Get to Sesame Street with this Filipino-designed LEGO set

MANILA – About two and a half years ago, Filipino filmmaker and avid Jim Henson fan Ivan Guerrero introduced his design for a LEGO Sesame Street set.

In 2019, it saw it garner 10,000 votes from fans and supporters alike via a LEGO community-based website in its bid to get it produced by the Danish toy maker.

And, in November of this year, you’ll soon see your ideas come to life after your LEGO version of the popular 1970s kids show hits stores, including in the Philippines. After receiving the green light from Sesame Street, LEGO went on to commercially produce Guerrero’s game design, giving kids and children at heart the opportunity to take a walk down memory lane and relive life watching Sesame Street.

Guerrero’s Sesame Street model graduated from the LEGO Ideas program, the toy maker’s community website that welcomes suggestions and gives designers the opportunity to turn them into real sets. He is the first Philippines-based designer to achieve the feat and the second Filipino to do so after Leandro Tayag, a Malaysian-based Filipino, got the green light for his Voltron in 2017.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Guerrero said that Sesame Street was “very important” to him because of the things he learned from the show as a child.

“It was very important to me during the formative years. It taught me a lot about reading, writing, speaking in Spanish, counting, etc.,” he said.

The design was put to a vote in 2019, in time for Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary.

“[Back then] there was a lot of interest in seeing the leverage of Sesame Street products, “Guerrero said.

And while it reached the 10,000 vote requirement, Guerrero said he did not expect the design to come to life commercially.

“Actually, I can’t believe I make a LEGO set because, you know, when you post something online [which is] cool, creative, may kumokontra rin palagi … So when I finally got the news that LEGO wanted to process … I almost literally fell out of my chair, “Guerrero said.

(Actually, I couldn’t believe they made it into a LEGO set. Because, you know, when you post something cool and creative, there are naysayers. So when I finally got the news that LEGO wanted to process it, I almost literally fell off the hook. chair).

For designs like Guerrero’s to be approved, they must reach 10,000 votes. Upon reaching 10,000 votes, that’s when LEGO puts the design up for consideration, and the designs go through a “very, very selective process” before being proposed for commercial use.

“It’s a collectible factor. Kasi the LEGO Ideas itself is very prestigious. For example, ‘yung 30 sets at 10,000 [votes]They are very, very selective about projects. Sometimes there is a review period where 10 games enter [but] 0 games are approved for production, “he said.

Guerrero said the design references will appeal to different generations, mentioning how families around the world have enjoyed Plaza Sésamo since 1969.

“A lot of people grew up in Sesame Street. (A lot of people grew up with Sesame Street). I grew up [watching it] and my experience is different from that of the people who grew up with it … Everyone who belongs to that [generation] He will recognize and remember, “Guerrero said.

The Warrior design presented to LEGO had around 2,000 pieces to assemble with 14 minifigures, the LEGO versions of the Sesame Street characters, set around the apartment building seen in many of the show’s episodes.

But in the approved design for commercial distribution, LEGO decided to add another building, having fewer characters and parts.

“The last one is a bit smaller. About 1,368 pieces. The layout is smaller than my original presentation, but nadagdagan siya ng second building. (They added a second building). Actually cool yung ginawa ng LEGO. Apartment building , more than 2,000 pieces, binuo nila ‘yung kalsada. (What LEGO did was great. My presentation was an apartment building. More than 2,000 pieces. They also made up the street.) So, they added a second building on the side. ” Guerrero said.

The minifigures in the final product include series mainstays such as Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster and Elmo, with some of the other characters proposed by Guerrero integrated into the building design.

Compared to the basic minifigure design, consisting of the standard studded head, body and legs, the minifigures in this set have an original mold, the first LEGO set to have one.

The rear of the main apartment building showcases the interiors of Ernie and Bert’s room, as well as Elmo’s room, as seen in episodes of the show, and the intricate details that fans have enjoyed throughout. the years.

The other building has Abby’s character’s secret garden and Cookie Monster’s apartment bedroom.

Sesame Street fans are expected to have fun with the “easter eggs” within the game, Guerrero said.

Some of the LEGO pieces refer to some of the memorable episodes of the show. An example is a cartoon of Mr. Hooper next to the apartment, referring to episode 1839 where the character Mr. Hooper, played by Will Lee, passed away after Lee’s death while trying to teach young audiences about death. and the duel. .

“It’s a very significant episode and a lot of people were emotionally involved and the fact that we have it is like a connection to their entire childhood,” Guerrero said of the episode.

The set is designed to be built by people over the age of 18, but Guerrero said the set is also for older children and their parents who want to build if they want to take a trip down memory lane and bond at the same time.

Guerrero has yet to build his own set, but when he has the time, he said he plans to customize some parts of his own set, citing how the show has changed in recent years.

THE HYPE AND WHAT FOLLOWS

As soon as the design was available, fans already learned of the hype, with some even asking if the playset was available in 2019. Guerrero attributes much of the set’s success to the support he garnered from the local LEGO community. . .

“[They were] In solidarity, I would say that the set would not have done this without the support of several different groups, the local groups that collect and build LEGO, ”he said.

With the set hitting the shores in November and with the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic still around, Guerrero believes it’s a way for LEGO enthusiasts and Sesame Street fans to spend family time while on the road. quarantine.

“I think I medyo good ‘yung timing ng set (the timing of the game is relatively good) with a lot of people staying at home, everyone is looking for activities. And building and creating projects like this, and it’s very fun and creative. .. where “The young characters are very well known, it is something that Filipinos will find very attractive,” he said.

In the future, Guerrero is looking to have another game based on the hit “Community” series put into production after reaching 10,000 votes on the Lego Ideas website in 9 days. He was one of the fastest to reach the mark, thanks to the support of fans and the show’s own cast. He has “high hopes” that LEGO will soon approve it for commercial distribution.

He has also unveiled another design concept based on James Cameron’s award-winning film “Avatar.” With more than 9,000 votes, he hopes it will be approved in time for the sequel to be shown on
2022.

With only a few designers submitting their ideas, Guerrero is encouraging Filipino designers to submit their game proposals.

“Actually, I want to encourage more Filipinos, there are a lot of really talented people here in the country and there is also a lot of talent in LEGO building, I see the work. I wish more people from our country would actually compete,” he said. He said.

“There is so much creativity in the Philippines, and LEGO is the perfect medium. There are so many limitless ways to combine bricks and pieces that you will never run out of ideas to develop,” he added.

LEGO will soon distribute the set commercially in the Philippines, although LEGO Philippines has to announce all the details.