Jordan Schwartz (Sir Nadroj) presents a German artillery hauler from World War II, the Raupenschlepper Ost:
The tracked vehicle boasts working treads and suspension.
Posts by Andrew Becraft (TBB Editor-in-Chief)
Toot toot!
I feel like I should leave this one to Caylin, but I couldn’t pass up this adorable tugboat by Pierre E Fieschi when I ran across it on MicroBricks:
Though on a slightly different scale, Pierre’s recent supertanker is also lovely:
Miniland Alice in Wonderland characters by Tommy Williamson
One of the cool things about the LEGO hobby is that it brings together people from various backgrounds and professions.
Tommy Williamson (GeekyTom) works for CafeFX as an effects artist, and supervised the 3D-ification of Alice in Wonderland. Naturally, Tommy built some of the characters from the movie to commemorate its release:
Johnny Depp makes a perfect Mad Hatter, and Tommy’s miniland version is perfect as well.
Good doggy
Arkov continues his series of Orange Box
Why yes, it is Miniland scale.
LEGO Fad Masher generates mashup inspiration
The Brothers Brick Contributor Emeritus Linus Bohman has launched Swooshable, a “breeding ground for quirky, fun and usable LEGO apps and projects.”
The first app, Fad Masher, juxtaposes two LEGO fads and asks you what the result might look like.
Create your own LEGO mashups with the Fad Masher.
TT Games extends LEGO video games deal through 2016 [News]
Warner Brothers has announced that LEGO video game developer TT Games (whose website seems to be down at the moment) will continue creating brick-based games through 2016.
Here’s the full press release:
BURBANK, Calif.–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–LEGO Systems and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group (WBHEG) announced today a worldwide license agreement for TT Games Publishing to continue developing the highly successful LEGO videogames across multiple platforms.
Operating as part of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of WBHEG, TT Games is the publisher and developer behind the award winning hit LEGO videogame franchises including, LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Batman: The Videogame and LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, which have sold close to 50 million units worldwide.
“The LEGO Group is a brilliant and trusted organization with an extremely loyal fan base,” said Kevin Tsujihara, president, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. “We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to continue the successful partnership between this legendary company and the talented TT Games, which will enable us to further expand our slate of widely recognized, family-friendly games.”
“One of the things that sets the LEGO brand apart is that it allows kids to express their creativity, and the games we develop with TT Games are not just great fun but also inspire kids to play with their LEGO bricks, exploring our different play themes more deeply,” said Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, vice president of LEGO Digital. “We are very excited to continue to work with TT Games because they take a distinctive approach to making games creative, social and non-violent, which makes them a valuable part of the broader LEGO experience.”
“We look forward to carrying on our excellent collaboration with the LEGO Group in building extraordinary LEGO videogame franchises, with both Warner Bros. and third party IP, that continue to resonate with consumers,” said Tom Stone, managing director of TT Games Publishing. “There is a tremendous future for LEGO games, and we are looking forward to working with all of our partners over the coming years.”
TT Games, which was formed in 2005 with the merger of the developer Traveller’s Tales and publisher Giant Interactive Entertainment, continues to manage their existing relationships with other publishers. The next title from TT Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 in 2010.
Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn
Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant heavy transport
The Messerschmitt M3 323 was a cargo transport aircraft introduced in 1943 that did not survive past 1944. eastpole77 has built a rather substantial LEGO version of this ill-fated plane, complete with opening front doors.
I’m not sure the green felt flower quite works as the Tunisian sun, but the scene is complete with palm trees and troops debarking to join up with the Afrika Korps.
Thanks for the suggestion, Ruben!
Some kind of Hot Tub Time Machine!
For once, we’re going to pass up a StarCraft II LEGO creation by Matt De Lanoy (Pepa Quin) in favor of what’s sure to be the next Snakes on a Plane. What could that be? Why, Hot Tub Time Machine of course!
7684 Pig Farm & Tractor includes 4 porkers, out now [Mini-Review]
Perhaps a bit buried among the news about the release of 10211 Grand Emporium and LEGO Board Games
is that the new LEGO City set 7684 Pig Farm & Tractor
is also out now.
I’m certainly excited by these other new releases, but it says something that I’m choosing to build the pig farm first. Seriously, pigs! Four of them! Mmmmm, bacon…
UPDATE: I just finished building the set, and it didn’t disappoint. Aside from the pigs, the set also includes a number of other parts I hadn’t gotten before, starting with the short-brimmed baseball cap and a new exhaust pipe piece that appears to be new in 2010.
The tractor includes a lot of nice lime green to complement your Power Miners acquisitions, as well as my favorite wheels and tires. For play value, it has several connection points compatible with attachments from 7637 Farm and 7634 Tractor.
And finally, the elephant (or pig) in the room — the inevitable comparison to BrickForge pigs.
As you can see from the set pictures, the LEGO pigs are similar in style to the new LEGO cows from the farm and 10193 Medieval Market Village. They’re more rounded, and to a certain extent more realistic than traditional LEGO animals like the dog and horse (with printed eyes and rounded bellies).
BrickForge pigs, cows, and sheep share their design aesthetic with the older LEGO animals. Depending on whether you prefer your animals more consistent with your older LEGO animals or more adorably pot-bellied, there’s still a place for both BrickForge animals and their official LEGO counterparts. I like both.
LEGO Board Games now available in U.S. [News]
The very much anticipated LEGO Board Games are now available from the LEGO Shop online: NEW from LEGO® Shop LEGO Games. Play a new way.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, LEGO has informed us that release plans changed at the last minute and LEGO Board Games will not be released in Canada until later this year. Their release is U.S. only for the time being. Sorry, eh?
BrickArms Army Men Weapons Pack now available in green [News]
Fans of the new 7595 Army Men on Patrol set from the Toy Story line may be pleased to learn that BrickArms has released a limited edition pack of bright green weapons to complement these little green men.
The weapons pack includes production versions of several prototypes that have been in circulation for a while, including the BAR and M1 Carbine.