Posts by Norm Harper

Beware this gilded monster of the deep

Everyone in the village knows not to sail too close to the undersea cavern that Apahir calls home…but today they got careless. Joseph Zawada has crafted a kinetic scene of a gilded leviathan making the fishermen pay for trespassing in his realm. Joseph has long been inspired by the gold adorned enemies in the video game Bayonetta, and he used Brickscalibur as a way to finally scratch that itch with a beast of his own. The result is a monster that’s beautiful to behold, but terrifying to see up close.

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The clouds make for a lonely home.

Daniel Cloward is no stranger to builds with a storybook sensibility. But his latest creation is one of the most impactful pieces of LEGO storytelling we’ve seen. This ramshackle space is the cloud-based home of a pilot who needs to fix his airplane so he can return down to the world he’s left behind. But the pilot can’t bear to face the people below that he has wronged, and so his plane sits broken and incomplete, as does his life.

There are so many details in this space that speak to the lonely pilot’s state of mind – the pictures of old friends on the wall, maps of places once explored. And there’s a ton of great technique at work here: the arching entrance way, the blend of bars and tiles in the floor, the use of forced perspective. The genesis of this build was an Iron Builder round with antenna base and handle pieces as the seed part. They may not be immediately obvious, but there are plenty of them buried in this build. Try and pick them all out.

Introducing the 2049 Chevy Corvette

The original Blade Runner movie (which was set in 2019) introduced us to flying cars known as Spinners. Obviously, here in 2022, our cars are still grounded, but Sérgio Batista gives us a glimpse of what could be if modern automobiles had such technology. Using the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R from set 76903 as a starting point, Sérgio has created a perfect blend of modern automotive styling and futuristic hover technology. Sure would be nice if we could take this bad boy for a spin. But, who knows, maybe by the Blade Runner sequel date of 2049…

We bow to this royally awesome Zerg Queen

Okay, so maybe she’s not actual royalty. But Cecilie Fritzvold has constructed a menacing mother whose orders I would obey out of fear for my life. This Zerg Queen from StarCraft II is complimented wonderfully with a spawning pool base and some eggs, which are brought to extra-icky life thanks to the printed trans-bright green dishes.

This upgraded Iron Man armor is ready for battle.

I recently reviewed LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 76206 Iron Man Figure and found it to be a fun, if slightly flawed, take on the ol’ Aluminum Avenger. Builder Nobu_Tary must have felt similarly, because they’ve taken a stab at giving the set an upgrade. Nobu’s approach gives the armor a thicker neck, reshapes the torso, and hides the visible hip joints beneath some inverted slopes. Plus Nobu has eliminated the need for many of the stickers on the set’s arms and legs by building out similar detail with appropriately colored tiles and slopes. If you dig the upgrades, you might want to check out Nobu’s other mech and figure builds right here.

Intergalactic villainy has never looked so stylish.

LEGO fans will often borrow from each other’s work, but builder Redverse has taken that to a whole new level with this tribute to fellow builder Patrick Biggs. As a Secret Santa gift to Patrick, Redverse has created P.B. Vader, an avatar for Patrick dressed in a stylish suit and trench coat ensemble, with a matching Darth Vader helmet. To drive home the relation to Patrick, P.B. Vader is holding a microscale version of one of Patrick’s own creations, The Branching Elk.

This monstrous hermit crab is the stuff of legend.

The Recluse by Sebastian Arts is a beast that all seafarers need be wary of. This creature makes its home in the husks of old ships. And while it usually keeps to itself deep in the waters below, when it grows too big for its current “shell”, it’ll come looking for a new home. And your boat might be just what it’s looking for.

Click here to feel the wrath of the Recluse

Take note of this impressive castle vignette.

Francis Wiemelt has delivered a 12×12 castle vignette featuring a medieval scribe, attending to his work in a room worth writing home about. From the slanted brickwork in the ceiling, to the well textured stone floor, there are loads of impressive details in this build. My favorite part is the scribe’s desk, which is made (appropriately enough) from books.

A new year means a new adventure in Middle-Earth

I love the Lord of the Rings films, but that’s about as far into the Tolkien waters as I’ve ever dipped my toe. But builder Josh is giving folks like me a taste of the deeper lore with this model inspired by the tale of Túrin from The Silmarillion. Here, Morwen bids farewell to Túrin as he ventures off towards the kingdom of Doriath. Josh’s use of round tiles and studs not on top techniques give a realistic rustic texture to the walls of this homestead. And the brilliant use of color for the foliage in the background reminds me of fall in Vermont. Good luck on your travels, Túrin. I hope Josh will update us on your progress. (I know I should just read the book, but it’s more fun this way.)

This old school classroom brings back memories.

If you want to build some LEGO furniture, there’s a thing or two to learn from Jannis Mavrostomos, who has constructed a LEGO classroom full of things I remember from my own school days.

Don’t be tardy, click here to make it to class on time.

I bet the enemy is glad it’s an herbivore

Mitsuru Nikaido has been busy creating quite a mechanical menagerie. The latest member of his mecha-petting zoo is a triceratops like you’ve never seen before. I normally find the triceratops to be an adorable, huggable creature. But Mitsuru’s trademark white armor-plating style makes him look like a machine ready for war. I imagine there’s not much the enemy could throw at this beast to slow it down. (But, I’ll be honest, I kinda still want to give him a hug.)

Walkers in a winter wonderland

Pascal Hetzel wants to remind us that even the evil Empire gets into the Christmas spirit. That’s why these microscale AT-ATs have been outfitted in festive sweaters and ordered to leave some presents just outside the Rebels’ base on Hoth. There’s so much life to the walkers in this vignette. The head tilts and the tracks left in the snow make it feel like a scene from a stop-motion Christmas special. Maybe they’re going caroling next. “It’s Beginning to Look AT-AT Like Christmas.”