Posts by Norm Harper

A picture-perfect portrait parody

If you were going to take set 31213 Mona Lisa and turn it into anything else, what better subject than the artist known for taking someone else’s art and turning it into something else? And that’s what Trevor Pearson-Jones has done with this fabulous rendering of the king of parodies, “Weird Al” Yankovic. Trevor has made fantastic use of tiles and wedges to capture Al’s trademark curly locks and wardrobe. And he’s set a few piano keys into the frame as a nod to Al’s musical career. Not to mention that two accordions flying over Al’s shoulders, one with angel’s wings and one with a demon’s. I imagine the angel accordion is all, “Make this song about food” and the demon accordion is like, “No, make this song about reality TV.”

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An aquatic bird breaks new ground by flying high

Have you ever dreamed of flying? Me, too. And Matt Goldberg wants to remind us that’s a dream we share with some birds. Matt has done an amazing job of imbuing this brick-built penguin with plenty of personality. You can practically hear it squealing with delight. And I appreciate the little details in this build, like the tiny brown straps going just under the wing to indicate how the rocket pack stays on. Make sure to check out more of Matt’s creative creature work in our archives.

Explore Endor in this epic Ewok Village

Back in the 80s, I remember the older kids always showed a certain disdain for Ewoks. But I was just young enough when The Return of the Jedi came out that a giant alien treehouse manned by warrior teddy bears seemed like the coolest thing ever. And Simulterious has made my inner child beam with delight at the sight of this amazing Ewok village build.

Click through to check out the full build!

I always enjoy my crab chilled

LEGO themes might officially come and go, but they live forever in our MOCs. And Braylon Turner is helping keep Ice Planet 2002’s memory alive and well with this Seraphic Scarab Amphibious Vehicle; a unique craft perfect for exploring the frozen frontier with powerful mechanized legs that can handle the harshest terrain. This build makes terrific use of Technic and even Bionicle pieces, giving it a unique look among the Ice Planet 2002 fleet, but the color scheme of black, white, and blue capped off with those trans-neon orange bits is unmistakable.

A hotrod with some hotdog parts usage

Sérgio Batista is known for his amazing trains and automobile builds. His latest is a low-sitting station wagon in a flashy lime green deco with lots of interesting parts usage, including a guide dog harness on the front grill. Sérgio says this car sits lower than a minifigure stands, so despite it being a station wagon, I’m not sure we can get the whole family inside.

Read our interview with Sérgio Batista to learn more about the builder’s journey and unorthodox building techniques.

This general store is an admirable build

Builder Andrew Tate has a knack for capturing bygone eras in brick form. His latest creation is an early 20th-century building housing a first-floor general store with apartments above. The structure is assembled in various shades of brown, with a few pops of muted greens in both the architecture and the well-manicured plant life, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that has us wondering if there are any vacancies.

The interior is just as charming with goods and sundries to meet all your household needs. Inside, as out, Andrew’s build feels of a kind to official LEGO modulars, while smoothing away nearly every stud.

A different kind of alley in LEGO city.

Bowling is one of the great underappreciated sports – if I can’t drink a coke and eat a basket of cheese sticks between my turns, it’s not a sport I want to play. That’s why I love this tribute to the game by Andrew Tate. The blend of earth tones and bright blues captures a mid-20th Century feel, during what was probably bowling’s heyday. And, speaking of cheese, Andrew has made incredible use of cheese wedges throughout. Obviously, the designs built into the wall and floor are strike-worthy. But stacking the slopes on the shelves for a quick and clever rental shoe display is perfection.

But every alley needs an iconic retro logo to go with it. Check out what Andrew came up with to advertise his lanes. I can smell the rental shoes already!

LEGO Marvel 76281 X-Men X-Jet; is it too X-Pensive? [Review]

Let’s just deal with the major issue right away. When the official reveal for set 76281 hit, you could practically hear the collective gasp from LEGO fans around the world. An average of ten cents per piece tends to be the benchmark for judging the value of a set, but the X-Men’s aerial transport clocks in at nearly twenty-five cents per piece. I saw a lot of comments online from people writing the set off because of the price alone. So, exactly what is it that’s commanding such a lofty price tag? Back in the 90s, superhero cartoons were all the rage, and one of the most popular was X-Men. And Disney+ is about to debut a new animated series called X-Men ’97, a direct sequel to that previous animated adventure. And a new series means new merchandise, including a LEGO tie-in set featuring four of the most popular mutants as well as the X-Men’s main mode of transportation, the X-Jet (aka The Blackbird). We got our hands on a copy and we’re determined to give it a fair shake. So, for now, put thoughts of price out of your head and let’s find out if the X-Jet can soar or if a crash landing is inevitable. 76281 X-Men X-Jet comes with 359 pieces and will be available on January 1st for US $84.99 | CAN $109.99 | UK £74.99

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read on for our full review

LEGO 71045 Collectible Minifigures Series 25; is this series the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)? [Review]

A new year often means a new set of Collectible Minifigures from LEGO, and 2024 brings with it the landmark 25th set (not counting the licensed lines, like Marvel, DC, and the Muppets). Over time, a lot has changed about LEGO’s approach to this line – like new packaging and a more even distribution of figures. But hopefully, what hasn’t changed is LEGO’s commitment to quality, with the CMFs brining extensive prints, fun new accessories, and plenty of charm. So, let’s take a look at this newest set and see how it compares to the two dozen sets that came before it. 71045 Collectible Minifigures Series 25 will be available January 1st for US $4.99 | CAN $5.99 | UK £3.49.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click here for the full review!

Meet the most menacing mutants in the making

This LEGO duo of Bebop and Rocksteady, maybe the most iconic henchmen pair in the history of villainy, are ready to trounce some turtles, courtesy of builders Maxx Davidson and Áron Gerencsér. Maxx’s Bebop perfectly captures the horrible hog’s sense of style. The unmistakable mohawk and glasses cap off a perfectly shaped boar’s head that makes fun use of a minifig pretzel as the nose. And Áron’s Rocksteady brings the reprehensible rhino to life with dismembered minifigure arms to help shape his brow, repurposed Koopa shells as Rocksteady’s turtle trophies, and some cleverly connected vehicle mudguards to form the upper legs. The complete effect is a pair of brutes I wouldn’t want to run into in a dark New York alleyway, even if I did have ninja training.

This gingerbread house requires some real dough…

Stilly Bricks has paid tribute to my favorite holiday tradition: crafting miniature houses out of cookies. But this particular house isn’t quite so miniature. Rather, it’s a luxurious candy-covered manor suitable for the upper crust of gingerbread society. The use of staggered teeth plates gives the impression of realistically runny icing, while the use of star and heart pieces perfectly replicates those hard candies that seem to exist only in gingerbread architecture. And I can practically taste the peppermint railing on the porch.

LEGO 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride and 40604 Christmas Décor Set [Review]

It’s the holiday season, and the mall is total chaos. But your kids need to find those latest Friends and Ninjago sets under the tree. Well, LEGO has a holiday present for you because they’re offering up two holiday themed gifts with purchase to make the shopping worth it. 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride and 40604 Christmas Décor Set will be available this December with qualifying purchases. Let’s unwrap things a little early and have a sneak peak at these sets.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Don’t open until Christmas? Nah, click right now.