Iron Builder competitions have a way of bringing out some crazy creations…suppose that it the whole point of them. Sean & Steph Mayo prove once again that they have mad LEGO skillz with their adorable Oscar the Grouch.
Posts by Tromas
Holy SHIP!
For those of you just crazy enough to try and build an entire SHIP in 30 days, may be interested in checking out this little contest/challenge that Simon Liu has organized.
Here is a brief synopsis of the challenge at hand:
SHIPtember
One Month.
One SHIP.
One Hundred (plus) studs.Rules:
Build SHIP must be 100 studs or longer between September 1st and October 1st. That’s it!How do I enter?
Simple! Start building your SHIP starting on Sept 1st, and start posting WIP shots as you go so everyone can all praise your guts for building a SHIP in a month!
WIP and your final glory shots should be posted in the LEGO SHIP group:
www.flickr.com/groups/the-shipyard (HERE!)What about [insert standard ship critiera]?
We don’t care, as long as it’s a 100+ studs and you build it all in SHIPtember we’ll be happy…
Though there will be Trophies for people that build a really good SHIP… ;)Trophies?!?!
Yup. Trophies. There will be a number of custom trophies that will be awarded in various categories. Categories will be Judged by a cabal of SHIPists who are not participating in the building (or will not be eligible for trophies/prizes). And there will also be a limited of Engraved/Printed Badges for participantsEngraved/Printed Badges!?!?
Yup, we got those covered too. What’s a trophy without a nice engraved brick? And we got some extras for SHIP Builders, and maybe a few for non builders.Wait? why are non builders getting prizes too?
The way I see it, SHIP building doesn’t have to be a solitary affair. It seems to be one of the few builds that people typically post WIP shots leading up to the final completed SHIP. Furthermore comments and critiques offered by the larger community may actually be incorporated into the final SHIP. So I’m hoping all builders and those that can’t build will help encourage the courageous few who will be attempting to build a really cool SHIP in a month.
For further information and discussion head on over to the contest thread in the SHIPs: WIPs & Discussion flickr group.
Ratchet & Ironhide Transformers...in LEGO!
Judging by his blog, Alanyuppie is a both a LEGO and a Transformers fan…which pretty much makes him a guy after my own heart. His latest creations are pretty spot on representations of two of my favourite G1 characters, Ironhide and Ratchet. The G1 toys of these guys were, how to put it…odd to say the least. So the fact that Alan made these models transform to be just like the characters from the cartoon makes them just that much more awesome. These are very well engineered and designed to look just like the original characters…Michael Bay should take notes!
Alan has two great posts about the build & design process for these models, both the vehicle modes and the bot modes.
And not a General Motors product in sight…
Doctor Octopus’ Daddy Daycare
Most parents in my books are super heroes. Except we don’t have any super powers…well except for maybe super human patience and invulnerability to poop and spit-up. But what if parents were really super villains? Dave Kaleta answers that question by showing that not only can super villains be parents, they can be effective multi-taskers.
Check out the Full Photoset for all the hilarious details.
LT-7 Longbow by Peter Morris
They may be my arch nemesisisss’s?, nemisie? nemisee? nemi, nemi…well let’s just go with enemies. But even I have to tip my hat to these guys’ performances. We previously featured some the team’s work for the 3rd round of the Starfighter Telephone Game. Well it was now Peter Morris’ turn, and not surprising he has come up with a slick little fighter. I will actually go so far as to say that this thing is approaching perfection. The angles and controlled colour blocking/striping are expertly done. For being such a compact fighter there is a tonne of details to catch your eye. I am not ashamed to say that I want one.
Well played Mr. Morris, well played…
Brickfête July 13th & 14th, 2013 [News]
Janey Gunning asked me to share this announcement about the fast approaching Canadian LEGO convention. I wish Canada wasn’t so big, as I would be there in a heartbeat if not for the distance. But I do hope my fellow Canadian LEGO maniacs all have a splendid time!
Ladies and Gentleman, LEGO fans of all ages…
Don’t miss a great LEGO festival in Toronto, Canada.
July 13th & 14th, 2013
10am until 3pm
www.brickfete.com
The public is invited to view the awesome LEGO Creations on display and we can not wait to show you what we have built. You can see things like a huge Serenity ship, large working amusement park ride, massive train/monorail layouts, classic space layout with working lights, funky art sculptures and mosaics, classic city, castle, pirate and viking creations, elaborate war dioramas, various scaled pieces of architecture, working robots and more!!! You will not believe your eyes when you see what our exhibitors can make from LEGO. There is even a brick building area for the kids and you never know when a special character might show up, from Darth Vader to Billy Blue Brick.
Tickets sold online here.
Parking & venue information here.See you on the second weekend of July,
The Brickfête Team“A festival run by fans, made by the fans, for the fans.”
The Brothers Brigade
Well boys and girls, there is a new super hero team in town. If you thought The Avengers or Justice League were cool, just take a look at The Brothers Brigade. Twelve super powered, super cool individuals from around the World (well, most of them are from the U.S., but they do have three token foreigners). They are fighting evil and taking names.
Full Character Bios:
Front Row (L-R)
Tripod, Gold Member, Mad Physicist
Second Row (L-R)
Artist, The Stud, El Capitan
Third Row (L-R)
The Surgeon, Archaeology, Knight Farmer
Back Row (L-R)
Justice of Space, Mr. Naked Train, Death Pixie
SOS Scavenger by Spook
Tim Zarki (Spook) consistently creates cool sci-fi models that also have an air of beauty to them. It seems funny describing an undersea salvage vessel as beautiful, but it is…
Honey, I’m home!
Flickr user Hippotam created this hilarious little scene for a contest, the purpose of which was to depict the same scene occurring in both 1963 and 2063. The only thing I am confused about is whether that little green critter on the floor in 2063 is a pet, or the result of the affair?!
Schnellboot Docked at Night
More and more it seems that we are seeing lighting integrated into a model’s presentation. When done right, it can create a wonderful ambiance for the photo. Nate Flood’s Schnellboot (Fast Boat) is a perfect example of this. The lighting and simple diorama sets the perfect mood for the image. Nate says that the photo is courtesy of Jim Liermann, so it appears this was a team effort.
For those that want to have a closer look, there are further photos of the Schnellboot in Nate’s flickr photostream.
Thanks a bunch to Mike for the heads up on this shot…I surely would have missed it.
Fashionably Late & Always Stylish
Remember that R-Type Build challenge from way back when? Well Uspez Morbo not being one to follow the herd said to himself, “Pfft…who needs monthly deadlines?!”
And I said to myself, “Am I ever glad that Uspez is a rebellious bugger!”
So without further delay, here is Uspez’s contribution to the R-Type & Beyond build challenge…finally!!
Please peruse the crazy textures and complex detailing within the full photoset.
Also, way to rock the UFO panels…
Strandbeest inspired, post-apocalyptic LEGO by Jason Allemann
We’ve posted a couple of LEGO Strandbeest’s here before, but never one wearing clothes. Jason Allemann (True Dimensions) left his version (inspired by Chris Magno) in a box for six years until giving it a post-apocalyptic makeover and posting it yesterday (dated May, apparently). And of course one must watch the video. And to make it even cooler still, Jason has posted instructions for the frame.
EDIT (TG + AB): TR and I posted at exactly the same time, so I include my short description above and leave TR to the rest of the post
I have typed and re-typed this post a few times now, but apparently I am not feeling very eloquent today. So I’ll just keep this simple…flickr user True Dimensions has had this in the works for six years. I am glad he decided to pull it out of the box and dust it off, because it is thoroughly good.
It is just too bloody much fun watching this thing clatter across the floor.
He was also nice enough to offer instruction on how to build your own walking frame on his website.