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.

In the Realms of Unreality, your wish is my trophy

Even if this wasn’t for a contest we’d feature this LEGO Genie anyway because: 1) it was built by Markus Rollbüller and whatever that guy does turns to gold and 2) see reason 1. I mean, do you really need another reason? He was named The Brothers Brick Builder of the Year in 2021 so you know he’s got to be good. But if you need another reason to love this Genie, it is a trophy that can be had over at Brickscalibur if you enter and win in the Realms of Unreality Category. Be sure to refine those rendering skills as this is a digital-only category. Despite this fact, this trophy is not merely smoke and mirrors but actual LEGO bricks that you can presumably rub in the privacy of your own home. While you’re mulling over those possibilities, check out why, as TBB writers, Markus Rollbüller makes our wishes come true.

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Here’s some LEGO Muppets, but the question is, what is a mahna-mahna?

You know those LEGO builds that you see and get a song stuck in your head? Well, this one from j-p-30 will either look like a fever dream, or will have you going “mahna-mahna” periodically all day. It’s the instantly recognisable Snowths with Mahna-Mahna himself (yes, that is his name, canonically) front and centre. You know, as usual. The characters all have the mad genius of Jim Henson’s puppets in evidence and look very lifelike. The use of leaves in both sets of characters is perfect for their fuzzy features, and the clam for Mahna-Mahna’s big mouth is inspired!

j-p-30’s flair for LEGO muppets doesn’t stop there. The use of a sharpie does help with some of the character’s distinctive features, such as Kermit’s eyes. How good is his slightly miffed “:3” expression here though? It’s a perfect representation of the way the puppets would deform under the puppeteers’ hand.

We still have Christmas cheer so long as the eggnog is good

Before you give us gruff that Christmas has passed, you don’t take down your holiday tree right at midnight on the start of the 26th, do you? No, of course not! We keep Christmas in our hearts at least until the holiday food expires. In the case of fruitcake, you could be reluctantly sampling it right up through July. The calendar you bought for Christmas is now 50% off but that doesn’t stop us from featuring this LEGO Christmas stork built by Pascal Hetzel. I don’t want to be the one to explain the birds and the bees to you but almost everyone knows that babies are delivered by storks. The same holds true for Christmas presents for instances when the usual fat man can’t be bothered to stuff himself down your chimney. I love the snow, the roof tiles, and the Wolverine claws used to texture the nest. Frankly, I don’t care who delivers my Christmas gifts, so long as the eggnog is tasty. Is mentioning eggnog around a stork considered insensitive?

Not everything in space is as it seems

The following is an extract from Beginner’s Guide to Space Adventures, by Lunar & Extraterrerestrial Geography – Outerspace (L.E.G.O.) expert Bart de Dobbelaer.*

“When exploring space, it is important to remember that not everything is as it seems. On strange worlds, what you might think are tasty space mushrooms could be anything from energy crystals to the appendages of a colossal planet-dwelling man-eater. It is analogous, if you will, to using LEGO pieces in interesting ways. That part you thought was a space egg? It’s actually the eyeball of a space monster. Remember what we learned in the chapter on basic planetary survival: just because you can’t see the colossal planet-dwelling man-eater, does not mean it cannot see you! The chances that they have more eyes than you are extremely high. And for goodness’ sake, if you suspect it is something that could eat you, don’t try and take it home. The best tool in a space explorer’s survival kit is a brick separator, but the second best tool is caution. Always keep an eye out!”

*Not a real book. Please don’t attempt to buy one from Bart. But do check out his other work.

A build that delivers on two counts

It’s sometimes easy to spot where the inspiration for a particular Pokemon comes from. It’s safe to say that Delibird – “the Delivery Pokemon” – is one such case. ‘Tis the season, then, for this super facsimile of Delibird from Woomy World! Much like the “real-world” bird, this build really does deliver. The spiky white feathers are superbly recreated using loads of similarly spiky pieces. The use of feathery wings for the ears and face adds some texture that is only implied in the original 2D sprite, but looks great nonetheless. The eyes and beak are also fantastic. So full of life!

Strike while the plastic is yellow, orange, or red

Texture is the name of the game in this blacksmith scene by LEGO Master Andreas Lenander. We can see the worn stone of the walls of the smithy, the rough grain of the wood beams holding up the room’s roof, and a floor cobbled with round tiles of various sizes. Small details like the chains hanging from the ceiling and the tools leaning up against the walls add to the vignette. But Tashk’il is the star of the show, slowly manipulating hot steel with his smithing hammer. The work on the figure is impressive, relying heavily on the 1×2 ingot tile and the 1×1 plate with bar to properly express the muscle and concentration being applied to that sword.

The only way to warmonger across the frozen steppe is by mammoth

War elephants are cool and all, but up here in the frozen Nordics, they wouldn’t stand a chance. BardJaskier has envisaged how warriors might have moved around in the last Ice Age with this imposing LEGO war mammoth. The brick-built beast looks great, featuring a neat use of a walnut-print tile for the eye. There are plenty of spikes to ward off attackers, although they’d have to be pretty brave – or foolish – to go near this thing. For one thing, they’d have to make it through the throng of angry Northmen at its side. Along with the surrounding frozen landscape, they’re a great complement to a fantastic build.

OK, Jack – let’s get this baby off the ground

It was only a matter of time before the space baby from Series 24 of the Collectible Minifigure line cropped up in a LEGO creation. Albert Lee is first through the gate with this cute lunar outpost. It’s a classic example of classic space, but the slightly odd scale brings its own challenges for parts choice. What parts might have passed for tiny greebled details before now have to be used more judiciously. Ditto for the signature yellow canopies. The ones used here may have been too small for some minifigure scale ships, even the control tower viewport. But with the babies, they suddenly become huge windows into space. Fascinating! I’m sure this won’t be the last we see of these babies, and it’s certainly not the first time seeing their civilian counterparts either. Perhaps we should make baby-scale its own thing!

The only British cars that don’t rust are those made from LEGO

If you say ‘family saloon made in 1960s Britain’, chances are the car in question is not a very good one, even by the standards of the time. But if you say ‘LEGO car made by Chris Elliott‘, it’s almost a dead cert that it’s a bona fide classic. While they were by no means perfect, there is a certain charm about cars of this vintage, which Chris has captured wonderfully. The front grille – a custom-chromed Wolverine claw – is immediately recognisable as a hallmark of Wolseley cars, and indeed Chris says the Wolseley 1500 was the main source of inspiration. There’s a hint of Ford Cortina in there too, and maybe even something sporty like a Triumph TR4. The shaping is great, and along with the chrome parts really helps to sell this as a typical late-20th-century British classic. The only inauthentic thing is the build quality. It’s far too high for this to have come out of a Leyland or BMC factory!

The hippest holiday builds we’ve ever seen.

We’ve often praised Dan Ko for his inventive parts usage, but these two Christmas ornaments might just take the cake…or fruitcake, as it were. Starting with a set of legless minifigure hips as faces, Dan has crafted Santa and the traditional Christmas Nutcracker as ornaments suitable for hanging on any LEGO fan’s tree.

Santa’s got minifigure parts working overtime, as a single leg fills in for his beard. And I’m particularly impressed with the small space Dan was able to leave in the Nutcracker to denote his chompers. Make sure to check out more of our coverage of Dan’s impressive builds right here.

Something’s fishy about this holiday scene…

At first glance, this North Pole build by ForlonEmpire is as heartwarming as it is well constructed. A young penguin interrupts Santa’s fishing expedition to offer him a present. Santa himself is teeming with great parts usage, from the big-fig arms getting an upgrade as Santa’s upper arms, to the pair of bucket handles doing double-duty as his belt buckle. And the semi-circle tiles as bows are inspired. But the more you think about it, the more sinister this scene becomes. Why is there a sled full of presents in this remote location? The answer is obvious. Santa has laid-off his elf work force because penguin labor is so much cheaper. This penguin isn’t giving Santa a gift. He’s made the gift in exchange for a fish. Santa’s cornered the market on herring and if the penguins don’t work, they starve! Merry Christmas!

After a long night, Santa deserves a break!

Nothing beats a good sit in your favorite chair after a long shift at work. And in this yuletide LEGO build by Koen Zwanenburg, we see the man of the hour, Saint Nicholas himself, taking a break after his most logistically-challenging night of the year. And boy, does he deliver (Koen, that is) when it comes to the use of curved slopes. They’re adeptly used to shape Santa’s beard, boots, and belly, not to mention the dark red seat he sits in. The exposed studs to represent the white fur on the outfit is truly a gift, as is the gold filigree along the edges of the armchair. But my favorite bit has got to be the cute little bows on the packages. I’ve struggled this season to create ribbon in this blocky medium for my own builds, yet Koen achieves it so easily here with wedge plates, cheese slopes, and tiles. And with that, I should probably check and see if the big guy left anything under the tree for me. Fingers crossed it’s a LEGO Minecraft set. Have a very Merry Christmas!