Throughout the ’90s and ’00s, there was no piece of merchandising you could think of that wasn’t emblazoned with your favorite character from The Simpsons. The Matt Groening creations had permeated all corners of pop culture, but despite their overall supremacy of consumer products, it wasn’t until 2014 that the family was translated into LEGO form, thanks to a set honoring their iconic abode. In 2015, LEGO released their take on the Kwik-E-Mart, and despite the sitcom continuing to dominate Sunday nights, the franchise failed to earn a follow-up set. Now, ten years later, LEGO is set to release the all-new The Simpsons: Krusty Burger set on June 1st, which has been so lovingly crafted that fans who have been waiting a decade for a new The Simpsons set will have all their patience pay off.
The Krusty Burger set contains 1,635 pieces and will take your average adult builder roughly six hours to complete. The set also contains seven minifigs, including Homer, Bart, Lisa, Farmer Krusty, Sideshow Bob, Squeaky-Voiced Teen, and Officer Lou. Much like how the series itself often feels timeless, the fast-food establishment will largely feel timeless, though it’s worth noting it is specifically a tribute to the Season 20 episode “Coming to Homerica,” in which Krusty introduced a vegetarian option, hence his farmer outfit. Even though there are specific references to this episode found throughout the set, there’s lots of evergreen jokes that fans of all Simpsons eras can appreciate.
On the positive side of the included minifigs, this is the first set to deliver tributes to Sideshow Bob, Officer Lou, and Squeaky-Voiced Teen, and given how beloved these characters are, it’s nice to see these staples of the show in LEGO form. On the downside, though, there is no Marge or Maggie minifigs, and with it being a decade since the last LEGO release and those sets selling for massive prices on secondary markets, some fans will be disappointed to not have the core members of the family.
The first part of the set that you’ll construct is a car adorned with various Krusty decorations, a reference to when Homer got a job as a Krusty impersonator and he transformed the family vehicle into a tribute to Krusty. Stickers are necessary to even replicate the “speed holes” found in the car’s hood, with the car also including various other deformations the Simpson sedan has acquired over the years.
After the construction of the car, you’ll move on to the actual building itself, starting with the drive-thru window and menu, as well as the bathroom. The bathroom itself is a great showcase for how much love went into designing this set and the jokes contained within it. Once the entire Krusty Burger is constructed, it’s hard to get a great look inside the bathroom, but as you build it, you’ll notice details like the water spilled out of the toilet and onto the floor to represent a plumbing issue and how the toilet paper roll is entirely empty, merely displaying the cardboard tube.
Bags 4 through 6 start to solidify the overall structure of the set, as you add features both to the interior and the exterior of the building. Details like the Krusty trash cans help keep the set on theme, while the architecture incorporates the series’ signature color scheme. Even if, from first glance, this set looks like it’s merely a building with four walls and a roof, there are key pivot points in the floor that allow the whole set to open up to inspect all corners of the Krusty Burger up close. Younger fans could engage and interact with the locale, but opening up the walls also allows older fans to be able to appreciate all corners of the diorama.
An interesting complication with this set as opposed to other brands that LEGO has explored is that the source material is two-dimensional. Even though we’re building it in three dimensions, the designers found a variety of ways to maintain the overall look of the animated series while also adding complexity to it. For example, the bushes that line the outside of the building could have been rendered through any number of three-dimensional building techniques, but it instead keeps the tone of the series intact by using broad, big shapes and by merely stacking these shapes on top of one another to create the necessary artistic depth. It’s a relatively innocuous decision by the designers, yet one that exemplifies LEGO’s devotion to the properties that adapt.
One thing fans should brace for is that, in order to deliver a variety of jokes and Easter eggs honoring the series, there’s a lot of stickers that you’ll need to apply to pieces, as those references are so obscure, LEGO couldn’t mass-produce these bricks. This isn’t inherently a drawback, as all of these jokes are well worth it, though builders who might not enjoy strategic sticker placement should at least be warned.
The interior construction continues with multiple booths, tables, food, and a ball pit, another item that is rendered in three dimensions despite only ever being 2D in the series. Subtle details like the food itself and the checkered floor highlight the exaggerated style of the series while still being true to the spirit of LEGO. It’s honestly surprising how accurate the Krusty burgers and the Ribwich look in LEGO form as compared to the series, especially given how they are made through familiar shapes found in other LEGO sets.
What makes building this set such a joy is that, for each item you construct, you don’t know whether it’s an accurate replica of the “real” Krusty Burger or if it’s just a small gag to make the scenery that much more hilarious. The deep fryer would be required for a kitchen, but a grease trap that’s overflowing onto the pavement is just a gag. A grill is necessary for Krusty Burger, yet it’s a chance to brand this specific grill after boxer Drederick Tatum. From the broken ice cream machine to a box full of coleslaw that expired in 1994, LEGO designers pack jokes into every nook and cranny of the set.
It will take you until bag 9 to finally get to close the hinges on the set to see the building in its full glory, while bags 10 and 11 contruct the roof. Luckily, rather than ending the build with a relatively mundane roof, bag 12 is the construction of the Krusty Burger sign that stands independently from the rest of the structure. By both starting and ending the set with complete structures, it makes for a great introduction and fulfilling conclusion to the entire experience.
As far as LEGO sets go in this price point, The Simpson: Krusty Burger might not be the flashiest structure and its scale might not be to the same massive stature as its peers, nor is the Krusty Burger necessarily as seminal within The Simpsons as the Simpson home or the Kwik-E-Mart. What it lacks in scale, however, it more than makes up for in loving references found within its walls and, with it being a decade since the last time LEGO honored The Simpsons, it would seem the LEGO designers have spent that time developing this set. The Simpsons fans of all ages will find something to appreciate about this set, as it’s just as fun to build as it is to discover all the hidden references and Easter eggs to the beloved franchise. Details on the June 1st release of this set can be found below.
The Simpsons: Krusty Burger / #10352 / $209.99 – See at LEGO / Insiders Early Access Starts on June 1st / Available to everyone on June 4th. LEGO Insiders will be eligible to receive the LEGO The Simpsons Living Room set (5009325) as a free gift with purchase through June 7th.
The post LEGO The Simpsons: Krusty Burger Review: A Joke-Filled Tribute Worth the 10-Year Wait appeared first on ComicBook.com.
