About Chris Doyle

Chris has been involved in many parts of the LEGO community for over twenty years, and has been building most of his life. A love of transparent bricks and pop culture combine in most of his creations, which tend to be pretty large scale. His website, Reasonably Clever, featured one of the longest running brick-based webcomics, as well as one of the first LEGO-themed avatar creators. His photographs and creations have appeared in several books.

Posts by Chris Doyle

Does this LEGO mosaic fill you with a sense of Euphoria?

When it comes to building huge real-world mosaics, Jonathan Farrell is among the pros. His latest offering is a picture perfect rendition of Rue from Euphoria, as portrayed by Zendaya. Jonathan found building her hair particularly tedious, and that slog almost led to him abandoning this mosaic altogether. But he pushed through, and now we can enjoy the results. Good thing he took pictures…as he’s since reclaimed all this brick to use in his next project!

If you’re curious about how the artist goes about creating (and demolishing) these images, check out our interview with LEGO mosaic artist Jonathan Farrell!

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.

LEGO Ninjago 71765 Ninja Ultra Combo Mech – Hold on...this isn’t Voltron?! [Review]

The  2022 LEGO Ninjago EVO theme is an interesting one. Not tied directly to the animated series, this wave of sets is designed to capture the interest of the under-represented younger Ninjago demographic with a return to “core” Ninjago concepts. While many of the EVO sets are aimed directly at the 6+ crowd, one larger set earned a 9+ age rating – Ninjago 71765 Ninja Ultra Combo Mech. This 1104 piece set is available now from the LEGO Shop Online for US $89.99 | CAN $119.99 | UK £74.99.  Featuring four ninja vehicles that combine into a giant mech, an enemy crawler, and seven minifigures, this entry to the line has a good chance to appeal to a very broad range of LEGO fans. Are you one of them? We picked up a copy to help you make an informed decision!

Click to read the full hands-on review

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.

LEGO Creator Expert 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine – Well, it’s about time. [Review]

Oh, we’ve seen LEGO Back to the Future time machines before. Beyond numerous excellent fan versions, there have been two official sets: 2013’s CUUSOO 21103 Back to the Future and 2017’s Dimensions 71201: Back to the Future Level Pack. But really, neither of those sets were terribly accurate takes on this iconic movie vehicle. Now, after years of rumors, false leaks, and empty hopes, LEGO has announced Creator Expert 10300: Back to the Future Time Machine. This 1872 piece set will be available April 1st for US $169.99 | CAN $219.99 | UK £149.99. Will the third time be the charm? Or will we have to hope someone goes back in time yet again to try and fix things?

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

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.

LEGO 41950 Lots of DOTS: Lettering – Just your type(face) [Review]

We’ve been taking a look at the new sets from the DOTS theme for Spring 2022, and found some serious ups and downs in the 41951 and 41952 Bulletin Board offerings. Now we turn our collective eyes towards a set designed to bring those two sets up a notch. LEGO 41950 Lots of DOTS: Lettering is available now for US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99 | EUR €19.99. Making legible text out of LEGO is a bit of a challenge – will this new DOTS accessory pack help put the “fun” into “font”? (If so, how would you even pronounce that?)

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

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.

Could I interest you in some enlightenment?

There’s no denying that these are trying times. If you’re like me, you could probably use a break to search for some inner peace. Dicken Liu (from Season 1 of LEGO MASTERS China) has built a lovely object for contemplation – the brick-built head of a Bodhisattva. The calm visage, carved from pristine white marble LEGO, is enhanced by golden accents. Clever part usage includes sea shells, Unikitty tails, and Ninjago sword tassels. The closer you look, the more this work rewards you.

LEGOMOC-Head of a Bodhisattva

Be sure to browse our features of other great art and sculpture creations by talented builders from around the globe.

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.

Rovin’, rovin’, rovin’. Keep them doggies rovin’...

Although Febrovary has drawn to a close, there’s no reason you can’t start prepping for next year. Tommy Frost brings us Ted’s Custom Rovers, a small business ready to help you arrive to next year’s party in style. Maybe take a test drive in this custom ride with Classic Space yellows and blues, along with a unique style of wheel treads. Those inverted transparent-blue radar dishes kind of remind me of suction cups. Maybe this rover climbs walls? I’m sure the low gravity conditions make that a tad easier.

FebRovery 2022 Part 28

This rover looks great from all the angles, too. I’m particularly fond of the exhaust system and front grille work. Stylish, functional, and vaguely plausible mechanics – a real win in my book.

Ted's Custom Rovers

Is your heart still roving around? Why not let it take flight with some more Neo-classic Space goodness?

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.

I hear the Coyote is after this one

Some old timers gripe about the wide range of colors and shapes that LEGO has introduced over the years. I respectfully ask those curmudgeons to take a gander at this exquisite Road Runner by nobu_tary, and re-evaluate their stance. Making great use of quarter circle-dome brick, arches, curved slopes, and lots of glorious purple and teal brick, this instantly recognizable transition from cartoon to LEGO would have been impossible back in the day. And the future might be even brighter, if we ever get those Mixel ball-joint connectors in anything other than shades of grey. But for now, I merely say unto you: Meep Meep and go in peace.

ROAD RUNNER

Looking for more Looney Tune-y goodness? Why not check out our review of the recent Collectible Minifigure set?

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.

Batman needs his Robin: Rebuilding LEGO Art 30125 into the Boy Wonder [Instructions]

We recently shared an early look at the LEGO Art 31205: Jim Lee Batman collection, one of the new additions to the LEGO Art theme. The set comes with three main images to choose from: Batman, the Joker, and Harley Quinn, all based on iconic Jim Lee art. There are also “ultimate builds” that feature a larger look at the Bat, and a showcasing a quiet moment between Batman and Catwoman. But we were left wondering…where’s Robin? Well,  The Brothers Brick contributor Chris Doyle decided to see if it was possible to build a Jim Lee-style Robin out of only the parts in the 31205 kit. Spoiler alert: Yes, you can. And we provide the instructions if you want to give it a try yourself!

Continue reading →

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.

LEGO Creator 40517 Vespa Scooter – “Sembra una vespa!” [Review]

On April 23rd, 1946, Enrico Piaggio filed the patent for the first Vespa. Now, over 75 years later, LEGO is celebrating this iconic scooter with a pair of brick-built tributes. The Creator Expert 10298 Vespa set we reviewed yesterday features a powder-blue Vespa 125, while the LEGO Creator 40517 – Vespa Scooter showcases a smaller, more modern version in red. Like its larger cousin, this 117-piece set will be available March 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $9.99 | CAN $12.99 | UK  TBD . Let’s take a ride together and see what this set has to offer!

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

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.

LEGO Creator Expert 10298 Vespa 125 – On the road again [Review]

On April 23rd, 1946, Enrico Piaggio filed the patent for the first Vespa. Now, over 75 years later, LEGO is celebrating this iconic scooter with a pair of brick-built tributes. LEGO Creator 40517 – Vespa Scooter features a modern version in Red, while the LEGO Creator Expert 10298 Vespa 125 is a larger-scale model in classic pastel pale blue. The 1106 piece set will be available March 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99. Hop on as we take a spin on this Italian classic and see how well it survived the transition to LEGO brick!

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

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 mosaic that’s 487,080 pieces of Mmm-mmm good

Photo-realism is something that many builders strive for in their LEGO mosaics, but the limitations of the real-life scale of even the smallest LEGO tile makes pixelization and grain just a fact of life. While that’s (Usually!) the case for physical LEGO creations, this digital work by Jim James shows just how  far you can take things in the realm of pure imagination. But Jim has done more than build big (81,180 pieces in each label!) – he’s built clever – curling a flat mosaic into a tube to create a truly stunning rendition of the mundane world. Then, because why not, he went the extra mile and replicated the first can into a Warhol-eque display of truly grand scale. 81,180 x 6 = 487,080 elements!

Continue reading →

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.

LEGO DOTS 41951 Message board and 41952 Big Message Board – Signs, signs, everywhere signs [Review]

Have you been waiting for a sign to buy more LEGO? If so, are several new DOTS offerings that let you create your own custom message boards. LEGO DOTS 41951 Message Board (US $19.99 | CAN $24.99 | UK £17.99) and 41952 Big Message Board (US $39.99 | CAN $49.99 | UK £34.99) will be available March 1st. While they seem like an interesting expansion to the DOTS theme, are they worth picking up? Come along as we see just what sort of message these sets are sending.

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

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.