It’s pretty hard to be a reader of this site and be unfamiliar with LEGO. We write about it constantly, you guys. But it’s entirely possible that you may be unfamiliar with Adventure Time. This brilliant Cartoon Network series first aired in 2016 and season 7 is airing now, with 2018 already announced. Ostensibly a “boy and his dog” story, the boy just happens to be the last human, and the dog is magic. Together, they fight crime – okay, not really. But seriously, you should check the show out on Hulu – it’s pretty dope.
Every year LEGO picks a new set or two via the LEGO Ideas blog. This year one of the two picks was this Adventure Time set, created by aBetterMonkey. Quick note: This just means LEGO wants to make the set. There are still a ton of hoops to jump through, including getting a license from Cartoon Network, who own the show. We were supposed to get a Golden Girls set, but that’s now not happening.
Should the set still happen, it may look nothing like the original pitch, or contain any of the same characters… but it’s coming. Personally, I expect Jake, Finn, BMO, Princess Bubblegum, Ice King and maybe Marceline to make the cut. I hope others do too, especially Lemongrab. Because anything else would be unacceptable.
A correction: the Adventure Time project is definitely happening, and LEGO has already secured the license.
The way LEGO Ideas works is that a project is posted. If it gets 10,000 supporters, it enters the LEGO review process where LEGO determines whether they can get the licensing, whether it’s a good brand fit, whether it’s a good business case, etc. The Golden Girls project (and many others) got 10,000 supporters but did not pass review. On the other hand, this Adventure Time project got 10,000 supporters and DID pass review, meaning that the LEGO Group has thoroughly investigated all these things and committed to making it a product.
A lot of news sites don’t really seem to understand this process. Some of them report that a set is coming before a project even reaches 10,000 supporters. Others report that a set is coming when it reaches 10,000 supporters but before it passes review. Really, the only point at which we know for sure that a set is being developed is after it has passed review, as Adventure Time now has.
More info at https://ideas.lego.com/guidelines
I appreciate the clarification.
This LEGO set is going to be so math!
Also, a minor correction: Season One of Adventure Time started airing on Cartoon Network in 2010 and the pilot aired in 2007.