Posts by Norm Harper

These chibi builds are Golden

It’s hard to escape the juggernaut that is K-Pop Demon Hunters. The movie just broke another record, holding for its 15th week in Netflix’s Top 10. It’s such a phenomenon, in fact, that I wouldn’t bet against LEGO producing some official sets someday. But, until then, we’ll settle for LegoWyrm’s take on Zoey, Ruma, and Mira. The characters are brought to life in a chibi form that’s a perfect compliment to the film’s tone, with plenty of great technique on display. I love the studs not on top construction of the trio’s eyes. And the way the printed design on Zoey’s pants is brick-built strikes a perfect chord.

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Take a sec to admire this tech

We all love the brick-built greebles that decorate an intricate sci-fi model. But, sometimes it’s just as enjoyable to see how a builder incorporates some of LEGO’s pieces that feature pre-existing sculpted detail. Case in point, this bounty hunter droid by Toni A, which uses Technic and Bionicle parts to such perfection that you’d be forgiven for not knowing it was made from LEGO at all. Pre-sculpted piping, rivets, and pistons blend together in perfect harmony. And it’s easy to imagine those eyes shining at you from the darkened corridor of your disabled spaceship, as this robot closes in for the kill.

How do you say ‘brilliant build’ in Spanish?

One of my favorite places to eat is a nearby Spanish restaurant that serves things tapas style – that is to say, small plates that are full of complex and interesting flavors. And “tapas” might be the perfect way to describe this tiny build of a hillside in Spain by seb71. It’s definitely not very large, but it’s full of creative and complex parts use that I want to spend plenty of time savoring.

Initiate hunny defense systems

When Winnie the Pooh and his friends entered the public domain, some people jumped at the chance to reimagine the property as a low budget horror film. But Psyro TtunTomato has taken it in the other direction with this Pooh Bear mech worthy of a big budget blockbuster.

The intricate curves of this massive robot perfectly blend a high-tech aesthetic with Pooh’s trademark huggable stuffed frame. I just hope Pooh washes his hands before he hops in the pilot seat. Honey residue on the control panel probably doesn’t help much in combat.

We can deal with this massive Transformers build

One of the only constants to The Transformers franchise is that things are going to change. Case in point, we’ve seen Ultra Magnus, the Autobot City Commander, get reinvented in all sorts of ways over the years; from reluctant leader, to pompous general, to by-the-book cop. And Shipmaster has taken a little bit from multiple iterations of the character to craft this 7,000-piece behemoth of a build. All of the trademark Ultra Magnus details are present, but there’s plenty of creative license and extra detailing that makes this version stand alone amongst Ultra Magnuses.

Slay Bells Ring…

Let me be upfront: The Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t my cup of tea. But I respect it. And there’s no denying it’s captured the hearts of fans across the world. And, I have to admit, I find this Jack Skellington sleigh by Kalais to be a delightful blend of Halloween and Christmas aesthetics. The giant bone runners, the mausoleum-like back structure, the jack-o-lanterns lighting the way. Is it based off of something from the movie? I don’t remember. And it doesn’t matter. The charm of it all has scared the Scrooge right out of me.

These robots are ready to rock

Earlier this year, we introduced you to Bullseye, a literal drum machine. But Steve ‘Rubblemaker‘ Marsh was in the process of crafting an entire technological trio, and they have finally arrived! Queen Bou-D-1CA is the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist. She’s shredding like no human can, thanks to two fretting arms. And no doubt when she’s really wailing, that head of chains whips around in a dramatic show.

Meanwhile, the band’s bassit Gusoku the Low plays so fast that his instrument only needs two strings. Look at the way those articulate fingers can spread out. Bonus, Steve says the bass build really works, and it’s possible to get some notes out of it. That would be a great way to produce some music for set 21328.

We’re shell-ebrating some NPU

Over the years, we’ve seen builders use all kinds of non-standard LEGO products; brick separators, the sprues that various minifigure accessories come attached to, even empty stick sheets. But Trevor Pearson-Jones is breaking new ground by using this actual LEGO box to create a, well…a box turtle. Trevor has captured the spirit of the LEGO Freestyle sets by crafting a delightfully mismatched creature that still retains plenty of detailed anatomy that calls to mind the real thing. And, just like a real turtle, we’re pretty sure this one can hide in its shell. We just wonder how much disassembly is required to get him in there.

A massive meanie with multiple modes

If you’re a fan of LEGO and Transformers, then it’s almost inconceivable you wouldn’t know who Alex Jones is. His portfolio includes brick-built Autobots and Decepticons who turn into cars, trucks, planes, beasts, and some that even combine together! But for all he’s accomplished, Alex still had one building challenge he hadn’t faced – the Decepticon ninja warrior Sixshot, capable of transforming into six different modes!

Click here to have a closeup look a the dirty half-dozen.

A vintage villain with a vile visage

If you’ve ever seen a clip package of old, cheesy sci-fi films, you’ve probably glanced an image of the Ro-Man character from 1953’s Robot Monster. A gorilla suit with a helmet on top was all it took to captivate the audience back then. Or, at least, the filmmakers hoped that was all it took. And maybe they were right. In the 1980s, MTV aired the film and it stuck with a lot of us. Which is how we ended up with this wonderful rendition of the creature by SPARKART! The brick-built gorilla body topped with the cauldron piece from the DREAMZzz line brings Ro-Man perfectly to life. In fact, it might even be more realistic than the original.

Whet your whistle on this backwater planet

Obviously, we’re all still reeling from the official reveal of the new LEGO Star Wars 75419 Death Star. So, while we’ve all got Star Wars on the brain, what better time could there be to travel on down to Mos Eisley for a cold glass of blue milk? Don’t know how to get to Mos Eisley? No problem. Sentinel_Brix can be our tour guide, starting with this fantastic diorama scene. Why, this sandy city has got it all, from salvaged scrap for sale to unscrupulous scoundrels and bounty hunters who’ll stop at nothing to… You know what? I’m starting to think maybe we were safer on the Death Star. Let’s get outta here.

Part Brickheadz. Part Minifigure. All LEGO

Back in 1987, RoboCop imagined the future of law enforcement with a protagonist who was part man, part machine. Now, GolPlaysWithLego pays homage to that film with a build that comes off like a cybernetic fusion of Brickheadz build and minifigure. Which is to say, it retains that chibi charm in a rounded and slightly more anatomically accurate form. There’s even a touch of poseablity in the arms. Why, I think this could be something that spawns a whole new subline. I’d buy that for a dollar! Or, more likely, a cost of ten cents per piece.