Posts by Theo Spencer

LEGO Icons Botanical Collection 10370 Poinsettia – Big points for the poinsettia? [Review]

We’re big fans of LEGO’s Botanical Collection here at TBB; heck, it inspired a whole collaborative display at BrickCon recently. It seems to be popular with the public at large, too, as new sets keep popping up. One of the latest to be announced is LEGO Icons 10370 Poinsettia – a flower native to Mexico with, believe it or not, a link to the holiday season. With 608 pieces, it will retail for US $49.99 | CAN $64.99 | UK £44.99 from October 1st, although you can pre-order it now. (It may also be available from third-party sellers such as Amazon or eBay.) Now there’s loads of time until the festive season starts, but might this flowery offering be worth picking up before then? Read on to find out!

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

All signs point to our poinsettia review!

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Barging across a cyberpunk river in style

Such is the size and scope of the cyberpunk New Hashima collaborative project, we’re still seeing new LEGO builds from it that pop up several months after it made its debut. Gus (Faëbricks) showed off a little Octan fuel truck back in spring that caught my eye. And now, it comes with a helping hand in the form of this neat hoverbarge! It reminds me of chain ferries that you might find linking two sides of a river or harbour. And that in itself is no mean feat: balancing the recognisable features of contemporary life with sci-fi elements, while its purpose remains clear. The same could be said for the truck, for that matter. Masterful design, Gus!

Hitting the bullseye with a poison dart frog

One thing you should know about the LEGO community is that certain animals have something of a cult following in brick form. The crab craze has been well-documented in our TBB archives, for instance. But another favourite is the humble frog. This one comes in all shapes and sizes, from the little green frog piece to more life-sized models like Áron Gerencsér‘s latest amphibian. Áron is a bit of a don when it comes to Bionicle and other ‘constraction’ figure pieces, so it’s little surprise to see them used to such good effect here. The blending of organic shapes is practically seamless. This li’l guy looks about ready to jump off the screen!

And yes – the frogs, too, have their own Brothers Brick archive. Hop on over to have a look!

Many motors make this massive LEGO MAZ mobile!

Earlier this year, Nathan Hake debuted this huge LEGO model at a convention, and we have finally been graced with pictures! This behemoth is a MAZ-537, a former Soviet vehicle used for carrying… Well, pretty much whatever you want, from armaments to heavy machinery. It’s typical of vehicles of its ilk and era, with great big tyres and utilitarian styling. In LEGO form, Nathan has combined Technic and System pieces to pull off the MAZ in terrific detail. And of course, there are plenty of play functions: it’s got working suspension alongside motorised steering and propulsion!

But how do you level up such a huge undertaking? With an equally huge diorama, of course! This makes for a very nice display piece, with the colours of the river, grass and appropriately autumnal birch trees providing some pleasing contrast to the grey hulk of the truck.

I recommend heading over to Nathan’s Flickr to check out some of the videos of this creation in action – even in the real wilderness!

Hitting the slopes in LEGO – literally

The end of August (and summer) signals the start of many countdowns. Some will be eagerly awaiting spooky season, while others will already be counting down the days until LEGO sets are wrapped under the Christmas tree. But just like Ciamosław Ciamek, I, too, am looking forward to winter – but not for the festive season (which shouldn’t start until December anyway, if you ask me). Winter brings snow, and snow means the ski season starts again! But Ciamosław’s build presents us with a cautionary tale. Even if skiing is a bit like riding a bike, it’s always worth giving yourself an easy slope first up to dust off the cobwebs. Don’t go straight for the double-black-diamond. Otherwise, you could end up making an unintended intrusion into someone’s piste-side cabin….

A LEGO build for those with green thumbs

When someone has a knack for gardening, you might say they’ve got a green thumb. How should we describe someone with a knack for LEGO building? Plastic pinkies? Hmm, doesn’t have the same ring to it. Either way, Julius von Brunk has definitely got both in this wild sculpture! The hand is apparently modelled on his own left hand, so there’s an element of still life here. But the composition of the piece is just as good. That red brick in the middle really pops against all the complementary green. I find myself searching for some sort of meaning behind it… What do you reckon that could be, readers?

Beware the Queen of the Jellyfish!

Jellyfish are weird, aren’t they? It’s just a floating nervous system with tentacles. No wonder they make such a good basis for alien creations – and Korean builder DEES has served up a doozy in that regard! Let’s start with that most jellyfish of attributes: the tentacles. Loads of parts are used to make them up here, from trans-clear round bricks and flowers to a whole boatload of ball joints. The latter serves to accentuate the organic shapes of this creature, so wonderfully done on the body with inverted boat slopes and wheel arch pieces in all manner of pinks and blues.

Dive in to see what else this jelly has in store for us…

Going for gold in a gamut of great Greek games

Still suffering from Olympic Games withdrawal symptoms? Well not to worry! Not only have the Paralympic Games just got underway, LEGO builders such as Bousker are still getting in on the Olympic action. And they’re taking us back not to Paris this June, or even Tokyo back in 2021, but to Greece in ancient times! And even to those unfamiliar with Greek games like yours truly, there’s plenty of familiar sports to spot here. There’s the pommel horse over on the right, with a set of hurdles not too far away. Then there’s the archery, of course, and a pole vaulter who appears to be feeling the heat of competition. And all set against a nicely textured backdrop – particularly those rounded-off stairs. Definitely a gold medal for this one!

A(nother) peacock’s plume in bloom – this time dressed all in white

You may recall that this time last year, we featured a colourful LEGO peacock courtesy of Joe Lam. Since then, said peacock has gone on to be displayed at the LEGO House in Denmark – leaving poor Joe peacock-less. The solution? Build another! And it’s just as pretty as the first one. It uses a similar technique for the tail, being made up of leaf and foliage parts. But the monochromatic colour choice of white gives it an altogether different feel. This time, the colours are confined to the base, creating a lovely contrast, and drawing the eye towards this bird’s sole bit of colour: its eye. Hopefully we will get to see the two side-by-side before long!

SHIPtember comes around sooner every year... In, er, August?!

Now see here, ktorrek. We’ve seen your latest Seriously Huge Investment in Parts (SHIP), and we’re seriously impressed. Even more so to hear that it’s your 17th (!) such LEGO build; heck, we even featured one of the first ones some 11 years ago. But your calendar is a month out! SHIPtember – the annual build-a-spaceship-longer-than-100-studs challenge – doesn’t start for another week and a half yet. We were still mentally preparing ourselves for brick-built behemoth season! TBB Towers has been thrown into disarray by that clean colour-blocking and those awesome triple fins! Let’s file this one under SHIPtember: Early Access…

In all seriousness, we always look forward to SHIP season here at TBB – and ktorrek’s build is a great way to start. If you’re looking forward to it too, why not see what we’ve featured from previous editions of SHIPtember?

Building under the influence(r)

Ah, the influencer. A much-maligned – sometimes unfairly so – mainstay of modern social media. Although I don’t know much about LEGO influencers, I do know about some influential LEGO builders; namely, Nick Jensen. And he has turned his talented hand to… Well, a brick-built influencer! (These articles aren’t just thrown together, you know!) This social media savant’s pose gives her so much character, and it’s not hard to picture what that selfie she’s taking will look like. Front and centre of the piece is a great use of a particular LEGO part, though. A cupcake holder – seen in a couple of Dots sets – makes for a fantastic miniskirt!

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LEGO reveals LEGO Harry Potter 76437 The Burrow – Collector’s Edition, the next adult-targeting set in the Harry Potter series [News]

Although it likely falls foul of a few OSHA or health & safety regulations, it can’t be denied that the Burrow – home of the Weasleys in the Harry Potter books and movies – leaves a lasting impression with its ramshackle vibe. Having been in a handful of playsets, LEGO is now seeing fit to release an upgraded version of this rickety residence. 76437 The Burrow – Collector’s Edition will hit shelves just in time for Back to Hogwarts day, i.e. this September 1st, for US $259.99 | CAN $339.99 | UK £219.99. That price nets you the 2,405 pieces required to build the Burrow, but between its release and September 10 it will also qualify LEGO Insiders for some additional gifts with purchase (GWPs). Chief among these is 40695 Borgin and Burkes: Floo Network, which includes a Lucius Malfoy figure and is available if you spend US $130 | CAN $TBD | UK £120 or more.

Take the Floo Network here to learn more about this set and its promotions!