LEGO The Art of the Minifigure

by Brian Barrett

A beautiful visual celebration of the iconic LEGO® minifigure—its history, evolution, and status as a cultural icon.

The LEGO® minifigure is one of the most recognizable and collectible toys on the planet. Over the span of 40 years it has evolved from a simple yellow figurine to a global pop culture icon. This landmark volume celebrates the colorful history, evolving design, and lasting impact of the one and only LEGO minifigure. Driven by compelling interviews and essays, lush photography, infographics, and never-before-seen visuals from inside the LEGO archives and beyond, this book is a wide-reaching visual exploration of why the minifigure matters—as a beloved toy and as a singular cultural icon.

MUST-HAVE: The ultimate celebration of the LEGO minifigure, this book explores the minifigure from all angles.

FOR ALL LEGO FANS: This book is perfect for all LEGO fans, from avid collectors and super fans seeking new, never-before-published content, to anyone who grew up with the iconic minifigure, looking to explore the history of the toy they know and love.

GLOBAL ICON: The LEGO minifigure has captivated the world for 40 years. Connecting LEGO lovers old and young, this tiny yellow figure captures the joy at the heart of the LEGO brand.

LEGO, the LEGO logo, and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2022 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Art

144 pages, Hardcover

Published June 14, 2022

About the author

Brian Barrett is associate professor in the Foundations and Social Advocacy Department and graduate research coordinator with SUNY Cortland's Urban Recruitment of Educators program.

Reviews

[Hannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een leuk boek. Een aanrader voor iedereen die liefhebber is van Lego. Dit boek vertelt de geschiedenis van de minifiguur. Leuk detail: de minifiguur is net zo oud als ik. Ik ben blij dat ik dit boek gekocht heb.

[Dylan Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun look at the history and impact of the minifugure, although I do wish it went a little more in depth into the full history and business aspect of them. Still, it was a fun read for a fan of Lego.

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the history of LEGO minifigures, from the building figures that came before them to the "Stage Extras" to the huge variety of minifigures available today. There's a bit about LEGO history, the LEGO manufacturing process, and the impact of certain design and manufacturing innovations. The Star Wars minifigures are highlighted as a major minifigure turning point, leading to the creation of new wigs and other design features necessary to make the characters recognizable. There's also a bit about LEGO Life, LEGO Hidden Side and its incorporation of AR, the Women of NASA set, the design of the characters in The Lego Movie, and more. I loved the pages near the end devoted to The Original, a wooden 5:1 upscaled version of the classic minifigure, and the different ways LEGO artists customized it (which seemed like a fun idea until I went online and saw what The Original cost, lol).

I'm not a LEGO collector and haven't played with them in years, but it was fun reading about LEGO and minifigures from a design standpoint, to the point where I might read more about LEGO just to learn more about it. I wish "the gauntlet" (a series of tests that ensures that each minifigure fits the System in Play) had gotten a little more attention, but the little glimpse of it was still nice.

In terms of "pushing the LEGO boundaries," I noticed that the LEGO Friends figures barely got a mention. I also wished that the book had gone into a little more detail on some of the things that were a little more contentious at LEGO, but the book's overall light and pleasant tone didn't really allow for that.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Aimee]

Interesting to see the history and evolution of mini figs. (Didn’t read every page.) However, yet another example of how there’s no end to Lego, and how it can be a total money pit. Can’t let this become a black hole adhd hobby.

[Nick DiColandrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent visual and literal history of how the Lego minifigure came to life and evolved to its current form! A must for any adult fan of Lego!

[Lauren Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun walk through the history of Lego characters