Lego fandom
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Lego fandom is the fan community that exists around Lego toys.[1]: 164 [2]: 248–249 While Lego is primarily seen as a children's toy, there are also a significant number of adult fans of Lego, known by the abbreviation AFOL.[3]: 119
Adult fans of Lego
[edit]Adult members of the Lego fandom are called "adult fans of Lego," abbreviated as "AFOL".[4]: 221 [5]: 227 Many AFOLs design complex sets, known as MOCs ("My Own Creation"), sometimes using computer software such as LDraw or MLCAD for their planning. Such sets may be intended for public display during various events, and some have attracted media attention, such as Sean Kenney's model of Yankee Stadium, a six-foot-wide (1.8 m) and five-foot-long (1.5 m) construction of 45,000 pieces created over a period of three years, or Mark Borlase's Star Wars Hoth diorama of 60,000 bricks and four-year construction time.[3]: 123–124 Many AFOLs have dedicated "Lego rooms" in their houses.[3]: 124
Activities of more dedicated AFOLs go beyond creating Lego models, and include attending Lego conventions, participating in online Lego communities, and less often, cosplay, writing fanfiction or drawing fan art.[2]: 248–249
Large AFOL conventions include events such as Brickworld, BrickFair, or Bricks by the Bay, and AFOL Networking Events.[3]: 123 [6]
Many AFOLs self-identify as "geeks" or "nerds".[3]: 123 In the United States, during the mid-2010s, most AFOLs were white, college-educated males in their 20s or 30s, although as time goes, the age of the average member of the community is steadily increasing, as more people who grew up with Lego become middle-aged or older.[3]: 121–122 AFOLs usually played with Lego sets as kids, and rediscovered the hobby at some later time in their nostalgic adulthood.[3]: 123, 125
The Lego Group recognizes the AFOL community as an important part of its customer base and maintains a number of outreach programs connecting it to the fan community.[2]: xxvi In some cases, entire official Lego sets can be seen as intended not for children but for adult fans.[7]
Activities
[edit]Activities of Lego fans include creating Lego art, including Great Ball Contraptions: large modular machines which receives small balls from one module and passes them to another module.[8][9][10][11] In 2019 a GBC made of 259 modules was recorded in the Guinness World Records.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Booth, Paul (2018-02-26). A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-23717-4. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- 1 2 3 Lee, Jonathan Rey (2020-09-08). Deconstructing LEGO: The Medium and Messages of LEGO Play. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-53665-7. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Garlen, Jennifer C (2013-11-07). "Block party: A look at adult fans of LEGO". In Barton, Kristin M.; Lampley, Jonathan Malcolm (eds.). Fan CULTure: Essays on Participatory Fandom in the 21st Century. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-7418-9. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ↑ Jennings, Nancy A. (2019-11-27). ""It's All About the Brick": Mobilizing Adult Fans of LEGO". In Hains, Rebecca C.; Mazzarella, Sharon R. (eds.). Cultural Studies of LEGO: More Than Just Bricks. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-32664-7. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ↑ Cook, Roy T.; Bacharach, Sondra (2017-06-13). LEGO and Philosophy: Constructing Reality Brick By Brick. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-19398-2. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ↑ "Events (LEGO)". LEGO Ambassador Network. Retrieved 2025-11-17.[non-primary source needed]
- ↑ Garlen, Jennifer (2011-11-15). "Virtual Virago: Block Party: A Look at Adult Fans of LEGO". Virtual Virago. Archived from the original on 2023-01-21. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ↑ Burns, Bre (2021-06-21). "Taking LEGO Great Ball Contraptions to the 5th level [Video]". The Brothers Brick. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ↑ "Great Ball Contraption". Great Ball Contraption. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ↑ "LEGO 'Great Ball Contraption' Is Pointless Yet Enthralling". Nerdist. 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ↑ Liszewski, Andrew (2021-07-21). "12 Fantastically Complex and Mostly Pointless Lego Great Ball Contraptions". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
- ↑ "Watch this 259-module great ball contraption's mesmerising and record-breaking run". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 2025-07-27. Retrieved 2026-03-24.
