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

It’s OK to rock the boat sometimes

A builder named 呱氏神 (Gū Shìshén) has constructed, in my opinion, one of the most nauseating, vomit-inducing LEGO creations ever, but not because I dislike it. Quite the contrary. The skill level and presentation are all top-notch as evidenced by the beautiful waves, palm tree and gold filigree. My younger self would have loved the chance to go on this “Viking Pirates” ride, but as I get older it seems I’d rather quietly read about vikings or pirates and leave the real adventures to you crazy kids.

Queasy old stomach aside, this indeed looks as if it would be fun to play with. There is no video presentation for this, but the backside makes it clear that the ride works in exactly the way you’d think with the help of a manual crank and Technic gears. Continue reading →

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

We’ve been to Hell and back on the river Styx

Hell has been on the minds of many a builder lately as evidenced by Ralf Langer’s stunning creation. For those not yet familiar with the nine circles of Hell, the river Styx features prominently in both Greek and Christian mythology, and the ferryman (Charon or Phlegyas) is said to transport souls into the underworld. Like most city buses, the ferryman demands exact fare, the waters are black and murky, the landscape foreboding and if all that is not hellish enough, Styx’s “Come Sail Away” is played on an eternal loop. (Come on, you had to have seen that joke coming!) All kidding aside, this is truly an inspiring layout.

The irregular shape of the base, trees and rocky outcrops all lend to a visually pleasing albeit nightmarish aesthetic. My favorite element however is the reflections on the water’s surface, and Ralf tells us it is not photographic trickery but rather a result of using black bricks in a SNOT (studs not on top) configuration. Are you intrigued so far? Then be sure to click on Ralf’s photostream as this is merely the first entry in a larger hellish collaboration featuring the Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. This one, Ralf says, is the brightest and cheeriest of all the entries so…yeah…enjoy the journey.

Ridin’ high on the Hog

What do you do after you buy the LEGO Harley-Davidson Fat Boy set? If you guessed build it a black and dark red friend and an entire garage for it, then you would be correct. That is clearly the most logical option and a builder who goes by the name Derboor has beat the rest of us to it. The result is part garage, part toy shop and part museum. The clutter, the disarray, and even haphazard pattern on the walls and floor make for a well-used, well-loved space. I’m seeing a refrigerator likely filled with cold refreshments, along with a toy train, model skeleton and an R2-D2 Polybag set. I also spy several trophies, a first aid kit, a spider and even Darth Vader looming in a most uncanny place — but I will let you find that for yourself. What other hidden treasures can you find?

After zooming in and discovering all the treasure you can, you might want to also discover our Harley-Davidson set review.

Allow myself to introduce...myself

No, you’re not looking at identical twins. You are looking at Adam Dodge and his new ventriloquist puppet. The one on the left was constructed from LEGO bricks while the one on the right (I’m 95% sure) was devised by more natural means. One is a dummy, the other isn’t, but both insist that you don’t call them that. The one on the left can move his eyes, lips, eyebrow, hands, legs and feet while the one on the right…can do the same.

This photo illustrates the inner workings of the one on the left while the inner workings of the one on the right is comprised of organic goo not fit for daytime viewing. The one on the right said there was a ventriloquist in his family history so he figured…what the heck! I think the one on the left said the same thing, but the other one was barely moving his lips so now I’m not sure. The one on the left said my two-bit comedy routine was all washed up. On second though I’m pretty sure it was the one on the right that said that. Wow, this post started with such confidence and now I don’t know what’s what! Just watch this video of the dummy in action!

Yeah, I’ll have a dozen of everything!

You may have seen the LEGO modular building sets, the newest being the 50s Downtown Diner and the Corner Garage. More than a dozen have come out since 2007, and while each is unique, they follow a certain set of rules. Once mastered, builders can use them to imagine new modular buildings of their own to construct a cohesive town layout. Diabetics may want to turn away now because you’re about to watch a writer lapse into a sugar coma as Tong Xin Jun has rendered the perfect doughnut shop to sweeten any town layout. Here Eastern meets Western design elements, as many buildings do in crowded cities. The left section of this modular boasts the aforementioned doughnut shop (mmmm doughnuts) and the apartments above are adorned in rare sand red while the right side sits a cozy Asian noodle shop.

Each floor lifts for maximum playability within, and like all good modulars should be, each interior space is well appointed. The added sun rays in the last photo adds warmth to this cozy and inviting interior. I can just smell the fresh-baked doughnuts wafting through the air.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to be alone with an entire box of doughnuts. Don’t judge me, I am not proud of what I am about to do. Go check out the builder’s photostream or something or better yet, here is a previous time we featured this same builder. Now go on, stop gawking at me. I am not an animal, I am a human being!

In memory of Ingmar Spijkhoven [News]

Our friends over at The LEGO Car Blog have shared sad news with us today. Legendary builder Ingmar Spijkhoven has lost his battle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He is best known for building highly detailed trucks and has been featured here several times, the latest being an incredible 18-wheeler and trailer. His work has even been published in The Art of LEGO Scale Modeling.

ALS currently has no cure, with sufferers expected to live no more than five years from diagnosis. (Dr. Stephen Hawking was perhaps the most notable exception). You can learn how to help fight this debilitating disease through the ALS Foundation.

Igmar was an inspiration to many of us and will surely be missed.

Black IKEA bath mats? I thought you said Baphomet The Black Goat!

How many times has this happened to you? You call up IKEA customer service and in botching up the admittedly difficult names of one of their do-it-yourself furniture offerings, you unwittingly summon some demon hell-beast from the underworld. Wait, never? I can’t count the amount of times it has happened to me. Avery Robertson knows what I mean. Probably. Using some clever build techniques, she has conjured up Baphomet The Black Goat and now he’s here to loaf on your Söderhamn sofa for awhile. The LEGO wings and star hair clip usually come in pretty pastel colors but with a red filter the whole shebang is made to look scary as hell. Tattooed on his arms are the words “solve” and “coagula” which either means “dissolve and coagulate” or “loveseat and ottoman” in IKEA speak.

Grab a bite to eat at the Potion Shoppe

You feel that? That’s your sudden desire for a picnic lunch. A second ago you didn’t feel it but now you do. You may or may not want these particular food items, but you do want food now. That is the power of suggestion and it just goes to show how suggestive LEGO can be. In this life-sized food arrangement, builder Little John sculpts strawberries using these red wedges. The quarter cheese wheel, even the knife and cutting board evoke memories of healthful weekend lunches on the patio. The carrot uses much larger wedges in orange, these plant bits and green hoses for the stalks. My favorite item on this menu is the fried chicken drumsticks.

Like what you see so far? It turns out this is merely one element of a much larger collaborative immersive experience called the Potion Shoppe that was on display at Brickworld in Chicago. Bon appétit!

Then along came an incredible LEGO artist, Ekow Nimako

As an avid builder and a contributor for The Brothers Brick, I have seen a lot of LEGO creations. I mean A LOT of LEGO creations. To put this in perspective as to what it is like to be an adult LEGO builder, I have a LEGO room in my home — most of us do, some more elaborate than others. Whether it be a corner of the laundry room, a repurposed bedroom, or an elaborate add-on suite built for this reason, we all have a dedicated space to build LEGO. A perusal of my phone contacts reveals that the vast majority of my friends are LEGO friends. We eat, sleep and breath this stuff daily. By now I’ve written a fair number of articles and am confident that I can at least amuse if not inspire or enlighten our readers. With all this in mind, you’d think there would be no one to baffle me and put me at a loss for words. But then along came Ekow Nimako.

See more of this amazing LEGO sculpture

Sydney gets an Ice Planet make-over

Ice Planet 2002 was a short-lived LEGO Space subtheme from 1993 through 1994. The year 2002 has since came and went and we have not had manned missions to other planets, icy or otherwise. Despite the theme’s short shelf life and failure to predict history, its dynamic blue, white and trans-neon-orange color scheme captivated builders for decades to come. So much, in fact, that Aido K’s local LEGO Users Group put the challenge out to give any modern LEGO set the Ice Planet 2002 treatment. Being the consummate Aussie that he is, Aido went with the Sydney Skyline 21032 set.

Now the world has a new creation it never knew it needed but is better for it. It turns out Aido seems to like the challenge of making something out of official sets as evidenced by this previously featured creation based on the Green Lion from this Voltron set.

You’ll flip for my flippers!

It’s been said that puns are the lowest form of humor and are often a sign of brain damage. Well, call me brain dead because I featured this particular creation based in part on thinking up that title. Not seeing the genius of it? Then I challenge you come up with a better one. While you’re mulling that over, check out this scuba diver by Djokson. His name is Dr. Renaud and he is accompanied by his BUBBLE assistant drone.

Plenty of creations have featured the ubiquitous and streamlined modern brick separator but few have featured the older bigger, clunkier ones. The former comes with nearly every set nowadays but the latter had to be purchased individually. Djokson managed to get his hands on at least two older ones, and the result proves that they are not only good for prying up those pesky 2×4 plates but you can also use them to propel yourself through water.

While the genius of this post’s title may be a subject of hot debate, the coolness of this builder’s work surely is not. Be sure to check out his previously featured office companion and Umi the Jelly for more whimsy and wonder.

DUPLO riot police crosses a thin blue line

DUPLO is an excellent way to engage the minds of 2-5 year olds and to introduce them to “regular” LEGO, which they would likely play with once they get a little older. The larger pieces, simple construction, and cute scenarios are ideal for little hands and developing minds. But leave a youngin’ watching a certain…animal-named news station unsupervised for fifteen minutes, and they may raid the stash of smaller bricks to build adorable DUPLO riot gear to keep the adorable DUPLO zebras from playing with the adorable DUPLO giraffes. A builder who goes by the dubious name of Paddy Bricksplitter shows us the way with this DUPLO riot frame.

Plenty of LEGO System, Bionicle, and Duplo parts are mixed (you can do that, you know!) to construct this admittedly coherent mech suit armed with a high powered water cannon, tear gas launcher and a heavy duty shield. When your DUPLO denizens get too rowdy, you can bop them on their adorable DUPLO noggins with the baton. Justice is served, poopy-heads!