Everything You Want to Know About LEGO Adventurers

Best of BrickNerd: Weekend Highlight — Article originally published August 10, 2021.

Pack your bags and grab a safari hat because you are about to begin a quest through one of LEGO’s most epic themes, Adventurers! Join heroic Johnny Thunder as he searches for treasures untold throughout the history of the LEGO theme—and join our own treasure hunt at the bottom of the article to win a minifigure of our hero for yourself!

Be careful to avoid the evil Baron von Barron throughout your quest as we explore everything you want to know about LEGO Adventurers. Let the adventure begin!


LEGO Adventurers

Much has been said about the wonderful world of LEGO Adventurers. The chronicles of the Land Down Under’s greatest and morally virtuous explorer, Johnny Thunder, are a saga that crosses not just the globe but the fabric between reality and fantasy.

We’ll dig into the vast mythos surrounding our heroes and those that oppose them, while also taking a look at the impact one of LEGO’s most iconic characters has had on the community to this day. And with that, grab your hat, and away we go!


Brave Explorers and Sinister Adversaries

Like many of LEGO’s most memorable themes, Adventurers is built largely off of wonderful and dynamic characters. In fact, the theme succeeded in creating one of, if not the most memorable original LEGO figures of all time: Johnny Thunder! His iconic style, unique look, and rich backstory all helped Johnny become the hero of his own story and all the wild imaginative adventures you could come up with. And LEGO didn’t stop there—we were provided the same attention to detail for the rest of the cast that he would interact with as well. Don’t believe me? Well, LEGO created character sheets at the beginning of each of the initial subtheme releases that can each be seen here:

From Left to right, Desert, Jungle, and Dino Island. All images from various editions of LEGO Mania Magazine.

These were the official character backgrounds published in LEGO Mania Magazine. However, LEGO would continue to supplement background information and additional facts in a wide variety of ways, causing there to be immense amounts of content for each of the characters. There are definitely a few worth understanding a bit better before we get to the adventure! A word of warning, many of the characters have a wide variety of names over the course of many different forms of media and regions—this will hopefully help keep things straight.

Johnny Thunder.png

Johnny Thunder

Images via Brickset and LEGO Magazine

The Australian adventurer, explorer, and archeologist. Nephew of Dr. Lightning, eventual fiancé to Gail Storm (according to an audio drama), and father of Josh Thunder (from the Dino theme). The Adventurers theme follows his story across the world.

Kilroy.png

Charles Lightning

Also commonly referred to as Dr. Kilroy. Images via Brickset and LEGO Magazine.

The brilliant scientist supporting Johnny Thunder in his adventures. Friend and uncle to Johnny, many of their journeys begin stemming from some of his research. He currently resides in London and works for the London Museum.

Gail Storm Final.png

Gail Storm

Also commonly referred to as Pippin Reed. Images via Brickset and Brickipedia.

The intrepid journalist of the team, often seen with a camera in hand to document the adventures. She can be hot tempered and headstrong, but has the intellect and cleverness to keep up with her frequent companions, often times being the one to solve the problems at hand.

Pharaoh Hotep Final.png

Pharaoh Hotep

Images via Brickset and LEGO MANIA Magazine.

The ancient Egyptian mummy buried for 3,000 years along with the magical Re-Gou ruby. Far less of a villain and much more just misunderstood, he does not tolerate attempts to steal his treasure. Those that try will suffer the mummy’s curse, being taken into the unknown and stuck listening to his bad jokes for eternity.

Achu Final.png

Achu

Images via Brickset and vizzed.com.

Another neutral entity that just wants to be left alone. His mystical powers and elaborate appearance lead to the belief that he may be an ancient spirit. The main focus of his power is to protect the Sun Disc from those that want to plunder his temple.

Señor Palomar

Also known as Señor Gomez. Images via Brickset and LEGO MANIA Magazine

A South American bandit that attempts to obtain the Sun Disc before Johnny Thunder. While quick and cunning, arriving ahead of Johnny many times, his ego and rash decision-making lead to many unfavorable outcomes in his attempts for treasure and profit.

Maharaja Final.png

Maharaja Lallu

Images via Brickset and LEGO Magazine.

A tyrannical and oppressive leader, his focus is solely upon personal gain. He collaborates with Sam Sinister to try and obtain the treasure from the Scorpion Palace at the expense of the humble local villages.

Emperor Chang Wu Final.png

Emperor Chang Wu

Images via Brickset and LEGO Magazine.

Another co-conspirator of Sam Sinister, and ruthless leader, and considered by those he oppresses to be a “false emperor” essentially gaining power through a military coup. His driving goal is to keep the Adventurers from Marco Polo’s treasure…if he even knows how to obtain it himself.

So now you’re probably asking yourself, where are the main villains? Everybody remembers that Johnny Thunder is competing to save the treasure from his adversaries. Well, they’re right here, it just takes a little bit of effort to figure out who’s who.

Starting on the left we have the iconic Baron Von Barron, who is also commonly known as Lord Sam Sinister, Evil Eye, or Mr. Hates. In the middle we have… Sam Sinister, or sometimes Slyboots. And finally on the right we have… wait for it… Lord Sam Sinister!

So, the way this works is for the initial Desert release, Baron Von Barron (left) and Sam Sinister (middle) were the main adversaries working against Johnny Thunder. While the adversary for the Jungle release would be Senor Palomar, Dino Island would bring back Baron Von Barron taking the name of his former partner, Sam Sinister. With this switch, Sam Sinister (middle) would take the European name Slyboots to avoid any further confusion, even though he would not appear in any additional sets.

When Orient Expedition updated the look of all of the iconic characters, Sam Sinister returned (right), as a hybrid of both Desert Sam Sinister and Dino Island Sam Sinister! All of these characters share similar traits, they will do anything to stop Johnny Thunder and attempt to gain any treasure for personal collecting.

If you want to look deeper at any of the characters and dig into the backstories of all the minor characters as well, Brickipedia has compiled quite a comprehensive history.


Location, Location, Location!

Coinciding with the characters, the location of the Adventurers is equally important to the storytelling of the theme. Throughout the line of both classic Adventurers and Orient Expedition, our intrepid explorers would visit five locations based on real places and one fantasy realm. Let’s break it down and set off on the journey together. 

EGYPT/DESERT

The original and largest wave of Adventurers sets starts the story in the hot sands of Egypt. Featuring the architecture of long-lost ruins and early 1900’s vehicle and machine designs, the style would be set for the rest of the theme. Many of these sets contain features based on elements from real locations, with specific similarities and elements to many real-life counterparts. 

5919 - Valley of the Kings, named after a real location in Egypt. image via bricklink.com

The actual Valley of the Kings. Slightly more grandiose than the lego set, but with a bit of imagination you can see how elements translated over. Image via roadunraveled.com

Through the dusty desert landscape, the adventurers are on a quest to find the Re-Gou Ruby. However Sam Sinister has the same idea. Who will reach it first, and what are the so-called magical properties that the ruby holds?

A selection of Desert themed Adventurer sets.

JUNGLE/AMAZON 

What could follow up an amazing desert adventure? Well, a lot less sand as we move on to the tropical jungle based on the Amazon rainforest. While the smallest sub-theme of the original Adventurers product line, it managed to release some of the most iconic sets of the theme.

Shifting from primarily tan to a brighter color scheme combined with lots of green, the jungle style was clear—even without a plethora of trees. Most of the sets would take on the overgrown temple look, using graphics inspired by Incan design but with heavy influence from Aztec and Mayan styles as well. The machines and styles of the Adventurers and their adversaries still were based on early 1900’s boats, zeppelins, and cars. 

5986 - Amazon Ancient Ruins. Image via brickset.com

Ancient Amazon Jungle Ruins. While less colorful and a bit more crumbled, architectual detail matches much of what appears in the LEGO set. Image via ancient-origins.net

The jungle adventure would focus on finding the Sun Disc, an ancient artifact guarded by the mystical Achu deep in the jungle. Racing against new villains with similar motives to the last, who will claim the disc for their collection? Or will Achu protect it from outside plunder?

A selection of Jungle themed sets.

DINO ISLAND

Continuing off of the jungle idea, we received the only fantasy location as the jungle look was now combined with living dinosaurs! While there is no real grounding for where geographically this world would exist, the overgrown plants and architecture allow it to take place in any secluded rainforest. 

Promotional artwork for Dino Island.

Johnny Thunder once again is ready to preserve ancient treasure. Only this time it’s alive in the form of dinosaurs that time forgot. Will the Adventurers be able to study these creatures, or will the sinister poachers disrupt their scientific endeavor?

A selection of Dino Island themed sets.

INDIA

Orient Expedition started with a very clear story that would take the Adventurers through a perilous journey through three iconic locations of the ancient world. While the exploration would take place still in the early/mid-century, many of the places would be inspired by ancient locations. Initially, the expedition would start in India, through the jungle-covered area of the country. Much of the architecture draws from palaces and temples. The theme would utilize scenery and animals to immerse the builder into the world.

7418-Scorpion Palace. Image via brickset.com

A slightly iconic building in India, the Taj Mahal. There may be a little similarity to the architectural style. Image via Wikipedia.org

The Orient Expedition starts in India after the Adventurers obtain the information to begin the quest for Marco Polo’s treasure, a series of smaller treasures used to unlock the final, legendary Golden Dragon. Their quest starts in India searching for the golden shield inside the Scorpion Palace.

MOUNT EVEREST 

While the previous three locations had focused on lush jungles, we finally adventured to a vastly different climate—the snowy mountain tops of the Himalayan mountains. Using Tibetan style for architecture and vehicles that could reach higher altitudes, the rocky and snow-covered sets are perfectly themed for the high altitude adventure. 

7417: Temple of Mount Everest, the main set of the Everest section of the Orient expedition. Image via brickset.com

An actual Monastery in front of Mount Everest. Image Via gotibet.com

After obtaining the golden shield, the next treasure, the golden sword, was hidden on Mount Everest. The quest continues to find the temple that houses the treasure, braving the elements and boobytraps to try and reach it before Sam Sinister.

CHINA

The adventure and expedition conclude with the grandiose oriental style of ancient Chinese architecture. The look continues into the scenery and vehicles, featuring iconography and elements of traditional China. The theme would conclude on the most grandiose set of the entire line, fitting of a final temple and home of the richest treasure, the Golden Dragon. 

7419 - Dragon Fortress. Where the adventure ends. Image via brickset.com

Donglin Temple, an example of traditional Chinese architecture. Note the similarities structurally. Image via wikipedia.org

After crossing the Himalayas into China, the search for the final piece of treasure, the golden helmet, was on. This last piece, combined with the sword and shield would unlock the door to access the greatest treasure of them all, the Golden Dragon. Who would find the helmet, who would unlock the dragon? It would take skill, smarts, and an epic adventure to emerge victorious.

Want to dig deeper into the story? Well, LEGO released plenty of different stories based on the sets to enhance the experience. This is nothing new as we have seen LEGO build strong stories around many of their high-concept themes. Recently Ninjago has made it to Season 14 in the television show that goes hand in hand with the set releases. Chima focused heavily on world-building and characters through a wide variety of media. Bionicle is known for the vast amount of lore and mythos behind the characters. Even older themes such as Pirates released multiple forms of story-driven content to enhance play. So this concept of collaborative media was nothing new for a LEGO theme to tackle.

Much like LEGO Pirates, LEGO Adventurers also would have an audio drama to go along with the sets in the German market. The initial cassette tape was available with 5938 - Oasis Ambush. That wouldn’t be the only audio drama, as a few years later the German market would again receive a story with their sets, this time in the form of a CD-ROM included in the Orient Expedition sets. If you would like to know the contents and read along with a translated manuscript, user Runamuck on the Eurobricks forums has got you covered here.

The cassette cover for The Hunt For The Pharaoh’s Treasure. Image via bricklink.com

The CD cover for The Search for the GOlden Dragon. Image via bricklink.com


Playing the Adventure

One of the reasons that Adventurers was so successful and left such an impact on builders was the tie-in with a wide variety of games. These included video games, board games, flash games, and more. In fact, while Johnny Thunder traveled the world throughout the sets, we received chronicles of additional adventures through these forms of alternative play. 

THE PHYSICAL GAMES

The first of the Adventurers games was the LEGO Treasure Quest Electric Scavenger Hunt Game. While not a traditional board game, it was also not a LEGO set. It featured no included bricks (other than an oversized LEGO treasure chest). The game would require a non-playing individual to hide keys around an area for participating players to find and then use to unlock the chest. The game functions very similarly to the concept of finding the keys in the Adventurers Institute at LEGOLAND.

The box and contents of LEGO Treasure Quest. Image via Boardgamegeek.com

LEGO Treasure Quest Ad from LEGO MANIA Magazine

There would be a couple of instances that the LEGO Mania Magazine would provide game boards inside the magazine to play through smaller adventures with the pieces from your own collection. These small game boards would feature graphics relating to the current wave of Adventurers sets.

Trap the T-Rex Game from LEGO MANIA magazine

Orient Expedition Game from LEGO Magazine

We would have to wait all the way until the Orient Expedition to get another official physical game. And it would still not be a traditional board game. If you purchased any of the Orient Expedition sets, you’d remember finding a few cards or a couple of large puzzle-looking pieces of a game board, and even special dice inside the box along with the set.

While this would not be a stand-alone board game, collecting all of the sets would allow you to create an entire Adventurers gameboard that had you play out the journey with Johnny and company. You would use the Minifigures as the game pieces, travel from location to location, and collect supplies while overcoming the adversaries along the way. (Collecting multiple sets to form a game board was an idea that was recently revisited by LEGO in the Ninjago sub-theme, Master of the Mountain.)

The fully assembled Orient Expedition game combining all the main sets. Image Via boardgame.com

THE DIGITAL ADVENTURES

Computer games helped introduce us to the characters and the story as well. It isn’t just Johnny Thunder: Adventurer, but also theme park entrepreneur, world renowned racer, Hollywood actor, and more! While Adventurers never had an official major video game release, Johnny and his friends could be found in many of the main LEGO Media games being put out in the early 2000s. 

Image via Amazon.com

Image via Amazon.com

Image via Wikipedia.org

LEGO Racers and LEGO Racers 2 would both see Johnny Thunder in all his iconic garb as a host for Adventurers-themed circuits. LEGO Racers would focus on the Egyptian theming of the initial wave of sets, while LEGO Racers 2 would shift to the Amazon Jungle. While there are many cars that appear in the Adventurers sets and a number of them do appear in LEGO Racers 2 as drivable vehicles, Johnny’s iconic car from the original game is a unique design, inspired by (and completely buildable) from Adventurers inspired pieces. Plus, if you’re feeling creative, you can use these pieces in LEGO Racers 2 to build your own vehicle! 

Johnny Thunder in the original LEGO Racers. Image via vizzed.com

The jump portal to Dino Island in LEGO Racers 2 featuring 5956-Expedition Balloon

While LEGOLAND (the game) focuses on many aspects of the theme park through the park design simulator, one of the main themes that can be unlocked is the “Adventurers” theme, featuring rides and scenery based on the explorations of the heroes. In fact, the box art for the game even includes features from 5978 - Sphinx Secret Surprise and 5988 - Pharaoh’s Forbidden Ruins. Much of what you could build in the game was loosely based on both the sets and the few Adventurers-themed attractions at various LEGOLAND parks (albeit well before Land of Adventure would open).

LEGOLAND Ride selection screen showcasing the option to build items from the Adventurers theme. Image via ag.ru

LEGO Island 2: The Brickster’s Revenge features the most ambitious crossover event in history! (Well, at least for me growing up.) LEGO Island 2 would introduce Pepper Roni to Johnny Thunder and the Adventurers as Pepper explores Adventurers’ Island searching for Constructopedia pages. Plus, we’re also told canonically that the Infomaniac and Dr. Kilroy are good friends, which is totally the bromance we all needed in our lives.

Pepper Roni Flying a modified 5928 - Bi-Wing Baron Image via oldgamesdownload.com

LEGO Soccer Mania would give Johnny Thunder a shot to be a soccer superstar, as a multitude of Adventurers characters pop up as playable characters. While there is little plot surrounding their inclusion, they are a welcome addition to the game. 

The LEGO Adventurers Field from LEGO Soccer Mania. Image via brickipedia.fandom.com

FLASH GAMES

If your LEGO Media CD-ROMs didn’t give you enough Adventurers content, you could turn to the amazing selection of online games hosted on LEGO.com

LEGO.com circa 2003 featuring ORient Expedition. The site would provide access to the following Flash games.

Did you know that Johnny Thunder was a Hollywood Actor? Hopefully you knew due to his appearances in the LEGO Studio line, but Backlot is an entire web game dedicated to having your character “break into the business” initially by helping Johnny find his misplaced props. As an added bonus you can even steal his outfit and run around as a Johnny Thunder look-alike for the remainder of the game! Plus, one of the quests includes obtaining his autograph, because unsurprisingly, one of the characters finds him dreamy. 

Screenshots from the Flash game Backlot

Need inspiration for an original Johnny Thunder adventure? The Lost Treasure of Ancient Greece puts the Adventurers on a brand new quest through perils and puzzles set to ancient Greek myth and ruins. The style and look of the surroundings are all influenced by the theme, but the location was never featured in any of the physical sets. There are some great ideas throughout the game, which are very inspiring for anyone tackling a unique story or looking for MOC inspiration. 

Screenshots from the Flash game The Lost Treasure of Ancient Greece

Around the same time and in the same animation style, we also received a game loosely based on the Adventurers’ time in the Egyptian desert called The Restless Mummy. Drawing even more inspiration from Indiana Jones than normal, this brief game combined plot and puzzles with a story taking ideas from the original line of sets. 

Screenshots from the Flash game The Restless Mummy

The Orient Expedition versions of the Adventurers would come back for two Flash games, The Great Mountain Chase and The Quest for the Golden Dragon, the first based on the Himalayan/Everest subtheme and the second based on the Chinese subtheme. Both of these adventures would line up with the sets being released, providing similar stories to those being told through the comics at the back of the instruction manuals. As the Orient Expedition sets were already largely tied in with the board game, comics, and various stories throughout the LEGO Magazine, it came as no surprise that they would also have these games work in with the story. 

Screenshots from the two Orient Expedition Flash games, The Great Mountain Chase and The Quest for the Golden Dragon.


Legacy

LEGO Adventurers has been retired since the end of the 2003 wave of Orient Expedition sets. So how is an almost 20-year retired theme staying so beloved? Just because Adventurers has concluded, it doesn’t mean that it’s completely gone. The theme has continued to have a long history and stayed relevant since the official ending. Let’s check out some of these later adventures!

STUDIO

The Adventurers’ legacy started before the theme had even concluded. Johnny Thunder and Gail Storm specifically appeared in a selection of LEGO Studio sets, and even were included in the Jurassic Park III sets as the main heroes! Johnny wasn’t just an explorer anymore, he was an actor extraordinaire.

Johnny Thunder and Gail Storm in the movies. Image via Jurassictoys.net

Image via LEGO Club Magazine

PHARAOH’S QUEST

While Adventurers may have concluded, Pharaoh’s Quest filled the void of an adventure-themed series in 2011. While short-lived, the series ran for a total of nine sets before also being retired. While there is little confirmation of how exactly Pharaoh’s Quest fits in with the story of Adventurers, there are clear similarities to characters and locations throughout. Clearly, many of the characters have similar appearances and even naming styles to that of the Adventurers, but official media has not specified direct relationships. 

DINO

While the Dino line of 2012 brought back Minifigures “researching” dinosaurs again in a similar fashion to the Dino Island subtheme of Adventurers, many of the visual and thematic similarities end there. However, there is a much more interesting connection to Adventurers rather than vague comparisons especially looking closely at 5887- Dino Defense HQ.

While this was not widely released information, according to The LEGO Book, the lead character of the heroes, Josh Thunder, does not just coincidentally share the name with Johnny, he is in fact a descendant of our favorite Australian Adventurer. Now this raises plenty of questions about Johnny’s personal life that we never get answers to, but we do get the confirmation that he is definitely popular with the ladies.

Johnny Thunder and Josh Thunder. See the family resemblence? Image via Brickset.com and Bricklink.com

THE LEGO MOVIE

Not only did Johnny Thunder have a brief speaking role in The LEGO Movie as one of the Master Builders that Emmet meets on his journey, but Johnny would end up getting an actual Minifigure in 70815 - Super Secret Police Dropship! While this was not the new Adventurers theme that many are still hoping for, the updated graphics make the movie version of Johnny a must-have for fans of the theme. 

Johnny Thunder reappearing in The LEGO Movie and even in a set, 70815-Super Secret Police Dropship. Image via bricklink.com

COLLECTABLE MINIFIGURES

If the updates weren’t enough in The LEGO Movie, Collectable Minifigure Series 19 brought us a fully fresh new look to the classic Johnny Thunder. While there was some debate over if this was even the same character, it was confirmed by the designer Austin William Carlson that indeed it was the return of the Adventurer himself. 

“Jungle Explorer” from the 19th series of Collectable Minifigures. Also known as “Clearly Johnny Thunder” Image via bricklink.com

MODERN SETS

The clearest recent example (and quasi-love letter) that LEGO Adventurers continues to live on and inspire current LEGO sets has to be 10273-Haunted House. It’s so clear I really don’t even have to talk about it. But I do have to show you the designer video, as it reiterates that Adventurers has had a very lasting impact.

LEGOLAND PARKS

LEGO Adventurers has a long history in LEGOLAND parks. LEGOLAND California opened with The Adventurers’ Club, a walk-through attraction journeying through various terrains to help find the Keys to Adventure. Johnny Thunder, Gail Storm, and others make their appearance guiding visitors through their search.

The outside of LEGOLAND California’s Adventurers’ Club as it sits today. Note Johnny Thunder on the logo and Gail Storm wondering how she got into that predicament.

Brick built Johnny welcoming all brave Adventurers to the club

That is far from the only instance of Adventurers inside LEGOLAND parks. There are now entire lands focused loosely around our heroes, themed largely to the Egyptian subtheme well after their sets had been retired. While the lands do have inspiration throughout and include tie-ins to other adventurous themes such as Pharaoh’s Quest, the main dark ride that is the centerpiece of the land focuses again on the adventures of our heroes against Sam Sinister.

Concept artwork for the inside of Lost Kingdom Adventure. Image via daytrippingmom.com


Community

Do you ever connect on a deep level to a low poly rendition of a plastic brick? Thanks Backlot.

So how has Adventurers spread outside of the appeal of the initial sets? The Adventurers community has been going strong since the introduction of the theme with MOCs, collectors, and just general Johnny Thunder fanboys (myself included).

To see the popularity in the public eye, it is worth taking a glance at LEGO Ideas to grasp just how many people are interested in trying to revive the theme. A quick search just for “Adventurers” brings up 31 project results, with about half of those results obtaining over one thousand votes already. It was also a close contender to win the fan vote for a new set honoring LEGO’s 90th anniversary next year.

A selection of current projects on LEGO Ideas related to LEGO Adventurers. YOu can see the full list here. There are a multitude of projects that relate to Adventurers that are found using additional search terms as well.

Many other MOCs don’t end up on LEGO Ideas, but still find their way into the public eye. Flickr, the long-standing go-to for LEGO MOCs, still hosts hundreds of phenomenal builds based on our heroes. From brand new adventures to reimagining old sets, the fresh content and archive of old projects unearth treasures for all those that look for it. The LEGO Adventurers group alone hosts over 200 photos and 65 members, all posting Adventurer-related content.

Looking for a more discussion-driven community? The Eurobricks Forums has an entire category dedicated to Action and Adventure themes full of MOCs, historical tidbits, collections, and general chatter of all things related. While the Action and Adventure section includes a wide array of current themes as well, topics about our classic heroes are abundant and plentiful. Want to jump straight to their amazing archive of MOCs? It’s all right here!

The Eurobricks header to let you know you made it to the right place. image via Eurobricks.com

As is the nature with many retired themes, another form of community has been the collecting aspect. I have shared a few pictures of pieces of my own collection throughout, but there are many that have set off on the quest to obtain not only the sets but the odd offshoots that Adventurers produced. User Tim Lydy on Flickr has accumulated one of the best collections of bizarre products that I’ve been able to find online.

The collection of Tim Lydy on Flickr.com. A fantastically currated selection of seldom seen material from the Adventurers theme. He has some other amazing photos on his photo stream that also relate to the theme.


… and Controversy

So, what is the controversy within the community, you’re probably asking yourself? Or maybe you’ve picked up on it already looking through the pictures in this article. Adventurers is one of the themes that is brought up frequently due to stereotypical portrayals of race and ethnicity throughout the theme.

An example of “Asian eyes” compared to more rounded “White eyes” from the WBI’s research.

An example of “Asian eyes” compared to more rounded “White eyes” from the WBI’s research.

To get a better understanding of the issue, the Women’s Brick Initiative has laid out clear documentation chronicling not just the proportional numbers of diverse skin tones in LEGO products, but also a history of non-white representation within the products as well. They are not the only ones to touch on this idea either. In a more conversational tone, Tricky Bricks recently brought up a variety of instances in A Brief History of LEGO Adventurers where these ideas are prevalent within the theme.

Now, this issue is one that stretches far outside of just this one branch of LEGO sets. It is a conversation that has recently regained steam within the entire LEGO community, appearing on major social media outlets and discussion forums. This is a topic that we should be open to having a dialogue about, and LEGO Adventurers is definitely a starting point for a significant number of the talking points.


Our Adventure Concludes

Johnny Thunder has had a good run. Spanning multiple years of original sets, crossing themes and combining with other original LEGO concepts, LEGO Adventurers is still a well know theme to this day. Will we see more Adventures in the future? I hope so, but at the very least I can count on Johnny Thunder living on in the imaginations of all those who have come to cherish the rugged Aussie. Until we meet again, Johnny—and in the meantime, may we cross paths at a neighborhood Applebee’s.

Image via LEGO Magazine


Treasure Hunt

Congratulations, you made it all the way! Now the real treasure hunt can begin. You can win a brand new Johnny Thunder minifig (well, a “Jungle Explorer” collectable minifigure) if you complete this quest.

Count how many times any form of the English word “Adventure” (i.e. Adventurer, Adventurers) appears throughout this article (text, title and tags), photos (discernable), and video (spoken in embedded video). If you are correct, you’ll be entered into a drawing for the mailed minifig! Good luck!

EDIT: The adventure contest has ended. Reveal the answer and winner by clicking here!

Which adventure is your favorite? Was Adventurers racially problematic? Why is Johnny Thunder better than Indiana Jones? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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