Voltron | LEGO Ideas
The Voltron Story
Learn more about the story behind The Voltron set.
Legend of the Fan Designer
Leandro “Lendy” Tayag is from the Philippines and lives in Malaysia. He’s a software engineer with a passion for both giant robots and LEGO® building – so he was the perfect fan designer to create the LEGO Ideas Voltron set! “I’ve always been a big fan of Super Robots from the ‘70s and ‘80s. My parents bought a Voltron toy for me when I was a child, and I have been hooked on it ever since.”
What special challenges did you face in creating your LEGO Ideas model submission?
“The challenging part was getting the details right. I can’t remember how many times I redesigned the lion heads, trying to make them look as close as possible to how they were in the cartoon. The lion legs were also a pain, since I had to make sure they could fold nicely when combined as Voltron, as well as look good in their lion forms.”
How long did it take you to complete the model?
“I actually started the initial design two years ago, but couldn’t get the head design right, so I put it aside. If I remember correctly, I worked on it for roughly two hours every night after work, over the course of around three weeks.”
Waiting to see if his creation would reach 10,000 votes wasn’t easy. “It was actually nerve-wracking at times, in a good way, especially when it was featured in the Voltron podcast where they interviewed WEP President Bob Koplar (license holder of Voltron). It was great to know that he knew about my LEGO Ideas submission and that he found it cool. On a side note, I was on the way to LEGOLAND® Malaysia the moment it reached 10,000 supporters.”
And when Lendy found out that his model had been approved for release as an official LEGO Ideas set, it was even better! “It’s a bit cliché, but it was a Dream Come True! I was pretty much stunned, as I was not expecting to hear about the news. I’m still trying to let it sink in. It feels surreal that it’s actually happening. Great birthday present for my wife and son!”
As advice for aspiring builders looking to submit their own brick creations to LEGO Ideas, Lendy says, “Work on something you really like and that you are passionate about. And find a subject with a good fan base.”
Waiting to see if his creation would reach 10,000 votes wasn’t easy. “It was actually nerve-wracking at times, in a good way, especially when it was featured in the Voltron podcast where they interviewed WEP President Bob Koplar (license holder of Voltron). It was great to know that he knew about my LEGO Ideas submission and that he found it cool. On a side note, I was on the way to LEGOLAND® Malaysia the moment it reached 10,000 supporters.”
And when Lendy found out that his model had been approved for release as an official LEGO Ideas set, it was even better! “It’s a bit cliché, but it was a Dream Come True! I was pretty much stunned, as I was not expecting to hear about the news. I’m still trying to let it sink in. It feels surreal that it’s actually happening. Great birthday present for my wife and son!”
As advice for aspiring builders looking to submit their own brick creations to LEGO Ideas, Lendy says, “Work on something you really like and that you are passionate about. And find a subject with a good fan base.”