Posts by Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

Dominique Boeynaems joins LEGO as set designer – This is Fine!

Usually, the “This is Fine” dog gets dropped when things aren’t going well, but for the builder of this scene, Dominique Boeynaems, things are actually very fine indeed. Spectacular, even! This September, Dominique joins the LEGO Group as a set designer, joining Jiwoo Seon as a member of the AFOL community making the jump to creating the sets that we will all be building in years to come.

Dominique’s builds continually impress us with the ingenious parts usage, the wide range of themes and scales that the builder works with, and a joyful approach to building. Earlier this year, we watched with rapt admiration as Dominique earned Iron Builder status, winning the Iron Forge competition. His entries into the Rogue Olympics (Like the meme here) have been equally delightful.

Dominique shares the news:

I’m incredibly excited to share that starting this September, I will be a Product Designer for LEGO!

While I’ve not been part of the online LEGO community for very long, I have spent most my life with and around LEGO, and this is quite literally a dream come true. This has been something I have wanted to do and have been steadily working towards, since the very day I realised that there was someone at the other end, actually creating all these sets I’ve spent my entire youth playing with.

I’m so excited for this next step in my journey with the LEGO group, that started with a simple yet rewarding retail job in our local LEGO store, and I can’t wait to see a set that i design on the shelves, some years(?) in the future, and to help inspire a new generation of kids, as so many of us were once inspired.

Congratulations, Dominique, and may all your days as a designer be fine.

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MOCs of the LEGO Masters: Summers siblings get on the LEGO Masters diet

Ian Summers is a wizard transforming LEGO elements into tiny objects that barely look like bricks at all. His miniature food is especially magical, like this sushi tray with translucent tuna wrapped gently in skirts of rice and rubber-wrapped maki aligned ever so neatly. Ian made these micro meals a couple of years back, and now a steady diet of LEGO ingenuity has landed the bricktacular builder and his sister Sage a spot on LEGO Masters season 5.

Is sushi not to your taste? Ian has you covered with this amazing diner food that looks a whole lot more wholesome than what they’re selling over at Krusty Burger.

We can’t wait to see what the Summers siblings cook up on the new season!

This is part of our series on MOCs of the Masters where we preview the work of the newest batch of LEGO Master contestants. Have a look at creations from other builders in the lineup.

MOCs of the Masters: Bringing Bionicle Back

LEGO Masters contestants come from a broad mix of backgrounds, but one corner of the LEGO world that doesn’t get much of a spotlight these days is Bionicle fandom. Alex Bailey is a builder whose preferred elements hail from Mata Nui and who brings in influences from anime and skate culture to his large-scale characters. Like Tachayah, “he who gives life,” an original character inspired by Inuyasha. Finn’s face looks impressive with a Bionicle mask becoming white cornrows. Alex is joined by his brother Tone, a multi-media artist and musician. I’m excited to see what creativity they’ll bring to the LEGO table!

This is part of our series on MOCs of the Masters where we preview the work of the newest batch of LEGO Master contestants. Have a look at creations from other builders in the lineup.

MOCs of the LEGO Masters: Medieval farm brings buckets of charm

Maia (mbbricks) is one busy builder! She and her father are making their LEGO Masters debut next week, representing Canada in the US edition of the show. She’s also prepping an epic elven village for next month’s Brickworld Chicago that sends Rivendell-style architecture into the mountains. But the build I’m most excited by is this medieval farm, with a slick half-timbered top atop a rocky foundation.

Maia says this is her first time using the SNOT (studs not on top) technique for the irregular stonework. It’s always a joy to see builders stretching their wings with new skills. The woven fence technique is always a favorite of mine as it’s a technique still used to this day in some farms near where I live in Sweden.

Good luck on LEGO Masters, Maia and Jamie (BricksDad)!

This is part of our series on MOCs of the Masters where we preview the work of the newest batch of LEGO Master contestants. Have a look at creations from other builders in the lineup.

Self-Portrait of LEGO’s next designer: Jiwoo Seon

Jiwoo Seon’s stunning modulars, like this gilded opera house, put her in LEGO Ideas 10k club three-times over. LEGO House is currently displaying her builds in the Masterpiece Gallery. In Seoul, her ornate framed floral works earned her a gallery show. But starting this August, Jiwoo’s building is taking her to someplace most builders only dream of – a seat in Billund as a set designer. Jiwoo’s models are consistently ornate, finding classical beauty in constrained colors. It will be fascinating to see how her distinctive style will translate into future sets. As she begins the next phase of her life’s journey, the artist shares this brick-built self-portrait.

And here’s the artist in her own words:

A fleeting moment never stays.
A candle burns and disappears, its flame vanishing too quickly.
But I believe—when I respond with instinct, the moment doesn’t vanish.
It remains, as light.
⠀
This piece is not a portrait of who I was, nor who I hoped to be.
⠀
It is the moment, the gaze that answered it, and the essence that sustained me, and the instinct unfolding through motion upon it—all brought together as a self-portrait shaped through my present gesture.
⠀
On the left, the candlestick and scattered matches represent the fleeting moment—a sharp, vivid instant that called for instinctive response.
⠀
At the center, a lavishly adorned frame holds my self-portrait blooming like blossoms.
It captures the gaze and emotions that responded to each moment, and the me who longed to bloom in the now.
⠀
To the right stands a solitary pillar—a symbol of the inner essence that has long sustained me.
Atop it, a ballerina spins in a quiet pirouette.
She is the embodiment of my present self,
built upon that essence.
Her movement is the convergence of instinct and gaze—a graceful expression of transformation, and the form of my will made visible.
⠀
Now, I stand—facing the moment, the look, and the instinct within me—shaped into one self-portrait.

The Second-Best Restaurant at the End of the Universe

If the Restaurant at the End of the Universe is fully booked, don’t sweat it- You can always find a welcoming booth at Milo’s Diner. This intergalactic waystation, built in LEGO by Terra Ender, is built on the remains of an irradiated asteroid that definitely isn’t hiding any secrets beneath the spacedust crust. No, at Milo’s you’re always welcomed with a smile, whether you’re Space Police, hard-working M-Tron miner, or totally-above-board Blacktron accountant. They even serve droids!

T.E. is previewing this impressive installation before displaying it at Brickworld Chicago next month. For those who won’t be warping into the Windy City, we have all the details here. Order up!

Grab a booth at Milo’s, where the soup of the day is always the soup du jour

Dancing, dueling, and Dicken: This Week in LEGO Bricks [Feature]

A lot happens every week in the LEGO building world. Fortunately we have ABrickDreamer to capture all the essential stories in one video. It’s a full week but here are my favorite stories from others in the community: New Elementary sheds some light on two LEGO color changes, one of our favorite builders, Ben Cossy, recommends the best 2025 LEGO sets to buy for parts, and BrickNerd sets the essential context for the wonderful Keith Haring: Dancing Figures that just released.

Paranoid android disappears completely into exit music

AI “doomers” worry about the devastating impact artificial superintelligence could have on humanity, but what if the real doom is the crushing sadness felt by the machines? Builder Kat calls this LEGO creation the e-motion engine, and just going by those eyes (created from the negative space in a Bionicle Phantoka torso), this little guy could be the slightly more adjusted sibling of Marvin the Android. Kat draws on a wild mix of parts, from a Vidyo strap for the headphones to inverted tire knees to a stylish Scala jacket. Kat doesn’t post often, but each of her builds is a treat, especially her entries into the 2023 BioCup (like this incredible Cyberpunk scene). Which reminds me, the competition is returning soon!

I Didn’t Mean to Build a LEGO Camel (But I Did Anyway) [Guest Feature]

Today we’re excited to present a special feature from accomplished film editor and LEGO modeler Nick Lever. Nick was a finalist in season 4 of LEGO Masters Australia and has had his work displayed in LEGO House in Billund. In this guest post, Nick shares his experience working with LEGO’s Middle East division to celebrate Innovation and Creativity Day. Nick, the floor is yours!

Join Nick for a look into how his camel project with LEGO came together

Home is where the DOTS live

LEGO may have phased out the DOTS line of mosaic-focused kits, but Justyna Zakrocka keeps the spirit alive with her innovative 32×32 tile-focused tableaus. Returning after a long hiatus, her latest scene is an exercise in elegance with a window frame that uses subtle depth to bring the scene to life. Justyna breaks up the usual 1×1 dot style with long tiles for a clean look. A few vintage elements from Scala perfectly complement minifig-scale accessories to find lifelike proportions. The builder’s square designs are always a delight, but I especially love this delicious sushi boat tableau.

Capturing Nolan’s Batman in Bricks: Behind the Scenes with RebelLUG’s Dark Knight collaboration

What happens when seven outstanding builders bring their LEGO skills to bear on one of the most beloved films of the modern era? You get a LEGO collaboration that is nothing short of cinematic. Now screening on The Brothers Brick: RebelLUG’s Dark Knight collaboration, with behind-the-scenes commentary from organizer Tom Studs and builder Eli Willsea!

But before we jump to the interview, let’s review the series of images, starting with the film’s iconic poster, recreated by collab organizer Tom Studs. At a glance, you might think the only thing LEGO about this pic is the minifigure, but every building and the fiery bat logo are all brick-built.

Why so serious? Relax and enjoy the rest of the Dark Knight tributes and making-of insights

Order up another Springfield institution with LEGO Icons 10352 The Simpsons: Krusty Burger

LEGO is returning to Springfield and the world of The Simpsons and this time the toymaker is down to clown. LEGO Icons 10352 The Simpsons: Krusty Burger lets fans recreate the unhealthiest restaurant in the world. The 1,635 piece set features detailed interiors, Homer’s clown car, and seven minifigures, including the debuts of Sideshow Bob, Officer Lou, and Squeaky-Voiced Teen, and a new version of Krusty as a farmer, fresh from tending to contaminated soybeans and mad cows. The set will be available to LEGO Insiders on June 1, and to all on June 4 for US $209.99 | CAN $259.99 | UK £179.99. Rumor has it that Krusty himself will spit in every 50th box. (I like those odds!) No joke, during the first week, Insiders will also receive a free gift purchase: The Simpsons: Living Room, perfect for recreating your favorite couch gags.

Order up more images and the official press release from LEGO