I wrote this up a few weeks ago for the beginning of KFUO's 90 days of celebrating 90 years of being the Messenger of Good News. Enjoy!
Introducing the KFUO
90th Anniversary Tribute
The tribute piece before
you is made entirely out of Lego bricks, 1,223 pieces to be exact!
It all began in August
when KFUO Director, Rev. Rod Zwonitzer, first approached me with the idea of
making a contribution out of Lego bricks for the upcoming anniversary
festivities at KFUO.
What a joy it was to
have the opportunity to share one of my favorite childhood toys and hobbies
with in service to the great work that KFUO continues to do as the messenger of
Good News.
Before describing each
of the elements individually, let me briefly share with you the building
process that began with paper and a little imagination, and finished with real
Lego bricks.
In sharing
correspondence with Rev. Zwonitzer and the KFUO team we each came up with a
variety of ideas: satellites and globes with headphones, lettering and the
slogan for KFUO, and so forth. With my imagination in high gear, I started
jotting down notes and making sketches. As you can tell from the photo, I am a
much better Lego artist than I am a paper-and-pen artist. Anyhow, before long, these
rough sketches turned into computer designs.
Using a program called Lego
Digital Designer (a free program from the Lego Group), I was able to create
a list of pieces needed for final assembly, as well as a basic instruction
manual to guide anyone who might want to build their own replica of the tribute
project. Once the digital designs, the lists of pieces, and the instruction manuals
were completed, I was then able to order the parts. A majority of the parts for
the final build came from the Lego Pick-A-Brick website. However, a few
of the more rare pieces (such as the gold on the microphone) had to be
specially ordered from third party Lego retailers on EBay. After all the parts finally arrived it was time to prepare
for the build. First, the pieces were sorted by color and size. Next, I used
the electronic instructions from Lego Digital Design to construct the
more complex components of the project. Finally, each completed component was
placed onto its resting spot upon the white and black display frame before
photographing and sending it off to St. Louis!
In order to accommodate
all the fantastic ideas that we had come up with, I needed a platform for
display. The lettering “KFUO.ORG” across the top ended up determining the size
of the overall display frame and support system. Black and white colored bricks
were chosen to highlight the contrast of the lettering as well as the other
design elements once they were placed on top. The back of the display also
bears the “90 YEARS” marking the occasion of the KFUO anniversary in boldness,
reflecting the boldness of the Gospel proclamation. The lettering on the
display also features the website as a quick reference for a visual reminder to
check out the KFUO website. The smooth white surface on the bottom of the
display was achieved by a technique known as Studs Not On Top (or SNOT for
short). This gives it a clean look and provides a great backdrop for the other
elements.
After the backdrop was completed, the microphone
was the next element to be designed. The inspiration for this micro-scale
microphone came from the old, iconic KFUO mic, used by Rev. Walter Maier, the
first voice of KFUO radio. The idea was to connect this important historical
artifact to a tower showcasing the roots of KFUO radio and their pioneering
work in proclaiming the Good News on the airwaves, and the technology used in
broadcasting.
In order to connect the
microphone to the radio tower, the tower needed a platform. I constructed a
simple greenway that would be the ground and landscape under the tower as well
as the base for the crucifix. The platform features micro-scale trees and green
grass designed to accent the radio tower.
At first glance, the
radio tower might appear to resemble every other ordinary radio transmitter.
But actually, it was designed to reflect the original KFUO radio tower that
still stands in operation on the grounds of Concordia Seminary St. Louis.
In the foreground of the greenway, directly in front of the radio tower, stands the crucifix, giving a
visual and theological focal point to the entire build. In the 90 years of its
existence, the work of KFUO has been to proclaim Christ crucified and risen to
all and for all. Christ crucified is the center of all we say and do in the
Lutheran church, and it’s no different when it comes to Lutheran Lego projects.
Despite its size and simplicity, this element was one of the most challenging
to design. The balance that needed to be struck was between contrived and too
abstract. For example, a Lego mini-figure on a cross would not fit with the over-all
design, nor would it have displayed reverence. On the other hand, a plain
cross, or one that was too stylized, would not communicate the message of Good
News as clearly. So, I tried to stay with an artistic rendering of the cross
while still designing a crucifix that clearly reflected our theology.
After the challenge of
the crucifix, the next biggest task was to include a globe capturing the
“WORLDWIDE” slogan of Worldwide KFUO. Since Christ Jesus came into the world in
order to die for the life of the world, it made sense to have a globe, pointing
to the Good News that is broadcast worldwide from KFUO. In addition to the
globe, we came up with the idea of having headphones and a satellite attached
to it, giving a visual nod to the advance in broadcast technology over the
years, as well as displaying the modern ways in which KFUO continues to be the
messengers of good news in the 21st century. In other words, KFUO uses new
technology, but clearly proclaims the same old, saving theology of the cross to
all who tune in, no matter what technology or receiving device they're using.
Finally, in front of the
display and design elements rests a simple stand with the lettering depicting
the KFUO slogan: “Worldwide KFUO.ORG. The Messenger of Good News since 1924.”
These little tiles with lettering are also quite rare. However, they can be
found in the Lego kit that is titled Lego Business Card Holder.
In all the build used
1,223 pieces. And it was a ton of fun for me to design, build, and send this
off for the KFUO 90th anniversary kick-off celebration. I pray that KFUO
continues to be the messengers of Good News in the next 90 years as well.
Design Specs
Background / Display
Frame including lettering: 647 pieces.
Radio Tower, Greenway,
and Crucifix: 240 pieces.
Globe w/ Headphones and Satellite:
236 pieces.
Front Display Stand w/
Tiled Lettering: 73 pieces.
This Lego build was designed and
planned to be something that family and friends, supporters of KFUO, or anyone
interested could download the building instructions and build either part or
all of this display model. This would be even easier for someone who already
has Lego bricks around the house. If followed, the instructions will make for a
wonderful building experience and a delightful conversation piece when you’re
finished. But, Lego instructions are also meant to be creative tools, allowing
the builder to expand or make new creations, using different pieces, colors, or
designs. My hope is that anyone who sets out to build any part of this tribute
model will enjoy it as much as I have.
To View the Building
Instructions (in HTML) click the following links below:
When ordering Lego bricks
for this project I used the following proprietors, though this is not an
exhaustive list. Costs per piece may vary depending on the company, seller, and
their location.
Follow the links below to
visit the websites I used in constructing the KFUO Anniversary Build.
·
ToyPro
Shop for Lego Parts, Minifigures, Sets, and Gear
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