Zen Lego Duplo Pirates Page

Contact:

Duplo Pirates

Duplo Pirates Line

Working as a toy designer for Lego in Denmark, Matt Corrall, along with a colleague, created a concept for a pirates playset for the Duplo brand which was subsequently accepted for a full development program to launch. Matt Corrall worked as part of a small, multi-national design team who took the project from initial concept sketches to full production a year later. Lego Duplo Pirates was a major product launch for Lego in 2006, with 4 new SKUs aimed at 4-6 year olds.

Their work involved sketch development, printed decoration design and prototyping of new moldings in a variety of mediums, from 3D printed parts to modeling clay. New molded parts were designed in CAD and refined to be compatible with all other parts in the Lego system. At key stages in the process, they conducted consumer trials with parents and children to optimize the appeal of the sets, and ensure playing with them was exciting and rewarding.

As well as creating ships that could float, firing cannons and a huge shark with snapping jaws, they designed a crew of swashbuckling pirates with their own unique costumes and weapons. Matt Corrall created print-ready artwork for all parts and we work closely with production teams in Denmark and China to ensure the original concept vision was maintained through to mass manufacture.

behance.net/gallery/Lego-Duplo-Pirates/1996071

coroflot.com/mattc/toy-design/1

coroflot.com/mattc/Toy-Design/2#scroll

coroflot.com/mattc/Toy-Design/3#scroll

Sets

LEGO DUPLO Big Pirate Ship 7880

A fun fun set - but generally priced ridiculously for a toy. It floats and has wheels that allow it to roll. These are much more affordable in Europe, but still overpriced for a toy. The hulls can be had for a low price and are great if you would like to take a stab to custom making your own masts and rigging. Duplo knights also make acceptable sailors, at lease more so than the town's people or Winnie the Pooh.

With a little creativity, or the box as a guide, you can remove a mast or two and create a smaller ship to battle against or sail with.

If you decide to take it out on the water, beware that although the ship floats, Duplo plastic will sink after the parts fill with water. So you can lose your very hard to find small parts in a lake should they go overboard.

Instructions

Duplo Pirate Ship 7881

Here is a really fun Duplo Ship which floats. Its sail and skulls glow in the dark. These are far easier to find in Europe.

Instructions

Shark Attack 7882-1

Another rare in the US set. The pirate and sword is nice, but the shark is awesome.

Duplo Treasure Hunt 7883

You get a pirate minfig, a musket, a map, treasure, a sword and a glow in the dark skeleton.

Duplo Pirate Minifigs


	47394pb060	Duplo Figure Lego Ville, Male Pirate, Dark Bluish Gray Legs, Red and White White Striped Top, Medium Blue Rag Hat (Pirate)
	47394pb088	Duplo Figure Lego Ville, Male Pirate, Dark Green Legs, Flesh Top with Strap and Dynamite, Bald Head, Eyepatch
	47394pb089	Duplo Figure Lego Ville, Male Pirate, Medium Blue Legs, Dark Blue Top with Buttons, Bald Head, Eyepatch, Peg Leg
	47394pb050	Duplo Figure Lego Ville, Male Pirate, Medium Blue Legs, Dark Red Top, Dark Bluish Gray Pirate Hat, Blue Eyes
	47394pb090	Duplo Figure Lego Ville, Male Pirate, Red Legs, White Top with Buttons and Green Spots, Reddish Brown Pirate Hat, Eyepatch, Peg Leg
	47394pb049	Duplo Figure Lego Ville, Skeleton

Custom Duplo Pirates are possible, but can be a bit challenging. The complete head assemblies are interchangeable, but the head and hat configurations aren't entirely interchangeable. Heads are also smaller than regular Duplo minifigs, so changing out pirate heads with non-pirate heads will look a bit odd, but often acceptable. Regular Duplo minifigs also look happier than pirate minifigs, but why can't there be a few happy pirates.

Pirate heads come in two types. Ones that have hats or bandannas and ones with bald heads. You can easily interchange hats and bandannas on any head made for a hat, but will have to modify parts if you opt to place a hat on a bald head.

Caveman bodies with other minifig pants make acceptable pirate bodies is you are going for the bare chested look.

Please feel free to link to this site so that others can find it. It's easy to link to this site, just copy one of the texts below onto your web page:

Zen Kid Page