About Matt Hocker

Matt Hocker has been an avid LEGO fan since the age of 4, when he received a box of his father's 1960s era LEGO bricks. In addition to being a builder at heart, Matt is passionate about LEGO history and has amassed a sizable collection of LEGO ephemera to provide context for the LEGO story. Matt's collection forms what he likes to call the Library of the Brick, and he lives by the slogan "building history one stud at a time." He invites you to ask him any questions you might have about the hobby or the history behind the brick.

Posts by Matt Hocker

Have yourself a very merry Potter

Christmas may have come and gone, but Jonas Kramm is still celebrating with this elaborate scene calls “Christmas at Hogwarts.” I love the composition of this build, which is filled with plenty of excellent architectural details and brick-built furniture. Jonas drew partial inspiration from The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, a modern point-and-click adventure game. This is where he found the idea for the curved balustrade and fireplace depicting stacks of books. Some of my favorite details include the bat-a-rang used in a candelabra, gifts tied with LEGO rubber bands and Belville bows, and the dark orange easy chair. The tree also looks nice, with enough decorations to make it stand out but not distract one’s eye from the rest of the image. I’m sure Harry would approve!

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Dashing through the decades of LEGO’s holiday advertising [Feature]

This time of year is one of the busiest for toy manufacturers, including the LEGO Group. In an effort to associate the brand with holiday gift-giving, the months of November and December bring a flurry of wintry-themed advertising. While much of the LEGO Group’s current advertising campaigns exist online, the company has a long history of producing holiday advertising in magazines, comic books, and mail order catalogs (aka LEGO Shop at Home catalogs). Our elves have been hard at work, sifting through the archives for some of the LEGO Group’s most memorable seasonal ads. Hop in the sleigh and hold tight for a wild ride back through time.

See more LEGO holiday advertising through the years

Getting giddy over a gift within in a gift

The Christmas gift box was one this year’s holiday giveaways from the LEGO Shop Online. Jae Won Lee has used the idea of placing a holiday scene in a present and taken it to the next level. The surrounding package looks lovely with its dark red paper finished off with a white and dark green ribbon. This is matched by a whimsical interior, depicting Santa making one of his many pit stops. The warmly lit fireplace, tree, and wreath are festive, and the scene itself is fun. The little girl hidden behind the tree is about to have a very nice Christmas, because Santa has brought her the Cafe Corner. Who wouldn’t want the first set in LEGO’s modular building series under their tree?

Enjoy a fire-breathing brew that’s good to the last dragon.

Who wouldn’t want a fantasy-themed coffee machine? To meet the demand, Anthony Wilson has built an adorable little fellow named Vay the coffee dragon. Vay is packed full of character, thanks to a pair of big eyes and the positioning of his body. His fistful of coffee beans is the essence of hospitality. This is in contrast to the hand tucked behind his back, seemingly saying, “what are you waiting for? Drink up!” Vay’s sleek curved body suggests he is fast in flight, which seems appropriate given his daily caffeine intake. Equally impressive is the coffee machine itself, which uses transparent colored pieces to show the water level in the reservoir. We dare you to drink this cup of joe. It’ll give you scales on your chest!

A beautiful brick-built boar that will leave you singing, “Hakuna matata!”

Builder keiichi kamei is no stranger when it comes to building phenomenal LEGO sculptures. Earlier this year, you might recall us sharing his New Year lion dance mask. With 2019 being the year of the pig, keiichi is back with a majestic-looking LEGO wild boar. His boar looks like the real deal, thanks to intricate sculpting of the animal’s body. A combination of curved and angled slopes form the overall shape of the body, which is nearly void of studs. Meanwhile, the positioning of the legs is reminiscent of how boars trot around while they forage for food. Better watch out for those tusks, though!

Special delivery! – the best LEGO holiday greeting cards through the years [FEATURE]

Around this time of year, people enjoy the classic tradition of sending holiday greeting cards to one another. The LEGO Group, too, has dabbled in making Christmas cards over the years. Naturally, they’re LEGO-themed. From the 1980s through the 1990s, the UK LEGO Club mailed out Christmas cards to each of their members. The LEGO Group has also issued holiday greeting cards for its employees. For at least the past two decades, LEGO has included a card with each annual employee gift building set. They even designed cards for employees back in the 1980s. These cards often featured elaborate models designed by LEGO master builders that are quite interesting. Suit up and hop into our sleigh, because we are taking you on a nostalgia-filled trip through some of LEGO’s most memorable “Brickmas” cards.

Click to read the full article on LEGO Christmas cards

LEGO Architecture: 21044 Paris [Review]

Thomas Jefferson once said, “a walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.” For those unable to stroll through the famous French city, LEGO set 21044 Paris allows you to bring a piece of the Parisian skyline home. It consists of six famous landmarks, three of which have previously received their own Architecture series sets (Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre). They are now joined by the Champs-Elysées, Tour Montparnasse, and Grand Palais. Set 21044 consists of 694 pieces and is slated for release on January 1, 2019. It is priced at €49.99 in the EU, but LEGO has declined our inquiry to confirm its US price.

Click to read the full review

Here’s a cool CAT everyone can dig.

When it comes to earthmoving equipment, the Caterpillar brand stands out as a time-honored tradition. The company’s 320 Hydraulic Excavator packs some serious digging power, and looks amazing as this 1:30 scale LEGO model built by Sheo. It looks accurate to the original, right down to the tracks and hydraulic digging system. The driver’s cab is particularly impressive, expertly formed with rigid tubing, clip, hinge, and bar elements. Other inspired details include black whips for handrails and studs-not-on-top building to form the shape of the CAT logos on the vehicle’s body.

Sheo. even used his tractor to recreate an action-packed scene from the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.

“Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and minifigurekind the vessel.”

Before Star Wars, pirates were among the original rogues. The LEGO community of RogueBricks decided to do a pirate-themed collaborative build for German fan event, Bricking Bavaria 2018. Builder markus19840420 answered the call with this prodigious pirate ship. His ship is dressed to impress, thanks to the curvature of the hull and custom rigging and sails.

See more views of this fantastically detailed sailing ship

I saw Santa playing classic games

While the elves are busy making toys for girls and boys around the world, how does Santa spend his evening? For Taiwanese builder Joffre, the jolly old elf likes to hang up his hat and unwind with some retro gaming. Santa’s physical features are exaggerated so that he looks super stout and rotund. Joffre’s caricature is amusing and reminds me of the Santa from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. And is that a Nintendo Famicom he’s playing? It certainly looks the part!

Santa’s game room can be converted into a giant holiday gift, complete with a slick-looking bow.

Come to the Dark Side....we have snowball fights.

Here’s something you won’t find in this year’s LEGO Star Wars advent calendar. Nathaniel Stoner recently created a whimsical Christmas ornament of a snowman in carbonite. He took things one step further when he incorporated it in this scene inspired by a Calvin and Hobbes-meets-Star Wars comic strip by Brian Kesinger. “Lil Kylo” makes light of an event his father Han would rather forget, and the results are hilarious.

Fight or flight? Why not both with this LEGO Meta Knight?

Nintendo has produced some of the most beloved franchises in video game history, including the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series. The character of Meta Knight has appeared in both and, thanks to The Frenchy Bricks Junky, now exists in LEGO-form. Meta Knight is complete with his purple wings and legendary sword, Galaxia. Despite his small size, LEGO Meta Knight is fully poseable thanks to various clip and hinge elements.

He even has movable thumbs, as seen in his wave “goodbye!”