It’s been a few days since we announced the upcoming Voltron LEGO Ideas set, and we are counting down the days until its July 23rd release. To help tide things over, Grantmasters has made cute microscale versions of Voltron and the lion-shaped robots. It’s amazing how just a few parts can go a long way toward making something that is instantly recognizable. Voltron looks especially cool, thanks to a pose that is suggestive of preparing for battle. If you would like to build your own, you are in luck because most of these parts are fairly easy to find. The exception to this is the red binoculars, which was only available in the Series 12 collectible minifigure lifeguard. It will make you want to shout, “Let’s go, Voltron Force!”
Posts by Matt Hocker
Driving with Donald Duck in a fiery red roadster
Disney’s Donald Duck first graced the silver screen back in 1934, and he looks pretty good for being 84 years old! Donald’s claim to fame is his really short temper, but he is also known for cruising down the streets in his small curvy red car. Oliver Becker decided to build this car for his Donald minifigure, and the two look practically made for each other. In particular, Oliver’s model does a great job of capturing the exaggerated curves of the animated car.
He has also packed a lot of detail into such a small space, including flared headlights, interior upholstery, and even the iconic rear rumble seat (also known as a dickey). The white tires feel authentic to the source material, and they were only ever available in a single Spongebob Squarepants set from 2008.
“Must go faster” in this classic Jurassic Park Jeep
When Jurassic Park roared its way into theaters back in 1993, its colorful cast of dinosaurs wowed audiences. Steven Spielberg’s hit film also featured some memorable vehicles, such as this gray and red Jeep Wrangler built by Miro Dudas. The Wrangler has been a fan favorite ever since it outran a T. rex 25 years ago, and Miro’s version spares no expense! His little Jeep is instantly recognizable, with the most noteworthy detail being the expertly done two-tone color scheme.
Miro has done a great job at capturing the slanted look of the red markings on the real-life vehicle. Now that I think about it, this little Jeep would make for a great companion with 75932 Velociraptor Chase. How else will Alan, Ellie, Lex, and Tim escape the dino-infested visitor center?
“LEGO House – Home of the Brick” on Netflix [Review]
This is a great year for LEGO-loving Netflix subscribers, with two LEGO documentaries being released less than a month apart from one another! You might remember the special LEGO episode of the Toys That Made Us, which we reviewed at its release in May. The second documentary to roll into Netflix’s lineup is LEGO House – Home of the Brick. LEGO House is the LEGO Group’s own museum of play, designed to highlight both the company’s history and creative possibilities of the brick. Seven years in the making, LEGO House was designed by the Danish firm BIG and opened in September 2017. Home of the Brick is a 47-minute documentary that chronicles the journey the LEGO House took from its conception to last year’s grand opening.
Ride the wave with Hatsusika Hokusai
When it comes to Japanese art, one of the most iconic pieces produced during the late Edo period was Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.” This masterpiece helped to inspire the character of Hatsusika Hokusai, found in the free-to-play role-playing-game (RPG) Fate/Grand Order. Mike Dung has made two versions of this character, including a cute chibi figure. In the chibi-build, Mike’s brick-built wave is instantly recognizable and beautiful representation of Hokusai’s artwork. The wave in the other model is cleverly built with several trans-light blue garage door pieces.
![[Fate Grand Order] Hatsusika Hokusai](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/media.brothers-brick.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/28661791918_883c782a7a_b.jpg)
Weddings and LEGO bricks are a match made in heaven
A marriage signifies two people coming together to build a shared future, and what better metaphor than building that future with LEGO bricks! After the rings and vows have been exchanged, it’s time for the couple to drive off into the sunset. Why not end the momentous occasion by getting behind the wheel of a luxurious antique car made by Pixeljunkie?
Pixeljunkie has made some wonderful cars in the past, but this one is probably my favorite. Elegant curves, custom chromed elements, and the white body feel inspired by a classic Rolls-Royce. For me, the icing on the cake includes the whitewall tires, velvet red interior upholstery, and the bugle elements as car horns. You can almost hear them let out a piercing “Ahoogah!”
In the West, the process of getting married is sometimes known as “getting hitched.” In Pixeljunkie’s case, his minfig couple and car are both getting hitched. In this case, it is the car getting hitched to a cute little trailer. Sounds like the honeymoon consists of some serious camping. Thankfully, the bride’s veil probably also doubles as a mosquito net.
Sail the seas in style with this classic 1926 yacht
The 1920s witnessed the birth of some beautiful boats, such as the Olmaha, built by J.M. Martinac of Washington state in 1926. Markus Ronge has artfully recreated this classic yacht with impeccable detail, complete with convincing curves from bow to stern. In the cabin, 2×2 “crate” pieces have been used to great effect and give off the impression of ornate woodworking. The surrounding waves feel organic, and I love the way Markus has used white bricks to form the ship’s wake.
When not in the water, Markus props the Olamaha up to show off its bright red hull.
What happens inside a Poké Ball stays inside a Poké Ball....
….And if this scene by Grant Davis is any indication, it involves hours of watching television re-runs of Pokémon. Grant’s model is a representation of artwork shared by Deviant Art-user, Nerd-Scribbles. Some impressive-looking techniques were used in constructing Pikachu’s native habitat, including hundreds of dark tan jumper plates used to form the curve of the Poké Ball’s wall. Pikachu looks pretty iconic, right down to the gaping mouth shouting its signature “PIKA!” Grant’s version may be missing the purple Gamecube found in the original artwork, but rumor has it Ash keeps Pikachu on a pretty tight leash now.
65 Million bricks in the making
“Before you even knew what you had, you designed it, and built it, and slapped it on a plastic baseplate…”
-Ian Malcolm (not really)
A new Jurassic World film is on the way, and ZiO Chao is celebrating with a set of busts of some of the most iconic dinosaurs from the franchise. ZiO built his model for Rebrick’s “Iconically Jurassic World” contest (now closed). Each dinosaur’s head is depicted with a 3-dimensional profile view, with the following prehistoric beasts being represented….
See all of the LEGO dinosaurs up close!
A toucan of appreciation for a beautiful bird
Trek far enough through the tropical rainforests of South America, and you might be lucky enough to stumble upon the toco toucan. Toucans are widely recognized because of their big, bold, bodacious beaks. It’s a wonder they are able to support the weight of that massive-looking head. For that matter, we are amazed Sven Franic was able to pull off the same feat with his brick-built toucan. By utilizing a wide variety of curved elements, Sven has managed to sculpt out an excellent likeness of this magnificent bird. The wooden perch is also a nice touch, one that probably also helps with supporting bird’s weight. It’s “toucan-tastic!”
This is not a TV commercial for the Landrover Defender....
Krzysztof Cytacki’s Technic version of a Landrover Defender is an excellent version of Great Britain’s gift to the world of 4×4 offroading. While the model itself is nice, the photography is what first attracted me to Cytacki’s work. By taking pictures of his Landrover in the wilderness, Cytacki perfectly captures the feeling of a televised auto ad. You can almost hear the roar of the engine and smell the earthy aroma of mud kicking back as the vehicle scales the rugged terrain. The natural setting does better justice to Cytacki’s model than a plain background could achieve.
See more photos of this gorgeous LEGO Technic Landrover
Of fish tales and fish tails. This old fisherman has probably seen it all!
I’m always amazed by fan-built constraction (construction + action) figures like this old fisherman by Dylan Mievis. Dylan’s fisherman brings together Bionicle, Technic and System parts to pull off an almost believable looking human figure. Cloth elements are also put to good use, providing the fisherman with a proper net and second layer of clothing. When it comes to the boots, I like how the different parts form their shape, including the upside down barrel halves. His long, gray, grizzled beard and imposing harpoon make me thing this guy has a whale tale or two. With the modification of one of the legs, this would make a great Ahab.
