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The History of LEGO Star Wars: Year I (1999)

jtsandman45

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The History of LEGO Star Wars: Year I (1999)

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Chapters
0:00 - Intro
3:17 - LEGO Before Star Wars
5:13 - Putting the Deal Together
8:54 - Developing Something New
14:13 - A Symbiotic Showcase
16:29 - The Sets
50:52 - The Rollout
53:31 - Lasting Impact

This video is a researched retelling of LEGO Star Wars’ first year and a showcase of all 14 retail sets from 1999, drawing heavily from Chapter 1 of The Force of Creativity by Graham Hancock, along with other credited sources. This book is the most complete and extensive recounting of this niche LEGO history; I highly recommend snagging a copy for yourself!

The Force of Creativity by Graham E. Hancock
► https://www.amazon.com/Force-Creativi...

Written, Performed, Shot, and Edited by Yours Truly: jtsandman45
Instagram ► Instagram: jtsandman450

Other Sources
Maestro S. Fujita Images ► https://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~mbsf/swo...
Droid Developer Kit Commercial ► 1999 Lego Star Wars Mindstorms Droid Kit T...
Lucasfilm History in Objects ► https://www.lucasfilm.com/news/histor...
1999 Promotional Diorama ► Reddit: 1999_promotional_lego_star_wars_diorama_in_the
Brothers Brick 1999 LEGO Star Wars Feature ► https://www.brothers-brick.com/2019/0...
Brick Fanatics LEGO and Star Wars Team Up ► https://www.brickfanatics.com/how-leg...
LEGO Star Wars Celebrating 20 Years ► https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/ne...
Faber Files LEGO and Star Wars ► https://faberfiles.blogspot.com/2015/...
Brickset Graham E. Hancock Interview ► https://brickset.com/article/111941/i...
JMBrickLayer History Of The License Collaboration Between LEGO and Star Wars
PenPlays "The Beginning" ► The Eras of LEGO Star Wars - The Beginning...

20 Comments

@ItsDubba 7 months ago

You can't hide your lego indiana jones minikits forever sandman...

@noahpatterson2850 7 months ago

22:45 "Are Snowspeeders gray?"
Screams in R.R. Slugger

@commander-fox-q7573 7 months ago (edited)

The thing that stands out to me about this year is how many fun low price sets there are. They allow them to make sets about unique scenes that haven’t been touched since in nearly the same way. It’s quaint and whimsical, which makes them really fun to look at even if they aren’t the hyper-detailed style of models you would see today.

Loving these videos, excited for the next one!

@Playmation 7 months ago

Waited 27 years for this video to come out!

@CheeseyStudios 7 months ago

I loved that you focused so much on the design book. I've been dying to know what actually in there. It truly is our best look behind the scenes as to what actually happens at LEGO HQ! Great video

@lotsagold 7 months ago

hearing you said that book was written by Graham hancock i was like "The Ancient Aliens psuedo archiology guy?" but no different graham hancock lmao

@mrjf101 7 months ago

That Tan cart with the naboo Starfighter is actually a pretty faithful recreation of a little background vehicle you see during the scene when Anakin is getting to the fighter in the movie. You only see it briefly but it's definitely that!

@IgnoredScuff 5 months ago

21:10 And that's where I disagree. Eleven-year-old me was crashing speeder bikes into that tree like there was no tomorrow. Without it, recreating the chase from the movie would have been impossible, and that's exactly why we wanted LEGO Star Wars sets in the first place. What if Lego still produces play sets, but old geezers no longer have the imagination to play with them? A lot of adults complain about Lego Star Wars SMART Play, but as an 11-year-old boy, I wouldn't stop running around the house with Luke's X-Wing in one hand and a Darth Vader TIE fighter in the other, that are making sounds when they move. 🤔🤷‍♂

@duckheadbob 7 months ago

Definitely have cemented yourself as my favorite lego Ytuber - excited to see this series continue.

Hope you expand it to other lines as well!

@Deiderin 3 months ago

8:41 Guy's blessed with the WORST initials known to mankind how unfortunate...

@haberak3310 4 months ago

Prices after inflations
Luke's Landspeeder - $12.06
Speeder Bikes - $20.10
Snowspeeder - $40.20
X-Wing Fighter - $60.29
Tie Fighter & Y-Wing - $100.49

Lightsaber Duel - $12.06
Droid Fighter - $12.06
Naboo Swamp $20.10
Anakin's Podracer - $30.15
Naboo Fighter - $40.20
Sith Infiltrator - $60.29
Gungan Sub - $100.49
Mos Espa Podrace - $180.88

Droid Development Kit - $200.98

@Keyrooster2 7 months ago (edited)

“I wish I had a way to heat my food in a quick fashion” :The humble microwave 25:44

@DenmarkDragon 7 months ago

These beginnings of licensed sets were designed with the classic LEGO spirit in mind, and that's a great thing. I have to say I don't always feel modern licenses are delivered with a healthy serving of LEGO imagination mixed in. Maybe in the future licensed sets can recapture a healthier balance?

@HonourGuardDK 7 months ago

43:25 lol Qui-Gon does the Wojack pointing meme.

@ClassicBrickStudios 7 months ago

1999 to 2003 are my favourite years for LEGO Star Wars. I just love the asthetic of all these models that is more close to LEGOs designlanguage than todays sets are to me. Also the lineup of cheap sets is just incredible.

@thehuntsman7505 7 months ago

So when will part 2 with the 2000 wave sets come out?

@calicobroadcasting5933 7 months ago

That perfect turret spin at 29:45. Wonder how many deleted takes there are of JT spinning it over and over again until it lined up just right. 😄

@joeking6804 7 months ago (edited)

1:11 “You can’t build a brick house without a sturdy baseplate.”

The Lego company has been trying to phase out baseplates for decades. lol, they barely exist now. Only as individually purchasable accessories. And MAYBE the modular building.

Everywhere else that could use a baseplate they either make this massive, uneven, part eating, plate built base. Or the cover the baseplate entirely like the modular buildings.

@niepowiemjaksienazywam1972 7 months ago (edited)

2:02 for a second I thought this was the same guy who is now writing books on conspiracy theories 😭😭😭

@Starpuppetindustriesarchives 4 months ago

28:53 darth vaders tie fighter wasn’t blue for the same reason the sith infiltrator set was, tie fighters in the pre Disney era were actually a light blue rather than grey, but in A New Hope they looked more grey due to how they were filmed, though this was fixed in the Empire strikes back, and Return of the Jedi. The darker blue was probably used in sets to make it stand out more against the black, or because Lego didn’t have a light blue colour for its pieces at the time.