Lego fandom
.jpg)
Lego fandom is the fan community that exists around Lego toys.[1]: 164 [2]: 248–249
While Lego is primarily seen as a children's toy, there are also a significant number of adult fans of Lego, known by the abbreviation AFOL.[3]: 119
Adult fans of Lego (AFOL)
[edit]Adult members of the Lego fandom are called adult fans of Lego (AFOL).[4]: 221 [5]: 227 Many AFOLs design complex sets, known as MOCs ("My Own Creation"), sometimes using computer software such as LDraw or MLCAD for their planning. Such sets may be intended for public display during various events, and some have attracted media attention, such as Sean Kenney's model of Yankee Stadium, a six-foot-wide (1.8 m) and five-foot-long (1.5 m) construction of 45,000 pieces created over a period of three years, or Mark Borlase's Star Wars Hoth diorama of 60,000 bricks and four-year construction time.[3]: 123–124 Many AFOLs have dedicated "Lego rooms" in their houses.[3]: 124
Activities of more dedicated AFOLs go beyond creating Lego models, and include attending Lego conventions, participating in online Lego communities, and less often, cosplay, writing fanfiction or drawing fan art.[2]: 248–249
Large AFOL conventions include events such as Brickworld, BrickFair, or Bricks by the Bay.[3]: 123
Many AFOLs self-identify as "geeks" or "nerds".[3]: 123 In the United States, in the mid-2010s, most AFOLs were white, college-educated males in their 20s or 30s, although as time goes, the age of the average member of the community is steadily increasing, as more people who grew up with Lego become middle-aged or older.[3]: 121–122 AFOLs usually played with Lego sets as kids, and rediscovered the hobby at some later time in their nostalgic adulthood.[3]: 123, 125
The Lego Group recognizes the AFOL community as an important part of its customer base and maintains a number of outreach programs connecting it to the fan community.[2]: xxvi In some cases, entire official Lego sets can be seen as intended not for children but for adult fans.[6]
Abbreviations and jargon
[edit]Lego fans have coined a large variety of jargon, many of which are acronyms or initialisms. The Lego Group also uses some of these terms.[7][8][9]
- AFOL — adult fan(s) of Lego[10][11][12]
- BAM — Build-a-Minifigure,[13] minifigure pieces sold at retail Lego Stores with occasional exclusive parts
- BI — building instructions[10]
- BURP — big ugly rock piece[10][11]
- CC — classic Castle,[10][11] a popular retired Lego theme
- GWP — gift with purchase,[9] usually an exclusive set
- LAN — Lego Ambassador Network[12]
- LUG — Lego user(s) group[10][11][12]
- LURP — little ugly rock piece[10][11]
- MF — minifig,[10] a Lego minifigure
- MOC — my own creation,[10][11][12] a build made without following official Lego instructions
- PAB — Pick-a-Brick,[10] pieces sold in bulk at retail Lego Stores
- SNOT — studs not on top,[7][11] referring to a brick with studs e.g. on the side or bottom
- UCS — Ultimate Collector Series,[8][10][11] a Lego theme of detailed display builds aimed at adults
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Booth, Paul (2018-02-26). A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-23717-4. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ a b c Lee, Jonathan Rey (2020-09-08). Deconstructing LEGO: The Medium and Messages of LEGO Play. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-53665-7. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ a b c d e f g Garlen, Jennifer C (2013-11-07). "Block party: A look at adult fans of LEGO". In Barton, Kristin M.; Lampley, Jonathan Malcolm (eds.). Fan CULTure: Essays on Participatory Fandom in the 21st Century. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-7418-9. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ Jennings, Nancy A. (2019-11-27). ""It's All About the Brick": Mobilizing Adult Fans of LEGO". In Hains, Rebecca C.; Mazzarella, Sharon R. (eds.). Cultural Studies of LEGO: More Than Just Bricks. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-32664-7. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ Cook, Roy T.; Bacharach, Sondra (2017-06-13). LEGO and Philosophy: Constructing Reality Brick By Brick. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-19398-2. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ Garlen, Jennifer (2011-11-15). "Virtual Virago: Block Party: A Look at Adult Fans of LEGO". Virtual Virago. Archived from the original on 2023-01-21. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ^ a b "Learn Why Snot Rocks". The Lego Group. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
It may sound funny, but SNOT is no joke. It stands for 'Studs Not On Top' and it's a great way of building with LEGO bricks!
- ^ a b "LEGO Ultimate Collector Series". The Lego Group. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
If the idea of building a collectible LEGO Star Wars display piece sounds exciting to you, look no further than the LEGO UCS range!
- ^ a b "VIP Reversible Canvas Bag". The Lego Group. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
Free LEGO VIP Reversible Canvas Tote GWP (5005910) offer is valid for VIP purchases at LEGO.com and LEGO Catalogue telephone orders from 1/10/2019 to 13/10/2019, while stocks last.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Glossary of Popular LEGO Terms". SEALUG [Seattle Area LEGO Users Group]. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Lego Glossary". The Brothers Brick. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d Lyon, Joshua (2023-07-21). "How to Become an Adult Lego Master". Wirecutter. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ "First look at the April 2025 LEGO Build-a-Minifigure (BAM) selection!". Jay's Brick Blog. 2025-03-29. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
