Become Part of Barbenheimer With 3D Printing

Since COVID-19, it is clear that the way people experience movies has changed. Even as restrictions have gone down, attending the cinema is no longer the common activity that it once was. Indeed, more and more movies are being released either only on streaming platforms or will quickly be moved to one after a short theatrical release. However, this has been turned on its head in recent days as the “Barbenheimer” internet sensation has come to box offices around the world.

For those who may not have heard of it, Barbenheimer is a portmanteau of the titles of Barbie and Oppenheimer. Both films were released on the same day, July 21, and the coincidence, as well as the extreme differences between the two, led to hordes of people online to declare that they would be attending both as a double feature. Indeed, rather than fostering competition, Barbenheimer has proved a uniquely unifying force as thousands have sought to celebrate both movies and leading to high levels of tickets sales. Moreover, moviegoers are turning memes to life with different ways to range homage to the films. Fashion especially seems to be the way that most people are honoring the occasion, with outfits combining aspects of both the titular Barbie, known for her pink and extravagant outfits, and Oppenheimer, the physicist at the top of the Manhattan Project who created the first atomic bomb and who understandably dressed more soberly. But that is not the only way that the average person can get in on the fun. In fact, Barbenheimer has also made its way into the world of 3D printing.

Many different Barbeinheimer STL designs are available online (photo credits: EggAndFours on Printables)

Combining Barbenheimer With 3D Printing

So how exactly can you make your own Barbenheimer part? Well, like with most cultural phenomena, a good place to start is with one of the many platforms that are available for STL files. On Cults and Printables especially, there seem to be a number of different designs available with both free and paid options. Users just need to download and then print to have their very own plates, key rings or other memorabilia. Note however that Barbenheimer has not yet seemed to make it to other popular sites like Thingiverse or MyMiniFactory, potentially due to copyright concerns.