Posts by Daniel

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 31, 2021 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the fourth week of July 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS This last week we got our first detailed look at the new Star Wars sets from the Clone Wars era, as well as from the new hit series on Disney+, The Mandalorian. We also saw the reveal of the latest Marvel Collectible Minifigs! New BrickHeadz Pets Dalmatians and Ginger tabbies joined the current line-up of buildable pets.

Click through to read more LEGO news from around the world

LEGO BrickHeadz Pets 40479 Dalmatian dog and 40480 Ginger Tabby cat [Review]

LEGO launched the Pets sub-theme for Brickheadz earlier this year. The sets are similar to a BrickHeadz buddy pack, in that there is one traditional-sized model and an accompanying buddy-size model. The difference is that the Pets line pairs an adult and child of the same species. They started with dogs and cats (40440 German Shepherd and 40441 Shorthair Cat) but quickly branched out to birds and fish (40442 Goldfish and 40443 Budgie). 40479 Dalmatian & Puppy, and 40480 Ginger Tabby & Kitten are the latest to join the German shepherd and Shorthair cat sets in the ongoing battle between dog people and cat people. 40479 includes 252 pieces and is available now for $14.99 US | $19.99 CA| £13.49 UK . 40480 includes 269 pieces and will be available starting August 1 for US $14.99 US | $19.99 CA | £13.49 UK.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with early copies of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read on for the full review

Microscale Wall-e watches the skies waiting for a shooting star to wish upon [Instructions]

When it comes to robots that warm our hearts, it’s hard to think of one more endearing than Wall-e, the hard-working, dedicated hero from the movie that bears his name. Working hard to clean up our mess while we humans cruise the galaxy in comfort and style. If you would like to have a tiny Wall-e to keep you company while you work from home, follow along with KosBrick to assemble one of your own.

LEGO Mini Wall-E (Tutorial)

Build one of your own with this instructions video

Microscale city scene mixes traditional architecture with fantastical flair

Whenever I come across a scene by Jeff Friesen I’m amazed at his uncanny ability to create such interesting stories in such a small space. His models are a wonderful blend of seemingly simple techniques combined with the perfect color combinations. In this scene depicting a sky train station with a cruise ship port, the addition of the floating tower in the foreground is such a whimsical detail. And the arches continuing through the build perfectly divide the lower level details from the upper. Gold parts are used throughout the scene for just a splash of sparkle.

LEGO microscale Razor Crest from Star Wars: The Mandalorian [Instructions]

The hit Star Wars series The Mandalorian premiered on Disney+ in 2019 introducing us to an instantly iconic ship, the pre-clone wars era starship known as the Razor Crest. And before you make your jokes about a microscale model of the Razor Crest really just being a pile of loose parts, I like to remember her in her prime.

Wait, what am I saying? From the very first episode, she’s been grabbed by a space walrus, scrapped by Jawas, shot at, jumped on by space spiders, dunked in the sea, shot at again, and more. But if you want to remember her as she once was, soaring through the sky over Navarro blasting TIE fighters to bits, you can follow along with these instructions for a desktop model, designed by me. It even includes a poseable stand! Click here to download the LEGO Razor Crest Instructions by Daniel Fortine

 

This pipe is occupied by a pernicious piranha plant

You’ll need perfect timing to get past the snapping jaws of the lovely and deadly piranha plant unless you’ve got a power-up or an extra life up your sleeves. This pixel-perfect model of the most deadly of deciduous plants from the world of Mario, by ZiO Chao is packed with great details. From the gently curving leaves to the rounded Mario-munching mouth to that shiny pink tongue.

Piranha flower

Check out the poseable stem on this beauty!

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 17, 2021 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the third week of July 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS What a week for reviews here on TBB, we covered new sets from Four themes, including Star Wars, Marvel, Creator, and LEGO Ideas. There was a call for new contributors to join our growing TBB team in social media and news, and breaking news about the return of in-person LEGO conventions starting with Brickcon 2021 in Seattle.

Click through to read more LEGO news from around the world

LEGO Ideas 21328 Seinfeld features Jerry’s NYC apartment [Review]

There are not many sitcoms that were on air for as long as Seinfeld, especially given the famously simple premise of a show about nothing, which earned its reputation for taking mundane situations we can all relate to and turning them into pure comedic gold by repetition and exaggeration. Created by stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, Seinfeld had 9 seasons, premiering on July 5, 1989, and running until May 14, 1998, ending with 180 episodes. Now Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment joins the growing rank of sitcom-based LEGO kits which started with 21302 Big-Bang Theory and was followed up by 21319 Central Perk from Friends, and recently the neighboring 10292 Friends Apartments. Like those, the Seinfield set is jam-packed with easter eggs and references to some of the series’ most memorable episodes along with some very accurate details and some great building techniques, so let’s jump right in. LEGO Ideas 21328 Seinfeld includes 1,326 pieces and will be available to VIP members from July 21, and available to everyone on August 1, 2021 for US $79.99 | CAN $109.99 | UK £69.99.

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

Read on for our full review

Precariously perched upon the precipice

Usually, floating islands include, well, an island. Something in the way of solid ground, albeit ground that floats mysteriously above the clouds. Not so with this stone tower topped with a timber-framed structure by Ralf Langer, who took a minimalist approach to the base of the model. There’s nothing minimal about the rest of the building, from the cracked and weathered stone base featuring unconventionally colored doors, all the way up to the black roof with a scattering of quarter tiles which provide a great texture.

Staring into the abyss

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 3, 2021 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the last week of June 2021.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS This last week saw many new sets revealed across multiple popular themes like Marvel, Technic, and Star Wars, all available this summer. We recapped the first LEGO Con, and the latest round of crowd-funded sets launched on Bricklink, many of which sold out within hours of the launch.

Click through to read the whole roundup of LEGO news

Say Magda, there’s a tree in your shed

When driving through the countryside, it’s a common sight to see a dilapidated barn in the distance, where nature has taken over. But it is much less common to see nature intruding on a well cared for building. Take this lovely shed by Andrea Lattanzio, for example. While it is clear that the roof has seen better days, the landscape and the exterior of this garden shed clearly receive a lot of love and attention from Magda, the owner. Almost every landscape detail is noteworthy, but my favorite unique part is the Minifig base for Sandman from the Marvel Spider-man franchise, used as a base for the pot to the left of the shed doors.

Magda's Garden Shed (or the Shed with the Tree)

A much more affordable typewriter

Do you love the new LEGO Ideas typewriter but you don’t want to break the bank? I know how you feel. And it looks like Vant . does too, since they have built a pint-sized version of the new sand-green typewriter with an amazing amount of detail in a very small package (paper letter not included). While I love the carriage return and the curved front, my favorite detail is the ink ribbon made from lever handles.

MOC : LEGO Mini Typewriter

You can see even more details from the top, like the paper guide connected with droid arms that can lift up just like the real thing. And don’t miss the letter keys made from a pair of claw elements and an unusual Bionicle part.

MOC : LEGO Mini Typewriter