About Lino

Lino is an artist, humorist, and occasional responsible adult. He is the co-founder of a challenge-based LEGO car club called LUGNuts which boasts over 1100 members worldwide. He proposed automotive building challenges every month for ten years (120 challenges!) which he and the other members built accordingly. LUGNuts has retired its challenges on its 10th anniversary but still remains a cornerstone for LEGO automotive builders. Between his artistic work and LEGO builds, Lino has been published in several books, including Beautiful LEGO, Beautiful LEGO: Dark, and Beautiful LEGO: Wild. He lives in Washington with his girlfriend and dogs.

Posts by Lino

The Ridgeback Racer is ready to launch!

LEGO phenom David Roberts has mastered the art of building oddball little spaceships, each with baffling complex shapes and striking color schemes. That this Ridgeback, for example. The adjustable stand makes it clear you can launch this ship in a bevy of angles from straight up over the moon to right through your neighbor’s window.

The craft is hard to define from just one angle but this rear view image makes it clear it’s sort of a three-pronged shuttlecock. (Tee hee!) The engine and greebling is pretty sweet.

This short video of the builder disassembling this model is way more captivating than I thought it would be. Hidden deep within the ship’s core is a cockpit. Or should I say -shuttlecockpit? Sorry, I’ll just see myself out. In the meantime, watch the video and check out our David Roberts archives.

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Bio-Cup 2025: The stuff dreams and nightmares are made of [Feature]

You may recall our recently featured Tooth Fairy and the brilliant Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep LEGO creations. It’s all part of this year’s Bio-Cup in the theme of Dreams. I liked them so much, I wanted to conjure up a few more entries here. So wake up, shake the dreams from your hair and gather round while I help bring these creations to the forefront of your waking mind. Starting with a doozie, sometimes dreams make your skin crawl and you’d rather just tear yourself out of them. That’s the vibe I get with loafbuilds and their newest creation called Sleepless Cathedral of Flesh and Dream.

TBB’s own Jake Forbes takes inspiration from Slumberland and tells us that There is no surer way to reach Slumberland than atop a Slumberland Dreamwalker, a living bed with legs that bend like Eldritch snakes to cross the nightmare wastes.

Delve deeper into the dreamworld of Biocup 2025

Rock Raiders vs. Power Miners: Digging up the dirt on LEGO’s subterranean themes [Feature]

In 1999 we partied like it was-well, 1999- and also we were introduced to the LEGO Rock Raiders. In 2009, The Black Eyed Peas seemed unstoppable and we were all digging another subterranean LEGO theme called Power Miners. One featured chrome drill bits and a rugged, utilitarian brown and teal color scheme, while the other was all about heavy machinery in a lime green and orange livery. This article will take a deep dive into both themes and will showcase some of the best official LEGO sets and creations from builders around the globe. So sit back, mix yourself a Mudslide (on the rocks, of course) and enjoy this dynamite blast from the past.

Join us as we dish out the dirt on LEGO’s rockiest themes

A touch of old-world class with the Citroen B14

It’s easy to take Krzysztof Pusz’s LEGO Citroen B14 at face value. With its old-world charm and understated elegance, this classic European vehicle would have warranted a feature even if it were merely on a plain background. It’s our preferred photographic presentation, after all. But the location and photography elevates this car to something of a more breathtaking status. Krysztof tells us the photo was taken at the courtyard of the Brzeg Castle in Poland. The light colored tan and white stonework of the building contrast nicely against the dark blue and black of the classic Citroen. The tan wheels that match the background is an elegant touch indeed.

M.E.R.P.-ing around all the M.E.R.P. long day

If you recall the Smurfs cartoon, they used “Smurf” as a noun and a verb and it was pretty much a replacement for any word you wanted it to be. For example: I smurfed my way onto the dance floor, I’ve been smurfing the internet for an hour now and go smurf yourself. I’m pretty sure LEGO builder Thomas Harding just invented a new noun and verb-M.E.R.P., which stands for- well, you can read if for yourself in the photo. It’s short, rugged, reliable and capable of traversing all kinds of terrain. I just want to M.E.R.P. around all day with those two adorable little space people. Maybe we can be M.E.R.P. pals, listen to cool M.E.R.P-ing music and leave a steaming pile of M.E.R.P. on the boss’ desk. Have I taken this pun too far? Sorry, I’ll just M.E.R.P. myself out, then.

Extermin8 with extreme prejudice

You see just one of these buggers crawling across your kitchen counter and you know there are hundreds more in hiding. Who can relate? That was my college dorm room experience. It was a bummer because I’m pretty sure I signed up to have only one roommate, not hundreds getting into all my stuff. Thankfully LEGO phenom Dicken Liu comes to the rescue with a can of insecticide. The dead roach, with it’s broken leg and fishing rod antennae, is a clever touch. It serves as a reminder that getting on top of a roach infestation can be icky business. Cockroaches don’t even seem to appreciate alternative rock, although I specifically stated on my roommate application that alt rock was my jam.

Take this stunning LEGO Blade Runner 2049 concept Spinner for a spin

Sometimes you’re just in the mood to watch 163 minutes of brooding intensity, existential dread, and wondering if your friends are replicants. GolPlaysWithLego can surely attest to this as evidenced by this impressive LEGO concept LAPD Spinner from Blade Runner 2049. Its hard angles and utilitarian feel bring scenery to mind of rainy, dark cityscapes, quirky characters, and talking; lots and lots of talking, with occasional bouts of fast action and stunning scenery. A Spinner this slick deserves a closer look. And if you’re inspired to make a 2049 spinner of your own, we also include free instructions for Gol’s compact take on the iconic vehicle.

Click to see things you people wouldn’t believe before they’re lost in time like tears in the rain

It’s time to bring back the UCS Star Wars Tantive IV

I was just telling anyone who would listen (friends, neighbors, courtroom judge) that it’s been awhile since LEGO produced a (wicked huge) UCS Tantive IV. Then LEGO Star Wars builder Mr. Idler comes along and fills the Tantive IV-shaped hole in our hearts with this amazing new creation. He nails the odd 11-engined corvette with perfect shaping and some rather clever build techniques. We all love Minifigures and I applaud LEGO for including them in their 2009 and 2019 sets but they’re rather improperly-scaled when posed next to the ship. Mr. Idler takes care of that with Leia, C-3PO and R2-D2 microfigures that seem just about the right size for this model.

A Schwimmwagen The Central Scrutinizer would approve of

LEGO builder Martin Spunkt presents a satisfying amphibious Volkswagen Schwimmwagen. It’s rugged features, heightened stance and oars assures us that this little beast can do some serious off-off-off roading right into the water. It’s a far better ride to haul band equipment around than the ’54 with a mashed-up door. He situates the vehicle in a grungy garage setting; a white zone, so to speak, which I presume is for loading and unloading only. My question: Is Martin even aware of the Frank Zappa reference staring us right in the face? Sound off in the comments if you’re in the know.

Go tell it to the crocodile-riding tribe

Sometimes intergalactic news is so good you have to visit other planets to tell the crocodile-riding tribes about it. What exactly this good news is, LEGO builder Oliver Barrell did not specify but the news delivery system seems to be a sweet spaceship based on a Pterosaur. That’s pretty much the mode of transport I’d pick. It demonstrates the awkward wings-folded gait the Pterosaur likely had when not in the air. Oliver tells us there is no Photoshop trickery here; the model is real, precariously balanced, and fragile. I mean, just look at that ragged, trailing edge of the wings- and the cockpit! That’s brilliant stuff, right there.

You will be assimilated

What do you make of this new LEGO creation by Jarek Książczyk? Is it merely a neat piece of abstract art or is there something more sinister afoot? Is it an infected cell? The fungus responsible for jock itch? Maybe it’s a sentient planet from another dimension? Perhaps some unnamable Lovecraftian horror? Commenters on Jarek’s flickr page have lots of theories stewing with no confirmation from the builder. A common notion among the comments is it’s both beautiful and unsettling. If you look close, there are some amazing textures created; my favorite detail just might be the black tendrils extending just beyond the frame. What I imagine this to be is some sort of Invasion of the Body Snatchers situation going on; by the time you’ve admired its shape, you will have already been taken over and replicated for reasons known only to alien space plants. What do you think it is?

What can brown do for you?

In a LEGO world of castles and Millenium Falcons, it takes something like this for me to really take notice. I mean, come on, look how fun this is! In Jack McKeen’s own words; “Meet Rhonda Yun in her ‘82 Chevy Gamma Series Campervan. Rhonda is a staff columnist and travel blogger for the Arcturus Tribune. Avid Browntron Enthusiast, she is a do it yourselfer who enjoys long walks along the Arrakis dunes, drinking Klingons under the table, and teaching gundarks yoga.” Maybe it’s just the Schlitz talking but I’m smitten with Rhonda and her Browntron ship. It’s pretty much the Gen-X color scheme and looks like a puffy jacket I had in elementary school.

Giving credit where credit is due, Jack tells us the Browntron inspiration comes from the inimitable Angus MacLane. Here’s another builder Matthew Sklar delivering the goods with some more Browntron fun.