LEGO Cybots

## Cybots

The press document Chris Faber sent to LEGO that proposes the idea of Cybots

There have been plenty of original homebrewed themes that the company considered toying with as potential toylines, yet never made it past the concept stage. Cybots was one of them and its story is one that also ties into the creation of some of their more beloved non-IP themes.

## **Summary**

CYBOTS was a theme that was first proposed to LEGO in 1995 by Christian Faber, who was an art director for an advertising agency known as "Advanced."  He first got the idea from gathering LEGO Technic elements and sculpting clay that he would mash together into characters with moulded arms, legs and heads; the rest of the body was built from LEGO. Its premise centered on a universe where a faction of robots known as the Cybots are sent deep below the surface of the Earth to the fathoms that mankind could not reach to areas in the deep surface that were rich with energy crystals. However, some of the robots begin to malfunction as they turn on their creators while claiming the land for themselves. Cybots were also dispatched to the most extreme parts of the globe including fire, ice and water as their tough exterior, crude equipment and extreme abilities allow them to adapt to their surroundings.

The building elements in the Cybots pitch project were revolutionary for its time as it was a direct response to the waves of action series and accompanying full moulded figures that washes over the toy marked in those years. Cybots figures would've had the wide assortment of LEGO bricks as their construction base, but through its organic forms, special features and new dimensions it would inspire to a new kind of construction and role-play where kids can construct attractive characters through simple building. While the base body is made of LEGO bricks, the body parts are specially molded parts that would've used knobs and/or couplings to connect to certain pieces. Faber also pitched that Cybot elements could be sold unpainted and would therefore, expand the opportunity for individual models (think LEGO kitbashing). Any of the sets, if they were released, would've had free range of special items (heads, arms, legs) that could be extended and replaced without limitations. The press document that Faber sent to LEGO executives even includes a subtle hint that the toyline could be used as a testing ground for new ways of communicating, including a CD-ROM with Cybot games, 3D building instructions, and visual inspiration for building and role play.

## **Final Verdict**

LEGO liked the proposal of the them and a prototype of a Cybot figure was made, along with several alternate modes that could be made using the buildable bricks that were provided; though unfortunately, LEGO just couldn't see a reason to justify making it into a full fledged toyline and cancelled all development on it. Chris Faber wrote a reflection of the Cybots theme on his Blogspot website, Faber Files, in 2012 that showed pictures of the prototype and the pitch he sent to LEGO, though its unknown if he still has the lone Cybot figure in his possession and will remain: **LOST**.

While it may not get the credit that it rightfully deserves, the idea of Cybots would live in on other LEGO products as the first set of Slizers items that were released in 1998 used the ball joint system originally proposed for Cybots, and would later be used for Bionicle: a highly-beloved theme that Chris Faber also created. That line would go on to inspire other LEGO themes with buildable figures like Hero Factory, *Ben 10: Alien Force*, Marvel, and *Star Wars*. On top of that, the underground setting of Cybots would be reused for 1999's Rock Raiders and the 2009 Power Miners that was essentially a reimagining of the formerly mentioned theme.

## **Gallery**

Promotional artwork that was made for CybotsA prototype of a LEGO Cybot figure and an alternate build that shows him with treadmill legsA dissect spreadsheet that shows each disassembled part of the Cyborg figure

## **References**

1. ↑ https://bionicle.fandom.com/wiki/Christian\_Faber
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K\_Swp72LZM4
3. ↑ https://faberfiles.blogspot.com/2012/04/beginning-birth-of-ball-joint.html