My Own Creation (MOC), is a specialized term given to custom designs built by individuals utilizing the popular Lego bricks, or similar construction toys usually modeled directly like Lego. A "MOC" can be anything from an amateur design to a professional sculpture as long as the bricks are used and it is of a model not available for store purchase. In addition, some MOCs contain custom, fan-made decals or stickers used to produce a unique design for the Lego torso.

Popular MOC themes

Although there is a wide variety of themes that MOC builders could potentially use as the focus of their creations, there are several very popular themes which are more common among builders and seem to draw the most attention in articles and interviews regarding creation of such designs.

tar Wars

The most common theme used by MOC builders is that based on the popular Star Wars series. Since the release of the official Star Wars LEGO product line in the 1999, builders have found a wide array of bricks officially molded after Star Wars for integration in Star Wars themed creations. Ranging from The Phantom Menace through Return of the Jedi, Star Wars MOCs have become a permanent institution.

Batman

Perhaps the second most common themed MOC to find on the internet, the Batman theme ranges from simple character designs to complex sets. Especially since the premiere of , Batman Begins and the official LEGO Batman product line, these MOCs have begun to spread across the internet in droves. Unlike some other MOC designs, like Star Wars for example, most Batman models are free of utilizing the official products and are perhaps more "pure" MOCs. Some of the most common and iconic Batman MOCs found on the internet are those of the many Batmobile renditions.

cience-fiction

While interpretations of space vessels and global apocalypse prove very popular, Star Trek themed MOCs may hold the notability as one of the oldest themes of MOC builders, being around for much longer as a whole than many of the other themes. Such designs usually involve a recreation of a bridge of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), though several elements of the shows have cropped up over the years. Stargate based MOCs are occational frequenters among the AFOL community. It remains rare however to find many Stargate MOCs on the internet, but with the success of the MGM series, they are gaining popularity among many.

Anime

The very distinct form of Japanese animation (aka "anime") has been making a small appearance but in recent years, a greater presence on the Internet. Such models are still finding footing in "mainstream" MOC designs, but are a fascination among many of the younger MOC builders. In 2006, The Lego Group introduced the "Exo-Force" line as an "anime"-themed series, which utilized giant robots called Battle Machines, each piloted by a single Lego minifig character from the original Lego Exo-Force universe.

BIONICLE

Bionicle is a popular Lego product line featuring Lego "Technic" pieces including rotating axis, gears, and ball and socket joints along with other varieties of complex pieces.

External links

* [http://www.brickshelf.com Brickshelf] Image hosting site for all MOCs
* [http://www.mocpages.com MOC Pages] Webite for the MOC posting and discussion arranged by theme
* [http://www.minifigcustoms.com/ Minifigure customization network] Website for Lego fans dedicated to disscussion of customization tips and tricks along with an online shop for the selling custom Lego elements