LEGO Signs Deal With Ben 10

[Staff]

From the It Came Out Of Left Field news desk, LEGO has signed an agreement with Cartoon Network to create sets based on Ben 10. I realize I'm no longer a person of age that would be glued to CN to catch the latest episodes of Ben 10, but I really wonder how popular this line is going to be. Spongebob seems to be the only license based on an animated series that has any longevity outside of Star Wars. Avatar came and went but to be fair that was part of a package license with Nickelodeon.

Hit the image for more info.


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Permalink: http://www.fbtb.net/2009/06/02/lego-signs-deal-with-ben-10/

[Iare Tosevite]

The show is decent. One of better "serious" cartoons of 2000s.

I can't wait to see the sets.

[11Numb]

Y'know, all these seemingly random licenses are really starting to irk me. It started with Spongebob (which, to be fair, had some nice pieces), but it's just getting ridiculous. Pretty soon, the ratio of Licensed to Original Themes is gonna be pretty unbalanced.

[onions]

if anything we may get some interesting alien pieces/models

[CommanoSev]

Wow I hope LEGO doesn't completely kill their reputation with giant alien shaped LEGO pieces. Who knows maybe this theme will be pretty successful.(Although SW and Space Police are already supplying the aliens, wouldn't this be a 3rd wheel?)

[Legomancer]

I'll admit it; I watch CN even now for newer shows I'm addicted to like "Chowder" and "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack."

Ben 10 is about a 10-year old boy, Ben Tennyson, who happens upon a "watch" that had previously been shot out of an orbiting alien ship under fire from the eventual antagonist. He is in the woods with his grandfather and cousin, who are back at the RV. The watch immediately attaches to him much to his surprise. To even more of his surprise, the watch allows him to transform into one of ten different aliens which, after an undesignated amount of time, times out and reverts him back to human form.

Ben almost immediately uses these alien transformations for good, placing these aliens in the news as heroes. The antagonist, previously mortally wounded, sends drones and bounty hunters after him, his cousin and grandfather, but the majority of episodes use other bad guys and watch malfunctions due to Ben toying with it. All in all, a great cartoon.

When Ben 10 first came out, it was my FAVORITE show then. However, there was a revival of the series, set 5 years later, called Ben 10: Alien Force. I DESPISE IT WITH A BURNING PASSION. Ben yells out each alien he turns into AFTER turning into it, which I find to be unnecessary. Plus, the emphasis in character's dialogue sounds like that of characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Yeah.

Now, Ben in the first cartoon is ten, otherwise known in LEGO terms as possessing those small, unmovable legs. However, in Ben 10: Alien Force, he is 15 and would have normal legs. So my guess is the majority of sets will be Ben 10: Alien Force, and either way the faces will be fashioned in the animation style of the cartoon, like The Clone Wars sets.

I'll judge 'em when I see 'em

[ThinkingImpaired]

Has anyone else here never even heard of Ben 10 before?

[Legomancer]

Update: Just read an article on it. Apparently it's Ben 10: Alien Force sets only. DANG.

LEGO Four Arms would've been SOOOOO awesome…

What really angers me is the fact that the photo in the article has the original Ben Tennyson; not 15-year old Ben. FALSE ADVERTISING!!

[tekjock]

Schweeet ... my son LOVES Ben 10, I kinda like it to.

Update: Just read an article on it. Apparently it's Ben 10: Alien Force sets only. DANG.

LEGO Four Arms would've been SOOOOO awesome…

What really angers me is the fact that the photo in the article has the original Ben Tennyson; not 15-year old Ben. FALSE ADVERTISING!!

Yes, Lego Four arms would kick BUT

[Legomancer]

The article also says that these sets will "put a new twist" on the Lego building system.

I can only guess that it has something to do with enlarging the Ben 10 minifigs to include the watch, or Omnitrix, on Ben's wrist.

LINK: http://www.toynewsmag.com/news/31269/Lego-signs-Ben-10-deal

[legofett]

I for one am a bit worried scince Lego is a KIDS Product I am worrying that with starwars ageing and a kid-based space theme on the horizen, that lego might dump starwars like a used napkin.

[Iare Tosevite]

Lego have been and always will be kids toy. Star wars is around because theres large market still.

That and everything have finite lifetime.

[Solo]

We've already got a topic for the possible demise of Star Wars. Keep that line of thought where it's being beaten to death.

I'm with Ace though:

if anything we may get some interesting alien pieces/models

This doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.

[Pendragonstar]

I can see the weird figures to be cool, but it could also end up as galidor all over again.
I'm both exicited and scared to death on what this might look like. I've never seen the show before but I've seen commercials when my brother watches the clone wars. Bias only off of that, I'm scared.
Very scared.

[Veers]

This concerns me. Sure we might get a few neat pieces, but I think this is a little out of the ordinary. I'd prefer to see some more Original themes.

[Aharown]

Has anyone else here never even heard of Ben 10 before?

You're not the only one!

New alien molds would be good. I hope it works out well for Lego.

[Marty]

While I'm pretty sure Lego is on a winner with this, Ben 10 is very popular at the moment, but I think it's going to be short lived.
Yes, there will be some nice pieces, but it has a limited shelf life.
I really can't understand why they 'Lego' couldn't get the license for Battlestar, as this would have a much broader appeal, honestly the number of kids that watched this show, greatly out numbered the adults. An if push came to shove they could also use the cleaner version of the first series, which would still pass as decent sets.
To sum up yes Ben 10 will be popular, but it will be a short run. Marty

[SkwerlJones]

I've only seen one episode of this show, after the Clone Wars of course, and I have to say the line will have to have some pretty new molds. There is that one dude with the heavy New York accent who can turn into any material he touches. That might make some interesting new torsos. And don't even get me started with all the new head molds they are going to have to produce, the one little white dude and the odd alien things they face for starters. Man, our cantinas are going to be packed with new space and Ben 10 figures!

I'll reserve all other judgements until we get the first blurry pictures from someone hanging over their desk with a cellphone.

[OOM-9]

Wow, LEGO is coming out with some really random licenses! I've only seen a few episodes of the show and thought it was okay, but I'm skeptical of how it will turn out. Many people are thinking it's going to be Galidor all over again but I don't think LEGO would make the same mistake with this theme. We'll have to wait and see those blurry cell phone pics SkwerlJones mentioned.

[gfxguy]

Ok, I have to tell you why this is the coolest thing ever (for me): I work for Turner Studios, the in-house production company for the Turner Entertainment Networks, including Ben-10.

In fact, while the show animation is being done in Korea, all the original content for commercials and advertising for video games for Clone Wars is done by my department, so I'm hoping we'll at least get to do some commercials and get some sets to shoot with... I'll also have to bug my contacts at CN to see if they can throw any freebies my way.

Lastly, my son loves Ben 10, so I hope he continues his interest in LEGO.