Dan Ko delivers a tribute to the Legend of Zelda franchise with this Iron Builder entry, featuring Link battling an octorok as they both emerge from the controller of a Nintendo Switch. The Iron Builder seed part of the bigfig hands in bright green are put to excellent use as part of Link’s body and trademark hat. And the printed tiles used for the octorok’s eyes are so spot-on, that I’d believe that creature was from an officially licensed set. Dare I dream of such a thing?
Sometimes a LEGO build can take you to unexpected places. Clemens Schneider initially found inspiration for this scene from the Horse and Groom from the Series 22 Collectible Minifigures, but eventually decided on a brick-built horse. I like how the theme is a little ambiguous — sure, these could “just” be cleverly built microscale knights, but don’t they also look a bit like robots? In my head canon, this is a scene from one of those alternate universes where technology and magic comingle — but it looks like these robo-knights need to decide if their wagon is a bit too heavy for the road. Those wheels are clearly embedded in the muck. Maybe walk a bit until you’re back on pavement, lads.
Castles are cool. We all know that. But you know what’s even cooler, and coincidently in our archives? LEGO castles.
James Bond is known for several things: looking great in a tux, being suave with the ladies, and enjoying his drinks shaken, not stirred. Oh, and also awesome cars. Take a gander at this LEGO 1976 Lotus Esprit built by Paul Nicholson. It’s from The Spy Who Loved Me and clearly Paul is a builder with no shortage of suave moves. It captures the iconic vehicle nicely and the undersea stand is a great touch. Now why is it that we never got any official James Bond LEGO sets? Oh right, we did and most of us were less-than-thrilled. Perhaps now is the time to improve on that? In the meantime check out some other James Bond stuff built by our friends around the globe. I try to be as suave as 007 but when I order my beer shaken, not stirred it’s usually met with a quizzical look and a disapproving shake of the head. Maybe it’s because I’m just too short and paunchy for a tux.
Great Odin’s raven! This LEGO Viking town by builder Simon Schweyer is an excellent return to form after six years away from the hobby. The lush green landscape atop those rocks is festooned with so many quaint buildings, all of them boasting some wonderful curves. The roof shaping, unique to each structure, is the first thing to catch my eye. Though all the buildings have their own character, the shared colors and building styles in each one makes them feel like a cohesive unit. And employing ship hulls in some of those lovely shapes is some great part usage. Lover of texture that I am, I find the haphazard makeup of the hut walls to be quite endearing. And the minifig placement gives the eye a reason to linger on certain parts of the build. As my eyes pass over it, each of the individual scenes stand out. Has the shepherd lost some of his flock? What song are the bards sharing with the town? And have the fish been biting today?
Have a better look around the village below
When it comes to beautifully constructed LEGO cabins, Andrea Lattanzio is in a class of his own. Whether you’re looking for perilously perched adventure or a little holiday magic, odds are good Andrea has you covered. Andrea’s latest build is the Crystal Mill, a real-life Colorado landmark as it might have looked back in the 19th century. The realistic trees and gorgeous waterfall catch your attention right away, but don’t overlook the smaller details of the cabin, like the minifigure wand elements on the front-door and the creatively crafted ladder.
If you’re not familiar with LEGO, you might not realize this is made of the classic building toy. Of course, this is because of the excellent piece choices The Underscored Double made when crafting this natural scene. The parts from the Hero Factory and Bionicle toy lines push what anyone can do with LEGO, as the Bio-Cup event shows us with the unique builds on display. Here, The Underscored Double cleverly uses the Bionicle claw to create the lime green coral structure beneath the critter. The claw layering gives the coral a wonderful sloping texture, allowing the orange plant pieces to branch and curve around it. The creature itself moves around beneath the translucent green seagrass canopy. A part choice I really appreciate is the minifig microphones for the critter’s eyes. It’s a fun touch that brings your eyes to the alien crustacean enjoying the day in its bright coral home.
Ahh, Kraata. The 2003 attempt by LEGO to match the catch-em-all collectability of Pokémon with slug-like Bionicle creatures. If you look closely at these exotic plants from Will Hafner, you can see the subtle variations that distinguish the different stages of their life cycle. Will has even created a flower with just the rare seventh-stage Shadow Kraata (those are the violet ones). I also like the vase, which looks like it began life as a Bionicle canister lid. There’s no doubt these are some cool-looking blooms, but I think if I saw them in my garden I’d be a bit concerned about invasive species.
If you’re looking for more biologic diversity, check our archives for more amazing floral creations.
Aido K presents a LEGO Brickheadz inspired build celebrating the fantastic Cartoon Classic: Inspector Gadget! But ‘Gadget hasn’t appeared on his own, the team is here with Penny and Brain along for the ride to ensure the great Inspector doesn’t get into (too much) trouble!
Aido captures the stylistic approach of both Brickheadz and Inspector Gadget here along with the necessary appendages befitting the great detective, with each gadget representing key moments from the series.
I love how Inspector Gadget’s quizzical expression and elongated face have been captured perfectly here, too, whilst keeping to the design of a Brickheadz which is then carried on through both Penny and the loveable dog, Brain whose sat-to-attention pose is wonderfully realized in LEGO.
I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring these delightful characters and celebrating some cartoon nostalgia because this post will self-destruct in 5, 4, 3…
The talented Sandro Quattrini returns with another fascinating creation, this time in the form of a humanoid primate. The mandril is bursting with personality through its eye-catching colour scheme and stocky proportions. Within the face is a fantastic variation of parts; blue flippers are placed along the nose, headdresses represent ears, and a wig (used on the revolutionary soldier minifigure) portrays the white beard at the chin. The binoculars almost look real with a microphone holding the optical instrument together. Buttons of the walkie-talkie are created by placing rollerskates sideways and the stylish boots feature fur lined hood pieces as the main toe sections. But beware, it appears as though this mandrill could be quite the hunter, as the creature comes armed with a deadly-looking rifle.
One of my all-time favorite games doesn’t have a name but its variations are known by many. The “telephone” game, in its many forms, gravitates around the idea of altering a phrase, image, or item slightly as it’s passed around to each participant. While most of us played it as kids, some adult fans of LEGO like to play a version of their own that is often out of this world. Builder Eli Willsea created the STG-2 Sailer as the 4th iteration in the latest telephone series. The small, rockhopper-style craft somewhat reminds me of the starter ship in No Man’s Sky (NMS) with its compact body and raised back portion. More NMS parallels arise with the solar sail sections with boosters firing off behind them. The sails creatively use the balloon sections from Friends sets and Sweet Mayhem’s Systar Starship along with some golden rigging for deployment and retraction. The coloration and parts usage give this ship lots of curves and angles that really catch the eye, an essential part of good spaceship building. Greeble, or detail, all you want but if your ship doesn’t visually swoop it’ll probably end up resembling a flying, mechanical potato. Thankfully, Eli knows how to avoid the spud fate and instead made a fantastic little puddle jumper that the next builder will have fun emulating.
Grayson M‘s latest creation reminds me a little of the Discworld books, which is certainly no bad thing! He has created a charming sea turtle with a whole world on her back – a world of coral. The reef on the turtle’s back allows for some inventive parts use; everything from zamor spheres and macaroni tubes to wheels and Bionicle blades is in there. Impressively all this is happening without making it feel too crowded – the variation in parts, textures, and size seems very carefully done to achieve this. But don’t let the bright colours of the reef distract you from the ingenious construction of her head! This uses a Brachiosaurus body from the short-lived Dinosaurs theme from 2001. It’s a perfect complement to the colourful coral and gives a weathered look to this reef mother.
This LEGO sculpture from Patrick Biggs speaks to me, even if I’m not quite sure what it’s saying. Titled She flies with her own wings, Patrick also adds this bit of lore in their photo description: “As spring soars into summer, if you look just right, you may spot this fabled spirit as it brings the rose bushes to bloom.” The stark contrast between the greenery and red blooms certainly makes the artic white of the bird seem like a spectral image. The wide range of LEGO elements in play rewards a closer look; I spotted wings from the Legends of Chima, tails from Hero Factory, and even a white minifigure life preserver ring around the eye.
If you found this build inspiring, check out our archives for more avian goodness.