About Flynn

Flynn is builder who hails from Oakland, California. His relationship with LEGO is long, but like all good relationships, it has had its ups and downs. After a long absence from the hobby, he started up again 4 years ago with an X-Men vs. The Sentinel. Since then he has won multiple Best in Show and People's Choice awards at various conventions. He is also a cake decorator, knitter, ukulele player, singer, actor, director type. He has a soft spot in his black heart for anything horror or fantasy related.

Posts by Flynn

A serene journey over the falls

LEGO builder Paul Vermeesch comes out of a year-long hiatus to deliver a beautiful scene inspired by the works of Aaron Becker. Becker illustrated three books known collectively as The Journey trilogy, filled with beautiful images but no words. The protagonist travels about a fantasy world armed with a piece of red chalk. With it, she creates various modes of transportation colored red which stand in stark contrast to the dream-like colors of the rest of the illustrations. Paul has captured the feeling of the books beautifully in LEGO, using a limited, earthy color palette and a single red canoe.

One of the things I love about this model is how open, airy and light the whole thing feels. Everything in the scene seems tall and spindly. The building is a fairly simple structure adorned with lovely architectural details including the green half dome at the top. The landscaping is a great combination of sideways building and interesting flora. The tall, thin mushrooms dot the landscape which features some really fantastic trees made from brown flex-tubes, 1×1 round bricks, and olive green leaves. I particularly like the detail of the flags strung up between them on the right.

I’ve seen a lot of treatments of waterfalls, but this one is a bit different. I love the choice to use smooth bricks for the water and the 1×2 clear plates as the foam. It’s a wonderful bit of contrast that adds to the illustrated quality of the piece. In keeping with Becker’s original style, the central focus is the red canoe. Aboard the boat, the sailor looks quite happy even as he’s reaching the edge of the falls. At least it’s not a long drop.

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TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for March 14, 2020

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the second week of March 2020.

Everyone’s favorite plumber finally makes his debut in LEGO form. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS: This week we saw the inevitable partnership of LEGO and Nintendo come to fruition plus the announcement of two new STAR WARS LEGO sets aimed specifically at adult builders.

Everything you want to know about LEGO Super Mario [Feature] – LEGO and Nintendo have been working together for four years to make LEGO Super Mario a reality. Read all about the features, fun, and future plans of this dynamic partnership in our exclusive interview.
LEGO and Nintendo reveal new Super Mario product line – Create your own Super Mario levels with this new theme from LEGO and Nintendo.
New LEGO Star Wars busts revealed: 75276 Stormtrooper and 75277 Boba Fett – Here’s your first look at two new LEGO Star Wars sets targeted at adult collectors.

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

LEGO Movie Director Jokes His Projects Are Predicting The Future, Screenrant – The LEGO Movie director Chris Miller tweets an observation of an eerie pattern between his projects over the last few years and real-life events.
LEGO House is closed due to COVID-19, LEGO HOUSE – Based on the Danish authorities’ announcement of the closure of Denmark, LEGO House is unfortunately closed until and including Sunday 29 March 2020.
Using Lego therapy for autism, Engadget – How the humble plastic brick could help autistic children’s social development.

Get ready for a maximum meltdown

As a teacher, I am blessed with the company of large groups of children, happily building with LEGO. But all is not always quiet on the western front. One misplaced brick can cause a meltdown of epic proportions. If you’ve ever been a witness to one of these tantrums, then Eli Willsea‘s latest LEGO build will seem very familiar and might trigger a meltdown of your own! Built for MOC Wars 2020 on Flickr, this scene is perfectly suited for the “I’m melting” category in which it is entered.

I love a model with a story, especially one you can get with one look at the image. This tells a whole story in one frame like any good comic. The construction (or destruction as it were) of the little girl character is masterful. The expression on the face and the arms outstretched in rage tell you everything you need to know about her current mental state. Her angry eyebrows made with guns and with minifigure claws standing in for a furrowed brow is a terrific use of parts. The streaming tears and the simple arch shape for a mouth add to the emotion of the character. The melted body and dress have a great organic feeling to them expressed in curves and round tiles.

The scene is completed with a picket fence, a nicely rendered fire hydrant and a sideways built sidewalk complete with sewer drain that looks about to swallow the girl up as she slowly melts onto the pavement.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for March 7, 2020

March Madness is here and we have all the new LEGO sets for you to peruse. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS, REVIEWS AND INSTRUCTIONS: This week we learned that you can’t keep a good giraffe down, watched the making of a life-size LEGO model of Iron Man, and reviewed two sets: a Technic Car Transporter and Jurassic World T. Rex vs Dino-Mech Battle. Meanwhile, our mind flaying Stranger Things contest continues gathering strength and entries.

LEGO Designer Pierre Normandin talks about his inspirations for the new LEGO Creator Expert 10271 Fiat 500 set [Video] – Watch LEGO designer Pierre Normandin sharing secrets of his latest creation, Fiat 500 set.
Build your own microscale Phoenix from Gatchaman [Instructions] – This microscale Phoenix from builder len_d69 is 51 pieces of Gatchaman greatness.
The LEGO Creator Expert 10271 Fiat 500 is like cool, Daddy-O! [Review] – We reviewed the new LEGO Creator Expert 10271 Fiat 500 set. Will the end result be “La Dulce Vita” or “La Acida Vita”?
Leaving LEGO Masters: An interview with the third team to leave [Feature] – We sat down with the team of LEGO Masters contestants eliminated last week during the Movie Mashup episode to chat about their experience.
LEGO Speed Champions 76899 Lamborghini Urus ST-X & Huracán Super Trofeo EVO [Review] – We’re revisiting the new eight-wide LEGO Speed Champions released in January.
Your guide to the 23 new LEGO sets for March 2020, including Dots, Fiat, Marvel and more [News] – We have your guide to all the new LEGO sets available now, including the Fiat 500 and the entire new Dots line!

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Seeing A Void In Retail, Lego Will Open 150 Stores This Year, Forbes – If you’re going to sell bricks—even toy ones—what better place to do so than in brick-and-mortar stores?
Lego is the world’s most reputable company as tech giants lag, survey says, CNBC – Lego has topped a list of the world’s most reputable companies for the fourth year in a row.
The 10 Best LEGO Video Games of All Time, Ranked, Esquire – It’s impossible to do better than the masterpiece that is LEGO Star Wars.

Experience the unspeakable horror of the Old Gods

I am a huge fan of Lovecraft’s writing — and horror in general — so imagine my delight in seeing Revan New‘s latest spooky LEGO creation. This crumbling manor hides eldritch secrets that would render the casual viewer mad as a hatter! The building is architecturally beautiful with its front columned entrance and central tower. I really like the builder’s use of sideways building to bridge the area between the main building and the upper tower piece. The multiple roof treatments are quite nice too. The two smaller side roofs have a pleasing shape and the central domed roof is just beautiful. The landscaping serves the scene well by sticking with muted earth tones to continue the theme. The whole scene reminds one of an abandoned mausoleum, which is not a bad comparison when you’re trying to evoke a scary atmosphere.

Of course, no tribute to Lovecraft would be complete without an eldritch, tentacled creature. Read on to see what horrifying secrets await inside

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for February 29, 2020

LEGO takes home multiple awards at Toy Fair 2020. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS, FEATURES AND REVIEWS:: This week we saw some great Toy Fair announcements, the release of the new LEGO mobile game, the next gift with purchase and more.

LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed mobile game is out today bringing more than 50 iconic LEGO characters to your smartphone – The LEGO Group and Gameloft are releasing a brand new mobile digital adventure.
LEGO Gift With Purchase 40370 – Push-Along Steam Engine [Review] – We get a hands-on look at the upcoming LEGO gift with purchase, set 40370 Push-Along Steam Engine.
Leaving LEGO Masters: An interview with the second team to leave [Feature] – We sat down with the team of LEGO Masters contestants eliminated last week to chat about their experience on the show.

TBB TOY FAIR 2020 NEWS

LEGO Collectible Minifigures: LEGO unveils 71027 Collectible Minifigures 10th Anniversary Series
LEGO Star Wars, Rise of Skywalker: LEGO unveils life-size D-O droid from Star Wars, available in April
LEGO Star Wars, The Mandalorian: LEGO unveils two new Star Wars: The Mandalorian sets including the Razor Crest and an adorable Baby Yoda minifigure
LEGO Star Wars, The Mandalorian: Hands-on with LEGO Star Wars sets from The Mandalorian
LEGO Spider-Man: 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush unveiled, complete with Spider-Ham
LEGO Minions, The Rise of Gru: Minions: LEGO reveals five new sets based on Minions: The Rise of Gru
LEGO Minions, The Rise of Gru: Hands-on with LEGO Minions: Rise of Gru sets
LEGO Friends: LEGO unveils new five new Friends Play Cubes Series 2
LEGO Gear: New LEGO gear and books revealed at Toy Fair New York 2020
LEGO Gear: More LEGO gear from Santoki revealed at Toy Fair New York including Dots-themed school supplies
Toy of the Year: LEGO wins three Toy of the Year awards at Toy Fair New York 2020

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Jens Nygaard Knudsen, designer of Lego minifigure, dies at 78, Washington Post – Danish Lego designer Jens Nygaard Knudsen, has died at 78.
Lego CEO confident on Chinese economy, investment will continue, CGTN – The coronavirus outbreak doesn’t change the attractiveness and growth of opportunities of the Chinese economy.
Lego System Helps The Visually Impaired Reach New Heights At Rock Climbing Gym, CBS Boston – A 22-year-old blind entrepreneur is working to make rock climbing more accessible to the visually impaired using LEGO.

LEGO Card Shooter

LEGO Gift With Purchase 40370 – Push-Along Steam Engine [Review]

For LEGO’s upcoming gift with purchase, 40370 Push-Along Steam Engine, they are diving deep into the archives to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of 7180 The Push-Along Steam Engine set. This set was introduced in 1980 at the dawning of the 12v train era, and it’s quite a rare find these days. If you can find one still in a sealed box, you can bet it will set you back a bit. Lucky for you, this updated version of the model will be free with purchases over $99 / €99 / £99 available March 1st – 15th in LEGO Stores and Shop At Home. We got our hands on a copy before it hits stores to see what it’s all about.

Read on to see more in-depth details

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for February 22, 2020

Everyone’s favorite tiny green bundle of joy finally makes his bow in an official LEGO set. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS: This week we saw the release of a new Minions line, got crafty with DOTS, saw more behind the scenes with LEGO Master’s host Will Arnett and everyone’s fondest wish for a Mandalorian set finally came true.

First look at LEGO Dots with the exclusive Creativity Box [Review] – Come check out our first hands-on review of LEGO Dots! LEGO sent us a bunch of pieces from the new line so we can see what’s in store.
LEGO reveals five new sets based on Minions: The Rise of Gru – The Minions are coming! LEGO has revealed five sets including brick-built Minions and a small Chinese temple.
LEGO unveils two new Star Wars: The Mandalorian sets including the Razor Crest and an adorable Baby Yoda minifigure – This LEGO Razor Crest and adorable Baby Yoda minifigure from Star Wars: The Mandalorian will be available later this summer, along with a pair of BrickHeadz.
A follow-up interview with actor Will Arnett about hosting LEGO Masters – We asked LEGO Masters host Will Arnett your questions, including which show he’s been on should be made into a LEGO set.
LEGO 75317 Star Wars BrickHeadz The Mandalorian & The Child revealed – We get an early look at the LEGO BrickHeadz set from The Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian featuring the Bounty Hunter himself and the famous Baby Yoda (The Child).

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

One Woman and Thousands of Lego Bricks Are Building a Town Much-Needed Wheelchair Ramps, Gizmodo – 62-year old Rita Ebel is spending part of her golden years building wheelchair ramps out of colorful Lego bricks
Lego Turned Kids’ Playtime Ideas Into a Blockbuster Movie Trailer, AdWeek – Get ready for action, song and flying fish
8 best Lego sets for every age, according to experts, NBC News – From Batman and Frozen to Star Wars and Powerpuff Girls, Legos span age groups — and price points.
Where are the bike lanes in Lego world?, The Verge – The popular toy is under fire for reinforcing car culture

Join the flight of the Concorde with this beautiful 5-foot long LEGO model

Builder Jack Carleson astounds us again with his spot-on LEGO plane models. This time it’s the British Airways Concorde. I’m actually old enough to remember when the Concorde made its first flight around the globe in a shocking 29 hours all the way back in 1986. It was a huge deal at the time and people often commented on its supersonic speed and crooked nose. Carleson (aka Big Planes) captures the unusual design and sleek wingspan of the Concorde perfectly. The finished model is an impressive 5 feet long and consists of over 6,000 pieces.

Of course, it features the Concorde’s iconic droop nose, which pivots down for better pilot visibility during takeoffs and landings. Continue reading →

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for January 15, 2020

LEGO Ideas announces the two newly selected sets. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS, REVIEWS & FEATURES: This week we said goodbye to the first team on LEGO Masters, learned to build a Mario Mystery Block and got a peek at the two recently approved LEGO Ideas sets.

Building this Super Mario block is no mystery! [Instructions] – Want to learn how to build a LEGO version of a Mario Bros mystery cube? Look no further than this tutorial by Tiago Catarino!

Leaving LEGO Masters: An interview with contestants Kara and Jessie about the first two episodes [Feature] – We sat down with LEGO Masters contestants Kara and Jessie to learn what they learned from their time on the show.

LEGO Ideas approves 2 new sets in latest review: Medieval Blacksmith and Winnie the Pooh – The results are in for the latest LEGO Ideas project review, and LEGO will be producing sets based on 2 projects. Congratulations to LEGO fans Ben Alder and Clemens Fiedler!

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

Two-Legged Puppy Gets Wheelchair Made of Lego Thanks to 12-Year-Old Boy, Interesting Engineering – The adorable puppy’s life is better now thanks to the LEGO wheelchair maker, a boy named Dylan.
‘Lego Masters’ on Fox: We asked the experts how they got so good, LA Times – Want to become a Lego Master? Ask the experts: It won’t be easy
LEGO Is Probably The Biggest Education Company On Earth, Forbes – LEGO is not a retail company or a toy company or an entertainment concern—LEGO is an education company, probably the biggest education company in the world.

Get fabulous with these brick-built Fabuland characters!

Builder Koen Van Der Biest is a master of the brick built figure. His subjects are many and include a range of well-known video game and cartoon characters. This time he goes meta-LEGO with this collection of charming Fabuland characters. I’m a huge fan of Fabuland and these recreations are spot on from Walter Walrus’ anchor to the cat’s cute bow. The faces are nicely rendered and perfectly capture the original characters’ personalities.

I, for one, would love to see LEGO bring this theme back. Maybe revamped with a collaboration with Nintendo for some future Animal Crossing sets? I would be first in line!

Suddenly, a wild Pikachu appears!

In this expressive character model, Build Better Bricks builds a better LEGO Pikachu. What makes this figure so delightful is the expression and pose that capture Pikachu’s character perfectly. Arms connected with ball joints keeps the pose active along with the offset ears and his iconic lightning bolt tail. The face with its compound curves and tiled details is so full of life that one can almost hear his cute, squeaky voice. Or perhaps you hear the dulcet tones of Ryan Reynolds. In any case, he’ll make you want to pick up the nearest PokeBall and capture him for your own. Pikachu, I choose YOU!