Hey guys! Yesterday, we posted a series of teasers on twitter from LEGO designer, Matthew Ashton. Last week Matthew posted a brick at a time, slowly giving fans a subtle hint at a new set. You can revisit that post HERE. The first post on May 9, 2021 was an image of one 2×3 black brick.
Alongside that image, he wrote, “LEGO lovers! I have designed a new set which is coming out very soon! And I am extremely happy to unveil an exclusive sneak peak!
#Drumroll
The set will contain this LEGO piece.”
Now this had a lot people convinced that this was just a joke. However, the following days to come there were more posts, of different coloured bricks and a few witty comments to go with them. Imaginations were running wild!
Today in a press release, LEGO announced the Everyone is Awesome 40516 set and solved the mystery to Matthew’s colourful tweets.
Check out the designer video:
Everyone is Awesome 40516
- Set #: 40516
- Set Name: Everyone is Awesome
- Age Recommendation: 18+
- Number of Parts: 346
- Minifigures: 11
- Dimensions: 18 x 12.8 x 10.2 cm (width x depth x height)
- Price: $34.99 USD
- Release Date: June 1, 2021
Official Set Description
Build your very own homage to positivity and friendliness with the LEGO® building set “Everyone is special” (40516). 11 monochrome minifigures stand in front of a rainbow background. Each minifigure not only has a different color, but also an individual hairstyle to represent the diversity of our community. Exhibit your model and show the world that, despite all the differences, we celebrate love and togetherness together.
- 11 monochrome LEGO® minifigures to build and display. Each minifigure is a different color and has a different hairstyle when placed in front of the rainbow.
- 10 cm high, 18 cm wide and 12 cm deep.
- The LEGO® building set “Everyone is special” (40516) for adults offers a great opportunity to celebrate diversity with a spectacular eye-catcher.
The colours of the set are based on the Progress Pride Flag. The flag was first designed by the non-binary graphic designer Daniel Quasar in 2018, bringing the traditional rainbow flag, the Philadelphia Pride Flag and the Transgender Pride Flag together. He originally designed the flag to place a greater emphasis on “inclusion and progression.”
LEGO designer, Matthew Ashton, who is also part of the LGBTQIA + community stated:
“Growing up as an LGBTQ + child – I was always told what to play with, how to run, how to talk, what to wear – the message I always got was that I was kind of ‘wrong’ [… ] I wish I had looked at the world as a child and thought: ‘It will be fine, there is a place for me’. I wish I had seen an inclusive statement that said ‘everyone is awesome’.“
The 11 monochromatic minifigures have been designed without any specific gender to represent individuality. However, Matthew said it was clear that the purple minifigure, with the pinned up wig, is a “clear reference to all the fabulous drag queens out there”.
The set is based on an MOC that he built for his desk after moving into a new office and after so many colleagues complimented it, Matthew got the idea that this would make a great addition to be an official LEGO set.
Official Images
How ‘Awesome’ is this set? Comment below!
Happy LEGO Building!
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