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

LEGO Indiana Jones theme returns with 3 new sets in April [News]

LEGO Indiana Jones joins The Lord of the Rings as a newly revived theme, returning after a 14-year hiatus. The original theme, which was available 2008-2009, included 18 sets, and LEGO has just revealed 3 new sets arriving April 1 based on the first and third films of the soon-to-be 5-film franchise. It’s a safe bet there will be more sets coming out based of the fifth movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which hits theaters June 30. One additional set that’s been rumored is 77014 The Temple of Doom, whose set number slots in between the three sets revealed today. LEGO has issued an official statement noting that they have “consolidated the launch to focus on three products (77012, 77013, 77015) that feature some of the most iconic scenes from the Indiana Jones franchise.” It’s unclear if the Temple of Doom set will be released at a future date, or if it’s been canceled.

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Bottoms up with this tower!

This Middle Eastern-inspired tower caught my eye due to the lovely motif that builder Pan Noda sculpted on the walls using the undersides of 1×1 plates in white and a variety of various eathy tones. In fact, almost none of the tower is built with elements in the traditional studs-up orientation, allowing it to have a great deal more careful ornamentation for the size. The covered entrance is worth a closer inspection too, composed of quite an intricate lattice of elements to mimic wood framing.

king box

New LEGO Star Wars sets from The Mandalorian season 3 revealed [News]

LEGO has revealed two new Star Wars sets hailing from The Mandalorian season 3. Both sets should be available for pre-order today, with 75346 Pirate Snub Fighter (US $34.99 | CAN $44.99 | UK £29.99) shipping May 5, and 75363 The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter Microfighter (US $15.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £12.99) arriving August 1.

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LEGO reveals sets for Disney 100th anniversary, including Minifigures, ‘Up’ House, and more [News]

2023 brings Disney’s 100th anniversary, and LEGO is celebrating with a series of sets branded with the Disney100 logo featuring scenes from classic Disney and Pixar movies, ranging from Oswald the Rabbit and Pinocchio to Mickey from Fantasia. One of the five sets, BrickHeadz 40622 Disney 100th Celebration, is already available, and the others will roll out over the next few months. The biggest news today is the reveal of the new Collectible Minifigures series, which includes 18 unique characters, many of which have never before been available in minifigure form. Check out all the details below.

Click to see all the sets

What’s orange and teal all over?

The month of February is almost over, and that means an explosion in rovers thanks to the annual FebRovery challenge. We’ve seen scores of rovers in various classic colors like trans-yellow and blue, but this one by Ids de Jong stood out to me precisely because of its unorthodox and eye-catching colors. The trans-neon-orange windscreen reminds me a wee bit of LEGO’s Aquasharks theme but the teal and old dark grey gives it a vintage vibe that’s hard so hard to accomplish, and I’m here for it.

FebRovery 2023 - 27

LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings 10316 Rivendell: Middle Earth just got bigger [Review]

LEGO’s standalone The Lord of the Rings theme is back after the better part of a decade-long hiatus, and it’s come back with a roar. A few small BrickHeadz sets have already been released, but the star of the newly revived theme is a massive diorama of Rivendell, the Last Homely House East of the Sea, where the Fellowship of the Ring is formed. The three-part diorama of the elven home spans almost 30 inches and is the first to include the entire fellowship together, with 21 minifigures in total. 10316 Rivendell includes 6,167 pieces and will be available for LEGO VIP members starting March 5, with general availability March 8. It will retail for US $499.99 | CAN $669.99 | UK £429.99.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

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A brush with the Rebellion

I’ve seen a lot of Star Wars LEGO creations over the ten-plus years I’ve been writing for The Brothers Brick, and after awhile many of them start to blur together. This little diorama by Abe Fortier caught my eye though, and not because of the urban industrial architecture (which is well done) or the carefully textured base (which is also well done). Instead, it’s the graffiti that covers the walls of this Imperial base on Lothal. The brick-built portraits of a Rebel pilot and bloody stormtrooper are perfect pieces of Rebel propaganda that are so rarely seen on screen.

Paint the City - Lothal

Let’s take a Journey to the West

Official LEGO sets are often playsets, but Lego_nuts has a new take on things with a set of a play. This visually dense scene of a stage play in the plaza of a crowded urban center evokes Ninjago City and its fellow theme Monkey Kid, which in turn is a retelling of the famous 16th-century Chinese tale Journey to the West. There are details everywhere you look in this bustling theater, with all the various signs and crowded balconies bringing the scene to life.

Journey to the west - photo version

The builder has taken things a step further though, and the characters on stage are animated as they trek along their journey, plus giving us a cool behind-the-scenes peek at the build process of this model.

Can never find a flathead when you need one...

When it comes to your flathead needs, LEGO builder Red Spacecat has got you covered with this awesome mech. It’s based on concept art by Aaron Beck, and Spacecat has deftly translated it to the bricks, retaining its uncanny valley-ness of an almost-but-not-quite humanoid shape. And of course, there’s that distinctive flat solar panel head, and I have to say I am loving how much use those gold triangle tiles get as solar panels in LEGO fan builds. It’s a small thing, but I also keep returning to the joints on the arms; they’re so perfectly industrial; you can easily imagine just how this thing moves.

Aaron Beck's "Flathead"

Architecture in black and white

Experienced LEGO builder Ralph Langer is back with another stunningly elegant creation of mysterious architecture. Like Lavender Dream from last year, this build features an otherworldly white structure with a striking presentation. The huge black cobblestones make me wonder if this is located on some ancient lava flow, while I can’t decide if the building itself is more Narnia or Elder Scrolls, though Ralph’s description indicates that it’s some form of Victorian fantasy. Either way, we can all agree that it’s beautiful.

White victorian

LEGO Marvel 76251 Star-Lord’s Helmet from Guardians of the Galaxy revealed [News]

LEGO’s Helmets Collection is rolling along at a brisk clip, having just revealed two clone trooper helmets and Leia’s Boushh helmet last week. Today we’re turning to a galaxy a little closer to home as LEGO is revealing 76251 Star-Lord’s Helmet from the Marvel Infinity Saga. Star-Lord’s helmet is different from most of the other helmets that LEGO has done as it doesn’t have a top, leaving Peter Quill’s hair to blow in the breeze. Rather than fill it with brick-built hair, LEGO has left it open and turned the helmet into a decorative pen holder. Star Lord’s Helmet contains 602 pieces and will retail for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99 when it’s available April 1.

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A warm winter retreat

LEGO builders John and Isaac Snyder collaborated to bring us this magnificent winter tavern. It’s packed to the top of its steep roof peaks with great detail, and you can just feel the inn standing as a bulwark against the blustery winter winds. I particularly love the snowy forest surrounding the tavern, which makes it feel much more immersive than a stark building on a bare setting. You could (and should) spend some time poring over the intricate parts usages through the build, but take note especially of the Thor’s hammers surrounding the door; I’ve seen them used as stonework before, but they fit so well here.

The Wayfarers' Den