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)

Kocke Klub announces second KockeFest, April 4 in Ljubljana, Slovenia

Slovenian LEGO club Kocke Klub has announced that they will be holding a second LEGO exhibition on April 4, 2009 in Ljubljana. (“Kocke” means “brick” and is pronounced COT-SKA.)

Here’s the full announcement in Slovenian:

Kocke klub v soboto, 4. aprila 2009, 10h-17h v OŠ Šmartno pod Šmarno goro pri Ljubljani organizira 02. KockeFest – pomlad 2009 – LEGO delavnico in razstavo LEGO kreacij.

KockeFest bo nudil tekmovanje v LEGO sumu, svetovno premiero novega pnevmatskega V8 motorja iz kock LEGO, predstavitev delujočih modelov LEGO gradbene mehanizacije in različnih Mindstorms robotov, makete gradbišča, vlaka, gusarjev ter LEGO Technic sete, dva igralna kotička z nagradami za najboljše kreacije in LEGO bazar ter še veliko drugih LEGO zanimivosti. Za več informacij prosimo poglejte na www.kocke.si/kockefest/.

And in English:

Kocke club will organize 2nd KockeFest – spring 2009 – LEGO workshop and LEGO creations exhibition. It will be held on Saturday, April 4th between 10am and 5 pm in primary school Šmartno at Ljubljana.

KockeFest will present the LEGO sumo championship, the world premiere of new V8 pneumatic engine made out of LEGO bricks, the working models of LEGO construction equipment and various Mindstorms robots, the mock-ups of building grounds, trains, pirates and LEGO Technic sets, two playing corners with awards for the best creations, Lego marketplace and more LEGO interesting features. For more information please visit www.silug.si/kockefest/eng_index.php.

Read more about KockeFest — and see pictures from the first KockeFest — on the Kocke Klub website.

EDIT: Kocke Klub has also released a 16-page magazine illustrating some of the best LEGO creations from members. Download your copy of KockeList and check it out! It’s in Slovenian, but LEGO is our common language, and there are lots of great pictures.

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.

Pleistocene showdown: Mammuthus primigenius vs. Homo sapiens

With his latest diorama, Jordan Schwartz (Sir Nadroj) taps into one of my favorite sources of inspiration — the deep past.

In this scene, an early human stalks a woolly mammoth during the Ice Age. With a half-barrel on his head and Adventurers hats for ears, the mammoth is also full of interesting part uses and building techniques.

O’Neill’s Midget Submarine is manned by actual midgets

Rod Gillies (2 Much Caffeine) tells us:

The only Midget Submarine to see action was the “Little Pig”, captained by Jock “Stumpy” McGurk. In a daring incursion into the Vulgarian fjords, the small craft used its single Explosive Harpoon to sink the battleship “Dragon”, bringing an abrupt end to Vulgarian naval ambitions in the Baltic.

Read more about O’Neill’s Midget Submarine on Empire of Steam.

Visions of post-apocalyptic landscapes

The ApocaLEGO landscapes we feature here on The Brothers Brick tend to be fairly crowded with action. Kris Kelvin has, perhaps, a more realistic vision for our mutually assured destruction:

Garbageman13‘s diorama may include a few more survivors, but the detailed building is what I find most striking:

10192 Space Skulls 80% off from LEGO Shop (and other sales & deals)

10192 Space Skulls is now available from the LEGO Shop online for 80% off the original price. At only $19.99, it’s a steal:

A number of other sets are also on fairly deep discounts:

50% off: 10186 General Grievous™
38% off: 10174 Imperial AT-ST™

Amazon.com also has a big selection of LEGO sets on sale:

Commingled out of good and evil

Click the pic to see Harrison‘s Dr. Jekyll transform into Mr. Hyde:

Check out more photos of this great literary vignette in Harrison’s photostream.

Monty Python podracer challenges Mac podracer as best LEGO mashup ever

The iPod Racer by Matt De Lanoy may have seemed the epitome of LEGO geekiness — a good thing! — but this “Swallow podracer” by tbone_tbl is quite possibly its equal:

The podrace engines that represent King Arthur’s 5-ounce swallows tow a two-pound coconut pod, with the king’s trusty servant Patsy clopping along behind.

It remains unclear whether the swallows are African or European…

I want my brain transplanted into one of rongYIREN’s bots

I keep faving and bookmarking each new creation from Rong Yiren but failing to blog them not because they’re unworthy but because I like his next creation even more.

But enough delay! Rong’s mechanical gorilla is stunning — full of personality and life. The mechGORILLA’s expression is almost wistful…

Rong has also been delving into the ocean for inspiration. His “solar whale” Aku Aku is no less gorgeous than his mechGORILLA:

Aku Aku may have to run the other way if pursued by the Hammerjack:

Full bore and into the abyss with Davy Jones

I Scream Clone heads for the depths of the sea with this fantastic depiction of Davy Jones’ Locker from Pirates of the Caribbean.

The Kit Fisto minifig works very well for the nefarious Davy Jones himself, while Jones’ pipe organ is well-built indeed.

LEGO Power Miners Walker by Bob Newill

LEGO fans here in Seattle still unconvinced that the new Power Miners color scheme is “realistic” need only look out their windows on recycling day each week — the new natural gas-powered trucks are exactly the same color as Bob Newill‘s walker:

Check out more photos of Bob’s walker in his LEGO Power Miners Walker photoset on Flickr.

Don’t miss this adorable little bucket robot:

Tortuga? Aye, Tortuga.

The action and buildings in SlyOwl‘s are expectedly excellent, but what impresses me most about this pirate diorama is the base:

The angled water with flotsam and jetsam in the foreground meshes neatly with the dock in the background. More photos in SlyOwl’s Tortuga gallery on Brickshelf.

Via those diligent TFOLs.

Pepa Quin’s LEGO iPod Racer, powered by Mac Mini

Matt De Lanoy (Pepa Quin) combines three of the world’s most popular brands — Star Wars, Apple, and LEGO — in a mashup that is sure to be a strong contender in the FBTB Podracer Challenge.

Those earbuds are brilliant.