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)

New BrickArms Zombie Defense Weapons Pack at BrickCon 2008 [News]

BrickCon 2008 begins this Thursday! When I announced prizes and giveaways for the Zombie Apocafest, I realized we needed a good way to repel the zombie menace.

What better way to fend of that flesh-eating horde than with a special set of weapons designed for just that purpose from BrickArms?

In addition to the other prizes and giveaways, BrickArms and The Brothers Brick will be handing out new Zombie Defense Weapons Packs to everyone who contributes a building or vehicle to the Zombie Apocafest display. That’s right: BrickArms for free!

The weapons pack is full of the tools of the zombie-hunting trade:

SW500 Magnum Revolver (for stopping power; x2)
M21 Sniper Rifle (for keeping your distance)
Mk48 Mod 0 Machine Gun
AK Assault Rifle (doesn’t jam as easily as the M4/M16)
Uzi Submachine Gun (x2)
Bipod (x2) and Monopod (x3)
Combat Shotgun (brand-new prototype)
M1 Garand Rifle (in black)
M1 1911 .45 Pistol (backup weapon #1)
Baseball Bat (backup weapon #2)
Glow-in-the-dark Zombie Head

If you don’t have time to build something for the display, you’ll be able to buy your very own Zombie Defense Weapons Pack at the BrickArms table. And if you can’t make it in person, BrickArms will be making these available through the re-launched BrickArms.com.

Well, I’m off to finish up my final building for the display and begin creating the horde itself… :D

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.

How to buy your 7979 Castle Advent Calendar [News]

FINAL UPDATE: As of October 20, 7979 Castle Advent Calendar was no longer available from LEGO Shop @ Home.

UPDATE (1:30 PM PDT, 9/27/08): I just got off the phone with LEGO Shop @ Home, and they said that there are still some left, so if you couldn’t call or weren’t able to get through yesterday, you should still be able to order today.

As we promised yesterday, here’s how US and Canadian fans can get their hands on the coveted 7979 Castle Advent Calendar set:

Call LEGO Shop@Home at ~~1-800-453-4652 (English) or 1-877-518-5346 (French)~~ 1-800-835-4386.
Give them the code JesterUS (for the US) or JesterCA for Canada.
Order no more than 2 copies of 7979 Castle Advent Calendar, and nothing else! (This will keep the lines free for others trying to order. You can always add other sets to your order later, before it ships.)

Prices:

US: $29.99 USD per set, plus shipping.
Canada: $39.99 CAD per set, plus shipping.

Chugging through the bayou aboard Piglet’s CSS Turtle

In a similar attempt to distract from the ongoing drama, here’s Piglet‘s CSS Turtle:

Requisite crew shot:

7979 Castle Advent Calendar available in US, Canada on Sept 26 at noon [News]

UPDATE (9/26/08): You can order your copy of the set by following the directions in How to get your 7979 Castle Advent Calendar, currently at the top of the front page.

A couple weeks ago we found out that 7979 Castle Advent Calendar would likely not be available in some of the markets where LEGO is normally available, including the US and Canada.

Today, I’m pleased to report that a very limited number of this set will be made available starting Friday, September 26 at noon Eastern Daylight Time (9:00 AM Pacific).

The set will not be made available to the general public through the LEGO Shop online, so you’ll need a special code from us. With that code, you’ll be able to call the LEGO Shop at Home service, give them the code, and order up to two (2) sets per household.

Note: If for some reason Brothers-Brick.com isn’t available for you around noon EDT tomorrow, the code will also be made available through the LEGO Ambassadors representing the various LEGO fan communities, including Classic-Castle.com.

This is great news for the LEGO fan community here in North America, and demonstrates the power of coming together behind a common cause and the persistence of our advocates on the LEGO Community Team.

Please check back again tomorrow at noon Eastern (9:00 AM Pacific) for the code you’ll need when calling LEGO Shop at Home.

Bumper car fun with Danila Martyakhin

Russian LEGO fan (and fellow LEGO Ambassador) Danila Dandily Martyakhin has posted a gorgeous bumper car diorama.

Click through for “daylight” photos on Brickshelf, but I just love this “night” shot:

The bumper cars themselves are worth a closer look:

(Via Klocki.)

Alice’s Adventures in Alex Eylar’s LEGO Wonderland

Alex Eylar (Flickr) has built a series of scenes that reinterpret Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland with a decidedly modern twist.

Here’s the quote on which the scene above is based:

She was considering in her own mind whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the daisies, when a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

To see several more scenes from Alex’s LEGO Wonderland, check out his page on MOCpages or his Flickr photostream.

The fire-breathing fury of Peter’s RAMM Kriegtragen mobile missile launcher

If there was any doubt of the superior firepower fielded by the Royal Austrian Mechanized Military, Peter Morris lays such doubts to rest. Permanently.

The slats on the front window are incredible. Oh, and this machine of impending doom has eight-wheel steering.

Here’s a peek at the missile:

Chuck’s toad gets a tad cantankerous

If you were a LEGO pirate, what would you name your tiny but heavily armed pirate dinghy? Chuck Citrin has named his Cantankerous Toad. But of course.

I guess Friendly Frog just doesn’t quite work, does it?

Do all frogs go to heaven? Joris Blok believes they do.

Joris Blok‘s little vignette is both funny and touching. When you ran over that poor frog while driving through the Okefenokee last June, is this what happened afterward?

10 (other) LEGO blogs you really should be reading [Editorial]

As several of us spend more time away from the computer getting ready for BrickCon in less than two weeks, the creations we don’t blog begin to stack up. But remember, The Brothers Brick is not the only LEGO blog on the net!

I believe the LEGO blogosphere is better when there are lots of us out there highlighting our favorite LEGO creations and linking to each other. For those of you who are readers, though, all those links in our side bar probably look pretty overwhelming. Where to start?

Here are just a few of my favorite LEGO blogs:

Klocki: Marcin “Hippotam” Danielak leads my favorite LEGO blog, available in three languages — Polish, English, and Portuguese. If it’s not on The Brothers Brick, it’ll be on Klocki.
Young Spacers Association Blog: This blog excels by breaking many of my silly “rules.” Their irreverence makes reading YSAB a genuine pleasure.
VignetteBricks, MicroBricks, and MinilandBricks: Where some bloggers do one thing and do it well (or not), Bruce does three things well, highlighting the best vignettes, microscale, and miniland creations.
LegostyleLog: The only personal blog to show up on my list, Izzo’s blog is worth reading because we just can’t blog everything this prolific Japanese builder creates.
Brick Town Talk: LEGO Town creations deserve more exposure, and Brick Town Talk does just that by highlighting all of the fantastic buildings inspired by Cafe Corner.
BioniBlog: When there’s a great Bionicle creation to be blogged, it’s sure to find its way to BioniBlog. We just wish Ean had more to blog…
TechnicBRICKs: The Brothers Brick focuses mainly on SYSTEM creations, so Technic creations sometimes fall through the cracks. Read TechnicBRICKS to find out what you’re missing from all the talented Technic builders out there.
The NXT STEP: Kid-friendly and educationally focused, The NXT STEP brings together the best LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT creations and news from around the Web. With a contributor list longer than some blog’s blogrolls, there’s always something new to see and learn on The NXT STEP.

So, readers, what’s your favorite LEGO blog, and why?

The placid waters of Shannon Ocean’s seas

We’ll end our nautically themed evening on a more peaceful note, with a gorgeous coral reef scene by Shannon Ocean:

That brick-built hammerhead shark is truly fantastic, as are the variety of other undersea flora and fauna (including skeletons as bleached coral).

The recently late Commodore Bainbridge was a man of tradition

Aaron “DARKspawn” Andrews sends forth the Imperial Navy’s Commodore Bainbridge to certain doom:

Notice how placing bricks on their sides has allowed Aaron to “float” various items in the water. Achieving a similar effect, he demonstrates that carrying a cannon in a rowboat isn’t such a bright idea: