Yearly Archives: 2022

A child’s imagination is a wonderful thing

While we often features builds by AFOLs, sometimes it’s important to remember that LEGO is, fundamentally, a kids’ toy. BetaNotus‘ local LEGO User Group (LUG) has borne that in mind with their latest challenge. Each builder was assigned a sketch by local children, and tasked with turning it into a MOC. It’s an adorable idea that has resulted in a rather cool-looking monster! It’s a skilful piece of building, but it still manages to retain the inventive charm of what a kid’s imagination can conjure up.

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The perfect coworker when you’re on the job.

Devid VII brings his mastery of mechs to the job site with this impressive construction robot. This black and yellow fellow is exactly who you want by your side when dealing with heavy duty labor. He can lift a thousand times more than you can, he doesn’t need a lunch break, and he can pipe classic rock into your Bluetooth enabled headphones to keep your spirits up while on the clock. What could be better?

A whale of an idea

As an artist and a LEGO builder, I really enjoy refreshing approaches to building. This bold piece by filbrick looks as if it was made with cut paper. There are eight visible colored layers of brick here, including the stylish white frame. Each is spaced out a bit to create shadows between each distinct layer. I love how some layers showcase various coral and sea plants. And that bold white humpback whale, diver and fish against the dark background is a superb and striking effect. I imagine this could look lovely standing on a table or as a wall hanging. If you like this as much as I do, the builder leaves a not-so-subtle reminder that this can be voted as a LEGO Ideas set. You can use that information as you see fit. This is not the first time we’ve been in awe of filbrick’s work. Click the little blue link to see what I mean.

100 studs? B.E.A.T. that!

LEGO’s Vidiyo theme may not have lasted terribly long on shelves, but it certainly left a big impression on builders. Julie van der Meulen has repaid that favour in a big way too – a seriously huge way, in fact! This Seriously Huge Investment in Parts (SHIP) isn’t a sprawling research station, or a space-faring man-o-war – it’s apparently owned by a DJ whose only purpose is to travel the stars giving free concerts. It looks resplendent in a typically Vidiyo colour scheme, with black, coral red, aqua, and everyone’s favourite, teal. Best of all, it has a backronym name that suits it down to the ground – the Big Engine Auxiliary Tug, or B.E.A.T. Vidiyo may be no more, but it seems like it’s in safe hands in the LEGO community!

Hey, don’t shoot the messenger, really... just don’t

Bionicle and Hero Factory parts may seem to have limited uses to some, but they have great potential. For example, R 194 uses one for the main torso part on this mysterious and potentially deadly messenger who looks like they don’t take kindly to returns. The long fins on the arms look like they might transform into wings and fly your immortal soul to places unknown, while the slender legs and relaxed arms lend the figure with unexpected grace.

TBB-sponsored collaboration MOCing Memories on display this weekend [News]

If you haven’t heard, BrickCon, the home LEGO convention for The Brothers Brick, is happening this weekend in Seattle. And, as we’ve previously posted, we’re hosting a collaborative display called MOCing Memories where builders can showcase their tributes to LEGO sets of the past, large or small. Now, while it’s too late to register to display your own builds, it’s not too late to stop by Saturday or Sunday to see what our talented bevy of builders have come up with in this ode to themes of yesteryear. If you’re in the Seattle area, and you’d like to see this marvelous TBB-sponsored display (and everything else at BrickCon) there’s more info here.

Just another peaceful day on Tattoine, more rare than a krayt dragon pearl

Tattoine may be a planet farthest from the bright center of the galaxy, according to Luke, but that doesn’t mean its quiet or boring. It seems like trying to live a simple life on the outer rim planet never quite goes as planned. In this beautiful LEGO scene by Nicholas Goodman, however, it does seem like a pretty low-key day, aside from a group of stormtroopers pestering the locals. The buildings look well weathered by the winds, many of the corners worn smooth. Small vents and pipes are scattered throughout the rooftops, and there’s even a well-detailed eopie like the one owned by Obi-wan. along with the V-35 Courier landspeeder from 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina.

This microscale forest scene is hair today, gone tomorrow

With fall finally here, my favorite time of year, a stroll in the woods is a delightful way to pass the time, strolling among quiet ruins as the fall leaves drift to the ground, as in this scene by LegoHobbitFan, which uses a variety of hair elements as billowy foliage. Log printed tiles make the perfect path, and a few of the trees are made with stud-shooters, turning weapons into trees.

Driving the wedge into Classic Space

Classic Space and flying grey wedge shapes—name a more iconic duo! This LEGO ship by Sylvain Daunais may be pretty small as far as spaceships going, being just a single-seater, but it’s got all the right stuff for a Neo-Classic Space look, with clean lines, a transparent yellow cockpit, cool engine intakes, and red/green lights on the wingtips.

My favorite bit can only be seen from the back, though, where Sylvain has use the macaroni pieces to make some intertwined piping around the thruster. It’s a super simple bit of detailing that takes this ship up a few notches.

LEGO Icons Winter Village Collection 10308: Holiday Main Street – Wintertime Retail Therapy [Review]

It’s Christmas time again! Well, nearly. On October 7th (October 3rd for VIPs) you can pick up a copy of this year’s expansion to the Winter Village Collection, Icons 10308 Holiday Main Street for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99! This 1514 piece set is designed for up to four people to work on it at once – a nice way to bring folks together for the holidays. But will it be any fun for them? Read on to see what we think of this year’s retail therapy!

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early 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

Everything is cooler in the future – including trains

We see plenty of ideas of what the future might look like in LEGO bricks. Cities, spaceships, cars, robots… But what will trains look like tens or hundreds of years in the future? Blake Foster has had a crack with this cyberpunk locomotive. It’s recognisable as a train to us mere present-dwellers, but has enough cool features for that sci-fi look. I especially like strap-like detail around the mechanical parts in the middle — it really sells it as something futuristic. Since this is cyberpunk, I have to assume there’s some dystopian reason for that enormous strap. Perhaps it’s to stop people falling into the loco’s fusion reactor? I hope that’s a preventive, rather than reactive, measure…

Check out the hit new kids’ show “Golden Compass Babies”

Okay, so maybe it’s not a real show. But Dan Ko has got us wishing it was. After a viewing of His Dark Materials, Dan was inspired to build a tiny panserbjorn. An armored polar bear has never looked more huggable.