The Brothers Brick

Chris McVeigh (powerpig) is posting an advent calendar of spectacular photos throughout the month of December. Check this gallery often to see what’s new each day.

In my opinion these photos would make for some excellent greeting cards.

While this clone shock trooper maxifig by Olivier may look like another solid LEGO sculpture, it’s actually quite different because you can make something happen by sticking a pin into it. Check out the video to see what I mean.

Via Eurobricks

From Bricks to Bothans is hosting its first annual FBTB Charity Drive. For a donation of only $2.00, you get a “raffle ticket” and a chance to win great prizes like 8038 Battle of Endor.

More importantly, your donations support a great cause, Child’s Play — an organization that donates toys and games to hospitals worldwide.

Beyond the originals by Angus MacLane, my favorite CubeDude so far is this lovely Princess Leia as Jabba’s slave girl by Larry Lars.

I love the fact that Larry’s Leia is less, uh, cubical than most other CubeDudes. Beyond juvenile references to CubeDude anatomy, Larry has incorporated some really interesting techniques, including LEGO coins as earrings. [...]

Rocko has finished his ginormous AT-AT Imperial Walker and its bigger and badder than any AT-AT ever built. It’s definitely menacing. The thing is tall enough to scare me.

Brickmodder has created an absolutely awesome R2-D2 minifig that lights up and burbles when you touch the stud on top of his dome.

Read more about this amazing custom creation on Brickmodder.com.
Via FBTB.

DK’s new LEGO book LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary is now available from Amazon.com.

The book is 96 pages long and includes an exclusive Luke Skywalker minifig in ceremonial garb from the end of A New Hope.
(And by the way, it’s only $12.86 from Amazon.)

I strongly suspect most of you have already seen this, but this LEGO Star Wars chess set by Brandon Griffith (icgetaway) is well worth another look.

In addition to a great board and the minifig stands one might expect from a LEGO chess set, Brandon built a bunch of microscale Star Wars vehicles and even a [...]

UPDATE: High-res photos of LEGO Atlantis sets are now out.
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Alexander (Shurik) posted pictures of some of the 2010 sets that LEGO has displayed at a sponsored event in Russia called Festival Rossiyskogo Fan Forum Lego. The featured sets include samples from the following themes: Atlantis, Toy Story, Prince of Persia, Star Wars, Power Miners, City, [...]

The much-anticipated 10197 Fire Brigade and 10198 Tantive IV are now both available from the LEGO Store online, with free shipping through October 12, 2009 on orders over $75. 10185 Green Grocer is also on sale for $120.
10197 Fire Brigade includes 4 minifigs and 2231 pieces, and costs $150.

10198 Tantive IV comes with 5 minifigs, [...]

The deadline for the LEGO Speeder Bikes contest just passed, and there are more than a hundred entries for the judges to peruse. A couple of my favorites from late in the contest are from mr. eugene. Eugene says that these are his first LEGO creations after emerging from a decade long LEGO hiatus. Welcome [...]

Though it does at times feel a bit like an extended ad for the current LEGO Star Wars sets, “The Quest for R2-D2″ is a fun 5-minute video featuring some slick animation and funny moments reminiscent of the LEGO Star Wars video games.

Via Bricks3D.com.

Sven Junga built the Clone Turbo Tank like I’ve never seen before. Measuring 120 studs, the model is the ground equivalent of a SHIP. The wheel construction stands out the most to simultaneously amaze and baffle. I wish I was this good when I was 15.

This droid repair ship by Ernesto Carrillo is packed with detail, but the lighting is what really stands out. While the overhead light bars have been photo-shopped, that welding “spark” is an actual light. Nicely done, Ernesto, nicely done!

Pointed out to me by Joe.

Dali Zheng has been hosting a Speeder Bike Contest with some really excellent entries so far. If you’d like to enter yourself, you have until the end of August.
Thomas Oechsner contributes a Neo-Classic Space speeder bike with appropriate greeblage.

What LEGO contest would be complete without a nostalgic Octan entry? This one’s by Mristoph Chonnaie.

Karf would [...]

Jarek (Jerrec) has updated his red A-Wing to match Ralph McQuarrie’s original blue color scheme.

With all its curves, angled tail fins, and that strange gap in the nose, the A-Wing is an especially challenging starfighter to build with LEGO. Jarek does an amazing job at minifig scale to capture the shape and details.

I’m sure every builder has came across the thought that “I can build anything if I just have a lot of LEGO bricks.” I remember thinking like that and being jealous of all the builders with seemingly unlimited bricks. This summer, I was temporarily parted with my collection, but I still wanted to do some [...]

The newest LEGO Star Wars sets, including 7754 Home One Mon Calamari Cruiser and 7753 Pirate Tank are now available from the LEGO Shop online.

The Home One playset includes minifig all-stars Admiral Ackbar, Mon Mothma, a new Lando, and Crix Madine, along with a green A-wing. A bit pricy at $110, but hey, Admiral Ackbar!
Having [...]

Luke Chapman’s vignette is hilarious, but it wouldn’t have been featured without the bubbling acid effects, which I’ve only seen in one other place. I wonder what R2’s thinking.

Lino says that he geeked out again. I don’t think that adequately describes the elegance of this build. I guess he can call it what he wants.

By the way, I saw this in person. It’s swooshable!

The latest LEGO incarnation of the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, 7778 Midi-scale Millennium Falcon, is now available from the LEGO Shop online.

Via FBTB.

The fifth issue of Hispabrick Magazine is now available for download.

This issue includes:

Celebration of the 10th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars, with a chance to win a chrome-silver Darth Vader minifig
Interviews with Jan Beyer and Mark Kelso
Reviews of 10194 Emerald Night
And lots more!

Download Hispabrick Magazine 005 for free today.

Ernesto Carillo has posted his completed diorama of an Imperial factory that produces AT-STs (or “chicken walkers”). The scene is full of technical detail, and the lighting effect added to the photo is excellent.

It’s official, the 10198 Tantive IV (Rebel Blockade Runner) playset will be released in September at a reasonable $149.99 for 1,408 pieces and 5 minifigs including the exclusive Captain Antilles.
The page on the LEGO Shop online is live now, though the set does not appear to be available for preorder yet.

The Star Wars™ saga [...]

Ochre Jelly presents Tour de Force, featuring characters from the Clone Wars. I especially like the light trails on the lightsabers. You can read more on his blog.