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

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.

Classic Space Cargo Jumper

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.

CCCXX Black Falcon's Fortress

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).

Green Goblin

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.

Click to read the full review

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 501st 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

Happy (cup)cake day

While I have gotten LEGO as a birthday present quite a few times in my life, I’ve certainly never gotten a birthday cake made of LEGO! This delightful party spread by Lego Monkey has all the right trappings for a great birthday for an Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL), however, with not just the gift, but the cake and even the coffee also made of the brick. Of course, it’s part of the ongoing Iron Builder competition where Lego Monkey was tasked with using the teal cylinders in as many ways as possible, hence their proliferation on the cupcake and bow.

Birthday Cake!!

LEGO Marvel sets for January 2023 revealed with new Hulkbuster, Quinjet, Morbius, and more [News]

Today LEGO has taken the wraps off the latest lineup of Marvel Super Heroes sets, revealing four new sets slated to launch in January 2023. The sets range from classics like the Avengers Quinjet with a scene from the original 2012 Avengers movie, to lesser-known scenes like Miles Morales fighting Morbius. New versions of the Hulkbuster and Ghost Rider’s motorcycle round out the offerings. Check out all the details below.

Click to see all the details on the new Marvel sets

LEGO Ninjago 2023 wave revealed with 9 new sets [News]

It should come as no surprise that LEGO’s Ninjago theme is as strong as ever heading into 2023 as it continues to be one of the company’s best-selling original IPs. The new January 2023 wave is being revealed today, bringing us nine new sets that will look pretty familiar to Ninjago aficionados, ranging from Lloyd’s Battle Mech to Cole’s Earth Dragon and Jay’s Lightning Jet. Most of the sets this season are EVO sets, meaning they can be evolved from a basic form to a guns-blazing, maxed-out version with the addition of easily removable modules. LEGO hasn’t clarified exactly when the sets will be available, but we expect that most, if not all of them, will launch as part of the January 1 rollout for 2023. Check out the full details on all the new sets below.

Click to see all the new Ninjago sets

Command and control your space

NPU, or Nice Parts Use, is the fan term for taking an unusual and seemingly single-use LEGO element and cleverly incorporating it into something else. It’s rare to see the NPU ethos applied to expensive electronic components, however, that’s exactly what TBB alumn Benjamin Stenlund has done with the 9V battery box controller on this Vic Viper, positioning it so the infrared emitter becomes a cool cockpit. Of course, don’t miss the carrot blasters on this greebled entry to the Novvember fan challenge, too.

The Controller

LEGO reveals 71037 Collectible Minifigures Series 24 with 12 new characters coming Jan. 1 [News]

Today LEGO has revealed the next round of the popular Collectible Minifigures, 71037 Series 24. This wave brings 12 new characters in blind bag foil packs with a pink theme, including a few minifigs that are likely to catch the attention of many adult fans, such as a brown Classic Space figure and a Black Falcon soldier. Series 24 will be available for US $4.99 | CAN $5.99 | UK £3.49 each when they’re available starting Jan. 1.

Don’t miss our full review of the previous Minifigures Series 23.

Click to see the full Minifigures Series 24 lineup

A bomb delight

LEGO spaceships come in a shapes and sizes, and yes, colors too. Red and white and lime green may be an unorthodox choice, but in this little bomber by Jonas Jensen looks mighty spiffy in the tri-tone scheme. There’s oodles of fantastic parts usages to ogle here, too, but the best might be the white 2×2 foam holder behind the lower wings.

CherryBomb