Will Arnett’s “Lego Masters” is back on Tuesday on Fox and three Atlantans are chasing the $100,000 prize and the title.
Here are mini-profiles:
Steven and Mark Erickson
Ages: Steven is 24; Mark is 27:
Background: They grew up goading each other on as brothers to create Lego masterpieces. “We didn’t have a really big collection. We’d always build stuff, take pictures, then tear them down right away,” Steven said. “We’d build an entire castle or a whole city,” Mark said. They were homeschooled and still live with their parents in Atlanta. “We went to school locally and didn’t have a reason to move out,” Steven said. “We also love being with them.” (Mark is moving out soon.)
Recruited: They started uploading their favorite Lego creations online in 2009 and began going to Lego conventions and won plenty of awards. “Lego Masters approached us for season one,” Steven said. “But I had just started a job as a welder. The timing wasn’t right.” Mark is in college and works in retail. They are ready for a show like this. “We’re used to building very quickly and efficiently together,” Mark said. “We have built structures live.”
Relative strengths: Steven is the detail guy. Mark is the big-picture guy. “I can build a castle five feet tall, big enough to go inside,” Mark said.
First challenge: The teams were tasked with creating a Lego parade float that reflected their story and conveyed movement. Steven and Mark have Viking ancestry and built an elaborate serpent chasing a Viking ship. The techniques and impact are impressive. The only critique from one of the brickmaster judges: it lacked a real personal story.
Bigger and better season 2: “I saw some of the most amazing things in my whole career, things I never thought were possible. It will be outstanding!” Steven said.
Playing off host Arnett: “I like to think we’re witty,” Mark said. “But he’s on a whole new level. We were just trying to keep up!”
Lego’s enduring impact: “It’s a way to express yourself,” Steven said. “We want to tell our stories. Lego is perfect for any age to do that.”
Randall Wilson
Background: Grew up in Lithonia and Stone Mountain. Graduated Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain in 2004 and Georgia Tech in 2009 with an architecture degree.
Age: 34
Job: He and his business and “Lego Masters” partner Syreeta Gates, a hip-hop archivist, sell specialized Lego pieces focused on hip-hop culture. They also do Lego workshops with kids. He now lives in Chicago as a digital user experience designer.
Coming on the show: “Once I got there, I felt like I belonged. I’m amongst my people. I have the skill and aptitude to be here.”
Challenges working with Syreeta: “Communication with your partner was the hardest. You have to come up with solutions separately and eventually connect.”
First challenge: Randall and Syreeta’s hip-hop float showed a big party and a rotating vinyl record, though the rotation might be hard to see from the level of the parade watchers.
TV PREVIEW
“Lego Masters.” Season 2 returns at 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, on Fox.
