Yearly Archives: 2022

This robot looks as though it’s straight out of a mecha anime

Now that’s one eye-catching machine! Ryuhei Kawai has created this striking mech, primarily presented in yellow with hints of dark blue. The model has nice chunky proportions with a cockpit for a minifigure located at the head. The mech’s serious expression is formed of piercing purple irises combined with thick eyebrows. At the center of the torso, an old vehicle grill piece is used, with a wheel rim behind it representing a rotatory fan. For some extra speed, wheels are attached to the feet with superb mechanical details. It’s a wonderful build that is reminiscent of classic anime robot designs.

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This Star Wars Yavin IV Rebel Base renders us speechless!

Most people would just buy the UCS Y-Wing set and call it a day. But clearly, legolux1973 is not like most people. Not only has he scratch-built the Y-Wing but he has created an entire section of the Yavin IV Rebel Base. Plantlife, scattered scrap parts as well as droids, and people busily working add tons of life to this amazing diorama. I particularly love the stepped sides and complex angles of the ziggurat-looking structure. He cites inspiration from Abe Fortier whose stellar Yavin IV creation was featured exactly on this date last year. Abe, himself cites inspiration from Jarek Książczyk and legolux also cites Josh Fowler. It’s certainly neat when one builder inspires another and the world is a better place for it. To be clear, this is a render but the model could be built in real life- or IRL if you’re super hip with the modern lingo.

Because it is so well deserved, here is a separate photo giving some love to that amazing Y-Wing.The details are spectacular! That’s deets for those who are hip.

A motorized microscale LEGO castle fit for the gods

LEGO builder Bart De Dobbelaer has left the details of the backstory sparse for this microscale castle beyond the fact that it is a home for gods, but it certainly captures my imagination. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t remind me just a touch of Laputa: Castle in the Sky, but this massive structure has some features that not even Laputa could claim. Surrounded by a ring of guardians, there’s a huge maze weaving through the entire castle grounds.

Additionally, the turrets spin and rotate thanks to some clever gearing and motorization, surely making the maze even more challenging.

A break from the heat

Nothing feels nicer in the depths of summer than a glimpse of a snowy landscape. Jake Hansen (Mountain Hobbit) leads us to Winter’s Gate, an early seasonal treat. Filled with great techniques like mostly connected candles to form bamboo poles, inset cheese-wedge designs, and unusual angles, this build rewards you the closer you look. Case in point: that weathered staff the figure is holding is made from an umbrella and a minifigure hand. How many of you missed that at first glance?

If you want more cold-weather relief, our Winter tag is here for you.

Well, he’s not called Stanley Ku-BRICK for nothing, I suppose...

Take a look through Shannon Sproule‘s Flickr photos, and you’ll see his interest in toys extends beyond the plastic bricks we cover on this website. He may not be the most prolific builder, but he’s a skilled toy photographer. What that does mean is that whenever his LEGO gets put in front of the camera, the results are stunning. Best of all? He’s also got a keen eye for retro sci-fi styling! Take a look at his latest scene. It’s a hotel room with a robot concierge, which sounds fairly innocuous. But the framing, the lighting (I love the backlit anti-studs above the bed!) and the positioning of the figures give this a real sense of foreboding. It doesn’t help that the concierge is keen to point out the escape routes in the caption. If you mixed The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey into a film, I bet this is what the poster outside the cinema would look like. Stanley Kubrick would be proud!

LEGO 75340 Star Wars Advent Calendar for 2022 – Where life is a snowy, sandy beach [Review]

Christmas still seems a long ways off, but merchandising has never cared much about that. And sometimes you need to make sure you have stuff on hand before the season starts! That’s the case with Advent Calendars, anyway. If you pick one up mid-December you’re really late to the party. So maybe it’s a good thing that LEGO has revealed the 75340 Star Wars Advent Calendar now. You know, so we can prepare.

This 329 piece set will be available September 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $49.99 | CAN $59.99 | UK £29.99. We’ll still be doing our annual daily Advent reveals in December, but if you don’t mind spoilers you can see all the goodies inside this calendar right now!

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.

Seasonal spoilers ahead!

A smooth build for a bumpy ride

Embrace your inner child and take a trip to an amusement park of LEGO in this wonderful build from KitKat1414. For this Iron Builder contest round, the seed part is the LEGO Friend’s theme horse saddle in dark azure. A rather versatile part, the saddle here is put to use in a lovely variety. In the foreground we have the standout bumper cars with their fishing pole contact shoes to supply them with power from the ceiling. A cool use of magic wands still in their sprues are the railing details behind the bumper cars. A roller coaster train sails by in the background, affording some breezy sights. Further in the background is a little stand made of the saddle turned on its side.

A seedy little workspace

It may seem like an ordinary day to you or me, but in Kit Nugent’s (KitKat1414) world, things are a bit more interesting. In this masterfully built LEGO slice of life, a man is confronted by the fact that 25 Friends Horse Saddle in Dark azure has infected his home. As you may have guessed, this is part of the Iron Builder competition, where the challenge is to incorporate the seed part (in this case the aforementioned saddle) into a build in the most interesting ways possible. Not only are there the “easy” wins of a flower pot or bookshelf, but Kit has incorporated them into a standing lamp and even a chair’s backrest. But the best use to me is turning a bunch of them into floor trimming. Oh, and that rug made of carrots is pretty sweet, too.

More inspired part usages (include more saddle-y goodness) await in our Iron Builder tag!

Surprisingly, this squid is not attacking the lighthouse

Based on the drawing of a child, this fascinating LEGO build has been cleverly constructed by Ben Cossy. The original drawing describes a squid taking on the role of a lighthouse and inking boats which are going by too fast. The squid build uses multiple tentacle pieces from the Gargantos Showdown set while blending different shades of green together in the formation of the body. The ships are miniature in their size with quarter circle tiles portraying sails. Looks like one has already been caught speeding!

There is also an informative video that demonstrates some of the techniques used in creating this scene.

Hot dog! These are some good sausage dogs

As much as I consider myself a dog person, I do think there’s a certain size of dog that is a bit too small for me. Nothing against them (or their owners) – it’s just personal preference. We all know that all doggos are good doggos, after all. That said, I do have two exceptions: puppies (because, you know, puppies!) and sausage dogs, or Dachsunds. In particular, these delightful Dachsunds built by daisy brick. The smooth-haired variant on the left was actually built some four months ago, with the long-haired companion the most recent addition to the family. They are a perfect complement to each other! Despite their similarities, Daisy has done a great job at differentiating the two breeds by switching up the way the fur is built. And do I spy some poseability in those little legs? Perhaps they can recreate the adorable waddle of their real-world counterparts!

Nothin’ says lovin’ like somethin’ from the oven

I love unusual subject matter for LEGO builds, and Maxx Davidson has picked a great one – a vintage oven! The four-burner gas-powered beauty is instantly recognizable, with great use of curved slopes and SNOT building to evoke memories of Grandma’s kitchen.

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That blue choo-choo voodoo

I’m sure by now, Caleb Schilling is sick and tired of the azure saddle LEGO part he’s been working with throughout this round of Iron Builder. But, build by build, the LEGO Master continues to find new uses for the clunky piece. This adorable locomotive is no exception, utilizing 31 of the saddles. While they’re primarily used to make up the sides of the engine and attached cars, each one features a new configuration, showcasing each of the part’s sides. The pairing of the dark azure saddles with dark blue and black makes for an excellent color combo, and contrasts the blurry green background of the countryside whizzing by.