Basic figure
| Basic Figure | |
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Basic finger puppet figure, |
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| [List of appearances] | |
Basic Figure is a type of mini-figure used from 1981 to 1991 in some of the Basic and Dacta sets designed for young builders (3+ sets). It suited the special needs of this age group thanks to its simplicity and safety, allowing children to use figures compatible with System bricks but without small interchangeable parts.
Description[edit | edit source]
The Basic figure is made of parts which can’t be neither disassembled, nor interchaged easily. It comes in two major variations – a finger puppet and a human body figure – which both use the same headpiece.
Finger puppet figure
The head of the figure yellow. Contrary to the regular minifigure it is almost round and it has sculpted nose and ears. The printing in black depicts round eyes with curvy eyebrows and a mouth in broad contoured smile. The headpiece can’t be separated easily from the body but it can rotate a full turn. On the top of the headpiece the hairpiece is also firmly fixed.
The rest of the body is reduced to a hollow cuboid with square 2x2 base and slightly narrowing top. There is no indication of limbs, not even of the front and back of the figure. The cuboid appears in two colours: blue and red.
The difference in figure’s gender is subtly indicated by its smooth hairpiece. The black hair is slightly longer than the brown one, hence the black-haired figure in red is considered to be a woman and the brown-haired figure in blue can be identified as a man.
The finger puppet figure is about the same height as a normal minifigure.
Human body figure
The head of this figure is round, with sculpted nose and ears. It is yellow with black printing depicting round eyes, curvy eyebrows and a smiling mouth. It can rotate full turn in its socket and it is topped with either a hairpiece or a peaked hat. Those pieces can’t be separated.
The body piece is the same as in normal Fabuland figure, which is made of five parts, all fixed firmly together. The torso is blocky and flat. At the back the waistline is slightly lowered, limiting the range of legs’ movement to 90 degrees. The arms are slightly bent in elbows, integrated with C-shaped hands and they rotate in sockets. The torso is connected to the legpiece by a hinge, allowing the figure to sit. The legs are straight, square at the tights’ level, cylindrical in the middle and flat at the base, so the figure’s feet resemble 1x2 plates. The legs can move separately a quarter of a turn.
The whole figure is about as tall as 6 bricks stacked up.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- 320 Basic Building Set (1 red puppet)
- 325 3+ Tote Pack (1 blue puppet)
- 327 Basic Building Set (1 red puppet)
- 330 Basic Building Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 333 Basic 3+ (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 337 Basic Building Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 340 Basic Building Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 347 Basic Building Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 350 Basic Building Set (2 red puppets, 2 blue puppets)
- 355 Universal Building Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 356 Basic Building Set with Storage Case (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 357 Basic Building Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 365 3+ Build-N-Store Chest (1 blue puppet)
- 366 Universal Building Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 385 3+ Build-N-Store Chest (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 390 Helicopter (human body, blue torso, black legs, brown hair)
- 391 Police Car (human body, black torso, black legs, black hat)
- 392 Fire Engine (human body, black torso, black legs, white hat)
- 393 Tow Truck (human body, blue torso, white legs, black hair)
- 395 Build-N-Store Chest (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 1089 LEGO Basic Figures (12 red puppets, 12 blue puppets)
- 1474 Basic Building Set with Gift Item (1 blue puppet)
- 1512 Basic Set with Storage Case (1 blue puppet)
- 1513 Universal Building Set Gift Item (1 red puppet)
- 1577 Basic Set 3+ (1 red puppet)
- 1613 Basic Set (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 1617 Small Bucket (1 blue puppet)
- 1619 Storage Bucket (2 red puppets, 2 blue puppets)
- 1636 Handy Bucket of Bricks, 3+ (1 blue puppet)
- 1637 Basic Building Set 3+ (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 1663 Basic Building Set in Bucket (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 1666 Brick Vac (1 blue puppet)
- 1881 Play Bucket of Bricks, 3+ (1 red puppet)
- 1882 Large Bucket (1 red puppet, 1 blue puppet)
- 1960 Special Value Pack (1 blue puppet)
Gallery of Variants[edit | edit source]
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Red finger puppet figure (woman) | Blue finger puppet figure (man) | Human body figure from 390 (boy) | Human body figure from 391 (policeman) | Human body figure from 392 (firefighter) | Human body figure from 393 (girl) |
Notes[edit | edit source]
- The first variation of the Basic figure is similar to the oldest type of DUPLO figure, although in System scale and without a stud on top of the head. The hollow cuboid body is designed to be attached to the studs but it can also be easily put on child’s finger like a finger puppet, which is why it is called a ‘puppet figure’.
- The human body figure, which was used in just four sets released in 1986, is basically a Fabuland figure with human head instead of animal head.
