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The Time a Giant LEGO Man Invaded Dutch Shores
No, it's not some creative new marketing campaign for The LEGO Movie.
This 8-foot tall figurine was found on the shores of Zandvoort in The Netherlands on August 7, 2007. He was the first of several similar LEGO men that made headlines over the next few years for appearing on beaches around the world from the UK to Florida. Each one had a simple, smiling yellow face and a basic outfit emblazoned with the cryptic logo "No Real Than You Are." Later renditions also featured the label "Ego Leonard." It's unclear if the name, seemingly a nod towards the brand, was a pseudonym for the artist or a title for the works of art.
REUTERS/Marco de Swart
Some newspapers claimed that the Dutch guerilla artist Leon Keer was behind the mysterious sculptures. "For years I have been close friends with Ego," Keer wrote evasively in emails to a reporter at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. "Together we made some amazing journeys. He asked me to make his website, as I did." But whether he means Ego the artist or Ego the fictional character remains a mystery.
And what about the original fiberglass giant from the Netherlands? He was allowed to remain on the beach standing guard over the drink stall whose workers "rescued" him.