Have a Happy Halloween, courtesy of the ever-great Tyler Clites, who brings us this amusing scene of a skeleton’s worst nightmare.
Posts by Chris
Eh, What’s Up, Mater?
We don’t often feature alternate builds here (that is, creations made entirely from the pieces of one particular set) because often they’re just not that interesting. That’s not the case with flickr user lk.lkaz, though, who has made this hilarious rabbit with 8677 Ultimate Build Mater. I love this sort of creativity!
Ice Planet: A Decade Later
The denizens of the Ice Planet have grown a little more technologically advanced in the past decade, now employing mecha as they patrol their frozen landscapes.
Ice Planet 2002 is probably my favorite Space theme, even though it’s completely outlandish. Can you believe it’s been 10 years since the fictional future in which Ice Planet was set? Although I never had much of it as a kid, its profuse bright neon-orange is forever burned in memory as a unique brand of nostalgic awesomeness.
So for my latest creation I wanted to return to this theme that I haven’t built a model for since I was a kid. Inspired by Brian Kescenovitz’s stunning NAILHEAD mecha, I set about building a cold-blooded mecha fit for the Ice Planet. I’ve also been talking a lot with other fans about how much photography affects a model, so I figured I should put my photos where my mouth was. This was probably one of the more fun builds I’ve done in a while, and I hope you enjoy it.
Fantastic Aircraft Models by Sydag
I was looking through flickr user’s Sydag’s new aircraft models earlier, and was shocked to discover that we’ve never featured any of his stunning airplanes here before. Sydag has been building some of the best small aircraft to be found, including this latest pair of Hawker Sea Furies, decked out for the Reno Air Races. Be sure to check out the other photos of them, as Sydag’s included lots of terrific details like folding wings and a de-cowled version.
While I’d love to highlight all of his planes, this lovely version of Porco Rosso’s plane from Miyazaki’s film grabbed my attention in particular. It looks spot on, and the display is wonderful.
To Go Beyond the Brick
A new episode of Joshua Hanlon and Matthew Kay’s Beyond the Brick podcast was just released, featuring an interview with yours truly. I openly acknowledge that this is a shameless self-plug, but I’m not recommending their show simply because I was on it, but rather because they do terrific work. They’ve featured tons of awesome people in the LEGO community, many of whom will be familiar to readers of this blog, such as castlers extraordinaire Sean and Steph Mayo, LEGO Community representative Kevin Hinkle, steampunk demigod Guy Himber, and cheese-slope master Katie Walker. So go check out their podcast, and hear what some fellow Adult Fans of LEGO have to say in their own words.
If Caterpillar Made Spaceships
I like to think they’d look something like this. Well, that is, if Cat were literally run by caterpillars. In any case, this is an awesomely original take on a space freighter by flickr user Lord Pappadhum. The unique shape is definitely the highlight here, but it’s also worth noting the huge number of colors he’s managed to incorporate without making the ship look unnaturally busy. Also, using those train tracks in that orientation: genius.
What’s inside a LEGO brick?
According to flickr user Tikitikitembo, there’s a whole city in there. This awesome microscale municipality fits neatly into the bowels of a brick-built 2×4. The blue lining on the box is a touch that works magnificently, and there are lots of neat pieces in the structures, ranging from the super old-school to the brand new.
Congratulations! Today Is Your Day!
This charming castle by True Dimensions and his significant other is straight from the pages of Dr. Seuss’s fantastic book, Oh The Places You’ll Go! The elegant and smoothly curving build style fits with Seuss’s illustrations wonderfully, and the bright color palette really makes the model look like it’s from Seuss’s pages.
The Best Way to Explore Unknown Worlds
Is of course in a decked out, all-terrain Land Explorer, like this monster from Luis Baixinho. I love the way the treads pull up under the vehicle to give it maximum clearance over rough terrain, but then lower to afford easy egress for some pedestrian exploring and surveying, via an awesome retractable ramp. Plus it’s got an easily removable roof to give it lots of playability.
Dive Into Your Meal With a Submarine Sandwich
There’s nothing like a good visual pun, but unfortunately this one is just sub-par. Nevertheless, Paul Vermeesch has dug deep to bring us a real groaner.
Tanks for Nothing – an excellent M4A3 Sherman from WWII
I’m always a bit of a sucker for a well-built tank, though I admit to not keeping up specifically with who’s currently got the most accurate LEGO tank and whatnot. I do know a nice-looking tank when I see one, though, and flickr user DutchLego has a hardy-looking M4A3. Before everyone screams it, yes, it does have some aftermarket parts and some modified bits, but the effect works well here. (If only LEGO actually made narrow treads like that!)
Hope Ever Springs Anew
This expressive vignette by Chris Maddison shows how much effect some simple posing and a bit of ingenious landscaping can impart. This scene reminds me of a re-imagining of Wall-E, featuring a fantastic humanoid robot. Good stuff.
