Yearly Archives: 2014

Renault Type AG-1 from 1910 – the Taxi de la Marne

Given the horrors of World War I, our last post deserves an adorable chaser from the same era. LegoEng normally builds military models himself, but he took a break to build this 1910 Renault AG-1.

Getting the proportions of minifig-scale vehicles right can be very challenging, and this builder has accomplished it by going with an odd width — the cab is five studs wide and the narrow hood is only one stud wide (with tiles attached for greater width). The whole thing looks held together with clips.

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The Great War that should have ended all wars...

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Germany’s declaration of war against France, drawing two of Europe’s largest nations into what would later be known as World War I. The “Great War” introduced numerous new and deadly military technologies, from fighter planes to tanks.

Talented Polish builder Ciamosław Ciamek (PigletCiamek) has built a triptych of highly detailed dioramas depicting three phases of World War I.

The first diorama, titled “Enthusiasm,” shows French citizens volunteering as the patriotic population admires the soldiers marching off to the front in 1914.

The second scene, titled “Awe”, illustrates the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917, in which hundreds of thousands of men died.

Finally, Ciamek’s third diorama, titled “Glory”, shows the moment when German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen (the “Red Baron”) was shot down in his famous red tri-plane in 1918.

“We are singing stardust”

Popular culture is filled with many iconic fictional spacecraft, but relatively few factual ones. But to anyone old enough to remember Carl Sagan’s TV series Cosmos, or young enough to have enjoyed its more recent incarnation, the image below will stir up many fond memories!

It is of course a NASA Voyager probe, faithfully recreated in LEGO by Ryan H (eldeem)…

Launched in the 1970’s, NASA’s Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft were actually the first to explore the outer solar system, and the first to carry a message for any aliens that might encounter them. But the later Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes gained much more notoriety, with their more ambitious missions and superior imaging capabilities. Even the “message from Earth” got an upgrade, from a simple plaque, to a recording containing images and sounds from Earth (which you can even see in Ryan’s model above).

Lasting more than a decade, the Voyager missions were much longer than anything the public were used to at that time. Every few years one of the spacecraft would reach its next target, and the world would be caught up in Voyager fever all over again, as amazing images of far-off worlds flooded our screens. Still transmitting to this day, the Voyager probes are among the most distant man-made objects in existence, and are now at the very edge of the solar system, headed for interstellar space.

Ryan’s Voyager is a commission for the University of Colorado, and will be on display at the CU Heritage Center from mid-September. Go check it out!

LEGO Ideas Exo Suit out today [Review & Giveaway]

LEGO sent The Brothers Brick a copy of the new LEGO Ideas 21109 Exo Suit, which we’re going to give away to one of you out there reading this. Read the full review to find out how!

There have been a lot of great LEGO CUUSOO / LEGO Ideas sets that have come out, but before the Exo Suit they all had one thing in common: they were all based on someone else’s design (intellectual property or IP in licensing jargon). So it was a great to see Pete Reid‘s Exo Suit become the first original idea to be turned into a LEGO Ideas set.

The set comes in a typical small form LEGO Ideas box. I thought the designers did a great job on graphics and background art, which is very reminiscent of the classic space box art.

When you open up the set you’re presented with a fantastic instruction manual and 4 small bags of pieces, which include a total of 321 pieces. While it might not seem like a lot of pieces, the final build is surprisingly large.

The instruction booklet starts off with some info on Pete and Senior Set Designer Mark Stafford on how they collaborated on the set. It’s followed by a great background story that sets up the Exo Suit. I also liked how scattered throughout the instructions are little tid-bits of information about the Exo-Suit or the turtle, which just adds a bit of fun to the whole building.

Originally I had planned to go over the actual build process and point out interesting bits and details on the Exo Suit, but as I was actually building it, I decided not to ruin everyone’s fun — I would rather everyone experience it on their own. I will say that there are definitely some uncommon techniques that you would not find in your typical LEGO set. An example of which is placing a 1×1 round stud in the center of a 2×2 round plate (see picture).

The piece selection in this set is also a bit odd for a typical LEGO offering. There are a lot of ball-joint pieces that makes up the bulk of the frame, and a lot of tiny detailing elements that are attached to it, which makes up the rest of the set. But for a lot of builders this gives a great value: it is a small set with an incredible selection of specialized sci-fi “greeble” pieces.

But really, the stars of the set are the two Classic Space minifigures (with extra air tank) available in green for the first time:

The inclusion of these two figures, plus the low price point, and limited run will likely result in a very high demand set. Which is unfortunate as I would love to be able to buy a massive stockpile of these to get an army of Green Classic Space men, with enough left over pieces to build something really cool.

Read the review and enter for a chance to win this set →

Fabuland Fun Fair

Paul Hetherington (Brickbaron) is the master of incorporating moving elements into dioramas. His Fabuland Fun Fair display shows a colorful theme-park featuring dozens of Fabuland characters and a slew of animated carnival attractions. The YouTube video below is a must-see.

HispaBrick Magazine 020 now available [News]

The latest issue of HispaBrick Magazine is available for free download. This issue includes features on Bionicle builders, reviews including the Exo-Suit and The Art of LEGO Design book, the Lego fan scene in Japan, and much more.

Kaneda’s Bike Book Review

The Arvo Brothers published a book on their masterpiece recreation of Kaneda’s Bike from Akira. This is a unique Lego book dedicated entirely to describing one creation while including a full set of instructions. The book is available for €19.99 + shipping and is sold directly from the Arvo Brothers, whom you can reach by email at arvobrothers[at]hotmail.com. Below is my review of the book.

Pros:

Meticulous details documenting building techniques, parts selection, and references to the original model
Includes commentary on steps in the instruction manual for an in-depth building experience
Includes a parts list and sticker sheet

Cons:

Almost impossible to recreate the model due to lack of availability of the x-pod lids used on the wheels.

This is a well-written book centered on one of the Arvo Brothers’ most iconic and beloved Lego creations. It is obvious that a lot of work went into designing the model and producing the book. It is a good read for fans interested in the minutia of the design process of a top-tier fan model. For those wanting to recreate the model, there is a full set of clear-cut instructions with supporting commentary for an in-depth experience on the build process. However, you will be disappointed to find out that a key element of the model is out of production and nearly impossible to obtain on the aftermarket even if you have money. Because of this detail alone, I hesitate to recommend the book because the majority of its content is dedicated to the instruction set. However, if you are still curious about the design process, this is a publication that will not let down your expectations.

Comic book classix in brix

Probably better known to our European readers, Asterix the Gaul was a beloved French comic book series that started over half a century ago, and has since been translated into many languages and adapted to both animation and live action formats. It tells the story of the last remaining village in ancient Gaul to hold out against the invading Roman Empire, thanks to the leadership of the titular hero, Asterix.

Flick member IamKritch has faithfully recreated Asterix, his boulder-tossing sidekick Obelix, and Obelix’s faithful hound Dogmatix (aka Idéfix) out of LEGO. The use of mini-fig wings on Asterix’s helmet is ingénieux, while the use of joystick levers and grills for the eyes (instead of using a Sharpie, like I would have) is très puriste!

The Fastest Man Alive meets his match?

I got a nice chuckle from this scene by Outer Rim Emperor. It doesn’t hurt that it’s well built, in addition to containing a little joke. In particular, the speed streak behind The Flash really caught my eye (and in fact drew me in past the thumbnail to see the rest).

Off to a summer picnic in a VW Camper Van

One of the things I respect most in a LEGO builder is the ability to build well in multiple themes or genres. The Titanfall / World War II mashup we posted earlier this month couldn’t be more different from this tranquil scene that Kosmas Santosa posted today.

I actually did a double-take when I saw this photo, since it so closely resembles the beautiful Volkswagen T1 Camper Van released a couple years ago, as well as the micro version available briefly as a freebie. But this one is perfectly scaled for minifigs. The chrome wheels and door handles really make the whole model pop.

Announcing the BRICKNADO building contest winners!

The Brothers Brick BRICKNADO building contest is now over. The contest was in celebration of the cinematic masterpiece Sharknado 2: The Second One, which for our US readers premieres on the SyFy channel tonight at 9pm (8pm Central).

Thank you to all the builders that were brave enough to take part – in the end we had 24 shark-tastic entries. With the chainsaws now put away, the sidewalks hosed down, and a tally of the fallen taken, The Brothers Brick are pleased to announce the winners:

1st PLACE
“I love New Yaaaargh!” by nolnet

2nd PLACE
“NYC Subway Sharknado!” by El Barto

3rd PLACE
“Sharknado!” by SuckMyBrick

We also have a couple of “honorable mentions” for some other entries that we loved too… So big shout-outs go to M<0><0>DSWIM for “Fin Rides the Sharknado!” and Uno Brick for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fisherman”.

While our three winners are now faced with the solemn task of making their prize choices, we’ll leave the rest of you to settle in behind the couch and brace yourselves for the coming storm…

LEGO chess set honors The Brothers Brick’s 9th Anniversary

Magma Guy has posted a really lovely chess set in honor of our 9th birthday! Built in Brothers Brick colors, the set really pops. I am a big fan of brick-built chess sets and the quality of this one is top-shelf. I especially like how the designs of the two sides are quite different but maintain a similar style. The board itself is simple yet elegant. The use of brown as a highlight really ties the green and white together as well. I would love to play a game or two, Magma Guy!