Homer Hits The Bricks

 When I was 9 years old I went to the toy department at one of the local stores.   There I saw for the first time a toy version of the Ernie puppet from Sesame Street. My heart skipped a beat. I HAD to have one. It became my life quest. I received Ernie for Christmas that same year. 

Nearly 45 years later I still have full memory of that moment in that store. Every once in a while I still find a "dream" toy or item that I know was made just for me. This past week I discovered yet another such toy. 

The Simpsons is, the most successful TV sit-com ever. This fall, the show will celebrate it's 25th year on the air. 

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are America's most popular TV family. Their likenesses have been used on almost every type of merchandise imaginable. 

But plans for a new Simpsons based product has, in my opinion, launched this franchise into the highest level of popularity possible. 

I recently found out that in February the Lego brick company will release a Simpsons house set. It will consist of more than 2500 bricks and specialty pieces.

It includes a model of their iconic car in the garage, rooms full of detailed furniture and accessories. Also there is a set of  6 mini-figures, the whole family plus Ned Flanders, their neighbor.

The reported cost for this set it $200. My first reaction to that price point was that it is too expensive.  But as I look at the pictures and videos online...maybe not.  

I have to distance myself from the initial awe of the news and look of the set. If by the time my birthday comes I still want it as badly as I do now, It will be part of my extensive collection. 

The other aspect of this Simpsons/Lego partnership is even more exciting to me than the house set. In addition to the 6 that come with the house, Lego has announced that their Series 13 mini-figures is going to be Simpson based. 

This won't happen until May but I'm so excited about this. As with all of their min-figs sets, there will be 16 characters in the series. 

I am already wondering which of the nearly 200 characters that have appeared on the show over it's 2 1/2 decades will be chosen for the set. I'll bet that was a "hot button topic" in the R&D and marketing departments at the Lego company. 

So it looks like the course of my Lego collection habits for this year has been set for me. With the new Creator sets, Series 12 mini-figures, both already available in stores, and the Lego Simpsons arriving very soon; I will be very busy with Legos in 2014.