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

This Bioni-frog is one wild amphibian

LEGO constraction (construction action figure) themes like Bionicle have introduced a broad range of parts, which many builders have leveraged to create organic-looking creatures. Such is the case with this lovely Ghekula Frog built by Djokson, which they describe as “an amphibious swamp-dwelling Rahi.” I suspect the red-eyed tree frog inspired the build, as is evident in the lime green body, white underbelly, and red eyes. Of particular interest are the feet, which utilize blue robot arms and minifigure arms as toes. The end result is one lively amphibian.

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What could be better than Darth Vader riding a unicycle while playing flaming bagpipes?

If you visit Portland, Oregon you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the Unipiper, a unicycling, bagpipe-playing, costume-wearing street performer. He achieved fame for riding around as Darth Vader while playing a rendition of the Imperial March on bagpipes. Patrick Biggs has captured the Unipiper in all his quirky glory, right down to the flames shooting out of the bagpipes. Patrick claims this was a last minute build, but his model looks both well-planned and well-executed.

Discovering the lost bird of paradise

Last year, the LEGO Group launched an Indiegogo crowdsourcing campaign for LEGO Forma. With LEGO Forma sets shipping this year, it was only a matter of time until someone incorporated the skins into a custom LEGO model. Aaron Newman took fish fins and turned them into the wings of a colorful, magical bird. If you didn’t know they were from LEGO Forma, you just might think they were made for this build.

Adding further context to the model, Aaron created a scene in which explorers discover the majestic bird. Looking at the team members, at least one can’t handle all the colors.

These Volkswagens will leave you with the BUG to GOLF

When it comes to building classic cars out of LEGO bricks, Volkswagens have remained a popular subject. While there are plenty of great LEGO Beetles and Transporters out there, it’s nice to see something from the 1980s like Brixe63’s VW Golf Cabriolet. One of the challenges in building the Golf is capturing the subtle angles of the body. Brixe63 has managed to pull it off, right down to the tilt of the windshield. The 1×1 tiles placed within clips work well as mirrors, and the silver barbs make for nice door handles.

The builder also made a slick-looking version of the classic VW Beetle. Here, Brixe63 proves as adept at replicating the Beetle’s curves as she is with the subtle angles of the Golf.

She even built a fleet of Beetles, including a convertible and police car. With the top down and a lovely tan and green color scheme, the convertible is my favorite of the three.

The little red Alfa that could

Back in the 1930s, Enzo Ferrari teamed up with automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo to make history on the racetrack. Ferrari wasn’t in the business of making cars yet, but their famous prancing pony emblem was used on team Ferrari cars. One of the most famous team Ferrari Alfas was a 1934 P3, which won the 1935 German Grand Prix with Tazio Nuvolari behind the wheel. Thanks to Pixeljunkie, Team Ferrari’s P3 has been brought back to life in LEGO-form. There is some excellent visual storytelling here, with an intrepid female driver making a pit stop in the woods to admire local wildlife. Both the car and surrounding landscaping look beautiful.

Like many of his other cars, Pixeljunkie places the Alfa in different scenarios. Here, we get a look under the hood at the expense of some engine trouble. Fortunately, the driver remembered to bring along her toolkit.

I particularly enjoy this playful image, which shows the driver’s reflection in the car’s rear view mirror. With the engine fixed, she’s ready to hit the road again!

The Alfa Romeo P3 is just one in a growing number of cars built by Pixeljunkie and featured on the Brothers Brick, including a Ford Model T, Mercedes Benz W196, and Type 37A Bugatti.

U-Pull, We-Haul

If you find yourself stressed out about a big move, why not procrastinate in the best way possible and build a LEGO moving truck? Robson M’s “U-Pull” truck looks delightful with its rear doors open, perfect for loading all your minifigure belongings. The design and name of the truck are clearly inspired by those iconic U-Haul trucks often seen while driving along North American highways. The U-Haul company is famous for the region-specific artwork gracing the back sides of its trucks, and Robson M’s “U-Pull” follows suit with an African-themed Duplo motif.

Robson’s vehicle looks great from both angles and fits nicely in front of Assembly Square.

Build your own bento

In Japanese cuisine, bento is a meal in box for take-out or eating at home. Leonid An has built a delicious looking LEGO bento, which includes sushi rolls, nigiri, vegetables, wasabi, and a hearty serving of white rice. Each dish is able to stand on its own, thanks in part to a diverse range of colors and building techniques. The pieces of nigiri use a mix of curved slopes and constraction figure elements to form slices of raw fish. Black tires and white tires are cleverly used to represent the seaweed and rice in the sushi rolls, and lime green Bionicle Krana Za masks are used to form the side of wasabi. Meanwhile, a pair of chopsticks at the base of the box signals it’s time to eat. Itadakimasu!

Rolling out the dream team of steam

From the mid-1800s through the early 20th Century, the Industrial Age reached farms in the form of steam traction engines. While they were heavy and slow, they were preferred for their serious hauling capabilities. There is something captivating about these massive mechanical marvels, and that’s probably why Nikolaus Löwe built a fleet of three steam traction engines. Each one looks distinct enough to stand on its own. My favorite model is this traction engine, which is hauling a hay wagon. The vehicle’s color scheme is eye-pleasing, rendered in dark red, black, and gold. Meanwhile, the black chain links look great wrapped around the wheels.

See more of these relics from a bygone era

I see a row of cabinets and they’re all painted white.

Do-it-yourself projects are more fun in LEGO-form, such as this detailed painting-themed render by _spacehopper_. The cabinetry, refrigerator, and sink look attractive in this kitchen, complete with a mouth-watering turkey. (Who makes a turkey and paints the kitchen at the same time?) Someone has been busy painting but is noticeably absent. A ladder sits to the side, and the fan is running to help with ventilation. Meanwhile, the paint roller sits abandoned on the counter top, dripping white paint on the floor. No drop cloths or trays are there to catch anything. Perhaps our missing painter is a novice, realized he was in-over-his-head, and drove to the hardware store for the missing supplies.

“Let your light shine” with UC’s Koenig Alumni Center

Do you call the University of Colorado Boulder (UC) your alma mater? If so, you might recognize this LEGO version of the Koenig Alumni Center, built by Imagine Rigney as a permanent display at the center. The Alumni Center hosts events like graduation ceremonies, weddings, retreats, and memorial services. Imagine Rigney did extensive research, using original photographs and blueprints to guide his build. The finished product looks both lively and colorful, packed full of fun details for CU alumni to enjoy.

See more details of this LEGO model of the Koenig Alumni Center

Business is budding at Bricks & Blooms

Sometimes I wish I could water my LEGO collection, give it some sunlight, and watch it grow. After harvesting the bricks, I would build this beautiful garden centre designed and rendered by Bricked1980. It fits right in with the LEGO Group’s existing series of modular buildings. The builder has made excellent use of color, with vibrant green vines and shrubbery set against the architecture’s earth tones and white trim. I particularly like the sunflower hanging above the entrance, as well as the use of lime green minifigure afro hair for topiary bushes

Click to see more details about Bricks & Blooms

1980s Tape-recording technology

Builder Sven Franic completed a LEGO tape recorder that is a blast from the past. Thanks to Sven’s attention to detail, it looks almost like the real thing. One of the buttons is pressed down, and a cassette tape is visible through the clear window. The power cord is unplugged, revealing the machine’s two-pronged outlet. I especially like how Sven used the Tile, Modified 1 x 1 with Tooth / Ear Vertical (used as floppy ears in Unikitty figures) for the fast-forward and play buttons. They almost look like they were made for this build.