Monthly Archives: July 2009

I will never golf . . .

. . . , but I think golfing with Power Miners might be pretty cool. This clever scene by Rok Stembergar (kokorozashi15) uses a few little tricks to great effect.

Power Golf

Fine, I admit enjoying mini-golf.

The toxic waste zombie outbreak begins

Mysterious viruses and radiation exposure aren’t the only ways to start a zombie outbreak. Muffinmanifestation suggests that what we’re pouring into our lakes and streams might have a little something to do with the coming zombie onslaught.

LEGO toxic zombie outbreak

With the outbreak underway, the soldiers who discovered Ground Zero try to make it back to base.

LEGO zombie apocalypse diorama

Evo’s steampunk airship Heracles slices through the clouds

This steampunk airship by Daniel García (Evo) may have the most unique shape I’ve seen in quite a while.

LEGO steampunk airship

As cool as the airships that look like, well, ships are, there’s nothing to say that they have to look like ocean-going vessels with propellors or balloons tacked on. With underslung cannons and a prow that goes on forever, Heracles looks like it was designed to ply the clouds (nice touch, by the way) of an unrealized steampunk past.

Choronzon and The Whisperer

There’s not much in the way of post titles that can top the unique name Kaye gave his latest, even stranger mecha.

LEGO demon mecha

The head is just plain weird (which isn’t a bad thing), and all the horns give this demonic mecha quite an organic feel.

Random LEGO animals on my pug

Thanel had cats growing up. I had dogs. To counteract his most recent cat-centric post, I give you Pugsly, with random LEGO animals on his head.

Sleeping pug with LEGO animals on his head

Balance has now been restored to the blog. All is well in the LEGO world.

Skids & Mudflap – LEGO Transformers from Revenge of the Fallen

Until a certain decreasingly juvenile wizard graces theaters next Wednesday, the 150-minute chase sequence, errr, Michael Bay extravaganza known as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen remains the #1 movie in America.

My irrelevant movie critique aside, John Ho (IcedPlusCoffee) brings us a pair of rather cool cool-looking characters from the film.

LEGO Transformers Skids LEGO Transformers Mudflap

No, they don’t actually transform, but the angled slopes John used in the torsos on both Skids (green) and Mudflap (orange) are really nice.

My favorite 365-day projects

I admire anybody who can sustain a routine for a whole year, and especially anyone who can do it with creativity. Having LEGO involved helps a bit too. Two people have ongoing projects that I’ve especially enjoyed, in which they commit their LEGO selves or minifigs to a series of adventures.

The first is Sarah Mitt (Sarah.Mitt’s 365), who in this scene (day 23) has her LEGO self climbing the furry mountain of doom. (Kitty references also help keep my interest)

Sarah Mitt Furry Doom

The second series I’ve enjoyed is by Gareth Payne, (-Gareth-), who’s “Year of the Fett,” has a Boba Fett minifig wandering the world with various sidekicks or interacting with the world. This picture he posted on day 251 is one of my favorites:

Gareth Fettverine

Sarah is now on day 68, and Gareth is on day 288. Keep on trucking!

Constantinople was once Byzantium

. . . then it became a They Might Be Giants song and then it became this great scene by Jordan Schwartz (Sir Nadroj).

Nadroj Istanbul

This uses so many great elements and techniques to good effect. Note the Fez hats from the new Indiana Jones sets.

Street poets abound on Westminster Row

I’m new to the LEGO street scenes of L.G. Orlando (lgorlando), and boy have I been missing out!

LEGO Cafe Corner buildings

The detail at the top of each is stunning. Though both buildings are distinct from each other in color and design, the tan in the red and green building ties in nicely with the other.

Here’s another group of L.G.’s LEGO city buildings. The yellow one is especially beautiful, and might be at home on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

LEGO street scene

See more photos of L.G. Orlando’s excellent buildings on Flickr and MOCpages.

Okay, it seems a little crass to hype the Zombie Apocafest alongside these beauties, but these are all Cafe Corner standard buildings, and exactly the type of structures we’re looking for in the group display.

Lost in a Field of Dreams

This surrealist vignette by Kevin Fedde (Crimson Wolf) captures the wonders and horrors of a dreamscape. The images presented in the creation are described in an accompanying poem about a troubled individual lost in a seemingly innocent but dangerous world of his dreams.

Peterbilt Insanity Ride by Bricksonwheels

I only recently encountered the LEGO big rig creations of Bricksonwheels (also on MOCpages) when this beauty showed up on Flickr.

LEGO big rig show truck

At this scale, Bricksonwheels packs in an incredible amount of detail. I particularly like the hood.

LEGO trains at NMRA 2009 – this weekend

As part of the National Train Show on July 10-12, 2009 in Hartford, CT, Jamie Berard, set designer of the newly released ‘Emerald Night’ and employee of The LEGO Group (TLG), will participate as part of the show. Jamie will be giving a talk on both July 10 and 11 (Fri. and Sat.) about the design process and thinking that led up to the final ‘Emerald Night’ set, and about the Power functions components that support it. Fans are encouraged to participate to offer their views on the new platform. Jamie will also be available during the show for any questions you may have about his other excellent creations – Fast Flyer, Cafe Corner, Cool Convertible, Green Grocer, and newly announced Grand Carousel.

Also as part of this year’s show, Steve Witt, LEGO Community Relations Coordinator for North America, has graciously offered to host the traditional ILTCO pizza party at LEGO corporate headquarters in Enfield, CT after the show on Sat. July 11. Along with pizza and hanging out with Steve, Jamie and some of the LEGO Master Builders from Enfield, other events such as tours of the model shop and parts of the campus will occur. All AFOL train show participants are invited to attend.

Posting a heads-up for those on the East Coast of North America. If the pictures of past NMRA shows are anything to go by this promises to be a very impressive display of LEGO.