Monthly Archives: November 2008

Idolatry

McZargald of CATpit construction has posted a couple of really great Vic Viper fighters for NoVVember. The stripey one above is called Moorish Idol after a fish. It doesn’t have the traditional pronged front of a Vic Viper, but I think it’s way cool.

Crusade is equally stripey, with nicely sloped jet intakes:

How to get your LEGO event announced on The Brothers Brick

As part of the service on The Brothers Brick we like to promote LEGO related events so that our readers have a chance to look at LEGO in real life (yes, there is stuff outside the Internet). With many readers from all around the world (OK, not all around but covering a good portion of it) we are in a position to reach people that may otherwise be unaware of events in their neighbourhood.

However we are rarely the right people to give out details of events as we are not involved in their coordination. Nor do we speak most languages so cannot give information in most local dialects. As such we rely on “press releases” from these events to convey information in the most accurate manner.

So what do we mean by a ‘press release’? As a general rule it should include the following

  • Dates and locations.
  • A brief summary of what the event entails.
  • Information about public/open days.
  • A link to a website or email for contact.
  • DATES AND LOCATIONS. I’ve seen it forgotten more than once.
  • A flyer or logo image available in different sizes. We like 500px wide here but it should be no taller than 600px.
  • The same again but in the local language where applicable.

Try to keep it short but it doesn’t have to be terse. Remember you’re selling your event to people so a little bit of excitement doesn’t go astray. IT WILL BE AWESOME!!!! is probably too much excitement.

Once you’ve written your “press release,” send it our way using the Contact Us page.

So, that’s how to get your LEGO event announced.

Thanks!

Pirate landing on Neptune’s Noggin

Jordan Schwartz gets everyone in the mood for pirates with his latest and largest creation depicting a peaceful harbor invaded by plundering pirates. There’s plenty of action floating around this scene, but most impressive is the pirate ship, which is a spectacle in itself.

Check out Jordan’s creation featured on LAMLtv with a clip of the builder explaining his work in person.

Piracy on the high seas

Al McLarens Pirate ship

Allister McLaren (Captain_Underpants) has a novel take on near-futurustic piracy. The solar and wind generators are an excellent touch and the islander boats give it a plausibly rickety feel. Given the fondness of media companies to misuse piracy and their access to those in power this could prove all too prescient.

Introducing the amazing creations of V&A Steamworks

Besides being a special effects artist behind some of your favorite movies, Guy Himber recently entered into the frenzy of LEGO building after an inspiring BrickCon experience. I’ve not seen fans come out of their dark ages with such stunning creations.

Above: a giant steampunk automaton and a fantasy victorian pipe organ, both in minifig style.

I really like Guy’s innovative combination of Bionicle elements with standard LEGO bricks. To him, these parts are reminiscent of “the NeoVictorian flavor with their small pistons, mini rivets and swooping/rounded shapes.” Also interesting is the repeated use of the blue bubble canopy, which seems to mimic an energy source and adds a nice touch of character to his style.

Below: an underwater boat and a steam carriage.

If you’re a Flickr user, you can add Guy as a contact by clicking here.

Got style

Fabrice Pathier (Four H) from Vimeo made an ultra snazzy fashion show clip featuring designs by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac displayed on LEGO minifigs. I have not seen smoother LEGO animation than this; it’s truely top notch work.

Miniland-scale FDNY Seagrave ladder truck by Ralph Savelsberg

For the November LUGnuts Fear and Loathing challenge, Ralph Savelsberg faces his fear of fire, heights, and loud noises with this FDNY (Fire Department, City of New York) ladder truck. The ladder itself extends, and the truck is covered in Ralph’s signature stickers.

See more of Ralph’s fire engines in his Fire photoset on Flickr.

Snowblowerman rides again, now with a leaf blower

As autumn gives way to winter in New England, Mike Crowley gives us another Snowblowerman vignette. This time around, our hero wages battle not against flakes but against leaves instead, thereby earning himself a new nickname — Leafblowerman.

Naturally, there’s also a potential love interest:

Kockice covers KockeFest

As much as we’d like to, The Brothers Brick can’t attend every LEGO event that takes place throughout the world. That’s why it’s great to rely on all the LEGO bloggers out there who attend events in their area.

Members of a new LEGO club based in Zagreb, Croatia recently launched their own blog, Kockice, and they’ve covered KockeFest, which took place on October 18 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Check out the full write-up and more pictures on Kockice and the Kocke Klub site.

(With additional thanks — and an apology for the belated post — to Marko.)

Ye Olde Quidditche

Here is an interesting spin on Quidditch from back in time by SlyOwl. If the crazy colors at first doesn’t stun you, the wacky details will sure catch your attention in this match of knights versus skellies. Watch out for those bludgers!

Sleek like a fox

As a general rule I’m quite enamoured of streamliners due to their sleek shapes and art deco stylings. Unfortunately many LEGO renditions leave me feeling a little cold due to the difficulty of pulling off the subtle curves and colouring. However Benn Coifman hasn’t disappointed me with this rendition of an Norfolk and Western J-class along with a full rake (all the carriages). The coal in the tender is particularly cool.

Aliens UD-4L Cheyenne Utility Dropship by Havoc

The concept of a dropship has always fired my imagination — especially after seeing Aliens way back when. Havoc seems to share my fascination, as demonstrated by this fantastic rendition of the UD-4L Cheyenne Utility Dropship:

Naturally, the missile pods folder into the dropship’s fuselage:

While we’re at it, here’s Havoc’s Aliens APC. Though it’s not to the same scale as the dropship, it’s still awesome:

Via Klocki.