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

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

Jumping puddles in Classic Space

Do they have puddles in space? I sure hope so, because that looks to be right where this little puddle jumper of a spaceship belongs. LEGO builder Inthert needed a tiny spacecraft to fill out a larger diorama by Simonmocs, and thus the Classic Space Cargo Jumper was born. What I love most about this vessel is that it eschews the typical spaceship design and goes for a split canopy with VTOL-like engines.

And of course, we have to see it in situ with Simonmocs gorgeous spaceport diorama, too, where you can see the little spaceship being serviced.

A castle as classic as can be

The Black Falcons have proven to be the most popular of the 80s LEGO castle factions, but despite having a few small castles, one thing they never got was a proper large castle of their own. Enter Steven Erickson with a redux of the iconic 6074 Black Falcon’s Fortress from 1986, a set so beloved that LEGO re-released it in 2001. Steven’s version is a significant upgrade from the original 404-piece set, bringing the tiny fortress up to a respectable size and adorning it with modern techniques while still retaining the old-school feel.

Once you go green, you can’t go back

Spider-Man’s nemesis Green Goblin has never looked as good as he does in this awesome large-scale LEGO version by Nikita Nikolsky. The Green Goblin himself looks mighty good in a scale that makes the pumpkin bombs a perfect fit, but it’s the glider’s use of weird flat silver pieces, many of which came from Bionicle, that caught my eye first. The purple portions are paper shapes that Nikita cut out; I’d have loved to see a brick-built solution but I have to admit the paper looks good. (And for those LEGO purists out there who would complain, there’s plenty of precedent in official sets for incorporating custom paper shapes, such as the little-known Muji line).

LEGO Collectible Minifigures 71037 Series 24 – Nostalgia included [Review]

The new year brings us a new series of LEGO’s long-running Collectible Minifigures, with Series 24 dropping January 1. In keeping with the last several series, this 24th numbered wave includes 12 unique characters in blind bags. The lineup this time doesn’t have a specific theme, unlike the prevalence of holiday-themed characters in 71034 Series 23, instead getting back to the basics with a variety of characters from a wide range of themes. 71037 Collectible Minifigures Series 24 will be available for US $4.99 | CAN $5.99 | UK £3.49.

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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January 2023 LEGO Star Wars sets revealed with TIE Bomber, 501st pack, and more [News]

Today LEGO has revealed the January 2023 wave of Star Wars sets, which includes three new sets ranging from the small 75344 Boba Fett’s Ship Microfighter, to 75345 501^st Clone Troopers Battle Pack, and finishing with 75347 TIE Bomber. All three sets will be available starting January 1.

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LEGO Icons reveals 10312 Jazz Club as next in Modular Buildings Collection [News]

Today LEGO Icons has announced the next set in the Modular Buildings Collection will be 10312 Jazz Club. The 2,899-piece set features a Jazz Club, a pizzeria, a managerial office, a tailor’s workshop, a dressing room, and a rooftop greenhouse, along with eight minifigures. It will be available starting Jan. 1, 2023, for US $229.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £199.99.

Click to see more of 10312 Jazz Club