This rustic scene by Yvonne depicts Woodvale in early morning. The buildings borrow their style from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. I really like how the lighting simulates a sunrise.
Posts by Nannan
The return of Galidor, aka the Ben 10 figs [News]
A lot of fans were skeptical when LEGO announced upcoming Ben 10 sets, and they were right. We now have pictures of the upcoming Ben 10 big figs from Amazon.com
Pictures from Mr. Mandalorian
A deeper look at the LEGO building experience
Have you ever contemplated LEGO as a profound life experience? For the intellectuals out there, you can pick up a copy of Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Chabon‘s recent book Manhood for Amateurs
Adult fan of LEGO and college professor Roy T. Cook has read the essay and gave us an academic summary below:
In “To The LEGOland Station”, the seventh essay in Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son (2009, Harper Collins), Michael Chabon briefly relates his own experiences with LEGO bricks: First, there was the “limited repertoire of shapes and the absolute, even cruel, set of axioms that governed they could and couldn’t be arranged” (p. 53) that characterized his own childhood exposure to LEGO. Second are the experiences he had building more contemporary sets – in particular, licensed sets – with his children, an experience he describes as having “far more in common with puzzle-solving, a process of moving incrementally toward an ideal, pre-established, and above all, a provided solution.” (p. 55) Apparently viewing this emphasis on building official models as depicted on the box-front as the sole credo of the ‘new’ LEGO, Chabon reports that he “resented the authoritarian nature of the new LEGO.” (p. 55). The third stage of his evolution is when he observes his children (eventually) disassembling their official sets and recombining them, resulting in models of impressive complexity and creativity. Unfortunately, Chabon characterizes this final, creative revolution as a rebellion, on the part of his children, against the “realism” and “quirks and limitations” of the LEGO system.” (p. 56), instead of recognizing that the passage from building-as-rote-instruction to building-as-original-creation is a transition that was, and is, intended, encouraged, and accounted for in the design of the system by LEGO all along. Thus, Chabon mistakenly characterizes his children’s passage through these stages as a sort of transgressive rejection of LEGO’s “structure of control and implied obedience to the norms of the instruction manual” (p. 55).
You can download Roy’s full synopsis here.
ChromeBricks review
We recently posted about a store where you can buy custom chromed LEGO elements. Here is a review of products from ChromeBricks.com.
To put things simply, the quality of the chrome elements are what you’d expect from LEGO’s chrome parts. The layer of chrome is the result of a procedure that industrially evaporates metal onto the brick, resulting in a very thin coating that doesn’t hinder the fit with other LEGO pieces. The chrome surfaces also resist scratching, which means they can handle a moderate amount of play while remaining in their pristine condition.
ChromeBricks currently offers three colors of chrome including gold, silver, and a new copper chrome. Consistency of color among the parts is flawless. When compared with chrome LEGO elements, the silver is also an exact match while the gold is darker than LEGO’s chrome gold (LEGO does not currently produce chrome copper bricks). The richer chrome gold color results from actual gold being used to coat the bricks!
On the flip side, ChromeBricks differs from LEGO bricks where most of the parts from the former are not coated on the interior or underside. This should not be a concern since the uncoated sections will not be visible in a LEGO creation.
Overall, I recommend ChromeBricks for their high quality of parts. The price of each piece can be on the expensive side, but the cost is justified (you can ask other custom vendors who have tried to chrome LEGO bricks). Shipping is relatively inexpensive and very fast (about a week to the US) while the parts are individually packed in separate baggies. If you want to make a few minifigs with chrome accessories, this is definitely the store for you. For those interested in customizing a car model with chrome bricks, you probably need more money than pocket change.
Tri-Runner spy drone
If I were a secret agent, I’d want one of these Tri-Runners by The Zipper. The gears give an appearance of functionality and the color combo makes this robot remarkable.
Walking stick battle bug
The battle bugs theme has spawned some unique insect-based mechas. This stick insect inspired battle bug by Jordan Schwartz is among one of the more novel species in its class. The creation is as fragile as it looks, and I’m afraid it may collapse if I stare too hard at it. Nevertheless it is armed with three ventral rockets and one on the tail.
Do not attempt this in real life
Sean Kenney presents a public service announcement for bikers. Its message is simple yet striking. Check out Red Light.
House in the vineyard
No, we’re not talking about May’s LEGO house. Rather, this humble rustic scene by Matija Grguric evokes a longing for the simple lifestyle of the countryside. I especially like the grapevines, which I have not seen rendered in LEGO.
LEGO is like ovulation
As far as abstract LEGO sculptures go, this one takes the cake. In this creation by Marisa, the builder portrays the birth of the brick in an abstract representation of a follicle rupturing to release the egg. At the same time, the sculpture is a tribute to Ole Kirk Christiansen, the founding father of LEGO. Critics may dispute the appropriateness of the metaphor, but I think the attempt is genuine.
Haulin’ in style
Still deciding to get some chrome bricks? This Peterbilt 379 model by Jörg (lichtblau) may just convince you. It’s got enough shiny-shiny to drool over, but there’s also cool features such as an opening hood and sleeper cab.
James May’s LEGO house destined for ruins
The life-sized LEGO house built by the British TV presenter James May faces imminent destruction after LEGOLAND Windsor withdrew their plans to purchase the massive structure due to expensive transportation costs. The house was built with about 3 million LEGO bricks supplied by the LEGO Group and took about 1000 volunteers who worked tirelessly for about a month to complete. It features a furnished bedroom, living room, kitchen, and a bathroom with a functional toilet – all made from LEGO bricks. Unfortunately, this architectual feat will not be enduring the times. According to the Daily Mail, “if no one collects it by 8am on Tuesday, it will be hacked to bits with chainsaws.”
Read more on BBC News or the Daily Mail.
UPDATE: There’s even a Save James May’s Lego House group on Facebook.
Get chrome parts and accessories from ChromeBricks.com
While browsing Bricklink today, I came across a store that specializes in custom chrome LEGO elements. Here, you can get a diverse array of industrially chromed parts from minifig helmets and accessories to car parts for pimping your ride. You can even ask the store to chrome your own LEGO element. Visit ChromeBricks.com and browse their offerings in the chrome gold and chrome silver color categories. You can also find out more by reading their FAQ page.
The following video showcases their products with some rather dramatic and suspenseful background music. After all, chrome is serious business.
If you’re making an order, feel free to drop a mention that you’re a reader of our blog. If many people show interest, we will be featuring a review of these products in the coming weeks.