LEGO® Ideas Showcase: When Classic Characters Get the Brick Treatment

Celebrate all things 80s and get inspired by these fantastic fan creations submitted as part of the ‘If We Could Turn Back Time’ challenge on LEGO® Ideas.

What’s LEGO Ideas got to do with it? Well, along with that classic Whitney track, we love all the pop culture icons created in the 80s. And it turns out, so do plenty of LEGO fans. The response to the ‘If We Could Turn Back Time’ challenge on LEGO Ideas was phenomenal. We Just Can’t Get Enough of your brilliant creations.

We were so inspired by the submissions that we thought we’d share some of the many highlights. From treasured cartoon characters to movie juggernauts, Walk This Way for a small roundup of some of the entries…

Garfield

From his debut in the Sunday comics to his prime-time TV show, lasagna-loving orange feline Garfield is synonymous with the 80s. This LEGO Ideas set is a true celebration of 45 years of the coolest cat on the block, with designer Brent Waller including Garfield’s adorable bear Pookie, a slice of pizza and remote in hand.

Inspector Gadget

Part man, part machine, this international crime-fighting hero first arrived on our screens in 1983 and has enjoyed many adaptations over the years. We like how designer Packatrix has opted to celebrate the super sleuth complete with his ‘Gadget Copter,’ but says they would also love to add in the Inspector’s magnifying glass, siren and spare hand. Go-Go Gadget Copter!

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

This lovable alien became part of pop culture back in 1982 thanks to director Steven Spielberg’s magical movie. Designer TheUpsideDownBuilder has recreated the classic bicycle scene – where E.T uses his extra-terrestrial powers to lift him and friend Elliot through the air – brilliantly. All together now… E.T. phone home!

My Neighbor Totoro

Meet the beloved characters of 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film My Neighbor Totoro with this delightful LEGO Ideas fan creation from designer Brekru. Opting for the scene in which Satsuki meets her sister Mei’s spirit friend Totoro at the bus stop, this talented designer has included three classic characters in their set.

ALF

A cult 80s sitcom star, ALF kept households laughing after he crash-landed into the Tanners’ suburban garage back in 1986. Ever a hungry alien, this designer has truly captured the essence of ALF with a ‘snack’ in his hand – sorry kitty!

Rocky III: ‘Eye Of The Tiger’

Risin’ up to the challenge of his rivals, LEGO Ideas creator Rokan Cheung has included both brooding protagonist Rocky Balboa and his challenger James ‘Clubber’ Lang from the 1982 film Rocky III in his build. Basing the figures on actors Sylvester Stallone and Mr. T, this budding builder has really added to the ‘thrill of the fight’ by including interactive punching actions to their gloves. Nice touch!

Care Bears

Originally created by artist Elena Kucharik for a line of greeting cards, these fluffy friends soon became recognized the world over after being made into a hit animated series. LEGO Ideas designer Brickdusa has paid homage to the original ten multicolored mammals with this collection of BrickHeadz™ – each with unique images on their stomachs to represent their personality. Iconic!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Cowabunga, dude! There’s not one, but four legendary 80s characters in this entry by Falkorich. What began as a comic strip morphed into a worldwide sensation with the creation of an animated series in the 80s. With Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael all included – and, may we add, all fully poseable! – this LEGO Ideas fan creation is positively brimming with turtle power.

Danger Mouse

Never fear, Danger Mouse is here! He solves problems faster than you can say cheese, and now the world’s greatest secret agent has been celebrated with this fun design from creator GentleEarwig. This idea features the main man – or mouse – and his bumbling sidekick Penfold in their infamous orange car. We love the addition of their nemesis Baron Greenback, who is ready to wreak havoc from his console.

Johnny 5

AI may be all the rage these days but back in the 80s robots with human-like intelligence looked more like friendly Johnny 5, from the hit film Short Circuit. The amiable bot gained sentience after being hit by lightning and went on to learn all about humanity. In this special LEGO homage, Johnny can move and talk – just like his on-screen counterpart.

So, there we have it. A selection of classic character creations in brick-form from the LEGO Ideas ‘If We Could Turn Back Time’ challenge. Check out all the other totally tubular entries now and show the designers some love!