Infomaniac

The Infomaniac is a LEGO minifigure from LEGO Island. His first appearance was in 1997, in the 5731 LEGO Island Video Game, and later in both of the LEGO Island sequels, 5774 LEGO Island 2 (The Brickster's Revenge) and Island Xtreme Stunts. His first physical appearence was included with some copies of 5731 LEGO Island, and he later appeared in the Island Xtreme Stunts theme, in the 6740 Xtreme Tower set, and then in the 9247 Community Workers set.
== Background ==
=== LEGO Island ===
According to the game's manual, the Infomaniac is the creator of LEGO Island and built the Brickster almost 40 zillion years ago. When he told the Brickster he was going to make a new Minifigure, the Brickster went ballistic and stole some bricks to make his own island.
In the game, he first greets the player in the Information Center and tells them what they need to do to sign into the game. Afterwards, he guides the player throughout the game. Once the Brickster escapes, he helps Pepper chase after him before offering him a Pizza TurboChucker he designed to capture the Brickster. 
=== LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge ===
In the PC and Playstation versions of LEGO Island 2, the Infomaniac serves as a guide throughout the game, often talking to Pepper via the hologram projector in his headset. He can be found around LEGO Island and at the Infomaniac Center during the game. During a section on Adventurers' Island Dr. Kilroy implies he's a friend of the Infomaniac when talking to Pepper.
The Game Boy Color game featured him in a smaller but similar role. At the start of the game, he meets Pepper at the Information Center before taking him to the Pizzeria to deliver a pizza. He then plays a role after the Brickster escapes, saying he's stolen the Construction, and at the end of the game, when the Brickster is being taken away after Pepper captures him.
In the Game Boy Advanced version of the game, Pepper talks to him at phone booths and at the beginning and end of minigames. At one point Pepper delivers him a letter that previously got sent to the wrong person as part of a side mission. 
=== Island Xtreme Stunts ===
During most of the game he can be found at the Information Center on Space Mountain. After the film, Xtreme Stunts, is finished shooting he is kidnapped by the Brickster and taken to the top of a tower he built. Pepper then makes his way to the top and rescues the Infomaniac. Afterwards, when the Brickster is being taken to jail, the Infomaniac presents it to him as his own LEGO set.
== Behind the Scenes ==
=== LEGO Island ===
The earliest mention of what became the Infomaniac goes back to the development of LEGO Island in 1995 with the idea of a hotel concierge.https://archive.org/details/product-overview Later, by August 24th of this year,https://archive.org/details/lego-explorer-concept-presentation/page/n12/mode/2up the idea had evolved into the Infomaniac, and he appeared in the Virtual LEGO Explorer presentation.
At an unknown point during the development of LEGO Island, Wes Jenkins,https://twitter.com/Psychobiotic/status/1034473606875701249 the Creative Director of the game, designed the physical minifigure of the Infomaniac that came with early releases of the game. This was the first minifigure to be created outside of the LEGO Group.https://archive.org/details/s-l1600-3/s-l1600-3.jpg
There were multiple different voice actors considered to voice the Infomaniac during the development of LEGO Island including Wes Jenkins,https://youtu.be/iRAIWoeXsmw?t=8 Terry McGovern, and Jonathan Winters.https://archive.org/details/legomusicvoicetalent/Scan_1.png In the end, the role went to Patrick Hagan.
=== Island Xtreme Stunts ===
In an earlier incarnation of the game focused on an early version of Orient Expedition,https://archive.org/details/lego-island-3-design-document the Brickster would have visited the Infomaniac after finding LEGO Island's engine room. The Brickster then would have asked what happened to Bologna Roni, who had a key to it, with the Infomaniac then saying he went off to follow Marco Polo's steps on the Silk Road. He then would have phoned Pepper and told him what occurred. Past this, no other details about the Infomanaic's role in this are known.
Once the game was centered around the Island Xtreme Stunts setline, his involvement diminished throughout the development to his final role. Initially, he would have helped Pepper throughout the game with a holographic version of himself known as the Holomanichttps://archive.org/details/li-3-ps-2-v-0.9_202202/page/n20/mode/2up that was removed from the game. He was also a part of Xtreme Stuntshttps://archive.org/details/li-3-ps-2-v-0.9_202202/page/106/mode/2up (known as Cool Movie at the time) during one point during the development, with the role of "The Boss."
=== Unreleased titles ===
Before LEGO Island was released, several additional LEGO titles featuring the Infomaniac, including LEGO Adventurers, LEGO Sea Challenge, and LEGO Space: UFO Invaders, were in various stages of development at Mindscape. In LEGO Space: UFO Invaders,https://archive.org/details/lego-space-ufo-invaders/mode/2up the least fleshed out title, he would have met the player in the Information Center and helped them get to the space center on the second floor. At the start of LEGO Adventurers,https://archive.org/details/lego-dig-inhouse-preliminary-design_202202/page/n13/mode/2up the player would have freed him from an Anubis-themed tomb he was imprisoned in before inviting them into his tent and explaining that they need to save the lost City of OGEL. 
In LEGO Sea Challenge, the most fleshed out title, he went through multiple roles during its development. Initially, Captain Bricksworthy, described as resembling the Infomaniac, had his role.https://archive.org/details/20200327-130732/image03.jpg In later versions of the game's design, the Infomaniac took over that role, with a section of the Preliminary Design Documenthttps://archive.org/details/LEGOSeaChallengePreliminaryDesign mentioning that the introduction to the game was to discuss the Infomaniac using the Power Brick to end pollution.
Around the time of the development of LEGO Island 2, an educational LEGO Island game featuring the Infomaniac,https://archive.org/details/LIKStoryboards The LEGO Island Learning Project, was being developed. The Infomaniac would have greeted the player at the start of the game. However, no other details of the Infomaniac's involvement are currently known.
== Notes ==
* He appears as a physical minifigure included with some copies of the LEGO Island game.
* He has appeared in three sets, with a different physical appearance for each.
*He appears in 80036 The City of Lanterns on a signhttps://twitter.com/justinramsden/status/1464371322243502085.
== Appearances ==
* 2181 Infomaniac
* 9247 Community Workers (2005)
* 6740 Xtreme Tower 
*80036 The City of Lanterns (Non-Physical)
=== Video Game appearances ===
* 5731 LEGO Island
* 5730 LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge
* 5774 LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge
* 5775 LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge
* 5777 LEGO Island 2: The Brickster's Revenge
*Island Xtreme Stunts
== Variations ==
== Gallery ==
LI1Infomaniac.png|The Infomaniac in LEGO Island
Infocenter.jpg|The Information center in LEGO Island
LI2 infomaniac.png|The Infomaniac in LEGO Island 2
Lego0007.jpg|Infomaniac with Pepper Roni in LEGO Island 2
Infomaniac (LI2).png|The Infomaniac as seen in the Lego Island 2 manual
IXS infomaniac.png|The Infomaniac in Island Xtreme Stunts
LI1InfomaniacOldConceptArt.png|Concept art of the Infomaniac dating from 1995
LI1InfomaniacConceptArt.png|Early art and animation notes for the Infomaniac and the first LEGO Island game
File:LICharacterDesigns.png|Several designs for the main characters of LEGO Island, including the Infomaniac
File:InfoProto.jpg|The prototype of the first physical Infomaniac minifigure
File:Infomaniac Prototype.png|Another image of the prototype of the first physical Infomaniac minifigure
File:Infomaniac Press Card 2.jpg|A promotional press card for the first LEGO Island game stating that the Infomaniac was the first minifigure designed outside of the LEGO Group
File:Platform.png|Concept art with the Infomaniac in it from LEGO Sea Challenge.
File:Lego-island-xtreme-stunts---infomaniac 6151056038 o.jpg|An early render of the Infomaniac for Island Xtreme Stunts with his LEGO Island 2 design
File:Lego-island-xtreme-stunts---infomaniac 6151057482 o.jpg|An early render of the Infomaniac for Island Xtreme Stunts with his design from the Island Xtreme Stunts setline
File:LEGOIslandLearningProject.png|Storyboards for The LEGO Island Learning Project featuring the Infomaniac.
LI3CharacterBibleInfomaniac.png|The Infomaniac's bio in the LEGO Island 3 Character Bible
File:Monkie Kid Infomaniac.png|The Infomaniac in 80036 The City of Lanterns.
Category:Minifigures introduced in 1997
Category:LEGO Island Minifigures