About Chris

Chris Malloy (porschecm2) has been a LEGO fan nearly all his life, having started with System bricks at age 3. He is the co-author of Ultimate LEGO Star Wars, and his creations have been featured in several books and The LEGO Movie. He also helped develop the first LEGO Minecraft set, 21102 Minecraft Micro World: The Forest, which has gone on to inspire a whole theme of sets. He's been active in the online community since 2002, and regularly attends LEGO fan conventions such as BrickCon and BrickCan. He enjoys building in a wide range of themes, but keeps returning to Castle, Space, and Pirates. Check out his LEGO creations and photography here.

Posts by Chris

The blood moon samurai

Master of brick-built characters Eero Okkonen has shaped this fanciful LEGO samurai, and true to his typical style, has kitted it out with splendid parts usages from top to bottom. While there are many clever building techniques that are worth highlighting, such as the lever bases around the flag on his chest, or the offset cascade of car slopes for the front of the red kusazuri (or skirt armor), in my opinion, the best technique is a very simple one that serves both form and function. The front of the Samurai’s feet are made with two red cheese slopes around a black lamp holder, and the color different would be a problem in most applications. But here it perfectly mimics the split-toed tabi (or socks) of traditional Japanese garb.

You can read more about the samurai and how Eero designed it on his website, Cyclopic Bricks.

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Toa Helryx, the OG Bionicle

LEGO’s Bionicle lore runs deep, encompassing a complex world history from its inception to the heroes we all recognize as the various Toa. Even the theme’s origin story is fascinating, as David Robertson recounts in Brick by Brick the Bionicle theme was originally envisioned as a metaphor for battling cancer, with the bio-heroes (cancer-fighting drugs) being delivered to the world (body) in pill-like canisters. Builder Anthony Wilson is participating in a fan-run challenge to create the Toa Helryx, which the lore names as the first Toa in the Bionicle world.

No sets or images were ever produced of this Toa, but Anthony has sculpted this regal figure from the few descriptions. The brick-built mask, so central to Bionicle characters, is crafted from multiple elements, most notably the silver Nexo Knights shield, whose ribbed edges look marvelously organic here. Another great detail is the giant mace Helryx wields, which is tipped with a Technic differential.

Build your own horse, Lucky Luke!

What’s even more difficult than creating just the perfect LEGO minifigure for your creation? Crafting the perfect character in a small scale without using minifigures. Well, ok, this build by Marion Weintraut actually uses a lot of minifigure pieces, just not how you’re “supposed” to. The long-running comic strip hero Lucky Luke and his horse Jolly Jumper are wonderfully gangly and full of cartoon whimsy. From the perfectly placed hollow studs for Jolly’s nostrils, to the small slope for Luke’s bandana and the minifigure pirate hook for his cigarette, there are so many techniques to love here.

Although, while I’m always a fan of unorthodox techniques, I do detect a slight twitch in my eye at the way the minifigure arms are connected for Jolly’s tail. Let’s both pretend we didn’t see that, and enjoy the rest of this splendid creation.

The LEGO Technic 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 rolls in: the good, the bad, and the ugly [Review]

Back in 2016, LEGO Technic did a new thing: it drastically raised the bar for LEGO sets targeted at adults by creating the 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS with not just a complex and detailed design, but also premium packaging befitting a luxury product. Two years later, the Technic team followed it up with a stunning recreation of one of the world’s most expensive vehicles, 42083 Bugatti Chiron, and we hailed both vehicles as among the best sets LEGO has ever produced. Announced last month, now LEGO Technic is back for a third time with another supercar, the 42115 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37. Revealed by the Italian brand late last year, the Sián marks the company’s first hybrid vehicle in its 57-year history. The LEGO model is available now with a retail price of US $379.99 | CAN $489.99 | UK £349.99 and includes 3,696 pieces. Has LEGO struck gold three times in a row with Technic supercars? Yes, but not without some unfortunate missteps. Let’s take a closer look and unpack the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly, in this lime green speed demon.

Click to read the full hands-on review

Wizards by the Coast

According to LEGO builder Josh, this diorama depicts the abode of the Wizards by the Coast, which has me wondering, perhaps the denizens of this quaint little seaside town are best known for their gaming masterpiece, Dumgeons & Dargons? At any rate, this little village is awash in a magical air, from the crazy twisted tower and giant butterfly to the precariously perched flowerbeds. The little scoops of ice cream, long used by LEGO builders as smoke, find a great use here as sea foam. Meanwhile, the wizards are cooking up a mean fish fry courtesy of a Fireball spell. Someone invite me!

Who will take the ring to Mustafar?

As evil armies spread across the land, a young boy from a farming town journeys to strange places on a quest to defeat the mighty villain. Accompanied by a group of friends and gifted a glowing blue sword, he soon finds himself in the company of a weird little creature speaking in odd sentences, before ultimately defeating evil by casting it into a giant pit. That’s the backdrop for this mighty tower, which LEGO builder CRCT Productions calls The Emperor’s Eye or Vader’s Barad-Dûr.

The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars share a lot of similarities, but perhaps none so visually striking as the resemblance of Darth Vader’s Castle to the architecture of Sauron, and this nifty little microscale diorama shows the resulting mashup. The best part is the Force-blue glowing eye between the spires. The squared-off base works well to counterpoint the jumbled lava rocks around the foot of the tower, and there are some great parts hidden if you look closely, such as chain links and robot arms.

LEGO Nintendo Super Mario full theme revealed with 16 sets and a collectible blind-bag series [News]

LEGO has revealed what we believe is the complete LEGO Super Mario lineup, which amounts to 16 individual sets and ten blind bags–one of the largest single-theme launches LEGO has ever undertaken. LEGO revealed its partnership with Nintendo back in March and has since been drip-feeding us information about the theme, revealing a few sets at a time.

The theme is focused around the base adventures set–which is the only set to include the electronic Mario “digi-fig”–and is available to pre-order now for US $59.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £49.99. Today’s product reveal includes several previously unseen level expansions featuring Thwomp and King Boo, a LEGO Super Mario app, as well as a collectible bling-bag series of enemies including a Paragoomba, Fuzzy, Spiny, Buzzy Beetle, Bullet Bill, Bob-omb, Eep Cheep, Blooper, Urchin and Peepa. The entire LEGO Super Mario lineup will be available starting August 1st.

We’ve listed every set in the LEGO Super Mario theme along with photos, price and availability.

Click to see more photos of each product in the LEGO Super Mario lineup

Aragog, the king of arachnids

In my opinion, one of the most terrifyingly fantastic beasts in the Harry Potter series was found in Aragog. Although he was friendly to Harry and his friends, he was still a giant spider and that’s just all sorts of freaky. LEGO builder CheeseyStudios brings us a small vignette of the entrance to Aragog’s lair, making me wish any of the several official LEGO sets had looked half this good. The massive toppled tree has the heft it should, with lighter color wood exposed where it cracked. And Aragog himself feels more spindly and spider-like than his official counterparts, But the best detail, in my opinion, is the little mushrooms sprouted from the log. They’re a simple design combining a radar dish and a beveled gear, but together they make the smooth top and fluted undersides perfectly. Combined with a black sausage for a curving stem, and you couldn’t ask for a better LEGO fungus.

LEGO adds to Super Mario theme, revealing four new Power-Up expansion packs [News]

LEGO has unveiled four small expansion packs for the upcoming LEGO Super Mario theme that integrates a large digital Mario figurine with a buildable game course. These expansions, called Power-Up Packs, are priced at $9.99 USD and will require the base Super Mario Starter Pack set that was developed in conjunction with Nintendo. The new expansions add more costumes for the world’s most famous plumber, adding a cat suit, builder outfit, propeller beanie, and fire suit, but don’t include the actual Mario figurine from the Starter Set. They join three previously announced LEGO Super Mario expansions that are much larger, which along with a small polybag set bring the theme’s total to nine sets revealed so far. All of the sets are slated to be available Aug. 1, and the Starter Pack is available to pre-order now for US $59.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £49.99.

Click here to check out all the details

To your planes for the brick Battle of Britain with the Spitfire!

LEGO builder Didier Burtin has designed a gorgeous Supermarine Spitfire Mk. II, along with a countryside hangar to house it. This famous aircraft was one of the most powerful weapons in the Battle for Britain in World War II, and in fact, there are two Spitfires here, one in traditional brown desert camouflage (maybe this is North Africa, and not Britain?), while the other is outfitted with the less common grey winter camouflage.

The concrete slabs that make up the mottled runway are actually slabs of sideways bricks, carefully spaced with enough room to slot in a variety of foliage and green clips to make up the overgrown grass. And of course the hangar itself is gorgeous, consisting of two grey baseplates gently curved to form the arched roof of the hangar. It’s an exceedingly simple technique that is perfectly suited to the task. But if one scene with Spitfires isn’t enough, Didier has also presented a diorama of a less fortunate Spitfire, having been ditched in a snowy landscape, where it plowed an impressive trail before breaking apart.

Want to see more LEGO World War II models? Check out our archives: LEGO WWII models

LEGO Creator Expert 10273 Haunted House from the Fairground Collection [Review]

For more than a decade, LEGO has been releasing amusement park ride sets, letting fans slowly assemble a massive minifigure-scale theme park. With the latest set, LEGO has formalized the theme under the heading Fairground Collection, and 10273 Haunted House is the first set to bear that moniker. The Haunted House features all manner of spooky decorations as well as a Tower of Terror-like ride inside its tall spire. The mansion was the home of Baron Samuel von Barron, best known as the dastardly antagonist in the classic Adventurer’s theme. His house is filled with treasures he looted from all around the world and is haunted by the ghost of Pharoah Hotep, whose tomb he disturbed. Available now for LEGO VIP members, the set will be available broadly June 1, retailing for US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99. It features 3,231 pieces and 9 minifigures, and can be optionally motorized with Powered Up elements.

So let’s take a look and see just how this Victorian manor now hides a terrifying drop ride and other mysteries.

Click to read the full review

Here’s how Adam Savage does LEGO sorting and storage [News]

Adam Savage, famously one of the co-hosts of Mythbusters, is known to have a penchant for thorough sorting and storage solutions, keeping his (very full) maker workshop meticulously organized. He frequently extolls the virtues of an efficient workspace on his YouTube channel, Tested, as he goes about building recreations of various movie props and other nerdy DIY projects. But what’s less well known is that Adam is also an avid AFOL (or Adult Fan of LEGO), and consequently, his needs for organization extend beyond shop tools and construction supplies. Adam’s latest video delves into a topic that’s extremely familiar to us: sorting LEGO.

Here at The Brothers Brick, we’ve also been doing a series of articles on sorting, since so many of us find ourselves with extra free time lately due to the stay-at-home orders in many locales. Everyone’s system is different, since it should be designed to fit your needs. Adam’s system is similar to my own, starting with color first and then dividing out in part type, with the occasional diversion to sorting some elements by pure functionality with no regard for color. Many builders have other methods, though, so be sure to check out our article series to learn more about LEGO sorting.

Adam, being the ultimate DIY-er, though, doesn’t just stop at sorting, but takes it to the next level with a custom-built storage cabinet as well.

Check out the full video below. Continue reading →