Category Archives: Models

This is what we’re all about. We scour the web for the best custom LEGO models to share with you. From castles and spaceships to planes, trains, and automobiles, you’ll find the best LEGO creations from builders all over the world right here on The Brothers Brick.

Sound and Fury: The Doof Wagon is the personification of driving music

The 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road is a ton of fun. It has stunning visuals, great acting, an engaging story, and rich world building. And, oh yeah, just a touch of hyper-modified post-apocalyptic vehicles that really define the word “awesome.” Take, for instance, the Doof Wagon – Immortan Joe’s idea of driving music. Nicola Stocchi has created a stunning rendition of this beast that lives up to its on-screen origins. From the dual flamethrowing guitars to the towering tower-speakers, it took just over 3000 LEGO elements to bring this beast to life. There are lots of excellent details to call out, like the different types of 1×1 round plate that mix up the look of the speakers. Check out the use of Technic pins to add texture to the engines. And did you spot the minifigure squeeze-bulb horn? You have to wonder what luckless warboy gets to work that particular instrument.

The Doof Wagon + instructions

The rear view shows off the build on the giant drums. Each is made from hard plastic wheel with a drum head cleverly made of a 2×2 round tile surrounded by four 2×2 macaroni tiles to create the equivalent of a 6×6 round tile. I’m also fond of the expert usage of wedge plates to match the industrial feel of the resonators.

The Doof Wagon + instructions

Overall, this is one sweet ride. Why settle for rattling your car windows with a pathetic in-dash sound system when you could have the Doof Wagon blasting out “Sweet Home Chicago” at 220 decibels?

This LEGO diorama is a real train wreck

It’s a pretty typical scene: You’re running late. Trying to make up for lost time you watch the speedometer creep upwards as you race to your destination. If you’re unlucky, this might result in a speeding ticket. If you’re very unlucky, you might end up in a crash. And, if you’re one of the most unlucky people who ever lived, you’re a train engineer in Paris in October 1895. In that last case, you’re unable to brake. Your train runs through the buffer stop. And then it crashes through the upper-story station wall to end up standing on it’s nose in the Place de Rennes below. SEBASTIAN-Z captures this tragic moment, the Montparnasse derailment, in an intricate LEGO diorama.

Lego Montparnasse Derailment 2

The Gare Montparnasse terminus has been simplified to a facade, with eye-catching details like the clock made from parts from Big Ben and Santa’s workshop. The broken window makes good use of transparent LEGO elements like wall panels, and 1×2 bricks and plates. The selection of minifigure onlookers are well constructed, and giving one of them a baguette is a nice way to help establish the location.

Lego Montparnasse Derailment

This particular scene has become a part of popular culture. A similar crash appears in a dream in the movie Hugo, which is where SEBASTIAN-Z first heard of it. Let’s hope wrecks like this stay in the realm of film and LEGO from now on…

A brighter future (maybe)

Don’t get me wrong; I love me some sci-fi dystopian futures. But, after a while, it’s nice to see something a little more upbeat. Stenertje treats us to such a vision with “Space Police II Outpost.” Sure, it’s a police station, but look at how friendly and clean it is! There are trees, festive flags, and even a mailbox. The local mounties ride kaadu instead of heavily-armored speeder bikes. And the ship at the center of it all! Clean lines, and what appears to be only a hint of weaponry. It’s a breath of fresh air.

Space Police II Outpost
Pulling back the camera a little, things may not be quite as placid. The tops of the pylons surrounding the launch pad are covered with missile launchers and guns. And is that a robotic Gatling gun off to the right?
Space Police II Outpost
Well, no matter. I’m sure the heavily armed fortifications are just relics from the past, and not some subtle build up for a future Space Police theme…

Three-legged doom

I don’t know precisely what the Martian tripods in H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds looked like, but I can easily imagine this three-legged walker by Mitsuru Nikaido being cast in the next Hollywood version. Towering over the battlefield and filled with mechanical intricacy, this monster tripod evokes overwhelming technology. All the exposed wiring made from minifigure whips, though a common technique, is particularly effective here. The gunmetal-colored egg container on the upper housing enhances the sense of alienness.

LEGO Tripod mecha-10

It’s time to pick up the Ford Mustang set, thanks to this alt build

LEGO Creator Expert’s latest vehicle, 10265 Ford Mustang, is one of the best vehicles LEGO has made. But Nathanael Kuipers decided to use the parts from the set to build another stunning vehicle, this beautiful classic pickup. With the clean lines and split grille that marked the Ford F100 trucks of the early 70s, it’s remarkable that every element in this truck came from a single copy of the Mustang. Now that LEGO has moved away from cars with a Volkswagen Camper Van and a Technic Range Rover Defender, maybe they’ll turn an eye to gorgeous trucks like this, too.

Pickup Truck

Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo

For sure, the most epic LEGO battles of the late 90-s took place in deep oceans, where heroic Aquanaut miners fought against the villainous Aquasharks. Many years have passed, but the heroes (and antiheroes) are not forgotten — although, some of them have evolved a lot since then. LEGO designers Chris Perron and Markus Rollbühler team up and dive deep to find out that the waters are still as dangerous as 20 years ago. Now, the battlefield teems with giant sharks like this Mega Shark Scout. Designed for espionage attacks, the shark looks absolutely terrifying; aggressive design and the striking contrast of black, blue, and transparent orange picture an enemy you better avoid at all costs. But can you name all the pieces used for the design of the circle section right behind the shark’s head?

SHARKtember: Mega Shark Scout

Mysterio has Spider-Man on the brain

When I was little, one of my favorites nick-nacks was filled with water, a plastic carrot and a few tiny pieces of plastic “coal,” and was labeled “Florida Snowman.” (Look, trust me here. This was hilarious when I was six years old.) I’ve always had a fondness for snow globes. In unrelated trivia, I was also a big Spider-Man fan. I never dreamed, though, that both of those childhood loves would come crashing together. Builder Flambo14 changed all that with a fun LEGO build inspired by Spider-Man: Far From Home. In this creation, Mysterio’s trademark fishbowl-dome head is a LEGO Christmas ornament filled with 1×1 round plates for snow. You’ll aslo find a simple-but-effective microscale New York City skyline and, of course, Spider-Man himself. There’s even a sand-green minifigure telescope as an itty-bitty Statue of Liberty.

Mysterio Bust

Mysterio’s torso has some fun details, too. I like the use of the minifigure ring to help create the eyeball-patterns present on the cape clasps. The smoothness of the wedges used to construct the cape makes the exposed-stud build of the chest feel much more textured, just like the movie’s costume design. There’s also just the right touch of other gold elements to give him a bit of showmanship.

I’d love to see a whole series of Mysterio snow globes. If anyone else takes a swing at one, let us know!

A TARDIS console room fit for an adventurer

The ever popular television series Doctor Who has inspired many a LEGO TARDIS, including an official LEGO Ideas set. Wanting to go for something a little different, GunnBuilding has taken the TARDIS console room and re-imagined it in the LEGO Adventurers theme. As such, it is filled with plenty of historic artifacts collected on many an…adventure. This, coupled with the tiled floor and arch-laden tan wall, makes this model feel like IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM! The camera and piles of books suggest someone has been busy and, if the hat hanging off the railing is any indication, that person is the one-and-only Johnny Thunder.

The Adventurer's Console Room

This model is a digital render and, as such, may include some pieces in non-production colors.

Knight’s Kingdom II is kickin’ it new school

Forgotten somewhere in the recesses of LEGO castle history is Knights’ Kingdom II. It lacks the deep nostalgia of the castle themes from the 1980s and early 90s and the surprising novelty of the Fantasy Era sets. For some people, it might rank above Nexo Knights while still remaining near the bottom of their list of favorite castle themes. What it did do well, though, was to introduce Bionicle-like buildable figures to castle, allowing builders to fight each other with action-figure sized LEGO creations. Have you ever tried to engage someone else in a duel with a minifigure holding a sword? I have. It is not easy, and it looks strange to boot. Constraction figures solved that problem, and LEGO 7 has solved the problem of clunky old constraction figures for the theme, giving Sir Adric a brilliant updating.

SIR ADRIC 2.0

Many of the pieces of Sir Adric have been retained, like the shield, ax head, helm, greaves, and pauldrons. But the similarity ends there, as the builder has introduced heaps of constraction parts from Bionicle and other themes, with Darth Vader’s chest armor being among the most notable. While the original Adric was small and static, this one is the complete opposite, large and dynamic. Look at that action pose! Sir Adric could totally chop Vladek to bits with this upgrade. I love LEGO 7’s model, and I’m not even a fan of constraction!

Small gatehouse is big display of medieval architecture

LEGO castles offer builders countless opportunities to use pieces in innovative ways, but executing that variety effectively often requires quite a large castle. Atahlus’ latest creation demonstrates how you can include a variety of different techniques in a relatively small model, while still giving off the air of a large and imposing castle.

While a singular building, this gatehouse demonstrates three separate types of structures. On the right you have the red, half-timber style structure that would be just as much at home in a medieval village as it would be built onto the side of a castle. Opposite it on the left is a round tower with its tall, buttressed walls, implying a stronger, more fortified look. Contrast both sides to the delicate look of the center section, reminiscent of a gothic cathedral. Here in the center, the parts usage is particularly intriguing, with seamless integration of modified bricks, bars, and robot claws to achieve a fragile character. Grey microfigures are also used effectively here as sculpted window frames, as well as on the crenellations on the left section.

A delightfully derelict and decrepit drive-in

Post-apocalyptic builds are popular in the LEGO community for some reason. Is it because we are fatalistic about the fate of society, and are certain it is all going to go up in mushroom clouds? Is it because we play video games that are set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world? Do we just want to watch the world burn? Perhaps it is some combination of all those. hellboy.lego brings us a scene from the video game Fallout 4, which at very least satisfies my second suggestion. The Starlight Theatre, a now decrepit drive-in movie theater, serves as the camp for some raiders, and is gloriously derelict. Vines and trees are growing up everywhere, and the buildings are all half-ruined.

Starlight Theatre Overview

Click to see more of the Starlight Theatre

If this is my ride to jail then sign me up!

Sometimes I wish I was born sooner, but if I were I might be soiling adult diapers and yelling obscenities at the TV by now, so I’m fine being the age I am, all things considered. Had I been a bit older though, I would have seen this whole “Showrod” phenomenon first hand. Showrodding pioneers such as George Barris, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, and Tom Daniel (of Monogram Models fame) changed the definition of what a car could be with their flamboyant, over-the-top showstoppers. Certainly there is still car customization going on nowadays but nothing matches the heyday of the Showrod phenomenon in the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. There are very few car builders on the planet building this style of Showrod and even fewer people creating them in LEGO. One such LEGO artist, however, is Andrea Lattanzio who has replicated Tom Daniel’s “Paddy Wagon” with masterful build techniques and stunning photography.

Paddy Wagon

To say I am impressed by this would be an understatement. I think the correct words I’m looking for are awestruck and quite a bit humbled. Everything from the C-Cab’s signature profile, to the gleaming custom chrome bits to the aggressive stance to its superb clean backdrop, even the font used are all the mark of an artist with a profound knack for presentation. With what looks like houses reflected in the rear hubcap, it would seem Andrea’s secret to stellar presentation involves, at least in part, natural outdoor lighting and a clear day.

Paddy Wagon

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