In April of last year, the LEGO building community lost one of its prominent members, Nate “nnenn” Nielson. Nate’s death was the result of an automobile accident. A resident of Tekoa, Washington, Nate was a father, an artist, and a professor specializing in graphic design. Nate is survived by his beloved wife and two sons ages 3 and 8.
Nielson is not someone I knew personally. But it was hard to be interested in custom LEGO creations and not stumble upon his work. Especially if you l0ve science fiction like I do. Nielson was an expert at creating amazing starships. You can still see a lot of his work on his flickr account.
Recently, the LEGO Group released a new Alien Conquest entitled “Earth Defense HQ.” The set includes four vehicles: mini UFO, interceptor shuttle, mini rescue vehicle and a “Mobile Launch Station” with detachable lab trailer. It is the interceptor shuttle that concerns us today. In particular, a little detail on the wing:
You are seeing that correctly. That is indeed Nielson’s online handle nnenn on an official LEGO playset. This brilliant tribute came from the mind of Mark Stafford who designed the set.
While I need no convincing about the value of LEGO blocks as toys, this is shows that the company behind the toy is equally worthy of admiration. Well done, LEGO Group. You have impressed me yet again.
-That is all.
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