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

Classic Space on the go

Packing LEGO creations for a convention can be a tricky proposition. Some builders construct custom-made crates out of wood and foam, while others carefully wrap their masterworks in clothing in their carry-on. I cram 50 or 60 model cars into cardboard boxes and hope for the best and “the best” often involves hours of re-building and frustration. Chris Yu says hogwash to all of that with this brilliant LEGO creation that packs itself. It is impressive enough in suitcase mode with its outer shell outfitted in a Classic Space motif and made to resemble a piece of carry-on luggage.

See more of this transforming moonbase

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Iron Man, Iron Man, does whatever an iron can

There was a time about eleven or twelve years ago when I thought a good Iron Man movie could never be made. Thankfully I have since learned the folly of my ways. It turns out you really can make a good movie (or several) about a fast-talking red and gold metal-clad superhero. Ben Fong proves you can also make a good Iron Man LEGO creation.

This well-crafted figure is fully posable but Ben goes the extra distance and features LED lights in the hands, eyes, and chest-mounted arc reactor. Another excellent touch is the lifting mask that reveals a goateed Tony Stark. This stellar figure will have us all declaring “I am Iron Man!”

Along the pink stream of sinkers and floaters

“Do the black units house digital essences? Is the pink fluid some sort of coolant? Do they clump together and need to be separated? Do the spiders drink the coolant and keep the ducts clean? Is working at this Stasis Temple considered a great honor?” These are numerous questions that builder Shannon Sproule asks but doesn’t have the answers to. However, this does reflect a freeing way of stream of consciousness in building by experimenting with neat colors and textures without regard for their purpose.

He tells us, “If I was the other Shannon (Young), you would’ve gotten a beautifully-written backstory, but since it’s me you only get a few brain farts and a hand wave to pseudo-religious-technology.” That’s OK, Shannon. If I were any other Brothers Brick contributor, I would have thought up a more high-brow title. Good thing we’re all friends here.

Plague Doctor Batman has the cure for what ails you

When Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman 80 years ago, they established rules for what he can be. While still following those same basic guidelines, other artists and writers can reimagine Batman with a myriad of possibilities. There has been a Samurai Batman, Robo-Batman, Viking Batman, even an adorable Fairy Batman thanks to The LEGO Movie 2. In the hands of Revan New, we have a fully posable Plague Doctor Batman. Fantastic details abound from the bat-winged trench coat to the brass buckles to the bit of medieval medical equipment in his hand.

The pièce de résistance, however, is his brimmed hat and the arcane bird-like mask worn by actual plague doctors in the 1600s. Revan uses a Harry Potter sorting hat to replicate the bird beak shape, a feature best viewed in this portrait.

Not your grandpa’s Cadillac (or is it?)

Back in 1989 the late car building legend Boyd Coddington built a very special custom car for ZZ Top’s guitarist Billy Gibbons. It started with a 1948 Cadillac Series 62 Sedanette but nearly a million dollars later it had become a custom showstopper like no other. Now in 2019 LEGO car building legend Tim Inman has produced his own version. It is unusual for us to feature a three-quarter rear view of anything as the primary photo but in the case of CadZZilla, its low-slung roof line easing into the rear bumper and its signature taillights are what gives even the seasoned custom car enthusiast heart palpitations.

No less impressive up front, this model replicates CadZZilla’s famous grille and expansive hood. A mark of a good builder is if they can imagine a LEGO piece not for its intended purpose. Tim has utilized upside-down minifigure legs as part of the front bumper detail. A posh tan adorns the interior while the stance is that of a crouching aggressive animal. Of course, there is enough dark purple LEGO here to please any Prince impersonator. While Billy Gibbons is of grandparent age, he seemed to have bucked the rock star stereotype of siring multiple kids. So CadZZilla truly is not your grandpa’s Cadillac.

O Canada

Your hair and shoes look fabulous and you have just the perfect ensemble for a night on the town, but what can a Canadian-Italian girl do to accessorize? Thankfully Deborah Higdon has your solution with this LEGO-made purse. The clasp and even the strap are all LEGO elements. The Canadian maple leaf design is blazoned on one side while the Italian flag adorns the other. Both flags are comprised of 1 x 1 round tiles that can be changed out to go with any event, in this case Italian culture week.

Still need your ensemble for that special gala night? Deborah has you covered there with this totally wearable LEGO dress. She uses a technique she calls “Fa-brick” to make all her wearable LEGO creations. In an adult builder’s world heavily laden with castles, mechs and spaceships, it is refreshing to see someone rewrite the rules for what LEGO can be.

This punchy mech speaks with its fists

Builder Oscar Cederwall imagines a future where giant powerful mechs duke it out for your betting amusement. In this corner, weighing in at 30 tons, in blue armor we have the B-07 Melee Mech. Most mechs boast an impressive array of guns but I like how this one is instead equipped with out-sized fists. The stretcher holder part in yellow makes for good detailing and, when used in moderation, is an excellent color choice against the blue, black and white. Be sure to check out the rest of Oscar’s work as his other futuristic ideas also pack a powerful punch.

It gave me the creeps. It was all it had to give.

Inevitably there are some nights when, just as we’re finally drifting off to sleep, we are jostled awake by startling and unpleasant thoughts. Did I pay that gas bill? Did the dog go potty before bed? Is that Eric Porterfield behind the hamper? You may as well just write off sleep for the rest of the night once you get going with that. Amado Canlas Pinlac has built one such unsettling thing to give you the heebie-jeebies right before falling asleep.

The giant red centipede (Scolopendra Heros) can reach up to 8 inches (200mm) in length and lives in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Amado’s version is three times that size and lives wherever it damn well pleases, like in your sock drawer! Sleep tight.

Your Silt-Strider awaits, milord

You online gamers can set your squeal-holes to positively delighted. Not only will The Elder Scrolls Online soon come out with an Elsweyr expansion but Thorsten Bonsch built a little something to commemorate the event. More of a big something, the LEGO tower stands 27.5 inches (70cm) tall and the Silt-Strider looms nearly as high. The Elder Scrolls apparently begs the question: what if there were 20 meter tall flea thingies that could be ridden like an Uber service?

The need for insect-related transportation must be great in Vvardenfell because here is their sales promo: “The Red Mountain Company Express Silt-Strider Service, located at Caravaner Towers all across Vvardenfell, can get you where you need to go. Remember, when you climb aboard a silt-strider, your destination is just a hop, skip, and a jump away!”

Full disclosure; I have never played The Elder Scrolls online or otherwise, but I can appreciate a beautifully orchestrated creation when I see one. The flowing stream, the alien plant-life, the tower, and the Silt-Strider are all a breathtaking sight to behold. Who is the totally buff dude lounging in the grass in his underwear? No idea, but this is amazing nonetheless. But don’t just take it from me, stride on over to Thorsten’s flickr page and give him the Brothers Brick bump he rightfully deserves. “What say you, Thorsten?” “Um…what’s a squeal-hole?”

Call pest control. We have a massive wasp!

A builder going by the name of Gonkius has built a SHIP called WA:59, or The Wasp. According to the Triassic era LEGO builder gods who made this stuff up, SHIP stands for a Seriously Huge Investment in Parts that must exceed 100 studs in at least one plane. Not only does this creation satisfy that definition, but the builder went the extra mile with some neat LED light up features both fore and aft. Aside from its striking yellow and black striped color scheme this sleek craft bears little resemblance to an actual wasp from the side.

However, when viewed from the front at a three-quarter angle, the resemblance to a wasp becomes more apparent with a feature replicating the compound eyes of an insect. The glowing alien heads beneath the canopy are an excellent touch. Strangely, this SHIP looks as if it would feel equally at home in space or under the sea…or perhaps ruining your next picnic.

I’m on a boat!

Are you aware that a hedge fund has nothing to do with shrubbery? Do you use the word “summer” as a verb? Have you ever summered in the French Riviera? Do you lack the ability and the know-how to change the channel on your theater sized TV because you have people do that for you? Does your walk-in closet have a heated swimming pool? Then you, my new friend, are a billionaire and you might be quite familiar with the super yacht. You know, for when a regular yacht just won’t do! I don’t know if Arjan Oude Kotte has a super yacht in real life, but it is a sure bet that he, if nothing else, has a massive LEGO collection. This model of an M/Y Scout Super Yacht is more than 48 inches long (123cm) and is built from roughly 14,000 pieces.

Here is a video of the undertaking. My favorite detail is this handsome minifigure enjoying a beverage on the aft deck proving, once and for all, that rich people do it better. All kidding aside, I strongly encourage you to check out the rest of Arjan’s work, as he is no stranger to building intricately detailed models of ships and boats. Now where did I leave my Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne?

Weird Galidor bugs lurk in the dark

Psst–Hello? Are you awake? So, I don’t want to alarm you or anything but Ben Tritschler just built this creepy crawler he calls Beast of the Dark 2. It has wings, antennae, crazy spines, and teeth like from one of those alien predator movies. Ben says it is venomous and hungry. Oh, and it totally makes use of a Galidor Ooni head, so…yeah. Make use of that information however you see fit. Like, who knows what other forms of weirdness lurks around here in the dark, right? The title “Beast of the Dark 2” implies there might be more than one of them. Like maybe a whole swarm? Well, anyway, I’m sure it’s no big deal. Forget I mentioned it. Go back to sleep. Good night.