Meet a member: Matt_Z_
Posted by Huw,
Today we're chatting to Matthew Zwicker, aka Matt_Z_, who's a business consultant in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
What is your first LEGO memory?
The first one I can remember clearly is opening 6090 Royal Knight's Castle on Christmas Morning, circa 1996. It's still my favourite LEGO set of all time. I also have an early memory of building and playing with 6020 Magic Shop, although it is a sad one as I lost Majisto’s magic wand that came with the set. Fortunately, I’ve since been able to find a replacement.
Did you have a dark age and if so what caused you to emerge from it?
I would consider the period between 2001-2006 as the closest I came to a dark age. It consisted mainly of me hiding my Harry Potter sets in my attic whenever my friends came over, due to the perception that LEGO wasn’t “cool.” I managed to avoid a full blown dark age by always picking up at least one set per year during that timeframe.
I emerged from this period around 2007-2008. The Fantasy Era (Castle) subtheme was instrumental in helping me out of my dark age. I still think it is one of the better Castle lines in recent memory. I feel it was highly underappreciated at the time, yet looked back on with reverence by many fans I’ve talked to. The most crucial set that had an impact on me during this time was 10193 Medieval Market Village. It formed the basis and foundation for many future MOCs and is still incorporated in my village layout today!
Which set or theme has been most influential upon you, as a LEGO fan?
The Castle theme has definitely been the most influential on me. The plethora of online builders who create stunning MOCs within this genre is simply inspiring. Their builds paved the way for me to reignite my passion for LEGO as an AFOL. In particular, I would cite Derfel Cadarn’s Detailed guide to building a medieval village on Eurobricks as the single most important source of inspiration for me.
What are you building right now?
I have a medieval/fantasy based village layout that I’m always editing and making changes to. My big project for 2020 is a Castle structure that, when completed, will span twenty 32x32 baseplates. It will also connect to the aforementioned village.
How do you store your LEGO?
I use drawer cabinet organisers with transparent compartments, similar to what you’d find in Tom Alphin’s LEGO Storage Guide (which is awesome, by the way). I also use standard bins and containers which are a mainstay in many LEGO collections. In my opinion, maintaining an organised collection & workspace is a critical aspect to the hobby.
Do you build MOCs? If, so what?
Building MOCs is the main focal point of the hobby for me. I tend to build within the Castle genre as there are a vast number of resources online to help draw inspiration from, or to learn building techniques. But I will also build small vignettes in a variety of themes whenever I get a creative idea.
What is your favourite part?
That’s a really tough question. As someone who builds in the Castle genre, I’ll have to go with the 1x1 brick, modified with stud on 1 side. It’s just such a mainstay within the genre and is used in so many scenarios. When I first started looking at other MOCs online and trying to figure out how to MOC myself, this part, along with the “headlight” brick, appeared in so many builds. I quickly realised I’d need a lot of these!
What theme would you like LEGO to produce?
Starting to sound like a broken record here, but definitely the Castle theme. I know that reigniting the Castle theme has been a hot topic circulating on many LEGO fan sites for some time now. The announcement of the new Medieval Blacksmith LEGO Ideas set could be a step in that direction, and I really hope it does well from a sales point of view so that TLG takes note.
There’s much debate on whether the Castle genre would resonate with LEGO’s target market (kids) or not. That said, I think there’s enough interest among AFOLs to justify some sort of revitalized Castle product, or maybe even a “Legacy” line of Classic sets (including entries from the Space, Pirates, Adventurers, and Western themes).
What is the availability of LEGO like where you live?
Where I live, there is no official LEGO retail store. We are an island province, so getting to the nearest LEGO store requires a trip by boat or plane. I, like other AFOLs in the area, rely on big box stores, LEGO.com, and Bricklink to source our LEGO. We also have a local business in our capital city that resells LEGO, so that acts as our “unofficial” LEGO store. It has been an invaluable resource for myself and other fans of LEGO in our area.
How long have you been visiting Brickset?
I feel like the emergence from my dark age and subsequent discovery of Brickset almost go hand in hand. According to my profile, it says I have been a member since “Before November 2010.” Brickset has and continues to be my most visited LEGO website on a daily basis.
What's your favourite/most used feature of the site?
I would say it’s a tie between the My Sets feature and the News on the front page. Tracking your collection is such an important part of the hobby, especially for someone who has been known to tear down LEGO sets and part them out (I know, I know, I’m a heretic). As someone who MOCs, tracking which sets you own and their respective parts inventory is so helpful in answering the following question: “do I have enough of this part already, or do I have to place a LEGO PAB/Bricklink order?”
As for the news feature, the first LEGO site I go to in the morning is Brickset. Maybe it’s the time difference, but I know anything critical that happens in the world of LEGO will be published front and centre on Brickset by the time I get up. Generally speaking, I find the banter and discussions in the comments section to be informative, respectful, and thought-provoking. That’s a testament to all Brickset users.
Are you a member of a LUG? Yes- I am the Ambassador for NewfoundLUG - Newfoundland & Labrador’s first and only LEGO User Group. We recently achieved Recognised LEGO User Group (RLUG) status in May 2019. We typically host and attend events in our home province, and we are actively growing our group locally. It is a very exciting time for us as a newly minted RLUG, and we’re looking forward to what the rest of 2020 will bring.
Thanks Matthew!
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12 comments on this article
I just don't understand why LEGO is so hesitant about bringing back the Castle theme... Pretty much every AFOL wants it back. Let's hope the Medieval Blacksmith does well enough for LEGO to reconsider bringing back the line.
Very interesting! I had seen online that there was a LUG in Newfoundland and was curious about it as I'm from a neighbouring province, Prince Edward Island. Matt's village is impressive and that castle will be amazing by the looks of the throne room vignette. Thank you!
That MOC is my dream! Literally, I would absolutely love to build a Medieval MOC but 1) I don't have the pieces 2) I only have 1 castle set because I was too young to invest in Lego back then and I think the one I have is a polybag 3) I don't have the space. I originally wanted to put that I didn't have the time, but we all know that's a lie in our current situation. But that MOC truly is incredible and is the stuff I expect to see in the Blocks magazines. if you haven't already @Matt_Z_ it might be an idea to put it forward to them.
I would definitely appreciate the return of the Castle theme but it needs to be reasonably priced because I am a TFoL and I really don't have the money to properly invest in the theme. However, I am a TFoL who would very much like to see the return of Castle but I'm not sure that I classify as a "kid".
Anyway, thanks for sharing, and, because of you, I've added at least 5 sets to my wanted list!
Four-in-hand knot. Well done Matthew. Mark of a gentleman.
Man, I don't even build castle and I still love castle. I almost bought that big castle through the Bricklink ADP (got the saloon instead, though!). The large scale MOCs and collabs you castle builders make are some of the coolest things I've ever seen.
Appreciate the comments by everyone! It truly means a lot to me.
@LegoDavid- Amen. I think there's definitely a market, especially among AFOLs, to justify a new Castle theme. If it's targeting that segment, I would imagine it would have the most success if built in the same style as 10193 or other city modulars- essentially, an "advanced, modular" style if you will. Time will tell!
@mfg3000- Thanks! Are you involved with any LUGs in your region (ie. MariLUG?) Feel free to reach out and connect, and contact me via email anytime- always down for a chat about all things LEGO! Thanks for the kind words.
@slobrojoe- Thanks! Keep gathering pieces for your collection. I myself do not have a large collection, compared to some other builders out there. As mentioned, I often dismantle sets/kits to get the parts I need for a MOC. I love the ability to reuse and recycle parts through sets- I think you learn how much you actually DO have! If you're not familiar with Classic Castle or the wide world of talented MOCers on Flickr, definitely check them out! Inspiring work in the Castle theme, and it's still continuing today.
We did a feature in BLOCKS! It was called NewfoundLUG Spotlight (Issue 60- October 2019).
@CorteztheKiller- Thank you, sir! Hope you liked the article.
@Carbohydrates- I also bought the saloon in place of the castle, on the Bricklink ADP! Fantastic build, just incredible. And man, absolutely- there are some amazing builders out there. I consider myself just an average builder who absorbs knowledge and building techniques from the other pioneers in the Castle theme. There's so much out there in the genre, so much to discover.
Special thanks to @Huw for publishing the interview!
20 baseplates!!!!! That's INSANE!!
Derfel Cadarn is a legend. Inspired me too.....gosh around a decade ago.
Please TLG give some traditional Castle models again. (ie.no neon, rocket horses, tracked buildings, etc) I mean great imagination, but enough now :o)
I so love the idea of a "Legacy" line. If Lego cannot justify a full line of the previous well-loved themes (Space, Castle, Pirates, Adventurers) maybe they could come up with the aforementioned "Legacy" line and release maybe 2 sets per year - one in winter, one in summer - rotating between the themes that we all want. Of these four themes, Castle is the one I'm the least likely to buy for myself (maybe because I'm not good enough to moc them properly but I do own 10193) but I think the Castle mocs are amongst the best - the level of details is just insane! (your own castle is a good example of true dedication) Space was my favourite theme as a kid (now mostly into Technic) but I will get the Pirates of Barracuda Bay and I will most likely get the Blacksmith if the treatment is done well. And again, love these interviews.
Always nice to 'meet' a fellow Castle fan! Medieval Market Village is my all-time favorite Lego set and I can't wait to see the LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith. Love Matt's throne room vignette!
How do I sign up for this, or other user-submitted things?
^ Use the contact form to send it to us but note that we have a bit of a backlog!
@Huw said:
"^ Use the contact form to send it to us but note that we have a bit of a backlog!"
thanks Huw, I have sent one in. I didn't know if that was the right method to get in touch. I presume email is how you return contact if you are chosen correct?