Above, a lone survivor surveys the shipping wreckage.

The Lego Minifigure as we know it turns the big 3-0 on Monday. I know this because the fine folks at the Danish building block company sent me a box commemorating the occasion, complete with a celebratory t-shirt and 3D promo CD-ROM (complete with a pair of glasses).

A cool little package, to be sure, but one thing was a little troubling--Lego has apparently started using disemboweled Minifigures as packing material. I opened up the box and there were decapitated heads, legs ripped from torso, and assorted unattached hairpieces.

It's a reminder, I suppose, that 30 years of Minifigures also means 30 year of comic body part removal, and the hands of millions of just slightly twisted kids.

With that in mind, have a happy birthday, Minifigure, and here's to 30 more slightly less violent years.