About Andrew Becraft (TBB Editor-in-Chief)

Andrew Becraft is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Brothers Brick. He's been building with LEGO for more than 40 years, and writing about LEGO here on TBB since 2005. He's also the co-author, together with TBB Senior Editor Chris Malloy, of the DK book Ultimate LEGO Star Wars. Andrew is an active member of the online LEGO community, as well as his local LEGO users group, SEALUG. Andrew is also a regular attendee of BrickCon, where he organizes a collaborative display for readers of The Brothes Brick nearly every year. You can check out Andrew's own LEGO creations on Flickr. Read Andrew's non-LEGO writing on his personal blog, Andrew-Becraft.com. Andrew lives in Seattle with his wife and dogs, and by day leads software design and planning teams.

Posts by Andrew Becraft (TBB Editor-in-Chief)

10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van rolls out Oct 2011 [News]

UPDATE: 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Vanicon is out now!

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LEGO hippies everywhere are going to rejoice at the new LEGO Shop exclusive set revealed officially today, 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van. At over 1,300 pieces and $100 $120, it’s a substantial set with an amazing amount of detail and what appears to be lots of interesting parts and construction techniques. (Can you tell I’m excited myself?)

icon
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I’m certain that most of our readers have already seen the lower-resolution images of the set from the second Collector’s Guide. The folks at LEGO have finally made their official announcement, though, and we’ve got high resolution photos and a video to show off.

The van has an engine in its engine compartment and a complete interior:

10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van

I must admit, when I saw the first images of this set online, I wasn’t impressed. I thought that it looked very boxy, and undetailed. Obviously, the subject matter is somewhat boxy, but seeing the high resolution photos, I see more than I expected. The real appeal of this set turns out to be the interior, though. It opens up in a variety of ways, and looks fun to explore.

Check out all the interior and exterior photos in the photoset on Flickr.

Here’s the official press release from LEGO:

10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van

Ages 16+. 1,322 pieces.
US $99.99 $119.99 CA $129.99 DE 99.99 € UK 79.99 £ DK 799 DKK

This authentic camper van is a replica of the classic Volkswagen Camper Van from 1962. Every iconic feature is here! On the outside, the terrific detailing includes ‘V’ shape three-way color split at the front, rounded roof and window frames, opening ‘splittie’ safari windshield, opening doors, iconic pop-up roof with textile curtain surround, roof rack, rear side air intake vents and lots more! The detailing is equally impressive on the inside, from the authentic VW air-cooled flat four cylinder boxer engine, front cabin bench seat, gear stick, angled dashboard and iconic spherical speedometer, to custom LEGO® features like folding rear bench seat, folding dinette table, closet with mirror and even a painting!

  • Features 11 windows, authentic plaid-print textile curtains and wing mirror!
  • Rear door opens to reveal detailed engine!
  • Interior also features rear bench seat that transforms into a bed, ‘Make LEGO Models, Not War’ T-shirt and rear shelf with plant!
  • Measures 11.8″ (30cm) long and 5.5″ (14cm) high!

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.

Laputa Skyyards E-73 Wyvern fighter by JonHall18

Jon Hall combines a fairly massive amount of “official” chrome LEGO bricks with a handful of elements from Chrome Bricks to achieve this wonderfully shiny sky-fighter reminiscent of the P-38 Lightning from World War II.

E-73 Wyvern 01

And since we missed his previous two models, here’s a pair of his sky pirates:

Skybike 01 P-23 Skywolf 01

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.

Le Maison de Many

Valgarise built this lovely modular structure as a birthday present for his friend Many. It has a complete interior, but what sets it apart for me is the pair of windows on the upper floor.

Frontal1

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.

M41A1 Pulse Rifle is perfect for a bughunt – in short, controlled bursts

I can’t believe Aliens is 25 years old. I’m not sure Giovanni Tuzzi built this life-size M41A1 Pulse Rifle to celebrate the movie’s anniversary, but it’s certainly awesome.

M41A1 PULSE RIFLE

Giovanni’s rifle includes several working functions, including triggers, cocking handle, pumping grip, and removable magazine.

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.

BrickForge Shock Troopers drop in from orbit [News]

In addition to the bottles and beakers unveiled at BrickFair, BrickForge has just announced “Shock Trooper” helmets and armor that fit right in with their existing “Space Marine” armor.

Got your back....

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.

Mayhem flies in on a pale horse

Don Wilson (Genghis Don, formerly ThePaleMan9) may not be a pale horse, but this D-717 Mayhem spacecraft that flew forth from his imagination certainly is awesome. The super-thin tail contrasts nicely with the chunky nacelles, and I love the checkered pattern on the side.

D-717 Mayhem

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 Architecture 21011 Brandenburg Gate out now in the UK [News]

UPDATE: 21011 Brandenburg Gateicon is available now on LEGO.com.

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In a surprising turn of events, the first inkling LEGO fans have gotten of the newly released LEGO Architecture set 21011 Brandenburg Gate was when it showed up on the shelves of the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Manchester, UK.

LEGO Architecture 21011 Brandenburg Gate

As much as Frank Lloyd Wright and big American skyscrapers are indeed awesome, it’s nice to see buildings in the line continue to expand beyond the shores of the United States.

UPDATE: The September in-store calendar for LEGO retail outlets highlights this as a September release, so we should be seeing this in more stores within the next month or so.

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.

10222 Winter Village Post Office [News]

LEGO continues to expand its holiday village with the latest addition to the lineup, 10222 Winter Village Post Office.

10222 Winter Village Post Office (1)

Click the pic for the complete photoset on Flickr.

Here are the complete details from LEGO:

10222 Winter Village Post Office

Ages 12+. 820 pieces.
US $59.99 CA $79.99 DE 59.99 € UK 49.99 £

Continuing the winter scene series, the Winter Village Post Office is the perfect snow-covered setting. In the cozy post office, the worker is hard at work sorting all the mail into containers and sacks, while upstairs, there’s just time for the postman to take a break before setting off in the traditional post car with all the letters and gifts. From the pavilion outside, musicians fill the air with music, while children take in the wintry atmosphere by the park bench before throwing snowballs at each other – the musicians had better get ready to duck!

  • Includes 7 minifigures: female post office worker, male postman, female, 2 kids and 2 musicians and a dog!
  • Post office features dark-green split roof with snow, fireplace, light brick, table, coffee mug, and lamppost and mailboxes outside!
  • Also features evergreen tree and assorted minifigure accessories

And look for a designer video in this space shortly!

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.

4-wide microscale RC DAF truck runs on Power Functions

I never cease to be amazed by the ingenuity that builders use to incorporate Power Functions into their LEGO models — in ever-increasing miniaturization. Robert H. (Robiwan_Kenobi) manages to fit a PF motor, RC receiver, and battery box into this fully self-contained DAF truck.

Remote controlled DAF XF with EuroCombi trailer

Hard to believe? Take a close look at the cutaway in the photo above, and be sure to watch the video.

Thanks for the tip, Duane!

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.

Medic!

There’s a special place in my heart for Army ambulances built from LEGO. Andrew Somers has been posting variants of his Humvee-like Bulldog for a little while, but my favorite is the Medical Evacuation Variant. This beefy vehicle sports working suspension and opening doors. 10-wide isn’t my preferred scale for a vehicle in a world populated by minifigs, but they are pretty wide little people, so this scale allows Andrew to fit four minifigs in the cab plus two stretchers in the back.

Bulldog MEV

Andrew’s Bulldog MEV follows his brilliant Python tank

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.

The State of Denmark art prints by Matthew Ulstad

As much as we have an artistic appreciation for many of the LEGO models we feature here, it’s also great to run across art inspired by LEGO. Artist Matthew Ulstad has created a series of prints titled “All is Right in the State of Denmark,” including a minifig study inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man,” complete with a background printed using actual LEGO baseplates.

LEGO art by Matthew Ulstad

For those of us interested in hanging some of these on our own walls, you can pick up prints on Matthew’s Etsy store.

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.

Rayzer Industries Sky Drone watches from above

Raysor L. (Rimven) has changed his screen name since we last featured his Tsu-ka Technician last week, but he can’t hide from the all-seeing TBB eye in the sky. Okay, well, it’s actually us who can’t hide from the awesomeness of his sky drone, but you get the picture.

Rayzer Industries Sky Drone

The white color blocking on the gray wings (or is it the other way around?) is lovely, and the “eye” subtly incorporates the seed part for the 4th NPU challenge.

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.