Our June Builder Of The Month — Victor Ty

QUEENS RESIDENT VICTOR TY has been at his Lego hobby since he was a young boy living in the Philippines.  He’s lived in Africa, Asia, and traveled around the world before moving to New York City.  After more than 20 years in the fashion industry, Victor enrolled in nursing school and now works as a radiation oncology nurse at a major New York City hospital.  He is the father of two boys — one of whom has Autism Spectrum Disorder — and says he has been “an advocate for special education, especially for children and adults with autism.”

Victor’s creations are inspired both by his line of work and his other interests, including tennis.  Like many AFOLs, he doesn’t have a favorite theme — “I love Lego, plain and simple” — and he delights in making creations from the selection of elements available on the Pick-A-Brick wall.  He shares his love of the brick by bringing MOCs to his neighborhood Lego Store and now his two kids — as well as his brother and nephews — are Legomaniacs as well.  Now, meet Victor — our Builder Of The Month!  (Interview by Sid Dinsay)

SD:  How did you get into Lego, and how long have you been building?

VT:  I have loved LEGO since I was introduced to it at age 10, and have been building since whenever I got a hold of a set.  Building close to 40 years.  My sons Ben (9) and Nick (14) are avid LEGO builders, as are my brother and his two sons.

One of Victor's sons alongside the building from Wreck-It Ralph.
One of Victor’s sons alongside the building from Wreck-It Ralph.

SD:  What’s the first Lego set you ever owned?

VT:  It was a Basic brick set, circa 1978 or 1979. My mom worked in Africa and brought us a set. I was living in the Philippines and I think we were the only kids who had LEGO then. I remember robots were popular, but we got LEGO instead.  So what else to do?  I made a MOC of Voltes V.  For those of you who are anime fans, this is going back 35 years ago.  (Ed. note — I remember!)   One time,  I came to school with a Lego MOC — and nobody understood what it was, LOL.  🙂
SD:  Do you have a favorite Lego element?

VT:  I love the good old Lego brick.  There are so many specialized bricks now, but for me the greatest pieces in the world will always be the basic bricks.  

SD:  Do you have a favorite theme?

VT:  No favorite themes at all. I love Lego, plain and simple.

SD:  What inspires most of your builds?

VT:  My inspirations come from everywhere: my work, my travels, my neighborhood, and New York City.

A dragon made entirely of parts from the Pic-a-Brick wall: 1x3 brown plates, 1x1 round plates, 1x1 trans-red tiles and 2x4 orange bricks!
A dragon made entirely of  Pic-a-Brick pieces: 1×3 brown plates, 1×1 round plates, 1×1 trans-red tiles and 2×4 orange bricks, plus an element here and there.

SD:  I know that some of your builds are mostly from what you find on Pick-A-Brick walls.  Why is that?

VT:  I spend a lot of time at the PaB walls because I want to show up-and-coming Lego fans that there is so much they can do without buying a set.  I usually bring a MOC to my hometown LEGO store at the Queens Center Mall to show kids and their parents what can be done with just pieces from the PaB wall.

Another amazing PaB creation by Victor, using only 1x4 white arches.
Another amazing PaB creation by Victor, using only 1×4 white arches.

SD:  You once told me once that you’ve built things related to your line of work . Tell me about that.

VT:  I once built a model of a linear accelerator. I am a radiation oncology nurse and the Linac is a machine that delivers therapeutic radiation to combat cancer and other non-malignancies.  I used the Lego model of the Linac to demonstrate the real machine to a child diagnosed with simultaneous medical conditions.  He was a very big Lego fan and loved the model I built because it had all the moving parts the real one does: the gantry, OBI (on board imaging), and even a movable couch.

SD:  What do your colleagues and peers think of your hobby?

VT:  My colleagues always ask me how I find the time for it.  My answer is simply that time is relative: if you love something, you’ll find the time for it.  My patients love the Lego designs which I display at my work station.  The MOCs serve as great conversation pieces which can sometimes take patients’ minds off the rigors of combating cancer.

A linear accelerator, or LINAC.
A linear accelerator, or LINAC.

 

SD:  Switching it up a bit.  What’s the best part of being an AFOL?

VT:  The best part is I can give my sons a great experience when they see amazing creations.  They learn from great Lego designers’techniques, styles and creativity.

SD:  What’s the most memorable MOC you’ve ever built?

VT:   I once made two tennis racquets because I had a ton of 1×2 trans-clear bricks and plates. I then MOC’d flags of Spain and Serbia and embedded them into the racquets.  We are big tennis fans and every year during Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the US Open, we get to see and meet great players. In 2012, I told my son Ben “Let’s bring the ‘Serbian’ racquet” because pro tennis player Novak Djokovic is always very accommodating to fans.  That day, we waited until after his practice, and sure enough Djokovic came up to us and asked “What is that?”  We told him it was a racquet made entirely out of Lego and asked him to autograph the back panel, which was made of 1 x 2 x 2 clear windows. We then turned it around and showed him the Serbian flag — his home country.  Novak’s face lit up, telling us “That is really cool!” before shaking my hand.  It was a great experience for my family, and the racquet is now my most treasured Lego possession.

Victor's son, Benjamin, puts on his game face while holding a Lego tennis racquet signed by Novak Djokovic.
Victor’s son, holding a Lego tennis racquet signed by Novak Djokovic.

SD:  What advice can you give would-be AFOLs out there?

VT:  Whether adults, teens, or kids, Lego fans should know there’s a ton of knowledge to be gained by playing with Lego. I use the bricks to help teach about science.  My son’s projects in school are made of Lego, from energy projects to creations set in medieval times.  As adults, working and playing with Lego is a great opportunity to impart the love for creativity.