Posts by Norm Harper

This large-scale Christmas scene looks like a cozy place to enjoy some eggnog.

At first glance, you might not realize this idyllic holiday scene is made from LEGO. That’s because builder aukbricks has made use of roughly 14,000 digital bricks to render a spacious living room at a scale large enough to trick the eye. I’m particularly impressed by the mosaic hanging on the wall, made using the tips of bar elements. Although this model is a computer rendering, aukbricks assures us that only existing bricks/colors were used. So, you can build this yourself in reality…assuming Santa brings you enough LEGO this year. Merry Christmas.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Marvel Superheroes Doctor Strange 76205 Gargantos Showdown [Review]

Judging from the trailers, it seems Doctor Strange is playing a big role in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home (which premiered this past weekend and we’ll avoid spoiling here). And after that, the Sorcerer Supreme won’t have very much downtime as the second movie in his franchise, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will be hitting theaters early next year. There’s not a ton of information officially released about the plot of that movie so far and the trailer is a bit cryptic, but let’s see what we can deduce about it from taking a look at its tie-in LEGO set, 76205 Gargantos Showdown. This 264-piece set will be available January 1st for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99.

As the movie this set is based on hasn’t released yet, this article may contain very light spoilers.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with early copies of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to continue reading.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 76206 Iron Man Figure [Review]

The cinematic story of Tony Stark came to an end with the release of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. But, for the true icons of pop culture, the merch doesn’t stop just because the story has ended. Robert Downey, Jr.’s portrayal of Iron Man is joining the likes of Darth Vader and Optimus Prime as someone who lives on in the toy aisle long after they’ve passed away on screen. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 76206 Iron Man Figure is a 381 piece-set that releases from LEGO on January 1st for US $39.99 | CAN $49.99 | UK £34.99. But is it a worthy celebration of Iron Man as an icon of the toy aisle? Let’s find out.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with early copies of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click here to continue reading

The Sarlaccbuster Armor – coming to a Star Wars toy aisle near you?

As we all patiently await the premiere of The Book of Boba Fett, builder Greg Dalink gives us a hint of what might have been for the intergalactic bounty hunter if the Outer Rim met Pacific Rim. There’s no need to worry about the Sarlacc Pit when you’re piloting a giant mech too big to fit inside. Mechs aren’t a common piece of tech in Star Wars, but Greg’s done an amazing job of creating one that feels like part of that universe. Not only does it faithfully resemble its pilot, but it’s covered in the perfect amount of greeble detail. And touches like the tattered cape give it that dirty and well-worn feel that so much of the best Star Wars production design has.

This triple changing Transformer is off the rails and out of this world.

If you were into Transformers as a kid in the early 80s, there are a few characters that probably stand out in your mind, even if you haven’t stayed current with the franchise. Optimus Prime, obviously. Soundwave, the cassette player with a chest full of evil minions. And probably right up there with those two is Astrotrain – the evil Decepticon triple changer that turned into, well, a space shuttle and a locomotive. Alan Yap certainly remembers Astrotrain. In fact, he spent two years constructing a fully transformable LEGO version of the character.

Click here to take a ride on the space train…

It’s time to acknowledge that elves are more than just toy makers.

It’s no secret that the elves of the North Pole are some of the world’s most proficient toy makers. But not every elf can devote themselves to the craft. To keep an operation like the North Pole running smoothly, you need elves devoted to all kinds of other disciplines. Lepralego is paying homage to the hardworking elves behind-the-scenes with this magical village build. This bridge is where North Poleians can come for some wonderful fresh baked goods, reindeer supplies, and even a stylish beard trimming. Or, they can spend their days off ice skating on the frozen river. The detailed stone work of the bridge and playful tilt of the shops’ roofs would make this feel right at home among LEGO’s official winter village offerings.

A microscale build you’ll want to check twice.

What do you get for the LEGO fan who has everything? How about a custom creation. Even a small build can bring large amounts of holiday cheer, as Dan Ko demonstrates here. As part of a Secret Santa gift exchange, Dan called upon his excellent microscale skills to create this LEGO ornament featuring Santa Claus soaring through the air in a sleigh pulled by a single reindeer. Good microscale is about creative part use, and there’s lots of that at work here. The formal minifigure collar as Santa’s beard is a particularly nice touch.

Holy guacamole, look at this crime scene!

I’ve said before that the biggest political disagreement between my wife and me is that I see salsa as an excuse to devour tortilla chips. In contrast, she sees tortilla chips as merely a salsa delivery system. Today I am finally vindicated. Builder Loke has opened our eyes to the sadistic nature of tortilla chips. Look at the way they mock Mr. Avocado, smearing the remains of his friend across their bodies. It’s disgusting. They have to be stopped. I’m going to go eat as many tortilla chips as I can. I urge you to join me. Mr. Avocado, we’re doing it for you.

Fabulous Fabuland AT-AT walks straight into our hearts

When you hear the words “Star Wars,” I bet the word “trilogy” pops into your head. Whether it’s the Original Trilogy, the Prequel Trilogy, or the Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars defines itself by its cinematic trios. That’s why it’s so fitting that Stewart Cromar has created a third model in his Star Wars x Fabuland series – the FAB-AT-AT, or “Fabuland Playhouse.”

Click here to continue reading

A tropical twist on an explosive device.

The video game Halo Infinite offers a variety of ways to let players customize their armor. Things like visor colors, decals, and ammo belts are available for the more serious Spartans. But, for players who like to get a little silly, the game offers options like teddy bears, sunflowers, and grenades that look like pineapples. Nick Jensen is no stranger to building life-sized Halo weapon replicas, and as soon as he saw the pineapple grenades on screen, he knew he had to build one. Nick’s done a fantastic job of replicating the shape and texture of the fruit-themed-weapon. Centering the 1×1 round plates in a square made from 1/4 round tiles is a technique that would be useful for decorating a variety of builds.

Santa’s home away from home.

If you follow The Brothers Brick on social media, you might have noticed we just updated our cover photo to Santa’s house, a cozy A-frame cabin built by Andrea Lattanzio. But don’t be fooled by his jolly demeanor, Santa’s a big celebrity. And he’s living a life with all the perks, which includes multiple houses. This asymmetrical cabin, also by Andrea, is a little more stylish than the A-frame. No doubt this house is for when Santa’s feeling a little posher. That four-wheel-drive vehicle might not be able to travel as far as magic reindeer, but I bet it’s more expensive. And the brickwork on the deck couldn’t have come cheap. After all, it’s actually made from dozens of Mjolners.

A Vic Viper that looks carved from wood.

We’ve seen a wide variety of Vic Viper themes recently: Ice Planet, Fire Fighter, Mazinger. But this Viper that reminds me of my parents’ 1970s living room décor is maybe the most surprising one of all. F@bz used at least 60 decorative spiral bricks to create a ship that feels like a handcrafted piece of carpentry. The motif is further accentuated by the arch pieces used for the wings and the pearl gold elements that feel like brass fittings. It’s a ship that would make Nick Offerman proud.