Retro computing with a touch of modern and the home for all things, retroCombs (aka Steven Combs).
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HOWTO: Easy to Build LEGO Minifig Display with IKEA Lustigt
by Steven B. Combs, Ph.D.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything LEGO related. I wouldn’t say that I’m in my “dark years;” however, my LEGO hobby has been put on hold for some pressing work concerns and priority with other hobbies (I have way too many); namely my new fascination with the 1980s era Commodore Plus/4 computer and the use of modern devices to make that device even more enjoyable to use in 2020s.
During the 2020 fourth of July weekend, Nikki and I brokedecided to break out some LEGO projects (Have I mentioned how much she and I miss our old podcast, Bricks in my Pocket - BimPCast?). I chose to worked on my IKEA LEGO minifig display that I’ve had on the back burner for months. I knew it would be a quickshort project; even including the video capture. The next day, I took twoa couple of hours with DaVinci Resolve to create an edit of what I hope is a fun video meant to inspire others to give this simple, and inexpensive, LEGO minifig display hack a try. What a fungreat family project for a rainy, hot, or snowy, afternoon!
YouTube Video: Easy to Build LEGO Minifig Display (Mash-up of DC Comics, LEGO, IKEA, and Makya)
In the video below, I have some fun demonstrating my process to create a LEGO minifig display from an IKEA Lustigt wall display unit and some Makya building brick tape.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
Below are the links mentioned in the video:
- IKEA Lustigt Display - These are a steal at $8 each! I have four of them.
- IKEA FIXA Power Screwdriver - A great little power screwdriver that really holds a charge and has a surprising amount of power for it’s diminutive size.
- Makya Toy Tape - When I purchased, several months ago, there was a combo package. Sadly, that package doesn’t seem to be available currently, so I’ve linked to individual packages.
Final Thoughts
As I mention at the start of the video, I love DC Comics. I’ve always been a DC, rather than Marvel, comics fan. When LEGO released their series one DC Comics minifig collection (#ad), I couldn’t resist. They created mMy favorite characters in the DC Universe were created in the 1940s. Most and became a memberpart of the Justice Society of America (I’m old, but not old enough to have been alive during the publication of these original comics). The Jay Garrick version of the Flash has always been my favorite, with the original Green Lantern a very close second. Their quaint back stories and colorful customs are simply, and literally, “classics.” The Flash gets his power from drinking hard water, and the Green Lantern finds a magical lantern in a train tunnel. “How much fun is that!?!” I’m hopeful series two will include the original Alan Scott Green Lantern minifig ands well as other notable characters from that era to include:
- Wildcat - a boxer turned superhero
- Atom - a man who’s smaller, but stronger, than everyone else
- Hawkman - a reincarnated winged warrior
- Hourman - a man who takes a drug (not a great role model for today’s youth) to achieve his superhuman strength for, you guessed it, one hour
- Red Tornado (aka, Ma Hunkel) - one of the strangest characters ever and you musthave to Google that one for some fun (Spoiler Alert: she wears a cooking pot on her head in her fight against crime)
In hindsight, I wish I’d spent more time planning the video. I always think of things afterward to include; however, after only a few hours of editing, it was a fun, and very geeky, weekend project for the two of me and Nikki to enjoy and I was glad I could cajole Nikki into an audio only appearance. It’s always so much more lively when she joins the fun. Her laugh is infectious and I should have included more of it into the video.
Now that this video is complete, I’m looking forward to getting back to my retroCombs videos. I think there’s some impressivereally great stuff coming up. I hope you plan to join me on that retro-computing journey!
Join the Fun
Have you created your own LEGO minifig display? Leave a comment below and share your creation. Nikki and I would love to see them. Stay tuned to <> for any updates to this post with additional figures, or scenes, I add to my display(s). Now where is that Harley Quinn minifig?