Kaijune has come and gone, but we can’t get too far into July without celebrating this adorable baby Kaiju by Maxx Davidson. This precious little lizard is hard at work learning how to flatten cities on his puzzle themed playmat, with wooden blocks standing in for some unfortunate metropolis. Let’s hope he tires himself out, otherwise getting him down for a nap is going to be a big job.
LEGO fan builder Sakiya Watanabe takes inspiration from anime and Studio Ghibli films when crafting his stunning creations. A perfect example is this model of the dragon Haku, the spirit of the Kohaku river, from the 2001 animated film Spirited Away. The use of fern elements all along the spine is just one of the many clever parts used in this model. Lavender jumper plates are used to create rows of underbelly scales, and long, flexible tubes make the perfect whiskers.
Over sixty heroes showed up for Delving Day with many sharing their adventures with amazing LEGO builds and juicy lore. Thanks to all who participated. This week we have a new challenge: “Monster Meyhem!” but first let’s check in on Olly, Liri, and Kitara, our three heroes created by guest collaborators Jacob Manahan, beyondb0nes, and Red Impala. And a special thanks to ASortaOkayBuilder for the critters in this week’s challenge.
Ready to delve into Dungeon Crossing? Let’s go!
There’s something hopelessly romantic about travelling through Mediterranean towns where medieval walls and ancient ruins mingle with modern life. Y.R. Bricks captures that contrast and charm with a slice of seaside life LEGO. The builder’s stonework is flawless, with a mix of profile bricks, SNOT and subtle offsets for a texture that looks like it’s endured for centuries without crumbling into rubble. The use of color is phenomenal, such as carrying the pink accent from the cherry blossom tree over to the flowers in pots and climbing vines.
As an extra challenge, the builder also fit in a cafe interior, which looks so specific and detailed, I feel like I’ve been there! Tips for any visiting American minifigs – coffee = espresso, asking for “half and half” will only get you confused looks, and why would you ask for your drink to go when you can grab a spot and savor it by the sea?
If you’re a fan of the post-Bionicle LEGO character scene, you might have noticed a spike in monochrome silver creations that look like liquid metal exiles from a Cyberspace graveyard vibing to Nine Inch Nails as they hack the planet.
They’re rad. I poked the building beast who started the trend, Djokson, to find out more about this collab called “Silverpuke.”
Originally, this started with a few of my builds: Psychopomp Alloy, Sinew and Silver Fog. In an attempt to revisit the aesthetic of metallic Y2K renders (metalheart stuff in particular) I used the often maligned palette of silver pieces from Bionicle to achieve that feeling.
The term silverpuke itself used to be a derogatory phrase thrown around on certain fan forums to refer to builds utilizing an overabundance of such parts. The aim with the collab title was to reclaim it. For the longest time, Bionicle builders bemoaned the excessive usage of silver blade pieces in sets, and many called them unusable outside of weapons. So it also serves as a fun challenge when building.
From there, some of my friends were inspired to make their own, and it sorta snowballed into a recurring collab. The builds tend to come together very quickly when inspiration strikes.
A selection of models from of the growing collab follows:
The Silverpuke MOCS go Halcyon and on and on
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim debuted in the era of the Xbox 360 but has remained an essential game across three console generations. With all those remasters and mods, of course Skyrim would inspire LEGO tributes as well. What I love about this version from Gabriel Midgley is how the builder distills everything about this epic open world into a compact LEGO scene. Not a small build, mind you – it’s quite epic, but also dense with details that fans of the game will appreciate.
From the dragon soaring above the peak to the Dwemer ruins that wind through the mountain’s roots, the scene yells “adventure” with the intensity of a Dragonborn’s shout. Even though the game is single-player, Gabriel packs in references to many player races and classes, like the Argonian lizard man chilling at the camp. This LEGO take is such a fun way to experience Skyrim again, it just might tide me over until Elder Scrolls VI finally arrives… in 2042, if we’re lucky.
Kamil Banasik has been hard at work in the LEGO lab, and the result is this magnificent tribute to the microscopic world. The microscope at the center would be a note-worthy build on its own, as a near perfect 1:1 scale recreation of the real thing. But the way that it’s framed, with those LEGO particles climbing up the those angled arms, takes it from a clever piece of engineering to to a work of art.
The only thing that troubles us is that when you peer into this microscope, it looks back up at you. Someone call Ant-Man, I think the Quantum Realm might want a word with us.
When it comes to LEGO mechs and brick-built characters, Zakar.ion is one of the most prolific and distinctive builders in the scene. They’re also one of the most collaborative and generous builders around, joining and starting collabs every week. One of my favorite traditions is the “swap collab” where zakar and another builder each pick a model from the other’s catalog of creations, then remake it in their own style. For zakar’s latest swap, the builder teams with neo_mocs. Here we see zakar’s take on neo’s Luna and Misty characters.
Below, you can see the inspiration and the remake side by side. Some of the elements, like the cat face elements from 11034 Creative Pets, carry across builds, while the body construction is a total re-engineering. Constraction pieces out, macaroni tubes in!
the other half of the collab follows
Summer is here, and everyone loves a juicy slice of watermelon to help beat the heat, even in a galaxy far, far away. So Maxx Davidson is helping deliver that treat to the furthest reaches of space with this fresh take on a classic Star Wars ship. Maxx has made perfect use of various shades of green to capture the look of the melon rind, and those diamond tiles as seeds on the front mandibles are inspired. But my favorite detail is the round fruit slice tile serving as the cockpit window. Delicious.
Fresh off the heels of the great review of the new LEGO Shelby Cobra, we get another delivery from Firas Abu-Jaber, the third-generation Chevrolet Big Block Camaro. From the detailed guest review that Firas delivered, the amount of effort and detail provided to this Camaro should come as no surprise. While Firas calls out the love and effort put into the engine, for me, it’s the headlights that make the build shine. Those 80’s headlights are essential to the design of the third-gen Camaro, and they are exquisitely done.
Be sure to take a full walk around the Camaro in Firas’ gallery.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie was an on again/off again store for endurance racing. But, with a successful completion of the 24 Hours of Le Mans this month, SFH_Bricks has made sure the Valkyrie will live in a permanent “on” status. With a mix of bright-green, dark-green and lime, SFH brings the Valkyrie to life in Speed Champions scale. Now we just need to hear the 12-cylinder engine howl.
By many accounts, gargoyles were installed on the sides of buildings to ward off evil spirits and demons. That makes them heroes, despite their somewhat scary looks. But as Magmafrost13 demonstrates, throw a pink skirt on a monster and suddenly the scariness makes way for cuteness. Kind of. I have to admit, all I’m imagining is an anime in which a bunch of gargoyles have to learn to ward off a series of demons through the power of friendship, love, and togetherness. Magmafrost13, I have an idea for a pitch…
