Yearly Archives: 2022

Dia de los Muertos; the Halloween after Halloween

LEGO builder Kevin Wanner made a trip to San Diego recently, took a few photos, and treated us all to something amazing. In his words; “Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2. It is a holiday of joyful celebration involving family and friends gathering to pay respects to those who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include honoring the deceased using calaveras and Aztec marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls.” I love the colors and festivity of it all. The flowers, painted cobblestone tiles, sugar skulls, and various cactus plants are all fun details. Even the photography, with its depth of field, is expertly done. It gives us a reason to celebrate the loved ones who have passed on.

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Snowspeeding like it’s 1999

Does this picture look familiar to you? If you answered yes, you’re either student of LEGO box art, or you’re a LEGO Star Wars fan of a certain age. That, or you’re a fan of 2bricks‘s work. Not content with building an iconic Star Wars vehicle, they’ve gone ahead and replicated the box art for the original snowspeeder, released in the very late ’90s. The resemblance is uncanny, and very well executed – even the AT-AT leg in the background is made of bricks. Let’s take nothing away from the speeder though! The way all those angles come together at the front is just *chef’s kiss*. Nostalgia be damned – this is some upgrade compared to 1999!

Ammonite? No, this is an ammu-nite

We feature LEGO builds for many reasons here on the Brothers Brick. It might have some great parts use. Perhaps it imitates natural shapes in ways not thought possible with plastic bricks. The most important reason though is, of course, when a build inspires a good pun. So you have Sandro Quattrini to thank for the title of this post. (Naughty-lus was also considered, but I think we can all agree the right call was made here.) To be fair, it fits the other categories rather well too, although I’m not sure I’ve seen too many armed nautiluses (nautili?) before. Maybe that’s a good thing. I wouldn’t want to get hit by the bullets, or the discarded shells…

This Muppets haunted mansion carries the spooky on into November

Halloween has now come and gone, but Josh Parkinson and his Muppet-filled LEGO mansion aren’t done scaring up some fun! And what could be more fun than that wicked color scheme? The dark red and green with black trim evokes the eerie feel of a haunted house, while still staying true to the vivid character of Henson’s creations. The front lawn is wonderfully unkempt, with loads of leafy stalks scattered about. And I adore the gnarled black tree on the side next to the gravestones. It seems to have a character all its own with so many sharp barbs and angles. And I can’t get enough of all the brilliant textures here, from the slats on the walls to the checkerboard shingles and the ornate railings. Josh has them all working together in a harmonious patchwork that gives the structure age. My only question is, where did our other Muppet friends get to?

The other side of the model answers that question, offering us five fright-filled minifigure habitats. Each room showcases a costumed Muppet in an appropriately-themed room of this mansion. It’s hard to pick a favorite room here, with so many excellent techniques employed and creative choices in minifig costumery. Is it the mummified Swedish Chef? Or maybe Count Gonzo? No, I think I have to go with my gut: Dr. Bunsen-stein all the way!

Massive CAT themed Sloth Walker

Making its way through the canopy, this enormous piece of LEGO equipment keeps a steady grip on the weaving branches of the rainforest canopy. Builder Charlie Jones brings us his second ambling piece of construction equipment with a CAT-themed color scheme. Perhaps suited for traversing the jungles of Pandora from James Cameron’s Avatar, the Sloth Walker’s crew clambers about its hanging body, making their way up its legs to the thick branches to survey the unique biomes and the territory below. The builder spent almost 200 hours working on this beast, along with the branches above, and it surely paid off with an impressive final product. First off, the branches of the tree are ingenious, if not a bit laborious. Time consuming as they may be, their repetition and semi-woven pattern provide a convincing effect on the overall build.

The Walker, if you can really even call it that when its making its way upside down like this, is its own masterpiece though. At just under a meter long, every centimeter of this build is detailed and intentional. Using droid bodies and arms on the claws gives a delightful industrial texture, while the pneumatic-like structures in the front arms compliment a convincing design. Of course, I can’t go without mentioning that awesome domed canopy for the pilot, providing a full view around them. Using the frames of Harry Potter’s glasses from the Hogwarts Icons set as the framing for the cockpit was an ingenious move, honestly.

I commend those workers on the outside of the craft. Making my way over the exposed engines, hanging on as the arms and legs move above me, I’d hope to at least be tethered somewhere safe. I wouldn’t want to fall and get caught by the tether only to get crushed by some mechanical components. I leave this part of exploration to this brave crew, I guess, and just move on to commending Mr. Jones for a magnificent build. Keep up the good work, mate!

The story of the house on the chicken leg and the witch on the big broom

Marcin Otreba drew inspiration from the classic folklore tale of Baba Yaga. And he’s not the first one to use this story as an inspiration for a LEGO creation: we’ve featured numerous chicken-legged cottages throughout the years. Marcin’s is special because it’s so tiny yet so packed with details. It’s so small it almost has you wondering if the witch will actually fit into the cottage. The answer is yes, of course! It is a magic cottage, you silly! The arms with pins introduced in the Super Mario LEGO sets are used to create all sorts of odd angles, and the fact that the cottage is asymmetrical makes it even more aesthetically pleasing. But the most hilarious thing about this creation is the fact that Baba Yaga is riding a Belville broom which is far bigger than her house.

Check out more Baba Yaga creations here!

Long have I wandered...

I’m loving this slender fort from Youenn H. (Neyoun). A lone wanderer stands above it, either syrveying the landscape below or the sumptuous texturing on the building. I would suggest he doesn’t make any sudden movements though as it looks rather precariously built! The fact everything is supported by a single column gives the build presence, especially given its relatively small footprint. There’s some great parts use here too. Whips for vines, teeth for detail on the fortress, and – my personal favourite – a crocodile tail for a big, leafy plant.

Hallowe’en has never looked so cuddly

Koen Zwanenburg has added to his collection of plushie-style LEGO builds. Normally I would describe them as adorable, but since these are Hallowe’en themed… Ah, who am I kidding! They’re still cute. Except that clown, though. The last thing anyone needs a cuddly toy of is Pennywise. The consistency of style between all of them is remarkable, even among the less anthropogenic ones such as the pumpkin or spider. I think my favourite is the little devil. Who is yours?

It isn’t just plushies that make Koen such a good builder – have a look through some of his previous work!

A haunted house could be a trick but for our eyes it’s a real treat!

Feast your eyes on this treat of a LEGO build from Jaka Kupina. It’s no trick, honest! It’s a classic haunted house build, one that really captures the best balance of whimsy and terror often found this time of year. While it’s not the kind of place I’d like to trick-or-treat at, the sinister appearance doesn’t stop this ambitious youngster. The build features great details like those crooked gravestones by the cute cat. Does the wicked grinning scarecrow know something about that ominous chain running under the stairs? Of course, there’s the house itself, a full character on its own! It really stands out with all those lovely textures–I particularly enjoy the roof textures giving it a sense of weathering and time. Halloween adventures await beyond the threshold, but beware if you’re faint of heart.

Upgraded firepower to win those Halo battles

The Covenant should beware the LEGO builds coming from EliteTC, like this awesome Scorpion tank. It’s always a blast to drive one of these in the Halo games, and seeing it translated into LEGO brick is a great sight. It’s a vehicle that works well in the medium with its angles and details. EliteTC does a good job of getting the shaping right, from the barrel of the main gun down to the tread sections for mobility. The greebling is slick, capturing the finer points of the vehicle. If you told me this could move on its own, I’d believe it! It looks fully mobile, like it can’t wait to blast down some Banshees or duel with some Wraiths. It’s a wonderful build for an iconic gaming vehicle.

Something slithering in the air

Fanged serpents are terrifying, whether made of LEGO or not, but this one is on another level! Aiden.Builds presents a high-flying serpent showing off its fantastic fangs and wings. The main body of the creature is black, which brings the colors forward for a striking look. There’s great parts usage at work here with all those segments allowing for the curve of the flying terror. It bends this way and that–I bet it looks amazing flying around in the sky, weaving through the air. I just don’t want to get too close! The way those fangs look, I know it’d make short work of me for a snack. This is one better observed from a distance in its natural habitat, rather than getting up close and personal. Luckily, it’s made of LEGO, my preferred way of looking at such amazing and terrifying creatures.

Eat your heart out, Buffy Summers

A vampire’s thirst for blood draws him into a cunning trap in this clever Halloween creation by Lego_nuts. This sleeping damsel is actually an experienced vampire slayer, lying in wait for her prey with a whole chest full of useful weapons at the ready.

Lego_nuts has a history of photographing intricate builds with atmospheric lighting, creating images you want to spend extra time looking over so you can catch every detail and building technique. Thankfully, there’s almost always a corresponding video so you can see the build in greater detail.