We’re nearing the end of Black History Month here in the US and Canada. In the American South, prior to the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, religion played a key role in justifying the centuries-long exploitation of men, women, and children of African descent.
In a new Epistles section of The Brick Testament, the Rev. Brendan Powell Smith has some examples of the New Testament passages that slave-owners used to rationalize treating another human being as property.
If you were a boy in the 1980s, you probably had some sort of Lamborghini Countach merchandise, be it a poster on your bedroom wall (in James May’s case) or a somewhat more nerdy pencil holder (in mine).
Larwenz takes us back to those days when we could dream of roaring down the open road, squealing to a stop, and stepping out from those distinctive doors.
I think my favorite detail is the turntable base on the white inside of the doors.
Via Klocki.
After really enjoying Terminator Salvation
Thankfully, tbone_tbl seems to have appreciated what I think is the best movie in the series, and has created a microscale vignette of the first scene in the movie.
The micro A-10 Warthog in the foreground is certainly nice, but that Harvester mech in the background is excellent.
While this creation may not quite be Grimlock from the Transformers, it IS a robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex. Built by Alyse and Remi (or maybe only one of them, but it’s a shared flickr account) this creation really packs in the details. Plus, it’s got style.
I’m enjoying the mix of functional and decorative on this model. Many of the joints are geared, but there appear to be others used for visual effect. The various bar shapes lead to an image of a cage over the functional bits. Add in a perfectly expressive face (after all, a T-Rex should only have to look scary) and you’re left with a truly excellent creation.
Canadian builder Dave DeGobbi has created a massive, steampunk-inspired creation that takes a small city and puts it on a mobile platform! The idea is crazy enough to work both in concept and execution. This creation is supposedly a luxury resort set in a post-apocalyptic world. What wouldn’t I pay for a trip to this exotic paradise?
See more of this amazing marvel of LEGO engineering
Proximity to Valentine’s Day seems appropriate enough for the Halloween/Christmas hybrid that is The Nightmare Before Christmas
This vignette by Stefan (brainbikerider) featuring Jack Skellington singing beneath the full moon won a recent vignette contest among Austrian LEGO fans.
Tyler Clites (Legohaulic) has made instructions for his popular 1931 Ford Pickup. For once, the answer to the question “I can has instrucshuns?” is:
“Can has.”
In our interview with Angus MacLane back in 2008, we asked him why none of the toys in the previous two installments of the Toy Story series were LEGO. Read the interview to find out, but that gap has been corrected in Toy Story 3.
They’re a bit hard to spot in this screen cap by Bill Toenjes, so check out the photo on Flickr for notes and the full-size version. Watch the complete trailer for more LEGO, as well as a notable appearance by Totoro.
In related LEGO + Pixar news, this year’s giveaway Toy Fair premiums from LEGO included a CubeDude Buzz Lightyear signed and numbered by Angus himself (via FBTB’s complete Toy Fair 2010 coverage):
Now I’m mad that LEGO didn’t send The Brothers Brick an invite to this year’s Toy Fair. Hey LEGO, what gives? I demand my CubeDude Buzz Lightyear!
Finally, Toy Story director (Toy Story 3 executive producer) John Lasseter received the LEGO treatment at Toy Fair with this great bust built by Erik Varszegi (via Gizmodo):
Peter Reid has taken another run at his classic exo-suit creation. He’s just posted some photos of the MkII version on flickr, and the model just looks great. I think that the new claws are a huge step forward, and not just because they’re huge.
Also notable is the photography of this model, which does a great job of highlighting the model, while giving it a believable setting. The backdrop and supporting cast are great, and the depth of field of the photo really brings it to life.
Let’s take a look at the evolution of Peter’s Exo Mech over the years — it’s pretty cool to see all these iterations. This is an earlier version of the Exo-Suit from 2009, with an extended limb from the back.
The Exo-Squad ready for duty is one of my favourites from 2011!
The heavy weaponry version that we all want and need back (from 2012).
And the sci-fi action movie that’s waiting to be picked up by Hollywood (from 2014).
This gem is how Lino rolls on the farm. His John Deere tractor sports a roll bar so you don’t have to worry about gopher holes flipping you under the mower.
I’m surprised to see a new diorama by Amado C. Pinlac, whom many remember as ACPin and a builder of massive Star Wars dioramas back in the days. The dense foliage in this classic Endor scene from Return of the Jedi is amplified by the clever use of a non-Lego backdrop, adding depth to the picture. Can you spot the Ewok who’s about to steal a speeder bike?
Torri Ares‘s Victory 2 Gundam not only transforms from Core Fighter mode to mobile suite mode but it does so with music synchronization. The included video is a must-see, featuring a time-lapse build, transformation process and more with stellar presentation.
