MOC: The Great Sphinx

[Peppermint_M]

Sphinx Secret Surprise was my favourite childhood LEGO set. It was released Twenty Years ago! I have created a tribute to the main feature of the set, The Great Sphinx. I adored the set, my largest ever single LEGO set as a child and I adored the Adventure theme. Egyptology was one of my real interests when I was a child and I was about the only eight year old who wanted to be an Archaeologist. 

So, I just had to create a tribute. A MOC that was a representation of the set as I saw it in my minds eye as I played.  

Deep in the desert many adventurers and archaeologists have descended upon the Great Spinx to seek out treasures and clues to the mysteries they pursue.

The front elevation. As with the original set there is a concealed secret...

Surprise!

The black statue is a the key to a simple mechanism that reveals the Pharaoh on his throne. Pulling the base forward causes the throne platform to move forward and knock down the panel. 

A view from above.  This is one of my larger builds. Only beaten out by my Yellow Castle

. 

The two side views. One features my favourite little capra and the other a statue uncovered in the base of the Sphinx's plinth.

Here some tricksy tomb thieves are about to meet a freaky foe! 

Jake Raines and his friends have made a find and are hoping for more.

Meanwhile, Johnny Thunder and Doctor Lightning have been very successful in their dig. Gale Storm is documenting the moment.

What a shot!

I hope you enjoyed this MOC. I certainly had fun building it and it has gone down very well with LEGO fans young and old alike when I display it. I hope to create versions of the other features of the set on a similar scale to this MOC. I also want to have something of an Adventure layout to display, I'll of course share them here once I make them. 

[dragonk1ng]

That's very creative how you made the Sphinx's head to be minifig style!

[zoth33]

Very nice build.  I like the sphinx, the head is well done.  The rockwork on the bottom is nice.  You also did a great job with the figs.  

[Pdaitabird]

Looks great! Enough exposed studs for '90s nostalgia while still keeping a realistic feel. 

[Peppermint_M]

21 hours ago, dragonk1ng said:

made the Sphinx's head to be minifig style!

Thanks! I started making it to match the original set/actual Sphinx and it didn't feel right. This is a Sphinx in the world of LEGO Minifigures, so the head would of course look like their own.

17 hours ago, zoth33 said:

You also did a great job with the figs.

I love minifigures, these are a mixture of original and LEGO set figures.

16 hours ago, Pdaitabird said:

Enough exposed studs for '90s nostalgia

#Studloverforlife I like the clean look for spacecrafts (sometimes) but studs are LEGO and LEGO is studs so I have to show them off.

[Laura Beinbrech]

This is a really cool build.  I love how you not only improved & expanded on the concept of the original Adventurers' set, but also included BOTH the original Adventurers team members as well as the Pharaoh's Quest team as well. :)

[koalayummies]

Fantastic MOC. That set was one of my favorites as well and this is a great homage. Very fun and great work.

[rodiziorobs]

Not a set I ever owned, but definitely one I ogled in the catalogs.  I was fortunate enough to have a few other adventurers sets as a kid.

I appreciate the nods to the older sets--the exposed studs, as has been said, and the play features like the emerging pharaoh. Well done

[TeriXeri]

I can certainly instantly recognize 5978 , with the red and blue color scheme on the Sphinx.

I always loved the Egypt themed Adventurer sets in the catalogs and LEGO Racers.

I only ever got 2 very small sets of the theme (5900 and 5918)

Western (1997) and Adventurers (1998)  put LEGO into a different direction at the time, Tan color became used a lot more after.

It was the same time LEGO also had the Ninja subtheme to Castle (1998/1999).

Edited January 3, 2019 by TeriXeri

[Peppermint_M]

On 1/2/2019 at 11:59 AM, Laura Takayama said:

also included BOTH the original Adventurers team members as well as the Pharaoh's Quest team

I had to have both crews. I want to include more characters once I expand the diorama, including a few more of my own adventurers. 

 

14 hours ago, koalayummies said:

Very fun and great work.

Thank you  

 

3 hours ago, rodiziorobs said:

definitely one I ogled in the catalogs.

This was the one theme I was absolutely in love with and the pages of the catalogue. When I was ten, I was super into my Horrible Histories books and my Awesome Egyptians book was my favourite of those, so Mum decided that the Sphinx was the perfect present (She was super correct). You can also see why he may be known as Johnny Thunder, but he was Sam Grant to me.

2 hours ago, TeriXeri said:

I can certainly instantly recognize 5978

The colour scheme was always going to remain, no matter what!

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

[jimmynick]

I missed this last week but I agree with everyone else - I too loved the catalogues and sets in the late 90s and the turn of the century, and you've done an excellent job recreating that vibe. Thanks for sharing!

[Lordofdragonss]

The shaping of sphinx is Phenomenal!

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Amazing project ...I like the minifigs, the scorpion and the snake

The yellowed picture is the icing on the cake!

[WesternOutlaw]

Hi Pep,

Wonderful creation.  I too, was a huge fan of LEGO's first Adventurers Egypt collection.  I can't believe it's been 20 years!  Really?  

Your MOC is filled with fantastic details and Egyptian elements reminiscent of the old theme.  Let's see if I can find a picture of the original (much smaller) set...

Oh yes, here it is:

Desert Adventure by Western Outlaw, on Flickr

[Peppermint_M]

Thanks for all the kind comments everyone. Like I said before, I am making plans to replicate the other set features and expand the diorama in a similar style.

Also, thanks for sharing that cool layout Western Outlaw. I never managed to get that Indy set and my original Sphinx long left its original form.

[TheAbsoluteSt8]

Lovely MOC; I love the detail and incorporation of Pharaoh's quest/adventurers parts. 2 tips I'd suggest to improve: 1. Make the turntable the 4x4 pillar is positioned on 2 plates deep in the sand so that the turntable isn't visible and 2. Maybe add some texture (I.e. Smaller tan plates) to the top

[Peppermint_M]

5 hours ago, TheAbsoluteSt8 said:

Make the turntable the 4x4 pillar is positioned on

That obelisk is just filler right now, once I have built more for the diorama, the are it is in will be leading on to another section. I just thought it looked too blank when I set up to photograph. 

[Creativebrick Studio 117]

Hi,  I was about 12 years old when my dad bought me this set at an FAO Schwarz toystore.  The whole first adventurers line felt so fresh for LEGO at the time.  Like nothing they had ever done before...

Your MOC is great.  It captures the heart of the main structure of the set in a moving way.  The tan colors with light bluish gray work great, and the minifigs perfect for the display.

Great tribute! 

[Still Raindrop]

Beautiful! I was nine when this set came out, and it was one of my biggest Lego sets, as well. I've had a soft spot for Adventurers ever since, and Johnny and friends often seem to find their way into my MOCs (and I've got a ton of minifigures I've created lying around, waiting for the time when I can make my planned Adventurers photo-comics a reality).

As was mentioned before, I love the studs. They give it an undeniable Lego feel, and that's something that I always like to see in MOCs. The technique is cool, the sphinx looks great, and the scene is fun and filled with action. However, my absolute favorite thing about this was your approach: 

Quote

A MOC that was a representation of the set as I saw it in my minds eye as I played.  

I've seen a few MOCs like this (and my Adventurers MOC that I posted here a while back, which was based on 7417, was kind of like that), and it always strikes me as a really cool way of going about things. Capturing the spirit of a set based on how you experienced it when you played is, to me, the epitome of what makes Lego great. And this is a fantastic example of that!

Edited January 22, 2019 by Still Raindrop

[Roadmonkeytj]

I really love your version!  It's still playable while good enough to be displayed as a "dig site".  The minifig face is simply fantastic!

I have taken great inspiration from the Egypt sets as well unfortunately they were being released as I was entering my dark period  so I missed slot of them but did pick up quite a few of the firsts lol

[Peppermint_M]

Thanks both, I always strive to build something fun to play with that also looks good from an AFOL perspective. While I admire the builds that look almost real, to me LEGO is a toy that is wonderful to play with, so I stick to that aesthetic. 

[MoustacheBaer]

Very interesting build. Makes use of old and new building techniques and pieces. I love it!

[Robin_IV]

I bought the 5978 two weeks ago and I love it so much. It will be one of my alltime favourites ever.

I really love your version of the sphinx. And I like the idea that you gave to the classic figures a new style. I really like the rockwork around the sphinx. Tries to nuance the raised baseplate. You are missing a snakepit .

@Peppermint_M Are you planning to expand your MOC with a 5988 version? I would be very much looking foward for your version. And pls don't forget the hot air balloon.

[Peppermint_M]

 

1 hour ago, Robin_IV said:

Are you planning to expand your MOC with a 5988 version?

I have a lot of planned builds for my Egyptian Adventure, so watch this space  

[kieran]

Nice job, lots of details that help make the screen come to life