Posts by Theo Spencer

“No... Your father, I am”

Now, my memory is not what it used to be. Heck, only last week I found a LEGO set I forgot that I stashed in the bathroom (don’t ask). And although I recall Yoda, Dagobah, and “I am your father” from The Empire Strikes Back, I’m not sure Grogu was there… But ABrickDreamer (whom you may recognize from our This Week in Bricks features) has recreated this scene from the movie, and there Grogu is, so I must be misremembering. How did no-one pick up on that at the time? He’s even called Baby Yoda! Come to think of it, wasn’t there a Mandalorian in that movie, too…?

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LEGO motorization from an era of steam mechanisation

I love seeing old ideas for things that never got beyond the prototype stage. That’s particularly true from the early age of mechanisation – crazy ideas like steam cars or balloon ships look more like steampunk fiction than reality. Take this steam tractor, built by LEGO builder Nikolaus Löwe. Nikolaus is no stranger to sci-fi creations, and indeed that’s what I figured this was. It looks very functional, and yet like nothing I’ve ever really seen… And yet, it was real! This is a model of an early Hornsby steam tractor, of which only one was ever made. The model itself was not a commercial success, by all accounts, but early prototypes did result in the tracks being dubbed ‘caterpillar’ tracks on account of their caterpillar-like motion. Indeed, the Hornsby firm would eventually morph into the company we know as Caterpillar today.

Oh, and speaking of motion – see all those functional-looking gears and Technic axles? They’re not just for show, you know! There’s a great video showing off all the tractor’s functions, including an impressive differential steering mechanism – check it out!

A trip to Mongolia, via north London

It’s funny what parts of your life LEGO creations can remind you of. Here, we have a Mongolian Ger (or yurt, as we in the Western world might call it), as built by qian yj. Now it’s a fine build: the barren landscape of the steppes contrasts nicely with the colourful tent that these minifigures call home. And yet, rather than being transported to Mongolia, my mind takes me to university accommodation somewhere north of London. For some reason, my flatmates and I had taken to loudly playing Mongolian throat singing outside each other’s doors at inconvenient times. This led to scenarios as hilarious as the music is enchanting. And it puts a smile on my face even now. Thanks for jogging my memory, Qian!

LEGO by the Numbers: LEGO Group announces 2024 financial results [News]

As is customary around this time of year, the LEGO Group has provided an update on its finances having crunched the numbers for 2024. Following on from 2023’s solid foundation, the Danish toymaker continued its expansion, growing market share despite the continued contraction of the global toy market. As a result, both revenue and operating profit saw increases year-on-year to record levels, by 13% to 74.3bDKK, and 10% t0 18.7bDKK, respectively. There was also strong growth on the sustainability front: the share of sustainable and sustainably-sourced materials more than doubled in 2024. For more in-depth information, and a word from LEGO Group CEO Neils B Christiansen, read their press release after the jump!

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Charizard, I choose you (as my backup option)

I’m always going to be a fan of the Squirtle-Wartortle-Blastoise line from the Pokémon games. But even then, I can’t deny that the coolest of the final 3 evolutions has to be Charizard. Daniel BrickSon has recreated the fire-type ‘mon in LEGO form, performing its signature Flamethrower move. The fire looks excellent, the yellow and red a great approximation of the 2D anime styling. And Charizard itself is fab, too, making use of many arch pieces in orange and teal to craft its 3D form. It makes me want to pick up my Game Boy to play Pokémon Red all over again… Oh hey, Daniel built one of those, too! (I’m still picking Squirtle, though.)

LEGO Icons 10353 Williams FW14B & Nigel Mansell: “And colossally, that’s LEGO Mansell!” [Review & Exclusive Designer Insights]

Modern Formula One cars are fantastically complex beasts. And yet, if you ask hardcore F1 fans what the most technologically advanced car ever is, there’s a good chance they will plump for one from 1992. The Williams FW14B is famous for enjoying its technological superiority over its rivals, with traction control and active suspension among its many innovations. This icon of 1990s F1 is now getting an official LEGO set, alongside its most famous pilot, in the form of 10353 Williams Racing FW14B & Nigel Mansell. With an RRP of US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99, this 799-piece kit can be pre-ordered now ahead of its general release on March 1st. (You might also see it on eBay or Amazon thereafter.)

Our editor-in-chief Andrew Becraft visited Billund last year to talk to LEGO Icons designer (and LEGO Masters Australia victor) Gus McLaren about this set ahead of its release. So you can expect to see some interesting bits of information sprinkled throughout this review. (A shout-out too to Nicole, AKA GirlBricksALot, for joining Andrew in the interview and backing him up with some specialist F1 knowledge!)

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 here to read our review of this legendary racer!

LEGO Speed Champions 77242 – 77251 Formula One car collection: is this peak Speed Champions? [Review]

Next week, the Formula One teams will emerge from their bases and hit the track for the first time in almost three months, with pre-season testing preceding the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. What better time, then, for LEGO to launch not one, not two, not even three – but 10 (yes, count them, ten!) F1 cars than on March 1st? These form part of a wider tie-in between the Danish brick company and the world’s premier motorsport series. All ten current constructors are represented, and with part counts ranging between 242 and 275, they can be pre-ordered now with an RRP of US $26.99 | CAN $34.99 | UK £22.99 each. On the surface, they all appear very similar – but are they? Will one stand out to take the chequered flag ahead of all the others? Or will the racing margins be too tight to call a winner? Read on as we build all 10 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.

Click here to race through our review!

Sand-red is dead! Long live sand-red!

I really like obscure LEGO colours. That includes things like aqua, neon yellow and chrome (and once upon a time, teal, which is the best colour as we all know). But by virtue of their scarcity, they rarely pop up in custom creations. So when TBB Alum Carter Baldwin‘s sand-red mech came across my desk, I was sure it was a digital creation. Not so! This is a bona fide in-the-brick build, using parts that Carter slowly accumulated over the years – apparently, the parts you see here are almost his entire collection. On the one hand, that means we won’t see many more builds in this colour palette; but on the other, it makes this one that little bit more special!

LEGO Architecture 21062 Trevi Fountain: No half (stud) measures [Review]

Can you believe LEGO’s Architecture theme has been going for 17 years now? That would make it old enough to get a driving license in the UK! It’s testament to the diversity of the theme that in all those years, you can count the number of buildings to receive repeat sets on one hand. We can add another finger to that hand now, as 21062 Trevi Fountain re-visits one of Rome’s most famous landmarks. The first iteration of this set – 21020 – included 731 parts, but that number has now ballooned to 1,880 pieces in the 2025 version. It will release March 1st, but you can pre-order it from LEGO’s website now for US $159.99 | CAN $209.99 | UK £139.99. You may also be able to pick it up from eBay or Amazon, once it has released.

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.

When in Rome… Read our review to visit the Trevi Fountain!

Where one journey ends, another starts – or are they one and the same?

Sometimes, there is beauty in simplicity. Torger Almaas‘ debut on TBB is a LEGO build that doesn’t feature much in the way of clever parts use or innovative building methods. But what it lacks in tricksy techniques, it more than makes up for as a work of art! Considering it’s all done just one brick high, the setting sun that draws the eye looks absolutely superb. It’s a great focal point to sell the forced perspective at use elsewhere in this creation, such as the mountains or the birds flying overhead. I find myself wondering what the story is behind this lonely warrior, though. To me it seems like they’re on the way home after a long, arduous conflict – perhaps walking slightly gingerly. But they could just as easily be setting off on a journey, and that sunset could just as easily be a sunrise. What story do you see in this build?

Not even Finch Dallow can resist this LEGO Star Wars bomber

Seven years ago, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi hit theaters worldwide, and the world has never been the same since. Not because it’s a somewhat polarising film among the fanbase – but because it inspired LEGO starship phenom Tom Loftus (AKA Inthert) to create a model of the bulky Resistance Bomber from the opening sequence. And it’s only now that we finally get to see the fruits of that labour! It’s a fantastically detailed model, as per Tom’s usual sky-high standard. It’s some way bigger than the set LEGO made of it too, even though it uses some of the same printed turret dishes.

That LEGO set (75188 Resistance Bomber, if you’re curious) is infamous among enthusiast circles for the late addition of a character named Finch Dallow – a name that strikes terror into the hearts of minifigure collectors. (You can read why here.) And sure enough, he’s present in this model too! He and his crew get a fully decked-out interior. Even the structural elements of the fuselage look to be accurate to the movie. That’s 7 years of hard work well spent, if you ask me!

It’s not like Tom has only been working on this since 2018, though. You can see what else he’s been up to in our Inthert archives.

Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers rendered in LEGO as newly unveiled Art set [News]

Three years ago, one of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings was turned into a LEGO set in the form of 21333 The Starry Night – part of the LEGO Ideas theme. Today, another brick-built depiction of the Dutch impressionist’s work is unveiled, but this time as part of the popular LEGO Art line: 31215 Vincent Van Gogh – Sunflowers. This new display piece depicts the fourth and perhaps most well-known painting in Van Gogh’s sunflower series. Or more specifically, a repetition thereof, created in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, where the real painting is housed. Consisting of 2,615 pieces, you can hang your very own copy on the walls starting from March 1st. You can also pre-order it now at an RRP of US $199.99 | CAN $259.99 | UK £169.99. There are a host of events surrounding the product’s launch in Europe, too, so be sure to read the press release below for all the details!

More painting pictures and LEGO’s press release after the jump!