Posts by Jake Forbes (TBB Managing Editor)

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

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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

A fantastic full-hearted build of a half-timbered hovel

Classic LEGO Castle sets could loom large with a few hundred parts thanks to molded wall pieces and base plates. When your goal is to capture craggy stonework, weathered walls, and rolling terrain, hundreds of parts becomes thousands. Peter (forestArcher) wanted to build in the maximalist medieval style for a long time, with whimsical angles where everything feels on the verge of collapse, but never had the parts to pull it off. After an infusion of new pieces, Peter was finally able to tackle the fantasy architecture. Take a moment to admire that crumbly foundation that mixes SNOT techniques, profile bricks, and subtle slopes. It’s a beautiful half-timbered house that looks like it would come tumbling down if you blow on it!

Peter shares the builds that inspired this journey into medieval brickwork. Each is a wonderful model on its own, and a reminder of how much innovation and iteration exists in the castle genre: Gloomy Gulch by Luke Watkins Hutchinson, Eldford Barracks-GoC by Roanoke Handybuck, The Pilgrim by Joe (jnj_bricks), Awakening by Classical Bricks, Fin the farmer by The Maestro, The four seasons – Birth by Brickleas.

Dieselpunk Mechs and Military Hard Suits – [Minifig Monday]

Mechs and minifigs have been near and dear to the Brothers Brick for as long as we’ve been covering LEGO fandom. It’s always a thrill when builders bring a specific and fresh aesthetic to a favorite genre, and that’s definitely been the case with Brickbot Studios, Red Impala, and Zakar.ion – three builders who are absolutely crushing it with military mechs at an intimate perspective. The trio collaborated last week on trench warfare dieselpunk mechs inspired by the 1920 setting of mr_werewolf, with each builder bringing a personal spin to the theme. This week on Minifig Monday, we’re spotlighting this collab, but also some mortar blasts from the dieselpunk past from some top builders of yesteryear playing in a similar sandbox.

Leading this week’s charge is the PZM-7 Śmiały from Red Impala. Swift, merciless, and armed with an anti-mech rifle, this unit looks ready to leap over trenches like a Winged Hussar. (The lore that these builders share alongside their brilliant builds is half the fun!).

Brickbot Studios responds with theStahlschreiter 44 “Trench Reaper.” My favorite flourish is the moustache on the mech. The builder brings a touch of Warhammer sensibilities to this Death Korp diesel demon.

The minifigs and mecha continue after the break!

LEGO lets loose Mario Kart Blue Shell as Insiders reward, redeemable from May 15

As Mario Kart players know, when there’s a Spiny Shell (aka “Blue Shell”) headed your way, you’re in for a world of trouble. But not this one, homing in on LEGO Insiders. Just in time to accompany the Mario Kart Standard Kart display set, LEGO is adding a new set to the Insiders Reward page: LEGO Mario Kart 40787 Spiny Shell. Containing 234 pieces, the set can be redeemed for 2,500 Insider Points and added to any order starting on May 15. (Not an insider? Read about the free program here.) Aside from being a fun companion to the next big Mario Kart set, the ~~Blue~~ Spiny Shell packs an excellent mix of parts, including previously rare blue curved slopes and white tubes. Just be careful handling this new set around your completed Karts, as if it’s anything like the video game version, it’ll have them in pieces faster than a brick separator.

See the full Mario Kart Spiny Shell details details from LEGO

Building and growing together: An AFOL mother’s journey [Feature]

In celebration of Mothers Day and the many AFOLs who became mothers or mothers who discovered LEGO through their children, we present this guest post from our own Kimberly Giffen.

The day arrives when the oldest child receives her first LEGO set, and the time for endless hours of building with your children has come. As a family with an AFOL mother and four kids, so many hours have been spent on building. We build together, they move on to something else, and I continue building.

Kimberly’s story continues

LEGO Art 31216 Keith Haring – Dancing Figures – Brick up and dance with me [Review]

LEGO’s Art line has proven a popular way to engage with iconic artwork, with sets that translate brushstrokes into bricks that you can hang on your wall. The newest addition to the line, LEGO Art 31216 Keith Haring – Dancing Figures, shakes up the formula with a playful interpretation of the pop artist’s work that invites sharing the build experience with others. And instead of one finished work, you get 5 pieces that you can display your own way. For this review, I’ll be taking LEGO’s suggestion and inviting my family to join in for a social build experience. If you have others to share the build with, I recommend that you try this as well. As Keith Haring famously said, “art is for everybody.” But is this set for you? Let’s dig in!

Keith Haring – Dancing Figures will hit shelves and walls this May 15th for US $119.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £104.99.

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read the full review