Ahoy there!

 

After the mini set category opened for this magnificent contest, I convinced meself to try my hand at designing a remake of a classic set. So, out of many small sets that were released during the original line up of Classic Pirates, I chose 6232 Skeleton Crew (released in 1996), as that is the first Classic Pirates set I obtained (out of the two Classic Pirates sets I own ).

Here be the original set:

 

And here be my own modern take on this not so well known classic set:

(Thanks to @Yperio_Bricks for the edited background! )

I recreated the box art shot of this set, though left out the barrel, but for a good reason. At first I tried to add background art to this picture through Photoshop. Alas, I failed to do so, instead keeping it as it is.

And here is the build without its supporting minifigures. The build consists of exactly 50 pieces (including minifigures, which, I believe are also part of the piece count). This new version of the beloved build has an additional feature and a torch to it.

And a frog is included too, which is one of LEGO's most common addition to sets these days.  There is also a handle on the edge of a rock, that indicates that a play feature is present.

Grabbing the handle and moving the rock reveals a secret treasure, hidden underneath the rocks. Perhaps that be the skeleton's gold. 

And here be the back of this build, not too imposing, but a sloped rock is present so that the skeleton may rest from the burning sun.

And that be all to this remake! Thank ye for yer time viewing my entry. Hope to hear helpful advice for improving this build, should it be needed. 

 

Jack Sassy

I love it! It's simple yet so effective. I really like how the torso selected and the whole minifigure is a great upgraded representation of the original. Very nice head find, definitely better then the LEGO big mustaches in Barracuda set. The build is simple with a more modern parts and does the job. The upgrade with the hidden stash is also a nice touch however I do miss the barrel. Replacing the plates with a 8x8 tan plate would spare you same parts and give you enough room for the barrel in front. Not every modern set has to have rounded plates for bases. Or maybe use the 6x6 rounded plate with two more plates to get the 8x8 area and still have space for the barrel. The torch seems a bit out of the place since it wasn't in the original but these are just some minor suggestions for I have nothing smarter to say (:

11 hours ago, MstrOfPppts said:

I love it! It's simple yet so effective. I really like how the torso selected and the whole minifigure is a great upgraded representation of the original. Very nice head find, definitely better then the LEGO big mustaches in Barracuda set. The build is simple with a more modern parts and does the job. The upgrade with the hidden stash is also a nice touch however I do miss the barrel. Replacing the plates with a 8x8 tan plate would spare you same parts and give you enough room for the barrel in front. Not every modern set has to have rounded plates for bases. Or maybe use the 6x6 rounded plate with two more plates to get the 8x8 area and still have space for the barrel. The torch seems a bit out of the place since it wasn't in the original but these are just some minor suggestions for I have nothing smarter to say (:

Thank ye for the kind words! Only trouble I found with the head is that it doesn't have a stubble, other than that it works the best out of all the options. At first, I did consider using a single plate for the base but ever since nowadays LEGO loves to use multiple smaller plates to create the shape, i thought it wouldn't look too bad at all, but I see yer point.  I added the torch as a lovely new addition, while giving the build a little colour contrast. Thank ye for the feedback! 

Fine entry Jack!

 

4 minutes ago, Marooned Marin said:

Fine entry Jack!

Thank ye! 

Nice work. Simple, yet very well thought out and well desgined. With little bonuses to the original here and there. To be honest i prefer the classic pirate tho, Your new version looks like a bootleg, or chinese Lego minifig, so i would suggest changing him into someone more appealing ;)

I also think that it might look better if You'd add a proper torch, or just a brown stick to go with the actual one, this could give it a more adventurous treasure seeking vibe, hinting a possibility that this little cave might be just an entering to a much bigger stash ;) 

2 hours ago, Mazin said:

Nice work. Simple, yet very well thought out and well desgined. With little bonuses to the original here and there. To be honest i prefer the classic pirate tho, Your new version looks like a bootleg, or chinese Lego minifig, so i would suggest changing him into someone more appealing ;)

I also think that it might look better if You'd add a proper torch, or just a brown stick to go with the actual one, this could give it a more adventurous treasure seeking vibe, hinting a possibility that this little cave might be just an entering to a much bigger stash ;) 

Thank ye for the feedback! Besides the face not being perfect, I think the old bandana works better in general, but I decided to use the new one as the old bandana has been discontinued for far too many years (same could almost be said for the hat ). As for appealing, that would be nearly impossible when it comes to pirates. 

 

This particular design of the torch was also used in one of the new Indiana Jones sets, it be not perfect but for height reasons works rather well. Indeed, the idea was that the pirate could go on a completely different adventure, perhaps in caves, while using the torch. 

Yeah, modern parts seem to be an issue, they should provide more and more new creative possibilities, but they seem to be a problem sometimes, don't they? 

Then again, the simplest solution to that headwear problem would be to switch them between characters :)  Pirate in a morion helmet, and skeleton in a bandana. I think this could look quite well, ignoring the fact that skeleton's bandana would probably decompose together with it ;)   

11 minutes ago, Mazin said:

switch them between characters

That be an interesting idea.

11 minutes ago, Mazin said:

ignoring the fact that skeleton's bandana would probably decompose together with it ;)

Aye, but LEGO seem to think different:

(Taken from 10679: Pirate Treasure Hunt)

Oh, i forgot to ask one important thing. You've mentioned in Your first port that You wanted to do a digital (?) background for this set. Are You still going to pursue this idea or did You abandon it? ;) There's still a little bit of time to try working on it with Paint or other magic making device :) 

1 hour ago, Mazin said:

Are You still going to pursue this idea or did You abandon it?

I tried it with both Photoshop and Paint, failing to create a background. My editing skills are rather poor. 

20 minutes ago, Jack Sassy said:

I tried it with both Photoshop and Paint, failing to create a background. My editing skills are rather poor. 

Can i try?

13 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Can i try?

Aye, if ye wish. Thank ye for the kindness! 

This is really the type of set i wish Lego would be releasing. Just a small set you can pick up without much thinking, expanding your minifigure collection and some useful accessories and parts for mocs.

Here is your moc @Jack Sassy added to the classic artwork of the set:

Lovely work with this nice, small build! It evokes the appearance of the original set very nicely while making the skeleton's hiding place a little more natural-looking than his earlier very rectangular niche, and also feels extremely believable as the sort of model that could be produced as a polybag set today!

For some reason, the shorts on the pirate look a bit incongruous to me no matter how I look at them — I think it's because the short pant legs feel at odds with his shirt's long sleeves. All the other minifig part choices seem excellent to me, though, and definitely call to mind the original minifigure from my childhood!

The removable rock outcrop with hidden treasure inside is a very clever replacement for the barrel of coins from the original set, adding both play value and a fun sense of surprise. A part of me wishes that the big "finger leaf" piece were in a brighter color (both to balance out the more subdued colors of the rocks and sand, and to echo the bright, nostalgic color schemes of other "throwback" sets like Eldorado Fortress and Barracuda Bay), but at the same time I do think it's neat to have it in a different color from the smaller bits of plant life you've added.

The frog is a cute added detail also, though they might look a little more natural sitting on the rocks or plants than on the dry sand. Alternatively, another creature like a crab or oyster might seem more at home on the sand, but there doesn't seem to be space here for a larger creature like that unless you made the model's foundation a little larger.

Great work overall! In general the 1996/1997 Pirates sets often seem to get a lot less love from AFOLs than their predecessors, but as somebody who was a KFOL back then, I definitely feel like this is a very touching tribute to one of the smaller and less eye-catching sets from back then!

17 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

This is really the type of set i wish Lego would be releasing. Just a small set you can pick up without much thinking, expanding your minifigure collection and some useful accessories and parts for mocs.

Here is your moc @Jack Sassy added to the classic artwork of the set:

Stunning and so fast :D When i saw thic pic at first i thought that You've only reposted the classic box, only to relize it's actually the remake :) 

I wonder if using the same backgroud would be actually accepted by Lego tho, or if should be "remasted" in some way to look similar to classics but sort of different and new at the same time :) 

Edited August 20, 20231 yr by Mazin

14 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Here is your moc @Jack Sassy added to the classic artwork of the set:

Oh my, thank ye so much for this! Just the way I imagined it. How on earth did ye manage to use the original background? May I use yer edited version as the title picture at the very top?

7 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

Lovely work with this nice, small build!

Thank ye for the kind words and feedback! I figured that leaf piece should be in olive green to represent dry palm leaves, but I suppose a brighter colour could work too.

11 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

In general the 1996/1997 Pirates sets often seem to get a lot less love

Indeed, these were the last two years of the theme and I believe many people are not too fond of the sets released during this time.

6 minutes ago, Jack Sassy said:

Indeed, these were the last two years of the theme and I believe many people are not too fond of the sets released during this time.

And that's very fair! Even I somewhat lost interest by the theme's final year myself, though that wasn't really because I noticed or appreciated any of the faults of those sets at such a young age (like the downright inexplicable bascule rope bridge in 6281 Pirates Perilous Pitfall) so much as because I was distracted by new, exciting themes like Time Cruisers, Divers, and Wild West.

That said, I suspect my affection for some of those later sets is stronger than it would've been if I were already a teen or adult at that time. In particular, 6248 Volcano Island is still one of my favorite "treasure island" type sets of all time — squeezing a cool skull face, a treasure cave, AND an erupting volcano onto a single 8x16 baseplate is an impressive feat even by modern standards!

20 minutes ago, Jack Sassy said:

Oh my, thank ye so much for this! Just the way I imagined it. How on earth did ye manage to use the original background? May I use yer edited version as the title picture at the very top?

You are welcome Please feel free to use it wherever you want. I cut out your moc from the first picture and pasted it into the original. Then i used the Photoshop clone stamp tool to copy the background and cover up the areas needed (where the original set was placed).

 

29 minutes ago, Mazin said:

Stunning and so fast :D When i saw thic pic at first i thought that You've only reposted the classic box, only to relize it's actually the remake :) 

I wonder if using the same backgroud would be actually accepted by Lego tho, or if should be "remasted" in some way to look similar to classics but sort of different and new at the same time :) 

I feel like i have seen such edits a hundred times?!

20 minutes ago, Aanchir said:

In particular, 6248 Volcano Island is still one of my favorite "treasure island" type sets of all time

Aye, that be a really good set, I think it is one of the best smaller sets released during the original line up. To me, 6281 wasn't that bad, it felt a lot more as a natural Island rather than a base of some sort.

20 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Please feel free to use it wherever you want.

Thank ye! 

20 minutes ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Then i used the Photoshop clone stamp tool to copy the background and cover up the areas needed

Ah, I see. Will have to try doing that in the future.

7 hours ago, Mazin said:

I also think that it might look better if You'd add a proper torch

I think it works well as it is.  I get the impression this is just the entrance to a much larger cave system, and the torch is an invitation to explore it.

Very nice use of the small crate piece to create the hidden treasure.  The handle seems like it might be a bit weak and pop off; I reconstructed this with actual bricks, and the clutch strength between the 2x2 slope brick and the crate is relatively low, but still too high for your build to work: pulling up on the handle removes the handle, not the slope brick.  Interestingly, pushing down or sideways removes both the slope brick and the handle.  A 2 stud handle of just about any kind would fix this.

44 minutes ago, Jack Sassy said:

Indeed, these were the last two years of the theme and I believe many people are not too fond of the sets released during this time.

This be the sad truth.  But, I can appreciate a good design, and you've done a great job with this one, much better than the original!

30 minutes ago, iragm said:

you've done a great job with this one, much better than the original!

Thank ye! Indeed, I found the best way to remove the 2x2 slope is by pulling the handle down. I think that a 1x2 handle would be a bit too out of place, 1x1 handle blends in a bit better in this case.

7 hours ago, Aanchir said:

A part of me wishes that the big "finger leaf" piece were in a brighter color (both to balance out the more subdued colors of the rocks and sand, and to echo the bright, nostalgic color schemes of other "throwback" sets like Eldorado Fortress and Barracuda Bay), but at the same time I do think it's neat to have it in a different color from the smaller bits of plant life you've added.

 

I agree with the color of the leaf comment. The olive green is out of character with the bright colors of these old sets. A bright green or regular green would fit better.

Other than that, I think you did great!

I love this, perhaps instead of the torch a lantern or an empty lantern with a clear cheese slope for broken glass, other than this add a bit more gold, and your perfect, anyway happy building :)

17 hours ago, durazno33 said:

Other than that, I think you did great!

Thank ye!

2 hours ago, Rogue Redcoat said:

I love this, perhaps instead of the torch a lantern or an empty lantern with a clear cheese slope for broken glass

Thank ye! I believe that the 1x1 slope piece can't fit inside the lantern piece (if that's what yer thinking). I thought of adding more gold but then the piece count would have been higher than needed to meet the standards of this contest.