Yearly Archives: 2021

Silently striding the seven seas

Upon the seafloor walks the oblong mechanical LEGO creation known as the Barents Sea Strider, built by Ivan Martynov. So yes, this creation is based on the actual Barents Sea Spider. And yes, I looked it up. And no, I’m not going to post the picture here. It’s gross and I’m trying not to have arachnophobic nightmares.

Anyways, aside from the creepy spider it’s named after, this is a super cool build. The long green legs remind me of the Bionicle Dark Hunter Nidhiki set that came out in 2005. I like the gray train wheels (perhaps custom colored) used as the leg joints and the small yellow bricks used in the leg supports (hailing from another brand, like the occupant). It’s the tiny details in every build that make it stand out. I also like that the transparent piece is a dome, giving the robot operator a 360-degree view of its surroundings so it can more easily see its prey. Perhaps this underwater arachnid has plans for a crab dinner?

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.

A different sort of digital LEGO build

These days, we come across a lot of digital LEGO builds, and it’s easy to see why. Through several free programs, the world of virtual building offers anyone access to infinite quantities of bricks in any type and color you need. But despite having seen thousands of digital creations, builder Tong Xin Jun still managed to create something I’ve never before seen: LEGO Digital Designer. The interface of LEGO’s now-retired free building software will be familiar to many of you, but look closely, because I promise you’ve never seen it like this before. That’s right, this is the LDD interface built out of bricks within LDD! It’s an absolutely brilliant piece of design that I’d love to see rendered with physical bricks, and I actually think the majority of it could be.

This motion filled LEGO Pac-Man poster brings the game to life.

More than 40 years ago, Toru Iwatani looked at a pizza with a slice missing, and a video game icon was born. Who hasn’t spent at least a couple of hours trying to eat up as many pellets as possible while on the run from Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde? Pac-Man is one of the longest-running and best-selling video game franchises in history. And LEGO artist Paul Hetherington has paid it proper tribute with this fantastic motion poster build.

Paul has made excellent use of LEGO to perfectly capture Pac-Man’s original 8-bit look. Everything from the maze to the ghosts looks like it’s been right out of my Atari. Extra special attention was paid to the logo up top. Not only do the letters perfectly capture the shape of the trademark font, but they’re framed in red and blue lines just like on the original arcade cabinet. Give a look at the poster in action below.

LEGO Super Mario 71395 64 Question Block listed online [News]

Following a short teaser, the new LEGO Super Mario 71395 64 Question Block set is listed online. A 2,064-piece set will be available starting October 1, for US $169.99 / 169.99 Euro / £159.99 / AU $289.99.

Check out all the pictures and the official product description under the jump.

Continue reading →

LEGO reveals Super Mario Block set on their social feeds [News]

Following a mysterious teaser published yesterday, LEGO shares a promo video of the upcoming Super Mario Block set. The new, unusual model in the shape of a question block from Super Mario video games hides three mini-models insides. These models represent different levels from Super Mario 64, including Princess Peach’s Castle. Neither the piece count nor the prices are revealed yet, so stay tuned for more updates about the set.

Continue reading →

LEGO Creator Expert 10293 Santa’s Visit revealed online [News]

The upcoming Christmas Winter Village LEGO Creator Expert 10293 Santa’s Visit has been listed on the Taiwan and Singapore pages of LEGO Shop. According to the listing, the set will consist of 1,445 pieces and come with 4 minifigs, including Santa.

Continue reading →

This LEGO Donald Duck hides a full Disney recording studio

Donald Duck, Disney’s angry but lovable waterfowl, may be a bit in the shadow of Mickey Mouse, but he’s still got plenty of fans, such as LEGO builder Ian Hou. Ian’s latest build is a huge bust of Donald sporting his iconic sailor’s uniform and cap, and it’s a lovely bit of building to get the duck’s shape down so well, even including a slight coloration to Donald’s eyes thanks to some carefully chosen aqua elements.

But turn the bust around and you’ll discover that Donald’s got a secret: a full recording studio for Disney voice actor Clarance Charles “Ducky” Nash, who voiced the duck’s mad rantings. It’s quite a feat to fit such a lovely detailed interior inside Donald’s head without compromising his looks!

When you love Classic Space and have a lot of it to haul around

We all love LEGO Classic Space, right? Sure we do, it hits us right in the nostalgic feels. But what happens when you love it so much that you have a lot of it to haul around? It turns out, The Brick Artisan has answered all our prayers and my weird premise with this Classic Space Compact Transport Rover. It can haul your barrels of toxic waste, whatever comes in those blue canisters (probably also toxic), and whatever that greebly doohickey is of questionable toxicity. Let’s just err on the side of safety and assume it’s all toxic. Thankfully these rovers were fitted with sensitive gyroscopic technologies and extremely responsive suspension so we’ve not shaking up things we don’t have to. This isn’t the first time we were totally delighted by this builder’s Classic Space stuff. Check out what I mean in our archives.

Nothing warms you up like a fresh bowl of noodles

There are so many different types of LEGO elements that you can build pretty much anything you can imagine. Some builders make spaceships, some make robots, others make houses large and small. Khang Huynh takes inspiration from familiar sights they see everyday, like this noodle cart stationed next to a dilapidated utility pole. I love the way one end of the cart is propped up an extra stool. The steam added to the photograph, and the dark lighting really help to set the scene.

LEGO Creator Expert 10290 Pickup Truck: A ride that’s very “Farm Fresh” [Review]

For years, fans have been demanding a LEGO Back to the Future vehicle – and LEGO has listened. Their latest Creator Expert vehicle is indeed a way to go back in time to the 1950’s – well, in a nostalgic way, at least. The Creator Expert 10290 Pickup Truck is a classic interpretation of vintage farm trucks from that era. Available for pre-order now from the LEGO Shop Online for US $129.99 | CAN $169.99 | UK £119.99 this 1677 piece set will will be generally available October 1st. But does this surprising choice of vehicle merit your time-travel dollar? Come along as we take a close look at this set!

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with a copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

Explore the science of steam in this all-in-one laboratory.

Steampunk is one of those things that I’ve always felt like I would really enjoy. Science-fiction, Victorian England, the American Wild West, top hats, goggles…I love all that stuff. But, for some reason, I’ve never really taken the plunge to familiarize myself with the genre. But this digital LEGO build by Castor Troy and Max Birch might be what pushes me over the edge. A research station where the greatest minds on Earth gather to unlock the secrets of astrophysicists, botany, engineering…and then they go flying around in a bat-winged submarine? What could be cooler?

This complex can be split into three separate buildings, and inside you’ll find rooms devoted to all areas of study: from a mechanical workshop to a greenhouse, to a space observation dome. And, when you’ve gathered the intelligence you need, explorers can launch off in a hot air balloon from the top floor of the central building.

And speaking of explorers, the building has an octet of adventurers ready to tackle the great mysteries of the unknown together. They look like such inviting people. And I love any excuse to wear a vest. Yeah, I gotta research this Steampunk stuff.

Missing Maine and feeling blue.

A couple of years ago I got to spend a month-long sabbatical from work on the coast of Maine. I really, really wish I could go back. While I was there, I enjoyed quite a bit of lobster, but nothing quite as rare as this blue version from Walter Whiteside Jr. In nature, a blue lobster is the result of a one in two million genetic mutation. In LEGO, the blue lobster is even more rare. In fact, this is the only one I’ve ever seen. With the great organic shaping and realistic details, it’ll certainly do in a pinch. (Get it? Because of the pincers? Okay, that was a bad pun. Nevermind.)

Continue reading →