LEGO BrickHeadz designer explains the theme’s genesis

The new line of LEGO buildable characters, BrickHeadz, has launched recently and adds a new kind of LEGO set to the product portfolio. Featuring characters from Disney, Marvel and DC, the collectible line recreates pop culture icons in a cute, blocky format.

Many fans have seen a similarity with Funko Pop! vinyl figures, suggesting that the LEGO Group had been inspired by that collectible range. But in an interview with Brickset, BrickHeadz Lead Designer Austin Carlson clarified that there was no such influence.

I see a lot of talk about the influence of Pop! Vinyl and CubeDudes but I can’t say it was that. This project wasn’t started like our normal ones where we have a brief and find a solution. I was building these in my free time and Matt Ashton told me to pitch it as a project. It was never intended to be a product, it just happened to become one.

The designer also explains how he came to build the very first BrickHeadz character.

The very first LEGO BrickHead (or Blockhead, the name I was calling it at that time) was a little gift for my friend and coworker Tobey Brown (below). She’s a big fan of elephants and cuteness in general so I made a little stubby Elephant buddy that later evolved into the template for other Blockheads. Fat heads, chubby bodies and stubby limbs are a standard formula for cute!

BrickHeadz are available to order from shop.LEGO.com, with a double VIP points promotion currently running.