If you follow my toy photography account on Instagram, you may have noticed that I tend to shoot non-stock minifigures like this hipster who is totally not inspired by my neighbor. Non-stock minifigs are those that I’ve created by mixing and matching parts and accessories from LEGO and customizers like Citizen Brick, BrickWarriors, SI-DAN, and FireStar Toys, among others.
Character creation has always been something I thoroughly enjoyed, from the first lame superhero I drew on graph paper when I was 8 years old, to the chaotic good half-elf I crafted for Dungeons & Dragons in my teens, and now to the four-brick-tall minifigures I assemble as an adult.
Part of the reason why I even shoot these toys at all is so that I can give the characters I create some context in a photo. And the photos created by other toy photographers that I find the most enjoyable are the ones with modified minifigs.
So for the theme of this contest, I want to see photos of your own custom minifigs.
The prize
A complete set of Series 18 minifigs (16 in total, excluding the Classic Policeman) is at stake. I’ve opened all the packs in the box in search of the Classic Policeman (literally the last pack we opened because clearly, we’re terrible at the feeling method) so you’ll be getting them taped closed.
* I’d like to give a special thanks to the folks at Stuck In Plastic who selected my entry as the winner in the recent #Series18 contest. Without these guys, I wouldn’t have any spoils to to share for this contest.
How to enter
To enter, all you have to do is come up with your own minifig, take a great character portrait of it, post it on Instagram, follow @fourbrickstall and tag your new photo with #FourBricksTall_CustomForCollectibles18 for a chance to win. No Instagram? No problem. Just post a link to your image in the comment area below. (Comments are moderated so you may not see your submission right away. Please don’t try posting again for at least 24 hours to give me time to review.)
Give careful consideration to your creation though because “frankenfigs” — a senseless combination of minifig parts — won’t be given any of mine. My kid already treats me with them every time we hit the Build a Mini tower at the LEGO Store so thanks, but I’ve had my fill.
Entry dates and winning entry
Deadline for submissions is July 11. The winner will be selected and contacted on July 12. The winner must respond within 3 days or a new winner will be selected. All public announcements will be made when a selected winner has responded.
Anyone that can be serviced by a national postal system anywhere in the world is eligible to win.
By entering, you agree to let me publish your photo with accreditation on this blog and the Four Bricks Tall Instagram account.
Some inspiration
Here are some examples of character portraits of custom minifigs that I’ve shot in the past to help you get started: