The Brothers Brick

With the addition of Josh to the team, we’re considering a name change, as noted in this post a week ago. I asked all of you out there to submit ideas for a different name, and the response has been fantastic: We have over 100 name ideas from 14 of our readers.

The name ideas have been tabulated, so now Josh and I will review them to pick a new name. There were some great ideas, so this is going to be tough!

Oh, and as to prizes, we’re thinking an original minifig from each of us. (Perhaps I could’ve announced prizes while the contest was going on, but this has been evolving as it happens.)

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled LEGO creations! Look for a new name some time very soon.

Phew! Just when I thought I didn’t have anything to post today, Lukas saves the day with a trio of space marines:

Here they are in battle:

Just in time for Memorial Day here in the United States, Malle Hawking has completed his LEGO version of CVN-75, U.S.S. Harry S. Truman.

For more details, see Malle Hawking’s LEGO aircraft carrier here on The Brothers Brick.

Here’s Malle with his project:

Congratulations to Malle on the completion of this amazing ship. As Spacers say, this is quite a S.H.I.P. (Seriously Huge Investment in Parts)!

Legoloverman has built some sweet little yellow Bots:

Aside from being awesomely yellow, these bots show off some really cool building techniques. While making these bots extremely posable, the builder avoided using virtually any hinge type pieces! There is also a plethora of unusual pieces used as hands, guns, tools, etc. Look closely at some of the techniques used on these lovely little things and you will be amazed!

Take a look-see at the Yellow Bots in all their glory

Tac has posted an unusual Mech on Brickshelf:

Other than being a really awesome looking Mech, the thing that grabbed my attention is that you can actually put a figure inside! While the idea is not new, this is the best execution of the idea I have seen yet. Also the “posability” of the Mech is really good and you have to love those hands!

Take a peek at Unit Level 032’s gallery

I’ve been subscribed to Japanese builder Ken Takeuchi’s blog for some time. (Ken goes by “Ken-Tucky” online.) However, it wasn’t until Soren Roberts mentioned Ken’s creations as a source of inspiration for his recent “Heavy Missile Cruiser” (Blocklog post) that I took the time to explore Ken’s Web site, LEGO Works.

Since 1998, Ken has been posting fantastic LEGO creations. (And it’s interesting to see his building style evolve over the last eight years — integrating newly available parts and new building techniques.) With an English version of his LEGO pages, exploring his site is well worth your time. To whet your appetite, I’d like to introduce a few of my personal favorites.

One of dozens of micro-scale vehicles in his “L.E.G.O Force,” here’s an awesome “Armed Starfighter Carrier”:

Demonstrating that Ken’s not just a Spacer, here’s the bathouse building from Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away:

A whole fleet of micro-scale World War II planes:

A camel Ken built while participating in the LEGO King Championship TV show:

Never one to let the likes of Mike Yoder or Mark Stafford have all the fun, Soren Roberts has posted an awesome micro-scale “Heavy Missile Cruiser”:

Just like Jerac’s medical frigate (previous post), Soren’s cruiser illustrates one of the traits that a lot of great Space creations have: A multi-layered look in which a clean, smooth shell encases highly detailed inner workings (”greeblies” in Spacer lingo) that poke through.

Japanese Brickshelfer s-3 has posted a uniqely blocky mecha tank:

The cannon elevates, and here’s how the crewman gets inside:

(For those who noticed s-3’s folder name or description, sensya or sensha — just different ways of writing the same word in Roman characters — means “tank” in Japanese.)

Nelson Yrizarry and Nathan Wells have announced the Second Annual Joe Vig Contest.

Head on over to LUGNET to read the full announcement, contest rules, and prize descriptions.

Good luck, everyone!

hitahita-05 has built a sweet little Daihatsu Midget:

The use of the motorcycle as a front wheel really grabbed my attention. Who would have thought that new piece would work so well? This little creation is full of excellent building techniques and looks really good too! Overall, a very elegant creation.

Take a gander at the Midget gallery

Editor Joe Meno has announced the release the latest issue of BrickJournal, the electronic magazine for adult fans of LEGO.

Head on over to Joe’s LUGNET post to read the full announcement, and for links to download the PDF.

Cyin (CAI on Classic-Castle Forums) quotes from Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to introduce his latest creation:

We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like “I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive…” And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas.

Awesome Cadillac! It looks a bit big at first, but that’s only because we’re used to seeing tiny little cars for minifigs. Cyin’s Caddie is wonderfully proportional, and the larger size enables him to add details impossible in a smaller vehicle.

A close-up of Dr. Thompson’s alter ego Raoul Duke:

And his sidekick Dr. Gonzo:

Following up on her Wallace & Gromit creations (previous post), Japanese builder MisaQa has posted a nice little Snoopy, Woodstock, doghouse, and typewriter:

Classic-Spacer and Flickrite Mainman posted a bunch of micro ships today, but my favorite is definitely a recreation of everybody’s favorite Classic Space set, 497 Galaxy Explorer:

Those clear 1×1 slope pieces are certainly starting to come in handy for micro-scale builders!

Sir Bugge has posted an awesome space ship:

I was especially impressed by the dragon head, made out of a grey parrot, but the whole ship is impressive! Every where you look there are parts used outside of their intended use. Check out that rear cannon under the engines!

Check out the Longship’s page

As I explained back in September, I originally named this blog without giving much thought to the proper nomenclature for LEGO elements, or bricks. “Brickblog” might have been a better choice, and as the vision for this blog has evolved, turning into a bit of a LEGO Boing Boing, “Brick Brick” might have been an even better choice. Unfortunately, since I first started blogging last July, both of those good ideas have been snatched up by other, smarter LEGO bloggers (BrickBlog and Brick Brick).

Now that this blog is no longer just mine, I’ve removed “Dunechaser’s” from the banner, leaving just “Blocklog.” Meh.

So, I’m trying to come up with a new name for the-LEGO-blog-formerly-known-as-Dunechaser’s-Blocklog. What say, you, loyal readers? Post your ideas as comments here, send me an e-mail, or discuss your ideas in this thread over on Classic-Castle Forums. If Josh and I like and use your idea, I’ll send you a prize! You have until next Monday at midnight (PST or GMT-8) (rather, Tuesday morning at midnight), or until Josh and I have enough ideas to pick from.

Okay, go!

Fine print: I haven’t decided on a prize yet. It’ll be LEGO of some sort. You might like it, you might not. Since this is the Internet, I’m afraid I’m going to restrict this to adults. Sorry kids and teenagers. Feel free to vent your frustration at my (and life’s) unfairness. I understand.

From Izzo we’ve had a Ninja Mecha. I’ve made a Robot Ninja and Lukas W.P. built a Space Ninja.

Well, Linus Bohman has taken ninja mashup LEGO to a new, cranium-exploding level with … Steampunk Ninja!!! Woo hoo! Behold the awesomeness:

Here’s a closeup of the ninja, with his steam-power enhanced bow:

The ninja’s soon-to-be-dead target (dirty foreign barbarian with your silly crossbow blunderbuss!):

Bohman has included lots of interesting details that flesh out the concept of “Asian steampunk,” so be sure to check out the full gallery on Brickshelf.

Wow. Too much good stuff today. I have to go lie down now.

Sugegasa has been posting almost nothing but mecha lately, but he’s taken a break to post an Exo-Force minifig dubbed simply “Fig-10″ with some rather interesting shoulder armor:

He also uses that same hair to create a “flame-punch” effect with another minifig: