Powet Alphabet: Z is for Zack The Lego Maniac

Since the alphabet is the building block of our language, the Powet Alphabet is the building block of what makes us geeks.

Most of us are geeks about stuff like Legos. But this kid? Zack? He’s a Lego Maniac!

Many of us children of the 80’s remember this series of commercials quite well. Zack launched onto the Lego scene in the summer of 1988 and served as a representative of Lego Mania in commercials through 1995. Various child actors played the part including Chris Perguidi, Jeff Jones, and Josh Disny. There was a feature article in the Lego Club Brick Builders magazine about the first two commericals. That can be seen here. Zack’s bed was totally sweet.

Jack
Sometime in 1989, new Lego Maniac commercials began featuring Jack instead of Zack. Apparently several years earlier a competing product to Legos was developed and sold called Zaks. To avoid giving the competition any sort of attention that name change was made.

Later, there would be further commericals that would reference ‘Lego Maniac’, but without any associated name.

CollegeHumor added their twist to the Zack The Lego Maniac legacy by posting an obituary.

Most recently, a new Zack the Lego Maniac commercial was made using stop-motion portraying Zack as a Lego mini figure that transforms into a huge monster when he gets really into building. There is a neat article on the making of the Zack the Lego Maniac Monster figure with lots of pictures here.

So what happened to the original Zack the Lego Maniac? That was Chris Perguidi and he now hosts a show called Lizard Zone with another girl named Erika. In one interview with Mr. Lobo, the host of the syndicated horror tv series, Cinema Insomnia, Chris takes on Mr. Lobo at SDCC, inserting himself in a fued between Mr. Lobo and Chris Jericho. Confusing, no? Watch this video:

Here is Mr. Lobo’s challenge to Chris Jericho.

And here is the actual footage of Chris Jericho calling Mr. Lobo some not so nice names.

Wait, what were we talking about?