for building experience, brand fit, and crowd favorites.

5 Designs Announced

Late May 2023
Bricklink will reveal the five Series 1 designs and then collaborate with designers to prepare their creations for production.

Crowdfunding

February 2024
BrickLink members will have the opportunity to pre-order their favorite set(s), with a limit of 2 of each set per household.

Production and Shipping

Summer/Fall 2024
The sets will enter production an orders will be ready for shipment approximately 6 months after pre-ordering. Actual dates and shipping times may vary.

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What is the BrickLink Designer Program?

This enthralling initiative provides LEGO fans the opportunity to submit digital designs in the hope of realizing them as BrickLink Designer Program sets. Approved designs will be granted crowdfunding opportunities with pre-orders.

No more than 5 designs will be selected for crowdfunding and only those which achieve the 3,000 pre-order minimum will enter a production run of up to 20,000 sets.

Yer can browse the Designer Program’s Frequently Asked Questions for the complete details.

What calling it “Series 1” says about the Program’s future

We’re committed to helping you realize your ideas through the BrickLink Designer Program. By calling this iteration Series 1, we’re indicating the BrickLink Designer Program has matured from the one-off 2021 Invitational into a program we can sustain over time. With this and each future Series, we’ll issue a fresh brief and Submission Guidelines. This way, the program can evolve as we learn from experience during each series.

Be sure to read the The BrickLink Designer Program Continues with Series 1 article for the historic overview.

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Re-envisioning Classic LEGO sets for the modern age is a frequent practice among AFOL builders. Even The LEGO Group has leapt onboard this trend by releasing modernised versions of Castle and Space sets… But let’s not forget this trend began with Pirates, when those devious designers cunningly snuck a refashioned Black Seas Barracuda into 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay.

Three years hath passed us by and there has been nary a peep out of them in terms of classic-style sets.

Now, many a LEGO Pirate fan wonders; why stop at the 6285 Black Seas Barracuda when so many other great Pirate sets could be revitalised for the 21st century?

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6265 Sabre Island, released during the initial wave of LEGO Pirate sets back in 1989, is one many classic Pirate sets, clamoured over by enthusiastic Pirate fans. This modest yet effective watchtower fort has enjoyed a plethora of AFOL reinterpretations, by builders including the likes of; SleeplessNight, Pantelis and Seaber – and that’s naming but a few.

Its legacy prevails to this very day! During January 2023, Brickset hosted a survey  asking; “Which classic set should be re-imagined for a gift-with-purchase?”

Voters wasted no time declaring Sabre Island was the preferred choice!

Now Tonguesbricks delivers his rendition, which not only bolsters the watchtower fort concept but extends the set with a secondary structure, garnished with a distinctly Caribbean flavour.  And it’s all bundled together on LEGO Ideas for you to support – in the longful hope that it eventuates into an official LEGO Pirates set!

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Tongesbricks writes:

Hi everyone! This is my first post on the forum. Hopefully, I’m doing it right.

Growing up in the 90s, I fondly remember the late 80s and early 90s LEGO Pirates sets. I had a few of the smaller sets and the iconic Eldorado Fortress. As I grew up my interest in Lego faded in the late 90s before I returned to the hobby in about 2013 with 10192: Medieval Market Village. Since then, I’ve enjoyed building with my kids and experimenting with my own creations while we play together.

I recently discovered the amazing Bricklink Studio, which led me to create my first Lego Ideas submission. Return to Sabre Island is a modern homage to the iconic sets of my childhood and, particularly, the titular set 6265: Sabre Island. Part of the impetus to create this set was to give the Blue Coats a base on par with the Pirates of Barracuda Bay!

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The Backstory

The Imperial Guards have stood watch over Sabre Island for decades. A captive pirate has warned that the Black Seas Barracuda will sail again one day soon. Are the Imperial Guards prepared for the battle that awaits?
A broken floorboard in the prison cell provides an ingenious escape route for the pirate through the rocky ocean cavern below the fort. Will he pull off the escape and find the treasures hidden throughout Sabre Island, or will the Blue Coats thwart his plan?
Mysteries abound on Sabre Island. Can the curious girl discover the hidden treasures before the pirate? What secrets does the old man in the tavern know about the island? Is there more to the man who runs the market than meets the eye?
Answer these questions and much more in… Return to Sabre Island!

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Set Features

• 2,999 pieces
• 10 Minifigures
• Modular fort with a prison cell, planning room, and two cannon emplacements
• Modular dock with a market, Imperial Guards’ office, tavern, and inn
• Admiral statue to remind the guards of their duty
• A bell tower to warn of pirate raids
• Timber model ship
• Hidden treasure
• Secret trapdoor under the market
• Tavern access from the Guards’ office
• 64 studs x 32 studs, including modular pin connections from the dock
• Off-stud, SNOT, and plenty of other unique building techniques to enjoy
• Broken floorboards for a sneaky escape from the prison
• Spot the hidden rodent and cheese
• Plus many more play features!

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The Exterior

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The Exterior

Tongesbrick traversed that extra league and crafted interiors for his Sabre Island on steroids.

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Video Overview by Mike N Jenn Johnson

The YouTube LEGO power couple Mikey J and Mrs Mikey J have produced a video overview of the LEGO Ideas submission to provide us with valuable insights and observations.

Connect with Them…

They’ll take care of you! (In a good way)

YouTube Channel | Facebook Page
Mikey J Productions Instagram | Mrs Mikey J Productions Instagram

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What is LEGO Ideas?

Oh come on!  Surely you know of LEGO Ideas?  If so, skip this section and progress to supporting this submission on LEGO Ideas.

If not, old Sea Eagle will bring thee up to speed…

• Aspiring AFOL builders create a splendid LEGO Pirates creation (shy of 3,000 pieces) and then submit it to the LEGO Ideas platform with the objective of garnering 10,000 supporters.
• Builders with their wits about them hustle by sharing their creation on social media as a beacon to inform the world it exists
• The extra savvy builders also create a topic in the LEGO Pirates Forum alerting to the Classic Pirates to their MOC’s existence… and before they knows it, a sterling blog post like this one is doing the rounds!
• Should the submission gain 10K supporters it must face the dreaded review phase.
• And should it survive this merciless review, the build is refined and released as an official LEGO set… a feat only Bricky Brick has achieved this with 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay.
• The successfully builder is also awarded 10 brand new LEGO sets from those currently in production, along with a 10% commission on sales of the set they inspired.

And if this submission dares to reach 5,000 supporters, the Classic Pirates threaten to publish a second blog post containing Work In Progress images and images of the original version which was rejected by LEGO Ideas.

“Rejected?” you say. “Why?”

“We’ll uncover the shocking truth in Part II” says I.

So what are you waiting for?  Support Return to Sabre Island  on LEGO Ideas right now! Chop! Chop!

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About the Builder…

Tongesbricks (why do I read that as “tongues-bricks?”) is a relatively new face to the Classic Pirates, having recently emerged from the Southern Seas (that translates to Australia). He sailed right into the LEGO Pirates Forum during early 2023 and dazzled us with this smashing* Sabre Island update!

His LEGO Ideas profile is somewhat barren at present but give it a follow because we’ll assume Sabre Island is the first of many wonderful creations to come.  You’ll also discover more of his work on Instagram so be sure to follow him there too.

* smashing is British for jolly good. Oh that’s British too!

What Do Yer Think

Has Tongesbricks done Sabre Island justice? Or has he bodged it up? What do thee think of the ecumenical expansion? Does it provide another dimension to this beloved classic?  Or be it a superfluous appendage? And most importantly, should this creation achieve the miraculously feat of gaining 10,000 supporters and pass the LEGO Ideas Team’s review; would you buy it as a set?

After you’ve supported, spread your wings and soar to the LEGO Pirates Forum so thee can share thoughts with the Classic Pirates and Tongesbricks himself.

Occasionally, the Classic Pirates venture from the comfort of the LEGO Pirates Forum to explore uncharted waters… so this time we’re visiting Neverland, home port of Peter Pan and Captain Hook.

Angela Chung has made good use of 71012 Minifigures The Disney Series to build this nifty vignette, which depicts a duel between the two characters while a hungry crocodile hopes Captain Hook drops by for lunch.

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Angela writes:

Peter Pan and Captain Hook are fighting, crocodile awaiting for food, as in the Peter Pan show

Which Peter Pan “show” we may never know, but those familiar with the fiction will be aware the crocodile has a taste for Hook’s flesh ever since Pan amputated his hand.  This is a kid’s story, by the way!

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So what was Hook’s name originally?

It’s no secret his first name is “James”, perhaps a play on explorer “James Cook”, but what was his surname before the hook?

According to Peter Pan author and creator, J. M. Barrie:

“Hook was not his true name. To reveal who he really was would even at this date, set the country in a blaze.”

That statement was made well over a hundred years ago and Barrie has long since departed without divulging further, but that hasn’t deterred others from taking stabs at naming him.  In the television series “Once Upon a Time” Hook’s real name was “Killian Jones” – surely not a play on adventurer “Indiana Jones“? Well, it’s definitely not Captain Redbeard!

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Part of a larger Picture…

Angela didn’t stop with Peter Pan, she’s also built vignettes based on other minifigs in the series, including; Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Donald and Daisy Duck, and Mr Incredible and Syndrome form The Incredibles.

And then she’s compiled them into one colourful diorama…

Now if only there were some Imperial Guards from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise…

When asked if she’d built vignettes for every Disney Minifigure, Angela replied:

Yes, have built 10 vignettes for 18 minifigures 🙂
They are mostly a scene from Disney movie.
Glad that you enjoyed 😉

Spot the minifigures used:

Uh oh! Looks like Ariel and Ursula have missed out on featuring in a vignette… well, at least for now.  But do you want to change that?

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About the Builder…

Angela Chung was unknown to the Classic Pirates until we stumbled across her vignette on Pinterest. To our utter delight, we discovered she builds regularly, and shares updates to a Flickr account full of colourful creations.

And if ye feel inclined to discuss Peter Pan, Captain Hook or the hungry crocodile further, sail by the LEGO Pirates Forum