Yearly Archives: 2020

This map took a lot of control to build

Let’s see. I should start this off with something topical, right? Hrm. Well, for a change how about I try something topographical instead? Something like this amazing map from Eli Willsea, perhaps. Sure, it’s not particularly practical if you want to fold it up and take it with you; some of the pieces are just sitting on the surface of the build. But who cares about that. Look at those mountains, trees, and tents made from 1×1 triangle tile! The little bridge made from a curved slope! The “North” indicator made from rods and tile. Oh yeah, and let’s not overlook that compass and map calipers. They make use of a really unusual part: The 9V Track Switch.

As that control switch is the seed part in the latest round of Iron Builder, I think it’s a safe bet we’ll see a lot more from this part in the future. Personally, I’m looking forward to whatever Eli builds next.

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If it’ll please the court, Exhibit A...the wedding photos.

A photograph is a literal snapshot of a moment in time, but often so is the camera. This LEGO disposable camera by nobu_tary reminds us that the real sweet spot for these was from about the late eighties to the early oughts. The builder pretty well captured the sort of the throw away cheap quality these cameras possessed. The lenses were usually plastic, the photo quality questionable but they served in a pinch. One popular use of these was at weddings. A disposable camera was placed at each table and wedding guests were encouraged to snap impromptu pics of themselves. Then once the honeymoon was over, the newlyweds would then develop their photos only to find a record number of butts, boobies, and ding-dongs. It was immature and a complete waste of film if you ask me! Thankfully we all do the same now but on our smartphones like responsible adults.

Lime Green Brick Machine

“Now this is podracing!” – one of the many famous lines from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace can be applied to this LEGO model by Penny Drop on Instagram. This mean machine and its pilot are of the more obscure racers in the film. The LEGO group tends to release sets centered around Anakin’s podracer while sometimes including Sebulba as well, therefore it is refreshing when fans create models of the lesser-known competitors.

A podracer is really only comprised of two components – the cockpit and the engine. Penny utilized some lime green bricks and slopes for the cockpit and for the engine Penny has put to use some large lime green rims and technic elements in addition to a few bricks and slopes. I appreciate the application of the round saw blade elements in conjunction with some silver dishes for the auxiliary thrusters. It’s nice to see the build as a whole displayed on a brick-built stand, mimicking the Mos Espa arena circuit. Podracers watch out, Penny has certainly built a worthy opponent!

Ray-tracing the future

Bigger than it looks, this boldly colored racer by David Roberts seats a LEGO Technic figure at the helm and is named the Sunray. The striking stripes are courtesy of clever brick-building in the wings with stacked blue and yellow slopes, making the trans-yellow canopy almost entirely disappear. All told, the craft is little more than a pair of wings strapped on a big engine, but that’s exactly what you’d want from your anti-gravity racer.

A box full of summer, courtesy of IKEA

The product of the recent LEGO-IKEA collaboration, the BYGGLEK box, has practically become the new LEGO baseplate. I’ve already seen a ton of interesting models incorporating this new 3D template. Lego fjotten’s modern boxy beach house is a great example of the creativity that can be achieved with a studded plastic parallelogram.

Fjotten uses two of these boxes for the first and third stories of this structure while the second floor is a hybrid — part BYGGLEK box, part brick-built. I really enjoy the application of brown tiling, bricks, and black telescope pieces to create balcony railing, flooring, and stairs. Fjotten also cleverly adds windows onto his building by utilizing the notches molded into the boxes. Of course, all of the ancillary details of the build – the furniture, grill, jacuzzi, and other brick-built pieces of décor are a delight. I have to say, adopting the BYGGLEK box in this capacity is actually quite advantageous in that Fjotten probably saved a lot of time and bricks by using it to compose the majority of the structure. Models like these really serve to show the true creative energy builders can channel through any LEGO element or product, and I am excited to see more builds incorporating these boxes in the future.

A lived-in universe

One of the things that made the Star Wars universe so magical was its relatively groundbreaking take on approach to depicting a lived-in, weathered place, that felt like it had history and people striving to earn a living, unlike the clean, sterile environments of scifi predecessors like Star Trek. LEGO builder DarthBricks has set about building a series of large vignettes as part of a LEGO RPG they’re playing. The detailed scenes perfectly encapsulate the cluttered, imperfect world of the Empire. First up is this scene from Corellia, where a few Rebels spy on an Imperial patrol.

Next is a scene from the desert world of Tatooine, where the Rebels ambush some troopers. The amount of detailing feels just right, with enough texture to the dust-covered walls to make it feel worn, while still keeping the focus on the action.

Let’s see where DarthBricks goes next. Perhaps Kashyyk or Scarif?

BrickCon 2020 virtual convention this weekend, tickets still available [News]

BrickCon, the longest continuously running LEGO convention, is happening this weekend, October 2-4. Usually occurring in Seattle, this year the organizers have moved the con completely online. The adult-builder-focused con will consist of panels with special guests, breakout sessions on a variety of LEGO topics, games, trivia, prizes, and more. Various tiers of registration include the options to get a variety of swag, such as the con t-shirt, a surprise goodie bag, participation in the door-prize pool, and more. Ticket prices range from $25 to $80 depending on tier and shipping location, though we have been told that some tiers are close to selling out. Every AFOL-focused tier will get access to the full con experience.

For fans who just want to tune in see cool LEGO MOCs, visit the virtual Brick Bazaar, and watch a more limited live-stream of Q&As and builder discussions, more akin the typical public convention experience, tickets available for $5.

The Brothers Brick is proud to be an official sponsor of BrickCon.

It’s a fish-eat-fish world

Can’t visit a natural history museum or an aquarium? Luis Peña has us covered with his LEGO build of a couple Devonian sea critters – the larger of which is the Dunkleosteus and then its smaller prey being the Stethacanthus.

Peña certainly got all of the anatomical details of both fish correct from the eye placement on the Dunkleosteus to the anvil-shaped fin of the Stethacanthus. Both builds are also are seemingly correct in terms scale as the Stethacanthus was actually a pretty small shark-like fish. Peña’s use of differing white slope pieces is effective in rendering the teeth of the Dunkleosteus; I also appreciated his use of the feather-pin element as the tail for the tinier fish. Thankfully the Devonian age has passed; these sea creatures seemed to have been pretty frightening, whether big or small, but it’s definitely pleasant to be able to learn about them in some capacity.

Spaceship or space slug?

As September comes to a close, I’m always amazed at what amazing new designs space builders can come up with. And while Ivan Martynov’s Larva Carrier is a digital model, it is still an impressive creation.

Spaceships offer so much for an inventive builder. The thought of an organic carrier type ship launching spacefaring larvae is equal parts wacky, creepy, and creative. The chosen colour scheme works great: dark tan and olive green seem totally grubby to me compared to the cleaner tan and gold of less organic parts of the ship. The giant worm on the bottom of the ship tie the concept together, but also makes me wonder if that’s some sort of queen space bug, and she lays eggs that hatch into the larvae that get launched?

A deep dive into NPU

NPU, or “Nice Part Usage” is often a hallmark of the LEGO creations we feature here at the Brothers Brick. The Sludge Diver by djokson is a prime specimen. A specimen of what, exactly, remains up for debate. It seems likely those eyestalks are partially composed of dinosaur tails, but the bulk of the diver remains hidden behind that fascinating bit of protective gear. Combining Duplo tubes, rubber tires, and even the packaging from the 8050 Bionicle Kraata booster pack, this explorer is ready for whatever life throws at them.

The best bit of this build for me is the DOTS bracelet used for the helmet gasket. If you agree, check out other innovative uses of those bracelets in our DOTS archives.

Troll in the castle

Ethan Johnson is not only a really gifted LEGO builder, he is also an expert when it comes to adding light to his creations. His troll in the castle creation shows how adding light to LEGO creations brings them to life! And I am not talking about setting up a nice lightbox to take pictures of your LEGO creation. I am talking about adding actual functional lights to the creation itself.

Not only the lighting is excellent, but the creation itself is also very nice. Just look at those brick-built toilet booths and the little niffler playing hide and seek. LEGO Harry Potter has been around for quite some time now. Some characters and creatures got redesigned along the way. Some characters and creatures, however, did not. Sometimes a redesign is long due; sometimes an old figure still works perfectly fine, sometimes an old figure just needs to be spruced up a little bit with some new accessories and needs to be positioned just right so you do not see that there is a small plastic bridge between its legs.

The spawn of Cthulhu are adorable

The creature Cthulhu, from the mind of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, has been the inspiration for many modern horror stories, video games, and movies, like Hellboy, for example. Many LEGO builders have also taken inspiration from his works, like this render from Ivan Martynov. This model has some nice part usage which makes me wish LEGO made these parts in more colors, like the fingers of the beast, made from the hands of those early Homemaker figures with jointed arms. Another great choice is the one ring to rule them all, used to connect the wing joints. But of course, the most perfect part is the octopus used for Cthulhu’s monstrous head and the tiny octopi for his spawn. Don’t miss Ivan’s Yithian we featured yesterday, too!