The Fabuland theme included sets that depicted the land of Fabuland and introduced Fabuland Figures, characters with human-like bodies with various animal heads. Fabuland was the first LEGO theme to introduce named characters that focused around a story and was the first LEGO theme to feature licensed products such as storybooks, playing cards, children’s clothing and animated TV series to enhance the playing experience through storytelling and role play. The FABULAND figures have heads of a mammal, a reptile or a bird sometimes topped by a peaked hat, and arms and legs with motion very similar to LEGO minifigures.
1981 LEGO Sets
In 1981, LEGO continued to expand its thematic range to cater to the diverse interests of its global audience. This year saw the introduction of the LEGO Fabuland theme, designed for younger builders transitioning from DUPLO to regular-sized LEGO bricks. The Fabuland sets stood out due to their unique anthropomorphic animal characters and simple builds, offering stories that blended town and country life. Alongside this, the established Town and Space themes received new additions, bolstering LEGO's offering for fans of those lines.