Posts by Norm Harper

This rover has got us pumped.

In 2007, LEGO released the Mars Mission sub-theme for their Space line. One of the major gimmicks for that line was a series of pneumatic tubes that minifigures could travel through. This was accomplished by propelling them with a blast of air provided by a sub-theme-specific giant pump. Those pumps must now be sitting unused in collections around the world. Surely it’s too specific an item to make use of when you’re not constructing a tube-based travel system. “Not so fast,” says lokiloki29. This is the EOS-BA Discovery Rover, and it makes use of four of those pumps to create a set of over-sized wheels that look ready to tackle numerous alien terrains.

Considering the limited connection points that the pumps provide, this vehicle is an out of this world accomplishment. The vehicle contains a fully functioning interior, and even includes a mini vehicle that can deploy to travel through those smaller spaces the larger rover can’t quite handle. And, although it is crewed by a more traditional team of astronauts, I respect that the rover homages the Mars Mission sets with its pops of orange against the largely white color scheme.

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There’s a snake in my boot (and an alien in my mouth)

Toy Story Mania! is an interactive ride based on Pixar’s classic film franchise that you can experience at three of Disney’s parks around the world. But you can only enter the attraction through the gaping maw of a giant Woody head at DisneySea in Tokyo; an experience that has been replicated in LEGO form by builder nobu_tary.

This build does a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of the location. The white, tan, and azure color scheme is a spot-on match for the park’s American Waterfront land. Park details like the lamps and roof spires are properly represented. The ride’s logo is effectively built into Woody’s hat. And Woody’s head is pleasantly detailed, from the cattle horns used as his eyebrows, to the row of teeth set just behind his upper lip. I am surprised to see that Buzz has to wait in line, though. You’d think he’d have some sort of VIP Fast Pass.

An off-the-wall take on a futuristic city

If you stay in the LEGO game long enough, you’re bound to run into the problem shelf space. Specifically, the problem of not enough of it. Andrew Lee is combating that issue with Scumbag City, a multi-storied metropolis that ingeniously hangs on Andrew’s wall.

To achieve this gravity-defying effect, Andrew has built the bottom-most layer around an already existing wooden shelf. The upper layers are secured with screws placed into the wall through Technic brick holes. From there, Andrew has installed a central elevator shaft that allows the citizens to move between levels. Each level was then outfitted with storefronts and restaurants, each equipped with front facades that can be easily removed so you can see the action within.

I particularly like the way this build so clearly tells the story of life in Scumbag City. The top-level, with its large windows and gold fencing, is clearly the home of the city’s elite. The next three levels feature large railings and brightly colored shops and restaurants. The lowest levels have smaller railings, industrial areas, and businesses like a gentleman’s club. No doubt life on the lower levels is a little harder, if for no other reason than it’s probably pretty noisy living right above the engines the keep Scumbag City aloft.

A new way for the Rebel Alliance to get around.

It’s a small part of the movie, but my favorite piece of technology introduced in 1999’s The Phantom Menace is the Bloodfin, Darth Maul’s almost orb-shaped speeder bike that is glimpsed briefly on Tatooine. My infatuation with the vehicle might be that it belonged to Darth Maul, who was the coolest part of that movie overall. Or it might just be that I love speeder bikes in all their forms. Whatever the reason, I was delighted to see this Rebel speeder bike by Patrick Boyle that makes use of a similar shape.

The new bowed window element helps give this vehicle its distinctive curves. And, by building the speeder in a typical Rebel color scheme and outfitting it with a place to keep an Astromech droid, Patrick has crafted a vehicle that blends the new and the familiar – a must when creating original Star Wars tech in LEGO form.

This motion filled LEGO Pac-Man poster brings the game to life.

More than 40 years ago, Toru Iwatani looked at a pizza with a slice missing, and a video game icon was born. Who hasn’t spent at least a couple of hours trying to eat up as many pellets as possible while on the run from Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde? Pac-Man is one of the longest-running and best-selling video game franchises in history. And LEGO artist Paul Hetherington has paid it proper tribute with this fantastic motion poster build.

Paul has made excellent use of LEGO to perfectly capture Pac-Man’s original 8-bit look. Everything from the maze to the ghosts looks like it’s been right out of my Atari. Extra special attention was paid to the logo up top. Not only do the letters perfectly capture the shape of the trademark font, but they’re framed in red and blue lines just like on the original arcade cabinet. Give a look at the poster in action below.

Explore the science of steam in this all-in-one laboratory.

Steampunk is one of those things that I’ve always felt like I would really enjoy. Science-fiction, Victorian England, the American Wild West, top hats, goggles…I love all that stuff. But, for some reason, I’ve never really taken the plunge to familiarize myself with the genre. But this digital LEGO build by Castor Troy and Max Birch might be what pushes me over the edge. A research station where the greatest minds on Earth gather to unlock the secrets of astrophysicists, botany, engineering…and then they go flying around in a bat-winged submarine? What could be cooler?

This complex can be split into three separate buildings, and inside you’ll find rooms devoted to all areas of study: from a mechanical workshop to a greenhouse, to a space observation dome. And, when you’ve gathered the intelligence you need, explorers can launch off in a hot air balloon from the top floor of the central building.

And speaking of explorers, the building has an octet of adventurers ready to tackle the great mysteries of the unknown together. They look like such inviting people. And I love any excuse to wear a vest. Yeah, I gotta research this Steampunk stuff.

Everything you need for your Hall of Armor [Instructions]

All the best superheroes have a cool base of operations. The Batcave, the Fortress of Solitude, an aunt’s apartment in Queens. But the best (or at least the poshest) superhero base has got to be Tony Stark’s seaside estate, and the Hall of Armor contained within. And it’s no wonder so many LEGO builders are working up custom versions of Stark’s Hall of Armor. What better way to put those multiple armor minifigures on display? But, to make a proper Hall of Armor, you need to surround Tony with all of his toys. Thankfully, KosBrick has come to the rescue with enough tutorials to fill a mansion in Malibu.

We’re talking high-tech gadgets, top-of-the-line computers, classic cars…the works.

Click through to learn the secrets of Stark Industries.

Some new pieces are doing the heavy-lifting.

The release of new LEGO themes often means new parts to play with, and the new VIDIYO theme has offered up some especially interesting new pieces for builders to find uses for. One of my favorite examples of this is the 4-D1 Heavy Cargo Lifter – ‘The Ant’ by Tom Loftus (Inthert). This tiny little ship makes use of two of the new VIDIYO box back pieces to create a flatbed for large cargo.

The box back is equal parts plate, bracket, and hinge, which makes it an ideal framework for a unique spacecraft like this. Below the flatbed, the rest of the ship is just barely larger than its single pilot cockpit, which really gives the impression that this craft lives up to its namesake – a tiny critter capable of lugging several times its own weight around.

Advocating for the devil

Mecha maven Marco De Bon wows us once again with the FA-18 “Lucifer.” This human-operated battle bot stands 230 mm tall (about 9 inches) and boasts an impressive range of movement, thanks in part to multiple Mixel joints in each knee. Although, you’d barely know they were there at first glance. Marco has done a fantastic job of shaping the arms and legs in such a way that the major joints remain hidden from view. And the few joints that are exposed blend pretty seamlessly into the robot’s black and silver color scheme. The result is a robot that strikes some very human poses and puts many similarly sized action figures to shame.

Be sure to check out our archives for more of Marco’s marvelous mechs.

The pieces are rare, the build is well done.

One of the joys of the online LEGO community is getting to see what other people build, but sometimes it’s just as fun to get to see what other people build with. That’s why this spaceship from Isaac Snyder caught my eye so quickly. I couldn’t immediately place the red fins that contribute to this ship’s retro-futurism aesthetic.

The tapering curve looks like something from a rocket designed in the 1950s. But what sets are those pieces from? Thankfully, Isaac shared the answer. Turns out they’re part of the Znap theme that LEGO launched back in the late 90s. A relic of another time that I had completely forgotten about. And Isaac has put them to perfect use in this swooshable starfighter.

LEGO elements have been in production for decades, and it’s unlikely that any builder has a collection that contains every part from every era. Let us know your favorite obscure element from outside the main LEGO themes that you like to build with.

The Antibody Intercept Craft

When invasive celestial bodies threaten the galaxy, a swarm of Antibody Intercept Craft is the perfect antidote. Duel auto-targeting laser batteries help these speedy ships clear infected skies with ease. Builder Inthert has spent two years slowly refining and perfecting this build, and the effort really shows.

Not only does the ship makes use of some impressive angling, but the overall design strikes a great balance between looking clean and sleek while still having tons of small details to take in.

There are the obvious big punches that catch your eye, like the swiveling laser cannons or the front tech detail above and below the cockpit. (Which reminds me a bit of the Ghostbuster’s Proton Packs.) But what I really get lost in are details like the asymmetrical set of three red lines about halfway up on each “arm” of the ship, or the yellow dots that pop against the black on the sides of the rear engines (made by sliding bars into backward-facing headlight bricks). It’s these kinds of choices that make the model feel like something that’s been really thought through and refined. Like the best starships of pop culture, this feels like a craft that belongs in a world with deep lore. And I’d love to visit it sometime.

This build is an absolute banger.

They say you never want to see how the sausage is made, but I am curious about how that table is constructed. This small, but effective build by LegoLyman grabs your attention with the red sausages and the crank driven meat grinder; but I’m impressed with the extra attention given to the table. The bottom ends of two minifigure suitcases impart a little extra detail that helps the table feel real. It’s a wonderful bit of complexity in a something that seems pretty straight forward at first. Like the perfect blend of spices in a sausage.