This is a triumph! I’m making a note here, this Marvel-ous Dr. Strange LEGO build by Josh Parkinson is a huge success! Inspired by the superhero’s latest movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we see the wizened sorcerer about to hop into a portal to chase down impending (spoiler-free) doom. And what a portal it is! Adorned with twinkling lights, this mystical wormhole opens up to a lovely scene created using forced perspective. But there’s quite a bit of magic outside the portal, too. For instance, the shelves in the bookcase to the left aren’t actually being held in place by anything other than gravity. Each shelf sits on four tabs, each from this special 1×1 plate, much like your standard IKEA Billy bookcase. It’s such an interesting design hiding in plain sight.
Category Archives: Models
Ancient Egyptian amphibian with hands for feet
Builder W Navarre has taken inspiration from the latest LEGO Architecture set and travelled to Egypt for his latest Iron Builder salvo. The centrepiece is a rather jolly-looking frog, cleverly using the bright green hand piece for the eye stalks. It also sees apples repurposed as big toes on the front legs. This little amphibian does go some way to deceive regarding the scale of the build though! The rest of the build gives slightly more clues, and is worth investigating in its own right as there are some great techniques on display. Much of the background is brick-built in microscale and blurred to add some forced perspective, even the water of the river Nile below. The best bit might just be the hieroglyphs on the frog’s plinth though! A mish-mash of parts, together with some gaps naturally created by the geometry of LEGO pieces, gives them a terrifically authentic weathered feel. Another of the seed part hands even makes an appearance, although it is well hidden – can you spot it?
The brick is mightier than the sword
Everyone knows LEGO’s late-90s Adventurers theme was based loosely on Indiana Jones, and this fantastic diorama by norlego drives home the point by doing some character swapping, putting Johnny Thunder and Baron von Baron into the iconic tank scene from The Last Crusade. The build is magnificent, with the massive Hatay Heavy Tank looking straight out of the movie (which, as norlego points out, was a custom design for the film, not a real-world tank). Let’s hope Johnny doesn’t get raked over the treads!
norlego has been revisiting the Adventurers theme and giving it some much-needed love, starting with the splendid Adventurers Camp we featured last year. Check out more of norlego’s builds in TBB’s archives.
This Viking build tells its own story
Ross Fisher continues his LEGO Viking tale in his latest build, in which Viking raiders are repelled, leaving the survivors to take stock in the pouring rain. And let’s take a look at that rain; It’s rare to see the clear aerial used to such great effect as it is here, with the heavy rain adding an extra layer to both the landscape and emotion of the scene.
The minifigures are displayed under the shadow of a giant’s skull, adding a foreboding presence to the build. The giant’s helm is wonderfully constructed too, taking its shape from a hull piece that effortlessly presents the Viking-style helmet we’re all familiar with. The whole build is then presented on a hovercraft base, adding a nice display to this build.
I always enjoy seeing the inventive use of LEGO parts that Ross employs, and I’m looking forward to seeing where he takes this adventure next!
Attack of the corn-fist aliens!
I’m not sure which is funnier; the fact that this LEGO alien seems to be built using like a dozen Hulk fists or his head seems to be made from a corncob. Either way, Dan Ko is at it again with another entry for Iron Builder. This corny alien is chock full of hilarious personality. If you have been following Iron Builder or The Brothers Brick in general this is propably not even the weirdest thing you’ve seen today. That’s what we do; bring you the wild and weird so you don’t have to.
This LEGO Mediterranean harbor takes us back to World War II
There is so much going on in this WWII scene by builder PelLego that’s it’s hard to know where to begin. I don’t know if I should talk about the detailed rock work first, or the delicate trees with flex-tube trunks. Those natural forms stand in juxtaposition to the tall man-made domiciles, tiny cars parked out front, and sleek boat being loaded with gear. The build is a masterclass in tile usage, ranging from the flat, even stillness of the water to the rough and worn street next to the dock.
More on this scene’s details below
Mesa so delicious!
What is worse than being trapped in a submersible with Jar Jar Binks? Being trapped on that same submersible while being chased by a huge hungry predator. This LEGO creation by al is depicts a scene from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in which our heroes (and Jar Jar) are in their Gungan Bongo Sub being persued by a ravenous Opee Sea Killer. It also marks right about the first instance in which I started rooting for the bad guys. There were many others to come. Still, it’s pretty impressive that this builder can cram so much detail into such a small build. It just goes to show that you don’t need a lot of pieces to build something neat and well-detailed nor to wish to wring Jar Jar’s scrawny neck all over again. How wuud!
Miniature habitat is big on tranquility
Building a relaxing and tranquil scene doesn’t have to use a lot of parts, as is clear from this Japanese temple scene by ABrickDreamer, which features some nice part usage in the shoulder epaulets on the roof of the temple. The tile waterfall is a great color choice and that cherry blossom tree made from just 4 parts is perfect. Another great detail is the pair of red roller skates used at the top of the temple.
Take the time to watch this real working clock made entirely from LEGO.
Akiyuki has a knack for creating elaborately engineered LEGO creations. But this latest creation is possibly the most complex yet. Using a mangle rack system that converts the spinning of gears into rectilinear motion (i.e. straight lines), Akiyuki was able to create an accurate second hand on a giant LEGO clock frame. From there, the minute and hour hands were a breeze…well maybe not a breeze, but Akiyuki sure makes it look easy.
Check out the video below for a full breakdown on the construction and operation of the clock, including a timelapse next to a standard clock to demonstrate its accuracy. Make sure you turn on the closed captioning for Akiyuki’s full commentary.
Mischievous Minions and Mandalorian mashup
Somewhere in the Minions universe, there’s probably a galaxy far, far away with its own Mandalorian and Child. It’s certainly a fun idea builder Damian Thomas explores in this cute LEGO build. What screams Minions are those big ol’eyes! The printed eye pieces are in fact from the LEGO Minions sets. Besides the eyes, the spirit of the Minions is captured in the shape of the bodies, done with slopes and round bricks. The Child even has their little cradle so they can zip around the Mandalorian. The little barb pieces standing out on the Child’s head are secured with clips for that tuft of hair. The Mandalorian’s belt and armor are chock full of interesting details. The definition is a nice balance between the Star Wars elements and the Minions style. This is a well-done mashup, and I can imagine all the hijinks these two are going to get into on their adventures!
LEGO sandworm might just inspire you to chant the litany against fear
Frank Herbert’s Dune has inspired movies, television shows, comic books, video games, and many amazing LEGO creations over the years, and this diorama by muad_brick is among some of the best that I have seen. Where many builders, myself included, give Shai-Hulud its iconic shape by building ring segments, muad_brick used a series of curved slopes arranged in a textured pattern. The rows of teeth fading into the dark gullet of the beast lends the scene an extra level of drama, and that ornithopter made with only a handful of parts is amazing!
A personified plant ponders piece potential
Builder Eero Okkonen taps into something that I think most LEGO fans can relate to: looking for a new way to use an old piece. Where Eero might differ from those of you reading this is in depicting that struggle as a tree. But this wonderful self-portrait turns a few pieces upside down to deliver a wonderful image of an Ent-like being confounded by a gear. It’s no surprise Eero’s self-portrait would be a fantasy creature looking for new parts usage. Check out our Eero Okkonen archives for a look at his past builds, and you’ll know what I mean.
