Posts by Norm Harper

This snowy inn takes medieval construction to new heights

In this frozen wilds scene, Jake Hansen (Mountain Hobbit) has brilliantly captured the feel of a rough and snowy wilderness. The fatigue of that poor traveler comes right through in this image, thanks in part to the steep stone stairs with the snow collecting in their cervices. Thankfully, the traveler has reached a warm and inviting inn and can now claim a well-earned night’s rest. But, were I the traveler, I might take one lap around the inn and enjoy its shades of blue, and the intricate roof awnings. There’s always time to appreciate good craftsmanship. Besides, if you just climbed 1000 feet, what could a lap around the inn hurt?

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A spaceship scene that is truly “in tents.”

OA KD has a real knack for taking unusual LEGO elements and working them into brilliant Classic Space homages. Last time, a Duplo windscreen did its duty on a massive cargo freighter. This time, a Belville tent frame from 5846 Desert Island forms most of the hull of a tiny fighter. While white isn’t typically part of the Classic Space color scheme, the effect works here thanks to all the dark gray provided by that beautifully-textured background.

Two LEGO themes that taste great together

In some form or another, the Space and Town themes have been some of the most consistent offerings from LEGO over the years. But sci-fi builder extraordinaire Tim Goddard imagines a world where they’re one and the same. This trio of trucks are traversing a terraformed territory to bring the settlers the same goods we enjoy here on Earth – including new LEGO sets! In a world without invading space aliens, these microscale big rigs bring plenty of futuristic flavor without the need for any laser weapons or photon torpedoes. And, just like the semi-trucks you probably see on the highway daily, Tim has given the same basic design a wide variety of color options. The result is a set that feels more like three independent truckers than it does militarized space fleet.

Sink your teeth into this gorgeous architecture

When the Forest Elves need weapons and armor, they come to this forge crafted by gGh0st. With vertical and horizontal tooth plates galore, the building itself almost looks like it’s wearing scale armor. Not only is the result beautiful to look at, but I bet it makes any orc armies think twice about invading.

A hard place that totally rocks

I hate to interrupt a person in mourning, but I have to geek out over this absolutely gorgeous resting place. Joe (jnj_bricks) collaborated with W. Navarre to pay homage to the game Plague Tale: Requiem. And, I have to say, rarely has nature rendered in LEGO looked so, well…natural. The various rock faces come together at dazzling angles. Grass and weeds are perfectly suggested with minifigure claws and chopsticks. And that out-of-focus, forced perspective background gives an epic scope to the whole thing. What I wouldn’t give to visit this place…I mean, other than burying my brother here. Sorry, Amica, I’ll let you get back to that…

Grab hold of this Toy Story transport

Everyone remembers when the little green aliens stole the show after Buzz Lightyear and Woody found themselves trapped in an arcade claw machine. Now, David Roberts is giving those little aliens a claw they can take outside Pizza Planet with this handy hover machine, suitable for lifting and transporting all manner of items. David has a knack for primary-colored sci-fi vehicles with strong geometric patterns built into them, and that’s a style that suits these little Pixar aliens just right.

Nothing’s hotter than this massive Ice Planet 2002 base.

Last September, we highlighted the Surefoot TR3 Rover by Dale Harris. And now we know where that rover was roving. Dale has just unveiled the massive Ice Station Icarus – a tribute to the Ice Planet 2002 theme that leaves us (snow)blown over. Dale has added a few new colors – and building techniques – to the Ice Planet we know and love. The result is a Krysto-set adventure that feels more real and lived in, with rusty browns and steely grays helping out the usual blues, whites, and trans-neon orange.

I’m particularly fond of the base’s semi-dome section, which makes use of plenty of bars and hexagonal flags. It’s the kind of detail that might not have come together if Dale had held strictly to the original colors. But, if these color changes don’t suit the purist in you, then click here to hyperspace your way over to see Dale’s similarly impressive (but more faithful to the original) Neo-Classic Space base.

Turning an armory into a place of peace

When creating your own builds with LEGO, one of the major hurdles is seeing a specialized piece as something other than what it was intended for. gGh0st demonstrates that here perfectly, turning a bevy of staffs and blades into a serene pavilion. The conical roof is cleverly constructed, and the shades of blue pair beautifully with gold and green to perfectly complement the stylish minifigure.

Multiple scales make for multiple challenges

Probably most Adult Fans of LEGO have made themselves in minifigure form, but Lego_nuts has taken brick-based self-portrait to the next level with this slightly meta creation. Lego_nuts has recreated their own LEGO room four times over at various scales for a build of the builder building a build of the builder building a build, etc, etc, etc. Included in each level are multiple renditions of the same work bench, computer, and brick storage. It’s fascinating to compare the different approaches used to building the same objects at different sizes. There are also multiple renditions of the official sets on display in the actual room. Which ones do you recognize?

Hoppy New Year!

We’ve highlighted both adorable animals and kinetic sports builds from Chi Hsin Wei in the past. Now, to celebrate the beginning of the new year, Chi has combined both of those talents in a build that celebrates 2023 as the Year of the Rabbit. The dynamic mid-leap pose of the rabbit is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the build. But the crescent moon bike ramp, with its inventive use of tiling and the just the right amount of high-tech greeble detail, is just as impressive.

I’m not sure what this robot is, but I have never known a world without it

Lysander Chau has taken my breath away with this digital rendition of a Macross VF1J Max. I confess to not knowing a ton about the source material this robot hails from, but that doesn’t stop it from being an icon of my childhood. A confusing web of 1980s imports and copyright law put this robot (and others like him) everywhere back in the day – from the The Transformers toy line to knock-offs in Radio Shack and everywhere in-between.

Here’s what I do know: This piloted mech can transform from cool looking space-age robot into a modern-style fighter jet, and it can even form a sort of weird minotaur-like GERWALK mode. And Lysander has captured all that functionality and included all the various armor and jump jet add-ons that give the jet mode its distinctive look. And, really, when it looks this cool, does anything else matter?

A dark ocean on an alien world

Builder Ralf Langer has a particular knack for making LEGO bricks feel like fluids. Whether it’s a mind-blowingly impressive curve or a serene tide pool, Ralf always seems to turn the bricks into liquid in his hands. And he’s done it again with this build representing the aftermath of a distant war on an alien landscape. Ralf has made excellent use of reflections so that the rubble of a futuristic vehicle sinks beneath the dark waters with no visible seams. It’s an effect so realistic that it makes my thalassophobia kick in.