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 Minecraft Big Figs Series 1: 21148 Steve with Parrot, 21149 Alex with Chicken, and 21150 Skeleton with Magma Cube [Review]

Minecraft keeps getting bigger — and I’m not just talking about the game’s record-breaking sales. The original LEGO Minecraft set I helped design back in 2011 as part of LEGO’s early Ideas platform was microscale, mostly due to the steep constraints of hitting a roughly $30 MSRP target. Later, that first wildly successful set was followed by more microscale sets, and finally in 2014 the theme got upgraded to our original vision by introducing minifigure-scale sets. Recently, LEGO bumped up the scale a bit with 41612 Steve and Creeper BrickHeadz. Now LEGO Minecraft is upping its game once more with a new line called Big Figs, and we’ve got the first series comprising three sets to review: 21148 Steve with Parrot, 21149 Alex with Chicken, and 21150 Skeleton with Magma Cube. Each of the sets contains a large figure paired with a small animal from the game, and will be available January 1 for $14.99 USD.

Click to read the full hands-on review

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To boldly research where no one’s researched before

We’re going far away from civilization into the cold reaches of space with this LEGO ship by Chris Perron. But it’s not for fame or glory — no, this ship has a more noble goal: to research! Even Chris admits he’s not quite sure what it’s researching, but one thing is clear: it looks awesome outfitted with highly scientific doodads and whatsits. And there are lots of interesting techniques, from the mix of struts holding up the large side-mounted instruments to the cheese slopes crammed into the front of the ship’s long probe.

The one thing that worries me, though, is that the ship doesn’t look big enough for an airlock, which might be bad news for the astroscientist doing an EVA.

Bricks LA LEGO convention in California is just 2 weeks away [News]

We’re only 2 weeks away from the start of one of our favorite LEGO conventions, Bricks LA. Open to the public January 5-6 at the Pasadena Convention Center, Bricks LA will showcase amazing LEGO creations from all over the country, along with a hosting a variety of LEGO-themed vendors, a brick play area, and more. Tickets cost just $5, making Bricks LA one of the best-value conventions in the country.

For adult builders interested in a more in-depth LEGO experience, Bricks LA’s Very Important Builder (VIB) convention starts the day before, January 4, and allows access to panels, prizes, displaying your own creations, participating in LEGO-themed games, and more. You can still squeak in a last-minute registration in by visiting the VIB page for tickets, which run $65 for the 3-day convention. Several members of TBB staff will be attending, so we hope to see you there!

The Brothers Brick is an official sponsor of Bricks LA

Awesome 8-foot-long LEGO Indiana Jones diorama recreates Raiders of the Lost Ark intro [Video]

After wowing us with an amazing collaborative diorama of Cloud City, builder Caleb Watson has turned his skills to another classic Harrison Ford franchise, Indiana Jones. In this huge diorama, Indy runs through all the perils from the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark as he escapes the temple with the idol. But this diorama holds a secret: it’s completely motorized, with minifigure Indy actually dodging each of the traps.

Check out this video of the action as Indy makes his way through the temple, and then read about the details of how it works below.

Learn more about this model below

It’s hard to go small

This pair of LEGO hardsuits by Carter Baldwin are ready to go salvage some future junk, and they’re fully outfitted with flexible protection. While they don’t actually encompass a full minifigure, just a head in a bubble, the rest of the brick-built suit has remarkably close proportions to what a mobile armored fig would need. Carter’s also thrown in some great parts uses, from the minifigure backpack mounted on the lower torso to my favorite, the criminally underused tap base for the yellow suit’s gun.

2019’s LEGO Technic 42096 Porsche 911 RSR is 1,500 pieces of lean racing looks [Review]

Just three years after LEGO’s premium-branded 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Billund’s designers are returning to the German marque for another shot at the iconic 911. 42096 Porsche 911 RSR will be available Jan 1, 2019, for $149.99 USD (Dec. 26 in Europe). It includes 1,580 pieces.

Ringing in at 19 inches in length, it’s the largest set of the January Technic wave, and much larger than the tiny Speed Champions 911 RSR we reviewed in February 2018. Let’s see how this newest entrant to the LEGO Technic vehicles squadron stacks up.

Click to read the full hands-on review

First Captain Marvel LEGO set officially revealed [News]

Today LEGO and Marvel have revealed the first set from the upcoming Avengers prequel movie Captain Marvel, which is set to hit theaters March 8, 2019. The set, 76127 Captain Marvel and The Skrull Attack, includes the superhero’s ship (which appears to be an early version of the Quinjet), and minifigures of Captain Marvel, Nick Fury, and a Skrull, along with Goose the cat. The set includes 307 pieces, and while there’s no official word yet on the price, we expect it to retail for $30 USD based on retailers stocking the set early in Canada for $39.99 CAD. There’s also no release date, but it’s clear it will be on sale soon given that some retailers already have the set in hand.

Click to see more pictures of this set

A bit of a switcheroo

Although it’s not clear if builder Jay Bramhall just liked the bright colors (or maybe M-Tron), given the time of year I prefer to think that he got into Christmas spirit with this colorful Vic Viper. The ship conceals a sweet feature, namely the sweeping wings which are geared together and activated by turning the engine. The clean color blocking brings a nice pop of color to the drab regions of space, and Jay incorporates both old and new shades of dark grey to give a hint of the weatherworn nature of this craft.

When two warriors meet

2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the LEGO minifigure, and its chunky proportions are beloved the world over. However, as excellent as the minifigure is, it remains stiff and able to strike only a handful of poses. Some builders like √erde’ have turned to sculpting their own characters out of small elements, employing minifigure headgear to give them a lifelike appearance. This pair of warriors, representing brute force on the left, and speed and agility on the right, are magnificent examples. Plus, the photography makes them really seem like they’re on a battlefield.

TBB cover photo for December 2018: The quickest way to the top

For December’s TBB social media cover image, alanboar is taking us back to the turn of the last century in Hong Kong, where the Taikoo Ropeway spans the mountainside in Hong Kong. In use from 1891-1932, the aerial ropeway (also called the Mount Parker Cable Car) provided quick transportation from the docks and sugar refinery to apartments on the mountain’s slopes. Alanboar’s rendition is an artistic representation all decked out in the white of snow, backed by the apartments and elegant steep-pinnacled peaks with clouds punctuating the sky.

Want to see your own LEGO creation featured across TBB social media for a month? Then read the submission guidelines and send us your photo today. Photos that do not meet the submission guidelines will not be considered, and will be removed from the group.

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LEGO’s latest free gift with purchase is 40293 Christmas Carousel [Review]

Nearly every month, LEGO gives away a small set with purchases over a certain amount. We don’t always review these little bonuses, but sometimes they catch our eye with a standout model, such as last month’s excellent 40289 Diagon Alley or June’s 40291 Creative Personalities. For the first 10 days of December, the gift-with-purchase set is 40293 Christmas Carousel, featuring 251 pieces and valued at $15 USD. The set is available both in stores and online with purchases over $99 in the US and Canada, or £85 in the UK. The lovely design and moving parts made us decide to take a closer look, so let’s see what’s in store.

Click to read the full review

Defending the grey depths of space

In space, enemies can come from any side. And so rigorous armor is needed in addition to heavy armaments. Enter Patrick Massey‘s UNN-717 Olympia, replete with rows of chunky armor paneling and heavy turrets and a subtle submarine vibe (complete with rudder and diving planes). The nearly unbroken grey of the ship’s hull lends weight and scale to the model, helping it convey the ship’s monstrous size. And speaking of size, the LEGO model is no slouch either, ringing in around 3 feet in length.