Decades ago the manufacturer of LEGO bricks found itself in
a conundrum. LEGO sets were selling like
hotcakes but while youngsters could create buildings, vehicles and the like a
very important component was missing—people.
LEGO came up with a clever solution: simple one piece
figures that snapped into place on LEGO bricks-problem solved-or was it?
LEGO fans loved the figures and wanted more complex
figures-figures that were articulated and depicted more than a generic
one-size-fits-all.
LEGO took its customers’ advice and began creating small figures
with more personality and variety. Soon
figures popped up that depicted families and occupations. It wasn’t long before figures took on themes
such as pirates, spacemen, superheroes, movie themes, fantasy and specifically
designed genres exclusive to LEGO.
Hard to believe that from a simple beginning in the early
1970s that LEGO figures would branch out to cover such diverse genres as Star
Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Lord The Rings, Ninjas, Batman and DC Comics
along with specialized LEGO playsets based around the same themes.
Literally thousands of figures have been created since those
early days, some are which are very rare and very valuable.
DK (Dorling Kindersley) Publishing and authors Gregory
Farshtey and Daniel Lipkowitz present the oversize hardbound book: LEGO
Minfigure Year By Year A Visual History.
In it readers and LEGO fans are given a year-by-year tour
starting with the genesis of and continuing up to recent times of the LEGO
Minifigures history.
Full color photos of figures are accompanied by insightful
text explaining the evolution of LEGO Minifigures, and their slow
transformation from simple block figures to extravagant sculpted and highly
collectible figures.
To sweeten the deal the book comes with three LEGO
Minifigures: a Stormtrooper, Townsperson and Robber.
This more than just a book about LEGO Minifigures, it’s a
time capsule of the past 40 plus years as reflected by the trends and pop
culture phenomenon of each decade.