Monthly Archives: July 2013

Summertime in Italy

As part of an event in Ballabio, North of Milan, the Italian LEGO users group ItLUG held a Creator contest, which was won by Dario Minisini (oirad72) with this lovely cottage.

I’m not sure whether the combination of the shape, the red roof-tiles and the white walls triggered it, but when I saw this picture I was immediately reminded of Italy, even before I knew the back-story. Like many Creator sets, its construction may be relatively straightforward, but the colours, the proportions and level of detail make it work.

Cruise the high seas in luxury with Orion Pax

It is time to beat the heat, constant reader because the stupid sun has had it too good for too long. Inspired by a good friend who runs a dive-center in Thailand, TBB regular Alex Jones (Orion Pax) takes to the high seas with his latest build the Sunreef 100 TDS. The boat looks like something you’d see in a rap video, with scantily clad babes cavorting with gold-chain wearing shot-callers. Alex gives you unprecedented insider access to his build process with an extensive work-in-progress photos and commentary and it’s all available on his website Orion Pax Blog. This isn’t the first time the two pals have teamed up for some aquatic action, check out Alex’s tribute to Thailand’s Similan Islands.

Sunreef 100 TDS

The Ocean’s Just a Step Away

Here’s a lovely use for a mosaic: use it to build a backdrop to your creation. Bluesecrets did exactly this with her latest build for her local LEGO store community window. (The community window is a small dedicated space in LEGO stores for adult fan clubs to exhibit.) This is a great example of using a mosaic for forced perspective to add depth to a diorama.

Nécropole Nationale

The Douaumont Ossuary is a war-memorial containing the remains of French and German soldiers who died on the battlefield during the Battle of Verdun in World War I. The monument is located in Douaumont, France, within the confines of the Verdun battlefield itself. French Builder Cyrille (TheBrickAvenger) shrinks the cemetery down to Microscale for this outstanding rendition. Unfortunately, perhaps the most interesting detail of Douaumont Ossuary was left out, a rotating red and white beacon at the top of the tower called “the lantern of the dead” that shines on the battlefield at night. Maybe Cyrille will tackle the structure in minifig scale some time down the road, and include the lantern. Quel hommage exceptionnel fourni aux soldats tombés au combat de la France, bien fait Cyrille!.

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I offer my standard disclaimer / apology for my substandard use of the French language, no disrespect is intended.

“Hail to the king, baby.”

What was I talking about…oh yeah, dioramas done correctly. Although the frame of reference changes from the future to the past, the results are largely the same in this colorful model entitled “Welcoming the King“. The builder is Teabox (henrik_zwomp), who makes his sophomore appearance on this venerable blog with a diorama that pulls you in with a bear-hug and doesn’t let go. Although there is a mob of minifigs in a pretty tight space, the scene manages to never lose clarity. This wide-screen shot is my favorite of the bunch. You just know the black-hatted wizard on the second floor is up to no good…never trust a wizard.

Welcoming the King

Trouble in the hangar.

My big knock on many sci-fi builders is that they rarely build a setting for their awesomesauce pointy-nose spaceships, opting instead for the typical TBB friendly eye-burning white background. Raoul Baldwin (Raoulosos) clearly knows the power of a well constructed diorama to not only complement but elevate a futuristic personal conveyance. This immersive scene has all the sci-fi boilerplate a viewer could ask for: elevated walkways, floating ship, textured walls and wacky minifigs. Raoul also shows that he understands how to use color, using tan and olive for the ship and its container and nowhere else. My only nitpick is that if the builder had zoomed in just a little more, he could have eliminated the white border entirely. Many builders won’t go this extra step because it means that part of the build will inevitably be cut off. Enjoy your Saturday serving of sci-fi action.

hanger1

“Stop that train, I’m leavin’ today! “

The king o’ the rails, Peter Norman (swoofty) claims his latest train is “really just a green Lego Super Chief“, but I’m not buying that self-effacing rhetoric and neither should you. I wish I could ramble on about all the realistic details that make the Southern FP7 #6133 great, but the sum total of my train related knowledge wouldn’t fill a shot glass. I do know that it bears a striking resemblance to the source material.

Southern FP7 #6133

Small Town Memories

John Stephens (-=Steebles=-) makes his third appearance of the year with a growing micropolis that is more concerned with small town life than big city action. Let’s get small, constant reader and wander around hicksville looking for trouble, or at least a big greasy hamburger at the drive-in.

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Friday Night Fights (Round 14)

Welcome back fight fans, to Sin City Nevada for another pulse-pounding edition of Friday Night Fights! Tonight’s bout features a struggle of nerds with nothing to lose but their pride. Let’s go to the tale of the tape:

Fighting out of the red corner, from the nerdiest corner of the internet…the Lompoc Lightning-bolt Tommy Williamson (Geeky Tom) and his “The Oatmeal“.

The Oatmeal

And fighting out of the blue corner, from the bad streets of Berlin…Brucewaynelego-Toyshansolo and his “Family Portrait – Kids playing on the Beach“.

Family Portrait - "Kids playing on the Beach"

As usual, constant reader, you are tasked with deciding the outcome of this pugilistic endeavor by way of comment. On the last edition of Friday Night Fights, the battle for trainyard supremacy, it came down to a single vote as TBB rookie Nik J Dort took down a living legend 7-6. Tune in next week for more action!

LEGO Collectible Minifigures Series 11 characters revealed [News]

In our first non-SDCC news item this week (I think), the Series 11 LEGO Collectible Minifigures are apparently on sale now in Poland, and Herman Napierala has shared a nice scan of the character sheet with Brickset.

LEGO Collectable Minifigures Series 11

We won’t know what the official names of the minifigs are until closer to the official street date, but here’s what I’m seeing in this series:

  • Barbarian Warrior
  • Scarecrow
  • Alpen Girl
  • Blacktron Robot
  • Island Warrior
  • Gingerbread Man
  • Christmas Elf
  • Yeti / Abominable Snowman
  • Rock Climber
  • Welder
  • Scientist
  • Blues Brother*
  • Car Hop
  • Grandma
  • British Bobby
  • Lady Robot

*C’mon! Is he anything else?!

Ba-ba-ba, Ba-banana...

Many of the brick-built Despicable Me minions we’ve featured have been rather flat, so it’s wonderful to see this adorably round minion by BricksBen (Benjamin Cheh & Jeffrey Kong). He looks like he’s singing the Banana/Potato Song.

BricksBen - LEGO Despicable Me Minion - 0

Thanks for the tip, Bruce!

Sciencing in space

Paul (Disco86) built a space research facility perched on a rock formation on a presumably foreign planet. It looks like the subject of study is botany, and for safe measures there is a starfighter docked and ready to defend in the lab in the name of science.

RL14 - Research Lab