Posts by Norm Harper

Celebrating Pride with a small vignette that speaks volumes

As part of LEGO’s AtoZofAwesome campaign, Dave Schefcik constructed a 16×16 vignette to celebrate the letter C, for Coming Out. Dave’s done a lot of impressive building in this small space, from angling the house, to the framing of the whole scene in a variety of plants offering up a rainbow of blooms. And the selection of minifigure pieces perfectly captures the feelings Dave was looking for.

“Discovering your identity is a lifelong process, and coming out can be a defining moment. In this build, I’ve tried to capture the feeling of coming out–the moment of tranquility when I finally accepted who I was. To me, coming out represents a new beginning to a beautiful journey, stepping forward into a more colorful world full of possibilities.” – Dave, New York

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Stop by this upgraded R.V. for a little R&R

Pan Noda just wowed us with a pair of houses traveling on sneakers, but now they’ve gone the other direction and made a mobile camper into a more permanent domicile. This busted RV has been upgraded with a ramshackle second and third story to become the perfect wilderness estate. There’s lots to do, from enjoying a meal around the campfire, to hanging the laundry on the roof, or playing on the world’s most precarious swing. For our younger readers, the mismatched colors and patchwork construction might call to mind the Weasley’s Burrow, but I’m reminded of the junkyard home of The Cadillac Cats from Heathcliff… You know, Hector, Wordsworth, and Mungo? No? Ugh, you kids today. No respect for the classics.

LEGO reveals 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle and 10497 Galaxy Explorer as throwback sets for 90th anniversary [News]

Today LEGO has revealed two brand new sets that pay tribute to classic themes from yesteryear. 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle is a 4,514-piece stronghold featuring a working drawbridge, a dungeon, secret passages, and more. The 22 included minifigures pit the Lion Knights against Black Falcons and Forestmen factions. It will retail for US $399.99 | CAN $449.99 | UK £344.99 when it debuts on August 8 (but VIP Early Access members can pick it up on August 3). Leaping into the future, 10497 Galaxy Explorer gives us a modern take on the fan-favorite spaceship that originally debuted in 1979. Keeping the classic space color scheme, this 1,254-piece set includes four classic spacemen, a robot, and classic play features like a rover than can deploy from the rear of the craft. It will retail for US $99.99 | CAN $129.99 | UK £89.99 and drops August 1.

See more images of the two sets below, and also check out more LEGO News on TBB.

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This video game tribute switches up the way pieces can be linked.

Dan Ko delivers a tribute to the Legend of Zelda franchise with this Iron Builder entry, featuring Link battling an octorok as they both emerge from the controller of a Nintendo Switch. The Iron Builder seed part of the bigfig hands in bright green are put to excellent use as part of Link’s body and trademark hat. And the printed tiles used for the octorok’s eyes are so spot-on, that I’d believe that creature was from an officially licensed set. Dare I dream of such a thing?

Go back in time to Colorado’s Crystal Mill

When it comes to beautifully constructed LEGO cabins, Andrea Lattanzio is in a class of his own. Whether you’re looking for perilously perched adventure or a little holiday magic, odds are good Andrea has you covered. Andrea’s latest build is the Crystal Mill, a real-life Colorado landmark as it might have looked back in the 19th century. The realistic trees and gorgeous waterfall catch your attention right away, but don’t overlook the smaller details of the cabin, like the minifigure wand elements on the front-door and the creatively crafted ladder.

Take the time to watch this real working clock made entirely from LEGO.

Akiyuki has a knack for creating elaborately engineered LEGO creations. But this latest creation is possibly the most complex yet. Using a mangle rack system that converts the spinning of gears into rectilinear motion (i.e. straight lines), Akiyuki was able to create an accurate second hand on a giant LEGO clock frame. From there, the minute and hour hands were a breeze…well maybe not a breeze, but Akiyuki sure makes it look easy.

Check out the video below for a full breakdown on the construction and operation of the clock, including a timelapse next to a standard clock to demonstrate its accuracy. Make sure you turn on the closed captioning for Akiyuki’s full commentary.

A personified plant ponders piece potential

Builder Eero Okkonen taps into something that I think most LEGO fans can relate to: looking for a new way to use an old piece. Where Eero might differ from those of you reading this is in depicting that struggle as a tree. But this wonderful self-portrait turns a few pieces upside down to deliver a wonderful image of an Ent-like being confounded by a gear. It’s no surprise Eero’s self-portrait would be a fantasy creature looking for new parts usage. Check out our Eero Okkonen archives for a look at his past builds, and you’ll know what I mean.

We’re shell-shocked by this handy build

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles famously waged battle against the evil Foot Clan. Well, Dan Ko is here to remind us that the best weapon against the foot is a hand. The Iron Builder competition is back underway, with the seed part being the bright light green big fig hands in both left and right. Dan has ingeniously used at least seven of them to build Raphael, and there’s another bunch of them making up the ooze leaking from the sewer. The result is some impressive NPU (Ninja Parts Usage).

This sail barge is large and in charge

As the premiere of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ invites us back to the harsh sands of Tatooine, Shaun Sheepa reminds us that you can still travel in style on a desert planet. This fantastic rendition of Jabba the Hutt’s sail barge from Return of the Jedi is just 50 studs long, but is still packed with all the comforts you want in your intergalactic super yacht, like hover engines and deck-mounted cannons. The pentagonal tiles and ingots do a great job of adding some screen accuracy to the ship’s hull.

Inside, there’s room for a brick-built Jabba and plenty of the Hutt’s crew. The front also features a cockpit worthy of the finest starfighters, a feature that both of LEGO’s official sail barge sets has lacked.

Building better BrickHeadz with bionics.

SKcheung73 takes us back to 1970s, when the closest thing pop-culture had to a cinematic shared universe was the sci-fi duo of TV shows, The Bionic Woman and The Six Million Dollar Man. One of the recurring obstacles for those heroes were the Fembots: a series of lifelike androids that could pass as real people, until their face coverings got knocked off in battle, revealing the robotics underneath. The well-greebled robot face that SKcheung73 has achieved is definitely the highlight of this build. But I’m equally impressed with the era-appropriate hair and wardrobe. Dig that excellent use of a minifigure diving flipper as a groovy neck scarf.

LEGO Marvel 76216 Iron Man Armory [Review]

Iron Man 2 came out more than a decade ago. But the power of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is such that, even 12 years later, LEGO’s target audience can still be expected to have seen the film. At the time, LEGO didn’t do any real, specific tie-in for the movie. But they’re making up for that now with set 76216 Iron Man Armory. While this set draws from multiple of Tony Stark’s on-screen adventures, it’s got a definite preference for the Armored Avenger’s second cinematic outing. This 496-piece set will be available on June 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $89.99 | CAN $119.99 | UK TBD.

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.

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LEGO Marvel 76217 I Am Groot [Review]

Groot, the lovable living tree from the Guardians of the Galaxy series, was making baby versions of characters cool long before Grogu introduced the term “Baby Yoda” to the pop culture lexicon. As Rocket Raccoon’s loyal partner in crime, he steals scenes by just repeating the words “I am Groot” for all of his dialogue (and, let me tell you, the urge to turn in this review with “I am Groot” repeated over and over was strong). Now LEGO is releasing a 1:1 scale build of this extraterrestrial Ent in his youthful form so you can have a Baby Groot of your very own. 76217 I Am Groot is a 476-piece set releasing June 1st in the UK and worldwide August 1st for US $54.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £44.99

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.

I…am…Groot. (I had to get one in)