Clutch Power

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LEGO says yellow represents every person. LEGO fans of color disagree. On this episode, a deep dive into the origins of the “yellow everyman” and the consequences that’s had on the LEGO fandom.

Today’s guests are numerous and wide-ranging, from philosophers to LEGO Masters contestants. In order of appearance:

This episode is the culmination of months of work, research, and feedback - not just from those six guests. I want to shout-out a few others for working with me on this episode:

If you’re a Clutch Power supporter, you get a bonus act between Parts 2 and 3 called “The Yellow Option”, where I jump back to 2015 when LEGO’s “yellow minifig myth” was stretched to its limits. I also talk to LEGO fans of color who do use the yellow minifig to represent them. It’s $2 / month to become a Patron, and you’ll get bonus content + a MOC for every episode!

Join the Patreon!

Sources:

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

20100320.slide.projector.wav (cleaned) by dav0r -- https://freesound.org/s/500413/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

There are over 250 Bricks & Minifigs stores that claim to be independent. But what kind of control does the corporate office have over its franchises?

BAM (Bricks & Minifigs) is entrenched in Internet outrage, at least one lawsuit, and allegations flying around. Many BAM locations have come out with statements saying they are “locally owned and operated small business.” On this episode, I sit down with a franchise attorney to examine BAM’s Franchise Agreement, how it compares to its Operations Manual, and some of the more uncommon aspects of that agreement.

I also take those questions to Ammon McNeff, CEO of Bricks & Minifigs.

In the spirit of transparency, I’ve put up the full, unedited interview with Ammon on my Patreon. You can view it for $2.

Also, to address claims that I’m working with BAM or I’m in their camp, let me say: I have shared the full interview with Reckless Ben, the YouTuber who put these allegations into the spotlight.

I am more than willing to share any information I have with relevant parties. My loyalty is, and will always be, to the truth. All I ask is that these parties share in that loyalty to the truth.

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

If you have even a passing interest in LEGO’s larger sets, you’re gonna run into the black boxes. And I, quite frankly, am sick of it.

Today’s guest: Graham E. Hancock, writer and editor of Blocks Magazine. Blocks really carries on the spirit of mid-2000s LEGO Magazine with designer interviews, MOC showcases, and reviews of old LEGO themes. Each issue is massive and I can’t imagine the amount of work that goes into it behind the scenes.

Graham’s actually been on Clutch Power before! In Episode 7: Just How Smart IS This Brick?, we talked about his hands-on experience with the LEGO Smart Brick the day it was announced.

Although if you recognize his name, it’s probably from the thick tome LEGO Star Wars - The Force of Creativity. It’s everything you want to know about LEGO Star Wars up to 2024. If you want newer LEGO Star Wars news, I’ll point you to a special issue of Blocks Magazine: LEGO Star Wars Special Magazine.

If you’re a Clutch Power supporter, you get a bonus act called “Fast Times at Mos Eisley High”. LEGO’s original Mos Eisley Cantina - from 2004 - actually has two box variants, which is the only example I can find of this. Graham talks me through why this happened, which put to rest a 22-year-old mystery.

You’ll also get access to a special MOC just for this episode! I re-created the LEGO black box with a stud for you to put…whatever you want on display! If LEGO’s gonna do it, I’m gonna do it, too!

It’s $2 / month to become a Clutch Power supporter, and you’ll get bonus content + a MOC for every episode!

Join the Patreon!

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

Welcome to the world of AFOLs, MOCs, BURPs, SNOT, greebles, and a bunch of other nonsense words LEGO fans use. Wondering where to begin? The author of a LEGO glossary can help.

Today's guest: the charming Jim Winslett! Jim is what I would describe as a hobbyist, and his website shows that: LEGOs, roller coasters, handbells, and his most recent obsession: British hip hop group Pete & Bas.

This is the most philosophical episode I've done so far (but I have many more planned), and it was so fun to dive into the why behind hobby-speak. I'd love to hear from you about your favorite LEGO-isms, and what you've found difficult about getting into the LEGO hobby?

I mention this in the episode, but if you're as deep into LEGO fandom as I am, you'll want to check out Disturbing the Piece podcast. It is about a niche as a LEGO podcast can get (even more than this one, somehow) and it is so entertaining.

If you’re a Patreon supporter, you’ll get a bonus act called: “Pete and Bas and Jim." Jim tells me about his cancer diagnosis and how that hip hop group saved his life (his words - not mine). It's a genuinely great story.

You’ll also get access to a special MOC just for this episode! For this one it is the long-lost LEGO dictionary. I found it deep within the LEGO vaults and am proud to share it with the wide world. Just don't go broadcasting about it or I could get into trouble.

It’s $2 / month to become a Patron, and you’ll get bonus content + a MOC for every episode!

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

LEGO Western may not be the shortest-lasting, the strangest, or the most problematic LEGO theme, but it’s up there. On this episode, a look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly legacy of these 24 sets with one of the people who knows it best.

Today’s guests include the one and only TrikBrix! Jamie has huge Clutch Power guest energy with his deep dives into 80s and 90s LEGO themes, and I’m so happy I got to talk about LEGO Western with him. You can really tell how much he loves this theme - if his masterful retrospectives didn’t give it away:

But honestly you can’t go wrong with any of his videos. Jamie has some of the highest quality LEGO content you’ll find, period, end of sentence. Every frame of his videos is a masterpiece.

I’m also honored to introduce you to two scholars in Part 2 of this episode:

Both of these men are absolute gems and gave me so much to ponder about Native American representation. I grew up in Alabama and my school didn’t give Native Americans a lot of focus - at least, not in the way you’d want in 2026. I can’t get over something James said - about how a “Native American LEGO set” is the same as a “white person LEGO set” or “black person LEGO set” which obviously would not fly.

If you want to read more about LEGO and Native American representation, here are some great articles:

If you’re a Patreon supporter, you’ll get a bonus act called: “The Music of 90s LEGO”. Jamie writes all the music for his videos, so I wanted to chat with him about his process, as well as throwing some curveball LEGO themes at him to see what kind of music he’d think up. Also - hot takes on Time Cruisers!

You’ll also get access to a special MOC just for this episode! I love this one: a classic Western standoff, with a sunset, silhouette, revolver. Man I love the Wild West.

It’s $2 / month to become a Patron, and you’ll get bonus content + a MOC for every episode!

Join the Patreon!

Songs from:

Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

WombatNoisesAudio:

And TrikBricks:

There are a lot of sexy alt-bricks brands out there. Lumibricks. Bluebrixx. Pantasy. I made a lifelong commitment to LEGO, but I’ll be honest…the temptation is strong.

Today’s guest: Jackson Sandler of LEGO YouTube fame. Jackson burst into the scene about a year ago with his phenomenal video Building All 36 Minikits from Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga.

Since then, it’s been banger after banger of mid-2000s LEGO themes. As someone who grew up in that time, I am loving the content.

And of course his video that inspired the episode:

I know these alt-bricks can be controversial with us LEGO purists, but Jackson and I ranked some brands that you might want to check out:

If you’re a Patreon supporter, you’ll get a bonus act called: “My Hero” talking about his passion for Guitar Hero. Jackson will occasionally post a video on social media, playing Guitar Hero to some meme LEGO sounds. His video on the LEGO Star Wars Video Game death sounds is particularly good.

You’ll also get access to a special MOC just for this episode! There’s an underground movement of anti-LEGO fans, and here’s some of their graffiti. Just don’t tell LEGO I built this…

It’s $2 / month to become a Patron, and you’ll get bonus content + a MOC for every episode!

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

If you’re over 10 years old going to a LEGOLAND park, something will feel off. The parks are…barren. Low attendance, badly-maintained attractions, and limited entertainment staff. LEGO is obsessed with high quality, so why are LEGOLANDs so shoddy?

I’m proud to declare this Clutch Power’s first two-person interview! Dan Ibbertson of Slope’s Game Room and Slope’s Adventures, and his buddy Andrew Dalton (who’s appeared on many Slope’s Adventures videos). Both these guys are theme park mega-fans, and they’ve done some great coverage on UK theme parks, specifically Merlin Entertainments, who owns every LEGOLAND.

A few LEGO-centric episodes:

A ton of theme park discussion in this episode, and if you want to dip your toe into theme park YouTube, I cannot recommend Defunctland enough. The quality on these videos is unbelievable. Here’s the specific video I reference in this episode:

If you’re a Patreon supporter, you’ll get a bonus act called: “This Park’s Theme? Nightmare!” Dan and Andrew share tales from Merlin parks, a really bevy of horror stories. The Peppa Pig park story in particular (4 P’s!) is my favorite.

You’ll also get access to a special MOC just for this episode! I built LEGOLAND Windsor’s front gate (before the renovation). Yet even this small build conveys that feeling of emptiness.

It’s just $5 / month to become a Patron, and you’ll get bonus content + a MOC for all episodes!

Join the Patreon!

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE 

If you don’t live near a Bricks & Minifigs store, you will soon. These secondhand LEGO stores are expanding incredibly quickly, and I swung by a grand opening to chat with locals, management, and LEGO Masters about what makes these stores so special.

YES, this is a video and YES it was a lot of fun to put together.

I talked to so many wonderful people but I want to highlight a couple:

Jake Faust - Owner of Bricks & Minifigs Brentwood and Bricks & Minifigs Bellevue. I can’t believe this guy is only 26! Which means he opened the BAM in Bellevue at 23 / 24…absolutely incredible. He’s such a warm guy and if you want to see more from him, Beyond the Brick did an interview with him a few years ago.

Brittain Edison and Niki Loheit - Sisters and LEGO Masters competitors. Brittain and Niki have done several BAM openings and I am in awe of how approachable and friendly they are - even after hours of doing meet and greets!

If you’re a Patreon supporter, you’ll get a bonus segment in Part 2, where I search for the most expensive LEGO set at BAM Bellevue. Even now, a week later, I’m still confused as to why it’s that set that costs that much.

This is normally where I’d put a picture of the special MOC built for this episode, but…I don’t want to spoil it! If you become a Patron, you’ll get access to that extra content, along with bonus content + a MOC for every episode!

Join the Patreon!

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

April 23rd, 2019. Shanghai Police arrest nine people, smash assembly lines, and raid a warehouse. It looks like a LEGO factory, but it’s not. This is Lepin, a Chinese knockoff company that will get shut down by 2021. But with knockoff LEGO companies facing such severe penalties, why are there more than ever before?

Two very educated guests for this episode! First, Aaron Wininger, Principal and Director of the China IP Practice at Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A., which advertises a boutique law firm with a focus on Intellectual Property. Aaron is extremely knowledgeable about the relationship between China and trademarks, and I’m so grateful he took some time out of his undoubtedly busy schedule to chat.

Aaron often writes for the National Law Review, and has been featured in:

And many more. You can find more about Aaron here!

My second guest is Dylan O. Adams, a patent attorney at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. On top of being a #1 Amazon best seller, a featured expert on CNBC, and a million other laurels, he also runs the YouTube channel Patents Demystified, which is a wonderful resource if you’re writing an IP-focused episode of your LEGO podcast, or if you have any curiosity about IP law in general.

If you’re a Patreon supporter, you’ll get a bonus act called: “The Mega Question” where I ask Dylan about the difference between Mega Bloks and Lepin and - as it turns out - LEGO has tried to shut Mega Bloks down in the past. Over a dozen lawsuits! I’d hate to be on the other side of that. You’ll also get access to a special MOC just for this episode! In true Lepin fashion I ripped off a official mini Millennium Falcon but with the added bonus that this one is extremely unstable and will probably fall apart before you can even mount it. How else can I replicate the quality of Lepin products?

It’s just $5 / month to become a Patron, and you’ll get bonus content + a MOC for every episode!

Join the Patreon!

All music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

Ask anyone what a LEGO is, and they’ll tell you: it’s the little brick with studs on top. But the deeper you look into that question, the stranger and stranger it becomes. Is string LEGO? Is foam? Am I?

Today’s guest: Darian from The Plop! About a year ago, Darian put out a video called “LEGO, But It’s NOT Plastic...” where he made LEGO bricks out of all sorts of materials: snow, concrete, even wood! I thought if anyone could help me figure out what a LEGO is, it’d be him.

These days, The Plop is all about 3D Printing. Darian works on making 3D Printing approachable, with personality-focused content, instead of content full of technical jargon.

If you’re a Patreon supporter, you’ll get a bonus act called: “Am I a LEGO?” where I explore the darkest corners of Bricklink, from LEGO’s Barbie knock-off to bricks that can conduct electricity. These days, LEGO plays it safe, but their history is anything but.

You’ll also get access to a special MOC just for this episode! This time it’s a 3D Printer construct - what else - a LEGO! I hope you can use this MOC during your morning meditation to reflect on…what, indeed, is a LEGO?

Join the Patreon!

Music by Nihilore (www.nihilore.com):

• Follow Me Into The Dark
• The Art of Being Lonely
• Let’s Make a Memory
• Identity Crisis
• Symbols In The Shape Of A Word
• Scarecrow

And Jeopardy theme by BenFranklyn: https://freesound.org/s/789077/

License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0