Pack your bags. The world has ended - Steampunk LEGOs

[J. Wilhelm]

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

I ignore if this subject has been posted yet, and if so please feel free to merge or move the post as is appropriate.

But... What is going on??  Has the League of Steam spawned something unholy?

Here I present the evidence, as I write this post with trembling hands (well not really, I'm just haven't had anything to eat all day):

http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2012/05/23/lego-introduces-monster-fighters/

Opinions.  Good?  Bad?  Unholy? *readies a silver cross, viles of holy water and garlic*

Cheers,
J. Wilhelm

[Atterton]

Yes certainly monsters and monster hunters is so very steampunk. There was never such a thing as the horror genre, or tons of books and movies featuring such creatures.

[Frolicking Johnson]

Eh, no big deal. They really don't look very steamy to me. Sure, one of them is wearing a bowler and has a pocket watch, and one is wearing a pith helmet, but they certainly don't look steampunk to me.

[Aleister Crow]

Not seeing the problem here. People (myself included) have been building steampunk stuff with Lego for a very long time. There's even a thread for it somewhere in Tactile. In all honestly, I plan on buying some of these, both for my daughter and myself.

Though some of the character's may sort of have the look, beyond that there's nothing steampunk about any of the sets, and nowhere in any official advertising are these sets referred to as "steampunk". So unpack, relax, eat something; the world's not going anywhere.

[von Corax]

Not inherently Steam, but as Mr. Crowley points out they don't claim to be, and they're certainly far from boiler sludge. We'll just have to wait and see what the AFOL community do with them.

[J. Wilhelm]

Yes certainly monsters and monster hunters is so very steampunk. There was never such a thing as the horror genre, or tons of books and movies featuring such creatures.

All right fellas, don't get your bloomers in a twist. It's just a quick observation.  The images just called my attention... and with such penchants we have for Lovecraftian creatures and mad science, the subject crossed paths with their mention of underground laboratories.    It certainly seems to be pandering to trends in society (vampires and such), but also kind of scratches the Victorian GhostMonsterbuster concept.

LEGO Monster Fighters Story

[Hez]

They don't look steamy.  In fact they are about as steamy as a nerf gun.

er...

hmm?

Now where did I put my brass paint?
Steam on legos and gentlemen!

[Aleister Crow]

Yes certainly monsters and monster hunters is so very steampunk. There was never such a thing as the horror genre, or tons of books and movies featuring such creatures.

All right fellas, don't get your bloomers in a bunch. It's just a quick observation.  The images just called my attention... and with such penchants we have for Lovecraftian creatures and mad science, the subject crossed paths with their mention of underground laboratories.    It certainly seems to be pandering to trends in society (vampires and such), but also kind of scratches the Victorian GhostMonsterbuster concept.

LEGO Monster Fighters Story

Of course it's pandering to trends in society. How else are they going to sell any?

The way I see it, there's nothing inherently anything about Lego. That's kind of the point behind them. It's what you do with them that counts.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Thanks for giving me an excuse to post this again.

[Capt. Dirigible]

Eh, no big deal. They really don't look very steamy to me. Sure, one of them is wearing a bowler and has a pocket watch, and one is wearing a pith helmet, but they certainly don't look steampunk to me.

They're two inch high Lego figures, for Cog's sake!! How much 'steamy' detail do you expect?
 One has a bowler hat, waistcoat and a pocket watch and one has Victorian style 'Franz Josef' whiskers and a pith. I've seen  posts on here from people asking how they can look more steampunk and people reply 'get a waistcoatand pocket watch'..'get a good hat, like a Pith or a bowler'...'grow some Victorian whiskers'.  If a waistcoat, pocket watch and an appropriate hat and Franz Josef whiskers  are sufficient attire to make a person 'steampunk' then I think it's good enough for a Lego figure, don't you?

[Aleister Crow]

Eh, no big deal. They really don't look very steamy to me. Sure, one of them is wearing a bowler and has a pocket watch, and one is wearing a pith helmet, but they certainly don't look steampunk to me.

They're two inch high Lego figures, for Cog's sake!! How much 'steamy' detail do you expect?
 One has a bowler hat, waistcoat and a pocket watch and one has Victorian style 'Franz Josef' whiskers and a pith. I've seen  posts on here from people asking how they can look more steampunk and people reply 'get a waistcoatand pocket watch'..'get a good hat, like a Pith or a bowler'...'grow some Victorian whiskers'.  If a waistcoat, pocket watch and an appropriate hat and Franz Josef whiskers  are sufficient attire to make a person  'steampunk' then it's good enough for a Lego figure, don't you?

Not unless the one with the bowler also has a mechanical leg- oh, wait...

[Flightless Phoenix]

Steampunk or not, and I'd have to say they fit the bill to me... they look pretty awesome.

The video is adorable too! Such a fun back-story. I think the fact that the female monster hunter is called Ann Lee makes me most happy- introducing kids to Poe can only be a good thing!

I want these... Not that I'm still bitter about my mum giving my lego to my cousin without asking me when I was 12 or anything...

Oh well- I know what my Nephew is getting for his birthday =P

[Lachlan_MacAuslander]

 

I may have to purchase some of these.

Y'know, for research purposes. Yeah, that.  

[Atterton]

The woman from Poe's poem was Annabel Lee.

I'm not saying this isn't victorian, it's just not steampunk I'd say. Victorian monster hunters is not a new thing, there horror genre has featured them for ages. Just look at Van Helsing. I just get a bit annoyed when people try to declare everything steampunk.

[Argus Fairbrass]

Everything is Steampunk! 

[Dr. Madd]

Two things.. Love the guy in the pith helmet and khakis, and The Mad scientist's lab.

[MWBailey]

The woman from Poe's poem was Annabel Lee.

I'm not saying this isn't victorian, it's just not steampunk I'd say. Victorian monster hunters is not a new thing, there horror genre has featured them for ages. Just look at Van Helsing. I just get a bit annoyed when people try to declare everything steampunk.

How steampunk is Legos plastic as opposed to Nerf plastic?

[Flightless Phoenix]

The woman from Poe's poem was Annabel Lee.

I know. I was assuming Ann was you know, short for Annabelle...

[Herbert West]

Well it certainly has steamy elements to it, and I like the figure models (well, except for Anna with the harpoon in her hair. The hell?) So combine this with one of the pirate sets and make your own steamy Lego adventures.

[Puck]

Victorian monster hunters predate the Steampunk subculture by a landslide.

[Argus Fairbrass]

Indeed, buit needless to say they've also become an inspiration for it. Pic related and nothing whatsoever to do with gratuitous fantasy hawtness.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Steampunk may have been at least part of the inspiration for those Lego figures (I suspect it was) but there does seem to be a burgeoning interest in all things Victorian or generally retro coming from a few directions at present. And yeah I certainly don't have a problem with that. Lego may not have quite the Steamy connection Meccano does, but it's very cool, and some folks do very cool things with it.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Aleister Crow]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Ye gods... that's impressive.

[Guinevere Meander]

I like them a lot and will always admit my lego past. And that mansion keeps me speechless.

[Will Howard]

Eh, no big deal. They really don't look very steamy to me. Sure, one of them is wearing a bowler and has a pocket watch, and one is wearing a pith helmet, but they certainly don't look steampunk to me.

They're two inch high Lego figures, for Cog's sake!! How much 'steamy' detail do you expect?
 One has a bowler hat, waistcoat and a pocket watch and one has Victorian style 'Franz Josef' whiskers and a pith. I've seen  posts on here from people asking how they can look more steampunk and people reply 'get a waistcoatand pocket watch'..'get a good hat, like a Pith or a bowler'...'grow some Victorian whiskers'.  If a waistcoat, pocket watch and an appropriate hat and Franz Josef whiskers  are sufficient attire to make a person  'steampunk' then it's good enough for a Lego figure, don't you?

Not unless the one with the bowler also has a mechanical leg- oh, wait...

Isn't the one in the bowler our own Danny Oakes?

[Argus Fairbrass]

A bit more info on Mr Doyle's mocs for those that might be interested.

http://mikedoylesnap.blogspot.co.uk/

[rhylla]

I like them... I suppose I see monster hunting as a part of my interpretation of Steampunk... along with general adventuring, inventing, exploring etc etc... bit of a twist on the love of big game hunting that some Victorians went in for. For me, that's it, twisting things that have been around for a long time.

-Rhylla-