Anyone up for a burger and a milkshake? That’s what you’ll surely be asking after studying this fun LEGO diner build by Maxx Davidson. It’s a simple build, but it’s instantly recognizable. And let’s talk about the great parts usage: Wolverine claws for French fries, candles for condiment bottles, and baseball bats for the base of the stools. Enjoy! Just make sure to use the 1×2 tile napkin to clean up after yourself. We don’t bus your tables around here.
“In a mystical chamber adorned with an array of glass jars, bubbling potions, ancient scrolls, tomes, and exotic flora, the air is thick with the scent of arcane knowledge and potent enchantments.” So begins Syrdarian‘s description of their spellbinding LEGO herbalist’s workspace. Everything you need to cast a spell or heal a malady is right here in piles and stacks, from the crystals on the floor to the jars on the shelves and the cut flowers on the worktable. Boxes and baskets of berries and flowers sit next to the staircase, while tomes of arcane lore rest where they can be readily perused.
The herbalist’s hobbies clearly range beyond plant lore, judging by the lute carefully placed against the wall and the pie and sweets tucked away on a shelf. Joining the herbalist are three different frogs, a rubber ducky, and a hungry mouse. The plates and brick elements in the wall (along with wands for the spindly table legs) give the dwelling a lived-in, ramshackle appearance. And lastly, we can’t fail to remark upon the clever way the windowpanes are formed—minifig hands in several colors.
Sad but true fact: only two northern white rhinos remain in the world. While members of the southern subspecies are more numerous, both animals have seen their numbers depleted by poachers seeking their ivory. We’re not told which subspecies David Manfred‘s LEGO model belongs to, but his tribute to this endangered beast is a marvelous sight nevertheless. Prepare to be impressed by the layers of bricks stacked to get the rhino’s body just right, or the interlocking wedge plates that form the head, or the arch piece used for a nostril. And here’s a less sad but true fact: according to the builder, the inside of the rhino model is filled not with standard LEGO bricks, but with much-larger Duplo bricks to save money. All in all, both the model and the animal itself are majestic specimens.
Prepare to be unsettled as one of cinema’s greatest villains gazes up at you in LEGO form. In “Why So Serious,” Gino Lohse uses an assortment of plates and tiles to convey the cold insanity of the Joker’s visage. One of the MVPs of the portrait is the humble 1×1 curved brick, a few of which stand in for his smudged makeup. A few more contribute to the messy red of his iconic smile. Beyond that, a snarl of foilage elements brings just the right amount of chaos to his green hair, while vent elements make a suggestion of scars. You wanna know how he got those scars? Best if you don’t ask.
Recently, we featured another of Martin Studios‘ LEGO builds, in which Cersei Lannister looks out on her freshly painted map. Now, it’s time to turn the clocks back a few hundred years and gaze upon another highly detailed representation of Westeros: the Painted Table on Dragonstone, now employed by Rhaenyra Targaryen as she schemes to regain her father’s throne. Rhaenyra stands to the left, staring pensively into the fire while her son Jacaerys, cousin/niece/stepdaughter Baela (or possibly Rhaena), and her husband/uncle Daemon look on. (Isn’t the Targaryen family tree fun?) Westerosi lore aside, the build captures the inside of the castle of Dragonstone well. The angled walls are well-represented here, built right into the natural rock formations suggested by the sloped cheese bricks in the center of the picture. Curved tiles provide a simple yet striking texture on the floor. If you’re itching to explore beyond the walls of Dragonstone, be sure to check out the builder’s Flickr page for more great House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones builds.
Picture this: you find a single LEGO multifaceted hemisphere piece (also known as an insect eye) lying around in your collection. What can you build from there? Some might opt for a giant fly or a spaceship. But if you’re alanboar, the answer is Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. The insect eye forms the titular earring, which draws the eye to the center of the painting, but the rest of Vermeer’s masterpiece has also been faithfully recreated here—including the expressive eyes, the shadow on the face and clothing, the texture under the head-wrap, and the gradient on the hair. Also noteworthy is the choice of the ornate railing piece to create the scrollwork in the frame. I like to think Vermeer himself would be proud.
Can’t make it to Disneyland any time soon? While this eerily detailed LEGO replica of the Haunted Mansion ride by legocellus doesn’t come with the smell of churros wafting over New Orleans Square, it does come crowd-free, which feels like a fair trade. Our tour starts outside the stately old manor. Enter if you dare!
You don’t need a Ghost Host to step inside and see more . . .
TBB alum Mansur Soeleman transports us to a faraway galaxy with this intriguing, visually striking LEGO depiction of the inner sanctum of a cadre of alien shipbuilders. The Star Wars Factions RPG provides inspiration for the scene, but the otherworldly costumes and architecture evoke a sense of mystery that would feel at home in any far-flung space opera. Each of the “Ancient Shipwrights” wears a distinct outfit that wouldn’t feel out of place in the Dune universe, though you can spot a Guavian Death Gang mask from The Force Awakens in the leader’s elaborate headdress. Beyond the figures, the antistud floor (regular plates turned upside down) adds an interesting texture to the scene. And while the holo hovering above their heads obviously isn’t LEGO, it certainly adds to the effect. (To get the full experience, see the scene animated here.)
However bad your day is today, chances are this poor LEGO barbarian is having a worse one. That’s due, of course, to the terrifying beast clawing through his entrails in this dynamic scene by J6Crash, built for round 2 of the Bio-Cup. As gruesome as the scene is, it’s hard not to admire the techniques used to bring the build to life: rippling muscles on both the barbarian and the beast, the clusters of gray fur sprouting from the beast’s clawed hands and feet, and of course the oozing entrails. The beast is positioned to look right at the camera, giving you the impression that you’ve interrupted his meal — and now he’s eyeing some dessert.
With House of the Dragon igniting TV screens, there’s no better time for a return to Westeros—and this amazing Game of Thrones build by Martin Studio will show you the whole darn realm. (In LEGO, obviously.) While the diorama itself exhibits more great details than the Iron Throne has pointy edges, the star of the show is the lovingly recreated map of Westeros, which Cersei shows off to her brother/lover Jaime while Maester Qyburn looks on.
Eagle-eyed fans will be quick to pick out the wealth of lore-accurate sites—from the bleak North bounded on the top by the wastes beyond the Wall to the Gods Eye, the Fingers, and the deserts of Dorne. Go ahead, see what else you can spot—if nothing else, it’ll give you something to do while you wait for The Winds of Winter.
In a film full of striking imagery, there’s one scene that nevertheless manages to capture the gravity, grandeur, and beauty of Middle-earth all on its own. I’m talking about the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring when the eponymous Fellowship takes the Anduin river past the towering Argonath, colossal statues that mark the ancient borders of Gondor. MorlornEmpire‘s fabulous microscale LEGO Argonath captures the moment in miniature. The (tiny) giant statues themselves are instantly recognizable, their outstretched arms captured with rounded tiles and plates, but it’s the tinier things (like the overturned 1×1 plate-with-tooth elements for boats or the lighter-blue SNOT plates for the boats’ wakes) that really make this build worthy of the great kings of old.
The “Beast Masters” category of the Summer Joust 2024 competition is producing some wild flights of fancy, and this cartographic crustacean is no exception. Pohaturon‘s “Crabtographer” imagines a world where seafaring guilds wouldn’t get far without the expertise of giant crabs who know their stuff. And speaking of technical know-how, I adore all the unconventional uses of commonplace and less-than-common pieces to give this build some extra flair. Check out the One Ring used for the naval officer’s buckle, or the white energy blast standing in for melted candle wax, for example. Both the crab and the officer are dynamic and well-executed, and it makes me long to explore this fictional world a little more. If only I had a map…
