Yearly Archives: 2021

Send my mail to Stormhaven

In the tiny settlement of Stormhaven, there is a post office built on platforms that raise above mangrove flats on wooden stilts. It’s like the opening line to a really great pirate novel, isn’t it? That is the kind of adventure Ayrlego has in store for us with this charming LEGO creation. He alludes that there has been a pirate raid last year but you wouldn’t know it as the denizens here seem quite at peace. I love the textures of the roof and siding. The raised docks and aforementioned mangrove trees are both excellent touches. I want to live in this world for a little while, even if just to collect my mail at this amazing little post office. Fanciful historical architecture and incidentally more than a few post offices seems to be Ayrlego’s thing. Settle in to see what I mean in our archives.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

It’s a pirate’s life for me down by ‘arr-bour

You might have missed it, but last Sunday was that silliest of holidays, Talk Like a Pirate Day. And to celebrate the occasion, Nick Sweetman built the local LEGO pirate hangout, the Skull and Crossbones Bar & Grill. The cutaway design is ingenious for giving you a feel for the building while letting you see all the piratey action, mostly consisting of lots of drinking and carousing—which seems about right. My favorite thing about this scene, though, is the multitude of pirates wearing that classic blue pirate coat. Often builders try to carefully make sure all the minifigures in a scene are uniquely dressed, but this somehow seems perfect to me for how LEGO pirates would dress and I absolutely love it.

Kim Kardashian gets LEGO-ified as Iain tries to break the internet...again!

Leave it to The Brothers Brick alumni Iain Heath to have his finger on the pulse of what’s hot at a very particular moment. And leave it to us to chronicle it days after the rest of the internet has already moved on to the next latest and greatest thing. Take, for instance, this LEGO creation of Kim Kardashian soaking up the spotlight at the 2021 Met Gala in what Iain thinks might be a bunraku-inspired outfit. My guess is bunraku isn’t even in her vocabulary but then again, since I misplaced my invite to the Met Gala, I didn’t ask her. But still, this is the kind of attention-seeking antics one can expect from a woman whose mother promoted her own daughter’s sex tape for profit and fame. As to why Iain is so hungry for attention, I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. What am I, Dr. Phil?

For reference, here is a couple of photos of Kim in her unsettling outfit.

This wouldn’t be the first time Iain and Kim Kardashian had crossed paths. He’s LEGO-fied her before but it seems we didn’t publish it, probably for reasons. But, BUT, BUTT you can Google it your damned self and it definitely won’t be disappointing.

Three (thousand) bricks in the fountain, each one seeking happiness

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is one of the Eternal City’s most famous landmarks—a stunning piece of architectural theatre, usually swamped by hordes of tourists tossing coins into the water as they follow the advice of the Sinatra song. Luca Petraglia‘s excellent LEGO creation depicts the fountain without its attendant crowds, meaning everyone can get a decent view of the beauty on display. A 1.5m wide brick-built version of the Palazzo Poli offers a dramatic architectural backdrop to the fountain itself, its triumphal arch framing the central statue of Oceanus. I love the simplicity of the colour choices in this model, ensuring the trans-blue waters of the fountain really pop against the stark backdrop. Luca says the statues themselves were designed by fellow builder Eero Okkonen—it’s nice to see his character builds given such an impressive setting.

The ancient relics of space

It’s nearing the end of September, and for many in the LEGO fan community that means spaceships. Big spaceships. Dubbed Shiptember, this month features the annual informal fan challenge to build a space SHIP (that’s a Seriously Huge Investment in Parts). This SHIP by Sheo is certainly a unique take with an unusual color scheme and design. The builder envisions it as an ancient relic drifting through the cosmos, a shrine for space pilgrims, and it certainly feels otherworldly.

Although the shape is predominantly a few large grey columns, Sheo hasn’t slacked on the detailing, as there’s plenty of interesting techniques inlaid into the beams. There are lots of bits I could point out, but one of the best to me are the tiny white 1×1 plates inserted upside-down as diamonds between four grey slopes, seen below on the lower right image inset. It’s a beautifully simple technique that works perfectly to add visual interest, and I could see it being applied on everything from spaceships like this to castle walls.

And I can’t help but admit that I also see a little bit of a giant egg-beater in the ship’s design. Or maybe I’m just hungry…

This sleek racer has it all, speed, power and charm

It might not be November yet, but it’s never too early to start building Vipers, and while this little ship by Alvaro Gunawan may not have all of the necessary details to qualify as a viper, a specific type of ship inspired by the video game Gradius it does have plenty of charm. With a pair of prongs flanking a sloped central cockpit with a chunky engine and two thin but deadly guns. The only thing missing is a fin.

Don’t get stung by this hornet!

The CF-18 Hornet is an essential fixture of the fighting capabilities of the Royal Canadian Air Force. It’s seen here depicted in LEGO form by builder Ryan Harriswho is well-known for his realistic LEGO portrayals of aircraft and trains.

Wow! So much light blue! Most jet aircraft are depicted in grey, so props to Ryan for going the extra mile and getting so much of another color in there. I also admire the angle of the tail fins and the thinness of every wing in general. He’s also nailed the landing gear, giving it the full structure you’d expect to see on the F-18 in real life.

That cockpit really shines in this build. The use of a backward canopy combined with the transparent sloped wedges helps get the correct dimensions for the cockpit. I like that there’s an actual LEGO minifigure flying the jet!

Thanks for sharing this beautifully designed aircraft with us, Ryan!

LEGO Masters Finale: We sit down with the winning team of Season Two [Feature]

The final episode of LEGO Masters Season 2 has aired. Three teams remained going in to the finale and they were given 24 hours to create any thing they desired. However, each model has to incorporate lights for a “day” look and a “night” look. The winning team takes home the $100,000 prize and rights to the title LEGO Master.

Today, our own Norm Harper sat down for a talk with the winning team along with our friends from Brickset, BZPower and True North Bricks.

Read on, but beware… Spoilers lie ahead!

Massive LEGO Taj Mahal goes above and beyond the official sets

The Taj Mahal, the world-famous mausoleum built by Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan, has seen three official LEGO versions — one in 2008, re-released in 2017, with a new Taj Mahal set unveiled in 2021. Although the newest set is smaller, the original and its re-release are famous for being amongst the largest LEGO sets ever produced. So it should give some idea of the complexity and scale of Rocco Buttliere‘s latest architectural creation when you understand the piece count of around 17.5k parts is considerably higher than all 3 of the official sets combined. Rocco is no stranger to being featured on The Brothers Brick, being an undisputed master of microscale LEGO building. However, this model is something special, depicting not just the famous mausoleum building itself, but also the surrounding gardens and compound.

Click to see more pictures of this stunning model

What if Optimus Prime had samurai armour? Here’s your answer.

Psyro TtunTomato has constructed this inventive reimagined version of Optimus Prime presented in a samurai-inspired form. The build retains mechanical details, such as piping and exhausts, while wedge pattern pieces, at the arms and shoulders, creates an aesthetic reminiscent of real-life samurai armour. Receiving a kick from this model looks like it would be painful as the legs have sharp, aggressive angles and are portrayed in a similar style to the Barbatos’ legs from the Gundam Universe. Armed with two long blades, this version of Optimus is ready to slice up some Decepticons. The model has the ability to look different from the original Optimus design, while still being recognizable through its colour scheme.

THIS IS SPAAAAAARTA!!!!!!!!

I’m normally a stickler for proper grammar and punctuation but as anyone giving away a box of old shoes on Craiglist can attest, sometimes you really gotta yell to get your point across. That means all-caps and lots of exclaimation points. You can forgive my yelling when it comes to this LEGO Leonidas of Sparta bust built by George Panteleon. Any mention of Leonidas or Sparta pretty much brings out the wrestling voice in everyone. George’s LEGO building skills are worthy of all the excitement anyway. Click here to see what I mean. If after that you’re not climbing to the top of Mt. Olypmus and yelling the praises of George’s skills then maybe, just maybe, you don’t have a pulse.

We’re digging the gold on this retro register

While the modern world hurtles inexorably towards a cashless society, Mehdi Rustamov offers us a glimpse of the glorious past of retail payments with this wonderful vintage cash register built out of LEGO bricks. I love that Mehdi has used digital rendering to depict such an unashamed celebration of the design styles of the past. This model is spot-on with its detailing — the wooden till drawer with its golden inlays, the buttons, the ornate detailing, and that crank handle. Lovely stuff.