The Brothers Brick

Catching up on my backlog of product news are the advent calendars for 2010. The City Advent Calendar has a focus on miniature toys and includes an almost naked Santa in a shower, lolwut? The Castle Advent Calendar has a nice array of minifigs and selection of castle accessories. I don’t know anything about their availability across different countries, but I hope they’ll be broadly available.

While the first series of collectible minifigs are currently being released, detailed pictures of the next set are out. The lineup is equally amazing as the first series. I haven’t heard anything about the release date for these, but they’ll be worth the wait.

Via Brickset

A nice image has recently surfaced for 8128 Cad Bane’s Speeder, one of the summer special edition Star Wars sets. I’m excited about the rare minifigs included in this set.

Via Brickset

Ben Fleskes takes us back in time to the ’80s arcade gaming with a tabletop game unit built out of Lego. The electronics are integrated so that one can actually play the games. Check out more details on Ben’s website.

It’s not just the blocky and chunky shape of this dropship by Flickr’s (Pha][_,][_,) that I enjoy, either. I’m also very much enjoying the color blocking built into that form. I’m also a fan of all the various forms intersecting one another. This ship serves as a great example that a great design is more important than fancy new parts or techniques.

For interview number 11, Keith Goldman heads back to Australia for the second time. Take it away, Keith!

My next guest is an Australian builder who loves long walks on the beach, kittens, and seafood. Although he would never admit it, Shannon “Ocean” Sproule has quietly become a household name in the hobby through his ‘less is more’ style and often comedic models, and enjoys a big following on both MOCpages and Flickr. Shannon also created the ‘Cyborg Racers’ fad that swept MOCpages and abroad.

I sat down with Shannon Sproule in my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, backstage at the Excalibur Hotel showcase where he was performing with a dozen of his countrymen in the Thunder from Down Under all-male revue. We talked about how Vegas consumes 60,000 pounds of shrimp a day, studded thongs, and the horrible truth of what really happened to Paul Hogan. We also talked about LEGO.

The Build

Keith Goldman: Describe your strengths and weaknesses as a builder. What have you gotten better at over the years, and what remains a challenge?

Shannon Sproule: It might sound funny but I don’t consider myself to be a very good builder; I think ideas are my strength and I force them into mocs through lazy building or sheer stubbornness! Patience, or lack thereof, is definitely a weakness of mine. I can rarely be bothered finishing a model properly; it’s enough that I achieve the essence of an idea in a build and the viewer can fill in the details themselves. I’m like a LEGO impressionist, or so I like to think! Random studs here and there, no-matter, it’s the spirit of the creation I focus on. Minute changes to details can alter the appearance of the whole model which can be a slippery slope.

KG: When is a creation ever really “finished”?

SS: I’ve gotten better at general building skills I think through experimenting and receiving great tips and advice from other builders. I’ve got more tricks up my sleeve these days as far as technique goes and although I rarely try anything too advanced, it’s nice to have them there when and if I need them. Large and highly detailed mocs are a challenge. My mind wanders a lot and it’s hard to stay committed to one project for a decent amount of time so most of my stuff ends up quite simple and uncluttered.

KG: It seems pretty clear that you were inspired by the completely awesome toys of the 1980’s: what are some of your favorites, and is it just nostalgia that drives your interest?

SS: Ahhh, toys of the 80’s…

As a loner through my school years imagination was a great comfort to me, so my toys and my drawings played a big part of my childhood; if I wasn’t playing with or building toys I was sketching designs for cooler ones. My uncle has been an avid toy collector most of his life and always had way more toys than me, the childless bastard!

I guess it’s nostalgia that drives me and there’s a cute and innocent feeling with LEGO that I like to tap into, that playful look I really enjoy.

KG: Do you find that building affects your mood or vice versa? Do you have to be in the right mood to build?

SS: I’m always in the mood for building but if I get stuck for a few hours (or days) on something it definitely gets me down. I feel like I have to achieve something every time I sit down to build or it’s wasted time (which it isn’t really because learning comes from mistakes. Or so I try to tell myself…) Music really helps me create, especially aggressive music like metal. LEGO bricks are a listless bunch, lying around all day, they need some discipline. One has to attack them if one is to achieve anything, you see?

More of Keith’s interview with Shannon after the jump: (more…)

In regards to the Technic builder Peer (Mahjqa) Kreuger, I’ve come to expect the unexpected in the functional creations that one can make out of Lego. His latest Stilzkin Bridge Launcher is a vehicle that carries and deploys its own bridge to cross a chasm. Check out this must-see video for the entire action footage.

Lino went nuts with his most recent build, so we get two for the price of one. I love the black rendition of the Lego Red Baron, but the matching T-bucket takes the cake.

I seem to have a fascination with creations that successfully make use of “useless” parts. That’s why, when I saw his creation at a Wamalug display last week, I asked Bret Harris (starbeanie) to take some photos. This part doesn’t even have any studs!

It’s the FE-17 Intruder, by Patrick Chambers. It’s an awesome bunch of chunk. It’s bulky, angular, and has a patchy color scheme that all just comes together into a pleasing fighter craft.

I’ve been enjoying multiplayer gameplay in Halo: Reach for some time now. I just can’t get enough of the jetpack, and my enjoyment is enhanced by the fact that I’m not quite as terrible a player as I am in Halo 3.

While I’ve been busy trying not to get beat down too frequently, Shawn Snyder has been building this awesome Spartan.

See a ton more pictures in the full gallery on MOCPages.

Lord Dane adds to his legion of mechanized minifigs with this construction hardsuit that has faun-like hooves.

In contrast to the playful Roman creatures that might have inspired this suit, I suspect this little guy is ready to get some work done.

The upcoming massively multiplayer online game LEGO Universe will be available for pre-order from the LEGO Shop on May 14 (which is probably now).

Pre-ordering the game will apparently get you a unique minifig, along with a code to unlock that minifig in the game.

Anyone else a fan of Avatar? Not that new-fangled 3-D extravaganza by Mr. Cameron — but the kids’ show that ran for three glorious seasons on Nickelodeon. There were two LEGO sets inspired by the show. It’s going to be released as a live-action film this summer.

Iain Heath was commissioned by Bryan Konietzko, one of the creators of the show, to create this magnificent piece:

And if the picture Iain posted is any indication, I’m fairly sure Bryan is pleased with the results!

How about build an awesome little mecha, with a foot for armor on the body? That’s what Fredo (Fredoichi) has done with his new Hayaku v3 – Gun Runner.

There aren’t many parts available in the sand green color of the Bionicle foot he’s used, so he’s found a novel solution. He’s gone ahead and ripped the legs off of some minifigs, and used their hips as a detail piece.