Posts by Theo Spencer

You may have a massive drilling rover, but nothing beats a decent ice-scraper

What’s something seasonal to build at this time of year? It’s February, and it’s cold in the northern hemisphere… Aha! Isaac Snyder knows what to do. He’s dipped into the Ice Planet 2002 theme with a seriously cool rover for Febrovery. At least, it’s cool on the outside, as evidenced by the chunky wheels and clever cockpit construction. Hopefully it’s warm on the inside, and equipped with good de-misters. I’m speaking from experience here, not because I’ve been to Krysto, but because my old car used to fog up like crazy. In winter, it would freeze overnight when the temperature dropped low enough (and in Finland, that happens a lot). These Ice Planet folks may have all sorts of fancy neon-orange chainsaws and the like, but trust me, some de-icer fluid and an ice scraper are just as indispensable in these conditions!

Frost Driller

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Flexing one’s musical LEGO muscles

I recently got my hands on a bunch 0f LEGO flex tubes, but I’m still figuring out what to make with them. Perhaps I should take inspiration from Eero Okkonen? This stylish keyboard player makes great use of them. Said tubes are used as the wiring for the PA system and keyboard, but Eero also shows off his braiding skills by using them as hair. It looks great! And the nice parts use doesn’t stop there. A pair of red fences are cleverly inserted into some Technic quarter-circle gears to make an on-stage monitor. Meanwhile, some Dots pendants are the perfect size for some earrings!

Mathilda Crawatt

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A pop of colour set against a dreary WWII sea

Some months ago (well, over a year ago now), PelLego Bricks built a model of a Schnellboot S-100 – a German marine craft from the Second World War. Now, this was – and still is – a mighty impressive model, with some fantastic shaping. But they’ve gone one better and built an entire Norwegian harbour to go with it! The last time we featured this builder’s work, we commented on the excellent use of the humble LEGO tile. But while there it was on serene, flat water, PelLego has somehow manipulated the same parts into a darker, much more dynamic sea. The effect is terrific! Boat and water take centre stage, but the background has a nice contrast of colour thanks to some autumn foliage and the red wooden buildings, so typical of these Northern climes.

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Look, sir! 5,000 pieces of LEGO Star Wars awesomeness!

Mirko Soppelsa is (literally) building up quite the collection of massive LEGO Star Wars builds. This time, Davin Felth AKA TK-1023 is the subject of Mirko’s expert handiwork. What do you mean, you haven’t heard of Davin Felth?! If I say “Look, sir! Droids!”, does that help to jog your memory? Well, now you know his name, and you have to suffer with that useless knowledge taking up valuable space inside your brain like I do. Let’s just go back to admiring Mirko’s superbly detailed sculpture… And once you’re done with this one, you can see some of his other marvels in our archives.

SA-Project 008

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Bring in the Lunar New Year with this gorgeous (and huge!) LEGO apricot blossom tree

The last time Khang Huynh and Ky Duy Phong teamed up, they built one of the most impressive creations to feature on this website last year. With the Lunar New Year – or Tet, in their native Vietnam – coming up, these builders have joined forces again to create this suitably seasonal affair! It’s a colossal apricot blossom tree, symbolising good luck, good health, wealth, happiness and love in the new year. At the same time, this creation in particular symbolises just how talented Khang and Ky are! The large scale means some parts can be put to clever uses. A bunch of green swords are perfect for blades of grass, and the butterfly at the top uses wings re-purposed from an Avatar set.

Chậu Mai

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Prototype by name, prototype by nature

If you know your motor racing, the 1999 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will probably have you picturing a Mercedes-Benz CLR somersaulting the Mulsanne straight. Spare a thought for BMW, though – they won the race, and almost no one remembers their car! The aptly-named LEGO builder PROTOTYP sure does, though. This model painstakingly recreates the BMW V12 LMR in the brick, with the help of a few custom decals and wheels.

BMW LMR '99

Make no mistake, though – the bricks are doing the heavy lifting here! The detail is evident underneath the bodywork and on top, and this is where my motorsport nerd heart starts fluttering. The engine is there, of course: all 12 cylinders of it. But so are the radiators, the wiring, the cooling hoses, the driveshafts, and – my personal favourite – the shock absorbers, with red 1×1 round studs standing in for springs. This is attention to detail truly worthy of a winner!

BMW LMR '99

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10332 LEGO Icons Medieval Town Square unveiled with over 3,000 pieces, 8 minifigs, and a goat [News]

LEGO has made a bit of a habit of re-imagining Castle sets of yesteryear into new ones using the modern part palette. Today, we can add 10332 Icons Medieval Town Square to the likes of 10305 Lion Knights Castle and 21325 Medieval Blacksmith. With 3,304 pieces, this set is a revamp of a much-loved Castle set from 15 years ago, 10193 Medieval Market Village. Among other things, this new addition to the Castle lineup includes a tavern, carpenter’s shop, guard tower, eight minifigures, and a goat in a brand new color. 10332 Icons Medieval Town Square will be available from March 1st for US $229.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £199.99.

See more pictures and LEGO’s press release after the jump!

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A tiny starfighter that belies its size? “Y” not?

Check out this superb LEGO Y-wing built by FlyInSpace. It’s a dead ringer for one of the original studio props! Superb shaping, a ton of greebles, and… The same size as your smartphone?! Yes, this model is actually a lot smaller than it might look at first! Certain pieces do provide clues as to its scale, such as the pair of cabinet doors used as the cockpit roof. Quite how FlyInSpace has managed to pack so much greebley goodness into such a tiny package boggles the mind. A miniature marvel!

Midi-Scale Y-Wing • Main View

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Johnny Thunder and the Plunderers of the Misplaced Coffer

An intrepid adventurer in a wide-brimmed hat enters a desert temple containing Anubis statues, with a sinister rival in tow. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? What? Indiana who now?! No, we’re referring to Ben Cossy‘s latest masterpiece! It depicts the Adventurers heroes of yesteryear – Johnny Thunder, Pippin Reed, and Dr Kilroy Lightning – in hot pursuit of their erstwhile antagonists, Baron von Barron and Sam Sinister. You can see why they were drawn to this structure. The massive Anubis statue at the back, framed by that broken ring, is striking! It’s almost Stargate-esque – a testament to Ben’s architectural skills. As for Johnny Thunder, it’s a good thing he has that torch in hand. There’s always the possibility of snakes…

Temple of Anubis

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LEGO Ideas 21347 Red London Telephone Box now available, plus an interview with the designers [News]

2024 is flying by – we’re already in February! A new month does mean new LEGO sets, though. And one of the headline releases for February is LEGO Ideas 21347 Red London Telephone Box, which is available starting today for LEGO Insiders. You’ll find it on the LEGO website where it retails for US $114.99 | CAN $149.99 | UK £99.99. We already talked about the set back when it first debuted. But since then, The Brothers Brick was afforded an opportunity to sit down with the team behind the set and ask some questions. We’ve got a summary below.

Details on our Q&A with the designers below!

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An enthralling exercise in eccentric edifice excellence

There are many fantastic LEGO architects out there – just look through our archives. But if you like your structures a little more unconventional, then there are few better at that than Pan Noda. What I love the most about their buildings isn’t their odd designs, fascinating as they are. It’s how they deploy repeating motifs and detailed textures to create something as visually interesting up close as it is as a whole! In this instance, that involves the undersides of 1×1 clips, alternating horizontal and vertical portions of the wall, and a whole lotta cheese slopes. That extends beyond the building and into the base as well, which replicates the hexagonal shape of the tower. Finally, the climbing trees and vines add the perfect splash of colour to break things up even further!

Silence Portal

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Double, double toil and trouble; nice warm water and soapy bubble

I know this year feels like it’s going quickly, but surely we’re not in October already are we? We featured one LEGO witch here last week, and now Markus Rollbühler has graced us with another one. They couldn’t be more different, though, apart from the green skin and black robes. Oh, and the clever parts use! Some black curved arches lend some graceful shape do this witch’s dress, while the cauldron makes use of an inverted tire. I’m not sure what’s happening with that little mouse, though. Is she giving it a bath? That must be it. The green bottle in her other hand is clearly bath lotion. Nothing nefarious happening here, no sirree…

Brickscalibur 2023 Trophy: The Witch

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