Oooh, LEGO Gallery! That takes me waaaay back.
I’ve been poking around a bit using the WayBackMachine and have come across the old 2007 curated Star Wars archive. It takes a lot of clicking to get around (as was the norm in those days) but it’s a major trip.
http://web.archive.org/web/20070228105053/http://starwars.lego.com/en-us/gallery/episode4.aspx
Wow. I remember when the Club page was was a thing…
I remember the Lego Gallery! Specifically the Bionicle one. I remember a few ongoing storylines
I started using the gallery in around 2013 and it’s what got me into making Mocs. Of course, none of them were that good, but still. My first ever Bionicle Mocs were posted in a topic I called Bionicle Recon Team. They consisted of a slightly modified Mutran, Kalmah with a cape and a Rahkshi head, and Ogrum with Onewa Metru’s head and an unnecessary amount of weaponry.
If anyone ever finds that topic on the Wayback Machine you get free virtual invisible Galidor
Interesting, though, for the record, it was Hero Factory Recon team.
Wait, did you find the post?
No, I just know that there was no bionicle recon team.
I know, but the whole point of the three Mocs was to make a Bionicle Recon Team exist.
Ohhhhh okay. I get ya.
The LEGO galleries were great. I was active on the general one, and learned a lot about making MOCs from the constraction builders there. I became a part of that community with VirtualGru, BlueTorpedo, Shade, MiniGandalf, Chrisataur, and others, if anyone recalls those names. We had a lovely thing going. I have fond memories of competing in competitions with them, and I remember the etiquette of building each others’ “self-mocs.” Great times.
Edit
Inspired by legomaster1378 I’ve been tooling around on the WayBack and also remembered ToaMataEthan. I’ve been trying to somehow find my stuff but the chances of those pages being available in WayBack are somewhat unlikely.
Here’s a page from somewhere in 2015-2016. It appears to be the only page with actual pictures that I can find. Most of the posters on this gallery were immature but there were some really talented builders (one called Promar I was always impressed with).
I remember Christaur, but no of those other names unfortunately.
I actually talk to BlueTorpedo frequently on MOCpages, and MiniGandalf occasionally appears there as well. And as for ToaMataEthan, I took some screenshots of his self-MOC (among other’s self-MOCs) a little while before the GG closed. I just wish I had my Lego account sooner…
Hey, yall! If it wasn’t clear by the username this is ToaMataEthan I have no clue why it’s taken me this long to even think about looking for any of the Moccists from the Lego gallery, but I was desperately trying to find any pictures of my old builds and I ended up looking up my old username on google and finding this thread! I signed up just minutes ago to let you know I’m still kicking around.
After the Gallery closed, I went through a really long period of not posting stuff online, as Lego.com was one of the few “Social Medias” I was allowed by my parents to use. I currently have an Instagram that I post lego stuff occasionaly on, but its mostly art and other hobbies of mine. If any of you are interested, I can direct you there. Again, I’ve only posted a few mocs there, but that’s pretty much where I frequent.
As for where I can locate more refugees froom the gallery, is there pages you can direct me to for some of the people you listed? I’d like to see what Christaur, Bluetorp, Minigandalf, and others are up to…
I’m happy to hear that I was remembered fondly as well haha!
@TheCobaltCorsair You still have those screenshots? I’d love to see them again. I’ve currently got his final form dismantled in my WIP bin Haha!
Edited for Double Post - BioKnight
As far as I know I still have them. I think my old screenshots were moved to my new computer, so I’ll need to check. If I find them, I’ll let you know.
Anyway, I’d like to say that I really enjoyed seeing your MOCs on the old Gallery. I regret that I never got an account during the General Gallery’s heyday.
Unfortunately, Chrisataur was one I never could track down. I believe they took that end of the galleries as a means to depart from online interactions. Perhaps I could have found out if I looked a bit harder, but respect for one to leave the scene has to happen as some point. Though I can tell you where the other two are on occasion.
I’m also in a couple Discord servers with them, but I’ve never been one known for conversation. They could be active and chatting elsewhere, just haven’t pried into it.
Found 'em! Here they are:
I thought I had more, but I apparently only took screenshots of the last version posted on the old Gallery. I did the same for the self-MOCs of Christaur, Bluetorp, and Minigandalf, as well as some others. Also, wow, I had way too many things on my old computer’s taskbar…
OH MY GOSH!!! THE WARBEAST TOO!!! That is one of my favorite Mocs of all time and this is likely the only picture that exists of it still!! I can’t tell you how incredibly happy I am that you did that!
You’re welcome!
Actually, and I’m guessing you’ll be excited to hear this, I have a few more screenshots of your warbeast:
Quite a few more, it turns out.
That warbeast looks sick. If this is what you were building back in 2016, I’d love to see some of your builds from now!
This has literally made my year this is amazing, thank you so much!!
