The Brothers Brick

Just a few of the smallest LEGO parts let Micah Berger (micahberger) create this adorable fairy. Genius.

True to his nickname, it seems like there’s always something going wrong in LEGO creations by crises. In his latest diorama, a team of intrepid spacemen have unleashed some nasty tentacles from beneath the ground:

Note several interesting techniques, including the tentacle penetrating the helmet of the unfortunate spaceman with the red air tank and the vehicle with independent suspension.

Erik “Eti” Smit has built a faithful recreation of various locations in the world of Pippi Longstocking, including Pippi’s house, Villa Villekulla.

The two-story house has a porch (with a horse on it), lemonade tree, swing set, and detailed interior with a kitchen and bedroom.

Other locations in Pippi’s world include her father’s ship in the harbor, with Blom and Dunder-Karlsson in their prison cell.

Check out the full photoset on Flickr.

The recent Beijing Olympics — and NBC’s coverage of them here in the U.S. — painted a picture of the People’s Republic of China as a veritable utopia of modernism in harmonious balance with ancient tradition.

In this vignette depicting alleged organ-harvesting of Falun Gong detainees, Rocko suggests that the truth may not be so pleasant:

You can read more about this issue in the surprisingly well-sourced Wikipedia topic.

(Via VignetteBricks.)

On August 13, LEGO and the Fantasia Verlag publisher officialy released the book called LEGO Collector (aka LEGO® Collector’s Guide), which is a collector’s guide cataloging almost all LEGO sets from 1958-2008 in celebration of the 50th anniversay of the brick. The release features a standard edition and a premium edition (limited 3333 numbered copies) written in English and German, but both editions were released in Europe only, and there has not been news that the book will make its way to the shores of North America or the rest of the world.

Currently, the book may be purchased from the publisher (which includes an unworthwhile high shipping cost) or from Bricklink for much lower prices.

UPDATE (Oct. 24): LEGO® Collector’s Guide is now available in the U.S. from the LEGO Shop online.

While there has been a few reviews of the book on other websites, The Brothers Brick will feature a concise review covering content from cover to cover written by Jordan Schwartz with an accompanying gallery of photos.

The LEGO Premium Collector’s Guide is a compilation of almost all LEGO products from 1958 to 2008. The only difference in terms of the book between the regular version and the premium edition is the hard cover that binds the premium edition. In addition, the premium edition comes with exclusive elements, including a standard un-glued minifigure with the 50th Anniversary logo printed on the torso, a yellow 1 x 8 brick that has printing on both sides (“ANNO 1958″ and “LEGO Fan”) and a chrome gold brick with black printing (“1958-2008″). The underside of the chrome brick is tan, so it is not chrome gold all the way around similar to the chrome C-3POs.

The book’s cover measures 8.5″ x 6″, so it is a rather small book but rich with 800 pages! The actual content begins with a one-page introductory letter to the reader followed by a one-page how-to guide, showing a sample catalog entry and indicating what information is represented. Each catalog entry features a picture of the set (with rare exceptions when the picture is not available). Additional information includes the set number, availability (in Europe, North-America, Australia, and Asia), the name of the set in both German and English, the piece count, timeframe (release year until end of production year), and indication whether the set is a campaign or promotional product. What I personally find most interesting is the “rating system” featuring six yellow bricks, in which the book quotes “the more yellow bricks there are colored in, the rarer the set is.”

Following the how-to guide is a brief two-page history of the company and a two-page evolution of the LEGO logos. Immediately after is the catalog that composes almost the entirety of the book. Starting from year 1958 to 2008, I thought I had seen everything there is to see when it comes to LEGO products since I browse online catalogs often; I was dead wrong. There are nine products per page with close to 750 pages dedicated to the catalog, so you do the math! Following the set catalog is another very great 40-page catalog featuring key chains, which I was surprised to find. After, there is a list of service packs (no pictures, though), and lastly there is the index which lists set numbers in ascending order and includes the page and year of the set. The back of the premium guide has the Premium Collector number printed. Mine is number 2154 of 3333 copies.

Overall, this is a fantastic guide put in rather simple terms that is much more than just a catalog! If you find one, I’d recommend you snatch it, as these will probably become scarce in the coming years. If you are unable to get a premium version, get the regular one. This is truly a must-have book for LEGO fans of all ages!

As an owner of the premium edition, I’d like to add some remarks to the review as well. First, the book is as its title suggests – it is a guide and a listing of LEGO sets. This is a good item to own for someone interested in owning a reference book. For other purposes, this book may fall short on expectations, since nothing more than basic info are contained in these pages. The rarity rating is interesting to look at, but it can be highly inaccurate. The earlier sets are automatically ranked higher in rarity than recent sets, while many sought-after sets such as the original AT-AT and Black Knight’s Castle, which are Bricklink’s most wanted items in their respective categories, are ranked on par with other lesser coveted sets from the same year. The rating system seems to be mostly based on the availability of the sets, which neglects the special subjective value inherent many of the more collectable sets.

The premium copy is clearly meant for collectors, since the extra content are directed towards collecting purposes. If you are a collector, the premium edition is a great product to own, since the limited numbered edition and its unique 50th anniversary appeal is bound to make the book a sought-after product in the future.

All that said, let us know if you think the Collector’s Guide is worth getting if it becomes available in the US. The standard edition may cost $35 while the premium edition may go for $60 (prices are estimates).

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Working my way further back through Moritz N‘s photostream, I encountered this great vignette highlighting the importance of being tolerant:

Moritz says:

Although there are still incurable boneheads in both the dwarf and the troll society, Gnork and Shroeder finally summon up the courage to come out of secrecy.

Living their relationship freely they join the Cristopher Street Day parade to demontrate for tolerance and equal opportunities.

Go Gnork and Shroeder, go!

If you’re unfamiliar with Alex Eylar‘s works, take a look at his gallery and you’ll soon conclude that his pictures are something else, especially when it comes to lighting. Luckily, Alex has written a nice summary and gave a good example of the role of lighting in transforming an otherwise decent creation into a masterpiece. Click on the picture below to read more.

Aaron Andrews has been working on a fun series of pirate creations, populated by a hapless band of buccaneers. In his latest, he sends them down a lava tube. I don’t know if they’re going to make it out of this one alive!

Alex Eylar presents “A Brief History of Time Machines,” showing some interesting depictions of these fictional marvels throughout the ages. For example, check out this time machine in working order from the early twentieth century. Click on the photo to see more from his gallery!

Goopy the Troll may not be smart, but he gets the job done and in a hurry. He and his team of down-on-their-luck horses are the fastest in the business. Hence his title of “King of the Gong Farmers“! Next time your castle’s cesspit needs cleaning, call Goopy. He would appreciate the business.

I’ve jumped on the bandwagon, as we prepare for the Zombie ApocaFest at BrickCon in October. While a sniper and his spotter look for more “targets”, Ricky and Leslie make a break for the safety of the second floor! Will they make it or will the undead feast? You decide!

Click through for the punch line to this great little vignette by Moritz N. (nolnet on Flickr), featuring a little gray frog on a table and a rather unhappy princess.

Via VignetteBricks.

EDIT: And, it would seem, via The Brothers Brick. :oops: This is what I get for blogging while jetlagged… Thanks Tyler!

Speaking of references to British popular culture that I’m not familiar with, Ronald Vallenduuk (Duq) has posted a great entry for the LUGNuts Sympathy for the underdog challenge inspired by the BBC comedy Only Fools and Horses.

Here’s Del Boy and Rodney of Trotters Independent Traders (in their “Heroes and Villains” Christmas special outfits):

The source of inspiration may not be a particularly stylish vehicle, but Rondald’s LEGO rendition of the three-wheeled Reliant Regal Supervan is very cool indeed.

I’ve been keeping an eye on Simon‘s LEGO Boba Fett costume project for a while (and yet somehow missed his great LEGO Star Wars minifigs along the way), so I was very pleased to see the completed armor.

This may be the coolest homage ever to the beloved bounty hunter with only two four lines in Empire Strikes Back:

That’s right, Simon has built a complete Boba Fett costume entirely from LEGO (except the jump suit and cape, of course). The outfit includes a helmet, jet pack, chest plate, and blaster. Amazing stuff!

Most builders use the pre-molded ship pieces when building their galleons, schooners, and clippers.

Never one to take the easy way out, Aaron Andrews has used bricks and tiles to build the hull of his pirate ship, The Black Meg:

See more piratey goodness in Aaron’s Brickshelf gallery.