Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the greatest show on Earth! Series 17 Minifigures ushers in a new group of lovable minifigs and my personal favorite may just be the Circus Strong Man, which is no small feat given the line up of this series. LEGO has developed a winner here, as Series 17 is poised to be a collector’s favorite.
Our beloved strong man boasts a nifty printed torso featuring a leopard-patterned singlet with a single shoulder strap exposing some tediously maintained chest muscles. Fortunately, his outfit is also printed on the back showing off his well-defined back. A brown weightlifting belt completes the ensemble. His outfit extends to his legs continuing the leopard pattern with manly black boots. His mustache is the same accessory found with other recent minifigs like the mariachi from Series 16. The face has a nice stern look with big, old-fashioned, bushy eyebrows. While I am unsure if these kind of performers wore leopard print outfits in the days of yore, I find I actually like it a lot. The pattern adds a great touch of color to our yellow friend. The black spots really pop. Also, the leopard pattern can be used for other photography ideas, such as a jungle themed shot. Apart from his mustache, the strong man has only one accessory, but it is truly awesome. The fantastic dumbbell has “100” printed on each ball and has a nice matte black finish, making it quite realistic.
This little guy really does well in front of a camera. I found it easy to make appropriate poses and add enough personality to make him seem lifelike. I can see toy photographers swapping out his face for added charisma, such as a winking face or a straining face. There are a staggering amount of scenes he will fit in, and I have quite a few more photo ideas that are not featured here.
When Series 17 images were released, the Strong Man stuck out in my mind the most, as he is a classic symbol of “olde tyme” entertainment. He certainly lived up to my expectations as the entire package is appropriately done. Of course, I will be buying multiple strong men to stock up on those sweet dumbbells. May 1st can’t come soon enough! My wallet is ready to do some heavy lifting.
Amon Clack (@brickologie)
I’ve recently read online that there is a wife carrying competition here in Finland… I’m sure the Strong man could win easily :D