So, Barney Bear was Castle, then.

I had pirates in this era and I also had no idea this was a thing! Interesting to think about the comics as 80s accompanying narrative content precursors to the TV shows and movies of today.

I think today’s random set of the day is stretching the definition of “set.”

The back of the comic has rules for a game using the figs and a board built from bricks. A simple roll/race game, but fun for a 9yr old.

@Chromeknight said:
"The back of the comic has rules for a game using the figs and a board built from bricks. A simple roll/race game, but fun for a 9yr old."

In the Netherlands there was a toy shop that just sold the comic book.
The game at the end makes much more sense now.
I had to make my Will figure with a head swap.

Great comic, I enjoyed reading it many times.
I also saw some pirate movies right around the time the Pirates theme started.
There was Pirates starring Walter Matthau and Blackie the Pirate starring Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer.

A comic? Well thats not system compatible at all! 2/10, only a point for each minifig!

A Pirate Comic? That's arrrrrrr-some!

@focus72 said:
"Wow, this is a great reminder of one of my first comics ever, I love the (love-)story between Willy (shipboy) and the daughter of the gouverneur.
Sadly my copy is lost. Is there a way to look at those pages again? I know there are some scans about instructions on the net, maybe there is one about this story?

Edit: I found some pages, sadly it's only in dutch:
https://www.toysperiod.com/lego-set-reference/pirates/pirates-1/lego-6255-pirate-comic/"

This was my first pirate set too! I think the comic itself got damaged beyond reading so thanks for this trip to memory lane :-)

Someone is that kid in the photo. And is that photo there to demonstrate how to use a book?

I absolutely loved this comic! Similar to Asterix-style Euro comics (obviously), and being an Asterix fan, this was a big win.

The art was brilliant, really enjoyed the story too. Fired up my imagination to play with the smaller pirates sets I had. Now I'll have to find it again....

And Space Pirates? Yes please!

@chrisaw said:
"For some reason, this reminds me of the amazing TV commercials Lego used to do. Off to YouTube!"

TV Commercials! for Lego? Odd idea- that's a bit like advertising tap water.

I longed to own this comic but it went out of stock by the time I saved up enough pocket money. It came to mind when Barracuda Bay was released so I went to see what it would cost me on BL. Let's just say for €1,200 they can keep it!

@Librarian1976 said:
"Lego needs to combine two of the best themes and do a space pirates theme. "

That'd be Blacktron, me matey!

There are clearer photos at https://forum.brickpirate.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=11460 including the game mentioned above. The names of the above Darkshark's crew featured in this comic are shown here
https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/171812-lego-pirate-comic-the-unpublished-sequel-to-the-golden-medallion/
who seem to be based on mini-fig set 6251

Did anyone get the ‘Yo Ho, Yo Ho’ from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in their head when they saw this. I did.

This was translated into different languages. I had it when I was a kid and lost it, so it was one of the first things I bought when I discovered Bricklink: the Italian version was rare and I bought it from the USA. The seller said he didn't remember how he got it since he never went to Italy and didn't know Italian, or had any Italian relative or friend. Fun things happen.

An interesting set for sure. Still have my copy with the minifigs but the original box is long gone. Got it packed away safe in case I ever decide to sell it.

I remember I saw this - just the book, that is - on sale in a charity shop, some ten-plus years ago. I was curious because it had the Lego logo on it; but in the end it was just too weird to me to see Captain Redbeard as a human, so I didn't buy it. Though if it had still included the minifigures too, I suspect I would have made a different decision... xD

This is interesting. It was probably a creative concept to have add-ons to a comic book then. I know I don’t remember anything like that from my youth, which was slightly before this time.

I do remember this artist’s style, though, from comics or illustrations or maybe even cartoons. It’s very familiar.

What a fun treat to see.

Who knew these existed.

@Norikins:
The number of reprints of Action Comics No1 and Detective Comics No27 absolutely dwarfs the original print runs for those issues. When I was collecting comics, I think I ended up with at least three different reprints of DC27, one of which came in a cereal box and was less than half the size of a regular issue.

@LegoDavid:
Yup, then they discovered that minifigs and stories sell product.

@Spartan_Ghost:
No, they were just misunderstood. All they wanted to do was make your stuff their stuff.

@MCLegoboy said:
"Ye be a bit too late to the party methinks, but there be one day left to get yer votes in for yonder 90th Anniversary Celebration set.

So vote Bionicle me hearties, yaharhahahaharrr..."

Ye chances are spent! May Neptune have mercy on yer souls...
https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/d1613450-c72c-4447-97c3-4120ce28ecbe

@Atuin
Do you know where this audio can be found? I'd love digital copies.

I read through this when I bought it last year and it has stayed on my Lego bookshelf ever since. I had forgotten that the storyline involved a boy named Willy who has amorous intentions for the Governor's daughter. But now that it has been mentioned, I recall wondering if the screenwriters of Pirates of the Caribbean had read this as children.

I have the Finnish version of this set, which came with both English and Finnish versions of the comic book. In fact, the two figures are on display on my desk as I write this. There were more comics planned, but they were not produced. You can find images of them online. I set my daughter the task of translating them into English using Google translate, but I don't think she ever completed that project.

Captain Roger and the Darkshark forever! The Barracuda was Captain Foul's ship.

I love this comic and have it proudly displayed up above my Classic 1989-91 Pirates layout!

Oh yeah, legitimate question: did the comic cast the pirates or the imperials as the 'good guys'? I've heard that Lego never took an official stance one way or the other, so now that we have an published story here, I'm curious which position was chosen...

Captain Redbeard: hero or villain of the story? :o

@Librarian1976 said:
" @Atuin
Do you know where this audio can be found? I'd love digital copies. "

The audio dramas are actually available on Spotify weirdly enough. Just search for the German titles. For instance: https://open.spotify.com/album/5sQq8vPCiOSFJXBMs8zADq

I saw this comic in the catalogs, but I don't remember ever seeing it in person. They might've not sold these in toy stores, but in places like post offices, where they'd also sometimes sell LEGO sets (that's where I got my first).

man this has gotta be the most random RSotD i've seen yet

@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"I saw this comic in the catalogs, but I don't remember ever seeing it in person. They might've not sold these in toy stores, but in places like post offices, where they'd also sometimes sell LEGO sets (that's where I got my first)."

The Dutch version came as a booklet only, as a free gift when you bought the Black Seas Barracuda. In the Dutch language the blister set does not exist, and has not been for sale.

Back in 2002, when LEGO opened the Vault for the first time for AFOL's, I've traded a mint Dutch copy with the librarian of the Vault. All blister sets (in all available languages) were on the shelves, but no Dutch one.
....nowadays it's there.... :-)

Very random indeed. I still have the comic with my old building instructions....aah the good old days of the pirates.

@LAKAbricks said:
"Here in Denmark, the comic itself was also released without the minifigs. I have a couple of copies.

I loved reading it, and never thought it was strange the minifigs were "humanised".

The names of the characters in the Danish version:

Governor Broadside
Lieutenant de Martinet
Camilla, the niece of the governor
Aunti, the sister of the governor

Captain Roger
Rummy, the boatsman
Flashfork, the cook
Will, the shipboy
Bessie, the innkeeper
Spinoza, the monkey"

Redbeard was called Roger in the UK catalogues. I don't know if this comic was ever sold here.

@Atuin said:
"Actually, portraying Mini-Figures in a more 'realistic' way wasn't too uncommon in the 1989-2000 era. Portrayals of Johnny Thunder, Basil the Batlord, the Stingrays and the UFO Aliens (to name a few) exist as well. Oh - and of cause Timmy and Dr. Cyber from Time Cruisers!"
I hope someone can write an article with more history on this bizarre stuff!

I loved this comic and especially the minifig of Willy! It gave my pirate sets a whole other level of depths, to read stories and get to know backgrounds about the universe they're in.

@pxchris
Unfortunately, my understanding of German is nein out of 100. Do you know what the English title of the sequel is?