A history of LEGO wheelchairs
Posted by Huw,
This week's #ThrowbackThursday article has been contributed by d.m.t.arnold:
One of the new summer releases, 60134 Fun in the Park - City People Pack, received a lot of media coverage when it was revealed at toy fairs earlier this year. There are many interesting things about this set, including a brand new baby minifigure and the hot dog bun element. However, it’s the new wheelchair that has made a buzz online.
But is a LEGO wheelchair such a groundbreaking idea? Let's look at the history of wheelchairs in LEGO.
The first appearance of a wheelchair incorporated the figures of the time in brick-built form in 363 Hospital in 1975. It also included a brick built stretcher and was in fact the very first hospital set.
As we learned in last week's #ThrowbackThursday article, a wheelchair was due to appear in a 1979 hospital set but it was never produced, so the the next wheelchair manifestation was 20 years later but not for a figure or even in the System range: 9701 Dacta Control Lab Building Set from 1995 included instructions to make a joystick controlled wheelchair.
LEGO stretchers, that debuted along with the first hospital and wheelchair, were given a moulded form in 1987 in 6380 Emergency Treatment Center.
However, the first moulded wheelchairs did not appear until several years later in 2011, in Duplo and Duplo Education sets, such as 5795 Big City Hospital which also included crutches attached to a leg cast, and 45010 Community People Set.
This wheelchair fits Duplo figures and consists of one moulded element, including the wheels.
In 2016 we come to the latest LEGO wheelchair installment in the Fun in the Park set.
Unlike the earlier Duplo version, this new offering is made up of the new chair mould itself plus two wheels with tyres and a wheel axle element.
This makes the wheelchair more realistic with greater playability than any previous version designed for a figure. What is also interesting is that it is the first figure-based wheelchair that is not depicted in a medical setting in its promotional material.
Because of its inclusion in a non-medical setting there have been suggestions that this is the first disabled person in a LEGO set, so this article would not be complete without a look at some other sets that depict disability and accessibility:
The 1989 Pirates theme included the first minifigure prostheses in the form of peg-leg and hook-hand moulds as well as printed eye-patches; these are all seen on Captain Red Beard.
An entirely mechanical arm was introduced with several minifigures from the Agents theme in 2008. Such parts and printing have been used a lot since then in various historical, fantasy and sci-fi themes.
The leg piece was given a more modern look in 2012 on Doctor Rodney Rathbone from the Monster Hunters theme but no equivalent features have ever appeared in City, Creator or other ‘modern day’ sets.
Crutches have made two different appearances in 5875 Belville Hospital Ward in 1996, and recently with Clumsy Guy from CMF Series 15, who also sports a head bandage, leg cast and a printed bruised face.
On a related note, LEGO has collaborated with this year’s Olympic Games and created the Paralympic mascot, Tom, in brick-built form in 40225 Rio 2016 Mascots. The Paralympic games is a branch of the Olympics specifically for disabled athletes.
Even though wheelchairs (and some other aspects relating to disability) are not a new idea in LEGO, it seems to be the combination of three things that make the debut of this new wheelchair particularly interesting:
- it’s primarily made of a brand-new specific mould with moving wheels, rather than being brick-built;
- it’s designed for minifigures - the flagship and most iconic LEGO figure type;
- its promotional images show it in a normal everyday setting rather than being in a medical setting or fantasy theme.
Of course, the great thing about LEGO is the creativity and imagination that it allows (it sounds like the instructions for 60134 encourage people to mix and match the parts). Different parts can represent whatever individual builders want them to.
Let us know in the comments below what uses you can think of for this new wheelchair in MOCs or future LEGO sets.
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17 comments on this article
Davros' chair, if Lego does a doctor who line(fingers crossed)
Are there studs on the bottom? If so could be a cool office chair.
Johnny English wheelchair chase mod. Add some cool gadgets. Maybe a fall back feature so English can drive under a lorry.
Stephen Hawking moc.
Bought all the spider man sets yesterday. Amazing!
I think that Lego wheelchairs have really improved in the past 11 years!!
Back then they looked crazy!!
Next there will be X wheels for that wheelchair...
What about Modok's chair from Hulk Smash set. He needs it to haul his big head around.
I guess after this we can be expecting Professor X in minifig form...
There was also a Duplo wheelchair in 9209, and a brick-built wheelchair shown on the box of the 45103 Community StoryStarter expansion pack.
If I have one tiny complaint about the wheelchair piece, it is that the centre of gravity is too far back so that the occupant tends to tip backwards too easily, especially when he gets a football in the face (Sami Khedira with his trademark accuracy).
Nevertheless, the wheelchair is a fantastic piece to play with: since the wheels are attached using the standard spigots, I've had great fun swapping the supplied wheels with mini dishes and racing wheels. What's more, stand the occupant on the seat (facing backwards) and you have the makings of a 'Ben Hur' chariot!
Cool. I didn't know many things that you've written, thanks.
Why can't I stop thinking that no X-Men sets are released this year when looking at this new wheelchair?
I wonder how they could have done it and also have it fit short legs. Maybe it's time for hinged short legs? No Lego disabled kids unless they're Duplo?
Very nice roundup, and it'll be interesting to see what else people do with the new wheelchair... I look forward to getting my copy of Fun in the Park soon.
Hope we get Prof. X and Harry Wells/Eobard Thawne from the flash show soon.
Use it for someone like Harrison Wells from the Flash.
In 1979 there was a hospital set pictured in a promo catalog that was never released. It did, however, include a brick built wheelchair, and as far as I know that would have made it the first minifigure wheelchair.
http://peeron.com/catalogs/1979/medium/11/?id=97
It's a shame my box was missing a wheelchair wheel from its bag. Had to ask for a replacement. Maybe the extra sausage I received threw the weight of the bag off when it was being filled.
I might BrickLink it and use it in the cockpit of one of my ships, or as a seat for a laser cannon.
Thanks for the comments (hadn't had a chance to read until now), and thanks @Huw for kindly posting my article as part of Throw Back Thursday.
@QWONOS - thanks- I didn't notice this when researching but did have to gloss over lot of superhero/sci-fi/ fantasy things that could be related to this article.
@paul_merton - good finds! I'd noticed the Duplo set (didn't just want to list every set with that element) but totally missed "45103 Community StoryStarter expansion pack"! I didn't look in the Education sets enough I think. Interesting that that was only released last year when the new piece would already have been in development. Funny that the set doesn't seem to actually include the parts for the wheelchair (I guess they come in the core pack). Also it seems to be someone in medical uniform pushing the chair so I think my summary points still stand :)
@Space:1979 - racing wheels,: cool - I wonder if we'll see a paralympic wheelchair athlete in the future?!
@rstiltskin - interesting find; I love seeing sets that were never released (although often wish they were). You're right, it's not quite the first wheelchair, but would have been the first for 'minifigures' in the format we know (and love) today, especially as you can just bend their legs and not break them in half to make them sit down!
Thanks again, I'll add the things I missed to the BrickList on disability that I've set up and adding to.