You all know that Nathan Proudlove rocks the Lego Fan world. At BrickCon he took the Castle section by storm with this incredible creation. There is so much to love in this one. Check out the variegated roof made of cheese slopes, the dark red water/blood that surrounds it, the skeletal trees, the carriage….the list goes on and on. It won “Best in Castle” at BrickCon and definitely deserved the win.
Yearly Archives: 2010
This time they will not fail
These dwarves aren’t going to take it lying down anymore. The vile, nefarious dragon is no match for their high-tech weaponry. This time things will be different. This time they will not fail.
This Castle Spoof scene was made by me.
This creation bugs me
It’s a great space bug queen diorama, by Alex Fojtik (BrickFX). This is a truly immersive display, incorporating some great details. My favorite is the dripping slime, but I’ve also been known to love hexagons. The scattered space helmet eggs look great, and must have been quite a challenge to pose for different angled photos.
Girlpocalypse Now
I’m back from BrickCon, and ready to unveil the only new creation I’ve built since July. I had the funky idea to build this one evening, and actually had the time to do so. I figured that the post-apocalypse building scene could use a little more levity, and what’s better than cheerleaders to bring some cheer? Of course, I had to try to build a stereotypical cheerleader vehicle, which pretty much had to be an open top jeep or a VW cabrio. Then I added the legs, to make it more interesting, as well as ridiculous.
At the behest of a friend, I brought the creation to BrickCon, and took photos of it on as many cool creations as I could manage. I didn’t anticipate the big response it got, so don’t be surprised to see some more girls of the apocalypse from me (nurses anyone?).
Virtual Insanity
BrickCon 2010 so far
Join the revolution and control the action
Keith Goldman presents the 4th installment of his You Control the Action Contest with revolution as the theme. As usual, build a diorama depicting action and you can win eternal glory (among other prizes). The deadline is January 1st, 2011, so you have plenty of time to plot your rebellion. Viva la revolución!

Announcing new LEGO Harry Potter 10217 Diagon Alley set [News]
I assume this will be unveiled at BrickCon 2010 sometime soon but I’ve seen no evidence yet. Either way it’s definitely after the time I was told I could publish so…
The short: 10217 – Diagon Alley™; Ages 14+; 2,025 pieces; US $149.99 CA $199.99 UK £132.75 DE 149.99 €
The official press release
Expand your very own wizarding world of Harry Potter™!
o need to pass through the Leaky Cauldron. Now even Muggles can shop in Diagon Alley by building this fantastically magical set that includes 3 extensively detailed buildings and 11 minifigures! Join Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as they shop for their Hogwarts school supplies. Visit Ollivanders, Borgin and Burkes, and Gringotts Bank. Each Diagon Alley building is realistically detailed. Ollivanders offers an extensive selection of wands, storage shelves and a step ladder that allows Ollivander to gather wands from the top floor. The front desk has an “exploding” function for those inconvenient times when a spell goes awry. Borgin and Burkes includes a scary skeleton, “glow-in-the-dark” elements, a fireplace attached to the Floo Network and a Vanishing Cabinet that Dark wizards might use to sneak into Hogwarts. Gringotts Bank is an impressive two-story building with large double doors, and can be opened completely into one large building or closed to create one smaller building. The bank’s interior features a removable vault, along with the Philosopher’s Stone, a clerk’s desk, a chandelier and ‘wonky’ support pillars. Includes 11 minifigures: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, each with magic wand; Rubeus Hagrid, equipped with his pink umbrella; Fred and George Weasley; 2 Gringotts goblins; Mr. Ollivander; Lucius Malfoy (with Death Eater disguise); Fenrir Greyback; and 4 new, decorated owls.
- Includes 11 minifigures: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, each with magic wand; Rubeus Hagrid, equipped with his pink umbrella; Fred and George Weasley; 2 Gringotts goblins; Mr. Ollivander; Lucius Malfoy (with Death Eater disguise); Fenrir Greyback; and 4 new, decorated owls!
- Diagon Alley is made up of 3 extensively detailed buildings: Ollivanders, Borgin and Burkes and Gringotts Bank!
- Ollivanders features lots of wands, storage shelves and a step ladder that leads to the top floor!
- Front desk at Ollivanders has an “exploding” function!
- Borgin and Burkes includes a skeleton, “glow-in-the-dark” elements, fireplace attached to the Floo Network and even a Vanishing Cabinet!
- Gringotts Bank is a two-story building featuring large double doors!
- Open Gringotts Bank completely into one large building and explore inside or close it to create a smaller building!
- Gringotts Bank features a detailed interior with a removable vault, the Philosopher’s Stone, clerk’s desk, chandelier and ‘wonky’ support pillars!
- Includes 11 minifigures: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, each with magic wand; Rubeus Hagrid, equipped with his pink umbrella; Fred and George Weasley; 2 Gringotts goblins; Mr. Ollivander; Lucius Malfoy (with Death Eater disguise); Fenrir Greyback; and 4 new, decorated owls!
And as seems to be the trend these days there is an accompanying video (may not be live yet).
I wish my bored-inspired creations were this pretty.
Whenever I try and build when I’m bored, the results aren’t post-worthy. But this is clearly not the case for David Leest. His “bored” creations are clearly much better than mine.
That said, I really like this particular creation of his. I like the multi-level, bright colored goodness. It has enough implied movement to keep my eye wandering, and that works for me.
Command, we have contact
For the past six years, I’ve been haunted by the words of Soren Roberts that “you’re not a man until you’ve built [a SHIP].” And so, the past month has been a rite of passage for me. For this year’s BrickCon, Tyler Clites and I present our second collaboration: Vexillum and the Iron Maiden. The story goes like this:
A millennium into the future, the Vexillum patrol cruiser receives a distress signal of an outbreak on the prison ship Iron Maiden. Upon investigation, things turned out to be much more than loose criminals on board, at least not the human ones anyway.
Vexillum, by Tyler
Iron Maiden, by Nannan
Out of the dark ages and into a dark house
Mike Doyle came out of his dark ages only during this summer after a visit to LEGOLAND, and he built this?! I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of realism achieved using predominantly two colors. As the builder notes, this is “more of a textural study,” and a darn fine one too.
You can follow Mike’s current and future projects on his newly created Lego blog. Thanks for the tip El Barto!
Brickforge makes Brickcon Castle packs! [News]
The Castle layout at BrickCon is going all out this year! In support of that effort, Brickforge is contributing exclusive packs for contributors to the Castle section at the Con. Gotta love those gold helms…
Quantities are limited, so if you have something medieval, let me know about it. We can always use more Castle goodness.