San Francisco, CA, August 18, 2011—LEGO is arguably the most popular toy in the world. But for some people, it's a way of life, even long after they've grown.
In The Cult of LEGO (No Starch Press, November 2011, full color, hardcover, 304 pp., $39.95, ISBN 9781593273910), Wired's GeekDad blogger John Baichtal and BrickJournal founder Joe Meno take readers on a magnificent, illustrated tour of the LEGO community, its people, and their creations.
The Cult of LEGO introduces us to fans and builders from all walks of life. People like professional LEGO artist Nathan Sawaya; enigmatic Dutch painter Ego Leonard (who maintains that he is, in fact, a LEGO minifig); Angus MacLane, a Pixar animator who builds CubeDudes, instantly recognizable likenesses of fictional characters; Brick Testament creator Brendan Powell Smith, who uses LEGO to illustrate biblical stories; and Henry Lim, whose work includes a series of models recreating M.C. Escher lithographs and a full-scale, functioning LEGO harpsichord.
Readers will marvel at spectacular LEGO creations like:
- A life-sized Stegosaurus and an 80,000-brick T. Rex skeleton
- Detailed microscale versions of landmarks like the Acropolis and Yankee Stadium
- A 22-foot long, 350-pound re-creation of the World War II battleship Yamato
- A robotic, giant chess set that can replay historical matches or take on an opponent
- A three-level, remote-controlled Jawa Sandcrawler, complete with moving conveyor belt
Whether readers are card-carrying AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO), kids with a passion for building, or grown-ups reminiscing about childhood days spent surrounded by bricks and partially built masterpieces, The Cult of LEGO is sure to impress and inspire.
For more information, to request a review copy, or to schedule an interview with the authors, contact Travis Peterson at No Starch Press (nostarchpr@oreilly.com, +1.415.863.9900 x108), or visit www.nostarch.com.
Sample pages from The Cult of LEGO: