Tag Archives: Miyazaki

Collaborative displays at BrickCon 2010 – info, planning, & discussion

In addition to the large-scale, theme-specific collaborate displays that BrickCon has become known for throughout the LEGO fan community — from sweeping Castle landscapes to Great Ball Contraptions that would make Rube Goldberg envious — BrickCon 2010 will also feature several new and returning favorites.

If you’re still thinking about attending, you only have a few days left to register and guarantee custom-engraved bricks in your registration packet. If you have registered, don’t forget to also register your LEGO creations by filling out MOC cards. MOC cards help theme organizers plan for the necessary space, and more importantly make your creations eligible to win convention prizes.

Each of BrickCon’s group builds is designed to be accessible to every registered attendee (sorry, no contributions during Public Hours), regardless of how big or small your LEGO collection is, and whether or not you’ve even started building yet!

Big in Japan

Zombies are so last year (and the year before)… The Brothers Brick’s official collaborative display this year takes its inspiration from the history, mythology, and pop culture of Japan. In keeping with the organic way we’ve put together layouts in years past, we’re not asking you to follow any particular standard, timeline, or even scale. We’ll have life-size ninja weapons, a minifig-scale rendition of the village from Seven Samurai, Ochre Jelly’s wonderfully unique homage to Hayao Miyazaki, the return of Mecha Godzilla, and whatever else inspires you to build something that’s … Big in Japan.

Micro LEGO Tokyo If you’re trying to think of an easy way to contribute something, consider building small for Big in Japan.

A Micropolis module isn’t parts or time intensive, and it’ll bring me one step closer to my dream of a microscale LEGO map of the entire Japanese archipelago. (I’ve built seven more modules after posting Micro Tokyo there on the right.)

Please sound off in the comments with what you’re planning to bring for Big in Japan, just so we don’t end up with three Mount Fujis.

Bricks of Character

Debuted at Bricks by the Bay earlier this year, Bricks of Character is “a Lego building theme featuring brick-built models of well known characters from film, television, literature, history, politics, or even just your imagination. Anything so long as it has personality, and isn’t just posed mini-figs” (*ahem* not that there’s anything wrong with posing minifigs).

LEGO Bricks of Character

Read more about Bricks of Character in the official announcement post on The Living Brick.

Nnenn Memorial Vic Viper Fly-in

Nnenn brickBrickCon 2010 is sure to be a lot of fun, but it’s also going to be bittersweet for many of us.

Following fly-ins at BrickWorld and BrickFair, the Vic Viper Fly-in at BrickCon will be the last fly-in to memorialize the influence and legacy of Nate Nielson, who died in a car accident earlier this year.

Though Nate lived here in the Pacific Northwest, nobody in the LEGO fan community had ever met him in person (or even knew his real name), but we all said that this was the year we were going to convince him to attend BrickCon. That can’t happen now, but members of Nate’s family will be in attendance, taking in our tribute to this legendary builder.

I’ll be coordinating the fly-in, but Keith Goldman — who was so instrumental in organizing the earlier tributes to Nate — will also be attending BrickCon, and I’m sure I’ll be leaning heavily on his experience.

Operation Bricklord: Europe at War

I’ve personally invested a great deal of my own building energies lately in preparing an invasion force for Operation Bricklord: Europe at War.

Operation Bricklord: Europe at War

“The setting is a battle-torn town with a canal running through it – much like the fictional town of Ramelle at the end of Saving Private Ryan, for those of you who are familiar with that film – in mid-late 1944, almost immediately post D-Day. Therefore, little details like planes with invasion stripes and such would be extra accurate!”

What’s next?

  1. Register for BrickCon, if you haven’t already.
  2. Register your LEGO creations too, by filling out MOC cards.
  3. Sound off in the comments if you’re bringing something for Big in Japan, and ask any questions here about the Vic Viper Fly-in.
  4. Stop reading and go build some more!

Miyazaki or bust.

Iain Heath is a building fool — he’s created a myriad of iconic pieces of some of Hayao Miyazaki‘s greatest films. But now he’s gone and built the master himself:

All of these are scheduled to make an appearance at BrickCon, as part of the Big in Japan display!

風の谷のナウシカ

Iain Heath knows what I like. Hayao Miyazaki is my favorite director, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is easily my favorite animated movie — more so because I love the manga version that Miyazaki continued writing and drawing for ten years after the movie was released. Naturally, I prefer it in the original Japanese.

LEGO Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

I’m sure you won’t begrudge me, dear readers, taking this opportunity to remind everyone that this is precisely the sort of wonderful LEGO model we’re looking for as part of the Big in Japan display at BrickCon.

Pazu saves Sheeta on a buzzy flappy thing that goes ブンブン

I’m not doing this on purpose, I promise. Right after I’d blogged Howl’s Moving Castle and Nausicaä, I saw this flaptter by MooseBot over on the left side of the page. I blame technology.

LEGO flaptter

Hurray for Miyazaki!

Nausicaä soars on the wings of her Mehve glider, safe above the Sea of Corruption

Jon Hall brings us more Miyazaki goodness with Mehve, Nausicaä’s glider from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

LEGO Nausicaä and Mehve glider

What really struck me about this creation, though, is the custom minifig that Jon made.

LEGO custom Nausicaä minifig

The breathing mask is made from a minifig bandanna, while Nausicaä’s hood is made from a farmer’s cowl.

I’ve had enough of running away, Sophie. Now I’ve got something I want to protect.

There’s just something about the worlds of Hayao Miyazaki that inspire LEGO builders to new heights. This Howl’s Moving Castle by O-SAWA may be my favorite yet.

LEGO Howl's Moving Castle

From battleship turrets and chicken feet to houses and a big orange tongue, O-SAWA’s castle has it all.

Via twee affect.

A pig that doesn’t fly is just a pig

Jon Hall (jonhall18) has built a great Savoia S.21 seaplane, but the centerpiece of this LEGO creation for me is the custom minifig of Porco Rosso himself.

LEGO Savoia S21 from Porco Rosso

Thanks for the link, Horace!

Laputa ornithopter flaps to Sheeta’s rescue

The first LEGO creation that Jon Hall has posted to Flickr is a LEGO version of the ornithopter, or “flaptter”, from the Miyazaki film Laputa: Castle in the Sky:

LEGO Laputa Flaptter

I love the shape, and the use of the clear canopies as wings is excellent.

Thanks for the tip, Horace Cheng! Don’t miss Horace’s own Laputa flaptter here on The Brothers Brick.

Microscale Howl’s Moving Castle by Horace Cheng

Howl’s Moving Castle is easily my favorite Miyazaki film of the last 10 years or so. I never imagined the enormous castle could be shrunk down to microscale, but Horace Cheng does it with detail to spare.

Mike Psiaki’s Savoia S-21

A new creation by Mike Psiaki (Brickshelf) is nice to see, but when that new creation is a Savoia S-21 seaplane inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso, well, it’s that much more awesome.

Previously on The Brothers Brick:

Laputa: Castle in the Sky flaptters by Horace Cheng

I didn’t think that Horace Cheng could improve on the wonderful flaptters (from Hayao Miyazaki’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky) we featured here a couple of years ago, but Horace proves me wrong with a “version 2”:

Laputa Flaptter on Flickr

Though I kind of miss the grill, the overall shape is much better, and the chain works rather well for the safety rail. The Photoshop job certainly adds to the charm, with “Laputa: Castle in the Sky” in Japanese (天空の城ラピュタ).

Kevin Guoh’s Neighbor Totoro

What better way to wrap up today’s green-themed posts with a character inspired by Hayao Miyazaki, whose movies remind us how beautiful and fragile this world is.

Here’s a great little Totoro by Kevin Guoh (Flickr):

The leaf on his head makes this LEGO Totoro adorably perfect.